Stars and Diamonds

Chapter 65: The Correction

Sorry this is a little bit late, I ended up adding more to the chapter, and it ended up way longer than I originally intended it to be. So have one of the longest chapters of the DB3.

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She knew wandering the halls of the still deteriorating palace all alone would have been odd, perhaps even daunting, given how it had become like a live maze that kept changing its directions on a whim, unexpectedly forcing her to change the way she knew to go at any turn. Somehow, she didn't think having Pearl beside her would make it somehow worse. Or, at least, this look-alike Pearl, because she didn't need it confirmed to her to know the thing beside her wasn't her Pearl, only a mere illusion, dreamed up or simply being projected by her subconscious, she wasn't entirely sure.

Whatever she was, or wasn't, Orange at least appreciated that she seemed to know where she was going. It made her wonder how long this had been going on that she knew the way so well, or was it something she just knew because she wasn't real?

"So," Orange said, drawing out the word as she crossed her arms over her chest, glancing over at Pearl and briefly finding it odd to have her at eye level again after so long of practically towering over her, "Maybe you can clarify for me, are we in my gem, or is this all just one big, incredibly lucid dream I'm having?"

Pearl's lips curled in reaction to her question, the corners her round eyes crinkling though she made no noise in response to her question.

Orange pursed her lips, somewhat perturbed by her continued silence, "What, can't you talk now?"

"Of course I can," She responded, cocking her head to look at her from the corners of her eyes before adding with a soft giggle, "Orange."

"Then...maybe help me out?" Orange asked, confused.

Pearl looked back ahead, Orange's own eyes following her as she led her around a long fissure in the marble floor, apparently confident that the ground there was still stable enough to walk across, though that didn't stop Orange attempting to cross as lightly as possible, as if walking on her toes would somehow diminish her weight as she tiptoed across after her.

"I'm afraid I've been ordered not to answer that particular question." Pearl said as she was reached the other side, turning around to wait patiently for the young diamond.

Orange's head shot up, eyes snapping from the floor to her, first in concern, and then confusion when she remember that this wasn't the real Pearl.

"What? By who?" She questioned, her eyes quickly flitting down to watch her feet as she clung to the wall until she was once again beside Pearl on the other side.

Pearl's smile returned as she answered simply, "My diamond, of course."

Orange's eyes went wide, mouth dropping open in surprise, "White gave you orders to- Wait." She paused, her hands raising to wave in the air as she dismissed her own thought, "No, no, that doesn't make sense..."

Pearl remained silent, watching her with an almost unnerving amount of patience as she paced in front of her as she mumbled to herself.

"How could White order her to-? No, that's just stupid, Orange, she can't do that, how would she? That doesn't make sense." She frowned, stopping to cross her arms again, this time in exasperation, "Then again, this whole place doesn't make sense." She sighed, and then, deciding to put the topic aside for now, turned to look at her companion once more, "Okay, how about this then, why exactly am I a child?"

"I can not answer that either."

Orange groaned, head rolling against her shoulder as her arms flopped to her sides, shoulders sagging as she questioned, "Orders?"