First off, just want to thank everyone who's still reading this after my last update a year ago. I know it's been a while, and honestly, I thought about leaving this story even though it's not finished. I had lost interest in Steven Universe, and after hyper fixating on it for nearly two years, I felt burnt out and it was wonderful to have some time focusing on other things and not worry about updating this story, or when I would be updating, or if anyone was even reading it. These months away have been good for me, even in the state of the world. But, I'm back now and I want to finish this story, for me, for you guys, and for Orange. So while I don't intend to keep to a strict schedule like I used to, as it only added to my burnout, I certainly plan to update regularly and keep up with this until it's end.Once again, thank you all who are still here beside me and Orange, and welcome to all new readers, it's great to have you along for the ride!

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Alone.

That seemed to be the word of the day for her, and for once, it wasn't a bad thing.

Orange groaned as she fell back, landing heavily on her butt as she leaned forward, bracing herself against her thighs as she brought her legs up and took deep breaths. The back of her hand moved to swipe at the long, unruly hair that had become plastered to her forehead for the umpteenth time. Despite lacking her usual sparring partners, Orange had found a wonderful arena-sized room in her palace that she had commandeered to be a personal gym of sorts. She was sure it had been meant to be used to hold large gatherings of aristocrats and the like, but she had thought it suited her needs better since she had lost access to the tower she had originally used when she had been staying with White Diamond.

White, who had been pushing her to reassign Iris Agate and the Topazes to do their proper roles now that she was on her own, being an official Diamond and all. Reluctantly, she had allowed Iris to take over more of an overseer role than being just being her trainer, a role she had taken to very well. G and J, while always at her beck to spar, had been made as sorts of figureheads for her guard. They now spent much of their time training new gems that were slowly being pushed to her court, commenting something about ensuring that they were held to the correct standards, though Orange believed it had more to do with showing off just how good they were to the newly emerged quartz soldiers than making sure they were fit to be where they had been placed. They never would actually question Iris' decisions to place them in their guard roles, not even they could contend with the intimidation Iris Agate could deliver to those below her.

That left her by herself most days, as the Carnelians, Five and Seven, could never hold up against her in a fight. That had been a proven fact after Five poofed the first time she had given them a chance to fill the Topazes' roles after a lot of hype and cockiness on their part. Afterwards, they had made a mutual agreement that they would stick to being her escort guards and, for the fun of it, commentators when they stuck around for her solo activities such as this.

Other times she simply wandered on her own. It was her palace, and unlike White's, she didn't need an escort to anywhere in the building if she didn't want it, as no one would argue with her. The only one she had trouble getting away from was her new pearl.

Since the night she had been given to her, Pearl had attempted to be at her side constantly. There wasn't a place she could go without her attempting to be there, trying to do anything and everything for her, including filling roles White's Pearl had been doing for centuries, even while said pearl was present. And it had only gotten worse once they had moved to her own Palace a few days after her coronation. She was so clingy, Orange had already begun to search for ways to be alone by any means necessary. It's how she had ended up by herself in her new gym, asking Pearl to retrieve a data pad from her office before ditching the moment she was gone, hoping to find a place to breathe without her constant pestering.

It felt wrong, of course, but she was just too much sometimes and she needed the space to breathe. She knew she should speak with her, but every time she even commented on a minor thing she wasn't sure of or didn't like, Pearl became frazzled and fretted for hours after, trying to make up for some perceived wrong against her for it. Orange couldn't understand her, none of the other pearls ever acted like that, so she was at a loss as to what she could do to curve it. How did one handle a gem that freaked out at even the slightest bit of disapproval? It was draining on her, honestly, and she didn't know what to do.

Regardless of how she felt, she had been gone for almost an hour now and she knew if she didn't return soon, Pearl would be deep into a panic attack that she couldn't find her. Sitting up, Orange tilted her head back, releasing a deep breath through her nose before forcing herself to stand up, brushing the nonexistent dirt from her backside. Honestly, the Pumice did an amazing job keeping the place spotless, even when the building had been so sparsely populated before she had moved in, there wouldn't have been a real point.

