Chapter 9

Turns out that nightmares make a full day's rest completely useless. Karkat was exausted, and he felt worse off then he did yesterday. Signless and the rest, however, were very well rested and already planning out what would happen tonight. Karkat yawned as he shuffled a bit closer so he could hear them. "Do we have an approximate guess of how many will come tonight?" Signless asked to no one specifically. "It is always hard to tell, but I would assume more will attend than the amount we had last time." Rosa answered logically. What are they talking about? Attend what? Karkat continued listening quietly, hoping they would elaborate more on their own. "Yes, I suppose that's true. The crowds do tend to get bigger as we go don't they? But the space we have set will still be enough, right?" Signless inquired, receiving a brisk nod from Rosa. "I believe so. It is a fair amount of room." Signless nodded confidently. "Good." He suddenly looked back at Karkat, as if only just noticing his presence. His face flashed briefly with conviction, as if he had to quickly make a hard desicion, then he leaned over to Rosa and whispered something to her. She cast a quick jade glance at him, then muttered something that sounded like an agreement. Oh what now? Karkat groaned mentally. Why were they always whispering about him? Signless focused back on him and motioned him to follow. "Karkat, take a walk with me." Karkat followed his ancestor out of the small cave and into the forest, the thick of trees still looking as confusing to navagate as ever. But Signless led him easily to a small clearing where a bit of moonlight was able to breach the leaves and set a glow on the grass below. He sat down, and Karkat did the same, setting himself down at a comfortable distance. Signless looked directly at him in that way that made him uncomfortable. His eyes were just too... red? Despite what he wanted to believe, Karkat knew that wasn't the real reason. He really wasn't fully sure what the reason was himself. "Tell me Karkat," Signless spoke, averting him from his thoughts. "How did you end up lost in the middle of these woods?" The question wasn't accusatory, only simple curiosity. "Well..." Karkat knew he couldn't lie about this even if he tried, so he answered honestly. "I really don't know. I just sorta... woke up here." Signless nodded slowly, taking in his answer. "I see. Well, I can tell you definitely aren't from around here, even if your clothes weren't different." Karkat glanced akwardly at his sneakers, feeling slightly subconscious. "You've got this.. air about you. Almost as if you belong to a different time." Karkat tensed slightly, biting his lip. Does he know? Signless chuckled a bit, not noticing the reaction he had caused. "Of course, anyone could say that to someone of a younger generation." Karkat relaxed. "But now that also draws me to the symbol on your top." He stared at the gray markings with interest. "Most trolls have their symbol colored with their blood caste, yet yours is gray. Why is that?" Dammit, how do I answer that? Karkat knew he couldn't just up and say he was a mutant, whether he was in the presence of his ancestor or not. "I see no need to flash my blood color around like a name tag. It's stupid." He went with one of the answers he would tell his friends when they asked him why he typed in gray, hoping it would be enough. Signless looked at him with a new spark of curiosity lighting his eyes. "Interesting. So then you don't embrace the hemospectrum for what it is?" Karkar snorted. "No.It's a waste of everybody's time. Just cause your blood is purple or something doesn't make you better that someone who has yellow." He huffed, thinking of Sollux. "Besides, the troll with yellow blood is probably gonna be able to do way more shit than the purple guy because he's phsycic." Signless was clearly taking in every word Karkat said with great amusement. "Fasinating. Not many trolls share such a bold opinion. You are certainlly one-of-a-kind, Karkat. There's no denying that." He said with a slight laugh as he stood up- Karkat stood as well, glad that he didn't press on what his blood color actually was. "This was very enlightening, Karkat, thank you. We should do this again. Now come on, we need to get back.` Karkat followed Signless back to the cave, only to be struck with confusion as he set out to leave with Psii and Dis almost immediately upon arrival. When questioned as to where they were going, the only response he got was; "We're going to a meeting, maybe we'll bring you next time." Then they left. Rosa had apparently stayed behind to keep the cave safe, although Karkat knew that just meant wrigglersitting. The whole night they were gone Karkat spent in the cave wondering what this "meeting" actually was.

