Spring held a small piece of bread in his hands as he stared at Spring!Papyrus, laying on a bed as his skull was half-dusted. Spring!Alphys held his soul together for hours. Spring thought he heard her and Undye conversing about the workload, with Undye doing twice as much so Alphys could keep Papyrus alive. 

His brother wasn’t breathing. He sat there, his bone slowly reforming and dusting as his chest barely moved. His soul didn’t beat, either. The white heart was clasped in another monster’s hands. Had Alphys let go, he would be nothing but a pile of dust. 

Spring glanced at the bread in his hands before he rested it in one of Papyrus’ hands. “You need it more than me,” he sighed, tears streaming down his face. “Please be okay, brother…” 

There was no reply. Spring!Alphys glanced at him with worry. “Kid, you need to eat that.” 

“I’m not hungry.” 

“That wasn’t a suggestion,” Sp!Alphys insisted. “Eat it.” 

There was another whip crack outside the room. Spring shook his head and gently crawled out of the space, trying not to be spotted by the whippers as he returned to his post, fiddling with the wires. 

Cries of pain and hopelessness echoed through the air, but they were often broken by the crack of whips. They were more prominent than usual, as if their work hours were not enough, they increased them, allowing little time for rest and food. More and more of the workers got sick. Spring had attended to most of them; Papyrus had taught him a thing or two about keeping people healthy, and no one was in these conditions. 

Slavery never allowed for such luxuries as health. 

Spring couldn’t help the tears that fell down his face as he thought of his brother. They fell onto the wires, quenching their sparks. It’s my fault... I’m the reason he’s almost dead... 

He listened closely to Spring!Temmie and Spring!Mettaton’s conversation. They talked about how the ‘big boss’ was coming today. They became hushed about the topic when Spring drew closer to listen in more. The only thing he caught was the big boss being a Gaster of sorts. 

Could it be the same one who sold him for a piece of bread? 

Perhaps the pressure of said inspection is what caused the whippers to be more hostile and picky with the work that was being done by their slaves. It was almost unreasonable and insane to expect better work in worse conditions, but there was no consideration of such a fact. 

Spring gently taped the wires together on the outside of another machine as he coughed the smoke out of his lungs. His hands and feet were hurting again. He was covered in black tar and ash. It burned his skin worse than the flames themselves. There was no time to clean up, however. He had spent his free time checking up on his brother, and he had to face said consequences.

This can’t be all there is... Spring wiped his face, feeling his stomach getting nauseous. He knew he was about to hurl. He stepped away from the wires and walked over to the edge of the platforms, resting his head over the edge as he vomited into the fire. For a solid minute, his stomach desperately tried to search for any nutrients, and when it found none, it shot the acid out of his mouth. 

Spring’s cries of pain were disturbing. He could hear some of his fellow slaves approaching him, but they were pushed aside as the familiar, horrifying steps of a whipper came along. “Get back to work, kid!” The monster grabbed Spring by the scruff and lifted him up, turning him to face him. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

Spring covered his mouth, trying to withhold another puke. No, please, not now—he couldn’t. His body gagged, and his vomit covered the whipper’s face as Spring coughed, tears streaming down his eyes. He looked at the whipper in horror as the goo ran down his face. What have I done? “I’m sorry, I’m sorry I—” 

“You imbecile!” The whipper threw Spring onto the hard pavement, scraping his face. He hurriedly tried to wipe the acid off his face in disgust, cracking his whip. “How dare you defile me?!” 

The whip cracked against Spring’s skull. He cried out in pain as he curled up on the floor, trying to block the whips. Instead of his face, the whips struck his hand, ripping the bones apart as the whipper continued. Blood poured out from them, and Spring whimpered, unable to put his pain into words or a cry for help. 

The whippings suddenly stopped as a loud thud could be heard. Spring hesitantly looked up through the water building up in his skull. 

Spring!Muffet had just punched the whipper in the face. 

She looked at her hands as if she couldn’t believe what she had just done, but that didn’t stop her words from snapping at the abuser. “Pick on someone your own size!” She dared to say. “You’re pathetic for picking on a helpless child! Be a man and choose someone stronger than he!” 