Moving through the halls, Orange's eyes moved over the walls as her fingers grazed the smooth stone beside her, taking in the new decor that surrounded her. While she had always appreciated the old beauty of White's palace, Orange was captivated by the new, updated work the bismuths and morganites had put into their crafts when it came to designing and constructing her building. It truly was like stepping into a new era, going from the grand, sparkling opulence of sharp angles and crystalline structures of White's palace to the more blunted edges of decorative octagonal shapes that made up a lot of the lattice work lining the upper walls. It did well to blend into the large, polyhedron shapes that made up parts of the pillars that were inlaid in the walls, breaking up the otherwise bare flat surface.

Her marveling lasted only until she had found herself returning to the main atrium where she was greeted by the sight of her pearl and two very frustrated looking Jasper guards half-listening as she made frantic hand gestures at them. That is, until she noticed her standing at the mouth of the hall, studying the trio. In the next moment she was running towards her, tears streaming down her face and all but forgetting the guards she had just been yelling at as she barreled towards her.

"Oh, My Diamond!" Pearl wailed, one hand grasping a data pad to her chest as the other balled up in a fist, crossing over the other to protecting it as she ran towards her. "Thank the stars, there you are!"

Orange waited until she was in front of her, a half smile on her face as she waved her hands placatingly at the frazzled gem, "Calm down, Pearl."

Pearl gave her a scandalized look, "But My Diamond, you were gone!" She cried harder, her words coming out in a barely understandable rush, "And-and the guard, they didn't know- and Carnelians 5PX and 7PX were only laughing at me, they wouldn't take me seriously when i told them you must have been taken, or-"

"Alright Pearl," Orange cut her off before she could start hyperventilating, placing her hands on her thin shoulders, "Breathe."

"But-"

"Breathe." Orange repeated, waiting as Pearl stopped, taking a moment to gather herself before pulling in a long, deep breath and then blowing it back out through her mouth. Orange nodded in approval, "There you go. Better?"

"Yes," Pearl nodded, a hand raising to wipe at the tears on her cheeks, "Thank you My Diamond."

"Now, I wasn't kidnapped, I was..." Orange addressed, pausing as she realized she couldn't tell Pearl the real reason she had up and disappeared on her. Instead, she cleared her throat, her eyes shifting from Pearl as she settled on, "I was simply looking around. I'll speak with Five and Seven, but really, you need to calm down."

"But you were gone." Pearl argued, her eyes shining with a fresh set of tears.

"I'm sorry." Orange sighed, her grasp on Pearl's shoulder falling away as she reached up to rub the back of her neck, the guilt she knew she would feel settling in at the large eyes staring up at her, "I didn't mean to scare you."

"Oh no, My Diamond!" Pearl gasped, shaking her head, "Please don't apologize! It's not my place to tell you you cant go where you please, I was just- I thought-"

"Breathe." Orange cut her off again.

Pearl stopped, repeating once more another deep breath and exhale. Her head lowered, embarrassment coloring her cheek, "Sorry."

"It's my fault for leaving you like that." Orange countered.

"But-"

"Please" Orange lightly shook her head, "Don't argue with me on this."

"I would never!" Pearl shrieked, startling Orange with her sudden volume. Pearl's eyes went wide when realized what she had done, her hand slapping over her mouth in horror. "Forgive me," Pearl apologized, "I shouldn't yell."

"You should actually try it sometime," Orange joked, offering her a smile. "Its cathartic."

"Is everything alright, My Diamond?"

Both of them looked up at the voice, Orange realizing she had forgotten about the two guards Pearl had been harassing moments ago.

"Oh, yeah. Everything's fine."

The Jasper guard nodded, her counterpart continued to eye her pearl, her annoyance for the small attendant clear.

"If that is all, My Diamond." She said, the two guards bowing there heads before turning to return to their post.

Orange watched them go, feeling another sigh escape her. So much unwarranted trouble, all for her.

"My Diamond?"

Orange blinked, looking down to see Pearl staring up at her with wide, questioning eyes. "Never mind." She waved her off, "I'm tired, but I could use a bath. Let's-"

Pearl's eyes shined as she gave her a toothy grin, rocking forward on her tiptoes in excitement, "Allow me, My Diamond! I'll prepare your bath at once!"

