Ch. 18: The Skilled Crew Part 2

"So...which way should we go?" asked Steven, as all three looked at two entrances side by side to each other. It was ten minutes ago when they found this entrances, and already they been standing thinking which way for the last seven of those ten minutes.

"That's...that's a very good question." Onyx said, holding his hat with his left hand so he could scratch his head with the right. "Which way you think Pearl?"

"I'm calculating still give me a moment." she said, trying to do the math in her head of the probability. "If it was you and I here we could pick one each and go through it, but with Steven here and already have enough dangers, we should probably go all together."

"Agreed, but the longer we stay the less time we have to get to the artifact." replied the male gem, as he put his hat back on. He then looked down at Steven, and smiled. "You know what, how about we leave it to fate. Steven, pick a direction to go through."

"What?" shouted Pearl, a bit flabbergasted. "Onyx that does not sound safe."

"No, but life isn't safe. I mean look at us and what we do half the time. And what we put Steven through. I mean seriously, how many other kids do this kind of stuff." He then look down at Steven. "So kid, which way should we go?"

Steven looked at the male gem before looking at Pearl and than at the entrances and then back at Pearl and then back at Onyx. "You promise neither of you get mad if I pick the wrong one."

"We promise." said Onyx, glaring at Pearl. "Right Pearl?"

Pearl was about to protest, but she looked down at boy and saw his eyes, full of worried and concern. She just smiled and replied, "We promise. Now, Steven, put some thought before choosing the path."

"OK I piiiiiiiiick...that way." Steven said, pointing to the left.

"Excellent, well to either certain doom or progress we shall go." responded the black gem, patting the boy on the back as he walked towards the entrance, with both of his teammates looking at him wide eye.

"Sometimes I wonder what happened to you during your exile?" muttered Pearl, as she and Steven followed, with Pearl taking the end. "You were not like this before...well, at a certain extant."

"Eh my travels changed me. Speaking of which, I got more stories if you two want to hear? Did I ever tell you about Woodstock?" asked Onyx as he saw darkness up ahead. "Looks like we going to need some lights." Pearl nodded and both of their respective gems began to glow.

"Steven grab my hand, I don't want you to fall or something." said Pearl, reaching her hand towards the boy in front of him.

"Aw Pearl, I'll be fine."

"Kid, trust me, you should hold onto her hand." comment Onyx, looking up and down with his gem eye glowing. Steven nodded and grabbed Pearl's hand. Although he didn't see it, Onyx knew Pearl was smiling for being on her side. As it got darker the room, something just didn't add up.

"How come we can't see anything?" asked Steven.

"Yeah, this is very peculiar. Maybe the clouds in this room have more water vapor in them?"

"Yeah but then we will feel like we are floating." replied Onyx, sniffing the air. "It isn't poison, so can't be that, I wonder-"

Suddenly a bolt of lighting shot down from the top, right between Onyx and Pearl and Steven, the latter two still holding each other hands. All had wide eyes as it vanished as second later

"Uh, I think I realized what kind of room this is." said Onyx, a bit scared, but impressed.

"LIGHTINING!? WE ARE IN A LIGHTNING ROOM?!" shouted Pearl, freaking out as she grabs Steven close to her. "We need to get Steven and us out of here!"

"Relax, Pearl, I got an idea." He bent down as his eye-light shined on Steven "Hey kid, you ready to be important to the mission?"

"Yeah!" shouted Steven, all happy and excited.

"Great, now concentrate and shield bubble all of us." replied the black gem getting up and moving close to the others. Steven nodded and closed his eyes. A second later, a pink bubble swallowed them. "Now let's roll…literally." said Onyx, with a laugh at the end, with Steven laughing as well.

Pearl did not find this funny however; as all three pushed and rolled, as another lighting bolt appeared a few feet in front of them.

"How do we know this is going to work?" she asked.

"We don't." shrugged the taller gem. "We just got to believe."

"I hope you're right on this, Onyx."

