My Little Universe: Season 2

by EquestrianKirin


Journey of the Two Sisters

Even with what was happening, things had started to chill down a bit with the rest of the group. Still, with the troubles they're going through so far, things had been getting rather testy, especially with Jasper's upcoming duel with Rupee now. To Sapphire, although the future seemed mainly her focus, news of the duel got to her ears and she was a little unsure about that. Not the fight alone, but more of the affect of this spreading. It would be apparent that a duel with one of Yellow diamond's quartzes, let alone a brand new type of Gem just going about, would catch the attention of the other Homeworld Gems, and if this was to happen, then what would they say about them afterward? Sapphire saw a number of options, but, it could be any of them at this point so it wasn't a good idea to pinpoint one yet. It was times like these she wish she could be in a number of places at once; to warn others at least of what'll happen. As for the rest, things had either settled down or fired up all depending on who. Jasper was far too busy training to the duel with Rupee to really be bothered by anybody or anypony. For the reason they were there, their goal had come to a decent start, but they couldn't just stop with Blue Diamond. If they could get in Yellow Diamond's good graces, then things will work out just fine, though that was going to be harder than it sounds. If Yellow Diamond's talk with Jasper and Peridot had anything to go by, she was harder to sway than Blue Diamond. Then again, Blue Diamond was more subtle, and their friends did belong to her court as it was, so they had a plus for that one anyway.

In the hologram room of Homeworld, Blue Diamond and Blue Pearl were in it. Blue Pearl stayed close by in case she was told to do something, as Blue Diamond looked over different parts of Homeworld. Different parts of the city, different landmarks, and other things that were put as interest. It was a pass time for Blue Diamond to do without much else on her mind ... well, for the moment. The hologram slowly spun as she moved it like it was an interactive touchscreen, but as she went, something caught her eye. Areas on the map were marked with bulletins, and if one were to clicks, will get the information and some pictures. Even so, an area that caught her eye wasn't from a bulletin, or a notice. She moved the Homeworld hologram downward, moving the placement northward until it stopped along one of the ridges of Homeworld's canyons. This one was smaller comparing to the others, but Blue Diamond's memory knew this spot was different. In fact, her and Yellow Diamond knew the spot too, and knew it was different compared to the cities marked. In fact, the spot wasn't close to Blue Diamond's city, as it would be hours before any normal Gem would be able to reach it on foot. Blue Pearl knew where Blue Diamond was looking at, as the Diamond just sighed in memory.

"You're think of ... there, again?" Blue Pearl asked. Blue Diamond looked down to her Pearl.

"Yeah, I am ... It's been quiet for a long time ... Should we try again?"

"I ... I-I don't know," Blue Pearl replied shyly. It wasn't natural for a Homeworld Gem to ask their Pearl for an opinion, and even if it was, Blue Pearl wouldn't know. After all, she never been there herself, and whatever Gem had didn't give much of a report the number of times Blue Diamond had tried. She clicked on the spot, and the Homeworld hologram turned into a single picture, little to no information spawning beside it. The picture showed the side of the high rock wall, dry and old, but the main Homeworld spot actually appeared to be a door. This one was tall and narrow, and arched in an almost M shape with the points almost touching eachother. The large door showed clear signs of abandon, with deep rust and dirt all over the door, with a small diamond symbol located near the middle towards the bottom. Blue Diamond sighed after a good while, and eventually looked to her Pearl.

"Maybe we should leave it alone this time ..." Blue Diamond decided. But, just before she could remove the screen ...

"Leave what alone?"

Blue Diamond and Blue Pearl turned back, and standing over nearby was Sapphire. She didn't had much to do, so she wanted to look back at the hologram again. She didn't expect Blue Diamond to be there, and could see the picture of the old door on the screen.

"Oh, Sapphire. I didn't expect you to come in. It's an abandoned Gem settlement in the north - been abandoned for centuries now," Blue Diamond explained, as Sapphire looked to the door. She quickly noted that not very much current information, if any at all, was evident with this one.

"Why was it abandoned?"

"That's what I've been trying to figure out. You see, I've left the area seven thousand years ago, but soon reports kept coming to me that ... Well, details were obscure, but, something seemed to keep Gems away. I tried a number of times to send reporters to see, but everytime ..." Blue Diamond didn't finish her sentence, trailing off in thought upon how many she sent, and how nothing came up. Sapphire caught the hint pretty quickly, as she looked to the door again, thinking ...

"My Diamond. I think I seen something about the door," Sapphire reported, catching Blue Diamond's attention. A future vision involving this place? She and Blue Pearl listened to what she had to say.

"I see two Gems, each one able to enter through the doors. They'll figure out the problem, and report to you directly once they were finished. Seemed you'll get your information after all," Sapphire said with a smile. Blue Diamond was surprised, but happy to hear it. Considering how many she lost before, hearing this made her feel better. However, Sapphire failed to mention what Gems in particular, but not because she didn't see them. No. She actually deliberately kept that quiet, for if she told her, then she would never get the info she wanted. Blue Diamond was glad either way, and nodded to her.

"Thank you, Sapphire," Blue Diamond sighed. Sapphire nodded, but there was something else she wanted to asked before going.

"My Diamond? word has gone around about Jasper and a Gem named Rupee. They said they're going to have a duel tomorrow," Sapphire said. Blue Diamond was aware before Sapphire asked, and sighed grimly.

"Not again. Rupee hadn't been around for long, but she'd been causing a lot of trouble. To be honest with you, this was her fifth duel she had done with other Gems. She won every time, but, I think it's getting worse," blue Diamond grimly said. A bit of a one eighty compared to Yellow Diamond's view on improvement for Rupee. Sapphire took a moment to look before she too sighed.

