What is this? I don't even-. Okay. So I've given a new try at fanfics as somebody from Skype inspired me, so hey, I might as well give it a try, right? This was awkward. I mean. I didn't even make up a plotline. I just made it up as I went along and then I got kinda bored so. Now its a oneshot. Unless somebody has any ideas on how to continue? Because honestly, I've got nothing.

Sometimes he would sit outside and just stare out at the sea, but he would never go near it. Or he'd go missing for a few hours, only for somebody to find him sitting on the roof, staring up at the sky. He'd changed. The game had changed him. He wasn't the same. He hardly ever spoke. He only ate when somebody forced him to sit down and eat. He was hardly ever present in any celebrations, including his own. And most of all, unlike his friends, he hung up his weapons. Rose, after asking him several questions, diagnosed him with several posttraumatic disorders.

They thought he didn't remember, but Eridan could remember everything. The chainsaw ripping through his abdomen, separating his upper half from his lower half. He remembered the sound. The dreadful sound of the whirring and then that sound it made when it cut through his flesh as if it were merely paper. And he remembered those few seconds where he wasn't quite dead, but far from living. Finally, he remembered dying. It was… pleasant. Like climbing into his recuperaccoon after long hunt.

Worst of all were the memories of the dream bubbles. They had been perfect and that was why he hated them. In his dream bubbles, they cared. In his dream bubbles, he mattered. And for once, everything was 0kay. And then the game was won and he was resurrected. And all that he'd had, any shred of happiness he might have had, was torn away. And now, Eridan was missing.

"Not in hith room." Sollux slammed the door shut. "John! Check the roof!" The Heir floated up to the roof finding it empty, with absolutely no trace of Eridan. Karkat turned, pacing. "Feferi, go check down by the beach. Nepeta, Equius, you two search the woods." He stepped outside to the porch. "Goddammit, Ampora!" John floated back down towards Karkat. "I can't find him anywhere. There are the caves though, if Aradia wants to check there."

Honestly, though it was technically a mansion, it was still quite small consisting of only sixteen rooms and about six extra rooms to be used, as they were needed. "Alright, Kanaya, Rose, check all of the rooms. Tavros, Jade, check anywhere you can think of." Karkat grabbed his PDA turning to take Gamzee with him. "I'll go into your human city and see if he's there.

Despite the integration of trolls to Earth society, Karkat still hated being in large cities. People stared and there were others who were shockingly racist even to their gods, though they probably didn't know that. John had said they had religions and it would be wrong to swat that aside, so the trolls let them believe in their Gods.

It would be another hour before there was the message in the memo from Aradia.

AA: i found him

CG: OH GOOD. WHERE WAS HE?

AA: he was near the top of the mountain

CG: WOULD HE TELL YOU WHY HE WAS THERE?

AA: he wont say anything

CC: Is )(e okay?

AA: shaken but he seems alright

GG: ill be right up there and ill take you two back home

CG: ALL RIGHT EVERYBODY. ARADIA FOUND HIM. COME BACK TO THE HIVE NOW.

Karkat and Gamzee were the second group to be back, followed by Nepeta and Equius, then finally Feferi. Eridan was already sitting on the couch, his chin resting on his knees, staring down at his feet. Aradia draped a pale yellow towel over his back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. His eyes flickered up to Karkat's before he stared back down at his feet, ready for the rage tantrum he knew the Cancer would throw.

"The fuck were you thinking running off like that?" Karkat snapped.

Eridan didn't offer a reply.

"You had us all worried sick" the red blood continued, beginning to pace.

"Stop yelling at him, Karkat. Yelling isn't going to do anything." Rose stepped forward putting a hand on Eridan's shoulders. "Eridan. Please. Tell us why you just took off like that. Karkat was right. Everybody is worried about you."

"That's a lie." That was the first actual sentence he'd spoken in about a month. "That's a lie a wwe both knoww it." He turned leaving the towel behind to storm off to his room. He sat down on the bed, bringing his knees up to his chest again, though he pressed his forehead to his knees with a sigh. He heard somebody come in, but he didn't bother to look up. It was probably just Feferi or Karkat or someone. He was surprised when he heard the familiar lisped voice.

"Hey Ed. You don't have to talk to me if you don't want to, but at leatht lithten. Hear me out. I know what you think, but everybody ith fucking worried. You haven't been the thame thinthe the game ended and none of uth have any idea why and we jutht want you to tell uth whatth wrong and let uth help you."

"Wwanna help? Leavve me alone." He stayed, face pressed into his knees.

