Steven has a question for Pearl.
The Diamonds decorate their new rooms.
——
About a week ago, construction on a new part of the beach house began. The area, consisting of a hallway and three rooms, would become known as "the Diamond Wing". The area would be White, Yellow, and Blue's personal space.
Today, construction had finished, so the Diamonds began decorating their new rooms.
"Wow, I got so used to the clutter of Amethysts room, that this just feels so... empty," Yellow said, looking around her room.
"I don't know if that's a good thing or not," Blue said.
"Interpret it as you'd like," Yellow said. "I don't know what to do with it. Maybe I'll have it be an office, but I have my chambers on Homeworld for that."
"Well, I'm going to be installing a bed in my room," Blue said.
"What, so you can take naps all day instead of looking over data?" Yellow assumed.
"No... well, sometimes," Blue chuckled. "Sleeping is very relaxing. Maybe one day you'll join me."
Yellow blushed. "I'll... think about it."
"You're too cute," Blue kissed her cheek. "Let's check on White. She's been working really hard on her room."
===
"Pearl?"
Pearl, who was on the beach, turned to see Steven standing behind her. "Oh, Steven!! Do you need anything?"
"I kinda had a question," Steven said.
"Oh? Well, what is it?" Pearl asked, giving him her full attention.
"How did mom do... it?" Steven asked. "Y'know, fake her death and all. How'd she do that?"
Pearl's eyes went wide. "Oh... well, she..." Pearl tried to find a good way to explain this. "She set off a bomb."
"A bomb?" Steven looked at her.
"While the smoke obstructed everyone's view, she threw a pile of fake shards she had created onto the ground and ran off," Pearl said. "Only me and Garnet knew of her plan. Prior, I wrote a note on behalf of her. Afterwards, I bubbled her shards and the note together, and sent it to the Diamonds."
"Oh..." Steven looked down, then back up at Pearl. "What was on the note? The Diamonds never told me."
"I... I think it's better that you hear it from Pink herself." Pearl then projected a hologram. From that hologram stood none other than Pink Diamond.
"Pearl," Pink spoke in Pearl's voice. "I need you to write this for me."
"Yes, Pink," Pearl responded.
"To White, Yellow, and Blue," Pink began. "It pains me to know that I have to do this, but it felt like it was the only option. If I surrender, I will be forced back into a life that was pure torture for me. If I don't surrender and I keep fighting, thousands more gems will be shattered. So, I have decided that in order to end the war..." Tears sprang up in Pink's eyes. "I will shatter myself. If my death doesn't make you reconsider how horrendous your actions have been, then nothing will." Pink choked on her tears. "Love, Pink."
Pearl looked at Pink with tearful eyes. "Pink, are you sure you want to do this?"
"Yes," Pink said, her voice full of pain. "I'm sick of the fighting. I can't do it anymore. This is the only thing that will make them stop."
"What if they don't?" Pearl asked.
"Then we'll know how they really feel," Pink said. "Are you ready to be free, Pearl? Free from your burdens? Free from your fears? Free from Homeworld's clutch?"
"...Yes, Pink," Pearl said.
Pink grabbed some soil, crushing it and turning it into a pile of shards. "Then let's do it."
The hologram then dissipated.
Steven stood, eyes wide. He looked at Pearl, who had collapsed to her knees.
"Your mother was in a lot of pain, Steven," Pearl said. "She thought faking her death was the only plausible option. However, as you know, it didn't go as she hoped." She sighed. "I don't know if there was a better option either."
"It didn't look like it was an easy choice," Steven said.
"It wasn't," Pearl said. "But she had tried negotiating several times, and to no avail. She was out of ideas."
"Did she regret it?" Steven asked.
"She felt guilty, but she didn't regret it," Pearl said. "At least from what I know. If she knew beforehand what the Diamond's would've done, if Garnet could've seen it coming... I wonder if Pink would've done something else. I guess there's no real way to know now, is there?"
"I guess not," Steven said.