Heyo!

Fun fact: Google says that the minimum average novel length is 40,000 words...which means that every single one of these groups of extras is about the length of a short novel.

How fun.

Comments are welcome and appreciated!

Please enjoy!

~~~~~

"Light"

This short takes place in the "Vantablack" timeline (mm yes we start with angst)!

Classification: hurt-comfort, I guess.

Warnings: violence, torture, mental trauma.

Canonicity: alternate timeline.

~~~~~

Ink had been bad. The constant reprimand, mixed with the stern looming of torture at any false move..it was horrible. But now that Papyrus had fallen under his sway..it was so much worse. I would have preferred Ink! Being beaten, whipped, and insulted at the same time was too much for me! I wasn't meant to take that much pain..I was cracking at the seams. My brother no longer loved me; Ink had turned his soul as dark as a night with no moon or stars..Papyrus was dead, and only a monster remained. He was Ink's right hand monster..he did what he was told when he was told, and when he wasn't told anything, he was free to do as he pleased..which usually involved playing with me. Ink was crueler than Papyrus, yes, but something about the glare of hate from my own brother..it broke me. I had tried to reason with him at first, but I knew when something was useless..I simply accepted my fate after that. Ink and Papyrus enjoyed inventing new rules for me to live by and punishing me unfairly when they were broken; my existence was against the rules, and I was punished for it daily. I wished I could go back in time to when things had been simpler..when Ink hadn't been so cruelly corrupted by those accursed apples.

"Pay attention, toy!" Ink growled at my lack of awareness as I struggled to stay awake; I hadn't slept in three weeks.

"H-help.." I silently whispered, to no one in particular..I didn't know what to do anymore.

"Quiet!" Papyrus hissed, reminding me that I was no longer allowed to speak, either..I was to be silent...eternally mute.

I simply bowed my skull and tried to focus on whatever they were doing..I didn't know what it was, and I really didn't care. Upon the realization that I wasn't paying them any mind, they grew angry, and they began to punish me for my insolence...the blows were dulled by the fact that I was too tired to care. I just wanted sleep.

"Stay up!" Ink kicked me in the ribcage; I truly didn't feel much of anything..

"Disobedient little twit." Papyrus scoffed. "Cannot do anything right."

"I think it needs another lesson."

"I will be glad to assist you."

"Papyrus, what did I say about your speech?"

"Apologies..I..I'm not used to using so many contractions."

"Good boy. Now, let's teach this idiot a lesson it won't soon forget."

"May I suggest electrocution? It'll..shock it awake."

"You're getting better at this, Papyrus."

"Thank you, master."

I was bound tightly with an electrical wire, and there was no covering to protect me from the current. They made sure to cover every bone I had, and they didn't overlook my soul; they never did. When I was fully prepared for torture, they stepped clear of the wiring, and they sent an electrical current through the wires. Blows hadn't hurt me, but..this certainly did. They laughed as I convulsed on the floor, increasing the current when they felt that they were being too lenient..and I suffered, as I did every day. This was no different. When night came, they hadn't bothered to release me from my electric torture, deciding that this lesson would keep me from repeating my mistake of daring to be tired..I knew it wouldn't. I was doused with water at various periods during the night as punishment for interrupting the sleep of my owners..my pain was a neverending nightmare. As morning arrived, I was finally freed, but I continued to convulse; I couldn't stop.

"Toy, those burn marks will be red if you don't stay still." Ink warned, scolding my involuntary motions. "Very well. Papyrus, we're teaching it another lesson!"

"Yes, master!" Papyrus was eager to teach me.

This lesson came with blades and saws, which traced the lines of the wires from the previous lesson. I didn't know if I felt anything; I felt numb. Maybe I had finally become immune to pain? I would have loved that! They could kill me! They could kill me and never reset me! I could die! The scream I let out when they cut into my soul dashed my hopes, further breaking me down and dragging me into the pits of despair. They went to work after teaching me that lesson, and I was thankful for it! I could just lie on the floor and pretend everything was okay..pretend that my brother still loved me..pretend that Ink was just a misguided individual..pretend that I was free. I sobbed as I realized that nothing could be further from the truth, and that my life was incomparable with even the lowest of the goodness in the world. I pretended, however, and it eased my pain for a time. After a while, the door to Ink's room opened, and my sobbing picked up in fear; they were going to hurt me! My eyelights widened as a new face entered my view..

"Hey, Dust." The voice was one I hadn't heard in decades..I couldn't place it. "Mind if we kidnap you?"

"H-help.." I said the only word I had managed to get out of my mouth since I had given up on Papyrus..always 'help.' Nothing else.

"On it, buddy."

I whimpered as the figure lifted me up, and it hushed me quietly, urging me to be silent; I obeyed, despite everything inside me begging me to scream and avoid the punishment for my silence later. I was teleported somewhere else, and I was placed on something...soft? What was this foreign feeling?

"Hush, Dust." The figure calmed me. "Close your eyesockets and get some sleep."

I obeyed, falling asleep in an instant. The warm hold of rest gave my body new energy..I embraced every bit of it. When I awoke, I found my limbs wrapped..no, my entire body was wrapped in bandages, except my face. I couldn't move, but I usually didn't move anyway, which didn't bother me.

"Good morning, Dust!" The figure greeted me once more.

I didn't say anything, only staring at the only other person I had been privileged to see since...I didn't know how long it had been.

"Are you feeling okay?" It inquired.

"H-help.." I repeated; I didn't know any other word to say.

The figure saddened for a moment, before coming over to me..was it going to hurt me?!

"H-help, help, h-help, help.." I sobbed.

"Shh, you're okay." The figure..calmed me.

"H-h-help.." I quivered.

"We helped you, Dust." The figure assured.

"H-help..?"

"Yes, Dust, we helped you. You are safe."

"H-help.."

"How is he?" Another figure came to speak with the first.

"He's only saying, 'help'; I don't know if he knows he's safe or if his mind is too broken to say anything else.."

"It's unfortunate we couldn't get to him sooner..I'll get someone to give him a mental examination; we should be able to gauge the problem from there."

"I'll stay with him."

"All right."

I didn't know what a "mental exmaination" was, but if it was anything like the mental tests they gave me, I wanted to get out of here before it happened! I didn't want to be hurt..I would do anything to not be hurt! Soon enough, a third figure came into view, and it sat down on a chair next to me.

"Dust, I'm going to give you a small examination, just to see how you are." It spoke. "Are you all right with that?"

"H-h-help.." I didn't want it! I didn't want to be hurt!

"Dust, can you say something other than that word? Can you tell me..your name?"

"H-help.." I didn't have a name; Ink said that toys were nameless, and they had to deal with it..I didn't have a name, and if it kept me from a punishment, I didn't want one.

"I see.." The figure thought for a few moments. "Dust, if you can understand what I'm saying, please blink twice."

Deciding that it would be best not to anger this figure, I did so.

"That's good." The figure sounded appeased; I hoped I could keep it that way. "From now on, I will ask you questions that can be answered with a yes or a no; blink twice for yes, and once for no. Do you know where you are?"

I blinked once, signifying that I had no clue.

"That will likely change shortly." The figure assured. "Are you in pain?"

I..didn't feel any pain..I gave a negative answer.

"Good." The figure stated. "Do you know who brought you here?"

I blinked once again.

"Hm.." The figure hummed in thought. "Do you feel safe here?"

Another negative, a quick one.

"..Understandable." The figure sighed. "Is there anything that would make you feel safe?"

No. There wasn't.

"..All right. Final question for now, since you seem tired..do you know who you are?"

I was about to answer, before stopping myself..I wasn't the same person I used to be..the one that knew how to laugh and smile..the one that could talk Ink out of punishing him..the one who had a brother who loved him. I wasn't him anymore..I was just a toy..a broken, nameless, stupid toy! In a way, I knew exactly what I was..I was a thing. I was a thing to torture..I wasn't a who. With every bit of honesty I could muster, I blinked once, telling the figure that I didn't know who I was..I wasn't a who; I was a what.

"..All right." The figure stood and left, leaving me with the first.

"..Do you remember who you were?" The first seemed to realize that I hadn't forgotten, gaining a positive answer. "..I'm sorry, Dust."

The first figure ran after the third, and I was left alone. I was told that I would be kept in bandages until my wounds healed, which, even with healing magic, would take a very long time; I would be kept numb, however, to spare me. I didn't deserve that, but I didn't say anything; I didn't want to be punished. I assumed that these figures had stolen me from Ink and Papyrus, and they were going to heal me before inflicting their own torture on me..it was the only thing that made sense to me. They kept saying the word, "safe"; I didn't know what it meant. The figures first began to teach me how to speak something other than "help" after three days; perhaps they thought that a toy should have been able to express thoughts. I managed to say a few new words after a couple days, and after two weeks, I was capable of expressing simple thoughts; I didn't know why I had to, but I didn't want to anger anyone. Anger was bad, and it led to pain.

"Are you feeling well today, Dust?" The first figure inquired; they had named me 'Dust,' although I didn't know why.

"I..okay." I replied.

"You're getting much better at speaking! Soon enough, we might be able to have you reading! Won't that be fun?"

"Can't." I stated.

"Hm? Why can't you read? If you need to learn again, we can teach you."

"No..see."

"..What?" The first figure seemed afraid; I didn't know why.

"See..no good." I tried to think of the right word. "It...blur?"

"I..I'm so sorry! I should have realized it sooner..can you see anything?"

"Little.." I could always see bad smiles..the ones Ink and Papyrus had when they tortured me..they were horrible.

"So that's why you don't focus your sight.." The figure sighed. "We might have some glasses that will help..I hope we do."

The figures put many pairs of glasses on me, but none of them helped; I told them I would be fine. I had gone this long without seeing much..resets could only protect my sight for so little. Ink and Papyrus enjoyed impairing my vision; it made them happy to give me handicaps.

"I guess without your sight, you don't know who we are yet, do you?" The first sighed.

"No.." I hoped that wasn't bad..I didn't want to be hurt!

"I'm Dream, Dust."

"D-Dream?" I hadn't recalled his name..but now it made so much sense.

"I'm Blue!" The second added.

"Blue..." I recalled the name slightly..I believed I had referred to him with a different title before, but I didn't remember what it was. I would just call him Blue.

"Classic and Outer are here, too, with Starstruck and Fell." Dream revealed.

"Fell?" I had..been good friends with Fell..I remembered that.

"Yes, he's here." Blue assured. "He wasn't sure if you wanted to see him, so he hasn't come yet..would you like to see him?"

"..No..und-under..stand?" I couldn't see..

"Oh, um, would you like him to visit you?"

"Yes..please."

"We'll tell him as soon as possible." Dream stated.

"I...want ask.." Now that I knew who was here, I wanted to know where here was.

"Yes?"

"Where..here?"

"Oh, we haven't told you yet.." Dream chuckled slightly. "This is the base of the..new resistance. After the old one fell, some old members decided to band together and rebel..we managed to break away with minimal resistance, and now we're..here."

"P-Pap.." I couldn't bring myself to say his name..

"He is no longer part of the resistance.." Blue shook his skull. "When Ink began to manipulate his mind, we decided not to tell him; he isn't here, and he never will be. He won't hurt you, Dust."

"Don't...b-believe.." I couldn't believe him..Papyrus was hurting me constantly..the mere thought of him brought me so much pain..

"Hey, no need to cry.." Dream tried to comfort me, to no avail.

It was one week later that I met Fell again, and he seemed happy to see me; he had missed me, and he made me feel..less bad. He promised to visit whenever he could. I stayed in bandages for eight months. When the healing period was over, my bandages were removed, and I bore witness to...my bones. They were chipped and bruised almost everywhere..the medical personnel said that they would be permanent, but I would be fine with that; I had never expected my injuries to heal. A month after my bandages were removed, my..friends wanted to help me walk. I fell down on the first attempt, as well as the second, third, and fourth. On the fifth attempt, I was given something called a walking stick, and..it helped. I managed to walk around a bit before returning to my hospital bed, where I fell asleep swiftly; walking was difficult. Three more months passed, and I found myself capable of walking, although I needed the walking stick and someone to guide me, since I couldn't see clearly enough to distinguish places I could walk in from those I couldn't. Fell volunteered for that, since he was my closest friend; we even shared a room, since I couldn't be alone..especially if I had an..episode. Sometimes, I forgot that I wasn't in that room..I never became violent, but I cried uncontrollably and reverted to only being able to say, "help," again. I didn't enjoy those moments.

"F-Fell..?" I addressed my friend, in the middle of the night.

"Yeah, kid?" Fell didn't mind being woken up; he was so kind..

"I can't sleep.."

"Do you want me to read you a story?"

"..If it isn't too much trouble?"

"Of course not." Fell got out of his bed, and he made his way over to mine with a storybook, sitting on the side of the bed and beginning to read.

Stories always helped me sleep; lullabies used to, until Ink and Papyrus began to sing cruel ones to give me nightmares about their torture..that was the only time they would allow me to sleep, and it was only to torture me further. Fell was very understanding though, and he didn't sing me any lullabies after finding out. As time went on, I found that many other prisoners of the empire had been rescued, and some of them were in situations that had been much like mine..I tried to help some of them, but I soon realized that I wasn't a good comforter..I was worthless. My friends tried to argue with me about that, but I knew that it was true; above everything else, Ink and Papyrus had always stressed the fact that I was worthless. That was why I was only good for torture..I couldn't do anything else. I was fine with it; I just had to work harder to make people happy.

That was my purpose.

~~~~~

"Alphabet"

Classification: random.

Warnings: mentions of torture, threats.

Canonicity: canon.

~~~~~

Ink didn't like innocent things, and he took pleasure in the corrupted. Children's toys were used as torture devices whenever possible, and nursery rhymes..well, they hadn't been great before, but they were much worse now. Anything that had been perceived as good was given a bad meaning, and children were taught from the beginning that the only way to live was to be cruel. Those who tried to be good were reprimanded, unless their parents had sacrificed nearly everything they owned to allow their children the chance. Today, Ink was going to implement something new into the schooling of young minds..and I was being forced to help.

"Dusty, I won't ask again." He warned.

"It's wrong.." I whimpered.

"So it is! Big deal! As my toy, you know what hurts the most; I need your help."

"I-I can't.." I didn't want to be responsible for the corrupting of something so innocent!

"You will. All you have to do is give me a rating."

"No.."

"..All right, Dusty. I suppose I'll simply have to find out what hurts the most..since your screams will be the only gauge...unless you've had a change of soul?"

"..." I sighed; I didn't want to be tortured.. "Fine.."

"Perfect! Okay, what begins with a?" Ink thought. "Asphyxiation! Does that hurt, Dusty?"

"I don't know.."

"..I guess we can't really test that one, but I think it'll work. B is easy: brand. That hurts, right?"

"Yes.." I rubbed my sternum slightly..phantom pains often came over me from it.

"C..." Ink hummed in thought. "Choking is basically asphyxiation..collar. Collars can hurt, isn't that right, Dusty?"

"Mhm.." I had been hurt by them before.

"Do you want to be in the torture alphabet, Dusty?"

"N-no.."

"Then we'll put drowning; I know you hate that. For e..perhaps electrocution. What do you think, Dusty?"

"Painful.."

"Good, good. F can be..fire?"

"That hurts.."

"Yes, it does. G can be guillotine. Do you remember the guillotine, Dusty?"

"Yes.." I had never quite forgotten the feeling of having my skull disconnected from my body in such a way.

"H..I'm not sure. Hammer?"

"That's harmful.."

"Not good enough. Hmm..oh! Why didn't I think of this one sooner? Dusty, you think hacksaws are painful, right?"

I nodded; they were.

"Next, of course, is i, which will be Ink." He chuckled. "I'm torturous, right, Dusty?"

"M-more than the rest.." I could vouch for that.

"Oh, thank you! Now for j..I think javelin will suit that, don't you?"

"Uh-huh.." I frowned.

"K..will be knife. It's a classic. As for l, I think licking will suffice."

I tilted my skull; I didn't know what was so harmful about that..

Ink lifted an eyebrow when he realized that I didn't know what he was talking about, and he clarified. "Licking is another word for a beating, Dusty."

"Oh.." I understood; lickings were definitely painful, then!

"For m, we will use..maim. Do you think that's a good one, Dusty?"

"Mhm.." Being maimed was terrible..I didn't like the times in which Ink decided to maim me.

"Very well. N will be..Dusty, what's something painful that begins with n..?"

"Um.." I wasn't sure..

"Oh!" Ink chuckled. "Nitroglycerin! That's painful, right, Dusty?"

"Y-yes.." I..hated...nitroglycerin..

"Next up is o. I think osteoporosis hurts..would you tell me if it does, Dusty?"

"I-it hurts.." I didn't think I would soon forget the time I begged Ink to reset me due to that...it had been horrifying!

"P will be..paint. I already know that that hurts. As for q, I think quiet will suffice, although it isn't painful..what do you think, Dusty?"

"..It's bad.." I knew what the overwhelming quiet of isolation could do.

"Good. R can be...razor. Are razors painful enough, Dusty?"

"Y-yes.."

"I think s should be suffering, which is always painful. T..Dusty, should I make t stand for torture or taxes?"

"..Wh-what about..teddy bear?" I didn't like the cruel suggestions.

Ink slapped me cruelly as a response. "I said choose!"

"T-t-torture.."

"Taxes, then." Ink smiled. "I'm not sure about u..what do you think it should be, Dusty?"

"U-um.."

"Dusty, it will not be 'um.' Try again."

"U-unhappy?"

"..We're talking about torture, Dusty! Torture!"

"I-I-I don't know.." I whimpered as Ink growled; he was angry, and he would hurt me if I didn't come up with something immediately! "Unicorn!"

"...Did you actually just say 'unicorn'?" Ink let out a small chuckle.

"..Maybe..?"

"Sure, why not?" Ink shrugged. "For v, let's do victim, and w can be..whip. Whips hurt, don't they?"

"Y-yes.." I had been stung by them more than once..they were horrible.

"X will be a difficult one.." Ink pulled out a dictionary and began to search the x section. "I guess xenograft sounds painful..I think we'll have to try this on you sometime soon; I like the sound of it. As for y, do you think yield will work?"

"Mhm.." I nodded.

"Then only z remains." Ink spent another minute looking at the dictionary. "I guess zoanthropy sounds cool enough. That's all of them, Dusty! Well, I'll get these submitted; that was great!"

I was going to miss the alphabet's former innocence.

~~~~~

I didn't think that would be that easy..I only looked up x and z.

"Giant"

Classification: chaos, comedy.

Warnings: confused Dusty.

Canonicity: not canon.

This short was requested by TYRANN0S!

~~~~~

I liked being short. Despite the fact that I was roughly the size of a human toddler, I truly wasn't that small; some monsters in the Underground were less than one foot tall! I had always been short in comparison to those around me, and I had learned to live with it. There were a few setbacks - reaching tall shelves - but overall, I enjoyed it. I could also fit into small places; tall people couldn't do that! It was something I was often thankful for when Ink decided that he didn't want to work to torure me; he would give up when I hid in a small place on those occasions. One of the few setbacks was the fact that..Ink liked it. Being twice as tall as his toy gave him a feeling of superiority, and he had made a few rules pertaining to my height. My shoes were to have the thinnest bottoms I had ever seen, and they hurt when I walked too much; my feet were practically on the floor! I wasn't allowed to stand above my regular height - essentially, standing on the tips of my toes - except when jumping or when told to; I preferred sitting, which had no restrictions. In addition, I was to never grow beyond three feet tall; I didn't know how that would be possible, but Ink was apparently paranoid about it. Today, he was taking me to the laboratory to see a new invention.

"I'm excited about this one, Dusty!" He chuckled; I still hadn't been told what the invention was. "Are you excited?"

"..N-not really.." I told the truth; in all honesty, I couldn't care less about the inventions in Ink's lab.

"..Shut up, Dusty."

We continued our walk to the laboratory, and when we arrived, we were met by a scientist who had been waiting for us. He greeted Ink before leading us to the invention that they had made; it looked weird, but, then again, almost everything in the labs looked weird. Ink began to speak to one of the scientists who had been working on the machine, and a few other scientists added to their conversation periodically; they spoke for about forty minutes before Ink turned his gaze back to me, and I wondered what the machine did, since I hadn't been listening to their conversation, opting to play with my Hope instead. I probably should have been listening, since Ink declared that I would be used as the test subject, but I couldn't go back in time to change my actions. I tried to ask what the machine did before I was locked inside it, but Ink didn't listen to me; I was left clueless. The machine was turned on promptly, and..I felt weird. A feeling of tiredness came over me, and all I heard before I blacked out was a muffled yell.

"Dusty?" Ink's voice was recognizable, despite the fact that I was more than half asleep; I doubted I would ever be able to mistake his voice for anything it wasn't. "Dusty, wake up!"

"Hmm..?" I felt so..tired.

"Dusty!"

"Huh?"

I opened my eyesockets, and I saw..a lot. I...looked down..to see Ink. We weren't in his room; we were outside. The thing that I noticed most of all..was that Ink was tiny.

"Wh-what happened?!" I was reasonably frightened; it wasn't every day I woke to a small Ink!

"The machine malfunctioned." Ink sighed. "Instead of removing height from your stature, it..added it."

"C-can it be undone?"

"Because of your magic deficiency, you'll be back to normal within a few days, since your current magic intake won't be able to keep your size stable. Until then, you're going to be kept here. Be a good toy and just lie down."

"O-okay.."

I whimpered as I curled up on the ground, and Ink rubbed my skull softly to try to calm me down; it wasn't really working.

"Dusty, as much as I hate to ruin your bad mood, you're..breaking the rules." Ink chuckled. "I'm going to have to punish you for this.."

He began to enact reprimand, but..I couldn't feel it. He stabbed me, slashed at my bones, and even used his paint, but I could barely feel the pain! It seemed as if my size had dulled certain levels of pain, too. I wasn't going to argue about that! After an hour of failed punishment, Ink gave up, simply promising a long torture session when I returned to my original size; I would have to enjoy this time of peace while it lasted. As Ink had predicted, I did shrink over the course of a few days, and by the time a week had passed, I was my normal three feet tall, as opposed to..however tall I had been; Ink hadn't bothered to measure me. When I had returned to my regular size, Ink promptly grabbed me by my wrist and began to drag me through a portal to the dungeon; he hadn't enjoyed the past week, and it showed.

I was still glad to be back to normal.

~~~~~

"Progress"

This short takes place in the "Baby" timeline!

Classification: kind of neutral, with fluff at the end.

Warnings: none.

Canonicity: alternate timeline.

~~~~~

Ink's point of view.

It had been one year since I had given up the empire to spend time with baby Dusty, and it was time for my first yearly "checkup." In addition to caring for Dusty, I had to show that my mental state was healing, and it would happen once a year. I was honestly very nervous about this..I didn't want to lose my job of caring for Dusty! When I entered the testing room, I held Dusty's favorite doll - he had insisted that I take it with me - close, and I sat down in my designated chair. In all honesty, I felt as if I were being tried for murder..maybe I was; the room was dark and ominous enough for it, at least.

"Ink." Classic spoke, and the lights in the room came on abruptly..I really did not like it when things like that happened.

"Y-yes?" I wanted to be taking care of Dusty; he had to be fed, and someone had to make sure he wasn't bored, and I had to make sure he wasn't missing his doll-

"It has been one year since your sentence. If you will recall, we allowed you to roam free on the conditions that you show improvement in your behavior. Looking in from an outside viewpoint, we see no traces of your previous...tendencies. This checkup will confirm that, however. Are you ready to begin?"

"..Yes." I nodded; the sooner I got this over with, the sooner I could give Dusty his doll back...yep.

"Very well. Please answer each of the following questions with as much honesty as you can; we will know if you lie. First, have you improved any relationships with anyone after giving up your empire?"

"...Yep." I had definitely improved my relationship with Dusty!

