"Log date 7 15 2." Pearl said calmly, recording into her tape recorder at the barn. "She hates me! She hates me now! An-And she wants to shatter me and I don't know what to do!" Pearl fell to the ground. "I called Rose Quartz a twerp!" She then stopped sobbing and then started all over again. "I called the most beautiful gentle, most merciful gem of all Homeworld a twerp! An-and she'll never… never talk to me again!"
Pearl rewinded to hear, "never talk to me again!"
"Pearl… are you alright?" Connie whispered, hesitantly walking up.
"Yes Connie, everything's fine! Everything's wonderful! Everything. Is. PERFECT!" Pearl yelled with a deranged smile, making Connie flinch.
"More like 'Pearl'fect." Jasper punned behind her. Connie snorted back laughter and Pearl suddenly gave a yell in annoyance. "Why are you Quartzes so… so…" Pearl fell to her knees and whispered. "difficult?"
"Yeah, most gems think we got rocks for brains, birdie." Jasper answered.
"Don't call me that!" Pearl squawked, sounding much like a bird. She threw the tape recorder at Connie suddenly, making the girl fumble a bit before catching it.
"Does someone need a hug?" Jasper asked suprisingly.
Pearl sniffed a little. "No."
"Come here." Jasper said. She ruffled Pearl's hair before leading her outside.
"Wait… Do I have to wear a yellow diamond? I already have a pink one on!" Pearl cried.
"What… was that?!" Connie watched them sit down, and Pearl started to talk to her.
The girl looked down at the tape recorder in her hands. She glanced around. "I can't. This is Pearl's personal thoughts and privacy, and I respect it, no matter how tempted." She slammed the recorder beside her, unknowingly pressing the rewind button. She gasped in horror. "Seriously?!"
Many weeks ago, in the past, Connie gave the tape recorder to Pearl. The gem narrated this.
"Yellow Diamond has given me this Earth recording device, it is much like my gem powers. I will try it… but it is very dirty looking… Her Clarity also told me not to call her Yellow Diamond anymore."
"Pearl, please let this sink in, I'm not Yelllow Diamond, my name's Connie." Connie had said, offering her hand to shake. Pearl glanced at it and then back at Connie. Connie blushed and put her hand down.
"I should address you by your real name." Pearl had said.
"Connie is my real name, I'm not lying." Connie laughed.
"And so…" Pearl on the tape recorder said. "I shall call her… Connie."
Connie fast forwarded to another day, she was just too intrigued now.
Pearl had crouched down by a butterfly and watched it flutter away…
"The organic life of Earth is strange… I have come to notice that some fly, and some do not… I must chart which can, for science!"
Pearl had crawled onto the roof, watching Doug work on repairing the roof.
"Oh, um, pleasure to meet you, you're Pearl right? My name's Doug…"
Pearl merely stared. He glanced away nervously.
Pearl suddenly shoved him off the roof. She wanted to see him fly up, but he didn't. She peeked over the edge to see Jasper holding the man.
"Pearl!" Jasper growled.
"Y-Yes?" Pearl flinched.
"You can't shove humans off the roof!" Jasper called angrily.
"I wanted to see what Homeworld is truly up against." Pearl retorted. "... Also, can he not fly?"
"No, I can't fly!" Doug cried, getting up.
"You could have hurt him!" Jasper yelled.
Pearl crossed her arms. "And I knew this, how?"
"Doug, she's pretty far from home, she's pretty dumb here." Jasper explained.
"How dare you!" Pearl squawked. She turned.
"I have determined that at least humans cannot fly… Also, the Jasper is utterly, no doubt, awful."
A few days later, Pearl was spread out on the barn floor, surrounded by blue prints. She glanced at a broom leaning in the doorway, but held herself back.
