Stars and Diamonds

Chapter 7: White's wrath

White turned her head, her eyes searching her pristine white room as tiny wails bounced around the ornate walls. She knew the sound, and exactly who it was coming from, but could not find hide nor hair of the little gemling she knew it was originating from.

"Pearl?" she called and her little pearl appeared before her, smiling as she bowed in respect. Without so much as a prompt from her, Pearl turned her head in the direction to the hall to her left.

"She is there, my Diamond."

"Ah, of course." Standing up, White Diamond moved elegantly across the floor, so fluid in her steps it was almost like she was floating, a feat to behold considering her size, as she followed the wails of her cute little ward. She gave Orange free rein to wander around her palace to her heart's content, instead of keeping her firmly in her sights at all times like Blue and Yellow did. Orange was a diamond, no matter how unconventionally she was made, and White herself had deemed her flawless. As a diamond, she had to learn how to act and be a diamond before she could take her rule as one and she would never learn how if she was constantly at her side doing nothing. What safer place could Orange be to learn than her palace?

Entering the hall, she looked from open archway to archway, thought stained glass and open rooms as she passed by each one. Her search did not continue for long, however, as she came upon the sight of little Orange, sitting undignified on the floor as three large gems crowed around her, looking quite panicked as they flailed their hands at her, heads turning as they franticly looked around, attempting to get the young diamond to quiet down with little success. Her little gemling had quite the set of vocals on her, it seemed, if she could hear her from all the way in her room from here.

Once her imposing figure had been noticed, so focused on trying to calm Orange down, did the three gems, two Amethyst and an Agate, stand up straight and formed a line behind the wailing diamond, saluting to her as they bowed their heads. They were no longer concerned with their previous attempts at quieting their charge, no doubt before she herself would come to investigate. How unfortunate for them Orange was quite the stubborn one.

"Oh, my little Orange, why are you crying?" She questioned, tilting her head and waiting for Orange to get her rushed breathing and tears under control, her head tilting back to look up at her with those adorable bright eyes.

"My Diamond-" the Amethyst on the right started to say before being cut off by the Agate in the middle hitting them in the chest hard enough that they stumbled back a step. White narrowed her eyes at the three of them and they stood ramrod straight, and if at all possible, preformed their Diamond's salute even harder. She had not asked them and did not wish to hear any of them speak, and thus any other mishaps would be looked upon even more harshly than finding the youngest diamond sat on the floor and wailing with only them as her company had been.

"Orange?" she coaxed again, bending down and reaching for her with one large hand. The moment her fingers touched her, Orange cracked open her eyes to look at her through tears, seemingly realizing she was here just now before turning and latching onto her finger, not putting up any resistance as White picked her up and cradled her in her hand. It was almost odd, dealing with a gem that hadn't come out of the ground, ready and knowing what it was to do. Instead, she had a small diamond in her hand, one that would continue to grow and learn, molded by the diamonds who cared for her. White recognized how unique and special this circumstance was, how if they did this right, Orange could be the best of them, the most perfect gem since she herself had emerged.

"Tell me what happened." She didn't quite order, but her tone left no room for Orange to question if she could ignore her request.

"Amethyst hit me in the face and called me a crybaby!" she wailed, once again crying large tears and her hands, balled into fist, rubbed at her eyes, reddening them even more.