Orange couldn't hear anything over her own ragged breath, struggling to pull in air between her teeth and exhaling it just as fast in harsh, shaky huffs. Sweat dripped down her nose and chin, silently cursing her own long hair as it clung to her. Her mouth cut a hard line across her face as she glared to her left towards the outer ring of the spire to the lone figure stood there. Panting unnecessarily loud, Orange threw her head back as she yelled out across the open room, "Why are you trying to kill me!?"

"Keep running!" Was the ear splitting response of Iris Agate, one thick finger pointed threateningly at her, her other hand going to her hip as she narrowed her single eye at the young diamond, "What did I tell you? You went and left me and became soft!"

Orange let out groan, the comment not the first that had been made to her that day, "I did not! I simply grew bigger!"

"In the gut!" Iris sneered.

Orange cut her eyes to the Agate, slowing the quick pace she had been maintaining despite her growing fatigue just to squinted her eyes in disbelief at the Agate, but she was sure the look was lost on the instructor by her own bobbing movements. "Seriously! I'm not-"

"Keep moving!" Iris yelled over her, her naturally scratchy voice making the words more harsh than they ever could have been without it, "I didn't tell you you could stop!"

Sensing something behind her, Orange turned her head in time to spot two large grey figures advancing on her, the strained face of G9 staring back at her with such intensity that it made the skin on the back of the diamond's neck crawl. Her face was tinted a darker shade than normal, her voice muffled as she spoke from gritted teeth, but the intent could hardly be missed as she spoke, "Oh, you better keep moving, my Diamond."

"Just get in these hands reach, I swear it!" J2 added, who normally kept up with Orange much easier than her counterpart, was panting along side her, skin just as flushed as G9's, an indication to just how long they had been at Iris' disposal.

Orange couldn't keep the grin off her face at the overly dramatic duo, turning around to focus on where she was going as she put some distance between them, just missing as J2 reached out to actually try and latch onto the back of her tunic. Cackling as she heard her groan of annoyance, the young Diamond cocked her head to see the two gaining on her again, spurned on by her amusement, Orange's eyes going wide as she nearly tripped when she realized this and forced herself to move even faster just to keep pace.

"I thought I missed you," G9 wailed, Orange unable to tell if it was sweat or genuine tears sliding down her face, "now I only miss you being away!"

"Hey!" She shouted, once again dodging J2's hands from stopping her moving away again.

"Why are you doing this to me?"

"Blame Iris and Yellow Diamond!" Orange responded to G9's continued complaining, glaring over her shoulder at her cohorts, turning and smacking J2's hand in her third attempt and childishly sticking her tongue out at her as she retracted her hand, shaking it out at the mark her diamond had left on the back of it. "This has nothing to do with me, I swear!"

"More running, less yapping!" Iris droned in exasperation of the three, eye closing as she shook her head, hand moving up to rub at her forehead.

"Can't I do both?" Was Orange's quick response.

"Do you wantthe whip?" The Agate snapped, eye going wide as her hand balled into a fist, and while the threat created no fear for Orange, it was G9 that reacted.

"My Diamond, respectfully, shut up!" the White Topaz shrieked, the genuine upset in her tone making the comeback on the tip of the young gem's tongue get caught, her partially open mouth, ready to fire back in another witty retort, died in her mouth.

Orange recognized she had a lot of leeway in her training sessions, the ease at which she normally preferred the gems she kept close to to act in a change from what was normally expected of them outside her company, but she also knew that there were times when she did not always recognize she might be pushing it, not even with her own fellow Diamonds. What she thought as Iris joking in her own manner, might very well have been an honest disciplinary remark, and something lower gem's had reason to fear that she did not. Even as a small child, she never had to answer to anyone but another Diamond unless she wished to, something that had left her a little out of depth in situations such as this.

While it matter little to the young Diamond, Iris Agate was a fancy gem and higher on the chain than others of her type. She could very well be more powerful, and with her temper and generally how she dealt with gems that talked back, the Topazes had every right to fear her and any threat she may issue.

Glancing behind her, Orange frowned at the panicked looks on the Topazes faces. She certainly couldn't ask Iris to not say things like that, it was what she was made to do and why she had been handpicked to be her instructor, to keep her in line. But she could do as the Topazes asked, and not egg Iris on, for it was them that would feel the brunt of her retaliation to her antics in the end.

Lips pursing, Orange swallowed her pride and bit her tongue, instead deciding to simply face forward and continue with a little more attention to where she was going. After a long awkward silence between them, her expression a little more serious than it had been the entire training session, the diamond questioned in a loud voice so she'd be heard over the large space, "How much longer, Iris?"

"Until I think you're done."

"That could be all day." Orange whipped her head around to look at Iris in time to see her put her hands on her hips defiantly.

"And what if it is? It's not like you have somewhere to be! What I do-"

The diamond did not hear the rest of the lecture as she was surprised when she stumbled, perhaps her own fault for once again not looking forward, and smacked the side of her head into the stone ground.

Orange blinked, the light that filter into the open room temporally blinding her as it replaced the black spots in her vision, confused as her eyes took a moment to focus and she struggled to recognize the blobs in front of her until they came into focus, using her elbows to sit up little to help and finding three faces pushing in around her, five eyes staring right back as she blinked. "Gah!" She jerked back, wincing as her head hit the floor again, "Move back!"

Immediately the three stood up, giving her the requested room as she sat up, holding herself up with on hand as the other rubbed at the painful spot on the back of her head, fingers careful to card through her hair to find the tender spot.

"Oh, thank the stars!" G9 yelled, startling the younger gem as she fell to her knees to wrap her in her arms, Orange's eyes going wide as her head was pulled against her chest and held there while the large gem weeped.

