I Thought To Myself This Morning. “What If A Pearl Owned A Pearl.” And Then Immediately After, Thought “What

I thought to myself this morning. “What if a Pearl owned a Pearl.” And then immediately after, thought “What if crystal gem Pearl accidentally came into ownership of a Pearl. So I designed a Pearl for crystal gem Pearl. Her nickname is Tutu.

I also wrote a short drabble of Pearl getting Tutu. I’ll put it under the cut if you want to read it!

Greg hummed to himself as he flipped a pancake in a sizzling pan. It was a quiet morning in the beach house, months after his son had left to find himself on his road trip across America. 

The first few days without him were bad, but there was a routine now. Greg would make breakfast as soon as he got up, making sure to make enough for Amethyst and Garnet if they wanted to join him. Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl would join him before their classes for the day. And they’d just….. chat. A lot more amicably than years ago when Greg first met them. 

Greg looked up as Garnet walked into the beach house from her room, looking deep in thought. “Morning, Garnet.” He waved his spatula at her before depositing the finished pancake he had onto a plate. 

Garnet simply grunted, walking over and sitting at the countertop. She clasped her hands in front of her mouth and desummoned her visor. Her three eyes were furrowed in confusion.

Greg frowned and turned to the fusion, “Did you foresee something bad?”

“Not per say,” Garnet mumbled, eyes flicking to the warp pad.  “I was looking into the future out of curiosity this morning. Amethyst joins us shortly. Pearl returns from her trip to the Reef to help tear it down. But as soon as she enters….” Garnet shook her head, “She’s holding…. Something….. my future vision gets foggy after that." 

Greg hummed and looked to the warp.  "So you got no idea what she has and what happens after?”

“I bet it’s Steven.” Amethyst piped up as she entered, having been listening. “Surprise visit before he goes back on the road.”

“No,” Garnet shook her head, “Whatever it is fits in the palm of her hands. Like a gem.”

“Maybe it’s a corrupted gem we missed,” Amethyst shrugged.

“Could it reform here and you get poofed by it?” Greg frowned worriedly.

“Perhaps,” Garnet nodded. “I do generally lose sight after I retreat into my gems. If that’s the case, you should probably take your breakfast to go.”

“Good idea,” Greg nodded, “I’ll eat out in the van,” He reached and turned off the stove, picking up the plate of flapjacks and a fork. However, the warp pad alighted, and everyone present looked over to the light it produced. 

Pearl stood, hands clasped protectively around something. “Garnet,” she sprinted over, face contorted in grief and worry. 

“Pearl,” Garnet’s brow furrowed behind her visor, Amethyst next to her getting ready to summon her weapon. “What’s wrong?”

“There- there was-” Pearl fretted, “I was cleaning up some rubble that Mega Pearl left behind and…. She was just…. There. Under the rubble. I didn’t see her there before- Why didn’t I see her?” 

“Calm down,” Garnet soothed Pearl’s shoulder, looking to make sure Greg was sneaking around the counter carefully. Ready to sprint if need be.“Who was there?”

Pearl whimpered before opening her hands. Amethyst muttered an, “Oh shit.” Garnet gasped lightly and covered her mouth in shock. Greg poked his head over to see what the hubbub was about, before giving a small “eesh” in sympathy.

In her hands, was a round, bright pink Pearl gemstone.

“What happened?” Garnet took the gem gently, feeling it. She couldn’t see her reforming. She couldn’t see anything. Why couldn’t she see anything? But this wasn’t a time to fall apart. This was a time to be there. For Pearl.

“I don’t know!” Pearl sniffled, “She was already in her gem when I found her!”

“Well,” Amethyst looked over at the stone, “Do you think she’s a dud?”

“Amethyst!” Garnet scolded sharply, through her teeth. This question caused Pearl to spill more tears. 

“What?” Amethyst shrugged, “She coulda been a dud left there cause she wouldn’t form. Explains why you didn’t see her before.”

“She has a point,” Pearl sniffled, wiping her eyes, “I just…. Hope she isn’t. I want her to be okay-”

“She should form,” Garnet soothed Pearl’s shoulder again, “And soon. She’s very warm.”

