John and Jade were almost there. They were nearing the moment they longed for during those three years. It seemed like those three years were going to last for eternity because every single second until John could get to see Vriska felt like all of the sweeps in the world. He couldn't wait for the moment that he finally could see her, and maybe, just maybe they could go on that date. Or how she would say "a d8."
"John, we'll be there any minute now!" Jade exclaimed. She was just as excited to meet everybody.
John was filled with anxiety, brimming to the top of his being, he felt light-headed and dizzy. He couldn't believe that this was actually happening. Maybe he would wake up, maybe sburb didn't even exist. He knew deep down this wasn't true, he knew that what he felt in this moment and every moment ever spent talking to Vriska was real and something to hold onto dearly. What he felt building up in his chest, the feeling that was overwhelming his entire being was completely real.
Jade could see silhouettes of people in the distance. She squealed with excitement while John couldn't contain some excited nervous laughter and smiles. He was prepared to jump for joy but decided to keep some composure, he didn't want Vriska to think he was lame now. When they finally landed they were a bit of a distance from the others, but the trolls came to them alongside with Rose and Dave.
John and Jade immediately hugged their human companions and introduced themselves to some of the trolls. John was shaking hands and greeting everyone but his eyes searched for her.
"Hey umm by any chance does anyone know where Vriska is?"
That was all it took to make the entire world tear apart at the seams.
All of the trolls looked down, ashamed to make any eye contact with the innocent boy. John still had a smile on his face. A longing smile. A genuinely happy smile. Rose bit her lip and Dave was safely hiding his guilt behind a pair of sunglasses. Everybody who had known of this boy, the hero, the heir of breath, knew of his happiness. They knew that he was a boy who lived each day trying his hardest, even in the grimmest of situations trying to shine some light on it. Who was going to be the one to break the hero's heart?
John stared at everybody, wondering why they all looked as if something was wrong. Did he say something wrong?
"Uhm did I say something to upset you? Where is she? I'm really excited to meet her! I waited so long on that ship but I guess I should introduce myself. She'd be kinda upset if I didn't." He smirked and scratched at his cheek. Nobody could even look at the boy this time. Karkat looked at Terezi who seemed very shaken up about the matter at hand.
"Uhm John can we talk?" Dave decided to speak up, already hating himself for deciding to be the one to do this.
"Uhm yeah sure Dave!"
As Dave walked off with John, Rose met eyes with Kanaya and then they both looked at the rest of the remaining trolls. All of them had sorrow filled eyes. They didn't know what to expect of the young boy who was just about to get his dream crushed along with the extermination of his happiness. Rose was about to go towards the two boys when Kanaya grabbed her hand and Rose stopped in her tracks.
"Rose, We Can't Help Him Now. He Would Have Found Out. It's Just Unfortunate That He Would Learn Of This Exactly At His Arrival." Kanaya spoke with a heavy heart as Rose felt this sinking feeling in her chest. Suddenly gusts of wind lashed at the surrounding space everyone was in, the gusts were violent and filled with immense rage. Everyone knew this would happen, eventually.
Dave slid backwards and fell to his knees. John's body shivered as his fists clenched tight, until his knuckles were white and his fingers could leave bruises and perhaps penetrate the skin. This wind was uncontrollable, making it hard to stand in place. The trolls and humans were fighting to not be swept away.
"She can't be dead!" A voice yelled with a hard gasp coming after it. John could barely breath in this moment."What do you mean she's dead? Vriska could never die! She was fearless, she could take on anything! She was strong! Stronger than anybody else I knew!" His voice was shaking with the tremors that flowed through him. His legs felt weak, his stomach felt deeply pained along with the throb in his chest. His heart was torn beyond repair.
"John she is dead, she can't be brought back!" Dave shouted into the vast open space that whistled with whirling had tears streaming down his cheeks that were quickly blown away with the wind of emotions he was looked up at her friend who was experiencing a pain that couldn't be healed.
"You don't understand! This can't happen...I was waiting for her! Every single day I waited for her!" he shouted as much as his voice could let him."I have nothing left at this point...I lost everything!" he voiced as much as his lungs would let him.
He lost his father. He lost his true love. What else can be left?
John's glasses fell to the floor as he levitated into the air. Both eyes were filled and widened with black until there was no visible white left. Rose immediately knew what this meant, because she experienced it herself. She knew what this pain felt like.
