Beyond The Gem

One

     "That day, so very long ago when everything was normal, changed my life. My gem was deformed. Nobody wanted me.

     Except her.

     Blue placed me in front of her, a look of disgust on her face, and tears clouded my eyes. "This Pearl emerged wrong," Blue spat, flicking my shoulder. "You wanted a colony, and your colony must have a Pearl. So I brought you one that's just as deformed as Earth."

     A grin spread across Pink's face, and she held out her hand. I stepped on reluctantly. I didn't want to bow down to a Diamond, and I never had wanted to. Pink smiled and looked to Blue. "She's absolutely perfect," she said, and I looked up at Pink. She gazed down to me, her smile spreading from ear-to-ear. "I don't see any deformities. Her gem isn't mishapen, either. I see a perfect Pearl suitable for my needs." 

     Pink moved her hand to her shoulder, and I stepped onto her soft shoulder pads. She lowered her hand and turned away from Blue. "Thank you very much, Blue! If anything, you should be jealous my Pearl is prettier than yours."

     Pink looked to me and winked, and I knew everything would be perfect. No excruciating tasks, no excluding, no looking at me like I was just a Pearl.

     I was her pearl.

     We bonded, gained a relationship. Yellow and Blue Pearl weren't rude, but they weren't nice, either. When facing trials, I introduced Pink with great pride rather than the fear that was barely revealed through the other Pearl's voices. The only other Pearl I got along with was White Pearl, and sometimes, I felt as if I was underdressed. Her style was so elegant, so gorgeous, just like her Diamond's.

     There was once a trial for a fugitive gem, one that had blatantly shattered a gem for no reason. Blue Zircon stressed the case, urging Yellow, Pink, Blue, and White that it was another Jasper.

     When the Jasper and Zircon were ready, us Pearls stood nearly shoulder to shoulder and bore the diamond symbol. Yellow began. "All rise for the luminous Yellow Diamond!" She said with an excessive raise to her hand. Blue then touched the tips of her skirts, bowing, then said in her quiet voice, "And the lustrous Blue Diamond!" then I put a hand to my chest, putting my other arm behind my back and bowing my head, "And the splendorous Pink Diamond!" White then lifted her chin and raised both her arms, touching the back of her hands, "And finally, the incandescent White Diamond!"

     The Diamonds appeared behind us, Pink the shortest out of all of them. White stood tall, her long robes similar to Yellow's flowing like water with every move she made. Her hair, spiky yet neat, was still when she moved her head to observe the Jasper. Her boots rose to her knees, and her eyes ran up and down the Jasper. The beads of sweat that dripped down the criminal's head were larger than my gem, and she wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. She bore the Diamond symbol, as did the Zircons. The Diamonds raised their hands to summon their thrones, and I took my place in my own seat. I looked to Yellow Pearl, who nodded. Blue Pearl and White Pearl were supposed to draw what happened, while Yellow and I would keep a record on our holographic pads.

     As soon as Pink looked to me and winked, that lovely wink that always made me feel better, I looked to the Jasper and cleared my throat. "State your name." I ordered. The Jasper gulped, and I almost laughed. I could tell Yellow Pearl was holding in a laugh as well - this Jasper looked more nervous than Blue Zircon. 

     "My name is Tiger Jasper," She began, standing tall and balling her hands into fists. Our hands whipped across the keys as soon as she began to speak. 

     "And what else did you do?" Yellow Diamond rolled her eyes. "For the record, if you don't mind."

     "I..." Jasper took a deep breath in. "I shattered a Fluorite. Right in the center of the city we're in. And I'm proud to have done it, 'My Diamond.'" Us Pearls moved a little farther back in our seats. Yellow would have a fit about the way Jasper mockingly called her "My Diamond." Any other way, any other way and she would have been fine, but she had to raise her voice and sound so mocking and disrespectful. Yellow growled, electricity radiating off her fingertips. Blue put a hand on her arm, and White looked over.

     "Contain yourself, Yellow," White ordered, then turned back to Jasper. "Yellow Zircon, please state the charges and why the court should believe your case."

