Chapter 9: Dealing With the Enemy

Days later, Pearl is still in her gem. Steven, like before, has made a bed for Pearl in a basket. Quartz has been on the couch since the mission. He hasn't moved or even left the house. He's been watching Steven the entire time that he's been here and it's quite unnerving. He doesn't talk or smile or even attempt to make contact with anyone. Garnet and Amethyst are understandably suspicious of him. Why would he want to come all the way back to their temple? Garnet wonders if he has anything to do with the meteor. It's quite the possibility, but jumping to conclusions is dangerous in a situation like this. They can't get on his bad side. At least he doesn't know Steven is part Gem. If he found out, he would probably kill him and them just for fun. For right now, Garnet and Amethyst are out on a mission. Their worst fear is for Steven's gem to act up, letting Quartz know of his species.

Steven goes back up to his room with Pearl to watch the final of the Lonely Blade movies. Quartz's eyes don't stop following him. Those grey eyes that don't blink, it's creepy. "Um…you've been staring at me since we got back," Steven finally says, looking back at Quartz.

"What about it?" Quartz replies.

"Can you stop it, please. It's getting kinda creepy."

"Oh, well then." Quartz takes his eyes off Steven and looks down at the ground with solemn eyes. "You just look so much like my sister, and it's giving me nostalgia."

"Pearl told me you hated your sister," Steven says, looking at Pearl's gem. Quartz shoots Steven a look of anger. His eyes have turned a darker shade of grey. Steven flinches, hoping he doesn't do anything.

"She said that?!" Quartz stands up—for the first time in days—and moves over to Steven on the stairs. He doesn't walk up them, but he points at Pearl's gem. Steven runs to the top, backing up. "What does she know about my life?! All she knows is what the Imperial Gems told her! I loved my sister, but she got in my way. I had no choice but to fight her!"

"My mo—I mean—Rose," it feels weird saying his mother's first name like that, "was protecting the other Gems from you."

Quartz takes in a deep breath and walks up the stairs, yelling, "How would you even know?! You're not even a Gem!" Steven back up on his bed. Quartz looms over him, furious with black eyes. "You're only human," he whispers.

The warp pad illuminates, filling the beach house with blue light. Garnet and Amethyst stand on the machine, posing. Amethyst opens her eyes. She gasps, looking at Quartz standing over Steven. "Get away from him!" She cries. She summons her weapon and flicks it at Quartz. It lassos him and she pulls him down, slamming him into the floor. The wood breaks underneath him.

"What were you doing by Steven," Garnet says, walking over to the male gem. He's activated his nullification powers, but it doesn't matter, her hands will be enough.

"He talked about me like he knew me, that pathetic human," Quartz spits. His voice sounds substantially calmer than before. He's talking to Garnet with a smooth tone, not like before when he was yelling. It felt jagged, like a rusty knife cutting across skin. "He thinks he knows Rose, he knows nothing!"

"And you try to attack him?"

"I was only standing over the boy. Now let me go."

"No, you should have stayed where you were." Garnet cracks her knuckles. She pulls her arm back, readying a violent punch. Quartz closes his eyes, preparing to get hit.

But then Pearl's gem glows.

It shines and levitates in the air. Pearl's body forms. The light breaks, showing her physical self fully healed and without cracks on her skin. She wears a new, light blue one piece that frills out into a tail at the waist. The borders are dark blue, and the entire thing is clipped together with a yellow star that is placed above the groin. She wears her short orange tights as usual. Her hair has also changed: her pixie point styled hair has become slightly larger and two lock of hair on either side of her head frame her face. She wears a pair of light green boots with darker green soles. She sighs in relief, patting herself down. She looks at Amethyst; she has her whip out. She looks at Garnet; she looks like she's about to punch something. She looks over to Steven; he's holding a scared look on his face. And finally, she looks at the stranger tied up in Amethyst's whip. Her eyes widen in fear. "What is he doing here!" She shots, summoning her spear. She spins it around, readying an attack position.

"Calm down, you idiot," Quartz hollers back, "I'm not doing anything!"

"You be quiet!" Pearl attacks. "Garnet, what's he doing here?!"

"We brought him here," she replies, looking away.

"You what?!"

"It's not like we could stay at the warp pad control center forever. Steven was with us."

"And the only reason I'm like this is because that stupid human talked about Rose like she was his mother or something!" Quartz says. Pearl gulps, looking at Steven. He looks back at her, not knowing what to do. "They thought I was going to hurt him, which I wasn't, by the way!"

"W-Well we can't know that for sure."

"Trust me, Pearl," Quartz slowly says, "if I wanted to kill you all, don't you think I would have done it by now?"

Pearl lowers her weapon, knowing he's right. There are rumors saying he can turn intangible, so he could actually free himself from Amethyst's whip any time he wanted to. It's a scary thought, but it's even scarier having the actual thing in here. Pearl dematerializes her weapon, and stands, holding her arms. "Garnet, what do you suggest we do?"

Garnet punches Quartz in the face. His upper body goes through the wooden floor. "I needed that," the Gem says, cracking her neck.

"Oww!" Quartz cries from underneath the house. "That hurt you know! I was treated so much better in prison!"

"Hmm, too bad," Garnet coldly says. "Release him, Amethyst." She does, dematerializing her whip. Quartz wildly moves on the floor, trying to get his body free from the floor. He struggles with incredible intensity, but he does. Garnet's incredibly strong. He doesn't want to get punched by her again. He rubs his cheek where Garnet hit him, staring at her with his brow furrowed.

There is an awkward silence wafting through the house. The Gems and Steven look at Quartz with uncertainty. They don't want him here, but they can't do much to kick him out. He's stubborn, they can feel it. He also gives off a malevolent vibe that they don't want to mess with. Steven is in the most danger here. He has Rose's gem, and knowing how he reacts to Rose's name, he might take it from him.

"I'm going to go outside, I guess," Quartz says. "I'll be back." Quartz stands up walks to the door. He doesn't look back at them.

Outside, Quartz immediately walks to the meteor. He places a hand on it, looking up at the Gem inside. "Amazonite, I'm going to free you soon. Those traitors will receive their comeuppance for siding with the humans and we'll be sure to give it to them."

(Author's Note: Smokey Quartz and Amazonite crystals are usually found together when forming along with other types of crystals. Also, Smokey Quartz not wanting to get hit by Garnet again is a Soul Eater reference where Medusa got hit with Lord Death's Reaper Chop.)