Authors note: This is my first Homestuck fan fiction. It is set before the humans arrive on the meteor, but after the 5x Showdown Combo.
It wasn't difficult, Karkat thought. He just had to follow the rainbow footprints backwards until he got to wherever the bodies were.
Terezi had organized the recovery effort. And of course, she had assigned Karkat with Nepeta and Equius. The green-and-blue smeared footprints leading down, down, down to the center of the meteor were large and sloppy, Gamzee personified.
He enters the large chamber, his steps echoing. A soft, soft cry- almost a mewl -reaches his ears.
"Nep? Nepeta? Fuck!" he calls, running toward the sound, the metal floor clanking under his feet. He turns the corner, and a horrible scene meets his eyes. Green blood, blue blood, spread across the floor like a gruesome painting. Equius had taken an arrow to the knee, and then been strangled with a bow string. Karkat can feel the bile rising in his throat, and turns away from the bruised and sweaty spectacle.
"Nep." he says, kneeling by her side. She had taken a violent beating. Her ribs are broken, and she lays at an odd angle, one arm stretched toward Equius, purple blood on her claws. Her once pretty face is swollen on one side, and green blood drips from her mouth. She pulls shuddering, shallow gasps.
"Kar..Karkitty? Is that you?" she asks, attempting to lift her other arm to his face. He gingerly catches her arm, and removing her glove, places her hand softly on his face.
"Nepeta, I'm so fucking sorry. I'm so, so sorry."
"Karkitty…I have to…tell you something." she coughs, and closes her eyes, pain twisting her face. Karkat leans over her, gently pulling her head onto his lap.
"I was…so…so" she coughs again, blood dripping from her mouth. Karkat rubs a soothing circle into her cheek with his thumb, and she almost purrs. "I was…am…so, so red for you. So flushed, Karkat. And… I never…told you… I'm sorry." she coughs once more and Karkat realizes he knew precisely jack shit.
"Nep…" he trails off. He holds her closer and she closes her eyes.
"Don't… don't leave me here Karkitty." she says, her voice shaky.
"I'll never let you go Nep. I won't let go." He presses a soft kiss to her forehead. "No one can hurt you now. You're safe, you're safe and sound." a single tear rolls down his cheek.
"Don't…cry…Karkitty. I'll see you when you go to sleep." she smiles, and then she's gone.
"No, no, no FUCK no no." Karkat stares at her in his arms, red tears streaming down his face "No, Nep. Nep, Shit. I could've been red for you too. Please, please don't go."
Because in the end, he realized. He needed her more, than she needed him.
And his red tears mingled with her green blood on her cheek.
And he broke down and sobbed, and cried for the love he didn't even know he had.