Palette's POV a few weeks later

"Aaaaaagggghhh!"

Thud!

"And that's the last test for today. Thanks for being so cooperative. You are free to rest now."A voice says

Great....

I hear footsteps leaving me and I just lay there, groaning in pain from the experiments and tests they ran on me. The last one being electrocution tests to see how much I can take.

This is horrible....It's not the worst though. I've been through worse, haven't I? I can take this. I'm just glad Goth isn't here...

I hear footsteps coming closer and lift my head. My soul stops beating for a moment when I see who it is.

"Goth...?"I say, my voice unable to be louder than a whisper

"Man, they really screwed you up, huh?"He says

"W-What are you doing here? I thought-!"I stutter, trying to sit up

He steps on my back to hold me down.

"You're so damaged. And not just physically. How many people have damaged you? Your family too? Hmm?"He says

I go quiet, realizing by his voice and clothes or behavior that this isn't the Goth I know. This must be another AU's version of him. Goth wouldn't be like this with me. He knows it's a sensitive subject.

"Tch, how pathetic. All I see are your parents when I look at you."He says with a cold laugh, pressing down harder

"But I'm not-!"I begin

"Oh please, you're an exact copy of them. You're their creation and will only creat chaos with destruction in your wake. Because that's how they made you. Every heard the phrase: Hurt people hurt people? It's quite wise and applies to you perfectly. You've been hurt deeply and as much as you try to deny it, you are turning into them. Hiding secrets, acting, lying, tricks, acting on impulse, selfish desires, all of it. You wear a mask and when the mask comes off, all hell will break loose. You will snap and you will break and you will hurt people. You know it as well as I do. My advice is, don't give yourself the chance by getting close to people. Just leave those you care for before you do."He snaps, pushing me into the ground harder under his foot

He....he has some points....But it hurts that it's coming from him....But....I don't want to hurt Goth either so it may be best to follow that advice....Just look at what my uncle became when people hurt him....

I bow my head and then he starts to walk away. He turns around and swiftly kicks me before I could even think of getting up, hurting my already cracked ribs. I could feel and hear some snap. Then he leaves. I can't hold it in anymore and just cry out in pain.

Why am I here? Why do people seek the pain of others? Why were people after Goth? Why do I even EXIST? Just for pain or to spread pain? My own family either hates, hurts, or forgets me so what's the point? Why do I think I deserve to live in another person's world when I'm not even stable? I could ruin everything! I can't hurt other people like these people! Like my family! I can't...! No more of this!

Then I pause, remembering Asgore's words and stop crying. I force a smile, comforted by his words.

Am I really being selfish to want happiness?

"Palette stop complaining and crying! You're hurting me and it only helps your uncle! You have to forget the pain! Remember the good! Do you really want to hurt people with your own pain?"My fath-Dream said in a memory

"No...."I mutter

"Hello? Is someone here? I heard someone crying....Oh stars!"I hear a voice call out

Then I hear running footsteps come over to me. A stranger kneels down in front of me and gently turns me over. I look up at him with a slight groan in pain. I take in his appearance.

He is a skeleton like me with bright white eye-lights shining with concern. Despite being blank, are full of emotion stronger than expressed on his face. One eye had a scar of dark blue cuts across it. He's been hurt deeply before telling by how deep the scars are into his bone. He wore vibrant clothes of blue to green. He has chains on his ankles just like me.

Another prisoner...great...

I force a smile, prepared for another attack.

"Heh, hey there! You're just in time! Today seems like I became the All-You-Can-Beat-Buffet! Take your serving!"I say, joking it away

Crack!

Not again...

He summons my soul and I tense up. He surrounds it in a green glow. Healing magic.

"Huh..? What are you-?"I begin

"I'm not a soulless animal. I'm going to heal you. My name is Slate, and I'd like to keep it clean. So, what's yours?"He asks with a wink

I chuckle at the joke about his name.

"P-Palette...."I say weakly

He scoops me up in his arms. I couldn't move even if I tried.

"Let's get you taken cared of, Palette."He says, carrying me away

I slowly close my eyes, unable to stay awake anymore.

I wake up in a bed and find my bones bandaged or healed. I see Slate sitting on a stool.

"Don't try to move, bud. You're only going to hurt yourself."He says

"O-Okay."I say

"Here, I stole this from the storage room."He says, extending a bowl of food to me

"T-Thanks...."I say, starting to eat from it

He's nice to me....First one here that's actually nice....Could he be using me? No, that worry seems genuine...But if he cares for me, then I have to stay distant. Can't hurt him.

Over the next few weeks, he took care of me and we talk more, getting to know each other more. He protected me from the other prisoners or the wackos experimenting on us. He'd fight them, hide me, outsmart them, just however he could to keep them away. The more I find myself recovering and trusting him, the less I am trusting with myself. I tried to keep as distant or closed as I could in this situation, but struggled since I want to be nice and friendly as well. But the advice of others sticks in my head and had its influence on my actions. Especially since he is a freshman in a high school within Goth's world. He is older than me given that info but still. Wouldn't feel right to cause him trouble as well. Well, more trouble.

"Hey, Palette. Are you alright? You've looked you're in pain again for the past hour. Is it your gem?"He asks, taking me out of my thoughts

"Oh! N-Nothing, Slate. I'm fine."I say

"Okay, enough of this. I know you're not. You're a horrible liar. The gem gives you away every time. And given that you have a pink pearl cracking, it's something you're bottling up mentally or emotionally. Is it related to love, compassion, loyalty or happiness? You seem very  loving or compassionate. Have you been betrayed?"He says, worry mixed with annoyance in his voice

"No, no. I'm okay...Trust me, I don't want to burden you. I've learned that sharing my pain only hurts others. I've seen what negativity can do to people. It only causes pain....Besides, others go through worse problems so complaining would be wrong of me..I don't want to hurt others so really, I'm fine. I have nothing to be upset about...Everything is fine as long as others are okay.."I say, glancing down as I feel my gem crack more

"What moron put that nonsense in your head? That's extremely unhealthy for yourself. You shouldn't feel guilty about feeling. Not every day is going to be the best day ever so you shouldn't have to act like it is. Look around, this place is shit and there's no way around it. You shouldn't hurt yourself to help others. If they really care about you, they'll be hurt seeing you go through this."He tells me, coming over

He picks me up so he can sit on the bed with me. He wraps an arm around me.

"Let it out before it breaks you. What's wrong?"He asks

I look down at the clothes fused into my body as part of the experiments. Internally I just got even more upset since it was just reminders of my family but I hold it in with a smile.

"I was told the phrase that Hurt people hurt people. I don't want to hurt anyone. And that includes you."I say

"Oh trust me, I can take it. They didn't even tell you the entire phrase. It says that Hurt people hurt people. That's how pain patterns get passed on, generation after generation. Break the chain today. Meet anger with sympathy, contempt with compassion, cruelty with kindness. Greet grimaces with smiles. Forgive and forget about finding faults. Love is the weapon of the future. Yes, hurt people can hurt others and create a pattern, but they also have the chance to heal themselves and break the cycle. Just because you have been hurt doesn't mean that you're a threat to society. And you should include yourself in that phrase. Be good, loving to yourself instead of hurting yourself. Only listening to the first sentence doesn't let you heal by punishing yourself. It only reopens the wound. Palette, treat yourself with some worth. At least more than I've seen you give yourself. You are worth more than what others have put you through just to hurt yourself like this."He explains

I look at him, seeing his concern before sighing. He really does care. I don't want to hurt him but he also brings up some points. I don't want to hurt myself either, especially if it hurts others.

"Okay...Where to begin? These experiments are hell not just with the pain but what they remind me of. The clothes forced on me only remind me of my family, a main source of that advice. Dream only angered me or hurt me in some way. High expectations for positivity and the best, lecturing me when I showed a hint of negativity. Nothing was ever his fault even when he and my other parent would forget my existence and abandon me. Constant comparisons to my uncle, who only seeked to cause more negativity for him to get off of with power. Even when I got to a happier place, none of them were happy about it and said that I was hurting them..Is it selfish that I left their circle to live away from them? Did I really go too far and hurt them? I cut them out to get away from the pain, so why do I feel guilty for it? Why did I cry? I don't understand it...."I explain, pointing each piece of clothing that reminds me of my family

"Palette, you left the most toxic dynamic that I've heard of in a family. Dream was using gaslighting on you, and that's emotionally abusive. Gaslighting makes you question your own feelings or experiences so they can control you. Denying your painful experiences or brushing it off with comparisons to your uncle or whatever he did to make it seem majorly bad or minor is a key sign of it. He made your feelings seem invalid, making you feel worse about yourself. And one of the biggest signs of it is when the gaslighter or abuser plays the victim, like they did to you by acting as if your happiness was hurting them. They don't want to take account fo their actions so they act as if you wronged them. And being that it's emotional abuse, it makes sense that you were lost and emotional once you got away. It plays with your emotions so getting freedom can be overwhelming. But you did the right thing."He tells me

"Yeah, but how far did I get? I intruded on another world, your home AU, to get away from them and when I started living my life, my uncle found me and threatened anyone I got close too! He took me, hurt me again and when I got away from that, my parents found me! Then some giant stranger went after my friend but got me instead and I ended up here! But even outside of that, I hate everything in my mind! I finally made some friends and love them, but something in me looks for more. It feels wrong of me. I love them but how do I know that I love them the right amount? Or really love them and that I'm not just using them to escape from my family? That I love them and not just mistaking my new freedom or first good relationship for love? Their kindness for more? I don't want to cross any lines...they've done so much for me...."I say, venting everything out

I suddenly feel lighter, as if a weight left me. It feels...nice to let that out.

"You can't control everything. Just because those jerks came doesn't mean it's your fault. Abusers don't usually stop once their targeted victim escapes. They'll just look to cause more pain so they can feel more powerful. And don't call it an intrusion. You took refuge in the AU. If they're your friends and have stuck with you, then you're not mistaking their kindness for anything other than what it is. They definitely care and love you. You're not crossing any lines if they've been as good to you as you make it sound. And there's no real way to measure love so don't beat yourself up over questioning if you feel the right amount. You found happiness with them, love and joy come with that. You're finding something healthy so it's normal to question it or feel uncertain. But you're doing everything right, trust me."He says

He grips my hand gently, wrapping his other arm around me to give me a hug. He gently squeezes me closer.

"Have you ever heard a phrase of affection?"He asks

"What's that?"I ask

He sighs, then smiles.

"I love you, Palette. Your innocence, limitless kindness is wonderful. Your honesty and unwavering loyalty to those you care for is worth some compliment or honorable. Though your loyal consideration for others could go to a fault for yourself, it's a wonderful trait. Your bravery to not just go into the unknown for a better life but save your friend is amazingly admirable. You're wonderful the way you are, Palette. Don't doubt that. Cause I love you."He says, closing that with a kiss on my skull

What...? People say that to each other...? I've never heard that from my family where it felt genuine and I'd be too busy in conversations with Goth or friends for that to be brought up. Pakeekee told me that he cares about me but that's as far as he'd go. I thought it went without saying but....It's sweet, I think I like it....

My soul creates a warmth in my chest. I look at him, feeling it beat a bit faster. He smiles at me and it feels comforting. Then he has us both lay down to rest, putting a blanket over us. The next few weeks, I had him by my side and I feel safer to open up to him now that I know how wrong those thoughts or words were. He teaches me about healthy and unhealthy relationships or ways to spot the signs when we aren't busy trying to escape experiments and torture from the ones holding us here. That and the other prisoners like the other versions of Goth, none of them being very kind. He stops me from my efforts, warning that the gem cracks spread to my skull so severely that a single hit could shatter both of them. Still, we try to brighten the dark situation by making each other feel better. I hug him often while he frequently compliments me and leaves kisses on my head. He managed to pry the pieces reminding me of Dream and Nightmare from my clothes as well. He's a sweet friend to have honestly and I'm happy to have him. We climb into bed together one night. Well, he helps me into it since my legs are still in poor conditions. We lay down and I pull up the blanket.

"You alright, Slate?"I ask

He nods.

"Get some sleep to heal, okay?"He says

I nod.

"I love you, Palette."He says, closing his eyes as part of our night routine

I smile a bit.

"I love you, Slate."I reply, dozing off

Pakeekee....Goth.....I hope you both are okay. You don't have to worry though. It's tough but I'm okay.....

Meanwhile, NO POV

A figure appears in the dungeon stairway, the portal that transported them quickly closing. They cautiously walk down the steps leading to the cells and experiment chambers. A familiar list is lifted into sight and the figure sighs, looking at the bleak environment. A single name glows on the list that the figure cared to acknowledge.

"Palette.....What did they do to you?"

TBC