Kingdoms fall and kingdoms rise, and so do Gods.
Journey of Wyrms and Gods (Hollow Knight x Worm crossover)
- Thread starter Lleh
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- Crossover
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Prologue: God's Fall
- Location
- Florida
"Gods die. And when they truly die they are unmourned and unremembered. Ideas are more difficult to kill than people, but they can be killed, in the end."
-By Neil Gaiman, American Gods
Prologue: God's Fall
It screamed.
It thrashed.
It cried.
It begged.
She was being Consumed!
The small vessel; the new God had defeated her.
She would die here.
All her years of struggle.
Nothing.
Old Light would not be; would no longer be.
Three seconds and three million years passed in a moment.
Of course, the young God without a name did not know this. The God did not have a name besides Self. Self only understood in the most general sense what was happening. Self had fought monsters, friends, spirits, and Gods to finally stop the infection.
Self had changed, No longer just Self; he had become one with the Void and abyss. Self had become the Void, and the Void had joined Self. The Thing in the Nothing.
Self did not put Thought into the change, into his new being. All he did was Reflect on what he had done, what he had seen.
Self had made friends and family along the way.
He had lost friends along the way. Never truly gone.
Self looked down through dreams into the waking world and into the seal and sanctum that had held his sibling, Hollow Knight. On the floor was his sister, unconscious but safe. The Childgrimm was poking at her, trying to wake the red-cloaked girl. Next to Hornet was the Hollow Knight, a sword through his chest and dying.
NO!
Reaching out through the veil, Self touched his brother's soul. Infused Void and self into the wounds and spirit.
Little brother?
Self did not respond in words. He answered in feeling and thought and intent.
No cost too great?
Again, Self did not respond with words. Self did respond with thought and feeling.
Nevermore!
Self turned an eye, or more accurately, attention to his big sister, Hornet, the gendered child. A Thought struck the Void and Self produced a charm. Four pure white connected prongs on a necklace.
He connected his dream mind to hers. Like Self had done with Hollow Knight, Self sent emotions and thoughts to her soul in dreams. Crystals of purple, the quiet reflection of Blue Lake, and the beauty that was Hollownest. A scene of what was and was to be again.
When that was done, Self laid the brand upon her. She was worthy of the challenge. Self gave a fleeting glance and the mental equivalent of a pat on the head to the Childgrimm. Giving one final message to his little friend.
Stay with Her.
The Knight, Ghost, and God left. So much to do.
XXX
She dreamed of better days, of the twilight hours. Of a city filled with bugs of all shapes and sizes. She dreamed of a dying kingdom.
A city and kingdom choking on the blight of Old Light. Those that would just stop and those that just went mad; slaves to the moth God.
Her brother's sacrifice, her mother's sacrifice, all useless. Nothing could stop the fall of her Father's kingdom, of her home. All her dead siblings had blank, soulless expressions as they died. Too many by her own hand.
A presence touched her, a shadow of nothing. A Will in the Void. She dreamed again.
She dreamed of the little knight, the ghost child that did the impossible. She dreamed of the death of a God and the ascendency of another. She dreamed of Her home again.
The rain and towers of the City of Tears. She dreamed of the still waters of the Blue Lake. All the nooks and shadows of the kingdom, from the Hive to the Gardens.
Poke!
She dreamed a good dream.
POke!
Of what could be.
POKe!
But she needed to wake up first.
POKE!
SO WAKE UP!
P-
Hornet shot up, gasping for breath. Her lungs burned as the chilled air of the sanctum flooded her lungs. She swung her head back and forth. Where was the little-
Hornet did not scream, but it was a close thing. Hovering just a couple of inches from her face was the red and black body of little Ghost's even smaller hanger-on. Childgrimm was his name if she recalled correctly.
Sister?
The voice that intruded upon her thoughts had a distant familiarity.
Hornet turned to see someone she never thought she'd ever meet again. Not the half-crazed monster trying to fruitlessly resist the screaming in his mind. No, what she saw was her big brother.
He was wounded and a lot worse for wear, though, by some miracle, it looked like he had been healed by someone or something. The arm he had lost early in life was still gone, but the various cuts and holes that he had were now withering with smoky black liquid. A black vein ran down the crack in his face and mask that Hornet had opened up earlier that day.
Hornet was speechless, did not know what to say to her sibling. Apologize for all that had happened? Ask why he was still alive? What was going on?
All that fell away as Hollow Knight tipped and wavered. The hand upon his great nail slipped. The weapon dropped to the ground with a clatter that resonated within the chamber of the small room. It was damning, and it spurred Hornet to move.
Her body complained furiously at the sudden movement. Her head split with pain, but Hornet made it to her older sibling in record time. She hugged his waist and could not hold back the decades' worth of tears she was holding in.
As she cried into his chest, she felt a hand gently hold her.
Hornet did not know how long they stayed like that, but eventually, the tears dried, and she looked up. A single question dominated her mind.
"How?"
Instead of immediately answering her, Hollow Knight pointed to the walls of the sanctum. The golden veins of Old Light that had spread around the room like a malicious poison were gone, as if they had never been.
Hornet put the pieces together. Scanning the room, she saw it. Slowly the two siblings hobbled to a pure white nail embedded into the floor. A tattered cloak of black and blue was wrapped around its base. Under it was a skull, the corpse of her little sibling.
If Hornet had any tears left, she would have cried again. Another sibling lost to struggle. Wiping her face, Hornet cursed herself as she wondered why she was so emotional today. The crazy thought almost brought forth a giggle from her.
"So I guess the little guy actually did it."
Old Light was gone! Hornet could barely believe the small little knight actually pulled it off.
More than that, sister.
Hornet looked back up to her older sibling, who was not looking back at her. Hornet felt it at the same time she looked at the chained King's Brand around her neck. The charm that marked the King of Hollownest.
The last bug that had it had been-
He became the Void and the abyss.
Hornet snapped her gaze back to her sibling. The possibilities ran through her head like a runaway tram. The death of Old Light, the dreams at the edge of her memory, and the higher being of the Void. The God? Hornet's eyes shot open when it all came together.
"The little vessel ascended!?" Hornet's voice raised several decibels.
Not so little anymore.
There was something close to a chuckle coming from her sibling. A more audible laughing sound came from the flying little Childgrimm. Hornet sighed internally and gave a glare at the small little charm that hung around her neck. She knew all too well what that meant for her future.
Giving her brother's nail back to him for a makeshift walking stick, Hornet hugged his other side. Slowly, they began walking to the door. The child followed a little behind them.
"Alright," Hornet began a little shakily, "Let's find a place to sleep and sort this all out on the morrow."
A/N: So yep as you can imagine this is heavily inspired by Animapower's "Dream of Gods and Colors, Children" and Stabbygamer's Thus the remnants went forth. To a lesser extent, you can blame my copious amount of ISOT alt-history readings. Anyway I'm no expert on Hollow Knight so I will worm you now I'll be playing fast and loose with some things, but that's expected from a crossover ya. Anyway, any thoughts are appreciated, and if you'd like to beta Pm me. I don't have a hard schedule do to work but hopefully, I can keep a week to bi-weekly thing going.
-By Neil Gaiman, American Gods
Prologue: God's Fall
It screamed.
It thrashed.
It cried.
It begged.
She was being Consumed!
The small vessel; the new God had defeated her.
She would die here.
All her years of struggle.
Nothing.
Old Light would not be; would no longer be.
Three seconds and three million years passed in a moment.
Of course, the young God without a name did not know this. The God did not have a name besides Self. Self only understood in the most general sense what was happening. Self had fought monsters, friends, spirits, and Gods to finally stop the infection.
Self had changed, No longer just Self; he had become one with the Void and abyss. Self had become the Void, and the Void had joined Self. The Thing in the Nothing.
Self did not put Thought into the change, into his new being. All he did was Reflect on what he had done, what he had seen.
Self had made friends and family along the way.
He had lost friends along the way. Never truly gone.
Self looked down through dreams into the waking world and into the seal and sanctum that had held his sibling, Hollow Knight. On the floor was his sister, unconscious but safe. The Childgrimm was poking at her, trying to wake the red-cloaked girl. Next to Hornet was the Hollow Knight, a sword through his chest and dying.
NO!
Reaching out through the veil, Self touched his brother's soul. Infused Void and self into the wounds and spirit.
Little brother?
Self did not respond in words. He answered in feeling and thought and intent.
No cost too great?
Again, Self did not respond with words. Self did respond with thought and feeling.
Nevermore!
Self turned an eye, or more accurately, attention to his big sister, Hornet, the gendered child. A Thought struck the Void and Self produced a charm. Four pure white connected prongs on a necklace.
He connected his dream mind to hers. Like Self had done with Hollow Knight, Self sent emotions and thoughts to her soul in dreams. Crystals of purple, the quiet reflection of Blue Lake, and the beauty that was Hollownest. A scene of what was and was to be again.
When that was done, Self laid the brand upon her. She was worthy of the challenge. Self gave a fleeting glance and the mental equivalent of a pat on the head to the Childgrimm. Giving one final message to his little friend.
Stay with Her.
The Knight, Ghost, and God left. So much to do.
XXX
She dreamed of better days, of the twilight hours. Of a city filled with bugs of all shapes and sizes. She dreamed of a dying kingdom.
A city and kingdom choking on the blight of Old Light. Those that would just stop and those that just went mad; slaves to the moth God.