“And that matters becauuuuse?” Amethyst cocked a brow, crossing her arms. 

“Gems who can’t form are always ice cold,” Garnet motioned, setting the gem down on the counter behind her, “Gems who are close to reforming get warmer by the second. We should wait for her to reform. Greg,” she looked over to the human, “Could you go to the school and tell them we’re cancelling classes today?”

“Of course,” Greg nodded, before leaving the beach house.

“We should take shifts watching over her,” Garnet nodded, “Make sure she’s got someone there when she forms. For now, let’s all watch her.” 

“Thank you all,” Pearl sighed in relief, “I was just so worried when I saw her- I thought maybe she was cracked or broken by the collapse of the reef. I couldn’t think straight. I just…. Brought her here.”

“You never think straight,” Amethyst joked, “You always think gay.”

Pearl laughed half-heartedly, before looking to the Pearl on the counter. She placed a hand on the stone. “I wonder who you are- Why were you in the reef?”

Before anyone could reply, the gem began to glow bright, levitating in the air. A shell surrounded the stone, and a robotic voice similar to the reef’s stated plainly, “Please identify yourself.”

Pearl’s hand clasped over her mouth in shock, eyes going huge. Garnet grimaced. Amethyst looked over to Pearl and uttered, “Pearl-” in worry.

“Greetings Pearl. Please state your preferred customization options.” the shell hummed gently.

“Amethyst!” Garnet hissed, taking off her visor. “Now she’s going to think Pearl’s her owner!”

“Well I’m sorry!” Amethyst growled, “I’ve never seen this happen! What’s wrong with her?”

“She’s either new or been rejuvenated,” Pearl swallowed thickly, sniffling. “It’s- It’s okay. I can… handle her.”

“Are you sure?” Amethyst frowned, “We don’t know if she’s been reset. How are we going to get her back to how she was?”

“We probably never will” Pearl shook her head, “We don’t know who she was originally for. And there’s no real way of finding out with the reef gone. And, besides, I should know best what a Pearl needs. And how to help her realize she’s free. After all-” She laughed bitterly, “I am the original renegade.” 

Garnet and Amethyst looked at each other before nodding. Garnet nodded to Pearl, “If you’re sure.” 

Pearl took a deep breath and nodded, speaking up for the Pearl still floating there, “Default settings.”

“Default setting selected.” The shell hummed, “Please stand by.” The shell descended and opened to reveal a Pearl reforming.

The Pearl was the exact colors of Pink Diamond, bright pink with light pink hair in pigtails. Her hair covered her eyes mostly, with only her left eye poking out behind her bangs. Her top was bright pink with overly long sleeves, and cropping at her stomach. There was a bow tied at the back of it. Her lower half was a tutu, the same color as her top. She had high white socks with dark pink stripes at the top of them, and light pink ballet flats with bright pink bows on the back of them. 

However, the thing that was most striking about her- and the thing that caused Pearl to gasp and over her mouth again, was the fact that the Pearl’s gem was defaulted to be where her mouth was supposed to be. Leaving her mute. 

Garnet gasped herself, bringing her hand to her own mouth in disgust. Who would order a Pearl like this? Amethyst winced, sucking in air through her teeth, “Ah shit-”

The Pearl looked around before spotting Pearl, and kneeling before her. She seemed to go to talk, but realized her gem was over her mouth. She felt the gem a moment before closing her eyes and lifting her hair so that her neck was exposed. Pearl sobbed loudly at this, muttering, “No- no no please- no-”

“What is she doing?” Amethyst whispered to Garnet, who looked lost and unsure what to do. 

“She knows she’s defective,” Garnet whispered back, “So she’s offering to let her new owner put her back into her gem and then shatter her for her defect.”

“Shit-” Amethyst winced.

“Please-” Pearl took the other Pearl’s hands and put them down and away from her neck, “Don’t do that. If I have to order you to do anything- never do that. You’re fine the way you are. I will never shatter you.”

The Pearl looked at the renegade, eyes shining in awe before she nodded and stood straight. Bowing to her new master. Amethyst and Garnet grimaced at this motion. 

This was going to be a long day.