Chapter Text
Star got up with a huff and glared at Stalker 404 before he stopped when he saw that 404 and Sun was ignoring him completely, interacting with each other briefly before walking away from him (read as 404 picking up Sun and walking away, uncaring of the babybones murderous glare and insults, both of them not sparing a single glance back at Star). Not knowing the reason why, he tried to follow after them.
But.
He.
Couldn't.
Move.
Star could only watch as they disappeared, feeling a creeping sensation deep inside his bones that something was very wrong.
He didn't like this. Why did they leave him just like that? The negativity dripping from his arms and socket sizzled as he started to feel more uncomfortable and wary.
That wasn't supposed to happen. Somehow, he knew that. Something was just utterly, irrefutably, wrong.
Star yelped as he lost his footing out of nowhere, limbs flailing for purchase, small wings trying to flap and make him fly up instinctively, but he continued to fall and fall and fall-
Star saw as the Antivoid faded away and turned into the bottomless Void, feeling powerless as he fell deeper into the maws of the endless abyss, unable to do anything but continue to try to find purchase despite knowing he'll never reach one.
He attempted to use his magic, eyelights slitting when it only sparked instead and hissed as his soul burned in response.
Soon enough, he felt himself suspended by nothing, surrounded by the pure black abyss. Star felt watched from all angles, freezing as he felt himself get prodded from an unknown source.
Without warning, the Void teared straight into his being, making him scream as it broke him apart and repaired him before doing it all over again in an endless cycle of cruelty.
His bones cracked and popped off, his wings exploded in a flurry of blood and feathers, his soul squeezed tight like a lemon, and then he was rearranged back to normal.
But it kept repeating, no matter how much he screamed or sobbed, the Void kept on tearing into him without mercy.
Crack, bone pops out of his body and breaks apart into dust. Feathers are ripped away and comes out bloody, a trail of blood following. It all floats around Star like a disturbing art piece, before resetting back to his body.
Star felt more and heard less when the Void whispered.
Your story has come to an end. Your presence has been erased and forgotten, you have been replaced by another Dream type.
You do not exist anymore.
You do not exist anymore.
You do not exist anymore.
You shall not exist.
Star felt himself getting dragged somewhere else, feeling his form flicker and warp.
He... Doesn't exist anymore?
What-?
Star felt groggy for the first time in this life, feeling his eyelights get snuffed out, body suddenly so much more heavier. His vision might've disappeared, though he couldn't tell due to the Void being a pure black space.
This is... Actually a bit nice.
It would be so easy to just let himself be consumed, be erased, to not exist... Wouldn't it? No more pain... No more...?
"STOP!" Star screeched out as he got himself together, eyelights lighting up again as he flailed his whole body with renewed determination, doing his best to ignore the way the Void teared into him once again even as tears stained his face and the negativity dripping from his bones burned.
He didn't want to be erased, he wanted to continue existing, Star hasn't even did everything he wanted to yet, he hasn't tried his skateboard and used his other things! Fuck the Void!
Gaining an idea, and uncaring of the possible consequences, Star tried to once again use his magic, hissing at the way it stung him and sparked, but he forcibly pushed anyways.
He managed to gather up a sparking mass of magic, holding it in for as long as possible, and when he felt his magic reserves go dangerously low, he abruptly let go of the magic.
Star winced and covered his eyes when the magic exploded and sent a shockwave around him that got him hurtling somewhere else, nonexistent ears ringing.
He felt some sort of breeze as he was thrown, though it felt a bit unnatural. Eventually he felt himself get slammed into nothing, the ringing slowing to a stop.
He hesitantly put his hands down, the Void no longer as overwhelming as before.
Star glanced around, claws slowly pressing against his sleeves unconsciously. It looked to be the same black darkness. But his soul wasn't getting squeezed anymore, even if it still burned. And he wasn't getting broken and twisted and rearranged over and over and over-
Star burst out laughing, feeling hysterical and a tad bit insane at what just happened. What in the actual fudge was that? And how the hell did that work?
He shuddered as he shook himself off, different colored eyelights darting around the Void again. He'll just... Calm down for now.
Star let himself float there for some time to recover, tilting his head when he saw some sort of black and white figure in the distance. They disappeared before he could try and get a closer look at them.
Star dismissed the being for the moment, despite his curiosity and the nagging feeling of familiarity.
He feels... Generally more calmer now. (He happily dug that event away deep into his mind and buried it. He'll deal with that later. Definitely. It won't affect him if he doesn't acknowledge it.)
Now, how was he supposed to get out of here?
He couldn't use his magic right now, due to that act he did, but he doesn't regret it in the least. Though, he couldn't really access it regardless of his reserves anyways since he couldn't seem to be able to summon even the slightest bit right now.
Star floated there for a bit, staring at the one spot in front of him as he thought on what to do next.
Star decided to Check himself. Why? He's not really sure.
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... Maybe he shouldn't have done that.
Star stared at his Check blankly. He felt dread creeping up his neck, hugging himself as he tried to reread it again. (Somehow he can vaguely read it, but he's too distracted by the implications of his Check to wonder about that.)
It says the same thing.
He dismissed the Check before summoning it again. It didn't change.
You do not exist anymore.
Star shoved that thought away before he could dwell on it further and quickly waved the Check away.
He's just going to pretend he didn't see that. (This is so going to bite him in the ass later, he can practically feel it, but oh well. Nothing to do about that.)
Star groaned as he spun around in place uncontrollably when he tried to stop moving, really wishing for his wings to have been bigger so he can actually make use of them to have avoided this whole situation entirely.
He groaned once more when he faceplanted hard onto the 'floor' of the Void. He's getting tired of this weird ass gravity that keeps changing. Pick a lane and stick to it, dammit.
Star grumbled as he got up, shaking out his body before looking around, eyelights squinting.
He's been wandering around the void, and so far he hasn't seen anything at all. Not even some corrupted monsters or whatever. Would they survive in the void? Some of them probably. Actually, less of a probably and more of a definitely considering Star's still here, alive. Somehow.
No other Sans as well. How was Star supposed to get out of the Void by himself? His magic isn't working, so he can't get out on his own.
Star had planned on clinging onto one of the monsters using the Void to travel, but so far that idea isn't quite working well with the lack of said monsters.
How much longer is he going to be stuck here? Surely, he's bound to encounter at least one monster eventually right?
Even if it'll take hours. Or days. Or months... Or-
Star slapped himself on the face, trying to forcefully slap the thoughts out of him before it could escalate further. He grimaced immediately afterwards at the stinging pain.
Ow. Damn him for slapping his own face.
Anyways, the point is, he'll find one eventually.
Soon. How soon? Uhh...
Star decided to not answer his own question, feeling like he's truly starting to go insane with the lack of new sights or colors in the Void.
And so, Star continued to traverse through the Void, this time on all fours to go faster since he wasn't floating at the moment. He wandered for some time, not quite sure how much time is passing by.
N O T H I N G. Star has found exactly one weird creature that sent his instincts on a frenzy, and nothing else. He didn't even see that white and black guy again. He wondered how time works here and how much has passed by. His internal clock sucks. If he knew, he would've at least been able to keep track of how long it's been since he's last seen them.
Hopefully, they'll come back soon, nearer Star this time.
Maybe he could go see that creature again? Then again, his instincts pretty much flared up at the very thought of it, which is a loud, clear, and resounding 'NO' to not try to find the strange creature again.
Star decided to listen to his instincts, even if he was curious. He didn't even manage to have a close look at it, and now he'll never know what it looked like. (Honestly that's probably for the best. This is still the Void after all. He wanted to have some sanity intact please and thank you.)
Just when Star was about to reconsider his decision, he passed by the same being from before, immediately stopping his tracks. There were some weird looking Gasters as well but he ignored them.
They looked smaller than he expected. And while his eyelights did wander to their black wings he quickly shook his head and yeeted himself at them, determined to grip on tightly and leave the Void with them whether they liked it or not.
That is until he phased through them what the fuck.
Star floated there, staring at the monster in complete bafflement at what just happened. They didn't even look phased. He snorts a bit.
He sobered up from his pun fast though when he focused on the monster fully, feeling a bit stupid. A babybones, and looked to be a Goth type.
Something about them gave a heavy air of familiarity, and it's only when he spotted some bitties in their scarf that it clicked for Star.
OH.
This one is... Karma right?
Star blinked slowly as he tilted his head, observing them. They were acting a bit odd though.
He could sense the way Karma's emotions were acting strangely, they're there but kind of hidden? Or heavily muted. Yeah that's the word.
He doesn't remember this scene from any of the chapters before, or was this some sort of off screen thing? Then again, he could've just forgotten about it. It has been years after all.
They were definitely not doing well at all though, that's for sure.
Star's eyelights rounded out as he moved to touch Karma, but his claws simply phased through them again. Was Karma always able to turn intangible? That's neat. They were still ignoring him though and hasn't once spared a glance at his direction.
His eyelights went into slits again as he focused on the conversation that he somehow managed to completely tune out by accident. Look, it's not his fault that he just didn't hear the words at first!
Star only managed to hear the tail end of the sentence that came from Karma.
"-should be easy to do."
The other babybones said reassuringly. Star wondered what they were even talking about. Karma then waved a hand, their magic appearing and forming a dark portal that was slightly gold.
Star perked up and immediately dived into it without hesitation, not noticing the way Karma seemed hesitant, as he was desperate to finally be out, anything outside being better than continuing to wander aimlessly in the black Void that made him even less saner the more he spent time there.
(He couldn't quite say if he regretted it or not.)