An hour after Beryl had her baby, Onyx had hers. The two fathers have never been happier in their entire lives. They felt so proud and delighted by such news, best friends forever.
Friends and acquaintances came to see their babies. A new generation was procreated and it was indeed a day of joy. Just as Beryl had said, she had a boy and Onyx had a girl. Beryl and Daniel named their baby, Sardius while Marcus and Onyx named their girl, Chrysolite.
Here, the story begins with young Chrysolite and her human friend, Sardius born together on the same day. Queen Coral Marble came to see her grandchild as Onyx had said and that made Marcus even happier that he had been accepted wholeheartedly by his mother-in-law.
"Oh Mother, please be careful with her." Onyx rang out as she watched her mother cradling the baby. Coral Marble laughed.
"She looks pretty. Love her eyes.They're the color of shooting fires." Coral Marble said.
"Fire?" Onyx shot her a look.
"Yes, fire." Coral Marble replied her.
"Well, I was expecting something creaming 'cause I love that color. It's a color of peace." Onyx said.
"But you know you can't change your color. That's the color you were born with?" Coral Marble told her.
"I know that mother." Onyx sighed. "I hate blue but I'm stuck with that. My hair can be blue, my tail too even my fins."
"Blue is beautiful. You got that from me." Coral Marble told her.
"Whatever." Onyx waved a hand.
"Red too is beautiful. Your daughter might probably love her color." Coral Marble told her.
Marcus's head came into view as he looked from both mother and daughter. "Are we talking about colors in here?" He interrupted the women.
"Yeah, it sucks to have blue eyes." Onyx said to him as he walked in. She was arranging some baby clothes and he joined in to help her.
"I never knew that, yet those eyes you so much hate are the very same thing I fell for in high school, remember?" He confessed to her.
"Hear that from your very own man." Coral Marble laughed at that.
"And I'm still in love with them," Marcus added to which Onyx smiled.
"And what other thing do you love about me?" Onyx had to ask.
Marcus reached forward to touch her hair. "Your hair," he said looking into her eyes.
"My hair?" She look astounded.
"It turns fiery blue and some specks of red when your emotions are at its peak." He explained to her.
Onyx blushed feeling like a high school girl all over again. He remembered everything about her and took note of the tiniest things about her. It made her feel like a woman.
"You sure do make one feel like a girl all over." She blushed.
He tilted her head to make her look at him and they stared on in silence, their hearts thudding in unison.
"You know you guys will have to wait for like a year or two. Chrys is yet a baby." Coral Marble interrupted them.
"Oh, mother." Onyx laughed looking away to which Marcus smiled. "He's just making me feel so good. That's why he's special to me." She looked back at her husband.
"Yeah, I know that. But you have Chrys to think of first, right son in law?" Coral Marble shot him a look.
He nodded feeling uncomfortable to have such a conversation with her.
"But mother, I'm curious. How do you know the way humans procreate?" Onyx was curious.
"Why won't I? I have you Onyx, remember? I'm a queen in my world and I have much knowledge of the human world." Coral Marble explained.
"It's your world now." Marcus put in embracing Onyx by her shoulder.
"My world, no! I've got a kingdom to govern." Corral Marble said.
"Who's taking care of the kingdom now?" Onyx asked, bemused.
"Amethyst, my maid. I have always trusted her for this. She handles many issues so well that she could pass as my daughter." Coral Marble said.
"How's Jasper and Sapphire?" Onyx changed the subject quickly. Hearing her mother talk of Amethyst in such a way struck a chord in her heart.
"They are fine. They got married and are doing well." her mother answered her.
Onyx nodded, she missed them already. But she had to choose between her world and the human world. She can't be selfish to have both.
"Is Amethyst doing fine?" Onyx asked.
"Yes, she is." Coral Marble answered her.
Onyx was breaking down already, Marcus could see it. And her mother too. "Onyx, what's wrong?" her mother asked.
A hand flew up to her mouth, covering unmuttered pain. She slightly shook her head in negation then she ran out of the baby's room.
"I'll go see her," Marcus said to his mother in law.
"Please do so. I'll watch the baby."
He nodded as he stepped outside to meet his wife. Onyx was sitting on the swing which Marcus had bought for Chrysolite. He walked slowly and sat on the opposite swing beside her watching the stars. Tears stung her hers, he could see that she was fighting desperately not to shed the tears.
"You should be grateful, Onyx." he started.
"You wouldn't understand." she didn't bother to look at him.
He stood and walked to her, going down on his knees before her.
"Make me understand Onyx," he said, "I know it has something to do with your world."