"It is quite strange, but the Temps have asked me to… 'plan' out the drill, after I cleaned so quickly. This is rather odd, I know. However, while I walked up, I found a mysterious box, containing… clothes, as Connie calls them…"
Pearl picked out a light teal shirt, what a pretty color! She tried it on and gave a small twirl. She smiled at herself in a mirror nearby. She then saw a pair of thin leggings, the gem picked them up and tried that on as well. "I must admit, these articles make me feel much more useful, I like it."
"Heh, it suits you."
Pearl turned to see Jasper, who smirked.
Pearl gave a cry in panic.
Connie fast forwarded.
"Log Date 7 12 2. Today marks the 30th earth rotation since my defeat." Pearl said from the tape recorder. Connie remembered this.
Pearl was working, when Connie skipped up. "Ta-da!"
Pearl turned to see Connie wearing a flower crown of yellow daisies. "Steven and I weaved flower crowns for all of us!" Pearl glanced down to see three more crowns on her arm. Connie picked out one made of pink roses.
"Here, we thought these would remind you of home." Connie said. "Bend down."
Pearl bent down and let Connie place it on her head. Pearl looked up at it. Roses… It did remind her of home…
"Oh… um…." Pearl blushed. She touched it directly. "Why did you give me this?"
"You're my friend! That's why! Friends give each other gifts, to show they care." Connie smiled. "Usually they say, 'Thank you so much!'"
"... Thank you… so much." Pearl whispered. She then shoved Connie away. "Now, leave me alone! Your talents were wasted on such… things, use them to work!" Connie frowned slightly and ran away.
Connie in present time, frowned. She listened, hearing Pearl say, "I do like it. It matches my uniform, and reminds me of Rose. Forever, I'll wear it, to show my loyalty to her!... Connie is quite… thoughtful." Connie smiled with a blush.
Pearl had worn the rose crown all day, and watched herself in the mirror. She walked and twirled around. "Oh, thank you so much for noticing, Peridot, it indeed shows my grace! Lapis, you are so kind to-" She then tripped over her own legs.
A few days later, Pearl stood in front of the mirror. She opened a joke book and gave a cough. "Ugh… is this really supposed to make me 'funny'?" Pearl read through them. "These don't even make sense!" She read one out loud, "Why did the chicken cross the road?... It was to get… to the other side… of the road…" Pearl stared at the book blankly. "This is garbage! What even is a chicken?!"
Pearl sat in front of the barn's tv as the girl put in a video game. Connie started to play and Pearl watched.
"He is skilled, I'll give the tiny human that." Pearl observed.
"Oh, yeah." Connie smiled.
"This… 'game' where you use a sword with a human in green, it is merely a distraction."
Days later, Pearl gave a yell. "Hah-yah!" She leapt up into the air in triumph with a happy laugh. "I won! I won! Ha ha! Take that you beast!"
"I have successfully completed thee Legend for my seventh time!"
Connie yawned, climbing up the ladder. She poked her head in. "Pearl?.. Are you doing okay? It's been a few days…"
"I saved the High-Rule, Connie." Pearl whispered.
"Oh! Really?! I've been stuck on the Water Temple forever!" Connie cried. "You know, there is more in series."
"M-more?" Pearl whispered with happy tears in her eyes.
Connie gave a laugh and saw a thin sheet of paper. "Pearl, this is my personal theroy on the game timeline, want to see?"
"I already have." Pearl said. Connie frowned until the paper suddenly unfolded many, many times. She stared at her own neat, straight handwriting along with drawings of the aged hero, this was only one fold, the rest was the smooth, loopy, and cursive, which was Pearl. "Y-You don't even know the other games!"
"I know that we have many alternate universes, because of the time-destroying instrument. I have made them." Pearl answered strictly.
"But.. you don't know about the other games…" Connie repeated blankly.
"Let me explain, if the leader sent the hero back in time, what happened after that?!..."
Connie in present rolled her eyes. "This took forever!" She started fastforwarding over Pearl leaping around, pretending to pull a sword, and explaining how it all fit together. Connie listened happily for a long time, until she finally fell asleep. At one point, Jasper came up and listened as well.
