Pearl left the small pebble made room. Inside the hidden room, the black outfit was laying, all weapons but the sword were hidden in the kindergarten. The sword she threatened that gem with was now just on the other side of the wall. She came a bit earlier. Not full four cycles have passed. She made herself presentable. She felt tired.

She committed a crime.

She committed a few crimes.

Yet what made her mind circle back to was an oddity.

She thought of the pearl as a who... as she poofed her she thought of her as poofing someone instead of something. Pearl had wondered if she ever did that before? Or was it just the first time she noticed... The door to Pink diamonds room opened, she stepped in and...

There was no Pink diamond.

Should she wait? Should she look for her?

"Pebbles." She knocked on the wall, without wasting any time. The floor opened up uncovering the pebbles.

"Do you know where Pink went?"

They didn't know where she went, they did know Pink heard about some delivery and Blue.

Blue was a great hint. Already leaving the room and going towards the wrap pads she summoned her screen. The pink screen feeling odd in her fingers. Pearl noticed the edges of the screen were sharp... She was paying attention to how it felt to hold it. Briefly, her thumb brushed over it, testing the sharpness. The dictionary she took all but bombarding her with words she never before used.

It was such a fabulous feeling. She forced herself to slowly blink. Empty head.

Empty.

Unload.

Unpack.

Unburden.

Disburden.

Clear.

Make vacant.

Vacate.

Evacuate.

Unlade.

Void.

Pearl opened her eyes, focusing to hear the sounds around herself instead of the buzzing of schematics in her head. She definitely needs to sort the information, come up with some system, or she will….

Alphabetically - simply, in alphabetical order

Chronologically - by time; for instance by when the information was created or what cycle the report concerns

Location - by geographic, spacial or star map position; for instance by what colony the kindergarten statistics for perfect gem production concern, or by what court the gem-item and material is to be used in

Magnitude - some kind of ranking; for example from the lowest to the highest, from the simplest gem function to the most complexes, from the shortest to the longest

Category - by type or quality; for instance everything related to pink in one place and everything related to Renegade in another, or contracts in one folder and protocols in another

Order, I say!

Pearl yelled inside her own head.

Pearl wished she had her own someone, own pearl to help her with the mess in her gem... A pearl grabbing all the schematics and placing it orderly around her gem. The Renegade would be angrily huffing and slipping lower, to a place more suitable for hiding.

Her gem was nearly vibrating attempting to organise itself. Blinking rapidly Pearl finally snapped out the moment. Realizing she stood still in a place for a while. Quite a while. Something was happening…

Shifting in the spot, she pushed herself to chime Blue Pearl like she originally tried before her mind started to pull upon all the information she stole…

Purloin, thieve, take, take for oneself, help oneself to, loot, pilfer, abscond with, run off with, appropriate, abstract, carry off...

Stopped.

The chime sounded, Blue pearl answered instantaneously.

Pearl felt like she needed rest. "Was busy with a task resolution, aware where my diamond whereabouts… is?" Her gem still felt like something was moving. Straining. Happening...

Blue pearl softly nodded and turned the screen a bit to the side to show Pink with Blue diamonds by some starship.

"Hurry already up Pink. You are wasting everyone's time." Blue sighed, looking at PInk who was kneeling beside something… Pearl couldn't exactly make out what it was.

"Which dock?"

"17 AC second left." Blue pearl whispered and ended the video call. Ended the pearl chime. She should be more careful whit using new words...

Working on it!

Pearl shook her head. Words echoed inside her own gem. She willfully ignored it as she fast walked to the wrap pads and wrapped to the directions given. She will not Why herself right now. Not until she made it by Pink side, or was safe and alone. She had to get to her diamond.

The door to the docks was open and Pearl stopped, looking ahead of herself. Into the massive room whit countless ships and gem around. Ship of all sizes but the very biggest were docked. Their pilot's loo- standing by their ship watching the scene.

Pink.

Pink was there.

Something unwinds inside her… Fear. The feeling was akin to fear. She observed as Pink was waving towards a ship that was slowly raising, about to leave. The only ship that was moving in the massive dock.

"Did you really had to take each one of those things and hug them?"

"I was making sure they were not hurt." Pink was looking down at her feet as she answered.

"To think those horrible things were running around for so long that they started to reproduce! Ugh, awful." Blue diamond shook her head. Pink flinched. Pearl blinked, trying to catch her diamond eyes. Yet Pink had them firmly closed.

"But now they were all caught and send back to their home planet. Could have gone faster if we just exterminate them. " Blue sighed tired and relieved.

"...I hope they will be happy on their moon." Pinks voice was still… empty like when she was laying. Blue diamond noticed and her eyes and posture fall apart. She looked softer now.

"Pink.." Blues voice was cautious, uncertain and Pearl could hear the warning in the single word, as Pink looked up with a wide smile on her lips. Eyes still firmly closed.

"No worries, it's a good thing the little critters didn't destroy anything important while being free." Pinks voice boomed whit joy that wasn't there in her body stance. Blue nodded, returning to smiling herself. Approval.

"Right, it's a good thing."

A soft hum besides Pearl. Looking over Pearl saw Blue pearl who stood at ready beside her, arms politely in front of her, head lowered.

"Your arms." She whispered, causing Pearl to glance at her arms, her posture was all wrong. Hands crossing over her chest and eyes freely looking at the diamonds. Immediately she corrected it now being a mirror image of blue pearl posture.

