A New Home

Pink Pearl wondered through a forest, lost in her thoughts. She had been trying for a few months to find a new master, but she hadn’t had much luck. There had been a few possible gems she could have served, but it didn’t feel right. She sighed, hopelessly. She knew there wasn’t a lot of gems on Earth, but the gems she’s known wouldn’t take her in since they have no need of a Pearl. And all the new gems she’s meet and seen just didn’t give her that same spark Pink Opal did all those millennia ago. She folded her hands in front of her and sighed again. She continued down the path she was taking to a nearby flower field to clear her head. She walked up to the edge of the forest where the field meet the trees and looked up to admire the flowers from afar when she saw something she hadn’t seen before. A tall woman dressed in a long grey trench coat and a matching fedora with pale almost ivory skin and waist long jet black hair. She was standing farther away and was busy admiring the flowers. Pink Pearl slowly started to turn away, not wanting to bother them, when the mysterious woman called out to her. “Hello little one. I don’t bite,” the woman said in an elegant, soft voice of reassurance. Pink Pearl jumped a little, startled, before slowly turning to face the woman. Pink Pearl cautiously moved out a little further and looked up at the woman. “Who are you?” she asked sheepishly. Tricky question. I’m a loyal treasonous witch to some, a genocidal maniac and a heroic saint to others. I also love gardening and painting.” “Uhm…” Pink Pearl started and then trailed away, unsure of how to answer. “Hmm?” The woman looked around as she made a slight frown. She looked back at Pink Pearl and said, “Right. Plainly then. I’m just admiring the scenery and delight in being cryptic. I answer to the moniker Smokey Quartz.” “I’m Pink Pearl,” she told Smokey Quartz. Smokey smiled at her. “Been some time since I last saw a Pearl without her weapon drawn. Performing an errand for your owner? If it’s something interesting, I might be persuaded to dawdle. I’ve not taken orders in some time. Could be amusing to be bossed around by something as adorable as you.” A dark pink blush formed on Pink Pearl’s cheeks at Smokey Quartz’s words. A mixture of embarrassment and shyness washed over Pink Pearl as she struggled to find any words to say. “I was right. You ARE adorable when you’re flustered. I didn’t think your cheeks could get much rosier.” Smokey placed a hand on Pink Pearl’s shoulder and said, “Relax, child. I’m only jesting with you. I know how Pearls think. Still, you ARE cute when flustered.” The blush on Pink Pearl’s face intensified as she struggled harder to speak the words that were caught in her throat. “Alright, alright, I’ll stop. It’s not good if the conversation is all one-sided. So, little one, what brings you out here? I know I’m here for the flowers and the fresh air” “Well… I’m trying to find a new master,” Pink Pearl told her. “A new master? What happened to your old one? Is she hurt? Did something happen to her?” Smokey asked with a genuine concern as her stance shifted from relaxed to far more rigid and guarded. Her face lost its levity as the smile vanished and her eyes focused on Pink Pearl. “Well… no,” Pink Pearl started as she avoided Smokey’s gaze. “She abandoned me.” Smokey’s stance relaxed as her face took on a sadder and empathetic look. She looked around for a place to sit, but didn’t see anything to sit on. Then, she lowered herself to the ground and looked up at Pink Pearl and said, “Have a seat dear. Tell me what happened. Be sure to try and not to leave anything out.” Pink Pearl sat down beside Smokey and told her the tale of Bloodstone that Lazuli had told her. About how when Blood’s gem cracked and lost her mind, fleeing the war to protect Rose and her soldiers. How Pink Opal, Spessartite, and Sunstone kept Bloodstone in check for millennia and how she fused with her former master, Pink Opal, into a Rose Quartz fusion that Pink Pearl had to keep together and then use to shatter Bloodstone. Then, she told her how Pink Opal immediately defused afterwards and scorned her for her actions, calling her a monster and then running away, completely abandoning her. All the while that Pink Pearl was explaining it all, Smokey remained silent as she listened to the Pearl’s tale and kept her gaze fixed on the Pearl, reading her face for every detail as her expressions shifted throughout the story. When Pink Pearl was finished, Smokey took a deep breath and then exhaled deeply. “I see. Your hand was genuinely forced. There was no way that situation could have been resolved with anything else. Yes, you could have poofed and bubbled her, but that would not have solved the problem. Otherwise, that Sunstone and this Spessartite would have done so ages ago. I