Voicemail

Liar (White Diamond's Pearl)

There are a few headcanons here.

-

"O-oh, my bad!"

Pink Diamond's pearl was somewhat of a nervous mess when she walked into the room, passing by the other pearl as she stumbled and stepped back. The other pearl held her shaking hands by her side, and she forced her trembling legs to move so that she could stand against the wall. With her slender form flat against the grey walls of the Earth's Diamond Base, she looked so small. So powerless. So terrified.

White Diamond's pearl pitied her.

"At ease." Her words were curt but not unkind. Calculated.

Pink Diamond's pearl nodded. Her light blue eyes shone with fear; less fear, but still fear. Did she fear White Diamond - her Diamond?

"Honestly."

She nodded again.

"M-my-" The pearl gagged. She took a deep breath.

Oh stars. If she was so nervous now, how would she react to her Diamond.

"I'm just a pearl." The words slipped from her lips easily. And they were true. She wasn't a gem of high rank by creation, just by ownership.

And yet her words didn't reassure Pink Diamond's pearl.

Hmm... oh, wait.

Pink Diamond's pearl turned her gaze to the wall, breaking eye contact.

"I will fetch my Diamond." She quickly walked away, pausing only to activate the stairs before disappearing.

White Diamond's pearl heard the sound of the door opening, and she quickly bowed. Her Diamond didn't show that she noticed, but when she looked up, she saw her Diamond's grey gaze focused on the stairs.

Her Diamond sighed.

"Shall I fetch her?"

It had been a while, White Diamond's pearl noted.

Her Diamond nodded.

White Diamond's pearl began walking towards the stairs. The Earth's Diamond Base was silent. As she walked up the stairs, she heard bits of conversations:

"...here?"

Muttering.

"Why?"

Whispers.

"I'm okay."

White Diamond's pearl cleared her throat to announce her presence.

"Oh!" There was some more muttering.

White Diamond's pearl was greeted with the odd sight of Pink Diamond leaning against the wall, breathing heavily and clearly favoring her right leg. Said leg was bruised and dotted with a few dark pink bruises and slightly twisted. The Diamond's outfit was dirty, with tears on one side resembling claw marks.

With a grimace of pain, the Diamond turned her head to focus her cloudy gaze on her. White Diamond's pearl couldn't help by flinch at the sight before her, looking away.

Now her eyes were locked on the other pearl, guilt plastered on her face. Her body trembled.

"Stuff happened..." The pearl's voice was soft.

Stuff? White Diamond's pearl looked at Pink Diamond again. The Diamond limped forward, and raised a hand.

Shhh...

Pink Diamond's outfit glittered and glowed white. When it faded, the claw marks were gone and the Diamond brushed her clothes off.

Good as new.

The Diamond and her pearl nervously looked at White Diamond's pearl, an expression of guilt plastered on both of their face; Pink Diamond appeared particularly ashamed of something - her injuries or maybe the fact that White Diamond's pearl had seen her in such a state. She was still struggling to breathe properly, though breathing was more of a calming technique or an indicator of exhaustion than a need for their kind. The diamond's gaze didn't meet hers, not because of the gap between their status, but out of, well, guilt. The Diamond and her pearl were hiding something.

"I..."

White Diamond's pearl finally managed to meet the Diamond's gaze. The Diamond flinched then stared back.

"Umm... I tripped."

A lie.

The gem gave her a tiny, stressed smile after her words. White Diamond's pearl raised an eyebrow. Should she...?

Maybe...

"Tripped?"

"Yeah."

"And it gave you claw marks and twisted leg?"

The Diamond didn't answer.

"My Diamond wishes to speak to you."

"Oh." The Diamond glanced at her bruised leg, and she hesitantly stumbled towards the stairs.

"Pink."

The Diamond didn't say anything, just nervously messed with her hair.

Her Diamond sighed. "Pink."

Pink Diamond nervously looked up at her, her body shivering under her Diamond's grey gaze, showing some sort of emotion that White Diamond's pearl hadn't seen before from her. Not in her seven thousand three hundred forty six years of serving her.

"You're injured." Her voice was calm, but something akin to concern was present.

"I... tripped."

The thing about White Diamond was that her powers were related to the mind. The truth; one's memories; reasoning. Her Diamond's steel-colored eyes stared straight at Pink Diamond and her Diamond crouched down, her eyes shimmering in a way that told her that she was using her powers. While her Diamond was not all-knowing, she could tell if someone was lying. And what they were saying didn't even have to be true, they just needed to believe it was.

And Pink Diamond did not believe that words she said.

Her Diamond knew.

"That's not true." It was a statement.

Pink Diamond said nothing, finally looking down and watching her pearl. Pink Diamond's pearl gazed at her diamond in concern.

"You are lying." It's not an accusation. A pause. "Why?"

"I'm..." Pink Diamond hesitated and took a deep breath. "I can't tell you."

"You can, but you won't."

"Yes..."

"Will it harm the planet?"

Pink Diamond managed to look up at her Diamond-

And why is there the smallest of grins on her face?

-and easily answer. "No."

"Will it put you in danger?"

"It should not." Her voice was calm-

Pink Diamond's pearl took a small step towards her diamond.

-and she nodded.

Her Diamond narrowed her eyes, then just sighed. "Please be more careful, Pink." It was clear she had suspicions about how Pink Diamond had obtained such injuries - messing around with some machinery, trying to engage in combat against the rebels - but she stayed silent. She stood up and began walking away.

"Good-bye."