Prince of Heart- Y'all mind if I COPY AND PASTE 8/10 of this chapter from the comic?

The trio found their way up to Vriska and Meenah, jogging up and slowing their pace as they appeared around the Thieves, Eridan and Aranea beside Vriska and John beside Meenah. The cave was surprisingly samey as they progressed, stalagmites hanging precariously and brown dirt and rocks surrounding the ground, as well as making up the walls. Vriska walked briskly, leaning forward as to seemingly charge headfirst into whatever it was the group was attempting to find, all the while Meenah slightly lagged behind, looking on in awe at the Thief of Light's boldness in the face of danger. Eridan struggled to keep up with them, having to pick up the speed as to stay with the group.

"So," Vriska said as the group settled around her, "Aranea, as to dispel any awkward silence, why don't you provide some 8ackround noise? We've all been clamoring for another lect-" She stopped herself, "story! Yeah, that's it."

"clamouring," Meenah chuckled, "as in clams text it." She jabbed John in the ribs as she explained the joke.

"ok," John replied, pushing the inches shorter troll girl away. "what's this one about? ogre sex, or salamander shipping, or something?"

"Nope!" Aranea chimed, "Although I would 8e happy to tell you all about those topics another time. How a8out this: a story of two legendary rings."

"uh, you mean like the ones that turned jack noir into a scary dog murderer?" John questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"No, not those rings!" Aranea scoffed. "The rings I am talking a8out are less powerful, and considera8ly more o8scure. 8ut for what they lack in power, they make up for in mystery! Details on the rings are quite hard to come 8y. I have pieced together what little I know from various fa8les and myths. They occasionally make appearances in such stories, serving different purposes in each tale, and always called 8y different names. 8ut in this story, they will 8e known as the Rings of Life and Void. The rings are said to look nearly identical. 8ut their powers are quite different, as are their origins. The Ring of Void supposedly once 8elonged to the 8lack queen of a void session. 8ut one day it was stolen from her 8y a thief. And then stolen again from the thief 8y a rogue. Legend would suggest it changed hands like this for a long time thereafter, until finally vanishing into the void itself forever. Which is fitting, as the ring grants its wearer the a8ility to do exactly the same!"

"so it fuckin turns anyone invisible huh. wwho the fuck wwas the thief?"

"Oh, we don't rightly know! 8ut that is a theory I shall indulge in after the facts are shown! Anyway, The Ring of Life has a very different story. I have found no reports of an origin to this ring at all. Like many magic artifacts, it may not even have one which is comprehensi8le. Earliest reports I have read would suggest it was first discovered 8y some travelers in a desert, and like its sister ring, has changed hands repeatedly since. This ring however has a dramatically different effect. Instead of releg8ting the wearer to o8scurity and immateriality, it does just the opposite. It is said that any ghost who wears this ring will come 8ack to life! In some stories, the f8 of each ring appears to 8e entangled with the other. When one is lost, the other is serendipitously found. A gr8 example of this can 8e o8served in the fa8le of-"

Vriska stopped dead in her tracks, Aranea smashing into her arm and pushing herself backwards. "W8 a minute..." She mumbled.

"8ut I was just a8out to tellmph-" Vriska made a one eighty on the heels of her boots and clashed her hand over Aranea's mouth to prevent her from talking.

"Mindfang, I said shut up." Vriska huffed in response. "W8. Now w8 just a goddamn minute. Hoooooooold on. Are you telling me, are you SERIOUSLY telling me, that ring..." The Thief thought for a moment, before shaking her head. "No. Just... Noooooooo. 8ack it up. For just a silk spinning MINUTE."

"what's the matter?" John piped up.

Vriska looked at him briefly, letting her hand fall off Aranea's mouth, before quickly turning to anger and raising her fists in the air. "THAT FUCKING GUY!" She lowered her hands and clasped the sides of her head as she thought. "Are you kidding me? ARE YOU KIDDING ME?" She gritted her teeth, before letting out a frustrated scream. "RAAAAAAAARARRAAUUUUUUUUAAAAUUAGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHH!" She pointed at Tavros behind the group, walking with the rest of the crew. "TAVROS!"

