The Void and Those Within
Fandom: Homestuck
Setting: The Void.
Summary: Equius became one with the void after god tiering and using that power in combat. One day, he gets a visitor.
Warnings: Isolation, Sadstuck?
Pairings: None
Word count: 1130
Author notes: there was a writing competition on the art bump server and this was my entry. i’d also like to thank the judge for giving me some pointers when it comes to the formating of a story. After spending a long time in the void, Equius has little to no volume control, which is why that is a thing at first. I hope you enjoy and feedback is always welcome :-)
Equius lay there. In the nothing. Only the clothes he gained when he died on his back, to keep him warm.
And yet, he was not dead. The dead would go to the dream bubbles, a place he wished he could have gone, but no. his class and his aspect had different plans for him, not in death, but in life.
He reached god tier when he found his quest-bed, and when he slept, Aradia found him. She killed him there, partially out of revenge yet mainly because of the change of plan. The new idea was to get everyone to god tier and kill the king and queen and escape their session. And everyone did reach god tier and everyone did fight the king and queen with the amazing powers that the new tier brought them. Equius had been happy, unleashing the strength he so often failed to control. He fought with vigour alongside his friends. but the more he used the void, the more he became the void.
And now there he was, in the endless nothingness.
He found a yellow path that had led him to a stage with blue curtains, a strange place he would call home. At least for now. He was never a very social person, and yet. He missed all of them. Eridan who just wouldn’t leave him alone, Vriska and Tavros who’s limbs needed the tedious chore of getting checked and maintained, Karkat shouting orders that confused him, Aradia who could stun him with her beauty, and Nepeta. Dear Nepeta who could make him feel like he was an actual person, cheer him up when he was at his lowest and get him going when he got stuck in his own head. He missed all of them, even that disgrace of a high blood Gamzee. He closed his eyes when he thought about his friends, tears forming in their corners. The heir of void, loathed the loneliness his powers had brought him.
He heard something. Something other than himself, he was sure of it. Footsteps, quiet and careful and yet, loud and clear to the troll who had been stuck in a soundless space. He wiped the tears from under his glasses and sat up straight. What he saw was a sight he could not believe.
A girl was standing there, in clothing that looked like Nepeta’s god tier outfit but it had his colours and symbol. her pink eyes looked friendly from under dyed pink bangs that playfully drooped from a head without horns. He stared at her from behind his glasses, not uttering a single word, because no words came to mind. As it appeared, words did come to her mind. One word, to be precise.
“Calliope?”
Calliope? A name, Equius thought and eventually shook his head, still not uttering a single word. “then… who are you?” she asked with a raised eyebrow. And still he couldn’t help but think it was strange that someone, anyone would be looking for someone else in a place where there was literally nothing.
“I AM EQUIUS!” he answered. Only after seeing her react by reaching for her ears did he notice that something was off.
“n-nice to meet you, Equius. I am Roxy,” the girl started a bit unsure but got more confident, the further she got in her sentence.
She put her hand forward to shake his and he stared at it. Fearing if he were to shake it, he would hurt her. With a careful and almost jerky motion, he put his hand forward as well, leaving his thumb pointed up. Still with a raised eyebrow, Roxy carefully took his hand and lightly shook.
“sorry about the screaming,” Equius said. At least he thought he did, because Roxy looked at him and asked “sorry, I didn’t quite get that,”. After thinking what she said he tried to speak again “i-I am sorry for screaming.” He was the one to stammer this time. And yet, Roxy reacted with a slight giggle “oh that! Nah, that’s fine,”. Her reaction put Equius at ease, so far so good he figured.
“say, do you know someone by the name Calliope?” Roxy asked him and this time with words he answered “I sadly do not. Are they a friend of yours?” he asked, watching Roxy think for a moment. A little bit louder next time his thoughts appeared to be correct when the girl tilted her head back as to say she finally understood him.
“yeah, she is. Her brother wants her dead so she hides in the void,” Roxy explained. “but how did you get here?” she asks and Equius looks down, heaves a deep sigh and answers “I turned god tier like my friends. We fought our denizens and then the black king and queen. But I am a heir of void. And I got my inheritance. I became nothing,”.
Roxy stared at him before answering with a cheerful tone of voice “tell you what, big guy. We both go to find Calliope and when we find her, I’ll take you both back to paradox space,”.
He couldn’t believe what he heard. A way out of here? A chance to be with them again? Thoughts like these rushed through his head, the palms of his hands began to sweat like they hadn’t done in a long time. Roxy stared at him, trying to read his face.
“do… you like that idea?” she asked trying to find his wandering gaze.
“Yes” he said eagerly, locking his eyes with hers before continuing “anything to leave this place. Anything at all,”.
Roxy was taken aback by the intensity of his reaction. She was starting to get the idea that intense was his default. “ok then, let’s find Calliope and get the hell out of here!” She smiled a slightly uncomfortable smile and gestured at the yellow path that led to the stage.
Equius got up, took the few things he had and joined his new friend on a long walk to a distant stage. While they walked they talked, he asked her to tell everything that had happened and she did. She told him of thirteen strangers of whom eleven trolls like him that came on a meteor to the session she played with friends. About others who would be arriving on a spaceship. He listened and as they walked he daydreamt about the things she told. the friends he was going to meet again, her friends he would meet for the first time. It all got him in the best mood he had been in since he became part of the void.
And so, with a big smile on his lips he walked with a new friend towards a new day.