Gem log:

month two of my stay on abandoned Gem colony Earth. the Garnet's decision seems highly beneficial to - ... to ... Wait, is this going? Hold on, did I -

With an accidental click, Peridot ended her Gem log prematurely, bugging the Homeworld Gem all the while. Seemed Tape recorders weren't as easily accessible as her communicator logs were on her enhancers. Peridot hadn't been doing as well since she lost her enhancers - something she'd been using since arriving on Earth for the first time. Now though, she was small, without defenses, and without any main means of figuring anything out. Her enhancers basically had everything she needed; knowledge, defense against attackers, flight even! Now, all of that was gone from her (easy access to it anyway). This also meant, at least to her, that she can't help out much with the big project. So, Peridot instead hanged around back at the Beach House. Amongst her wrecked parts, she only got one foot left and she kept it close to her as best as she could. On the couch, Peridot was practically was hugging the foot, as she tried to figure out her new tape recorder, but working with this device wasn't really the best for her to work out. As she was, Steven and Amethyst soon came back to the Beach House.

"Peridot? How's that tape recorder working for you?" Steven asked. Peridot held onto the foot for security, moving away in her seat.

"Well, I guess I can -" Steven tried to say, ready to take the tape recorder. However, Peridot pulled it out of reach.

"NO! No. I-I'll manage to work out its functions," Peridot insisted. She already lost her enhancers, she didn't want to loose anything else that belonged to her. Nearby, Amethyst got out some food from the fridge as a snack, using her foot to shut the door.

"I can't help without my enhancers!" Peridot snapped, a bit more forcefully than Amethyst and Steven expected her to. To Peridot, it was as true as it'll ever be.

"O. K. Come on, Steven," Amethyst said. Peridot kept her sight away from them both as they left, leaving her alone again.

For most of the day, Peridot kept quiet and alone as the sun started to set. She hadn't really move, and she was still pretty much keeping herself in whatever comfort zone she could get. It wasn't entirely easy for her, but at least she wasn't bothered by anyone else. Still, she should try to help the others at some point ... When she figured out how, that is. After all, what can she do without her enhancers anyway? Everyone else was larger than her, stronger than her, she felt like a complete pipsqueak. Eventually, Peridot finally, after hours of just sitting, got back up on her feet.

"Alright, gather yourself together. Isolating yourself from your peers won't assist you," Peridot decided, beginning to move to the door. She still kept the foot and tape recorder close to her as she went. Snapping at Steven and Amethyst probably didn't help out either. So, with the thoughts in mind, she was just about to head off back to the barn, when something at the door made her stop in her tracks. She didn't even take a step outside of the house when she saw someone right in front of her. Her skin pale, her dress silver, her hair in an even flow of white. Course, Peridot didn't recognize such a person before, and the blank expression left Peridot startled and frozen.

Peridot's face was left wide-eyed and shocked, as she slowly backed up, and closed the door without a single word. She needed a moment, but the person could still be seen from the otherside of the door, eyes aimed right down to her. Peridot had no idea how to react to this (who would?), though her almost undead appearance freaked her out the most. The figure just waited outside for a bit, Peridot trying to find a way out. Her main option; the large window. So, Peridot went right off and tried to get herself out, as the figure waited for her to come outside. The Homeworld gem did succeed in opening it, but getting herself down was another matter. Peridot steadied herself, holding onto the foot and tape recorder, as she tried to get herself down ... which resulted in her falling onto the deck.

