Chapter 1

"I'm telling you P, your swords fall down here by accident," Amethyst protested.

Amethyst and Pearl were both standing in the former's room, Pearl holding a rapier that had been sheathed in its scabbard. "That's ridiculous. I put my swords away in the most careful manner, there is no way they would just fall down here. You took it."

"Ughhhh! No! Your dumb waterfall carries it here. That one landed on my head, hurt like heck, but don't get me started on the one from earlier today," Amethyst walked towards a large pile of garbage.

"You have another one? Amethyst honestly."

"I told you, shit falls. Don't you know how gravity works, Pearl?" the purple Gem complained whilst digging through the mess. She vanished into the pile, and then returned carrying a cutlass. She handed it to Pearl, "That one, cut my head off. How else do you think I got a new outfit? It poofed me."

Pearl blinked, "Oh dear. Are you ok?"

"Meh. I'm fine," she posed, "You like my new outfit?"

Pearl stared a bit, "Hmmm. The strap is off. It's not even symmetrical."

"Wow. Thanks for the fashion lesson, leg warmers."

Pearl blushed, "I'm done talking about this."

Outside was Greg Universe, with a large box of fresh hot pizza. He sat on the edge of the warp pad, waiting patiently for his lover Rose Quartz to show up. Pearl and Amethyst then came out of the temple together, Amethyst pleasantly greeting Greg. And Pearl giving the man an unenthusiastic wave.

"Ayy! Music man!" Amethyst said.

"Ayy! Little A!" He replied.

"Whoa. You got pizza!" Amethyst ran over to him.

Greg shook his head, "Not just any pizza. A pizza with pepperoni, anchovies, black olives, and a little gravy. Not to mention extra tomato sauce. Rose's favorite kind of pizza."

Pearl frowned at the mention of Rose. What did Greg know about her? "Untrue. Rose prefers regular cheese pizza. She told me that a pizza is perfect the way it is, and doesn't need toppings. Or extra sauce. Or gravy."

There was a pause before Greg said, "Oh. Huh. I uh, do remember her saying that now that you mention it."

Pearl was happy that at least Rose talked to her. Through the years, Pearl had learned secrets and tidbits that no one else in the galaxy knew about Rose, not even Rose's "lover" knew them about. It made Pearl feel special. Special enough that she could hold her head up with proud.

Though the idea of Greg and Rose being together, made Pearl's stomach churn (if she had one anyway).

"Who cares if it's Rose's favorite, Pearl? Pizza is pizza," Amethyst complained. She then looked over to Greg, "I got an idea. Throw it into my mouth. Like when Vidalia and I play frisbee."

"Sure. Go long then," Greg said.

Amethyst ran past Greg and out more towards the ocean, when she was at the edge of the temple's platform. She shape shifted into a Dalmatian. Though she had black dots on her coat, she also purple fur as opposed to white. Amethyst pup stretched a bit, and gave Greg a nod.

Greg stood, held a pizza slice in hand, and threw it. Amethyst ran forward on all fours and stared up at her target, lust in her eyes and drool coming out. She leaped, her mouth open and teeth barred. The slice fell perfectly into Amethyst's mouth, swallowed without a single bite. The perfect catch.

Greg did this again, success as well. Not a slice wasted.

"Ok. That's enough. I want to save some pizza for me and Rose."

"Awww. Come on. One more! I hardly get to hang out with you, Gregory," Amethyst complained. She then gave him puppy dog eyes. Trying to force him to cave into her demands. He would have said no, but her eyes were so cute and pure that not even a Diamond could say no to her. Greg sighed, then gave a thumbs up.

Amethyst puppy barked in enjoyment. She then started to run in circles around Greg and the warp pad, occasionally stepping on Pearl's feet just to annoy her.

Greg now had to time this perfectly, it was his most difficult shot. The hungry children in the world depended on him not to fail his shot. If he did, it would waste a perfectly good pizza. A fresh pizza. A pepperoni, anchovy, black olive, and gravy pizza. With extra tomato sauce.

He noted Amethyst's speed. And decided to aim towards the temple door. He also gestured for Pearl to move away a bit so that she wasn't hit by accident. Pearl didn't move. She should have taken the warning.

Then, right before Amethyst was close enough, Greg backed up a bit and threw the pizza slice upwards into the air. However, just then the temple door began to shine a bright pink glow, signifying that Rose was about to exit her room and right onto a falling piece of pizza. Instinctively, Pearl ran forward and jumped in front of the pizza's line of fire.

She took the hit for Rose like it was as deadly as a bullet.

Funny enough, Pearl's nose ended up skewering the slice, leaving it to slide down and stick to her face. She landed on her feet but stumbled around blindly for a bit. But in her moments of blindness, Pearl striking her knee against the warp pad, and falling right on top of the open pizza box.