Orange didn't get a word out before Pearl turned, making a dash for the opposite hall. Orange thought to yell at her to wait considering she couldn't recall the way to her bathroom, unlike Pearl, who had seemed to memorize the floor plans overnight. However, she didn't get farther than opening her mouth before Pearl had stopped mid stride. Orange briefly wondered what she could have forgotten before she was turning back around, a sheepish look on her face as she slowly walked back to her.

"I just remembered," She spoke softly, her cheeks a soft orange and her chin lowered as she look up at her through her thin lashes, "I have your pad, that you requested, My Diamond."

Orange blinked, eyes traveling down to the bright orange colored case held against her chest, the same one she had been holding onto when she had arrived. Orange felt heat creeping up her neck as she realized she had also forgotten about it, managing to mumble out a quiet, "Oh, I did ask for that, didn't I..."

"Would you like me to-?" Pearl questioned, beginning to hold it out to her with both hands.

"No, no." Orange waved, the corner of her lip tipping up as she forced a small smile, "Just, uh, hold on to it for me."

"Of course, My Diamond." Pearl continued to smile, which Orange was thankful for. She didn't seem bothered at all that she had gotten it for nothing. "Anything you need."

"Just a bath." She reiterated, which seemed to jumpstart her flighty companion into action once more, turning to speed-walk back down the hall. This time Orange called out to her, using her advantage of longer legs to catch up with her, "How about we go together."

Pearl immediately slowed, cocking her head to look up at her with a large smile and warm cheeks, her tone happy as she returned her gaze, "Of course, My Diamond."

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If you had asked her a century ago who had the best bath on all of Homeworld, she would have said Blue Diamond, hands down. However, sinking into the warm stream of water that cut through the room, Orange decided that she had to update that opinion. She most defiantly had the best bath in all of Homeworld.

She had been pleasantly surprised the first night she had a need to bathe, her pearl obediently leading her to the room with Five and Seven following just as blindly, surprising Orange already with her knowledge of their new home. To say the room was enormous almost covered the ridiculousness of that statement. The walls were tall, vaulted up impossibly high. Tall enough she was sure she could accommodate all four of the other Diamonds, White included, without worry that one of them would feel uncomfortable in the closed space. The room itself seemed to stretch on far more than any of the other rooms she had been in thus far. Flat, pale orange walls separated by sturdy pillars, each one carved with beautifully sharp intersecting lines and Diamonds. The bath itself was long and rectangular, inset into the floor itself and fed by a giant gem statue that jutted out of the wall. In her hands was an overflowing vase that kept the water moving and a constant stream of fresh water being cycled in. It was over the top grand and Orange almost became emotional over seeing it, the knowledge that it was hers and hers alone almost as overwhelming as knowing the whole palace belonged to her too.

As it was, Orange relaxed against the side of the pool, elbows supporting her against the lip so that she didn't slip under the moving stream. Behind her, Pearl stood, obediently waiting on her with her small hands clasped in front of her as Orange spent her time between attempting to pay her no mind and allowing the warm water to soothe the crick in her back that had formed from her sitting for long hours, pouring over pads filled with work.

She had a week filled with little things from the others that had quickly piled up and now she was left to wade through it. It didn't even include her own work she had to put in for her court. She was sure she had a message from Yellow, somewhere, with instructions she wanted her to follow, one being for her to start her first extractions so that Yellow could begin properly preparing to produce gems of her own for her. She wasn't sure when she was meant to squeeze that into her schedule, but she imagined Yellow would only tell her to suck it up and figure it out. And then there was Blue, who wanted her to find the time to sit down and go over a few things regarding her court, as well as a review of proper behavior and protocols that she would need to keep in mind when dealing with the courtesans and lower nobles, simply because it had been awhile since her last lesson on the topic. That didn't even factor in her desire to speak with her mother and see how she was doing.

She had received troubling news that had been circulating from Earth about another incident with Rose Quartz and her ragtag band of rebels taking down yet another platoon as they defended a half-constructed temple before they had forced their hand to abandon it, gaining even more ground from them. You would think the large scale battle that had occurred not even 200 years prior would have wiped out their numbers considerably, and yet they still stood strong against them. The incident must have been a horrible welcome back when she had returned to her colony after her coronation and she hoped to see her in better spirits than she would have been in if it was her facing those issues. She did not envy her mother's position or the stress it must have placed on her each and every day, between the rebels and their fellow Diamonds pushing her to find a way that they hadn't come up with themselves to end the fighting on her colony. It almost made her own work look positively desirable. Almost.

