I had been in captivity for three years and nine months at this point, and I wasn't exactly thrilled about it. I had only one source of lasting hope, and that was Papyrus; he said that he would come for me! I couldn't wait for him to come for me - actually, I could, but that wasn't the point. The point was that he was coming! I would wait as long as I had to for him; he probably knew that! He's the best! Today was a special day for Ink, since he had scheduled a massive guard training in the afternoon, and the entire army would either have to attend, or, if they were needed somewhere, watch the recording of it later; it was a big deal. Nobody really liked guard trainings, but they had to live with them; I received constant complaints about them during beatings and while being watched. I had never attended one, since I wasn't a guard, nor did I want to be, but this time, it would be different; I was going whether I wanted to or not. Of course, my role was not to be trained; I was the example. Usually, they would get a dummy, but this time, I was the dummy. It wasn't a pleasant thought, but I had no say in the matter; Ink made sure of that. He had just killed me, but I wouldn't get my hour to roam my universe until after the training, and he said he would give me an extra hour this time, just because he was nice. At the moment, I was in his room, sitting against a wall, as he oversaw the preparations somewhere else.

"He's going to make you do what?!" Fell could hardly believe it; he was watching me while Ink was away.

"I don't really want to repeat it.." I sighed.

"I can understand..is there any way out?"

"Nope..Ink's dead set on it, and when he is like that, nobody can sway him.."

"That's horrible.."

"Tell me about it.."

"Well, I hope you get that extra hour.."

"So do I. Ink's pretty honest when it comes to that stuff, though; besides, he'll be busy wrapping everything up, and I doubt he'd cut my time short when he's so busy."

"True. Got any special plans?"

"Maybe I'll confirm that I'm never drinking ketchup ever again. They keep offering it to me, but I have to keep turning them down."

"Why?"

"I'd have a mental breakdown if I took it..heck, every time I see the color red, I see paint! Ketchup is a red drink..I couldn't take it."

"I can see that..sorry.."

"Hey, it's not your fault that I'm scarred for life."

"I know..it's terrible that you have to go through this.."

"I'd say I'll live, but somehow, I just don't see that happening.."

"You seem a bit off..are you okay?"

"Just a bit nervous, I guess..I don't know what they're gonna do to me.."

"Plus all the people.."

"Being tortured while you're alone is bad enough, but when you're tortured in front of people who have no way to help you, it just...I don't know what'll happen!"

"Hey, don't go losing hope on me." Fell comforted me. "The last thing we need is for you to be feeling hopeless."

"I know.." I was starting to tear up. "I'm sorry.."

"It's okay. You're okay. Nobody's hurting you right now..there's no need for tears.."

"Okay..no tears.." I wiped them off. "Right. I'm okay."

"There we go! You're gonna be okay, Dust!" 

"Yeah, I'll be okay!"

"That's what I like to hear!"

"Thanks, Fell..I wouldn't have made it this far without you."

"Ah, that's just nonsense! You're strong enough to get by without my help, but whatever I can do, trust that I will do."

"Thanks.."

"Now, before you have to do this, I figure you'll want something extra."

"What?"

"Just the knowledge that your brother saved Horrortale again."

"Really? He's the best!"

"Yep! He's pretty cool!"

"I can't wait for him to come! I'll be able to tell him how cool he is and how he's the best at everything!" 

"Don't forget how patient you are!"

"Yeah! I'm super patient, and I'll wait forever!"

"I'll vouch for that!"

"How much time is left?"

"Um.."

"None." A new voice had entered the room - Ink. "Guard, go to the assembly. I'll take care of Dusty."

"Yes, Sir." Fell left Ink and me alone.

"We're going to have so much fun today, Dusty!" Ink walked over to me. "The only question is if you can be a good little Dusty and walk behind me willingly, or if I need to use..other tactics."

"What..t-tactics?" I didn't want to know.

"Oh, nothing much. Just a rope."

"A..rope?"

"Gosh, Dusty!" Ink giggled. "It's like you think everything I do is painful!"

"Most of it is.."

"Ah, well, that's true. So, are you coming with or without it?"

"Without it.." I didn't exactly want to be tied up. 

"Great!" Ink smiled. "Come on, Dusty!"

I stood up to follow Ink; there was no chance of escape on my own, and I didn't try. It wasn't very shocking that I would follow Ink without restraints; he probably had eyelights in the back of his skull, which meant that I wasn't going anywhere he didn't want me to. It was actually a long walk to the training area; I was pretty tired out when we got there. It was an outdoor training area with a raised stage for the actual training part, and Ink would be right in the center of it. I saw almost every high rank there, including the diabolical guard; this was truly a big event. When we arrived, I was seated next to the stage with a few high ranks; they smirked at me, knowing exactly why I was there and waiting to hear my screams of pain. I was in for it, unfortunately. When nobody else was entering the area, Ink took his place on stage and prepared the guards; only Fell knew that I was going to be present, which meant that the other guards were in for a surprise. I didn't exactly look forward to it, opting to look forward to my time in my universe instead. When Ink was ready, he began his introduction; I wondered how much pain I would be in.

