Pearl waited until she was sure Orange Diamond wouldn't be waking up any time soon before she slipped out the doors to her quarters. Orange had insisted it was no longer just hers, and as much as Pearl appreciated the sentiment, Pearl did not believe she would ever be able to think of a room belonging to a Diamond as hers. As normal, there were only two amethyst guards outside. They had been brought up straight from the Prime kindergarten and given the privilege to guard and escort Orange for the duration of her stay here at Pink Diamond's moon Base, hand picked by Pink herself.

Pearl was made aware of Orange's personal history with Amethyst guards by her fellow Pearls, and as a result she had been keeping an eye on them, but so far they had met her standard of gem that should be allowed near her Diamond.

The Earth Moon Base was quiet and oddly still. Pink Diamond did not seem to enjoy employing many gems in her base as the other Diamond's did, and Pearl had at first considered this odd, but had grown accustomed to the natural tranquility of the base. Pink Diamond was much less strict with her court and its subjects, and it showed in her gem's laid back nature, though Pearl would never say her choice of command style lead to sloppy gems, simply that the feel of everyone felt less tense, especially when compared with the other Diamond's bases.

Perhaps that is what allowed Pearl to decide to leave Orange's room when she knew the base would be its most subdued. It also made her confident she would not run into anyone, least of all anyone of importance, as she made her way up to Pink Diamond's command room.

As she had thought, no guards remained in the observation room, and ascending the stairs, she met no resistance by any other gems. When she got to the top, the way inside was sealed off by a simple door that opened at her prompting. Pearl entered the Command room, taking a moment to look around. As she expected, neither Pink nor her Pearl were inside. At this time, Pink would be retired to her own chambers, and her Pearl would obviously be with her. Taking the last steps, Pearl glanced behind her as the door closed, giving her the reassurance she was alone and could not be seen.

--------

"Really Pearl, It's okay, wait here. I'm just going for a walk. Please." Pink glanced down at Pearl as she nervously escorted her Diamond to the doorway of her room. Pink Diamond had insisted on having just a little time to herself, which she knew Pearl was reluctant to give because that meant she had to leave her side, and she fretted something could happen. Which, Pink had assured her, once again, and questioned just what she thought would happen with her going for a walk in her own moon base.

"If you are sure, my Diamond. I...I will just," Pearl looked around the room, "Wait...here." Pearl stopped just beside the doorway as Pink stepped out.

"Thank you!" Pink's overly happy tone fell into a deep sigh as the doors closed, leaving just her standing in the hallway. She had dismissed the guards that had followed them as soon as they had arrived at her room, to give them time to themselves, and now thats all Pink really wanted too. She adored Pearl, but sometimes Pink just wanted room to breath and collect herself after a long day. A day made a little longer with Zirconia there.

Pink was so happy to have Zirconia back with her. Things may not have been as perfect as they had once been, but she would never call a day spent with her a bad one, no matter how moody her little gem could get. Pink missed the days when Zirconia and she would just snuggle up on one of the overly fluffy pillows, Zirconia sleeping as Pink held her. Now a little older, Zirconia was growing into her own gem, who wanted her own room, and her own space to be, and was embarrassed to be given long hugs from her mother. She was growing up, and Pink could admit she missed that baby who could not stand to be separated from her, and had pitched a fit the first time she had been forced to give her over to Blue Diamond for her very first time away from her.

As a Diamond, and as a mother, Pink had to remind herself that she had once longed for that respect and understanding from her fellow diamonds that Orange was now starting to show signs of wanting. Pink, no matter how much she longed for her little baby to stay a baby, she knew she would have to let go eventually.

Stepping onto the raised platform of the observation room, Pink smiled as she ran her hand over the orb that floated there. Just hours before, she and Zirconia had spent some time together watching a recording from Homeworld that Zirconia had brought just for her to see. It was of a dance she had talked Blue into taking her to see in secret, featuring one of her favorite troupes. Looking up, Pink could see the stairs that lined the wall as it wound up, heading towards her command room. It had the best view of Earth, and would be the best place to have a moment to breath where she knew she wouldn't be disturbed.

Taking the stairs, which she realized, was a lot easier for her than it must have been for the smaller gems, especially as she took them two by two naturally. In no time at all, Pink was reaching up to touch the little sigil that opened and closed the door to her command room, a safety that had been installed before Zirconia had started to walk, after Pearl had wisely pointed out it was likely Zirconia would fall down the stairs when she started moving on her own.

