Stars and Diamonds

Chapter 30: Eroded

"Again."

Orange took a deep breath, fighting the strain of her body as it protested against her continued lesson, simply standing was becoming a challenge. She closed her eyes and concentrated, searching, Orange found that familiar little tug behind her gem. Focusing solely on it, she attempted to force the build up of energy she felt within herself to move outward. Her body took on a bright orange glow, light wiping up from her skin. Her brow creased with her effort, sweat dotting her skin, flushing with the energy that surrounded her. Before she could stop herself, her legs began to wobble, her knees giving out and she fell forward, bracing herself with her hands as the energy dissipated from her form with a low hiss. Orange let out a cry as a jolt of pain ran through her, though she made no mention of it to White.

"That's enough." White snapped.

Orange bowed her head so she did not have to see White's expression, "I'm sorry. I'm trying, I swear."

"Are you? I expected so much better, Orange Diamond." White let out an audible sigh, "But I see Pink has influenced you more than I thought."

Orange's head snapped up to give White a look of confusion, "What?"

White's smile had completely vanished from her face, being instead replaced with downturned lips and narrowed eyes, her displeasure was very evident to Orange, "Until you've decided your done playing games, you will remain in your room."

Orange's eyes widened, "White! Please, I-"

"Enough. You have tried my patience enough today. Go."

"I'm..." Orange's eyes fell down to the floor, tears collecting in her eyes that she did not fight, "yes ma'am."

-------

"I have brought you some supplements." White's Pearl bowed her head as she placed the small metal tray onto the low table in Orange's room where she kept a small gem figurine that had been gifted to her and an abandoned diamond pad that kept her lessons and drawings, some of which she had once shown her. Pearl looked towards Orange, who sat at the end of her bed, still ragged looking from her lesson with White, eyes half lidded and her hair a wild mess. "Please. Try to...try to rest."

"White really thinks I'm playing around, doesn't she?" Orange's voice was low, quiet, and Pearl wasn't sure she would have heard her if she hadn't been waiting for a response of some kind from the young diamond.

"Yes." Pearl responded neutrally,"...Are you?"

Orange's head whipped around to glare at her, "How can you even ask that?" She snapped. "I-" Her voice dropped back down to a low, gravelly tone as her eyes fell to the floor, her anger quickly disappearing, "Ive always been afraid to let everyone down, and now look? I'm trying, but it's not working."

"Are you trying...or are you holding yourself back? You know you can't hurt White Diamond, correct?"

"She is...she is really strong." Orange nodded, "But everyone else isn't like White."

"You have little confidence in the Diamond's abilities, if you believe you could hurt them too." Pearl chided.

"Don't you get it!?" Orange's voice raised for the second time, this time her anger not leaving so quickly as she looked back at Pearl, "There's more at stake than just the other Diamonds! What about all the other gems in our empire? Do you think they would be safe?"

"I was wrong."

"What?" Orange's eyebrow rose in confusion.

"It is not a lack of confidence in your peers, but yourself." Pearl explained.

"Since when were simple Pearls analysts." Orange snarled.

Pearl's face fell into a neutral expression, giving nothing away to Orange, even as her face morphed into surprise and hurt at her own words. "...If that is all you need, my Diamond, I shall return to my duties."

"Go." The younger gem turned away from her, hair falling in her face, but Pearl could still see the tears that rolled down her cheeks. "Just...go."

"As you wish." Pearl gave her a quick diamond salute and then left without another word.

"Pearl...Pearl, why'd you have to go?" Orange pulled her legs up onto the bed, burying her face into her knees as she began to sob, "Pink...mom...I need you. I'm sorry I got mad, I don't...I don't know what to do. I don't know what to do."

--------

"White, i want to speak with Orange! She isn't answering her communicator." Pink's voice was raised, looking slightly frantic, evident even on the small diamond display.

"I'm afraid Orange Diamond won't be able to talk with anyone at the moment." White responded lightly, unfazed by Pink's hysterical tone.

"E-excuse me? what does that mean? where is Orange?!"

"Do not raise your voice at me, Pink Diamond." White's eyes narrowed in warning, "You know better."

"I...I apologize." Pink leaned back in her chair, taking a deep breath to calm herself, "I just want to speak with Orange. We haven't talked in a while, and we did not leave things on good terms. I want to check up on her."

"Orange was misbehaving, so she has been sent to think about her actions."

"You did not put her in that isolation tower!" Pink's eyes were wide and her teeth bared to White, angry and alarmed, "White, Zirconia could die if-"

"Orange Diamond is being well taken care of."White returned Pink's anger with a bit of her own, "I would never allow something to happen to a fellow diamond, and the fact you would insinuate that is insulting."

"If she's fine, and she's not in the isolation tower, than i should be able to talk to her." Pink did not back down, pointing at White over the conference call screen, "Just what are you accusing her of doing, anyway?"

"Orange has not been taking her training as serious as she should, and i don't believe it is a good idea if you speak with Orange now."

"Not a-? Not a good idea?" Pink echoed in disbelief, "White, you can't keep me from speaking with my dau-"

"I am the head of this Authority, i am eons older than you, i know what it takes to make a gem their best, even when they do not. I have said it would be adverse for you to speak with Orange, and that is final. My word is final."

"If I have to, I'll come to Homeworld-" Pink's tone was threatening, eyes narrowed and body leaned forward again, hands clenched into tight fists.

"Starlight. Hear me, listen." Even as White's voice remained light, Pink could make out the underlying tone, the threat of her own just there out of sight, "You will remain on your Moon base, taking care of your colony while I care for Orange Diamond. If you attempt to interfere, there will be consequences, and you know what those consequences are."

Pink paled, her body going rigid as her mind flashed back to a memory she had long since pushed down. Pink's eyes fell from White's, her snarl turning into a deep frown, "I...I understand, White. Please..." she looked back up, her bright eyes shining with unshed tears and pleading, "Please let Orange call me when she is allowed to."

White afforded her a single nod. "Goodbye, Pink Diamond, until we next speak."