The doors to White Diamond's command room slid open, breaking the silence that normally permeated the room. White took her time looking at the large display screens she had up, the blueprints to a building she had ordered to be constructed nearby on one screen, the details from resources needed to the number of workers on another, and on yet another screen were reports from the Morganite overseer who was in charge of ensuring everything went smoothly. Everything for its construction was well underway and she was simply approving any final changes proposed by her head builders. White's fingers paused over a screen as the intruder neared and she finally adverted her eyes to look down on the gem in question, unsurprised to find it to be none other than her own pearl.

Pearl stopped a few feet in front of her Diamond, her arms bent into a salute as her upper half bowed slightly, her eyes adverted from the luminous brightness that was White Diamond. "My Diamond, Orange Diamond has sent me to request restarting her training."

"Oh? So she's decided, has she?" White was quiet a moment, staring off into the distance in thought before making a sweeping motion with her hand, causing the screens to disappear. "Bring her here, Pearl."

Pearl took a breath, her eyes falling closed. "At once, My diamond."

---------------

"Are you sure about this?" Pearl fidgeted as Orange swallowed another tablet whole, looking much more at ease than she thought she should be. "Orange, please. I-You need to be careful. If you anger White Diamond any further-"

"It's okay, Pearl." Orange set the plate down, looking over her shoulder to give Pearl a comforting smile, "Really."

Pearl was far from convinced and Orange's nonchalant response was only setting her more on edge. "You won't listen to me, even if I begged you to wait, would you?"

"I...Pearl," Orange turned, taking the few steps to stand in front of Pearl to reach out and take her hands in hers, giving them a squeeze that Pearl responded to with one of her own. "I need to do this." Orange smiled, "I'm ready. I can feel it."

"You do seem...a little better." Pearl acknowledged, her gaze falling down from her, "But that doesn't mean you are."

"Do you trust me?"

Pearl was quiet, long enough for Orange to hold her breath with growing unease before she looked back up at her. "Yes."

She released her breath, giving Pearl one of her most cocky grins, "Then trust me when I tell you I'm ready to do this. I'm confident I can do this right, this time."

"Just...don't be reckless."

Orange laughed, making Pearl smile at the sound. It was a relief, a small comfort, to for to hear. "It'll be okay." Orange promised.

"You keep saying that." Pearl pulled away from Orange's grasp, stepping away so that there was a respectful distance between them as her more professional facade fell into place, her hands clasping in front of her. Orange's smile dropped slightly, aware that Pearl was drawing that line between their friendship and her job as White Diamond's Pearl, the one she was required to wear when they were not alone. "If you are certain, then we should go. We shouldn't keep my diamond waiting."

Orange nodded, walking behind Pearl as she stopped to release the door lock she had put in place. As the door slid open, they were both surprised to find two carnelians leaning against it, both stumbling and falling to the floor as their support was suddenly taken from them.

Orange broke out in laughter at the sight, raising an eyebrow at the two gems as they scurried to right themselves. "5PX, 7PX."

Both Carnelians jumped, their faces a mix of embarrassment and shock to have been caught. "My diamond!" they both saluted.

"We weren't doing anything!" 7PX began, her voice tinged with panic as she glanced between Pearl and Orange, "We were just, uh-"

"Good luck, my diamond." 5PX grinned, giving her a thumbs up while cutting her fellow gem off and earning a glare from her.

"Thanks 5PX." Orange followed Pearl when she took the initiative to begin their walk to the command room, snickering as she could hear 7PX's voice bouncing down the hall as she berated her guard mate for giving their eavesdropping away the farther away from them they got.

"You know they were listening through the door." Pearl remarked when they had walked out of view of them.

"I know." Orange nodded, earning a look from Pearl over her shoulder.

"You're not going to reprimand them?" Pearl questioned.

Orange took a moment to think about it, "Im not bothered by it, no."

"You're a Diamond." Pearl reminded, "You shouldn't let the Quartz do as they please."

"I'll speak with them, but i don't see it as a reason to punish them or anything."

Pearl remained silent, and Orange believed she was going to drop the matter before she commented, "...You've become very lenient. I can tell they appreciate how you are with them."

"I have no interest in being a tyrant." Orange responded, her expression becoming serious as their conversation became less lighthearted.

Pearl's pace slowed as she turned to regard Orange with an appraising look before she responded, "A firm rule is not the same as oppressive."

"I guess you're right..." Orange took a breath and pushed it out through her nose, her eyes focusing on the hall in front of them as she mulled Pearl's words over. "I'm still unsure how I want to go about being in charge."