Continuing up the final steps, Pink was surprised she wasn't the only one in the room. Up on upper platform, standing in front of her desk, was Zirconia's Pearl, but Zirconia was not with her. It was honestly an odd sight to see one without the other nowadays.

"Pearl?" Pink called.

Pearl was startled by someone calling her name, and she turned around to look at the person who had called for her, surprised to find Pink Diamond there, looking as stunned as Pearl when they met eyes. The superior gem obviously not having expected to find anyone in her command room.

Pearl stepped away from the desk and chair so she was facing Pink directly, bowing her head and giving her a diamond salute, "My Diamond. forgive me. I wished to see your colony once more. It truly is only something that could belong to someone like you, your lustrous, most gracious-"

"Please, you don't have to do that." Pink waved her off, stepping up the stairs to join her on the upper platform.

"But-"

"Really. i don't need all the titles." Pink assured her, stopping to sit on the top step. Taking a moment, Pink looked out the glass to stare at the bright planet before them, before turning to look at Pearl, who had yet to move, and patted the floor next to her. "Would you like to sit with me?"

"Your clarity, I shouldn't," Pearl shook her head, her hands falling from her salute to make a negative waving motion at the diamond, "it wouldn't be right."

"Your quite easy going with Zirconia." Pink commented, a gentle smile on her face, "Do I make you nervous?"

"Um..." Pearl looked down, clasping her hands in front of her, a subtle blush coming to her cheeks.

"It's alright. Please, come sit." Pink motioned to the space beside her again, and with a lot of hesitance on her part, Pearl joined her. Together, they sat quietly for a moment, appreciating the view of the planet.

Pink was the first to break the silence, "The Earth, its something, isn't it?"

"Your colony is magnificent, my diamond." Pearl nodded, almost robotically, and Pink could tell this was a platitude she knew well. "It is lucky to have you in charge of its creation. You will bring such life to it."

"Yes...life."

Pearl turned to look at Pink, her eyebrows pinched and her eyes wide, "Have i said something wrong, my diamond? forgive me if I have misspoken or-"

"Calm down." Pink waved her off gently, "its okay." Taking a moment, Pink took advantage of the odd situation to ask something she had been wanting to know for a long time. "Zirconia, Orange to you, i suppose, isn't fond of it, is she?"

"My diamond?"

Pink looked down at the steps below them, her hands fidgeting together in her lap as her forehead creased when her eyebrows drew together, "Orange doesn't show it much anymore, but I can tell. She really hates this planet and the humans."

Pearl took a moment to gather her thoughts before she responded to the Diamond beside her, "She doesn't hate..." Pearl paused, before she started again, "I don't believe my diamond hates anything."

Pink's head turned to look at Pearl, surprise and confusion twisting her features, "Huh?"

Pearl couldn't help but give her a small smile as she elaborated, "My Diamond is jealous of it."

"Oh." Pink breathed out.

"She sees it as simply one more thing taking you away from her. My Diamond does...I do not believe she knows how to deal with you having a life outside of her." Pearl looked down at her hands, her fingers running along her palm in an old habit, "She has never really had to face a time that you were not focused on her. She feels she is being pushed aside for your colony."

Pink's face dropped, her shoulders slumping as she looked back out at Earth. "And I'm always so busy with it."

"Please, do not be upset with how Orange is dealing with this change. I don't believe she has ever really been forced to face that sort of reality before."

Pink's eyes were slightly rounded, her head tilted in curiosity to Pearl, "You called her Orange."

Pearl's face tinted a shade darker, her mouth falling open as she gasped, "I-! Oh, my diamond, please forgive me, i shouldn't have been so informal-"

"It's okay." Pink have her a small smile to calm her down, "I like informal."

Pearl's head tilted down, not meeting Pink's eyes even as she smiled, "So does Orange. It is a new experience, to serve someone who does not expect such strict standards of her subjects."

Pink giggled, "You don't seem it at first, looking at you when your with her, but you're a very nervous person, aren't you? You never seem to show it when Orange is around."

"My diamond...Orange, allows me to be me. At first, she struggled with my presence, trying to find a balance between being my owner, and trying to be considerate of myself. It was not an easy transition for her."

"What was the outcome?"

