The day Red Beryl had emerged was perhaps the greatest day of her life. It was the first time that she met Yellow Diamond. Some of the details were hazy within her mind. From the very moment of her birth, many other gems tended to her, dressing her, polishing her, recording her existence, and making sure she could speak. Each chamber they dragged her into whirled around in an order that wasn't clear. There had been so many faces and voices and bright lights that the first series of events all bled together and remained cloudy—the way the world looks coming off of anesthesia. Red recalled the vague whirring and beeping of machines. They shined light into her deep black, new eyes.
One segment taken from the tornado of her origins that stood out in particular was in fact, the few moments before they marched her proudly into the throne room. The high from just acquiring life was beginning to wear off and her onyx-colored pupils lost the fog that had surrounded them only minutes before. Another gem was sitting and speaking with her, preparing her for the moment she was born to participate in. Her soft pink hand sat over Red's knuckles and her gentle voice was confined to a ripe secret between them, contained only in the atmosphere around their lips.
Red couldn't recall what type of gem she was.
"They almost made a mistake, you know. There's never once been another Red Beryl. They thought you were a Ruby, even though you look nothing like one."
Red slowly blinked her heavy lids.
"This might not mean much to you now, but because you're so rare and your gem is so clear and beautiful, you're sure to have a wonderful life. You'll be able to work closely with Yellow Diamond and likely live comfortably in her palace. Most gems would give anything for such an opportunity."
"Yellow Diamond?"
"That's right. Can you tell me your name, Darling?"
"I'm Red Beryl."
"Very good."
They spoke a little while longer and the words seemed to fit more easily inside Red's lips. The syllables agreed with the movement of her jaw and her tongue, with her infantile mist leaving her as it dissipated around her forehead.
Then, yet another gem took her down a long corridor, and already, some of the others that passed by noticed the fine attire she had been clothed in and greeted her with a bow.
"Salutations, my lady."
Her skirts dragged upon the floor and occasionally attempted to trip her inexperienced feet. Her gown was heavy. It moved across the tiles the way a frothy tidal wave crashes upon the shore.
"Salu-tation—" she managed.
Most of them likely pieced together that she had only just emerged.
The moment they reached Yellow Diamond's throne room was the moment that any trace of anesthesia evaporated from her blood entirely. Upon walking into that chamber, Red Beryl's consciousness was awash in the sparkling coming from the Queen's diamond and the rest of that Golden Goddess became crystalline, like a holy and otherworldly vision.
Both Red and her escort adopted a low bow before her, but those fresh black eyes sank themselves deep into every detail of her image. The entire woman sparkled and shone with divinity, and even from her lowly spot upon the floor, Red understood her power. Then, as Yellow Diamond looked back onto her newest daughter, she flashed a smile that caused the beams radiating from her to intensify. Her fire represented every perfect color of the visible light spectrum, and certainly, there must have been some ultra violet and gamma rays included as well.
But Red found comfort in that.
"Oh my stars." Yellow Diamond's voice came out slowly. It was warm, but its intrigue drew goose-bumps over her new servant's flesh and colored her face with a heavy blush.
Elegant steps had The Queen move forward. Her fabric rustled gently as autumn leaves in a kind wind.
"When they told me a Red Beryl had emerged I didn't believe them. I had been waiting for you so long that I thought you would never come. Yet, here you are."
Long slender arms came to lift Red from the tiles. Yellow Diamond held her so those little crimson feet dangled and their gazes locked right onto one another's.
"You're beautiful."
Both of them had the exact same arrangement of four distinct points on the very same location of their chests.
"It's clear that you were destined to be mine." She soaked Red Beryl in warm and loving pride. "What do you have to say to that, little one?"
"My Diamond—" That's how they told her to address this woman. Yet, now that the words left her mouth, what came instead of more coherent syllables was a throat full of bile and a stomach crinkling up in nausea.
With radiant patience, Yellow Diamond waited in silence.
She watched Red Beryl with those wild golden eyes, but the pressure of that moment and the desperation to say something boiled her skin. Her deep red gem nearly shattered.
So like a new born baby, Red began to weep. That goddess was so lovely and Red was so unworthy and what was there to say that wasn't insulting or cliché? Her hands came, to protect Yellow Diamond from the hideous vision of her twisting features, and covered her face while the violent and visceral emotions poured from her in a deluge that might shatter a dam.
Red tried to stop—this was terribly inappropriate—but every attempt at slowing the tears only brought more.
"Are you happy to be mine?"
The slave gulped; she veiled her face and nodded vigorously, then sniffled and tried to open her drowning eyes.
Though, Red didn't get the chance because Yellow Diamond brought her in close and held her. Those powerful, sublime arms enveloped her and bunched up the rich fabric of that gown beneath her knees.
"You're passionate. I wasn't expecting anything less."
Through the trauma Red managed: "I love you, My Diamond."
"I'm sure to love you back, Red Beryl."
Just then, the sobbing became worse, but Yellow Diamond stole the trails of tears developing upon her servant's cheeks. Her finger covered the entire surface. She ordered the other gem away and held Red until her outburst had been spent.
She woke up on her couch.
Her chambers were so quiet.
For some reason, a vague hangover hung about her head. Like she had spent the whole night crying and intoxicated off of some forbidden drug. Every nerve in her body screamed a little, coiling up tight and uncoiling again like the knots in her center.
The light shimmering of her gem hurt her eyes.
Red sat up, but she wasn't completely straight. It was a difficult process that involved throwing the dead weight of her legs over the side of the sofa and hoisting the rest of her body into a sitting position. She leaned forward, attempting to iron out her back, but it wouldn't go.