Spring’s eyes widened in fear as he reached out to her. “Muffet, no—” 

The whipper clearly did not find her challenge amusing. He stood up, grunting as rage fumed in his eyes. He cracked his whip to the side. “Own size, eh? Someone like you, then? You know what happens to challengers like you, right?” 

Spring!Muffet’s eyes widened as she raised her hands into fists, all six of them. “To fight for a kid’s life, yes.” 

The whipper raised his whip. It was as if time had gone in slow motion as he slowly brought it down on the monster that saved Spring—

BOOM!

A bright flash of light filled the air. There was a strong gust of wind, sending the whipper flying into the lava below, screaming all the way down. Muffet was also blasted back, barely catching onto one of the railings. Spring was pushed into the wire system, grunting as he tried to stand up, but his hands hurt too much. 

Before him, in the direction that caused a blast, was a bright, white fire. It burned the wood nearby as if it were the sun itself. Who walked out of the fire was someone Spring had never seen. It was too difficult to see, but she looked like Toriel, a similar, shorter type of goat. Her gaze was flat, and she walked with grace. Everything about her glowed like starlight, something Spring had only heard about until now. 

The shouts of the whippers were blurred. They yelled about the hole in the factory before charging at the intruder. “It’s her!” one of the muffled shouts rang through Spring’s ears. “Kill her!” 

One by one, the goat slayed every person that dared to come her way. Despite being hit with some of the whips, they disintegrated on touch. Her hands were surrounded by a white fire, and when she fired at the whippers, they turned into ash immediately. Dozens of them swarmed her, but they were no match for her skills. 

Behind her came a large dragon. It was white, with long eyes, and its head shaped like a gaster blaster. It munched on any whipper or opposer that approached the goat. It was as if it was made from starlight itself. Its gaze turned toward everyone else, turning around to reveal someone on his back. 

Spring’s eyes widened as he observed the little skeleton on the back of the dragon. He… He looks like me. 

The battle waged on, but it was something Spring was in too much pain to notice. He glanced up one more time to find the slaves cheering at some proclamation the white goat gave. She gently approached Spring as everyone rushed out of the factory. 

“Little one,” her voice was more soothing than a thousand ice packs. “Come with me; let me nourish you back to health.” 

Spring weakly looked up at her, his body trembling in pain. He couldn’t form words as the white fire that burned the factory blinded his sight. He reached out his hand, trembling. “B-Brother…” 

“Spring!Papyrus, will be alright. Come with me; you are being rescued and set free.” 

Spring felt her hands wrap around him as she hoisted him up over her shoulder. He didn’t resist as he watched more whippers being reduced to ash. Something about the sight eased his mind, as if they were getting what they deserved. 

The goat climbed up onto the large dragon, saddling it as if she rode it. She held Spring in front next to the other little guy. “Hold on,” she commanded before taking the reigns and flying off. 

Spring watched as the factory went out of sight, getting smaller and smaller as the dragon ascended into the sky he had never seen. His eyes widened in wonder, resting on the beauty of the world before him. The sun greeted him willingly, and suddenly, his soul felt lighter and more at ease. 

Spring had felt hope. 

His hands trembled as he held onto a lower part of the reigns. It took a moment for him to process what was happening, but the cool air felt so good against his skin, he never wanted to leave it. He turned his gaze to the other small skeleton in front of him. The little guy had bruises and thin, snowflake eyes. He was staring right back at Spring the entire time the dragon flew off into the air under the cover of the clouds. He nodded slowly. “Greetings.” 

Spring stared back at him in awe, as if he were looking at himself in a mirror, but a different version of him. Everything was so new, he didn’t know how to process anything that was going on. 

But that didn’t stop him from being polite. His hand trembled as he lifted it in greeting. 

In all honesty, Spring couldn’t remember the last time he ate. Everyone else needed the food more. He couldn’t stand to see them hungry, so he gave them his food. They were only given so much as slaves anyway. 

There was a loud clang in the factory. Metal pipes and machines surrounded them. Fire and lava poured into various buckets, moving up and down. Spring felt like an ant with how big everything was and how small he was. The environment was hot and sticky. It smelled like ash and smoke. Sudden noises echoed through the chambers, making all the monsters jump. It was a dangerous place, but the owners didn’t care, as they needed their products made. 