"This is so much better." Orange sighed loudly over the rush of water, "After this, all I want to do is sleep for an entire cycle."

"Uh, My Diamond?" Pearl piped up, her voice grating and a little too loud over the calm that had settled in the peaceful silence.

Orange's shoulders immediately tensed, which she forced to relax as she cocked her head to look up at her over her shoulder, giving her a questioning look, "What?"

"You have an upcoming appointment to meet with some of the nobles. You authorized it with-"

"Iris." Orange groaned, her head hitting the floor behind her. "Right."

"My Diamond?" Pearl spoke again after a long moment, Orange cracking open her eyes to look at her as she leaned over, blocking some of the light that had been hitting her face. Softly, almost as if she was hesitant to speak, asked, "Should I reschedule?"

"No, no...I agreed." Orange grumbled. "How soon?"

"Within the hour."

Pearl stood back, startled as the larger gem began pulling herself up out of the water, turning around to stand up as water sloshed out and dripped from her, drenching the ground at their feet.

"I thought you wanted to relax, My Diamond?"

Orange closed her eyes to keep from rolling them, instead taking a breath as she stretch her arms up and over her head, feeling some tension settling back in her body as she summoned her clothes back to her still dripping light form, "Let's just get this over with."

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For a fledgling court, Orange had to wonder just where all these gems had come from. Seated on a throne-like chair and raised up on a platform that put her above everyone else, the young Diamond was amazed at the line of nobility that stood in front of her. To her left, Pearl stood two steps down, watching the line of gems as they conversed with one another, her eyes wide as she looked at them all. Below her stood a set of guards, one on either side of the Diamond's throne. They were the picture of intimidation and bulky, oppressive power as their eyes remained level ahead of them and shoulders back, poised to defend her should the need arise. Another set of guards were on the opposite side of the room, a lance in hand and guarding the large open doors. Beside them, rubies dotted the walls, the escorts of some of the higher ranked nobles that had made an appearance today, their rubies having not been permitted any farther in the room than the entrance. To her right, Iris Agate stood a step below her, her body half turned towards her with her hands held behind her back when not in use, speaking with her as she introduced each and every noble as they stepped forward for their turn. When Orange had reallocate her to an overseer for the influx of gems that both volunteered to merge over or had been pushed to her from the other Diamonds, she hadn't quite expected her to be so remarkably good at handling it the way she had.

Iris motioned towards the crowd, catching her attention and guiding her to look towards a stout green gem as she stepped forward. "My Diamond," Iris spoke, hand splayed out to present the aristocrat, "This is the opulent Green Beryl. Hand selected by the brilliant Yellow Diamond."

"My Diamond," Beryl bowed her head to her, hand lifting the right side of her dress as she curtsied to her. Like most Beryls, she had a wide smile and perpetually closed eyes, giving the small gems the impression that they were constantly happy. Her hair was curved, swooping into an arch towards the left on her head and matching the same darker green color of her floor length dress. "It is an honor."

"Of course." Orange gave her a small nod of acknowledgement. How tired she was of hearing about who's honor it was to meet her. Between the fanatic loyalist and the smooth talking connivers, who could tell, really, who was being truthful anymore. And after two hours of it, she honestly couldn't care.

"I'm grateful for Yellow Diamond's consideration to be one of the few chosen to serve under you, your illustriousness. I look forward to aiding you and your growing court in the future."

"My Court welcomes you, Green Beryl." The young matriarch said, words sipping from her mouth from repeating much of the same thing in differing variations, to the point she didn't even have to think about it anymore. "Your cooperativeness and willingness to follow Yellow Diamond's rulings show both wisdom and loyalty, and assert that your patronage and academic knowledge will be valued."

Green Beryl seemed pleased enough with her praise, dipping her head once more to her, "Thank you, My Diamond." She said before turning away, moving around the line now that her business had been quickly concluded.

Orange held in a sigh, closing her eyes briefly and attempting to ignore the slow pounding of a building headache. Just how much longer could all this bootlicking and prostrating last?

