Something Entirely New (A Pearl x Reader)

Act 9: Your Goodbye

Today was your final day on Beach City, and much to your luck, it hadn't begun well. After the dance with Pearl, Greg invited you to stay over for dinner, which you quite reluctantly accepted. You didn't want to stay any longer, and much less did you desire to bother them. Even so, you ended up inside their home, eating a 'Together Dinner' courtesy of both Steven and Amethyst.

As a result, you ended up returning to the hotel at midnight, and the distractions didn't stop there, for the hotel attendant had offered you a cup of coffee— just like the day when you'd first met him. You ended up chatting with him for a full hour and a half, with your topics varying from something as simple as the weather to something as complex as explaining the feelings you felt for the tall, copper-haired woman.

With such an eventful day, you ended up falling asleep at four in the morning, and waking up at ten.

In a haste, you jumped out of bed, and ran towards the bathroom. You stood in front of the mirror, and as you were midway through washing your lethargic face, you noticed something odd through the reflection.

Your chest was still ornamented with the flower chain Steven had gifted you with, yet the gem residing in the middle of it seemed off. It had a peculiar glow emanating from it, and once your hand made contact with it, you felt a strange, warm feeling take over your chest. It felt similar to the sensation you experienced when you'd finalized dancing with Pearl.

You were about to remove the necklace, looking to inspect it more closely, yet once you took notice of the late hour, you quickly shook off the curiosity resting in your mind. Your morning routine went by in the blink of an eye, and now, you stood outside the hotel's premises. The boat was to make its arrival in just six hours, and you wanted to enjoy these last moments as best as it was possible.

"I can't believe I've met this many people. . ." You mumbled, currently holding your phone in your hand, and scrolling through the list of contacts.

Three new people had been added to your list: Hotel guy— since he refused to give you his real name, saying it was to keep the mystery alive, Greg, and Garnet. All three of them had given you their numbers yesterday, seeing as you would eventually take your leave, and you would hardly ever meet with them again— in person, at least.

Not only did you obtain three new contacts, but you also managed to form some remarkable acquaintanceship with the remaining four women that were seemingly in charge of taking care of Steven. Though, you had to admit it was strange to see so many caretakers in one home, you appreciated the welcoming feeling they all brought when together.

"Hey!" A nasally-voiced exclaimed, making you snap your gaze away from the phone's screen.

Looking towards the direction of the voice, you spotted Peridot standing just two feet away from you. She was observing you with bright, sparkling eyes, and with a wide, full-toothed smile apparent over her face. You waved in response to her greeting, and shortly after taking such actions, she took lead of the conversation.

"Here. . . I wanted to give you this before you left in your water-resistant transportation!" She explained in a jubilant tone, whilst handing you over a small, rolled-up piece of paper in your hands. "You mustn't open until you arrive at your home planet!"

"Oh. . . Well, thank you." You spoke, slightly taken aback by the new company you'd just received. "I'll keep it safe inside my bag, then."

"What's your home like?" The green-toned woman suddenly inquired, as she faced you with expectant eyes. "What are things like at (country)?"

"It's a pretty good place. . . I've managed to make a few good friends there." You responded, thinking back on the frantic call you'd received from your boss's mother. "Though, it has its faults, I like the life I've been able to form there along these years."

Peridot listened intently at your words,  nodding in an appreciative manner throughout your entire speech. Then, a thought crossed her mind, and she surfaced it once you were finished speaking.

"What about this location? Do you consider it to be a pleasant place to stay in?"

"Yeah. . ." You trailed off, permitting for a warm smile to creep over your face. "I've enjoyed my stay here thus far."

Having heard those words, Peridot's faced lightened up, as a hint of excitement slowly became apparent over her features. She seemed to carry the urge of asking you something else, yet as you were about to encourage her, she reached out for your arm. Gently, she took hold of your wrist, having taken notice of your confused expression.

"Follow me! I have something I want to show you before you go." The short woman explained, leading you to nod in slight bewilderment.

She began to walk towards the ocean's border, while your mind could only wonder over just what she desired to show you before you took your leave. You followed her closely behind, occasionally being tugged by your arm in what seemed to be anticipation.

You came to a stop right in front of the ocean's waves. Your sandaled feet were now wrapped in cold, humid sand, and the wind caused for your tied-up hair to be all over the place.

You stood silent in wait for Peridot's next action, whilst she looked around her— apparently in search for something important. After assuming that what she wished to show you was yet to arrive, you focused your gaze on the sky, thus taking in the scenery one last time.

"Uh. . ." Peridot spoke, noticing that the wait was taking somewhat longer than expected. "Seeing as the others are having a delay. . . I'd like to ask you something."

"Oh. . .? Sure." You responded to her words, now meeting with her gaze. "What would you like to know?"

"Is there a reason as to why your necklace won't cease its glow?" She interrogated, pointing with her lime-green pointer finger at your chest— where the flower necklace was resting at.

"What?" You mumbled, quickly looking down at your torso.

Having done so, you noticed the flower necklace was indeed still continuing with its glow. You gently placed your fingers over it, and felt how a strange, faint heat emanated from the gem it possessed in its center. It seemed to get hotter the more you held on to it, which caused for a plethora of questions to surface over your mind.

Suddenly, however, your attentive observation was placed on a stop, as a faint call of your name reached your ears. You quickly lifted your gaze towards where you'd heard the voice, and searched to see who'd been the one to call you.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Author's Note:

Well, this has a remaining of 2 chapters left (plus a one-shot that's meant to mimic an epilogue), and I'd really like to thank everyone who's read this far. I didn't expect so many people would take a liking towards this fanfic. (Honestly, if it weren't for my occasional insomniac nights, I would've probably never gotten the urge to publish this. . . Unlike my other works, this wasn't something I had planned to do.)

Anyhow, here's a quick overview of what's left for this fanfic:

Act 10: Her Farewell (22nd of this month)

SA-5: Gleaming (25-26th of this month)

Extra One-Shot (near the end of this month)

That would be all, and I hope you enjoyed!