Hey everyone. Are you excited for Stranded? cause I am. Hope you enjoy this chapter. Feel free to come talk to me in between on .com where you can see some cool art and read the ongoing ballad of Vitus and White diamond. I've improved the 'Stories' page so stuff is easier to find.

See you next time!

Pink Pearl leaned against a cavern wall while Jet raged. The Black Pearl had been summoning her throwing star weapon and tossing it against the wall repeatedly for several minutes, swearing profusely. Needless to say she hadn't taken the news of Mauve's separation well.

"And of all things!" Jet said flinging the latest weapon she had pulled from her gem directly into a column, leaving a deep gouge into it. "The one diamond we were sure was safe, that you said was nothing to worry about!" Pink Pearl flinched as Jet turned towards her, gesturing angrily with her throwing star . "How could she do this? It might be worse than shattering I don't think Mauve's been separated since the war ended."

"Domina couldn't have known-"

"And if she had would she have acted any different?!" Jet cut her off.

"I don't know." Pink said straightening herself "But she doesn't, she was trying to be merciful you can't blame her!"

"I certainly can, She benefits from this system just as much as the other two does! She wasn't trying to be merciful she was trying to protect the empires resources!" Another set of gouges appeared in the column. "She's not any better than the other's"

"You have no idea what you're talking about!" Pink said walking toward the other Pearl. "She's doing her best!"

"And her best sent two gems to a fate worse than shattering!" Jet said lowly "How can you defend her, after all these years, after every single one her tantrums you've had to deal with, after everything you've seen the diamonds do, how can you still stand there and defend her? Mauve is gone! Her components are separated and will most likely never see eachother again! And if White Diamond found out about the base tomorrow or that anyone of us was a part of this do you think she would hesitate to have us shattered or worse!"

"She wouldn't! You don't know her!"

"What do you think your exempt because your her precious Pearl? Your nothing, like the rest of us! Just another replaceable cog in the ma-" Before Pink Pearl knew what she was doing she had swung at Jet, aiming for the side of her face opposite the Pearl's eye gem. Jet staggered back and immediately retaliated with her own punch, knocking Pink to the ground. Blue Pearl found them like that roughly a minute later, shouting and hitting each other. Pink Pearl was roughly yanked back as Blue Pearl moved between them.

"What in stars name are you two doing!?"

"She needs to pick a side!" Jet shouted.

"Like shards I do!" Pink spat.

"What are you talking about." Blue said her voice was quiet but carried an authoritive tone. Between the two of them the whole story came out. When it was over Blue sat on a nearby rock and stared at the floor for a long moment in thought. Then she looked at Pink. "Do you know which planet's her components were sent too?" Pink Pearl shook her head.

"The court hasn't made that decision yet."

"So they're still on planet?" Jet asked, her anger not quite evaporating but condensing at the very least. Pink nodded.

"I believe they're being held in the White District's cell block." she said. Blue frowned and fiddled with the fringes of her hair.

"We don't have the forces to get in there."

"We could if we were stealthy enough." Jet said. Blue frowned deeper and folded her legs.

"Perhaps, even then." She looked at Pink Pearl as if waiting for her to suggest something. And then Pink did.


Domina's sleep schedule was still rather irregular but it had gotten much better over the past year. And that enabled far more regular dream meetings with Steven. This one found them in her dream. Domina looked around the spire reading room that she once again found herself in. Steven floated in.

"Hey Domina!" He said cheerily "Back at the spire?"

"It seems like it." Domina frowned slightly "My mind must just be stuck on work," She shook her head. "Any way how are you, did you get the files I sent you?"

"Yeah." Steven hopped up on one of the tables. "I haven't read it yet, Peridot sent it to me but reading too much in gem makes my head hurt."

"I feel the same way about English. Tell Connie that the third Spirit Morph book is going to take me a bit longer. I'm only half way through." Steven nodded

"Hows Pink Pearl?" He asked. Domina smiled.

"She doing alright, busy like I am, we really need to set up a video chat."

"I asked Peridot about that but she said that Homeworld would probably pick up the transmission and then Garnet said no." Steven said swinging his feet. Domina frowned. There were difficulties in having a friend that was technically a rebel.

"Right." She said.

"So what have you been up too?" He asked. Domina shrugged.

"Work same as always" She said deliberately avoiding any possible conversation about her latest power. "I'm sure your life is more interesting than mine right now."

"Oh I don't know about that." Steven said "Let's see," He started counting off on his fingers. "Me and Buck and Jenny and Sour Cream and Sadie are playing in a big show in a couple of months, The wailing stone has been ringing all day and just turned off again before I went to bed, Connie and me have been going on missions as Stevonnie with Garnet, Oh!" He sat up straight.

"Pearl's got a girlfriend!" He said. Domina blinked.

"A what?"

"A Girlfriend. She's really cool and rides a motorcycle and knows how to do like everything!" He said. "Her name is-"

"Wait, Steven what's a girlfriend." Domina interrupted.

"Huh?" Steven frowned puzzled. "Oh it's a girl that you date." Domina blinked.

"You're going to have to elaborate."

"Well when two people like each other a lot they go on dates, like my mom and dad did, too get to know each other better."

"Oh!" Domina said, a sliver of her father's stories coming back to her. "Adolor.(add in translation!) "

"What?"

"I uh.. I'm not sure I've ever heard a gem equivalent. But it's like what you described, from what my father said anyway." Domina said with a shrug. "So Pearl is.. 'dating' a human?"

"Yup! Like I said she's super cool." He said then proceeded to tell her about one of the crystal gems latest missions to a prewar research station and then about a movie he and Connie had gone to see.

When Domina awoke she was still as tired as she had been when she went to bed in the first place, meetings with Steven were always like that. She was about to turn over and doze back off in an attempt to get at least some type of rest when the warp pad activated. Domina frowned and slipped from her bed to poke her head out the door. Pearl had just stepped off the pad and froze when she saw Domina.

"Oh, Pearl." Domina said with a yawn. "Where have you been?"

"I..just went for a walk my apologies my- Domina, did you need something?" Pearl asked. Domina shook her head and thought back to the other times Pearl had been strangely absent. And then she thought about her conversation with Steven and about the Sapphire and Pearl she had had to seperate a few days ago. Was pearl hiding something from her? Someone? What would Domina do if it was her that was brought before the court? Domina chose her next words carefully.

"If...there's something I should know Pearl." She said. "I mean, I wouldn't be upset if you told me there was something going on. I don't think I could ever be upset with you." Pearl looked taken aback but quickly shook her head.

"No my diamond, everything is fine, I'm sorry for worrying you, you should get some rest while you still can."

"Alright alright I will, just.. Promise me you'll tell me if I can do something to help?" Domina said pleadingly, unable to shake the screams from her head once they had started again. Pearl was quiet for a long moment before gently setting a hand on Domina's shoulder.

"I will Domina."