"My Diamond," Iris spoke, repeating her own overdone lines. Orange's eyes opened and glanced at her before sliding back to the next gem that stepped forward from the large group. "Allow me to introduce her grand clarity, Sapphire. Volunteered herself to serve you from the lustrous Blue Diamond's court."

Orange was intrigued by that, eyeing the small blue gem as she curtsied to her. She appeared to be the only sapphire that had come to her that day, which made her much more interesting to her than the sea of Demantoids, Pyropes, and Jades that made up the grand majority of her audience.

"My Diamond." Sapphire spoke in a quiet voice as she raised back up.

"I'm surprised to see a gem such as yourself, Sapphire." Orange admitted, ignoring the side look Iris gave her as she skipped over the short 'Welcome to my Court' she had been giving all afternoon.

"It was fated, My Diamond." Sapphire responded.

The young Diamond rose an eyebrow at that. "Fated?"

"I had a vision," she explained, "that I would come here to offer my services to you."

That alone intrigued Orange. A sapphire of her own. A visionary and prophet to warn her away from potential pitfalls early in her first stages of settling into being a Diamond. That sounded like an advantage she couldn't, and shouldn't, refuse. However, it also made her wonder just how acclaimed this Sapphire's prowess as a seer were if Blue Diamond was willing to let her take leave from her court.

"Tell me," Orange said, leaning to the side as she propped her head up on her hand, staring questionably at the clairvoyant gem, "What do you see in my near future, Sapphire?"

Sapphire paused, her head lowering for a moment. The nearby gems that had heard her speak remained quiet, watching her until she tilted her head back up to her.

"I foresee you in a grand spire, many gems work under you. A Demantoid supplies you with information as a Hessonite commander leads a fleet attack of a world on your word alone. The world will be your first colony."

Orange baulked at that. A colony? In her near future? As if any of the others would allow that! Either it was a joke that hadn't landed well or this Sapphire was chipped. Or maybe even trying to flatter her, she wouldn't be the first to do so today. She didn't know sapphires very well, did they play at the politics of aristocrats the same way others did? Would it even be fair with their future vision if they did? And while it didn't sit right to her, it seemed to have struck a cord with everyone else. A new colony was always good news, even better when it was their own Diamond that would be adding to the Empire's wealth and expansion plans. A reason to celebrate and pat ones self on the back for choosing to move courts or accept offers for doing so, business well done. Orange wasn't exactly thrilled to add another of elite with machinations to use her new status and power to further their own influence and standings against other nobles in their frivolous games.

But it also posed a problem for her as well. If she called Sapphire out on a false vision, after the gems around her were already so excited to join her because of it, how would that reflect on her? To call one of their peers a liar was bad, to say she wasn't in any position to have a colony anytime soon was worse. If she said nothing and allowed her to be welcomed, only to have them wait expectantly and find that the vision would not happen, would their expectations and faith in her plummet before she had even be given a real chance to prove herself capable? At best, she could somehow circumvent these rumors or suppress them by overshadowing them with other accomplishments that would soon have them forgetting about one sapphire and her false prophecy. At worst, her nonexistent exploits and standing would be whispered about behind closed doors, trickling down the ranks until it somehow got to the other Diamonds and she got severely reprimanded for not keeping her gems in line.

The pounding behind her eyes only worsened as her train of thought began to spiral quickly. Only once Iris Agate began giving her insistent looks the longer she allowed the silence to drag out, did she sit up straight, nodding her head towards the blue gem.

"Thank you, Sapphire." Orange spoke, keeping her voice level and face even despite wanting to glare and demand the smaller gem to answer for her deceit, decorum be damned. Instead, she settled for, "Your foresight is, frankly, surprising." She made a motion towards the other gems behind her, "Your vision seems to have rattled even your peers."

"I simply followed the lines of fate, leading me to the unavoidable conclusion."

"I see. Well, then we must speak again. My Court welcomes and embraces someone of your capabilities."

"Thank you, My Diamond. I look forward to speaking with you in the future."

She watched Sapphire turn and leave, her eyes following her as she neared the end of the line, her ruby guards separating themselves from the others to flank her. Still she watched her retreating form, even as the next aristocrat stepped forward.

"My Diamond, allow me to introduce..."

