Dan & Phil: Not of This Earth

03 | FRIENDSHIP

Word Count: 470  

     Eight months passed with little word between the duo. Dan seemed to have taken an oath of silence, and the very thought of it drove Black Opal into an uncomfortable stillness. He feared angering Dan and losing the friend he knew he would have one day.

     Knowing it had been a few months, however, Black Opal figured he had lightened up...a little. "Hey, Dan?" Black Opal said one day with inquiry.

     He didn't respond at first but Black Opal heard a small noise come from him. It was like a drug out snort but he hadn't the slightest clue as to what it was.

     "Dan?"

     Nothing.

     Black Opal reeled back his arm and swung it with all his might, creating a sharp THUMP. The guard flinched, once again drawing his sword from his gem and holding it to an imaginary enemy. He let its tip drop the floor, just as before, and exhaled in frustration.

     "Are you okay?"

     Dan swung his head and shoulder in Black Opal's direction, irked for some reason. "What do you want?"

     His friend tilted his head. "What were you just doing?"

     "It's called 'sleeping.' Humans do it a lot, I've heard. We don't need it but...it's phenomenally serene." His brown eyes met Black Opal's, which were starry and impressed. "Oh, please, it's nothing to fuss about."

     Black Opal shook his reddish mop, his smile everlasting. "It's not that; you're just so cool!"

     "W-what?"

     "You've got a cool gem cut, you're a guard, you've got a wicked sword, and you've been to Earth!" he exclaimed.

     Dan waved a hand dismissively. "No, no, no. I've never been to Earth. I've heard informants talking about the organics down there. The last I heard, the colony was in the early stages. Kindergartens had been set up for a couple of thousands of years at that point, but I don't know." He leaned against the glass, letting his sword poof out of existence. "I actually heard there might be a rebellion."

     "Really?!"

     Dan shushed Black Opal. "Maybe. I don't know. It was a rumour, and you know how rumours are."

     "I...I don't actually," Black Opal admitted.

     Dan gave him a look of disbelief. "Seriously?"

     "I've been here for thousands of decades, Obsidian. I have no clue what the outside of this room looks like. I was really only free for a few days before I was...collected." His mouth became a small frown but a smile stretched back in a moment. "But now we're friends, Dan!"

     "...Yes, I suppose."

     "YOU ADMITTED IT!"

     "Geez, keep it down!" Dan laughed.

     Click! Click! Click! Click!

     The Gems scrambled back into their respective positions, Dan standing guard and Black Opal sitting cross-legged on his pillow. They tried to maintain straight faces but neither could completely smother their smiles. Luckily, Charoite had been in a hurry.