Allowing her a moment to blubber over her, Orange pushed away from her arms, hand falling from her head as she turned her eyes from G9 as she wiped snot from her nose, looking questioningly at J2 and then Iris. "Why am i on the floor?"

"You were unresponsive!" J2 answered, squatting to put a hand on G9's shoulder in comfort.

"I was so scared." G9 sniffed, "I mean, you didn't poof, so I wasn't sure, but the way you were just laying there-"

"Clear out of her way," Iris yelled, glaring and gritting her teeth as the two white topazes turned to look up at her as she motioned with her hand at them, "move! She doesn't need you blubbering over her."

J2 stood up, but stayed next to G9 as she looked at her superior, "But Iris-"

Iris' one eye narrowed on her, her voice lowering her one and only warning to follow orders. "Move."

G9 stood up, joining her counterpart as they saluted her, "Yes Ma'am."

Orange looked up from the corners of her eyes, watching silently as the Topazes stepped back, giving them room as Iris squatted next to her, staring intently at her as the young Diamond focused on her. "What happened Iris? My head hurts."

"You hit it when you fell." The Agate explained, eye glancing at the side of her head, but there was nothing to see under the mass of orange hair, "One moment you where running, and then you weren't." Her eye came back to Orange's face, who was staring blankly as she tried to recall that moment, but nothing past the scared face of G9 would come to her. "Is there something wrong?"

"No, no." The young diamond closed her eyes, the throbbing in her head easing as she blocked out the light of the room, forcing them open to offer Iris a small, reassuring smile, "I'm fine. I must just be tired. It's fine."

"Hmph." Iris frowned as she stared seriously at her diamond for a moment, assessing just how truthful she was being before sighing, "Just goes to show we have a ways to go to get you into shape."

Orange laughed, eyebrows turning up at the return of Iris' normal crabbiness, "I'm beginning to question what shape you picture me in, Iris."

"I figured you'd end up like Yellow Diamond, honestly." J2 said when Iris rolled her eyes and stood up, sneering in leu of an actual answer. She turned to G9, who during Iris' and Orange's conversation had calmed down enough to stop snotting everywhere, "You know, toned, legs that could probably benchpress a shuttle craft."

G9's face scrunched up, as if she were picturing this, before her eyebrows raised, lip jutting out as she thought for a moment, "I don't know, I always pictured Orange being more like Blue Diamond under the tunic, don't you think?" She turned to look at Orange, hand on her chin as they both looked at her, Orange staring back with raised eyebrows, "Soft curves and a-"

"How about you both shut up trying to picture my body?" Orange grunted, cutting them off as her lip lifted in disgust, "And gross. They're my...." Orange paused, stopping herself short from referring to the others in a more familial term than the gems before her probably understood, "Well, they're my fellow Diamonds. I don't want to imagine that."

"What?" J2 grinned wickedly, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she did, "You've never questioned what another gems looks like under garb like that?"

"Yeah, it's much harder to tell when you don't wear a bodysuit, you know?" G9 mimicked her, the two exchanging a look as they held back a laugh.

Orange blushed, unable to duck her head fast enough before she knew all three had seen the deep hue coloring her cheekbones and had most defiantly come to their own conclusions with her non-answer, grumbling, "I hate you two, so much right now."

This time J2 did laugh, leaning her head towards her counterpart, "Oh, she's definitely wondered."

G9 nodded, "Definitely."

"Shut up, the both of you." Iris turned to glare at them, the two tensing under her gaze.

"Yes ma'am!" The two snapped to attention, "So sorry, ma'am!"

"Tsk" Rolling her eye, the Agate sneered at the two, teeth visible from her disgusted frown. "Speaking such a vulgar way to a Diamond. Ridiculous." Her sneer lessened as she turned to look at the young Diamond in front of them.

"But-" G9 opened her mouth and just as quickly snapped it shut when Iris head whipped around, focusing on her.

"I didn't say you could speak." The two Topazes grimaced as Iris' eye lingered before she turned away to look down on Orange who had remained reclining on the floor. "Now, since you're joking around, you must be relatively alright...can you stand?"

"Of course I can. Just..." with a little effort, Orange pushed her tired limbs to get up and remain vertical, taking a moment to straighten her tunic before holding her arms out to her sides in presentation, "there. see?"

"That was very worrisome, Orange." Iris scolded.

"Sorry." Orange's mouth pulled back in a half smile, "Your right, I'm probably more out of shape than I realized I had gotten." She acknowledged, allowing her arms to fall back to her sides, "I just need some time to adjust to the new schedule. You remember how it was when we first started, right? It can't be worse than that."

Iris visibly shuttered, upper lip pulling back as she turned her head away from Orange, who was now grinning at her visceral reaction, "I could have lived another millennia without knowing what vomit is."

"Heh, yeah." the diamond agreed, placing her hand on her hip as she laughed, "It is pretty gross." Glancing at the Topazes, she offered them a smile, the two large gems still tense from Iris' reprimanding, apologetic they had been the one to face the brunt of her anger, even more so than normal.

"But, do you think we can end it here?" Orange questioned as she focused back on the Agate to speak, "I don't think my body is ready to keep up to your standards just yet."

"Hmph." Crossing her arms, Iris considered only for a moment, "Fine. But," She interrupted the diamond before she could relax, "I expect you early for our next session."

"Of course." Orange nodded, already ready to slink back to her room to rest and eat a large portion of tablets until Pearl could join her later in the night cycle. "Thank you Iris."

"Don't go getting all heartfelt and mushy." The Agate waved her off, "I simply don't want to have to explain to White Diamond why my Diamond is unresponsive, and before her coronation."

