Welcome! This is going to be the home for all the oneshots that I've been working on, featuring all my Pearl OCs I've created for Burn Bright. I hope you'll enjoy getting to know the rebellion! And as always, feel free to come find me on tumblr; I love to talk about my characters!

If you haven't read the rest of the series, I would recommend it, though some of these will be standalone enough to enjoy them without it!

The rating will go up later, but those chapters will probably only be posted on AO3 due to FanFiction's rules.

Silver wasn't sure she'd ever get used to being alone.

Alone was tentative footsteps in a dark room, scared that someone would remember she existed. Alone was a month of silence before gathering the courage to turn on the lights, to rifle through the leftover supplies. Alone was wanting to scream at all the emptiness around her and not being able to. Alone was days and weeks and months of making up things to do so she wouldn't just crumble under all the nothingness. Alone was cowering in the corner and shivering at the first sound of another being padding into the little space she'd dared to think of as her own.

She'd never been more terrified than she had been the first time another gem ventured in, and she'd never been more relieved when that gem was another Pearl with no intention of harming her.

Crimson had wandered in from…well, she'd never really said. Sometimes Crimson said less than Silver, and it made her wonder. But she'd come in, peeked around the corners, checked for any possible surveillance, and then set about searching everything methodically.

Silver had hidden herself away behind a pile of old equipment, trying to stay perfectly still as she listened to the other Pearl move around, mind buzzing with questions. When Crimson poked her head around the mess and caught sight of her, Silver gasped, cramming herself against the wall and clapping both hands over her mouth like it mattered.

"Shh," the stranger told her, eyes narrowing as she crouched down. She had a roughness to her that seemed unlike a Pearl, though there could be no mistaking her for anything else. "Is there anyone else here?"

Silver shook her head quickly.

"You're sure?"

She gulped, nodding.

"Good." Crimson relaxed a little, dropping to her knees. "Who do you belong to?"

Silver froze. She couldn't answer that. She didn't know how to answer that.

"Hey," she said, leaning forward. "Are you alright? Why are you here?"

She leaned away from the other Pearl, drawing her hand in close to her chest to protect her gem.

Something in her eyes softened, and she looked a little less scary than she had on first impression. "I won't hurt you," she said in a low voice, sliding backwards to give Silver more space.

Silver watched her, wary eyes drifting between the door and the stranger in front of her.

"Are you alright?" she repeated.

She nodded slowly, then lifted one hand to draw an X over her lips with one finger.

"You can't talk?"

Silver nodded again, feeling ashamed of her programmed deficiency for the first time in quite a while.

"Okay." Crimson's brow creased as she thought. "Can you tell me anything about this place?"

She bit her lip, trying to figure out how she could tell this Pearl anything at all and—more to the point—whether it was safe to do so. She watched Crimson closely, finding no malice in her expression as she waited. Carefully, she extended her left hand, letting her gem project in the space between them. It was a quick succession of images—Silver and the gem who had owned her, a spaceship, a gem shattering, the room around them, Silver alone. She hoped it was enough to get her point across.

"Oh," Crimson said in surprise. "You're by yourself?"

One nod, as she lowered her hand.

"And no one's come looking for you?"

Silver shook her head, then paused and lifted one finger. She gestured to the room as a whole, projected an image of an indistinct gem removing the new, usable equipment. She was sure if she hadn't thought to hide, she would have been taken with the rest of her owner's things, but no one had ever come looking for her specifically. And once they had what they needed, they'd never returned.

"Hm." The other Pearl seemed to be mulling something over. "Okay."

Silver waved to get her attention, then pointed at her inquisitively.

"Me?" Crimson crossed her arms. "I ran." There was a tinge of uncertainty in her voice, like she wasn't sure she should be telling Silver this sliver of deadly information.

She felt a sudden rush of appreciation for the Pearl in front of her. I ran. That took a lot of strength. Silver smiled and dipped her head in respect.

Crimson looked relieved and twisted sideways so that the gem on her shoulder was facing Silver. It lit up with a projection of another Pearl, carrying swords. "Have you seen this?" she asked.

A surge of energy coursed through her and she nodded quickly, lighting up her own gem to play the recording alongside Crimson's. Silver had looked at it every now and then in secret since another Pearl had shown it to her, and it had been a source of encouragement in her time alone to know that there was at least one Pearl who had not only survived but lived without someone to serve.

"I want to fight like she did," Crimson said in a low voice, and Silver could tell that this was honesty in its purest, most dangerous form.

Me too, she tried to convey with her eyes, her hands, her gem, her whole self. Me too.

And they weren't built for fighting, but they learned.

Crimson brought Chroma in after one of her routine outings, saying she'd run into her in one of the corridors of a building not too far away.

This new arrival was unusual in her own way, the gem on her forehead noticeably off-center, and Silver was careful not to pay it much attention as they were introduced to one another. She wasn't in any place to judge—neither of them had any say in how they were made, even if there was a clear difference in the reasoning behind their respective designs.

