Glittering Shadows

Chapter Five

I felt energy course throughout my entire being as I began to regenerate back into my physical form, the centuries that'd passed since I was last able to stretch my limbs making me feel as I were being reborn again.

I felt alive.

Thrill ran through my entire body, my desire to break free gratified by this moment – a moment that was soon cut short by my Pearl letting out a shriek in pain, her voice breaking with her attempt at bearing her injury.

"Pearl!" I exclaimed, my eyes adjusting themselves to my surroundings, looking from corner to corner, in frantic search for her presence.

I spotted her kneeling on the floor, her hands bringing little support as she grit her teeth, her pain showing through her trembling body and shaky voice.

"What happened?" I asked, hurrying towards her and placing a hand carefully over her shoulder, my towering height proving to be dangerous for the current state she was in.

I got down to her level and took her chin in my other hand, trying to get her to face with me.

"Tell me where you're hurting the most."

The look on her face was enough to reveal her true intentions – She seemed to be holding something back.

"Do not be afraid, my friend." I encouraged, smiling – something I had not done ever since White Diamond bubbled me. "I am here for you."

Finally, she was able to meet with my eyes, her thin lips forming a small smile as she proceeded to nod. She showed me her gem resting over her frail hand, the crack on it seeming to have worsened with time.

With her right one, she covered the gemstone from my eyes and tried to pull away, yet I held her back, not wanting for her to distance herself from me.

"Though it has been long since I last used my healing powers. . ." I trailed off, constructing my next words. "I will try to seal the crack. It would not do you good to wait any longer – even more now that we are free from our bubbles."

My Pearl nodded again, her silence leading me to assume she was still against the idea of me trying to heal her.

"My Diamond. . . " Pearl muttered, her gaze looking down at her feet. "Please, do not use your powers more than it's necessary on me. I am the one who's supposed to protect you."

I felt myself gulping a tension I was unaware of, realizing what I was about to say next.

"You are my friend, Pearl." I spoke, trying to transmit feelings I'd been holding back since my arrival on this place. "We are both meant to care for one another."

I witnessed her flinch in response to those words, her face finally looking up as she took a step back — her bafflement showing through the uncertainty in her movements.

"Do you. . . Do you truly mean that, my Diamond?"

"I do." I nodded, my smile tugging higher as I laid out a hand in front of her. "You are very dear to me, and I would like you to trust in me."

My Pearl – or rather, my friend – reached out for the hand I'd laid out in front of her, the gem over it being displayed in front of me. Carefully, I pressed my other hand on top of her gem, closing my eyes as I searched for concentration in order to begin with the healing procedure.

It was a long, unbearably frustrating process, yet I tried to hold on for the sake of my friend – I did not wish to let her down.

Minutes passed until I was able to feel warmth emanate from her gem, my focus wavering ever so slightly as I pressed down more on her hand.

My eyes soon snapped open in horror as I felt her crack only worsen.

Retreating my hand away from hers, I stood up and took a few steps back, apologies refusing to leave my lips as I stared at her hand in shock.

Despite it having earned another scratch, she did not seem surprised. Instead, I could see a tear roll down her cheek, stopping once reaching her neck.

"I. . ." Pearl mumbled, her voice almost nonexistent to my ears. "It seems I forgot the reason why White Diamond did not want me to be healed."

She stood up, holding her injured hand with her right one.

"I. . . I seem to be permanently damaged, my Diamond."

With those words, she fell back to her knees, my eyes pricking with incoming tears as I witnessed her begin to 'glitch' in her movements.

Followed by that was her poofing away from my eyes and her gemstone falling down with a dull 'clack'

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I don't own the art shown in the chapter, but just using for overall appearnce of Black pearl.