"Er, Yeah." Orange laughed awkwardly, the realization that this most defiantly wasn't something she wanted to get back to White so she could over react, "Let's definitely not ever bring this up with White, Okay? We don't want that kind of trouble."

Iris, as if following her train of thought, nodded, "As you wish, my Diamond."

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

When she had finally managed to slip away from her duties to her Diamond, unsurprisingly, in her room is exactly where Pearl would find Orange. She gave the Carnelians a cursory look over as she passed by, ignoring their side-glances that they thought she didn't see, allowing the shorter of the two to release the lock on the door for her before entering. No verbal exchanges were needed, nor wanted on her part, merely a professional interaction, and perhaps some leniency for their more laid back nature than she thought was appropriate for a Diamond's guards, if only because she was aware what they meant to Orange.

Entering the large room, Pearl paused as the doors automatically closed behind her, eyes glancing around the room to find the diamond she had been seeking. Sat at her desk, one hand curled around a pad and the other first deep into bowl of half eat nutrition tablets is where Pearl found her. The need for more tablets warmed something in Pearl that she didn't quite understand, perhaps because she had experienced Orange's refusal of the life sustaining pellets, or perhaps it was some kind of sign she would be growing again. Her Diamond would be pleased with that, at least. Whatever it was, Pearl was simply happy Orange was healthy, and seemingly quite content to mash the little chalky bit between her teeth while reading distractedly, even if she did find the action revolting.

Opening her mouth, Pearl was about to announce herself, as to not startle the younger gem, and subsequently ruin half the bowl of valuable tablets when half of its contents would inevitably be sent scattering to the floor, when she startled herself.

"Pearl! Come here, come here." Orange waved with the hand she had pulled from the bowl, motioning over her shoulder without even turning to look at the small gem.

Pearl blinked, unsure how Orange had known it was her or that she had entered, without even turning around, but quickly enough came to her senses and did as told. Walking towards the diamond, Pearl took the chance to peer at the screen, trying to determine just what had her so enthralled. However, she did not have to be quick about it when Orange tilted it towards her, the screen being exactly what the young diamond had wanted her to see.

Cocking her head to the side to look at her, Orange showed moved the screen so she could see it, "Look what i got this afternoon."

"A long missive?" Pearl question as she stepped up, focusing on the long paragraphs of text, that quickly became obvious to her as being business and not friendly chat as keep words popped up at her.

"Here, sit down. It's long.."

Orange was standing before Pearl could protest, so she simply waited as the younger gem moved to the opposite side of the chair, using one arm to lean on the flat embossed hightop and motioning with other for her to take the seat she vacated. A little hesitantly, Pearl sat down in the middle, seated at the edge because there was no way she would be able to sit back and there was simply too much space on either side of her to place an arm to even look like she was trying to get comfortable. Instead, she leaned forward, mimicking Orange's pose from earlier to hunch over the desk, leaning on her elbows for support and picking up the display.

She could feel eyes on her as she quickly scanned the page, and then the next ones after. Even though she had been given permission, she couldn't help the feeling of intruding in a place she didn't belong as she read both information and personal notes that had been made for the youngest diamond by her fellows.

Pages of information that had been compiled from both Yellow and Blue Diamond, detailing things Orange would need to know before her official appearance to Homeworld as well as personal schedules that she would be expected to mold her own to, as to accommodate their free time, that they had made just for her, so says Yellow Diamond. More pages down, in a less report formatted letter was Blue Diamond's notes, explaining her own side to some of the things Yellow had mentioned, a schedule, as well as a list of gems, minus actual designations, that Orange should expect to see at her induction. Some names were underlined as important, aristocratic gems Blue expected Orange to be meeting after everything was said and done, a number of which were from her own court.

At the very bottom, as if haphazardly pasted on at the last minute, was a short paragraph from Pink diamond, a very small schedule for Orange, in which Pearl meant that most of it was free time and Pink had no plans of doing actual work when she was forced to return to Homeworld for the youngest Diamond's coronation, as well as instead of any advice or information to part with, was a single line she knew was meant only for Orange's eyes.

You're going to do wonderful, my love. I believe in you.

Pearl made no comment on the diamond's choppy text, only turning to Orange who waited for her response to the whole letter, the excitement in her eyes had them burning brighter than normal, and made any negative feelings Pearl may have had regarding the last bit disappear.

"This is wonderful, Orange." She told her earnestly, "They are taking this very seriously, and seem to be making it their top priority. It won't be long now until you're officially one of them."

"I know, I'm so...I'm so excited, and I don't even think that word does justice to how I'm feeling." Orange picked up the screen, giving it one final appreciate look over before closing it to place it carefully back on the desk beside the abandoned tablet bowl, "But enough of this. I'm going to have days filled with the others soon enough, right now, is your time."

Pearl giggled, standing up with the help of an offer hand, surprised when Orange didn't let go, merely moving around the chair while keeping hold by lifting her arm over the high raised back and meeting her on the opposite side. "Let's sit near the windows tonight," Pearl requested without any prompt, the larger diamond leading the way towards their normal spot.

Finally releasing her hand, Pearl crossed her legs as she set down, mindful of her long skirt and waiting as Orange sat down much less gracefully than one would traditionally expect of a diamond. "You know," Pearl chuckled, "You could always have chairs made for this. I've never understood why you like the floor."

"And why not?" Orange challenged, "The floor is comfortable," she smiled, and then added jokingly, "I can't trip over the legs this way either."

Pearl tilted her head as her eyebrow raised, "Orange Diamond, I've seen you trip on nothing but air."