The new Pearl didn't say much either, clearly still taking in her surroundings, but Silver was determined to make her feel welcome and—hopefully—learn a bit more about her and how she'd ended up here.

When Crimson had slipped away again to who-knows-where, Silver went and knelt beside the newcomer, who was leaning tiredly against the wall with half-lidded eyes.

"What?" she asked, looking Silver up and down suspiciously.

Silver smiled and put her hand out, projection flashing up smoothly to show two Pearls, one of them giving something to the other.

"Uh…" She stared at the projection, which was playing on loop. "You need something?"

She shook her head quickly, then used one hand to point at Chroma and one hand to point at herself before switching them.

"You want to give me something?"

Silver made a wobbly so-so gesture with one hand, then projected text from her gem, something she had been trying to use more frequently for Crimson's sake even though it didn't quite feel natural yet. "Do you need anything?"

"You want to know if I need something?" she repeated, confused.

Silver brightened, nodding.

"I don't."

Oh. Silver watched, disappointed, as Chroma ran tired hands over her face.

"You going to keep staring?" she muttered.

She ducked her head apologetically, then smiled and pointed to the fluffy mess of hair that cascaded around the other Pearl's shoulders and down her back.

"What...? My hair?" she asked uncertainly.

Silver nodded happily. "It's nice."

A small smile ghosted over her lips. "Thanks. I think that's the first real compliment I've ever gotten."

Something in Silver's chest sank at these words. They were a glimpse of something brittle she felt she shouldn't have seen. She reached out to touch the other Pearl's hand, waiting a moment to make sure the contact was alright before settling her fingers between the other's and clasping them tightly.

She gazed down at their hands for a moment, like she wasn't quite sure what to make of the gesture. "Anyway," she said, separating her fingers from Silver's, "thanks for asking, but I'm fine."

"Okay."

"…What exactly do you two do here?"

Silver smiled, settling in a little more comfortably next to her. "We live here. We learn. We want to be like the Renegade." She flashed up a picture of the "Crystal Gem" Pearl, looking for a spark of recognition in the other's eyes and finding it immediately.

"The Renegade," she murmured. "I get the appeal, but why? What difference does another renegade or two make?"

"What difference does three make?" Silver asked, turning the question around.

The newcomer blinked in surprise, letting out a small laugh. "That's not an answer. Why do you want it?"

She wanted to stop, think it through, give a clear and precise answer like she knew Crimson would have been able to. But the words that flickered out of her gem first were simply "I want other Pearls to be safe. I want them to live."

Her dark eyes softened at the response. "That's a pretty high goal you've set for yourself."

"Not for myself. For everyone." She held out her hand. "What about you?"

"I think," she began slowly, "I'd consider it a privilege to help." She lowered her eyes, one hand scratching at her forehead. "If that was an offer."

"It was," Silver reassured her. "And it would be an honor."

"Then count me in." A note of confidence entered her voice, making Silver smile. "I'm not worth much, but I'll work hard."

"I think that makes you worth a lot," she replied honestly.

The other Pearl hesitated, taken aback. "Well, I'll…I'll do that then. It's about time I proved all those elites wrong." She rushed on, trying to cover the complex emotions vying for attention on her face. "What do we do first?"

"A name?" Silver offered.

"Okay."

Her name was Chroma—her own suggestion, her own choice—and Silver liked the way she stood a little taller when she said it.

Aura was a surprise to all three of them.

Crimson had been quietly sprinkling hints of their little group's existence amongst the rest of the Pearls, but no one had ever come to them before.

So when a gold-colored Pearl appeared at their door, anxiously clasping her hands in front of the gem on her stomach, none of them knew what to expect.

The first words out of her mouth, after she'd taken in the sight of three Pearls alone, were "Can I join you?"

The three of them exchanged looks, trying to figure out how to address this situation.

"I ran away," the Pearl continued, eyes darting between them. Her voice was steady, despite how skittish she looked. "I need somewhere to stay."

Crimson opened her mouth to reply, still looking thrown by this turn of events, and the tense expression it created on her face was clearly making the new Pearl nervous.

"A-And I have news about the Renegade!" she added quickly. "Please—"

"Come in," Crimson interrupted before she could continue.

"…Really?"

"In," she repeated, ushering the Pearl forward and shutting the door.

"Sorry," she said in a small voice. "Thank you. Um, hello." She gave the three of them a tentative smile.

"It's alright," Crimson said. "And hello. How did you know about us?"

"Another Pearl told me," she replied, running her hands through her hair to make it a little more presentable.

"Which Pearl?"

This was followed by approximately fifteen minutes of pointed yet polite questioning, during which Silver felt increasingly sorry for their visitor and Chroma looked increasingly bored with the whole process.

"She's fine, Crimson, let her be," she cut in. "She's clearly not a spy—and if she is, she's doing a horrible job of it." Chroma stepped in front of her. "Nice to meet you. I'm Chroma."

"Nice to meet you too," she returned, eyes wide. She dipped into a quick bow with a flourish. "All of you."