"Yeah name one time I was wrong?"

"Alderaan." replied Pearl, smirking knowing he what happened on that planet.

"Just keep pushing, Oyster." muttered the black gem, as all three pushed and steered the ball, as more lighting came shooting down.

After a few close calls and a couple of minutes, they finally were able to see the light at the end.

"About twenty more yards." calculated Pearl.

"Ah good. Start to stink-"

But before Onyx could finish that sentence, a bolt of lightning came straight from above and hit the ball directly, causing it to shatter, and all three beings to scatter about.

"Steven!?" shouted Pearl, looking around frantically.

"Here!" said the boy's voice, as her gem light shined on him. She quickly got up and grabbed him running towards the entrance with great speed. They were five yards to the entrance when another lightning bolt came down a few inches in front of them. Both would be hurt, if not for Onyx jumping out and using his arm to deflect it, causing the black gem to hiss. "Onyx!"

"I'm fine! Keep moving!" shouted the other male gem, as all three reached the end and jumped out onto another solid platform as before.

Onyx looked at the arm that got hit with the lightning. Nothing got burnt or damage but it did sting quiet a bit. "Damn, wish I had three-eye's skin." he mumbled, flexing his arm.

"We could have gotten hurt again." muttered Pearl, bending down and looking at Steven, checking him for any damages.

"Yet we are still alive, mostly thanks to Steven. And hey, I think he picked us the right path to follow too. See what happens if you go with chance?"

"Yeah, I guess that is true." replied Pearl, with a small smile knowing Steven was ok.

"So, did I do good?" asked Steven, with stars in his eyes.

"You did well Steven." replied the creamy gem getting up, still smiling.

"Yeah, nice job buddy." added Onyx, rubbing the kid's hair. He then looked up. "So, I guess now it's up to there."

All now was looking at an archway opening that was at least six hundred feet high. The problem was there was no stairs or latter or anything to get up. However, as the two older gems looked around it was a big cylinder shape room. Both taller gems looked at each other.

"You thinking what I am thinking?"

"I'll follow you up."

"Excellent, just grab Steven and don't let go of him."

"Like you got to tell me that. That's like saying don't drop a shooting star."

Both of them playfully bickered as they went to the end with the door right above them, Steven following them.

"What's going to happen?" asked Steven, as Onyx squatted down.

"Just get on kid, hold on tight, and everything will be alright." responded Onyx, with a laugh. "Ha, should have been a poet."

"Yes cause you have such a way with words." said Pearl, sarcastically but smiling. "Ready?"

"When you are." said Onyx, now up and with Steven on his back. Pearl then took dashing off to the other side of the room. When she got to the other side she leaped and jumped off from the side, leaping across back to the starting side but higher up, and doing it again and again, in a zigzag pattern.

"Like I said, hold on tight kid." warned Onyx, before running up and doing the same like Pearl.

"WHOA!" shouted Steven, flying in the air with Onyx, with a wide smile.

As they landed on the level of the arch, they saw Pearl with a stun face, looking at a bigger cylinder room.

"What's wrong? Don't know where to go?" asked Onyx, as Steven got off him.

"There's no door." replied the female gem.

"What?" asked the taller male gem.

"There's nothing to indicate where to go, Onyx." shouted Pearl.

Both males looked around the room and above up and down, and she was right there was no other way to go.

"Eh, guess we hit a dead end. Lets just go back the way we-" but before the black gem could finish that, the door behind them disappeared into a wall. Both males saw Pearl's eyes widen.

"Don't worry, Pearl! Maybe if you guys slashed the walls like you did to get us in, we can get out." said Steven.

Onyx went up to walls and began to tap it. "Yeah kid, I'm not sure this seems really dense, it's like going to take a while to cut through this."

"Ugh!" shouted Pearl, in anger and looking at the two of them. "I knew we should of not listen to Steven."