The diamond snapped her fingers and pointed at the small gem, "Which is exactly why I don't need any more obstacles in my room. Wouldn't want to ruin my pretty face before the ceremony."

"Given there will be four other Diamonds beside you the whole time, I doubt anyone would be brave or foolish enough to comment if you did."

"You never know." Orange shrugged, "Although, that does make me wonder, just what I'm supposed to do for the ceremony." She paused, hand moving up to tap her chin in thought, "I wonder if White or Blue will be going over that? Who does that fall under?"

"Pink."

Orange blinked, hand falling away as she turned to look at Pearl, surprised to see her staring quiet intently at the floor. "What?"

Pearl's lips thinned as she pressed them together, biting her tongue as she hunched forward onto her knees.

"Pearl?" Orange asked softly, about to reach out but stopped when she unexpectedly moved closer, scooting her whole body over until all she had to do was move her hand out to her right and be able to find the diamond's own, her small hand hovering for a moment before touching the top of hers, Orange turning her hand over to hold onto it more comfortably.

"Pink Diamond will be going over what you will do at the ceremony itself. It is her job, overseeing parties like this, she will have to show you the proper etiquette."

I'm sorry?" Orange blinked, unable to stop the confusion contorting her features, even as she recognized how uncomfortable Pearl was talking about the other diamond, "Pink is supposed to teach me etiquette? Isn't that..." she trailed off, eyebrows turning up and lips turning down to express what she couldn't.

"Ridiculous?" Pearl supplied, a small smile forming at the complete bewilderment on Orange's face. "Believe it of not, it is her job. It once fell to Blue Diamond, but has since been passed to Pink as one of her duties, to force her to interact with the upper courts." Pearl explained, "it is why you have only ever seen her hosting parties for the Diamond's to attend, and not the others."

"I always thought-" Orange paused, mouth twisting down as she chewed her lip, "I don't know what I thought. I thought she just threw parties because she likes them? I mean, I like them, so I guess I figured I always got that from her."

"I believe that is your own thing, Orange." Pearl sat up, turning her head to look fully at the taller gem, "Not everything you do is because of her."

"I know." Orange shrugged, turning to look out at the city lights, "I guess I've never really thought about Pink being...professional? Or doing a job, really. I mean, I know she's practically running a war right now, but somehow, that just doesn't translate to her job on Homeworld. It's weird, like, I never really gave any thought to her outside of her moon base and her zoo."

"I understand." Pearl nodded, following her line of sight to the city, "She isn't exactly easy to pin down."

Orange nodded, allowing the conversation to lull as they simply sat together, staring out at the city lights against the darkened sky. Pearl remained a little closer and a little quieter than she was used to, the young diamond refrained from responding with more than a nervous look when Pearl brushed her shoulder into hers and didn't immediately pull away, struggling to keep her hand from tensing around Pearl's and letting her know there was anything wrong. She felt stupid, acting any different than normal when Pearl sat close with her, but her brain couldn't stop pointing out it was different, if only for her. The young Diamond had admitted she cared for the smaller gem much more than she had ever originally intended to, and with that had come a change in how she saw everything she did, even as she tried to tell herself it didn't. Pearl had made no such commitment to those feelings, and she had come here, acting as she always did, under the assumption Orange would as well.

Though Orange wasn't really sure how things were supposed to change for gems that were together, if anything would even be different. Would her gem always feel like it was on fire with Pearl so close by? Would she forever be nervous about what to do or say? Surely she would get over the feeling of being flustered when she stumbled over what should have been a normal response, and yet her 'charm' had only made Pearl laugh.

Pearl gently pulled her hand from Orange's to leaning back with her arms for support, stretching out in her spot some as she became more relaxed with the young diamond, observing the subtle light changes on the buildings as night fully took over the cycle, and thus meant a shift change in gems. One could run their own schedule by the change of lights on a certain building, the change of green to purple on the high-rise just to the left of Orange told her it was nearing the time that the larger gem should be getting to sleep, but they both knew she never would, not when she was there. Orange called it rude, though she was never quite sure where she had picked up the notion that resting in front of a lower gem was somehow rude, she would admit she appreciated the extra time it afforded them. It was less time she would be unwillingly alone. Without looking over, Pearl quietly asked, "How was you're first day back to training?"

A loud exhale to right had her turning to look at the diamond as she responded, "Exhausting." Orange leaned back to mimic her pose, head falling back suddenly enough that there was a small pop sound that made Pearl wince in response, though Orange remained nonplussed by it, simply closing her eyes as she remained reclined at the odd angle. After a few moments pause, she cocked her head to give Pearl a look from the corners of her eyes, her lip lifting enough to show she was joking as she said, "I swear Iris Agate is trying to hatch a murder plan."

Pearl snorted a laugh at the absurdity, a single eyebrow raising as she asked, "By making you run?"

Orange raised her own eyebrows in challenge, "I'd like to see youout there running endless laps and playing fisticuffs with two Topazes."

A breathy laugh escaped Pearl as she turned away to look back out at the city lights, shaking her head at the ridiculous notion. "Why, when I can simply observe you? It looks tiring."

"What?"

Pearl blinked, turning back to look at Orange who was staring at her now, head fully upright and and eyes almost owlishly wide. Pearl responded with a slightly confused hum to request clarification. "Hmm?"

"When have you seen me training?" Orange questioned.

"I've had a glimpse, here and there." Pearl admitted, the unmistakable tells of a blush tinting her cheeks, not even to be hidden in the lowered light of the room. "When I am moving about from the Palace on orders, sometimes I can see you on the spire your Agate uses."

