Fucking glub. It was overwhelming, a sudden insanity, and pressure, and feeling of doom- you could feel your eyes start to bleed, the yellow start to coat your nose, the vomit escape your lips, and then-

You woke up.

Lifting your head up, you could feel that you were lighter, and your muscles felt relaxed- where were your tubes? It was an ugly sensation, and being able to twist your back made you nauseous. You then realised that your goggles were also off. You slowly, so, so slowly, opened your eyes.

You were at camp. You were at the camp that they had gotten caught in, why were you back, what the fuck was going on what the fuck WHAT THE FUCK WH47 7H3 FUCK-

You couldn’t handle it, and so you did the only thing you could. You cried until your throat wore out.

After a while, you slowly rose up, trying to get accustomed to walking again, and after many falls onto the ground, you finally got it, and walked off.

You knew that no one was there, and you knew that no one would be there just because you cried for them, so you chose a direction, and just kept on walking until you got somewhere.

It had been a few perigrees since the glub, and a look into the rivers proved your suspicion that it killed you. No wonder you were able to walk so quickly, huh?

It had been ages after ages, and your throat was parched so fucking bad- and why couldn't you have just survived so you could stay with her, and-

DISCIPLE: :33< PSII!!!!!!!!

A weight. You've fallen over, and a girl is crying on you- it's not. It's fucking not. No way. NoNONONONO-

PSIIONIIC: HOLY SH11T. 11S TH11S. OH FUCK. D11SC11PLE!!!!!

You hold on. You hold onto her back, her hair, her clothes, her everything, and your piss-staining tears flow so badly down your cheeks.

It reminds you of the release you always felt with your psionics. Back before you were the Condesce's, before you were Signless and Disciple's, you were owned by a Ceruleanblood and her Violet pitchmate. You were their showpony, and you remember their favourite trick: they'd force you to surpress your powers, they'd let it thrum up in your brain, day after day, until you almost sure you'd burst from it all-

And then they'd make you release it all up into the sky, a great firework display over their ships, and you'd have to sit and feel that presure slowly leave you as the two hatemates would bask in the artificial light and never give you the time of night.

You never knew it'd happen for emotions too. Of course Disciple would be the one to make you feel this way.

DISCIPLE: :33< PSII, OH MY GOG, ITS YOU!!!! WEVE ALL MISSED YOU SOSOSOSOSOOSOSO MUCHHHH!!!!!

Her smile is all fang, and yet she holds you so tender, and her voice is nothing but utter love. How the fuck could it ever come your way...?

Wait.

PSIIONIIC: WA11T. WE? DOES THAT MEAN- ARE THEY- 11S S11GN-

She nods, messing her hair with the motion, sending it cascading down her cloak.

She brings you up, and holds onto you so, so tightly as she guides you to an open lake. You only now realise that she was also crying.

PSIIONIIC: D11SY, DONT CRY- PLEASE.

DISCIPLE: :33< H33H33, SAYS MEW!! ITS B33N 612 SW33PS SINCE IVE LAST S33N YOU, LET ME CRY!

She's right. You've made her cry before, so it'd just be crew to try and make her stop now.

PSIIONIIC: YEAH. 11M. SORRY.

Before you knew it, you were at the bank of the lake, and she's ushering you to sit down.

The two of you were... calm, now? Or at least... less hysterical.

PSIIONIIC: SO...UH...

PSIIONIIC: WHERE ARE S11GN AND ROSA?

She giggles, and slowly places your head onto her lap, and you let out a content sigh as she plays with your hair.

You don't know how she does it. You don't know how long you've been here for, but she's the only thing you really care about right now. Just... her touch, her being there.

You've missed them all so bad. You've missed her so bad.

You don't know how long you've just been there with her, when you suddenly hear footsteps. Your muscles tense, and for a moment, you think that you're back in the ship, that she's back, and Disciple isn't actually here, and-

SIGNLESS: PSII? IS THAT YOU?

That voice. Holy fuck, that voice.

You turn around, you turn so suddenly that you can feel your horns tug against her legs, but as you get up, and stand face to face with them, you know.

It's Signless and Rosa. They're here, and you can see them, and Sign looks just like he did the day that everything happened, and-and-

DOLOROSA: Psiio+niic, Please Do+n't Cry. I Kno+w Yo+u Pro+bably Will, But Please.

They're both there. You can feel his face against your palm, you can squeeze her hand with yours, you can cry and squeeze their bodies as you cry bloody murder, and hours melt by until you realise you've been staring at the fire they've set up.

You look at them, really look at them, and you notice the differences.

Rosa is tired, her sunspots that showed her caste now tripled, and you know that she was used for work. Her teeth are longer, and her left horn has been filed down, leaving it to be symmetrical with her right. She looks like the Jadebloods you knew back when you were under the Cerulean's grip.

Signless looks the exact same as he did the day he died, the last day you saw him alive. You look at his face, trying to find any differences, and it sort of becomes a relief that you cannot. At least you remembered his face.