Steven's eyes and mouth open wide, as Onyx turned quickly, with rage in his eye. "Hey! Leave the kid out of this! We promise not to blame him! And we just said he did well, you can't take back that!"

"Yeah, well look where it got us. We should of thought of it together, we are more experience!"

"And how we gain experience? From learning! So he is learning about this!"

"Why are you taking his side? You always take others sides more than mine?" shouted Pearl, getting up in the black gem's face.

"Why are you quick to cut down people and make them feel bad?"

"Guys! Stop! This is not helping!" shouted Steven, being ignored.

"He needs to learn at his own time and patience!"

"When? Like when he starts graying? Honestly, Oyster, when you going to tell him about the bad places?"

"Stop calling me that!"

"What? That what you are! Someone who is shielding and does not want to accept other's opinions, blocking them out. So you're an Oyster."

"Call me Oyster one more time, and I swear!" shouted Pearl, getting into his face, before taking out her spear.

"….Oyster." whispered Onyx, who jumped back before being attacked by Pearl's spear, as he took out his scythe. Both clash their weapons together and both dodge skillfully when the other strike, Steven flapped his arms around trying to stop them.

"Guys stop! This is not getting us anywhere!"

Both clash their weapons again, struggling and pushing them, as they looked each other in the eyes. In a second though, both drop their weapons and sighed.

"Kid's right, we need to focus. We can deal with this problem after the mission is over."

"My thoughts exactly." replied Pearl, looking around. "But how are we going to get out of here."

"You know this looks like the boss area in my game Mega-Guy." said Steven, looking around too.

"Mega-Guy?" replied both taller gems, confused.

"Yeah, Mega-Guy! He's this purple android who can take other bosses powers once defeating them, such as Scissor-Guy and Muscle-Guy!"

"Steven, that seems just too silly to be true."

"Yeah it does….but maybe he's right."

Pearl glared at the black gem. "You can't be seri-"

Suddenly there was a piercing scream from above, as the gems all covered their ears.

"WHAT IS THAT?!" shouted Steven.

"I DON'T KNOW!" screamed Pearl.

The scream finally stopped as something fell from above. It was greenish-blue it looked like a cross-between a starfish with eight spider legs instead of five starfish legs. It was at least eight feet tall at current position

"Wh-what is that thing?" cried Steven, moving behind the two gems, as they raised their weapons

"Don't know, but I know one thing." replied Onyx, looking at Pearl.

"Kill it?" she asked.

"Kill it." he replied

The monster lifted itself on four of its long legs, which made it appeared to be taller. All three now can see it have big mouth that looked like a leech, with a strange lime green gem just above it.

"It's a gem!" shouted Steven.

"Yeah, what was your first guess?" muttered Onyx, as every being in the room stood still.

Moments past before the gem monster screamed once more before going back down on all eight legs and rush towards them.

"MOVE!" shouted Pearl, as she picked up Steven, and both taller gems move, Pearl to the left while Onyx went to the right, before the creature collided with the wall, which didn't leave a mark on it.

A second later, it began to chase Pearl and Steven, which made Onyx chase it. The black gem jumped in the air, his scythe high above him in both hands before striking it on the creature's back. Which sadly did no effect on the creature, except stopped and raised up again quickly, throwing the gem into the wall, weapon disappearing.

"Onyx!" shouted Steven, who was now on the ground with Pearl letting go.

"I'm ok! I suffered worse." said Onyx, getting off from the wall. "Pearl, I think it's weak spot its on its underbelly, where the mouth and gem is!"

Pearl nodded, "Steven, stay here!" and charged at the creature, which now charged at her. A few yards before they came into contact with each other, the creature raised up again and screamed again, realizing a gust of wind from it's mouth, causing the female gem to fall backwards on the ground. Before she could react, the two of the legs that were raised above were coming down at her fast. She would have been hurt, if Onyx was not there in the nick of time, the pole of his scythe blocking them.