With a splat Pearl crashed onto the large pizza. Gravy, tomato sauce, and grease covering her like slime. She groaned in discomfort, ready to explode in embarrassment. She stumbled for a bit before getting up.

Greg then ran over and pulled the pizza off of Pearl's nose. He used a napkin to wipe the sauce from her face. Pearl blinked a few times before realizing just how badly she looked. Not only that, but Rose was right behind them. Watching the whole thing. Pearl took notice of Rose and blushed deeply, just wanting to curl up and shatter right there.

Why is this happening? Why am I covered in this? Why I do I look like a fool? She asked herself. After standing up, she had locked eyes with Greg. Him. She thought.

She was angry. Really angry. She clenched her fists, wanting so badly to slug Greg across the face with a full power punch. But the more she looked at him, the more she looked at the staring Rose, the more worked up she felt. Pearl's emotions bubbled up and nearly spilt out of her in a hot torrent of raw emotion. But almost immediately her feelings changed to embarrassment, to jealousy, to sadness, then back rage, all in a matter of seconds. She didn't know how she felt. She didn't know what on earth was going on.

She just wanted to be with Rose. Was that too much to ask?

In a wave of anger and jealousy, Pearl pushed Greg off of the warp pad, forcing him to land on his back.

She regretted doing that as soon as it happened. She moved forward to help him up and apologize. But just couldn't. She couldn't do it with her emotions spilling out. She might end up actually going through with punching him.

So she just let her other emotions guide her. In anger Pearl kicked the pizza box away, sending it sprawling onto the floor. Then pushed by all the embarrassment, Pearl activated the warp pad before Rose or Amethyst could even do anything.

With a loud zoom and a flash of light, Pearl found herself whisked away into a neon blue space. She shut her eyes, letting the warp stream carry her away. She arrived at the Galaxy Warp in no time at all.

Pearl walked over to the edge of the gem-made island, and jumped off. Diving into the ocean with perfect form, submerging into the Atlantic saltwater.

She couldn't really feel it, but the ocean was bitter cold. But, she was Gem. And she was immune to the cold. So instead, she took it all in. Moving her hands slowly all over her body, cleaning off anything that still stuck to her clothes, and combing her hair with her fingers. When Pearl resurfaced and climbed back up to the summit of the Galaxy Warp, she collapsed onto her back with exhaustion.

Pearl stared up at the clear sky, able to see Homeworld's galaxy in the form a bright yellow star. She laid there for what felt like hours, crying quietly to herself.

"I'm such an idiot," she started, "She doesn't even love me. She loves him. Out of everyone in the entire universe, I know her the best. I know her more than Garnet, or Amethyst. And yet, she still loves him."

Pearl started to cry again, but cleaned her tears away and sighed, "Oh forget it. Why do I even bother? Rose can't even notice how I feel about her. And why would she? I'm just a cheese pizza compared to Greg."

A few hours later

A good while had passed before Pearl even tried moving a muscle. She stood up tiredly, and walked out towards the center of the galaxy warp, sitting down on another warp pad. "I don't think i've even visited this place before," she said to herself, "I came here on a ship. No need for any of these warps."

"I came here," a voice identical to Pearl's echoed from nearby.

Startled, Pearl stood up, summoning her weapon and holding it firm and close to her body. She was ready to lunge forward and attack whoever was nearby. Then when no approached her, she shouted. "Show yourself! I heard your voice. Are you another Pearl?!"

The voice replied again with an uncanny resemblance to Pearl's voice, "Are you, a, Pearl?" though it had this forced delivery, with pauses in between.

"Who's there?" Pearl asked.

No response this time.

Pearl stepped up onto the Homeworld warp and used it us a vantage point. Her eyes zoomed over her surroundings and took in everything. And when Pearl didn't notice the body of a Gem, she shouted.

"I'm not in a joking mood! Are you going to attack me?" no response, "Answer me! Yes or no!"

Immediately after the voice answered, "No!" the same 'no' Pearl had just said. Whoever this was could only repeat things someone else says.

Pearl looked around a bit more for the source of the voice. "Do you mind saying something else?"

"No!" it replied.

"Could you keep talking please?"

"Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!" the voice repeated like a broken record. With that Pearl was able to track down the exact location of a voice. A hand mirror.

Upon close examination, Pearl found a slightly cracked Lapis Lazuli gemstone embedded into the mirror's back. Pearl picked up the object and spun it so that she looked directly into the glass.

"Were you the one talking to me?" Pearl asked.

The mirror produced another slightly echoey version of Pearl shouting, "Yes!"

"How are you speaking to me? Aren't you corrupted?"

The mirror replied with a, "No!"

"Do you want me to let you out?" Pearl asked.

