Onyx

"Okay, Onyx," said Steven, turning the page. "What's this?"

"Uh… it's a… I know it!" I said. "A giraffe?!"

"Yeah!" said Steven. "Good job!"

Steven had been teaching me things about Earth. We were reviewing creatures and later we would do this thing called "math".

"And this?" said Steven, showing me the next creature.

"A… t… tig-ar…" I said.

"Well, it's pronounced 'tiger', but I'll give you that one," said Steven. "Seven out of ten! Good job, Onyx."

"Thanks, Steven," I said.

"Wait here," said Steven. "I'll go get the math sheet I made."

Steven ran inside. I leaned back on the seat and took in the sunset. Earth had the most lovely sky at this time.

Garnet then came out with Pearl.

"Hello, Onyx," said Garnet. "Steven told me the lessons are going well."

"Yeah," I said. "Steven was just teaching me about animals. Did you… need me for something?"

"Yes," said Garnet. "Now that you're a Crystal Gem, you have to help us on missions. One of which is protecting Steven. We do understand that you are a valuable Gem and we'll protect you, too, but you need to learn how to control your powers."

I frowned. Tense, I tightened my grip on my thigh. I had JUST forgotten about the fact of me being a potential threat.

"I dunno," I said. "My gem hasn't activated since the incident."

"Hmm… Your powers seem to only activate during extreme emotion or when you're in some sort of danger," said Pearl. "Similar to when Steven first started out…"

"So… what do I do?" I said.

"Don't worry," said Garnet. "We'll help you figure out how to control your powers."

"Yeah…" I said. "Thanks…"

I didn't know why, but somehow Garnet made me feel a little more braver. My eyes widened as my gem suddenly started glowing. I almost fell into panic.

"Ah! G-Guys?!" I said.

"It's okay," said Garnet. "Just stay calm and concentrate. Try to summon a weapon."

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. The power coursed through me slowly. I heard the two gasp.

"Oh, Onyx…" said Pearl. "It's a sword."

I opened my eyes and saw a sword before me, shining in a bright light. The blade was dark and pure black and the hand was gray.

"My weapon…" I said.

I reached out but the blade disappeared.

"Well, that was a good first attempt," said Garnet.

I stared at my gem. It had stopped glowing.

"Whoa…" said a voice.

Steven had come back outside.

"You figured out how to summon a sword?!" said Steven.

"Well, not really…" I said.

"Pearl!" said Steven. "You should teach Onyx how to swordfight!"

"What?!" Pearl and I said.

"I don't know…" Pearl said, looking away.

Things were still awkward between us. We don't really hang out. Pearl usually ignores me, and all I do is back sass her when we have to talk. All this because we couldn't talk about "that incident"...

"Come on, Pearl!" said Steven. "Don't you want Onyx to know how to fight? That way he can protect us…. Protect me! Protect the Earth!"

"...Oh, alright…" said Pearl. "But Onyx, as your teacher, you must do exactly as I say. We will start tomorrow at dawn!"

I nodded. Pearl then went back inside.

"You'll do fine…" said Garnet. And she went back inside.

"Why did you do that?!" I said.

"Pearl's really good at swordfighting!" said Steven.

"Um, did you forget why Pearl and I don't really talk?" I said.

"No…" said Steven. "But this could be a good opportunity to help you two get along. C'mon! Just give it a chance."

I sighed. "Alright..."

"Great!" said Steven. "Anyway, here's the math sheet I made."

I looked at the paper. "Aw, not division…"

The next morning…

"Onyx…" said a voice. "Onyx, wake up…"

I opened my eyes and saw Pearl. It was still pretty dark outside.

"Pearl?" I said. "What are you doing?"

"I said we'd start training at dawn," said Pearl.

"It's like five in the morning!" I said.

"What did I say yesterday?" said Pearl. "And besides, you're a Gem. You don't really need sleep."

"Still feels nice though…" I said, getting up.

Pearl led me to the warp pad and we went to an entirely new place. I didn't think we were even on the ground anymore. There was a big open space for practicing. It looked ancient.

"This is an ancient sky arena," said Pearl, "where some of the first battles for Earth took place. We should get started with the basics. You can use this until you can summon a weapon properly."

