It started gradually, but, as if gravity no longer applied to them and only them, they lifted into the air. There they hovered, only a few feet of the ground, afraid to move, glowing with a strange purple light. It was a weird feeling, floating. Yellow Pearl would have found that it was actually quite pleasant if she had let herself relax and didn't try to move. But she was panicking, afraid that she would be found out and the mirage would be discovered and she would be shattered and the mirage destroyed and the world would end, so she desperately tried to flail her arms in an attempt to grab onto a shelf lip and perhaps pull herself back onto the ground. It was the only hope she had. However, as if she had been frozen in a block of cement, she found that she could not move. She strained against her invisible bonds with her arms and her legs, but she no matter how hard she tried, she was completely stuck in the position she had had been sitting in when she was lifted off her chair- legs bent a 90 degree angle, hands on her lap, ankles crossed. The worst part of it was that it wasn't that her muscles weren't working or that her limbs weren't responding, but that she seemed to be blocked in every way that they tried to move, as if Yellow Pearl had been coated in fast drying wax that had formed an unbreakable shell around her. The resulting feeling was one of claustrophobia and panic.

No no no no no no. Yellow Pearl desperately thought.

"See, I told you there was nobody...hmm." Aquamarines voice faltered outside the door.

"What? What is it?"

"Nothing! But, um, well, there do appear to be two gems, um, behind that wall." Although Yellow Pearl could not see Aquamarine, she knew that the blue gem was gesturing to the mirage door. She felt her blood run cold.

"WHAT?"

"Don't worry!" I'm sure it's just a Pearl or an onyx, getting cleaning supplies or something. They probably didn't even hear anything. And if they did, we just tell them to keep their mouth shut or they'll pay."

"But what if-"

"Shut up, Topaz. I'm sure it'll be fine." But Aquamarines voice betrayed her insecurities. "Now we just have to figure out how to get into that room." Her childlike voice rang with authority. Then it was quiet for a couple of seconds, save for the heavy footsteps sounding from outside. Yellow Pearl used those seconds to continue to struggle, finally give up, and then reflect on all of the mistakes that she had made in her long life that had lead to this regrettable point.

"Look, Aquamarine, there's a door here!"

"Why would anyone build a door like that? No one can see it! And there's no place to enter a passcode or scan a card or fingerprint anywhere here! What kind of gem even designed this door? A Ruby?! How are we even supposed to open it?"

"Maybe it just swings open?"

"Ugg, how late 430th century."

"Just try it"

"You try it. You're the muscle."

There was a grunt from the other side of the door.

"It didn't work."

"I can see that! Did you push hard enough?"

"As hard as I could."

"Well then, what are we supposed to do?"

"Um… maybe we could give up and go back?"

"No way! What if our remarks get back to the Diamonds? We're ruined for sure!"

"You're ruined for sure."

"Shut up!" Do something useful for once and think!"

"We could… ask the gems on the other side to let us in?

Silence for a moment.

"Huh. That… could work." Aquamarine's vice suddenly changed from angry to friendly and fake. "Hello in there!" The Pearls heard Aquamarine's voice addressing them.

Neither made a sound.

"Can you hear me?"

Silence

"Listen, you might have heard me saying some things earlier that I shouldn't have said. But judging from how hidden this door is, and the fact that both of you have been completely silent until now, i'd say that i'm not the only one doing what i'm not supposed to, huh?"

So Aquamarine wasn't completely stupid. Still, neither Pearl spoke.

"If you come out here and agree to not tell anybody what you heard, then I won't investigate further into what you two are doing here."

The purple glow suddenly disappeared from around the two Pearls and they dropped to the floor. Yellow Pearl caught herself on all fours when she hit the ground unexpectedly and painfully. Blue Pearl caught herself, too, but her landing was less graceful, and Yellow Pearl could see her flinch as her strong shoulders impacted the sudden shock. Still, both managed to avoid making a sound. Neither moved from their crouched position as Aquamarine waited beyond the door. Yellow Pearl might have been tempted to think about her offer, except that there was no way to reveal herself without revealing the illegal medical supplies on her and surrounding her. Also, even if Aquamarine swore not to tell, everyone knew that Aquamarines were notoriously curious, uncaring, shallow, and untruthful, all the makings of a snitch. They were loyal to no one except themselves, although of course they swore loyalty to the Diamonds as every gem did. They were probably the last gem that Pearl would want to trust with the secret of the mirage. If it had just been the Topaz making the offer, then maybe - Yellow Pearl had known a Topaz once, and she had been a softie. Yellow Pearl also knew that Topazes sometimes suffered similar cruelty to Pearls, and might be sympathetic. But with Aquamarine? She couldn't risk it. Blue Pearl seemed to have come to the same conclusion, because she too stayed still and kept her mouth shut.

"Do you think they can hear us?" Yellow Pearl heard Topaz ask after a while.

"Try the door again." Was Aquamarine's answer. There came the sound of pounding on the door. It didn't open.

"Could you control them with your staff thing and get them to open the door?"

"Topaz, you dunderhead, it doesn't work like that. I can freeze things, lift them up, and move them around, not control them. I could try slamming them into the door from the inside-"

No no no, don't do that, Yellow Pearl thought, panicked.

"-but that would never work."

Had she not been so focused on staying still and silent, Yellow Pearl would have let out a breath of relief.

"Huh." Topaz grunted. "Well maybe there's another way in. This could be a maintenance door or something that's been forgotten about. This castle is millions of years old, y'know."

"It would explain the lack of proper technology…" Aquamarine muttered, almost to herself. "Ok, Topaz, here's the plan. I'll guard this door, and you go around to the parallel hallway and see if you can find the main door there."

"Ok."

"Actually, I don't trust you to do anything right, so i'll go around to look for the other door and you stay here."

"Ok."

"I'll be back."

"I'll be here"

The voices stopped. Aquamarine was gone.

Yellow Pearl made eye contact with Blue Pearl. Blue Pearl seemed to be thinking along the same lines that she was- this could be their only chance at getting out of this situation.

Slowly, they both stood up and made their way to the door, where Topaz waited.