"Oh...I, erm," The diamond cleared her thought, "I like the open air, instead of some stuffy room in the back of the palace." Orange responded, as if Pearl had been looking for a reason why she could see her. "It's high up, you know? A little bit harder to be seen, and White agreed to it."

"I know." Pearl looked forward, her face still warm as she looked back out the window, Orange following her example, neither quite willing to meet the other's eyes. "It's a good view. From the spire."

Silence reigned heavily in the room in the minutes that followed, the young Diamond chewed her bottom lip as she looked from the city to Pearl out of the corners of her eyes, the way the smaller gem's face evened out, her eyelids lowering slightly as her mouth thinned, as if she was taking on the more professional mindset she used around others, the tint on her cheeks the only reminder that Pearl had been embarrassed moments before.

At some point, Orange had stopped trying to be discreet and remained looking at her friend, studying the way the purple lights created a halo on her pale skin, turning her a pretty shade of magenta. "Pearl?"

Pearl's eyes turned to look at her before her head did, cocking to the side to look at her properly when she saw the somewhat serious expression that had come over the normally easygoing gem's face. "Orange?"

"Can we talk about the other day?"

Pearl tensed, but managed to keep her voice even as she spoke, "what is there to talk about?"

Orange seemed momentarily put off by her somewhat dismissive response, casting her eyes down to the floor, taking a breath and looking back up as she responded, "I was wondering if you...have you decided?"

Pearl's response was firm, but strained, "I told you I needed time, Orange."

"I know, I know." The diamond said quickly in an attempt to backtrack, "I just....how much time?"

"I don't know."

Orange tilted her head away, rubbing at the back of her head in an obviously nervous action to give her hand something to do beside clenching in her lap, "It's just, hanging in limbo like this-"

"I can't give you an answer that I don't have, Orange." Pearl's tone was more forceful than she had meant, but she did not apologize for it, nor for her response as the larger gem's shoulders sagged, her chin tucking into her chest as she pointedly looked away from her, shame and embarrassment coloring her expression. A little more lightly, she added, "Please, don't push it any further."

"I- Okay." A hesitant moment, Orange looked back at her, eyes shining like she might cry, but tears never came, simply a sincerely muttered "I'm sorry."

Pearl nodded in acceptance, taking a moment to gather a better response, she made a point to meet the younger gem's eyes, "When I know....I'll tell you. I just need time."

A quiet "Okay." was her only response, and she remained still, the tension that had settled between them so quickly was oddly suffocating, unusual for how well they had come to sharing feelings so openly to suddenly be staunched to avoiding eye contact and her hands gripping onto her biceps just to keep from reaching over to offer some kind of comfort for the distress she may have caused, but unsure if her touch would be wanted, or if it would even help right now. It left her uncomfortable and something in her urged her to act, willing her to either fix it or to run. So after another minute of silence from her companion, she could not bring herself to look over at the young diamond, eyes not quite focusing on the inverted pyramid shape being outlined in the glow of circuit light, "Would you like me to go?"

"What?" Orange's response was abrupt, her tone high like she was surprised by the question she had been posed.

"It's..." PearI wavered, uncertain if she honestly wanted an answer to her question now that the words had left her mouth, unsure how they would move on if she was asked to leave and if she would be welcomed back she did. "I know I've ruined the night. If I've made things awkward, or if i'm overstaying my welcome-"

"No!" Orange cut her off, voice high as she yelled and then quieted at the surprised look on the smaller gem's face for her outburst, "No, i...you haven't done anything but be honest with me, Pearl. You're right, I shouldn't have pushed." She admitted, cheeks warming in embarrassment, but she refused to look away as she added, "Especially not so soon."

Pearl's eyes softened, the little creases her worry had created on her face eased with her posture, "I wish I had something to give you. Something to put you at ease, or-"

The Diamond's mouth pursed, eyebrows turning down indignantly, "I don't need to be coddled or let down easy, Pearl."

"I didn't mean..." Pearl paused, mouth opening and closing before she decided to try again, "I wasn't trying to insult you."

"I know you weren't," Orange's tone remained even, and despite her eyes, told the smaller gem she wasn't upset, "and I'm not. Just know you don't have to mince words to try and save my feelings, if that's the decision you come to." She explained, and with more confidence, reached over and took the hand closest to her, an act of comfort Pearl wasn't expecting but appreciated all the same. "I've thought about this, like really thought about it. You're my friend first, before all else, and we've always been able to talk about things."

Pearl squeezed her hand, "But this isn't a...this isn't a friend thing."

"It's not." Orange nodded her agreement, "But that doesn't matter. I mean it. Even if nothing comes of that talk, more then you knowing just how much you mean to me, we're still friends, right?" This time she offer a half smile, the corners of her lips lifting, voice tinged with amusement that Pearl didn't quite feel, "A little rejection isn't going to change that for me."

"I haven't decided that yet."

"I'm not trying to-" Orange stopped, cutting herself off to take a deep breath, briefly closing her eyes as she took a moment and then tried again, "I'm not trying to shoehorn you into an answer, Pearl. I just want you to know, my friendship to you doesn't hinge on your decision. I'm not going anywhere. Not now, not ever."

Pearl felt tears prick her eyes, blinking them away before they could become anything more and allowing a small smile to settle on her lips, "Thank you...that...that surprising makes me feel better."

"I'm glad" Orange's smile widened, amazing Pearl at how quickly she could shift into a happier mood than she ever could, and just how much it helped her to feel better seeing it. leaning over to close the small distance that was between them, Orange bumped her shoulder into hers, "Hey, a smile!"

The comment made her smile a little wider at its silliness, and the ease of simply being that had returned to them. Orange had managed to put to rest things she hadn't even acknowledged existed in her mind, fears of losing what she had with her if she chose wrong.

