"Come in," called out White Diamond. The Lapis Lazuli strode in, clearly nervous. What news might she have this time?

"I come with a message..." the Lapis said, "...from Blue Diamond. The Sky Arena on the unfinished colony Earth has been attacked. Blue Diamond and her court were forced to flee. At least two Gems seem to have defected to the rebels." The Lapis stood, shuddering. It was tough enough to merely talk to White Diamond, with her intimidating presence, but it was even worse when you had to deliver bad news. Taking a bow, she continued, "Blue Diamond humbly requests the aid of -"

"Who led the attack?" White Diamond suddenly asked.

The Lapis gulped. "Pink Diamond's experimental Rose Quartz...and a Pearl."

White Diamond leaned down. The Lapis shuddered. "This...Pearl. What might she have looked like?"

"She...was predominantly white...with her gem in her forehead."

"Come in," called White Diamond. The doors to her chamber opened, and in came Pink Diamond-accompanied by a Gem clad in a large gown.

White Diamond gazed upon the unknown Gem with curiosity. Never had she seen a warrior Gem like this. She seemed strong, to be sure, but also unfit for a direct combat role.

"So, my sister," White Diamond began, not taking her eyes off the new Gem, "this is your new creation?"

"Yes!" Pink Diamond said. White Diamond rolled her eyes at her sister's overenthusiasm. "Created under my watch, modeled after me, and made to fill a role sorely lacking in our forces!"

White Diamond looked up at Pink Diamond. "If this is about your insistence on defenders and healers -"

"But of course," Pink Diamond said, suddenly much more serious. "We can't just rely on brute force all the time. If we were to encounter a foe that is strong and intelligent enough to put up a decent fight -"

"All right, fine, I'll bite." White Diamond looked back at her sister's experiment. "What are you called? And what can you do?"

The new Gem looked up, gazing back at White Diamond without a speck of fear. "My name is Rose Quartz. And as for what I can do..." She raised her arm, and suddenly, a shield formed on her hand.

"Isn't it brilliant?" Pink Diamond burst out. "Capable of resisting any blow or blast! She doesn't even have to reach into her gemstone to summon it - the shield can be formed on demand!"

"Impressive," White Diamond admitted, "but I hope you have more than just a shield."

"Ooh, ooh!" Pink Diamond said, full of excitement. "Rose, show her your super-bubble!"

Before White Diamond could ask what a "super-bubble" was, she got her answer - Rose Quartz put her arms out, and an abnormally large bubble formed around her.

"It can be formed large enough to encompass a small force!" Pink Diamond proudly exclaimed.

White Diamond nodded. "Well then. While I will not claim to be a true believer in your capabilities just yet, I must admit you do show promise." She looked back at Pink Diamond. "But there's one thing you're neglecting. For ages you have been insisting on the necessity for Gems capable of healing in the field. Does this 'Rose Quartz' do that, or was Yellow Diamond right to insist that such a power is impossible?"

Pink Diamond looked nervous. "Well...she can..." White Diamond raised her eyebrows. "...but really, we have no practical way to test it here. How about this, I'll send you the records of the experiments and -"

"That will not be necessary." White Diamond pressed a button on her throne's armrest, and a small shaft of light fell down from above. From a small duct, an object slowly fell - an ovular Gem, suspended in a white bubble.

The Gem fell into White Diamond's open hand. After staring at it for a few seconds, she abruptly shut her hand tight. Rose Quartz and Pink Diamond heard the sound of something popping - and the sound of something else cracking. White Diamond opened her hand, and gave a small smirk. Leaning over, she handed the Gem to Rose Quartz, who could not fail to notice the large crack across it.

"Now, really, White," Pink Diamond protested, "was that really necessary?"

"If Rose Quartz really can heal as you say, this Pearl will be perfectly fine. And if not...well, I was going to shatter her anyway."

Rose Quartz looked up at White Diamond with a scandalized look, but quickly diverted her attention to the dormant Pearl in her hands. Bowing her head down, she began to silently cry. White Diamond was perplexed. What Quartz was so soft as to break down crying when a simple Pearl was wounded? But her confusion turned to shock when she saw the gemstone begin to glow. When the light faded, White Diamond bent down again to take a closer look - the gem was pristine.

"Amazing..." White Diamond muttered, eyes wide. She looked back at Rose Quartz, who looked back with a mixture of pride, revulsion, and defiance. "You really are something special, aren't you...?"

"Yep! Just as I planned!" Pink Diamond looked on giddily. Her shock at White Diamond's previous act forgotten, her face broke into the widest smile seen on any of the Diamonds.

"Well. It seems I may have underestimated you, Pink. Yellow certainly has..." White Diamond chuckled at the thought of how Yellow Diamond would react to what was accomplished by her sister.

"Excuse me?" White Diamond's smile faded. Rose Quartz was speaking - out of line. "This Pearl...why were you planning to shatter her?"

White Diamond, after a brief pause, responded, "Because she is defective. Do you see how malformed she is? She is unruly, incapable of following my commands, always running off to watch the Quartzes or the Peridots. I expect nothing but total obedience from a Pearl. I have already ordered a new one from the Delta Kindergarten in Facet 3."

"May I take her?"

A silence filled the room. Neither Diamond present had expected such brashness from any Gem, even a Quartz. And yet the Empire's first Rose Quartz was making a direct request to a Diamond to take her rejected Pearl.

After a time of thinking, White Diamond broke the silence. "Why would you want such an embarrassment?"

Without hesitation, Rose Quartz answered. "I...believe it would be a shame to simply dispose of a perfectly functioning Gem based just on a few...quirks. Why..." She paused, seemingly trying to choose her next words. "...why waste the resources put into producing this Gem? Especially when another would be perfectly willing to harbor her..."

Rose Quartz was smart, White Diamond had to admit that. Using practicality and logic to explain herself...it was something she sought for in her own followers. "Very well, then." Rose Quartz gave a small jolt - apparently, she had not expected her request to be granted. "I suppose there's no harm in handing her off."

Pink Diamond, confused but still as jolly as ever, gave a small smile. Rose Quartz, looking the brightest she had the whole visit, replied with a bow, "Thank you, White Diamond."

When the Amber arrived at White Diamond's chamber, she witnessed a terrifying sight - an angry White Diamond and a dormant Lapis Lazuli, lying on the floor. "Take her to the infirmary to recover, and then send her away," White Diamond said with a low, infuriated voice.

"Y-yes, my Diamond," replied the Amber, making the diamonds' salute.

"And send word to my armies of their new assignment - unless otherwise occupied, they are to relocate to the colony-in-progress known as Earth immediately. Any Gem found to be affiliated with the rebel movement on the planet is to be incapacitated or shattered immediately."

"Of course."

"...And one last thing," White Diamond continued, one of her hands clenching into a fist. "If a white Pearl with a malformed gemstone is captured, she is to be brought to me. Intact."