The clouds hug low, packed together so tightly in the sky that they created large puffy masses that obstructed the sunlight, filtering it through haze. The lack of good light cast on the neon city left everything feeling gray and dreary.

Or perhaps it was the nervous energy that stifled the upper portions of the city where White Diamond's headquarters resided, the distress bleeding into the ongoings of the rest of the three court's corners. It wouldn't quite be an overstatement to say everyone in the palace was on edge, as it wasn't a secret that White Diamond was in one of her moods. That mood that had every gem double checking their work for mistakes, agitated and walking extra quietly through the halls as to not draw attention to themselves. No one, least of all a low ranking gem, wanted White Diamond's ire focused on them.

It hadn't become gossip yet as to what, or who, had set their leader off, but they didn't envy it, for surely it had been their last mistake.

"Orange Diamond?"

The young diamond jumped, the hard cased pad in her hand clattering to the stone desktop as she swiveled around in her chair, leaning her upper body over the arm to see who had called her name in the blocked off silence of her room. "Pearl?"

White's Pearl stood on the raised platform in front of the closed doors, hands clasped behind her back and standing ramrod straight, her expression remained neutral if a little strained as she spoke, "Your presence is required."

Orange turned to glance over her shoulder, eyes falling on the multiple open text-filled screens she had up and then back at Pearl. If she had a heart, she imagined it would be pounding at the look of seriousness on her face, though the strain her anxiety was putting on her gem more than made up for it. Not a hint of her friend was present before her, only the professional servant, both of them knowing she was here to deliver her to White for what she had done the day before. It had only been a matter of time before Pearl collected her, though she hadn't expected an entire day to pass before it happened, and not seeing Pearl that night had only made it worse. So throwing herself into her work had seemed to be the reasonable thing to do while she simply killed time.

The young diamond gave her a small nod of acknowledgement, standing up and turning back to her desk. "Just a moment, so I can this all away."

Going one by one, she saved her work and dismissed the screen, watching it fizz out of existence before moving on to the next, pointedly buying time to gather herself before facing White. All the while, Pearl remained waiting at the door, eyes on the larger gem's back as she did her silent task.

In hindsight,Orange could acknowledge it had been stupid, petty, and right after Blue Diamond had tried to warn her from doing anything to upset White too. Perhaps Blue was right all along and she really didn't know how to listen. Wouldn't that just be amusingly hypocritical of her?

But as guilty as she felt for failing to heed Blue's words, she didn't feel bad about what she did. That pearl, as far as she was concerned, had it coming. Her smug attitude was one thing, but following her around? How long had she been tailing her? What had she seen?

Not enough, she supposed, or she would have heard from White Diamond much sooner. Or was that a sign White didn't condemn her time with her Pearl? It's not like she could ask, unfortunately, least she potentially rat herself out. Sure, in her more introspective moments she might have considered herself ignorant at times, maybe a little naive or foolhardy, but never would she say she was stupid. White was not like Pink, and she did not expect the best outcomes when it came to mingling with what their society would consider a low-class gem. Questions like that would only be a one way ticket to getting Pearl shattered, and that, Orange could not live with, she much rather simply not knowing.

Shutting off the final screen, her hands fell to the still active pad on her desk, the contents of which she had been studying all morning. Shutting it down too, Orange turned around, stepping from the chair to face Pearl. Moving towards the smaller gem, the young diamond offered her a smile, as if to cut the mounting tension that had been growing since she had entered, "So...how much trouble-"

"Do not even joke about this, Orange." Pearl snapped, breaking from her flat stare to narrow her eyes at the younger gem, mouth twitching into a severe frown as she spoke, "White is so..." she paused, eyes closing as she composed herself, opening them again to settle the diamond with a hard stare, "things are strained as it is, and you destabilized a gem, aftersneaking out. Do you know how that looks?"

"I was just seeing Blue," Orange shrugged, attempting to downplay the situation, "and it's not like I hurt that gem. It's not as big a deal as everyone is making it out to be."

"White Diamond thinks it is." Pearl responded, incensed by her nonchalance, "That's what's important."

"Hrn," Orange grunted, coming to a stop a few paces in front of Pearl, "You're starting to sound like Blue."

"Then perhaps you should realize how wrong you are."

Orange pursed her lips, tilting her head to the side as she raised an eyebrow at the smaller gem, "You're upset too?"

Pearl waved her index finger at her, mouth opening and then shutting, as if she were on the verge of yelling but managing to stop herself before she lowered her hand, though her voice still conveyed the annoyance she hid well enough from her features, "We don't have the time, and I am not talking about this right now. I think you know very well how I feel."

Orange blinked, surprise disappearing as her eyebrows lowered, "Seriously?" She said, perhaps a little louder than she should have, "You too?"

Pearl raised her eyebrows at her tone, her nonverbal response seemingly more than enough to make the younger gem react.