Her brother's sacrifice, her mother's sacrifice, all useless. Nothing could stop the fall of her Father's kingdom, of her home. All her dead siblings had blank, soulless expressions as they died. Too many by her own hand.
A presence touched her, a shadow of nothing. A Will in the Void. She dreamed again.
She dreamed of the little knight, the ghost child that did the impossible. She dreamed of the death of a God and the ascendency of another. She dreamed of Her home again.
The rain and towers of the City of Tears. She dreamed of the still waters of the Blue Lake. All the nooks and shadows of the kingdom, from the Hive to the Gardens.
Poke!
She dreamed a good dream.
POke!
Of what could be.
POKe!
But she needed to wake up first.
POKE!
SO WAKE UP!
P-
Hornet shot up, gasping for breath. Her lungs burned as the chilled air of the sanctum flooded her lungs. She swung her head back and forth. Where was the little-
Hornet did not scream, but it was a close thing. Hovering just a couple of inches from her face was the red and black body of little Ghost's even smaller hanger-on. Childgrimm was his name if she recalled correctly.
Sister?
The voice that intruded upon her thoughts had a distant familiarity.
Hornet turned to see someone she never thought she'd ever meet again. Not the half-crazed monster trying to fruitlessly resist the screaming in his mind. No, what she saw was her big brother.
He was wounded and a lot worse for wear, though, by some miracle, it looked like he had been healed by someone or something. The arm he had lost early in life was still gone, but the various cuts and holes that he had were now withering with smoky black liquid. A black vein ran down the crack in his face and mask that Hornet had opened up earlier that day.
Hornet was speechless, did not know what to say to her sibling. Apologize for all that had happened? Ask why he was still alive? What was going on?
All that fell away as Hollow Knight tipped and wavered. The hand upon his great nail slipped. The weapon dropped to the ground with a clatter that resonated within the chamber of the small room. It was damning, and it spurred Hornet to move.
Her body complained furiously at the sudden movement. Her head split with pain, but Hornet made it to her older sibling in record time. She hugged his waist and could not hold back the decades' worth of tears she was holding in.
As she cried into his chest, she felt a hand gently hold her.
Hornet did not know how long they stayed like that, but eventually, the tears dried, and she looked up. A single question dominated her mind.
"How?"
Instead of immediately answering her, Hollow Knight pointed to the walls of the sanctum. The golden veins of Old Light that had spread around the room like a malicious poison were gone, as if they had never been.
Hornet put the pieces together. Scanning the room, she saw it. Slowly the two siblings hobbled to a pure white nail embedded into the floor. A tattered cloak of black and blue was wrapped around its base. Under it was a skull, the corpse of her little sibling.
If Hornet had any tears left, she would have cried again. Another sibling lost to struggle. Wiping her face, Hornet cursed herself as she wondered why she was so emotional today. The crazy thought almost brought forth a giggle from her.
"So I guess the little guy actually did it."
Old Light was gone! Hornet could barely believe the small little knight actually pulled it off.
More than that, sister.
Hornet looked back up to her older sibling, who was not looking back at her. Hornet felt it at the same time she looked at the chained King's Brand around her neck. The charm that marked the King of Hollownest.
The last bug that had it had been-
He became the Void and the abyss.
Hornet snapped her gaze back to her sibling. The possibilities ran through her head like a runaway tram. The death of Old Light, the dreams at the edge of her memory, and the higher being of the Void. The God? Hornet's eyes shot open when it all came together.
"The little vessel ascended!?" Hornet's voice raised several decibels.
Not so little anymore.
There was something close to a chuckle coming from her sibling. A more audible laughing sound came from the flying little Childgrimm. Hornet sighed internally and gave a glare at the small little charm that hung around her neck. She knew all too well what that meant for her future.
Giving her brother's nail back to him for a makeshift walking stick, Hornet hugged his other side. Slowly, they began walking to the door. The child followed a little behind them.
"Alright," Hornet began a little shakily, "Let's find a place to sleep and sort this all out on the morrow."
A/N: So yep as you can imagine this is heavily inspired by Animapower's "Dream of Gods and Colors, Children" and Stabbygamer's Thus the remnants went forth. To a lesser extent, you can blame my copious amount of ISOT alt-history readings. Anyway I'm no expert on Hollow Knight so I will worm you now I'll be playing fast and loose with some things, but that's expected from a crossover ya. Anyway, any thoughts are appreciated, and if you'd like to beta Pm me. I don't have a hard schedule do to work but hopefully, I can keep a week to bi-weekly thing going.
Last edited:
- Location
- Madison, AL
Good luck.
so how is this a crossover with worm??? i didnt see anything of worm here
- Location
- Florida
All in due time. More seriously If you want to look up the fics I mention in my A/N. Or look up the sub-genre ISOT.
- Location
- new york
I like where this is going
SmashQueen
Professional duck-cat.
First, some corrections.
Nice to see another HK/Worm crossover. Not many of those around. I wish you luck in this venture as it seems quite difficult to mix just about anything in HK successfully with other settings.
veil
Considering that the first is used twice, I'm going to hedge that that one's the correct usage you have here.
Knight
vein
Tiypo
Forever Phone Posting
Okay galaxy brain time! I predict that this isn't going to be a Worm crossover, but instead a Worms crossover! Bug WW2 anyone?
Constitution: Part One
- Location
- Florida
The greatest slave in the kingdom is generally the king of it.
- Fluke Greville
Constitution: Part One
The dreams came again.
She was walking. Where was she walking? Hornet could not see. It was dark and cold wherever she was, no ounce of light her eyes could perceive.
Was she dreaming?
Hornet stopped low to feel the ground. Her fingers could feel the familiar wet stone that dominated Hollownest's lower levels. With no other options, she walked.
Light!
Ahead was a light. Hornet picked up her speed and began to run.
Slowly, the details of her surroundings began to sharpen. The light brought definition and contrast to her environment. Hornet stopped dead in her tracks as her surroundings became clear.
Up ahead was a large tower, a lighthouse, atop a natural spire. The light was shining down, providing illumination for the great lake and its surroundings — the Abyss. Hornet had never visited the area when she was younger, but that didn't matter. Hornet knew where she was; she could feel it in her soul.
The light from the spire shone down upon a small sea of black Void. Hornet couldn't shake the feeling that she first sensed back at the Temple of the Black Egg. It was alive and wanting. Hornet did not spare much time to ponder the purpose and nature of the lake of Void.
On the edge of the Abyss was a group facing the great lighthouse. They were short, horned bugs, dressed in cloaks of blue and black. They were surrounding a much taller figure shrouded in a bubbling-shadowy black. Involuntarily, Hornet took a step forward.
As one, all of the small figures turned to face her.
Hornet almost jumped away as she stared at the hollow stares of her vessel siblings. No one moved at the impromptu staring contest.
Not willing to continue the uncomfortable situation, Hornet looked away. Straight into eight bright white eyes.
Sister.
Hornet's eyes shot open as she woke up from her slumber. For a few seconds Hornet lay there. Questions shot through her head as she tried to parse the things she witnessed. That was until something of more immediate importance demanded attention.
A soft bed?
Hornet quickly shot up as she registered the unfamiliar and long-forgotten comfort. Hornet had spent years and years sleeping on the ground or in other rustic environments. The last time she'd slept in a proper bed was— Hornet dashed the thread of remembrance before more painful memories could resurface. Instead, Hornet brought her mind to study the domicile she was inhabiting.
It was a lightly furnished room of browns and greys. A small desk to one side had her bag of tools on it. Her red cloak was draped over the seat. Close to the head of the bed was a small window.
Hornet did not need to get up to recognize what was outside. Dirtmouth? The answer was itself another question.
Hornet had never visited the refugee town often, even though she'd heard some of her old friends lived there. The memories were too painful sometimes. This all begged the question of how Hornet had arrived.
"BzZz!"
The sound of a small buzzing whine drew her attention. It was the figure of the small Childgrimm. He seemed somewhat agitated, having been awoken by Hornet's sudden movement. The little child brought everything back into focus for the heiress.
Slowly, she walked over to her gear and cloak. It was all coming back to her. The little vessel, her siblings, the battle, and the final victory; it was all true. The King's Brand? The mark of the ruler of Hollownest was sitting upon her bag.
Hollownest. The name brought many feelings to Hornet, but at the forefront was an overwhelming sense of apprehension. The kingdom wasn't dying; it was dead. How was she going to bring this mess back to something that approached a functioning society?
Don't do it alone.
The intruding thoughts forced Hornet to turn towards the entrance of the chamber. It was Hollow Knight, now sporting quite a few bandages. He had to stoop a little to enter.
I loved our father, but he was a man with many faults.
The comment almost brought Hornet to laughter.
One of those faults was an unparalleled sense of confidence. Father was self-assured that he was right. That only he truly knew or had the ability to fix the kingdom's problems. This...left him blind to his own mistakes.
"Then what should I do?"
Hornet looked back down at the brand. Old memories of the Pale court and her father came back to her. The separation of the kingdom, and its many internal and external conflicts even before the Old Light.
A gentle hand gripped her shoulder.
We don't do this alone. You know this as well as I. We must unite the Tribes, we must work together. We can do this; after all, we are not alone. The little one is with us.
The dream came back to her then. The figure of black standing over the lake of the Abyss — the Void. It must have been-
"The vessel? He ascended, he's what? A god now?" Hornet was more rambling to herself than actually asking questions, but she still turned to face her older sibling, somewhat hopeful for answers. Hollow Knight just tilted his head.