"Now's a good time to get up, Oyster!" shouted Onyx, struggling a bit. "This thing must be like a ton!"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" shouted Pearl, as she took out another spear and stood up to attack, until she saw one of its side legs coming at her and she blocked that.

As the minutes rolled by, Steven watched as both gems tried to battle the creature, at the same time dodging a few blasts himself. He saw they were messing up a bit. They were tripping each other up, accidentally, and not working in sync. "I got to do something." muttered Steven to himself. "GUYS FALL BACK!"

"Steven, you stay out of this, we can handle this!" shouted Pearl, jumping high and dodging a leg.

"But-"

"We got this, Steven!" she confirmed as she landed, on her tiptoes.

"No we don't!" shouted Onyx, dodging another leg and rolling left, before blocking a leg with his scythe. "I say we listen to him."

"But-"

"Pearl…believe in Steven, just one more time." said Onyx, seriously, giving her a quick glance. She looked at her comrade then to the child, quickly. Giving a rapid nod both jumped back to the adolescent. "Ok kid. What's your plan?" asked Onyx, as both tall gems drew their weapons closed to them, as the creature rose up again.

"I…I don't know." replied Steven, sheepishly.

"What?"

"Kid, we're putting our trust in you, think now! What about that game?"

"Um, maybe...um well in Mega-Guy, there is a boss called Breeze-Guy, who you have to use the power of Sand-Guy to block his power."

Onyx's eye widen with a realization. "That's it! Pearl, spin your spear clockwise, like till you build wind turbulence."

Pearl gave him a puzzle looked but nodded as she and Onyx, began to spin their weapons like propellers as fast as they could, causing some wind friction. The creature began to shake feeling the wind of both, almost lifting it up. However, the creature got up again and sent out another screaming of wind at the group. However, both force clashed each other causing a bit of tension.

"Now what?" asked Pearl, who kept on spinning.

"Do you trust me?" asked Onyx, not looking at her.

"What?" asked Pearl shocked.

"Do you trust me? Yes or no?"

"...Yes."

"Then when I say now, jump forward and strike between the gem and mouth. Then its "sync" time."

""Sync" time?" asked Steven, curious.

""Sync" time? We haven't done that in three hundred years." shouted Pearl, having a hard time continuing to spin her spear.

"Better now or never. Now...STRIKE!"

The moment he said that, Onyx increased the speed of his spinning scythe as Pearl made a dash to the right, and in mere seconds she was in front of the beast, stabbing right in between it's gem and mouth. The creature screamed in pain this time, as the wind attack died down. It began to stagger, upper legs still raised up. Onyx stop spinning and appeared next to Pearl, who both gave a nod before standing still and closed their eyes. Steven watched in wonder as the creature roared and charged back at them, however neither one of them moved.

"PEARL! ONYX! LOOK OUT!" shouted Steven.

Suddenly, both taller gems' eyes opened at the same time and jumped high up into the air. They landed directly in the center of the creatures back and began to stomp on it, with the same foot at the same time. After a few times the creature made a groan sound as both gems jumped off and landed back on the ground. The creature then rose up again, as the two gems took off before it can scream again, kicking it with their left foot first and then right fist, follow by another punch by their left. Steven could not believe how perfectly in sync they were to each other, it was like they were one person in two bodies. After a few more attacks both gems punched directly into the gem monster's gem causing it to scream before blasting into a puff of smoke. Only thing remaining was the gem.

"That…was….AWESOME!" shouted Steven, with stars in his eyes, running forward to the two tall gems.

"Yeah, I guess it was." smiled Pearl, looking at her comrade. "Good job, On-"

"I'm sorry." he said, interrupting her, and looking down.

"Uh?"

"I'm sorry for calling you Oyster. I won't do it from now on."

Pearl smiled and put a hand on the black gem. "I accept your apolo-"

"But sometimes you just seem like a downer!" shouted Onyx, with his arms in the air. "It's like you have to be right and don't trust anyone." Pearl was about to open her mouth when he continued. "Don't tell me you do. You didn't really believe in my plan of our sync time plan. Heck you thought following Steven was a bad idea. I understand why you don't trust me, but why not the kid? Or Amy? Or sometimes Garnet? Do you think we are stupid or something?"

