Dust laid next to the pit in the Animal Tent, where Nightmare had caught him. It had been time to repay the deal he'd made. He had been back for a while, but he wasn't moving. His back was stinging and bleeding. Fell had been screaming for him to get up for some time now. He didn't want to. He could feel both of his legs were broken. Even the slightest movement sent pain shooting through his body.

Fell was on his knees in the pit below, shaking. All of the animals had fallen unusually silent. Outside, they both suddenly heard a commotion. They could hear it all the way from the front of the tent from how quiet the animals were. Dust weakly lifted his head. Was that Blue?

"What do you mean I can't see him?!" The other's voice was shrill with panic. "What happened to him?! Let me see!" He could hear Killer, trying to stop the other. All of a sudden, he heard a thunk and Killer swore as he heard Blue apologize and then running footsteps. "DUST!!"

Blue's voice was shrill. He ran up to the other, his eyes wide with horror. Tears were already welling in them. "Wh-what happened?! Oh stars... Dust..." He broke down, sobbing. Dust stared at him weakly. He reached out for the other, hissing as he moved.

"No! Don't move! You'll make it worse!" He heard Fell cry out. He saw Blue reach out and the other gently grabbed his hand, giving it a soft squeeze. He was crying.

"Dust! I'm sorry! I'll never run away again! J-just please be okay!!" The other was frantic. Dust perked up as he spoke. He let out a soft sigh.

He looked up as he heard something. They all turned and froze up. Cross. The other stared at Blue in horror before his gaze moved to Dust and he covered his mouth. He was pale and shaking.

He watched as the other turned and fled the tent. After a few minutes, the flaps rustled again and Reaper came drifting in with his scythe dragging behind him. He turned to Blue. "Sorry, you'll have to leave." He said softly. Blue's breath caught in his throat and Reaper's eyes widened. "I'm not reaping him! Don't worry!" Blue stared at him before relaxing and nodding. He looked at Dust.

"Pl-please be okay!" He cried out. Dust nodded and stared after the other as he shakily left the tent.

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Reaper seemed uncertain as he stared down at Dust. The other could barely move. He didn't know if he could risk bringing Dust back to the Medical Tent while Dream was still there. He set down his scythe as his feet settled on the ground. He leaned over the railing surrounding the pit. "Fell? Are you hurt?" He asked, wanting to make sure that Dust was the only one with damage.

Fell began to respond before he twitched and his words became garbled snarling. Reaper watched in dismay as Fell began his transition into his uncontrollable gaster blaster form. It looked like he would have to take Dust somewhere else to treat him.

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Lust was quiet as he stared at the Ring. He was sitting in the stands in the Big Top. Around him, faint music played. He blinked as he heard a door and looked up toward the soundbooth. Ink carried over a paper cup wrapped in a paper towel full of warm tea. "Sorry... this was the best I could do..." He apologized. Lust looked up to see Error watching them quietly through the glass of the soundbooth.

He shook his head and said that was fine. He was now wearing a long sleeved black shirt under his vest. The rest of his outfit remained the same. Prosthetic legs didn't get cold. He took the tea and set it in his lap, shaking a little. Ink sat next to him. After several minutes of silence and Lust occasionally taking a sip of the mediocre tea, he spoke once more. "You're really sure you saw him dust?" Lust asked again and Ink flinched a little.

"Y-Yes." He said softly. Lust couldn't believe that his Horror was gone. He didn't want to believe it and he didn't want to accept it. It hurt too much. He trembled and looked down. Another thought came to his mind, just as painful as the last, if not more.

"In his last moments... do you think he thought of me?" Lust asked. Tears were struggling up to his eyes, but he shook his head. He was trying not to break into tears again. He'd already done that enough. Ink didn't answer right away. Lust looked up at him, only to see tears running down Ink's face.

Ink looked down. "I-I don't know, Lust!!" He finally blurted out. "I don't have the answers!! I don't know!!" He broke down, crying. "He's DEAD! He's fucking dead and it's my fucking fault for not helping him and I'm SORRY!!!" His voice was choked with regret and shame and Lust came to a realization. He was casting too much pressure on Ink.

This was someone who'd lied to the Ringmaster by pretending to be Horror. This was someone who'd finally spilled the secret he'd been holding for years after a buildup of self-hatred and guilt. This was someone who'd just endangered himself by telling Lust the truth. Ink wasn't even used to emotions. To feel them like this was probably one of the most painful things. He looked down and fell silent as he heard a door.

Error was heard quietly talking to Ink in a soft, glitched voice, wondering what he was crying about this time. Ink only cried harder, saying he shouldn't have been so scared and he should've helped Horror and that it was his fault Horror was dead. "I could've helped him!! Maybe I-I could've saved him!!" He sobbed. "I could've distracted him and Horror could have gotten away!!" He was becoming frantic.

"H-He wouldn't have been here, but at least he would still be ALIVE!!" Ink was on the verge of shrieking now. The fatigue from his violent, tense paranoia was finally catching up to him and Lust could see it. Ink hadn't slept well because he knew he was in danger of death from Nightmare at any given moment. Each breath he took could be his last and Ink knew it.

Error tried to calm him down, glitching as he pulled Ink close and the other curled against him. "I-I-Ink, it isn't y-y-y-your fault. It r-r-really isn't your f-f-f-f-fault." Error seemed awkward, like he wasn't used to comforting people and Lust had no doubt that that was the case.

"I-I-Ink, you would've died if y-y-y-you had intervened." Error told him, seeming dismayed. "There's n-n-n-no way you could've t-t-t-taken Nightmare on your own. Even i-i-i-if you distracted him and Horror had g-g-g-gotten away, you would've been k-k-killed." Lust knew that was true and glanced over, only to freeze in shock as Ink whispered that he wished he had done it. Ink's voice was choked as he whispered that it would've been for the better.

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Blue shakily made his way back to the Gadget Tent. He knew that it had been Nightmare that caused Dust's injuries. He was terrified and he couldn't think of a reason why Nightmare would've crippled Dust so badly. Had Dust done something to anger Nightmare?? It didn't make sense.

Blue finally reached the Gadget Tent. He slipped inside, hugging himself. It took him a moment for his eyes to adjust in the dim light. He didn't remember turning the lights down at all. Once his vision had adjusted, Blue's entire skeletal structure froze up and his eyes were wide.

Nightmare rumbled and turned to look at him in the center of the tent, his tentacles uncurling from behind him. Blue shook and began to back up, sputtering. "You were out past curfew the other night." Nightmare said quietly. He shifted and his whip was pulled out from under his arm. Blue's breath caught in his throat. That was the reason for Dust's injuries. He'd completely forgotten about that.

Nightmare's whip was made of an extremely bendable, thin yet strong metal, highly similar to razor wire. It would cut deep and sting like hell. "R-Ringmaster, please, I can-" He was stopped as Nightmare shook his head, the tent flap being pulled shut behind Blue by some unseen magic. Blue was internally screaming and he considered making it external though he knew nobody would hear him.

He knew Nightmare was a bad person, but had never experienced his punishments directly. He'd been so careful until now. How had Nightmare found out?? Blue trembled. He'd never wanted to be on the receiving end of that monster-made terror of a whip.

"You can what?" Nightmare's voice was soft, but menacing as his eye burned into Blue's. "You can explain?? You know the rules. No one out past curfew for ANY REASON." He began to unravel the whip, tipping his head. "The first punishment is always the worst. So let's just get it over with."