Tavros recoiled in fear. "wHAT?"

"What did you do with that ring?"

Tavros paused, the blood draining from his face. "wHAT RING?"

Vriska pushed past Aranea and Eridan, stomping over to the Page and pushing him roughly with one hand. "Don't play dum8 with me. That ring you had. You know, the same one the orange guy tried to give me?"

Tavros raised his arms in a shrug. "i STILL DON'T KNOW, aBOUT THIS ORANGE GUY YOU MENTION SOMETIMES. yOU TALK ABOUT ORANGE GUY, bUT, iN REALITY, hE SOUNDS PROBABLY FAKE? lIKE HOW YOU THOUGHT RUFIOH USED TO BE, uNTIL FACTS PROVED HE WASN'T!"

Vriska's eyes widened, her snarling lips furthering into a frown. "You actually think I'm making this up? Why would I make up a story a8out an orange guy? What kind of juvenile fuckup do you take me for? The orange guy was real. He was surrounded 8y a 8unch of stupid fucking horses, and he tried to give me a ring so I knocked him out cold. And then l8ter YOU found it."

Tavros' blinked his blank eyes. "nO i DIDN'T," he replied nervously.

Vriska pushed him again. "Yes you did! Don't lie to me. You had the ring, and you and John were fighting over it 8ehind your 8acks like a couple of idiots for a while. What, you think I didn't notice?"

"yES. nO, i DIDN'T THINK YOU DID."

"Well I did! And I didn't care 8ecause I didn't think the ring did jack shit! 8ut now that I know it does jack A WHOLE FUCKING LOT, I would like you to stop 8ehaving like a disingenuous, argument8tive ASSH8LE and T8LL ME WHERE IT IS."

"i DON'T KNOW WHERE IT IS, IT'S GONE!"

Vriska demanded through gritted teeth, "What do you mean it's gone?"

"i HAD IT, tHEN jOHN HAD IT, aND i WANTED IT BACK, bUT HE WANTED IT ALSO, sO, wE ARGUED WITH OUR HANDS OVER IT, uNTIL HE VANISHED, aND i TRIED TO FIND IT ON THE GROUND, bECAUSE IT WAS PRECIOUS TO ME, fOR A WHILE."

"Why was it precious to you? Are you telling me you know what it did?"

"nO, i DIDN'T, i JUST HAD, sEPARATE REASONS FROM THAT, fOR WANTING IT!"

"Well whatever lame reason you wanted that ring, forget it. It's o8viously a much more important magical item than either of us gave it credit for. As soon as we get the treasure out of this cave, you're going to lead us 8ack to wherever you lost it, and we're gonna look for it! Is that understood, Poopmaster Nitram?"

Tavros was silent for a second, before letting out a sigh and doing something that Eridan had never seen him do: regaining his composure. "nO. yES, i MEAN, yES, i COMPREHEND THE LITERAL MEANING OF YOUR YELLING, bUT, nO."

"What do you mean no? That was an order!"

"i THINK YOUR MEAN SPIRITED ANGRINESS IS MAKING ME REMEMBER. tO WONDER WHY i KEEP WANTING TO HELP YOU AND LIKE YOU, aND i THINK IT'S MAKING ME THINK, i DON'T REALLY CARE ANYMORE ABOUT FINDING THE RING, oR FINDING THIS TREASURE, oR HELP YOU DO ARGUABLY EVIL THINGS TO GHOST FRIENDS, tO GET YOUR OBJECTIVES TO HAPPEN!"

"Tavros, what exactly are you trying to say?"

"i THINK, tHE BOTTOM LINE OF THAT, iS, i DON'T WANT TO BE YOUR POOPMASTER ANYMORE, sO i'M NOT GOING TO BE!" Tavros began to float all of a sudden, a hole that led out of the cave in the roof being his seeming destination.

Vriska raised her fist up at him and shook it. "Where do you think you're going? Get 8ack here! You c8n't just fly aw8y from me like th8t!"

