Authors Note: I would like to dedicate this chapter to my friend Anna its her Birthday and this is my present for her. The chapter is a little short because it mostly setting up the plot please feel free to critique, give advice or leave a comment.
Chapter 1 Prologue
The pearly white marbled walls of the ballroom sparkled in gleamed in his eyes as he whirled round and round for hours switching from one dance partner to the next. Each time he did so he was careful to offer only the most regal of bows to the young men and women that he invited to dance with. Each one he held close and for those brief moments he treated them as if they were the only person that mattered to him in the entire world. As the ball wound down its final hour he bide fare well to his current dance partner brushing his lips gently against the young women's fingers.
He walked away up towards his chambers before a small gentle sound stopped him in his steps. He turned around swiftly to politely say goodbye to the owner of such sound when his eyes locked on hers.
Immediately his face lit up as he recognized the curvy figure and mess of long tangled brown hair that had been swooped up into many braids twisted round into a bun. She smiled back at him a gesture that filled his heart with warmth like nothing else could do. He rushed to embrace her spinning her round in his arms while she giggled and snorted slightly. He set her down on her feet once again before she spoke
"hey Erifish!" she greeted in her customary way.
Immediately Eridan proceeded to blush "fef, I told you no more of your childish nicknames!" letting a whining tone seep into voice.
Feferi laughed again punching him lightly in his arm "oh Eridan, you'll always be the same old child to me!" she said teasingly.
"Whatever" he said looking grumpily at her before giving in and laughing as well. He looked back at Feferi sensing something different.
Feferi's eyes grew cold "you always were childish weren't you?" she asked severely, as she spoke the atmosphere around them changed, darkening.
Eridan looked slightly hurt she couldn't have meet that could she?
"and you still are" she said advancing forward her tone dangerously icey .
"and now your childish ways and fist of tantrum have killed me Eridan" she spoke shrilly "Im dead and it's all because of you!" her voice rising with each word quickly escalating to a scream.
Eridan stumbled backward confusion and fear filling his eyes. "wh-what are you talkin' about?" he managed to stammer out.
"You're r-right in front of me Fef plain as daylight!" as he said as he noticed something he somehow missed before; Feferi's eyes had become as white and clear as the moon outside.
He stumbled back further fear raging inside him as Feferi's shreaks continued to pick up in intensity until even his own thoughts had become inaudible.
Breathing heavily he found himself suddenly pressed in from all sides as if the very walls were being pushed together and constricting him. Feferi continued forward, walking towards him still wailing loudly. "Please, Fef, please! Im sorry! Forgive me!" he cried out pleading with the now empty and hollow creature before him.
"PLEASE!" he screamed bolting up right out of bed his entire body covered in sweat.
Switching on the lamp he rushed over to the bathroom in the hallway. Turning on the faucet in the sink he proceeded to splash cold water on his face. Waiting for his heart to reside back to its usual pass, he sunk down to sit on the toilet resting his head in both hands and sighing deeply.
Are the nightmares never ending? He thought to himself as he slowly began to calm down.
He heard a faint rustle from beyond the bathroom looking up for the first time he noticed him standing in the door way; a average height scrawny 20-something year old with unruly jet black hair, olive skin, dark brown eyes with intense bags under them. His arms were folded a slightly pissed yet understanding look was on his face; one of irritation, but sympathy and understanding. "Nightmares again huh?" he finally said looking down at the floor.
Eridan looked him over his eyes narrowed in arrogance and suspicion yet tonight he hadn't the strength to put up a front. "..yes" he responded slowly his voice barely louder than a whisper. He felt his throat constrict tightly as he looked up to meet Karkat's gaze. "I thought by now the guilt would be gone Kar, I thought the pain in my heart would be healed" he said hoarsely as if it pained him to talk.
Karkat sighed and offered up a shrug "sometimes, some people take more time to heal then others, it's not fucking fair but that's the way it goes, I'm sure the pain will go away eventually, until then I guess you just have to go on living with it." he knew it was a sucky explanation but he had tried so many times before to comfort this douchebag and so many times he had failed, he was running out of inspirational bullshit to say.
Eridan just nodded, slowly he got up and shuffled past Karkat retreating into his bedroom and shutting the door he pulled himself into bed and lie under the covers staring blankly at the ceiling waiting for Morning to come.
