Inside the control room of her massive, blue, arm-shaped spaceship, Blue Diamond was sitting in an ornate blue chair, staring intensely at the beautiful yet eerie structure that was the Human Zoo. On the floor of the room and right next to the big, blue chair was Blue Diamond's Pearl, standing as still as a statue, like Pearls always do. Whether she was also staring at the zoo or not was unknown, though, as her long, flowing blue hair covered her eyes completely. She did, however, turn her head to her Diamond, and noticed that tears were starting to escape the giant Gem's eyes once again. But Pearl knew her place. Like she said herself, she was nothing but a simple Pearl, one of the most plentiful and ubiquitous Gems in the entire universe.

If she were to be poofed, cracked, or even shattered, Blue Diamond would simply get another one and would think nothing else of it. Pearl wasn't a big, powerful soldier like the Jaspers and Amethysts in the zoo were, or a regal, serene foreseer like the Sapphires in Blue Diamond's court were. No, she was just a Pearl, and Pearls weren't made with anything spectacular in mind. They were created for the sake of being created. They were made because the ones who made them had nothing better to do…and Pearl knew this. On the outside, Pearl, as blue and pretty as she was, always stood perfectly still with not a single hair out of place, with a look of pure apathy and indifference chiseled on her face…

But on the inside, Pearl was in complete and utter shambles. She was a total wreck, nothing but a disgusting mishmash of horrible memories and negative thoughts. She would always do her best to appear as unbreakable as her Diamond, but deep down, Pearl could break at any moment.

"…My Diamond?" Pearl asked her master.

Blue Diamond didn't respond.

"…Scowling at the zoo all day will not solve anything, my Diamond," Pearl said.

The giant Gem looked down at her tiny servant.

"Then what will?" Blue Diamond asked.

"I do not know, my Diamond… I am nothing but—"

"I DON'T BELIEVE THAT!"

Blue Diamond's yelling of these words echoed throughout the entire ship, and shook the vessel so horribly that to a human it would feel like an earthquake just occurred. But her Pearl remained in place, still and statuesque as ever, completely unfazed by her Diamond's burst of emotion. Blue Diamond rose from her chair, towering over her Pearl even more than she did just sitting down, and gave the little Gem a nasty sneer. But Pearl was still unfazed and remained completely still like a statue…but deep down that statue had long toppled over and crumbled away to dust.

"You think I don't know?" Blue Diamond asked. "You think I haven't noticed? You've been at my side for over five-thousand years…"

Pearl didn't budge an inch.

"Just because you're a Pearl doesn't mean you don't have a mind of your own," Blue Diamond said. "I know what you're capable of. Yellow might not see that in hers, but I see it in you."

"…Really?" Pearl asked.

"…Yes," Blue Diamond said. "I don't know about other Pearls…but I know enough about you to say…that I will listen to you."

Blue Diamond held out her massive blue hand, and her Pearl slowly walked onto her palm. Blue Diamond rose her hand, bringing the Pearl to her eye level.

"Now tell me," Blue Diamond said, "if you were me…what would you do?"

Pearl started long and hard at her master, unable to believe the words that were coming out of her mouth. But it was a very short while before the small frown of indifference on Pearl's pretty little face…curled up into a cute little smile.

Deep inside a terribly crowded room in the Human Zoo, dozens of rowdy Amethysts and smarmy Jaspers—and one rather rambunctious Carnelian—were all stuffed inside, ranting and raving and shirking their chores like they always do.

"So what did you guys think of those gems that were with 8-XM?" an Amethyst asked.

"Don't really have that big an opinion of them," another Amethyst answered, "but they seemed pretty cool. Looked like 8-XM found herself a nice little group to kick it with."

"It's a shame she couldn't stay here with us, though," a tall, thin Jasper said, "but considering who she'd have to answer to, I can't say I blame her for leaving."

The Amethysts and Jaspers all laughed out loud.

"What was Blue Diamond doing here, though?" another Jasper asked. "She was in that pink room bawling her eyes out again, wasn't she?"

"Probably. Kind of sad, though—I mean, Pink Diamond's been gone for so long, and she still can't suck it up."

"It's been at least three-thousand years, right?"

"Five-thousand."

"Wow… And they say Diamonds are unbreakable."

The Gems broke out in laughter again, this time far louder and rowdier than before. It was so loud that it started to shake the entire room the Gems were in…and attract the attention of one very annoyed Holly Blue Agate, who kicked the door in gave the Gems and nasty look. The Amethysts and Jaspers stopped laughing immediately, and they all stumbled about the room and they fell into several single file lines. Once in line, the Amethysts and Jaspers all formed a diamond shape with their arms, and Agate cleared her throat as she put her hands behind her back.

"To the zoo, all of you," Agate said, "Blue Diamond requests you round up all the humans and bring them to the atrium for her to see."

All the Gems looked at each other with confused looks.

"But we just got done calming them all down after the Choosening bombed," an Amethyst said.

"You think Blue Diamond cares?" Agate asked smarmily. "Just get off your duffs, out this stuffy room, and do as she asks! Now!"

And with that Agate, stormed out of the room. The Amethysts and Jaspers all unfolded their arms from the strange diamond gesture, and hurried out the room to the zoo to fetch the humans.

"I see getting told by a Pearl didn't deter her any," the skinny Jasper said.

"Don't worry about her too much," an Amethyst whispered, "we still get her on the hook. All we have to do is tell Blue Diamond how those Gems 8-XM were with escaped with a those humans from the zoo, and it'll finally be curtains for old Holly."

"Yeah, but who's to say Blue D won't just take her anger out on us along with Holly, anyway?"

"Considering how crazier she's turning out to be, I wouldn't be surprised. Blue Diamond's…changed. A lot. So much that she honestly scares me more than Yellow Diamond does…"

"Really? Well, how about…"

The skinny Jasper snickered.

"Their Diamond?" she whispered.

"Heh, heh… Let's just say that's one experience I really don't want to have again."