"You have plenty of time to find your middle ground." Pearl turned back forward, her voice conveying the reassurance she could not physically show in the public space of the hall.

"You have experience." Orange noted.

"I'm only a Pearl."

"But your White Diamond's Pearl," Orange countered, "So anything you say is consider an extension of her. No one questions you when you tell them to do something."

"That...is true." Pearl conceded.

"You have more power and reach than you think."

Pearl's tone was clipped and Orange tried not to take it personally, "I would not abuse my position."

"I wasn't saying you were," The young diamond explained, "Or even would. I just meant you have better experience than I do. I wouldn't say no to your thoughts on it."

Pearl remained quiet, and Orange feared she may have pushed the topic into territory Pearl wasn't willing to traverse with her yet. She was flooded with a startling amount of relief when she glanced at her over her shoulder, her wide eyes and the slant of her mouth expressing her uncertainty to Orange. "...We can talk about it the next time I am given time to myself, if you want."

"I'm always up for time with you." Orange smiled, her hand going up to touch Pearl's shoulder to try to ease her apprehension before she caught herself, dropping it back down to her side.

Pearl looked away, keeping her head forward, her eyes focusing on the doors ahead of them as her cheeks took on a darker tint. "I...that is kind."

"I mean it, I'm not trying to be nice. You're a good friend, Pearl."

"So are you." Pearl smiled briefly before it dropped as they approached the doors of White Diamond's command room. She stopped in front of the security panel, turning sideways to look at Orange as she stood before the large doors. "Are you ready?"

Orange took a breath, turning to give Pearl a confident grin that was honestly more for herself than Pearl, "No time to turn back now."

Pearl nodded, pressing her hand to the panel, turning her eyes up as the doors slid open, and Orange waited for her to lead the way in.

"My Diamond, I have brought Orange Diamond." Pearl saluted White as she stood off to the side, respectful of where she stood between her two superiors.

White did not bother to even look at Pearl, her eyes focusing solely on Orange as soon as they had entered the room. Orange tipped her head back to look directly back at her, her mouth a thin line and her eyes slightly narrowed, a resolute, almost defiant expression on her face that White hadn't had pointed at her in a long time. White's voice carried across the room as she spoke, "So you are ready to take this seriously, my little gemling?"

"Yes." Orange's eyes shone with a determination White had missed in the youngest Diamond, ever since she had allowed herself to become overly attached to that Pearl. White recognized she should have realized Orange would have, given she had such a passionate nature. It would be a simple thing to correct in the future.

Orange's hands balled up at her sides, "Im not going to fail this time."

White was impressed by Orange's change in attitude, but she was not one to be moved simply by words. "Then show me."

Orange glanced at Pearl, who nodded and moved away from the two diamonds, walking towards the entrance to the room to stand dutifully by the door. When Orange was satisfied that Pearl was not close enough for anything to happen to her, even in her imagined worse case scenario. The younger gem turned away from White, which earned her a questioning tilt of head from the eldest Diamond as Orange took a few calculated steps from her. When she had covered a decent distance, she turned back to White, catching her curious look.

"I don't want to accidentally hit you." Orange explained before looking down at her hand as she raised it in the air between them. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes as she held it a moment before pushing it out through her nose, repeating the action as she worked to ease the tension in her body. The young gem then allowed herself to feel the underlying current of power inside herself, simply waiting for her to tap into it. It was amazing to feel her gem almost hum to life in the center of her chest while she allowed her body to naturally respond to her prodding. Orange no longer felt like she was trying to pull her power from her gem, instead now guiding it, as if it was merely a flowing stream she had to give a direction to. She allowed herself a long moment to gather it and was surprised to feel it collecting not behind her gem, but below, at her core and low in her belly. It filled her with a warmth and strength she was unfamiliar with wielding, and Orange was reminded of Zirconia, of how she had once again reminded her she was not in this alone.

She had others she could lean on, and she had people who leaned on her. She had people counting on her, rooting for her, wanting her to succeed. Opening her eyes, Orange's vision focused on her hand, amazed to see the natural orange glow of her power engulfing her outstretched hand, the flaring energy running up her arm and traveling around the rest of her body, making her the second brightest being in the room. Concentrating, Orange was about to attempt to push the gathered energy from her body as she had done before, but stopped, a feeling inside her telling her no, that was wrong. No, she didn't need to force it, she simply needed to let go. Orange took another breath, holding it as she caught her own reflection on the floor, the distorted image of herself flickered on the marble. She looked more in control than she had felt she was in a long time.