I was dying. Both in mind and body on the floor of that temple. The little one did something — cleared the infection and healed my wounds of spirit and soul. I have never thought more clearly...never felt like this before. It's invigorating.
Hornet felt her sibling's emotions through their bond, understanding more than just what he was saying. She understood the intent of the word. Hollow Knight had never truly been Hollow. There had always been a will, a sense of purpose, and love. Hornet could feel the difference now. Something had made those aspects more potent, more present in her sibling.
It was the apparent work of her other sibling turned Void being.
Taking a moment, Hornet cleared the worries from her mind, practicing the mental techniques that Vespa, Queen of the Bees, had taught her for situations just like this. The nature of the little Knight or the changes to her older sibling was immaterial. 'A ruler must have a clear head' was one of the most important lessons she'd had for Hornet during her tutoring.
"Okay, okay." Breathing out, Hornet asked her first question as Queen: "Where do we start?"
A/n Short chapter but the next one and should be on its way.
- Fluke Greville
Constitution: Part One
The dreams came again.
She was walking. Where was she walking? Hornet could not see. It was dark and cold wherever she was, no ounce of light her eyes could perceive.
Was she dreaming?
Hornet stopped low to feel the ground. Her fingers could feel the familiar wet stone that dominated Hollownest's lower levels. With no other options, she walked.
Light!
Ahead was a light. Hornet picked up her speed and began to run.
Slowly, the details of her surroundings began to sharpen. The light brought definition and contrast to her environment. Hornet stopped dead in her tracks as her surroundings became clear.
Up ahead was a large tower, a lighthouse, atop a natural spire. The light was shining down, providing illumination for the great lake and its surroundings — the Abyss. Hornet had never visited the area when she was younger, but that didn't matter. Hornet knew where she was; she could feel it in her soul.
The light from the spire shone down upon a small sea of black Void. Hornet couldn't shake the feeling that she first sensed back at the Temple of the Black Egg. It was alive and wanting. Hornet did not spare much time to ponder the purpose and nature of the lake of Void.
On the edge of the Abyss was a group facing the great lighthouse. They were short, horned bugs, dressed in cloaks of blue and black. They were surrounding a much taller figure shrouded in a bubbling-shadowy black. Involuntarily, Hornet took a step forward.
As one, all of the small figures turned to face her.
Hornet almost jumped away as she stared at the hollow stares of her vessel siblings. No one moved at the impromptu staring contest.
Not willing to continue the uncomfortable situation, Hornet looked away. Straight into eight bright white eyes.
Sister.
Hornet's eyes shot open as she woke up from her slumber. For a few seconds Hornet lay there. Questions shot through her head as she tried to parse the things she witnessed. That was until something of more immediate importance demanded attention.
A soft bed?
Hornet quickly shot up as she registered the unfamiliar and long-forgotten comfort. Hornet had spent years and years sleeping on the ground or in other rustic environments. The last time she'd slept in a proper bed was— Hornet dashed the thread of remembrance before more painful memories could resurface. Instead, Hornet brought her mind to study the domicile she was inhabiting.
It was a lightly furnished room of browns and greys. A small desk to one side had her bag of tools on it. Her red cloak was draped over the seat. Close to the head of the bed was a small window.
Hornet did not need to get up to recognize what was outside. Dirtmouth? The answer was itself another question.
Hornet had never visited the refugee town often, even though she'd heard some of her old friends lived there. The memories were too painful sometimes. This all begged the question of how Hornet had arrived.
"BzZz!"
The sound of a small buzzing whine drew her attention. It was the figure of the small Childgrimm. He seemed somewhat agitated, having been awoken by Hornet's sudden movement. The little child brought everything back into focus for the heiress.
Slowly, she walked over to her gear and cloak. It was all coming back to her. The little vessel, her siblings, the battle, and the final victory; it was all true. The King's Brand? The mark of the ruler of Hollownest was sitting upon her bag.
Hollownest. The name brought many feelings to Hornet, but at the forefront was an overwhelming sense of apprehension. The kingdom wasn't dying; it was dead. How was she going to bring this mess back to something that approached a functioning society?
Don't do it alone.
The intruding thoughts forced Hornet to turn towards the entrance of the chamber. It was Hollow Knight, now sporting quite a few bandages. He had to stoop a little to enter.
I loved our father, but he was a man with many faults.
The comment almost brought Hornet to laughter.
One of those faults was an unparalleled sense of confidence. Father was self-assured that he was right. That only he truly knew or had the ability to fix the kingdom's problems. This...left him blind to his own mistakes.
"Then what should I do?"
Hornet looked back down at the brand. Old memories of the Pale court and her father came back to her. The separation of the kingdom, and its many internal and external conflicts even before the Old Light.
A gentle hand gripped her shoulder.
We don't do this alone. You know this as well as I. We must unite the Tribes, we must work together. We can do this; after all, we are not alone. The little one is with us.
The dream came back to her then. The figure of black standing over the lake of the Abyss — the Void. It must have been-
"The vessel? He ascended, he's what? A god now?" Hornet was more rambling to herself than actually asking questions, but she still turned to face her older sibling, somewhat hopeful for answers. Hollow Knight just tilted his head.
I was dying. Both in mind and body on the floor of that temple. The little one did something — cleared the infection and healed my wounds of spirit and soul. I have never thought more clearly...never felt like this before. It's invigorating.
Hornet felt her sibling's emotions through their bond, understanding more than just what he was saying. She understood the intent of the word. Hollow Knight had never truly been Hollow. There had always been a will, a sense of purpose, and love. Hornet could feel the difference now. Something had made those aspects more potent, more present in her sibling.
It was the apparent work of her other sibling turned Void being.
Taking a moment, Hornet cleared the worries from her mind, practicing the mental techniques that Vespa, Queen of the Bees, had taught her for situations just like this. The nature of the little Knight or the changes to her older sibling was immaterial. 'A ruler must have a clear head' was one of the most important lessons she'd had for Hornet during her tutoring.
"Okay, okay." Breathing out, Hornet asked her first question as Queen: "Where do we start?"
A/n Short chapter but the next one and should be on its way.
Constitution: Part 2
- Location
- Florida
Foolish are those who fear nothing, yet claim to know everything
- Thoughts for the day
Constitution: Part 2
It turned out getting the crowd under control was going to be Hornet's first job as queen. The royal siblings had made their way out of the small little house they had requisitioned sometime last night. The who and when we're still a little fuzzy.
The scene outside was somewhere between organized chaos and a full-on riot. Sometime between when the siblings lay down for some hard-won sleep and woken up, the city of Dirtmouth had nearly tripled in population. Bugs were running, talking, and generally making a mess of things.
They had made their way to the unofficial town center and found the eye of the storm, and to Hornet's surprise, an old friend.
"Quill?"
The old bug, commonly known as Elderbug, turned from a small group he was talking to greet the siblings. A soft smile adorned his face.
"Hornet, it has been a long time. They call me Elderbug these days. Funny, isn't it."
Hornet could barely believe her eyes. "Quill...You look different?"
Hornet's question was awarded a small laugh.
"Yes, it's called getting old. We can't all have the blood of divine keeping us young, and beautiful."
Responding with a small laugh of her own, Hornet hugged her old friend. She tried to keep down the mixed sense of self-pity and regret and focused on more important things. Like what the hell was going on.
"What's going on here?"
"I think I can answer that." Hornet looked at the bug that had spoken up. He was a pretty short beetle with two nails hung at his waist. His dark orange cape was noticeably singed at the bottom.
"I'm sorry, but..."
The young bug held out a hand that Hornet took. She noted the scarring and the firm shake. He was obviously a warrior, but that wasn't an uncommon profession these days.
"Name's Musha. It's an honor to make your acquaintance."
"Likewise. You know what's going on?"
"Ye, you see me and my sis, Spring"—he gestured to the stockier bug next to him. She didn't carry a nail but an odd backpack contraption—"were traveling some of the adjacent areas when all of a sudden yesterday the infection just disappeared. All at once, all the infected went, from slave husks to confused and scared bug."
Musha waved at the crowd meandering in the town. "We and a few other fighters have been helping everyone get to Dirtmouth or Monomon's archive."
That name piqued Hornet's interest.
"Why the archives?" It was a good question, considering what Hornet knew. The Teacher had put some imposing defenses in place.
"Well, after the little Knight cut a bloody swath through the kingdom, there weren't many monsters left. Well, not many." Hornet could guess the qualification had something to do with his tattered cape.
"Anyway," the sister, Spring, spoke up, "this wonder named Quirell set up shop in the archive and has turned the place into a pretty safe area."
That was another name Hornet recognized. Another thing to add to an ever-growing list she needed to deal with.
"What about the other tribes, any word?"
All Hornet got were shakes of the head from the two bugs. Hornet sighed; that meant she really was going to have to run around the kingdom today playing politics in a half-dead realm.
"I do have something," Elderbug spoke up. "I got word from the Mosskin just a few hours ago."
"What do they want?"
"The representative said that Unn had decreed that the Mosskin would be joining with your new kingdom. Such pleasant fellows, those Mosskin. Said he would return when it was time. Did he speak true? Do you plan to take your father's place?"
Hornet didn't immediately respond. That was news beyond her wildest hopes but also somewhat disconcerting. Hollow Knight and herself had just been talking about the idea of working together and uniting the tribes.