"Orange decided she would treat me like a friend." Pearl sounded amazed even to her own ears. Turning to look at Pink Diamond's reaction to the news, Pearl was surprised to find the content expression on her face.

"I'm glad Orange has been kind to you. I...worried how she might be with you. She follows the other diamond's example, and I feared she might be quite harsh on you."

"My Diamond is more than i could ever have expected, and does more for me than i could ever ask to be given. Being with Orange Diamond is nothing like when I served White Diamond. I feel..." Pearl chuckled, "I am given the freedom to feel whatever i want."

"And Pearls aren't supposed to feel anything but what their owners tell them to feel."

Pearl's smile dropped as she turned to Pink, her face conveying panic and alarm, "I...I hope i am not...please, if you are angry with Orange Diamond, it is my fault-"

"It's okay." Pink placed a hand on her shoulder, "Please. You don't need to worry. I'm not upset, quite the opposite." Pink paused a moment as Pearl settled down, "You were going to take the punishment for Orange, if i had been angry? That's very noble of you. You seem very loyal to her."

"I am...I am loyal to my Diamond. I know Pearls are supposed to be to their owners, but..."

A knowing smile spread over Pink's face, "You care for Orange more than you think you should."

"She has...she has this way of inspiring you. It's not always there, but she has this confidence, and a way about her. I can not help but want to follow her, and be there for her. I would do whatever I had to to keep her safe. I know I'm just a pearl, but if there is anyway i can help her, i will."

"You believe someone would hurt her?"

"I believe their are horrible people in the world, and they would see the best of us taken away."

"Is..." Pinked turned to look at Pearl, gripping both of her shoulders to turn her to look her in the eyes, her own wide and alarmed, "do you know something, Pearl? Is my Zirconia in danger?"

"My Diamond, Orange Diamond is special. She will always be in danger." Pearl placed a hand over one of Pink's, "Surely you know that."

"I...." Pink's hands dropped from Pearl as she leaned back away from her, turning her palms up as she placed them in her lap and stared at them, "It's funny. When Zirconia was first born, I never thought of her as becoming some amazing diamond. I never even really thought of her as being a gem. She was simply...she was simply my Zirconia. I loved her the moment I set my eyes on her. I could not possibly imagine anyone wanting to hurt her." Pink turned to look at Pearl, who had been listening aptly to her, "But I was being naive. I've brought her into a world that would bring her down for being different."

"My clarity? You're crying."

"I-" Pink wiped at her eyes, giving Pearl a small, doleful smile, "I'm sorry, Pearl. This must not have been how you had planned to spend your free time."

"It's okay." Pearl returned her smile with one of her own, "This has been...this has been better than what i was originally going to do. I'm glad to know that Orange has someone like you in her life."

Pink chuckled, "That's something I should be saying."

"It seems Orange inspires more than just simple Pearls." Pearl took a moment to allow Pink to wipe her eyes again before turning to look at the doorway, "I should return to my diamond, before she awakes and i am not there."

"Okay." Pink nodded, meeting Pearl's eyes as she stood up in front of her, "Thank you again, Pearl. For everything you do for her."

"It is my pleasure, my diamond."

---------

Upon returning to her Diamond's room, Pearl stood by the door for a moment, simply watching her rest. Unmoving and silent, except a barely noticeable rise and fall of her chest, and the occasional twitch of her hand or a mumbled word that Pearl couldn't understand. Approaching the bed, she hesitated to move as Orange began to stir.

"Hmmm, Pearl?"

Pearl sat on the edge of the bed, leaning over Orange as she blinked through sleepy eyes to look up at her. "Rest, Orange. It's just me."

"'ad a dream." Orange said, her eyes almost falling closed before she could finish her sentence.

"A bad one?"

"Mmmm."

Pearl smiled, running a hand through her bangs to brush the hair from her face. "Its okay, I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

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Author Note:

Reminderthat this is the last chapter before the second DiamondBomb, starting on the 18th. Also, because the last chapter of what was supposed to be the fourth part of the DiamondBomb was so long, there's going to be five days of updates in a row instead of four. So DiamondBomb event going from Feb. 18th-22nd.

Afterwards, I will be taking a short break and returning on the 4th, so don't think i just stopped updating the story or anything. Just a short mental break for myself, and to take the time to start what will be considered the 3rd season for S&D.

Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to leave a comment. You let me know there is interest in this story of Orange's and i appreciate that, and you, a lot.