Pearl was speechless, her mouth was now wide open. "N-no…no, I don't think that at all."

"Then what?" asked Onyx, a bit colder.

Pearl sighed. "I worry about things will go wrong, especially with Steven. I just want to make sure we're safe."

"I get that just….look I'm still sorry for making you feel bad, but please Pearl, as your friend, put your faith in us."

"I will…Blackbutt." smiled Pearl, who both male gems' eyes widen.

"Did you just trying to make a nickname for me?"

"Was it bad?"

"No…I find it hilarious." replied Onyx, laughing, which caused Pearl to giggle and Steven to laugh as well. Their laughter was cut short when the building felt like it was shaking.

"I don't think this is going to last much longer." said Pearl. Suddenly, a door on the other side appeared from the walls, showing a way out, and bright light.

"You and Steven go, I'll bubble this gem." responded Onyx, bubbling the gem in a gray bubble. Pearl nodded and took Steven, and ran up the stairs.

susususususususususususususu

As they reach the top, a gust of cold wind blew onto their faces. Right in front of them on a cloud, just a few yards away, was a strange looking rock vase, with a wide opening at the top and handles on the side.

"There's the artifact! The Ventus Jug!" shouted Pearl happily. As she ran towards it she noticed Steven was walking slowly behind. "Steven, are you ok?"

"Why don't you believe in me?" asked the boy, looking at her.

Pearl stopped and turned to look at him, seeing water in her eyes. Biting her lip, she had to pick her words carefully and quickly.

"Steven…It's not that I don't believe you can do it, its just I'm…I'm afraid."

"Afraid?"

Pearl nodded and bet down, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Steven…after your mother…gave her physical form to bring you, the gems and I promise to make sure you be safe. You are sometimes naïve and one day I promise I will tell you everything about gem culture, when you are older. Until then you are still learning, and need to be safe….you're the most precious thing to me, and if something bad was to happen to you…" Pearl gulped and tears began to form. "So I do believe in you Steven, I think you can do so much good. And from now on, I'll be a bit more open-minded, but just remember, I just do the things I do, like as Onyx said "be a downer" or think I'm right, because I'm trying to do what is best…Just like you, I'm learning too, to be a guardian for a wonderful child."

Both being smiled, tears still in their eyes, at each other before giving a quick hug. "Thanks Pearl." said Steven.

"Yeah this is really mushy." said a voice. Both looked to see Onyx, appearing from the door. "I hate to break this up, but as I figure we got only a few seconds before this tower vanishes again." As soon as he said that, the tower began to shake violently. Pearl nodded and went and grabbed the Ventus Jug.

"How we going to all get down?" asked Pearl, calculating the chances of surviving with Steven.

"Simple, we got that don't we?" said Onyx, grabbing one handle with both hands. "Steven grab my leg and don't let go."

Steven nodded and grabbed the black gem's right leg. Pearl was confused at first, but figured it out quickly as she put her hands on the other side. A moment later the tower vanished without a trace as the clouds went away from each other, causing the three to fall down.

"WWWWWWWHOOOOOOOOAAA!" shouted Steven, clinging on tighter, eyes closed tight. As soon he did however, he began to feel like he was hovering. He opened his eyes to find the Ventus Jug, opening facing down, was blasting a big gust of wind, as the two gems holding on it gripped with their very being.

"The Ventus Jug, Known to cause power winds. Not only to blow away enemies, but good to move slowly towards the ground. Though it is mostly for the first thing." shouted Onyx to Steven. Steven nodded, as they three began to slowly head down to solid ground.

sususususususususususususususu

"Oh, what do you want now?" asked Pearl, as she was dragged in once again into Onyx's room by Onyx himself. They had been back at the temple for a few hours after the missions and things were quiet between the two tall gems. After Steven went to bed, and Pearl began to polish her sword collection once more, Onyx appeared and grabbed her arm.