"Thank you for telling me, my Diamond."

And with that, Sapphire turned, and walked out. As for the door, Sapphire had other plans in mind ...

~~~~~~

As for the others, apart from Jasper, things had been going rather basic and subtle. For those that were there when things occurred with Jasper and Rupee, they wondered on how it'll actually go. Steven for one had got a bit of a plunder on the matter, in more ways than one; Pearl kept him under close and secure guard over her Steven since she heard what had happened, and not allowing him out without her. A bit troubling, but it only made sense really. As for the ponies, the six had mixed feelings so far with Homeworld. They had been going around time and time again, helping out Blue Diamond here and there, basically trying to be good with the locals. Steady, but getting somewhere.

At the moment, Peridot, Rarity, and Ruby were in the same room, Rarity actually taking the time to work on some new fashion designs inspired by Homeworld. As the fashionista she was, Rarity brought the essentials she needed in case inspiration struck, and she couldn't wait until she got back to her boutique. Unfortunately for these two, that meant standing like boards as she did some proper measurements, and being mannequins for Rarity's designs.

"How much longer are we to stand like this?" Peridot asked.

"Not much longer dear. Oh, where's that fabric?" Rarity wondered, levitating a few things out of the way to find what she was looking for.

"Thought you left your work back in Equestria," Peridot noted, as Rarity brought the fabric over.

"Inspiration stops for Nopony," Rarity stated, as she continued. Honestly, they didn't want to do this for as long as they were doing it for. As they both glanced to eachother, the door opened to have Sapphire show up. Ruby hoped for Sapphire to not see her like this, as she blushed a little bit.

"Having fun you two?" Sapphire giggled.

"Defy fun," Peridot groaned. Rarity soon turned to her.

"Oh, hello dear. Has it been going well with Blue Diamond?" Rarity asked. Sapphire nodded as she walked into the room.

"Yes. Though, I'm going to be gone for a while, I won't be back until later tonight," Sapphire informed. Ruby looked to her, and found this opportunity to not only get back to Garnet, but also avoid this stupid task of being a mannequin. She felt it's been too long since Garnet was around, and she wouldn't mind getting back to it. Quickly, Ruby got off the clothing, smiling wide and ready to go.

"Alright, great, where we going? I'm ready for anything!"

"Good. You stay here."

... Anything but that. The smile was there but her eyes opened wide in surprise on what Sapphire had just said. Soon, the big smile disappeared too, but quickly she took it as a joke.

"You always make me laugh, Sapphire, hahahahaha - but seriously though, where are we going?"

"No Ruby. I'm going. You're staying here, you can't come."

"... W-what? Come on Sapphire, you can't go by yourself!"

"I'm not; I already told Lapis. She should be outside waiting by now. I know you're worried, but, it wouldn't matter anyway."

Ruby's anger didn't subside, and only grew more still.

"Oh, and what for? Because some force will make us split up once we get there?!"

"Yes," Sapphire bluntly said. Ruby still felt angry, but worried too over Sapphire. Still, Sapphire placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Ruby, I promise you I'll come back the second we're done. You do trust me, don't you? Besides, maybe it'll be better for you to relax here ... Especially after earlier." Ruby knew Sapphire was talking about Rupee, and the upcoming duel with Jasper over that. Ruby was still upset over that colossal pain in the neck, but still, if Sapphire would go on this sort of term without worry, then Ruby might as well let her. Besides, Lapis was a powerhouse of water techniques and tricks, so, Sapphire had that going for her anyway.

"Uh, Sapphire, do you think anypony else should go?" Rarity asked, picking up the cloth that fell on the ground with her levitation. Sapphire was sure no, but after taking a glance at Rarity's diamond cutie mark, she began to think it over a little bit. She took a quick future vision check, and saw the result was mainly the same with just one of the ponies.

"Well, you can come, Rarity," Sapphire decided. It might take a little longer, but Rarity might have the best shot out of any of the mane six, even Twilight Sparkle. Rarity wasn't sure where they were going, but her generosity kept her along, and lending her help wasn't too far off for her. Ruby though felt a bit perplexed on hearing that come out; Ruby couldn't go but Rarity could? The gears began working in her head when she saw Rarity's cutie mark. The three Diamonds on them seemed to put some sort of clue in Ruby's head, as Rarity nodded to Sapphire's answer.

"That's awfully sweet, Sapphire," Rarity said.

"Thank you. If you are coming, then meet Lapis at the front," Sapphire said. Rarity nodded, though she wanted to tell the others first as she trotted off. Sapphire too went out the door with her, and gave a small wave to Ruby and Peridot. Sapphire knew what she was doing, and the two gems were left in there. Ruby felt that it wasn't such a good idea, but she trusted Sapphire would come back.

"Have fun, you two," Sapphire said.

~~~~~~

After a while, Rarity, Sapphire, and Lapis Lazuli were off from the city, and heading off to the north as Sapphire instructed. Call it abusing an ability, but she used her future vision in order to see the results of going in a particular direction, and the one that they got right was to the north. It was like using a compass, or internal instinct that a migrating bird would likely use. No matter how one would look at it, it was working out in their favor as they went on. Their main method of transport; flight. Lapis found it difficult to fly with both Rarity and Sapphire, so her alternative method was working out some of her water into a sort of carrier for both of them, which worked wonders. Luckily for Rarity, Blue Peridot's idea of the controlled atmosphere extended outside of the cities, yet the air turned a little thinner. It was like if she climbed up a mountain with the thin air, yet it didn't affect Rarity as much as it should, and it didn't bother Sapphire or Lapis in the slightest.