It must be that with the radiance gone, Unn has come back into his power.
"But how did he know about our plans?"
The little Knight must be a step ahead of us.
"Uh," Musha spoke up, "who are you talking to?"
Hornet looked back at the young warrior. She almost facepalmed. "Right, you probably are too young." She pointed at her much taller sibling, "This is Hollow Knight, He can't speak, but he can share his thoughts with me."
There were some noncommittal shrugs from the group before Spring spoke up, "So what's the plan...your Majesty?"
Hornet furrowed her brows a little at the title.
Oh, that's cute.
"Don't even." Hornet looked back at the small group and then the crowd. "First, we get this crowd under control, then I think I'll go talk to the Mantis, and Hive tribes."
I can negotiate with the Fools.
"Those lunatics would demand you to fight them, are you sure?"
I can handle it. I'll finally be able to test my skills after so long.
Hornet could sense there was more but didn't pry. Instead, she asked, "Will one of you go with Hollow Knight and introduce him to the Fools. We want them apart from this meeting."
"I'll do it," Musha volunteered. "They'll want him to fight, though."
"He's ready."
"What about Deepnest?" Spring looked somewhat apprehensive at the thought. The tensions between Deepnest and the rest of Hollownest lingered even now. Another problem for later.
"They should fall in line. I'm still their princess after all."
Now it was time, Hornet realized. The true, no turning back moment had come. Taking a second to order her thoughts, she stepped onto the nearby bench.
"Everyon-" she stopped as the noise the crowd made drowned out her voice.
TWANG!TWANG!TWANG!
The impacts of Hollow Knight's Nail on the cobbled stone resonated through the crowd. In a few moments, Hornet had many, many pairs of eyes on her. For a fleeting moment, she wanted to abandon all pretenses and hide, but crushed the thought.
Through the mutterings of the crowd, Hornet began her impromptu speech.
"Citizens of The Kingdom of Hollownest, I am Hornet, Daughter of the Pale King, Child of the Three Queens. I am here to tell you that the infection of Old Light has been vanquished once and for all! Some of you might know, but one of the Pale King's sons, the little knight, ghost of Hollownest, who spent a short time defeating the monsters that plagued the Kingdom, was the one who vanquished the Moth God!"
Hornet took the brand from around her neck and held it high. "My sibling gave me this, the King's Brand. With it, he gave me his hope and dream of a new kingdom. A dream of Hollownest reborn, but a united kingdom for all the tribes, where everyone can live free and happy. I can not do this alone and it will not be easy. Much work must be done to rebuild our kingdom! I ask now for your help. Will you assist me in making my sibling's dream a reality?" A chorus of yeses was thrown her way. Hornet couldn't help but smile at her bugs. Her's.
"For the moment, continue to help those that are injured, mourn for the dead, and get some rest. We have many long days ahead of us, but we will persevere!"
There was a moment of silence, then the whole of Dirtmouth exploded into cheers and chants of Queen Hornet.
A/N So for those that want to know about what I plan for the upcoming parts read the spoiler.
- Thoughts for the day
Constitution: Part 2
It turned out getting the crowd under control was going to be Hornet's first job as queen. The royal siblings had made their way out of the small little house they had requisitioned sometime last night. The who and when we're still a little fuzzy.
The scene outside was somewhere between organized chaos and a full-on riot. Sometime between when the siblings lay down for some hard-won sleep and woken up, the city of Dirtmouth had nearly tripled in population. Bugs were running, talking, and generally making a mess of things.
They had made their way to the unofficial town center and found the eye of the storm, and to Hornet's surprise, an old friend.
"Quill?"
The old bug, commonly known as Elderbug, turned from a small group he was talking to greet the siblings. A soft smile adorned his face.
"Hornet, it has been a long time. They call me Elderbug these days. Funny, isn't it."
Hornet could barely believe her eyes. "Quill...You look different?"
Hornet's question was awarded a small laugh.
"Yes, it's called getting old. We can't all have the blood of divine keeping us young, and beautiful."
Responding with a small laugh of her own, Hornet hugged her old friend. She tried to keep down the mixed sense of self-pity and regret and focused on more important things. Like what the hell was going on.
"What's going on here?"
"I think I can answer that." Hornet looked at the bug that had spoken up. He was a pretty short beetle with two nails hung at his waist. His dark orange cape was noticeably singed at the bottom.
"I'm sorry, but..."
The young bug held out a hand that Hornet took. She noted the scarring and the firm shake. He was obviously a warrior, but that wasn't an uncommon profession these days.
"Name's Musha. It's an honor to make your acquaintance."
"Likewise. You know what's going on?"
"Ye, you see me and my sis, Spring"—he gestured to the stockier bug next to him. She didn't carry a nail but an odd backpack contraption—"were traveling some of the adjacent areas when all of a sudden yesterday the infection just disappeared. All at once, all the infected went, from slave husks to confused and scared bug."
Musha waved at the crowd meandering in the town. "We and a few other fighters have been helping everyone get to Dirtmouth or Monomon's archive."
That name piqued Hornet's interest.
"Why the archives?" It was a good question, considering what Hornet knew. The Teacher had put some imposing defenses in place.
"Well, after the little Knight cut a bloody swath through the kingdom, there weren't many monsters left. Well, not many." Hornet could guess the qualification had something to do with his tattered cape.
"Anyway," the sister, Spring, spoke up, "this wonder named Quirell set up shop in the archive and has turned the place into a pretty safe area."
That was another name Hornet recognized. Another thing to add to an ever-growing list she needed to deal with.
"What about the other tribes, any word?"
All Hornet got were shakes of the head from the two bugs. Hornet sighed; that meant she really was going to have to run around the kingdom today playing politics in a half-dead realm.
"I do have something," Elderbug spoke up. "I got word from the Mosskin just a few hours ago."
"What do they want?"
"The representative said that Unn had decreed that the Mosskin would be joining with your new kingdom. Such pleasant fellows, those Mosskin. Said he would return when it was time. Did he speak true? Do you plan to take your father's place?"
Hornet didn't immediately respond. That was news beyond her wildest hopes but also somewhat disconcerting. Hollow Knight and herself had just been talking about the idea of working together and uniting the tribes.
It must be that with the radiance gone, Unn has come back into his power.
"But how did he know about our plans?"
The little Knight must be a step ahead of us.
"Uh," Musha spoke up, "who are you talking to?"
Hornet looked back at the young warrior. She almost facepalmed. "Right, you probably are too young." She pointed at her much taller sibling, "This is Hollow Knight, He can't speak, but he can share his thoughts with me."
There were some noncommittal shrugs from the group before Spring spoke up, "So what's the plan...your Majesty?"
Hornet furrowed her brows a little at the title.
Oh, that's cute.
"Don't even." Hornet looked back at the small group and then the crowd. "First, we get this crowd under control, then I think I'll go talk to the Mantis, and Hive tribes."
I can negotiate with the Fools.
"Those lunatics would demand you to fight them, are you sure?"
I can handle it. I'll finally be able to test my skills after so long.
Hornet could sense there was more but didn't pry. Instead, she asked, "Will one of you go with Hollow Knight and introduce him to the Fools. We want them apart from this meeting."
"I'll do it," Musha volunteered. "They'll want him to fight, though."
"He's ready."
"What about Deepnest?" Spring looked somewhat apprehensive at the thought. The tensions between Deepnest and the rest of Hollownest lingered even now. Another problem for later.
"They should fall in line. I'm still their princess after all."
Now it was time, Hornet realized. The true, no turning back moment had come. Taking a second to order her thoughts, she stepped onto the nearby bench.
"Everyon-" she stopped as the noise the crowd made drowned out her voice.
TWANG!TWANG!TWANG!
The impacts of Hollow Knight's Nail on the cobbled stone resonated through the crowd. In a few moments, Hornet had many, many pairs of eyes on her. For a fleeting moment, she wanted to abandon all pretenses and hide, but crushed the thought.
Through the mutterings of the crowd, Hornet began her impromptu speech.
"Citizens of The Kingdom of Hollownest, I am Hornet, Daughter of the Pale King, Child of the Three Queens. I am here to tell you that the infection of Old Light has been vanquished once and for all! Some of you might know, but one of the Pale King's sons, the little knight, ghost of Hollownest, who spent a short time defeating the monsters that plagued the Kingdom, was the one who vanquished the Moth God!"
Hornet took the brand from around her neck and held it high. "My sibling gave me this, the King's Brand. With it, he gave me his hope and dream of a new kingdom. A dream of Hollownest reborn, but a united kingdom for all the tribes, where everyone can live free and happy. I can not do this alone and it will not be easy. Much work must be done to rebuild our kingdom! I ask now for your help. Will you assist me in making my sibling's dream a reality?" A chorus of yeses was thrown her way. Hornet couldn't help but smile at her bugs. Her's.
"For the moment, continue to help those that are injured, mourn for the dead, and get some rest. We have many long days ahead of us, but we will persevere!"
There was a moment of silence, then the whole of Dirtmouth exploded into cheers and chants of Queen Hornet.
A/N So for those that want to know about what I plan for the upcoming parts read the spoiler.
So there will be 4-6 more parts to Constitution and then an interlude. The ISOT chapter is temporarily called Collision.
- Location
- Derpcity in the Land of Crushed Dreams
The bugs don't have fingers. Sure, they've to be able to hold objects somehow.