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Slinking out of the room, Orange was glad that Iris had taken over once she had finished with most of them, calling an end to the meetings after the third hour and more than likely seeing rather than sensing her growing irritation. Her guards had walked with her to the door until she dismissed them, ignoring their concerned looks to simply wave them off, only allowing Pearl to walk with her. She didn't think she could handle any more company than her single attendant at that moment.

"Okay." Orange breathed out, shoulders hunched and head bowed as she rubbed her forehead, attempting to alleviate the throbbing that seemed to radiate from her skull down her back, creating one great column of pain and discomfort. Why hadn't any of the Diamonds told her how physically taxing dealing with such tasks would be. Where was that lesson between gem history and class appropriate etiquettes? Maybe that was why Yellow was always grumpy. "Now i can-"

"My Diamond?" Pearl called out behind her, stopping her mid step as she froze at the call of her title.

Orange tried very hard not to raise her hackles, knowing she shouldn't be so on edge just to hear her speak, it wasn't Pearl's fault her day had been so hectic. Cocking her head, she looked over her shoulder at the smaller gem. "....Yes, Pearl?"

Pearl offered her a pleasant smile, "Yellow Diamond would like those reports from yesterday as soon as possible. You asked me to remind you-"

"No."

Pearl's eyes widened at the harshly spoken word, making her clam up for a moment, startled and worried. "M-My Diamond?"

Orange's hand waved in the air as she spoke, as if she was personally striking down each task, "No reports. No meetings. No calls. Nothing. I'm retiring to my room."

"Oh," Pearl blinked, surprised and unsure how to respond at first. Instead she simply nodded in acceptance, "Of course My Diamond, if that is what you wish."

The taller gem nodded her head once, turning to face forward as she started to lead them towards her personal chambers. Her hand creeped up, pushing her hair aside to rub at her neck, "I can't believe this cycle is dragging on like this."

The walk there was, thankfully, unremarkable and blessedly quiet. Orange would have regretted it the next day if she had lost it on some unsuspecting gem simply because of her fowl mood.

However, upon arriving at her chambers, Orange paused outside the double doors, eyes scanning for the two absent red gems she had expected to be there. "Where's Five and Seven?"

"Their shift ended an hour ago, My Diamond." Pearl answered her, making her turn to glance over her shoulder at her.

"What?" She mumbled, eyebrows briefly lifting before pushing together in confusion. "But their shift is..." She paused, thinking for a moment, before her shoulders sagged in realization, "Is it really that late?"

"My Diamond?"

"Never mind." Orange sighed, walking forward towards the doors, "There's a match at the Arena tonight, isn't there? I'll hear about it tomorrow if it's a good one. I really need to go down and see for myself."

Pearl turned her head to look at her as she released the lock on the door for her, "Would you like me to add it to your schedule, My Diamond?"

"No." Orange rejected, moving into the dimmed room, relaxing with each step into low light of her bedroom, the sight of her bed on the far side of the connecting rooms calling to her, "No telling when i'll be able to go." She paused, bent finger scratching at her cheek as she spoke to herself, "I don't even know if it'd be appropriate. I should ask Blue."

Pearl attempted to keep step with her as they moved towards her owner's bed, waiting at an appropriate distance as she climbed the three steps of the platform before turning to sit down at the end. "Would you like me to remind you the next time you speak with Blue Diamond, my-"

"Orange." The older gem interrupted her as she leaned over, her hand sliding over her boot and making it disappear from her light form, leaving her right foot bare.

"Huh?" Pearl stared at her, eyes wide and mouth parted in bewilderment.

Orange paused from leaning over and repeating her actions on her left side, looking up at her as she responded, "You can call me Orange when we're alone. I told you that before, remember?"

"Oh!" Immediately Pearl's face lit up, her eyes turning the size of saucers as she waved her hands frantically, "I-I could never. I was made to serve you, My Diamond. A pearl being so familiar with her master would be wrong, it would be-"

"Bad. Yeah, I heard the first five times I mentioned it." Orange grunted, leaning forward to rest her arms on her thighs as she looked at the small flustered gem, face impassive as she watched her cover her own face to hide the alarming shade of orange that colored her.

