It was the early afternoon in Beach City. Steven and Peridot were at the temple in Steven's bedroom, as the other Crystal Gems were at the barn placing some finishing touches on drill. They had let Steven have some free time since the drill was nearly finished, so Steven decided to take Peridot along with him, although she wanted to stay and finish the drill. Of course, he would've taken Connie as well, but she was at tennis practice, and his dad was really busy with the car wash too.

"So where exactly are we going?" asked Peridot as they arrived back at the temple.

"To a new mall that just opened down the street from here!" replied Steven, racing up to his little bedroom.

"What is this... mall?" asked Peridot as she watched Steven pull out and empty a large, pink piggy bank. "It's this really really really huge place where they sell everything!" said Steven, shaking his piggy bank gently as numerous coins and some dollar bills plopped onto the bed.

"Everything?" Peridot's eyes widened.

"Yeah!" Steven smiled happily, gathering up all the dollar bills and quarters he could find in his pile of change, and stuff them in his front pockets and in the cheese pouch of the cheeseburger backpack. "Although there are plenty of shops here already in Beach City, I guess there's no harm in having more. Nickels and pennies, back into the piggy's tummy!" He scooped up the remaining change and dropped it all back into the piggy bank, closing the opening with the cork stopper. He then picked up the piggy bank and set it back under his bed, then grabbed both his cheeseburger backpack and hotdog duffel bag. "Hmm... I can't decide which one to take with us!" he said a bit sadly, staring both of them. "Why not just grab one? It's not that hard." said Peridot blankly.

"Hmmmm... I got an idea! Let's take both!" he cried happily and grabbed them both, which was slightly surprising to Peridot as she knew he'd end up picking both. "I'll carry the cheeseburger and you'll carry the hotdog? ...Unless you want to switch!"

Peridot shrugged and picked up the duffel bag. "I guess I'll take the high in temperature canis lupus familiaris."

Steven blinked as he placed on his backpack. "It's actually just called a hot dog."

"I can call it whatever I'd like!"

"Rude!"

"...Sorry."

"It's okay!" Steven smiled and raced to the door. "Onward fellow Crystal Gem! We're walking!" "H-Hey! Wait for me!" Peridot quickly held the duffel bag and followed suit.

Soon the duo arrived at their destination. "Why didn't we take your Lion to get here." asked Peridot, who had gotten bored of walking. "He was taking a nap when I saw him at the barn, and usually it's really really hard to-Whoa...!" He suddenly gasped as he looked ahead.

"Oh my stars..."

Standing before them was the Beach City Outlets. It was a really large complex of stores both tall and small scattered about connected with pavement, string lights, fans, and a bit of roofing for shade, complete with couch benches and tables. Many many residents of Beach City were roaming about the endless lines of stores. Steven stared in awe, then sniffed the air and his eyes became big and starry. "I smell pretzels!" he smiled happily. "Brown looped morsels?" asked Peridot, smelling it also, but saw that Steven was practically floating away towards the smell drifting near. She gulped and raced after him, and found herself in a small line behind Steven in front of a small pretzel called Pretzel Quetzal.

"They smell so good!" chirped Steven. "I still don't understand their shape." frowned Peridot, looking at a picture of a pretzel on the store window. "Me neither." shrugged the half gem.

The green gem looked around and saw that some people were staring at her as they walked. She grew nervous and clung to Steven's shirt. "Steven... why are the humans looking at me like that? Is something wrong with my hair?!" her hands flew up to her triangular yellow hair. "No! It's not your hair! I'm guessing that some of them aren't from Beach City and don't know about gems. I mean, the only ones that know you are me, the Gems, Dad, and Connie. We've spent most of the time at the barn so you haven't gotten a full tour of Beach City!" replied Steven.

"I see... so how do I get them to stop staring?"

"If anyone asks, just say it's a costume for a party! And if it's someone I know then I'll do the talking. Otherwise just ignore 'em."

"But I'm not wearing a costume!"

"I know but just trust me!"

"...Very well."

"Yay!" Steven grinned, then turned to see it was their turn, and ran up to the counter. "Hi! I'm Steven, and this is Peridot! I think we would like your finest pretzel bits please!"