"Welcome, guards, to your training for today!" Ink greeted. "As always, you will be taught new techniques for maximum performance possibility and new rules that you will be following! Please, hold your questions until the end! Now, we will start with the new rules! Some complaints have been made about being put into two groups under different high ranks, and I will respond accordingly! You have all been placed into a section under a commander! One hundred guards per commander, except for Blue, who gets the overflow. If you're in the overflow, simply wait for a new high rank to join us, and you will be sorted accordingly! Your sections will be listed in the main hall on the notice wall; don't skip out on it, or there will be consequences. Now, I believe that's the only thing other than a few conduct rules, but we always do those at the end! Now for techniques! Please welcome our training dummy for today, Dusty!"

The crowd seemed very unsettled when my name was mentioned. They became even more unsettled when I was forced onto the stage by a couple high ranks who held my arms tightly. Ink looked happy; I was not. 

"Our techniques for today will be quite simple: crowd control and civilian punishment." Ink turned to me. "As always with civilians, they shouldn't be able to move or dodge, hence the restraints. Now we begin."

Ink started to go through different techniques to properly control citizens, all of which were painful; I expected that. From kicking repeatedly to properly placed bone attacks, he cracked my bones and made the guards feel sorry for me; they had to watch this. After three hours of techniques, Ink stopped; everybody knew it wasn't over, though. He looked at my crying, shaking figure with glee; some of the lower ranks were crying as well. Everything was silent for over a minute; I honestly wondered if he was finished - I hoped he was..but I knew he wasn't. Even the crowd's crying slowed..until he said a simple phrase. The crying increased the second he said it, and even the higher ranks holding me seemed a bit tense about it; he wasn't joking.

"Now.." He said. "Execution techniques."

Ink grinned at me as he approached; I prepared for what was about to happen.

"This is fairly simple." Ink summoned a sharp bone. "If a civilian is getting out of hand too much, they deserve the most painful death possible, if they aren't sent to the compound for torturing, of course. The soul should be showing outside of the body, like this." My soul was pulled out. "A sharp object, knife, bone, anything, really, should be used. A death with less pain would be straightforward; we don't want that. Run the point across these spots on the soul, making sure not to hit anything important, and in general, just making them scream out. When you complete this path, jab straight in and twist. The victim will have regretted being born, and if they ever are brought back to life, they'll remember. Now, watch this demonstration of the tactic closely."

Ink brought the point of the bone across the path he specified earlier on my soul, making me scream in pain; the audience was mostly in tears, and the ones who weren't were passing out. Ink had a way of doing that, and my screaming was just a way to prove that his tactics worked, unfortunately. When he finished the first step in his technique, he drove the bone into my soul and twisted it, with my heightened screaming proving the effectiveness of his sadistic tactics. When he twisted for the last time, I died once more, and the hold of a reset took control instead. The pain was gone, thankfully, when I woke up in my bed, but it was a pretty gruesome experience while it lasted; I just had to forget about it and move on. I started my usual routine when I died, heading straight for the guard station in the forest; I had to know what Papyrus had been up to recently - he's the best! There was only one guard in the station when I got there, and he was in tears; he had obviously been watching. After a quick comforting hug, the guard led me to the table where my brother's achievements were kept; there were four more pages than last time, and they included more of my awesome brother's rescue attempts and other missions!

I spent twenty minutes looking at Paps's missions before saying goodbye to the guard and heading to Grillby's; I had an extra hour today, and I wasn't going to waste it! When I reached the restaurant, I took my usual seat and started talking to Grillby and some others; they hadn't heard about the events of the day, which I counted as a good thing, because I didn't want to talk about it. We talked about multiverse happenings and other events that were coming up, but the conversation eventually drifted to the past..when Ink wasn't in control. There was a lot of laughter, and smiling was present.

"Wait, remember when the Librarby was on fire?" I couldn't stop laughing. 

"Everybody was panicking!" Grillby remembered that well. 

"I was the only one with enough brains to look for a fire extinguisher!" Undyne scoffed. "And there wasn't one!" 

"That can't top the time when the hall was flooded!" Asgore commented. 

"Seriously, where was I supposed to stand?" I rolled my eyelights. "The roof?"

"No, you wouldn't stand on the roof!" The old lady found that ridiculous. "Obviously you would stand on the walls!"

"Wall, you got me there." 