What was a bother though was the landscape that followed. Unlike the smooth man-made land of the city, the landscape outside looked more or less dried up of all its worth. The ground looked dry, but not sandy like a desert but more like a rocky plain, familiar to Earth's kindergarten. The land sunk further down as they went along, rocky land giving way to smooth dry plains, slightly wavy to symbolize that this used to be underwater.

"So, dear? Where exactly are we going?" Rarity asked, looking down at the ground. Sapphire turned to her.

"We're almost there," replied Sapphire. It didn't entirely answer Rarity's question, but she'll figure out soon enough. Pretty soon though, her answer came up over the next upcoming ridge. Lapis, Sapphire, and Rarity could see a deeper canyon coming up, though this one was a lot bigger, and a lot deeper. When looking down, there they could see the door in question.

"Bring us down Lapis," Sapphire said. Lapis nodded, and Lapis started to descend. As they went, the three soon noticed just how gigantic the door actually was. Even compared to Blue Diamond, the door was double in size, making the three incredibly little compared to it. When they all landed on the dry smooth ground, they took a moment to look at the door. They just felt so small when comparing, and could only wonder what could lay beyond it. Rarity didn't expect to end up in this place, and neither did Lapis.

"What's this place?" Rarity asked, looking up and down the door. Sapphire took a moment to marvel at the door before she answered the white unicorn.

"Blue Diamond wanted to learn more on what happened here. That's what we're going to do," Sapphire revealed. Rarity and Lapis looked to eachother, as Sapphire moved over closer to the door. For the first minute, nothing really seemed to happen as they stand there by the door. There had to be some way in, and if it was over seven thousand years old, then maybe it was something they could figure out a bit easier than the futuristic technology back at the city. The three continued looking for some sort of button, knob, or lever to open the door, but so far nothing seemed to give them any clue. Then they saw the diamond symbol.

"Hold on," Lapis said, flying up to it. Even with all the dust and old age, the diamond still showed a very blurry reflection, which unnerved her a little bit. Still, she tried to keep her mind focused, and placed a hand onto the diamond itself. The second she did so, they all heard a very low humming, like that of a jet engine or something like that. Lapis fluttered back quickly, moving her hand off, as the worn out diamond piece began to glow. This one's colors were a little hard to tell overall, mostly because of the aged diamond being in disrepair, and neglect. Even diamonds needs shining, and this one had none for thousands of years since its abandonment. Eventually though, a loud rumble can be heard from the door, as it split right at the center, and began to slowly move apart. Worried, Lapis flew right back to Rarity and Sapphire, as they watched it spread apart. The sound matched that of a rusty metal door, and just as loud. In the quiet canyon, the sound echoed everywhere good and loud for half a minute until it fully opened up. Only then did the echoes cease, and the place quieted down. The stuffy smell from within quickly got to them, as they looked inside the old settlement. Even with the door open though (since it was dark), they couldn't see very well in it, but nothing seemed to be inside other than old metal floors, dust, and quiet walls. At least that what it seemed to be from where they were. Rarity and Lapis were unsure about this plan, but Sapphire nodded to herself and started in.

"Uh, Sapphire?"

"Well, come on," Sapphire insisted. They didn't want to leave her alone in there, so they both didn't take much time before they went in too.

The three had just walked in when something close by was quietly observing. When they went in, it quietly went in after them ...

~~~~~~

Back at the tower, things still were a bit testy after the three left; Ruby and Peridot both were pretty much together in Ruby's room. Honestly, the two Gems seemed to get on some better terms with each other for a while, finding themselves in each other's company time and time again since being split. Why it kept happening, neither knew, it just seemed to. Now, the two pretty much were bored, and in the case of Ruby, worried. Her partner had basically left her behind and ended up going off on a mission Ruby had no clue about. Peridot was more curious than worried; what place was Sapphire, Lapis, and Rarity going to? The others would've known anyway, yet it seemed Sapphire didn't tell anyone else apart from them. Rarity might've told a few others, but that was about it. At the moment, Ruby and Peridot both were sitting side by side on the bed (Blue Diamond kept it as an option for anything visiting, which included pillows and sheets like those on Earth beds), an awkward silence in the air. Ruby's fingers impatiently dropped beside her in an unheard rhythm, as Peridot tried to think on what to do ...

"So ... how's uh ... how has your current stay been?" Peridot asked, not thinking of anything else. However, the only thing Ruby could think about was what Sapphire's going through wherever she was.

"You've been with me, you should know," Ruby replied roughly, a bit anxious as it is. Another awkward silence filled the air for a bit.

"Well ... okay uh, so how's -"

"Would you be quiet, you little green bug? I'm feeling edgy as it is!" Ruby snapped, though her anger was from being made to stay, she was taking it out here. Of course, Peridot was ticked at this.

"I'm not this bug!" snapped back Peridot.

"And just as annoying too," grumbled Ruby. Peridot was fuming.

"It's not my fault you're staying here, how about you yell at Sapphire instead of me!"

"She's not here, you idiot! She's out of the city, probably getting, lost, beaten down, or who knows what else and I'm - I'm -" Ruby looked ready to loose it, her fists clenching up, teeth clamped together in an almost snarl. Peridot's anger turned to troubled seeing her like this, and if her past experiences knew anything, Ruby looked ready to explode in insults. Unlike before, she didn't want to deal with that much if it wasn't her fault. Ruby tried to think of a killer to get Peridot off her back, but trying to think of one made her more frustrated, smoke starting to build. Not wanting a fire started, Peridot then noticed the pillows on the bed. As Ruby's anger built, Peridot grabbed one of tem, her memory working. While her days of training, she'd come back frustrated with Ruby herself, though Steven gave her a method to cope which involved screaming in a pillow. She didn't think it made much sense, but it did help either way for her. Maybe it could help Ruby?

"Here," Peridot said bluntly. However, Steven's main method was to hold the pillow in front, and shove your face in to scream. Here though, Peridot instead whacked Ruby's face in it, knocking her back on the bed.

"WHAT WAS THAT FOR?!" Ruby yelled, yanking the pillow away. Peridot closed her eyes, and crossed her arms.

"Steven informed me about this act humans use to release this mood they call stress. It involves yelling into these soft, white head rests. How about you try it?" Peridot explained. Still, Ruby was annoyed with getting whacked by a pillow, and just groaned. Instead ...

"You first!"

Ruby clocked her square in the head, knocking her down. She didn't know this pillow can be used as a weapon like that, and she quickly got up, and armed herself with another one before Ruby could hit her again, raising it over her head, ready to hit. Pretty soon, the two were basically whacking each other left and right with their armed pillows out of anger on both sides. One hit after another, they both removed their stress as they kept at it for a good ten minutes ... Until they both took a moment, breathing heaving when they realized something ...

the pillows don't hurt.

Ruby looked at her 'weapon' and just realized how stupid that was. Ticked off at Peridot, and she uses a pillow as something for her to use. Same thing with Peridot; angry with her weapon, which did squat against her. They both looked to eachother after a bit, still quiet ...

Then soon, their expression turned happy, and soon, the two were laughing.

"What the heck are we doing?" Ruby chuckled, throwing the pillow back on the bed. Peridot placed hers on the bed, giggling too. Not only did that get rid of Ruby's stress a bit, but they did get a laugh out what just happened. Even with that, Ruby gave a sigh when her mind got back to the subject again. Peridot didn't want to deal with it herself.

"Okay, how about we do something else? There's more stuff we can do," Peridot suggested, not wanting any awkward silence or unwanted insults again. Maybe it would be best if she can get her mind off it for a second or so.

"Like what?"