"Nice to meet you," Silver offered as well via projection. "I'm Silver."

She looked surprised, glancing between Silver's face and her gem in confusion.

"No voice," she explained self-consciously, tapping her lips. "Special order."

"Oh. I'm sorry." The words held more sadness than pity, with a tinge of bitterness Silver wouldn't have expected from her. Then, with a warm smile, "It's nice to meet you, Silver. Your projections look beautiful; I've never seen anyone make them that crisp."

She couldn't help but laugh a little at the strange compliment. "Thanks. I get a lot of practice."

Her cheeks tinged a darker, embarrassed gold.

"It's good to have you here," Crimson said, drawing the new Pearl's attention once more. "Please, sit down. We'd love to hear whatever news you have."

She relaxed a little and nodded. Her story wasn't a long one—she was a witness, not a participant in any act of rebellion until today. But it brought something new to the ideas and feelings they'd been kindling on their own, to know there were other Pearls who had found the courage to begin something. Diamond's Pearls, no less.

Their visitor seemed just as enthralled by their discussion, listening and watching closely as they talked more about themselves, but she immediately looked reticent when the question was directed towards her.

"I want to be a part of it," she began slowly. "I mean, that's why I left. But…" She looked between the three of them, then lowered her eyes. "Would I have to fight?" she asked in a soft, scared voice.

"Only if you want to," Crimson answered.

"I don't." Her hands were shaking as she ran them down her thighs, over an outfit that looked plain and horribly out of place on a Pearl that moved and spoke with such soft grace. "I don't."

"Then you won't fight," Chroma said decisively. "It's not like we'd make you."

She looked up, a hesitant smile curving her lips. "Really? I could still be of use to you?"

"Of course," she said. "Welcome to…well, I guess we're a rebellion now. Welcome to the rebellion."

Her eyes lit up. "Really?" she asked again, delighted. She took Chroma's hand and squeezed it gratefully. "Thank you so much! I was worried you wouldn't need me here and I'd…well, I wouldn't really have anywhere to go."

"Everyone has a use," Crimson said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "And, more importantly, everyone has a place here. Alright?"

She nodded, smiling as Silver joined them as well and mussed the top of her already-tousled hair.

"Let's find you a name."

"Something fancy," Chroma agreed with a crooked grin.

She blushed. "I'm not really fancy…my Quartz wasn't into that sort of thing…"

"Well, you can be now, if you want," Silver said with a smile.

"…Maybe just a little bit," she admitted, muted excitement shining in her eyes.

"It'll suit you," Crimson said. "Come on, we'll brainstorm together."

Aureate was the first name that made her pause, and it was the one she came back to in the end.

Aureate, and then Aura because she wanted to be able to shorten it and she liked the softer sound of the syllables.

Silver gave her a hug as she finalized the decision. It felt right, with the four of them, so much different from how it had been when it was only Silver. She was thankful for whatever twist of fate let her wind up here, with other Pearls like Crimson and Chroma and Aura.

She was lucky—she got dealt a better hand than most Pearls did.

But maybe, maybe one day this would just be life instead of luck. Maybe things would change, maybe "home" wouldn't be such a foreign concept to accept.

Silver would fight her whole life if it meant she could make that happen.

She wasn't sure when the three of them started considering themselves an "us". There had never been any formal discussion of it at the beginning—she was sure if there had been, at least one of them (or likely all three) would have spent the whole time feeling completely unworthy of the attention. Instead, they grew into it, learning each other bit by bit and finding renewed appreciation for their differences. Chroma and Silver had been on their way to "us" before Aura came, and they'd been happy exploring that together, but somehow it felt more solid once the third Pearl was beside them as well.

They talked about it later, when "us" was long since decided and accepted, when they knew without asking that they would never be judged for any of their Homeworld-declared defects.

"It's okay like this, right?" Aura asked towards the end of their talk, head resting lightly on Silver's shoulder.

Pearls weren't supposed to do things like this after all. Relationships, in any form, outside of passing acquaintances or, in rare cases when no one was looking, friends. That was the rule they'd broken the most since beginning this small home, and Silver was proud of that.

"What does it matter?" Chroma asked from where she was lying across their legs. "We're rebels."

"I'm okay with it as long as both of you are," Silver agreed.

"I am too," Aura said quickly, leaning into the light touch of Silver's hand on her waist. "I love being a part of this, I'm just not quite sure how this works."

"It works like it always has," Chroma said, reaching for one of her hands. "We just hadn't talked about it, and it seemed like we should."

She smiled, sweeping a thumb over Chroma's knuckles to assuage the inkling of doubt that had crept into her voice. "Then we're alright," she murmured. "I like this. I know where I want to be."

They all did. They'd all spent far too much time alone, far too much time thinking that they would never be what they wanted to be, far too much time without anyone to believe that they were worth more than the slipshod purposes they were made for.

"Us" meant home.

"Us" meant safety and love and a million other things that Pearls were never supposed to have.

"Us" meant Silver, Chroma, Aura—complete.