Sparkly

Weapon

Amber was a weapon, nothing more. And the knowledge that that form always existed inside of Darius weighed on his mind.
He wasn't aging. That had become obvious by the time twenty years had passed. And although he hadn't transformed at all since subduing Quartz, the amber gem hadn't disappeared from his chest.

Caroline hadn't aged either, but she seemed to be filled with energy and a sense of purpose from her job as a veterinarian.

Darius had been married for eighteen years to a woman named Nala he'd met at the tech company he'd worked at then.

He hadn't wanted to tell her he was Amber, but the gem in his chest was unavoidable and made the truth obvious.

Over time, he'd come to tell her about his past in vague, blurry strokes. She never demanded that he tell her anything. That was one of the things he liked about her.

___

"Dad, how come you never get older?"

Darius looked at his fifteen year old daughter, Lily.

"I'm surprised you never asked me that before." he said.

"Well..." she scratched her head sheepishly, "I guess I kind of thought you were just immortal or something."

Darius tried to laugh at that, but his smile faded and shook his head.

"The truth is, I don't even know if I am immortal. A long time ago, I was handed a power I didn't want. I've never figured out how to get rid of it. I even..."

He'd gotten a medical professional to cut the gem out once, but it had grown back in months. Amber's power was coursing through his very blood, inseparable from him. He hated it like a poison. It tainted his beautiful, average life. It was a reminder of the darkness in him, of things he'd done, and at best of the uncomfortable fact that he could transform into a girl.

Darius shook his head. "Don't worry about it. Did you do well on your test in school today?