Smiling, Orange closed her eyes as she let the breath go, at the same time feeling the built up energy release in one sudden motion. The energy expanded from her skin, ballooning out into a dome of hissing heat, the very stone cracking under the pressure, leaving shattered, jagged edges of scorched stone in a large radius around her, fracturing the longer she held the destructive dome in place. She opened her eyes, not letting the energy dissipate until she had looked up and met eyes with White, almost shocked by the feeling of warmth that was no longer caressing her skin when it was gone.

The room was incredibly silent, all three occupants taking in what had just occurred. Glancing down, Orange couldn't help but blush in embarrassment at what she had done in her overzealousness to show off her power. Her eyes flickered around at the floor and then up at White, "Uh...sorry."

But White looked anything but angry at the damage Orange had done to her command room's floor, her smile wide as her hands came together in a soft clap, "Amazing. Simply amazing." White expressed her satisfaction with Orange's display. "This is a big change from before. See what happens when you actually try?"

Orange pushed down the tinge of anger that her comment brought, instead offering White a smile as she responded, "Its not because i wasn't trying, White."

White was caught off guard with Orange's response, her head tilting in question as her hands fell slightly from their clasped position, "Excuse me?"

"I actually couldn't do that before," Orange explained, pushing through her fear of White's possible repercussion for what she was saying, "Not because I wasn't trying, or because you lacked something in teaching me. Its because I didn't believe I could, because I didn't want to be able to."

White considered her a long moment, "And that has changed?"

Orange couldn't stop the grin from forming on her face, though she did manage to stop herself from looking at Pearl, least she possibly give away just how close they were to the eldest diamond, "I had a reason to change, someone very persuasive talked me out if it. I still have some things to work through, but i think its all for the better."

White's eyes regarded Orange, curious and questioning, something flickering across them that remained unspoken by her, and Orange wondered what she had deliberated in the span of that short moment when her curiousness was replaced with a much more stern expression that was only mildly softened by her smile. "Then I am glad you were turned to reason, my dear." White's tone turned more serious, her voice clear and firm to match her expression as she met Orange's unwavering stare, "But, the real test is if you can do that again."

Orange knew she shouldn't feel so cocky, but she could not stop the somewhat hubristic response to White's challenge. "I'm prepared for whatever you throw at me. I refuse to fail now."

White turned to her Pearl, "Pearl, get one of the guards."

Pearl did not give a second thought to her orders, automatically bowing, "Yes, my Diamond."

Orange watched as Pearl left before cocking her head in question at the other diamond, "What are you doing, White?"

"I want a full demonstration of your power, not a show of how strong you are." White answered.

Orange blinked in surprise, realization hitting her. "You want me to use it on one of the soldiers?"

White's response lacked any remorse or empathy for Orange's situation. "Yes, it is the simplest way to test that ability of yours."

Orange took a deep breath, fighting her first instinct to tell White no. She could control herself. She wouldn't shatter the soldier. It was only a display, like Zirconia had done. A tap, nothing more. She didn't have to be afraid of herself. She had this. "Okay."

White appeared to be satisfied with her response, and Orange briefly wonder if that, too, had been a test. "Good."

It wasn't long before Pearl returned, a large Citrine soldier in tow, her eyes the only thing conveying her confusion on why she was being summoned by none other than White Diamond.

The Citrine saluted White Diamond, "My Diamond!"

White appraised the gem brought before her, her trained eyes inspecting her for but a moment before she nodded in approval, "Good, you got one of the finer Quartz." She commended Pearl before she addressed the newest gem in the room. White held out a hand towards Orange, "I want you to fight Orange Diamond."

The Citrine nearly jerked out of her salute in surprise to her Diamond's orders. "M-my Diamond?"

"It's alright." Orange reassured her, catching the Citrine's attention, her eyes wide and her eyebrows arched up, the hesitations and unease about her orders clear on her face. It tugged on Orange's heartstrings as she realized that this Citrine more than likely knew her, if her surprise played more in her orders than her presence. Was this a gem that served on her guard? Why didn't she know her own gems better? "You won't be shattered. You don't have to be afraid." Orange offered her a kind smile, ignoring everyone else reaction as she focused on the Quartz in front of her.

The Citrine stared at her a moment before she managed to marginally relax, squaring her shoulder's under Orange's encouraging gaze. "Of course, my Clarity."