"Ow," Peridot groaned. She had landed on her back, the foot covering her face. However, the foot didn't do any permanent damage, and was removed off of her face. When Peridot looked, that same figure was standing there again, holding her foot. Peridot quickly snatched it, and took off in a complete panic. As for the figure, she simply waited there ...

~~~~~~

Speaking of the barn, the number of Gems and ponies were still going on about the project as best they could. With the absence of Peridot on the work, Pearl, Twilight, and Fulgurite were the main focus with the others helping out in Peridot's place. At the moment, Jasper and Garnet were holding up a large heater, as Fulgurite looked it over from under it. Gems don't need heat really, but the ponies and Steven do, and they have to consider it. Nearby, Steven was also busy with his own thing; as a model for Rarity. They were pretty sure spacesuits would be a requirement off planet, regardless of the state of the ship. The boy had to keep perfectly still while Rarity had to measure him, though it was getting annoying.

"Almost. Just crossing green with blue, a twist here and ... Done!" Fulgurite got the other metal piece on, and moved out of the way before Garnet and Jasper set it down. Fulgurite went to the front, which had a rounded glass covering for the heat to go through. After that was finished though ...

"I dunno; some odd cat?" Fulgurite wondered. Further away, the group then noticed something running like mad at them, and closing in fast. The figure was Peridot, running as fast as she could back to them. In her fear, she rushed passed Steven and Rarity, though unwitting caught her foot on Rarity's measuring tape. Her tumble landed her right into Garnet's leg, the fusion unfazed by the hit. Garnet picked up Peridot with one hand, bringing her up to her eye level. Peridot still looked pretty freaked out when she got there though.

Peridot tried to explain herself, but her own freaked out mode was making her words come out in incomprehensive gibberish, her fingers pointing back to where she came from. After a few seconds, Garnet placed her hand over Peridot's mouth, giving the Homeworld Gem a little bit to calm down so she could speak a bit better.

".. Okay," replied Peridot. Garnet gently placed her down, some of the others coming over. After getting her nerve together, Peridot got it out of her system.

"The Beach House; it's in a state of haunting!" If it really was a ghost or not that Peridot had seen was debatable, but Peridot's own worries over ghosts (thanks to a particular explanation by one of her peers), didn't give her much time to check for sure. Still, the others didn't seem very convinced; the Beach House haunted? By who or what?

"Peridot, You're probably just overreacting," Garnet insisted. Peridot though didn't feel like she was ...

"I don't overreact!" Peridot snapped, trying to get the others to believe her. However ...

"Just yesterday, you freaked out over Mayor Dewey's van," Fulgurite pointed out, crossing her arms.

"That head was watching me," Peridot shuttered, Fulgurite rolling her eyes. Garnet placed a hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her.

"Look; if it makes you feel better, you can stay here for the day. You don't have to help if you don't want to," Garnet offered. It wasn't exactly a "we-don't-believe-you" statement, but, Garnet's own experiences with something similar to this (which ironically involved Peridot's work to begin with), she might as well not push it. Peridot could only nod in agreement; she needed sometime outside of the Beach House anyway.

~~~~~~

For the rest of the day, Peridot remained around the barn as the others continued their own work, the other Gems and ponies coming and going. The process of the ship itself was going steadily, though they didn't get to the bigger parts of the ship just yet, focusing on the functions of the ship. By the time nightfall came about, they got a lot of pretty functional parts for the ship made and planned out along the lines of use; including some space beds for long distance travel, which were shaped a bit like eggs. After all, space travel can last far longer than someone would think. Throughout the time too, Peridot had relaxed a bit and tried to make sense of just what should be done next. At the moment, Fluttershy was testing out the beds herself, seeing if it'll be good for their trip. Steven hopped in the bed next to Fluttershy.

"Feels lovely," Fluttershy replied, hovering out of the bed. Nearby, Peridot was sitting on a hay bale with her foot and tape recorder. She didn't feel willing to just go right on back, in case that ghost was still roaming around the place. Still, the others couldn't stay around the barn forever, and Peridot knew as much. As some were heading off, Fluttershy looked back to Peridot, a bit worried for her well-being. Like Garnet, experience taught her a thing or two about scenarios like this. As they left, Fluttershy nudged Amethyst.

"Yo, Peri, you coming or not?" Amethyst asked. Peridot clutched her foot enhancer before giving a worried grin.

