Everyone stood holding their breath, watching the fusion with caution. They sat, to the surprise of two of the other three beings present. A smile edged its way onto Garnets face as two sets of hands were folded in the fashion she had taught Stevonnie. Garnet walked closer to see if she could determine how well it was going in that shared inner world...
"I don't understand what's going on. Is this another trick?" Jasper's gruff voice questioned. There were butterflies everywhere, and Steven wasn't sure if they were all his.
"I don't really know exactly how this works. I know an unstable fusion will hallucinate, but the butterflies can also show the moments from the past that are painful. I was hoping I could show you me through, well... my pain." He paused a moment, seeing shock and a touch of fear in Jasper's expression. "Is something the matter?"
"These floating white things... can show the things that have hurt you?" She asked, her expression sad. And lonely. It made his heart hurt to see her like that.
"Yes. Things said and done, by you and to you." As he spoke, butterflies came flooding in from all directions. Much like the last time, they formed into a giant one like a butterfly-shaped viewing screen in front of Jasper, who simply tried to back away a step at a time.
"Jasper!" Steven yelled. He knew what she was about to go through, but he couldn't stop it. As much as he wanted to, he knew he shouldn't try. He could only try to comfort her as she confronts her pain.
Garnet sat down near the new fusion, keeping a close eye on the state of corruption. She didn't want to hurt Steven, but if it got too bad, she would attack them. But the two halves of her were very worried. There was no guarantee that seperating them would prevent the corruption from affecting him... She could only see the possible futures based on information she already has. And there was nothing in her experiences or knowledge that covered the possibilities here.
Steven watched moments from Jasper's life in agonizing slow-motion. Finding out her diamond was shattered. Feeling useless because they had withdrawn all Homeworld forces from Earth. Being assigned to go back with an annoying techie as her bodyguard. There were several moments he was present for. Then being part of Malachite. When they were over, she was shaking, with either pain or fury. He hugged her. Tried anyway. He only stood waist high and his arms weren't long enough to go all the way around. She turned her eyes down to look at him and was baffled at the tears in his eyes. 'Why would Rose cry? Over pain that isn't hers or her allies? But she claims that she isn't Rose...' she thought to herself.
"Okay. Show me. If you aren't Rose... I guess I'll have to figure it out." She stated. She hesitated, then tried to smile a little. She was actually kind of pretty when she smiled. He let go and stepped back, bracing himself with a deep breath. He had hoped he would never be confronted be his own pain. At least for a while. But part of him had known this was what it would take. His own giant butterfly took shape and Jasper watched, entranced, by the misfortune and suffering of Steven. She watched the conflict with Bismuth that ended with her impaled on the sword she made for Rose, the Rubies scattered to space and the time with Eyeball, she saw herself through his eyes as she attacked Amethyst, then as Smoky Quartz as they fought back, her fusion with the corruption and subsequently corrupting, But last, he tried to control in to a degree and had managed, the fight Amethyst over who was the worst. Laying there and saying "I'm not Rose Quartz." She could nearly feel the defeat in that statement. Glancing down, she saw him curled around his knees crying.
"Everyone expects me to be her. But I'm not. I never even got to know her. She released her form so I could exist. And I feel like... it's my fault she's not here. That everyone would be happier if she was." He sniffled, trying to keep his voice steady. "But I'm here. I didn't chose to be..." He broke then, crying quietly into his knees. She wanted to say that he deserved his suffering. But she found that the pain he's been through has had nothing to do with him and everything to do with Rose, who is somehow not this being before her. She felt a surge of anger at her old foe and a strange new emotion towards this small, unusual gem. Dropping down to one knee next to him, she clenched and relaxed her fists once, nervously, before slowly putting her arms around him. He was surprised, but hugged her back, drawing on any comfort available.