Chapter 8

Karkat dreamt that day, and with his dream self dead and no dream bubbles to go to, this dream was purely a work of his own subconscious. He almost mistook it for a dream bubble at first though, for he seemed to be reliving a memory. He was in his hive, in Alternia before he played SGRUB and screwed the whole world to oblivion. He sighed, looking around made him realize how much he missed this place, Crabdad and all. He walked around inside a bit, taking in the feel of his former home. Then, he heard something outside. It was a long, whining, mournful sound, and Karkat headed to the closest door leading outside, which was the balcony door. As he threw the door open, a hot blast of wind hit his face, and he instincively threw his arm up to cover his eyes. Upon lowering it, his eyes windened in horror. Fire... The whole world outside his door was one enormous, raging inferno. Bright red-orange light jumped and danced ferociously in waves across the ground, destroying any chance of lifr. Smoke hung so thickly in the sky that they could have been storm clouds, blotting out any hope of seeing the moons or the stars. The whining noise hit Karkat's ears louder this time, and he could now make out what it was. It was.. screaming. The distant cries of pain and terror of those trapped within the flames were all combining into one deadly chorus. Karkat stood frozen in terror at this nightmare that had thrust itself  before him. He had done this, he had forced everyone on Alternia to die like this. Why...? Why did you do this? The screams were beginning to be coherent and accusatory. It's your fault... it's always your fault. Trust the mutant to fuck everything up. Karkat shrunk back, covering his ears with his hands. The flames around him were beginning to twist and bend unnaturally, forming haunting figures. The voices began to grow louder and angrier, lashing at Katkat with tormented words. You did this. You can't do anything right. Mutant. Outcast. You shouldn't even exist. Freak. Fuck up. You should have died with us. Sorry exuse for a troll. Pathetic. Worthless. Karkat was on his knees now, desperately trying to block out the painful speech being burned into his skull. "I'm sorry! I'm so fucking sorry!" He just wanted to wake up already, end this horrible dream. But the dream wasn't done with him yet. The harsh, loathing cries slowly began to fade, and the blazing heat of the fire became cold. Karkat paused a moment, trembling. Then cautiously looked up, removing his hands from his head. The destroyed image of Alternia was gone, and he now sat in a neverending expanse of cold darkness. A slight twinge of relief started to edge its way into him, but it waa short lived. Instead of hearing endless, pained voices, a single, sad, and familiar voice entered his mind. Why didn't you help us Karkitty? Where were you when we needed you? Karkat felt an immediate feeling of guilt and sadness strike his heart, and he looked around in the dark. "Nepeta I-" He didn't get the chance to continue as another voice spoke. I thought you wwere the leadee Kar. Aren't leaders supposed to keep the group together? "Eridan-" I would have expected someone with leadership status to preform STRONGER than you did. Karkat was beginning to feel worse and worse, his eyes stinging. "Equius-" We trusted you with everyfin, and you just let us sink. "Feferi please-" I was never very.. uh, confident. But I put some confidence in you and, well, I guess, that was a mistake. He really didn't think he could take much more of this. "Tavros..." Each voice of his friends hit him like a stab to his chest, and he huddled closer to himself. Karkat... Karkat... The voices echoed his name mournfully around him, and he wished he could have the mass of hateful scolding instead. He buried his head in his knees, listening as the chanting went on, until one voice began to get louder than the rest. Karkat.. Karkat! "Karkat! Karkat, wake up!" He jumped, his eyes jolting open. Panting, he looked up at Signless, who looked at him with concern, one hand placed calmingly on his shoulder. "Are you alright? You were moaning in your sleep." Karkat swallowed, calming himself down. "Y-yeah." He replied, half lying. "Just a bad dream."

