Bismuth stood behind the cubical forcefield Rose’s Room had created, staring at Pearl. She was just outside Bismuth’s prison, sitting in a chair amidst a field of pink clouds.

Pearl held a book in her hands, her eyes fixed on it and nothing else. There was a sword at her side.

The sword was a gift from Bismuth thousands of years ago (one of the many swords Bismuth had made just for her). Elegant design on the hilt. Light, but not too light. Might not look like much, but could do more damage than any Homeworld Gem could imagine.

Small, elegant, deadly. Perfect.

Just like her.

Bismuth wondered if that would be the weapon that would end up shattering her, considering how Pearl must feel about her now.

Pearl wouldn’t so much as glance at Bismuth. She stared at the book, practically glaring at it. She’d been doing that in silence for hours now.

Taking a deep breath, Bismuth took a chance and spoke.

“... what are you reading?” Bismuth asked.

Pearl didn’t look up. She didn’t react at all.

“It uh ... must be pretty interesting,” Bismuth said awkwardly. “You seem pretty into it.”

Pearl was silent.

Bismuth approached the edge of her prison, right in front of the invisible wall separating her from Pearl. She sighed.

“You know, you don’t have to sit here silent the whole time,” Bismuth said. “We could at least talk or--”

Pearl finally spoke, but didn’t look up from her book. Her voice was ice cold.

“I have nothing to say to you.”

Bismuth winced. She couldn’t remember a time when Pearl had been that harsh. If she just had a chance to explain ...

“Look, I know how you must feel,” Bismuth said carefully. “It’s not like I attacked Rose because I wanted to--”

“We are not having this conversation,” Pearl said.

“I just ... I couldn’t believe she wouldn’t just let me win the war for us. That’s exactly what the Breaking Point would have done, and I just--”

Pearl’s eyes darted to Bismuth.

“I don’t want to hear it!” she shouted.

Bismuth clenched her fist. She shouted without meaning to.

“Come on, Pearl, I’m your friend! You at least owe me a chance to explain!”

Pearl slammed her book shut and stood up.

“‘Owe you’?!” Pearl yelled. She practically spat out the words. “You tried to shatter Rose and you have the gall to say I owe you anything?!”

“I didn’t have a choice!” Bismuth shouted back. “I was trying to save everyone and Rose wouldn’t let me-- what was I supposed to do?!”

“You were supposed to stop!” Pearl shouted. “You were supposed to trust her like we all did!”

“I did! I wanted to, but when she betrayed us--”

“You betrayed us! You turned your back against everything Rose ever believed in, that all life is precious and worth protecting!”

Bismuth couldn’t help but roll her eyes.

“Yeah, I’m just-- just all torn up that Pink Diamond is shattered now,” Bismuth said. “Her life was precious. Yeah. Sure.”

Pearl gritted her teeth. Bismuth knew she was crossing a line mentioning Pink Diamond, Her Diamond, and what Rose did to her ... but she couldn’t stop herself. And it didn’t make her point any less valid.

“That was different,” Pearl said through her teeth.

“Oh, no, trust me, I get it,” Bismuth said bitterly. “When Bismuth wants to shatter the Gems who want us dead, it’s wrong. It’s evil. But when Rose Quartz shatters a Diamond, oh, there was just no other choice so it’s fine. It’s completely different.” Bismuth glared at Pearl. “Get. Real.”

“You knew Rose! You KNEW she always regretted that!”

“Yeah, I know! But she shouldn’t have! Pink Diamond was a tyrant. The universe is a better place without her!”

“That’s not--”

“Don’t act like you don’t think so too! You were her Pearl after--”

“Shut up!” snapped Pearl.

Bismuth stopped. She saw the look in her eyes, still angry ... but also haunted. For the first time their entire conversation, Bismuth actually regretted saying something. Pulling open that old wound, knowing what Pearl had gone through ...

That was low.

Bismuth glanced at the pink clouds at her feet.

“... I’m sorry,” Bismuth whispered. “I shouldn’t have said that ...”

Pearl didn’t reply. Bismuth looked back at her.

“But you see what I mean, right?” Bismuth continued. “Can you imagine all the good it would have done to shatter all the Diamonds? No more purged planets, no more Gems being denied their full potential, no more harvested Gems, no more empire ...” Bismuth frowned. “... no more Pearls going through what you did.”

Pearl said nothing. Bismuth found herself getting frustrated.

