Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Pearl had heard of Rose Quartz from her diamond and she couldn't deny the idea of being free was something she wanted. Pink was so uptight and always trying to prove herself to her fellow diamonds. Rose was fun, strong, protective. She may be off color, but she was HER color, but Pearl couldn’t say anything about it. If she did she would be broken or reset. She’d seen it done to white’s pearl, albeit that was on a more extreme scale. Pink wasn’t as bad as the other diamonds. She allowed Pearl to study and even learn to wield a spear, but that was more for her Diamond to find out for herself if it was possible for a pearl to do those things and she was still convinced Pearl was only able to do them because Pink allowed her to do so. She would be right of course.

A pearl’s personal opinions and interests don’t mean anything. It didn’t matter if she didn’t want to take orders or liked fighting. If Pink ordered her to stop training for the day, she would do so. It didn’t matter if she didn’t like how ruff Pink could be in bed. Pearl would lay with her if told to do so by her diamond. It didn’t matter if Pearl never liked how Pink disrespected the hard working quartz’s or banished all other rose quartz gems from her entourage due to one defective, super beautiful, rose quartz. Pearl would stay silent and do as her diamond commanded. But she just couldn’t… Couldn’t what? She asked herself. She’d done everything before. Couldn’t sleep with her diamond? She’d done that. Couldn’t listen to the pleas of the rose quartz's to appease their diamond and allow them to stay in her entourage as they would never betray their diamond the same way the defected quartz had. She stayed silent when that happened! Couldn’t speak up? That was her purpose. To look pretty and stay silent. So what was it that she couldn’t do!? She couldn’t stop dreaming about that Rose quartz she realized… She wanted to make that Quartz happy… She wanted- NO! Bad Pearl! She shook her head, as Pink watched over her colony, she didn’t want anything!

“Pearl. Is something the matter?” Pink asked, putting a gentle hand on her servant’s cheek. Pearl resisted the urge to flinch.

“Of course not, my Diamond!” Pearl averted her eyes, she was not worthy of even looking in a diamond’s general direction. “My beliefs have no purpose, so they shall not stand in the way of my purpose to serve you.”

“Don’t…” The hand was suddenly less gentle, the pain forced Pearl to shut her eyes tightly in pain. “Lie to your Diamond, Pearl. You know, I want honest answers from you when not in the presence of yellow and blue.”

“O-of course- ow- my D-Diamond!” Pink’s grip was back to being gentle.

“Look me in the eye,” Pearl did as she was told. “What is bothering you?”

“That Rose Quartz, My Diamond…” Pearl gulped, nervously. She prayed to White Diamond that Pink thought her blush was from being graced with the touch of her Diamond and not from her secret crush on the leader of the defective gems. “Has… been on my mind… recently…”

“Ahh I see…” Pink smirked, removing her hand from Pearl’s cheek. Pearl started sweating nervously-

“Y-you do? I- mean-”

“Yes. You are worried she may target you to get to me. If she is smart enough to realize how close us Diamonds are with our pearls…”

“Mhm,” Pearl just nodded, not trusting her voice.

“Don’t worry…” Pink laughed, darkly. “No gem will touch what is mine. I will make sure of that…”

“Th-thank you, my Diamond…” Pearl sighed, as Pink went back to work surveying the colony’s prime kindergarten.

That night, Pearl shuttered, as she lay next to her Diamond. This was wrong. She thought to herself. She knew it was against the rules for her to think of things like defecting and disobeying her diamond, but she and her fellow pearls were treated like mindless toys. Only as good as how well they obeyed. She knew it was wrong. She wished she could fight back like that perfect- DEFECTIVE- Rose Quartz… Pearl wanted to stand up and fight for her and every other Pearls’ freedom. But she was scared. She was scared of what Pink would do if she found out she left. She was scared of what she would do if she found out Pearl wanted to have a relationship with a gem that wanted Pink’s gem shattered! She was scared of what the other diamonds would do if Pink lost anything else to Rose Quartz.

That rose quartz already took Pink’s colony and claimed it would be the home of the crystal gems. If she took Pink’s pearl… Who knows what the diamonds would do to the crystal gems and Pearl’s beloved Rose Quartz if she ran off to join the rebellion. Despite the fear she felt, Pearl could laugh at the idea. An ownerless pearl that not only fought against Homeworld, but was in a relationship with the leader of the rebels!? It was such an outrageous thought. Pearl sighed, as she tried to sleep. Pink’s bed was as soft as the pebbles could make it, but with her Diamond by her side, it was far from comfortable. She just brushed it off. This was the only time she would be allowed to rest in the coming days. Pink was planning one of her great balls to celebrate yellow finishing another colony. Pearl just knew it would go south. With her own colony apart, the diamonds would not be happy that she wasn’t focusing on trying to find Rose Quartz and eliminate the threat of the crystal gems. And Pearl just knew she would be on the receiving end of Pink’s frustration that the other diamonds thought she couldn’t do anything. Pearl was NOT looking forward to when THAT happened. But she would stand there and take it. For that was her purpose.