~~~~~~

Sapphire, Lapis, and Rarity continued inward through the doors, and into the darkened halls of the abandoned site. It didn't take very long until it became a bit too dark to see, but Rarity had helped out with that with a glowing horn to illuminate the path as they went. It was more similar to a lantern than a flashlight, so, their sight was still limited a bit. This settlement actually looked more like an abandoned, underground quarry. The three reached one part in particular that confirmed this. Inside was simply huge, and wide open, but still was deep underground. Some crates were seen scattered, which resembled floating, wheeless freight cars were left to rot, some still having some gravel in them, while others were left empty. They still floated above the ground, though still were covered in dust and rusted up a little bit. The floating crates weren't scattered around, and were only in suspended animation above flattened out metal trails, like freight cars on tracks. Those that weren't were victims of gravity, and sat unmoved on the floor. Speaking of which, the floor itself turned from clear metal to flattened ground, like patted down sand or flat stone underfoot (or underhoof for Rarity). The light from Rarity's horn lit up some area above too, but not the entire way. Above them, they saw two sets of bridges, one about ten feet up, and the other twenty five feet, and barely visible. These underground 'railways' were perfectly shaped, and connected one side of the quarry to the other, two tunnels splitting up. The underground passages were about as old as the crates that silently stood on them, if not older. They couldn't see if anything was on the second passage higher up, though they much rather stay together than split apart, especially in a place like this. Rarity didn't feel comfortable in this place anymore than the other were, though mostly because she'd much rather be in a fancy mansion, or a high class restaurant, rather than an underground quarry like this.

"Well, could use some tidying up, would it?" Rarity commented, her voice echoing in the empty space of the abandoned area. She deeply questioned why this would be considered a settlement of any kind if it was made to look like a work place than any home. Then again, she wasn't around for thousands of years on Homeworld, so, their views were probably different from her own. Besides, Gems were rocks, and Rarity usually found Gems underground, so, maybe that would explain it. Either way, Sapphire and Lapis looked around the place a bit, Rarity keeping pace.

"Nothing seems out of order," Sapphire questioned, looking around a bit with what light they got.

"Doesn't look destroyed either," added Lapis. It almost seemed like it was left on the spot without much clean up. The main question was what happened to keep the Gems of Homeworld away? It was a puzzle, to be sure, and the three needed to figure it out at this point. The three don't have night vision as apart of their abilities, so they had to stay together by Rarity's light for both sight and safety. Never a good idea to wander in the dark on an abandoned quarry. The first thing they looked at was one of the freight cars close by. This one in particular had gravel inside, full to the brim with minerals collected. It wasn't like any minerals from Earth or Equestria; smooth and shined with Rarity's light, but the texture resembled more of dried tar than any regular gemstone or rock. Whatever they were excavating in here, they had a ton of it. Rarity picked up one in her hoof, her magic focused on the light.

"Peculiar rocks. Are these what your species collect on Homerworld?" asked Rarity curiously, showing them both the mineral. However, since they both were high class Gems like Rarity, they didn't come to the mining facilities, so, they weren't too sure if this was a regular pickup, or if this quarry was special compared to others, or what.

"Perhaps. Let's keep looking around," Sapphire said, placing the mineral back in the car. Rarity did the same thing, and placed her mineral piece back on the same freight car. Still, they didn't seem to find very much clues on what had happened here. Rarity kept the light good and strong for them as they continued onward. Rarity would much rather be with Blue Diamond and her fancy tower, but she didn't want to leave her friends to this alone. If she didn't come, they'd be lost in the dark anyway ...

