Shadowtale (Undertale AU)

Chapter 7|| Am I...dead?

Blackness surrounded me. Calm, cool blackness. Peaceful darkness that extended forever on all sides, no shouts, no light, nothing. There was nearly no noise, but for what sounded like cool wind blowing from some undetermined source. I couldn't see, even in this darkness. This was true dark, no light for even trained eyes to see. I would've been surprised that I wasn't more on edge here, but all I felt was calm.

"SANS...?"

I jumped at the sudden voice and whipped around. Someone was standing behind me.

He was around as tall as me, definitely younger. his face was lit up by similar dots to mine, and a dark purple piece of fabric was thrown around his shoulders, unmoving in the void surrounding us. 
My breath hitched. I recognized him. I knew him better than anyone else. He wasn't smiling, his face was, instead...sad.

"SANS...YOU...YOU SHOULDN'T BE HERE..."

"W-what do you...what do you mean...?"

"SANS, YOU...DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE?"

"Not...really..."I glanced around at the darkness surrounding me. "Somewhere...dark?"

"YOU...YOU'RE ALMOST...ALMOST GONE, SANS. BARELY HOLDING ON..."

"I-I...I'm...dying...?" I didn't know what to feel. Did...did I want this? Was this the way I would go? If I died here, I would be with Papyrus again. But...

"SANS, YOU NEED TO GO BACK!"

"B-but I miss you!" Tears pricked the corners of my eyes.

"I MISS YOU TOO SANS, BUT...JUST BECAUSE I...I'M NOT WITH YOU...DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD JOIN ME."

"I-It should've been me!" 

"NO, SANS. YOU HAVE A LIFE TO LIVE, PLEASE...FOR ME, BROTHER, PLEASE LIVE IT."

"I...I just...miss you..." A droplet slid down my face.

"I'M ALWAYS HERE FOR YOU, BROTHER. NOW, GO BACK TO THEM."

"But-" The darkness started slipping away, and the world faded in behind me. "But I- PAPYRUS!" My voice faded and echoed, along with the darkness and the image of my brother, slowly disappearing. The dark void was gone, breaking into noise and color and pain. 

So, so much pain. Every part of me screamed in agony, desperately clawing at the darkness, trying to drag it's cool comfort back, but it was gone. I was back.

"Sh-shadow please...please d-don't...I...please..." Someone was crying, holding me in their arms, but my vision was so blurry I could barely tell who it was.

"...Th-thunder...?" I managed to choke out.

"Shadow!" I heard him shout, pulling me in close to him and sobbing into my shoulder. "I th-thought you were d-d-dead...I thought I-I'd lost you...I...I th-thought..."

"Thunder, I-I'm so...so s-sorry, I..." I choked on my words, "I'm sorry..."