Notes: This is not the end. It is only a beginning. I plan on another 11 stories of variable length within this AU (the Lives Under the Pink Moon series). They shall progress through the other pre-scratch trolls, their trials in the world, their relationships, and the challenges they face in this 'peaceful' world. Next up is one that I've been really excited over, one centered on Vriska. I hope you stick around to enjoy the world, and come back at least in the future when I get to Karkat's story, which will feature a return of all the little trolls you've seen so far, and a few others to boot.

An Unscratched Surface: Part 25

"This is ridiculous slander!" Spided shouted, leaping to his feet. "I demand that this violent psychopath be removed from these proceedings!"

"Violent psychopath?" Feferi asked, confused, shocked, and horrified as she turned her attention to Spided.

"The boy came to my own hive and beat me with no provocation!"

"What?" Goatad demanded, turning his eyes on Gamzee. "Is this true?"

"No," Gamzee mumbled."

"Liar!"

"I beat him, but there was provocation. If the council will allow me to up and motherfucking explain?"

"Why should they listen to a..." Spided roared, complete ignoring the way the Empress rose a delicate hand to silence the room. In light of this Legirule Madesi rose to his feet and bellowed "Silence!" and so the room grew miraculously quiet.

"Good," Madesi said after a minute. "Soon enough I expect to learn why an assault was not reported and what prompted it. But for now..."

Feferi nodded in acknowledgment of a gesture Madesi made and cleared her throat. "Continue, Makara."

"When I asked Karkat about his injuries, he got mad at me for saying he didn't deserve it and went off on a rant that contained markedly hemohierarchist notes to it. He thought himself worthless, and called me a 'highblood,' and implied he was worth less than a beast... The next day I started looking for ways to get him away from his guardian."

"And the incident with Spided?" Feferi asked.

"The night the paperwork came though to give my guardian temporary wardship of Vantas, I arrived at the hive after work to discover Karkat had been beaten by a few blue blood ruffians. Goatad had gone to report the incident, but wasn't aware of the underlying source. I... got angry and went to confront Spided. Luckily my moirail is matesprit to his ward Vriska and was present to shooshpap my ass down before I did real damage. Since then Karkat has again been attacked by blue blooded brutes, only saved from serious ill by the actions of a maroon blooded telekinetic named Aradia Megido."

"If all of this is true..." Feferi started in, only to be cut off by a loud laugh from Vriska. "Do you find all of this to be amusing, Miss Sekret?"

"Absolutely. 'If all of this is true?' It is, and before my guardian can..."

"Vriska..." Spided snarled, his voice low.

"Before he can try to claim something else, I was present for the attack. Gamzee was totally out of it. Didn't even notice attempts to restrain him until his moirail started papping."

"Vriska," a nervous voice said beside her, and Gamzee watched in unrestrained shock as she placed a hand on Remium's shoulder.

"Don't you get it, Remium? Haven't you even got it? All those messages from that Nepeta girl? This is as much your concern as it is Karkat's. Geez, can't you even see now? Look at this, the Empress is right there and she's listening. If there was ever a time for irons in this fire, this is it."

"Irons?"

"All of them."

The the eyes of the motherfucking olive blood darted over towards Karkat, who was still being restrained by Goatad's huge arms, and the motherfucker nodded.

"He hits Karkat. And he hits me when I don't listen fast enough. Calls me a scum-blood and lowblood..." Remium said, his voice a whisper that would have been drowned out by Spided's protests had the Empress not gestured and caused Gestat to move from behind the table to Remium's side.

"Why has no one brought this up before now?" Primator Indigo finally asked, and as one motherfucking miraculous unit, Gamzee and Vriska spoke.

"I gave my word to protect him."

Gamzee continued, though, with "and he made me swear never to speak."

"Not to the authorities or your guardian?"

"Why not?"

For that Gamzee could give no answer, at least no wicked honest one. So for the first time before the council, he lied.

"I was bound by moirail privilege. After I became pale with another troll, the important steps were already up and being taken. And now I expect the proper actions will be taken here too. Do with it what you may. And if I'm to be motherfucking punished for my actions, I would take it on the motherfucking stipulation that I not be put in the same place as this motherfucking scum."

With that Gamzee sat down, and for a moment the room grew silent around him. And then, the shouting began anew.