"Do you feel like you could walk outside and fit in with the crowd?"

"..Nope."

"If someone walked up to you and asked for directions to a place you know how to get to, would you help them?"

"..Depends."

"On what?"

"On whether they treat the baby with respect."

"And if the baby isn't with you?"

"..Then I'd either be in too much of a rush to get somewhere or looking for the lost baby."

"..All right. What would you do if someone..took..the baby?"

"..." I..could not say what I wanted to say.. "You don't want to know."

"Why not?"

"..The baby is the only reason I can be considered sane. If someone takes that, I..I don't think even I would want to know what I'd be capable of."

"..." Classic nodded. "So..do you think you would be able to stay sane if you were separated from the baby?"

"..I don't know. A little while, yes, but..I don't know."

"Do you have any friends other than the baby?"

"..No. I don't need anyone else, and I don't want anyone else; all I need is him, and I'll be content."

"..Very well. You may go; we may continue this tomorrow."

"Thank you."

I stood up, and I left the room; a portal back to the house I called home was provided for me. When I entered Dusty's bedroom, he was waiting for me, and he gave me one of his signature smiles; I felt welcomed. Walking over to his crib, I lifted him up and hugged him before returning his doll.

"Bah!" He giggled as I hugged him.

"Hey, little Dusty!" I grinned, sitting down in Dusty's favorite soft chair. "Were you good while I was away?"

"Buh!" Baby Dusty nodded, smiling happily.

"Good baby Dusty!" I rubbed his skull softly, and he reclined onto me, allowing me to continue.

Baby Dusty was..the most important person in my life. I couldn't have cared less about the rest of the world if they didn't have anything to offer him..he was just amazing.

I would protect him with my life and then some.

~~~~~

"Demand"

Classification: angst with tiny fluff.

Warnings: sad Dusty.

Canonicity: canon.

~~~~~

Ink's point of view.

Today had been a slow day in the empire; I almost wished someone would revolt, just for something to do! After an hour of aimless wandering, I decided to return to my room; perhaps a bit of torture with Dusty would drive my boredom away. When I reached my room, however, I found that I wouldn't be torturing Dusty as soon as I would have preferred; Dusty stood up, arms crossed with a stern expression..had I forgotten to feed him? I would have remembered that, right?

"Ink." He addressed, voice..hard. "I've been your toy for fifteen years now, and I think that gives me the right to demand something of you."

Demand something of me? Was he going mad? Perhaps he wanted to test his luck; in any case, it wasn't boring.

"I demand.." Dusty's expression wavered slightly. "I-I demand.." A tear formed in one of his eyesockets. "A hug..p-please.."

"Oh, my little Dusty.." I ran over to my small toy, and I picked him up; something must have scared him.. "Of course you can demand a hug from me."

"Th-thank you.." Dusty wept in my hold; I wondered what frightened him so much.

I walked over to my bed, and I sat down, petting Dusty softly until he felt comfortable enough to begin purring. Once that was accomplished, I decided to find out what had spooked my sweet little toy.

"Did something scare you, Dusty?" I asked, continuing to pet him.

"H-high rank.." He whimpered, before calming due to the petting; Dusty always enjoyed being pet.

"There were no high ranks on the schedule for today.."

"C-came in ag-against the rules.." Dusty shivered slightly. "S-said it wouldn't hurt.."

"But it did?"

"M-m-mhm.."

"What else?"

"T-told me n-n-not to tell.."

"Dusty, you can tell me." I assured. "I'll make sure nobody unauthorized can hurt you, even if I have to strap you to my back at all times."

"..H-hurt me.."

"Yes, he hurt you; how did he do that?"

"T-t-took your paint.."

"He took.." I had to keep myself from growling. "My paint..?"

"Y-y-yes.."

"I see..and he hurt you with it?"

"Y-yes.."

"I understand your fear, Dusty; do you know which high rank did it?"

"N-no..d-didn't recognize.."

"All right, Dusty."

I began to stand up, setting Dusty aside, but he whimpered, trying to grab on to me; he was still frightened.

"P-please.." He begged. "J-just a little more?"

"All right, Dusty." I acquiesced, sitting back down and continuing to pet Dusty. "Just a little."

Two hours later, I fell asleep, still petting Dusty.

~~~~~

"Protest"

Classification: angst.

Warnings: threats, violence, torture, coldness, mob logic, bad decisions, and sad Dusty.

Canonicity: canon.

~~~~~

Almost the entire army knew my name, and they knew what Ink did to me. They knew of the torture, the taunting, and the tricks. When Ink would take me on walks, I received looks of pity, and when I was left alone with a guard for a few minutes, they would try to make me feel just a little bit better; their attempts didn't always work, but I appreciated the thought. Today, Ink was taking me on a walk throughout the compound, but the looks of pity had changed to soft smiles or chuckles; I wasn't sure why. Ink didn't seem to care, only continuing to walk. We soon reached the courtyard, where Ink was planning to allow me to run around for a while, and when we did-

"What the hell is the meaning of this?!" Ink growled at the scene.

There were thousands of guards gathered in the courtyard, and they were all staring at us. Some of them held signs that depicted..me, with some depicting very harsh but true realities. Other signs put the message into word form, demanding that...I be freed. I shrunk at the thought that all these guards were risking their lives - and possibly their brothers - for something as useless as me; someone was going to be hurt because of this, and it was more than likely going to be me.

"Let Dust go!" A guard yelled.

Ink scoffed. "A protest." He shook his skull disapprovingly. "All of you are in violation of empire law; I will, however, be kind, and I will offer you half an hour to clear the surrounding area, with the exception of using it for its intended purpose, which is recreation. Now, if you will be so kind as to get out, I'll ignore you. Come, Dusty."

Ink began to walk through the courtyard, and he held my hand tighter than before as he led me to a peaceful spot..well, as peaceful as it could get, with thousands of guards staring Ink down as he sat in the grass. He ignored them.

"Go play, Dusty." He lay against a tree, intending to watch me play.

"I-I'm scared.." I admitted.

"Don't be, Dusty; they're just being stupid. Now play, before I change my mind and torture you instead."

"Y-yes, Ink.."

I sat down nearby, and I began to walk my Hope around next to me, which was a nice form of play. I could easily amuse myself with my Hope, and I was glad about it; I wouldn't have been as happy if my Hope was hard to play with. Half an hour later, the guards hadn't moved, and they continued to stare at Ink. When the allotted time had passed, Ink stood up and called me over to him.

"So you want me to let him go, eh?" He inquired.

"Yes!" The crowd shouted, in many ways.

"..Too bad you don't get what you want." Ink grabbed one of my arms and forced me closer to him. "As a result of this sheer disregard for authority, I will act accordingly. Dusty will no doubt be treated much differently from this point on, and you may see what's in store for him at the next major training session. Have a nice day.."

Upon speaking those final words, Ink teleported away, and he took me with him. We ended up in his room, where he pushed me onto the floor and sat on his bed, humming.

"Dusty, tell me." He started. "Do you enjoy being my toy?"

"..." I bowed my skull; he would hurt me if I gave a negative answer.

"Well?"

"D-do you want the truth..o-or a lie?"

"Lie. Tell me the lie, Dusty."

"..I like being your toy."

"Continue to lie."

"I loved the thought of being your toy from the moment I walked into the room; the moment you told me I would be made me very happy."

Ink forced me to go on with my lie, and I ended up speaking for an hour about how I just adored being his toy..I hated it. When Ink was finished hearing my speaking, he cut me off.

"Dusty, I've decided on how to handle this." He stated. "Since you're so dedicated to being my toy, I'm going to increase the restrictions placed on you; does that sound suitable?"

"..." I sighed.

"Dusty, I am not going to repeat myself again. Does that sound suitable?"

"Yes.." I nodded sadly.

"It'll only be until these protestors quit, and then I'll put everything back to normal."

"Okay.."

"Good. Now come here, Dusty; I want to cuddle."

I obeyed, and Ink cuddled with me. The next day, a large guard training was held, and near the end, Ink brought up the matter that had been on his mind.

"Yesterday, a large amount of guards gathered in the courtyard in an attempt to pressure me into releasing my toy." He began. "In light of that, I see no possible option but to restore order, and I will do so fully. From this point forth until the moment in which the guards responsible come to their senses, Dusty will be kept outside. He will be locked in a cage next to the pond beneath my window, and he will serve as an example to all who believe they can..bend the rules. All his possessions will be taken from him, and he will be left there until further notice. When this ridiculous protesting ceases, he will be restored to his current state in the warm confines of my room. I hope you're satisfied with your results."

Several guards in the crowd screamed put against the outrage, but when Ink grabbed my hand to lead me to my temporary home, I didn't argue; I had simply accepted that this would last for a while. A large number of guards followed us as we walked to the courtyard, and when we reached our final destination, the high ranks chuckled and snickered at my misfortune. Ink created a cage that would barely hold me, and he took everything I had. I hadn't wanted to give him my Hope, but I had agreed to it before coming, on the condition that he would give me some extra play time when this was over; I didn't really care when he took my clothes, since I was going to be near water..high ranks would have no doubt wanted to test their luck in pushing the cage in. When I was ready, I entered the small cage, and Ink shut the door, locking it tightly. He then left, and I lay down in the small enclosure. The guards outside spoke of many things, with the high ranks contemplating whether this meant they could hurt me without permission and the low ranks wondering how they were going to free me now. I felt happy that someone wanted to let me be free, but I knew that it was a false hope; I wasn't meant to be free.

The first night was cold. Some said that Ink could control the weather, and with code, it was certainly possible; I was left only to wonder if he had arranged the thunderstorm that kept me awake. The next day, a couple high ranks ignored their hesitation and threw me into the pond; a group of low ranks pulled me out twenty minutes later and promised that they would speak to Ink about it. The second night, a snowstorm hit; I had little doubt as to who would do such a thing in the middle of summer. The snow didn't melt, only staying and sticking to my bones. The protestors used a snowblower to help me, but that didn't change the cold. One week after the start, I began to beg the protestors to stop; it had been snowing every night, and every night grew colder..they gave me a blanket in response and told me to hold on. Twelve days in, I woke up in ice; the blanket was gone, and I was frozen solid. The blow dryer hurt, and the promise that this would end soon hurt worse. The new blanket was nice, though. On the fifteenth night, a couple high ranks wrapped me in the blanket tightly before dipping me into the pond; the blanket was wet, and therefore useless against the raging snowstorm. Twenty days in, I continued to beg.

"P-p-please, stop.." I sobbed. "I-I've accepted my torture..d-do the same..p-please.."

"Kid, if you hold on, you will be freed." A low rank insisted. "This is the waiting game, and if we give in, Ink will just assert his dominion a million times worse..you have to hold on..for us."

"I-I can't..." I curled up and wept harder as another blanket was slipped through to me.

Thirty days after the start of the torture, I was too cold to move. The protestors spoke to me and told me that it would be okay in the end, but I was already spent. I didn't have the energy to shiver, and I had no clue how I was still even alive; I hadn't been fed in this cage! If that weren't proof enough of my willingness to give in, I was unable to speak, and that should have made the protestors realize that I needed to be returned to the warm world of..anywhere else. My friends were trying to dissuade the protestors, but they were ignored; I just wanted to be warm. Fifty days had passed when I lost all motion; the protestors thought I had simply gone to sleep..they didn't realize that I was entirely awake. Seventy days had passed when the protestors decided to double their efforts..I had a feeling Ink wouldn't like this. One hundred days after the beginning of the torture, Ink walked out into the courtyard, likely sick of the fact that this had continued for so long. He stood in front of my cage, and he began to speak to the crowd.

"You're a bunch of sickos." He glared at the protestors. "As bad as I am, and as much as I love to torture people, I wouldn't dare do what you've done.."

"Your tyranny will end!" A guard shouted, and others cheered.

"Hah..my tyranny..I'd hate to see what you'd do in my place. In any case, you've won; you've held out for longer than I could, and that's an impressive feat, not gonna lie."

"You'll free him?" Someone seemed overjoyed.

"No, I'm going to take him back to my room and thaw out his bones; just because you've let him freeze half to death doesn't mean I'm going to let him roam free. Truthfully, I didn't think someone could be more corrupt than myself, but I guess I've been proven wrong, and that's somewhat relieving; you sicken me. Honestly, I considered killing all of you, but that would be too kind..so you'll all be getting a taste of your own medicine; your serial numbers have been taken down, but anyone who gave in before today will be spared. Each of you will spend the next hundred days suffering, like you made Dusty suffer. It can be argued that it was me, but I wasn't the one who promised him that everything would be dandy as he froze to death! I hope you all think long and hard about your life choices."

When he finished speaking, Ink took me out of the cage, and he hugged me close to himself, teleporting to his room..it seemed so much warmer than before. I was laid on his bed, where he surrounded me with warm blankets to thaw my frozen bones.

"I'm so sorry I let those bad guards have their way with you, Dusty." Ink rubbed my skull, trying to help the thawing process. "I didn't think they would hold out so long!"

Motion didn't return to me for several minutes, but when it did, all I wanted was a hug, and Ink obliged me. When I could move enough, he put my clothes back on me and gave me my Hope before cuddling me.

"That was like torture for you, wasn't it, Dusty?" Ink knew it was.

"I-it was torture.." I whispered, never wanting to do that again.

"Because that was a lot of torture, I won't torture you at all for a month, Dusty; what those bad guards did was completely wrong!"

"Th-thank you.."

"Of course, Dusty." Ink rubbed my skull softly. "Only the best for my toy."

"I-I'm hungry.." I hadn't eaten in so long..

"I'll get you some food, Dusty; you deserve it, after all that hardship."

Ink left the room and returned with some sweets; he insisted that this be kept quiet, however, since if word got out that he was spoiling me, it would hurt his image. I promised not to tell, of course, and the rest of the day passed with warmth and happiness. Despite the fact that Ink mainly tortured me, he wasn't devoid of goodness; it was just hidden under a lot of bad. When someone did something that even he wouldn't do, he showed his true colors, and they were wonderful colors..I wished I saw them more often. If there was one thing I knew, however, it was that Ink would take care of me, even if there was a lot of torture in between.

He had never denied that he cared.

~~~~~

"Photos"

Classification: daily life.

Warnings: memories, hopelessness.

Canonicity: canon.

~~~~~

Ink enjoyed publicity. Despite the fact that there was no need, he had established an empire newspaper. There were many sections in the paper, including events such as riots and celebrations, but I didn't really care. I only cared when I was forced to care, and those instances were uncommon.

"Stay still, Dusty." Ink ordered, pulling me into his lap.

"I don't wanna be in a picture.." I mumbled, trying to escape my fate.

"Dusty, stay still!" Ink growled, and I quieted, not wanting to anger him further. "Good toy. Now, look at the camera."

I did so, and a picture was taken of us for this week's newspaper. There was always at least one picture of Ink, and there was often a picture of me, but I really didn't like having my picture taken..it reminded me of when everything was happy..when I still had my family. I had used to enjoy photography, but that part of me had died with the rest of my freedom..I probably wouldn't know how to use a camera nowadays. After a couple more pictures of Ink, the photographer left, and Ink lay down on his bed.

"Dusty." Ink spoke. "Here, you can look at this for a while."

Ink tossed the picture that had been taken of us to me, and I looked at it solemnly. Ink was smiling, of course, but I wasn't; I was frowning, and I was allowed to do that, since Ink didn't expect me to smile. As I stared at the photo, I realized how..bad I looked..scars littered my visible body, and paint covered my clothes..it was a wonder I was alive. Seeing myself from the outside..made me want to cry. So I cried. I curled up on the floor, and I sobbed to my soul's content. Ink laughed at my misery, but that was fine; he always laughed when I was sad. Sometimes, I wondered if this was all just a dream, just a false reality I had dreamed up..maybe I was just lying in bed, and my family would greet me when I woke up..I knew that wasn't the case. I had long since accepted the fact that happiness was temporary, and no matter what I did, I would end up in sadness. Ink was just my current tormentor; there had been others, and there would continue to be others..no matter what I did. My actions were meaningless, and being anywhere free would lead to captivity; only my family had ever understood me, and they were dead. I stopped crying after a while, but my thoughts remained to hurt me.

"Ink?" I addressed, just wanting someone to talk to..or listen to..

"What is it, Dusty?" Ink looked at me.

"W-would you just..talk?"

"You want me to talk?" Ink raised an eyebrow.

"Uh-huh..th-the silence..makes me feel lonely.."

Ink sighed. "Well, if you insist, I'll tell you about my last trip to the dungeon; have I already told you about that?"

"No.."

"It'll be a good one, Dusty."

Ink began to recount the dreadful tale, but I listened nonetheless; it was better than listening to my own thoughts. My thoughts were filled with doubt, shame, and sadness; Ink's speaking was filled with the torture of other beings..beings I could pretend didn't exist. I couldn't pretend that I didn't exist, but if I pretended hard enough, I could convince myself that Ink spoke of imaginary beings..that the dungeon didn't exist.

Sometimes, I pretended that I was happy.

~~~~~

"Babynapped"

This short takes place in the "Baby" timeline!

Classification: angst.

Warnings: panic, sad Dusty.

Canonicity: alternate timeline.

~~~~~

Ink's point of view.

"Dusty, it's time to wake up!" I announced, entering baby Dusty's room.

I began the day by turning off Dusty's nightlight, and I promptly went over to his crib, where-

"Dusty?!" I screamed, not finding Dusty in his crib.

Dusty was always in his crib at this time! It was five in the morning! His brother wouldn't have taken him anywhere; he didn't wake up until six! I..I needed to find Dusty and make sure he was all right. I searched the room from top to bottom, finding nothing; the rest of the house yielded no results. Dusty wasn't inside, and after a thorough search, I confirmed that he wasn't outside. His brother was still asleep in his room, and I was freaking out! Who would want to kidnap such a nice baby?! I didn't have magic, which meant that I couldn't leave the house; I needed help, which I decided would be in the form of Dusty's brother.

"Papyrus!" I jumped onto his bed, tears falling down my skull rapidly.

"Wha-" Papyrus jumped up, summoning a bone out of instinct. "What is it?!"

"Dusty- D-Dusty.." I couldn't form words..I was too worried!

"Speak, Ink." Papyrus encouraged.

"D-Dusty's gone!"

"What..?"

"Du-Dusty's not here! I don't know what to do!"

"Calm down, Ink; I am sure he is somewhere."

"H-he isn't! I checked the house, an-and even outside!"

"Shh, I'll go looking for him."

"H-his magic signature isn't anywhere, Papyrus!"

"..." Papyrus thought for a moment. "I am going to speak to some friends; if anyone has taken my brother, they will be dealt with as the law sees fit."

"I want to look, too!"

"Ink, you cannot." Papyrus shook his skull. "There is the chance that, if my brother was taken by someone, the person is after you or me. If they are after you, they would hurt you; I can handle myself. I want you to stay here and read a book; Dust will be back soon enough."

"B-bring him back safe.."

"I will."

Papyrus left through a portal, and I walked to Dusty's room, where Dusty still did not reside. I decided to take Papyrus's advice, grabbing one of Dusty's favorite bedtime stories and reading it aloud to myself, pretending that Dusty was by my side, listening happily to the tale. If I was hugging Dusty's favorite doll as I read, I didn't notice. I sat there for five hours before the door to the room opened, and several judges walked in.

"I-is he okay?!" I had to know; if anyone had harmed my Dusty, I was going to be very angry.

"He is going to be fine." Papyrus assured, laying something down in Dusty's crib; was it him?

I ran over to the crib quickly, finding..a baby. Dusty was, thankfully, safe.

"Did anyone harm him?" I had a million questions. "Is he fed? Who took him? Did they treat him well? Why didn't they take any of his toys with them? He loves playing with his toys!"

"Calm down, Ink." Papyrus placed a hand on my shoulder. "Everything is fine. The ones who took him are in prison, and there is nothing else you must concern yourself with."

"Who took him?"

"I am not allowed to give you their names, Ink; you have been doing well on the road to freedom, and no one is going to like it if you go after criminals who did not know any better. You would not be able to care for my brother if you were imprisoned as well."

"..I guess. They're being dealt with firmly, though?"

"They certainly are, Ink; I would not allow anyone who took to kidnapping my brother go on a light charge."

"Good for you." I nodded happily. "He's healthy, though?"

"Take a look for yourself, Ink."

I did, and I found that Dusty seemed to be perfectly..healthy. Feeling content, I began to surround him with toys; he needed to be around things he knew.

"I will leave you alone to have some time with him." Papyrus left the room wiht the other judges, hopefully to exact his revenge on Dusty's kidnappers.

Dusty had been sleeping when Papyrus brought him in, but when he woke up, he was very verbal about it. Verbal as in crying; he probably didn't know that he was home.

"Hey, Dusty, it's okay!" I picked up the baby, shushing him and handing him his favorite toy. "You're safe, Dusty, you're safe."

"B-bah..?" Dusty calmed at the sound of my voice; he sounded scared.

"I'm here, Dusty; the bad people are gone."

"Bah!" Dusty reached for me, likely wanting to get closer to me; I had never known that he felt so safe in my arms. I pulled him closer.

"There, there, baby Dusty, everything's going to be okay. Did the bad people scare you?"

"B-bah!" Dusty whimpered, nodding slightly.

"Did they hurt you?"

"Bah.." Dusty's tone was enough.

"Show me where they hurt you; I'll put a bandaid on it."

In the end, Dusty needed five bandaids, and there was one crack in one of his arms; I wanted to rip those kidnappers to shreds. I couldn't, though; I settled for making Dusty feel as safe as possible. I read him stories and played with him until nightfall, at which point, I laid him in his crib.

"Good night, Dusty." I rubbed his small skull.

"Nah!" Dusty grabbed for my hand as I pulled away.

"Dusty, I can't stay.."

"Buh..." He whimpered; I believed that he was scared of being taken again.

"..I guess one night won't hurt. Do you want to sleep with me like we used to?"

"Bah!" Dusty smiled.

"Okay, come on."

I picked up Dusty, and I carried him to my room; I was sure that Papyrus wouldn't mind. When we reached my bed, I cuddled him to sleep, and he felt..just like he used to. I loved baby Dusty.

He was my favorite person.

~~~~~

"Nature"

Classification: neutral.

Warnings: none.

Canonicity: canon.

~~~~~

Ink wasn't really one for people. He could live with and around them, and he could deal with them on a daily basis, but he could do without them. That was likely why he could enjoy torturing innocent beings. The only person he seemed to be unable to do without was, unfortunately, myself, and he made it painfully clear when he began rants about how he just hated the people he worked with. One time, I asked him what he really felt about me, and he told me that I was the only person worth being around; any hopes that he would cast me aside as worthless at some point were officially killed that day. I wasn't sure why he enjoyed my company, but he did, and there was nothing more to it. After first introducing me to his garden, Ink made more frequent trips, and it eventually became one of his go-to places to relax, aside from the dungeon, of course. He enjoyed staring at the colorful trees, and he enjoyed the sweet aroma of the flowers; he had said many times that his garden was his favorite place to be, and that he could live there for eternity happily..with me by his side. I had heard of people being obsessed with their pets; I hadn't expected to live it, much less from the pet's perspective, but my life was usually messed up, anyway.

"Come on, Dusty!" Ink called, causing me to run behind him faster. "I made something new, and I think you'll like it!"

Ink's garden was never done; he was constantly adding to it. The thing that stood out to me was the fact that he never added anything evil..the world was pure, if not a bit strange. Some things looked as if they would kill someone, but they ended up being entirely safe; I wasn't sure why Ink would need a safe haven, but he had one, in any case. Whatever the reason, he never tortured me here, and that was good enough for me to enjoy the world and its eccentricities.

"Isn't it gorgeous?" Ink inquired, staring at the waterfall he must have recently created.

