Chapter Text
His lungs burned like ice through his chest each breath agony as he forced his feet to move quicker across the battle field, stumbling over broken rocks and shattered ground the sound of weapons clashing like lightening booming through the sky far from the city limits deep within the trees that now lay scattered.
Star wasn’t made to be quick his body burned begging him to stop but he knew he couldn’t he knew if he did this would be it, he would lose him again… Wukong wasn’t himself anger fueling his mind corrupted by the evil words of a new villain whispering into his ears, Star had to get there to stop this. Heavy breathes puffed from his lips spit slick and as flushed as his face he could barely breathe not anymore, the golden circlet lay heavy against his throat a constant reminder that breathing would never be easy and he’s never cursed it harder than now………
Macaque stumbled backwards this was just supposed to be an easy fight against Wukong something to make his former friend and his former friends apprentice struggle! Something fun! But there was something off about Wukong he wasn't pulling his hits he wasn’t holding back just like all those years ago he wasn’t- Macaque’s train of thought was suddenly shattered as he barely lifted his staff in time to block the swing of Wukong’s own staff, shoving his closed fisted hands forward he fought against the lock of their weapons but Wukong pushed harder Macaque was struggling.
His shadows kept MK busy and distracted the others but his concentration was waning struggling to stay focused enough to keep them real and he knew should his shadows fall so shall he, he couldn’t not now not while so much was still left unsaid and uncompleted he had so many plans he wouldn’t fall!
He barely rolled away from Wukong’s attack in time watching in shock and horror as Wukong’s staff embedded itself into the ground before being ripped free with ease and swung right for his head as he ducked down and swung around using his tail to hop back up onto his feet only to immediately have to swing his entire body to the side arching his back just in time for Wukong’s staff to barely miss his stomach.
Stumbling backwards he quickly caught himself with his tail before dropping into a low crouch he tried to swing his legs at Wukong’s only for the great sage to dodge the attack doing a handstand flip over Macaque’s shoulders kicking off of his back and sending Macaque rolling across the ground slamming violently into a rock he gasped blackish blue blood spattering across his lips as he felt his ribcage ache from the force.
He didn't have time to focus to regain his steps as Wukong came running at him like an animal wild and beastly he swung his head to the side and down as Wukong’s staff flied by shattering the large rock into pieces as Macaque used the dust from the explosion to desperately shoot off from the ground swinging around Wukong in one quick movement his feet meeting the back of Wukong’s legs sending the golden sage to the ground before Macaque quickly used his tail flipping off of the ground and landing back onto his own feet watching as Wukong slowly stood his head twisting to look back at Macaque his eyes seemingly glowing white within the darkened battlefield smoke.
Star could see them! In the distance the colorful brightness of their clothes cutting through the smoke the darkened shadows moving like ghosts through the field of fallen trees, Star didn’t let himself rest he took as deep as a breathe as he could and broke into a rushed sprint across the battlefield swinging down to pick up a broken tree branch as he got closer, his hands tightening around the branch he swung it shattering one of the feral shadows with a hit directly to the head before he quickly slid underneath another’s attack, he didn’t give them time to attack him he kept running pushing himself to move.
The smoke gathered around the center of the battle they would be there! He knew it he just had to get there! Ignoring the sound of the battle around him he kept running a memory flashing through his mind, feet so much like his own changed by the ages by reincarnation running barefoot across old stone streets running with the same fear as blood soaked his clothes like the sweat that soaked him now. Breathes coming easier in the past then now a village wanting him dead a sacrifice to an old Goddess- No that wasn’t why he was running now! Regardless of the flashes through his vision or of the changes all around him filling his mind changes of an old village long before the time of electricity no he’s in a broken battlefield he reminds himself, the screams of village people yelling his name demanding of him to do what was best no no those screams where his friends screaming his name they had noticed him, feet barefoot scratched and bleeding against stone no again that wasn’t right he was wearing boots against a forest floor… He wouldn’t stop he wouldn’t let fear carry him not like before.
Macaque barely managed to block Wukong’s frenzied unplanned attacks there was nothing he would predict nothing he could use against his former friend only violent movements that felt more like fighting a wild animal than a human or well a demon monkey, Macaque huffed air fogging around his mouth from the cold, he didn’t have time to breathe or rest it was so much like- No! He couldn’t afford to let himself think of that!