Chapter 7

Psiioniic lead Karkat back to the main road, and Karkat breathed a sigh of relief as he made his way out of the shady neighborhood. Thank fuck that's over. Signless, Dolaroa, and Disciple were all standing in a worried group, and they all flocked over to him when he came walking over. "Oh thank goodness, you had us all worried." Rosa said as Dis nodded eagerly. "We turned around and couldn't find you, and we didn't know where you could have pawssibly gone!" Signless let out a deep breath, as if he was releasing his contained tension. "I'm glad to see you're alright. We wouldn't want anything to happen to you." Karkat nodded, a little surprised that a group a trolls he had only just met had been this worried about him. "I'm fine, really." He glanced at Psiioniic out of the corner of his eye. "Though I would've been worse off if Psii hadn't shown up." The group turned to Psii in slight surprise and confusion. He shrugged his shoulders, looking away. "It wath juth thome douchebag with a knife. Not a big deal." Signless blinked in astonishment. "Wait- a knife? Someone tried to attack you?" He looked to Karkat with new concern, making him feel slightly unnerved. "Yeah.. b-but I'm not hurt, really! He didn't even get a chance to touch me." Signless nodded, although still concerned. He looked back to Psiioniic. "Thank you for keeping him safe, my friend." Psii just shrugged again, not responding. Karkat looked at the trolls around him in confused wonderment. "Where you really that worried about me?" They looked to him as if he had just asked the most outrageous question on the planet. "Of course we were. We don't want you harmed or lost." Rosa answered. "But... why? You barely know who I am. Why should you care?" Karkat shuffled, downcast. Disciple blinked her olive green eyes happily. "Because you're our furiend silly!" Karkat looked at her in astonishment. "What?" Signless kneeled down in front of him, diverting his attention. He placed a hand on his shoulder and looked right into his eyes, bright red meeting gray. "Karkat, there's something you must understand about us." He spoke, his tone serious but kind. "We aren't like other trolls. We don't sniff and turn away from someone who needs our help, stranger or not. We know you well enough to say that we trust you and we're willing to help you in any way we can. That makes you our friend, and if our friend gets lost, then we're going to worry. Do you see that?" Karkat stood silently for a moment, processing what he had just heard. They trust me? After knowing me for less than a day, they already consider me a friend? Are they crazy or... are they just good people? He looked into the burning red eyes of his anscestor, which still sent chills down his spine. "Yeah I... I guess that makes sense." Signless smiled lightly and stood, looking to the horizon. "Good. Now I think it's about time we start heading back home. Looks like the sun will be up soon." Karkat looked off to the distance. The dark sky was beginning to brighten softly behind the shadowy mountains. The idea of sleep sounded great to Karkat right now, this had been a long, stressful, and confusing day that he just wanted to get over with. He followed the others back a bit more closely this time, so as to avoid losing them a second time. Yet the whole way back, he kept repeating what Signless had said. He claimed to know enough about Karkat to trust him. But would he still feel the same way if he knew everything? Karkat honestly didn't know if he wanted the answer to that question.

Chapter 6

Karkat looked around quickly for some means of deterring his assailant. Maybe he could slip down one of the side roads and make his way back where he came, then lose the guy in the crowd. Without coming up with any better ideas, he took a sharp turn and began to head down a smaller path. Wiith lanterns not lilluminating this area, it became rather dark, and Karkat was left to use the small amounts of moonlight that shown through the clouds to guide himself. He took a right, then a left, then another left, and then another right. Unfortunately, his chosen path ended with a wall. "Shit! Dead end." He hissed. Then he slowly turned, the sound of footsteeps approaching him. He swallowed the lump in his throat. Literally. The crook who had been following him stopped, his yellow eyes flashing hungrily in the dim light. Even with the limited visibility, Karkat could see a grin slowly creep it's way onto his face. Heart pounding rapidly in his chest, Karkat backed himself up until he was pressed against the wall. "W-what the fuck do you want?!" He shouted shakily at the troll before him, his voice cracking slightly. The crook laughed hoarsely, his voice hard and grating, rattling Karkat to the core. "Why, I saw a finely dressed young troll walking down the street without any assistance, so I reckoned I'd lend a hand." The crook took a few slow paces forward, and Karkat pushed up harder against the wall, almost like he was trying to move it out of the way. "Stay away from me!" The troll snickered at Karkat's protest. "Why I know, let's make a deal shall we? You hand over everything you got on ya," Karkat's eyes widened as the moon rays met with a dagger, making it glow with evil intent. "And I might just let ya live." Karkat stood frozen and trembling against the wall, knowing his chances of getting out of this unscathed were slim to none. Well then, he thought, If this is how I die, then I might as well go out with my dignity in tact. He surpressed the fear rising within him snd steadied his voice. "Fuck. You." He growled, watching as the crooks smirk became a grimace, and he approached Karkat, dagger beared. Karkat shut his eyes, bracing himself for the blade to pierce him, to rip a hole in him. But instead, he heard a slight cry of surprise followed by a loud thump. Karkat wanted to open his eyes and see what had happened but fear kept him stiff. He heard someone approach him, and stop a few feet away. "Hey, Karkat, you okay? Did thith athhole hurt you?" Karkat couldn't believe his ears. That sounds like... He opened his eyes and recieved his conformation. Psiioniic was kneeling down in front of him, waiting for an answer. Behind him, the crook was face-down on the ground and out cold. Karkat blinked, surprised and relieved all at once. "N-no but... Why did you..." Psiioniic sighed and stood up. "Iths kinda hard to be thuthspicious of a kid who can't even defend himthelf. Tho I gueth you're truthstworthy. And bethsides, Thighnless would kill me if he found out I let thomthing happen to you." Karkat nodded slightly, looking up at him. "Thank you Psiioniic." The tall troll looked away sheepishly and began to walk back. "You can juth call me Psii now, okay? Now c'mon, the others are worried about you."

