Beforus. Where was that again? Karkat thought. Since Beforus was destroyed no one really knew where it was relocated. It was still in the Kingdom but where? He took the note out of his pocket and flipped it. On the back of the paper there were directions. It says:
Go north, and when you see a sign that says: Dead End. Just pass the sign and enter.
Karkat shoved the note back in his pocket and started to the door. His father still wants to talk to him if he sneaks maybe he'll… Never mind. He turned to the balcony. Opening the door and heading out. Looking down, he shudders. That's high, he thinks. He stalks back into his room and looks in the closet.
In the closet there was a brilliant red chest lying on the floor. After such a long time it still shines. Kneeling down in front of the chest, he opens it. All kinds of things he sees. Going back to the memory he never had. All this feels so alien to him. Rummaging through all the stuff he kept in that box. Tossing all that shit all over the room. What was he looking for anyways?
Ah, there it was a rope, probably strong enough to pull a whale from the ocean. Rushing to the balcony he tied the rope to the railing and wrapped himself in the rope. He sat on the railing. Before the servant opened the door he was already gone.
Sprinting through the crowd, he's headed north.
Panting, sweating, heart racing, he's never ran this much before. Accept for the time when he and Gamzee were racing to the castle. Obviously, Gamzee won with his long legs. Karkat assumed that Gamzee cheated. Of course, he wouldn't know. He couldn't.
"Dead End," He read the sign. Looking forward, he saw the run-down buildings and the poor people. To be honest, he pitied them. Every single one of them he pitied. "So, this is Beforus." He whispered.
Karkat passed the sign and entering the village. He felt something bump into him while he walked. Karkat turned around, but no one was there. He, then, looked down and saw a little girl. She had a flower in her blonde, short hair. Her light purple eyes beamed straight into Karkat's. Her light pink dress was tattered a bit. The socks she wore are dirty with mud, no longer white anymore. Her fuchsia colored flats are also dirty with mud and dirt. He pitied her.
"Hi, mister, sorry for bumping into you," She spoke in that soft, high pitched voice. "I've never seen you here before. Are you new?"
Karkat shook his head. "Yeah, I am. I was going to look for someone."
The little girl smiled widely. "Are you looking for your girlfriend?" She cooed.
"What? No, she's not my girlfriend."
"Oh, so it's a she. 'She' must be your girlfriend then."
"No, course not. I barely know her."
"It's a blind date then!" She whooped. "What's her name?"
"It's not a blind date. And her name is Kanaya."
"Pretty name, I bet she has a pretty face too!" She purred.
"She's. Not. My. Girlfriend," He said more slowly, putting spaces in between them.
"Relax. I know. Kanaya wouldn't fall for a… She wouldn't fall for you. I mean she already has someone else. But don't worry I'll be your girlfriend." She laughed. Being a 7 year old girl and all she sure can talk.
"I'm sorry you're too young for me. And how do you know Kanaya? Considering that she's a sylph and all. You know where she is?" Karkat asked looking around.
"Kanaya is my girlfriend. And she's… somewhere. I don't really know." She scratched the back of her head, flushed and smiling all toothy.
"Kanaya has a girlfriend? And that's you? No, offense but you're a child."
"Hahaha!" Her voice hardened. "Don't remind me."
Far in the distance they saw Kanaya coming closer. She was holding tulips, roses and all kinds of flowers. She looked up and her face brightens. So did the little girl's face. The little girl ran to Kanaya and hugged her. Kanaya hugged back.
"Hi, Rose." She sees Karkat and smiled. "I see you've met Karkat."
"Yeah, he's an ok guy."
"That's good. I'm glad to hear. Anyways, let's get down to business. Follow me." Kanaya said as she gestured them to follow. As she was about to move she saw someone she knew. That person also took notice to her too.
"Hey, Kanaya, what're you doing here?" Says Vriska. "Don't you usually hang in the forest? Who do you have here?" She peered behind Kanaya seeing Karkat and Rose. She grinned.
"Well, if it isn't the royal asshole's son, fancy seeing you here. I didn't even know you knew this place existed." She said sarcastically.
"I didn't. I thought this place was destroyed or something. That's what my father told me."
"Don't believe everything your daddy tells you, boy." She says. "Back to the point, why are you here?"
Kanaya took a step forward. "We're here to regain his memory."
Vriska folded her arms, frowning. "Did he agree to do this? You know the rules; ask before you take." Vriska sneered.
Kanaya was silent for a moment. She already knew the rules real well. That said that if you take something without asking, in other words stealing, you'll be punished. A few years back a fellow sylph member stole a golden amulet from a human. That amulet was the amulet of destruction. That human was killed by a sylph and the amulet was taken. Soon, when the head sylph found out, they were mad. So was that one sylph. He the last thing he said when he was executed was: "Every each and one of you will all die. Someone will bring destruction to the world and my revenge with be avenged!" With those last words of abhorrence his wings were torn off his back, and off with his head. No one really knew the purpose of this sylph's actions, but all they do know is that he won't stop even if he's dead.
"She didn't need to ask. I just came along." Karkat intruded. He heard her sigh in relief behind him.
"So, you actually want your memory back? I'm surprised, just yesterday you didn't accept. What led to your change of mind?"
"This." He took something out of his pocket and showed it to Vriska.
"O what's this?" She said slowly. "A crab and what's that signature?"
"Somehow, I have a feeling that it's familiar but I've never seen it before. I want to know why that stranger gave this to me."
"Stranger? Someone gave this to you? Who?"
"I don't know, that's why I said 'stranger'."
"Do you at least know what that person looked like?"
"I only saw his shadow. But in his shadow he has messy, unruly hair. He's very tall about 6'3". And the rest is all hidden behind the curtains."
Everyone is all quiet for a minute, thinking about something. Rose tugged Kanaya's skirt. She looked down at Rose who was pointed to the crab. Kanaya knew what she meant by that.
"Can I see that for a second?" She asked. Karkat gave it to Kanaya who gave it to Rose. She traced the smiley face and flinched. Her eyes snapped shut, seeing: Gamzee, Terezi and others. They were in a castle made entirely out of glass. Gamzee was injured, three scars across his face while he was holding his bloody arm. Terezi was holding two canes with blades at the ends of both of them. And then she sees Karkat lying on the floor, his blood seeping from his wounds. Vriska has a spear through her stomach. She sees a 12 year old girl with a cat hat lying on the floor, headless. There was also a man with shades on his eyes. He was headless too.
In one flash and that image disappeared. There came another vision. Gamzee was there sitting and watching the sunset. Karkat was there too, well... just his head.