#askatomicdarling

Was it just him, or were they getting dimmer? Black edged his vision and the colors seemed to lose their bright saturation. He watched as the colors faded to grey and got darker until everything was black.

He felt weightless now. The hard surface he could only assume was the ground was gone from beneath him. He floated in the endless void, unable to open his eyes or just not wanting to. There were colors sparkling around him and he slowly felt his energy grow again. There was something solid beneath his feet, and he slowly pried his eyes open.

In this black void there was a glowing white road. There was nothing else, and it was silent. He called out, testing to see if his voice worked. "Hello?" The sound was raspy, as if he had not spoken in a millennia. He heard a voice behind him and turned, confusion washing over him. The white road began at his feet and behind him there was nothing. Fear tingled down his spine the longer he stared into the void and he turned back around.

The feeling of being watched was overwhelming, so he took a cautious step forward. Then another. And another after that. He kept taking steps forward, picking up speed until he was running. A smile fixed on his lips as he realized the black goop was gone and so were the bugs and everything else that had been driving him completely mad over the past month or so. Slowly, his wings opened as he ran and spread out.

Then he jumped.

His wings caught the air beneath him and seemed to grow larger and longer. They got stronger and held his weight. It took a few moments for Karkat to realize that he was, indeed, flying. He let out a whoop, still staying to the path. He spun above the white glow, cupping his wings. Then his feet touched the ground and he continued to run. The black stared to fade into a beautiful scene.

Trees whipped along in his vision as he began flying again. His heart led him instead of his mind and then he slowed. He dropped to his feet again and made a full rotation. A thin red line and a black line intertwined ahead of him and he could actually see where they went through the trees.

He followed them, curiosity peaking. Soon he began to recognize the trees and he came to a stop next to a large tree, he ran his hand over the smooth bark and he continued walking forward. Light filtered through the leaves and made a dappled pattern on his skin and clothing, created entirely out of shade and sunshine.

The trees began to thin and it opened to a familiar clearing. Surrounding the clearing were cherry blossom trees and a house stood in the edges. The sun, now setting in the dreambubble, cast a golden hola around the clearing. Ten figures ran around the clearing, bright and happy laughter coming from the group, along with shrieking,. The sun made Karkat's white hair warm, along with his pale skin and his body tingled.

The sunlight rippled in the wide, shallow stream that cut through the clearing, and four figures hopped across stepping stones. A fifth was coaxing them across, and the jumbled of calls and voices made Karkat's heart warm. The feminine figure turned slightly and caught sight of him. Snowkat's eyes locked with him and her voice died out.

"Princess, where are you go—" Treekat's voice died as he saw who Snowkat was running towards. Treekat broke away from his matesprit and sprinted after Snowkat. Angelkat ran forward to meet them and Snowkat crashed into him first, wrapping her arms around him tightly. Treekat came next, and then Runa. Ariani followed her sister and then Soleil picked up Alani and followed and Makara sprinted after them. Karkat went after his matesprit and then Futurekat and another Karkat with the wings of a monarch butterfly.

"Angel!"

"Mon Ange!"

"Angel-Sempai!"

All these voices and the warm embraces of his friends made him grin and laughter bubbled from his lips. He could tell who's hands were who's on his body; Snowkat's petite and calloused hands on his back and caressing his cheek; Treekat's larger and rougher ones gripping onto his shoulders; Runa's entire body wrapped around his leg; the wrigglers hands unidentifiable but somewhere on his back and legs.

Then he felt lips on his and Snowkat's deep purring. He kissed right back and then was passed around to be given attention and affection. He was wary when he got to the wrigglers who were in line by dominance, more less. They were all in a line, waiting with open arms for a hug. Angelkat knelt down and the four wrigglers rushed at him in a tangle of black hair and loud shrieks.

Futurekat and Karkat just gave smiles to Angelkat, who returned them with a grin. Snowkat introduced him to Monarchkat and then she and Treekat began catching him up on everything while Karkat and Futurekat went to play with the grubs. Soliel's voice was heard, telling for Makara to not be so rough with Alani and then Ariani's shrieking.

Night came in the dreambubble and they all laid down in a circle. Soleil and Alani had cuddled up to one another and Treekat had pressed against Karkat. Futurekat and Monarchkat his wrapped around each other with these cocky grins and purrs and then Ariani and Runa and Makara had joined hands and laid side by side to stare at the sky. Snowkat had cuddled up to Angelkat, intertwining their fingers and staring at the sky. No one bothered to mention Angelkat's now white eyes as all eleven of them knew.

The moon shone brightly in the middle of the swirling cascade of colors. Different shades filled the night sky and glowed against the dark blue of the night and the stars twinkled so brightly. They glowed brightly and the glow mixed with all the different hues of color that all of them could see. Angelkat turned his head, listening to the quiet shatter of the group. His gaze slid around the circle until it rested on Snowkat. The light reflected off of her skin and she glanced up. She pressed a soft kiss to his lips and whispered quietly.

"I love you." Angelkat smiled at her words and kissed her forehead. He repeated her and returned his gaze to the sky. That night, everything was perfect to him. He might have died, yes, but he was okay now. He had Treekat and Snowkat and Runa and he had friends who cared about him. He mulled over those thoughts and just how absolutely happy he was as he watched the aurora borealis above him. Angelkat willed himself to stay awake until the galaxy of colors faded away and left only the deepest blues with the white and golden and silver accents that were the moon and stars. By then everyone had fallen victim to the terror known as sleep, Treekat included.