"Uh, I'll be satisfied here," Peridot insisted. The others looked back to the green Gem after a bit.

"... No ..." Peridot looked like she was trying to hide behind her enhancer foot when she answered. Amethyst groaned, but before she can answer, Garnet went over to them.

"Why can't Fluttershy do it?" Amethyst pointed to Fluttershy, who backed away a little bit.

"Fluttershy is an organic creature; she needs rest too. She can't watch Peridot the whole night, like you."

"Goodnight, you two." With that, Garnet went on back to the Beach House with the rest. Amethyst, arms crossed and grumbling, stayed put with Peridot ...

~~~~~~

With the night progressing, Amethyst and Peridot both were pretty much stuck together for the night, though Peridot did consider a bodyguard a plus to her troubles. Amethyst still didn't think there was a ghost haunting the Beach House, and would much rather go home and munch on the fridge contents than hang about the barn all night long, but, orders are orders (even if some she didn't want to do). For the time being, the moonlight from the clear sky outside offered plenty of light for the barnhouse, but that didn't mean the shadows didn't unnerve Peridot a bit. Amethyst was just fine as she leaned by the door comfortably with a bored expression. Peridot was over further away from the barn door, staying within a barn pen full of various items.

"Will you relax, Peri?" Amethyst asked after a bit. Peridot remained on alert, her eyes darting around and trying to figure out if that ghost would show up again around the shadows. Amethyst could only wonder, on a limb, if Garnet was in the right mind when she decided to keep her there.

Speaking of which, the others were going back to the Beach House, and were getting close. Steven was getting a bit tired, Garnet having the liberty to carry the tired boy on her shoulders. Rarity and Fluttershy kept nearby in their step, equally tired, though the Gems were fine.

"Fulgurite, Steven's a human; he needs his rest same as any human. Or anypony for that matter," Garnet explained, looking at the tired ponies beside her.

"Oh! Pardon us, darling, we're not meaning to be any trouble," Rarity insisted, though a yawn did escape her muzzle.

"It's alright, Rarity. Let's get Steven to bed and you can head back yourself," Garnet promised. However, as they continued, Jasper suddenly stopped, making Garnet bump into her. Fulgurite looked up to the Homeworld Gem, and saw that her eyes were focused in front of her. Jasper didn't say anything at first, but, she didn't move her gaze away from what got her attention.

"What's with you?" Fulgurite asked. Jasper got their attention ahead, and there is where they all saw what she was getting to.

They all could see the Beach House just ahead, nothing too different with it. Some of the Gems were there too, but they were inside, and they didn't seem to notice anything wrong outside. Up on the roof, someone was patiently sitting on the edge of the roof building, looking like she was staring off into space. At that point, she didn't seem to notice them either. But still, it would explain what Peridot meant, especially with her appearance. This was the same person Peridot had come across earlier that day, and she was still under the impression Peridot was inside. Even after so many hours, she hadn't gone away yet, and the other Gems couldn't guess why she was there anyway.

"Hey!" Jasper yelled. The Gem looked down to them, her star eyes the main thing catching their attention. She was obviously not a normal Gem with those kind of eyes. Soon, she got to her feet, and made a huge yet silent jump towards them. Right before she landed, which at first looked like it'll be a rough one, she slowed herself down until her toes gently touched the sand with little noise. Steven and the ponies weren't tired anymore. Compared to the others, only Garnet and Jasper she had to technically look up to. She kept a good distance away from them, in case of an attack from either Gem or Pony. At first, it seemed like basic silence, the group unsure of what she was going to do. However, the other Gem first looked to Jasper.