"oH, bUT i CAN!" Tavros shouted back. "yOU FORGOT ABOUT *MYYYY* SECRET WEAPON, bEHOLD, tHE SELF ESTEEMS!"

"S8LF ESTEEMS MY 8SS! I SAID G8T 8ACK HERE! IF YOU GO OUT THERE AL8NE YOU'RE G8ING TO DIE, Y8U P8THETIC PI8CE OF SHIT!"

"i'LL TAKE MY CHANCES, yOU JERK! hahA, yeSSsSs! fLY, pUPA, fLYYYYY, heheHehE, ehHHehehEheH, oH yEs, heheHEHEHEhehEhEheh, so clEVEr, how i refEreNCed, whaT wEre onCE, scoRNfUl remArKS dIreCtED at me, eheHahAHa! hahAhehE, so sicK! sO sICk!"

"WE CAN ALL HEAR YOU WH8SPERING FROM D8WN HERE SHIT F8R 8RAINS!"

"hey tavr0s," Sollux shouted up at him as well, "wait up, i think i'm c0ming with y0u."

Vriska hastily turned her head to the blind Mage, a look of worry now upon her face. "What? No, Sollux, w8!"

"nah, i've pretty much had it t00." He replied coldly, shrugging. "i can't believe i went al0ng with this f0r as l0ng as i did, s0 yeah." He looked beside him to his Burgundy blooded friend "i'll be fucked tw0 ways fr0m perigees eve bef0re i let tavr0s upstage me in the backb0ne department. aradia, s0rry, i can't be a part 0f this anym0re, it's just making me feel dirty."

The Maid smiled at him. "i understand sollux."

"let's catch up again later, h0pefully when this is all 0ver."

"yeah!" She replied excitedly.

"0h, feferi and nepeta will be c0ming with me t00."

"WHAT? No they f8cking won't!"

"yes they will! they just t0ld me."

"I d8dn't hear them say shit!"

"they b0th gave me meaningful glances! like as if t0 say, aw yeah, let's b0unce."

Vriska looked to the pair, seeing them both wink in response. "YOU'RE BLIND, H8W COULD YOU SEE A "ME8NINGFUL GLANCE"?"

"instead 0f underestimating the perspicacity 0f the sens0ry impaired, why d0n't y0u bite me."

"No, they can't go! Commodore Nepeta and Rear Admiral Feferi are 8oth critical mem8ers of my crew! This is mutiny!

Aranea raised a finger to interrupt, leaving Eridan's side to walk into the limelight. "Vriska, I am on your side here. 8ut I feel I should point out that technically they 8oth outrank you."

Vriska quickly spun to face her. "Excuse me?! No they don't! Come on, I just gave them titles that sounded cool! How can you outrank a captain?"

Aranea raised an eyebrow. "8y 8eing a commodore?"

Vriska slapped her forehead. "A commodore outranks a captain?"

"yea fraid so," Meenah confirmed.

"this wwas basic fuckin info vvris howw did you not knoww this?" Eridan asked.

"Yes," Aranea said, "and a rear admiral outranks a commodore."

"No, 8ut!" The Thief of Light slid her hand down her face. "I thought a rear admiral was like... Some sort of JOKE rank! Who can take a rear admiral seriously? It might as well 8e a poopmaster!"

"i actually fuckin told you vvris back wwhen wwe dated howw the fuck did you forget?"

"I don't remem8er any of that! Did you do that?"

"yeah," Eridan scoffed, "i wwent into extensivve detail you disgrace to pirate kind."

Meenah shrugged her shoulders. "pretty embarrassing tbh."

"yeah, this stuff is all super interesting. j/k, l0sers. anyway, we're 0ut." Nepeta and Feferi grabbed a hold of two different shoulders, lifting him up into the air and towards the same hole that the Page of Breath had exited. "LADIES."

Vriska shook her fist at him as the Mage left. "GOOD RIDD8NCE YOU 8ACKSTA88ING INGR8TES! I HOPE LORD ENGLISH E8TS YOU 8LL!"

"hey, vriska?" John piped up.

"WH8T?"