I nodded, in awe of the sight. The water shone brightly as it cascaded down into a pool below, and Ink knew exactly how to make it look..perfect. He had had centuries of practice, in any case. I wouldn't admit it, but..I sometimes felt honored to be the only other living being who was allowed to see such wonderful sights..

"Do you think I should make a natural stream at the bottom, with a fountain effect, or would that be too..extravagant?" Ink sometimes asked for advice, too.

"I think..it's beautiful.." I stated.

"Maybe if I make it look extremely natural?"

"That sounds good." The thought of it brought a smile to my face.

"Foliage around the bottom might look nice if I curve it into the fountain..or would that be too much?"

"I don't think a little would hurt."

"A toned-down version might work best, yes." Ink admitted, rubbing my skull comfortingly. "I think I know what to do for next time. Thank you, Dusty."

"You're welcome, Ink.." I was rarely thanked for anything anymore..I enjoyed it.

"I have to go to a meeting now..I'll take you back to my room." Ink shifted to get up, but I grabbed his shirt.

"W-wait!" I stopped him. "Can't I..m-maybe stay here?"

"Dusty, the meeting might take a while.."

"I'll be safe, and you can find me quickly if you have to."

"Well.."

"I'll come when you call me."

"All right, Dusty." Ink relented, to my surprise. "I'll be back when the meeting's over; don't get into trouble."

"I won't!"

Ink then left, and I was alone in the garden. I had been alone here a couple times in the past for similar reasons, but Ink knew that I would be safe; nothing here would kill me, aside from a fall from a great height, and I wasn't planning on falling anytime soon. I enjoyed the thought of truly being alone; I usually always had someone watching me, whether it were Ink or Fell, a high rank or a low one. Being alone was usually only reserved for isolation, and in those cases..it wasn't nice. Despite my fear of isolation, I was actually very content with being alone; I enjoyed solitude, and I enjoyed doing things for myself. Being Ink's toy..lots of things were done for me. I was woken up, walked, fed, entertained, and anything else required, but..I didn't get to really do much! I had to rely on Ink for guidance for things, such as where to go, who to speak to, and how to act; I had no say for myself. When I was alone, however, everything changed; I suddenly found myself in complete control of my life, even if only temporary, and it felt wonderful. I could choose what to do and where to go, and I could make my own decisions! I decided to run around for a while, passing by all my favorite plants and trees. I ran until my little world collapsed.

"What is this place..?" A voice..the voice of someone else living forced me out of my playful demeanor; this world was restricted to everyone except Ink and I..he wouldn't invite anyone else!

I gasped softly as I looked through the surrounding foliage, finding that a high rank was wandering in a forested region, and he..heard me.

"Who's there?!" He yelled, turning around rapidly; I ducked behind cover quickly, not wanting to be seen.

Unfortunately for me, he saw the rustling of the plants near me, and I was promptly grabbed from my hiding place.

"What are you doing here?" The high rank didn't know.

"B-because I'm s-supposed to be.." I answered. "Wh-why are you here?"

"No universes are supposed to be here..this space is listed as empty. I was sent to investigate..what do you mean you're supposed to be here?"

"..I-I shouldn't tell you."

"Do you know what this place is?"

"No one else is allowed here..you should go before you're found."

"I think I'll stay, actually. Tell me about this universe; why are you so comfortable here?"

"..You're breaking the rules. You should go, and tell them you found nothing."

"That's not possible."

"Then just go.."

"This universe is an anomaly, and our team has been tasked with researching it. "

"A-are there more of you?"

"Not here..but I expect that stage will come soon enough. You still haven't told me why you're here."

"Dusty!" A voice called out, and I ran to it before the high rank could fully understand the situation; Ink seemed startled when I hid behind him, and his mood dropped when he saw the high rank follow me.

"S-Sir?" The high rank was beginning to realize that staying might not have been the best idea.

"I thought this place was private.." Ink sighed. "What are you doing here?"

"Investigating this unmarked universe, Sir..?"

"I told them..specifically..not to check here.." Ink held his skull in one of his hands. "Guard, you are to return to the compound immediately and report that you found nothing but a void here. After that, you will report to the lab and give this to the first scientist you see; failure to comply immediately will result in your instant demotion, understand?"

"Yes, Sir.." The high rank accepted a sealed letter that Ink gave him.

"Now get going."

"Yes, Sir!" The high rank left through a portal, and Ink turned his attention to me.

"Did you tell him anything?"

"No." I shook my skull; I knew better than that!

"Good." Ink rubbed my skull rewardingly.

"What was in the letter?" I wondered.

"Just a notice to wipe his memory of the day." Ink chuckled. "We should be getting back home; I want to test out a couple torture techniques."

"Yes, Ink."

I was glad that nothing bad had happened.

~~~~~

"Wind"

This short takes place in the "Papa" timeline.

Classification: fluff.

Warnings: cold.

Canonicity: alternate timeline.

~~~~~

"I'm cold.." I mentioned.

It was the middle of winter, and Papa had taken me out for a picnic in the courtyard, but it was windy and cold..I was very sensitive to the cold, and Papa knew that..but he might have forgotten for a moment.

"Oh?" Papa looked to me. "I'm sorry, Dusty! Here, I'll fix that!"

Papa pulled out a paintbrush, and he created a coat that was just my size; he was the best! I slid the coat on over my jacket, and Papa zipped it up for me while I pulled the hood up.

"Is that better?" He inquired.

"Yes, Papa!" I grinned, nodding.

"That's good. Thank you for telling me that you were cold!"

"You're welcome, Papa!"

"Sir, it's beginning to snow." Fell alerted. "You may want to think about going inside."

"..I suppose a picnic in the snow sounded nice, but it really isn't." Papa shrugged. "Come, Dusty; we'll have a better picnic when it's warm. Until then, would you like a ride?"

"Yes, please, Papa!" I giggled as Papa lifted me up to his shoulders.

Papa had taken the entire day off work to spend time with me; I was sad that the picnic hadn't worked out, but there would certainly be other things to do! When we reached our room, Papa set me down on my bed and helped me take the coat off..but the bed was..cold. It had begun to snow violently outside, and my bed was..right under a window. The wind was getting inside, and it was freezing! I pulled a blanket over me to stay warm.

"Is something wrong, Dusty?" Papa didn't know.

"The cold's getting in.." I frowned, gesturing to the window.

"Ah, it's difficult to keep that out; I'm afraid we'll just have to deal with that. Would you like to sleep with me tonight if it doesn't get better?"

"Yes, Papa."

"All right. For now, would you like me to read you a story?"

"Yes!"

"I see we have a winner!" Papa chuckled, going over to the bookshelf to pick something to read. "Let's try this one."

Papa was a good reader; he also used his magic to make scenes come to life, except for anything that was a bit unpleasant to watch, in which case, I didn't want to see it. As the colors danced in front of me, Papa read the story he had chosen, and I was captivated by the show; Papa was the best at this. He continued to read until bedtime, at which point, he deemed the bedtime story complete and urged me to put on my pajamas. I put on my pajamas and said goodnight to Papa, covering myself in the warm blanket that Papa had gifted me once for a birthday and falling asleep. At least, that had been the plan. The snow had picked up into a blizzard outside, and the wind was violently getting through the cracks in the window; I was shivering. I didn't want to bother Papa..but I was so cold..I grabbed my Hope and gave in, walking over to Papa's bed.

"Papa?" I climbed onto Papa's bed, shaking him awake.

"Hm..Dusty?" Papa was never awake instantly as I was.

"I'm cold; can I sleep with you?"

"Sure, Dusty.." Papa moved over to give me room.

"Thank you, Papa. Good night!"

"Good night.."

Papa hugged me close and kept me warm as I fell asleep; he was always so comforting to be around. Papa could always keep me warm.

I loved my Papa.

~~~~~

"Defiance"

Note: Ink only comes up with the nickname "Dusty" after three weeks, and this short is before that.

Classification: angst.

Warnings: torture.

Canonicity: canon.

~~~~~

I had been here for a week, and I hated it already. Ink's paint burned so badly, and he was..very cruel. I didn't want to stay here; I wanted Papyrus! I wanted to hug my brother and be told that it was all just a dream; I wanted to wake up in a warm bed and be greeted by my family..I didn't want to wake up in that dreadful room with him! I did, though, and there was nothing that could stop that; I would just have to wait for my brother to come for me. When Ink grabbed my neck tightly and forced me to look up at him, I resisted the urge to flinch, although it was beginning to overpower me.

"Hey, Dust, I'm back from my work!" He sounded so cheerful. "It's time for another session; lie down."

"No.." I growled at my captor, struggling in his grip.

"Oh, Dust..I will break you, one of these days; you won't be so brave then. You do have to lie down, though."

Ink began to try to force me to the ground, but I struggled against him; it was..really all I could do. He brought me down swiftly, however, and I found myself trapped in his grasp. He hummed as he grabbed some paint, and I struggled more vigorously; I didn't want to taste that horrible liquid again! When he lifted it towards me, I kicked the bucket out of his hand, and he turned to me with a smile.

"You shouldn't have done that." His smile promised what I could have only guessed was pain. "I suppose a more physical session will suffice."

He turned me over, and he began to slowly twist one of my arms out of position; I screamed, as I had been learning to in the past week. He guided me through the motions, as if he were doing me a favor, while my arm was disaligned.

"That's it, Dust, nice and easy.." He whispered to me, somehow heard over my screams. "Just a little more.."

My arm slowly came to a halt before snapping, and I screamed loudly as the pain wracked my body.

"That was good, Dust; you did it perfectly." Ink's 'encouragement' offered nothing to me. "Now do the same with the other."

"Let go!" I tried desperately to escape Ink's grip, not wanting my other arm to be broken too!

Ink responded to my struggling by seizing my arm tightly and twisting more painfully than last time; I wanted mercy!

I received none, of course.

~~~~~

"Breaking"

Classification: angst.

Warnings: torture, breaking.

Canonicity: canon.

~~~~~

It had been several weeks since my capture, and I was beginning to realize that the world was a cruel place. Not only would it torture someone, but it would also ensure that someone else was happy because of it. I felt as if I were going to be cracked open and laughed at all at once..he was going to break me. He was going to..hurt me. I didn't want to be hurt; I wanted to be happy!

"Oh, Dusty!" The voice of my captor echoed through the room, and I couldn't help but flinch.

He sat down next to me as I lay on the floor, and he softly stroked my skull, causing me to shiver slightly; his touch was cold, even through my hood.

"It's time to play.." He chuckled lowly, leaving me only for a moment to gather his torture supplies. "Are you ready?"

I tried to escape my fate, but I was unable to move even an inch; I had no say in the matter as he brought a bucket of paint up to my mouth and began to pour. The paint burned so badly..he wouldn't stop! I tried to move to get away, but my limbs wouldn't obey me; I couldn't escape him..I couldn't escape anything. I felt tears flood my eyesockets as I realized that this captivity would last much longer than I had thought..and I sobbed. He chuckled as he noticed my crying, and he continued to make me drink paint for several hours, before deciding to switch to physical pain. I was still unable to move as he crushed my bones with his paintbrush, but I could whimper, and I could cry, and I could beg; I did so.

"P-p-please stop.." I pleaded.

"Oh?" He came to my side, and he lifted my skull with a finger to look at him. "You've never begged me before..I like the sound of it. I wonder..are you afraid of me?"

I whimpered, and he began to hurt my jaw with his grip, demanding an answer.

"Y-yes!" I sobbed.

"Ah, that's a good Dusty." He smiled darkly. "Finally knows his place..finally broken. Now..we can really have some fun."

I didn't like his version of fun.

~~~~~

"Future"

Classification: kind of angst.

Warnings: brief mentions of torture.

Canonicity: not canon.

~~~~~

Ink had always been interested in the future, whether it were the reactions he gained from a plot or looking forward to torturing a victim later. Today, his scientists had completed a device which would allow someone to look into the future..and he wanted to use it. He had woken up early today for the sole purpose of using the device quicker, and I was going to be dragged along to see it, too..I really didn't want to, but I had no choice; Ink's will was my command, and I had no say in it. When he brought me to the laboratory, we were immediately escorted to a room in which the device was situated, and a group of scientists were performing tests and the like to ensure its success.

"Is it ready?" Ink asked a scientist.

"Yes, Sir.." The scientist replied. "But..are you certain you want to do this? Looking into the future could have serious consequences."

"I'm sure." Ink nodded. "Set it up for starting; what do we do?"

"Just enter, sit down in the seats, and watch the screen..you can adjust the time and place from the panel; it's easy to navigate."

"Very well."

The scientists cleared the area as soon as Ink gave the order, and when everything was ready, we entered a small room that offered the viewers privacy, sitting down in two of several chairs that were provided. Ink sat behind an electric panel that offered options, and he contemplated what he wanted to do.

"Well, Dusty, I've had you for ten years now.." Ink spoke the truth. "Let's see twenty."

The screen showed a scene of Ink and I; he was torturing me..did that mean that I would still be here a decade from now?! Papyrus had to come before then..right?

"Boring." Ink scoffed. "Let's do thirty."

Another scene involving torture was shown, and I dreaded my future more.

"Boring.." Ink sighed. "Forty, then."

I had honestly expected more torture..but this wasn't torture. My eyelights must have flickered out when I saw the scene before us, and Ink only grinned in sadistic glee.

"Who's a good toy?" The Ink depicted on the screen giggled.

"I am!" I..my future..what was I thinking?!

"That's right! Who's the best master, Dusty?"

"Y-you - not you!" The other me growled, to my delight; I wasn't fully insane in the future!

"Ugh, boring." Ink scoffed, looking back at the panel. "Let's try..sixty."

I nearly screamed - no, I did scream - when the screen turned on, because it depicted me..it showed me..torturing someone!

"Dusty.." Ink chuckled darkly. "I think I like this future..very much."

"S-stop...please.." I couldn't watch..I couldn't imagine that future!

"No, Dusty, you're going to watch this.." Ink reached over to me, pulling me into his lap and forcing me to watch the horrific scene.

I cried and struggled as the depiction continued, but Ink didn't let me go; he was so cruel. When it finally ceased, Ink decided that that was enough for one day, and he left the device, dragging me behind him; I was shaking in fear of what I would become..how could I escape that?!

"Did it work well, Sir?" A scientist asked.

"Very." Ink confirmed. "But wipe Dusty's memory of it; he's a bit too sensitive, it seems."

"Yes, Sir."

A scientist took my hand and led me to a machine which would clear my memory of that event..I was glad about it.

I would have rathered not to know what was to come.

~~~~~

"Dark"

This short takes place in the "Vantablack" timeline.

Classification: angst.

Warnings: torture, scared Dusty, sad Dusty, violence, manipulation, violence.

Canonicity: alternate timeline.

~~~~~

"I will not answer to you!" Papyrus had been firm these past few days.

"You will.." Ink promised. "It's the only possible outcome."

A week.

"Hurt it." Ink ordered; he had taken to calling me an it.

"No." Papyrus stood firm; I was happy for him.

A month.

"Just a scratch." Ink tempted.

"I will not hurt him!" Papyrus was so much braver than I would ever be.

A year.

"This routine..isn't working..is it?" Ink realized. "We'll simply have to try something new."

"I will not bow to you." Papyrus growled.

"Break its arm." He chuckled. "Or I break all its limbs."

"...Wh-what?"

"You heard me; either you break one of its arms, or I will break its limbs..your choice, Papyrus. You have one hour to make your decision."

He did it. He cried, and he apologized, but he did it.

"I'm glad we see a common ground." Ink smiled, resting a hand on Papyrus's shoulder. "We'll repeat this exercise tomorrow."

And they did. Day after day, Papyrus hurt me to spare me from the worse torture, and as time went on..he began to look upon it as a chore. It no longer brought tears; he was cold to it.

"You're doing well." Ink complimented. "Today..I want you to break its spine."

"Why?" Papyrus..didn't bother to think about the pain it would cause me. "I already hurt him."

"Just..for fun. You would like to learn to enjoy this at some point; it can be dreadfully boring if you don't."

"..N-no..he is my-" Papyrus was cut off by a rough slap.

"It is nothing." Ink corrected. "Say it."

"No.."

"Say it, or I will paralyze it."

"..I-it.."

"Say it."

"..It is nothing."

"Again."

"It is nothing.."

"Again."

"It is nothing."

"What is it?"

"..Nothing."

"That's right. Now hurt it, and do try to enjoy it!"

Another month passed. It was no longer one fracture; it was a constant beating for ten minutes.

"That's time." Ink said. "Did you enjoy that?"

"..No." Papyrus never smiled anymore; I missed his smile.

"Do it again. Enjoy it this time."

Two years since the beginning. The beatings lasted half an hour now.

"Time." Ink called. "Did you enjoy that?"

"..." Papyrus bowed his skull slightly.

Ink came closer. "What was that?"

"..I am sorry.." Papyrus wept. "I am so tired.."

"What did I say about apologizing?!"

"O-only to apologize to you.."

"And were you apologizing to me?"

"..." Papyrus looked at me with a frown before turning back to Ink. "No.."

"Who did you apologize to?"

"..I apologized to the toy.."

"For what?"

"..." Papyrus didn't want to say what for, but he was going to, because Ink would force it out of him eventually. "For..enjoying it."

Ink's expression portrayed surprise for only a moment, before turning to a dark smile. "Good. Now, Papyrus, I want you to beat it more, but only if you enjoy every second of it. No apologizing, and no tears."

Another year passed.

"B-brother.." Papyrus spoke to me; Ink had left us alone. "I cannot hold on.."

"I know." I smiled..not because I could, but because I had to..I had to make my brother happy. "I forgive you..I forgive you for anything you do to me."

"I do not want to.."

"..I know."

"I am scared.."

"..When your goodness dies..you won't be scared anymore.."

"I do not want to die.."

"You will..but it'll be quick..you won't feel it until it's over, and then you won't have to worry about it."

"..How can you just accept this?!"

"I'm just a toy, Papyrus..I'm meant to accept it."

"Brother..I will always love you."

"..No, you won't. And I might not always love you..but I forgive you."

"..Do you still love me? Even after all I've done?"

"Yes, I do.."

"..What would make you hate me?"

"Nothing..I'm not meant to hate."

"..What would make you stop loving me?"

"..." I took a breath, which was quickly followed by a painful cough; I was by no means healthy. "I would only stop loving you..if I feared you.."

"..I understand." Papyrus nodded. "..I think you will fear me..when it happens."

"I know..but until then, I'll love you."

"I love you, too, brother."

"Why don't I hear pain?!" Ink yelled from outside the room, alerting us to his presence.

"I have to hurt you now, brother." Papyrus sighed.

"I forgive you." I repeated.

Four years had passed since the beginning.

"Good, Papyrus." Ink approved. "Are you enjoying yourself?"

"..I am." Papyrus couldn't lie to Ink.

"That's very good; are you ready to tell the toy how much you love hurting it?"

"..No."

"Pity..continue, though; perhaps more torture will..change your mind."

Five years. Ink didn't time beatings anymore; he allowed Papyrus to beat me to his soul's content, which sometimes lasted all day.

"Papyrus.." Ink spoke.

"Yes?" Papyrus looked up from my broken body curiously.

"It's been a while..and I'd like to make some things..official."

"What do you mean?"

"I want you to accept me as your master, and I want you to verbalize your love of torture..publicly."

"This..would involve the toy.."

"Yes, it would. Do you want me as your master, Papyrus?"

"..I.." Papyrus hesitated.

"Yes?"

"What would this..do?"

"It would tell the world that the Papyrus that used to be is now dead, and you would become my second-in-command..for good. You would be able to have more freedom, and you would be able to leave this room..you would have the privilege of torturing the toy whenever you desired, and you would be subject only to me. You..want that..do you not?"

"..I do..but.."

"But what?"

"..I care for the toy.."

"I can help you fix that..would you like me to?"

"..." Papyrus only glanced at me, before looking back at Ink. "You can..do that?"

"Of course. You, unlike the toy, have very stable code..and changing it would be simple; I can take your care away, and you will be numb. No more regrets..no more remorse. What do you say, Papyrus? Do you want to reach your full potential?"

"..Yes."

"This will hurt."

"Do it..I do not wish to have feelings toward it anymore."

"That's wonderful, Papyrus."

Ink knelt down next to Papyrus, who had come to the ground to torture me, and he brought out a code bar, likely intending to change Papyrus from the inside. He chuckled as Papyrus screamed in pain from the changes, and I began to mourn my brother, who was now in the process of..dying. It only took a minute, and when it was finished, Papyrus stood up, followed swiftly by Ink, who wanted to know if he had succeeded.

"What do you feel toward the toy now, Papyrus?" He inquired.

"..Nothing." Papyrus answered.

"Are you ready to accept my offer, now that this inconvenience has been resolved?"

"Yes, I am."

"I'll send out a summons; we'll have a crowd to see your change..and feel free to play with it while I'm out."

My brother died that day, as did the last shred of mercy he had possessed..I never knew why he had just given in like that..perhaps it was an easier way to go; maybe he had just given up. I didn't know. All I knew is that my fear of him was born that day, and the love I had used to have for him was suffocated by it. A public torture session had been held shortly after, and after proving that he could torture me without hesitation, Papyrus knelt to Ink, calling him master. I had occasionally tried to talk to him after that, but it was no use; he had forcefully ended any lines of conversation I had begun, and after a month, he requested that I be silenced permanently..Ink obliged, making a rule that I was no longer allowed to speak. And it continued like that, for decades. Most of the time, Ink and Papyrus tortured me together..but sometimes..one of them was alone.

"Hold still!" Papyrus commanded, running a sharp bone across my skull.

"H-help.." I mentally begged someone to help me..and apparently, verbally, too.

"Silence!" Papyrus yelled, driving the bone into my sternum, scratching the surface of my soul and causing me to scream out. "You will suffer for this..I'll make sure of it."

I whimpered as he waved the bone around, before jamming it into my arm.

"You don't enjoy this, do you?" He chuckled darkly. "I can assure you that I do. I don't know what I was thinking, caring for such a stupid thing as you..I hate you; do you hate me?"

I could only cry; I wasn't meant to answer questions.

"I suppose it doesn't matter." He grinned malevolently. "Hold still, now; I want to see a truly broken bone!"

"Help..h-help.." I mumbled.

"Kid, wake up.." A..voice.

"Help.."

"Kid, it's Fell; I'm here, and you're okay. Everything's okay.."

I opened my eyesockets, and I realized that I had been crying in my sleep..I shouldn't have done that.

"H-help.." I sobbed, being wrapped in a warm hug.

"I've got you; you're safe, Dust, and everything's okay."

"H-help..."

"Calm down, kid; you're okay..you're okay."

Fell always knew how to cheer me up, whether it be with a hug or giving me some space; it was usually a hug, though, since I hadn't been hugged where I had been before..at least, not after the incident involving the black apples. After ten minutes of quiet comfort, I felt much better.

"Are you all right now, kid?" Fell wondered.

"Yes..thank you." I smiled, hugging my best friend tightly.

"Was it another nightmare?"

"..Yes." I sighed; it had been five years! I should have been over this!

"What was it about?"

"..Papyrus.."

"I see..well, there's no use worrying about him; he's far away, you know."

"..How is he?"

"What?"

"..Is he okay? Is he still..evil?"

"..Yeah."

"D-do you remember when I used to ask you that..a-and you would tell me about all the amazing things he did?"

"I remember." Fell nodded. "That was a long time ago.."

"..I wish it were still like that."

"I do, too, Dust..I do, too."

"..."

"Kid, would you like to come with me on my rounds today? I'd be able to keep you company better, and you'd be able to keep your mind off...you know what."

"Okay." I nodded; I had gone with him before, and I knew how it worked.

"Well, it's actually time; let's get going."

"All right."