"Yes!"

"Do you promise not to attack me?"

"Yes!"

Pearl sighed. She turned the mirror around again and reached for the tear shaped gemstone. She pulled at it, feeling no progress whatsoever. Pearl pulled at it, harder and harder. She used so much strengh she was worried the gemstone would break due to all of that force. But when Pearl nearly gave up, the gemstone came right off. The mirror's glass shattering in response, littering the ground with shards of glass.

Then the gemstone emitted a bright blue light before flying right out of Pearl's hand. It hovered in the air for a bit before enveloping the surrounding area in blinding flash of blue. When the light was gone Pearl saw a thin, blue skinned Gem hovering in mid-air. The Gem then began to fall, her body motionless and frozen. Pearl reacted. She dropped her spear on the ground and then leaped forward, catching the Gem in her arms.

It was in that moment that Pearl could see the Gem up-close and clearly. Awestruck, Pearl blinked a few times before realizing that she was blushing. The Lapis Lazuli that she held in her arms was so, so, so.

So beautiful. Pearl thought this Gem was so darn beautiful.

Her pointy little nose, her scruffy hair, the way her skin glistened in the night. Pearl stared at her closely. Eventually, the Lapis Lazuli spoke.

"You can put me down now," she said.

Pearl blushed a bit more and let the Gem go. She stood straight, and looked at Pearl, smiling. Pearl looked back, mesmerized by how glassy and reflective the other gem's eyes were. They were like mirrors. Eye shaped mirrors. No pupils, no color, just a sleek glass.

"Thank you so much for letting me out," she clasped her hands together, "I'm Lapis Lazuli," she then winked at Pearl, "But you can call me Lapis."

Pearl curtsied, "Hello, Lapis. I am Pearl. What on earth were you doing out here alone? In a mirror no less."

Lapis frowned, "It's a long story."

"Oh. Believe me. I have no reason to go back home anytime soon," she still had to work up the courage to apologize to Greg, "I could listen to your story."

"Ok," Lapis nodded.

The two walked over to a warp pad and sat down next to each other, a little close for two people who just met as well. In fact, they sat so close their hands would rub against each other's. At some points, Pearl was stroking Lapis' hand and playing with her fingers.

"It all happened back during the Gem war. I came to visit this planet, but ended up in the middle of a battle. I tried to run, but a Crystal Gem destroyed my physical form. And during the conflict, a Homeworld solider found me and then confused me for one of you. She stuck me in a mirror, used me as a tool for years on end. I was yelled at, asked 'show us your base' or 'where is your leader'. I couldn't even tell them I wasn't a Crystal Gem. I could only repeat things.

"It soon became clear that there was no hope in stopping the rebellion after Pink Diamond had been shattered. All of the Homeworld Gems fled. And in all the panic of escaping earth, I was left behind, and stepped on. My Gem being cracked by the heels and feet of the people who I thought were on my side," Lapis explained.

"Oh dear," Pearl muttered. She put a hand on Lapis' arm and moved a bit closer.

"And i've been stuck here. Well. Yntil you found and freed me."

Pearl blinked, "I-I'm sorry that happened to you."

Lapis frowned, "I wouldn't have been poofed if it wasn't for your rebellion."

Pearl's face was covered in a giant blush. She would have said something in her defense, but technically, Lapis was correct. So at best Pearl could manage some embarrassed stutters. It didn't help that Lapis' gorgeousness made Pearl feel, uneasy. With such an attractive Gem in front of her, Pearl was so out of it. It was like meeting Rose all over again.

Only. Different. A good different.

"Well. Thank you for letting me out of that horrid mirror at the very least. I appreciate it," Lapis looked into Pearl's eyes with the smallest of grins.

"N-No problem," Pearl stared at Lapis for a bit before saying, "Ummm. What are you going to do now?"

Lapis looked up towards the starry sky, "I was planning on going back to Homeworld. But I can't fly in this state."

"Because of the crack in your gemstone?"

"Yes."

"Hmm. It does seem to be affecting your eyes," Pearl offered.

"What's wrong with my eyes?" Lapis asked confused. It seemed couldn't tell that her eyes were like mirrors now. So, Pearl decided to be smooth and offer a compliment instead.

She stuttered at first, but managed to say, "Oh n-nothing. T-They're very lovely eyes."

Lapis blushed a bit, "Thank you. You're very, forward, for a Pearl. I like that."

A red hot sensation filled Pearl's face, she was so attracted to Lapis it was almost ridiculous. Her eyes wandered a bit and noticed Lapis' long sundress, how it flowed with the night's soft breeze, Pearl smiled.

She also glanced down at Lapis' feet at one point, smirking at the the sight of them. Pearl seeming to have this, ddd fascination towards Gems with long dresses and bare feet.