The arguing went on for hours, until at last Feferi's yawning brought the time to everyone's attention. Unfortunately it was well past sunrise, so there was no hope of returning to the hive now. The Empress seemed to have anticipated this possibility, for those present were shown to respite blocks, with comfortable slabs, hygiene blocks, and even clothes for the next day (though not so nice as Kanaya's efforts). Everything they needed would be provided, save communication with the outside. With Spided already under investigation for possible connections to a more violent subset of the hemohierarchists, they wanted a chance to seek proof one way or another without interference. The only issue was that everyone (save Remium and Indigo, who had taken the young troll into her emergency wardship) was left alone in rooms that could be locked. Goatad, in his fury that Gamzee had hidden so much from him, had shut his ward out, and Karkat had immediately locked himself into his room. The only visitor Gamzee had was Vriska, and when she only wanted to talk about how all the irons in all the fires had come out crimson red. After about ten minutes he'd seen fit to show her, bodily, to the block door.

So now Gamzee had nothing to do but stretch out on the slab all spread wide like, and stare at the ceiling. He'd done what he'd motherfucking set out to do, and it hurt, bad, and his eyes stung and his hands shook and his vision was purpling and he wanted his moirail. Wanted to motherfucking lie in Kanaya's arms and cry until it didn't hurt. Problem was Gamzee was so motherfucking sure that the wicked pain would last forever, the pity never fade. He'd let down his guardian, betrayed the troll he was flushed for, and all of it for what? Could he be sure it wouldn't have turned out right without the big, dramatic motherfucking reveal?

Then, as the tears started to fall, there was a knocking at the door.

"Go the motherfuck away, Vriska. Didn't you already up and get schoolfed on the wicked truth that I don't want you here?"

"Which would fucking matter if I was that egotistical, eight-eyed bitch," a voice, Karkat's, snapped.

Gamzee threw himself himself from the bed like his feet never touched the motherfucking ground. It was a miracle how fast he made the door, unlocked it, and swung that motherfucker open.

"Shit, have you been crying?" were Karkat's first words as he all up and strode into the block.

"Ain't none of your concern."

"After that moronic show today, it's clear things need to start being my business," Karkat snarled, leaving Gamzee behind to close the door. "Why did you fucking do that?"

"Do what?"

"Yeah, I get you're stupid, but didn't know your mind was completely rotted."

"If needed done."

"Like fuck it did."

"I swore I'd see you motherfucking safe from that so called troll. And I have now. Consider me done."

"Done?" Karkat demanded. "Done with what?"

"This. All of this. Your motherfucking anger, your cruelty, your not up and caring that people care about you enough to fight for you."

"Was that what that fucking spectacle was supposed to be? Because it was a fucking three ring barkbeast and hoofbeast show, Gamzee."

"Well, you'll be happy to know you ain't going to have to up and deal with it soon."

"What?" Karkat looked genuinely motherfucking surprised.

"If they don't put me away for a rotted pan, or violence, you still won't have to up and deal with this motherfucker. Kanaya's filed for my change of hive. I'm moving in with my moirail and you won't up and have to put up with me no more."

"What?" Karkat repeated, and again he looked angry "Where do you fucking get off making decisions like that without talking to your guardian and me? Is this because of the ashen shit? I know it wasn't your fault but Terezi..."

"It's not like the teal bitch was the only fucking interested party!" Gamzee growled, turning away from Karkat's beautiful, bewildered face. "What about Nepeta?"

"Nepeta wasn't really my..."

"Fuck that and motherfuck you," Gamzee snarled, whirling once more on Karkat. "Do you know her and Terezi both up and agreed not to say anything? Terezi stabbed her in the back."

"Why would she...?"

"Because she never believed me when I said I was pale for you."

"You're pale for Kanaya, so she was right not to believe."

"Is this all you've come here for? To get into pointless motherfucking arguments?"

"I don't know why I fucking came here anymore. All looking at you does is make me angry."

"Then don't motherfucking look at me. It's pretty fucking simple. Just leave and don't fucking look back."

"Fine, stay here and do your pathetic crying."

"Maybe if you just left me alone I wouldn't motherfucking need to," Gamzee mumbled under his breath. It would be so much easier if he could just be allowed to forget.

