"I got Kanaya to make you some new clothes." Dave mumbled, glancing over at Karkat who was sitting across the table from him. The mutant blooded troll just sat there, staring at the bowl of cereal Dave had prepared for him. "Dude come on. I didn't wake up at seven in the goddamn morning to make you the most exquisite bowl of off brand Honey Combs." Karkat continued staring at the cereal. The human sighed and put his spoon down in his own bowl and pushed it aside. "Fine. If you don't eat I won't eat." Karkat glanced up at Dave but didn't say anything. Dave sighed and rubbed his eyes. He was hungry as fuck but he was also going to make a point. He grabbed the bowl of half eaten cereal and dumped it in the sink before plopping back down in his seat. Karkat blinked but still didn't say anything.

"Alright fine, you don't have to eat but you have to at least let me give you a bath. You reek and I can't stand all the dried blood on you anymore. It doesn't even look like you bathed in the month you've been here. Did Sollux like, mention bathing you at all?"

"Yes," Karkat mumbled, "but I didn't really want to and every time they tried I just...hid." Dave scoffed.

"Seriously Karkat? You hid? What, did you suddenly have Harry's invisibility cloak? Could they just not find you and eventually give up on getting you to bathe? If so, then that's a load of bullshit."

"No, I just...I just didn't want to take a bath okay?? Is that really so bad??"

"Yes! Karkat for god's sake you're covered in dried blood. Honestly I'm surprised you didn't die of an infection, your cuts and shit can't be clean."

"Dave, I don't need a fucking bath. You can't bully me into taking a bath! If I don't want to take a bath I won't!"

"Fuck no dude. You aren't not getting out of this. You have to be sanitary and fight off infections. Plus you gotta get all squeaky clean because later on you have a doctor and a dentist appointment. I can't have you stanking up the place while they're trying to find every bruise, cut, or bump on you." Karkat glared at Dave, his mouth curling over one fang. "Nope. That scary bullshit won't work on me. So go into that bathroom and get ready for a bath or so help me I will get the hose and bathe you out on the sidewalk." Karkat snarled but stood up and stomped to the bathroom.

Dave had been living with Karkat for a couple of days. In those couple of days Dave realized that Karkat...changed. Well obviously he changed, he wasn't going to be exactly the same as before but these changes were drastic. More than Dave thought. The small troll Dave fell in love with six years ago no longer spoke his mind, instead he was quiet and closed up. He no longer eagerly munched on food as Dave talked about his day. He no longer jumped up and down when Dave mentioned his favorite actor. Karkat was different and in all honesty, it hurt Dave a little. But even if the troll he used to know was gone, Dave wasn't about to leave him. He was set on helping him.

The human grabbed a couple necessary bathing items and walked into the bathroom. Karkat was still fully clothed and sitting on the toilet. Dave sighed and instructed him to start stripping down as he turned on the bath water.

Karkat was less then eager to strip down. A part of him said that he didn't need Dave to give him a bath, he was a big troll now. He could do it himself. Then again if Karkat could do it himself he would've done it by now. He wouldn't of been acting childish with Sollux and Equius and hid at the mention of a bath. He had a reason for not wanting to bathe though, he didn't want to see what was under his clothes. He didn't want to look at it unless he had to. He only changed a handful of times because he was too distraught at the sight of the brands and scars.

The troll reluctantly began pulling his clothes off, dreading Dave's soon to be reaction to the horrors that he so well hid underneath his clothing all this time. The human had his back to the troll and Karkat was grateful for it. A minute later and Karkat was standing in the bathroom, tense, uncomfortable, and nude.

"Alright dude, bathwater's all nice and warm so  you can get your ass in..." Dave turned and winced. Karkat was practically covered in scars, burns, stabs and just about any sort of injury possible. Karkat awkwardly clambered into the bathtub, hissing as the water slightly stung his open wounds. All Dave did was stare. All he could do was stare. "Karkat...Karkat I-"

"Just shut up and give me a fucking bath already so we can soon pass this uncomfortable moment." Karkat snapped, crossing his legs to hopefully cover his crotch. Not that it mattered, Dave had seen what went on in his pants long ago.

Dave obediently knelt down besides his friend and poured a generous amount of shampoo into his hand before massaging it into Karkat's scalp. Karkat gulped, keeping his eyes fixated on his legs and not daring to speak. He knew Dave had questions, he knew he couldn't answer them. Not now at least. But he would answer them. Eventually.