"Oh," Orange chuckled humorlessly, shaking her head as a sarcastic smile formed on her lips, "I see."

Pearl, much to the younger Diamond's amazement, yelled. Shoulder shaking, cheeks darkening, full-on body yelled, "Don't I see me, Orange Diamond! What-"

The doors opened, the two red gems that maintained a near constant vigilance took one step in before stopping, Orange's eyes wide as they turn on them and Pearl's narrowed, anger jumping from Orange to the two intruders in her place.

"Uhhh," Five paused, eyes jumping from the Diamond to Pearl, sensing she and her partner had just stepped into something they shouldn't have. Finally, she settled for looking to her owl-eyed superior, "Everything alright, my Diamond?"

And just like that Pearl's stoically cold facade slipped back into place, physically straightening up as her shoulders lowered while her hands moved behind her back, where the three gems couldn't see as they twisted together.

"There was...yelling?" Seven added, just as hesitant to speak, more than ready to simply turn back around and act like she hadn't just interrupted what was clearly a personal moment.

"It's alright." Orange spoke up after a breath, pulling herself together enough to offer the two gems a small smile of reassurance, "I just have to go see White. I shouldn't be long."

Five gave her a sympathetic look, "Oh, You're so cracked."

"Get back to your post." Pearl's voice cut in, as commanding and hard as her eyes, her stare remained focused on them as she ordered the two gems, both of which flinched as if they had been reprimanded by an Agate.

Reacting immediately, both saluted to their two superiors, "Yes ma'am!"

Orange turned her head towards her, voice low so the Carnelian's couldn't quite hear, "Don't be so harsh with them."

Pearl cut her eyes to her, and she shrunk a little under her gaze. Such a small gem should not have been able to make her feel so tiny. Or so wrong for simply speaking up, though she knew she was partially to blame for it.

"We shouldn't keep White Diamond waiting." Pearl reminded, effectively ending their conversation.

Orange did not argue, instead nodding and turning for the door, Pearl right behind her, a quiet encouragement from Five all that was heard as they left.

The walk to White's command room was, as expected, tense. Pearl made no attempts to speak further, not that the young Diamond expected her to, nor did Orange try. As much as she wanted to pick up that conversation, and even apologize so they wouldn't be fighting, Orange let it go for now. She had the immediate issue of White diamond to deal with, Pearl would have to come second right now.

Try as she might, Orange couldn't quite steel herself as Pearl released the lock on the door, though out of sheer practice, she did manage to pull a more neutral expression she didn't at all feel onto her face.

Even outside the doorway, White's light was blinding in comparison to the artificial light in the hall, and the young diamond had to blink to adjust as smoothly as she could while entering. Pearl remained standing near the door as they closed, leaving Orange feeling alone as she stepped up to White, who had her eyes on her since she had entered.

White's pale grey eyes stared down at her, her normal smile flattened out into a thin black lipped line, Orange's typical warm and welcoming expression too serious for her, too cold and all wrong to the gem that had grown up with that smile ever present.

"Hello, White." Orange greeted, voice remaining even as she looked up at the giant Diamond.

"Orange," White acknowledged, "we have some things to talk about."

Orange wasn't exactly surprised when no hand was offered to her, and she remained on the floor, below White's platform, staring apprehensively up at her. "Yes?"

"First," White spoke while her hand waved through the air, a large screen materializing before her, "Perhaps you would you like to explain this message?"

Orange felt her mouth go dry as the screen was tilted and displayed to her, the giant diamond sized screen like a large projection over her, looming like a weapon as her eyes read over what was clearly a message from Seven, the one she had sent out to White's Pearl.

"Its-" she felt the word attempt to catch in her throat as she looked up through the translucent screen to White, her hard eyes unblinking as she watched Orange's every reaction, "It's a message I told my guards to send as I was going to see Blue."

"You just decided you'd leave?" White questioned, though it sounded much more like an accusation than any inquiry, "That this was enough, or appropriate?"

"It's not like I dictated-" Orange caught herself before she could finish her snappish response, not missing the narrowing of White's eyes as she did so. "....No." She breathed out after a moment, lowering her eyes from a White's in a moment of shame, "No it wasn't appropriate."

White waved her hand again, the screen disappearing in a shower of fizzing light over Orange's head, "Then you know I'm not pleased that you walked over to another Diamond's palace with only two little Quartz soldiers as your escort." Her tone was disapproving as she spoke, her eyebrows raising as the younger gem looked back up at her, adding on, "Or that you decided you could go at all."

Orange nodded, her eyebrows turning up in an apologetic look to the elder diamond, "Blue explained to me why I couldn't do that. I didn't think I couldn't before I left, since I knew I wouldn't be seen, and that I would be in the company of another Diamond." She explained, "I now understand that I was wrong. It won't happen again."