"Oh!" Orange exclaimed suddenly, pulling her hand away from Pearl and surprising her as she began to get up in a rush "Oh stars, I can't believe- how could I forget?"

"Orange?" Pearl questioned as she realized she was speaking to herself.

"I'm so stupid!" Orange hissed and then paused to look at her with wild and excited eyes, holding her index finger out to the smaller gem, "Pearl, hold that thought."

Pearl's eyes followed Orange as she moved over to her bed, dropping to her knees and moving the heavy mattress from the raised base of the floor, confusing her as to just what she could have forgotten. "What are you doing?"

Orange waited until she was pulling a decorative case out from underneath the mattress to answer, the white light of the room reflecting off the semi-glossy surface of the hard case catching Pearl's eye. "I have something for you."

Standing up, Orange presented the case to her, somewhat big in the Diamond's palm, and requiring the use of both of hers when she handed it over, if only to ensure she did not drop it. Despite its size, it did not feel like it weight much, and she questioned just what was inside that Orange had to hide it in her own room, and who's preying eyes should could be worried about.

Orange sat back down beside her, this time facing her instead of the windows. "Do you remember, before I left, when I said I would bring you back something?"

"Yes," Pearl nodded, eyes moving from the box to the younger gem, "I recall. I figured you simply meant it as a sentimentality."

Orange responded with a short laugh, the corners of her eyes crinkling as she grinned, "Not a chance. I'm not really..." She paused, hand reaching up to rub the back of her neck as she bought a moment of time to think of what to say, "Pretty words aren't really my forte, you know? I can talk business with White and stuff but...I've never really had a need for that kind of thing, you know?" Orange raised her eyebrows as she looked at Pearl for any kind of understand, pushing on before she could get an actual response, "Anyway! While I was away, I promised I would get you something, so...here." She made a gesture to the case in Pearl's hands, "A present, for my best friend."

"Orange..." Pearl's eyes softened, but she couldn't stop herself from looking down at the hard case in her hands, curiosity getting the better of her, even as she spoke "you didn't have to go to the trouble-"

"It wasn't trouble," Orange cut her off, "not really." She then made a gesture for Pearl to open the box, "Go on."

With one last glance to the young Diamond, Pearl turned her full attention to the gift in her hand, carefully lifting the hinged lid, unsure what was inside and if it was fragile or not. The breath she had been inhaling caught, her eyes going wide as they found the partially open geode sitting inside on a debossed cushion, a vivid shade of violet and purple blending into one another across the jagged crystalline insides. "Oh, Orange..."

"I, uh, I understand if it's not what you were expecting," Orange's eye lowered, missing the genuine awe on the smaller gem's face, "or if it's not as pretty to you. I tried-"

"It's wonderful." Pearl cut in before she could continue, looking at her and meeting her eyes when she did finally look up, uncertainty and hope clear in them.

"Really?" Orange questioned, her hand lowering before she cleared her throat, sitting up a little straighter, "I mean, I'm glad."

Pearl huffed out a chuckle, shaking her head slightly as she turned back to examine her gift again, eyes focusing more on the little details of it, "Where did you get this?"

Orange's eyes looked down at the rock, despite having seen it up close numerous times, it was still an interesting thing to see. "You remember how I went down to yellow's colony, right? The cave?" she questioned, looking up at Pearl as she cocked her head to look at her out of the corners of her eyes, acknowledging her questioning, "I found it there."

Pearl's eyebrows shot up, head fully turning to look at her friend, "You omitted that part of the story..." She could not stop her eyes from narrowing as she realized what that meant, her tone slightly admonishing at the true concern she felt, "You risked your life to get me some something? That was so foolish, Orange. You could have been hurt, just to get me this."

"But I wasn't." Orange smile despite being chastised, "And...it was for you." She shrugged, "A little unknown means nothing if it was to keep my word to you."

"Thank you." She said after a moment, turning to look down at the gift in her hand, its meaning a little more serious to her knowing the risk that had gone into getting it, "I....No one has given me a present in a long, long time."

"You deserve it. I've seen you looking at the one on my shelf over there." Orange nodded her head in the direction her her own collection, "I would have given it to you, if I thought you would take it." Orange's smile widened at the side glance Pearl gave her, narrowed enough that it spoke just how true her words were without verbally confirming it. "So I figured I'd get you something like it, from me."

Pearl smiled, closing her eyes at the rush of emotion that came over her before looking at the geode again. This time, she scooted to turn her body to face Orange, the two unconsciously inclining towards one another as she held the hard case between them, "Look, it's color is so beautiful. It stands out against my hand, doesn't it?"

"Yeah?" Orange looked down, not quite seeing what Pearl meant, but understood as the dark grey of her covered hand reached up to gently touch the outer edge of the darker stone casing, "I hoped you wouldn't mind the color difference between ours."

Shaking her head in the negative, Pearl pulled her hand away, and then motion towards Orange's shelf, where her own sat nestled in a circular gold stand, her tone casual as he questioned, "Do you know where yours originated from?"

"No," The young diamond pursed her lips, leaning back as she thought for a moment, "I don't think I ever bothered to ask Blue. Is that important?"

"It's from when our planet was still relatively heavy in resources." The older gem explained," The stone and soil rich in minerals we have never found on any other planet. Tiny traces of things we will likely never see again, trapped in these little hollow rocks that we occasionally find today."

Orange cocked her head, eyes focused on Pearl as she listened to her talk about the circular stone on her shelf she had consider little more than a trinket, given to her on a whim by Blue Diamond simply because it was pretty.

