"So, why is it we are going to Mister Ampora's house in the dead of night? It isn't exactly an optimal time for a visit." Kankri spouted over his shoulder, eyes locked on the road.
"Becauthe Eridan ith there."
"No, Eridan was found dead about four days ago and is at the cemetery."
"He's not dead!" Feferi frowned. "I saw him alive just two days ago! The his dad has him."
"Why would his dad hide him and say he's dead?"
"Leth cut to the chathe and jutht thay he'th different."
"What, like you?" Aranea asked.
"No, like ear finth and gillth."
Aranea shot me a questioning glance. "Did you say gills? That's impossible, I've seen him before, and he doesn't have gills."
"You've seen me before. Have I had mind powers?"
"That's different. It's not physical."
I lifted up my hoodie to reveal my sides. Aranea's eyes went wide, and for a moment she didn't even realize her jaw dropped. Feferi was surprised as well actually touching my side. It was sensitive as fuck so I immediately yanked my hoodie back down.
"Sollux?" Feferi was giving my a questioning look.
"Meenah." Color drained from Feferi's face as she looked over at me.
"What did she do to you?"
"I'm fine, the wanted you to be rethcued."
"I'm sorry, but who's Meenah?" Aranea looked between the two of us. We stopped talking as the car went over a bump. Kankri hit the brake, yanking the steering wheel to the side then the other and back again, the car spun and the tires screeched. As soon as he threw it in park I opened the door and got out. Amazingly enough, through all that he nailed parallel parking in between a hydrant and the wall before reaching Eridan's house.
"I'm staying to watch the car." Kankri started," For reasons such as Feferi's inability to walk, although I do hope I don't trigger you Fe-"
Aranea and I quickly got out of the car and headed for the house. "How do you guyth get along?"
"If I convince him it makes things better for him he helps me out." Aranea stated. "Not many people sit through my stories either."
"Tho plan withe, we're jutht getting Eridan and getting out undetected."
"That might be a problem."
"Why?"
"Cronus is home."
"How do y-" I stopped as I could start hearing the all to familiar voices singing 'grease lightning' coming from an open window. Aranea just went straight to the door and knocked, the song immediately pausing. There was the sound of something getting knocked over and a slight pause before Cronus opened the door.
"Aranea?" He went from surprised to leaning in the door frame. "Changed your mind?"
"Is your dad home?"
"Nope, just me."
"Can Sollux and I come in?"
"Please tell me you aren't trying to invite ghosts into my house." Cronus sighed.
"I'm not dead idiot. I'm here for Eridan."
Cronus looked crushed a moment. "Sorry chief, but he's... dead."
"You're not going to believe this, but he's alive." Aranea stated. Cronus slipped, quickly scrambling back to his feet. "If you let us in we can prove it."
Cronus held the door wide open for us, not hesitating a moment. I remember some of the house, and like the aquarium Dualscar had large tanks around the house full of glittering fish placed around in the center of the rooms or along the walls.
"Where'th your dad'th room at?"
"He gets the entire third floor, so I'm not exactly sure. Why does that matter though?" Cronus asked confused. "What does that have to do with Eridan?"
I headed up the stairs to find a small room to start off the third floor with a bookcase, a couch, another fish tank, a window looking out, and a door. I checked the door to find it locked, but it was unlocked soon enough and I swung it open. More fish tanks, shelves of assorted items, and a bathroom, and them one more door. It filled the remainder of this floor.
"How'd you get the door open?" Cronus asked. It turned around to see him in the doorway, concerned. "Only my dad has the key to the door."
"I unlocked it."
Cronus hadn't even stepped into the room yet. He looked around the room, but he didn't come in yet. I opened the door and swung it open. "Come on." I headed in.
The room was big, the closet didn't have a door really, and the first thing you saw when you walked in was the big bed in the center of the room. A tank ran along the side wall, and when I stepped in more it ran up to the wall and round the door. It was an impressive size and filled with many fish, plants, and different decorative pieces. Of course, I found Eridan balled up in the far corner, out of view form where I had been at the doorway moments earlier.
Eridan didn't look happy in any meaning of the word. He had his back to the room and was pressed in the corner like he thought the fake kelp was enough to hide him. He didn't have anything on him besides a few glittering pieces of jewelry, a skirt, and a tube top for reasons I don't understand and I'm not sure I want to, his hair pulled into pigtails over his ear fins. I partially wanted to laugh at him because this was hilarious, but it was also twisted and disturbing to know he could only wear what Dualscar wanted him to wear and probably didn't have a choice in the matter.
If I broke a tank that big it would soak through the floor to the room below, and considering that was Cronus' room and he was helping that was a bad idea for last resort. I walked out of the bedroom and grabbed a chair. "What are you doing?"
"Eridan'th trapped in the tank. I got to find out where the tank opening ith."
Cronus immediately picked up the chair and carried it into the room. He set it by the start of the tank by the door. "Where's he at?"
"Over here." I lead the way over, and as soon as Cronus spotted him he had the chair set up in front of that section of the tank, pushing the top of the metal paneling above it. The tank was opened in moments. Of course, Eridan didn't move at all. "ED, get out of the tank."
He spun around to see me kneeling on the other side of the clear wall. Eridan was really trying and Cronus was having a hard time pulling him out, so I gave a boost to get Eridan out. Cronus almost fell in dragging Eridan out of the tank, instead falling back on the bed as the sudden weight shift made him lose balance.
Eridan hugged Cronus like if he let go he would be back in the tank, Cronus hugging him in relief that he wasn't dead. "Oh fucking god, thank you!" Eridan almost sounded like he was crying, but it was hard to tell considering he was soaking wet with a death grip. I awkwardly had to stand here, watching the two hug. I can't really blame them considering the probably traumatizing situation Eridan went through and the definite pain of think Eridan was dead that Cronus went through.
"How-w'd you get in here?" Eridan asked.
"Well chief, I have no clue. Your buddy here got the door open."
Eridan looked over to me. "How-w'd you get it open?"
"Let'th jutht thay mermaid magic and get out of here before your dad geth back."
"Can I change clothes please? Fuck, what about Fef?"
"The'th thafe."
"Hey, where's Aranea?" Cronus asked. We just looked over in the next room to find her looking over all the pirate and seaside folklore. "We should probably go back down stairs."
"Hm? Oh, right." Aranea headed down the stairs. As soon as everyone was out of the room I locked the door again. Eridan needed a moment in his room before he came back out in his usual clothes, scarf a bit messed up but otherwise fine. We headed out the door, back to the minivan.