"You ... You were with her ... Is she still here? ..." she asked, her voice in a haunting echo. Jasper didn't know what she was talking about.

"We don't know though; who are you?" Garnet asked firmly. The Gem backed away from Garnet at first, though her eyes were more on Steven rather than on her. She hadn't even remotely seen something like Steven before. Her starry eyes kept gaze to him as she, in front of everyone, started to slowly float upward until she was at eye level with Steven. Of course, Garnet moved away quick, the Gem a little startled before landing on the ground again. It was still a bit surprising the other Gems in the Beach House didn't even notice what was going on anyway. While she was busy, Fulgurite snuck past, and bolted to the Beach House before the new Gem had time to notice. The Gem then noticed Rarity and Fluttershy - even stranger creatures with gem-like appearances in the faces. She moved over to them, Rarity first.

"Oh ... uh, thank you dear," Rarity said with a blush, Fluttershy red-faced. She didn't mind the compliment, but from a new Gem like her, it did come with some awkwardness. The Gem herself looked back to Garnet.

"Tell us who you are first," Garnet firmly stated. She had a saddened look on her face, but rather than give off her identity, she instead kneeled down to the sand, and used her hand to make out a picture in the sand. The picture she made out was a triangle, the edges smoothed out to resemble the Gemstone. She then made out another picture nearby it, in the shape of a rounded Gemstone with a star at the center. It didn't help in her identification, but it did help in who she was looking for a little bit.

"Stop dodging the question; who are you?" Garnet asked, patience starting to get lost a bit. No matter how much they ask, she won't tell them who she was, and she could easily be a danger regardless of her weak appearance. She looked down to the ground, looking even more saddened, as Fluttershy moved over to her ...

"... I ... I ... Don't know ..." Her voice was very hushed, but just enough for Fluttershy to at least hear it. She had been wandering around for who knows how long, and throughout that whole time, she didn't had much clue on who she ever was? ...

Before this could be looked into, the others from the Beach House took notice of her, brought outside (finally) by Fulgurite (which were Pearl, Lapis, Jade, and Flint). The white Gem looked to the rest, getting up.

"What's going on?" Flint asked, locking gaze with the white Gem. The menacing appearance of Flint did make her back away as Flint approached with the others.

"Depends on who's asking," Flint stated roughly, moving closer. The white Gem could tell he was in no mood for any games, and actually looked ready to beat her. However, Fluttershy got in the way before Flint could do anything.

"W-wait! Flint, don't!" Fluttershy insisted, front hooves flailing as she hovered in between Flint and the white Gem. Normally, Flint would be annoyed, but he settled his own anger (oddly enough), as fluttershy landed between them both.

"She doesn't know," Fluttershy revealed. The white Gem looked down to her feet, but even if calmer, Flint didn't look like he was buying it.

No response. She really didn't know who she was (who she was supposed to be anyway), and it seems obvious they didn't know either. It didn't exactly help that she was cornered from both sides by the group. If anything were to go wrong, she would end up in deep danger. She needed a bit, closing her eyes.

"Oh uh ... I'm sorry, I didn't realize," Flint said, calmer than he should be. Before it could be processed, the white Gem suddenly opened her eyes.

After those words, the white Gem took off in a flying leap, catching everyone off guard. It wasn't flying exactly, but with each jump she gained a lot of distance between herself and the others.

