No, not Blue, Pearl thought, anyone but Blue.

She didn't want to believe the Gem that stood patiently as she sobbed in her cell, the Gem that listened to her stories, and meant her no harm when everyone else wanted to break her was betraying her.

But here she is now. Standing behind her, clear as day, waiting for her Diamond to come and take Pearl back where she belongs.

Pearl couldn't comprehend someone so innocent and frail could even do this to her. Blue was so sweet and pure; how could this be? This can't be happening. Why would she do this?

Because no matter how kind and pure, Blue would always belong to Homeworld, a voice of reason echoed in Pearl's mind.

Blue might be harmless, but she swore allegiance to Blue Diamond. And no one knew better than Pearl herself; Gems like her can never break their promises to their Diamonds. And she wasn't talking about the entire Pearl-class; she was talking about every Homeworld Gem out there.

It was almost admirable that even pure kindness can't make Blue turn her back on her Diamond. It didn't matter that Pearl was more sympathetic towards her than Blue Diamond; Blue would always choose her master.

She would always choose Homeworld.

Pearl was a fool to think she could change her. But nothing was going to make her go back into that cell; nothing was going to make her admit defeat again. Pearl—had—won—and nobody was going to take away her freedom again. Not even the one she had once called her friend.

Without thinking, Pearl snatched the fragile hand that caught her and shoved Blue down. The Homeworld Pearl let out a little yelp as the renegade tackled her to the ground and stood on top of her, pressing her foot against Blue's spine, opposite of where her gemstone lied. If Pearl made a hard enough step, it would crack Blue's gem.

"What are you doing?" Blue cried.

"I'm not letting you take me back to that prison," Pearl spat out angrily.

"You don't understand," Blue stuttered, but Pearl silenced her by applying more pressure to Blue back.

"I'm not falling for that again," Pearl yelled. "Don't underestimate me! I will crack you—break you even, if it's necessary! Don't think just because we're both Pearls means I'll go easy on you! I don't care how sweet you may act; you're still the enemy!"

"Please," Blue begged. "I don't want to be your enemy anymore!"

Pearl froze, unsure whether or not Blue was telling the truth. She lifted her foot off Blue's back but kept her immobile.

"What do you mean?" Pearl asked slowly.

"I can't keep living like this anymore," Blue said tearfully. "I don't want to be someone's little ornament, something shiny that'll be replaced in a snap. No matter how hard I try, my fate will always be the same; I'll be shattered in the same way all Pearls are. I want to change that. I want to live a long and meaningful life, give myself a purpose to live other than fear. I want to be with you, Pearl. You're the only one who was been kind to me in hundreds of years. Please, let me go with you. I probably won't be useful, but I want to be a part of the Crystal Gems. Don't leave without me. Don't leave me here to suffer."

Suddenly swayed by her tearful confession, Pearl helped Blue to her feet, brushed the asphalt off her cheek, and embraced her happily. Surely, Rose would be a little suspicious at first, but she would always include another rebel in the Crystal Gems. Pearl knew this as a definite fact.

Then a sea of shouts interrupted their silence. Pearl and Blue looked down below them to lock eyes with a whole army of Blue Diamond's warriors, from the largest Quartz to the most insignificant Ruby, all gathered together.

"Don't you dare move," a Spinel called out and without a moment of hesitation, she summoned a deadly crossbow, pulled back the string to manifest a glowing arrow of light and fired it—the white-hot beam striking exactly where Pearl was standing.

Losing her foothold, Pearl staggered back and fell into the sea of soldiers below her. Blue held out her arms for Pearl to catch, but she was too late.

Pearl collapsed onto the solid earth with a loud smack. Searing pain crackled right through her like an electric shock. She knew that feeling all too well. When her hand fluttered over her gemstone, instead of feeling a smooth surface, her fingers ran over a rough crack. Horror struck through her as she realized she was surrounded and outnumbered.

The spear that was by her side vanished and with her damaged gem, Pearl was unable to summon another one.

"Sadly, Blue Diamond won't be here to witness this," the Spinel chuckled. "But she certainly will be pleased when we bring back your shards."

Pearl shut her eyes, not wanting to witness her grave destruction. She thought she had won against Blue Diamond. But she was only one Pearl. How could she win when the odds were against her? She prayed for a quick and painless death.

"Don't touch her!" Blue shouted with sudden fury, unusual for a Gem like her.

Pearl opened her eyes to see the former slave jump from the precipices and land on her feet, nimble and quick. All the soldiers suddenly backed away with shock. A light was summoned from Blue's gem and with a flourish, she conjured up a sleek spear, nearly identical to the one Pearl summoned a moment ago.

All the soldiers' faces twisted with rage.

"We should've known," one of the Obsidians snarled.

Blue took a step forward, forcing all the enemies to take a step back. No one wanted to be in close enough proximity to two dangerous Pearls.

Pearl wanted to help, but she was so weak from her injury; she was practically useless.

"Go," Blue whispered as the Diamond Authority's army gathered enough courage to summon their own weapons. "You're too weak to fight."

"No—I can't just leave you here!" Pearl hissed back.

"Trust me," Blue urged, her grasp on her spear tightening. "I can handle this."

Pearl opened her mouth to respond, to say that Blue was being irrational and needed a strategy, she was interrupted once again.

"Just let me do this for you," Blue hissed.

She didn't know what, but Blue's entire presence somehow changed in Pearl's eyes. She was still dainty and soft but shockingly, Blue seemed to have gained a new ferocity in her that was subtle but still present.

And somehow, it changed Pearl's mind.

Hesitating, Pearl gathered enough strength to pick herself up and scale the wall once more, looking back just quick enough to see Blue surrounded by snarling faces, wearing a content smile on her face.

Arrows of light kept being fired across the wall, nearly letting Pearl lose her grip. But the thought of being free again, this time with Blue by her side, energized her, keeping her steady. Stones crumbled beneath her grip and arrows kept pelting against her back but Pearl kept climbing. Enraged screams erupted from the crowd as Pearl disappeared behind the wall. The army began to charge but they were halted by a single Pearl wielding a frost-colored spear.

I believe in you, Pearl thought as she fled from Blue Diamond's base.


Blue Diamond sneered as a pair of guards marched into her throne room. She believed she has had enough bad news for today.

"Unless you have the renegade, I'm not interested," she said.

"But my Diamond," the Spinel replied. "You have to see this."

Blue Diamond rolled her eyes and turned towards her soldiers, anticipating the worst. Her eyes widened when she saw what her two guards were holding.

Attempting to wriggle free from her two captors, skin scarred and slashed, limbs weak and battered, clothes ripped and hair untidy, was Blue Diamond's own Pearl.