Unaware to either of them, Rarity's light gave sight to one other creature hidden in the darkness. It kept quiet, and followed them on their way, seeing if they'll get in trouble ...

~~~~~~

For Ruby and Peridot, the night waiting for the others to return turned into actually quite a bit of fun thanks to some ideas Peridot gave Ruby to do. Their pillow fight was just one thing they did, and most of these ideas were actually from seeing Steven do it. One of these ideas was something that Steven called "Playing pretend", which Peridot described as something humans do to act like something else, or act something out, for amusement. It didn't take too much time to figure out, and the two already got something going for them. Childish maybe, but it was still fun for what they were doing. at one point, the room looked like a complete mess, but for the sake of imagination, it was needed for what they had in mind.

"The brave gem warrior sneaks through the thicket of the jungle, alone with only her Gem weapon by her side," Ruby quietly monologued, sneaking along the floor which had a number of pillows, sheets, and other things to give the feel of it. Peridot kept herself hidden under another bit of covers on the bed, her eyes locked onto Ruby like a stalking cat. Ruby crawled like a soldier along the ground, pretending to be on a hunt.

"Not a sound to be heard, she had the feeling she was being watched ..." Ruby monologued again. Pretty soon, just seconds after Ruby passed her, Peridot pounced out, rawring at her, and landing on her like a cat would. The two rolled around, having fun with the pretend play about. This was something Ruby was more familiar to, being a fighter Gem herself (Fighter Gems play rough most of the time anyway). Ruby playfully fought back, and Peridot did the same, the two laughing it up the whole time until they both were just laughing on the floor. It got Ruby better, keeping her mind off worrying. Course, their antics didn't go unnoticed ...

A gentle giggle caught their attention. they both stopped laughing on the spot, and looked to the door, only to find Blue Pearl standing there with a soft smile. She had heard what they were doing, and decided to look herself. Quickly and hastily, they both scrambled back to their feet, embarrassed on being seen this way. They had fun, but, they didn't expect company in the middle of it. Blue Pearl wasn't very fazed though, and still kept her smile. Even if no one asked her to, she started to clean up the room for them.

"H-How much did you see?" Peridot asked, as she picked up the pillows and sheets, and put them neatly in the right place.

"I seen you two setting up," Blue Pearl replied, straightening the sheets and blankets on the bed, and fluffing the pillows. Soon, the door Blue Pearl was at opened up a little more, revealing Steven had seen the act too.

"Hi Ruby, Peridot! Can I play too?" Steven asked. However, the two looked to eachother, Peridot rubbing the back of her head as Blue Pearl continued sort out the items in the room.

"We, uh, we were about to stop," Peridot admitted, her face blushing. Steven was bummed out.

"Aww man!" Steven groaned. He wanted to play pretend with them too, and he waited a little too long for that. Unsure though, Steven realized something as he looked around. He wasn't aware of the situation, or how much it was getting to them, so ...

"Where's Sapphire? Isn't she playing with you?" Steven asked, not aware of how Ruby felt on it. Blue Pearl continued cleaning, but kept an ear open to what they had to say. Since Sapphire spoke to them, she'd been rather quiet, and Blue Pearl was a little curious too. Ruby felt a bit uneasy again, but rather than let Peridot answer, Ruby just said it.

"She ... left an hour ago. Don't know where, don't know why, she wouldn't let me go with her," Ruby answered. Steven was a bit confused, and even a little curious, Blue Pearl felt a shiver down her back. She remembered very well that Sapphire had seen that door, and that abandoned settlement Blue Diamond explained about. Blue Pearl thought about it, feeling uneasy, and her mouth in a worried frown. Steven looked back and noticed that she had stopped for a moment in cleaning up.

"Are you okay?" Steven asked, going over to her. Blue Pearl had a small sheet in her hands, which she ended up twisting in her grip while putting two and two together in her head. Soon, after folding the sheet she had and setting it down, she quickly went out of the room in worry. The three Gems watched her go, not sure what triggered her to do that. For Blue Pearl, she needed this to Blue Diamond before it's too late.

.......

"So, that's what she meant."

Blue Pearl nodded to Blue Diamond, whom was also feeling slightly worried over what'll happen to her. Whoever she sent out to that place didn't return, and if Sapphire and Lapis went there as well ...

"We need to get them out of there."

~~~~~~

The underground paths in the quarry became a bit eerie for Sapphire, Lapis, and Rarity. Each step they made echoed in the abyss of darkness, their only light being from Rarity's blue lit horn. With the halls and tunnels they took, they couldn't exactly tell what would be around the next corner, or just hiding in the shadows of the Homeworld freight cars. it was impossible to really say how long they were going on for, but if they could guess, they'd been wandering around for half an hour since arriving at the main quarry. The breath was dry, stuffy, and cold as they continued onward and inward. From within the stretched tunnels, they could only see about five feet ahead before it became unrecognizable.

"See anything yet?" Lapis asked.

"Not beyond our light," replied Sapphire. As they continued, Rarity's light then started to show something else further ahead of them, light easier to see than the rest of the ground. The three stopped for a second when the sparkle caught their eyes. They didn't know what it was, and Rarity took it on herself to see what it was. Slowly and steadily as if sneaking up on somepony, Rarity moved over one hoof after the other until she got a better view of the object on the ground. From the light blue light, it naturally had a sort of bluish hue, but the official color seemed more of a lavender. It was small, just sticking out of the ground. With her magic being used as a light, she gently scrapped the ground with her hoof (not enjoying it by the by). She didn't need to dig very far, as the object just rolled along the dry floor. Dust covered whatever was exposed, as the rest of the object was undisturbed. Sapphire and Lapis saw what it was, both of them looked a bit disturbed by the sight.

It was a Gemstone. Or rather, what remained of it.

"Oh my stars," Lapis quietly gasped, as Sapphire kneeled down for a closer look, even moving her hair so she had a better view with her one eye. Sapphire wasn't feeling any better about what she saw, and gently picked it up in her hand. If Ruby was here, the sight would've freaked her out, and that wasn't something she wanted to see happen...