Disciple is the most different, however. Her body has aged, and you can see wrinkles in every spot of skin. Her hair has greyed, and you have no doubt that of she were alive, her eyes would shine a full olive hue. Her horns are big, and tall. You drift your hand over to her's, and you can feel her loosend skin as you hold her tight. Her voice has gotten ashed with age, and all of it rings bright with beauty.

PSIIONIIC: 11M GLAD THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO L11VE LONG, DI11S. 11 KNOW 11T MUST HAVE FUCK11NG SUCKED BUT. 11M GLAD YOU D11DNT D11E YOUNG.

She turns her head to you, and her face contorts with a slight look of disgust.

DISCIPLE: :33< YEAH I GUESS

DISCIPLE: :33< WHEN DARKL33R SPARED ME, I JUST RAN AND RAN UNTIL I MADE IT TO THIS CAVE

DISCIPLE: :33< AND I JUST STAYED THERE AND TRIED TO TELL EVERYONE I COULD ABOUT SIGNLESS AND HIS VISIONS AND I DID FOR AS LONG AS I COULD

DISCIPLE: :33< I WAS ABLE TO FOR 611 SW33PS UNTIL I DIED

She chuckles, and looks around at the group you've missed with all of your heart.

DISCIPLE: :33< NOW THAT PSII IS HERE, I GUESS I CAN TELL YOU ALL NOW

DISCIPLE: :33< 605 SW33PS AFTER SIGNLESS DIED, I MET OUR DESCENDANTS

You gasp lightly, and you can see the surprise on Rosa's face, and the terror on Sign's.

DOLOROSA: I Kno+w I Co+ntributed To+ The Slurry Befo+re Defecting From The Empire, But Ho+w Did Signless...?

SIGNLESS: H9LY SHIT, IS HE ALRIGHT? D9 YOU KN9W H9W HES D9ING? IS HE LIKE ME!?

You remember Condy telling you about how your descendant was pale for hers, so your descendant isn't a shock. Signless' is.

DISCIPLE: :33< ONE OF OUR FOLLOWERS WAS A JADE, AND SHE TOLD ME ABOUT HOW THEY SHOWED UP, AND SHE LET ME S33 THEM

DISCIPLE: :33< WE WERE ABLE TO SMUGGLE YOURS AWAY WITH A MUTANT LUSUS, ONE THAT THE JADES HAND MADE FOR TROLLS LIKE YOU

DISCIPLE: :33< HIS NAMES KARKAT VANTAS

You can see Signless' jaw unclench, and you can hear him mumble the name on his lips, trying to get used to it.

SIGNLESS: VANTAS? I W9ULD HAVE PREFERRED MARYAM, 6UT THAT WAS MY LAST NAME ON 6EF9RUS, S9 I GET IT.

DOLOROSA: I Wo+uld Like To Know O+f Mine As Well.

DISCIPLE: :33< HER NAME IS KANAYA, HER LUSUS IS A VIRGIN MOTHERGRUB

You can see Rosa smile at that, and she laughs very softly.

DISCIPLE: :33< PSII, YOURS IS NAMED SOLLUX, AND HES JUST AS GIFTED AS YOU

Your smile falters, and you gaze down onto the ground.

DISCIPLE: :33< I MET THEM WHEN THEY WERE STILL GRUBS, SO THEYD BE 6 SW33PS NOW

All at once, you realise what must have happened to them.

PSIIONIIC: FUCK, FUCK. 11- OH FUCK.

PSIIONIIC: FUCK, THE VAST GLUB- THEY'RE DEAD- 11-

SIGNLESS: N9, THEYRE N9T.

SIGNLESS: THIS HAPPENED ON 6EF9RUS T99. THEY'RE N9T DEAD, THEY'RE JUST IN THE MEDIUM.

Fuck, yeah, he's told you all about this before. You've always been scared of it happening, but now that it has... you can't even be bothered to be worried for their wellbeing.

DOLOROSA: So+, Did The Glub-

PSIIONIIC: YEAH, 11 JUST... 11 HEARD 11T, AND THEN 11T WAS ALL- 11T WAS ALL...

You look away.

PSIIONIIC: HOW D11D YOU...? YOU LOOK THE SAME AS BEFORE WE GOT TAKEN APART.

She grips her arms.

DOLOROSA: ...I Was Captured By Pirates. O+ne O+f Them Fo+rced Me To+ Be In Red With Her. Her Kissmesis Retaliated.

You immediately feel bad for asking. You look at her, and you carefully, so slowly, wipe away the jade tears begining to form her eyes.

DOLOROSA: Yo+u Do+n't Need To+ Do+ That, Psii.

DOLOROSA: It Do+esn't Matter, No+w. We're Back. All O+f Us, To+gether.

She's right. You know she's right, and looking at everyone... you can't stop smiling, and you can't stop crying.

It's all of you. You're back, and you're never letting them go.