How many years have passed since Pink Diamond locked herself in her room? 10 years? Maybe a little more. Gems have a strange vision of time. Each day can last a second or an eternity, depending on their emotional state. For Pink, this confinement seems to have lasted a millennium. She can't forget Pearl's gaze. It is as if it were engraved. All that horror in her eyes. Pink Diamond hates itself. It's her fault. If she hadn't let her stupid anger guide her, Pearl would still be here! Her life would go on as usual. Now, nothing interests her any more. The activities that previously entertained her seem bland. Without her... why bother?

« I’m such a fool! » Pink moans, curling up where she sits.

The furniture has been abandoned to its fate in a corner. Pink doesn't even have the courage to lie down on her own bed anymore. She stays on the ground and simply waits without moving. Maybe her emotions will pass eventually, with enough patience? Will she have to wait a long time? Blue comes to see her regularly, but her gentleness is no longer enough to bring any comfort. Yellow also came. Pink Diamond was surprised to see her trying to be understanding. This is more than she would have thought possible. This incident with Pearl may have awakened an old, but terrible memory. Nothing can prove it, but Yellow’s approach to this topic was unusual for someone with her pride:

« Pink, there are things that cannot be rebuilt. What we destroy is often destroyed for good. If luckily you manage to fix what you damaged, it will never the same. Your Pearl is... White will not give her back to you. She doesn't think you deserve her gifts anymore. You disappointed her. I'll... we'll get you another one when the time is right. »

« Is she okay? I didn't know White could... mend Gems. »

« Pink, White Diamond has the power to perfect everything she touches. Something broken is imperfect, by definition. However, her talent seems to have limits. I believe it does not restore everything. The mind remains broken, for example. To answer your other question... I don't know how your old Pearl is doing. Her gem is in White's hands, certainly stored somewhere. You upset her to the point that she refuses to hear about it! I admit it's a feat, even for you. » She takes a short break and then goes on, joking:

« Who knows, maybe one day she will miss you so much that she will take it out of her box to make herself a servant? »

It's exceptionally rare to see Yellow dabble in humor, but Pink doesn't have the heart to laugh. The subject is too serious, too painful. Before this, she would have found it amusing that someone could even imagine White Diamond in the company of a Pearl! It's too vulgar for the « great gem » that she is. Why won’t her pain stop? Pink feels so bad that she doesn't notice that Yellow is trying to lighten the mood. And yet such an event should go down in history!

Time is passing. Pink Diamond doesn't care how much. Each minute seems to last a century. White never comes and refuses to see her altogether. In truth, she wouldn't go through such trouble, even in a normal situation. Pearl was her gift! White Diamond gave her life with unique specifications. Obviously, Blue and Yellow received theirs in a similar fashion, but everyone knows this one was special: it was perfect for Pink. A superb success, all the more impressive since White Diamond is incapable of understanding Pink Diamond. After all, Yellow shares her relentlessness and Blue her calm. She can create gems accordingly, but with Pink, how do you conceive of the incomprehensible?

Good grief, why hasn't she got her anger under control as Yellow kept telling her? Her sisters are right, Pink is not worthy of receiving a colony. She feels like she is not ready for anything. Her dismal room makes her sick. It's messy, tasteless. This room seemed so alive before then. Today, the slightest thing reminds her of Pearl. Blue quickly got tired of this ugliness: she had the place changed to add some Pebbles. These tiny Gems have the sole task of cleaning, organizing and repairing rooms. They quickly became friends. The little ones are funny and not used at all to being thanked. Why do such charming creatures come to believe themselves worthless? One evening, when Blue was about to leave for her quarters, Pink finally had the bravery to ask her the question which tormented her:

« I've shattered a lot of Gems, haven't I? »

« It doesn't matter, sweetheart. Gems are replaceable. We have Kindergartens for that. »

« Broken Gems never come back. They are gone for good. »

« You are right, but why let that bother you, sweetheart? Each Gem is important, but sometimes a disaster cuts short their usefulness. This is how it is. »

« I'm a disaster, then. I guess you could hardly think of anything more suitable. »

« Oh, sweetheart! You're not a disaster, just... wilder than us. Gems are born with a purpose, but since we didn't understand yours, we weren't able to shape your development. I’ll try to be more severe to guide you, to teach you how to become a real Diamond. »

Blue's way of avoiding the question is telling enough: no matter how many Gems are gone, there have already been too many. Her reaction, however, is not what Pink would have hoped for: she doesn't want Blue to act like Yellow too! She doesn't need another sister imposing her own vision of what a « real Diamond » should be. Why is everything always getting worse? But no matter: this time, she must not give in to anger. Rage has destroyed too much. Enough. Now she is content to accept her sister's recommendations. Blue Diamond, satisfied by this turn of events, took it into her head to reward this sudden obedience. She therefore offered Pink a unique place, where she could « forget her worries » : a garden.