Without hesitation, I grabbed my walking stick and followed Fell out the door, but he made sure to slow his usual pace for me; he was very kind. His job was simple: patrolling the base. The new resistance couldn't exactly set up bases in different universes, since that would have been difficult with Ink's protocols, but there was one base, in a specific universe that only the most trusted members knew the identity of; most people simply referred to it as "the sanctuary." Before breaking away, the group of judges who organized the new resistance spent all their free time working on building this place up, and they brought all the essentials before gathering any members for the organization; they had spent decades making sure that this was the safest place in the multiverse, and it had paid off; even Ink was unable to locate it. There was also a level of comfort involved; everyone shared a room with someone else, from rooms with two people to rooms with six. Despite that, everyone was content; it was better than what the empire would offer. Each person had a bed, a warm blanket, and the promise of a stable food supply; that was all most people needed. Fell's patrol took him around most of the areas in the base, but there were many more, since it was huge.

"Hey, Dust, Fell!" Dream ran over to us from a nearby doorway; he seemed..nervous. "What are you doing here?"

"Dust is coming on my patrol with me.." Fell said, slowly. "Is everything all right?"

"Y-yes! Um, you don't have to patrol the, uh, prison today.."

"May I ask why?"

"I-I'll talk to you about it later! Just don't patrol it today, please!"

"Um..all right. In that case, we're done.."

"Good!"

"Are you okay, Dream?" I inquired; Dream wasn't usually so..unsettled.

"I'm fine, just a bit..I'm fine!"

"You don't seem fine." Fell mentioned.

"Just jumpy, I'll be fine!"

"If you want to talk about it, I'm willing to listen." I offered; I would have been more than willing to listen to someone who had listened to me so many times in the past.

"I'm fine, truly! Just stay out of the prison until further notice, okay?"

"..Okay." Fell and I nodded, and Dream left us.

"Who do you think they caught?" I asked, sincerely curious.

"I don't know..but it must be someone bad, if they're blocking it off.." Fell sighed.

"At least the prison is made to keep even Ink in!"

"True..whoever's in there isn't getting out. So, would you like to see if there's any nice cream in the cafeteria?"

"Yes!" I loved nice cream!

"Come on, then."

The cafeteria was where everyone got their food, but they didn't eat it there; it was something like a surface "take-out" restaurant. People went in, chose what they wanted from a list of available foods (set rations limited the amount someone could take, of course, and they were recorded with cards), and waited for a couple minutes before receiving it; after the food came, the people left with their meals. Nice cream was a treat, and it was one that children and the "mentally scarred" (I was one of those) enjoyed greatly. The rationing of it was unfortunate, although necessary, but Fell and I only went for nice cream when we celebrated or I was scared of something; with the way Dream acted earlier, Fell could tell that I had been frightened. I was very sensitive, and he knew it well; I was glad that he had volunteered to be my caretaker. Speaking of caretakers, those who had been greatly tortured or mentally injured by the empire had the choice to put themselves up for "adoption," and those who hadn't been as affected could volunteer to "adopt" one of them, to give them a better life. Fell had adopted me, and I was grateful for it. When we had gotten our nice cream, we sat down in a recreation room and relaxed; it was easier to relax than to think about scary things.

"Fell, could I speak with you for a moment?" Blue entered the room.

"Uh, sure." Fell stood up from the bench we had been sitting on, and I stood next to him.

"Dust, I'm going to have to ask you not to listen..this is private."

"Okay!" I nodded, sitting back down to enjoy my nice cream.

Fell and Blue walked to the other side of the room, and they spoke for about ten seconds before Fell shouted.

"What?!" He seemed shocked..I wondered what was being said.

"Shh!" Blue brought the conversation back to a suitable level.

The rest of their talk was quiet, but it was obvious that Fell had been disturbed by whatever the subject of the conversation was. When it ended, Fell returned to the bench, and Blue walked behind him.

"What were you talking about?" I was worried about my friends.

"Nothing, Dust." Blue assured, patting my skull lightly. "Everything's okay."

"All right..but you'd tell me if it was important, right?"

"..If we felt that you needed to know, we would tell you."

"..So it is important..is it dangerous?"

"..Not right now. We're going to be careful about it, and nothing bad will be allowed to happen. We'll keep everyone safe, okay?"

"Okay.."

"You enjoy your nice cream."

Blue left, and I looked up to Fell.

"Is everything really going to be okay?" I asked.

"..I don't know. Someone very dangerous is being held in the prison..and I don't like the looks of it. Until the person escapes or something, you're not going near the prison; do you understand?"

"I understand."

"Good." Fell wrapped an arm around me to make me feel more comfortable; I was unsettled by the thought of someone dangerous being held in the prison.. "But it isn't for you to worry about."

"Thank you, Fell."

"You're welcome, kid." Fell glanced up at a clock. "Oh, you have a session in ten minutes; I'll take you there."

"Okay."

"Sessions" weren't the ones I had been used to while in the care of my..captors. They were mental health sessions, to help those who had been harmed mentally by the empire heal. There were several of these in the base, and those who needed them could choose from one of eight different ones, each with different healing styles to fit the specific needs of different people. I went to the one that most victims of intense torture went to, and it also happened to be the most gentle; it matched my sensitivities well, and I felt the most comfortable there, as compared to the others. The sessions took two to five hours on average, depending on what we did that day, and they really helped; it was somewhat nice to know that I wasn't alone..I sometimes felt that way. Today's session involved a game in which we made stories about different things in the room; it was really fun, and I spent an entire hour afterwards recounting some of my favorites to Fell, who listened..it was nice to have a friend who would listen to me.

"What happened after that?" Fell wondered.

"Then it ended." I answered. "We're going to help in the garden tomorrow!"

"That sounds fun."

"It will be! I can't wait to- woah!" I tripped.

"Are you all right, kid?" Fell came down to my level, helping me stand up.

"Yes, I'm okay." I nodded, looking down at my walking stick to see what might have caused me to fall.

"There's a chip there." Fell ran a finger over the dent. "I wouldn't put too much pressure on this thing until we can fix this; I can look into a new one next week, if you'd like."

"Okay. Thank you, Fell."

"No problem, Dust. If you need to, you can lean on me to stay up."

Fell was just about the best friend I had ever had..other than my family, of course. I didn't think I could have been luckier in the friendships I had..I just wished that I wasn't such a burden; I wished I didn't need so much attention, but my condition made it difficult not to need someone around at all times. I tried to make up for it by being as helpful as I could and not asking for many things, but I would never be able to repay any of my friends for what they had done for me. I just had to stay positive; my friends liked to see my smile, and I would show it as much as I could. A week passed by quickly, but I hadn't forgotten about the dangerous prisoner in the dungeon..I felt less safe with the knowledge that there was one. Despite that, I tried to remain happy; that was my primary goal at the moment, and I knew that my friends wouldn't let the prisoner hurt me.

I relied on that thought when the sirens started.

"Shoot.." Fell said, when it happened.

"Wh-what's happening?" I asked, afraid of the unfamiliar event.

"Kid, I need you to do exactly what I say."

I nodded, confirming that I would do so.

"You know where the nearest shelter is?" He questioned.

"Uh-huh." I was frightened..I knew that he wouldn't be coming with me, since he was asking..if he would have been coming, he would have simply picked me up and ran..

"Go directly there. If you hear anything that sounds remotely like fighting, do not look at it; you ignore it and run. Do you understand?"

"I-I do.."

"Now go."

"Y-yes, Fell."

The old resistance base had had several hidden trapdoors as safe zones; the sanctuary had five main rooms, one on each far side of the base, and one in the center. In the event of the sirens going off, anyone who wasn't ready or able to fight invaders or whatever was happening was to go directly to the nearest one; the entrances would be sealed off within seven minutes, which was the recorded average time to get from a point that wasn't close to any of the entrances to reach one, but Fell and I had been near one when the sirens went off, and it would only take me two minutes to reach it with my walking stick. Fell ran off, likely to fight to protect the sanctuary, and I began to make my way to a shelter. I wanted to fight, yes, but..I had no magical capabilities that I could use without hurting myself..and I had lost my skill with a weapon; I wouldn't have stood a chance, not to mention the fact that I couldn't even stand without help. When I was halfway to the nearest shelter, I heard the loud sound of magic attacks from down a hallway, but I didn't look, and I didn't pay it any mind; if Fell told me not to look, I wouldn't. Luck wasn't on my side today, though; my walking stick decided to break, and I fell to the floor.

There were many things that I had learned in my years of living, but one had been made obvious since my childhood: never trust that things would go my way. Luck was only a word that was thrown around when good or bad things happened at random; skill was a word that described using one's own abilities to attempt to achieve the best outcome. I had neither; I sometimes felt as if I were cursed. The world had torn me down so many times that I was used to it, and I had only ever been built up to make the fall worse. I wouldn't be able to make it to a shelter now; my only hope was that someone kind would help me, but that hope would never be realized. Instead of fighting and trying to run, I curled up and cried; I was too weak to do anything else. The sound of the fighting came closer, and I began to shake in fear, trying to hide myself in my jacket; I could fit, if I tried hard enough. After a minute, I felt something fly past me, and I knew that the battle had come to me..I just had to play dead! I would be fine, because my friends would defeat whoever it was in battle, and everything would go back to normal! I just had to wait a while..I just had to wait. A few minutes passed, and the battle eventually ended; when I felt a hand touch me, I shook in fear.

"Kid, it's all right." Fell? Fell was here..that meant that the bad person had been defeated!

"F-F-Fell?" I whimpered, peeking out from the safety of my jacket.

"Yeah, I'm here, kid." He smiled at me. "I guess we should have looked into a replacement sooner..I'm sorry about that."

"Th-that's okay..but I think I will need a new one, now.." I frowned at the broken end of my walking stick.

"I'll take you to get a new one right now."

"Wh-what about the bad person?"

"He's being moved to a different containment center tomorrow; just don't look behind you, okay?"

"Okay.." I knew that the bad person was behind me..I didn't want to look there.

"I'm going to help you up, now."

"All right."

Fell helped me to my feet, and I heard the struggles of the bad person behind me; I hoped he would be taken somewhere that he couldn't hurt anyone. It could have ended there. Fell could have taken me to get a new walking stick, and the bad person could have stayed quiet, but that didn't happen.

"Well.." The person..spoke; I knew that voice..I knew that voice.

Fell picked me up; I had stopped walking.

"Ignore it." Fell whispered to me, but I barely heard him.

A large struggle came from behind us, and another fight began, but it was shorter than the last, and the winner was someone different. Fell began to run, and I held on to him tightly. He ran toward the nearest shelter, since they hadn't been sealed yet, and both of us hoped we would make it there. We were right in front of the entrance to the room it was in when Fell was tackled from behind; I fell out of his grasp, rolling onto the floor, and the bad person pinned Fell, who summoned a bone to defend himself with. The door to the shelter closed within seconds, and we were left to fend for ourselves..which meant that Fell was going to protect me, the helpless, magicless skeleton who was scared to death. He slashed at the bad person as I crawled under a nearby bench to get out of the way; I wished I could fight, but I hadn't suddenly gained the ability to walk on my own..or any magic. I winced when a crack rang out, and I let tears fall when my friend fell to the ground; he was no match for the bad person, who began to look for me. I flinched at every footstep, and I stopped breathing when they stopped right next to me; he had found me. The bench was lifted up, revealing my cowering figure, and I began to sob, hoping he wouldn't hurt me..but I knew he would.

"Hello..toy." He chuckled softly, but his joyous laugh grew louder..before ceasing. "I didn't expect to see you here..but I think you'll make a pleasant gift for my master..again."

"M-m-m-mer-mercy.." I mumbled fearfully, but it wasn't acknowledged.

"Now hold still."

I shook in fear as he broke the bench apart, using the boards and nails to form a small cage..and trapping me inside. I tried to escape it, but it was no use; I was too weak to even escape a wooden prison..

"Just let me broadcast these coordinates.." He pulled out a device..he was going to reveal the base's location!

I had to stop him; perhaps he didn't know where he was! With all the strength I could muster, I reached for one of his legs, and I pulled. He came tumbling down, and his device shattered when it hit the floor; hopefully, the sanctuary was safe..for a little while longer, at least. I..was not safe. Papyrus glared..very harshly at me; I expected pain in the near future, but I had protected my friends, and that was all that mattered. Instead of speaking, Papyrus only opened a portal, picked up my cage, and walked through it; I was glad that portals from the sanctuary forced a closure once the maker was through, or else my efforts could have been for nothing! Papyrus growled when it happened, but that was fine. He began to enter the compound, which seemed darker than I had remembered it..the guards still wore the same suits of armor, but the horrified expressions on their faces were new; they must have thought that I would never come back..I wished that could have been the case. I brought my knees to my sternum and began to cry as Papyrus neared Ink's room..they would be crueler now; I knew they would. My only hope would have been if they had chosen someone else to replace me..but I knew that they wouldn't have done that.

"My master." Papyrus spoke from outside the room. "I've returned, with a gift."

"Did you find the resistance?" Ink's muffled voice came from the other side of the door.

"No, but I found something else of value.."

"..Come in."

With that, Papyrus entered the room, and he made his way in front of Ink, placing me on the ground and kneeling behind me.

"..Is this what I think it is?" Ink's voice portrayed shock and amusement.

"It is, master." Papyrus confirmed. "I've found the toy."

"..This is better than the resistance..much better." Ink descended, kneeling beside my cage, and he chuckled. "I wonder if it still harbors a fear of us."

Ink pulled out a bladed paintbrush, and I flinched, backing away as much as I could; I didn't want to be hurt..

"It does.." Ink laughed softly. "Well done, Papyrus..you've exceeded expectations. We can find that resistance another day; for now, let's get this twit back into the swing of things."

"Not just a twit, anymore, master." Papyrus stated.

"Oh? What is it?"

"A cripple."

"How quaint."

Ink pulled away the board that was nearest to him, and I began to weep harder; I wanted to go back! I wanted my friends, and I wanted Fell! I wanted a warm blanket and someone to tell me everything would be all right..I wanted to be anywhere but here! Ink began my welcoming with a can of red paint, which was followed by a scream of pain. Blades followed it, and the brand on my sternum that I had covered with a bandage, hoping never to see it again, was introduced to light. I found myself where I had been five years ago: lying on Ink's floor, helpless and crying, wishing that the pain would go away; it was worse this time, though..because I knew that no one would be coming. With every cut that made its way onto my bones, and with every crack of a whip that stung me, I knew that I was finally alone; no one cared about me..I was a lost cause. The resistance would survive, and I would suffer; it was a fair trade, although I didn't think that I would continue to think that..I would eventually get used to it again..

I was home..

~~~~~

"Impressions"

Classification: random.

Warnings: none, really.

Canonicity: not canon.

~~~~~

"Dusty!" Ink yelled, bringing me out of the nap I had attempted to take; Ink hadn't called my babysitter to watch me while he worked today, and no high ranks were coming, which had left me alone.

I sat up immediately, hoping that Ink wouldn't realize that I had been sleeping. He ran up to me, kneeling by my side and holding my shoulders tightly; was he going to throw me again..?

"Dusty, I need help." Ink was..serious.

"..Why do you need my help?" I tilted my skull; he regarded me as a toy! Why would I help him?!

"Dusty, just hear me out. I have a friend coming over later today, and he's going to rate the condition of the empire; if I get a good rating, I'll get bragging rights among my peers that you don't know about, and I'll be very happy. If I get a bad rating, I'll become a laughingstock! This is important to me, Dusty, and I need you to act..better..while the visitor is here."

"Why would I play along?"

"Dusty, I'm begging you!"

I stared in shock; Ink never begged anyone for anything! If he was begging..he was serious.

"Please..just this once." Ink pleaded.

"..." I thought about it.. "Okay."

"Thank you!" Ink hugged me tightly, and I wondered about the consequences of this.

Ink gave me very clear instructions on how I was to act during this visit, and I agreed to abide by them, even if they demeaned me. During this visit, I would be the perfect pet, and Ink's friend, or whoever it was, would be impressed, according to Ink. A week of practicing later, the visitor arrived, and Ink met him at the entrance to the compound; I was to await his arrival in Ink's room. Apparently, the reviewer would be looking for obedience and submission, along with a substantial amount of fear; I really only had to be myself. Two hours after I had been left alone, the door to Ink's room opened, and I sat up, hugging my Hope close to me.

"And this is my room, where I spend a majority of my time." Ink gestured to the room, and I ran over to his side, as he had instructed me to. "Oh, this is Dusty. Dusty, say hello to the nice reviewer."

"H-hello.." I sheltered myself behind Ink's legs to avoid the view of the reviewer..I wasn't interested in making his acquaintance.

"Your..toy, I assume?" The reviewer assumed.

"Yes, for about twenty years now." Ink answered.

"And..what makes him so special?"

"We used to have a Nightmare's gang here..he's the only surviving mortal member, not to mention the fact that he was a thrill to break."

"..He's the size of a toddler."

"Another reason he's special."

"Is he submissive?"

"Very."

"Would you demonstrate?"

"Of course. Dusty, cuddle me."

I responded by, quite simply, obeying; I wasn't used to comforting a leg, but I had agreed to be obedient, and I did my best, since Ink wouldn't pick me up. I believed that I did well, considering the impressed hums that came from the reviewer.

"And what about torture?" He asked.

"He's frightened of it, but he won't fight against it." Ink replied.

"May I see?"

"Mhm. Dusty, lie down." Ink came down to the ground as I lay down, and he pulled out a bladed paintbrush. "Don't fight me, Dusty."

I didn't move as Ink pulled out my soul, but I believed that screaming was exempt from the category of "fighting," since Ink didn't scold me for screaming when he ran the blade across my soul. When the demonstration was over, I wept slightly, hugging my Hope tightly.

"I would do more, but I believe that's sufficient." Ink stated.

"Indeed." The reviewer hummed. "And what was that thing on his soul?"

"He has a medical condition; it's been there for longer than he's been mine."

"Ah, I see..what about that doll?"

"It's his..comfort doll..he gets angry when people take it away, so I let him keep it; he's obedient while he has it."

"And if he doesn't?"

"..The last person who stole it was murdered by his hands; he claims that he simply lost his mind for a moment.."

"..." The reviewer coughed for a moment. "Well..I'm sure that he's a good toy, aside from that. Would you explain what you do here?"

"Of course."

The reviewer didn't try to speak to or about me after that; I was glad, since I didn't desire to speak with him at all. The incident Ink had described had been an accident, though; I couldn't control myself without my Hope, and the high rank who had taken it had said horrible things about it! Ink's room was apparently the last room on the list for the tour, and the reviewer left within an hour, leaving me with Ink, who seemed overjoyed. He hugged me tightly when we were alone, complimenting my obedience and rubbing my skull rewardingly. He then proceeded to cuddle me as an extra reward, and I savored it; it was much better than torture, and I was content with it.

I was happy with what I could get.

~~~~~

"Pointless"

Classification: emding fluff.

Warnings: poor Dusty.

Canonicity: canon.

~~~~~

"Dusty, let go." Ink growled at me; I assumed that he was angry, but that only meant that he needed more comfort!

"You need comfort!" I said, hoping he would accept it.

"Dusty, I don't want you around!" Ink shook me off his leg. "I'm sick of you, and I want you gone!"

"Do you want me to find you a better toy than me?" I offered. "I can do that for you!"

"I want you to go away! Why can't you understand that?! My plan is over, and I'm letting you go!"

"The only place I want to be is with you.."

"Go to your brother! Go anywhere! I don't care!"

"He can't compare to you, Ink; you're the most amazing person in my life, and I want to serve you forever! Won't you accept me? I'll be happy to be your footstool! If you want to beat something, beat me! I'll cuddle you and make sure that you feel loved, and I'll never leave you alone, master!"

"..." Ink's cruel expression turned to a soft smile. "So you are genuine.."

"I'll always be genuine, Ink."

"You passed my test, Dusty..I'm so proud." Ink gestured for me to rise, and I did, recieving the reward of Ink's rubbing my skull; I loved having my skull rubbed! "But part of my desire for you to leave was true..would you remind me why I keep you?"

"Because, master, I make you feel better." I leaned into the touch of my master. "I'll never leave you, and I make you feel like you are someone; you want to feel that."

"..That's right. Thank you, Dusty."

"You're welcome, Ink."

"Now, let's have a nice cuddle; I'll take you down the the dungeon to have some fun later."

"I can't wait!" I giggled as Ink picked me up and placed me on his bed, before beginning to cuddle me.

My master loved me.

~~~~~

"Christmas"

Classification: angst.

Warnings: threats.

Canonicity: canon.

~~~~~

Ink didn't allow anyone to celebrate holidays anymore, including Christmas. In fact, if anyone was caught being merry on Christmas Day, they would be sent to the dungeon for five torture sessions. I was the exception. When it came to Christmas, the day that had never failed to make me happy when in the company of my late family, I couldn't help my joy; Ink had learned that early on. After a full day of torture, I still remained joyful, basking in the memories of my family and brother; it was a wonderful feeling. After a few Christmases, Ink simply gave up, and he allowed me to be happy; I took his permission jovially. When I was woken up on Christmas, Ink now had a new greeting.

"Merry Christmas, Dusty!" He greeted.

"Merry Christmas!" I returned, smiling brightly.

"I have some business to attend to today; your babysitter will be here shortly."

"Okay!"

Nothing would ruin my mood today! I hugged my Hope happily as I awaited Fell's arrival, and when he did arrive, I hugged him happily.

"Merry Christmas, Fell!" I giggled.

"Hey, kid." Fell sighed, since he wasn't allowed to be happy on Christmas; I understood.

"How are you?"

"I've been all right, how about you?"

"I'm great! Do you think Papyrus celebrates Christmas anymore?"

"I think he might."

"I hope he does! He used to be so happy during Christmas! He would wake me up early when we were little!"

"I'm glad you enjoy it."

"Am I making you happy?" I wondered, looking at the small smile on Fell's face. "I'm sorry! I can stop!"

"You don't have to." Fell resumed his frowning. "I'll be fine."

"..Will you be happy if I play with my bunnies?"

"No, I don't think so."

"Okay!"

With that, I ran over to get my bunnies, and I began to play; Fell was good at being sad, and he didn't smile any more during his watch. When Ink returned, he made me put away my bunnies, but I didn't become sad; I was used to it. With a smile, I sat down on the floor in front of Ink, who sat on his bed above me.

"Dusty, despite the fact that I didn't want to, I got you something for Christmas." He began. "Then I threw it away, and you'll never get to know what it was."

"Okay." I wasn't phased; I didn't need gifts for Christmas.

"..You don't care, do you?"

"Nope."

Ink growled. "What is it going to take to make you sad?!"

"I don't know." I hugged my Hope, grinning from the happiness it brought me.

"..." Ink smiled darkly, before snatching my Hope from my arms. "You won't be happy now!"

"Hey!" I wanted my Hope!

"Aha!" Ink cackled. "You're finally sad!"

"G-give it back!" I begged; I needed my Hope!

"Not until you cry, Dusty! Not until you cry on Christmas!"

"P-please.."

"Cry!" Ink commanded.

I needed my Hope back, and he would give it to me if I cried..my only option was to give in. I discarded my Christmas joy, and I forced tears to fall; I needed my Hope. Ink chuckled as I obeyed, enjoying my sorrow on the one day that I had always managed to elude his attempts to make me sad on, and he strove to make me more sad. Instead of giving my Hope back, he kicked me down, and I curled up.

"Dusty, I want an hour." He said. "If you maintain your sorrow for an hour, I will return your doll. Deal?"

I sobbed, but I understood. "D-deal.."

"Perfect."

Ink proceeded to sit down in front of me, and he pulled me up to copy him. I stared longingly at my Hope, weeping to appease Ink's desires, and I yearned for the moment when he would give it back to me. Usually, I wouldn't have stood for anyone to take my Hope, but if I knew that whoever had taken it would return it at a certain time, I was more lenient. Ink always held true to his word, and I knew that he would give it back when he said he would. The hour was filled with sadness, but when it was up, Ink threw my Hope at me, and I immediately regained my happiness, wiping my tears away quickly.

