Watery, deep orange-rimmed eyes were cast down to her hands as they laid facing up in her lap, warm tears freely falling onto her palms and the bottom of her tunic as they rolled off her wobbling chin, her shoulders shaking as she tried to push back her tears unsuccessfully. Two large, light blue hands encircled her, fingers meeting behind her and holding her in place on the larger gem's lap, a silent comfort as she cried.

Her voice was thick and trembled when she finally managed to speak, "She doesn't want me around anymore."

"Oh Orange," One of Blue's hands moved from behind her, one large finger was placed under her chin and gently tilted her head up to meet her lowered gaze, "That isn't true. Pink loves you, but this is her first colony. She doesn't know how to split her attention between you and it. Just give it some time."

Orange gave a loud sniff, her brows twisted together, accentuating the lines of stress on her reddened face as she pushed her finger away, her head turned to glare at the wall to her right and angrily wiped at the tears still freely sliding down her face with the back of her hand. "All she ever does is talk about those stupid organics and how wonderful her colony is. She cares more about those organics than she does about me. If I was shattered, she wouldn't even notice until you or Yellow told her."

"Don't say such things, Orange!" Blue's voice was oddly high pitched as she scolded her, eyes wide and alarmed. Blue's felt like her gem had plummeted into ice, twisting her stomach into knots at the image of a tiny orange gem in broken pieces at her feet that formed in her mind. It twisted her gut more to imagine Yellow's pinched face as she buried her feelings behind a stoic façade, Pink's large eyes sad and watery, reddened from crying so much, and herself hunched over and crying into her hands over the little pieces of the smallest diamond. It took great effort to push the images away and not dwell on how the very thought hurt her deeply. She did not wish to live to see a day that one of them died.

She forced herself to take a deep breath, her expression turned into something more calm, hoping to soothe the young gem in need with her own soft and serene emotions. Her aura slowly and gently reached out to touch at the flickering orange aura before her, orange flames snapped and pushed back, hissing and unyielding to her efforts, and for a moment it worked. The flames kept the large body of sloshing blue emotion that was her own at bay. Though it was subconscious, they were only natural mental barriers that lacked any conviction to keep her out and thus eventually relented under her constant prodding, it was still a surprise to have such a fight put up against her for that long. Ultimately, Orange's mental strength was no match for hers and those flames were eventually engulfed in the watery blue, turning a once wild, rapidly moving blaze into a languid flickering flame, rolling slowly around her.

She watched as it took a moment to actually take effect, but Orange slumped slightly against her, looking less angry and simply worn out, but even the tight pinch of her brow and clenched fists showed she still fought against it. Orange was so strongly willed, or maybe it was simply a unique ability of her own that she was able to block and fight against Blue for so long, either way, it could only be expected from a fellow Diamond. It was simply another thing Blue could mark down on a list that proved Orange was just like them. But as much as she was a Diamond, she was still so young and inexperienced in what she could potentially do, it was no surprise to Blue that she could only resist for so long.

Once she deemed Orange was sufficiently subdued she continued to speak in that same gentle tone she had used before, "Orange, you know that isn't true. Pink would be absolutely devastated if you were shattered." She moved her hand to stroke the soft tangerine colored hair that stuck up oddly on her head, tacking on, "We all would be."

Orange was quiet while she brushed her hair with her fingers, her flushed cheeks pushed into her lower belly as she grabbed fist fulls of her robe. When she finally spoke, her voice was low and she sounded so lost and unsure, Blue's hand paused briefly at the heartbreaking sound of it.

"Really?"

"Truly." Her hand resumed carding through her long hair, "You are one of us, one day you'll be apart of our Authority and you'll share the same responsibilities that Pink does now, that Yellow, White, and I have. We diamonds must stay together, for our own sake, as well as for all of gemkind."

