One Year Later

Dave Strider

Knight of Time

Insufferable prick

Bulge licker

Cool kid

Nook sucker

I'm called a bunch of things... but there's one name I actually fucking miss...

Little man.

Today's the eve of our one year in the game, the eve when shit hit the fan... the eve of his death. One whole fucking year... and I've done shit. I leave my room and go toward the kitchen, Karkat's there reading his shitty romance novel, Rose is drinking already... it's technically 5 o clock somewhere, but this is morning or some shit on this meteor. I grab some poptarts Rose alchemized forever ago and make sure my cool facade is in place. I eat the toaster pastries while looking around.

"Where's TZ?" I ask bored

"Probably larping in your metallic cylindrical mock-tribe." Karkat growled

"So she's playing in Can Town, kay." I nod

"Gog, that's what I fucking said Dave." He huffed, "Now shut your chute, this is the best part." He mumbled

"When is it not with you Kittykat? It's literally 'the best part' from front to back cover for you." I smirk

"Whatever Stridouche, I don't expect you, a half-developed think pan holder to understand great literature." He snarled before turning back to his book.

"Dude, you're reading 'the jealous feeling auspitice breaks out of her shy demeanor to go after her one true kismesis in a bloody battle that will leave them bleeding and half dead while the third member in their party reveals their red feelings towards her and together they form a mutual red and black trifecta of feels.' spoiler alert Karkles, they all get together." I snort

"I got that from the title Strider, what's really artful is the way the story is told, so go defecate on someone else's happiness and leave me to my novel!"

"Fine fine. See ya Crabkat." I wave half assedly and turn

"Your nicknames are still shitty." He grunts out as I turn, I sigh... that wasn't as fun as our usual bickerings. Maybe TZ'll be more-

"Honk"

Oh fuck all that in particular. If she's getting the troll-mack on with the clown I'm out. I see the Mayor but he's drinking his Tab, and when the Mayor gets his drink on you leave the man be. He's a man with a mission and is to drink that overly sticky liquid and expand the glorious metropolis that is Can Town. I sigh again and make my way to my room.

"Dave" I turn and see a Non-aglow Kanaya with a small package.

"Sup Kanaya?" I ask

"I was told you like apples correct?" She asked

"Hells yeah, did Rose finally get my AJ?" I smile at the thought of finally getting to have some again.

"Well no... but I thought you may find your 'irony' in this..." She held up a white knitted sweater with red sleeves like my old shirt and it had a derpy looking apple on the front.

"Holy shit" I looked at it, Kanaya had made me an ironic sweater...

"If it is not 'rad' enough I'm sure I can make adjustments..." Kanaya assured

"Nah, this is great Kan... really." I nod as I take it from her hands and even throw her a small smile. "Thanks"

"Well Rose informed me last night it was one of your Earth years since we embarked so I thought this was an anniversary of sorts." She smiled sadly, "Though... I don't think I will tell Karkat..." Oh yeah... he saw the massacre go down.

"Yeah... we shouldn't bring it up. I'm gonna go to my room and try this sweet thing on, see ya." I turn away and head back to my room. I open the door and lock it behind me, I look around, pile of weapons... my card suit covered sheets on a bed... my time/turn tables... I look at the sweater and picture my old broken disk shirt... Its like... my old place... when HE was still around...

Bro.

I felt my fingers twitch subconsciously, trying to bend, scratch, and mix time back so I could see him.

This time I gave in... I felt the familiar shift in time and felt my body get smaller, and younger. I opened my eyes...

I was a crow.

Just like my dreams. I shook my head and turn as I heard a familiar sound.

Metal scraping on metal.

There's past me and... Bro, he's winning... Dominating the fight really, I'm younger in this one... 10 maybe. He's flashing around... wait for it, yup. There's lil Cal, and down I go... Bro just grabs Cal and holds his hand down... Oh, he's helping me up. It's my 10th birthday... The time he helps me up and then.

"Not bad Little Man, you actually came close to dodging Lil Cal. Speed up though dude..." He said

His voice... I haven't heard it in so long... Its something that made me happy. and sad... and reminded me of when he'd tease, to when he'd compliment me in rare moments.

"Whatever Bro, shit can't believe you're making me bleed on my birthday." Me whines bored

"Don't be a whiner Dave, even if it's your birthday you gotta be ready..." He replied, he smirked but I saw something I didn't before flash in his smirk; Bro flashed away and kid me sat there before laying back down. I flew down an sat at the living/Bro's room window. I saw Bro sit on the futon with Cal and sigh softly. He held Cal in his hands and looked down at him. "It's going to be about 3 years from now... I gotta stop being soft on him now Cal..."

I watched as he sighed again before ordering a pizza for dinner and watched as past me came down while Bro had put ironic candles into the pizza. I watched as past me blew them out and smuppets suddenly fell on my past self. I cackled at how pissed I was then but now... I almost... nah I DO miss it... Then we watched TV until my 10 year old self passed out on Bro's shoulder. I watched him pick me up, I flew to the next window watching him carry me to my room, slip off my shades, and... oh...

he kissed my forehead. "Night little man... It's going to have to be harder hear on..." He pulled out a proper katana in a box with a bow and put it on my table. "Don't hate me for what's to come... I have to...prepare you."

I flew back to his room/living room and sink onto the futon. I wanted to cry... But I'm a fucking crow. I tapped on the glass and Bro turned, he watched me, but I couldn't talk... So I tapped my beak on the glass, in time with an old beat of his he taught me. I saw his eyebrow quirk up and he came torward the window slowly. I kept tapping the glass, I stopped when he opened the room window. He leant on the windowsill and looked at me

"Well aren't you a rad crow." He smirked I cawed lowly hoping I sounded smug, he nodded like I had. "Cool." He started to pat some soft but still sick beats with his hands and I tapped the glass in time with him. He yawned after a while but I just stared at him before
I flew in the room. "Hey whoa Crow-boy this ain't a birdhouse." He smirked I just cawwed softly and went to the pizza box, I tapped my beak, scrapping it across the soft, greasy cardboard and cawwed when I finished. Bro walked over and looked at my message. I saw his eyes widen from the side of his shades and he looked at me.

"Dave..."

I cawwed but felt my time start to run out, I tapped on the box again and felt myself start to fade away.

"Me too little man..."

I opened my eyes and I was back in my room, I looked around and sighed again. I grit my teeth and pulled out my iphone, playing the first song I had ever remixed; Bro's. I laid back and knew I wouldn't ever be able to go back to that time. I thought back to the note and smirked, it was so uncool.

"I don't hate you." and at the end I just tapped out a shitty heart. I close my eyes feeling us about to pass through a dream bubble remembering Bro's words...

"Me too little man."