The Peacekeeper

Chapter 34

He was on the floor, his nails made some very noticeable scratches on the floor. And, well, like most overused scenarios, Karkat had woke up in a cold sweat. He blinked a couple of times, trying to figure out what had just happened.

Dave. Dave was chained up. He was crying. Karkat was crying too. Why was Dave chained up? Fuck, he couldn't remember. Okay. Okay. Dave was crying, Karkat was crying. It was cold. Dave was chained up. His cheek was red and bleeding a bit. There was someone yelling...yelling something. Yelling at Karkat. God, what were they saying? Wait. Dave was saying something too. Yes yes yes. Dave was saying something too. God what was it?

It's not your fault.

It wasn't his fault? It wasn't his fault. What wasn't his fault?

Karkat groaned and sat up. Dave was still asleep in bed, looking as peaceful and angelic as someone with the grossest sleeping face could. The troll stood up, his legs shaky for some odd reason. As he laid down in bed besides his matesprit he felt weirdly relieved. As if something had happened, something weirdly life changing. Karkat just couldn't put his finger on it though. He shrugged and stretched out on the bed.

It's not your fault.

God it was bugging him. What wasn't his fault?

It's.

Not.

Your.

Fault.

It hit him like a truck.

It was a dream. He didn't go. He didn't go back to Beforus. Dave didn't go. Dave didn't get imprisoned. Dave didn't get hurt. Dave wasn't dead. Dave wasn't dead.

For some reason Karkat sighed in relief. He had no real reason to be relieved. It didn't happen. Nothing happened. No one fucked up. It was all a-okay. Well, maybe that was reason enough itself but he didn't have time to dwell on that.

"Congratulations. You did something completely reasonable for once in your unbearably painful life. I hope you're proud of yourself." He looked up at the source of the voice and found himself sitting there. The exact same troll that had appeared in his dream a while back and tried to argue with the armor-clad troll and convince Karkat to stay home.

"Am I still asleep?" The younger version of Karkat nodded.

"Yes you are. Kudos to you for figuring that one out so quickly." Karkat smiled slightly and sat up on the bed, pulling his knees up to his chest. "I know what you were thinking, obviously since I'm a part of your thinkpan but that is besides the point. You were looking for something to convince yourself to stay or go. And we gave you a little taste of what we think would happen."

"Yes, well," The Peacekeeper emerged from who knows where and stood proudly besides the younger troll, "the whole statue in Her Imperial Radiance's underwater palace was entirely his idea. I simply added in the extra decorations in our memory." Karkat chuckled. "But, I say I must admit that I myself would not exactly care to go back to our old home if that were to happen. It would be...it would not be the same to say at the least. Much more stressful."

"Yeah. I mean, sure Dave wouldn't immediately go to fucking enemy territory with no real game plan. He's a lot smarter than that. He'd probably bring along a couple of people...Rose, Vriska, John, Sollux, Dirk...everyone really. Then...it'd be worse." The Peacekeeper nodded in agreement.

"Yes, it would have been much much worse. I fear if The Warlorde had seen any of them he would order immediate execution. He is a cruel cruel troll. He would not have any remorse for killing aliens and he would not have any remorse for killing someone that looks exactly like the enemy or a troll he was certain you had already beheaded. Even if they were your friends. Although I believe if you claimed them all to be your friends you would have gotten yourself killed as well..."