Work Text:
Being a Pearl is difficult. Your role is to just stand around and look pretty, as Peridot once put it. There are many aspects of life as gem servant, but one thing stands out: Pearl may be a Crystal Gem and a rebel against Homeworld for thousands of years, but she can’t break her programming. Rose… no, Pink Diamond, made her promise not to tell anyone about the fake shattering, so she literally couldn’t do it. Even thousands of years later, she still can’t say it. Even with Pink gone, nothing more than the gem embedded into Steven’s navel, she can’t say it.
She knows the truth about Rose Quartz and Pink Diamond; she may be the only being in the universe who knows that, but she does. She knows that Rose and Pink were the same person and Pink started the rebellion to save the life on Earth. She knows all of this. And even though it hurts hurts hurts, she can’t say it.
So Pearl has to stand there and watch poor Steven and the Crystal Gems dealing with the mess Pink left behind, all the while knowing the truth about Pink and what time of gem Steven really has. But if she tries to say it, her hand flies up to her mouth and she can’t force the words out.
She loved Pink so much, and Pink loved her. But she hates how Pink ordered her to keep the secret, forcing her to do something a Pearl is meant to, even though Pearl was a rebel too.
Her memories are so conflicted. She doesn’t know what to think.
She thinks about her love for Pink and the conflict and the sorrow…
And as Pearl tries to work out a way to tell Steven the truth, she sobs.