White narrowed her eyes, watching in mild interest as the two spoke, and Orange settled her soldier's fears. "Orange?" She prompted, the younger gem's eyes flicking up to meet hers before returning to the Quartz.

"Sorry." Orange walked out of the area of broken, scorched floor, her feet knocking into bits of stone that stuck up as she joined where Citrine was. Orange was always a little bit surprised when she found she could look such large Quartz in the eyes up close, a far cry from when would have had to crane her neck and have said soldiers hunch over just so she could look at their faces properly. "Are you ready?" She questioned, taking a few steps back before she raised her fists as she cautioned her new sparing partner, "This might hurt."

Citrine bent over slightly, changing her center of gravity as she spread her legs and brought her hands up into a stance of defense for her upper body, making Orange realize that while she may be physically stronger than this soldier, this soldier had experience she didn't. This solider already knew how to fight, she had knowledge that Orange didn't on how to properly participate in hand-to-hand combat. She probably even had a weapon she could produce from her gem, and that worried Orange. White had not said her opponent couldn't use a weapon, she hadn't set any rules at all for this. She wanted to see what Orange could do, she wasn't worried about this gem's welfare, or what Orange might have to do just to defend herself.

"Do not worry about me, my Diamond." Citrine said when the concern showed on Orange's face, "I am just another Quartz solider."

Even though Orange knew that was true, it angered her that she had to admit that was a truth she had to accept at all. This quartz was just another soldier to Homeworld, but wasn't just another soldier to her. This was someone who possibly once acted to protect her, someone who had accompanied her for a length of time, a soldier she had been gifted who owed their loyalty to her and Orange didn't even know who they were. She was a nameless soldier who Orange regretted not even having a name to place to her gem, even as she stood ready to sacrifice herself on her own Diamond's whim.

She would have to change that. She knew it wasn't possible to know every gem under her, or who interacts with her, but she wanted to at least know those who would be closest to her. How could she give Pearl a name and face and leave the gem guarding her left and right blank. She didn't want White's seclusion from her people, she didn't want Yellow's analytical way of looking at every gem below her, or even Pink's compassion for every gem in her charge. Pearl was right, she needed to find her middle ground, simply one more thing she needed to do before she would ever be happy with calling herself a Diamond or being apart of the Authority.

"Let's begin, then." Orange grinned, relaxing her rigid stance some as she attempted to mimic Citrine's own, spreading her legs a bit farther under her, feeling more steady and prepared to actually fight. Orange took a breath, concentrating, feeling the flow of power in every part of her form. Orange followed her process from before, this time keeping her eyes open as she watched the Quartz soldier make the first move, charging at her much quicker than she had anticipated she could for her size, and if Orange hadn't jumped to the side at the last second, she knew she would have plowed right into her.

Orange was just turning around to face Citrine when the Quartz pivoted, her fist coming at Orange before she could jump out of the way again, and the younger gem only just managed to deflect her hit with her forearm, leaving a sizable mark there as she was knocked back. Orange retaliated, kicking her leg out to try and keep the distance between them, but Citrine easily blocking her clumsy kick with her arms before she latched onto her ankle with one hand, catching the Diamond by surprise. Grabbing her leg with the other, Citrine picked up Orange, swinging her around. Acting on instinct, Orange kicked out with her other leg, hitting the other gem in the hand and arm, but Citrine would not let her go easily. Using her momentum, Citrine widened her stance to stabilize herself as she lifted Orange up and slammed her into the ground, Orange's eyes widening as the breath was knocked from her when her back hit the floor.

Taking the Diamond's moment of being stunned, Citrine brought her hands together over her head, intertwining her fingers and swinging down in what would have been a devastating hit had Orange not regained her senses, moving quickly to flip herself backwards on the floor just in time to miss Citrine hitting the ground, cracking the marble floor. Orange gathered her energy to her hand, her fist glowing. With teeth bared and eyebrows arched down in concentration, she swung forward. Citrine brought her hands up again, blocking Orange's attack, but was surprised when the energy around her hand exploded in her palm, sending her sliding back on the floor, a trail of white smoke following her, until she slowed to a stop.

Orange had a wide grin on her face, incredibly happy to have landed a blow to her opponent, waiting for White to tell them to stop now that she had seen what else she could do.

But when the smoke began to clear, Orange was surprised to see Citrine shaking out her hand that had caught her attack. Where her hand should be was glitched lines of yellow-orange light, like she was having trouble reforming the appendage. This did not deter her from acting for long, and she was advancing on Orange again, her single hand raised in a fist, prepared to attack Orange. But the younger gem didn't want to hit her, taking steps back as she moved out of the way of her punches. It was at this point she realized White wasn't going to call for them to stop, and that a single punch wasn't going to satisfy her.

