Price to Pay

Disclaimer: I do not own Homestuck. Homestuck belongs to Andrew Hussie.

THUMP thump. THUMP thump. THUMP thump.

Pain. So much pain. The worst of it wasn't even coming from the irons around his wrists. Oh, how he tried to speak. Tried so hard to describe the peaceful Alternia he remembered. But it was impossible now.

The E%ecutor aiming a bow at him- a young blueblood, telling them to run while he fought the rouge Dersite Agent. Dead.

He couldn't remember why he was preaching of peace anymore. All he could see was war.

The Dolorosa, his mother- a young jadeblood who hadn't even made it to the first Gate. Dead.

The Disciple wailing over his fate, pleading for his freedom- a young greenblood he had tried to save from execution on Derse. Dead.

The Ψiioniic watching in horror- a mustardblood with two dream selves striking a deal with Echidna to perform the Scratch. Dead.

No. The peace didn't exist anymore.

Her Imperious Condescension, smiling while she watched him bleed- the timid princess who actually performed the Scratch as one of the last three trolls remaining. Made heartless by their trials.

He could hear himself screaming now, and he wasn't sure what he was even screaming for- if it was for the friends he had lost, or the price they had paid to give the new session a better chance. Or maybe it was because not even a new life could heal the scars that damn game had left them. His life was slipping away. Candy-red eyes met deep indigo. Both pairs widened slightly- the scream cut off as he died.

The Grand Highblood laughing until their eyes met-his moirail, his counterweight, the kind artist with big dreams and a hidden temper, pleading with him to run, not to stay for the scratch, rambling about a way out of their session. But the Princess of Life ignored the Heir of Rage. She was dead inside now.

"Dammit! Just motherfucking listen! You heard him- Echidna didn't tell the whole truth! Resetting the game can't be that easy! What price are we paying?"

Empty, cold Tyrian Purple eyes stared into indigo, "We have nothing. Any price we pay has no meaning now. They're gone. We can't win with just the three of us."

And the indigo eyes back on him, "Please, do something! We can run now and get away from this mess! I don't know what motherfucking price we'll pay if we stay, but I don't want to pay it!"

He could feel tears on his face as he took his moirail's hand, "I'm sorry. But it will be better. We'll have a chance this way… Please, just… Shhh…. Calm down, it will be better…"

Both of them were crying- but the Seer of Heart simply continued to sooth his moirail.

"So… this was our price…" And death.

The Signless could feel his never-ending nightmare beginning to reset- well, he called it never-ending. In reality, he could always change it to a happier memory… but he didn't. This was his punishment for not remembering sooner. For forgetting how to read those around him. For disregarding the desperate pleading of his moirail before the scratch.

The only reprieve from his eternal punishment had come when, much to his surprise, a young red-blooded troll- and a God Tier no less- had appeared in his dream bubble.

"…A Hero of Time come to visit…"

His words had unsurprisingly surprised his visitor, who introduced herself as Aradia. The Signless had refused to give his name or title, but had taken the time to confuse her with various comments about what she was feeling while he pondered her resemblance to another of his lost friends from his first life. Soon enough Aradia had disappeared, however… And the Signlelss had returned to his suffering.

Until he received another interruption.

Instead of starting the scene over again, the Signless spoke, "It isn't polite to spy on the dreams of others."

"Who the fuck are you? What the fuck was that?"

"So much anger…" The Signless turned around- and paused. This troll, his latest visitor… There was no doubting their resemblance in all but, apparently, personality. The Signless spent a moment watching the small troll before speaking again, "That was a memory of mine. What are you doing here, little one?"

The younger troll's eye twitched, "Don't fucking 'little one' me, asshole! And what does it matter to you what I'm doing here?"

The Signless chuckled slightly, "I wouldn't have to call you 'little one' if I had a name to call you by. And what you are doing here matters to me because I don't get many visitors. The dreaming dead rarely do." The Signless stood and the remains of his final living memory melted away to be replaced by an orchard. The Seer of Heart started to walk- the younger troll trailed after.

"Fine, asshole. My name is Karkat Vantas, happy? And I'm here because Aradia just fucking had to knock me out 'so I can get some sleep, for once'!" Karkat glared at the older troll, "What the fuck was that memory even about?"

The Signless looked at Karkat, "…Just both my dying memories rolled into one. And before you ask, it plays as a punishment."

Karkat scoffed, "Punishment? That's fucking stupid. …Punishment for what?"

The Signless stopped walking to examine one of the trees, "I ignored my moirail once, when I should have taken his words to heart."

Karkat stared a moment, "Who the fuck are you?"

The Signless looked over at Karkat, "…I was once called the Signless," He turned red eyes back to the tree, "…But my real name is Klerik. Klerik Orical."

Klerik wasn't really surprised when Karkat showed no recognition to his title, instead folding his arms, "Whatever. Signless, Klerik, I don't care. You're still an idiot. Your moirail would want you happy- I know mine would want me happy, at least."

Those words did surprise Klerik, and he looked at Karkat again. And then he found himself smiling and nodding, "You're right, of course- he was always happiest when I was happy. Thank you for showing me that." Then the smile faded, "You still have a lot to face ahead of you. But don't give up, and don't rest until the game is over, Karkat- no matter how tired of it you grow, no matter how many friends you lose… you will never like the price of giving up."

Karkat looked confused by the words, and opened his mouth to demand an explanation- but Klerik was already gone.

Eyes, no longer filled in with candy red, opened and stared at the sky.

"Klerik! You're finally here!"

The troll, made young again by his desire to see his friends, sat up. Ten smiling faces greeted him. Four of their owners practically tackled him into a group hug. Klerik could feel tears rolling down his face as he looked at them.

"About time, athhole. I thought I would be the one keeping you waiting, not the other way around. Jeethe, you're thuch a idiot thometimeth."

"You really did take an impawssibly long time to get here, silly!"

"He just needed to work it out."

"I missed you, brother. Thank you for keeping your promise to remember us."

Klerik just stared- and then he slowly smiled.

"Yeah…" He looked over all his old friends- only one had yet to arrive. But he knew in his heart that she would arrive again too, when she found her own healing from their trials. And when she did…

"Yes, we had a price to pay… but in the end, we have our peace back. Maybe it took two lifetimes of loss…"

He could see the peace again.