Ink later asked if I had been faking my tears, but I didn't answer him.

~~~~~

"Meeting"

This short takes place in the "Baby" timeline!

Classification: neutral.

Warnings: Ink misinterpreting something that honestly should have been presented differently.

Canonicity: alternate timeline.

~~~~~

Ink's point of view.

"Wh-what do you mean?" I asked, hesitantly.

"You are coming with me." Papyrus answered.

"But..th-they'd kill me.."

"You are immortal, Ink, and you cannot stay in the house forever."

"C-can't I stay in Blue's house?"

"No, his brother is still uncomfortable with your presence."

"So is everyone else!"

"Ink, I will make sure that everything runs smoothly."

"Why can't I be here? What's going to be different?"

"You will see." Papyrus sighed, before putting a hand on my shoulder. "My brother will be right next to you the entire time, Ink; you will have nothing to fear."

"..Okay."

"Now, come on; we will be late if we dilly-dally any longer."

I frowned, picking up baby Dusty and his travel bag before following Papyrus through a portal. For the first time since the rise of my empire, I was attending a multiversal meeting. The main judges of the most important (I had never been quite sure how importance had been determined, since that had always been Dream's job) AUs met monthly to discuss multiversal matters, and I had used to lead them, before forming my empire. Now, Papyrus led them, since he had accepted the role I had abandoned..well, mostly; he mainly helped AUs with what they needed help with, but he did it well. When I entered the room, everyone's gaze turned to me..some growled, and others tried to hide from my gaze, while one in particular spoke up..

"What's he doing here?!" The judge's voice was laced with hate.

"That will be discussed later." Papyrus replied.

"I-it will?" I wondered why I was here..

"Yes, it will. Take a seat, Ink."

I looked at the table, where everyone sat..but I didn't feel as if I deserved to sit there; I decided to sit in one of the spare chairs that were propped against the wall, unfolding it and sitting down with Dusty. Papyrus didn't question my decision, sitting down in his chair and beginning the meeting. He began to speak about multiversal events, but I didn't listen, focusing only on Dusty, who didn't enjoy seeing a timid expression on my face.

"Bah!" Dusty patted my face, trying to get me to smile; it didn't work. "Buh.."

Dusty grabbed his doll and began to move it around, but I didn't smile. He shoved the doll in my face, which also yielded no results. This confused him, but he was determined to make me smile; he was an amazing baby. He began to wiggle his fingers on my arms, mimicking a tickling motion, but I wasn't ticklish.

"Dusty..please don't." I requested. "I'm just not in the mood."

"B-buh..wah!" Dusty began to cry, and a few judges looked over curiously, wondering what was going on.

"Hush, Dusty." I rubbed his skull, but he didn't stop..I decided to skip to his pacifier; he was disrupting the meeting.

"Numnmnm.." Dusty sucked on his pacifier, before spitting it out and..trying to place it in my mouth..he must have thought that it would make me happy; I allowed him to do so, deciding that he knew best. "Bah?"

I shook my skull, signifying that I still wasn't happy; Dusty frowned. Well, Dusty wasn't allowed to be sad, unlike myself. I waved his doll around, but he refused to be happy..I took the pacifier out of my mouth to speak.

"Are you being sad because I'm sad, Dusty?" I assumed.

"Bah!" Dusty nodded sharply, confirming my suspicions.

"Dusty..I'm just not used to being around other people anymore..except you. It isn't your fault.."

"Stah?"

"You want a story?"

"Bah!"

"All right."

I picked up one of Dusty's storybooks, and I began to read to him. Honestly, this made me feel much more relaxed, and I began to smile at some point, which made Dusty simply beam. When the story was over, I played more with Dusty, keeping him occupied as the meeting progressed. Until I heard my name, of course.

"Now, I know that a lot of you are wondering why a certain someone is here today - namely, Ink." Papyrus caught my attention. "I did not bring him here to scare anyone, and I did not mean to cause aggression..but anyone who has been watching him - I know that most of you have at least glanced - will have noticed his..change in character. Over the past year and a half, Ink has made great strides to become a better person..and last week, he took a test to accurately determine how good he truly is..his results were..unfortunate." Papyrus looked over to me, and I paled; I..I couldn't lose Dusty! "He has been in a virtual isolation from the world for so long..that he couldn't answer what happened a month ago. He has no idea."

"Um..did something happen?" I tilted my skull; I would have known, right? Someone would have told me if something big had happened..right? Apparently not, since everyone looked at me with shocked expressions. "What?"

"Ink..the cure for my brother was found.."

"Wh-what?" I held Dusty tighter..they were trying to..take him?

"We are going to turn him back into an adult tomorrow."

"B-but..y-you can't! Y-you said I could take care of him! I..I-I can't lose him!"

"My brother deserves to live a life of his own..we can give him that."

"I..I won't let you!"

"And there is where the problem lies." Papyrus sighed. "You rely too heavily on my brother's influence in your life..it is certainly not healthy. There is no cure, yet, Ink, but someday, there will be."

"..Did you bring me here just to mock me? Just because I rely on someone to keep me sane?"

"I brought you here so we could find a way to help you, Ink.."

"..Take me home.."

Papyrus frowned, opening his mouth to say something else, but he stopped short with a sigh. A portal opened next to me, and I carried Dusty inside, along with his things. Sitting down in his nursery, I set him on the floor and allowed him to play as I tried to process my emotions..it was harder without a stabilizer..I had nothing to keep me from going on a rampage except for Dusty..I couldn't lose him. After a few minutes of play, Dusty rolled over to me and hugged me as well as he could, with his tiny arms. I picked him up and held him close, never wanting to let go.

"You won't leave me, Dusty..right?" I needed reassurance.

"Bah." Baby Dusty smiled genuinely at me, quietly telling me that he would stay with me..

"I love you, Dusty."

"Dah, dabuh!" Dusty giggled, which made me feel much better.

I knew he wouldn't leave me.

~~~~~

"Darker"

This short takes place in the "Vantablack" timeline!

Classification: angst.

Warnings: torture, violence, overall evil.

Canonicity: alternate timeline.

~~~~~

I had gotten used to my life again rather quickly, but there had been a few new things to me, the primary concern being my cage. Ink and Papyrus didn't want me to be rescued again, and that had resulted because of the fact that I hadn't been locked away; that was swiftly remedied with a cage that wouldn't open for anyone's magic except for Ink's or Papyrus's...they were the only ones who could ever free me, and they were the ones who would hurt me. My cage wasn't on the floor, since they believed that it would have been a hassle to have to stoop down to torture me; instead, my cage was placed on a stand, and I was elevated five feet into the air..I didn't enjoy being so high. My opinions didn't matter. I had also been punished more for the fact that I had dared to try to escape, and I had been placed under harsh restrictions..the one I might have hated most was..no talking. I hadn't been allowed to speak before, but now I was unable; my mouth had been sealed shut, and I was now permanently mute..I couldn't even scream. The term "suffering in silence" had been given a new meaning since I had returned..the only thing I had managed to beg of them before that was the permission to sleep; they had agreed to let me sleep whenever I wished, as long as they didn't need me, if only to have me more alert when they did need me.

The collar was new, too. Although I had been subjected to collars before, I hadn't had one with spikes..that drove into my neck; I didn't bother moving my skull anymore unless I was writhing in agony..it wasn't worth it. The collar came with a leash, but they didn't use it much; they preferred to let me hurt myself. Papyrus seemed to have grown more violent in my absence; he had taken to beating me whenever I was in sight, even if I had done nothing. I usually did nothing; it was safer that way. As well as all those, there were the chains that I was forced to wear simply for the reason of torture, the tracking device that had been painfully embedded into my soul, Papyrus's brand that had been placed under Ink's, and my "medicine." My medicine was a liquid that looked exactly like paint, but it didn't burn. I was forced to drink it twice a day, and I didn't know what it was doing to me; they never told me, and they never would. I had my suspicions, but in the end, it all traced back to the fact that I was their property and they could do what they wished with me; my way didn't exist. They had been after the resistance the most; they had sent three sections of soldiers to the likeliest coordinates for the base, and if it was there, they would capture it and everyone inside. I dreaded that knock on the door, but when it came, I did nothing, only awaiting the news.

"Come in!" Ink called, looking up from his work; he was the only one that was with me right now, and he was busy with work, which meant that he didn't have time to make my life worse right now.

"S-Sir, I come from the resistance raid." A high rank entered the room cautiously; not even high ranks were devoid of the fear of Ink anymore.

"Was the base there?"

"Y-yes, Sir, but-" The high rank flinched when he was cut off.

"But what?!" Ink yelled angrily.

"W-we couldn't break through their defenses.."

"..." Ink wasn't happy. "How many sections did I send?"

"Th-th-three, S-Sir.."

"Three hundred low ranks..three high ranks..how many soldiers did they have?"

"B-best guess was..t-two hundred, Sir.."

"...Did you capture anyone?"

"W-we did not, Sir.."

"..." Ink glanced at me before turning back to the high rank; that usually meant that he wanted to torture someone..likely me. "What's your number?"

"F-fifty-three, Sir."

"And the other high ranks with you?"

"S-seventy-two a-and 112.."

"And you were the only one brave enough to come face me?"

"Y-yes, Sir.."

"Then I will pardon you..the others will be demoted. Your next orders are to kick them out of the guard lounge and get them settled in their new quarters. After that, you will report to the dungeon for a week of punishment."

"Y-yes, Sir..thank you, Sir.."

"Now get out of my sight."

"O-of course, Sir!" The high rank ran out of the room.

"Cretin!" Ink growled, opening my cage and dragging me out before throwing me onto the floor; he proceeded to pull out some paint. "I need torture."

Ink was never kind. He couldn't make me drink his paint often anymore, but that didn't stop him from pouring it into my eyesockets. He did so for several minutes, until Papyrus entered the room; at that point, he stopped, and he turned to his second-in-command.

"Papyrus, I have a task for you." He announced.

"I hear and obey, master." Papyrus bowed, awaiting his orders.

"The likeliest location for the resistance base has been confirmed to be the true location; you will take ten sections to wipe it out and bring its leaders here. I want it done by the end of the day."

"Yes, master."

With that out of the way, Ink turned his attention back to me, and he continued to torture me, making use of some nails he had created. I wished I could still scream; no one would have even known I existed if Ink's room was blocked off..no one would care. With my inability to scream, I would have been left to suffer if anything bad happened..but maybe I would have been anyway. No one truly cared about me..I was just a stupid object meant for torturing; I had no true value aside from the fact that I was enjoyable to harm. The only things I did in response to the torture were struggle and cry; that was all I could do. Soon, the time known as bedtime - to me, it was a release - was upon us, and Ink pulled the nails out of my bones before returning me to my cage, where I hoped to drift off to sleep; my dreams might have been nightmares, but the pain was dulled when I slept, and anything that would dull the pain was worth it. I didn't manage to make it fully to sleep, however, as a knock on the door put me on alert; I was..very jumpy..sound meant pain, after all!

"Enter." Ink ordered.

Papyrus came forth, and behind him..oh, no..

"I did as you requested, master." Papyrus announced, dragging a prisoner behind him..he deserved to be free! "But.."

"But what?"

"Most of the previous inhabitants had fled by the time I arrived; no one was in any safe area..I think they have another base."

"..." Ink clenched his fists as the prisoner was forced to his knees in front of him; I could hear the light cracking. "I see there was one remaining."

"I captured everyone in sight; this is the only leader that was present, however."

"...Very well. Send two sections of soldiers to the base in case someone tries to return, but stay here until I'm finished."

"Yes, master."

"Good boy. Now, Dream..it seems you've been caught..what a pity."

"Wh-why do you have to be so cruel?!" Dream was sobbing.

"It's in my blood..to deny it would be pointless."

"Can't you understand mercy?!"

"Given by the weak to the weaker - strength is all one truly needs."

"..Why? Why do you need all this?"

"I desire it."

"You've made the world so negative..when will you be content?"

"...When everyone gives up." Ink paused, seemingly thinking of something that pleased him. "When the multiverse submits to me, with no exceptions. When everyone just accepts that their lives will remain like this forever..when no one fights back..when everyone breaks. That..will content me."

"And what will you do when that does happen..?"

"...I don't know..I wonder if I'll get bored..it's an intriguing idea."

"I can't take this.." Dream wept harder, and Ink placed a hand under his chin, forcing him to look at Ink.

"That's wonderful. You sound just like Papyrus before he gave in to me.." Ink looked up to the skeleton in question. "Papyrus, take the Guardian of Positivity..and instruct him on our way of life..you can have a high rank send the sections in your stead."

"Yes, master." Papyrus grabbed Dream tightly, but Dream hardly struggled; he had lost hope..I knew the feeling.

"I look forward to your service, Dream.." Ink chuckled.

Nothing else was said, and I decided to get some sleep. As much as I cared about Dream, there was no use in trying to change what I had no control over. Dream would be much happier with his new life, once he broke; Papyrus was enjoying his, and I was fairly certain that Dream would be taught to be just like him. I was glad that the rest of the resistance had escaped, though; that was a relief. Perhaps things would be okay in the end..

Or they would be worse.

~~~~~

"Blue"

Classification: fluff and angst.

Warnings: sad Blue.

Canonicity: canon.

This short was (sort of) requested by Katdragon30532!

~~~~~

The swapped Sans had been the first original taken into Ink's army, but he bore his burden with strength. He wasn't the same as he was before (no one was), but he tried to stay somewhat similar. He had used to be a happy-go-lucky skeleton with hopes of joining the royal guard in his AU, part of the Star Sanses, and someone known to be a good friend as well as a hard worker. He had used to be one of the kindest skeletons known in the multiverse, right alongside Papyruses and alternates of himself; he had been trustworthy and honest to a fault. Now..he was just another guard in the army. He no longer wished to be any sort of military officer, and the one who had rarely ever been seen shedding even a single tear that wasn't a pity tear or a tear of joy..had broken down crying many times. He had remained kind and a hard worker, and he was still a good friend..he was just a bit different. He no longer tried to tell people that everything would be all right in the end; he didn't believe it to be true, and he didn't want to lie every moment of his life. He still tried to make people happy, though; he could bring a smile to some faces that hadn't smiled in years! It was nice to smile every once in a while.

"Here's a good boy!" He also liked my bunnies, of course, and he played with them sometimes while visiting me.

"He really likes you." I smiled, watching the swapped Sans as he pet Thunder.

"He must realize my magnificence!"

"Uh-huh!" I nodded. "Thunder's good at that! Do you think he'd like my brother?"

"I think he'd love him."

The swapped Sans was also strong. He had been a Star Sans before the takeover, and the Star Sanses had been one of the strongest groups in the multiverse..I wished things could have still been that way. Some of the other high ranks were stronger than he was, though..they often pushed him around and taunted him. Sometimes, I was the one comforting him.

"Do you want to hold my doll?" I offered.

"No.." He shook his skull. "I'll be fine.."

"Do you want a hug?"

"..." He nodded.

"Okay!" I hugged him tightly, trying to make him feel better.

The swapped Sans also loved his brother very much, although he didn't get to see him much; Ink sometimes made it a game to keep them separated. He was a kind soul, though; he didn't hate Ink as much as other people..but he still hated him quite deeply.

"He took everyone's happy ending.." He stated. "We worked so hard..and he just had to take it away..like we were nothing."

"There can be other happy endings." I hummed idly. "You just have to make them happen."

"I've tried..but all my attempts got me were beatings and torture sessions.."

"..Maybe you just have to wait."

"I was never patient.."

"You just have to learn it..it comes naturally, after a while."

"I guess so..thanks, Dust."

And he was a great person.

~~~~~

"Attempt"

Classification: drama (that just sounds the most appropriate for this).

Warnings: violence.

Canonicity: canon.

~~~~~

This wasn't something that was new to me. Ink never locked to the door to his room, and low ranks would sometimes help me in my endeavours. Trying to escape Ink was one of the hardest things in the world, however, and I had, clearly, never succeeded. It was one thing to wait for someone else to rescue me, but it was another to try to free myself; today, I had gotten up the courage to try again. It had been several months since my last attempt, since the punishment last time had been brutal, but I had hope for this one; today was a day in which there would be lots of crowded halls - easy to hide in - due to specific meetings that were taking place today, as well as the fact that Ink would be absent. He had a full day today, and he had told me beforehand that he wouldn't be checking in much, if at all. I was just waiting for Fell to arrive; he was obligated to report my absence if I wasn't present when he came, which meant that I had to be present! I held my Hope tightly as I waited, hoping that this would be my time. The door eventually opened, and Fell appeared, walking over to me and taking a seat.

"Hey, kid, how are you doing?" He inquired.

"I'm going to try again." I stated, and he knew exactly what I meant.

"Well..I hope this is goodbye, then."

"..Goodbye."

I hugged Fell tightly before moving over to the door; he would stay and set up a decoy of me, and if I happened to succeed, he would claim that he thought I was sleeping..he was a great friend. I cracked Ink's door open slightly, peering out into the hallway; it was definitely crowded. At a moment in which a specifically large crowd appeared, I ducked into it, and I stayed close to the ground. Now I just needed to make sure that my route to the nearest exit was crowded, too; that would require some luck. There was only one way to escape this universe without permission, and that was to make it out of the compound. The inhabitants of Undertale had been rounded up, and there were none of them actually living in the Underground, but that was perfect. Snowdin was where Ink had placed his compound, and the only place with enough energy to create a portal to a different universe would have been the core, which still functioned. If I could get there, I knew how to harness said energy to make a portal to Dreamtale, where I would reunite with my brother and be free from Ink! Of course, I needed a specific plan to even get there..luckily, I had one.

After exiting Ink's room, my route would be to make it through a few hallways, following the crowd, until I reached the front entrance - the nearest one - where I would stealthily sneak out the front door. Of course, the front of the compound was guarded, but if the right people were there, they would turn a blind eye; I really only had to worry about high ranks, but they would be at the meetings today! Once I made it to Waterfall, I would be safe from possible detection, since only Snowdin was guarded. I would run to the core, where I would reroute some energy to create a portal to the resistance base and be happy. Of course, that was the best-case scenario. Usually, my disappearance was noted before I even made it to the exit...once, I had made it all the way to Hotland, but Ink had caught me...he always caught me. I would change that this time; I was determined to escape! After a few miles of walking through crowded hallways - I had been forced to take a longer route due to some of my usual hallways being almost empty - I made it to the front entrance. I opened the door, and I looked out at the snow-covered town. The guards who were watching the front of the compound glanced my way, but most of them looked away just as quickly, except one.

"Hey, what're-" The guard was hit on top of the head by a different one. "What was that for?!"

"I think you're seeing things.." The other guard mentioned. "I don't see anything there."

"But-"

"Yeah, there's nothing there." Another agreed. "Just some snow, right?"

"..." The first looked at me for a moment, before nodding. "Yeah..nothing."

With a silent thanks, I began to run. I had been found before I had reached this point before, and I didn't want to risk anything; this was far too important. I didn't always enjoy how large the Underground was; I didn't have too much endurance, and I was intending to run for what might have been miles in only these few hours...hours. That word scared me; an hour was sixty minutes, and every minute was a possibility that my disappearance would be discovered! I ran faster as I considered that. When I reached the core, I felt a great amount of hope; this would be it..this would be the day I escaped! No more torture sessions, no more being treated like an object, and no more fearing for my life with every word that left my mouth! This would-

"Dusty!" A furious voice echoed behind me, possibly closer or farther than what it sounded like...I wasn't sure.

I could fantasize later; I needed to get to work now! With rapid breaths, I began to locate the wires and other things I would need to create a portal; I needed to get out of here now! I worked as fast as I possibly could, and I didn't bother to heed neatness; what mattered was that I escaped, and it didn't have too look nice. Swiftly, I concluded my work, and I allowed power to enter my portal generator...

Success.

I began my quick journey into the portal..but I never made it through. Before I could enter the gateway, a bone pierced my left arm, and I was pinned to a wall. I struggled against the bone in vain, wishing I could simply detach my arm..I would have been fine without my left arm! I would have gladly given it up if I could go free..but I wasn't strong enough. Ink approached me, a group of high ranks behind him, and he glared harshly at me; I began to weep.

"That was...close." He said. "Too close. I don't want this to happen again; destroy it."

"No!" I screamed; that was my only way out..that was the only way!

"Silence." Ink growled at me lowly; he was not happy. "I will deal with you when we get back." He turned to the high ranks. "Destroy it..and make him watch. Bring him to my room when it's over, but don't hurt him; I'm going to do that myself."

"Yes, Sir." The high ranks harmonized.

One of the high ranks held my skull in place, and I was forced to watch as my only hope of escaping this torment by myself was ripped apart piece by piece..I no longer knew what to do. When the device had been ripped to shreds, two of the high ranks grabbed my arms, and they began the long walk back to the compound, where Ink would no doubt be waiting with a severe punishment..he always punished me harder the farther I got, and this time had been the farthest. The guards at the front of the compound seemed sad when I was brought back, but they couldn't offer reassurance when the high ranks were present; that would have warranted punishment. As soon as the high ranks forced me to the entrance of Ink's room, the door was opened, and Ink pulled me inside roughly before closing the door. Instead of commencing the punishment immediately, Ink set me on his bed, but I didn't look at him; I only held my Hope tightly and wept.

"I'm surprised you made it that far." He stated. "It was, admittedly, impressive..but you won't be trying to escape anymore, will you?"

I shook my skull lowly; there was no point in trying to escape anymore..I had no way to create a portal out of this universe, and low ranks would have been risking their brothers' lives if they wanted to help me. I was stuck here..unless someone else rescued me.

"Good." Ink approved of my hopelessness. "Now, I believe that a thorough torture session on every bone in your body will suffice; come along, Dusty."

I obeyed, seeing no other option.

Maybe it was better this way.

~~~~~

"Capture"

Continuation of "Rescue" (yes, that one short from the first batch of extras).

Classification: angst.

Warnings: scared Dusty, injections.

Canonicity: alternate timeline.

~~~~~

It had been two years since I had been rescued by my brother. It had been hard at first, but I had eventually gotten used to life in the resistance. My brother still led it, and he was a great leader; everyone really liked him. Classic Sans and Outer were two of the minor leaders, but Papyrus took most of the publicity, since he didn't want anyone else to be targeted as he was; whenever he showed up to a battle, over half of any force sent was to attack him on sight, and Papyrus didn't want anyone else to feel that. As for me, I didn't join battles much; I only defended myself when necessary. Papyrus didn't want me to be a fighter, since he was afraid that something bad would happen to me, and I agreed..I was scared of that possibility, too. I had only gotten into minor battles since my rescue, and those had only been coincidences..or not. It seemed as if wherever I went - aside from the Dreamtale base, which was safe - I was attacked! When I accompanied my brother to a minor base, we were attacked; when I had been given a tour of several bases, each one had been attacked; when I was thrown through a portal somewhere else for my safety, I was attacked! It had gotten to the point that I wasn't allowed out of the Dreamtale base, and I supposed it was for good reason; Ink had my magic signature..and he had been tracking my every move.

"Can I come?" I had been stuck in the Dreamtale base for six months straight by now, and I wanted to get out..

"It is too dangerous, brother." Papyrus shook his skull. "I do not want you in danger."

"..." I sighed, hugging my Hope. "You said this would only take two minutes..they've taken more than five before!"

"That was six months ago, brother; they may have upgraded."

I bowed my skull; he was right, unfortunately. "..Can't you just leave the portal open? I'll run if something happens.."

"..." Papyrus thought about it for a moment. "All right, but you must stay right next to it - no wandering."

"I won't move a bit!"

"Very well, then. Come along, brother."