"Are we cool?" he asked, as soon as the door vanished.

"Excuse me?"

"You and I? Are we cool? I know we had some issues just now, but know I am your friend Pearl, and I do care. I do promise never to call you that name again, just….I'm sorry the mission was not that you were expected."

"Well that's true." muttered Pearl, with her hands at her hips. "What you did was reckless and belittling me in front of Steven was uncalled for."

"Yeah yeah." mumbled Onyx, looking down, his hands around his elbows.

"However." added Pearl, with a smile. "You were right still, and I do see I need to be a bit more trusting in Steven."

"And maybe Amethyst?"

"….We'll see."

Both of them laughed as they looked at each other. Before they knew it, they were hugging each other.

"I'm sorry to, Onyx. From now on, I'll try my best not to bring anyone down. I just get caught up worrying about things and plans and-"

"It's alright Pearl. It makes you, you." he said, pulling away to look at her face. "I mean look at me I'm a bit of a jerk. However, it is your uptight persona that sometimes saves us, and makes you value. I mean sure you worry but it is fine to worry….after all, if there was nothing to worry about, the kid could have been dead like ages ago."

"Oh you have no idea."

Onyx laughed. "Wow, look at you, cracking jokes. Guess this mission made you a bit relax."

"I guess yeah." said Pearl, giggling. When that died down, they hugged once last time.

"Your a good friend and gem, Pearl." said Onyx, with a smile.

"Likewise Onyx." replied Pearl, smiling back.

After the hug, both said good night and Pearl open the door to her room and went through. After which, Onyx went over to a bookshelf and took out a book. He was about to read when a light from a new door appeared to his room.

"Have more to say, Pearl? Cause if so-"

"Give it." said a monotone voice.

Onyx turned around to see his dark red tall leader, gauntlets already out, and appearing like she was not pleased.

"I have no idea, what you are talking about." he said with a smirk. "Unless its what I think you mean then in that case-"

"Give it, or I will make you give it." she said, with more force in her voice.

Onyx sighed and took off his hat, putting his hand through the opening. "Oh wait…do you mean…this?" he said and took out the gem from the mission, still trapped in a gray bubble.

"Yes."

"Ah, knew I forgot to give you something. Well, here you go." said Onyx, walking over and handing the bubble gem to her.

"If it was not for Pearls debriefing on how things went, and me not checking the Burning Room, you would of gotten a way with it."

"Sorry, old habits. Plus, I was going to give it to you, when you come get it." Onyx then gave a shark-like grin. "Of course, if there is something else you want?"

"What I want to do to you and what you want me to do is on the opposite ends of what we want." said Garnet, in a stern voice, as she teleported the bubble away. "However, what happened today on the mission was good for you and Pearl, and also Steven learned something and was not in harms way."

"Yeah...glad Pearl and I are on terms, she's a good gem. Uptight, but good gem. Also we learned our old tricks. And now that we are alone...maybe we can learn some old tricks again ourselves?"

"I can break your hand in eight places."

"Fair enough." said Onyx, hands up.

Garnet then turned as a door open to let her out. "But maybe next time." she said, with a smirk, leaving a blushing male gem in her wake.

TBC...

Hi first off sorry for the long wait had to rewrite this chapter twice cause it didnt seem as good and im still thinking its not as good but heres hoping (like serious review on this one) But im glad i got it ready for Steven week and as much as I like Pearl, I cant wait to write the two part Steven Onyx and Amethyst story next, cause we learn how close the black and purple gem use to be and a secret from Onyx...and maybe why he hid the gem in the first place but yeah that be a bit soon and be better. until then I hope you all like this chapter and please review it helps keeps me going. Also if its confusing please let me know i did a quick read thought and not sure if its good or not so yeah...please and thank you.