"Eridan-" he was cut off by something flying at his head. Eridan's alarm clock. The seadweller had settled down crisscrossed with something else in his hand, which Sollux recognized as an empty glass. "Alright…I'm leaving." The psionic backed away, closing the door as he left, the alarm clock still in his hand.

The seadweller rolled onto his stomach, burying his face in his pillow, trying to quell the oncoming headache. Outside his window, he could see the setting sun casting a scarlet glow throughout his respiteblock. He still had his recuperacoon in the corner, though he didn't want to use it. It wasn't like he slept much anymore. And with that in mind, he slowly drifted into unconsciousness.

All trolls knew the effects of sopor and what the drug did to help him or her sleep. They also knew what happened when they didn't sleep in a recuperacoon. It wasn't incredibly long before the nightmares began to plague Eridan's rest. The royal blood went still, not thrashing, not screaming, not anything. It was only when the dream ended that the he jolted, sending himself off the edge of the bed and onto the floor.

The result was a loud resonating thump. Eridan's head spun and he could feel his vascular pump, steadily speeding up. His breaths came in the form of frantic gasps. Instinctively his gills were unsealed, flaring in attempt to collect oxygen. Moments later, somebody's arms were wrapped around his shoulders. He curled up, hands coming up to push away the figure in front of him. He could hear his heartbeat in his ears. So this was it? He was dying? That was stupid. He couldn't die. He was a god.

"Eridan. Eridan. Look at me. I said LOOK, GODDAMMIT!" The dazed seadweller recognized his leader's voice. Okay. He could deal with that. He stared up into Karkat's eyes. "Inhale. Exhale. Come on. Do it with me. Breath. Inhale." He mimicked Karkat, drawing in a breath. The mutant blood clamped his hand over his nose and mouth, cutting off any way to exhale. Eridan began to flail before Karkat let go, letting him exhale again.

"Like that. Inhale. Come on. You can do it." Eridan copied the motion, sucking in a lungful of oxygen. "Hold it there. Just a bit. Good. And exhale. Take it slow." He let the breath out. Repeating the motions. Inhale. Hold. Exhale. He could feel his heart begin to slow down back to its normal pace. It was only then he realized there were tears running down his face. He reached up trying to rub them away, though he knew Karkat had seen them. All the Cancer did was wrap his arms around the Aquarius, just holding him, letting him cry.

He sat there, curled up in Karkat's horns. It was a world of embarrassment , but it was also comfort and that was what he needed. "Ww-wwhat wwas that?" He managed between pants. "Panic Attack. Your first one?" Eridan nodded. "Yeah. I know. Scary as hell. Can you stand up?" He nodded again, untangling his limbs from Karkat's to pull himself to his feet. "Come with me," Karkat ordered taking him by the arm.

Eridan didn't resist, letting Karkat drag him down the stairs and into the kitchen. He was forced to sit at the dining table, a glass of warm water set down in front of him. Eridan took it, taking a sip of water. Though a simple action, it calmed his frayed nerves. "So howw did you knoww wwhat ta do?"

"You're looking at a panic attack two sweep veteran. I used to get them all the time. They don't come as often anymore or at all, really, but I know how to deal with them. So talk to me. What got you so worked up?"

"Memories a killin' Fef an Kan, blindin' Sol. Destroyin' the matriorb, my conscience bein' a total dick about it." Karkat gave a chuckle at the reply. "I see. I used to flip my shit whenever I bled. And I wasn't the most careful wriggler so I used to get cuts all the time. Just tiny ones, but I'd flip out and then crabdad would be there to help me calm down."

"I nevver kneww that."

"Nobody did."

"Not even-?"

"Not even Gamzee. Or Terezi. Or Sollux. Hell, they still don't even know. And if you tell them I'll cut your fins off." Eridan snorted, taking another drink of water. "Thanks, Kar."

"I hope you aren't thanking me for threatening to mutilate you." He rolled his eyes. "Thanks for helpin' me out back there." Karkat merely shrugged. "Yeah, I would have done it for anybody. Don't think you're so special."

"Pfft. Wwhatevver. I'm gonna go get some rest." Eridan stood up taking the glass to the sink, briefly washing it before setting it on the rack to dry. He disappeared up the stairs leaving Karkat alone in the kitchen. The royalblood stripped off the majority of his clothes, laying them on his bed before climbing into his recuperacoon. The cool slime seeped through his skin, taking effect almost instantaneously, granting Eridan a dreamless sleep which, in his opinion was much better than being plagued by nightmares.

So, any ideas? I'd like to keep writing, its just I lack any plot whatsoever. So please do Review it would make me a very happy writer. ShadowC out.