“STAR!!”
The voice cut through his train of thought, Star? Why where the others yelling that what was happening? Are they trying to distract him? Wukong noticed his single moment of distraction but that’s all he needed that single moment the staff swung slamming into the side of Macaque’s face sending him flying across the ground landing painfully on his side his jaw feeling like glass as he shakily forced himself onto his hands and knees and- No… No no no not this position! Anything but this! His brain screams like agony no no no not his eye please! His claws scrambled against the dirt desperate for anything any movement they can get him back on his feet he had to get up! He couldn’t breathe Wukong was getting closer he could fear his footsteps behind him but he couldn’t turn around he couldn’t move!
His breaths came ragged and terrified every part of his body felt like it was being weighed down like rocks are beneath his fur he couldn’t get his arms to move his hands wouldn’t obey him! Rain making the ground slippery, what no it wasn’t raining before? Blood maybe?... Tears?... He didn’t know he couldn’t think he couldn’t move it was going to happen again! He was going to lose his other eye! Wukong couldn’t do this!
The shadow fell over him like the final shadow of a guillotine before it’s fall sharp and heavy even by shadow, creaking up above the final sound before death a death Macaque knew would be slow extremely slow but he couldn’t move his arms shook against the ground he trembled trying desperately to get Wukong’s name through his lips as he turned his head looking sideways up at his oldest friend…
Just like before…
This was it, it was happening again…
Macaque’s eyes widened in fear before shutting tightly as he looked away.
He was going to die.
Wukong slowly raised the staff over his head held tightly within his hands, ready to fall ready to be that guillotine yet again.
He would end this once and for all!
Star didn’t let himself freeze upon seeing Macaque on his hands and knees he wasn’t going to let this happen, he knew a single stick would be useless against Wukong but maybe just maybe… He ran, throwing the branch to the ground, he pushed his body harder than he ever has in his entire life it burned it was agony he couldn’t breathe at all but he wouldn’t stop!
He braced himself for the pain his eyes hardening his breath held as he kept his shoulder locked into place and-
The staff fell.
Slammed down at full speed…
A loud cracking sound as-
As it missed slamming deep into the ground besides Macaque as Star slammed his entire body weight shoulder first against Wukong, it wasn’t enough to knock him to the floor absolutely not but it was just enough to startle him to make the hit miss even as pain blossomed like thorns across Stars entire side spreading through his body like fire within his blood muscles and bones he was definitely hurt but that didn’t matter, adrenaline raced through him as he immediately put himself between the two demon monkeys.
“I won’t let you hurt him!” Star snapped struggling to speak through the pained panting leaving his lips each struggling breath like agony forced from his throat against his bodies own will, Wukong looked at him in shock everyone did the battle had ended the shadows gone as Macaque rolled over to look up at Star with wide fearful eyes his focus and concentration completely broken now.
“If you want to kill him you have to kill me first!” Star forced the pained words out words strong enough to snap Wukong out of the voice whispering within his mind he stumbles backwards looking shocked, confused, and scared as he forces himself to speak. “I didn’t mean to I didn’t I just wasn’t thinking I-!” Wukong doesn’t get to finish his sentence as Star cuts through it like a knife slicing through weakened flesh.
“Silence!! You were going to kill him! You can not deny this!” Star growls the words like acid against his tongue desperately needing to be spat onto the ground to not keep burning through him. “Star what are you doing?!” MK yells as the others finally catch up to their side of the battlefield, Star doesn’t look at him he keeps his eyes on Wukong like an animal watching a deadly treat.
“I’m choosing, I warned you I would pick Macaque if you made me choose..” MK quietly but extremely dramatic gasps. “But we haven’t made you do anything like that, you’re my best fiend alongside Mei and Sandy I don’t understand-“ The glare that Star gave him would have shut up anyone even with the blood pooling against the corner of his spit slick lips. “Speak to Wukong… For now I’m leaving until you prove yourselves to be good people and not blinded by the stardom of the great sage…” Star turned to face towards Macaque helping him to his feet the best he can as the monkey holds tightly onto his arm.
“For now you wanted a villain and you’ll get one…” Star says between heavy huffs of air barely focusing on the sound of his name being shouted as he and Macaque disappear into the swirling abyss of a shadow portal beneath their feet.