Pearl peaked out from her fingers, her lips downturned as she saw her staring back at her, her head tilting down as she lowered her eyes, hands lowering to her chest as they balled into fists, "I've disappointed you. I'm sorry. I-"

Her Diamond cut her off with a loud sigh, pulling her eyes back up to her, "Not tonight, Pearl. I'm not prepared to go through this again."

Pearl watched as she pulled her long hair over her shoulder, thick fingers kneading hard circles into the exposed flesh of her neck before moving down to her bared shoulder, her eyes closing and her jaw twitching every few passes before moving higher, struggling to reach farther than the back of her shoulders. Pearl watched her struggle, wanting to step forward and offer her help, though the words were strangled in her throat by the thought of how inappropriate it would be for her to touch her like that. However, it seemed worse to allow her to continue struggling when she could so easily help.

Perhaps if she worded it right or if her Diamond asked, she wouldn't feel like she was overstepping her boundaries. "If I may say, you seem tense, My Diamond."

Orange stilled, her head cocking back to stare at her like she was the dullest rock she had ever seen. "Gee, do I?"

"Yes."

Her eyes fell closed, taking a deep breath before her hand fell away from her shoulder. "...that was rhetorical, Pearl."

Pearl immediately realized her mistake, her cheeks burning once more as she tried to clear up her misunderstanding. "My apologies, My Diamond! I didn't mean-"

"Don't worry about it." Orange interrupted her, pushing her hair back over her shoulder to hang behind her, head tilted back as she brushed her bangs back while her eyes remain pointed towards her, "You know, you don't have to apologize for every little thing."

"But-"

"It wouldn't be appropriate."

Pearl looked hurt by her mocking tone and she sighed, her hand running down from her hair to smooth out the frustrated line from her face. Taking a deep breath, her hand dropped, mustering an apologetic look for the smaller gem, "Sorry, I shouldn't have been so rude. I'm just going to go to bed." She declared, turning over onto her knees and crawling up the bed a bit before collapsing into the mass of pillows that littered the top, snuggling into the overstuffed decor and relaxing until she sighed in contentment. Turning her head, she closed her eyes as she pulled a pillow under her head for support, calling out to the only other occupant of the room. "Goodnight, Pearl."

"Goodnight, My Diamond." She heard in response. However, she couldn't help but notice the proximity of the voice, the skin on the back of her neck prickling as the realization hit her.

She cracked her eyes open, slowly turning her head to her opposite said to look at the gem now standing beside her bed, her hands clasped in front of her, staring. "Pearl..."

"My Diamond?"

Pushing herself to sit up on her elbows, Orange kept a firm grip on her pillow as she looked at her at eye level, "What did I tell you about standing at my bedside?"

"Oh." Pearl blinked, looking down sheepishly, "Sorry, My Diamond."

"If you're going to remain here, get in bed."

"My Diamond!" She flushed, "T-thats so-! I could never! That would be so inappropriate- A pearl in bed with-"

"Then sit down. Stand against the wall, I don't care." Orange cut her off, turning away from her and flopping back down, "Just don't stand there looming over me like you've done all week." She ordered, before grumbling, "Gives me a damn scare in the morning."

Pearl gave her a nod she couldn't see, stepping away from the bed obediently. "Yes, My Diamond."

"I don't want to be disturbed for anything short of another Diamond calling because Homeworld is cracking apart." Orange ordered, squeezing her eyes closed and forcing herself to relax once more.

"I...are you serious, My Diamond?"

Orange fought the urge to sit back up and give her another look. Instead she blew out a breath through her mouth, wiling herself to stay in the comfort and luxury of her bed. "...just keep everyone silent, and don't wake me unless it's an emergency."

Pearl tilted her head in uncertainty, knowing she was already towing a fine line before she really made her Diamond angry, "What would be an emergency-"

"Pearl." Orange said forcefully, cutting her off with a warning tone.

"Yes, my diamond?" She asked meekly.

"Shush." Came her much quieter response, and yet it served its purpose as Pearl's mouth snapped shut, her cheeks burning.

It wasn't long after that Orange began to snore.