Pearl handed me a sword. The handle was simple and the blade was an average size. Pearl pulled out her sword. The blade was long and sparkled in the sunrise.

I back away a little. I think that was the same blade that once destroyed me. Pearl rolled her eyes at my slight fear, so I glared.

A light came from Pearl's gem and holo-graphic version of herself appeared.

"To begin, this holo-Pearl will be your opponent," said Pearl.

"Level Zero… Beginner Set!" said the holo-Pearl.

Pearl gave the holo-Pearl her sword and then she walked over to me. She held my right hand and I grit my teeth. She had put her hand right over my gem, but I decided to suck it up and let her teach me.

"Okay," said Pearl. "We'll start with some basic defense. It all begins with your stance."

The holo-Pearl swung at us. With Pearl's help, I blocked it.

"Always keep you eye on your opponent," said Pearl. "That's one of the most important rules of combat. Now, try and block the next few attacks. They should be easy, so you'll be fine."

Pearl backed away and I took on the holo-Pearl myself. It swung slowly and steadily. To the left and to the right, up and then repeated.

"Nice rhythm," said Pearl. "But remember, it's not just about defense. It's about waiting for the right moment to strike."

The holo-Pearl raised its sword and I saw an opening. Before I could swing, my eyes focused on my opponent's sword and that memory came up again. I backed away as the holo-Pearl swung and missed me.

"What happened?!" said Pearl. "You had a good opening."

Pearl looked at me. Did she know what I thought about? Then she couldn't help but sigh in annoyance.

"You hesitated…" said Pearl. "Hesitating can get you killed!"

I glared at her scolding.

"So, I made a mistake!" I said. "So, what?! It's not like it was a real battle!"

"You have to know how to know how do this," said Pearl. "I learned the art of swordfighting by studying your type of Gems."

"Really?" I said.

Her gem started started glowing and I saw a projection into the past. A young Pearl looked over some rocks and saw some other Gems training. Some of them wore dark clothing like me. They had blades and were sparring with each other.

In another memory, I saw an Onyx Gem run down a dark valley and hide. Another Gem came and she defeated it. It was strange. It was almost as if that Gem vanished into the shadows there.

"Onyx Gems used their powers to hide in darkness," said Pearl. "Their presence fades whenever they are in the shadows which made them useful in stealth. There are many skills in the ways of the sword."

Pearl's memories played through the various encounters with Gems and their fights.

"You must learn to be a brave knight," said Pearl. "Everything you've been through thus far has only been the beginning."

"Huh?" I said.

"Peridot, Lapis, and Jasper are still out there…" said Pearl. "We can't let them leave now that they know that the Crystal Gems still exist. More importantly, we can't let them leave not that they know about you and Steven. If we do… then…"

Then she stopped. She walked up to me and we continued the lesson. My mind raced as to what she was talking about. What were we going to do when we found Peridot? Or Lapis and Jasper? We'd probably just bubble all of them and keep them in the temple forever. Steven might be against that for Lapis, though.

Would just bubbling them be the end of it? What if Homeworld sees that their Gems didn't come back? They could send more!

I kept practicing on the holo-Pearl. I listened to every shred of advice Pearl gave me, but every time that holo-Pearl swung at me, I could help but picture that horrid moment.

By the late afternoon, Pearl decided to call it a day. As i came back into Steven's room, I saw him playing one of his video games.

I was so exhausted. At least Steven was happy I was back.

"Hey, Onyx!" said Steven. "How'd it go?"

"I'm tired…" I said. "I kept hesitating because I kept thinking about what Pearl did."

"That's okay," said Steven. "It was your first day. Wanna play video games with me?"

I sighed. "Sure…" I said. And I sat down next to him.

"Alright!" said Steven.

"So, what're we playing?" I said.

"This is a game called 'the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess'," said Steven.

Steven began to explain to me what the game was about. Apparently, a hero named Link was chosen by deities called 'gods' to save a kingdom called 'Hyrule'. Doing this, would also be the key to finding his friends who were kidnapped by strange monsters.

"So, the first dungeon is in the forest?" I said.

"Yep," said Steven.