But, are you certain that you want to display your answer to the point at issue so straightforward?
- Location
- Florida
I'm sorry I don't understand your question?
- Location
- Derpcity in the Land of Crushed Dreams
Sorry, I'm not native English speaker, and not very good one, anyway.
I mean, you might not want to mention directly bugs' fingers, lips, tongues and other organs, that real bugs haven't got.
Just suggestion, I'm personally fine with it.
I mean, you might not want to mention directly bugs' fingers, lips, tongues and other organs, that real bugs haven't got.
Just suggestion, I'm personally fine with it.
Last edited:
Tiypo
Forever Phone Posting
Actually, some of the bugs do have full hands. The Hollow Knight and Quirrel very clearly have human-like hands.
- Location
- Derpcity in the Land of Crushed Dreams
You are right. I thought it were chelae, but giving a close look, it definitely looks like three fingers.
Constitution: part 3
- Location
- Florida
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but rising every time we fall.
- Confusious
Constitution: part 3
It turned out that the young warrior bugs — Musha, and his sister Spring — had not lied. The paths in the Fungal Waste were nearly entirely empty of monsters. There were only copses — lots and lots of corpses. It looked as if someone had cut a bloody swath through the tunnels of the upper kingdom. Hornet had a sneaking suspicion who the culprit of the purge was.
Hornet took a mental note of the fact. She would have to organize some sort of work gang operation to retrieve and bury the bodies. A job that was going to be as mentally fatiguing as it was physically.
Besides the few stragglers the young woman dispatched, the journey was quick. She did have to stop a few times to keep the Childgrimm from burning things. Especially the frightened and lost bugs that had just been freed from the infection. The little guy was apparently a pyromaniac in miniature. Soon, however, they did make it to the Mantis village.
Vespa, last Queen of The Hive - Hornet's mentor and third mother - had taught her many lessons. Most had to do with fighting and ruling, but a few applied to regular life. Hornet could clearly remember one of those lessons.
"Always begin the day with the most difficult challenge or duty, young Hornet."
"Why, won't that waste all my energy for the day?" Hornet had responded, an age ago.
"Because the challenging things are often most important, and most rewarding."
And then Vespa would go on to kick the crap out of young Hornet in a spar. To "make sure the lessons stuck" as the Bee Queen's phrased it.
Of course, Hornet wasn't sure if the rewarding part was right with the Mantis tribe, but the former definitely was. If Hornet was to unite all the tribes of Hollownest, she needed the Mantises on board. They had the most potent force and were the least affected by Old Light.
Besides that, the Mantis Tribe was going to be the most difficult on the outset. Hornet was the heir to Deepnest and an honorary member of The Hive. She wasn't a stranger to the Mantis tribe but there was no reason for the proud warriors to fallow her. It also didn't help that the Mantis Lords were prideful to the point of full-blown arrogance, especially to those they considered "soft."
They also had a history. A correspondence that did not end well
No Mantis stopped her as she entered the tribe's village. They did stop their activities as she passed, parting like a softshell before Hornet as she walked to the thrones. There were some whispers, but she paid them no mind.
Stopping before the entrance to the throne room, Hornet turned to the Childgrimm.
"Stay."
There was a pause, then the child started chirping. He then tried to move forward.
"Noooo. Staaay." Hornet sighed, she wished she knew how to deal with kids.
After a few more times, Hornet was confident the little flying fire-breather got the message. Hornet rubbed his head and opened the doors.
The Sister Lords of The Mantis tribe were waiting for her, on their thrones at the main entrance to Deepnest. Visible evidence of battle was everywhere in the chamber, and this included a few corpses as well. Arrogant as they might be, Hornet would never accuse the sisters of being cowardly. Like every Lord before them, the sisters always led from the front.
Hornet took her spot, standing in front of the thrones. Cho, the eldest sister, sat upon the elevated throne, denoting her seniority in the hierarchy. Mantis tradition stated that there would be two High Lords and two subordinates. Hornet made sure she took care not to look at the broken throne on the left of the sisters.
No one spoke for a few heartbeats. Cho looked bored, her head held in one hand to show disinterest and apathy, but Hornet knew better. Cho was focused, always scanning for potential threats, always looking for a weakness. There was something unusually cold in her gaze.
The twins, Jiji and Sanji, were far less composed. They looked ready to spring from their seats, hands gripping their nail spears tightly.
Okay, not a great start, Hornet realized. The gendered child had a sneaking suspicion about why the two looked...tense.
"Hornet." Cho did not say the name with a particular sense of affection.
"Cho."
There was no response, so Hornet continued.
"The infection is gone! The radiance is dead, defeated, and never to return."
"How?" It was not Cho but Jiji that responded. She sounded intrigued but not shocked.
"There was a small-"
"The little knight." Hornet turned her head to Sanji. So they'd already met. Hornet almost sighed in relief; this might not be as hard as she thought. Hornet's happy thoughts were shattered when Cho started laughing, a cruel, unfriendly sound.
"Don't tell me, you want to rebuild Hollownest. That's rich, it truly is. Do you think that Brand makes you worthy to rule? I'll accept only a strong and true king! Where is the savior? Where is the little Knight!?"
"He ascended."
That made all the sisters burst out in laughter.
"Then it looks like the Mantis Tribe is free and independent once more."
Hornet couldn't help raising her voice in a spark of desperation, "Alone!? Hollownest needs to be united. Only together can we rebuild. United we stand stronger than we ever were before!"
That was apparently not the right thing to say.
Cho sprung up from her throne. "Together! Unity! Strength! You parrot our Mentor's words, but you hardly know them! We trained Together! But when Hollow Knight's seals began to fail, when the kingdom started falling apart around us, YOU LEFT! You abandoned us, your Nail Sisters. Just like the king, the queen, and HIM!"
Hornet took a step back at the intensity, the venom. There was wetness on her face, and the room was blurry. Tears? Hornet did not give herself any mind. She was looking at her former battle sister; the aloof and deadly Cho had tears running down her face. Tears Hornet had never seen. And she wasn't done.
"Don't… don't you dare speak of Unity! You shame Vespa, Hornet. you who I once called sister! You are not the queen."
No!
Hornet was not going to let that go.
She wouldn't. She couldn't let herself be stopped so soon. Her sibling thought she could do this.
But she's right, I'm a coward.
No.
Wiping the tears from her face, Hornet scowled and brought her nail-spear out. "I, Hornet, Daughter of the Three Queens, and Sister to the Ghost of Hollownest challenge you for the right to rule!"
Hornet had exactly zero point six seconds to block the strike that would have decapitated her.
- Confusious
Constitution: part 3
It turned out that the young warrior bugs — Musha, and his sister Spring — had not lied. The paths in the Fungal Waste were nearly entirely empty of monsters. There were only copses — lots and lots of corpses. It looked as if someone had cut a bloody swath through the tunnels of the upper kingdom. Hornet had a sneaking suspicion who the culprit of the purge was.
Hornet took a mental note of the fact. She would have to organize some sort of work gang operation to retrieve and bury the bodies. A job that was going to be as mentally fatiguing as it was physically.
Besides the few stragglers the young woman dispatched, the journey was quick. She did have to stop a few times to keep the Childgrimm from burning things. Especially the frightened and lost bugs that had just been freed from the infection. The little guy was apparently a pyromaniac in miniature. Soon, however, they did make it to the Mantis village.
Vespa, last Queen of The Hive - Hornet's mentor and third mother - had taught her many lessons. Most had to do with fighting and ruling, but a few applied to regular life. Hornet could clearly remember one of those lessons.
"Always begin the day with the most difficult challenge or duty, young Hornet."
"Why, won't that waste all my energy for the day?" Hornet had responded, an age ago.
"Because the challenging things are often most important, and most rewarding."
And then Vespa would go on to kick the crap out of young Hornet in a spar. To "make sure the lessons stuck" as the Bee Queen's phrased it.
Of course, Hornet wasn't sure if the rewarding part was right with the Mantis tribe, but the former definitely was. If Hornet was to unite all the tribes of Hollownest, she needed the Mantises on board. They had the most potent force and were the least affected by Old Light.
Besides that, the Mantis Tribe was going to be the most difficult on the outset. Hornet was the heir to Deepnest and an honorary member of The Hive. She wasn't a stranger to the Mantis tribe but there was no reason for the proud warriors to fallow her. It also didn't help that the Mantis Lords were prideful to the point of full-blown arrogance, especially to those they considered "soft."
They also had a history. A correspondence that did not end well
No Mantis stopped her as she entered the tribe's village. They did stop their activities as she passed, parting like a softshell before Hornet as she walked to the thrones. There were some whispers, but she paid them no mind.
Stopping before the entrance to the throne room, Hornet turned to the Childgrimm.
"Stay."
There was a pause, then the child started chirping. He then tried to move forward.
"Noooo. Staaay." Hornet sighed, she wished she knew how to deal with kids.
After a few more times, Hornet was confident the little flying fire-breather got the message. Hornet rubbed his head and opened the doors.
The Sister Lords of The Mantis tribe were waiting for her, on their thrones at the main entrance to Deepnest. Visible evidence of battle was everywhere in the chamber, and this included a few corpses as well. Arrogant as they might be, Hornet would never accuse the sisters of being cowardly. Like every Lord before them, the sisters always led from the front.