Chapter 5

The meal was fairly pleasant, even if it wasn't up to Karkat's standards. He supposed he'd better get used to it. Gog knows how long I may be stuck here for. He exited the tavern with the rest of the group, still hanging back despite the mostly warm welcome. He still wasn't fully comfortable with them, and he knew for a fact that Psiioniic was definitely uncomfortable with him, so he stayed quiet and threw the hood on his new cloak up over his head. The group walked along the street for a while, chatting about this and that, casually enjoying their simple conversations. But Karkat wasn't really paying much attention. His mind was drifting into a troubled place, and questions he couldn't find the answer to hovered about. How did I get here? The last thing I remember is hanging out with Dave on the meteor and then... nothing. Did Strider fuck me over with his time powers or something? No, he couldn't pull off any crazy shit like this, let alone manage to put me within walking distance of my anscestors whereabouts. Maybe Aradia...? That seems slightly more likely. She's capable of some pretty weird stuff... but why? Why throw me back here? That's a piece that doesn't fit. Karkat kicked at a pebble with his shoe, staring blankly at it as it bounced away, clicking against the street as it went. More importantly, how do I get back? Can I even get back? His heart sunk at the thought. He didn't want to be stuck here forever. He was so deep in thought that when he finally looked up, he realized he was no longer with the group. He must've been so focused, that hadn't noticed they'd taken a turn down another path. "Oh fantastic." He growled under his breath. "Greak job Vantas, you just managed to get yourself lost twice in one day. Congradulations fuckass, you're a real winner." He looked around where he stood, but found no trace of his commrades amongst the many other trolls that walked the streets.He groaned in fustration, and started to work his way back the way he came. When he met with a diverging path, he turned onto it, taking a guess that the others might have done the same. However, he soon began to think otherwise. As he went forward, the buildings around him began to grow more and more shabby. Some of them looked like they were rotting away, with broken windows and holes in the roofs. Others looked too small to have even one troll living in them, and they might as well have been slightly larger than average closets. He also noticed more of the trolls he passed by looked rather rugged, their clothes wearing out and their faces grim. This place was starting to make Karkat uneasy, and he subconsciously began to quicken his pace. Soon, the hair on the back of his neck was beginning to stand up, and he started to feel like he was being followed. He tried to tell himself he was being ridiculous but, out of anxiety, he glanced over his shoulder and looked behind him. Someone was keeping a very steady pace behind him, and Karkat felt a chill creep down his spine. He turned his gaze forward and breathed in shakily, speeding up again ever so slightly. He had entered the bad part of town, alone, and now he had to think of some kind of plan to escape from the shadow that crept along behind him. And fast.

