Slave To Torment

Escape

"Where are we-"
"Shh!-"
Getting hushed by Dream, Dust shut up. He didn't know where they were going, the way through the castle being almost completely unknown to him.
"I snuck in this way, I knew they weren't gonna be over here..."
"And we're just going to what? Hope that they still aren't?"
"The fact that you had to ask where we were going is enough of an answer to me."
Dust was kind of annoyed, he wasn't enjoying the fact that he was being treated like the bad guy when they were all stuck in the same situation, trying to get away from those horrible things...
Just as Dust thought that, Dream started to speak again.
"Hey Ink"
"Ya?"
"Where's you're brush? If this does go wrong I want someone other than me to be able to do something."
"They took it so I'd have no-"
"Cross has them, they aren't going anywhere..."
The group of four froze for a moment, hearing that now completely untrue statement from someone that wasn't one of them.
"Um...hey Dust, Horror, any chance there's a good place to hide?"
"You got in here, how-"
"I can hide some where but there are three of you. So I hope someone has an id-"
"Over here, we can all fit and Nightmare doesn't even know about it..."
Hearing Horror speak the others looked over at him, seeing that he had moved a shelf to get to a large vent.
"It goes to my room, from their it's easy to get out..."
"How did you-"
"Do you hear that boss?.."
Again hearing someone talk, the group really didn't want to take the time to ask questions about how Horror knew about this. So after quietly removing the vent cover they crawled in, Horror being last. He scooted the the shelf back and was just about to put the cover back on when he saw Nightmare start to walk by. He knew Nightmare didn't see him, he never had before, Horror knowing this due to the beatings he had gotten from him to find out where he was hiding...Horror would never tell him though, he didn't think he'd be able to handle having no peace anywhere in his prison.
So gently putting the cover back just in time, Horror sat there and watched Nightmare and Error walk up in front of him as they kept talking.
"What are we going to do about Ink? I'd rather not keep him hear but if it means being able to play with the universe as I wish then-"
"You'll get both of your wishes, we aren't keeping Ink and he won't be a problem to you."
"And how do you propose that you can do that?"
"We can kill him, that man child has only a few weaknesses. You easily being the best and most obtainable and that moment."
Horror heard Error laugh, while hearing the others in the vent stop moving.
"Horror, what are you doing? We have-"
"Be quiet, I wanna hear what they're saying..."
Dream knew that was to dangerous, or at least he thought it was...just like he thought that there would be no problems going this way...just like he thought Cross loved him...that he was good...when he wasn't...
Dream didn't say anything, second guessing him self left and right and not being able to tell Horror to stop and keep going with the rest of them. So they all waited, and listen to Nightmare and Error.
"What about those kid things, and Blue and Dream? They won't just forget about him, they'll come eventually."
"Well Dream and Blue will be easy to handle, as long as we can get our hands on them. But the kids are yours-"
"They aren't my god damn children..."
"Alright fine, but they're your problem so you'll have to figure it out."
"I don't care what happens to them, if you really want you can deal with them like you will Dream and Blue. Because I don't care."
"Fine, then you just take care of it like that. I have better things to do than that."
"You're not the only one"
Error scoffed as he stopped walking, Nightmare also doing so. Horror's soul dropped to the pit of his stomach seeing them do so. They were caught- Horror's stupidity got them found!- It's all his fault- All his fault again!-...But they didn't move the shelf blocking the vent, and they didn't take the vent cover off...They didn't know they were there...
"What about Dust, and Horror, they both snitched, and call me an idiot if you'd like but I think Dust was lying to you."
"He was lying Error, that much was clear... Then again though when me and Killer conducted our little experiment we did punish the both of them in our own way~"
"As gross as that is to me, and as much as I didn't want to hear it again, the fact still remains the Horror did do what Dust said better than he ever has with any of you."
Nightmare couldn't help but let a grumbled slip through his lips before he started to actually speak again.
"If anything that shows me that Horror cares enough about that dumpster fire to do that for him... So he wouldn't get them trouble and we'd actually think something of Dust for once, again though that was probably just to cover up that they had lied."
"That still doesn't answer my question from before."
"That being?"
"What are you going to do with Horror and Dust?"
Nightmare thought about it, a smile slowly spreading across his face.
"Like I said they clearly care about each other, and I know Horror. The best way to make them both suffer is well making Dust suffer, Horror will just do it naturally after the fact and keep doing it as he continues to be our pet, him and now along with Dust."
"I guess that'll work, but you'll do more right?"
"Of course~"
"That's more like it~"
Horror saw them start to walk away, their voices fading as they did. He was shaking, the near thought or notion that any of that would happen because of him was awful...Dust didn't deserve to suffer... He didn't...
