The planet was in chaos. The shards of Blue Diamond had been found in her palanquin just a few hours ago. And already the streets had caught fire. The face of the Authority! The most benevolent of them all! Who could do such a thing? It didn't matter to her. All she knew was that she had lost yet another Diamond to serve. And, though she was reluctant to admit it, she was just as panicked. She had no purpose. Nobody to follow. But she had to try. She had to move on. Gems rushed past her, not even acknowledging the Diamondless Pearl walking in the opposite direction. What was she to do? And then an idea came to her. An idea that concerned her. That formed a black hole within her. An idea that she could not accept, but that she had no choice but to execute. The execution. The execution of the Sapphire. The one that proved not even Sapphires could have anticipated what happened on that planet. The one who had disappeared with a member of Yellow's guard! What treason it was! How disgusting a sight! But the only option she had. She would never serve that Yellow tyrant. She had finally made it to the door, which accepted her gem and allowed her to pass through the wall. And it was silent. As if someone had simply muted the terrified screams outside. There was a high tone in the air as a result of such a shift in volume. And a chill trickled down her back. The hallway was tall, and a deep blue. It resembled a church, with murals devoted to Blue's greatest moments decorating the walls. A blank one above the entrance began adding mosaics of blue and white, displaying the most recent moment. The last moment Blue will ever have. All these towering halls and branching paths would make it difficult for any newcomer. Like traversing the most massive labyrinth in the galaxy. But Pearl knew this place like it was her own home. She knew where to go. And she knew what she was looking for. She began running, not wanting to waste time. It wouldn't be long before the "Crystal Blades" hijacked a transport ship off the planet. She went through a smaller-sized hallway, rushing through solid blue, cubic veins like a panicked blood cell. Eventually, she had made it. It was a sizeable room, with designs on the floor around the central pillar displaying the history of its prisoner. But, aside from that, the room was empty. Not just a prison, but a mausoleum. And in the center was a chrome, blue-tinted sphere, a blue, tear-shaped gemstone buried in one side of it. The side that faced her. The side that greeted anyone who dared to step within the tomb of such a psychopath. But a useful psychopath, at that. And the only other one who has had the courage to willingly disobey The Authority. As if approaching a wild animal, Pearl cautiously moved towards the demented trophy. Her face stared back at her as she observed it. But it was not quite the same. She couldn't place it, but she could tell there was something...different. Something awful. But something that needed to be freed. So, though she had no real idea how the sphere worked, Pearl opted for simply breaking it. She picked it up with both hands, took a few steps back, and let it fall to the ground. Surprisingly, it broke quite easily, and shattered into a thousand pieces the moment it touched the floor. Like a water balloon made of glass. Pearl stepped back a bit more, waiting for her to reform. It was only a minute before she did. The stone glew brightly, levitating up and projecting the white silhouette of a young girl. With wings. One might have seen her as an angel in that moment. When she finally took form, she gently floated to the ground. Her clothes were tattered, and her eyes were closed. But her wings splayed out to display their impressive span. Yet, something changed. This peaceful innocence was disintegrated in seconds. Her wings dripped and trickled on the floor, before completely melting and forming a large puddle around her. Her arms hung at her sides, and her mouth formed a smile. The water wrapped around Pearl's legs, climbing up slowly. Pearl was too terrified to move. Her eyes remained fixated on the Lapis's face. And then her eyes opened. But there was nothing to be found. No pupils, no thoughts, and no soul. Just blank. Pearl couldn't take it much longer. She tore herself from the watery grip at her feet, hopping backwards and ready for the door. The Lapis's smile was ripped away. Reverting back to a blank, open mouth. An open mouth that began to grow wider. And wider. And water began pouring from it, as if she were some twisted fountain. Tears streamed down her face, but her tears hung in the air a few moments, slowly turning into spikes. And the puddle started reaching out for Pearl. This was a mistake. Pearl kicked the door open, sprinting down the halls towards the exit. She could hear a low tone from behind her, echoing down the halls, but the tone soon raised in pitch. It was a scream. It was her scream. And it was accompanied by...static? Pearl glanced behind her, seeing drops of water hit the walls, before a giant wave started rushing after her. A wave that screamed. Pearl ran even faster, quickly getting an idea once she reached the main hallways. She ran for a door that led to transport pods, kicking it open before gently hopping up onto a ledge and holding still. She perched like a gargoyle, awaiting her pursuer. It wasn't long before the Lapis caught up to her, pouring into the room before slowing to a halt. Quietly, Pearl swung down from the ledge, through the open door, and elegantly onto the dry floor. Rolling her feet to make less noise, she carefully went towards the exit door. As she reached it, however, she heard noises from the other room, and turned around to see what was happening. All the water on the floor strangely began moving into the other room, leaving its path completely dry. And then she heard beeping. Her heart sank, and her eyes widened. The pods. Sure enough, the loud "boom" of thrusters were heard, quickly fading away into silence. Pearl went back through the door, the streets now absent. And a dot shrank in the sky. Pearl stood there, shocked. Then she clasped her hands together, held them to her chest, closed her eyes and hung her head. She did the only thing she could think of: pray.

"To The Light, our creator, our spectator, and our master, let the fates beyond sight be steady and clear. Let the stars not falter as our leader has fallen. Let my soul be pardoned for my treason and my rebellion. And may your wisdom be granted upon the planet that pod lands on."