     Yellow Zircon gave Blue Zircon a grin, then turned back to the Diamonds. "My luminous, lustrous, splendorous, incandescent Diamonds, Tiger Jasper is guilty because there were many witnesses. She did shatter Fluorite during rush hour in a training center, so we have many eye witnesses to prove that Tiger Jasper is guilty. Also, the shards were nearly refined to a powder." I shivered. I hated talking about shards, they were uncomfortable...disgusting. "Tiger Jasper is very strong, is she not? Look at her arms! Look at her legs! Her torso! That evil look in her eye. But why she did it is unclear to me; to preform such a gruesome task could only be the work of a larger figure, someone whom she looks up to. Her superior, as you might say. Tell us, Tiger Jasper," Zircon turned to Jasper and leaned forwards. "What is the reason you killed this Fluorite? You obviously couldn't have killed her simply because you wanted to, or because she upset you slightly. Why did you shatter her?"

     Once the text was written in, I leaned closer to hear. Not for the record, but simply because I was curious. Pink was doing it as well, anxious to get a real taste of true justice, true gem problems. Tiger Jasper stared at Zircon with anger, then raised her hand and slapped her across the face. Zircon stumbled back, and I could've sword I saw a look of worry in Blue Zircon's face. Blue Zircon even held out a hand as if she could help her. I thought they hated each other? I thought, then shook my head and focused, leaning in more.

     "Jasper," Pink hissed. "That was extremely uncalled for and disrespectful."

     "I don't have to explain anything to you," Jasper growled, pulling her arm back for another strike, this one a punch. Blue Zircon dropped her holographic screens and pulled back Jasper's arm, preventing her from swinging. White Diamond stood, causing the gems to freeze.

     White held out a hand to halt them. "That's enough," Her voice boomed across the room. I exchanged a weary glance with Pink. She didn't like this, and neither did I. "Cease your fighting immediately. Separate!" The gems separated, standing still as White sat back down in her throne. "Jasper, you must tell us everything. You are on trial. You are in front of the Diamond authority, we expect some respect. I don't care if you dislike us, but keep it to yourself. If you do not explain, we will do the exact same thing to your gem as you did to Fluorite. Do you understand?"

     Jasper nodded, and Zircon went on explaining why she thought Jasper was guilty, bringing up evidence from the crime scene and clues from Jasper's actions as well. Once it was Blue Zircon's turn to speak, she asked for a short recess. The Diamonds exchanged glances, then nodded. Blue Diamond called the recess, and with a wave of her hand, the fugitive and Zircons were sent to their chambers. The Diamonds sighed and traveled to their own chambers. Once Pink and I were alone, she leaned against the wall of her palanquin and sighed.

     "Oh, I wish I wasn't here."  She sighed. "The Jasper's obviously guilty, what's the use of trying to prove her innocent if there were hundreds of gems that saw her commit the crime?"

     "I have a feeling they're doing this for you," I stated, catching Pink's attention. She looked up through her bangs. "You're still new to this. They want you to experience true Diamond justice."

     Pink sagged onto the wall and slid into a sitting position. I moved over to sit next to her. "This isn't Diamond justice," She frowned. "This is talking to a gem who clearly needs to be punished and acting like she could be innocent."

     "They know she's guilty, My Diamond. They have to. If a gem killed another in plain sight, she would instantly be put to death, and the other Diamonds know it." I twiddled my thumbs. "Maybe this is part of some bigger mystery. Perhaps we should interrogate her?"

     Pink slowly nodded. "Yes, I believe that would work. But if my armies do the interrogations, they are to use gentle methods. Simply keep her locked in a room and have them question her while they stand outside it. I know Yellow, Blue, and White's methods..." She shuddered, and Yellow Pearl entered the palanquin.

     "My Diamond, you are...I'm sorry, am I interrupting something?" She scrunched her nose when she saw us sitting on the floor. We stood, and Pink shook her head. "Anyways, My own Diamond, Yellow Diamond, requests your presence in the trial room. We are nearly ready to bring in the fugitive and Zircons."

     Pink and Pearl breathed in deeply, then left the palanquin.