Papyrus opened a portal to the base he was visiting, and I followed him through with a smile. As much as I liked Dreamtale, it was nice to have some fresh air every once in a while..it was stuffy in the other base. As soon as we came through, the base leader set a watch; that was standard prodedure when I came, since I was prone to causing attacks. True to my word, I stood next to the portal, and-

"Papyrus?" I addressed.

"Yes, brother?" Papyrus turned to look at me.

"You forgot to leave the portal open.."

"..I did not close it.." Papyrus froze, before taking charge. "Under there, now!"

"Y-yes, Papyrus!"

"Prepare for attack."

I hadn't expected a magic nullifier; that was bad. Quickly, I crawled to a small cabinet, and I hid inside it; the other side had definitely upgraded! I listened as Papyrus ordered the resistance members who didn't fight to open a portal as soon as possible, and I hoped for the best as the door was kicked open. A fight began, and I stayed hidden; no matter what kind of fighting skills I had had in the past, I no longer had them..I couldn't fight to save my life. So I listened, and I waited. I had a dagger with me at all times, but that was only for true emergencies..such as when that cabinet door opened. The unfortunate thing was the fact that the cabinet did open, and my dagger didn't deter the guard who grabbed me. The good thing was that Papyrus threw a blade at my attacker as soon as he realized that I was being attacked; I had the best brother ever! He continued to fight, along with some others, and I crouched down under a table to avoid confrontation. The attackers received reinforcements five minutes in, but most of the reinforcements didn't fight..they went for me. The ones who did fight chose to overwhelm my brother as I was being..tied up? I had expected a swift portal to my ultimate demise..not ropes. As soon as I was tightly secured, the attackers opened a portal away, and they pushed my brother and the others through it..leaving only me.

"Sorry, kid." One of the soldiers sighed as he brought out a syringe that was promptly inserted into my soul..

A scream of pain rang out when I was injected, but the pain didn't last for long; there must have been an anesthetic..? My struggles soon began to lose their energy, but I didn't want to submit..I couldn't go back! I felt tears stream down my skull as I collapsed to the ground, and I whimpered as my eyesockets began to close without my permission..I didn't want to go back..I wouldn't have been able to take the torture again..not after tasting such wonderful freedom! A soft hand rubbed my shoulder as my eyesockets shut, likely to ease my drift into sleep, and I blacked out.

I woke with a start, sitting up immediately; I was..in bed.

"Are you all right, brother?" Papyrus's voice was a comfort; I threw myself into his arms with a sob. "Another bad dream?"

I nodded, trying my best not to cry more than I already was.

"Shh, everything is all right." Papyrus rubbed my skull softly, offering reassurance, which I soaked up gratefully. "You are safe, brother."

"D-don't let them take me.." I begged.

"I would never do that, brother; I will keep you safe."

"I-I love you.."

"I love you, too, brother."

He wouldn't let me go.

~~~~~

"Buddy"

As a bit of background, Cape is from a scrapped ATE project, and he's basically just an Underswap Sans copy. I may use him in the future to showcase aspects of Ink's empire that Dusty doesn't get to experience (AU conquering from the inhabitants' perspective, dungeon life, all that good stuff). Basically, he's a secondary character; this is just his introduction. (And also I've been having writer's block, and he might be the one to get me out of it).

I may or may not make a series of shorts following Cape; I've suddenly gotten inspiration.

*The next day* I've decided that I will, since I could definitely finish the last 12,000 words of this sooner if I do.

Classification: neutral.

Warnings:

Canonicity: uhhh I guess canon.

~~~~~

"Dusty!" Ink shouted as he entered his room, and I flinched at the tone.

I looked up to see Ink, and he was..what was he doing? Behind him was an Underswap Sans, but aside from that, I didn't really know much; I looked to Ink, since he always explained things, even if he really didn't have to.

"Dusty, this is a prisoner." Ink gestured to the newcomer. "He'll be staying in here for about a month, and you don't need to know the details. Is that clear?"

I nodded; that was all I needed to know.

"Good." Ink smiled. "In that case, I'll be off; you two play nice."

Ink left, but he just stood there; he seemed scared. Sometimes, a prisoner from the dungeon would stay in Ink's room overnight due to a lack of space, but an entire month must have meant that there was either a long wait..or there was a different reason. I didn't want to bother with that; all I knew was that this Sans needed comfort, and I was willing to give it to him. I didn't try to move closer to him; that might have startled him further.

"Um..hello." I greeted, trying my best to smile; it was a bit hard, since I was also in pain, but I had to ignore that right now.

The other flinched slightly at my greeting; I could tell that he had been harmed before.

"I'm not one of the bad people.." I assured. "I'm..kind of like you."

At that, the other looked at me; we were getting somewhere.

"I can't really hurt people..so I won't do anything to you, since I'm really weak..would you like to sit down?"

He shook his skull, and I decided to make a small advancement.

"Well..we're going to be together for a month, so..mind if I come a little closer? I-I don't have to, i-if you don't want me to.."

He remained silent as I crawled to sit by his feet; I hoped I could get him to talk..

"My name is Dusty.."

I decided to let him decide if he wanted to speak by himself; I waited a few minutes, just hugging my Hope. Ten minutes passed by without a word, but after some more silence, he spoke.

"Cape." He said.

"Hm?" I looked up from my Hope; I must have been too focused on it.

"Call me Cape.."

"That's a nice name; it suits you."

"Where are we?" He finally decided to begin asking questions; this was great progress!

"This is the compound; it's the main building in the empire, I guess.."

"..Why are we here?"

"..I'm Ink's toy. I don't know about you."

"What does that mean..?"

"..." I sighed; I was going to have to just say it if I was going to get anywhere with this new friend. "He likes to torture people..and I'm his go-to."

"..You don't look that hurt."

"Resets..whenever I die, I'm brought back to life."

"Oh..I'm sorry."

"It's fine..I'm kind of used to it by now."

"How long have you been here?"

"..About twenty years..give or take half a decade."

"That's a long time..longer than me.."

"Do you know why you're here?"

"No..when the soldiers took me, they just told me that I'd be 'relief'; do you know what that means?"

Ah, relief. That made sense, actually. Cape sat down on the ground next to me.

"Yeah." I nodded. "A relief is an inhabitant picked from an AU to come live here..with a high rank."

"What..does that mean?" He didn't seem too curious, but I could understand that.

"Most high ranks choose one within a year, and they're basically just servants..or playthings."

"Why me?"

"Underswaps are popular reliefs; you were probably just next in line."

"Are you one?"

"..I guess, in a way, I am..but I'm more..permanent." I paused, before continuing. "Most high ranks grow bored of the repetition..but they can only have one relief at a time; when they want another...they kill the old one. Ones that are slightly meaner, or ones that don't want to kill their old relief..usually send them to the dungeon...forever."

"Y-you mean I.." Cape was afraid of his future.

"Unfortunately, yes..I don't sugarcoat things. If you're lucky, you might just be a servant, but that's highly unlikely."

"I don't want to die.."

"..." I hugged Cape. "I can give you some tips to last longer..if you want."

"How..can I?"

"High ranks like things that are different and unexpected; a lively personality would offer intrigue. But they don't like being told, 'no'; you should obey any order, no matter how ridiculous, impossible, or immoral it may be. When you're punished, let them hit you; if they like you enough, they'll arrange for a reset to bring you back...don't fear death. While you let them hit you, begging for mercy might make them feel good; they'll stop sooner if they get enough satisfaction. The most important thing is to make them like you; being a friend, no matter how cruel they might be, will at least give you some likability. Get to know them, and offer to listen to their problems; they know that normal reliefs wouldn't do that, and it would count you as rare. If they decide that they don't want you, they might send you back to your universe, and if they don't, a different high rank might offer to take you; some high ranks would kill to have a relief like that."

"..How do you know all that?"

"I am Ink's toy..high ranks are allowed to hurt me; some have tried to steal me, but Ink never lets them. I'm one of the 'rare' ones, and he keeps me for himself.."

"You..got to know him?"

"I had to.."

"..Do you know how to escape?"

"I wouldn't recommend that, especially if you decide to take my advice on being a good relief."

"..Worst-case scenario preparation?"

"I guess. If you really want to try to escape, or if you have to, your best bet is a forest in a universe - not this one. If you're taken out on a patrol with your high rank, run around in the forest; if you're lucky, you might find a resistance or rebel base, or you might find a scouting team. The chances are low, but it has happened.."

"What happens after that?"

"They'll induct you. It may not sound pleasant, but being part of a rebel band or the resistance is far better than any life you'll have here..the resistance would be the best, though. It's the biggest..and it's the one Ink hates the most. I wouldn't try it unless it was absolutely necessary, though..punishments for trying to escape can be some of the worst, and it can ruin your reputation quickly.."

"..So why am I here? Shouldn't I be with the high ranks?"

"Some of them don't get their relief until months later; yours might be on a long mission right now, and you're being kept here until then."

"Will he..hurt me?"

"Ink? Probably. Being the dictator, he can do whatever he wants with reliefs; he usually leaves them alone, though. He might hurt you, but I think he'll stick mainly with me."

"..Thanks for the tips."

"Anything to help a friend."

"..You think we're friends?"

"If you'd like."

"..I'd like that a lot..I haven't made any friends.."

"You will; friendships are important here."

We continued to talk, but it was mostly questions and answers. Cape had apparently been from a new copy, and he therefore didn't know much about the empire; I was happy to enlighten him. He had spent about a week in the dungeon before being moved to Ink's room, which had incited his fear at first; I hoped he wouldn't have had to go back there. When Ink returned, he hummed at Cape, who hid behind me slightly, but Ink wasn't focused on him..just me. That was made manifest when he began to speak to me.

"Dusty, I've had a long day." He groaned dramatically. "Give me a massage."

"Yes, Ink.." I stood, walking over to him.

Ink had told me many times that I was good at giving massages, and he would often request one after a particularly stressful day. I was used to it, and I obeyed without question. Cape watched. When Ink had had enough, he let me go, and I returned to the floor to hug my Hope while Ink prepared for bed. While I was playing, Cape came up to me.

"Do you do a lot of stuff like that?" He wondered.

"Sometimes." I shrugged. "Ink is a bit eccentric; he'll torture me for a few hours before deciding that he wants to cuddle."

"..He cuddles?"

"Just because he's an evil dictator doesn't mean he doesn't need comfort every once in a while..he sometimes gets that from cuddling."

"Why would you give him that?"

"Obedience is something that everyone has to learn; once you do, you'll be punished a lot less.."

"..If I can find out who gets me, would you tell me about them?"

"If I know them, sure; it's unlikely, though, since Ink probably wouldn't tell you, and I have no clue."

"Okay."

"Bedtime!" Ink called from across the room, before walking over and rubbing my skull. "Good night, Dusty!"

"Good night." I returned.

Ink went to bed, and I lay on the floor, hugging my Hope. Before I could fall asleep, however, my descent into slumber was interrupted by a small scared voice.

"D-Dusty?" Cape addressed, with a whisper.

"Yes?" I replied softly, opening my eyelights.

"D-do I sleep on the floor, too?"

"It's normal for people like us to sleep on the floor; if a high rank really likes their relief, some have gotten pet beds, but that's the extent of it."

"No normal beds..?"

"Not unless your high rank offers to share..but that's so rare that it's almost unheard of."

"..Are there nightlights?"

"No. If you have a fear of the dark, you have to get over it fast; it's an easily exploited weakness, and it can make your high rank treat you as more of a torture victim."

"I want to go home.." Cape began to weep.

"I know what that feels like..but this is your home, now..you just have to accept it."

"Go to bed!" Ink yelled, rolling over in his bed.

We didn't try to talk after that, and for good reason; Ink would have beaten us if it would make us shut up. The night passed quickly, and before we knew it, a week had passed. I had decided to teach Cape how to be a good relief; I didn't always get the chance to help others, and this was a special occasion. I taught him just about everything I knew, from how to act during a punishment to catering to the needs of the one above him; he seemed receptive enough, and he also learned from my interactions with Ink. As for Ink, he found it intriguing that I was trying to do this, and he often listened in on my tutoring; the first time he had listened in, the conversation had turned into a lesson about the fact that the one above him would be able to do whatever they wanted with him. Four weeks after Cape's arrival, Ink was lying down, and Cape and I were playing with my bunnies; we had actually become great friends, and Ink had agreed to let us visit eachother in the future! The month had been difficult, especially when Cape broke down from seeing one of Ink's cruel torture sessions, but he was prepared to be a good relief for whichever high rank had taken him, and Dream and the swapped Sans (that had been an interesting conversation) had agreed to keep an eyelight on him. When the inevitable knock came, Ink groaned; he had been relaxing.

"Dusty, answer the door." He ordered.

"Yes, Ink." I nodded, putting Lightning down and walking over to the door.

I opened the door, revealing a high rank; he looked down to see me, before speaking.

"Is Ink here?" He asked.

"Uh-huh." I nodded.

"..May I speak to him?"

"I can check." I turned to Ink. "It's a high rank, and he wants to speak to you."

"Ask him what for." Ink sighed.

"Why do you want to speak to him?" I questioned, turning back to the high rank.

"I've been told that my new relief is here?" He stated.

"Oh!" I looked at the high rank carefully, now taking an interest, before turning back to Ink. "He wants his relief."

"Let him in." Ink allowed, sitting up, and I opened the door wider; the high rank entered the room accordingly. "An Underswap Sans?"

"Yes, Sir." The high rank confirmed.

"Hey, you!" Ink shouted at Cape, who flinched slightly. "Your new owner's here; skedaddle!"

Cape stood and approached the high rank, who nodded in appreciation to Ink.

"Thank you, Sir." He thanked.

"Whatever." Ink rolled his eyelights. "Begone."

"Yes, Sir." The high rank grabbed Cape's arm and started for the door.

Cape and I waved to eachother as he was dragged off, and when the two were gone, I shut the door behind them. I proceeded to return to my bunnies, but I was stopped short by Ink.

"Dusty, I'm in the mood for torture; put the animals away." He stood, unsheathing his paintbrush.

"Yes, Ink.." I frowned, picking up my bunnies and taking them to my corner.

I hoped Cape would be okay.

~~~~~

"Nom"

This short takes place in the "Baby" timeline!

Classification: fluffy fluff fluff. Finally.

Warnings: BABY CUTENESS!

Canonicity: alternate timeline.

~~~~~

Baby Dusty was a smart baby, but he wasn't always that smart. Human babies went through something called "teething"; that was apparently when their teeth came in. Skeletons had teeth from birth, but for some random reason, they still tried to eat things that weren't food, and Dusty was no exception. Whenever he saw something that he believed would be nice to chew on, he would go for it.

"Buh.." Dusty reached for a television remote.

"I guess you can play with this." I handed him the remote, and he immediately stuck it in his mouth. "Dusty, no eating!"

"Nom!" Dusty giggled, before I took the remote away. "Bah!"

"No eating, Dusty; this isn't food." I scolded. "You can play with it if you promise not to eat it, okay? Do you promise?"

"Bah!" Dusty gave a small nod.

"All right, here you go."

And in his mouth it went; baby Dusty didn't exactly understand promises. He didn't just try to eat appliances, though.

"Nom!" Baby Dusty latched his teeth onto one of my fingers.

"..Dusty, I need that." I shook my skull with a smile.

"Num." Dusty wrapped his small hands around my finger, trying to keep it to himself.

"Dusty, please release my finger."

"Nmnmnmnm." Dusty sucked on my finger happily.

"..You're not giving it back, are you?"

"Nom!" Dusty shook his skull slightly, giggling as he continued to suck on my finger.

"You silly skelly!" I chuckled.

"Nah!" Dusty laughed, trying to keep my finger in his grasp while laughing.

"I love you, baby Dusty." I picked up the tiny skeleton, who snuggled close to me while still trying to eat my finger.

"Num!"

He was so adorable.

~~~~~

"Invasion"

Yes, Cape is going to be shown more.

He is literally the only character inspiring me right now..

Btw I'm not an expert on Underswap, so I might be off with some stuff, but I'll do my best.

Classification: daily life before angst.

Warnings: smol violence.

Canonicity: canon.

~~~~~

Cape's point of view.

It had started on a nice day. I had been training with Alphys, and Papy had been watching from the sidelines! I didn't realize that it would be my last moment of joy.

"Watch out, Sans!" Papy warned, alerting me to the magic attacks heading my way.

"I know, Papy!" I smiled, sidestepping to avoid the magical axes; Alphys had super cool attacks!

"Attack me, pipsqueak!" Alphys urged. "Show me what you got!"

"Yes, ma'am!" I obliged, joyously summoning some bones intended to attack my opponent; they weren't too hard, though, since I really didn't want to hurt her! We had a cooking lesson after this, and I wanted both of us to be in the best shape possible for it!

"Harder, nerd!" Alphys wasn't too pleased with my holding back. "I can take a hit or two!"

"If you insist!"

Friendly sparring was always enjoyable; Papy had been against it for a long time, but when the prospect of being able to defend myself surfaced in conversation, he had hesitantly agreed, believing that it would be better for me to actually know how to fight in order to save my life someday - or even someone else's! In any case, I had been training with Alphys for roughly three months, and I was getting better! Even Papy was proud of me! We continued to spar for about ten minutes, and when we were finished, we all sat down to drink some nice lemonade; I didn't know where it came from, but it was great!

"I think you're improving well, Sans." Alphys smiled. "Maybe, in a few years, the guard could be a very real possibility for you."

"Oh, boy!" I grinned; it had always been my dream to join the royal guard!

"But for now, you can just be a super-great sentry, right?"

"Of course I can!"

"Indeed." Papy nodded; he had even been against my being a sentry, but he had agreed to it after a lot of pestering.

"I think-" Alphys's next comment was cut off by something - no, somethings - horrible: screams.

"What was that?!" I stood from my chair, intent on figuring out what the cause of the scream was.

"Probably just some kids playing pranks." Alphys shrugged. "It happens at least once a day, in these parts; I'll just impress them with a cool move, and they'll be content. Be back in a sec, boys!"

Alphys proceeded to run off in a different direction, and Papy and I continued to drink our lemonade. Unfortunately, Alphys took more than just a "sec"; two minutes later, we still hadn't heard from her.

"I'm worried." I stated. "Do cool moves take this long? What if she's in trouble?!"

"I doubt that, Sans; two minutes isn't that long, you know." Papy chuckled. "I don't think-"

Alphys was hurled into her house, and Papy and I stared worriedly before reacting.

"Captain!" I gasped. "Are you okay?!"

"S-Sans..get out of here!" Alphys rose to her feet, preparing..a large attack..she was in danger!

"I can help!" I volunteered. "Who are we fighting?"

"I mean it, Sans!" Alphys looked at me..very sternly.. "Papyrus, get him away!"

"I..will do, captain." Papy nodded.

Before I could comprehend what was going on, Papy had picked me up and begun to run; as much as I appreciated my brother's newfound enthusiasm for exercise, this was no time to be running from danger!

"Papy, we have to help her!" I struggled in Papy's grip; I didn't know that he was this strong!

"We need to get you somewhere safe!" Papy argued. "If even she is struggling, do you think we could help?!"

"That's the entire point of helping!"

"You aren't ready."

"And you are?!"

"I can try."

"Papy, we have to..what is that?!"

Behind us ran..me? Lots of..mes?! Skeletons..more Papys..? They started to attack; this was officially the weirdest day of my life..what was going on?! Was this a dream..? This had to be a dream. I had to wake up..I just had to wake up!

"Agh!" Papy was hit from behind, and he tumbled to the ground.

Papy was up back to his feet again quickly, but I was too afraid to get up; this was a horrible nightmare, and I wanted to wake up! Papy summoned more attacks than I had ever seen him summon before, and he fought harder than I knew he was capable of..but he was brought to the ground, and I was knocked out soon after.

I woke up in a cage, with several others beside me. Alphys was the first to speak to me.

"Sans, are you all right?" She hoped.

"I'm fine.." I nodded, sitting up. "Where is Papy?"

"They took him away.." Alphys sighed. "They said he wouldn't be coming back."

Took..my brother? But Papy had always been there..they couldn't take him away from me..they couldn't!

"..But..." I felt tears forming. "Th-they can't take him.."

"It'll be okay, Sans.." Alphys took me into a hug as I began to sob; I wanted Papy!

My sobs were the only sounds heard for about an hour, at which point, a soldier opened the door to the cage, and we were forced out, wearing chains.

"Is the AU secure?" One of the soldiers, one with decorated armor, asked another.

"Yes, sir." A different one, without decorated armor, responded.

"Good. File this mission as successful, then report back here to help with the occupation."

"Yes, sir." The other left through a swirly gateway, and the decorated one looked at us.

"Congratulations, your universe has been conquered by the multiversal empire. The first week will be spent finalizing the occuption of your home, and you are now all subjects of the empire. Any attempts to rebel against the dictator or resist occuption will be met with corporal punishment, including, but not limited to, beatings, whippings, public demonstrations, torture, a trip to the dungeon, and being crippled. Death is not an option for escape; we can resurrect the dead, and that isn't a problem at all. Your jobs will be given to you at the end of the week, but until then, you will be kept in a holding cell block while we finish the adjustments to your universe. Are there any questions?"

"Where did you take my brother?!" I wanted him..I wanted Papy!

"Your brother is being inducted into our army as we speak; he won't be returning..ever."

"You monsters!" Alphys was enraged.

The swirly gateway reopened, and the same soldier came back through.

"Sir?" He addressed.

"Yes?" The decorated one looked to the other.

"There's been a request for a relief, sir..an Underswap one."

"A Sans?"

"Yes, sir."

"Very well, take him to the dungeon to wait for his owner."

"Yes, sir."

The soldier walked towards..me? He unchained me from the others, and he tried to take me away...I didn't want to go to a dungeon! I struggled against the strong soldier, but I couldn't break free.

"Let him go!" Alphys tried to come to my aid, but she was still chained..

The next thing I knew, I had been taken through the swirly gateway, and I was in a new, scary place, where I was promptly thrown into a cell. Screams surrounded me, and everywhere I looked, pain was being inflicted. Within an hour, a bringer of pain reached the cell that held me, and I learned what fear was.

I didn't like it.

~~~~~

"Fighting"

Classification: random.

Warnings: violence.

Canonicity: canon.

This short was requested by loseafy!

~~~~~

Ink was known for being a good fighter; it was one of the reasons people feared him. He could easily turn a fight into a torture session if his opponent wasn't paying enough attention to his actions, and he often did. He didn't train, though..or so I had thought. Today, Ink had decided to take me to a universe I hadn't seen before; it was filled with training equipment, and..it seemed as if he had been here much in the past..I wondered when he had been able to even make the time! Ink usually spent his days in the compound or with me..or perhaps this was part of his work; it would have made sense, at least. After allowing me some time to look around, Ink brought me to a large chalk ring that lay in the midst of some equipment, and he said something that confused me.

"Attack." He ordered.

I tilted my skull, not understanding; did he want me..to fight him? I silently begged for more information.

Ink sighed. "Dusty, I need to work on my takedowns, and I need you to attack me in order to do that! Now attack!"

Not wanting to enrage him further, I nodded, and I ran up to Ink. I didn't exactly have the strength that I had used to have, but Ink didn't seem to mind; he simply grabbed my arm as I launched a weak punch, and I was on the ground in an instant.

"Again." He said.

I rose to my feet, and I tried to attack him again, landing on the floor.

"Dusty, you are tiny!" Ink rolled his eyelights. "You aren't supposed to just let me take you down! Try to actually avoid me!"

At this point, I understood what he wanted; he wanted a tough target, and he had chosen me because of my size. This time, when he reached for my arm, I saved it from his grasp, and he was posed with a challenge. We continued in that way. I would attack, and he would try to grab me as I did; I would then dodge him, or he would bring me to the ground. I didn't have that much energy, though, and I was unable to get off the ground after an hour of intense training.

"Dusty, get up!" Ink urged. "We have to keep going!"