Narrowing her eyes, Orange knew she was going to have to do that again. Concentrating, focusing her flowing energy to her hands, both of her fists began to glow. She waited until Citrine threw another punch that she dodge did she swing forward, her fist connecting with Citrine's arm, and just like her hand, when her energy exploded in a concentrated blast, the area around her hit began to fizzle out, the strength of her hit knocking her back. Orange then advanced, throwing her other hand forward, hitting Citrine in the chest with the hopes to bring her to her knees.

Orange's eyes widened when instead, the blow was larger than she had meant it to be, throwing Citrine back, lines forming in her light form, radiating from the smoking fist sized hole Orange had left in her chest, until her entire form was covered in fractured lines Orange had only ever seen when a gem was being destabilized with a wand, and then Citrine was engulfed in a puff of smoke, her gem the only thing remaining flying through the air to land on the ground with a tink.

"Stars!" Orange gasped, "I didn't mean to destabilize her! Is her gem alright?"

Pearl walked forward from her safe distance from the fight, reaching the gem on the floor and picking it up to inspect it. "She's alright, my diamond." Pearl confirmed, causing Orange to let the breath she had been holding out in relief. Pearl encased the gem in a pale bubble, giving it a gentle tap, sending it somewhere Orange didn't know.

"Fantasic!" White said, gaining both Orange and Pearl's attention, Orange looked up at White, taking another breath as she felt the excitement of the fight leaving her, letting her realize just how much that had actually taken out of her. White's smile was one of the widest Orange had seen, "Well done Orange."

Orange smiled, a swell of pride filling her to have actually gotten that response from White of all people. "Thank you, White. For not just giving up on me."

"Of course, my gemling." White knelt down and Orange stepped to her out of habit before she even thought about it, White reaching out to run a finger over the smaller Diamond's head affectionally. "I am only saddened you had to be placed in timeout for so long. Let's not do that again."

Orange's eyes briefly flicked away from White's, pushing the wave of emotion that tried to push to the surface down, forcing a smile on her face and chuckled, "That would be the preferred option." Orange agreed.

"You're looking strained, my dear." White observed, seeing how Orange was still breathing heavier than normal.

"I'm still getting used to doing that." Orange was quick to explain, looking down as she stretched out her hand and closed it, feeling the tingle of warmth in her finger tips, but also the fatigue in her body. Perhaps she hadrushed to do this, given how her body was feeling, but she could rest all she needed now that she had actually succeeded. Orange tightened her fist again, under White's star, she felt the need to add, "I should be fine, soon."

"We will keep working on it." White responded, standing up to her full height, making Orange look up at her, "For now, return to your room."

"Will..." Orange hesitated, her hand reaching over to grip her other arm, "can I leave my room if I want?"

"Yes." White nodded, her eyes cutting to Pearl, who had not moved from where she had bubbled Citrine, "Pearl, escort her back and inform the guards of Orange Diamond's restrictions being lifted."

Pearl bowed to White, "Yes, my Diamond."

Orange turned from White, Pearl's eyes focusing on Orange as she took her time to reach her, Pearl taking the lead to escort the youngest Diamond from the command room.

"Oh, and Pearl?"

Both Pearl and Orange stopped as they neared the door, turning to look at White over their shoulders, "Yes, my Diamond?"

"Do give back Orange Diamond her communicator." White chuckled, and Orange wondered what was so funny about that, until she added, "I'm sure the others would be glad to hear from you, Orange."

Orange gave White a nod in acknowledgment. "Thank you. I'll call them soon."

With the doors closed, Pearl stood closer to Orange than she normally allowed herself to in public, concern flashing over her face when Orange's squared, tense posture buckled once they were out of White's sight, and Pearl feared she was going to collapse to the floor until she caught herself, Pearl's own hands hovering in the air as she refrained from touching her. "Orange? Are you alright?"

"Yeah."Orange breathed, hunched over, her hands on her knees as she took multiple deep breaths, psyching herself up for the walk ahead of them before she straightened up, her back protesting to the sudden action as she winced. She forced a smile for Pearl, who she knew could see right though it, but thought to offer it anyway, "I'm okay. That just took a lot more out of me than i thought."

Pearl's hands fell back to her sides, her thin eyebrows pinched together as Orange began their slow walk back to her quarters. "You overestimated yourself." Pearl chided, "You know how dangerous that is."