"actually… you know that ring?"

"What a8out it?"

"i have it now."

Vriska's eyes widened in hope, and she grabbed a hold of the Heir. "You do? Where! Let me see it!"

"no, i mean, not on me. i guess i wasn't wearing it when i fell asleep. it seems to have the power to come with me in and out of my dreams, as long as i'm wearing it. that's how i got it in the first place. i had it on when i woke up."

"You were wearing it? Why? And why were you playing keepaway with it in the first place! I mean, aside from the o8vious fact that messing with Tavros is its own hilarious reward."

"i don't know. i guess... i liked it, and i just wanted to hang on to it for some reason. but i didn't know i would wake up with it."

"This is perfect! That means all you have to do is put it on when you wake up, then come find me the next time you go to sleep!"

John gritted his teeth, hissing in some air between his teeth. "yeah… maybe."

The blood drained from the Thief's face. "May8e?"

"i'll think about it."

"You'll THINK a8out it?"

"well, yeah. it sounds like an important item, so deciding what to do with it is kind of a big responsibility. it's supposed to bring ghosts back to life, but we don't know how it works. what if it only keeps you alive as long as you're wearing it? that would mean only one ghost could come back."

"Right, all the 8etter to let me use it?"

The background seemingly disappeared behind Eridan, surprising him as the ground ahead broke away to reveal glowing red seas of lava below them, shocking Eridan slightly.

"but there are a lot of ghosts! i'm just not sure what to do yet."

"W8. You're not ACTUALLY thinking of giving it to someone else, are you? That's my ring! The orange guy gave it to ME!"

"yeah, well frankly, i don't give a shit about the orange guy! the ring is mine for now, so i'm the one who has to figure out what to do with it. speaking of waking up, it's probably time i got going too." He began to back away, rubbing his hands together nervously. "i'm not trying to join the mutiny or anything, but i do have friends waiting for me out there."

"John, w8! I hope we're not parting on 8ad terms here. You aren't holding all this treasure hunting shit against me like Tavros is, right? We're still cool, right John?"

John rubbed the back of his neck. "uh…

"If you have to leave, I get that, 8ut I really want us to stay friends! I always felt like we had a special 8ond, John. Like we're 8oth always in the position of having to take charge as leaders, even if we never asked for that responsi8ility. And I don't wanna pressure you into anything, 8ut I would really appreci8 it if you'd at least think a8out me next time you take a nap with that ring on!"

"it's fine. we can stay friends. i don't really like to make enemies with people, even if they're..." He spun his hand in a circle, hesitating to say anything.

"Even if they're what?"

"umm."

"vriska, i have to be honest. years ago when we first talked, it was a lot of fun to get to know you. and i admit i thought about you a lot since then. but i guess i never quite realized how little i actually understood you. during this crazy treasure quest, i tried to reserve judgment, like maybe it was just a troll thing i didn't get. but seeing how those other guys felt about it, i think it's more complicated than that. obviously not all trolls are like you. and i know i'm not. maybe this was all for a good cause, but it still felt like a pretty fucked up way to go about it. and..." He sighed. "all i'm saying is, i'm ready to go. i've seen enough, and i miss my friends. i'll think about what to do with the ring, but honestly..."

"Honestly what?"

"again, i am just keeping it real! but if i am really thinking hard about who i should bring back to life... i dunno if my conscience can justify bringing back someone so... dangerous."

Vriska shook her head. "I… Eridan! You agree that I would 8e the person to 8ring 8ack to life, right? Team Pir8 8rought to life again?"

Eridan stared at her, unimpressed. "team pir8 fuckin died the moment you abandoned me. frankly theres a difference between us cause at least i admit i wwas a terrible person."

Vriska stared back at him for a while, before turning to the Lava filled pit and slowly taking her coat off. "Fine. Don't give me the ring then. Actually, you know what? Even if you change your mind some day, forget it! I don't even want it anymore."

"you don't?"

"No." She let the coat fall to the ground. "I've 8een dead this long. What's a little longer? Keep your ring. I don't want anyone's pity. So 8eat it, Eg8ert." John stayed silent and still for a moment. "WELL?"

