And now, for something completely different...
It happened out of nowhere. Malachite erupted out of the sea in the middle of the day. The gems were having a picnic for pete's sake.
She was mad, and while it was clear Lapis had lost control, it might not be accurate to say Jasper was pulling the reigns. The fusion was simply a force of rage and anguish, and it's preferred outlet for this aggression was the Crystal Gems, it seemed.
It poofed Amethyst first, followed by Pearl, and finally the last to be poofed was Garnet. Steven was beaten, pained, and very, very scared.
He could only watch as the fusion looked around, confused and… in pain.
No more gems left to destroy, the fusion, with a final cry of agony, fell apart in front of Steven.
Lapis lay still a few feet away from Jasper, who was hunched on the ground, shivering in disgust. Malachite was a means to an end. A creature that was comprised of hate and mistrust, and didn't want to exist. It seems, however, that Jasper maintained just enough control to direct that anger at something.
Jasper stands, her eyes are wide with rage. "QUARTZ CHILD!"
A shiver runs up Steven's spine.
"I learned enough about you from that whelp that whatever you are, you're not Rose Quartz. I also know that you're still around here. Show yourself, or I will tear this place apart to find you!"
He was sure the 'whelp' he referred to was Lapis, still unmoving on the ground. Jasper approached the unmoving Gem. She looked Lapis in the eyes. They were tired, distant, but there was enough light in them for Jasper to see she had even the slightest bit of fight in her. The water barely had a chance to ripple before Jasper poofed Lapis, catching her gemstone in her hand.
"Show yourself Quartz Child, or I'll shatter your little friend right here!"
Then it hit her.
Literally.
Steven's shield slammed her in the back of her head, while Steven himself darted passed her grabbing Lapis's gem and sending it back to the temple with the rest of the Crystal Gems.
He'd turned around to meet a blur of orange. Jasper's fist met with his stomach and sent him flying. It was more pain than he'd ever felt, but he got back on his legs and conjured his shield again in time to stop another one of Jasper's punches.
"That was pretty backhanded. I wasn't expecting that kind of tactic. You're full of surprises."
She circled him wearily, and he kept his shield between him and her. There was something impersonal about it. Seeing her through the pinkish lends. Through this lends he didn't have to see another Gem. He could only see the distorted image of a monster.
"Soldiers on Homeworld all used to say nothing could break Rose Quartz's shield. I'm betting I can prove them wrong."
She was relentless. She punched, Kicked, and slammed her crash helmet into Steven's shield. The shield took the blows easily, but Steven was working himself to the bone keeping his standing and moving the shield to block his opponent as she seemed to come at him from everywhere. His only hope was that one of the Gems would reform and help him before Jasper got around his shield. He felt so useless, taking blow after blow, but he knew there was nothing he could do to her that he wouldn't return tenfold while his guard was lowered.
Jasper finally stops her barrage of attacks, looking at Steven with anger and frustration. "You're just going to hid behind that shield the whole time?!"
That was the plan, but he certainly wasn't going to tell her that.
"Pathetic. The rebel Rose Quartz was supposed to be amongst the most formidable warriors in the galaxy. If you are her legacy, I can say I'm not impressed."
Slowly, she backed away from Steven. "If this is how you are, I can only imagine how pathetic, spineless, and WEAK SHE MUST HAVE BEEN!"
In a flash of light, Jasper charged at Steven, knocking him off his feet and sending him flying into the rubble that was once most of his house.
"ROSE QUARTZ WAS A MONSTER! A TRAITOR WHO UNDID CENTURIES OF WORK FOR GEMKIND, ALL FOR THIS ROCK'S ANIMALS! AND HER LEGACY ENDS WITH YOUR DE-"
She was in the air in an instant. Something wrapped around her leg and lifted her high off the ground. The green, thorned vine that held abruptly slammed her into the ground with a sickening thud. And then it did it again. And again, and again. Over and over Jasper was whipped through the air against the rocks, sand and mountain side, too fast to even register that it was occurring. She wasn't sure how long it went, but she knew at some point she transitioned from rage to anguish, just wishing it would stop.
A fire ran through her as her face met the mountain side, and an unmistakable cracking sound followed. She felt strange, weak, and very much in pain.
The vines grew to wrap around her arms, holding them out from her body. She hung just a few feet off the ground.
Steven arose from the rubble. He was beaten and bruised, and there were streaks of moisture going down his face, but anyone could recognize the look in his eyes as he walked toward the gem. That look of murderous intent, the blind rage. It was very un-steven.
"That wasn't very nice, what you said about my mom."
He was quiet, but his voice dripped with malice.
He clenched his eyes tight. He looked sadly to the side. His ukulele was broken some feet away. He picked up the remains of his beloved instrument and almost tear up again.
"My dad gave me this. You probably don't know what it means to have a mom or dad; people who love and care about you."
"I'm sorry." He says, looking at her. Jasper was taken aback, by his words and also by the look in his eyes. He was pitying her.
"You're sorry?!" she muttered in confused anger.
"You hurt people because the Diamonds tell you. You do what they say because you don't know any better. You don't make your own choices, you just wait for someone to tell you when to fight. When to die."
Jasper was flabbergasted. The whelp, this invalid, this despicable creature had the gall to talk down to her. "Why yo- aarrgghhh!"
He body convulsed painfully. Her hulking frame began to shrink, and the vines wrapped tighter around her to keep her from slipping between them.
"W-what's happening?" she asks aloud.
Steven looks at her face. He saw the substantial crack in Jasper's nose. "Your gem is cracked. You'll get worse."
His fist clenched. He wasn't sure if he could allow the words he was thinking to leave his mind.
"I-I can help you. Make you better. But if I do, you have to promise not to attack us again."
Jasper looked at him, eyes wide in confusion. "And if I refuse?"
Steven was silent for a moment. His fists were balled tight, and he was shaking, struggling to find his words.
"I'll send your gemstone back to Homeworld in pieces."
Saying such things pained him, but he meant it. For that brief moment, he had that dangerous look in his eye again.
"I don't want it to come to that. But I have to protect my friends. So promise me."
Jasper weighed her options. This child was stronger than she knew, maybe stronger than he himself knew. The other traitors would be restored soon, and she wasn't sure she could handle all of them herself.
Her head hung low. "Do what you want. I already lost."
Jasper groans as the vines drop her to the ground with a load thud.
"Sorry! It's kinda my first time using the plants."
He helped her to her knees, but she was shaky. It was sickening, feeling so weak. But not as sickening as needing his help. She leaned on his shoulder as he led her to the mountain side.
"This is ridiculous. You should have destroyed me."
"That's what you would have done."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Steven laid her against the mountain. He licked his finger, and lightly touched her gemstone.
"That's something I hope you'll get to learn."
The crack in Jasper's gem sealed up thanks to Steven's healing saliva. Her body reformed its intimidating stature, and slowly she rose to her feet. Steven stood defensively, despite being dwarfed by this leviathan gem.
"Why are you afraid? Don't trust me?"
"No, no not really."
"Well, can't say it'd be the smart thing to do."
Jasper knelt down. "But I'm a gem of my word. I'm not going to do anything to you."
Steven smiles. "Well, the others might not be back for a while. We can just talk."
Again, this creatures words confuse her. "Some kind of interrogation?"
"No, just talking. Do you have any questions?"
She absolutely did. "What… are you?"
That was a loaded question to be sure, but Steven felt he had a suitable answer.
"I'm Steven. Steven Universe."