"I know." Orange admitted, embrassed Pearl had predicted just how reckless she would be, but the outcome hadn't been so bad. She had not only shown a bit more control over her power, and she understood what she could do a lot better than ever before, at the low cost of a Citrine's form, but she also now had her restrictions freed. A tired grin stretched across her face as she looked to Pearl, who walked beside her as an unspoken precaution, "But did you see what i did? the look on White's face?"

"i saw," Pearl nodded, a small smile on her face at the younger gem's enthusiasm. "it was impressive compared to what you did before. i was...in awe of what you did to that Quartz." Pearl admitted, her voice quiet.

Orange blushed, "Im glad." Thinking on what she said, Orange cocked her head to grin at Pearl, jesting, "Also, good to know I can impress you with displays of power."

Pearl responded with an amused grin of her own, "So long as you don't pass out."

"what if i land gracefully?"

Pearl's eyes glanced over to Orange, her eyes sparkling in amusement, "You and i both know you'll land on your face."

Orange pressed a hand to her chest, dramatically throwing her head back, "Oh, ouch."

The two settled into a comfortable silence, Orange's lowered mobility as her earlier actions began to take its toll on her making their pace slowed.

Pearl was the first to break the silence, questioning Orange as she had to stop a moment to lean against the wall, much to Pearl's concern that she waved off. "Would you like a bath prepared before you rest?"

"No. i think if i do, I'll just slip under the water." Orang pushed off the wall, holding out her hands as she looked down at them, admitting, "My arms are tingling after punching that gem like that."

Pearl stepped closer to her, surprising Orange as she took her hands, inspecting them. Orange still had marks from where she had been hit or slammed into the ground. Orange thought it only showed that she really could improve in physical combat. She had such a pampered life, she had no real need to fight until now when she was always surrounded by soldiers to do it for her. Pearl ran her thumb over Orange's knuckles, discolored to a darker orange-red color than her skin naturally was, "Perhaps if you're going to be punching people, you might need to practice."

Orange did not resist when Pearl pulled away, taking a step back as they resumed their walk, though she noted Pearl was still closer to her than she normally allowed in public. She considered Pearl's suggestion, finding the truth in it very obvious. Even if she never did see real combat, it would not be a bad thing to know how to, especially if her powers seemed most useful in unclose and hand-to-hand combat. She imagined if White wouldn't, Yellow would be excellent to turn to for this. "That is...a good idea, actually."

"I admit," Pearl said, gaining Orange's attention again, "the thought of watching you taking on another quartz soldier would be interesting to see, and what else you can do."

Orange didn't immediately understand the feeling in her chest at Pearl's words, or the flutter in her gut, an odd feelings she believed was from her fatigue. "I'll be trying to impress you the whole time."

Pearl's cheeks burned a dark color, her eyes widening at her words. "Don't say that." Her voice was quiet, almost timid, "That's...embarrassing."

Orange realized how her words could have come off as flirtatious, her cheeks burning at the realization. "Sorry. i didn't mean-" Orange cut herself off before she could say anything else stupid, her head turning away from Pearl's direction and her lips pursed together as she cut off her sentence with a grunted "...erm."

Pearl was quiet for a moment, her head ducked and her hands coming to clasp in front of her, fidgeting, before she looked towards Orange from the corners of her eyes, "I know what you meant. I did not say i objected."

Orange's head whipped to look at Pearl, her heart beating just a little faster at her admission, "What?"

"I simply meant its...a diamond trying to impress a pearl, no matter how friendly we are, is...silly."

Orange's hand balled up, her eyebrows arching slightly as the embarrassment left her to be replaced by indignation, "I don't consider it silly. Maybe I," Orange paused, "...I care what you think of me."

Pearl swallowed, looking away and not meeting the younger gem's eyes, "I think...i think you should rest. You've overworked yourself." Pearl waited a moment before adding, "We can talk about you showing me how you're going to take on the quartz guards later. White Diamond expects me to return."

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AUTHOR: Only one more chapter before my little break until the 4th, and the end of this season finale. I'll still be on tumblr, and i'll still answer comments/questions if you have any.

If you're over on tumblr, check out pearlplum001's fan art they've done. its awesome!

Also, If you like this story, and the concept of children of the diamonds, I want to recommend you check out NoBrandMinda's story Two of a Kind on AO3. I'll link it below, Its a pretty awesome story, and she updates regularly, so give them some love. https://archiveofourown.org/works/17593034/chapters/41469191