A proper posture.

A pearl posture.

Not the Renegade posture.

And it was just in time as the diamonds started walking towards the door beside which the two pearls stood at ready.

"You will join me in my extraction room, in two cycles." Blue diamond said and Pearl could already imagine the nice relaxing time it would mean for both her and blue pearl.

"Sorry, as you see my pearl just came for me, so I can do the extraction now. Cannot run late on it. Wouldn't want to set a bad example." Blue diamonds polite smile flattered. Her Pearl head tilting for the barest bit up. Meanwhile, Pearl knew the extraction for Pink was planned in two cycle time.

"You done preparing it?" Pink diamond spoke to Pearl, who slowly looked up. Her diamond awaited something from her. Pearl could finally get a look at Pinks eyes, the black diamond shape surrounded by ... a dull pink, instead of vibrant ... and the red white... Her eyes have cried.

She was supposed, to be honest.

Yet, telling the extraction was not planned for now…. Pink didn't exactly ask her about the extraction. She just said it. It could be the report… Was that what would make her happy? It was awaited from Pearl to obey her Diamond, and not tell lies.

...But avoiding facts.

To make her happy...

"Yes, my diamond. I completed the preparation. It's ready...now." It was so easy to say the words. It may have worried Pearl if she wasn't actively trying to ignore most of the mess in her gem... Not done yet! Soon... and all things related to it. Instead of focusing on Pink. There was a shine in her diamond eyes, now. It made Pearl light form feel like something flattered inside her. Flattered, such a pretty sounding word. For a pretty sensation.

"See. I have to be on time Blue, cannot be late. "

"Of course not. Maybe another time then." Blue said as she nodded, looking down at the two pearls she added. "Well, Pearl come with me."

"Yes, my diamond." Blue Pearl followed after her diamond.

"Come with me too." Pink diamond made her way in the opposite direction than Blue diamond, with Pearl on her heel.

The two walked back to the pink hallways. The pink walls looking after them. Pearl stayed silent. She could feel the eyes of the wall opening as they passed to look after them. She was keeping her eyes on Pink diamonds feet in front of her. They turned and Pearl opened the door to Pinks room. The two of them stepped in. She closed the door.

Her diamond pulled the curtains over the balcony.

As the curtains connected Pink just stood there.

"My diamond..." Pearl started, Pink didn't move. "I did not prepare the extraction chamber..."

"I know." Her diamond said.

"I prepared the story." Pearl offered.

"What? Story?" Pink turned her head towards Pearl, it allowed Pearl to look at Pink hands gripping onto the curtains with a ton of force. Still, they were shaking.

"Ah... the reports I meant... um...about the Renegade...they are more...like stories...you see." Pearl felt slightly panic as she was using the new words that fit so much better. Her diamond must be angry at her...

"Story... I like that. " Except she wasn't... "Thank you pearl. I was sure I would crack if I had to listen to another lecture from Blue. I really didn't want to cry anymore in the next few cycles…My eyes already hurt."

"There is nothing to thank me for my diamond."

"But there is! You lied for me!" Pink let go of the curtains to fully turn to Pearl.

"Pearls cannot lie my diamond." Pearl saluted, but a smile on her lisp danced, one so much wider than it was polite. One much smugger. "But I can omit a few facts." She blinked and her diamond moved from the curtains to kneeling in front of Pearl...

"That's amazing. You are amazing."

Pearl felt her face becoming hot. Blushing. Her gem started to feel so light like it was not weighing anything at all. The renegade would worry about being caught in a lie. Pearl felt her posture righting herself up.

"I should get the extraction prepared as soon as possible. So the walls can see us go and do it now. As well in the case, Blue changes her plans so she would be able to share the execration time with you."

"Do you think she would do that?"

"...I could maybe add appointments so you wouldn't..."

"No... I... if she tried, I would let her join me. I know she only has a court fitting today...That thing is insignificant and unimportant... if she really changes things for me. Even if it meant moving such a lesser court activity for later... I would like that... It would mean something! She must be caring for me! Not just talking at me! Not just tolerating me because I am a diamond and she has to deal with me."

Pearl looked at her diamond as if it was the first time she saw her. Maybe it was. Maybe for the first time, she saw her and not her status. Finally, she understood how to be a Pearl for Pink diamond. For the first time, she felt like she knew exactly what she was to do. It had to be her, as it was she who wanted to.

As it was her who wanted to see her smile.

She wanted to do it. Pearl reached out placing her hand on top the pink glove. Extremely inappropriate to initialize contact. Pink meet her eyes. Something silent passed between them. Pearl wasn't sure what it was, even with dictionary freshly added in her gem she felt like she was lacking the words. Her head empty. She was just doing. Doing what fit. Pink meets Pearls eyes, the diamond seeing their Pearl. Pearl questioning how much those eyes saw.

All sorted!

The moment passed and pearl started to move her hand away from her diamonds, yet it was the pink glove that reached out grabbing her pale hand, holding it in hers. Fingers intertwined in need for more contact. A bigger pink and a smaller white. It was a comforting gesture. One Pearl didn't want to ever lose. Pearl chuckled softly as she realized her own fingers were twitching as if to figure out how to hold the weapon in the best way. How to hold her Pink hand the best way.

"Thank you, pearl."

Pearl nodded, their hands parting, she felt the loss just like she felt the loss for having to put the sword down.