Slave To Torment

Afterwards

Crashing to the floor of the Star's house, both Horror and Dust took a moment to get ahold of them selves as they heard the portal close. Dream panted, him having used a lot of energy to keep the portal open for as long as it was.
"Hey are you two ok?.."
Ink asked, going over to the two monsters on the floor and giving them a quick once over.
"Ya Ink we're good..."
Dust responded, sitting up from the floor. Realizing that Horror hadn't said anything or did the same, Dust looked down at him. When he saw Horror curled up in a ball shaking, crying, hyperventilating, all things Horror wasn't doing seconds earlier. Dust started to freak out, trying to go over to Horror but getting stopped by Ink.
"What are you doing!? Let me see him! He-"
"Nightmare's magic was probably keeping him stable up till now, we don't know the full of what you've both been through but we do know that Nightmare in some way was holding Horror together all of this time..."
"Why would he!?-"
"So he wouldn't be like this all the time... The sadness, and the fear I felt in Horror when I was near him was great...and frankly I was surprised he wasn't like this the entire time we were trying to save you guys..."
Dream explained, bending down next to Horror and beginning to take off his gloves.
"Then again though this unfiltered pain and sorrow would've been like sweets for Nightmare, so it makes me wonder why he kept Horror stable in anyway in the first place."
"...I...I don't think he always did..."
"Why say that?.."
"Because they've treated him like a puppet for years, but the first few he wasn't told to do anything, he was just used as a toy and well..."
"Well what?.."
Looking down at Horror, Dust debated weather or not he should say anything while Horror was like that... He didn't think it was right, and thought Horror should be the one saying these things...but he couldn't, and Dust was currently the one being asked these questions. So with a deep breath, he was going to begin talking when Dream started to try and make Horror feel better...and well that didn't work out how he thought it would...
"DON'T TOUCH ME!- STOP! OW!- PLEASE!"
Horror screamed and squirmed under the positivity guardians healing touch, it appearing to more hurt him or better scare him then anything else. Dream realizing that Horror was to terrified for this right now stopped.
"I-I can't help him, he needs rest...or anything to get my brothers magic to run it's corse...until it does I can't do anything."
"How long will that take?"
"Ink you know I can't tell you that...it's different for everyone I've encountered..."
"Can I try and help him?.."
Ink and Dream looked at Dust. Dust realizing that he had gotten their attention started to speak.
"Please?.. I want to help him..."
"Do you know how?"
"Ya...I'll tell you why after if you let me help him..."
Dream thought about it, and having no better options at the moment sighed.
"Ok...if you can please help him..."
Dream motioned for Ink to let Dust go, Ink doing so and letting Dust go over to Horror.
"Hey buddy... It's me, you're ok..."
Horror didn't say anything but his panicked breaths seemed to ceast.
"There, they won't hurt you again ok?"
"We weren't-"
"He doesn't know that..."
Putting a hand on Dream's shoulder, Ink whispered something to him that seemed to make Dream feel better quickly. Ignoring them and getting back to Horror, Dust gently put his hands on him.
"N-No- Don't-"
Before Horror could say another word, Dust brought him into his arms. He squirmed, fought, and screamed for only a small while before giving up and just crying in Dust's arms.
"Hey!- Hey, it's ok!- You know that, it's just me..."
Horror let out a few sniffles before cuddling his way into Dust's embrace.
"There you go... Now rest please...it can and will better tomorrow...it always will..."
The other two watched Horror get soothed off to sleep, whether that was because of his anxiety or his fear he was drained of all energy or Dust really did make him feel better, it didn't matter. It was just nice to see Horror resting rather peacefully.
"How did-"
"This isn't the first time I've had to do this... Now that I really think about it..."
Slowly, Dust stood up with Horror still in his arms.
"Ok...then when else did this happen?.."
Dream asked, needing to know how long ago Horror was like this. Dust chuckled and was quick to answer.
"I don't think I can remember specifically how many years ago he ended up like this...compared to how long everything else has been going on it feels like so long ago, for such a small amount of time that I just brushed it off...even though I really shouldn't have..."
"To help him I really want and probably need to know how long he was like this...if you can't remember when I understand but please anything as to how long-"
"About a month... I'd find him in his room like this and help him...the first time I realized was the worst..."
Dust wanted to stop himself but couldn't help it when he started to think back to that day...that horrible day when he saw his best friend the way he was, and heard his cries from down the hall. It was awful...but as much as he hated it he could remember that day like it was yesterday, the day everything just got worse...
The castle felt calm that night, to calm for the monsters the roamed it's halls. Dust knew this and was already on high alert. It wasn't like anything to bad would happen, he would just get spooked or pranked and he'd yell but laugh about it later. That's just how things were, and it was nice. But as Dust thought about this he heard something. It wasn't like footsteps, or like laughter or anything alluding to a prank, so what was it? Following where the noise was coming from Dust noticed that it led to Horror's room. It was at the time across from his, and it was normal for the two to just barge in on one another...so what the hell it couldn't hurt anything. So walking up to the door, Dust opened it...
"Hey Horror! What the-... What...huh?.."
Horror was curled up into a ball on the floor, whining and crying with his ripped clothes being scattered around his freshly beaten body. For a minute Dust just stood there, looking down at the monster he considered a close friend, only to see terrified eyes looking back.
"Horror?.."
The skeleton beneath Dust said nothing, only continuing to shake. Dust was worried, scared, upset, any appropriate reaction that this would warrant he was feeling at that moment. And yet he didn't know what to do, he didn't even know who did this let alone how...he just didn't know...
"Horror who did this to you?.. Did someone get in and do this for some reason?.."
Though Horror didn't speak or say anything to Dust, he did shake his head no. Now Dust truly had no idea what to do...he wanted nothing more than to help Horror but just had no clue how... So he decided that the best thing to do was to go and get the others.
"Look I'll get and tell the others, they can-"
"NO!-"
Horror cried out, sitting up to look at Dust.
"No? No why?"
"PLEASE DON'T!"
Knowing that Horror was screaming way to loud while talking about that sensitive topic, Dust closed the door then immediately got down in front of Horror who scooted back.
"Why wouldn't I? They want-"
"DON'T!"
"Just tell me why?...Please?.."
"THEY-...They...T-They..."
Horror whined a little before bursting out into tears again. When that happened Dust had a thought, a thought that to him seemed to far out there, ridiculous even...but was probably more likely then any lie he was trying to tell himself in his head.
But before he even dared ask, he brought Horror into his arms. Horror struggled for a moment, but in the end succumbed and let Dust cuddle him while he cried. That was until Dust asked something, something he wondered if he should even answer.
"Did...they do this to you...the others?.."
No words made there way out of Horror's mouth to answer that, but a small head nod was enough of a yes for Dust...
"...It'll be ok...I can fix this...I can...fix..."
He didn't want to believe Horror, he wanted to do anything but that actually... But what could he do instead? Pretend this just never happened? Let Horror suffer?.. He couldn't do that...not after seeing how scared Horror was...
...or after seeing Killer's signature cut from his very special blade...or rub burn from fine blue strings...bruises from an already broken man...and black, goopy negativity from a king of pain and misery...
Dust was looking truth right in the face that day, and for some reason every time then and afterwards he's had the undeniable feeling to look away...