From Murder to Dust

ATE - Extras 10

Hey!

That took a while, didn't it? Sorry..

Comments are welcome and appreciated!

Please enjoy!

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"Mute"

Haha, what better way to start an alternate-timeline-based set of shorts than introducing a new alternate timeline?

For reference, writing and signing will be italicized.

Classification: angst.

Warnings: torture, disability, death.

Canonicity: alternate timeline.

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"Dusty, hold still!" Ink glared, trying to stop my shaking.

I didn't like this. Ink had decided that one brand wasn't enough; he wanted me to have another..except this one was going to be on my soul. Ink had decided to use a small bladed paintbrush, since the traditional branding iron would have just killed me. Plus, he had to perform a very careful operation in order to both keep me alive and keep the brand there..through resets. He had ordered that no one was to enter the isolated corner of the dungeon he had brought me to, and if anyone did, they would die, regardless of rank. I knew of the dangers, but I still couldn't stop my shaking completely, and that significantly hindered Ink's work. He was almost finished with the brand, though, and I was shaking a bit too much for him to continue.

"Dusty.." He sighed, laying a hand on my skull; he had had to calm me down countless times to slow my shaking. "It's okay, all right? I'm almost done. Then, as promised, you can have the rest of the week to calm down. Are you ready?"

I nodded, trying my best to halt my shaking.

"Good toy." Ink raised his blade back up to my soul. "This will only take a moment."

He carefully inserted the blade into my soul, and I screamed, as I had been doing since he had started this. Then I heard footsteps from behind Ink; he didn't hear them, focusing too intently.

"Sir, can-" The guard paused.

Everyone, in fact, froze. The guard froze, and Ink froze, and I froze, before silently dying. Ink was a bit jumpy when he wasn't expecting things; it was why he had placed a death threat upon any who dared to come near during this procedure. Ink's reaction to the unfortunate guard had ended with a blade through my soul, and I had died. I had no doubt that the guard had suffered a long and cruel death at Ink's hands before I was reset. When the familiar magic came over me, I found myself back in the dungeon, in the same cell Ink had brought me to this morning; he likely wanted to finish the branding.

"I'm sorry about that, Dusty!" Ink shrugged. "But don't worry; it won't happen again! Just to be safe, you don't feel any pain, or anything, do you?"

I opened my mouth to respond, but..nothing came out but a soft whimper.

"Dusty?" Ink looked at me oddly.

I tried again, but the same thing happened..what had happened to me?!

"Dusty..?" Ink knelt down beside me as I brought my hands to my mouth in a frenzy, whimpering in fear. "Are you..are you okay?"

My legs buckled, and I burst into a quiet sob; I couldn't talk! I couldn't...I couldn't even scream!

"Dusty, tell me what's wrong!" Ink still hadn't figured out that I couldn't. "Are you hurt? Can you not feel something? Are you having a soul attack?! Dusty, speak to me!"