ONE

I rolled over to my left side in my bed, wondering who turned on the light in my room. The bed also felt I don't know, sandy? Sure does feel like sand though, but why?

'Wait, that's right, why is there sand on my bed?'

I popped open my eyes. "This isn't my room at all! Where the hell am I?"

Ahead of me is a vast ocean, I was lying on a beautiful but small white, sandy beach all this while. Behind me was a beautiful grassland, but strangely devoid of any major life. Other than the butterflies and whatnot flying around there aren't any grass-eating animals around.

I stood up, but something with me felt... odd. Like, I really don't feel like myself.

'Wait, I'm not breathing. Am I dead!?'

I took a look at my arms. They're white, lightly sparkling. They're hard.

My entire body was made up with the same gem-like material and looks, slightly glittering under the sunlight. I was naked, but I didn't have any genitals, breasts, or nipples. Just a smooth, gem-like body.

I felt my face. A cold, hard and smooth texture was all I felt. I began to feel really curious and ran towards the sea. I really needed to look at myself.

What greeted me was my face, also gem-like and somewhat sparkling. My hair... my hair is a glistening white with a degree of translucency.

'I really don't look human. I look more like a freshly-mined gem.'

'I'm as fascinated as I'm shocked with my new looks.'

'What...'

'What am I?'

______________

'What the hell is going on?'

'Why do I look like this?'

I wouldn't say I dislike it though, but having my whole body sparkle like a newly-processed diamond may be a bit too much.

'Oh well, still looks pretty cool.'

I got up. Sitting down like this won't solve my problems, I need to explore my surroundings first.

I started walking. Even though my body was hard, it can still completely bend the way it's supposed to, my joints don't feel unrestricted and I can move my mouth as per normal. Weird.

I balled up my fist and knocked on my left leg, at the thigh. It didn't hurt, but the impact sent weird-feeling vibrations throughout my body as if I am a piece of rock. Oh, right, I am technically a piece of rock now.

I sigh. 'Gotta get used to my new life, I guess.'

The grassland around is really beautiful, but it's really devoid of cattle, sheep, and the like. Not that it's unnatural, but it's a big enough detail. There was a cliff just on my left beside the beach, but that's just some cliff, nothing to see there.

'Wait, did I hear something?'

I spin to the right, just in time to see the sky darken. I mean, not in a rainy-sort of way, there literally was an increasingly large black patch in the sky, forming some sort of shape that I really can't explain. Out came forth a group of, I don't know, angel-like people? They're white, dressed in monk-like robes, and somewhat glowing, but they aren't angels for sure. In the center of the group, there was one really large "angel", with light coming out from behind said figure. I'm no expert in religion, but that certainly ain't Buddha paying a visit.

Furthermore, they seem to be aiming arrows at me, Buddhism is a peaceful religion - wait, arrows?

'Oh no. They're shooting at me! They're freaking shooting at me!'

'I gotta run.'

I sprinted out just a mere moment before arrows landed on where I stood. That was close, but I don't have time to stop. They fired another wave of arrows at me, this time I barely missed them. I can't keep this up anymore, they're catching up to me no matter how fast I'm running.

"HELP! ANYONE?"

It was futile, but I still yelled. Just in case I'm not alone in this place.

Hell no, I can't outrun those things, I'm going to be hit soon!

"SOMEONE HELP ME, I'M REALLY GONNA DIE!"

"You won't die, silly, you're a gem! We've got you covered!"

'What? Who was that? Looking ahead, I saw two girls (or people who look like girls) running towards the angel-like beings. One of them had short silver hair while the other had long, pink hair in a somewhat big quantity.'

"Ah, a new face," I barely heard the silver-haired girl comment to herself.

"Fall back!" the pink-haired one shouted at me, "We'll handle this! Just keep running in your current direction and you'll reach the temple! You'll be safe there!"

"Alright, thanks!" I shouted in reply before I tripped over a stone and hit the ground face-first.

"Ow!"

Attempting to get up, I looked back and found that the "beings" are now focused on attacking the two girls. The duo, brandishing their swords, were likewise attacking the group of beings, being extremely skillful as they did so.

I could only stare in awe as they sliced through many of those "things". At that moment, I genuinely felt safe, so I stayed seated on the grass.

The pink-haired girl sliced the largest of those beings, but judging by her expression the "angels" should all have died. They didn't. I could only see spears launch from within the inside of the large "angel", alongside the girls' shocked looks.

They continued to fight, but they were "fractured" and fell to the floor in pieces, their insides closely resembling broken gemstones. Are they dead?

