It wasn't as if he hadn't seen it coming, especially considering the voices that suffocated him with their inescapable whispers of doom. Voices in his head screaming out morbid warnings and desperate prayers.

He had thought that he'd be able to resist, be able to deflect her and her damn mind control. He had thought wrong.

Half the time is still long enough.

In his head, he could see it. He could still see her, could see the beautifully happy smile curving her lips fade and disappear, could see her eyes widen with shock and then terror as the threat approached.

And he knew who the threat was.

It was him. Watching her, watching himself as he advanced toward her almost drunkenly, with the inevitable murder gathering in his eyes.

iit2 not me, ii 2wear, aa iit ii2nt me-

He couldn't fight it, the presence that pressed into him with insufferable force and raised the honey to his mouth with shaking, clenched hands. He lost control of himself. Watched with a sick horror as his body unwillingly, with jerking movements, went to Aradia's hive and took off his glasses and-

aa?

There wasn't anything recognizable left of her. A charred pile of ashes , falling to the ground like black snow from the depths of hell. And even that disappeared as the wind swept it away, whirling it into the air and dissipating it. Scorch marks splayed around the patch of grass that, a few moments ago, she had stood upon.

Aradia was dead.

And he had killed her.

Her task done, Vriska released him mockingly, the numbing pressure lifting off of him, and he dropped to the ground, landing painfully on his knees.

He had been warned that this would happen.

Why was he so shocked? He lay on the ground, stunned. The mass of voices, ever-present in his mind, began gathering, multiplying, until the cacophony of whispers deafened him and-

There was a new voice, joining the army of dead. Her voice. He couldn't hear what she was saying over the overwhelming murmur of the others until his name emerged.

s0llux

Was it a tear or blood that was running down his cheeks?

it wasn't y0u, s0llux

But it was. And he couldn't deny it.

its 0kay

and d0nt w0rry

How the fuck could he NOT worry?

even if by chance

i kn0w we'll meet again

She was forgiving him for murdering her. Sollux couldn't think straight, his mind was a jumbled, tangled mess and he couldn't, he just couldn't face himself anymore.

The voices in his head had been right.

iit2 liike hell without you, aa.

iim 2orry.

Yet if the voices in his head had been right, then Aradia could be correct as well. He hoped. That was really the only thing he could do. Hope that the haze of doom surrounding him wouldn't chase away the glimmering chance he had to see her again.

Even if by chance.