Steven moved his character down the old beaten path. Then my eyes widened as there was a golden wolf. It jumped at Link and the entire screen went white.

"What the-" I said.

Link woke up in an entirely different place. Then in the distance was a knight clad in old armor.

"Whoa…" I said. "What's going on with this game?"

Steven smiled. I looked to the TV again.

Link tried to hit him, but the knight struck him to the floor.

"A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage," said the knight. Well, the game ran on subtitles instead of voice acting, but hey!

"You may be destined to be the hero of legend… but your current power would disgrace the proud green of the hero's tunic you wear," said the knight. "You must use your courage to seek power… and find it you must. Only then will you become the hero for whom this world despairs. If you do find true courage, and you wish to save Hyrule from the horrors it now faces… Then you will be worthy to receive the secrets I hold!"

"Whoa, what's this?" I said.

"This is where you can learn a hidden skill," said Steven.

Steven took his character and was taught a move the game called, "Ending Blow." Link struck down the knight in practice, leaped through the air and finished him. I think that knight was undead so he stood back up unscathed.

"A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage…"

Those words repeated in my mind as I gazed at the sword Pearl had lent to me. I should probably know better than to take advice from a video game, but somehow I found those words inspiring...

So the next day, Pearl took me out for another lesson. At least it wasn't at the crack of dawn this time.

I drew my sword and came at the holo-Pearl.

"Keep your balance!" Pearl said, as I deflected the attacks. "And it's okay if you can't land a hit today, either."

I knew she was being sarcastic. She was only teaching me so I could protect Steven. She stabbed me and I almost killed her precious child all that time ago. We both had a reason to hate each other.

This anger somehow gave me strength. I pushed the holo-Pearl back. As soon as it swung at me, I ducked and went around it. Then I took a deep breath and hit the holo-Pearl from behind.

Pearl gasped.

"Match set!" said the holo-Pearl. "Challenger wins!"

"Wh-What?" said Pearl. "But yesterday…" Then she shook her head. "Well… Good job…" she said, begrudgingly.

I don't know why, but I had to show her. What am I saying? Of course I knew why! Does she really think she can keep talking to me like that?! I had to become brave… if I wanted to save the Earth from the horrors it could face… and be a better swordfighter that isn't so stuck up about their skill!

I continued to watch Steven play that video game. Soon enough, I was trying some of those "hidden skills" on the holo-Pearls. My improving skill was irritating Pearl a bit, but Garnet found it good I was making strides.

As the days went by, I'd see a new move and then somehow I would absorb how to do it. Garnet told me that my type of Gem had good instincts and natural abilities.

Today, I came to the sky arena with the sword in its holder and on my back. Pearl was waiting for me.

"Okay, Onyx," said Pearl. "Are you ready?"

I stayed silent and merely nodded.

"Level Three, Advanced Set!" said the holo-Pearl.

Hopefully, I got this right…

"Good luck," Pearl said, flatly.

The holo-Pearl walked towards me, sword in hand. I stayed still and didn't move.

"What are you doing?" said Pearl.

I slowly moved my hand to hover over the handle of my sword.

"Hurry up!" said Pearl. "Hit or you'll-"

As soon as the holo-Pearl was close enough, I pulled out my sword immediately and struck without warning. Pearl stood silent as the holo-Pearl fell onto the floor.

"Match set!" said the holo-Pearl. "Challenger wins!"

I learned this yesterday… The "Mortal Draw". There was no defense for this attack. The Mortal Draw deals death.

"Wha?" said Pearl. "H-How did you…"

"Is there more?" I said. "Or can I go back to playing Twilight Princess?"

Pearl stayed dazed. I put my sword away and started to walk back.

"H-How?" Pearl quietly said as I walked past her.

A small grin appeared on my face as kept walking. Then Pearl grabbed my shoulder.

"Wait…" she said. "I have… one more challenge for you today… Will you accept?"

"... Sure," I said.

I turned around and Pearl stepped away from me at a distance.

"... I know you've been learning things from that… 'game', as well…" said Pearl. "I know Onyx Gems excel at absorbing knowledge. Do you think this is a game? Do you think you are better than me? I've spent five thousand years perfecting the art of swordplay. Your little tricks aren't real sword moves. You're not really swordfighting!"