Realizing that I was now in danger again, I struggled to get up, but I was panicking too much and was unable to stand. The "cloud" now has its attention on me and is drawing closer.

Is this the end for me?

I stared at the beings in pure, unadulterated terror. They pulled their bows and aimed at me.

Then they all suddenly disappeared in a puff of vapor.

"Hey, are you alright?"

Turning around, I saw a green-haired girl run towards me. Behind her was a large bald man along with 20 or so girls. The girl offered me her hand.

Still shaken, I accepted her hand and got up with her help.

"Thanks," I managed to mutter after regaining enough of my composure.

"You're welcome, seems like you've just been born, but how are you this refined right from the start? Anyway, my name's Phosphophyllite, but you can call me Phos."

"Nice to meet you, Phos." Wait don't phosphophyllite sound like a name for a gem? Eh, better keep my mouth shut.

Looking around, I saw the bald man approach the two broken girls. Even though he was expressionless, I get the feeling that he's getting increasingly angry.

"Looking out for your elders, are you?"

"HERE IT COMES! FALL BACK! " I heard someone yell. Phos also suddenly hugged me tightly, taking me by surprise.

"Wait, what's going on? What am I mis-"

"IT'S FAR TOO EARLY FOR THAT! YOU FOOLS!"

His mere shout sent a huge shockwave across the plains, I could swear that I felt myself crack. That was amazingly strong, I saw a dead tree completely splinter some distance away.

Oh god, Phos has broken under the pressure, her legs having completely fragmented while her face has split, showing her green insides.

"Phos? Phos! Don't die on me yet, don't die on me yet!" I shook her torso to no avail.

"Relax, they aren't dead." I felt a big hand on my shoulders. "Gems like you will never die, but she'd need to be put together again."

"Eh?"

"Oh, dear. You're particularly fragile," the man continued, shifting his attention to Phos while wearing some white gloves.

-------------------

"You have a hardness of only three and a half. Simply brushing into someone is more than enough to break you", the man told Phos while she and the two other girls were put into black bags along with all their fragments. "And what's more, you're a peppermint color that the Lunarians are fond of. To overcome all these weaknesses, you would need to be able to wipe out an entire army in one fell swoop. You would need to be stronger than myself," he finished while looking at Phos. I could only sit at the side and watch them since I really don't know what to do.

"Not gonna be doing that," Phos pouted in her bag.

"Which is why I've decided," the man replied while pulling out a notebook, "that you should compile our encyclopedia."

"Wha-"

"What?!" was the reaction from Phos while she shook the bag.

"You're going to spill! Stop moving!" a girl with green hair shouted. She reminds me of jade, but I don't know.

"Quite the contrary," the man answered, "by compiling an encyclopedia, you will both preserve the present and prepare for the future. It is an important role that requires creativity and intelligence. The key to a battle is the eye, if you wish to fight, first train your eyes through this task."

Phos' eyes furrowed.

"I know you're just trying to trick me into it," she retorted as her bag was zipped up, every piece of her already placed inside.

"You're just about the only one who would dare talk back like that," a blue-haired girl chimed in, "you've sure got some nerve for someone who does nothing around here at all."

"Who asked you?" was the reply from inside the bag as it jumped up and down. She may not be courteous, but I really like her attitude.

"But it is the very frankness of yours that is needed for this task." the man spoke. "I am counting on you."

"Oh, right. You're the newcomer," the man said, shifting his focus to me. "You can call me Kongo-sensei, I look after all the gems here. Please, let me take a look at you, come closer."

"Alright."

I got up and walked towards him, allowing him to analyze my features. As he stared down at me, I couldn't help but feel myself blush deeply.

"Oh, look at how red your face is," a bemused girl with gold and red hair commented. She was wearing a white coat and black tights, as opposed to most of the other girls' short-sleeved shirts and short pants.

"You look like Diamond, only less bright. You shall be called Danburite."

"Danburite?"4

"Yes."

"This is my name now?"

"Yes."

Danburite. I really like this name.

"Thank you," I replied while bowing to Kongo-sensei.

"You're welcome. You are a fascinating gem, although you're new you have a firm grasp on the concept of death. But I'll not pursue it, you've probably had a pretty big scare from the Lunarians already."

"Lunarians? Those things?"

"Yes, they come from the moon. In time you will learn everything, but for now, you need to come with us to the school."

"Danburite," Phos thought out loud. "Hey, can I call you Dan?"

"Why not?"

"Sweet! Alright Dan, let's get along well together!"

"Alright!"

And thus my new life began.