Hey Guys, so here's another one of those important chapters. I hope you like it! Without saying too much ahead of time I would be really interested to hear where you think the story is going from here.

I have plans to put another chapter out on Wednesday, here's hoping I don't get caught up with other things, otherwise as usual I will see you lovely people on Friday.

enjoy!

Jet wasn't with them, she had had her owner identified and been transported back to the spire within minutes of their capture. Stars, the only reason Pearl was here was that her owner happened to be a diamond, The Diamond.

The same diamond that was now giving the assembled group a look that chilled Pink to the core with memories of White Diamond asking her if a pearl was daring to doubt her. She felt White bristling with the idea of belonging to anyone even if Domina had no intention of acting on her claim. Domina's question hung in the air.

Strangely enough it was Amethyst that broke the silence.

"Well Pinky's people asked us to come help bust out a couple of people and we got caught, not much more to explain than that." Amethyst said.

"Amethyst!" Pearl snapped

"What she asked!" Amethyst said folding her arms "No use dancing around it, it was gonna come out eventually." Pink tensed through this exchange and finally dared to meet Domina's eyes again. Her brow was furrowed and her mouth had come up from its frown into a half open state, ready to pose questions.

"The Sapphire and Pearl." Domina said finally. "From the hearing?"

"Yeah! Why would you have them separated!" Steven asked "You could have just sent them to earth!"

"Yes cause I can just do that in the middle of a felony hearing." Domina said with a slight glare at Steven who flinched. "It wasn't that easy Steven, nothings ever that easy." She looked at Pearl. "So this is what you've been doing, cloak and dagger stuff?"

"I...Yes my-" Pearl started, her words trailed off as Domina face turned from anger to hurt.

"I thought." She rubbed her forehead, where her gem met flesh. "Shards. Why didn't you tell me?"

"Ah yes why didn't your Pearl tell you she was committing treason, think about that White Diamond." White said. Domina flinched, her hands balling into fists.

"Stay out of this White." Pink said without looking back at the rest of the gems.

"Pink you don't have to put up with this-" White said. Pink turned around to respond but was cut off by Garnet setting a hand on the Renegades shoulder.

"Pearl, " Garnet said. White pursed her lips but turned away from the discussion. Pink sighed and turned back to Domina who was now staring at the floor.

"I thought.. Well I thought you would have trusted me enough to..." Domina looked at her there was a slight breeze blowing through the room.

"Domina it could have been dangerous if you were involved, it wasn't.. It isn't your fight-"

"What are you talking about?" Domina asked the wind picked up speed, "I could have helped!

Maybe not overtly but stars I could have helped more knowing what was going on than being kept in the dark."

"You're too noticeable! No one notices pearls!"

"Too noticeable? I can go weeks without people even thinking I'm anything more than some off color beryl!" Domina said.

"That doesn't mean anything Domina! You're still a Diamond!"

"Well you're just a Pearl!"

After all they are just Pearls from a researching Morganite.

Your Pearl is defective don't be sentimental, it's just a pearl from Yellow Diamond.

Pearl's are replaceable! From Pearl herself.

It was one thing to hear those words from those around her. But the moment those words left her mouth she felt a chill of horror wash over her body, extinguishing all the rage she had felt moments before. Her hand slapped over her mouth like she could take it back. The wind died. She stared wide at the group that was giving her a well earned look of horror and at Pearl who looked as if Domina had just stabbed her through with her sword.

The renegade's spear appeared in her hand and she moved in front of Pearl who had shrunk back. Steven looked at her with the shame that Domina already felt within herself.

"That's enough!" The renegade pearl snapped, "Are we free to go?" Domina slowly removed her hand from her face and nodded mutely, averting her eyes from both Pearls. She pulled up a screen and put in a rush request from one of the white district Agates for a group of quartzes that wouldn't ask questions.

"There will be a squad of quartzes at the front." Domina said. "They'll escort you back to your ship, get off planet and don't come back."

"Don't plan too." Garnet said. Domina looked at the fusion and saw her own face looking back at her through the gem's visor.

"Good." She said, turning away again. "Just... leave." Amethyst left first followed by Garnet who pulled Steven behind her. The renegade stopped in the doorway and looked back at Pearl who looked as lost as Domina felt.

"My Diamond should I return to the ship?" She asked hesitantly.

"No." Domina said. "Are you cracked? After that?" Domina gestured back to where the other two diamonds had been. "You can't stay." She hesitated a glance at Pearl who looked back in shock having gone completely rigid.

"But I... Domina." Pearl said gently placing a hand on Domina's arm. "I can't, you don't have to-" Domina closed her eyes and gently pushed the gem away, she moved without any resistance.

"Just please leave."

"Come on Pink. You can come with us." The renegade said. Domina didn't watch as they walked away, but she could hear footsteps recede and doors close. And when they did she made her way to the warp pad and went home. Alone.

The moment she had cleared the warp stream there was a chime from her visor. A message about a Jet from Blue Diamond's court that was giving up her pearl who earlier today had been caught assisting known rebels in a break in in the white district. Domina hesitated but still passed it over to Blue. This wasn't her problem.

Domina fell back onto one of the couches feeling entirely numb, she should sleep, or eat or do something to take care of herself but... what was the point? The door to Pearl's room caught her attention from the corner of her eye. She had promised Pearl when they were remodeled the lower levels of the flagship that she would give the gem her privacy. But pearl wasn't here and that was her fault.

Domina opened the door and stepped into the mostly dark room, There was a bed that Domina was almost positive had never been used, a small cabinet and a desk with a small pile of holofische on it. Domina frowned and picked one up, a set of cell numbers, the one below that was a list of materials that had been retired from the fleet and below that lists of numbers, requests. It went on and on, each piece tying the knot in Domina's stomach tighter and tighter until finally she snapped and knocked the desk to ground, sending the remainder of the pile flying.

Domina sunk to the group with the holofische. They scattered around her as she drew her knees to her chest in an effort to stop the ache, the kind of pain she had never thought she would ever feel. It had been her fault, she had been the one that pearl hadn't trusted, she had been the one that sentenced the sapphire and pearl. She had sent pearl away! And compounded with what she had said... how she had acted. Pearl would never forgive Domina. And that was her fault.

A handful of fische, one she hadn't seen yet fell next to her. With shaking fingers Domina picked them up. They were crude pictures she had draw when she was younger, or sheets from her childhood lessons, notes from Yellow's lectures. Below each of them was a note in Pearl's pristine handwriting, Domina age 3, Milky Quartz 9ZQ and others. Domina Age 9 Declensions for latin nouns Adamas and Margarita. Domina age 16 notes on colonization of the Allodial system and doodles of era 1 light kites.

There were more as she searched, almost every single scrap of information she had ever produced. From every stage of her life. Pearl had been there. And now she was gone. And that ache in her heart, the catch in her throat. That was all Domina's fault.