"Just anywhere?" Orange inquired, more fascinated to see the way Pearl lit up than when she actually had her questioned answered.

"Oh no, just in certain parts of the old kindergartens. Its not something you'll just find going for a stroll, but requires actually digging, and some soil testing." Pearl explained, eyes still admiring the cluster of stones peaking out from the wide crack down its side, "I believe the Peridots have it down to a science of where to find them, composition wise, but I haven't really look into it more."

Pearl's smile was wide, a genuine happiness to her features that Orange did not always see happen, but cherished when she did. Orange would have posed another question, but Pearl continued on her own, head shooting up as she turned to look at Orange with excitement.

"Oh! I think you'll find this particularly fascinating." Pearl inclined her head towards Orange, motioning with her chin down to the stone, "Were you aware, pre era-1, it was not uncommon for high-class nobles and warriors to consume these rocks that contained high-concentrated minerals. Not unlike you, I think," Pearl added quickly, "though it wasn't for a need, but more a sign of power. It was work obtaining these rocks from far in the ground, and if you were seen consuming in them, you were considered favored by the old gods."

Orange blinked, honestly intrigued by the bit of information given to her. Never before had she been told about the old ways, nor had her fellow diamonds mentioned such things, which she would have thought would come up at some point to try and rationalize her need for the minerals in her tablets, something that somehow justified to each other that this difference was normal for a gem. "So...there were gems just like me?"

"Similar." Pearl nodded, "But obviously it isn't a tradition anymore, not since White Diamond did away with such superstitions."

"I've never heard about these things before." Orange's face scrunched up as she tried to recall even the slightest memory of something similar in a lesson, but ancient history prior to the empire was not something that had ever been apart of her curriculum. "Not even White talks about them." Looking back at Pearl, she raised an eyebrow in question, "Who told you about it?"

"I wasn't told" Pearl said, one hand going to the lid of the hard case and slowly closing it as to not jostle the stone loose from its bed, "I...read it, in the archive." She admitted after a moment of hesitation, glancing up at Orange from the corners of her eyes as if she were ashamed to say it. "I'm not really supposed to go there, if I don't have orders to be, but I love it there." A small smile found its way onto her lips, the fondness obvious for Orange to see, "It's nice, and there's so many things to see."

"I've never been." The younger gem told her, watching as she placed the closed case onto the floor in front of her, "Maybe," she hesitated, "Maybe after I've been made known to Homeworld, we could find the time and you could show me around there?"

Pearl's eyes lit up, that small smile stretching into a full grin, "I'd like that. There's this obelisk there, I think you'd really appreciate that." she gestured animatedly, hands showing a generalized size of said object for Orange to see, "It has these old gems carved into it, that are supposed to be gems that lived during the same time as White Diamond's liberation of gemkind from what we used to be. It's gems are something I've never seen before, I don't think they can even be produced now."

Orange nodded, her head cocked to the side, chin resting on her hand as she listened to the older gem speaking, unwilling to interrupt her as she explained more about the archives and what they held.

Pearl quieted, noting the somewhat spaced look on the young Diamond's face, the lack of questions or input giving her pause. "Orange?"

"Hmmm?" Orange hummed in leu of a verbal response, eyebrows raising in question.

"Sorry." Pearl's lips pulled back in a frown, her head lowering, "I didn't mean to go off...I know it's not exactly gladiatorial fights, or really interactive, but I remember you said you wanted to see something I do when I have free time, when I'm not here, so I figured, maybe...?"

Orange shook her head, thought the gesture went unnoticed as Pearl's head remained turned away until Orange reached out, taking the smaller gem's hand into her own, satisfied when she looked back up at her. "You looked so happy just now, talking about our history, i didn't want to interrupt. I had no idea you were so..."

"Dull?" Pearl supplied.

"Knowledgeable." Orange instantly corrected, "I mean, I've always known you were intelligent, just not so passionate about a subject." The corner of her lips pulled back into an apologetic smile, "I feel bad, honestly, not knowing you loved history like this."

"Not so much history in general, as the history of our planet." Pearl relaxed, the tension of her shoulder easing at Orange's words, spurred on to continue at the real focus and attention she was being given, "We go out and conquer so many other systems, looking for more, we never really take time to stop and understand our own. I mean...did you know, we once had a way of producing Zircons without using as much material as we do now? I don't know why we don't use it anymore, but I suppose it explains why we don't really make as many as we used to."

Orange's eyebrows lifted, lips pursing in thought as she considered and processing the information. "There must be so many old techniques of making gems that have been lost to us. I guess I never really thought about how we were made before we had injectors and things to speed things up. Where did we even come from?"

"Exactly." Pearl breathed out a laugh, almost like she was glad for the younger gem's response, "No one really stops to wonder...I suppose the Diamonds, the other Diamonds," she quickly amended, though Orange didn't see the need but let her continue regardless, "don't really have a use for that anymore. But I don't think we should just forget it either."

"I can't wait until you can show me the archives, Pearl." A wide, toothy grin stretched across her face, "You've sold me. I have to go now."

"Hah." Pearl's head lowered, an unmistakeable blush rose to her cheeks, but she remained smiling. "That's...Thank you, Orange."

"For what?" the younger gem questioned.

"For not laughing." Pearl responded, shrugging, "Or thinking it was...weird."

"Why would I laugh at that?" Orange smile slipped, a more serious expression coming over her features at the notion of anyone laughing at Pearl's interest, "It's so cool you want to know things a lot of gems never even give the time of day to think about. They don't even realize that they are only here because someone else figured out a way to make it so." She squeezed the hand that was still in her own, "And it's yours, something you care about. That makes it important to me."

