Onyx: Stories From Midtown

Chapter 19 - working to go home.

When the day came everybody woke up and got ready for the day ahead of them. "before we get started, are there any questions?" onyx asked, "do you actually know what went wrong the first time?" ruby asked "it was the power it was getting. The single core he was using wasn't enough. It would take all 6 cores to open a portal for as long and as big as we need it to be. I've been working on a way for it to use our power remotely." She explained. Then pearl raised her hand. "you don't need to do that pearl you can just ask." Onyx explained.

"what about the speed core?" "I'm going to have to use it, and I think I might use my ability to use multiple cores from it. while I've been working on the portal, I've had to use the speed core. The issue is that the stronger my ability to use the speed core becomes, the fainter the gradient becomes on other cores becomes." She explained. "so, your losing your ability to use other cores?" granite asked, "it's more like, I'm going to be stuck with the speed core." She explained. "anything else?" she asked but nobody had any questions.

Descending into the bunker was nerve racking for aqua and ruby but the others were feeling enthusiastic. When they had finally descended into the bunker ruby and aqua finally saw the machine that started it all. "so, what do you need us to do?" pearl asked. "all right so, I need light from ruby, water cooling from aqua. I need pearl to keep the room cool and to try and offset any weather effects and I need to try something with granite." she explained. They got started on their designated jobs and onyx pulled ruby to one side.

"so, what is it you need me to do?" he asked her. "I need you to try something a bit weird. I need you to try and read these boards." "what?" he asked, "I need you to try and read theses boards with your powers." She explained again. He walked over to a circuit board and placed his hand over the board. When he did his hand glowed brown and his eyes did as well. He grabbed a nearby piece of paper, and he wrote down what to him where random numbers. "that's so cool. This will make it easier." She said walking over to a workbench to grab more boards.

She gave him more boards and more paper, and she moved onto the work bench to work on how to get power to the machine. She had gloves on the table and pearl walked over. "do you need any help?" "your core is the most durable according diamond's research. You can help me by testing these gloves." She said. Pearl put on the glove and the portal flickered for a second. "I need to alter the power output, but it worked well. Can you go and get me these materials, take aqua with you?" Onyx said handing pearl a list. "come on aqua we need to go and get these things." Pearl said as they left.

"so, are you completely Shure you can get this working?" ruby asked having a heatless flame in his hand. "I'm Shure. I've gone over diamonds plans and they could work but it just needs all 6 cores." She explained not even looking at him. "I'm just worried. It's been 6 years since we were home, I'm feeling every emotion I can." Granite continued. "I don't even remember the place. I just want to see where I was born." Onyx said finishing the conversation. She had the glove finished and she started on the next.

"are you ok aqua, you've been silent for a while?" pearl asked. "I'm fine just nervous." "how come?" "she's willing to through away her life just to go back to a place that she wasn't even happy in." aqua explained. Pearl stopped and grabbed aqua's hand. "this isn't just about her is it. I know you had a hard time back there, but you need to respect her needs, not to mention that pyrite has made the place so much better for everybody." Peal said trying to make aqua feel more comfortable. "I know your scared, but don't be. She's not the same girl she was back then. She's come into her own here, maybe it's time for us to admit that. She's changed and that's ok." Pearl said trying to calm herself. They continue to find many of the items.

They got back and dropped everything on the floor. "this is great, we might be able to finish it today." She said handing them their gloves. The gloves matched the colours of them and their cores. She went behind the machine to work on it. she finished up and she asked them to put on their gloves. They all did so, and she put on two gloves. The portal opened but she had to stop them. "we need to make Shure it's stable." She reminded them picking up a plant that the two got while getting other items. She through it through the portal and it survived. "it works." She said dropping to her knees in tears. "we can go back?" pearl asked, "yes we can." She responded. "so, what now?" ruby asked "go pack your bags. We leave tomorrow." Granite said going back up the ladder.