"I'm am glad you at least understand that you were wrong." White said, her voice warming slightly at the admittance of the younger diamond, though it was short lived as she moved on. "Now, I'd like you to tell me why I have one of my own personal Pearl's destabilized and bubbled."

Orange's eyes shifted from White as she moved her hand to the side, a small bubble that she was sure hadn't been there before popped into existence in her palm, the small oval gem encased inside the peach-colored bubble familiar to her. After all, how long ago had it been that she had clutched it between her fingers, still glowing with her power as the lightform of the pearl smoked out around her. Orange raised her head a little defiantly as she answered, "I bubbled her so she could be returned to you, mostly unharmed."

White raised an eyebrow at her forwardness, "Do you know the consequences of interfering with another diamond's orders?"

Orange, despite her outward appearance of confidence, wavered as she recited, "Verbal reprimanded," she could not stop her pause as she took a breath and added, "to physical punishment."

"And you would risk that, so close to your induction?" White questioned, head tilting down at the young diamond, "What is your excuse for this?"

"Because I didn't appreciate her spying on me."

White's eyebrows pinched together, taking a moment to assess the younger gem's expression for untruths before asking, "She told you this?"

"She did," Orange nodded, "after I ordered her to. I destabilized her form after."

"And you were aware she was mine." It was not a question, but Orange nodded all the same.

"Yes."

White's chin rose, the older diamond looking down on her, the expression on her face saying she had heard all she needed, as if she had already decided Orange's guilt. Perhaps she had all along.

She had not been brought here to plead a case, but to confirm what she had already come to a conclusion on. And if she had already decided, what did Orange have to lose, really? It was this realization that pushed Orange to ask, "But why did you have her following me? Don't you trust me?"

"I am the one asking questions!" White snapped, "You will remain quiet."

Orange shrunk under her gaze, any boldness she felt fleeing her as she bowed her head, unable to meet White's intense eyes as she mumbled a quiet, "Sorry."

"After all I have done for you," White spoke, her voice ladened with resentment and anger, "thisis how you repay me?"

"It wasn't a retaliation against you." Orange responded, eyes pleading with White as she tilted her head back to look at her, "I wasn't trying to actually hurt your pearl-"

"I am not talking about the pearl." The older diamond interrupted, waving her hand as she dismissed the bubble, "The pearl is inconsequential, disposable. It is the matter of you disregarding my orders. It is not up to you to decide what is worth your time listening to, there is a reason I have set rules in place. Did you even think of what could have happened?"

Orange tilted her head back down, staring at the floor as her jaw twitched in her effort to hold her tongue, "No."

"Look at me when you speak!"

"No, White." Orange responded quickly as her head snapped back, eyes wide at the raised voice of the older diamond, suddenly incredibly weary of her temper. "I didn't think of what could happen. I just wanted to see Blue."

"Your single-mindedness will only get you in more trouble. I didn't tolerate it in any of your fellow Diamonds, and I won't tolerate it in you." White stated, "When I say something, you will listen. Do you understand?"

"Yes, White," Orange stiffened, shoulders raised as she kept her hands at her sides. "I understand."

"If your ceremony wasn't so close, and so much to do, I would be reinforcing my warning with a stay in confinement. It taught Pink Diamond well enough."

Orange's jaw clenched. She knew what White was referring to, as well as the potential effects staying in such confinement could have on her. She figured it had been the reason she had never been sent there before.

"I would die in there." Orange reminded her weakly.

"Would you?" White challenged, one perfect eyebrow raised at the young gem. "Are you so sure?"

"I-I-" the younger gem stuttered, unable to keep her composure at she stared up helplessly at the gem she cared about so deeply, speaking to her in such a callous manner that she was not at all accustomed to. How could she be so blasé about her potential death?

"It does not matter," White moved on before Orange could articulate any kind of proper response, "this cannot happen again, and I must still punish you."

"What...what is going to happen?" Orange was hesitant to find out, but asked nonetheless.

"You'll be confined to your room, until yellow Diamond arrives and you are given to her." Orange all but deflated at her response, relieved and yet still stunned.

"Since you thought you could just go where you pleased, you won't be going anywhere at all." White continued, "No visitors, no activities, monitored connections. Unless it is something I have approved, you will have nothing at all. Perhaps then, you will appreciate all that I have given you."

"That's-" Orange paused, swallowing any objection she could feel fighting it's way up as her indignation rose, biting her lip as she nodded, "That is fair."

"Your antics are not so dissimilar from Pink diamond's, and I will not have a repeat of that." White reprimanded, "Let this be your last warning. I will not be so lenient with you next time."

Orange bowed her head, more out of ingrained teachings of respect than any guilt for what she had done, "Yes white."

"Pearl," White called out, the small gem that had remained forgotten in the corner practically materialized behind Orange as she was summoned, staring up at her Diamond as she awaited orders, "take her back to her chambers."