Pearl's eyes kept to the floor, a far away look that made Orange wonder just who had been rude enough to tell her such things, that she had actually started to believe it. "I've been told it's boring," Pearl said after a moment of silence where Orange was unsure if she would even continue, "I didn't go the archives too often until a thousand years ago." Finally she looked up, head titling from its lowered angle to look at her, "There's still a lot I haven't seen. If I go too often, it will make the sentinels suspicious. White Diamond can't know."

"They can't say anything if I go." The diamond squared her shoulders as if to show her defiance, "I'll give you all the authorization you want when we go. There will be no restrictions."

"You could get in trouble for that."

"By who?" Orange challenged, her tone lightening to something more playful, taking the edge off of the somewhat gloomy atmosphere that had been created, "I'm just a young Diamond, trying to learn everything I can, after all. Its for my people."

Pearl laughed, eyes closing as she once again shook her head, pausing for a moment before allowing Orange's attempt to lift the mood to take over, "You're bad, Orange Diamond."

"Absolutely corrupted, so I'm told."

"Hah!" Pear snorted, "I can't ever imagine you being that bad. You're soft as talc."

Orange bristled, surprising Pearl at she defensively responded, "I'm not soft, Pearl. Don't say that. Don't ever say that."

Pearl's eyebrows rose, questioning her response before she asked, "What's wrong with being soft?"

"I'm...," Orange's eyes moved away, lips pursing in discomfort. "I'm not weak. And being soft means..."

"That you're Orange." Pearl cut in, "You don't have to be so serious, or strong with me, Orange. You know that, don't you?"

"I know," Orange conceded, though the tension in her jaw spoke how much of a fight it was to truly agree with her. "it's just..." Orange paused, reconsidering her explanation, and only continuing when Pearl nudged her hand, squeezing her fingers as a sign of encouragement. "I don't want to feel like I'm..." another pause, her mouth forming a thin line as her eyebrows turned downward in frustration, "It reminds me of when I was small, and I couldn't do anything for myself. I was small, and useless, and so scared. I was scared of my own shadow, and it always made people angry that i couldn't just toughen up fast enough. I don't want to be like that anymore, I can't be that."

Pearl lowered her head, eyes turned up to meet Orange's lowered ones, "Trust me, you're not like that anymore. I watched you grow up, remember?"

Orange grimaced, "Well, Yes, but-"

"Being soft, even if it's just for a moment, doesn't make you weak." Pearl told her softly, "It just means you have feelings of your own, and you don't have to hide those from me. I try not to hide mine from you either, when i can."

"Thats different though," Orange challenged quietly, "I'm meant to be hard, unbreakable. You don't want to see me weeping or anything." her voice wavered, "That's gross, and, you know," She shrugged her shoulders as she fought to find the right word, "undignified."

"Maybe outside this room," Pearl granted reluctantly, "With some other pearl, but you know that's not how you have to be with me."

Orange pulled her hand away, moving to fidget with the other in her lap, "You don't want me to be more..." She looked up at Pearl through her eyelashes, "mature? Like the others?"

Pearl's lips thinned, quiet a moment as if she was considering this, before she surprised Orange by posing her own question. "Who do you want to be?"

"What?" The diamond blinked before her eyebrows screwed upward in confusion.

"Who do you want to be?" She repeated, "Not what I know is expected of you in front of Homeworld, but when your by yourself. When no ones looking, not even me, who are you?" Pearl tilted her head, as if she were genuinely curious of her own question, "Are you so different from who I know?"

"I'm..." Orange took a long moment to consider her question, eyes falling away from Pearls and to the floor, her expression morphing from confusion to contemplation and finally into a discontent furrow of her brows, "I'm just me. I'm just Orange."

Pearl raised her eyebrows, head tilting as she said, "Then isn't that enough?"

"I'm...enough?" The young diamond parroted, features softening as the words hit her.

"You've always been enough for me, Orange. You don't hide who you are, or what you mean when you speak. It's what drew me in, in the first place. It's why I have never feared you were hiding something from me."

Orange stared at the smaller gem, eyes bright and shining with unbridled emotions as something broke inside her. Unthinkingly, the young diamond blurted out words before she could stop herself, "I love you."

Pearl's shoulders tensed, her face pinching at the words. "Orange-"

"I know, I know," Orange cut in before she could continue, "But, I don't mean...I don't mean it like that. I just..." She paused, regretting her nonexistent filter, before realizing she had said too much to not explain. "I want you to know, as my best friend, I love you. I don't get to tell people I care about that enough, because I am afraid it will make me seem weak. But you don't...you don't think I'm weak when I talk about things like that, and I want you to know."

"I, um," Pearl fumbled awkwardly, mouth opening and closing as she attempted to find some way to respond in kind before she was once again saved the trouble.

"You don't have to say anything, Pearl. It's enough that you know." Orange smiled, attempting to comfort Pearl as she recognized how awkward she had made things, a great talent she could add to her growing list, considering how well the night had been going for her so far.

Nodding once, Pearl responded with a quiet, "Okay."

"Would you tell me more about the archive?" Orange queried after a pause, "What else is in there? Anything weird?"

"Oh!" Pearl lit up, her eyes lighting up with her as if the awkward conversation had never occurred, and she was more than happy to continue on the topic at hand. "There is a section, filled with old projectors, encoded with obscenely large data files, showing all sorts of things. I'll have to show you that part too."

"What's on them?"

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

Pearl has issues. Orange has issues. Can't we just let them be broken together?

Which reminds me, a question I have been posed, and honestly am drawing blanks. So heres one for the readers:

What should Orange and Pearl's ship name be??