Hornet took her spot, standing in front of the thrones. Cho, the eldest sister, sat upon the elevated throne, denoting her seniority in the hierarchy. Mantis tradition stated that there would be two High Lords and two subordinates. Hornet made sure she took care not to look at the broken throne on the left of the sisters.
No one spoke for a few heartbeats. Cho looked bored, her head held in one hand to show disinterest and apathy, but Hornet knew better. Cho was focused, always scanning for potential threats, always looking for a weakness. There was something unusually cold in her gaze.
The twins, Jiji and Sanji, were far less composed. They looked ready to spring from their seats, hands gripping their nail spears tightly.
Okay, not a great start, Hornet realized. The gendered child had a sneaking suspicion about why the two looked...tense.
"Hornet." Cho did not say the name with a particular sense of affection.
"Cho."
There was no response, so Hornet continued.
"The infection is gone! The radiance is dead, defeated, and never to return."
"How?" It was not Cho but Jiji that responded. She sounded intrigued but not shocked.
"There was a small-"
"The little knight." Hornet turned her head to Sanji. So they'd already met. Hornet almost sighed in relief; this might not be as hard as she thought. Hornet's happy thoughts were shattered when Cho started laughing, a cruel, unfriendly sound.
"Don't tell me, you want to rebuild Hollownest. That's rich, it truly is. Do you think that Brand makes you worthy to rule? I'll accept only a strong and true king! Where is the savior? Where is the little Knight!?"
"He ascended."
That made all the sisters burst out in laughter.
"Then it looks like the Mantis Tribe is free and independent once more."
Hornet couldn't help raising her voice in a spark of desperation, "Alone!? Hollownest needs to be united. Only together can we rebuild. United we stand stronger than we ever were before!"
That was apparently not the right thing to say.
Cho sprung up from her throne. "Together! Unity! Strength! You parrot our Mentor's words, but you hardly know them! We trained Together! But when Hollow Knight's seals began to fail, when the kingdom started falling apart around us, YOU LEFT! You abandoned us, your Nail Sisters. Just like the king, the queen, and HIM!"
Hornet took a step back at the intensity, the venom. There was wetness on her face, and the room was blurry. Tears? Hornet did not give herself any mind. She was looking at her former battle sister; the aloof and deadly Cho had tears running down her face. Tears Hornet had never seen. And she wasn't done.
"Don't… don't you dare speak of Unity! You shame Vespa, Hornet. you who I once called sister! You are not the queen."
No!
Hornet was not going to let that go.
She wouldn't. She couldn't let herself be stopped so soon. Her sibling thought she could do this.
But she's right, I'm a coward.
No.
Wiping the tears from her face, Hornet scowled and brought her nail-spear out. "I, Hornet, Daughter of the Three Queens, and Sister to the Ghost of Hollownest challenge you for the right to rule!"
Hornet had exactly zero point six seconds to block the strike that would have decapitated her.
Constitution part 4
- Location
- Florida
"No cost too great. No mind to think. No will to break. No voice to cry suffering. Born of God and Void."
- Pale King
Constitution part 4
Many did not know this, but Hollownest had been at its most united during the period of Hornet's childhood. Not only did the Pale King finally get the denizens of Deepnest to play nice, the specifics of that treaty resulting in Hornet, but the hive opened its gate under Queen Vespa. Sadly, everything started to fall apart around the time Hornet reached maturity.
Before that, however, Vespa had offered to train and mentor Hornet. Living in the hive was a particularly bright time for her younger self. Vespa soon became the third mother and helped her overcome the depression she suffered when Hollow Knight and her mother sealed the radiance.
It was during this time that Hornet met new friends: two sets of twins, the royal siblings of the Mantis Tribe. The deadly Cho, passionate Ani, wild Jiji, and the ever-curious Sanji. They learned almost everything together under the gaze of Vespa.
One thing they learned was the art of combat, the most important being the nail spear.
Vespa had told Hornet never to be overconfident, but if she was honest with herself, she was the second-best spearman in all of the kingdom. Sadly for Hornet, she was facing Cho, who happened to be the best.
Hornet pulled on a string, sending herself to the wall and barely avoiding a thrown nail that would have cut her in half. Quickly taking a grenade out of her satchel, Hornet lobbed it at the oncoming Lord. The explosion threw Cho against the far wall.
"I see you learned some new tricks on your travels."
"So have you, Cho."
Another pass commenced. Cho charged straight in the classic ram stance, an almost unblockable thrust that could skewer opponents. A deadly move to be sure, but slow to turn.
Hornet jumped over the charging Lord, preparing to thrash her on the downward stroke. Something the little Knight had done to her with significant effect.
And apparently something he'd used on Cho as well.
Prepared for what was to come, the Lord spun her body mid-air and parried Hornet's strike. Thinking fast, Hornet whipped her strings to wrap around Cho's right arm before she could get in the riposte.
Hornet spun around and sent Cho descending into the ground like a hammer into the ground. Cho was incredibly strong, though, and was up before the dust settled. Hornet heard a scream, and then suddenly, a very long and sharp object was heading towards her face.
Hornet sidestepped the thrown spear.
Two could play at that game.
Hornet sent her own short spear flying at Cho. As Hornet hoped, Cho jumped the spear and came running at her. Twisting her string, her weapon came back to her, ready to either entangle or skewer the Lord.
At least that's what should have happened. Cho ducked at the last second, but before letting Hornet's nail pass, she grabbed onto the hilt.
There was a small moment where no one moved. Hornet could see the savageness in Cho's face, and that made her falter.
Hornet barely had enough time to curse before the Lord pulled, and Hornet was sent flying. Not for long though, as Hornet's velocity was arrested by a hard fist to the gut. In less than a second, she was careening towards the wall at truly ridiculous speeds.
.
..
…
….
She was floating.
Where was she?
"Am I dead?"
No.
Hornet gasped as she opened her eyes. Looking down at her was a pure white bug face with tiny horns. She might have screamed as she lifted herself to a sitting position. The... little vessel, for it could be nothing else, scrambled back. Or should she say vessels?
Surrounding Hornet were many vessels of all shapes and variants. They were all looking at her, just looking not even moving. Hornet probably should have been creeped out but she had a feeling they were as curious as she was. That's when she registered a cold and wet feeling from her hand.
Hornet looked down at what she and all of them were in, and her heart plummeted. They were in the void, the lake of the abyss. Her father had always been vague on the details, but everyone knew that to touch the void was to die. Oftentimes not quickly, and not painlessly.
It wasn't doing anything, though? Little tendrils of void were tentatively tapping at her legs and coat, but nothing aggressive. In fact, Hornet couldn't help but feel a warm, friendly...something from it.
There was the sound of shuffling as the vessels began to part, making way for a somewhat tall figure. It needed no introduction. It was the not-so-little knight turned void God.
He was as tall as Hollow Knight, but Hornet knew that was by choice. His form was she remembered from her dream: eight white eyes and a body of deepest black. She could not tell where the God stopped and where the void lake began.
Hornet had the strangest sense that he was smiling at her.
"I'm sorry...I failed."
???
Hornet looked at her sibling and let her words fly. "I can't get the Mantis Tribe to join, and Hollownest needs to be together." Hornet couldn't bear to look at the God's eyes. "The sisters hate me and… I can't blame them, not really."
No. They don't hate you.
Hornet looked back up, but instead of his squinting eyes, she focused on his outstretched hand. In the grasp of the palm was a flower. A pure white flower that almost drove Hornet to look away. It was so bright, filled with life.
Self can help you.
Hornet stretched out her hand and grasped the flower. Suddenly, white swallowed her world, and fire curled through her veins. She did not scream, but it was a close thing.
Hornet was back at the throne room and Cho was charging at her, but Hornet was not afraid. She'd never felt like this before. She never felt so alive. Something was pulsating through her, and she could feel the flow of it; she could manipulate it.
She looked at her nail.
How did it get there?
She sent...she sent her Soul through the blade and slashed at her old comrade. A wave of pure light rushed to meet Cho. Hornet registered shock on her face before the wave hit and sent the mantis flying.
Hornet didn't stop. Sending Soul into her strings, she latched onto Cho, then Jiji, and Sanji. With a mere thought, she sent them crashing into a pile on the floor. Hornet pushed the excitement and curiosity of what she had just done and focused on her wounds. She'd seen her young sibling do this several times.
After a second, she felt the Soul drain from her, but her wounds healed. Hornet made a note to always keep track of how much Soul was in her. Draining Soul felt exhausting!
"Cho, Jiji, Sanji, I'm sorry!" Hornet poured as much conviction as she could into this. "I left, I acted cowardly and yes, Vespa would be disappointed. But I'm trying to make up for my failure; both mine and my parents! There's nothing I could say, and it's your right to never forgive me for that betrayal, I know.
"But please, I need your help. I can't do this without you. The infection is gone, but if something isn't done, whatever's left of the nest is going to die! Too much has been sacrificed. The price was far too high."
Hornet walked up to Cho and released the strings tieing her and the twins down. Taking a breath, Hornet grabbed the shocked Lord and pulled her up.
"I'm not asking for you to like me, but will you help me save this kingdom?"
A few seconds passed, and Hornet dreaded the answer would be no. The sister kept an utterly blank expression that did nothing good for Hornet's anxiety. It was at that moment she was engulfed into the warm embrace of a group hug.
Hornet's heart made its way out of the pit it was in.
After a few minutes, the three let go and stepped back.