"T-too tired.." I mumbled.

"Are you serious?"

I wanted to save the energy I had left, and I did so by not responding.

"Ugh.." Ink picked me up. "I'll let you rest up, then we're going right back to it, all right?"

I gave a weak nod, before falling asleep. My dream was peaceful, but I was soon woken up, and with the energy I had regained, I met Ink in the circle once again. I tried to attack him, and he reached for my arm. I pulled it away, before trying to kick him. He wrapped his leg around mine, and I fell down. I got up again, and we had a different fight. I fell again, and I got up, trying to avoid him more, but falling nonetheless. Thirty-two falls later, my newfound energy was gone, but Ink was pleased.

"I think that's enough for now." He picked me up once again. "That was a good session, Dusty; we should do that again, sometime."

Well, it was better than torture.

~~~~~

"Paranoia"

Cape is in this. Dusty is getting a break! :D

Classification: angst.

Warnings: the dungeon, torture, violence.

Canonicity: canon.

~~~~~

The smell wasn't so bad after the first few days..or was it hours? Perhaps I had only been here for a few minutes? Or maybe it had been a month? It didn't matter; all that mattered was the fact that anyone who came through that door was going to hurt me. The soldier hadn't been joking when he said that they could bring people back to life; I had died three times! I hadn't even done anything wrong..why was I being punished in this way?! I just wanted to go home..I needed to go home. I wanted everything to go back to normal! I wanted to be free..I didn't care about seeing the surface anymore; I would have loved to be back in the Underground! I curled up and began to weep when I heard the creaking of the cell door; I didn't want to be hurt again..I just wanted to go home! The soldier who had entered the cell rummaged through a drawer before deciding to pull out a blade; I sobbed as he grabbed my arm and stretched it out on the ground.

"Hold still.." His voice told me that he didn't want to do this..I could only wonder why he still went through with it.

I didn't like screaming; it was one of my new least favorite things in the entire world. If I wasn't screaming, someone else was, and it never ended..even when the guards left, the screaming continued. When everyone was told to shut up because it was time to sleep, the screaming continued. I hadn't been able to fall asleep since I had been put here; the constant screaming kept me awake. When someone came to my cell, I was supposed to scream. One of the soldiers who had made me scream had asked why I was here; I told him that I didn't know, because I hadn't done anything! He hadn't said anything more to me, and I had simply screamed. This soldier had decided to cut into my arms deeply, and I screamed in return. I didn't know how long time was anymore; the screaming interrupted my mind, and my thoughts were blurred. Could thoughts blur? I didn't know; all I knew was that pain made screams, and screams were neverending. When the soldier stood, he left, and I curled up once more, wishing that I could stop screaming. After an unknown amount of time, I stopped, and I waited. I didn't know what I was waiting for.

"This prisoner isn't registered." A voice spoke.

"No crime committed, either." Another responded.

"Should we report it?" A third.

"Go, and make it fast." The first.

"Yes, sir." The second ran off.

"If he's innocent, should we reset him?" The third asked.

"That would be a good idea." The first admitted. "Do it."

"Yes, sir." The third entered the cell, and I wept.

I screamed as a blade impaled my soul, but I was healthy a moment later; I still didn't understand that. I curled up in a corner of the cell, trying to make myself smaller..maybe they would have pity? Some time passed before someone spoke again.

"All right, what's this?" A different voice questioned.

"I told you to report it, dummy!" The first scoffed. "Not take it to the top!"

"He was there!" The third shrugged. "He wanted to come!"

"I'm not going to ask again." The fourth voice sounded commanding.

"Yes, Sir.." The first said. "This prisoner isn't registered, and there's no crime linked to him."

"An Underswap?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Do you know how old he is?"

"His scans say that he's brand new..his AU was conquered a week ago."

"Huh.." The commanding voice hummed. "Underswaps are popular reliefs; has anyone claimed one?"

"We could check.."

"Do so."

"Yes, Sir."

Footsteps retreated, and more time passed before they returned.

"There have been several requests for Underswap reliefs, and this one was definitely taken for that purpose." The first informed. "..May I ask how you knew that?"

"I have my ways." The commanding voice gave a soft chuckle. "Well, the dungeon is no place for a relief; is his new owner here?"

"He's out on a mission, Sir; it'll be about a month before he's scheduled to return."

"Indeed.." The commanding voice paused to think. "I suppose I'll take him to my room; Dusty might like a temporary friend..it might get him to stop whining for a while, at least."

"Good idea, Sir; would you like him to be delivered?"

"No, I was on my way up anyway; I'll take him."

The cell door was opened, and I was taken away from the horrible dungeon.

I had hated it there.

~~~~~

"Coincidence"

Classification: comfort fluff.

Warnings: sad Dusty.

Canonicity: alternate timeline.

This short was requested by loseafy!

~~~~~

I was visiting Error. My yearly visits were some of my most cherished, since it was only an hour a year. They were filled with good memories, though, such as cuddles, playful tickles, and endless reassurances. I enjoyed each visit, and I made the most of my time; any amount of torture was definitely worth it to see my Uncle Error! Right now, we were talking about sensitive topics, though, and Error was hugging me tightly.

"He yells a lot.." I frowned. "I get really scared when he talks, because if I do something wrong, he'll yell, and when he yells, he usually hurts me bad.."

"I'm sorry, Dust.." Error rubbed my skull softly to cheer me up.

"He does this, too."

"Does what?"

"He rubs my skull..it's his way of telling me that I've been obedient, and it makes me feel like an animal..but I can't help but like it. I want to hate his affection, b-but I love it. I want to pull away when he does it, but I only lean in..he's taming me..I don't want to be his pet..I want to be me!"

"That...must be tough.." Error lowered his gaze; there was nothing else he could say.

"I feel like, in the end, I'm going to be some fully domesticated pet..and I'll just do whatever he tells me to, because that's what a pet does."

"I'm sure it won't come to that."

"I have thoughts, sometimes..thoughts about him. I sometimes go through with them..and he encourages it. Last week, I thought I could get some affection if I approached him and started to attract his attention..his leg was hanging off the bed, so I just started to rub my skull against it..he took me up to his bed for a cuddle session, and I enjoyed every second of it..what's happening to me?!"

"I.." Error sighed as I sobbed on him. "I don't know.."

"I hate myself.."

"Dust, don't say that; you're better than that."

"N-no, I'm not..wh-what kind of person does what I do?"

"..A desperate one. Desperate for affection..for someone to love him. You want someone to hold you in their arms and tell you that you mean something, but you aren't getting that, are you?"

I shook my skull almost unnoticeably, but Error noticed; he always noticed.

"Dust, you do mean something." Error assured. "In fact, you're the only reason I'm even still trying. When people try to rescue me, I do my best, because I know that you're counting on me to escape. If you weren't here..I would have given up a long time ago. You keep me going, Dust..and I continue to try..because of you."

"..Thank you." I smiled, hugging Error tighter.

Error opened his mouth to speak, but he was cut off by a sudden sound; it wasn't time for Ink to pick me up yet! I had only been here for fifteen minutes! I looked over to the door to see..Papyrus?!

"Brother?" Papyrus looked at me with shock.

"Papyrus!" I smiled wide; I hadn't seen Papyrus in decades!

"This is a coincidence.." Error hummed.

"..This can work." Papyrus nodded as the last of the guards watching the cage was knocked out. "Let us get them out of that cell."

"I have a key!" I pulled out the key that Ink had entrusted to me; it was mainly because he had misplaced the key to the cell once and given me an accidental extra hour with Error a few years ago..that had been a good extra hour.

"Thank you, brother." Papyus chuckled, using the key to open the door.

Within a minute, Papyrus had picked me up into a firm hold, and the running began. I would have felt bad that everyone except for me was running, but I was well aware of the fact that I couldn't run twenty miles, even if I did have determination pushing me on; I had less endurance than I had used to, as well, and I could barely walk one mile without being exhausted. Ink had made sure of that over the long years; with all the broken bones he gave me, my energy had nowhere to go, but he made sure that any excess energy I had was given off during walks and the like, leaving me tired afterwards. With excess energy, I could run longer distances, and I could try to escape..I had lost the ability to do that a long time ago; even if I found a new way to escape on my own, I wouldn't have the energy to carry it out. I also wasn't very fast, and I was often clumsy. That left the only option of relying on others, and it was why I didn't struggle or get upset when Papyrus chose to carry me; I only hugged him tightly, trying to stay as stable as possible. As we ran, I found it odd that no one was coming..we were alone. It was ten miles in that I remembered that Ink always treated himself to a visit to a relaxation period during my visits with Error; if he didn't know about the rescue attempt, no one would try to stop us! I began to hope that he wouldn't find out, and I made sure to hug my Hope along the way for better chances, since my Hope was great at making good things happen!

Fifteen miles had been run, and no one was chasing us; I felt happy about that. Ink would probably be furious, though, and he would likely...wait, no, he wouldn't! He wouldn't be able to torture me, since I would be gone! I smiled at the thought of not being tortured anymore; it sounded like a beautiful dream, but it was coming true! The twenty mile mark was hit, and the group exited the building into a portal. The rescue was successful, and I hugged Papyrus gratefully.

"Thank you.." I mumbled happily through my tears of joy - when was the last time I had cried out of joy?

"I love you, brother." Papyrus said, hugging me for the first time in..a long time.

"I'm r-really sorry.."

"There is nothing for you to be sorry for, brother."

"B-but I did lots of bad stuff in there.." I frowned. "I-I let him manipulate me.."

"But you did not let him finish, and that is all that matters. You are safe now, brother, and with Error safe, we finally have a chance to overthrow the dictator once and for all."

Hope abounded.

~~~~~

"Attack"

Classification: Dusty's numerous torture withdrawals (that is definitely a classification now, and requests for different torture withdrawal scenarios would be greatly appreciated ;]).

Warnings: withdrawal, violence, sad Dusty.

Canonicity: canon.

This short was requested by loseafy!

~~~~~

Ink had been out. Before he had left, he had ordered me to stay in his room, since he didn't want me to do anything stupid; the only problem was the fact that there was no one else here. He had allowed me to have some time in the dungeon to satisfy my urges before he left, and he said that he would have returned before another feeling of need came on..but this one came quicker than normal, and only three days after his leaving, I had the desire to hurt someone. I had managed not to lash out at the one who had brought my food - I never enjoyed hurting friends, and I sometimes lost friends when I couldn't control myself! - but I needed to hurt someone! I wanted Ink to come back..he would let me play! I wished I could gain satisfaction in some way, but I could only gain it from others; I couldn't feel pain, and it was therefore pointless to try to hurt myself! Nevertheless, I held a knife firmly in my grip as I lay on the floor, waiting for a victim; it had been six days since Ink had left, and at this point, I didn't care who I tortured..I had to satiate my need in any way possible. The door opened, and I heard footsteps; the person spoke, but I didn't hear them. When they came close enough, I attacked.

A quick slash and a small cut were all I was able to do before realizing who this was..

"I-Ink?" I backed up slightly, but my grip on the knife remained firm; I couldn't let go.

"Dusty, what are you doing?" Ink sighed, glaring at the rip in his shirt; he didn't seem to care about the blood.

"I-I'm sorry.." I bowed my skull. "I-I just..had to.."

"I suppose I did take longer than promised.." Ink took the knife from my grasp, and I looked at it sadly; I was sure that Ink wouldn't let me torture someone now! "How long have you been feeling it?"

"Three days.."

"An early one?"

"Mhm.."

"Dusty, if you really had to, you could have just gone to the dungeon."

"But you said to stay here..I didn't want to be disobedient.."

"Dusty, if the need gets to be that bad, I won't mind."

"Okay.." I nodded. "A-are you going to punish me?"

"Yes, Dusty, but I'll let you fulfill your desires first; you'll end up liking your punishment if I don't."

"Thank you, Ink! You're the best!"

"I know. Now come along, Dusty; I'll even let you pick out a Papyrus."

"Oh, boy!"

Ink rolled his eyelights as I eagerly grabbed his hand and started to run to the dungeon; he was the best.

He would never let me suffer.

~~~~~

"Exhaustion"

Classification: angsty fluff.

Warnings: tired Dusty, worried Papyrus, Inky Ink.

Canonicity: canon.

~~~~~

Papyrus's point of view.

It had been seven years. Seven years since the fall of the resistance, and seven years of my brother's hatred. He had shown his dislike for me in many ways, but his favorite was to report me to Ink; I received a torture session in those instances, and my brother often joined in. Despite all that, I still loved him, and I was going to do something for him. It was early in the morning, and I had just entered Ink's room to perform the act of taking things off my brother's schedule, as I did every day. Ink was sitting on his bed with the schedule, and I stood by his bedside, glancing over at my sleeping brother; that was what I had come to speak about.

"Sir?" I addressed.

"Yes, Papyrus?" Ink spoke boredly, still writing up my brother's schedule; I had come in early today.

"I want you to break me."

The scribbling of pen on paper ceased, and Ink's multicolored eyelights met mine. "Would you repeat that? I think I'm hearing things.."

"I want you to break me, Sir."

"..Break?" Ink put his pen down. "As in beat into submission? As in bend to my will? As in force obedience?"

"..Yes."

"What brings this desire to your mind?"

"A long time ago, I asked you what it would take for you to let him sleep..let him be healthy..you told me it would be when I broke. I cannot break myself.."

"..You're willing to let me break you down..just so Dusty can get a few more hours of sleep every night?"

"..Sleep, better food, and overall happiness..yes."

"Well..." Ink hummed, glancing over at Dusty. "You have yourself a deal, Papyrus. Dusty will begin to receive his newfound benefits one week after you break; is that acceptable?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Very well. Dusty!"

My brother woke with a start, before shaking his skull and coming over to us.

"Good morning, Ink.." He yawned; it was easy to see that he had only gotten one or two hours of sleep before being woken up.

"Good morning, Dusty!" Ink smiled. "Dusty, for the next few days, you'll be off a schedule; Papyrus and I are going to be on a mission. During that time, you will be in charge, and you will do everything you deem necessary; you will give the morning announcements, and you will take my place in meetings. Is that okay with you?"

"Of course, Ink! I'd do.." He yawned again. "An-anything for you!"

"I know you would! Now, you go off to work, and I'll see you when we get back, okay?"

"Okay.." My brother nodded slowly; his last collapse had been a month ago, and he was bound to fall any time now, really. "Bye, bye, Ink..."

I frowned as my brother's skull tilted forward and his eyesockets began to close, but that would hopefully not be a problem in the near future. My brother was soon given a small bite to eat to regain some energy, and he left me with the dictator, who wrapped a hand around my arm..I hoped this wasn't going to be a horrible decision. Being broken was about as much fun as I had thought it would be, but I gave myself up, and I forced myself to be vulnerable; the quicker I succumbed, the quicker my brother would prosper. Ink managed to break me within three days, and that was that; I had abided by his terms, and now he would have to abide by mine. When we returned from Ink's land of torture, my brother was called up to Ink's room, and he looked...very exhausted. His body was slouched as much as he would allow it, and upon entering the room, he walked into Ink's bedframe, ultimately falling on the floor..this was the worst I had ever seen him..

"Dusty, did you sleep while we were gone?" Ink inquired.

"Mmm..." My brother hummed, trying to get off the floor, but failing.

Ink sighed. "All right, forget the week pause..Dusty, I order you to get some sleep!"

My brother was put like a light, and Ink picked him up, placing him on his bed; I sensed a better future for my brother, even if he was in Ink's control. With my brother in a better place, I left Ink's room, and I walked to the resistance's closet base, where Dream, Outer, and Blue were waiting for me; the members had agreed to take shifts, since it was uncertain when I would return.

"Are you okay?" Blue looked over my bones, searching for injuries; it didn't help that I was limping.

"I will be fine." I assured. "Ink accepted the proposition, and my brother will be in suitable health for the device; now we have to make it."

"That's going to take a long time.." Outer mentioned.

"It will be worth it; the dictator will fall."

"But first, we have to heal you!" Dream reminded. "Being broken is a little difficult, but I'm sure that time will help!"

"I am certain that you will do great; we are lucky that he did not take longer."

"Papyrus, sit down!" Blue ordered. "You're still bleeding!"

"And I am certain that I will have the best of care." I chuckled, sitting down to appease Blue.

The dictator had made a false move.

~~~~~

"Introductions"

Cape is in this.

Classification: neutral.

Warnings: mentions of violence.

Canonicity: canon.

~~~~~

Cape's point of view.

I was hesitant about this. I had paid attention to Dusty's instruction, and I had practiced enough, but I couldn't help my nervousness..what if I messed up?! Dusty had told me that nervousness was temporary, and that once I got used to my new life, my role would come naturally..but I was still terrified! I just had to remember Dusty's tips..I had to be respectful, and I had to show him that I knew my place..I could do that..I just had to start small. Step one was getting to know my..owner..Dusty had said that it was necessary for me to call him either that or a different title or immense respect, and that was the most bearable of the options. I looked at him, trying to distinguish specific features that would allow me to know him from all the rest; Dusty said that familiarity was important, and if I didn't recognize my owner at a small glance, he wouldn't find me any different from the others, and I would be worthless. I noticed a number on his armor, next to a target symbol: eighty-three. After determining that eighty-three was my number to recognize, I began to look for other distinguishing factors. By the time we reached the room that he was leading me to, I felt confident that I could recognize him in a few seconds at the most. He walked me to a bed before speaking to me.

"This is where I sleep; you'll be on the floor with the others of your kind." He stated. "Do you understand your duties, or have you been ignorant this entire time?"

"I-I understand perfectly, master." I replied; Dusty had told me that using that title in conversation would gain me some instant recognition, and it seemed to work, since my owner seemed a bit surprised when I used it.

"Hm." He nodded. "Then I guess I don't have to give you a lecture on obedience?"

"I will do what you order me to when you order me to do it, unless it contradicts the laws of the empire."

"You're pretty good.."

"I'll do my best to please you.."

"Cool..so what can you do?"

"I can do anything you wish me to, but I may not be very good at a lot of things..I'll learn."

"Can you organize stuff?"

"That is one of my better abilities."

"Good. I'm going to spend some time doing stuff, and you stay here and, uh, organize my stuff for me, okay?"

"I can do that, master."

"Okay, you go do that."

He left, and I looked to his bed; it was, unfortunately, a mess. I felt that I was perfectly suited to handle this job, though, and I began to make his bed for him. It was a bit odd, making a bed that didn't belong to someone I knew well, but Dusty said that I would know him well, eventually. My future depended on my knowing him well, and I was determined to do just that! My foot hit something as I was tucking in one of the sheets on the bed: a box. Under the bed..oh. He hadn't meant the bed when he had said "stuff"; his belongings were under the bed. Nevertheless, I finished making the bed before moving on to his belongings, and when I did reach his belongings, I decided not to pry; Dusty had warned me strongly against looking through my owner's things, since personal items were..personal. within twenty minutes, everything was neat and tidy..and I had nothing to do. I noticed that most of the other unarmored people (I believed they were like me, and I would refer to them as such until proven otherwise) were simply sitting on the floor, doing nothing..while most of their owners were doing paperwork. Well, Dusty had encouraged me to take an interest in my owner's work! I wasn't going to try to do it yet, since I didn't want to make a mistake, but I looked over the forms that lay on my owner's bedtable, looking over what they said and wanted of him; it was a report sheet about his section of the army, but I knew that I couldn't do that, since I knew nothing about his section of the army!

Instead of doing paperwork, I decided to look for something else to do, but I found nothing; there wasn't anything to do other than sit down and wait for my owner to return..that was boring. I sighed as I remembered my talks with Dusty, and I thought about how empty the room was..it was only us, a lot of the time. I realized how much more empty it would have been without me..and I realized how much time Dusty spent just sitting on the floor, waiting for company. This was no different, was it? Well, I refused to live like this! I still had my work ethic, and I wanted to do something! I resolved to make myself useful to my owner when he returned; as long as he didn't shoo me off for being annoying, I could help him to no limit! I had to wait a while before he came back, though..that was boring. After an hour of doing nothing, the door opened, and I perked up; I was glad that I had forced myself to recognize my owner at a glance! He didn't say anything to me as he walked over to his bed, but when he grabbed his paperwork, I stood by his bedside.

"What do you want?" He seemed slightly annoyed.

"Do you need help?" I offered.

"You don't even know how to do this."

"I can learn, or I could spare your hand by writing for you; dictation used to be a common form of writing when not everyone was literate, but I know that you are..it could just be easier for you."

"..Since when does a slave offer to do work?"

"Since now. I want to help you, master.."

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes."

"Then I suppose we can try it, but I don't want to hear any whining when you mess up."

"Of course not, master."

He gave me the paper and a pencil, and he began to dictate; I was glad I could write fast. As he spoke, I took good note of the soldiers he brought up, and I made sure to take note of his opinions; in the future, I wanted to do this with minimal guidance, doing my owner's paperwork entirely with only needing to ask him a few questions. When he finished speaking, he took the paper from me, and I held my writing hand with my other; I had written much too fast, and my bones didn't feel too great, but I would recover.

"Huh." He hummed, skimming over my work. "How'd you do that?"

"Fast writing.." I answered. "Is it to your liking?"

"Well..yes. I honestly expected you to sabotage it, or something.."

"I..I wouldn't do that; I'm supposed to be loyal, not angry." At least..that was what Dusty had said..I really wanted to see him again.

"Yeah..so how long have you been here?"

"Um..I spent one week in the dungeon, and then I spent a month in the dictator's room..then I came here."

"Are you just trying to make me happy so I don't send you back?"

"Partly.."

"Well, I guess I'll play along. Do you know how to clean armor?"

"Only plastic.."

"..You're going to need to know how to clean this.." He gestured to his suit of armor, and I picked up a nearby notepad; I would need it, permission or not. "Once a week. Organize my stuff once a day after you make my bed, and make my bed whenever you feel like it. Work on your handwriting, because I like this dictation thing, and don't disturb the neighbors; they do have permission to punish you if you do. Is that easy enough for you?"

"Yes, master." I nodded; that wasn't so difficult!

"And one more thing.." He stated. "I don't like the outfit; there's a closet full of servant clothes somewhere in here; fits something that fits you..and what do you call yourself?"

"Cape.."

"Interesting..I look forward to your service, Cape. Now go find the closet and change."

"Yes, master."

The closet wasn't too hard to find, and I had soon changed into an outfit that resembled most of the other servants: a simple light jacket over a vest, with plain pants and shoes..there was one thing that my owner made certain that I kept, however, and that was my blue cape; he reasoned that my name wouldn't fit well if I didn't have one, after all! The first night, I slept on the floor, which I found was significantly warmer than the floor I had slept on for the past month; the dictator's room was either near or below freezing, and Dusty had lent me his jacket to keep me warm during those nights while he shivered. Naturally, I had refused, but he had insisted, and we had eventually settled on simply sleeping close to eachother, offering eachother some mutual warmth. This floor was warm. The next day, I learned how to clean armor, and I practiced my handwriting before writing another paper for my owner. My daily duties repeated the third day, and the fourth day was similar. One week after my introduction, I had settled in to my new life, and I was content. On the seventh day, I noticed that my owner had entered the room with a frown; Dusty had told me that when my owner was sad, it was my job to cheer him up, and when he sat on his bed, I looked up at him.

"Tough day at work?" I tilted my skull in question.

"What would you care?" He scoffed.

"It's my job to care..I'm here to serve you, and making you happy is a part of that."

"You're weird.."

"Do you want me to do your work for you while you take a nap? Perhaps you'd like to talk about it; I'll listen, if that's the case. Or I could be quiet; that's also an option."

"..." He looked down at me with a sigh. "You know how I've got a hundred soldiers beneath me?"

"Yes."

"One of them gathered the others to rebel..and I couldn't hold them off."

"..Did they hurt you?"