Chapter Text

Pink shouted, shattering the walls. The pebbles tried desperately to keep up with the damage, as Pearl stood just out of range. She didn’t want her gem damaged from being too close to Pink during one of her tantrums. Pearl felt treacherous for even implying her diamond wasn’t perfect, but sometimes it really felt like Pink was nothing more than a spoiled princess. She got whatever she wanted from her court, while crying to blue and yellow if she got rejected. Sending innocent gems to be cracked for stepping out of line, just to prove to her fellow diamonds she was worth something.

“I will have that quartz’s gem in pieces!” Pink shouted. “I just wanted to do something nice for yellow! To make Yellow, Blue, and even white- as much as she ignores me- smile! Is that so wrong?! AGH!!!”

Pink shouted again, her pink forcefield coming out and cracking the floor beneath her. Pearl stood still and silent. She knew this would happen. She knew the diamonds would make Pink mad. She knew that she would be on the receiving end of Pink’s anger. So, she stayed still and silent. Pearl took a breath, as Pink finally calmed down a few hours later. And returned to her moon base to continue watching the prime kindergarten. Pearl stood by her diamond as Pink watched the first court soldiers emerge from the ground. Pearl smiled, they were creating life from nothing. It was one of the few things Homeworld did that wasn’t all bad. I mean, creating life is one of the best things you can ever do.

“One of the quartz has yet to emerge,” Pink noted with curiosity. “They need to hurry or they’ll be late.”

Pearl watched as the quartz soldiers left, leaving the late quartz alone. She wondered if the quartz would be able to catch up without a guide. That wasn’t her concern, as Pink ordered her to follow her. They spent the next few hours watching the colony, when there was an alert… The rebels… Pink activated her pannel and started commanding her small army-

“Sector C is under attack by the crystal gems. I want Rose quartz’s gem in my hands to shatter!”

There was a flurry of ‘Understand, My Diamond’, as the gem soldiers ran to combat the rebels. Pearl watched quietly, as the scene played out. Many gems being poofed or shattered. Rose has attacked the main warp leading between the moon base and Earth. If she managed to destroy it, Pink would no longer have a way to return to Earth until it was fixed. Pearl had mixed feelings about that, but didn’t let it show on her face this time. On the one hand, her diamond not returning to her colony would be somewhat good- no- bad! It would be a bad thing. On the other hand, if that warp was destroyed, Pearl may never get a chance to meet that beautiful- DEFECTIVE- Rose Quartz. Pearl noticed her diamond looking at her, she must have zoned out-

“What is it, my diamond?”

“What’s on your mind, Pearl?” Pink questioned, raising a brow.

“I’m worried that Rose Quartz will destroy the main warp, my diamond,” Technically, that wasn’t a lie.

“Don’t be.”

“Yes, my diamond.”

“Pearl.”

“Yes, my diamond?”

“Go get our bed ready for tonight, I will need some relief. Wait there for me.”

“Yes, my diamond,” Pearl nodded and went to do so, she paused once the door closed behind her.

Remembering the last time her diamond ‘needed relief’. Pearl’s gem had been cracked and she had been sent to the shell for repairs. Pearl shuttered, as she was out of the observatory. Pearl froze. Rose Quartz would likely destroy the warp, this… this might be her only chance to escape. To join the rebellion. But… she was Pink Diamond’s Personal Pearl, they might think she’s a spy! Unless… She changes her form… Pearl closed her eyes and focused on changing her shape. When she finally opened her eyes, she was in a totally different form. She wore a light blue sleeveless top, she wanted to add a star, but decided to wait until Rose Quartz accepted her into the rebellion for that, with a darker shade of blue colored ribbon, which was tied into a bow around the back of her waist. She wore beige colored pants that stopped at her knees and yellow flat shoes. She smiled, as she walked to the warp, taking her chance, she warped to Earth. She looked around, seeing the battle. With the chaos, no one noticed her warp there. She quickly hid. She watched as the battle lasted long into the night. But in the end, after the long battle, Rose succeeded in destroying the warp. Pearl took a breath, now was her chance.

“ROSE QUARTZ!!!” Pearl shouted, not in a commanding or angry tone, but a pleading tone.

“Yes?” Rose Quartz asked, as she turned to face Pearl. “What’s a pearl like you doing out in a battlefield?”

“I…” Pearl willed the blush on her face to go away. “I want to join you! I escaped my master. Please, I know how to wield a spear.”

Pearl noticed a bismuth and a few others. She expected to be laughed at. After all, a Pearl fighting would be so absurd on Homeworld. Rose Quartz nodded and her soldiers did the same back, as if they were having a silent conversation with each other. Pearl gulped, nervously. There was no going back to Pink now. If Rose Quartz said no, she would have nowhere to go. Pearl waited with baited breath as the rebel leader thought it over. Nothing showed on the Quartz’s face. No sign of judgment, indecision, or even just outright denial. Pearl sighed, Rose Quartz must have been figuring out how to break the news to her that the answer was not what she was hoping for-

“So, I’ll take that as a no?” Pearl sighed. Rose Quartz smiled-

“I’m just messing with you,” She laughed. “We accept every gem that defects from Homeworld. Let’s go.”

Pearl smiled, maybe this wasn't as absurd as she thought.