"A-Anyway. I can't use my water wings with a cracked gemstone. And you know what they say, a Lapis Lazuli without the power to fly is practically powerless," Lapis glanced towards the ocean, "Well. Almost powerless."

Pearl brought her hands together, "Oh! I have an idea. Why don't I bring you to Rose?"

"Rose?" Lapis thought for a bit, " Wait! You don't mean Rose Quartz do you!?"

"Y-Yes," Pearl said with a hint of surprise at Lapis' outburst.

Lapis shook her head in protest, clenching both her hands into fists, she stood up straight, "Rose Quartz is a criminal! A rebel! Which. I ummm. I guess you are one too technically."

Pearl offered a cheeky, 'what are you gonna do', look.

"But, at least you're, pleasant? Eh. I can't think of a word to describe you. You're quite something," Lapis hid a blush, "But Rose Quartz shattered a Diamond. The greatest crime there is. She's dangerous."

Pearl stood up straight, "No, no. Rose Quartz is wonderful. She's sweet, and kind, and courageous," Pearl noticed that Lapis still seemed on edge so she went with more persuasive words instead, "And she can heal you. She can heal your gemstone and then you'll be able to go back home."

Another shake of the head from Lapis, "I'm sorry. But I refuse to be in the same room as her. When I was stuck in that mirror, I couldn't move at all. All I could do was listen in on conversations. And when I wasn't getting orders barked at me. I was, hearing stories.

"I heard tales of the rebellion. I heard of your leader's ruthlessness, her calculated attacks on public locations like spires, her targeting of civilian Gems. And worst of all. I heard how your leader, without a single shred of hesitation, shattered Pink Diamond. And I have heard vivid descriptions of her death too.

"They talked about how she screamed the most painful, ear shattering, soul crushing scream as her gemstone was struck. They said her physical form wavered for five seconds before exploding into a cloud of pink shards. I heard how Rose Quartz gathered the shards in her hands, stepped on a few them, then bubbled the rest and sent them off to who knows where.

"So how I could work up the courage to meet this Gem? She's a monster! What did she even do with Pink Diamond's shards?" Lapis asked.

Pearl was speechless, she didn't know what Rose did with those shards. Why didn't she know? She should have known. She was Rose's confidant. Her oldest ally and friend. Why didn't she know what happened to those shards? She knew about the secret armory, she knew about Rose's favorite type of pizza, so many other things. Why couldn't she answer Lapis' question?

There was silence between the two. Lapis scoffed, "Yeah. She probably did something horrible to her, didn't she? You look ready to cry."

Pearl wiped a tear away. She struggled to say anything else, just mumbled incomprehensible speech. She looked straight into Lapis' mirror-like eyes, seeing a reflection of herself in them. She saw a Pearl. A simple Pearl. A plain old, cheese pizza, who managed to somehow survive fighting in a thousand year war.

A simple Pearl who had fallen in love with a Quartz solider. One who never even acknowledged Pearl's intense, and painfully obvious feelings. She wished Rose would at least say 'no' to her. Give Pearl a reason to move, but no. Instead she was stuck watching Rose spend time with a human who she actually did love.

It would hurt so much less if Rose would just tell pearl 'no'. At least then, Pearl could move on.

When Lapis was getting impatient she said, "Do you even know your leader?"

Pure emotion burst out, "I know her more than you, GREG!" Pearl screeched.

It all spilt out from her. Tears, and tears, and tears. So much raw emotion came bursting out like a torrent of water out of a geyser. Pearl threw herself to the ground sobbing loud and painfully. She couldn't even manage a word, just sobbing. Loud sobbing. She went on and on. Thousands of years of being ignored spilling out. Years of watching human suitors take Rose away for time and time again, sometimes even days on end. Pearl told herself she was fine, cause they didn't matter at all.

But the truth was, every one of them hurt Pearl's feelings. What did they have that she didn't?

Pearl was at her lowest. She could only cry out emotion after emotion.

She was so exasperated couldn't even notice when she was being lifted up.

Lapis helped Pearl to her feet. And in an instant, the blue Gem wrapped her arms around Pearl in a tight embrace.

Pearl's face burned in a hot blush, feeling an intense attraction towards Lapis. The blue Gem's skin was soft. Softer than Rose's. Pearl hesitated, but then returned the hug. Rubbing her hands on Lapis' back, playing with the strap of Lapis' halter top. Pearl was enjoying this, even fighting the urge to reach down just a little more south down Lapis' back.

"Why are you hugging me?" Pearl asked, her voice stuffy from the crying.

"You're not as cute when you're crying," Lapis whispered in Pearl's ear with a hint of sultry in her voice, "So I wanted you to shut up, baby."

End of chapter 1