Stars and Diamonds

Chapter 58: Inevitable Pt 2

The upper halls of White's palace were deserted, fewer Quartz guards than normal were stationed around the entryways, a number that had been dwindling over the millennia as the eldest diamond ventured less and less from her headship, and more gems were phased out of her use. The influx of gems when Orange Diamond had joined them had been almost welcome by the servants, if overwhelming, but they too had began to shrink in size once more. What need was there for them when that Diamond would be leaving?

Already the walls and rooms around her were fill with more statues than soldiers and an over abundance of silence. Not even Orange Diamond's wing where the more rowdy guards were assigned made more than a few hushed whispers, ethereal voices carried down by the clear crystals blanketing the ceiling.

It was easier to hear as Pearl moved down the hall towards them, the sole Carnelians in the palace now that the others had been phased out and yet they were the only ones making noise at this moment, and the small gem had to wonder if they were damaged in some way. Did they see themselves as irreplaceable now that they were the only ones? Was it because of a Diamond's favor of them? Just what, she liked to know, drove them to be so obtuse in comparison to the rest of their court.

Perhaps she had simply spent to long in White Diamond's light to understand why gems like them did what they did, or why a gem of Orange Diamond's grade liked them so much. Whatever the case may be, she refrained from questioning what they were thinking being out of stance as she picked up the conversation they were having, contextless snippets becoming full sentences as they failed to take notice of her approach.

"I can't believe-"

"-orse not! She'd-"

"-have to do something!"

"We can't just go barging in there!" The taller one yelled, louder than she wished if her long pause as both gems stopped to look at the doors and then back to one another, "What are we going to say? 'Oh, hey, my Diamond! Don't mind us, we just heard you yelling, talking to yourself, everything aye-okay?'" she immediately continued, hands moving in fast gestures as she acted out the small scene, ending with a stomp of her foot and a loudly issued, "No!"

The other raised both of her arms, palms upwards as she shrugged, "Sounds good to me. What wrong with that?"

"You saw her face when those Hematite came!" The tall Carnelian pushed her counterpart in the shoulder, knocking her a step back from the door's locking pad, "Do you really thinks she wants one of us in there right now?"

The small one responded by pushing the other back, Pearl being reminded once more just how Ill fitted these two were for their job, "Someone has to check-"

Both guards were startled, heads turning as the very distinct voice of Orange Diamond filtered from behind the closed doors, her voice carrying even to Pearl as she nearer to hear her screaming, "COME ON!"

"What is going on here?" Pearl questioned, a single eyebrow raising as the two guards jerked back and spun around. She could see the brief fear on their face before it disappeared as the two jumping in place, despite not being were they should, to salute her.

"Nothing, ma'am!" The short one, her designation forgotten to Pearl, answered.

"Is there someone in Orange Diamond's quarters?" She pushed, alarmed by the screaming she had heard, especially through the thick doors.

The two Carnelians exchanged a look, the tall one answering her this time, "No ma'am! Just Orange Diamond. She's been..." the corners of her mouth pulled back, teeth visible as uncertainty caused her lip to quiver, "She's been talking to herself ma'am. No one has been in or out recently."