Stars and Diamonds

Chapter 24: Conference

"White has decided Orange won't receive another Pearl until she has finished her lessons with her personally."

"Good," Yellow sat back heavily in her chair, a hand sweeping over her face, "that incident was unacceptable. We should be so glad that there was no audience to such a display."

"It was an accident, Yellow. She was clearly upset."

"I saw an out of control gem, not an emotional breakdown. I told all of you she was not ready for a pearl." Yellow turned to the diamond display where her fellow gem was shown, "What was she thinking, snapping like that? What if she had hurt Pink? Or one of us?"

Blue narrowed her eyes at Yellow, disapproval clear on her face, "You can't blame Orange, she couldn't have known she could do that. None of us have shown her."

"Which is why we can't keep coddling her."

Blue sighed, turning away from Yellow to look at something in the distance, "Maybe..." she wiped at a tear that had collected in her eye before turning back to Yellow who had been watching her, "She reacted quite hysterically to Pink, didn't she?"

"i noted that as well." Yellow pursed her lips, "Whatever is going on is obviously effecting Orange negatively. I had not expected her to manifest her abilities so...violently. It should have happened in a controlled environment, with one of us guiding her."

"Perhaps we have been holding Orange back." Blue proposed," We have never been too sure just what is the correct approach for her, she grows and learns at such a sporadic pace."

"True, but her growth has been fluctuating recently. Some days she excels, and others she seems to be going nowhere. And it helps neither of us when she is in one of her moods. I do not think I can handle another yelling match between us so soon."

"She has been arguing with you?" Blue's eyes showed concern that yellow was quick to wave away.

"Nothing i can not handle." After a pause, she leaned forward and Yellow met Blue's eyes, a seriousness settling on her features, "She had been with you before she had gone to stay with Pink. How would you evaluate her emotional status then?"

"She was perfectly fine, Yellow." Blue's head fell into her hand, covering her eyes as her hair fell to partially obscure part of her face, and Yellow could clearly see the fatigue Blue normally managed to hide well, "She was as she always is, happy, interested in our work, a little mischievous with the guards and much more outspoken then the last time I saw her, but that is simply Orange."

"Mmmh, She is certainly not as compliant as she used to be, is she?" Yellow couldn't stop the small smile that formed on her lips while Blue looked up at her, mirroring her expression with a wistful one.

"She is much more decisive than she used to be. She no longer wishes to be by my side constantly and likes to do whatever she can to get out of her lessons. I believe she is growing discontent with her confinements to us. She speaks often now of how White allows her to do things we don't."

Yellow rolled her eyes, "Yes, I have heard more than I care to about how White has given her so much free reign."

"But it has made her so independent. She will not want our guiding hand much longer."

"i can only imagine how long it will be until she is demanding a colony of her own."

Blue paled, her eyebrows shooting up in alarm, "Do you believe White would allow that?"

Yellow grimaced, "With how Pink's success has gone? Stars no. Besides, she isn't even half a millennia in age yet. Pink was at least well into her third by the time we caved."

"Is it possible that is why she is failing, Yellow? Had we held her back too long?"

"Do not place her failures at our feet, Blue." Yellow's tone came out more harsh then she had intended but she continued on, "the faults in Pink's colony are her own."

"i suppose you are correct. i just wish it had turned out better for her. she had wanted a colony so badly."

"And we gave her the easiest planet she could ask for." Yellow's voice softened as Blue's eyes fell to the floor, "There is nothing more we can do but wait for her to sort things out. In the mean time, we have our own colonies to further, and Orange to deal with."

"Not until she has finished with White, at least." Blue reminded, looking back up at Yellow, he brow becoming pinched, "Pink was quite upset about that as well. She so looks forward to spending time with her."

"What Pink wants is irrelevant in this case."

"Its still upsetting, Yellow. Have some compassion."

"And maybe you should have a little less." Yellow sneered, "It will do Pink some good to have time on her own. No distractions, so she can't blame Orange needing her attention this time."

A pause in the conversation formed as Blue hesitated a long moment before finally speaking, "...i did not say anything to Orange, but have you noticed she no longer calls Pink by that organic title?"

"Mother?" Yellow's eyebrow rose in question and Blue nodded an affirmative, "yes, but i wasn't going to bring it up. I for one am glad she has broken that silly habit. I assumed you had said something?"

"No, i thought you might have."

Yellow's eyes fell closed for a moment as she let out a deep sigh, "...White, of course. It was only a matter of time before she stepped in, i suppose."

Blue visibly winced at White's name, "I hope she was gentle with her."

"whatever she was, it worked, and i can accept those results."

"You know how White can be, Yellow. what if she-"

"We both know White has shown favoritism with her, and her way seems to be highly effective. I doubt she would change her manner of dealing with Orange now." Yellow reminded her, "Which is why i believe it might very well be for the best it is White taking Orange's lessons in her own hands at the moment. "

"I hope you are correct, Yellow."

"You'll see, Blue. I generally am."