And that wasn't the only one.

Rarity's light glistened ahead, and they all saw a lot of shattered gems along the ground, each different colors and in different states. Some were crumbled, some smashed, but whatever way it happened, these Gems weren't coming back to life. So basically speaking, this was a Gem homicide. It could easily be written off as a Gem going rogue, or a accident in the mining but something else shown itself ...

Footprints ...

These were big, large enough for either one of them to stand in, and each one had what appeared to be four toes; three evened and up front while a fourth was out on the inner side. Within it was more Gem shards, suggesting an attack from whatever it was that was here ...

*grrrrrrrrr*

Scratch that; whatever is here!

"Rarity, turn off the light," Sapphire quickly said. Immediately, Rarity doused her light, leaving them in the dark. Farther down the tall tunnel, they could barely make out a faint, ominous glow, as the growling grew louder along with footsteps which echoed from afar. They didn't know what was coming, nor what it'll do when it finds them. They didn't want to find out. Their closest cover was some freight cars and crates left behind, and the three got themselves hidden. However, their movement seemed to catch the attention of whatever it was. They all stayed quiet, as they heard more footsteps moving in their direction. As the footsteps grew louder, the faint light grew too.

Then they saw it.

When the light grew large enough, they all saw what was roaming amongst the abandoned quarry. The beast was rather tall, but not as tall as say Blue Diamond; just taller than Rupee. It's body had a number of bioluminescent orbs along its back, head, and dragging tail which draped on the ground behind it. Its large feet, attached to two muscular legs, were lined with broad claws, and the structure of the body looked like a Tyrannosaur. It's head though looked more for a piranha or angler fish, four eyes which were pale and lifeless, and needle-like teeth jutting out from its lower and upper jaw. It's body was dark along its back, and had a pale underbelly. it's spine jutted out in spikes, each one large and sharp leading up to its neck. A bioluminescent lure dangled off its forehead, though it seemed just to add more light rather than to lure anything. Sapphire, Lapis, and Rarity didn't dare to move, as the creature looked to the ground of shattered gemstones ...

and started to lick them up. The crunching and grinding sound of the gemstones inside the monster's teeth made both Lapis and Sapphire shudder and cringe. This thing eats Gems! As it was busy gobbling up the shattered stones, Lapis nervously nudged Sapphire.

"C-Can we go now? I think we figured it out," Lapis asked quietly. Before Sapphire could answer, the beast's tail swayed towards them, hitting the freight car nearby, sending it out of sight. Unfortunately, this made Rarity squeak in fear, just loud enough to catch the beast's attention. Lapis quickly covered Rarity's mouth, hunkering down in whatever cover they had left, as the beast turned around, a few gem shards still in its mouth. Slowly, the dangling light hovered over them, as the growling head of the monster stayed still. Its lips curled up in a snarl, showing its sharps rows of teeth, and the gem shards that were stuck in them. Some of them even fell down on them, but they dare not say a word despite how unnerved they felt. Sapphire was the calmest of the three, though Rarity and Lapis looked panicked. A low gurgling growl emitted as it swayed its head to inspect the spot, the light moving the shadows around them ...

Ever so slowly, the beast began to turn away, the light dimming slightly as it began to walk back the way it came. The three still didn't move an inch, hearing a few footsteps until everything was silent. Lapis and Rarity didn't know what'll happen, but for Sapphire ...

"Down," Sapphire said urgently. Sapphire quickly pulled them down, just as the tail slammed into their cover, smashing it into pieces on the wall! It knew they were there, and it turned around. The roar it gave was low toned, and thundering. with the light from its dangler, the nightmarish roar was accompanied by a gaping mouth of needle teeth, barred jaws. Lapis, Sapphire and Rarity quickly rushed off as fast as they could. Sapphire grabbed Lapis and Rarity and rushed ahead, the roars becoming distant as they zoomed blindly through the tunnels. Soon after what felt like miles of rushing, Sapphire stopped, and the other two landed on the ground. Rarity was peeved that her mane was messed with, but was glad to be away from whatever that was.

"What in the name of Celestia was that?" Rarity gasped, trying to calm down.

"Don't know, but let's get out of here," Lapis insisted. Rarity lit her horn again to get their barrings on where they ended up. However, then the horn glowed, it showed that they were in a four way split ...