First to kneel was Jiji. "Our Queen."
Next was Sanji. "Nail Sister."
Last was Cho. "What is thy command?"
A/n so some might have noticed that I'm posting in chapters 1-2k words long and in blocks of two chapters. I'm doing this mostly to pace myself and get the first arc done in a reasonable time. That should be either the end of the week or the start of next week. Thx for reading.
- Pale King
Constitution part 4
Many did not know this, but Hollownest had been at its most united during the period of Hornet's childhood. Not only did the Pale King finally get the denizens of Deepnest to play nice, the specifics of that treaty resulting in Hornet, but the hive opened its gate under Queen Vespa. Sadly, everything started to fall apart around the time Hornet reached maturity.
Before that, however, Vespa had offered to train and mentor Hornet. Living in the hive was a particularly bright time for her younger self. Vespa soon became the third mother and helped her overcome the depression she suffered when Hollow Knight and her mother sealed the radiance.
It was during this time that Hornet met new friends: two sets of twins, the royal siblings of the Mantis Tribe. The deadly Cho, passionate Ani, wild Jiji, and the ever-curious Sanji. They learned almost everything together under the gaze of Vespa.
One thing they learned was the art of combat, the most important being the nail spear.
Vespa had told Hornet never to be overconfident, but if she was honest with herself, she was the second-best spearman in all of the kingdom. Sadly for Hornet, she was facing Cho, who happened to be the best.
Hornet pulled on a string, sending herself to the wall and barely avoiding a thrown nail that would have cut her in half. Quickly taking a grenade out of her satchel, Hornet lobbed it at the oncoming Lord. The explosion threw Cho against the far wall.
"I see you learned some new tricks on your travels."
"So have you, Cho."
Another pass commenced. Cho charged straight in the classic ram stance, an almost unblockable thrust that could skewer opponents. A deadly move to be sure, but slow to turn.
Hornet jumped over the charging Lord, preparing to thrash her on the downward stroke. Something the little Knight had done to her with significant effect.
And apparently something he'd used on Cho as well.
Prepared for what was to come, the Lord spun her body mid-air and parried Hornet's strike. Thinking fast, Hornet whipped her strings to wrap around Cho's right arm before she could get in the riposte.
Hornet spun around and sent Cho descending into the ground like a hammer into the ground. Cho was incredibly strong, though, and was up before the dust settled. Hornet heard a scream, and then suddenly, a very long and sharp object was heading towards her face.
Hornet sidestepped the thrown spear.
Two could play at that game.
Hornet sent her own short spear flying at Cho. As Hornet hoped, Cho jumped the spear and came running at her. Twisting her string, her weapon came back to her, ready to either entangle or skewer the Lord.
At least that's what should have happened. Cho ducked at the last second, but before letting Hornet's nail pass, she grabbed onto the hilt.
There was a small moment where no one moved. Hornet could see the savageness in Cho's face, and that made her falter.
Hornet barely had enough time to curse before the Lord pulled, and Hornet was sent flying. Not for long though, as Hornet's velocity was arrested by a hard fist to the gut. In less than a second, she was careening towards the wall at truly ridiculous speeds.
.
..
…
….
She was floating.
Where was she?
"Am I dead?"
No.
Hornet gasped as she opened her eyes. Looking down at her was a pure white bug face with tiny horns. She might have screamed as she lifted herself to a sitting position. The... little vessel, for it could be nothing else, scrambled back. Or should she say vessels?
Surrounding Hornet were many vessels of all shapes and variants. They were all looking at her, just looking not even moving. Hornet probably should have been creeped out but she had a feeling they were as curious as she was. That's when she registered a cold and wet feeling from her hand.
Hornet looked down at what she and all of them were in, and her heart plummeted. They were in the void, the lake of the abyss. Her father had always been vague on the details, but everyone knew that to touch the void was to die. Oftentimes not quickly, and not painlessly.
It wasn't doing anything, though? Little tendrils of void were tentatively tapping at her legs and coat, but nothing aggressive. In fact, Hornet couldn't help but feel a warm, friendly...something from it.
There was the sound of shuffling as the vessels began to part, making way for a somewhat tall figure. It needed no introduction. It was the not-so-little knight turned void God.
He was as tall as Hollow Knight, but Hornet knew that was by choice. His form was she remembered from her dream: eight white eyes and a body of deepest black. She could not tell where the God stopped and where the void lake began.
Hornet had the strangest sense that he was smiling at her.
"I'm sorry...I failed."
???
Hornet looked at her sibling and let her words fly. "I can't get the Mantis Tribe to join, and Hollownest needs to be together." Hornet couldn't bear to look at the God's eyes. "The sisters hate me and… I can't blame them, not really."
No. They don't hate you.
Hornet looked back up, but instead of his squinting eyes, she focused on his outstretched hand. In the grasp of the palm was a flower. A pure white flower that almost drove Hornet to look away. It was so bright, filled with life.
Self can help you.
Hornet stretched out her hand and grasped the flower. Suddenly, white swallowed her world, and fire curled through her veins. She did not scream, but it was a close thing.
Hornet was back at the throne room and Cho was charging at her, but Hornet was not afraid. She'd never felt like this before. She never felt so alive. Something was pulsating through her, and she could feel the flow of it; she could manipulate it.
She looked at her nail.
How did it get there?
She sent...she sent her Soul through the blade and slashed at her old comrade. A wave of pure light rushed to meet Cho. Hornet registered shock on her face before the wave hit and sent the mantis flying.
Hornet didn't stop. Sending Soul into her strings, she latched onto Cho, then Jiji, and Sanji. With a mere thought, she sent them crashing into a pile on the floor. Hornet pushed the excitement and curiosity of what she had just done and focused on her wounds. She'd seen her young sibling do this several times.
After a second, she felt the Soul drain from her, but her wounds healed. Hornet made a note to always keep track of how much Soul was in her. Draining Soul felt exhausting!
"Cho, Jiji, Sanji, I'm sorry!" Hornet poured as much conviction as she could into this. "I left, I acted cowardly and yes, Vespa would be disappointed. But I'm trying to make up for my failure; both mine and my parents! There's nothing I could say, and it's your right to never forgive me for that betrayal, I know.
"But please, I need your help. I can't do this without you. The infection is gone, but if something isn't done, whatever's left of the nest is going to die! Too much has been sacrificed. The price was far too high."
Hornet walked up to Cho and released the strings tieing her and the twins down. Taking a breath, Hornet grabbed the shocked Lord and pulled her up.
"I'm not asking for you to like me, but will you help me save this kingdom?"
A few seconds passed, and Hornet dreaded the answer would be no. The sister kept an utterly blank expression that did nothing good for Hornet's anxiety. It was at that moment she was engulfed into the warm embrace of a group hug.
Hornet's heart made its way out of the pit it was in.
After a few minutes, the three let go and stepped back.
First to kneel was Jiji. "Our Queen."
Next was Sanji. "Nail Sister."
Last was Cho. "What is thy command?"
A/n so some might have noticed that I'm posting in chapters 1-2k words long and in blocks of two chapters. I'm doing this mostly to pace myself and get the first arc done in a reasonable time. That should be either the end of the week or the start of next week. Thx for reading.
ok is this just a hollow night fanfic???
- Location
- new york
THe crossover is coming
- Location
- United States
If you actually want to have more than just a character or 2 from Hollow Knight, you need to make sure to set up Hollownest properly. After this first arc should be the crossover event. Plus given what area this is being posted in, most here know Worm, but Hollow Knight is a bit more obscure, plus it takes a fair bit of the Dark Souls method of storytelling as well as difficulty.
yea sorry about the tone its that i dont really undestand hollow knight lore and i want to get to the part a undestand
Lazarus Animus
Lord Imaginarium
- Location
- Quebec, Canada
I'm really looking forward to how Taylor ties into all of this - in all honesty, it would probably be more fun if Taylor stumbled into Hallownest somehow, especially after triggering - they might consider her on par with the Infection.
- Location
- United States
Hmm, it depends, I read a Pokemon/Worm cross (The Bug Type Queen) where the bug pokemon, especially the beedrills, loved her because she allowed them to be linked together better than ever. And while she could master them, them having their own will and intelligence meant that she could understand them and mastering was much harder, not that she really tried in that one.
It depends if the author takes the Master portion as more important or the insect. It should be fun to see how they choose to take this story.
It depends if the author takes the Master portion as more important or the insect. It should be fun to see how they choose to take this story.
Constitution: Part Five
- Location
- Florida
A/n: I have adjusted my previous plan a little. The next two chapters will be around 3k-4k long and end the first arc. The interlude will probably be another longer chapter before the next arc will be where the actual Worm crossover occurs.
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;
- John 11:25
Constitution: Part Five
Just as Hornet thought, the beasts of Deepnest were agreeable to their princess's wishes. There was one minor issue.
Deepnest was in complete chaos.
Well, Hornet knew that was a bit unfair. The different spiders of the deep had never been a well-organized tribe. There was always substantial cultural incentive towards self-sufficiency, but after the years of infection and madness, what little order there had been was gone.
Luckily for Hornet, two spiders had kept their sanity. She had quickly placed Midwife and Mask Maker in charge of bringing order to the nest. It was a dubious choice, considering that sanity was 'relative' when considering those two, but there was no other alternative.
Before leaving, Hornet made inquiries with her mother's old midwife about some old friends.