The lady running the register handed them a bag of mini pretzels and a small container of cheese sauce. "That'll be a dollar fifty."

"Peridot my hands are full, reach into my pocket and pull out two coins and a green paper." said Steven, who new that Peridot wasn't used to their currency. The green gem sighed and did so, pulling them out from Steven's right front pocket and handing them to the lady. "Thank you, have a nice day. Oh and nice costume by the way." said the lady. "NEXT!"

The duo left, although Steven had to nearly drag Peridot out of the store as she nearly yelled that her outfit wasn't a costume.

They then started walking down a line of stores. "So you're telling me that this complex of item sales sells everything?" asked Peridot.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure they have a lot of things!" said the half gem with a mouthful of pretzel bits and cheese.

"Do they sell limb enhancers?"

"Uhh... Well-"

"Or more log keepers?"

"Hey you have one!"

"I need another one! The first one won't log any more logs!"

"Ohhhhhhh I know what you mean! Well, we'll never know until we find out!"

(Insert montage of Cinnamon Roll and Dorito exploring more of the outlets)

With a half-full cheeseburger backpack, Steven soon was staring inside the window of a pet store, smiling at a group of kittens that played inside. "Are those more of your... Lions?" Peridot stared at the crawling kittens as she placed away what Steven called 'tapes' that she would need for her archaic log keeper in the hot dog duffel bag over her shoulder. "No, these are called kittens. They're baby cats! Let's go in!" Steven grabbed Peridot's hand and dragged her into pet store. Peridot looked around in slight fear and curiousily at all of the earth creatures that surrounded her. Small carpis lupus familiaris, tiny Lions or... kittens, skinny winged creatures with triangular mouths, a long flexible green rod... Better stay away from that one.

"Hello, can I help you?" a man suddenly approached the duo. Steven smiled and waved at him. "Hi! I'm Steven! And this is Peridot!"

Peridot simply waved a little.

"We're just looking around here- Oh my gosh there's birds!" Steven raced away and towards the cage filled with parakeets. The man couldn't help but smile, then looked at Peridot. "Quite an... interesting outfit. That a costume?" he said, obviously not used to her green shades. "It is not-Er, actually yes, a costume, for a gathering tonight." Peridot lied, as she remembered Steven's words. that she had to repeat so many times.

"Huh. Well, anything I can help you with?"

"I-I don't need your help! I can handle things myself! I know all about this place!" Peridot squeaked and walked away, but stopped, then came back with a sigh. "What is here exactly?"

The clerk grinned then replied, "We have dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, fish, any kind of pet you'd like!" He walked with the gem around the shop pointing out all the pets he listed. "And if you have any other questions about anything, you just let me know when-" He trailed off as he found that Peridot wasn't paying attention any longer and was standing right in front of a glass box. Her eyes stared inside as she glued herself to the glass and watched the tiny creature inside.

A hedgehog that was roaming around happily in his tiny home.

"Ah, I see you're interested in the hedgehog." the clerk came up behind her. "They're small mammals with tiny spines that poke anyone who scare it. But they'll warm up to their new owners after a little while."

Peridot didn't even speak as she kept staring, somehow intrigued by the smy all creature. The hedgehog had now noticed her presence and waddled over to the glass right in front of her face. "Eep!" Peridot shrieked and stumbled back, bumping into the clerk. "Oof! Hey now, it can't hurt you." The clerk chuckled.

Peridot looked up at the clerk then back at the hedgehog, who had curled up into a ball from Peridot's outburst. "Hey! Why is it doing that?" she asked, confused. "Seems like you scared it when you shouted." said the clerk. A sudden crashing sound made them jump. "Uh oh... I'll be right back, the puppies are loose again-NO SPOT GET DOWN FROM THERE NOW!" the clerk ran away. Peridot watched him leave then looked back at the hedgehog, still curled up in a ball. Gingerly the green gem approached the box and pressed a hand onto it. "Umm... Hello?"

Slowly the spiny mammal unfurled and stared up at the gem. Peridot stared right back, but sweated a bit as the tiny creature slowly came up to the glass where Peridot's hand rested, and pressed it's nose and paws onto it, seeming to want to interact with her. And Peridot relaxed, and couldn't help but smile.