~

"What the fuck are you doing now?" Karkat growled out to Eridan who was dragging him by the arm out of the courtyard. Karkat had been here, wherever it was, for a few months now. He had created a nice rhythm for himself; wake up, eat, train, eat, bathe, sleep. He squeezed other basic necessities in there too but that was the gist of it.

The inhabitants of this odd new place was strictly trolls. There were no humans much to Karkat's dismay, but it was nice to live in another world with his own kind. Among the new crowd of trolls he had to live with some familiar faces were there. Karkat had stumbled upon his friends, more specifically Equius, Eridan, and Feferi. His encounters with them weren't the most comfortable, in fact it was the exact opposite of comfortable.

Karkat didn't know where he was but he knew that there were versions of his friends here. Versions that lived completely different lives than himself and his friends. Versions that had no clue who Karkat was.

Eridan was an Emperor or something along the lines of that. The sea dweller seemed to be richer than ever, he had an entire room filled with gold and other treasures. He wore expensive clothing, all that had to have something violet on it so no one would forget that his hue was nearly the highest. Golden glasses adorned his face and stood proudly at the very bridge of his nose and matching horn rings, ear rings, and regular rings decorated his body. This Eridan made Karkat address him as The Warlorde.

The Warlorde was the general of Her Imperial Radiance's army. A strict leader but he had his soft moments, only when The Empress reminded him that he had to spread peace to her people. He was also Her Imperial Radiance's matesprit.

Her Imperial Radiace, a.k.a. Feferi, was The Empress. She was beautiful without a doubt. Long luscious hair was tucked into one giant braid which had flowers at times. Her crown was small and simple, more of a tiara. Her dress was long, white, and plain with only a single fuchsia sash tied into a ribbon around her waist. She carried her double sided trident with her, though just for decoration.

Her Imperial Radiance was a peaceful, kind Empress. She didn't believe in killing off trolls if they were weak and old. She didn't believe in going around in claiming things that weren't hers. Her only goal was to be peaceful. She was everything Feferi aspired to be and in a way, she technically achieved her goal.

The Warlorde dragged Karkat to the Empress' throne room, angrily muttering under his breath but Karkat caught a couple of foul words aimed towards him. Her Imperial Radiance was standing there proudly, her two sided trident in her hand and by her side she had Kanaya, or more formally known as The Caretaker.

Karkat stood awkwardly in front of The Empress and she smiled warmly down at him. After a quick speech Karkat understood what was going on.

He was going to be knighted. More importantly, he was going to be Her Imperial Radiance's personal knight. He knelt down in front of her as she spoke again and tapped his shoulders with her trident. The newly knighted troll was grinning from ear to ear as he stood up. The Empress' smile had faltered ever so slightly. She murmured an 'I'm sorry.' What? What was she sorry for. The Warlorde chuckled quietly from behind him. Karkat turned around to see The Caretaker now standing there, two white hot branding irons in her hands and a solemn expression on her face.

~

Karkat woke up in a cold sweat again. He had managed to take short nap on Dave's, hoping that he wouldn't have to relieve anything else. Sadly he was mistaken and the nap brought on yet another painful dream. Oh well, what's done is done.

"Oh, great you're up." Dave said, causing the troll to jump slightly. "Shit, didn't mean to scare you." He stood awkwardly to the side of the couch, eyeing down Karkat from behind his shades. They both knew what Dave was dying to ask and that only made the air between them more awkward then ever. "I'm just going to come right out and say it, what happened to you Karkat?" Dave reluctantly sat down by the troll's feet, his shades were pushed up so Karkat could clearly see the worry and curiosity on the albino's face.

"Dave," Karkat sighed and sat up more, "it's nothing." Dave gave him a look of disbelief. "I've told you before, I went through some things. A lot of things. I'd rather not talk about it and it hurts my throat to talk so much. Maybe I'll tell you another day." Dave frowned but nodded and stood up, offering a hand to Karkat.

"Alright, but you better tell me eventually. Let's just go to your doctors appointment, okay?" The troll nodded and allowed himself to be led out the apartment. He was already cringing at the thought of all the questions and tests the stupid doctor would give Karkat.