"Come on Horror..."
Getting pulled away from his thoughts, Horror looked over at Ink just as he began to speak again.
"We all have problems...clearly... But caring to much isn't one you should worry about right now... So let's go..."
"...Ok..."
Horror slowly turned around, him along with everyone else starting to crawl through the vents once again.
"But um speaking of problems and there apparent existence for us all, what problems do you guys have again?.."
Horror asked, Ink quickly responding as he laughed.
"Ha!- That one isn't to hard, I'm still soulless and probably always will be...and Dream...
well-"
"I haven't had a sane or rational thought in days...or I've just been second guessing my self so much that I'm making myself believe that... But I don't even know if I'm doing that either..."
Dream added, cutting off Ink as he did so.
"Ya...well that was what I was going to say, wasn't sure if I should've though. But anyways we do have our problems, maybe not as bad as yours but you know..."
"I guess..."
"Ya but then again I don't know much about what happened with Dust...just you..."
Dust snickered, not an amused snicker but just a different kind of one to insinuate that he thought that Ink's words were silly.
"You're right, I don't know my problem if I even have any at all. I've been having to be...something else...for the past many, many years that I almost believed that thing I had to pretend to be was actually me...for a long while it was...but not anymore...at least I hope."
"...What were you?"
Dream timidly choose to ask reluctantly, Dust quick to answer.
"Arrogant, hopeless at one point... But sad mostly...for Horror...for giving up on trying to escape...giving up so much that I even forgot my self... I disappointed myself more than I ever could've when I did that..."
It went quiet when Dust said that, no one having much of a clue what to say afterwards and only staying silent until they made it to the end of the vent.
"We're at the end, do I just push the vent open?"
"Um ya just push it open, it's a small drop so be careful."
Dream nodded, carefully pushing the vent open and jumping out of it, followed by Ink then Dust and lastly Horror. Horror putting the cover back on the vent when they were all through.
"This is your room?.."
"Don't be like that, even Ink wasn't"
Horror chuckled, Dream not doing so. He stopped once he noticed this.
"Not so funny I guess... But we should be happy to be leaving..."
"Definitely..."
They were all about to leave after Dust said that, when Horror stopped still having no actual clothes on other than Dust's hoodie. He sighed.
"Wait...can I get dressed, at least putting some pants on? I'd rather not freeze, or be humiliated anymore than I have..."
"...Make it quick Horror, I really don't want to risk it."
"I know, and I'll be quick Dream..."
Walking off to the side of his room, he took off Dust's jacket and put on his own clothes swiftly. Just as he finished doing so he looked back up and saw the hoodie Dust had recently gotten him... He just looked at it for moment before saying fuck it, and grabbing the article of clothing before running back to the others.
"What do you have in your-"
"It's a gift...and it's special...besides I won't run any slower, if we even have to..."
"Ok, I was just asking... Can you give Dust his jacket so we can get out of here?"
"Oh ya here Dusty"
Horror handed Dust his jacket, Dust excepting it gratefully as he threw it over his shoulders.
"Thank you Horror, now let's escape this hell"
"Let's indeed"
The two friends looked up at their former enemies, nodding that they were ready to continue.
"Ok...let's go Ink, we can get your brush later"
"I'm ok with that..."
Ink and Dream began to lead the way up the stairs, Dust and Horror following behind. They watched them open the door, going into the hall that would lead to their soon to be freedom. Dream walked slow at first, his bow once again drawn just in case there was someone there. Luckily there wasn't, so once Dream realized this he quickened his pace to the door. The others also sped up to keep up with him, creeping closer and closer to the now visible door. They were pretty close when they heard something- No...someone else.
"There you are!"
Someone screamed in a dark, angry bellowing voice. It was already pretty obvious who it was, but Horror felt compelled to turn and look anyways. A dark shadow like figure stood at the end of the hall with a glowing teal eye. Having now definitively come to the horrifying conclusion that Nightmare was there, Horror stumbled and started running. Dream being the only one that could do anything at that point fired an arrow at Nightmare. There wasn't much point in doing that though, Nightmare having stopped it easily with one of his tentacles before snapping it in two, anger haven taken over the dark king. Having no other option at the point Dream started to follow behind Horror and no Dust, tugging Ink to follow them and do the same as Dream put another arrow in his bow. Nightmare pursued them while letting his tentacles shoot out in every direction to try and grab at least one of them. But every time one got close Dream would shoot it away.
Horror got to the door first and tried to open-... When he learned it was locked... He tried to open it but couldn't, Dust running up to him just as he started doing this.
"Horror what are you doing!?- Open-"
"It's locked!- I can't!"