Pearl bowed her head, saluting her diamond as Orange turned around, neither attempting to look at each other in White's presence. Pearl merely followed a half step behind Orange as she began for the door.

Orange faltered as White called out to the younger gem's retreating form, "I am disappointed in you, Orange. I expect better from a Diamond of your caliber."

Orange looked over her shoulder at White, the steel of the older diamond's eyes unwavering as they met hers, eyebrows turning up as her eyes shimmered in the light. Turning away, Orange and Pearl walked the long stretch of hall in silence, Pearl unable to stop glancing to over at the larger gem as she walked beside her.

All hostility she felt from before melted away at the sight of the throughly scolded gem. All haughty expressions and bravado replaced by slumped shoulders and a vacant stare forward.

"Orange?" Pearl asked quietly, tilting her head towards the younger gem as she did.

"Do you mind if we take the long way back?" Orange spoke after a moment, quiet long enough that Pearl thought she might remain silent the whole way, "Since it will be the last time I see it."

"You're planning to comply?" Pearl questioned, somewhat surprised that there were no talks of getting around such an order, no plans or compromises, only compliance.

"I'm not going to mess things up." Orange replied, turning her head to look down at Pearl with an obviously forced smile, "This is alright...it could be much worse." She reminded.

Pearl's eyes softened as she watched helplessly as small wet tracks formed on the diamond's cheeks, contrasting the smile that was pointed at her. "You're crying." Pearl pointed out gently.

"No, I'm not." Orange denied, turning her head away from her as she cleared her throat, her hand coming up to rub harshly at her face, "It's just the odd lights in here, Pearl." Orange spoke around her hand, "They hurt my eyes, you know that."

"You're right." Pearl said, turning her eyes away to give the younger gem privacy as continued to fight with the tracks on her face. "I apologize."

Pearl made no further comments on her appearance, or the occasional sniffle from beside her, simply remaining at her side as they walked the hall, taking the longest route she knew back down to the upper palace, stopping occasionally for a moment to look out at a new view from the windows.

"I wonder what the view will be like from my own palace." Orange posed as they stood at the final set of windows before they would come upon Orange's wing, and she would be secluded for the remainder of time until Yellow Diamond would come to rescue her.

"You will like it, I imagine." The slender gem responded, "You'll have a view of the concert center."

Orange turned her head to look down at her, eyebrows raised in surprise as she questioned, "Have you been?"

"No." Pearl said, shaking her head, "But I've seen the outside." She turned from the city view to look up at Diamond, "I wanted to see it with you first."

Orange's expression softened, a small smile forming on her lips, "I will have to find all the best spots for you then."

Pearl returned it with one of her own, "We will have plenty of time."

"I wanted to go with you down to our room," the young gem admitted after a moment, turning back to look at the different view of Homeworld before she was forced to the one from her room, "dance at least one last time before I went."

"Just...take in this view for right now." Pearl offered, "We will figure that out later."

Neither said anything after that, Pearl waiting until Orange finally turned from the window and began leading the way back to her room, slow paced and foreboding.

"My diamond!" The cheery voice was startling, too contrasting for the atmosphere they had brought back with them. Both diamond and pearl focused on the two Carnelians, the shorter of which waved, excited as they returned. "You're back! So how did it go?" She asked as they approached, "You're still in one piece, so I...guess...?" She began to trail off, her voice lowering as she look between them, finally catching on that not everything was alright.

"Not right now." Orange responded, "I will, erm," she paused, eyes glancing over at the small gem beside her as she bit her lip, correcting herself a moment later, "Pearl will give you your orders."

"I..." Five trailed, and then stood to attention, saluting her superior as her counterpart followed, "yes, my Diamond."

Not much more was said as the door was unlocked, Pearl walking with Orange into the open doors, eyes on the larger gem as she moved further into the room while she remained near the closing doors.

" I will..." she hesitated, Orange cocking her head to look at her over her shoulder, "I will be back later. As soon as I can."

Orange's lips tugged upward into a half smile, "Thank you, Pearl. Don't feel the need to rush for me."

"Just," Pearl pursed her lips, fighting to find something adequate to say, anything to comfort her friend, but nothing seemed to be right. What could she honestly say after all that? "Just don't go anywhere."

Orange laughed, though Pearl could not hear a true note of joy in it. She spread her arms out in a motion to the room around her, "I've nowhere else to be."

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A little shorter than normal, but I had to break it up into two parts. It was too long, and I didn't want to have two important scenes mashed together.

After the next update, chapter updates will be a little slower as I prepare for Diamond Bomb 3, which will more than likely be a 4-5 part special. When I have more done, i'll give you guys a date of when to expect it! There will also be a promo on my tumblr for when it's to be expected.

Also, don't forget to vote on the ship name, Time is almost up. You can find it here: