Chapter Text
Horror looked around cautiously as he walked through Snowdin. He didn't want to be attacked.
A portal opened up and a skeleton jumped through to hide behind the trees silently, watching Horror and waiting for the other to be alone.
Horror winced when his stomach grumbled painfully. He clutched the space just below his ribs with a pained whimper.
The skeleton's eyes widened at the sight before they growled lowly in anger, their eyes shining red and purple. How dare Ink make Horror suffer.
Horror gasped quietly in pain as he doubled over slightly.
The skeleton flinched before coming out of the shadows with a lunch box in his hands. He carefully stepped closer to Horror as to not alarm the starving skeleton.
Horror flinched when he heard someone step towards him. He straightened up, pulling out his axe as he stared at the other monster with dim eye lights that immediately focused on the food the stranger held.
Dust froze in his steps, his eyes shining in concern for Horror and anger for Ink. He missed him. He missed Horror so much. Horror didn't look any better. In fact he looked starving, barely holding on. Dust had almost forgotten how Horror used to look like before he'd joined the gang.
Almost.
"Shh.... I'm not here to fight." he said softly and slowly put down the lunch box in front of him before moving away slowly.
Horror watched the monster warily, cautiously taking a step forward. He snatched up the food, darting back a few paces. He kept an eye on the other skeleton, opening the box. There were three sandwiches in there which he scarfed down greedily.
Dust smiled bitterly at the sight. Horror was a messy eater sure, but not like this. Not like a starving monster- which he was. It hurt Dust so much that Horror was starving to the brink of death. Even if the Horror he knew was dead, the skeleton in front of him was still Horror. He was still Dust's brother. His friend.
"Hey," he said softly with a small smile. "We have more food at home. If you come with us we can give you all the food you need and more."
Horror looked up hopefully only to wince and backtrack when he saw who was talking to him. Dust.
"Don't come any closer." He warned with a feral growl as he pulled out his phone.
Dust winced before his eyes widened. Oh no! No! He didn't want Ink involved in this!
"Wait!" he cried out panickedly. "Don't! I really won't hurt you! I promise!"
Horror hesitated for a second, taking a good look at the skeleton before dealing Ink's number, not yet calling him.
"Horror please!" Dust pleaded before he pulled out an energy bar from his pocket, handing it to Horror. "See? I have food. I can give it to you and more. Just... just please listen."
Horror flinched back, staring at Dust fearfully.
"How do I know you're not lying?" He asked. Oh stars... The food could've been poisoned.
Dust flinched and looked at him in distraught and pain. "Horror... I would never hurt you."
Dust gently threw the energy bar at Horror, hoping to convince him to not call Ink. "Please. I miss you."
"I don't even know you." Horror growled, taking a step back.
"For all I know you could've poisoned me." He added, pressing the call button.
"No!" Dust protested, disgust growing at the very thought of poisoning his friend. "I would never do that to you!"
"Horror please!" Dust begged. "I know you! I care about you! I'm your friend! I would never hurt you! Not like Ink!"
"Ink never hurt me." Horror growled, waiting for Ink to pick up the phone. He didn't.
"Yes he did!" Dust screams angrily. "He hurt you! He hurt me! He hurt all of us! You don't remember because he created a copy of you when you died! He's using you! Can't you see?! Please Horror! Please listen to reason! Listen to me!"
"What are you even saying?" Horror growled angrily.
Ink jumped out of a portal right in front of Horror.
"I hope it's urgent." He sighed, not wanting to listen to Horror begging for food again.
Dust gasped and pulled out his knife, ready to defend himself. He looked at Horror with wide eyes begging him to reconsider and listen.
Horror readied his axe, frowning at Dust.
Ink turned and readied his paintbrush.
"What are you doing in this peaceful timeline?" He thundered.
Dust frowns at him. "Trying to get my friend back."
"I'm not your friend." Horror growled.
Ink looked at Dust and frowned.
"Horror is not your friend. You are his enemy." He explained.
Dust took a step back before he growled angrily, his eyes flashing.
"You bastard! How dare you! How dare you take him from us! How fucking dare you Ink!" Dust screamed loudly with tears streaming down his face. "Killing him wasn't enough was it! You had to make another copy and fill his head with lies to turn against us! You're a bastard Ink!"
Horror tilted his skull confusedly. Why was Dust crying? Had he been saying the truth after all?
"I didn't kill Horror. You did." Ink replied calmly, staring at Dust hatefully.
Dust snapped and raised his knife dangerously. "You let him starve!!!"
Dust ran towards them with the intent to kill Ink. "I won't let you hurt Horror again!"
Before he could do any damage, a black tendril wrapped around his arm and pulled him back. He gasped and snapped his head towards Nightmare who was glaring at Ink. The others close behind.
"Dust," he hissed lowly and pulled him back. "What did I say about making contact?"
Horror watched confusedly. What did Ink have to do with a double of him starving?
Ink growled lowly as he saw Nightmare and his gang.
Cross stared at Horror, deep pain in his eye lights as he held himself back from calling out to him. This wasn't their friend.
Killer looked at Horror for a moment before looking down sadly.
Dust struggled at the tentacle holding him up by his arm as Nightmare pulled him back. "No! No! Please! That's Horror! That's-!"
"That's not our Horror." Nightmare interjected softly, a deep pain in his voice laced with understanding. "He's not the Horror we know."
"I don't care!" Dust sobbed and tried to reach Horror. "He's still Horror! He's still my friend! I can't! Please!"
Horror frowned. What did they want from him? He hadn't seen any of them in his whole life.
Ink glowered at them, paintbrush at the ready.
Cross stepped forward slightly.
"Dust, calm down. You need to come with us." He murmured quietly.
"No!" Dust screamed. "I won't leave him here again!"
Nightmare sighed sadly as he looked at Dust with understanding.
Cross flinched slightly and looked at Dust. He could understand him. He wanted nothing more than to get Horror back. It was incredibly painful. He felt tears collect in his eye sockets. His family had been ripped apart again.
Killer walked up to Dust and gently pulled him down from Nightmare's tentacles, holding him tightly as he fought against him.
"Dust please." Killer begged softly. "That's not our Horror."
Nightmare glared at Ink. "He's right. This one is just another one of Ink's mindless slaves."
Cross stepped forward a bit and hugged Dust and Killer.
"I can't lose you too..." He whispered, tears rolling down his cheek bones.
Ink watched all of that confusedly. What the hell were they doing?!
Horror was very confused. Hadn't Ink said those people were bad? They didn't seem bad to him. That one guy had even offered him food... He felt kind of bad for calling Ink.
Dust sobbed softly and covered his face. He didn't want to lose Horror. Not his friend.
Nightmare noticed how confused Ink was and decided to leave. "Come on guys. We're leaving."
"No!" Dust screamed and reached out to Horror. "No! We can't leave him here! Horror please! Please come back! Please come back home!"
Horror flinched back slightly, staring at Dust.
Cross let Dust go, wiping his tears away furiously. He shouldn't cry in front of Ink. He took Dust's hand, ready to drag him to the portal. It was for his own good.
Dust protested and struggled when Nightmare opened a portal. Killer sighed shakily, giving Horror one last glance before jumping through with Dust.
Nightmare gave Ink a dark glare. "If this one dies like our Horror, we'll make sure the next one you make won't suffer the same fate."
Cross jumped after Dust and Killer, his eye sockets stinging with tears.
Ink scoffed.
Horror looked at Ink, seeming frightened.
"You won't let me starve, right?" He asked doubtfully.
Ink looked at him for a moment before looking away and making a portal.
"I have to check on the other AUs. Just in case they didn't actually go back to wherever they came from." Ink said before jumping through the portal and leaving Horror behind without an answer.
Horror stared at the space where the portal had been for a long time. He could tell that Ink had more than enough food. He could even create food no problem. And he hadn't given him a clear answer. Was he doomed to starve?
He looked down at the ground where the energy bar Dust had thrown earlier sat innocently in the snow. He kneeled down and picked up the small food item, immediately noticing how full of magic it was.
Dust hadn't been lying. They had been willing to give him food and he had called Ink and made him drive them off. He was so stupid. It was his own fault if he were to starve.
Horror stood up and looked at where the portal once laid. Was... was there a way to fix this? Would they even come back for him after what had happened today? He didn't want to starve. And from what they'd said, he didn't want to die again.