Spring didn’t know what the machines were for; he didn’t even know what they were making. All he knew was to do as he was told. Usually, that involved stirring the fire coals or climbing into small spaces to fix a machine. He didn’t like fixing the machines; there were many times when he almost died doing so. It was always hot; he had burns on his bones to prove it. 

But it was the only life he knew. 

The only thing he remembered before the factory was someone—he assumed it was his previous caretaker—sold him for a loaf of bread. He wondered why he was worthless to his father. Was he that desperate? Or did he hate him that much? 

“You can take some of my food at lunch, okay?” Papyrus smiled softly, dusting off the dirt on his clothes. 

“No, I shouldn’t… you need it,” Spring shook his head. “I don’t want to eat.” 

“But you need to.” 

“I threw up the last time I ate. I don’t like throwing up.” 

Papyrus closed his eyes, taking the tongs from Spring’s hands, and continued to stir the coals for the large fire. “Then rest, at least, okay?” 

“But the coals-” 

“I’ll take care of the coals.” 

“I-I need to work-” 

Papyrus sat down next to Spring, sighing. “You’re only four; you don’t need to be working this hard. I know the managers make you… Just let me help you out, okay?” 

Spring lowered his head as he collapsed onto the ground, shaking. “Okay…” 

The coals sizzling cracked in Spring’s ears as he watched Spring!Papyrus stir them. He was so calm about it… Spring didn’t understand the pain in Papyrus’s eyes. This is what life was, working the coals and fixing machines… Why was Papyrus so upset about it? 

The voice of his father rang in his head again. He shivered, resting his head on Papyrus’s shoulder. “Why won’t he stop talking?” Spring asked, his eyes droopy. “I know I wasn’t worth anything to him… why does he have to keep saying it?” 

Papyrus squinted his eyes as he stared at the fire. “He… doesn’t… it just relives in your mind. You replay it over and over.” 

“Oh,” Spring rubbed his hands together, trying to get the coal off them. “What does relive mean?” 

“HEY! YOU TWO!” 

Spring and Papyrus stood up immediately, turning around. Their heart rates quickened as one of the monsters in charge stormed up to them. 

Papyrus winced as the monster's clawed hand made contact with his face. "You're not supposed to be sitting! Work you fool!" the monster bellowed. 

Papyrus suppressed the urge to snap back, instead opting to press his hand against his face as he glared at the monster. "Stir harder!" he muttered under his breath as he resumed stirring the pot.

Meanwhile, Spring clung onto Papyrus's leg, his grip tightening with each passing moment. He winced when he heard Papyrus cry out in pain as the monster hit him. His heart ached with a mixture of fear and sympathy. The monster whipped out his weapon and cracked it towards Spring. "There's a machine that needs fixing! Come now!" he barked.

Spring cowered at the sound of the whip, his heart beating wildly. He let go of Papyrus and followed the manager, his eyes downcast. As they made their way along the narrow cement path over the pool where they stored the lava, Spring felt his knees buckling under the heat. The further they went, the hotter it got. He staggered, his breathing becoming labored.

"Move it, worm!" the manager snapped, cracking his whip again. The sound broke the silence, and Spring immediately fell forward. Pain shot across his back, and tears stung his eyes. He shook as he struggled to get back up, wondering if this was all there was to life. 

Why did it hurt so much if this was normal?

Spring couldn’t recall the rest of the trip to the other side of the factory, but suddenly found himself standing in front of a colossal machine. He was told that it was a determination extractor, which looked like a huge skull with horns, somewhat resembling his small gaster blasters. The machine's eyes and mouth were black with ash, and the machine itself was brown in color.

The manager barked orders at Spring, instructing him to crawl inside the machine and fix whatever was broken on the inside. Spring, scared and intimidated by the manager's whip, rushed forward and plunged into one of the tubes of the machine, the darkness consuming him. 

As he crawled through the narrow tubes, the walls seemed to be closing in on him with each passing moment. He felt his heart racing as he tried to push himself through the tight space. He knew the tubes were designed to transmit some type of fire, but he had no idea what kind. He assumed large beams that came out of them, but he couldn't see anything. 

He tried to feel his way around, but the walls were slick and smooth. He wasn't sure how to turn the beams on, or even if it was safe to do so. He wondered if they would hurt him, but nothing happened. The silence was deafening, and he began to feel a sense of dread. 

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he emerged from the tubes into a large, dimly lit room. He took a deep breath and looked around, trying to understand what he saw. But there was nothing there, just a vast, empty space. He wondered what he was supposed to do. Maybe I'm looking for a switch! He thought. 

As he walked around, he heard the lava boil beneath him. Before fear settled within his soul, he spotted the wire wall and observed one of the wires was snapped. Oh. I just fix that, then. He sighed, walking over to the wall. 

The wires were spinning in circles, sending fire sparks in every direction. Spring winced as the fire struck his hands and burnt his face, but he eventually snugged the wires together and taped them. As he did so, the room lit up with light, and a small beam fired through the tubes. 

"Okay! I turned it on! Can anyone come to get me now?" Spring yelled into the abyss. He shuddered at the thought of going through the tubes again. Now that the beams were firing, he didn't know if he could make it out. He waited for anyone to rescue him. 

But nobody came. 

No matter how many times he called out, no one answered. 

He glanced back at the tubes. The beams seemed to have stopped for now. If he timed it just right… he could get out alive. 

He waited two more rounds, counting how long he had. His heart started to pound as he stepped into the tube. 

He crawled for his life. Scraping his knees and hands, he pounded against the tunnels until he could see the light. His eyes squinted. Was it light from ahead or behind him? Everything was too loud to hear the beam… but his environment began to rumble. 

"Hello?!" He cried, crawling faster. "Help!"

"Spring Sans!" A cry sounded from the opening. "Grab on!"

Spring continued to crawl until he saw a metal pole. It was red and burned Spring’s hands when he touched it. However, he clung to it for dear life as the pole tugged him out of the tubes.

Spring’s face met the ground as the beam burned the bottom of the shoes. Papyrus's arms wrapped around him, and his hands struck his feet, putting the fire out. 

"Paps…" Spring clung onto Papyrus, terrified. His hands shook, and he started to cry. 

Papyrus also clung to him, whispering soft, comforting words into his skull. "You're okay… you're safe… shh…" 

As the beam above them subsided, Papyrus picked Spring up and held him in his arms. 

There was a roar behind them. The manager's eyes blazed with fury. "You directly disobeyed orders!"

"He would have been blasted into shreds if I didn't do something!" Papyrus snarled, setting Spring down as he faced him. “You would’ve lost a valuable worker!” 

“None of you are valuable! Every one of you is replaceable!” The manager barked. “You two don’t get food today!” 

Papyrus’s eyes widened. “No! I don’t care about me, but Spring only did what he was asked! He needs food! Punish me, not him!” 

Spring tugged at Papyrus’s hand as the manager cracked his whip. “Paps, let’s just go,” he winced as he stepped. The beam had burned his feet. 

There were a few clangs in the distance as the heat rose again. The manager wiped his brow as he smirked. “It seems this is already punishment enough.” Raising his hand, he pulled down the lever next to him. 

The beam fired. 

Spring didn’t have time to react. He didn’t even process what happened next until it was already over. 

Papyrus saw the beam and shoved Spring out of the way, slamming him into the wall. Spring hit his head, and cried in pain as his eyes opened…

Only to see Papyrus blasted by the destructive laser. 

“NO!” Spring cried, reaching for him. Pain seized him as he fell over onto the ground. Something inside Spring snapped like a twig. Grief gripped his heart as tears fell down his face. “PAPYRUS!” 

Papyrus was flung back into a nearby wall from the beam, slowly dusting. Workers nearby saw the incident, but they couldn’t do anything. Only Spring!Undye took action. She scrambled over to the lever and turned it off, but it was too late. “Grillby!” She cried. “Help me peserve his soul!” 

Spring didn’t remember anything after that. His eyes hurt from the water streaming down his face. He never felt so broken and lost. He felt the need to be angry.