"Huh?"

"Just go away and stay out of my motherfucking sight. Maybe then I'll forget how pitiable you are. Maybe it won't hurt so motherfucking much and I can up and move on."

The tears were back now, and the stinging worse than ever, so Gamzee walked away, hiding his face from the other troll. Yet even as he did, there was a light as fuck touch upon his arm, a touch hot like only Karkat's could be.

"Gamzee, what hurts?"

"Stop pulling the fake pale. I hate it when you do that."

"Gamzee, just tell me. Kanaya isn't here, so you might as well tell me."

"Seeing you hurts. Watching you with Terezi, watching you be hurt. Watching and waiting and never..."

"Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. You're... You're flushed."

"Ever since I saw your eyes."

"Idiot," Karkat growls, and then his motherfucking fist is balled up in Gamzee's shirt, and his eyes are closed and there is heat against his lips, heat radiating into his face, and he can't breathe.

Then Gamzee's arms come up and wrap around the bundle of warmth, and his lips are moving and the pain is gone. Until it's back, more demanding in his chest, and Karkat's up and pushing a motherfucker away, and while the pain from not breathing in his chest at the rejection. What cruel troll gave such a flushed kiss, then pushed away?

"Why didn't you say something?" Karkat was asking now, his head pressed against Gamzee's chest and his fist still tangled in Gamzee's robe. "Everything would have been fucking easier if you just said something."

"Man, I ain't even up and understanding what the motherfuck is going on now. What just happened?"

"It's called a kiss, Gamzee. Do you not even pay attention to the romcoms you watch?"

"Well, it was nice and it shouldn't have stopped."

"I'm not some fucking seatroll who has fucking gills or something to breathe."

"You know that only works in the water, right?"

"Shut up, I'm trying to fucking think."

"Is thinking really that motherfucking important right now?"

Before Karkat could answer, Gamzee's gotten the smaller troll pressed up against him again, long fingers under his chin and tilting Karkat's face up so he can kiss the burning lips. The kiss is shorter, sweeter, and every moment perfect until the end, then Karkat's pulling away and his cheeks are burning a beautiful crimson tinted gray. And his eyes... Gamzee was always going to up and be a sucker for those eyes.

"Pity you," Gamzee breathed, looking down at the other troll. "Pity you something red."

"I've wanted to hear you say that. So fucking bad you stupid fuck."

"Then you should have asked."

"How, Gamzee? Ask the troll acting as my moirail why he doesn't pity me enough? Ask a troll who is so fucking open with his emotions if he'll consider a pity date? Tell someone whose shown no interest in flushed romance that you're so red for them that it's fucking hard to think about other stuff? And then, when they try to kill your guardian, ignore your pale attempts, and someone else confesses flushed feelings, what do you do? What do you do, Gamzee, when your flush crush attacks someone you're pity dating?"

"I don't know," Gamzee admitted, tears in his eyes and mirthful chuckles up and filling his voice. "It just knows it hurts and you want it to end."

"Then let it end," Karkat whispered before pulling Gamzee down for another kiss.

Except he gave up after a second from all the wicked laughter pouring out of Gamzee. "Just what's so fucking funny?"

"What you motherfucking said. Sounds like the final line in some cheesy romcom."

Then Karkat was laughing too, and together they stumbled over to the slab and collapsed in laughter. At last, though the mirth faded and the two were left there, Karkat pressed against Gamzee's side and using his chest as a pan support, and Gamzee with his arm all up and fucking wrapped around Karkat's wist, and it felt right, so right.

"When you think about it, it's all like a redrom," Karkat observed, shifting so one of his arms was draped loosely across Gamzee's chest. "Two trolls meet, one finds the other is abused, and they slip into a moirallegiance of convenience, wanting to be together because they are flushed for each other but can't admit it. Yet the connection breaks when they find their own moirails, and one goes red for another troll that the other is black for. And in the end it's what first makes their foolish moirallegiance that finally fills their flushed quadrants."

"Title needs some work."

"That isn't a fucking title," Karkat growled, but there was no edge to the sound anymore.

"You still need one. How else will you tell it apart from all the other romcoms?"

"It'll be our story, chuckle head."

"Make it for me someday, and give it a happy ending."

"I will," Karkat promised, "If you will."