Pink Diamond had never seen greenery. These weird things don't work like Gems at all. They live and grow, but do not disappear when their physical form is damaged. No, on the contrary, they are injured or destroyed. Such fragility is fascinating. Blue only saw anomalies in these creatures and decided to keep a few out of intellectual curiosity. However, an organism that requires careful attention to thrive can be used to educate her younger sister:

« What do you want me to do with such things, Blue? »

« You will have to maintain these biologicals, allow them to survive. If you succeed, it will be because your qualities of patience and responsibility are improving. »

Blue Diamond has a sweet face. One can feel that being « severe » is absolutely not in her nature. She prefers reason. Blue is like water: an inexorable force, which transforms the world with its insistence. Gems believe that Yellow is the most powerful after White. They are wrong. The strongest is Blue. Behind her immense gentleness hides an implacable will. We're talking about the creator of Sapphires and Lapis Lazuli, after all. Nothing in the universe could make her change her opinion, not even over ten millennia. Of all of them, Pink feels closest to Blue. She is the only one who understands her doubts, but here’s the issue: the Diamond also has her own vision of the world.

In the Great Diamond Authority, Blue embodies thought. She therefore admits no other way of interpreting events than her own. Yellow, at least, accepts that she doesn't personify spirit, but action. Thus, you can discuss with Blue but not negotiate, while you can negotiate with Yellow but not discuss. As for White, you can neither negotiate nor discuss! A creature who considers herself perfect will never accept anything from anyone. Yet White is unable to think or act on her own initiative. She only knows how to perfect, hence her tendency to always stay still. The Diamond naturally dominates all the gems, by simply making « perfect » what was not before its intervention. Within this hierarchy, Pink increasingly feels that her burden is to destroy.

Fortunately, the plants have a calming effect on her mood. With practice, Pink Diamond begins to enjoy taking care of them. She even becomes competent! There is something really odd about the idea of nurturing a species so alien to Gems. Do you hurt them? They are not necessarily destroyed. They often repair themselves, while a Gem is broken for good. However, this is not their most fascinating quality. Pink has observed, after a few decades of work, that these creatures change over time. They are not fixed on a single « function », but are constantly metamorphosed. What was her surprise, the day she discovered some of these biologicals give birth to new flowers. This facade « fragility » would therefore not be a defect, but a hidden quality: unlike Gems, « plants » can progress beyond their limitations!

These discoveries motivated Pink Diamond to make the garden its main home. She spends a lot more time there than in her own bedroom, experimenting with new ways to change this amazing life form. It was almost by accident that she discovered an evolution in her powers: she can now regenerate plants in case of damage or alter their mutations. Could it be possible that, under appropriate circumstances, even a Gem could exceed its condition? Obviously, the Diamond was careful not to reveal such information to her sisters.

This activity had a positive effect on her manners, to the point that Yellow came one evening to bring her a gift to encourage this progress. Pink recognizes the packaging well: a small golden box. This is where are stored Gems that just came out of a Kindergarten, but are still waiting to be delivered to their final workstation:

« I thought a little more company would make you happy. » Yellow says, gently setting the box down.

The object opens by itself and releases a pink gem. It sparkles, they can hear it laughing, before taking on a humanoid form:

« I'm so excited to meet you! » The little one sings, wrapping her long stretchy arms around Pink's body, who can't resist her.

« What is that? » She asks Yellow.

« A Spinel, Pink! Our creators made them for their entertainment. I felt that it would be an appropriate reward. You had this bad habit of using your old Pearl to play. Now, this is no longer necessary: you have something for that! In addition, it is a toy designed to withstand anything. You won't have to worry about damaging it by accident. »

So this is what the famous Spinels look like. Pink often heard about them, but had never seen one. She is quite cute, kind and seems to have only one goal: to make her owner happy. Yellow is not wrong, maybe this little Gem will distract her. Having a new friend can't hurt.