"huh?"

Vriska groaned, "JOHN, I THOUGHT YOU WERE LEAVING!"

"oh. right. i guess i'll just be..."

"WHAT ARE YOU A FUCKING IDIOT?! DON'T GO YET."

"wh… what?"

"Look, you made yourself perfectly clear. You think I'm a heartless monster, and you don't want to help me out. Whatever! 8ut are you SERIOUSLY going to check out of this dream like TWO MINUTES 8efore you see what the treasure is?! Holy crap, dude. Where is your sense of curiosity? If I can manage to put up with you for a little longer, I think you can stand my morally 8ankrupt company long enough to find out what this thing is. Why am I the only person in paradox space who actually THINKS!"

"oh. sure. i guess i'll go a little further and check out the treasure. heh, you're right. it would be dumb not to."

"Good." She waved her arms to the remainder of the group. "Party's over, folks. The pir8 playtime wiggler jam8oree was fun while it lasted. 8ut it's time to get serious. The treasure's down there. If my guess is right, it should 8e 8uried in one of his ancient memories. 8y now we've all 8een wind8agged to hell and 8ack 8y my dear ancestor. So I'll trust no8ody's gonna mind indulging one of MY stories. There was a pretty good yarn a8out this treasure I read once during our travels. Found it in some damn memory, who knows whose. It was a good read. IMPECCA8LE prose. Failing to do it justice would be the real matter of gray morality here, if you ask me. 8ut right now I 8n't in the mood to figure out how not to make it fucking suck. So I'll just say this. It was supposedly a weapon that once 8elonged to him. 8ut he could never use it without altering its nature. Meaning he could only use it once. So he did. After that, it could only 8e used again one more time. And only as a weapon against him. Knowing it was one of the keys to his defeat, he had it locked away deep in the void. That's it. Part one of my story. Hold your applause. Guess we'll find out if that's true. Or if it turns out all my despica8le shit was in vain."

She turned and glared at John and Eridan. "Not that it would even matter to some people. You know, they can say whatever they want a8out me. 8ut somewhere out there is a shimmering new universe growing in a 8ig 8all of water. He's looking hells of majestic. Amphi8ious and resplendent. His glorious croak would 8ring you to your knees. That universe is going to give life to 8illions of trillions of zillions of cute little aliens. You wouldn't even 8elieve how pretty and wonderful and happy all these aliens will 8e. It's making your lip trem8le just thinking a8out them, and how worth saving they are. Wow. You could walk up to one of those aliens and put your hand on its innocent shoulder, and with a str8 face you could say, "Sorry to 8r8k it to you. 8ut tomorrow, a guy named Lord English is going to destroy your universe. You are all going to die." And when that alien looks up at you with tears in its eyes, just 8efore the first one rolls down its weird alien cheek, you lean in close to its a8surd alien ear and whisper, "Psyche." That's 8ecause you know a long time ago, in an o8scure pocket of reality the alien could never understand or give a shit a8out, some crazy girl sacrificed the "lives" of a 8unch ghosts in order to kill that guy forever. They were already a million sweeps past their prime, existing on 8orrowed time, luxuri8ting in a kind of 8izarre metaphysical longevity few others will ever enjoy. Just a fresh 8atch of 88 the squid gods kept on ice for an ins8tia8le fisherman cause they were sick of 8eing hunted themselves. Those ghosts were all that stood in the way of an end to this eternal holocaust, and sparing their souls 8n't different in my view from personally committing atrocities on a cosmic fucking scale. I only ever wanted to do the right thing no matter how it made people judge me, and I don't need a magic ring to do that. You don't have to 8e alive to make yourself relevant. And you don't have to 8e a good person to 8e a hero."

Eridan perked up at that, taking a gulp of saliva and staring at the Thief as the glow of the lava illuminated her.

"You just have to know who you are and stay true to that. So I'm going to keep fighting for people the only way I ever knew how." She turned, taking a deep breath, said, "8y 8eing me," and hopped off the edge into the memory 8elow.