“Come on, you get it! You have to! There’s no one smarter than you!” Bismuth placed her hand on the forcefield. “Please, Pearl! Of all Gems, you have to understand!”

Pearl glanced at Bismuth. There wasn’t an ounce of sympathy in her eyes.

“I do understand ...” Pearl said. “... but I also understand that if you would attack Rose just for disagreeing with you, you’re not a Gem I’d trust to do the right thing. Because if you’d do that, you’re no better than Homeworld.”

Bismuth felt a fierce anger bubble up inside of her. That was not the right thing to say to Bismuth. Ever.

“What?!” Bismuth shouted.

“If you’d try to shatter someone who thought differently than you, how is that any different from Homeworld or the Diamonds? You’d be doing exactly what they’re doing: shattering Gems because they won’t conform to exactly what you want, even if they’re innocent!”

Bismuth clenched her fists and let out a bitter laugh.

“HA!” Bismuth shouted. “Rose Quartz, innocent?! Yeah, right! She’s not the perfect Gem you pretend she is, Pearl!”

“I don’t think she’s per--”

Bismuth shook her head.

“Don’t deny it!” Bismuth said, centuries of frustration boiling to the surface. “You always thought she could do no wrong, no matter what! If she had asked you to sacrifice yourself for her, you’d have done it without a second thought and you’d have be happy to do it! That’s how blind you are when it comes to her!”

Pearl’s face turned red. The look in her eyes could kill. She spoke in a harsh whisper.

“You’re crossing the line--”

But Bismuth kept going. She couldn’t stop herself.

“I mean, is that it?! Is that why it doesn’t bother you what all the other Pearls are going through on Homeworld?!” Bismuth raised her voice. “Did you just not care about anyone else as long as you had Rose Quartz to possess you?!”

Pearl flung her fist toward Bismuth. Shocked, Bismuth shut her eyes, only to hear a loud thud as Pearl’s fist struck the forcefield.

Bismuth opened her eyes slowly. Pearl’s fist lingered on the forcefield, inches from Bismuth’s face.

Pearl’s head was down.

“... you want to know what I care about?” Pearl said quietly, her voice cracking. “I care about this planet. I care about our friends who got shattered for this war. I care about the ones who are suffering in corrupted forms who can’t even remember who they were! I care they all fought to protect this place and, despite everything, they succeeded! Just so the Earth would be safe, just so everyone left could have a better life! And I refuse to let you twist that into a failure! I refuse to let you sit there and claim because the Diamonds aren’t shattered that nothing anyone did mattered!”

For a moment, Bismuth was speechless.

“I--” Bismuth started. “I wasn’t trying to--”

“But that’s not even the worst part,” Pearl said. She looked up ... and Bismuth saw there were tears in her eyes. “I trusted you, you know?! I really did! I never thought, of all Gems, you’d be the one to ever do something like this to Rose, to any of us!”

Bismuth stared at Pearl. She had nothing to say.

Pearl choked back a sob.

“If you could just turn on one of your friends like that, you-- you must not have cared about any of us at all,” Pearl said. “And nothing, no one, has made me hurt the way you have by doing what you did. Not anyone on Homeworld. Not Rose. Not even Pink Diamond.”

Bismuth felt a sting deep in her Gem. It was the most hurtful thing anyone had ever said to Bismuth ... and she couldn’t even argue back because she could tell Pearl meant it. And that made it so much worse.

There was an awkward silence. A moment later, pink clouds parted revealing the Temple door. It glowed white for a moment before opening, allowing Garnet to step through.

Garnet’s shades were drawn, but Bismuth could tell she wasn’t even looking at her when she entered. She spoke.

“Pearl--”

“I’m fine,” Pearl said, without turning to face her.

Garnet paused, then said, “It’s my shift to watch Bismuth now. You can go.”

Pearl turned back to Garnet. She wiped the tears from her eyes.

Pearl picked up her sword and her book before walking towards the door. Both Pearl and Garnet ignored Bismuth.

No, Bismuth thought. She couldn’t just let Pearl leave like that. She had to say something to make her feel better, anything--

“I did care about you!” Bismuth shouted as Pearl approached the Temple door.

Pearl stopped walking, but did not look back. Garnet simply watched.

“I still do!” Bismuth said, surprised at the emotion in her own voice.

Pearl didn’t turn around when she spoke.

“Well,” Pearl said, “then I wish you’d have never come out of your bubble, so I’d never have to know this is how you treat the Gems you care about ...”

Bismuth had no words as Pearl left Rose’s Room.