"Now what?"

~~~~~~

With the answer basically at their disposal, the trio tried to get themselves back out from the underground quarry. The mad dash did save them from the beast, but the mad dash also made it hard to remember which direction they rushed off to, or which way to go back. Even fi they knew though, they might end up charging into the beast, and even if Sapphire could look into the future, they didn't want to risk it either way. All they needed to do was get to the main quarry again, and they can figure it out from there. In the mean time, it was just the matter of getting there, one step at a time, without running into the beast again.

"So, we figured out what happened here," Lapis reminded, though not much of a response was really said apart from Sapphire's nod. It was probably best not to talk too much anyway, as their voices echoed in the tunnels, and it might catch the beast's attention if it's close by anywhere. As they continued onward though, the three stopped for a small moment ... but footsteps still echoed.

"W-What's that?" Rarity asked, the footsteps more fast paced, and a lot lighter than the beast's thundering steps. Soon, something rushed to them, accidentally running right into Lapis, the two tumbling to the ground! Rarity was startled, jumped and moving back. Lapis looked to what had ran into her, as the uninvited guest got to his feet very quickly, a weird smile stretching on his face, and not much other emotion evident on it aside from that.

Emerald!

"What the - when did he get in here?" Lapis wondered. Emerald kept his smile, but his situation got him gripping tightly to Lapis's legs, having a smile but still scared. Their only main guess was that he snuck in after them, and got freaked out by the beast and high-tailed after them. Lapis couldn't move very well with Emerald gripping her legs like this, Emerald shivering a little.

"Are you alright, dear?" Rarity asked. Emerald only looked over to her with a nervous grin, not saying a word, but shaking his head rapidly from side to side. His finger frantically pointed from where he came from, but without talking he had to stick to charades to tell them the problem. Very faintly, footsteps could be heard again ...

"Quick, this way. Rarity, turn out the light," Sapphire instructed. They didn't had time to think about the guy, and didn't want to leave him to the beast. Sapphire moved off down another tunnel, as Rarity dimmed out the light so they weren't so noticeable. Emerald followed them, not letting go of Lapis's dress (which was annoying for Lapis a bit). Even with the dimmed light, they eventually were able to see the tunnel widen into a opened area of the quarry. They weren't sure if it was the same quarry they started in, as they only saw the open bridge, and a dark abyss below. Must be pretty high in the quarry. Either way, Sapphire took the lead, and the others kept close behind her. Each step they made across the bridge was quick, but steady. Well, except for Emerald, who just wanted to keep as much distance between himself and whatever was in this quarry as possible. Guess following them in wasn't his better ideas, and he wanted it over and done. The dimmed light meant that Emerald was quickly loosing sight of where he was going. After a quick few seconds, he looped back just as quick. When they reached half way across the bridge, they all suddenly felt the ground under them shiver! They all huddled together, looking for any signs of what was stalking them. The sound of moving claws, and distant growls alerted them all. Instead of trying to see what was there, Sapphire got an idea.

"Lapis, try to make some water spikes. We can attack it if it's really around," Sapphire instructed. Willing, Lapis got out her water wings, and brought a water shield around them. Sapphire reached out and touched the water, her icy touch turning it into ice shards. They got what was going on, but they couldn't attack if they couldn't see. Rarity's light, although dim, became more prominent because of the ice created so, if the beast is around, they better strike fast.

"Alright, Lapis, launch them." Upon the word, Lapis launched the ice shards in all directions, stabbing the walls all around them ... However, they didn't hear any shriek of pain, or any sound of impact. The four looked for any sign, but nothing seemed to show up. The ice shards jutted out the walls, a faint shine when reflecting off the magic glow of Rarity's glow, and they didn't show anything either ...

"Where is it?"

Seconds later, as if on some unseen cue, the footsteps echoed again, but this time it was a bit lower, underneath them. Before they could think of anything else, a gigantic mouth of barring teeth launched upward on the side of the bridge, the roar making everyone jump, and stumble - even Sapphire! The beast was still there, and it found them! The beast barked, snarled, and tried its best to reach them, but it was just an inch too far to pull anyone down. That didn't mean the four didn't get scared witless by the out-of-nowhere lunge. After some struggle, the beast fell down back into the dark abyss, but a quick thud told them that they weren't as high up as they appeared to be. The beast's bioluminescent lights shined off again, and show that it was standing on a lower bridge, just five feet down. The beast's weight was deadly enough on the bridge it was on, but each hit on the bridge they were on weakened it more and more. Quickly, they began rushing to the other side of the bridge, but the beast made another huge leap, just high enough to slam its torso on top of the bridge. The tremors of the hit not only weakened the bridge, but also the tunnel in front of them shook enough to cave in! Now, they were stuck between a blocked off tunnel, and the monster responsible for the abandonment of the quarry. It didn't pounce right away, snarling and swishing its huge tail behind it. It wasn't until here when the four noticed some small ice shards that were stabbed in its back, just above the right hip. Not ad effective as Sapphire planned, but still it hurt it. The beast launched forward roaring, but suddenly Rarity was at front. when the beast saw her, it skidded to a halt, but not because it was scared. It could sense that Rarity was not like the others; with four legs, fur, and organic meat was something this giant was oddly not used to. Rarity was scared, but she didn't want to see any of her friends maimed by this thing, and stood her ground against the monstrosity.

"You vial beast! If you want them, you're going to have to go through me!" Rarity warned. She wasn't one for rough fighting, but if the situation called for it, she'll fight tooth and hoof if she had to. Still, seeing such a odd creature was unknown to this beast, as it was quite unsure what to do. It leaned in rather close, the lure on its head grazing Rarity's mane and back, as if it used it to sense what she was. It senses the heartbeat inside her, and proved that she wasn't a Gem, despite her diamond cutie mark. It opened its mouth, its dry breath smelling of dust and dirt. Eventually though, the beast suddenly grabbed her by the hoof, and tossed her to the second bridge, Rarity landing with a rough thud. Lapis quickly got her wings out, rushing down to get her. Sapphire remained calm, Emerald staying behind her as it roared again. Emerald panicked, and launched some hexagon disks at the thing's face. While it bugged it, it didn't do much damage. One of these even ended up in its mouth, which it chomped in half!

Tougher than any of them thought.

Seeing they were in trouble, Rarity gathered up her energy, and shot a magic beam from her horn. It hit the beast right on its head, stalling it just long enough for Sapphire to grab Emerald, and jump down to them. The beast stumbled, and nearly fell off the bridge, but kept its footing just enough to avoid falling. The four below rushed off down the bridge, as the beast got up, and launched itself off the bridge, straight for them. Lapis tried to get out her water wings, but it got to dry in there to just make more, especially after Sapphire froze hers for an all around weapon that did little damage. The beast landed right onto the other bridge, but it was too much for the bridge to handle. With a loud crack, and crumble, the bridge collapsed under the sudden impact! Rarity, Lapis, and Emerald ended up stumbling, but with Sapphire's grab and quick movement, they just made it to the otherside as the beast fell down in the abyss below with a loud roar. They all heard it land hard on the unforeseen ground below. The four waited for some sort of response, or some form of extra noise from the beast, but nothing seemed to come about. Emerald, grateful to be saved, hugged Sapphire tightly. Sapphire of course expected it, yet she allowed it for the sake of the moment. Lapis and Rarity both were glad they weren't at the mercy of the beast either.

"Come on then, let's go. We don't need to be in here anymore," Sapphire concluded. The little group knew she was right, and went off to try their luck further down.

