Thousands of Years Later


Even to this day, Pearl still thinks about what might've been if Blue survived.

Perhaps Rose would love and cherish her just as much as she did to Pearl.

Perhaps she would have been fascinated by Garnet and would've been thrilled to hear the story of Ruby and Sapphire's love.

Perhaps she would adore Amethyst as much as Pearl did.

Perhaps she would've learned to love humans the way all the Crystal Gems did. Perhaps she would cry when Rose gave up her physical form.

Perhaps she would've loved Steven.

Even though Pearl admitted that she didn't know Blue for very long, she knew that Blue would have definitely adored Steven and his infectious joy and optimism. It was true from everyone who knew him.

But even if Blue Diamond didn't shatter Blue, it wouldn't have guaranteed that she would survive the war. When Blue died, the war wasn't even halfway through. What if she would've suffered a similar fate on the battlefield? The only difference would have been the time she died.

Back then, Pearl believed if the war was won, it would've meant hundreds upon hundreds of free Gems living on Earth. But when Pearl got her wish, she only survived with two others (and Amethyst). So what kind of difference would it make if Blue escaped?

Still, it would've meant that Blue would have the time to grow and learn and love as a Crystal Gem. She deserved to live longer.

Sometimes, Pearl wondered what would've happened if she and Blue never met.

Blue might have been able to fulfill that old wish she once had: to live as long as any other Gem. And she was a good Pearl, a pleasing Pearl. She could've made it a lot longer than other Pearl servants had.

Could that mean if she was never influenced by Pearl, she might even be still alive today?

But then if she never met Pearl, she would have never earned her own name, her own voice. She would have never learned what if felt like to hope for something when all odds are against her. She would've stayed as empty and as obedient as every other lasting Pearl. She would've simply faded away into a sea of clones and eventually earn an inevitable fate as a common servant.

Blue would have been like all the other Pearls that Pearl encountered.

Pearl had changed Blue's life. She didn't extend it, nor did she do anything to save it. She just changed it. And Pearl wasn't sure if it was for the better or the worse.

Floating inside of the Burning Chamber, amidst all the other Gem shards that were sacrificed in the war, was a bubble containing milky white splinters that vaguely resembled miniscule bits of sand. It also contained hope, strength, sacrifice, and broken promises.

Pearl wondered if Blue would have become a great warrior if her Diamond hadn't interfered. But with what little snatches of bravery Pearl had witnessed before Blue's inevitable death, she was sure she had already become one.

Holding it carefully between her fingers, Pearl whispered, "Hello, Blue."

It was a foolish thing to do, pretending that the inactive shards that were once whole on Blue's chest would speak back. But it was a habit of Pearl's that was impossible to shake off. It was like when Amethyst had discovered food and when Peridot discovered television. It was something that she knew would leave to dire consequences if she continued, but still did anyways, simply out of pure desperation.

Pearl even had done this with Rose often, carefully stroking Rose's gemstone while it lay dormant in Steven's belly as he slept. But she was a step closer to completely leaving Steven be as he slept.

Deciding that speaking to Blue's bubble would only induce hopeless grief, Pearl simply rotated the bubble in her hands, carefully inspecting it.

Pearl imagined what it would be like if Blue survived the war and the long years afterward.

It might have taken her a while to get used to Earth and its strange logic, just like it did for Pearl. But then again, Rose would have been there for Blue, just like she was there for Pearl.

Looking back on it, Pearl realized that there were so many people that Blue had never gotten the chance to meet. She wondered how Blue would've reacted to Amethyst in the Kindergarten, how she would feel if she went through the vital parts of human history that the Gems experienced, what she would've done during Steven's birth.

Amethyst knew about Blue, just like every single shattered Crystal Gem in the Temple.

All she did when Rose told her about Blue's sacrifice was drop her jaw and say, "Wow."

But Pearl knew that she would have admired the beautiful soul that was Blue.

Steven didn't know about Blue. And Pearl wasn't sure if he would ever get the chance to learn. She wasn't sure if she or Garnet were up to the challenge of educating Steven on every Gem that was lost during the Rebellion. Rose took care of the job when informing Amethyst and Greg. Pearl didn't know if she could ever do the same.

Hope and compassion was what filled Steven and it was also what filled Blue. She imagined the two of them being the best of friends, practically inseparable.

Somehow, her thoughts wandered towards Peridot. What would she think of Blue?

Pearl pictured the little obnoxious Gem lecturing Blue about what Pearls were meant to do and meant to do it for. She imagined Blue holding back her words and letting Peridot ramble on and on, silently seething with fury.

But even with Peridot's rather misguided view of the world, she and Blue actually had a lot in common. Neither of them knew anything about Earth or humans or how freedom functions (and Blue would never get the chance). But of them had the desire to learn about it, to detach themselves from Homeworld and become a different person. Perhaps Blue and Peridot would actually agree upon their confusion about Earth.

Suddenly, a voice snapped Pearl out of her thoughts.

"Pearl, Connie and I are ready to practice sword-fighting again!" Steven cried. Next to him was an already prepared Connie, wielding a practice sword in her hands.

"Steven, what did I say about going into the Temple without permission?" Pearl scolded him, releasing Blue's bubble.

Steven only shrugged in response.

Sighing, Pearl walked towards the entrance of the Temple and sealed the door shut behind them.

"What were you doing in there anyways?" Connie asked Pearl.

Biting her lip, Pearl managed to answer, "Nothing at all. Well, are we ready to start?"

She hopped onto the Warp Pad and Steven and Connie followed suit. When the column of bluish white light engulfed them all, Pearl detected the eagerness in Connie's eyes, knowing that one day, she'll be useful.

It was the same eagerness that once glowed in Blue's eyes.

Hope is a dangerous substance, fueling you to do impossible things that only lead to sure death. But it's also a kindly elixir, giving you the strength during times of adversary and keeps you tethered to those who need you. It's a flickering light that burns inside every one.

It burned inside of Blue and now it's being resurrected inside of Connie.

And as the trio traveled through Warp Space, Pearl wondered if training Connie was the chance to begin what might have happened with Blue.


A/N: And finally, the saga ends. I'm afraid I can't promise some sort of sequel where Blue is resurrected (unless Blue is alive in canon and I just made you cry for no good reason at all). Sucks if you're a fan of happy endings. But if you want a story where Blue is guaranteed NOT to die, then check out my story "The Pearl Trinity," a slight AU where the three Pearls are sisters. Kind of selling out here, but I just ended my most popular story thus far and I'm kind of in a rut at the moment, so please take a look my other stories. I won't kill off any more characters, I promise!