She was quiet, looking down softly at him.
"I understand that the thought troubles and provokes you. If you share it with me, I might probably understand," he insisted.
"I left my throne for you Marcus. Everything!" She bursted like a pipe.
"My people, I left it all for the love of you. I feel incompetent. I feel useless," the tears she held let loose.
"No one understands this stupid thing I do. The back and forth thing that I do. I tried to equalize it but it isn't working. I just have to decide to pick a place and I chose you because I love you. My mother is here all because of me, forsaking her kingdom for my sake," the tears continued.
"I just want to be with you, that's all I've ever wanted. I did it all for love."
Marcus took her into his arms, embracing her. "I know love, and love brought us together. You shouldn't be spent up cause you feel incompetent. Look at our baby, you should be proud. You've created a link between your world and ours. You shouldn't regret this love." He said warmly as he stroked her hair.
"And I'm sorry for what I've put you through in the time past. Leaving you, coming again, and leaving you. It was totally harsh of me." She pulled away and touched his face.
"It doesn't matter Onyx, all that matters is this. Look around you, be grateful for such a blessing. I have always loved you and always will. I don't regret our love Onyx, I don't. I'm eternally grateful for this." He said.
His words warmed her heart, she couldn't hold back a tear that escaped her left eye.
"I love you, Marcus." She said.
"I love you too Onyx." He said to her.
Beryl came in with her baby when it was noon. Her husband was away.
"Hello friend, what do we have for lunch?" Beryl asked playfully.
"Rice," answered Onyx with a smile.
"We can't eat rice quite yet, can we, Sardius?" She turned to her baby who she draped around her. "Where's your mom?"
"She went out to get some fruits. Will you put Sardius down?"
"He will bawl the ceiling down," Beryl warned.
"Sardius? Cry? He's a crybaby?" Onyx asked in laughter.
"I say he takes after his father." Beryl laughed.
"Nah, I doubt that. You were always the crybaby." Onyx corrected Beryl.
"Have I ever cried to you before?" Beryl shrieked in laughter.
"Of course! Don't tell me, you've forgotten." Onyx told her.
"When was that?" Beryl was curious.
"In high school, of course." Onyx replied her.
"Gosh! Don't lie to me." Beryl continued to laugh.
"Yep, when you only had eyes for Daniel and he liked another girl in our class that year? You bled your eyes out." Onyx recalled.
"Jeez, I never had eyes for Daniel, he had eyes for me. I was after all the first girl he ever dated." Beryl told Onyx.
"Nah, you're trying to play smart with me. That's why Sardius is a crybaby cause the mother once was." Onyx chuckled.
"Partially true, I guess," Beryl admitted.
"You see!" Onyx laughed.
"I can recall the time when I realized that I love Daniel not Jasper who was so into me. I didn't even know he was also a merman. I cried every passing day for Dan."
"Heartbroken?" Onyx put in.
"More than that, Onyx." Beryl said.
"I see." Onyx laughed again enjoying every bit of their conversation.
"When Sardius becomes a man, he's going to look more of his father than of me." She assured Onyx.
"I believe you." Onyx said.
"I'm always sure of what I say. Remember what I said about you having a girl and me a boy, see?"
Beryl pulled Sardius from her grip and placed him on her thighs. "Where's Chrysolite?" Beryl asked.
"She's in her cot, sleeping. Why not put Sardius there? The cot is big enough for two."
"Nah, he might be feeling sleepy now. But as soon as I drop him in that cot, he'll explode." Beryl said.
"Give it a try, girl." Onyx insisted.
"Okay." She stood up, wrapped her arms around baby Sardius then went to the corridor that led to Chrusolite's room.
Chrysolite wasn't sleeping, she was playing with her dolls. Beryl smiled at her and thought it was better Sardius had some fun with Chrysolite. She placed Sardius in the cot. Chrysolite laughed the babyish kind of laugh and threw the doll at Sardius.
At first, Sardius frowned in a silly way which made his mother scoff. His eyes went all misty, he picked up the doll trying to break it in annoyance, shaking it vigorously. As if by so doing, the doll would easily break.
Chrysolite stared at him in such a way that it puzzled Beryl.
Beryl's insides churned, Chrysolite seemed to know and understand things like a mature person would.
She was acting like it.
What was she thinking? Was she thinking that Chrysolite had supernatural powers?
No!
But there was a probability. Her mother Onyx, was a full blown supernatural being who possessed powers out of this world.
Her dad, Marcus was just an ordinary human who only had the charms and strengths of a human. Onyx was much more powerful.