~~~~~~

Back at the barn, Amethyst and Peridot both were still chilling out as the night continued. Peridot still hadn't moved from her spot since agreeing to stay, yet Amethyst was starting to get bored. She was laying on the floor right by the wall, appearing like she was sitting on the wall.

"Do you want to go back yet?" Amethyst asked in an annoyed tone. Peridot kept a strict gaze to the door.

It was really getting out of hand, at least to Amethyst. The Gem knew for a fact that the Beach House wasn't haunted by any fancy ghosts. After a bit, a pot from one of the piles accidentally fell to the floor, making Peridot jump.

"Okay, forget this; I'm going home," Amethyst decided. Peridot got a bit more troubled; being alone in a large barn without her supposed bodyguard, it seemed something she wouldn't want to happen. Amethyst, being right at the door, went right off outside before Peridot could stop her, but that didn't mean she didn't run outside after her. Peridot grabbed hold of Amethyst's foot.

"Let go!" Amethyst snapped, shaking her foot, trying to make Peridot let go of her. However, the green Gem didn't want to be left alone, not now. As they were having trouble with decisions, the opened plains leading back to the city shown a white object hopping in their direction. It looked like a bouncing white light, yet Amethyst and Peridot didn't notice at first until the same light got closer to them. Peridot was the first of the two to see the oncoming hopper.

"YIPE!" Peridot let Amethyst go, and scrambled to get in the barn. The figure, the same one the others found back at the Beach House, gently landed by the barn house. Amethyst saw her, unsure of what to say, as she went to the barn doors. Guess Peridot was right about the ghost after all. the ghost took no notice of Amethyst, and gently opened up the barn doors to look around within the barn. The other Gems began to appear after the white Gem went in. Within the barn, Peridot was in plain sight (not having much time to hide). In her panic, she almost instinctively got one hand in a fist, and the other gripping her arm like she was about to shoot. However, it was just another reminder to her that her enhancers were no longer with her.

Peridot couldn't answer right away, freaked out seeing her here anyway. She started to move closer, Peridot crawling backwards on the floor until she ended up on the back wall. The other Gems arrived after a bit, seeing what the White Gem was doing. She moved forward, Peridot waiting for whatever she was going to do. The white Gem got down to her knees ... and wrapped her arms around Peridot. Peridot was left simply blank-faced at what was happening, unsure how else to really react to the supposed dangerous ghost. The other Gems didn't know what to do either, and didn't come in right away.

... That didn't make anything better. In fact, it made things even less tolerable. Gems were basically sentient rocks; how could they actually have any exact "mothers"? After a bit, Peridot squirmed, and got herself free from her hold, looking with more confusion than fear.

"W-What are you talking about?" Peridot got out. The white Gem looked at Peridot in the eyes, the symbolic star marks looking right at her. Peridot was still scared, but looking at those eyes got her memory going, and it seemed her fear started to fade a bit. As she was looking, the white Gem then gently moved her own hand towards her forehead. Her hair was smooth, yet the front hair seemed to block something from sight. Smoothly, the white Gem moved her hair aside so Peridot could see the Gemstone. The Gemstone was white, but the symbolic star was what sealed her identity.

"Hmm ... Is that - ... The Star Quartz!" Peridot realized. The white Gem smiled to her, hugging her again.

It wasn't until after that when the others came in, things settled down. Star looked back to the others, getting up and letting Peridot down gently.

"Mind explaining, Peridot?" Garnet asked. Peridot tried to get her words together, Star standing close by her supposed creator. The others waited for some sort of explanation on this turn of events, as Peridot cleared her throat.

"You see, I was sent down to Earth for maintenance, and apart of it was testing the activity of the local prime kindergarten. In order to do that I ... Well, as you can see ..."

"Correct ..." Peridot waited for what Garnet was going to do, as the fusion went over to Star Quartz. Star took a step back as she approached, but the tall fusion Gem didn't take any strong attack or threat into account. Instead, Garnet took a moment to think and soon got the full picture.

"I suppose. Were you planning to leave?" Garnet asked. Star looked to the ground for a bit, but she didn't need to answer her, as Garnet already had one of her own.

Peridot quickly went in between them both. While Star was happy, Peridot didn't need to be stuck with some random Gem like this (even if she was involved either way). However, Garnet kept calm and looked down to her.

"Peridot, you're the one who brought her to life. That, and she had been looking for you."

"But she - but I -" before Peridot could get her mind together, Star moved over next to her. The others nearby didn't put up too much protest on Garnet's choice (for whatever reason). Garnet adjusted her shades after that.

My Little Universe: Season 2

by EquestrianKirin

Twinkle Little Star Quartz