John had officially gone Grimdark.
His teeth were visibly shown, grinding together tightly. His skin tone altered itself slowly, inching from his pale tone to a dark gray in just moments. His screams filled the air as he held his chest tightly. He yelled into the air as black gusts of wind surrounded him whole. His pain was audible even through the screaming winds that were circulating.
Rose tried to make her way to John as Kanaya yelled out to her to stop. Nothing was going to stop Rose from trying to save John from the darkness that ate at him. John's hands scratched at his chest and pulled at his hair as he screamed for all of space to feel the pain he felt. John looked down through tear filled eyes at his best friend who had a concerned and saddened look in her eyes. The boy fell to his knees as the violent winds ceased. Rose moved to the spot where he had fallen and immediately threw her arms around him as he buried his head in her neck. Rose let a few tears fall for her friends, she knew that nothing could ever fix this.
"Rose...Why did she have to die?" The boy spoke weakly through gasps for air and the strain on his aching body.
"She didn't have to John. You just have to know that she loved you. She loved you so very much."
"How do I live without her Rose? Tell me how..." John sobbed into Rose's shoulder until he could no longer breath and passed out because of it. Rose still cradled her best friend as she made sure his chest was still stepped forth and whispered into Rose's ear. Rose met her eyes and nodded. Both of them then looked down at the boy who was now filled with pain.
As his eyes opened up, John was unaware of his surroundings. The area was entirely white. It was blank. He attempted to stand up but had quite a hard time. Aradia grabbed his arm and helped him gain some balance. "John, you can see her now if you want. This memory is the only one that can be seen, for some reason she is stuck in this one. I'm sorry that this won't be the happiest of memories, but this was all I can manage to do. I hope it can be helpful for you. I'm so sorry." With those words Aradia disappeared. John was scared. What was he about to witness?
Suddenly there was color. Then there was her. John felt so weak at the sight. His weak legs ran to her. Vriska was lying on the floor passed where Terezi and Karkat were standing. He completely ignored them and ran beside the one he loved. 'Vriska? Vriska please...I'm sorry forgive me! I'm finally here, everything is going to be okay alright?" He spoke with a shaking voice. Vriska slowly opened her eyes and shivered doing so.
"J-John? J-John is t-that r-really you? I must 8e delirious." The girl choked out. The slowly dying troll was filled with excitement and even showed a weak smile.
"Yes, it's me. I came all the way here just for you, only for you." John carefully slid his hands under the body soaked in shining blue blood and cradled her in his arms as he set her on his lap. "John, I'm s-s-so happy to f-finally meet you!" The poor girl exclaimed with weak breaths, she winced as she spoke due to the pain it was causing her.
"Vriska I love you...More than I have ever loved anything. I just needed you to know okay? Please believe me." The troll coughed and blood spattered over her front. She shook and began trembling violently. Vriska was fighting for her life but she was slowly losing this battle. She wasn't going to have all of the luck this time. John held her a little tighter to his chest as tears began to fall. Vriska weakly smiled with half closed eyes.
"J-john I love you too. I'm sorry for all of this-" the girl coughed up so much blood that the color in her eyes started to fade. Her body convulsed violently as John held onto the one thing he really loved. "I'm s-s-orry John...I really w-wanted to...watch Nick C-cage movies with y-you in person, I messed it all up." Vriska's chest was starting to move much slower as her heart frantically beat so John can feel how alive he made her feel, even at a time like this. John couldn't hold back his sobs at this point.
"Vriska I l-love you so much please don't go. I can't live without you, I need you."
"J-John I promise I w-will make it up to you..I'll come back home t-to you. I promise." The look in Vriska's eyes made him want to be strong for her, she looked so happy to see him. John decided to do what they both waited so long for. John kissed his beloved in her last moments, savoring their love and sealing it for the rest of time. Vriska smiled one last time before her chest stopped moving and that poor heart beat just couldn't hold on any longer. John held onto her for as long as he could. Until he woke up.
John woke up. He felt tears still on his face that were frozen against his skin.. He was in Rose's bed. She stood up all night just make sure he was okay. She wearily sat upright with a concerned look on her face. "John-" The girl was stopped by the smile that John had on his face.
"She said she will come back home. She promised. I believe her. I'll be waiting."