Chapter 4

Karkat soon found, to his relief, that the forest wasn't infinite. He followed Signless and the rest awkwardly as they led him to the edge of the woods. The trees thinned out as they met a small downard slope, and Karkat could see the glow of lights from a small village in the distance. The group was there in a few minutes, and Karkat looked around with great interest. The village was rural, though that was hardly surprising. Trolls walked this way and that on cobblestreet roads illuminated by lanterns. Small street stores were very common, although there were some kept within the confinements of a stone or wood building. So this is what civilization looks like in the past? Weird. Karkat thought as he continued to observe. However, he couldn't help but notice that some of the trolls who passed him by would give him a strange glance as they went, and he was beginning to feel a bit uncomfortable. Dolarosa must have noticed the looks he was getting as well, for she told the group she would be right back, and she headed over to one of the street shop. Karkat watched as she purchased something from the merchant, then brought it back over to him. She handed him what appeared to be some kind of cloth. "Put this on." She said as Karkat unfolded it confusedly. He then realized the cloth was actually a cloak, light gray and hooded. "Your attire at present is rather... unusal." Karkat took a look at his clothes, only now understanding how strange a sweater and sneakers must look to someone who had never seen them before. He thanked Rosa and slipped the cloak on, letting the fabric fall loosely around him. With that out of the way, he continued to follow the group as they entered a cheap-looking tavern. Then again, Karkat thought, almost everything here looks cheap to me. He once again took a look at his surroundings. The scent of something cooking wafted into his nose, and the chatter of many conversations rang in his ears. He sat down at one of the old wood tables with the rest of the group, and watched as a troll strode over to greet them. "Welcome to the Tavern! What can I get ya today?" He asked in a slightly raspy tone. Karkat let the others order first, so as not to make a fool of himself. Signless ordered some type of hoofbeast meat, Disciple said she'd have whatever fish they had in stock, Psiioniic muttered that he'd have stew, and Dolarosa simply asked for a vegetable plate. When it became Karkat's turn to decide, he stiffly said that he'd have whatever it was Signless was having, and the waiting troll nodded briskly and whisked away, saying he'd come back soon with their food. The table was silent for a moment, and Karkat shuffled in his seat and cleared his throat, his eyes flicking around nervously. Signless then proceeded to laugh hardily, causing Karkat to jump slightly. His ancestor looked at him, then to everyone else. "Come now you all, lighten up a bit. It's not every day we get to eat out on a special occation like this!" Rosa looked to him in slight confusion. "What special occation are you referring to?" Signless smiled, looking to Karkat. "Why, the meeting of our new young friend of course!" Karkat blinked in suprise, unsure how to respond. Not as if he would have gotten the chance, as the meals the group ordered were delivered to them. Signless thanked the troll for serving them, then once again adressed the group. "We eat tonight to thank the forces of fate for guiding Karkat to us. I hope we can assist you on finding your way back home." Disciple and Dolarosa followed him up cheerfully, while Psiioniic only muttered something incoherent. Karkat kindly thanked them for their generosity, then began to work at his food. However, despite the majority of peppy attitudes, Karkat was starting to feel more hopeless than he'd even been.

Chapter 3

Signless looked at the young troll thoughtfully. "Karkat eh? Well, it's a pleasure to meet you Karkat." The newcomer nodded slightly, still nervous. He had no idea what he was supposed to do. Here he was, presumably stuck on some long past version of Alternia, in a cave surrounded by not only his own, but the ancestors of some of his close friends. Not to mention he still had no idea how he got here. What the fuck do I do? How do I get back home? It's not as if these guys can help me. If I told them the truth, they'd think I was insane. Karkat struggled with his thoughts, unsure if he should say something or not. Fortunately for him, Dolarosa spoke up. "Pardon me, but do you mind if I inquire what it is you were doing out in the middle of the forest by yourself?" Psiioniic looked at him expectantly, making it clear that he wanted to hear this answer as well. "Well I..." Karkat answered slowly, trying to think of a proper answer, but none came. He didn't have the slightest clue what he was doing in the forest, except trying to figure out where he was. "I.. got lost in there somehow and I'm not sure how to get back home." Disciple looked at him sympathetically. "Oh no! How pawful! Don't worry, we'll help you! Right?" She looked to Signless expectantly. He nodded with little hesitation. "Of course. We'll always do our best to help a troll in need, especially young ones like yourself." Psiioniic sniffed slightly and leaned over to him, muttering something. Signless grimaced and let out a sigh. "Excuse us for a minute." He adressed the small group, heading out into the trees with Psiioniic following behind. Karkat's eyes followed them as they left, until they were hidden by the forest. Why does Psiioniic hate me so much? I haven't done anything wrong! He thought, fustration beginning to creep back into him. "He's not always like this." Rosa sighed, as if she had read Karkat's mind. "He just doesn't take well to strangers. He's rather over-protective sometimes. But I suppose he has a right to be." Karkat tipped his head slightly in confusion. "Huh? Why?" Rosa looked to him calmly. "Well... one way to put it would be that we aren't the most well-liked trolls around these days." Karkat blinked, wondering exactly what that meant. But before he got the chance to ask, Signless and Psiioniic re-entered the cave. Psiioniic looked rather displeased, and flashed a glare at Karkat. It was obvious that the argument that had occurred had not ended in his favor. Signless, meanwhile, approached Karkat and knelt down to speak with him, making Karkat wonder for a moment if he should have gotten up from his sitting position on the floor. But he didn't have much time to think about it as the Signless's piercing red gaze met his. In a reasurring tone he spoke to Karkat. "I assure you that all of us are going to do the best we can to get you home, alright?" Karkat nodded, though inside he knew that was a promise he couldn't keep. Signless nodded briskly in response, his eyes lightening. "In the meantime," He said, standing up. Karkat stood as well, no longer seeing a reason to stay on the floor. Signless looked to each of the members of his little group cheerily. "How's about we get ourselves something to eat?"