"Well… at least if I were you… I would brag about my own skill!" I said. "Swordplay consists of skill. That is true, but you forget another trait that which you lack, Pearl! Creativity! So the next time you think I'm not swordfighting, I am, because it's my own way of fighting!"

"I'm creative!" said Pearl. "And I'm far more wiser than you'll ever be!"

"Wise people don't stab innocent bystanders…" I said.

"You got in the way!" said Pearl.

"Lapis wasn't even attacking you!" I said.

"... Fine!" said Pearl. "You want to be a master?! Study closely!"

Pearl drew her sword and came at me at full force. Well, I knew it was it was only a matter of time before this happened.

I readied my sword and blocked the attack. Pearl kept swinging as I did my best to deflect them. She was so fast, I could barely keep up. However, I knew this. Pearl had begun to feel threatened. So, her attacks were a bit sloppy.

I had been pushed back towards the wall. Pearl swiped at me. That's when I jumped and tried to hit from above, but she ducked. As soon as I was on my feet again, I turned around and continued to block. I had to be patient and wait for the right moment.

We ran at each other and our swords clashed.

"Well… I'm impressed…" said Pearl. "You are an excellent sword fighter…"

"But you still hate me, do you?" I said.

"Yes!" said Pearl.

A nasty glare grew across my face. My gem started glowing and I pushed hard making Pearl go back. She looked surprised. Then she kicked me and I was sent flying to the ground. I rolled a bit then stopped. Raising my head, I saw my sword a few feet away. However, Pearl had already set her next attack.

"This fight is over!" said Pearl.

Pearl raised her sword and charged at me. I looked away.

"Stop!" said a voice.

There was a hard clang sound. I opened my eyes and saw Steven standing in front of me with his shield.

"Steven!" Pearl said in shock.

I sighed in relief. "How did you-"

"I told him," said Garnet, coming out of the shadows.

"Are you okay?" said Steven. "Your face! It's all scratched up!"

"I… I'm okay," I said.

Steven helped me to my feet.

"G-Garnet," said Pearl, "I was just-"

"Pearl, this is unacceptable!" said Garnet. "You should know better. Onyx is your student! What were you doing attacking each other like that!"

Pearl glared and merely crossed her arms.

"... I have nothing to say!" I said.

"Okay, that's enough," said Garnet. "Steven, take Onyx back to the temple. Pearl, stay here. We need to talk."

Steven grabbed my hand and dragged me away, but not before I grabbed my sword.

I was taken back to Steven's room. That was fine, I guess. Steven made me sit on the couch and he went and started treating my scratches with something that stung a bit.

"... I'm sorry…" I said. "You're mad at me, aren't you?"

"What?" said Steven. "No… I'm just a bit sad. I really thought learning with Pearl would help you two get along."

I was relieved to hear Steven forgive me. That very forgiving part him made feel even more guilty, though.

"All Pearl did was kinda encourage me through sarcasm…" I said. "But… she did teach me some things… She told me to always keep my eye on my opponent and sword fighting was all about waiting for the perfect moment to strike."

Steven's eyes widened. "You really have been learning, haven't you?" said Steven.

"Yeah…" I said.

"Well… I guess that's it for now," said Steven, putting the first-aid kit away. "Let's just play Twilight Princess. I've almost finished the sky level."

"Okay," I said.

The lessons stopped after that day. Pearl and I remained silent towards each other. I wondered what Garnet said to her, though.

Today, Steven, Garnet and Amethyst were out. Apparently, they spotted a monster that had been running around the temple. I stayed behind and just hung around playing Twilight Princess.

I had finally done it and gathered all four pieces of the Mirror of Twilight. Now I could finally go to the Twilight Realm and stop the evil Zant!

So then I saw the portal to the Twilight Realm. It looked so ominous.

"Some call our realm a world of shadows, but that makes it sound unpleasant…" said Midna. "The twilight there holds a serene beauty… You have seen it yourself as the sun sets on this world. Bathed in that light, all people were pure and gentle… But things changed once that foul power pervaded the world…"

"It was all our doing…" said one of the sages. "We overestimated our abilities as sages and attempted to put an end to Ganondorf's evil magic… I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive our carelessness…" The sages bowed before Midna. "O Twilight Princess."