~~~~~~

Outside in the dry wastes of the night, Blue Diamond'a main answer for who'll retrieve Lapis, Sapphire, and Rarity involved the two fastest ones of the new group. That sort of choice could really only fall down to two; Fulgurite and Rainbow. With Fulgurite and her blinding speed, and Rainbow with her fast flight, they were the only two who could get to them fast enough. Directions were pretty simple, and the two were pretty much already at the canyon after a good rush.

"Think this is the right spot?" Fulgurite asked.

"Beats me, but that door's a good clue. Come on, let's go," Rainbow said, starting to fly down the canyon to the open door. At first they didn't seem to hear much of anything, or see any sign of Lapis, Rarity, or Sapphire.

"Some renovation. See them?"

"Not really. You don't think they -" before Fulgurite could answer, suddenly they heard something from inside the door. Soon as they looked, something blue rushed out, stopping on a dime in front of them both. This was Sapphire, just the Gem they were going to get. Sapphire was dragging Emerald behind her, and the Gem ended up running into her just as they came out. Lapis and Rarity caught up after a bit.

"There you are! What the hay were you - who's that?" Rainbow's tone quickly changed when she saw Emerald laying on the ground, just getting out of his daze.

"He wouldn't say anything since we found him, so we're not sure," Lapis answered, the other two looking to Emerald. Emerald still had his smile, but he was less worried at this point since getting away from that beast. Rainbow and Fulgurite exchanged glances. He didn't seem too dangerous but the creepy smile didn't shift to any better mood either. Rainbow flew around him, and soon noticed the cracked gem on the back of his neck.

"Yikes. Hey, did he get pummeled in there?" Rainbow asked, a hoof to Emerald's gemstone. None of them noticed his cracked gem yet, and when they saw that after all that, they were surprised that he managed to get out at all. Did the beast crack his gemstone before he found them? Why wasn't he as deformed like Amethyst was when she cracked her Gem? Well, no matter how it happened, he needed to get it fixed. But before they could go ...

*RRRROOOOAAARRRR*

Everyone quickly turned to the quarry entrance, just as an all too familiar glow started to show. Only Fulgurite and Rainbow Dash were new to it, but the rest were on edge when the same beast that had been chasing them around all over the quarry staggered out. It looked weak, with the shards still in it, and limping in its left leg. It may be weakened, but it wasn't ready to give up yet.

"What the hay?!" Rainbow gasped. Another thundering roar echoed out, as it started to them. It moved slower than before, but still decent speed. Rainbow, not wanting to have her friends beaten down, almost immediately confronted the beast. Unlike Rarity, who just stood there, Rainbow flew forward fast, spun around, and kicked it square on the head. The beast was stunned for a few seconds from the strong kick, and got its attention focused on the flying Pegasus.

"What're you standing there for?! Get out of here, I'll catch up later!" Rainbow called, just avoiding a killer bite from the monster. They didn't want to leave her (well most of them - Emerald was off like a light), but soon they began to go off. The only one who stayed was Sapphire, remaining calm and collective despite the fight going on. Rainbow didn't notice yet, still dealing with the monster there. The beast swing its tail, and tried to get the flying annoyance in its jaws, but Rainbow proved to be a fast fighter, making the hits all over it. The best hit the beast managed was a good tail whip, but Rainbow Dash easily shook it off and continued fighting. The others had managed to get to a safe distance from the fight, and up the canyon wall, but only then did they see Sapphire still down there. Sapphire though didn't feel threatened, and eventually the beast laid another hard hit on Rainbow with its tail. That time, the Pegasus was slammed in the rock wall, and only then did the hunter see Sapphire. Instead of looking scared, or running, Sapphire actually began to clear her throat.

The beast roared loud ...

Sapphire then screamed!

This scream was not out of fear, and the frequency was extremely high. So high, the others only heard a very tiny, almost microscopic screeching. However, Sapphire's scream was focused, like a beam, and the monster suddenly began to back up. The sound Sapphire made was enough to make ears bleed, and the beast didn't want any of it. First the physical assaults, now assault on the ears. Desperate to get away, the beast made a mad scramble back to the quarry, blinded by the sound so much that it ran into the canyon wall! Sapphire didn't stop her concentrated screech until the beast was out of sight ...

"Whoa. Some lungs you have," Rainbow commented, dumbfounded.

"I don't have lungs, remember?" Sapphire replied, starting to catch up to the others. Rainbow just followed on after her. Sapphire just never ceases to amaze. With the monster refusing to come out of the quarry, the two peacefully returned to the rest of the group. Lapis, Rarity, Fulgurite, and Emerald weren't sure what Sapphire did to drive the monster off, but they were glad it was gone anyway. They were also glad they all made it out okay overall.

"Alright, problem done. Fulgurite? Can you go ahead and tell Blue Diamond about what happened?" Sapphire asked.

"On it, Sapphire," Fulgurite said, before running off back. With everyone there, and everything handled, they went back at their own pace. Emerald didn't had much else to go, so they decided to let him follow them back to Blue Diamond. At least she can help him get back to where he should be.

For Sapphire, this trip had been pretty interesting, albeit a bit scary at points but it was still nice to look around a place like the quarry. A nice change of pace, honestly. As they went on back, she could only wonder with a smile on how Ruby and Peridot were getting along.