"And that is how in every possible outcome, High-Rule must be saved by the hero!" Pearl had panted.
"Nice." Jasper smirked.
Pearl gave a peterfied noise.
Later, Pearl had worked on the drill.
"Log Date 7 13 2. I am currently creating the drill. It is going surprisingly well."
Lapis had shapeshifted into a lion and roared, scaring the gem. "Oh my Diamond! What are you doing?!" She turned to Lapis who shaped back with a giggle. "You are wasting your time doing such childish things! You have work to do!"
"Yes, she does." Peridot agreed. "But she cant help it, despite my efforts."
"Aw, come on guys, I was just trying to 'lion' the mood!" Lapis grinned. They heard a loud laugh from Jasper and Peridot snorted. "Nice one, Lazuli."
Pearl was not amused. "That is a waste of your powers, you shouldn't mess around."
"I know, sorry." Lapis laughed, shapeshifting back to her real self.
"Hm… It could be useful to me though... Do you know what a chicken is?"
Soon, Lapis had shape-shifted into a chicken, crossing a dirt road. Pearl gave a small laugh.
"That's the oldest one on the book, Pearl. I'll tell you some real humor!" Peridot said, walking up. "Ok, what does a Amethyst use to fight?"
"Well, our Amethyst uses a whip-"
"Her Amefists!" Peridot suddenly shouted proudly. They all laughed, Pearl quickly putting her hand over a smile.
"The Lapis Lazuli is quite kind, and she isn't stern or quiet like most of her kind. The Peridot… I relate to her the most to be honest, we still get along quite well. But the Jasper…" Pearl had glanced at Jasper who smirked. "ehhhh, she's impossible to understand."
Later that night, Peridot studied the drill, contemplating the next move. "This will be very dangerous…. but we need to attach the drill part at some point! It is massive. Something of that size would require a fus-"
"Oh! I can do it!" Lapis cried. "Can I fuse this time? I promise I'll be gentle!"
"Hm. I suppose Turquoise is the most stable of our fusions…"
"Er… I kinda was thinking Malachite."
Peridot gave a start and Jasper almost fell back in shock.
"Really?!" Jasper gasped.
"Yeah. If you want to. I… kinda miss her, we've only fused peacefully once and I-"
"You two? Fuse?" They glanced at Pearl who looked shocked.
"Yeah?" Lapis blushed.
"Your personalities are not compatible, you can't fuse, you'll create a monster!"
Lapis' eyes darkened slightly and Jasper balled her hands into fists. "What?" They asked sharply at the same time.
"Honestly, you think Homeworld hasn't trieda Jasper with a Lapis Lazuli before? They create a destructive beast, do you want all our hard work to go to waste?"
Jasper gave a growl but Lapis gently touched her shoulder, that telling her it wasn't worth it.
"Well, watch this." Lapis smirked. Jasper raised a eyebrow and Lapis suddenly grabbed both her hands and twisted herself to lean against Jasper's chest. She spun out, Jasper gently twirled her. The big gem lifted up the small one, who had a leg up. They then vanished. Malachite stood there. She stretched out and smiled.
"Ta-da! I'm not a monster!" The fusion cried. "I mean, look at me!"
Pearl gapped. "But that's… impossible!"
"Yeah, honestly I thought that too once, but here I am!" Malachite smirked, putting her hands on her hips.
"L-Lapis? Jasper? Are you still in there?"
"They're fine, don't worry, P. I'm here at the moment, and I have some heavy lifting to do!"
Pearl watched still stiff as Malachite lifted up the drill head and placed it on top. The fusion twirled around and looked straight at Pearl. "You know, I may have been a wreck, but at least I changed. Besides, I'm not the monster if the Cluster is the thing made of forced, furious gems."
