Chapter Text
You can skip this chapter if you want to go straight to the story itself or just don't like reading about writing. That's ok.
Remastered version starts in the next chapter; original version has chapters with titles.
Changelog:
- 5k+ words of "new stuff"
- Completely rewrote the ending (I actually cut ~5k words doing this and still wound up with more material than the original)
- Clarified the "entity" at the heart of the story
- Lots of dialogue got polished and refined for better character consistency
- Character name updates (Sard --> Carnelian, to make it easier to distinguish between Jasper's sisters; Beryl --> Goethite, just 'cause)
Preface:
Why would I "remaster" a fic I finished in 2015? Especially one for a ship that is largely (you gotta admit it) dead?
I don't know if I have one best answer for that question. There's a few reasons, I guess.
For one, I've grown as a writer. Since I published the first version of this fic, I've written a couple novels, several short stories, and even a screenplay. I've also read tons of books, which I think is the second best way to become a writer (the first best way is to write a lot; see previous sentence). All told, I've developed a keener sense of characters, plot, pacing, etc. When I returned to revise the original draft, I noticed instances where character development was spotty, when scenes that just didn't work anymore, and even where there needed to be additions to round out a chapter or a plot point. Instead of being annoyed at my younger self for not seeing those things before, I recognized that this was a good thing. You should be able to return to older stories and find things to fix. No story is flawlessly, and no one is done growing as a writer. I could probably return again in another 9 years (I hope not, though!) and find more adjustments that need to be made.
For two, I wanted to revise it. It was the first big standalone story I wrote for a fandom, and in 2024 we're embracing doing things for ourselves and anyone else who wants to come along. I remember being proud of it when I finished it, and I'm still proud for myself for putting the work in. I have Word docs that are like, 2-3 pages long each of notes for this story. That's #dedication.
For three, just to say that I made it. When I was a teenager, when I wrote this fic, I didn't know if I would make it to 18. I had a lot going on. Is this the best story to stake my identity on? No, absolutely not. But I like the idea of coming back, polishing this up, and saying, yeah. We made it. Let's think about how much we've accomplished while we revise a goofy Princess Mononoke Jaspidot AU fanfic. What else can you do?
Finally, it was really fun to revisit the story and see what gems I wrote in that actually later appeared in the story. For example, Sardonyx, who made her appearance in the show literally eight days after I published the last chapter in 2015. Or Smoky Quartz, who is named as a ship pilot here. There's others, too, I'm sure; I didn't change them because I honestly couldn't be bothered with tracking down every character that has a corresponding gem in the actual show. In tracing that, I also remembered that I named a few of characters very intentionally (for ex., Chalcedony as Jasper, Sardonyx, and Carnelian's 'mom' corresponds to the real life "Quartz family" that they all belong to).
Here's a reminder and encouragement to you that if you have a silly, self-indulgent, or what-have-you story you want to write, and you're afraid to write it or put it out there, to do it anyways. Do it scared. That's what they say, right? Only you can write the stories you've got in your head. Do it no matter how you feel.
(January 2024)
Original preface from 2015 below:
This is an AU Jaspidot fic that takes inspiration and concepts from Studio Ghibli's 1997 Princess Mononoke. Although there are many similarities between these two works, Cosmic Conflict does follow its own path.
The story is primarily about Peridot, an outcast technician with a terminal and unknown disease, and Jasper, a warrior rebelling against Colony X-19 and their destructive plans. Homeworld is the overarching antagonist of the story and there are various minor conflicts throughout. Garnet and Pearl are seen in a negative light only due to the narrative of the story, being from a perspective favoring Peridot. There is also an implied relationship between Garnet and Pearl, however it is never explicitly stated they are attracted to each other. As well as most of the canon gems, many gem OCs are featured in the story, and some play more crucial roles than others.
Throughout this story I attempted to keep the characters as neutral as possible, with some falling on the darker side of the grey neutrality and others on the lighter side. No one is good, no one is bad, they are all doing what they believe is right. Canon does not entirely apply here in terms of who is against who. It was difficult at first for me to see past the canonical relationships but this is an AU fic, after all!
basbird on Tumblr made some really awesome art of Peridot, please check it out here!