"Peridot? Peridot! Oh, there you are!"

The gem turned around see Steven with a parakeet on his head. "A small avem?" she asked. "Huh?" Steven looked up to see the parakeet resting in his hair. "Oh! Hehe, yeah. I guess it thinks my hair is a nest." Gently he picked up the parakeet and took him back to the cage. "Back with your buddies little birdie!" Steven then came back to Peridot. "Whatcha looking at?"

"A hedgehog." replied the gem, staring that the tiny mammal in the glass case. "Awwww it's really cute!" Steven smiled and pressed his face onto the glass. "I want it." said Peridot, her eyes not moving from the hedgehog. "Huh? Really?" Steven looked at her with surprise. "I dunno Peri... I'm not sure if I have enough money from my piggy bank. Plus it's a big responsibility! At least, that what the Gems said when I first got Lion."

"But I must have it. I think it likes me..."

"I can go ask the clerk to see how much it is."

"Do it, quickly."

"What's the magic worrrrd?"

"...Please."

"Well it was actually potato but that works too!" Steven grinned and went away. A minute later he returned with the clerk, who was covered in dog fur. "Yes, can I help you?" said a worn-out clerk.

"How much is required to purchase this small mammal?" asked Peridot. "Heh, guess you like him after all. Well, he's the only one we have, but hey, you both seem like really nice kids. So I'll reduce the price to about forty."

"Umm..." Steven dug in his backpack and handful by handful he scooped out the quarters and bills. "Is this enough?"

Twenty minutes of math and counting later, the clerk replied, "Just enough for the hedgehog, food, and a cage, although you're about a dollar and seventy nine cents short but don't worry about it. But maybe next time try bills rather than coins?"

"Hehe, sorry about that..." Steven said sheepishly.

"Nevermind. Let's get your hedgehog." the clerk walked over to a door and disappeared. A minute later he returned with the hedgehog cradled in his cupped hands. "Here you are."

Peridot's eyes widened and became starry as she gingerly held out her hands and watched the hedgehog sit in them and stare right up at her, and smile. Steven smiled happily and whispered a thank you to the clerk before gathering the food and stuffing it into the duffel bag, followed by picking up the cage. "C'mon Peri, we should get going home."

He walked out and Peridot followed suit, still staring at the hedgehog. "Sooooooo what's his name?" asked Steven, causing Peridot to snap out of her trance.

"Name?"

"Well yeah. We can't just call him Hedgehog!"

"But you call your pet lion Lion."

"...Good point, but I think he should have a cool name!"

Peridot looked down at the hedgehog, who was sniffing her fingers curiously. "...I am not sure what to name him. He has no identifiable gem for naming and I am not familiar with your human names."

"Well... what about Spike? Or Kevin? Oooooh maybe even Peridot Junior!"

"Hmm... I don't think that he finds any of those suitable." said Peridot, who looked at the hedgehog that was frowning at the names. "I think... perhaps we can stick with Hedgehog."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Huh... Alrighty then! Welcome to the Crystal Gem team, Hedgehog!" Steven grinned. Hedgehog squeaked in response and smiled, also liking Steven. "Awwwww!" Steven giggled. Peridot also smiled.

They soon returned to the temple, where Pearl, Garnet and Amethyst were waiting. "We're back!" called Steven happily to the gems.

"Hello Steven, Peridot, and... What is that?" asked Pearl, looking down at the creature in Peridot's hands. "Oh! I bought it for Peridot today at the pet store!" replied Steven. "Ha! That's kinda cute! Can I poke it?" Amethyst came over to Hedgehog, who became scared. "Hey! You're scaring him! Keep your touch stumps off him!" Peridot held Hedgehog and stepped back. "Chill Peri, I was joking." smirked Amythest. "You must really care for Hedgehog, don't you?" asked Garnet with a small smile.

Peridot looked down at Hedgehog, who looked back up at her, and they both smiled. "...Yes, I do seem to feel a bond forming between us." And Hedgehog squeaked happily in response, seeming to agree.

Thanks for reading!

~Arristo~