"Some..but they mostly mocked me, and now I'll probably be reprimanded for not being able to control my section.."

"Do you know who started it?"

"Yeah..but it won't make a difference; I couldn't keep them in line."

"Well..why don't you say they had help?"

"...What do you mean?"

"Perhaps your servant didn't clean your armor well enough, and the joints rusted too much for you to properly handle the situation? Perhaps your servamt stole a magic suppressor, and perhaps he slipped it onto your person before you went out?"

"..You'd be beaten within an inch of your life."

"Well..I'm only a servant; I'm meant to protect my master..and if that means taking a punishment, I'll take it."

"..You're the weirdest servant I've ever had.."

The most important thing was gaining favor; Dusty had made that point incredibly clear. With a stunt like this, my owner would begin to recognize that I wasn't like the other servants, and he would begin to think of me as out of the ordinary; I held on to that thought as I was beaten for my nonexistent trespass. When I returned to my owner, I noticed that there was something on the floor where I slept: a blanket and pillow. I looked up at my owner confusedly, requesting an explanation.

"You aren't like the others, are you?" He realized. "I..thought I'd get you something..to thank you; you saved my neck.."

"It was my duty..." I set myself down on the ground carefully, trying not to aggravate my wounds further. "But I don't think I'll be able to do my regular duties for a few days..everything hurts.."

"I figured." He nodded. "I guess I can get on without you for a while. You rest; there's nothing else you can do, since resets aren't allowed in order to escape from punishment wounds."

"Thank you.." I lay down on the pillow, and I tried to fall asleep; that beating had been rough.

It took two weeks for me to recover, but when I did, I went right back to work. My owner seemed to enjoy dictating to me, and even though it was rough on my hand, I continued to write his words for him. At the end of the first month, the door of the guard lounge (that was what this place was called, apparently) was opened, and the dictator entered the room; behind him was Dusty! I waved to him when he saw me, and he waved back happily.

"Line up!" The dictator ordered, and the high ranks obeyed; the servants stayed back, and I decided to follow their example. "Today is-" He was cut off by a tug on his sleeve. "What is it, Dusty?"

Dusty spoke to Ink for a moment, and the dictator sighed.

"You may go see your friend..but only until I'm done!" He approved. "Now shoo!"

Dusty grinned, running over to me, and he sat down next to me happily, hugging his doll.

"Have you had a good first month?" He inquired.

"Actually, it's been great!" I replied. "I think he really likes me!"

"That's good; has he been treating you well?"

"Uh-huh! How have you been?"

"Same old, same old..Ink's going to take me to the dungeon for a torture session after this, but that's really nothing new at this point."

"That must be horrible.."

"I'll get through it."

Dusty and I continued to talk for a while, but when the dictator left, he took Dusty with him. I decided to go about my work; my owner seemed content with me, but this was only the beginning..

I had a long life ahead of me.

~~~~~

"Ghost"

This short was requested by TYRANN0S!

Classification: angst, comedy.

Warnings: death.

Canonicity: alternate timeline.

~~~~~

Ink's point of view.

Broken code was stupid. It essentially cut me off from my powers, allowing whoever had it to defy me! Granted, those beings were few and far between, but they were still annoying! Dusty was the exception; he, through much manipulation, had become submissive..he was the only one. I had been working for a while on a way to fix broken code, but it wasn't something one could just do; it took hard work and patience, and I had little patience. Today, I had decided to try once more, and Dusty was my test subject; he sat on my bed, kicking his legs back and forth and playing with his doll as I tried to perform my tests on him. Hour after hour, I worked, and he played. Five hours through my work, I had an idea: if I could rewrite his base codes..would the rest of him fall into line? I decided to try, writing the base codes of a regular Sans before adding the Dusttale scripts on top. When I was finished, I linked the codes to him, and he..froze. His doll dropped to the ground, and it was soon followed by..him? Dusty whimpered on the ground, shaking violently before a sound rang out.

"Dusty!?" I knelt down beside him to see if I had heard right..and I had; his soul was gone.

I sighed, ready to open a portal to reset him, when something..came out of him? It looked like..

"Dusty?" I tilted my skull at the..ghost?

Dusty's scream came out of the ghost when he saw his body on the ground, and I wondered how this bad happened..I hadn't coded for a Papyrus, and only the Papyrus in a Dusttale could become a ghost..unless it was a swap. To my knowledge, I hadn't coded one of those, either..perhaps I had overlooked something in the coding process; I would figure it out later.

"Dusty, calm down!" I rolled my eyelights, sighing at Dusty's ghost.

"Wh-wh-what happened?!" Dusty's ghost was hyperventilating, but I really couldn't care less.

"I dunno." I shrugged. "Something went wrong, or something. You're a ghost now."

"I-I don't want to be a ghost.."

"I'll fidn a way to revert you later; for now, let's see what your codes say."

"C-codes?"

"I might have found a way to fix them, but this ghost problem seems a bit odd..stay still."

I pulled up Dusty's..yes. His codes had corrected themselves, and I could now access them..perfect, aside from the ghost thing. I decided that I would see if a reset fixed him later, but for now, I wanted to know what ghost Dusty could do.

"Powers.." I muttered as I navigated his code bar. "Your new ghostly powers are as follows, according to this code bar: stopping time (weird, but all right), canceling physics (no clue what that means), becoming tangible when you feel like it (I see you've already figured that out).." I chuckled slightly as I saw Dusty's doll in his arms. "And you can summon magic. You also mess with the temperature, but I really don't care."

"I don't like it." Dusty decided. "I want to be alive again.."

"Well, I want to have fun first, so you'll have to wait."

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"No."

"Pretty please?"

"No."

Dusty hummed for a moment before stretching his hand out. I..began to fall upwards.

"Hey!" I flailed in the air as my ascent slowly stopped, leaving me in the air..upside-down.

"Will you now?" Dusty requested.

"No!"

Dusty began to spin me around. "What about now?"

"You'll pay for this! Put me down!"

"I can't pay if I'm a ghost; turn me back, please."

"Fine!"

I opened a portal to Dusttale under his body, and his ghost joined it. A few seconds later, the portal back was made, and..

"Well.." I hummed, standing up - I had fallen when Dusty's ghost let go of me. "It seems as if this will take some time.."

"You mean I'm going to be a ghost for longer?" Dusty pouted.

"Until I find a way to change you back..just be patient."

Dusty sighed, hugging his doll.

This would be a long ride.

~~~~~

Sorry that that one was so short, but the end of this group of shorts is nearing rapidly, and I wouldn't be able to fit all the fun shenanigans in (plus, my Wattpad starts to lag when I reach 30,000 to 35,000 words, and I want to finish this ASAP).

There will likely be a part 2, in case you were wondering. It just probably won't be in this batch.

Now for a divergence. This story has the same premise as the last one, but it will be one go. It picks up after the first paragraph of the first.

"Sand"

This short was also requested by TYRANN0S!

Classification: comedy.

Warnings: Uhh..

Canonicity: alternate timeline.

~~~~~

Still Ink's point of view.

Dusty was on the ground, and he was..dusting? No, he was..what in the multiverse had I done? I pulled up his codes, finding the mistake almost instantly; instead of typing Sans..I had typed Sand. I had turned Dusty into sand! I facepalmed as I stared at the pile of sand, wondering if Dusty was even conscious. It turned out, after a moment, that he was, and the sand..moved..making something that looked vaguely like..Dusty.

"What..happened...?" Dusty wiggled his sandy phalanges curiously.

"I made a typo.." I sighed. "Instead of Sans, I named you Sand."

"Just a name did this?" Dusty tilted his skull.

"Well, apparently. I would have to look through every line of code to see where the error originated, though, and I've got a meeting to go to in..five minutes! Come on, Dusty, we'll figure this out later..and, yes, Dusty, you're coming!"

I began to leave the room, and Dusty..flowed behind me. I received some odd looks in the hallways, but a simply glare deterred most of them. When we reached the meeting room, the high ranks present were confused by the pile of sand that had followed me, and they were even more confused when it formed into Dusty. Dream screamed before fainting, and Blue didn't seem to be taking it much better.

"One word.." I warned. "And it will happen to you."

Needless to say, no one spoke about it. Dusty didn't seem to enjoy being sand, since he couldn't grasp his doll well, but aside from that, there were no problems. My threat seemed to spread, however, and the overall fear in the empire grew; it appeared that many beings were afraid of the thought of being sand. One week after the incident, I managed to find the error in Dusty's code, and he was once again a skeleton, but everyone still feared being turned into sand.

I may or may not have done it to a few people as punishments.

~~~~~

"Taming"

Classification: angst.

Warnings: manipulation, the silent treatment, mental torture.

Canonicity: canon.

~~~~~

Once again, Ink's point of view.

My toy sometimes needed to be taught who was in charge. It wasn't often that he would become irrational, but he occasionally decided to believe that I wasn't the one in control, and that thinking required correcting. It wasn't to be handled with pain, however; I preferred to handle it by forcing dependency. My toy required affection; I had manipulated him enough to ensure that, and I knew how to take advantage of his requirements. Sometimes, isolation would teach him a lesson, but when I didn't want to be separated from him, I chose the method of simple ignorance. When I entered my room, I simply didn't acknowledge his presence. I didn't speak to him, and if he tried to come close, I would move away. Instead of waking him up, I allowed him to sleep, and if it was a feeding day, he wouldn't get anything to eat; he hated it, and it was easy to understand. He was used to being acknowledged, and he was hurt when he was ignored; it was a sort of mental isolation, in which he knew he wasn't alone, but the feeling still affected him. It was a simple but effective way to force him back into obedience, since, no matter how much he denied it, he still needed that pat on the skull, and he needed to know that his life meant something; I had trained him to need that.

"I-Ink?" He was on the floor, hugging his doll; I was currently imposing mental isolation on him, and he knew that..I had decided that a simple apology wouldn't end it this time, and he was confused. "I-I'm sorry..I-I won't disobey again! I-Ink? D-didn't you hear?" He wept. "P-please say something.."

I remained silent, flipping another page of one of the high ranks' reports.

"I-I'll be good..I will.." He curled up. "P-please have m-mercy.."

I flipped another page; this was the longest period of time that I had isolated Dusty mentally - three days - and he was beginning to get desperate. Honestly, I wanted to see what he would do to make me notice him. He continued to beg and cry for several more hours before realizing that it was hopeless; I wasn't going to budge. Eventually, he came over to my bed, sitting on the ground next to me as I finished up the last of my work for the day; I usually had someone else read the reports, but with Dusty in mental isolation, I had enough time to devote myself to my work. As soon as I finished my work, I put it aside and grabbed a book to entertain myself with; Dusty was simply staring up at me, likely wondering how he could get my attention. After a few minutes, Dusty decided to risk punishment by grabbing my book, but I didn't fall for his scheme, only lying down and closing my eyesockets, feigning rest. Dusty whimpered a bit, starting to cry as he said words that I hadn't expected.

"I-I give up.." He..what? "I s-submit..I-I can't take this anymore..p-please forgive me..I g-give up.."

"...Are you certain?" I spoke to my toy for the first time in three days.

"Y-yes! P-please.."

I let out a sigh of satisfaction; I loved some of my toy's decisions. "Come up here, and we can cuddle."

"Thank you!" Dusty's voice was filled with gratefulness, and I sat up on my bed, pulling him into my lap.

Dusty's former sadness faded as he leaned in to my affection, and I noticed that he was accepting it more readily than any of our previous cuddle times; that was good. Eventually, I would expect him to become fully open to them; he simply needed to accept the fact that he couldn't thrive without my praise, and at that point..I would have tamed him. This was a good step in the right direction; it wouldn't be too much longer before he began to view my affection as necessary, and when that happened, he would view me as necessary. He would finally realize that he needed me, and soon after, he would become entirely submissive; I looked forward to that day..it would be the day in which he would no longer view me as his captor, but as his master.

Toys knew to love their masters.

~~~~~

"Yet Darker"

This short takes place in the "Vantablack" timeline.

Classification: angst.

Warnings: forced substance abuse, mentions of torture.

Canonicity: alternate timeline.

~~~~~

"Drink!" Ink held a cup up to my mouth, but I didn't let him force me to drink it.

Despite the fact that my mouth was sealed shut, I could still intake liquids; I didn't know how, but it probably related to that fact that I was a skeleton. Drinking my medicine had been a daily routine..until one of the scientists that had brought a refill had let its identity slip; he had called it a "pacifier." To the normal person, it would have sounded as if it were a liquid designed to force a person to be calm, a tranquilizer, and that was a sound guess, but I knew better. Ink would never want to make me calm; with the piece of information I had gained, I had deduced its identity, and from Ink's reaction to my refusing it, he had figured out that I knew, and it was now a battle for him to force it into me. The "medicine" caused an effect of intense acceptance; after taking it, I would lose a bit of my hostility, hence, "pacifier." In essence, it forced me to accept my situation, and after enough doses..I would begin to like it, and eventually..it would be permanent. For some twisted reason, Ink was trying to force me to enjoy this accursed life, and I didn't want to. That eventually led to my being chained up on the floor as he administered the pacifier, and since he didn't have to worry about my finding out anymore, he no longer gave small doses; in the past, it would only be an ounce or so, in an attempt to keep me in the dark about its purpose, but now..

"Is something wrong, master?" Papyrus entered the room to witness Ink above me with a cup filled with the horrible liquid.

"This twit won't take his medicine." Ink glared at me.

"Is there another way to administer it?"

"..Watch him, Papyrus, and don't hurt him just yet; I'll be back in a moment."

"Yes, master."

Ink teleported away, and Papyrus sat by my side, watching me with a hateful glare..I didn't want to be near him..he always hurt me. When Ink returned, he held..a sippy cup. I struggled in my chains as Papyrus held my skull in place; Ink began to pour the mixture into my sealed mouth, but it still went through..and I was forced to drink it. When it was gone, Ink unlatched my chains from the floor, and I felt the effects of the pacifier vividly. A small smile appeared on my face as it took hold of me, and I fell more under its sway; I believed that I would be unable to resist taking it much longer..my body enjoyed this feeling..it was so much different from the usual pain. The feeling persisted for part of a torture session, and I feared what would happen when it stayed longer. A few days after the introduction of the sippy cup, a familiar face entered the room: Dream. He wasn't the same, though; Papyrus had been placed in charge of his training in evil, and I had paid attention to his bad news..that was the only type of news I recieved anymore. According to what I had heard from Ink's conversations with Papyrus, Dream had recently broken, and he was beginning to become receptive to instruction; Papyrus believed that he would rejoin the army willingly in only a few months, but he wouldn't be the Dream that anyone remembered. Ink's plan was to train several former resisters to obey him, and he already had almost two.

"Ah, Dream, how have you been?" Ink faked care.

"I've been fine.." Dream sighed; he was never happy anymore..

"That's so good to hear! I believe Papyrus is teaching you how to enjoy torture, correct?"

"That is correct.."

"Good. Dream, do me a favor and watch the toy for a moment while I check on something..and, if you'd like, you can play with him."

"Okay." Dream frowned at me.

When Ink teleported away, Dream sadly walked over to my cage, lifting a dark-gloved hand up to the bars and weeping. Ink had tortured him greatly as a punishment for his rebellion, and he had begun by melting his crown and burning his clothes, including the cape he had valued so highly; Dream no longer had anything to remind him of Nightmare, and he was forced to live without comfort, verbal or otherwise. He had been given an outfit that completely contrasted his old one, as well; it was entirely black, with the exception of Ink's symbol, which adorned the shoulders and upper left corner of his jacket. Dream didn't have to wear a suit of armor; Ink had decided that those who were formally trained in evil would have more mobility in their limbs. As a small gesture of comfort, I moved a hand over to Dream's, holding one of his fingers as tightly as I could manage; it wasn't much, but it brought a small smile to his face, and I was glad to have been able to do even that. Ink returned shortly after, and Dream left to return to his brainwashing. It was now bedtime, and Ink removed me from my cage after filling the sippy cup with my pacifier; I refused to think of it as medicine, since it was by no means good for me.

"Here we go; don't fight it, toy." Ink warned.

Ink tilted my skull back, and I tried to struggle..but I couldn't..I wanted the peace it gave me. I let him pour the liquid, and he smiled malevolently as he noted my lack of resistance. When the liquid was gone, Ink returned me to my cage, and I fell into a nightmare, but that didn't matter, since I had those every time I slept. In the morning, I accepted the pacifier again, and Ink expressed his appreciation of my acceptance verbally, before starting another torture session. Papyrus arrived halfway through the day, and he decided to join Ink's torturous game. The days came and went, and they turned into weeks, followed by months. Over time, I found the effects of the pacifier lasting longer, and eventually, they lasted all day. At that point, it was only a matter of time before I would fall into complete acceptance, and when that time came, I would begin to welcome my daily torture..I began to wonder if that was really such a bad thing. Dream, three months later, had already fallen, and he had bowed to his master, as Papyrus had. After accepting torture, he had changed rapidly, and Ink had gained another loyal follower. Unfortunately, he had also been given permission to torture me at will, and I now had a trio of tormentors..but I didn't mind it as much; the pacifier had done its job.

I would have been lying if I said I didn't like it.

~~~~~

"Saved"

This short takes place in the "Baby" timeline!

Classification: drama and fluff.

Warnings: Broomie.

Canonicity: alternate timeline.

~~~~~

A mess of blankets lay on the floor. A soft one served as the base, while several others acted as walls. The one they were meant to enclose? Baby Dusty. I had placed all his favorite toys in the area, and they were all within reaching distance. He cooed as I set him down in the place of honor, and he hugged his doll close before grabbing a rattle to shake around. I sat down on the floor outside the baby wonderland, ready to help him if he needed me. Needless to say, he did. Blankets galore didn't stop him from falling in an attempt to crawl - his bones were too weak to allow him to do that, unfortunately, and he faceplanted often - but I was quick to come to his rescue.

"Bah!" Dusty smiled as he tried to eat the rattle, and I shook my skull at his silliness.

"Ink, are you in there?" Papyrus's voice came from outside the door.

"Yep!" I called back, watching Dusty's antics intently.

The door opened, and Papyrus entered, bearing witness to Dusty in baby land. "Some people have been talking..you do realize you cannot spend all of your time in this room just watching my brother, right?"

"Says who?" I replied idly, chuckling as Dusty let out a cute laugh.

"Says..everyone?"

"Everyone is wrong; I'm doing it."

"Buh!" Dusty fell once again, and I put him back in his place.

"Ink, this is not healthy.." Papyrus tried to reason.

"Should I open the window?" I wondered; perhaps Dusty needed more sunlight..

"You need to spend some time away from my brother, Ink."

"..." I fell silent as Dusty continued to play.

"I will watch him for you..you should at least get some fresh air..just for a few minutes? People are worried about you, Ink - geniuinely worried! Do you realize how difficult it is to worry about the one who caused so much suffering?"

"..We'll let Dusty decide." I looked to Dusty, who turned his attention to me upon hearing his name. "Dusty, your brother wants me to take a break from watching you..should I?"

"Bah.." Dusty looked between his brother and I for a few moments, before nodding. "Buh, duh."

"All right..I guess I'll go for a walk. Take good care of him, Papyrus."

"I will take good care of him until you return." Papyrus assured.

I only nodded, leaving Dusty's room and going outside. The sun felt nice, but a hug from Dusty would have felt better. I sighed as I sat under a tree, trying to relax; maybe Papyrus was right, and I-

"Creator.." It...it couldn't be.. "Have you forgotten?"

"Y-you're not r-r-real.." I stuttered; I was hallucinating..I was hallucinating!

"I'm very real..more than you, at times. I've waited a long time to get you alone like this..where no one can interrupt."

"L-leave me alone..I don't want to be your pawn anymore.."

"The deal you made was permanent, Creator; there is no backing out."

"I-I won't.."

"Then I will simply be forced to make you."

I decided to take the course of action that had been proved to be the best over the past years; Dusty had done it many a time when he needed help, and I was definitely not above it. I screamed. I screamed, and when it yelled at me to be quiet, I screamed more; when it covered my mouth forcefully and bound my arms and legs together to prevent any more screaming, I was forced to stop, hoping that someone had heard me. A portal's opening offered hope as my skull was slammed against the tree in its attempt to knock me out.

"Hey!" A glitchy voice...I felt as if I was supposed to know that one..but I was so tired...

I fell unconscious.

"Buh..." A familiar voice.. "Bah! Bah, dah!"

"Is he waking up?" Another voice..

"He'd better be; I want an explanation." The glitchy voice..

"Guh!" The first sounded clearer now; tiny hands patted my face.

I opened my eyesockets slowly, being met with a crowd of skulls, with eyelights that looked down on me.

"Ink, can you hear me?" Glitchy..Error asked.

"Yeah...I can..hear you.." I lifted my hands to my eyesockets, rubbing them as I woke up.

"Why were you talking to a demon?"

"..." My eyelights shot to Error, and the previous events of the day - had it only been that long? - caught up to me. "Oh..it..must have found me.."

"..Ink, be honest; can you do that?"

"Uh-huh.."

"Were you..possessed?"

I nodded, and Error sighed.

"I'm going to have to talk about this; Ink, I think you'll be happy to know that it's gone, but I still want you to stay with someone else at all times, just in case." Error said.

"Okay.." I sat up, and Dusty desired to hug me; I granted his wish.

"Papyrus, keep an eyelight on him; if he acts out of the ordinary, get immediate help."

"I will, Error." Papyrus responded, and Error left quickly.

"Bah!" Dusty placed a bandaid on my shirt, and I smiled.

He could always make me feel better.

~~~~~

The end.

Except for bloopers.

I've just realized that these are kind of incorrect quotes, except I make them up. Yay.

~~~~~

"I will now explain." Ink says.

*Three hours later*

"And therefore, we must.." Ink continues.

*Literal midnight*

"And that's only the beginning, guards!" He speaks.

*A year later*

"And that is why we must charge!" Ink concludes. "Who's with me?!"

The crowd cheers because they don't want a lecture.

~~~

"But you don't need money." Dusty reasons. "Why tax people?"

"It's the principle of the thing, Dusty." Ink replies.

~~~

ATE: "I hate you, and I will make your life miserable as Ink's second-in-command." Dusty says to Papyrus.

Vantablack: "I hate you, and I will make your life miserable as Ink's second-in-command." Papyrus says to Dusty.

Baby: "Aww, he moved his little fingers!" Ink squeals at Dusty's cuteness.

~~~

Ink orders someone to clean his room.

"Where's the paint?" He asks, staring at his clean room.

"..What else was there to clean?" The cleaner wonders.

The cleaner was sentenced to the dungeon life.

~~~

"Push ups!" Ink exercises.

"You don't have to say that every time you do a push up.." Dusty mentions.

"Push ups!"

~~~

Someone enters Ink's room.

Dusty: it is time to be an overall good and friendly person.

~~~

Christmas arrives.

*The Grinkch has stolen Christmas*

~~~

"Dusty is definitely an animal." Ink decides.

"I can hear you.." Dusty reminds.

"Shut up, Dusty."

~~~

"Are these bloopers real?" Dusty asks.

"Not all of them, no." Fell shakes his skull.

"Then why's it called a 'blooper reel'?"

"Oh, Dust.." Fell chuckles.

~~~

"Hey, Dusty, do you ever yearn for the past?" Ink questions.

Dusty weeps pitifully.

~~~

"Dusty, you're just like a duckling; you'll follow me anywhere!" Ink grins.

~~~~~

The end!

I would like to thank you guys for the requests, since they were really fun to write!

Hehe, time to proofread ^v^

I dunno why, but this group of extras just feels a bit off to me..maybe I did too much angst..

Yeah, that was probably it; I'll try to add more fluff next time..this can just be called the "angst extras." 

Word count before: 40,442.

Word count after: 40,898.

~~~extras end woot~~~

Thanks for reading my extra extra extra extra extra extra writing!

Bye!