The Stage is Set

Chapter 14: Hyperdontia isn't a blessing

Hyperdontia - Ghost and Pals
Amen - CG5

Bani laughs loudly, "You want to know what happened to Tainted? Do you really want to know? Then let me show you!"

Their laughter rings out as the screen fades back to black. The others look on with hesitancy and wary glances. Ink holds Killer and Error's hands and gently squeezes them twice. They squeeze back and Nightmare lets his goop cover him, allowing him to hold all three of them closer to him. Ink blinks, feeling his mouth slowly fill with drool before shaking his skull. No, no, he can't think about it like that. These are important people, he can't bite them, he doesn't need the colors anymore. He takes a deep breath and forces himself to look at the screen.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tainted sits there in his room crying as he rocks back and forth. A sense of comfort to try and ease the pounding voices and noises bouncing in his skull. His ears press against his hood and his tail is limp against the floor. In his hand is another glass bottle, swirling with navy blue, bright yellow, and rose colors. Surprising all of them, the colors don't mix, they stay separate and swirl around each other. Tainted sniffles as he continues to rock back and forth. His other hand digs deeper into the fabric of his shawl. Tearing it slightly. His grip tightens on the bottle as his skull jerks to the side. He wipes his sockets before putting the vial into his mouth. He jumps into the vents and crawls to another place in the castle before hiding the bottle under a wardrobe. He makes his way to his dog bed before sitting there. He watches Desire pass by.

His voice is soft and gurgled by the drool. By the paint in Tainted's mouth. "Pull 'em out and-and-and wash 'em off, the memories." Yani turns to Tainted with a quirked eyebrow ridge. He continues to sharpen his sword after staring for a moment. "Tear 'em out and-and-and-and-and-and..."

Tainted trails off as he watches the ink and paint flow through the pipes. Shattered wanted to be able to harvest as much paint and tainted ink as he could without having to make any trips. So pipes are connected to his neverending fountains of colors in the Doodlesphere. The tainted ink, he isn't completely sure where it's coming from though. The screen changes to him in the white room.

One would think that after spending as much time as he did in this room that the color white wouldn't bother him. No. He's terrified of the room. Tainted bangs on the 6-inch thick polycarbonate walls. Shattered, as punishment for destroying so many different cages, had made this cage smaller than it should be. Forcing Tainted onto his knees and having only a few inches of room between the wall and his ribs. Tainted growls and bangs on the walls. He stops as the tears build in his sockets. He moves his hands away from the polycarbonate walls and presses them to his skull as he slams his skull against the wall. He becomes calm and unmoving for a moment before starting to cry again. Light Blue hugs him tightly from behind. Ink can feel the tears filling his sockets as well.

"On the count of three, you need to get out." The whisper of Light Blue is gentle to him. So sweet and soft. It promises safety in freedom.

Tainted murmurs to himself as his tail bounces against the floor once. He whimpers softly as his tail curls around his legs tightly. "One, two, oh, you sure convinced me."

Tainted curls further into himself as he cries. Something isn't right with him and he knows. He has the urge to bite, kill, to harvest the colors. The colors. He wants the colors. He wants more. He needs more. He can't help it. There aren't any in here. He needs the colors, but he knows he can't have them. If he takes the colors from others then they won't ever come back. They would never move again. They would become a pile of white and grey stuff. Crimson Red and Light Blue no longer move.

He slams his skull against the wall and the screen changes. Hearts stares with a blank look and Stars nervously sweats as they watch Tainted fruitlessly kick his legs out. His tail wrapped tightly around the tentacle holding him above the pool of ink and paint. The magic restrictor in his collar takes away what makes it so his body can stay together in tainted paint. If he falls in, more tainted paint and ink will make up his body. He doesn't like the burning pain it gives him. He hates every part of the punishment. He holds on to the tentacle tightly so he won't be dropped into the pool. Shattered growls at him as he shakes Tainted, trying to get him to fall in.