Link seemed as surprised as I was. Midna was the Twilight Princess?! I sat there feeling a bit stupid of how obvious that was.

Garnet and Steven came back into the room with Pearl

"I knew that thing was real!" said Pearl. "When Amethyst gets back, we have to go find it. How long has it been?"

"Four hours…" said Steven.

"Four hours?!" said Pearl. "She's never taken so long… What's she doing in there?"

"I'm not sure…" said Garnet. "I was too hard on her…"

"What did-" I began. Then I was stopped when I saw Steven holding Amethyst's gem. A feeling of terror enveloped me.

"Amethyst!" I yelled.

I jumped down the stairs and ran to Steven.

"Wh-What happened?!" I said. "I-Is she-"

"Onyx, it's okay," said Garnet. "She'll be back. She's just regenerating."

I nodded. Pearl had some kind of "you should've known that" face, like I was stupid or something. Was I not allowed to be concerned for my fellow teammate?!

Suddenly, the gem started glowing.

"Oh! She's coming back!" said Steven.

Amethyst's gem floated out of Steven's hands and into the air. A light came and took form.

"Alright! Everyone be supportive!" said Steven.

Amethyst reappeared. She wore the same clothes but they were a blackish color. That, and her shoulder strap was fixed. Her white shoes and hair were the same, though.

Amethyst landed on the table and stretched a bit. Then she looked at us.

"What?" she said.

"Aw, you barely changed…" said Steven.

"Steven!" Pearl snapped.

Garnet walked up to Amethyst as she got down from the table. She looked nervous when she did.

"... It's perfect," said Garnet.

"Eh, whatev'," said Amethyst. "It's just what feels right…"

"That's why it's perfect," said Garnet.

"It is a marked improvement," said Pearl. "You've finally fixed that shoulder strap that's always bugged me!"

Steven ran in and embraced Amethyst.

"Welcome back!" he exclaimed.

"Well done, Amethyst!" Pearl said, embracing her, as well.

Steven gestured for me to join in. So I did.

"Knock it off!" Amethyst said, as Garnet joined in on the group hug. "We gotta go find the Slinker!"

"No, it's hug time!" said Steven.

"Ugh, this is so dumb!" said Amethyst. Then she smiled a bit.

After that, we went back into Amethyst's room to search for "the Slinker". Garnet told Pearl and I to act civil.

"Where do you think it went?" said Pearl.

"Do you have to talk?" I grumbled.

Pearl glared at me.

"Alright, let's split up," said Garnet, who probably sensed the growing tension. "Pearl, take Amethyst and Steven. Onyx stays with me."

We split up. Amethyst's room was huge. Piles of stuff were everywhere. If I wasn't with Garnet, I'd probably be lost. On the plus side, I was away from Pearl. I was so close to Mortal Drawing her face. What was I thinking, trying to beat her. She's a brilliant swordfighter, as much as I'd hate to admit. I could have gotten myself killed! But it was she who drew her sword at me.

I would like to get along with her, like Steven wanted… but I don't think that was gonna happen anytime soon.

"If you'd like to know about Pearl, I could tell you…" said Garnet.

"Really?" I said.

"Pearl doesn't hate you… I think…" said Garnet. "Back during the war, Pearl learned the art of swordplay by studying the Onyx Gems."

"Yeah, she told me that…" I said.

"All of it was an effort to prove herself to Rose Quartz," said Garnet. "But what you don't know is that Pearl looked up to the Onyx Gems for inspiration. That was… until she tried to prove herself to them by fighting in their ranks… But I know you're different. You're kind and caring to Steven. You may be shy, buy you warm up to others and keep an open mind."

I was confused. "What do you-"

Then a yell was heard in the distance.

"C'mon!" said Garnet. She picked me up and we jumped towards the noise. Pearl, Amethyst and Steven had found the Slinker.

"I got it!" said Amethyst, pulling out her whip and grabbing it.

"Be careful!" said Steven.