"Pearl!" The shout came out hoarse and worn, like instrument strings that were ready to snap. So Red cleared her throat. "Pearl, where are you?"
The friendly "Yes, Lady Red?" that greeted her almost every day never arrived. There was merely the whispering of the electronics and the faithful ticking of the clock on the opposite wall.
The aristocrat stood up on her fragile legs and went about making herself presentable, though the bruises and deep chasms beneath her eyes baffled her. Once every one of her burgundy hairs were cemented well into place— leading to the perfectly round bun at the crown of her serious head—Red traveled along the same passage way she had only just dreamt about.
The lesser gems greeted her (which was almost all of them), albeit with intrigue polluting their expressions because that fiery red gem had never looked like Hell. Some tried to ask if she was alright, but before their questions could even register, determination dragged her aching body closer to the Queen, because surely, Yellow Diamond would know what was going on.
The guards greeted her and allowed her in.
And just like she had 500 years ago, she bowed low to that shining empress who was seated in her throne.
"My Diamond."
"Red. I'm glad you came to see me. There's something I need to discuss with you." The golden woman shifted some, with a set of elegant fingers sitting beneath her chin. She released a lofty sigh. "Come closer."
So Red Beryl rose and moved a few steps nearer. "Ma'am, I woke up this morning covered in bruises with my Pearl nowhere to be found. Do you know what's happened?"
"Yes, and that's precisely what we're going to talk about." Yellow Diamond's lips creased into a frown. "Red, your Pearl has died."
A pause. The aristocrat's golden eyes widened and her mouth fell open, if only slightly. "What?"
"Listen carefully; she fell into a construction zone during an errand and was severely injured when a piece of heavy machinery fell upon her. The Peridots standing by all attempted to help, but when one of them picked her gem up, it shattered. There was nothing anyone could do at that point."
Silence. Yellow Diamond continued.
"I've broken the Peridots responsible. In fact, you tried to do the same when you witnessed this incident happen. You were torn up because it couldn't be prevented, yet you felt it was your duty to protect her. The bruises all over your body are a result of you trying to hurt yourself, and the reason why you don't recall any of this is because I came to you and relieved you of these memories. You were so distraught and resolved to tear yourself apart for the mistakes of those foolish technicians that I had no choice but to take away all of the details. I can't imagine that any of this is easy to hear, but perhaps sparing you the pain of living every moment of it will make the truth a little kinder; it certainly is bitter."
Still, Red Beryl did not reply. Her dark brows furrowed deeply as every working component of her mind repeated over and over again and again each word Yellow Diamond said, as if the empress had imparted it in a foreign tongue that Red could only kind of understand.
Regardless, she got the gist.
Yellow Diamond continued. "It's a shame. She was an excellent Pearl. Before her body disappeared, she thanked you. I know for a fact that she loved you dearly, Red, and was forever grateful for your kindness. I doubt that she blamed you for what happened, no matter how Hell-bent you were to find yourself culpable. I'd like to issue an apology as well. No matter how far we come, these things will always occur and I'm sorry that this happened to you and your Pearl."
Red's already jagged and haphazard constitution grew a little worse. But still, she swallowed the lump in her throat for her Queen. "Thank you, My Diamond. I wouldn't want to keep the memories of her death. It's—" She stopped there.
"I know."
For a moment, there was only the sound of Red Beryl's breathing.
Then Yellow Diamond spoke again: "I've ordered another Pearl for you. Perhaps a temporary one unless you decide to keep her. Your last Pearl was extremely special, and it's slightly more difficult to procure a black Pearl than an ordinary one. She'll be ready for you by the time you've finished working for today."
"Madame, I don't think I can have a replacement so soon."
"You're going to need one since you'll be starting work immediately."
Red damn near fell over. "Don't I still need to take my exams? I hardly remember studying for them."
"That's my doing. When I took your memories, I stole a few extra as well. You already took and passed all of your exams and are officially done with your education. Congratulations. Now you can finally come to work with me. It's a shame that such an accomplishment has been sullied by tragedy. Even so, I'm extremely proud of you."
The aristocrat desperately tried to remember the last several events of her life, but there was merely white static leading to the final few sessions of class. The material was hazy like smudged up marker on the board.
The whole thing gave her a migraine.
"Red, I know you're going to be upset for a while, but when you're feeling better, I want to celebrate. It's no easy feat to graduate from the academy."
"Thank you, Ma'am. I would love to celebrate with you." Her Yellow irises scraped at the floor. Red swallowed. "I'll be sure to let you know when I'm feeling more like myself again."
The shuffling of Yellow Diamond's body brought Red's attention back to the woman before her. The Queen took up a huge area inside her personal space, kneeling down so they were sort of the same height, and wrapping up that comparatively tiny gem in her royal arms. The Diamond squeezed, and Red Beryl tried to squeeze back, as much as she possibly could.
"Everything is going to be alright. Don't be distraught for too long. I hate to see you unhappy."
"Thank you, My Diamond."
They split apart and looked at one another, with matching pairs of eyes.
"I look forward to getting to work. I can finally fulfill my purpose and perhaps distract myself from these emotions. Regardless of how I feel, I will not fail you, My Diamond."
Yellow Diamond took the two or three droplets from Red's cheeks. Her enormous fingers were amazingly gentle. She delicately caught the fourth one at the end of her nail. "I know you won't." Her plump lips broke into a reserved smile. "You're so grown-up."
The servant beamed like a fool and more tears escaped. After swallowing a good mouthful of air, she gasped it all back out and regained her composure.
Red left after exchanging good-byes and then wilted—only because she had left the light of the Goddess of her heart.