For a moment this surprised Dust, until he remembered that Nightmare did put a lock on the door...just to keep Horror in... Reaching into his pocket Dust luckily still had one of the keys, and used it to open the door.
"You weren't going to get out of here if it wasn't today...your lucky we got these before or else I wouldn't have had it..."
"They were...they were actually going to lock me in here?.."
Dust didn't say anything, just ignoring that fact for the time being to open the door.
"Come on, let's go before they have the chance..."
Horror felt himself slowly nod, his body shakily existing the castle like fortress that had been his home...but turned into his prison...
Dream and Ink followed behind them, Dream firing one last arrow into the darkness. Then him and Ink opened a portal, back to there base just as they heard the door swing open.
"If you have nowhere else to go, then you two better come with us!-"
"Your four aren't going anywhere!"
Horror felt chills run up his spine hearing Nightmare talk like that. He was so scared, but happy knowing that where ever this portal led had to better than here. So after the stars went through it Dust did, reaching back up to help Horror through. Horror went for Dust's hand just as he felt something wrap around his waist. He froze, locking his hand around Dust's as he began to get tugged back to Nightmare. He screamed loudly, Dust clamping his other hand onto Horror's and trying to pull him through the portal, but knowing that he had no chance. Dust knew he could only hold onto Horror for a small while longer...but he couldn't loose Horror, not again...and not like this.
"Horror use your magic!- Do something!"
"I-I can't!"
"Yes you can! You're stronger than you think!"
"No I-I'm not!"
"Horror listen to me damnit!"
For a moment Horror unclenched his eyes, and stared at Dust. He was struggling to keep Horror from being taken away, crying while he did so.
"I know that you don't have the most magic or power out of all of us, but you're stronger than anyone I've ever known! You know that and I know that you can be strong now! So please!"
"I can't! It's different!- I just I can't!"
Dust grumbled until he felt his grip on Horror start to slip. At that moment he came up with an idea, an idea full of holes he should add but an idea known the less.
"If you need a reason to be strong then fine! Let me give you one!"
"What do- No! Don't! What are you doing!?"
Horror tried but was in no position to stop Dust from getting back out of the portal, Dream and Ink yelling at him to stop as well but them also not getting through to him.
Ink and Dream stood on the other side of the portal watching this, Dream using all of his magic to hold the barrier around the portal to keep Nightmare out. It was getting hard, the barrier slowly cracking under the pressure of Nightmare's tentacles and negativity.
"Ink!- It's gonna break! We can't wait for them!"
"Dream we have to- I have to! I'm the guardian of their creations, I have to protect-"
"Ya? And I'm the guardian of positivity, and looked where that got me! If we keep it open and Nightmare gets in...we won't be ready...and you heard what he will do..."
Ink was going to argue but couldn't bring himself to.
"You know what will happen... I can't hold this up much longer, tell me what you want me to do..."
Still Ink said nothing, only looking at the portal with a slowly crushing barrier on it.
As this was happening, Dust was getting wrapped up in a tentacle similar to how Horror already was.
"Dust! What are you doing!-"
"Trusting you! Now please!-"
"Y-You have magic! You can-"
"No, Nightmare already got ahold of my hands, so please Horror! I trust you!"
Horror was shaking, he was terrified...this is what he feared...he didn't want this to happen... He couldn't stopped this...could he?.. But even if he couldn't he had to try now...
Horror attempted to use his magic, thinking he had failed before anything even happened. He kept trying and trying, and just when he thought it was hopeless something happened.
"How pathetic of you~ To try and use your magic after it's been made dormant for so long, really misera- Fuck!-"
Seconds after Nightmare partly finished his monologue, Horror felt the grip on his waist somewhat give then something land in his hand. He looked and saw his axe engulfed in the small amount of magic Horror could use. Looking back at the tentacle that was meant to be around his waist, he noticed that it had 'left' it's host now laying severed on the ground along with the one that was around Dust. The both of them got up, and went over to the portal that appeared to be fading. They looked back at Nightmare one last time, him clearly angered in every way he possibly could be.
"You may be getting away now! But we kept you here for years! We can find you again and if we don't we can always find someone else!- Like...Like those kids of creator~ They could always be-...ehk..."
Dust stood there in aw for a moment seeing an axe go into Nightmare's skull, him slowly collapsing onto the ground. The axe flew back shortly after going right to its rightful owner after that, being caught by Horror like he had never stopped using it.
"I was getting tired of hearing his voice..."
"... You know he isn't dead?.. Right?.."
"Of course...but that's not important right now...let's just go through that portal before it disappears."
"Good idea..."
Going through it first, Dust turned back and reached his hand out and offered it to Horror. Horror smiled and took it happily as he was pulled through the portal himself, finally being free...