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

Pearl stood near the tall desk across the room, staring towards the large, plush bed that held her Diamond. It was hard to see her through all the pillows that covered it, engulfing the large gem within them. It had been a few hours since she had collapsed into it, reprimanded her for standing too close, and then started to- what was it the Carnelians called it? Snore? It sounded like small rocks rattling around, a soft but harsh noise that had startled her the first night it occurred.

She shifted from one foot to the other, attempting to remain silent and patient, her heels softly clicking against the hard floor with each move as she rocked back and forth. Could her Diamond hear her? She should stop moving just in case, but she felt anxious just standing there, her mouth pressed together to keep from biting her lips. She would look unpresentable to her master in the morning if she let herself do that. Still, her eyes slid over the prone and deathly still form of her owner. She could not think of why a gem would do so, and it worried her when she did. Only injured gems didn't move for hours on end and yet her Diamond did so purposely all the time. She called it sleep, but what even was that? What was the point? She had never explained that to her, she could understand the mineral tablets, those made sense to her, but this? It scared her watching her lie there and there was no one she could ask about it. She didn't want to hear the Carnelians snickering about her again when her back was turned.

Not being able to contain herself anymore, she moved forward, taking the lightest steps a small pearl like herself possibly could until she had reached the end of the bed. Using the light filtering in from the windows she peered into the dark until she could make out her Diamond laying on her stomach, clutching a fat pillow under her head, face half sunk into it. Her eyes were closed and she didn't move at all, which made her heart skip painfully to see. She had to strain harder to concentrate and make out the little rise and fall of her back, the little turn of her partially open mouth as that grating sound came from her. It reassured her that she was at least alive.

The thought of her diamond dying had made her cry many times already, something she hoped she hid well in order to keep from bothering her owner, or worse, starting rumors in the palace, but this 'sleeping' thing only served to exacerbate her fears. But that was her problem, not her Diamond's. She would never burden the youngest Diamond with her weaknesses.

Sighing, her head turned to her left, the sight of the city's neon lights and tall buildings played out in a panoramic view her Diamond's room offered. It was beautiful and her Diamond often found herself in front of it, staring out at the city, Pearl joining her when she did. It was one of her favorite moments she got with her Diamond, a comfortable quiet as they both looked out at the heart of Homeworld, simply captivated by it. Was she proud of it? The proof of what important gems like her could create? Or did she just appreciate the beauty of it? She did stare at it often with such reverence, like a patron deeply appreciating a painting in a gallery. Yes, Pearl decided, she must find beauty in it. Her Diamond had an eye for such things.

And yet she never could get up the courage to make a comment on it, despite wanting to try and start an actual conversation between them, and it seemed to be the perfect topic for her to use. The Carnelians seemed to do so so easily, and her Diamond favored them greatly. Was that her issue? Was she just not outgoing enough to please her?

She just didn't understand it, and that was the most frustrating part. Despite her best efforts, nothing she did seemed to please her Diamond.

Keep track of each and every task she had, no matter the absurd amount she was expected to remember? She came across as an annoyance to her instead of her mindful assistant.

Try to make herself available to her at all times? She was clingy and underfoot instead of dedicated and hardworking. A nuisance.

Show her the respect that a grand gem of her status deserved, never faltering in her consistency? Too formal, not bendable enough to lower herself to the disrespect that other gems seemed alright giving her.

Perhaps she was just a terrible Pearl. She had been made for her Diamond and yet she couldn't do anything right. Perhaps she should suggest to her Diamond to take her back to the Reef so she could be rejuvenated. Maybe then she would be able to better serve her. Maybe the technicians had just gotten it wrong this time. After all, what good was she if she couldn't fulfill her purpose correctly? All of the other Diamonds had been very clear in her expectations, and even with White Diamond's Pearl helping her, her warnings constantly in the back her mind to keep her on track, she didn't feel she was up to par for the task given to her. She was just a Coral Pearl.

A Pearl that had been made just for her.

No. She couldn't give up now. She simply needed to try harder. To be, as her Diamond had put it, more flexible in her approach. There had to be a way to please her Diamond without being so drastic as to be returned to the Reef, she just needed to find it.

She turned to look at her owner, obvious to her struggle and so worn down from the day to day expectations that had been placed on her, and so much more important than her own silly problems.

She would be the Pearl her Diamond needed. She had been made for this, after all, and like the others, she would succeed, no matter what.