Chapter 2

(Authors note: I'm not good with writing lisps, sorry.)

Karkat could hear muffled voices as consciousness slowly returned to him. Soon, he was able to make out what was being said.
"Psii, calm down."
"Calm down? We don't know thith guy! He could be a thpy."
"He's only a child."
"Tho? Maybe iit'th a part of their plan."
"Stop pouncing to conclusions!"
"Please Psii, he's not a spy."
"You don't know that."
"And you do?"
"Well, no. But-"
"Shh! He's coming to."
Karkat groggily opened his eyes, fully conscious now. "Urgh..." He blinked once before his eyes snapped open. "Ah!" He jumped slightly at what he saw. Signless was still there, along with three other trolls he didn't recognize. The one closest to him stared at him excitedly through large, olive green eyes. Out of her huge mass of hair protruded two large, cone-shaped horns, and Karkat immediately thought of Nepeta. "It's okay! You're purrfectly safe here." She smiled reassuringly as she spoke to him. Yep, definitely Nepeta. Then a snort emitted a little ways off. "Doethn't mean we are." Karkat looked over to the tallest troll, who had his arms folded and was staring at him with mistrust in his red and blue eyes. Sollux. Signless immediately proceeded to elbow him with a stern; "Be quiet!" Then finally, the fourth troll of the group kneeled down, concern showing in her jade green eyes. "Are you feeling alright? Do you still feel dizzy?" Her voice was soft and calming to the ear. Kanaya. Karkat shook his head, his gaze flashing to each strange, yet almost familiar face. "N-no I- Where am I?" He shifted his focus to his environment, which was now a large, rocky overhang. The immense forest where he had previously gotten lost in laid just nearby, looking like more of a maze then before. "Oh this place?" The troll resembling Nepeta chirped. "It's just one of our temporary homes. Nothing too special." Karkat stared at her in confusion. Temporary... homes? Do they not live in one place? "Okay.... who are you?" He asked, looking at the three unnamed trolls. "Oh! Right! How rude of us not to introduce ourselves!" This brought forth another snort from the tall one, but it was easily ignored. "I'm Disciple, but- you can call me Dis for short. She's Dolarosa, " Dis looked to her, and she nodded politely. "You may call me Rosa if you wish." Karkat nodded in response, leaving Disiple to continue. "And the grumpy one over there is Psiioniic. We call him Psii, and-" The Psiioniic stopped her in her tracks, saying his next words to Karkat with narrowed eyes. "To you, it'th justh Psiioniic, got that?" Karkat swallowed and nodded. He was pretty sure this guy didn't like him. Signless rammed him with his elbow again, staring him down. "Stop being so rude." He turned to Karkat, red eyes softening. "Would you mind telling us your own name?" Karkat hesitated slightly. It's fine. I'm sure that whatever's going on here, telling them my name won't hurt. Just don't sound as freaked the fuck out as you actually are, and it'll be fine. He took a deep breath. "It's, uh.. Karkat. My name is Karkat."

