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Terezi Pyrope sat alone, in the middle of the wreck that was once the Theseus. Scattered around are pieces of metal and smoke fills the air above. Although she was successful in getting to Deltritus, she felt just the same she had for years now. She sat, taking in the smell of it all. The blue earth beneath reminded her of blue rock candy. Sitting there, sniffing the air, was getting her nowhere, so the teal blood decided that it was time to summon Mr. Brick Wall.
Reaching into the wallet modus that belonged to The Wall’s father, Terezi produced the taxidermied corpse of her old friend, John Egbert. He stood motionless, clothing burned only a little during the entry of Deltritus’ atmosphere. Silent, expressionless, dead. Pyrope took a deep breath.
“H3Y. L3T’S T4LK.”
This was not the first (nor would it be the last) time that she had a heart to stuffing conversation with John. Terezi saw her choices when upon the Theseus, Egbert’s body in her pocket. She could leave him in there, or perform the Egbert/Har...the Prospitian rights and taxidermy him. The latter was obviously chosen. Perhaps she did it to fool herself into thinking that John was still with them, but Terezi knew he wasn’t. They all knew.
“W3 M4D3 1T. TH3S3US W4S D3STROY3D BUT R34LLY NOTH1NG OF V4LU3 W4S LOST.”
Terezi mindlessly punted a rock across the foreign blue landscape.
“1 JUST...1 C4N’T H3LP BUT WOND3R 1F TH1S W4S 4LL 4VO1D4BL3. 1F...1’M TO BL4M3 FOR TH1S.”
She idly brushed a hair out of her face and looked right at John.
“YOU R3WROT3 TH3 T1M3L1N3. 4ND 1T WON US TH3 G4M3, BUT 1T 4LSO L34D TO TH1S 1N TH3 LONG RUN. D1D W3 M4K3 TH3 R1GHT CHO1C3?”
No response.
“WOULD 1T H4V3 B33N B3TT3R 1F YOU, M3 AND ROXY ST4Y3D 1N PR3-R3TCON? TO PR3V3NT TH1S 4LL FROM 3V3R H4PP3N1NG?”
Terezi hated that she was back on the topic of her choice. There were many things that had factored into it. John’s message to a past Pyrope, the completely not needed movements of plush dragons, and then...her. Vriska. John kept her alive, which had completely changed the course of the timeline. With her dead, Her Imperial Condescension attacked and left just her with John and Roxy. But keeping Vriska alive also lead to this, in the grand scheme of things.
“W4S TH3R3 4 TH1RD OPT1ON 1 COULD’V3 T4K3N? 4 TH1RD S1D3 TO TH3 CO1N FL1P? M4YB3 TH3R3 W4S SOM3 OTH3R CHO1C3 TH4T W4S TO B3 M4D3 ON 34RTH C, 4ND 1 IGNOR3D 1T.”
Terezi was now pacing around the blue earth below her.
“4ND, L1K3, 1 C4N’T WOND3R WH4T YOUR TWO C3NTS ON TH1S WOULD B3, C4US3 YOU’RE A B1G 1D1OT, JOHN. L3T’S B3 R34L.”
If John were there, he’d agree. She knew he would. Probably.
“TH3Y’R3 PL4NN1NG 4NOTH3R ROUND OF SBURB. 1 DOUBT 1’LL H4V3 MUCH 1NFLU3NC3 OV3R 1T, C4US3 1 N3V3R GODT13R3D. BUT 1 C4N ST1LL S33 MY CHO1C3S.”
She stopped moving and looked in the direction of where she came. Where the cave was. Where Dirk and ‘Rose’ were scheming. She had thought of the idea she was about to present a little on the Theseus, but now she was genuinely considering it.
“1 COULD S4BOT4G3 1T. ONC3 TH3 PLAY3RS 4R3 R34DY, 1 COULD T4LK W1TH TH3 T1M3 PL4Y3R 4ND S33 WH4T H4PP3NS.”
A long pause.
“TH3R3’S ONLY TWO TH1NGS HOLD1NG M3 B4CK FROM TH4T. TH3 F1RST 1S 4 RE4L 1SSU3: WH4T 1F 1 D13 B3FOR3 1 G3T TH3 OPPORTUN1TY TO? 1 M34N, 1’M ONLY L1K3, 10 SW33PS, BUT 1 DON’T KNOW 1F D1RK 4ND ROS3 AR3 GONN4 L3T T1M3 ROLL 4ND L3T WH4T3V3R TH3Y’R3 M4K1NG 3VOLV3 N4TUR4LLY.”
She returned to her pacing.
“S3COND: 1F 1 L1V3 LONG 3NOUGH TO G3T TH3R3, C4N 1 G3T 1T P4ST ROS3 AND DOUCH3B4G MC4NIM3? W1LL 1 3V3N B3 ABL3 TO G3T 4CC3SS 1NTO TH3 N3W G4M3? 1 DON’T KNOW. 4LL 1 C4N DO 1S W41T.”
Terezi turned to face John again, who’s expression had not changed. The teal blood took in a deep breath, and let it go. But a scent lingered. One of lavender flowers. Rose. During her own private planning session, she had completely not realized that she had placed John besides the practically lifeless body of Rose.
The smells of rock candy, blueberries, and lavender painted the scene. Two adults, once children, the results of her own SBURB session, now dead, away from their better halves. Terezi decided to spend some time conversing with Rose. Somberly, she approached the body.
“1 ST1LL DON’T G3T 1T. WHY D1D YOU L34V3? WH4T H4PP3N3D TO YOU?”
Her slight sadness began converting to anger.
“YOU US3D TO B3 COOL. W3 US3D TO B3 FR13NDS AND TH3N YOU D3C1D3D TO JUST UP 4ND L34V3 3V3RYON3. ROXY, D4V3, K4N4Y4. DO YOU M1SS H3R? YOU H4D 1T 4LL SO P3RF3CT 4ND…”
Terezi knew she shouldn’t blame Rose for what she did. It was the Prince’s fault. But the robotic Seer of Light that was plotting in a cave not too far away still was not Rose. This comatose being before her was . She turned away and put John back into his father’s wallet modus. Then, she sat back down and stared at Rose’s pseudo-coffin. Closing her eyes, she let the smell of the planet’s trees drift to her. As shitty and terrible a place it was, she missed Alternia. She missed her hive.
Then, she turned her head to see the airlock door opening with a horrific screech, and then looked back at Rose’s body. The words came out, mechanical.
“There you are. I haven’t seen much of you.”
Bitterness still hung in her voice when Terezi responded.
“I’V3 B33N H3R3 FOR HOURS. BUT YOUR 3Y3S H4V3 B33N CLOS3D TH3 WHOL3 T1M3.”