"Hey!" Grillby exclaimed. "That was a pun!"

"Heh..I guess so.." I frowned a bit. "Papyrus used to hate those. Does he..ever come around here?"

"No..he's probably too busy finding ways to rescue you and your friend!" Undyne encouraged. "I bet you'll be free in no time!"

"Yeah..hopefully.."

"Would you like a drink?" Grillby offered.

"Got any water?" 

"What about ketchup?"

"N-no.."

"Sans, is something wrong? In the past, you would take it without hesitation..now, you won't touch it."

"Ketchup is red." I couldn't avoid this explanation. "Ink uses red paint..the connection is too much..I'd probably have a breakdown."

"Oh..sorry.."

"It's not your fault."

"How much time do you have left?" The old lady wondered.

"About an hour..Ink killed me twice today, so I get more time as a result."

"That's good..I think."

"Yeah..it is."

"More time to spend with you is great!" Undyne felt sorry for me after our rough reintroduction. 

"I wish all this stuff never happened.."

"Doesn't everybody?" 

"Obviously not Ink.."

Before we could continue, the door opened; I assumed it was someone else - Alphys, perhaps. The voice that came wasn't hers...

"Brother?"

I turned as soon as I heard it, and the entire group was in shock; I started tearing up.

"P-Paps?" I knew it was him. 

"Brother, it's me." Paps smiled softly. 

I wasted no time in leaving my seat to run up to him; I hadn't seen him in years! When I was halfway to him, I tripped; it wasn't caused by a misstep, though. My foot was caught..in paint. Ink stepped out in front of me; I couldn't believe it.

"Dust's brother!" Ink chuckled. "I don't think we've been acquainted!" 

"Let my brother go." Papyrus was stern.

"So, you're one of the leaders of that pesky resistance, aren't you?"

"I won't hesitate to engage in battle."

"Wow, you're getting straight to the point! Well, I don't quite think that you know what you're getting into!"

"Step aside or prepare for battle." Paps wasn't messing around. "You have tortured my brother for far too long, and today, you've stepped too far."

"Oh, come on! A public execution is nothing!"

"And I suppose my brother is nothing to you. I'm taking him back." Paps summoned a long bone; he would fight.

"Well, that'll be pretty hard! You see, Papyrus, you may be able to take out any soldier in my army, but you won't defeat me, because there's a difference between them and me."

"And what is that?"

"I don't play fair." Ink used blue magic to lift me up; the paint holding me back had dissolved. 

"Put him down." 

"No, silly! Why would I put him down..when he'll be taking all the hits?"

"What?!" I struggled, to no avail.

Ink brought me closer to him, giggling. Papyrus wasn't going to wait for him to do anything, summoning bone attacks immediately and aiming them directly for Ink. Ink, however strong he was, wasn't ready for that; his right shoulder was pierced, and I was released from his grip. Papyrus was completely ready for battle, not willing to let me go; he's the best. Ink wasted no time in freeing his shoulder of foreign objects and unsheathing his brush as soon as he could. Before the true battle could begin, Ink created a barrier between them and the outside; Paps wouldn't be getting help, and I was unfortunately on the outside. The fight moved fast, and I could barely keep track of what was happening; I had to, though. Paps was fighting better than I had ever seen him! There was no doubt as to his place as a leader of the resistance. Ink was barely hitting Paps, while being hit few times himself. I felt like it was going to come down to who had more endurance; I knew that Ink had high levels of endurance, having been with him for longer than I would have liked, and I knew that Papyrus would no doubt have a lot. Only time would tell at this point.

I tried as hard as I could to get through the barrier, but there was no use; I didn't even have my magic. Neither of the fighters seemed to be slowing, every movement as quick as the last. It was truly amazing seeing my brother in action; he was better than the stories! I couldn't have cared less about Ink; he was trying to hurt Paps! As much as I wanted to get through to help Paps, it was useless; I could only watch and hope. Papyrus had really become better at fighting; he was taking Ink on move for move, not giving an inch! The battle continued for over twenty minutes, and neither of them looked even a little tired out; I was so proud of Paps! The speed never slowed, not even for a moment; every attack was placed just right, and one wrong move could have meant the end for either of them. I just hoped it wasn't Paps. At the twenty-five-minute point, the battle ended abruptly, and the barrier fell. I couldn't make it to my brother, though; a portal opened below me, and just as I lost sight of my brother, I knew it didn't matter that he had won. All that mattered was that Ink had retreated, and I wasn't left behind. I sobbed on Ink's floor nonstop, wishing I had moved when I could, wishing I could have been with Paps.

He would rescue me..eventually.

~~~chapter end woot~~~

Dust bean ain't happy bean.

Thanks for reading my retreating writing! 

Bye!