believe that you made the right choice and that was the only course of action available to you if you wanted to protect your mistress.” She paused and slowly closed her eyes as she contemplated what to say next. “I’ve not had many pearls that would value my life over my orders. Fewer that would do as you did. They number less than the digits upon a single hand in fact.” She opened her eyes and stared at Pink Pearl with a level of intensity only rivaled by the most horrific of monsters staring out of the deepest abyss. “No gem in their right mind would dare to squander a Pearl of your quality and consider themselves in some way still your superior.” Pink Pearl sighed and looked away sadly. “Not Pink Opal. The moment I did that, she was quick to abandon me and never ever want me again.” Smokey let out a long and rather exhausted sigh, muttering something about spoiled children under her breath. “I do not say these things lightly, as I am a very old gem who is very set in her ways, but, Pink Pearl, you have earned the right to choose whom you wish to serve, if indeed you ever wish to serve someone again. I doubt any gem of authority would question if you sought independence after such an incident. If they did they are either and idiot, in absolute denial of the facts, or deaf, blind, and daft.” She paused as she closed her eyes again and took in a slow and calming breath. “Any gem that you do wish to serve should be honored that you are willing to consider them a master worthy of your services.” “Thank you, but no one needs a Pearl on this planet. I’ve been looking for a new master for weeks now and just haven’t found the right gem.” “It is a pity so many gems would turn down your services, but then I suppose this is simply the way of those who were born on this world and those that chose to stay. I would honestly be incapable of turning down an offer of fealty from a gem of your caliber. But as I said, I am a rather old gem who is rather stuck in her ways.” “Then… would you be my new master?” Pink Pearl asked with a new hope. This gem sounded like she would very much appreciate her like Pink Opal did and there was something about this gem that was different from all the others. “I would be honored, Pink Pearl. But before you decide, you should know that I am not Pink Opal. I prize loyalty above almost any other trait. I am a gem who has fought many wars, on many worlds, and I have a great many secrets you will not be privy to until we have established that level of trust. Now as kind as I may seem, I am known for my ferocity. You will almost certainly see things in my service that most Pearls could happily go their entire lives without witnessing and I do not doubt that you will see the repercussions of my mistakes for yourself, mistakes I would not have made had I had a Pearl like you by my side. You should know I will never order you to fight, that is not your role, but you will see it in my service. If you find that acceptable… then, yes, I will happily be your mistress. I only want you to know beforehand what you are getting yourself into. One should not have a life filled with regrets after all.” “I regret nothing in my life. Yes, I’ve made mistakes that have led me to my situation, but now I’ve been given an opportunity that I’d be a fool to turn down. I understand your need to forewarn me, but I find it acceptable and want nothing more than to serve a gem like you,” Pink Pearl said with unwavering determination. Smokey smiled and said, “Then, Pink Pearl, I am honored to call you my Pearl. My perfect, irreplaceable Pearl whom I shall treasure for the rest of time. Now, as I am not your first master, and I understand how loyal a Pearl is to their first master, I want you to know if you ever feel my orders pose a danger to your former master and so you cannot comply for such a reason I will understand and not press the issue, and should the day ever come you chose to return to you Pink Opal, you may do so with my blessing. Now then, is there anything you particularly like being called? I had a Black Pearl once that rather enjoyed being called Noir to distinguish himself from others of his kind.” “I’ve never really thought of that. Pink Opal always called me Pink Pearl or her Pearl, so I don’t know.” “Well, give it some thought. You’re far superior to the average Pearl and it would be a travesty for someone to lump you in with those of a lower quality. For now, let’s get you to your new home and settled. I’ve found this planet has a rather wonderful drink I am going to need to teach you to make. They call it Tea. But, there will be time enough for that later. As I said, let’s get you home and settled in.” Pink Pearl smiled and nodded and stood up. Smokey Quartz smiled at her new treasure and stood up, taking the lead as she led her new Pearl to her new home.