Chapter 1

Karkat's eyes shot open and he jolted upward, looking around. He was lying on the ground in the middle of some weird forest he'd never seen before. The trees were large and fully leaved, the branches above so entangled that only specks of the sky came through. Ferns and other foliage covered the ground, making it seem more like a jungle that anything. "The fuck..." Karkat cursed as he stood up, brushing off the leaves that clung to his shirt. He was seriously confused. How and why was he here? He couldn't remember anything. He decided he wasn't going to get any answers by standing around, so he started walking. He went on walking for what seemed like a long ways, the scenery around him hardly changing in the slightest. Okay, what the hell is going on?! Does this forest even end?! He thought bitterly to himself, beginning to get frustrated. What if he just ended up lost in this maze of trees forever? That thought frustrated him even more, and so he began to strut at a faster pace. There had to be something or someone out here who wasn't a plant. Right? He continued this quick pace until he noticed movement out of the corner of his eye. He halted in his tracks, and turned to look. A few yards away, a cloaked figure was making his way among the trees, though not with the same desperate speed as Karkat. This troll was paced evenly, in a way that one could tell he knew where he was going, and was in no rush to get there. Finally! I knew that I wasn't the only one out here. Maybe now I can finally get some damn answers. Karkat narrowed his eyes and began to head straight towards the figure, not even attempting to be cautious. He was too sick of walking to care. With all the noise he was making, the figure heard him easily and turned to face him. "Hey!" Karkat shouted, letting out the frustration that had been rising inside him. "Who are you and where the fuck am I?" The figure, who still had his hood obscuring his face, lifted his hands in a calming gesture. A low, smooth voice came from him as he spoke. "Woah there, calm down young one. There's no need to lose your temper." Karkat scoffed. "Look mister, I've been wandering around these woods for Gog knows how long, and so far you're the only other person I've seen. So I'd appreciate it if you didn't treat me like a wriggler having a temper tantrum and just help me out." The figure chuckled slightly and moved to take off his hood. It slipped down his head and hung off his shoulders, revealing his face. He was charming, in a word. His black hair was sort of shaggy and thick, as if he had just woken up and had a case of bedhead. He had nubby horns, almost like his own, Karkat thought, but ever so slightly bigger. His face was well-shaped, with a smooth jawline and rounded chin, which was adorned with a bit of scruff. His eyebrows were a bit thick, but they fit his face nicely. But what hit Karkat the most about him were his eyes. They stood out more then any other feature. They were soft, kind, and- bright red. They pierced into him like a blade, and he stiffened. He looked almost... familiar. "W-who are you?" Karkat stammered a bit, his mind scrambling to get a hold on this guy. Where have I seen him before? He had to know. The troll became thought full, his red eyes glancing up. "Hm... I have gone by many names these past few sweeps. Though most simply refer to me as Signless. The name hit Karkat like a punch in the face. Fuck. He knew that name. He remembered it now. Back when he was younger his Lusus would try to teach him about his history and his ancestor. Even though he'd never really cared about any of that nonsense, he still remembered the pictures that Crabdad had shown him. And they looked just like this guy. Karkat took a step back, his head reeling. He was starting to feel lightheaded. No... No no no no NO! This could not be happening. It had to be fake. There was no way that his ancestor was real, let alone standing in front of him. And yet- "Are you alright?" The Signless asked, slight concern on his face. "You look as if you've seen a ghost." Karkat blinked, his heart pounding in his chest. "I-I.. I..." He tried to form a sentence, but he couldn't think straight. Darkness was starting to fog his vision, and his knees buckled beneath him. "Kid!" He heard the voice call out as he felt himself topple over onto the ground. A blurry shape appeared above him as muffled words met his ears. "Hey! Can you hear me? C'mon, stay with me! I'll get you some help. You're gonna be okay..." Karkat couldn't hear much after as the darkness consumed his vision. Only one more phrase made it into his mind before he shut down completely. It's all going to be okay.

Welcome!

Hey readers! Thanks for checking out my blog! So this is a Homestuck AU based on Karkat and the Signless (Or Sufferer, if you prefer) that my strange mind has come up with. I will update as often as possible, but with school and such there's only so much I can do. That's all for now! Happy Reading!

(Homestuck and its characters belong to Andrew Hussie :3)