Malachite returned to a grin and glowed. She faded away, leaving her two parts together. Pearl stuttered as Lapis gave a sigh in relief and was bear-hugged by Jasper. Lapis waved goodbye as she went to collect more parts with Peri, leaving Pearl and Jasper alone.
"You!" Pearl growled, stomping up. "Why did you threaten me after I said Homeworld fuses when you clearly do it?!"
"Hey, nice to see ya too." Jasper muttered as Pearl was talking.
"Why are you so confident that you're any different then Homeworld? You use the same tactics, and served a Diamond, you aren't any different!"
"We are." Jasper grunted. Over the weeks, she had learned to control her temper around Pearl better, but her fists were still clenched. "Hey, what do you think Rose's doin' up there?"
Pearl looked up and realized she could see a single star… Home. "I… don't know. I wonder if she's happy…"
"Don't know, don't care. Hm… Pearl, have you ever fused?"
"Me?! Oh, no! Of course not. I'd be useless in battle." Pearl chuckled.
Jasper smirked. "Really? You're okay at the sword."
"Pearls weren't made to fight though." Pearl sighed. "... I'll never fuse."
"Not on Homeworld, you won't." Jasper smiled, standing up in front of her. "But here…"
"I can?" Pearl asked.
"Sure you can. ...Want to now?"
Pearl fell back in shock.
"Jeez, you don't have to." Jasper shrugged.
"No, no!" Pearl cried. "Just… I have to get something!"
She snuck back to the barn and turned to the rose crown submerged in water to keep it alive.
"I'll never abandon Rose, but I just want to try this… once! Only once. And if I find a way out of this place, it will be nothing but memories. " Pearl whispered, placing the crown on her head, to remind herself that this life of freedom couldn't truly be what she wanted if Rose wasn't there. She walked out and saw Jasper had put on some music. They joined hands, Pearl shaking slightly. Jasper gently waltzed her around, letting her dress spin around her as she twirled. After a few moments of watching her feet, Pearl glanced up with a embarrassed blush on her face. Jasper was about to dip her when Pearl broke away, holding her rose crown firmly to her head. "I can't do it. Pearls shouldn't fuse, and if you think this will change my mind about not wanting to leave-"
"Ok, ok, I get it. Calm it down." Jasper smiled. "At least you tried to like it here, that's all I can ask. You tried to understand why we protect the Earth, but still use some of Homeworld's methods."
"I still don't understand!" Pearl groaned. "Why protect this planet for so many years?!"
"... 'Cause this place is High-Rule as you like to call it… The bad guy fights us for it, we fight back just as hard. "
"Oh my!" Pearl gasped. "I get it!"
Connie sat listening and heard Pearl talk into the recorder.
"Gentle, be gentle with- Stop trying crush it!"
"I'm not trying to!" Jasper's voice said. Connie gasped in suprise.
"Just…" There was a rustling sound and Pearl had the recorder back.
"What, my hands aren't good enough to hold it?"
"N-no! It's not like that! I-I-"
Jasper gave a throaty laugh. "Just kidding."
Pearl gave a tiny sound that seemed to mean she had smiled. "Ahem." Her voice said. "Today, I attempted fusion my first time. I wanted to learn more about why the Earth was so important, and I did, but… I also learned about Jasper today."
"Oh, hey, keep it on for a minute." Jasper said. She took the recorder and sighed. "Listen up, if this Pearl goes nuts later and tries to get rid of this thing, whoever found it, Peri, Lapis, Connie, just give it back, she'll want it back, I'm pretty sure."
"What-?" The log cut short at Pearl's confusion.
Connie looked up to see Pearl must've been feeling better.
"Here, Pearl. This belongs to you." Connie said, handing the recorder back.
Pearl gently took it. "Thank you so much?"
Jasper smirked, and Connie grinned. Pearl looked between them, they were both smiling at her. The gem blushed and gave a smile… Perhaps this wouldn't be that bad? After all, defeating the Cluster would be simple, they worked so hard, there would be no other problems after that….
She was so, so wrong.