Garnet ran in to help out. Pearl got out her spear and shot at it. Then the Slinker grabbed them both and threw them aside. Pearl landed by Steven.

"I'm not sure how much longer I can hold it!" said Amethyst.

"I got it!" I said, drawing my sword.

Suddenly, the monster snatched my sword and threw it. I looked around frantically, but I couldn't see it anywhere.

"Onyx, help!" said Steven.

"My sword!" I said in panic.

I looked at my gem. Then… it came to me as I remembered Garnet encouraging me and getting rallied up when Pearl said she hated me. Why I couldn't summon my weapon… I faced the creature and ran towards it at full speed.

"A sword wields no strength… unless the hand that wields it… has COURAGE!" I yelled leaping into the air as the monster struck at Steven and Pearl. A light shined, blinding me and I heard Amethyst yell the word "nerd". Then there was a screech, as the light faded.

Steven gasped.

"Wh-What?!" said Pearl.

I had sliced off one of the monster's limbs. Steven and Pearl stared at me with my dark sword in my right hand.

"O-Onyx…" said Pearl. "You-"

"Amethyst!" I said. "Yank it down!"

"You got it!" said Amethyst, pulling her whip and knocking the Slinker to the ground.

Steven summoned his shield. I used it as a surface to jump off of. I was high in the air and I readied my sword. Then I dove down in an ending blow. The monsters shrieked and it lost it's physical form. What remained was a gem of a corrupted soul.

"You did it!" Steven exclaimed.

Pearl looked at me as Steven bubbled the Gem. The reason why I couldn't summon my weapon was because I lacked bravery. Sure, we had been through a lot, but there was still more to come. I had to be brave if I wanted to protect Steven… and myself…

Garnet came back and she was okay. She looked to see if everyone else was fine.

"Good job, everyone," said Garnet.

"You saved us…" said Pearl. "Saved… me?"

"... What can I say?" I said. "Steven cares about you… and I care about him more than I hate you…"

Pearl merely stared at me as I joined the others walking back.

"Your weapon looks so cool!" said Steven.

I was so happy I had finally summoned this cool looking blade. Then I came across my training sword at my feet.

"Well, it's a memory, at least…" I said, picking it up.

Later…

"Alright!" said Steven, controller in his hands. "Time to beat Zant!"

"Do it, Steven!" I said, excitedly.

I saw Pearl come out of her room and use the warp pad. What was she up to? It was late at night.

"... I'll be right back," I said.

I used the warp pad and arrived at the sky arena. She was probably there. It was night time, so it was pretty dark. The moon looked so pretty. I also observed that it was a different shape every night. Maybe I should ask Steven to teach me about how the moon changes shape like that.

Pearl sat down in one of the many seats and her gem started glowing. She projected an image of her observing the Onyx Gems. Then it showed Pearl training and even matching their skill. Another image came up. It looked like she was being made fun of.

"Do you really think you can match us?" one of the Onyx Gems said, coldly. "You're just a Pearl!"

Then there was Pearl tearing through Gem after Gem in the kindergarten. Then she ran into Lapis Lazuli.

"Lapis, look out!" said a voice.

I saw myself run in front of her and the projection stopped.

"... I spent thousands of years trying to prove how skilled I really am to those Gems!" said Pearl. "... Then you came along…. I exhibited the same hatred I had for those others… And then I saw that someone like you could show such fear… and care for Steven like Rose if she were still here… She told me to be nice to the Onyx Gems… I didn't know how to react when I saw what a Gem like you could really be… It was then I began to feel bad for what I did… Now I know what Garnet meant when she said you were special…"

"Pearl?" I said.

"...I'm sorry…" said Pearl. "I'm sorry I stabbed you…"

I sighed. Then I walked over and nudged her arm with my elbow.

"Hey…" I said. "It was five thousand years ago…"

Pearl looked at me and she seemed a little relieved to hear that.

"... If you want… I can show you those moves I learned…" I said.

"... I'd like that," said Pearl.

I didn't think it was now, but I hoped that at some point… we could be friends… like Steven wanted…

Author's Note - Credit For Video Game Used In Chapter: The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess is own by Nintendo. All rights to the Legend of Zelda go to Nintendo.