"Sometimes...." Orange's voice quivered, dying for a moment before coming back as a whisper that Blue had to strain to hear as she spoke into her robe, like she hoped the words would be lost in there, "Sometimes I don't feel like a diamond."

"Has someone told you that you're not?" She tensed and if it had not been for both her hands touching Orange, Blue knew they would have clenched in anger. The very thought someone might have insinuated to her that she was anything but the very diamond she had been made to be did not sit well with her at all. Fleetingly, Yellow came to mind, but it was pushed aside. Yellow would not say such things to Orange, she knew her fellow diamond may not be so vocal about it, but it was obvious to them that she saw Orange much differently than she had mere centuries ago when she had labeled her as useless. She was a growing being, learning from them no differently than Pink had, as they had to do, even if she changed in appearance occasionally.

'A part of the process.' White Diamond had commented once, a sentence that had stuck with Blue. It always struck her as odd how well informed and knowing White was when it came to Orange, but than again, this was White. She had always come across as...almost omniscient. She knew things that you never expected her to know, did things before you ever knew it needed to be done. It was something that had taken Blue a long time to get used to.

"No."

Orange broke her from her thoughts and she looked down, though Orange's face was still turned from her. Blue's hand continued moving through her hair, which seemed to be calming her, as it had done when she was smaller and was easily upset by the simplest things. After this, when it was just her and Orange had laid down for a rest, Blue thought she might make a call to Pink, perhaps to the other Diamonds as well. They would need to know about this, to help Orange if it ever occurred again. Whatever was happening between Orange and Pink was having an adverse effect on the youngest diamond and that would eventually effect them all.

She spoke in a light, questioning tone, "Then why would you think such silly things?"

"Because i'm not like any of you." She briefly looked up to meet her gaze before it turned back down to her lap, "Why am I so small, and why does everyone treat me like I'm so fragile? If I'm a diamond, shouldn't I be harder to break?" Her hands twisted the fabric of her dress and tears came back to the corners of her eyes, "And why do I need to rest when you guys don't? I don't understand it. White says it takes time to understand certain things, but how long do I have to wait before I understand why I'm so different?" her eyes clenched shut as the tears leaked from he eyes and her voice lowered again, "I don't want to be different."

Blue waited until she finished, letting Orange vent all that had built up and burdened her, driving doubt into her being. It hurt to hear just how much Orange was questioning herself. Where had they gone wrong? What had they not done to reassure Orange she was perfect just as she was, that she was just as she was meant to be? These were questions for another time, however, and she resolved to help Orange now.

Gradually, with a gentleness that had been perfected over a long time of having to be cautious with Pink and now Orange, Blue pried her small hands from her robe and picked her up from her lap, bring her up to rest against her shoulder while she pressed her cheek into her head and nearly half her back, truly Orange was so small in comparison. she felt her arms spread out to hold her in her own version of a hug, and Blue smiled as she moved to curl up slightly against her chest, one hand still supporting Orange to keep her from falling.

"I can't answer all of your questions," Blue lowered her voice since Orange was so much closer to her face now, "but know this, you are so different from everyone because you are you, my little Orange. You are unique, just as any of us are. I am not like Yellow, and Yellow is not like Pink nor she like White. We are different, it is a part of what makes us effective as separate rulers. You are still so young, and White is correct, it will take time to understand, even if you want to know right now. In time, you'll see that these differences make us stronger as diamonds, and when you have your own court, I have no doubt that it will be nothing like mine, or even Pink's, but it will be strong and you'll have gems who follow you because you are perfect, just as you are."

As she spoke she could feel the tension and fight leaving Orange, her body becoming heavy and limp against her and Blue knew it was time for Orange's rest period, especially when Orange spoke and her words came out slow and drawn out, "Do you think my court will like me?"

The question made Blue giggle, and she looked down at Orange with so much love in her eyes, she wished she could keep her just like this forever.

"Yes, Orange. They will adore you."

[Updated and corrected 1/1/21]