"Are any of the Weavers still around?"
It was a somewhat redundant question. Hornet knew the Weavers had left long ago, but if there were any remaining, they would be a great resource for the new Hollownest, and Hornet couldn't help the emotions in her question. The Weavers had never been natives of Hollownest, but they'd trained Hornet in their weaving arts when she was young. They had been friends.
"Those old fools left, but they forgot a few things. You have not been down here for some time, so I guess you wouldn't know. Many of the children were infected, and the Weavers took no infected with them." The smiling mask of Midwife could give no expression, but Hornet could hear the old spider's cold mirth.
Hornet was not entirely sure if that was bad or good news. Sadly, she didn't have time to deal with everything.
Hornet and Childgrimm decided to use the old tram. More accurately, Childgrimm agreed they were to use the machine. Somehow, beyond Hornet's understanding, Childgrimm had a riding pass. Where was he keeping that? Hornet decided not to ponder too deeply.
Hornet immediately knew the tram itself was going to need some work. It was rusted and corpse-filled, and those were only the minor problems. The squeaking and groans it made were not encouraging in the least. It still worked though, and the two made it to their destination.
If Deepnest was disorganized chaos, then The Hive was full-on pandemonium. To be expected maybe, as no one in the Hive seemed to have resisted Old Light. Hornet idly wondered if it was because of Vespa's death or the bees' low-level hive mind.
It took near on an hour for Hornet to calm down the crowd. She was also able to find the closest thing to 'leaders' in the tribe; by right of being slightly more independent and calm, Worker Bee 177 and Patrol Bee 89 were the representatives.
"Okay, so what in the Radiance is going on here?"
"Weezzz a don't know what's going on," responded the worker bug. Hornet made the mental not to abbreviate the names.
"That right, wez getting no orders from the queen." It was Patrol Bee 89 that spoke up next.
"Guys"—Hornet wanted to be gentle with this—"the queen is dead...I'm sorry."
The answer was immediate: "Noz shez not."
"Come, we show the princess that Vespa lives."
The path was a familiar one to Hornet. The center of The Hive was the same location Vespa had been when she'd begun to become too big.
As they walked through the golden and honeyed walls, Half forgotten memories started flooding into Hornet. Running away from keepers with the siblings, pulling off pranks with Ani, and hiding from Vespa's discipline.
"Squeeee!" Hornet looked up at the Childgrimm. The little guy was staring at a bunch of little hivelings playing.
Hornet smiled. "Go on, I don't know how long this will be."
There was a squeak, and suddenly the child was in the middle of the group, spreading his brand of chaos.
It was not long after that they reached the chamber doors.
"Come, come; I'm sure the queen will love to see you. Maybe she gives orders after." The enthusiastic worker ran towards the door. Hornet couldn't help the pity on her face. How was she going to explain this to them?
Taking a deep breath, she opened the doors.
"Vespa?"
No! A… ghost? Hornet couldn't believe what she was looking at. The giant figure of Vespa's corpse was in the middle of the chamber. Yet, at the same time, a smaller translucent Vespa was standing on the viewing bridge.
The ghost turned to face Hornet. "Oh, Hornet, you're all grown up."
Hornet recognized the characteristic eye smile, posture, and voice. Without a doubt, this was Vespa, Queen of The Hive. But…
"How?" Hornet sounded as mystified as she felt.
"Oh, this." Vespa rubbed her ghost shoulders. "It's only temporary. A mutual friend granted me a time of clemency. I just need to finish some business here on the mortal-plane. Come!"
Vespa started walking to the far door, leaving Hornet no time to ask questions; Hornet had so many questions.
Hornet gasped as she entered the side room. It was a nursery — the nursery. Hornet had forgotten about this room, but it was here that Vespa kept her eggs and hivelings for their first few days of life. In this case, the two high walls of honey that held the eggs were in pressing need of repairs. Sadly, many of the eggs were dead, sickly yellow, and broken. Hornet moved her eyes from the view of desolation.
A few specialized workers were buzzing around, trying to care for the eggs that were still alive. The thing that dominated Hornet's attention was sitting on a dais in the middle of the room.
A queen's egg.
Like all the others, the egg was of a golden-honey color. Unlike the others, this one was bigger and had a swirling red pattern to its shell.
Hesitantly, Hornet approached the egg. Laying a hand upon it, she could hear the thrumming of a heartbeat, but something was off. Hornet couldn't describe it, not to herself, she just knew.
"I need you to do one last thing for me."
Hornet turned to face her old mentor. "I think I can guess."
"She will know what to do." The ghost of the queen motioned to her workers, and soon Hornet was fitted with a large backpack to hold the egg. After the preparations were settled, she looked at the door to the chamber and then back to her mentor.
"Will you be… leaving?" Hornet knew the answer already, but she couldn't help but ask.
"Yes, I was only given a little time. Dead is dead after all, but it isn't the end; not anymore." Vespa patted her adopted daughter on the head.
Hornet felt a small chill run down her spine. The ghost fingers had a very familiar sensation to it, much like the Void. It was unusual, but comforting.
"I will make sure that my brethren are ready for the changes; as much as I can before my time runs out. That should make things easier for you."
Hornet went for the door, but stopped just before she opened it.
"Love you, mom, and goodbye."
"I love you too, daughter. Now get going, a Queen's duty is never over."
Hornet left with a smile on her face. It took a few minutes to find the Childgrimm, and then a few more to put out the fires, but soon they made their way out of The Hive.
"Squeee!"
"That's right; we're going the wrong way. I have to go to Queen's Garden, and that's on the other side of the kingdom. I'm not going to lug this egg across the entirety of Hollownest."
It didn't take them long to reach Hornet's goal. Hornet rang the bell that was standing near the entrance of a large cave. She could hear the echoing sound of the ring through the cave. Soon the ringing was replaced by footsteps.
The sound of swift and thunderous footsteps. Hornet sighed in relief as the form of the Last Stag slid in front of them. She had hoped the rumors of his survival were more than tales.
"Oh, princess, is that you and the Childgrimm?"
"Yes, Last Stag, I hope you are well."
"Oh, I am well; my mind has never been this clear. Tell me, princess, do you need to use the Stag Ways once more!?"
Hornet nodded. "We need to go to Queen's Garden."
"Then come aboard!"
Hornet and Childgrimm made their way to the seats atop the stag; they found themselves not alone. Looking over the first seat were three pairs of eyes that belong to very small stags. Hornet, shocked but also a bit excited, could just barely ask.
"Last Stag! Are these… I thought...?
"Oh, yes, I almost forgot! My name is not Last Stag anymore, call me Old Stag."
A/n: As a side note I realised that I may have been sparse on lore details for those that don't 'know' Hollow Knight. I am sorry, and from now on I'm going to try to add more background for those that are new to the franchise. I was going to have to do that anyway due to my 'additions'.
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;
- John 11:25
Constitution: Part Five
Just as Hornet thought, the beasts of Deepnest were agreeable to their princess's wishes. There was one minor issue.
Deepnest was in complete chaos.
Well, Hornet knew that was a bit unfair. The different spiders of the deep had never been a well-organized tribe. There was always substantial cultural incentive towards self-sufficiency, but after the years of infection and madness, what little order there had been was gone.
Luckily for Hornet, two spiders had kept their sanity. She had quickly placed Midwife and Mask Maker in charge of bringing order to the nest. It was a dubious choice, considering that sanity was 'relative' when considering those two, but there was no other alternative.
Before leaving, Hornet made inquiries with her mother's old midwife about some old friends.
"Are any of the Weavers still around?"
It was a somewhat redundant question. Hornet knew the Weavers had left long ago, but if there were any remaining, they would be a great resource for the new Hollownest, and Hornet couldn't help the emotions in her question. The Weavers had never been natives of Hollownest, but they'd trained Hornet in their weaving arts when she was young. They had been friends.
"Those old fools left, but they forgot a few things. You have not been down here for some time, so I guess you wouldn't know. Many of the children were infected, and the Weavers took no infected with them." The smiling mask of Midwife could give no expression, but Hornet could hear the old spider's cold mirth.
Hornet was not entirely sure if that was bad or good news. Sadly, she didn't have time to deal with everything.
Hornet and Childgrimm decided to use the old tram. More accurately, Childgrimm agreed they were to use the machine. Somehow, beyond Hornet's understanding, Childgrimm had a riding pass. Where was he keeping that? Hornet decided not to ponder too deeply.
Hornet immediately knew the tram itself was going to need some work. It was rusted and corpse-filled, and those were only the minor problems. The squeaking and groans it made were not encouraging in the least. It still worked though, and the two made it to their destination.
If Deepnest was disorganized chaos, then The Hive was full-on pandemonium. To be expected maybe, as no one in the Hive seemed to have resisted Old Light. Hornet idly wondered if it was because of Vespa's death or the bees' low-level hive mind.
It took near on an hour for Hornet to calm down the crowd. She was also able to find the closest thing to 'leaders' in the tribe; by right of being slightly more independent and calm, Worker Bee 177 and Patrol Bee 89 were the representatives.
"Okay, so what in the Radiance is going on here?"
"Weezzz a don't know what's going on," responded the worker bug. Hornet made the mental not to abbreviate the names.
"That right, wez getting no orders from the queen." It was Patrol Bee 89 that spoke up next.
"Guys"—Hornet wanted to be gentle with this—"the queen is dead...I'm sorry."
The answer was immediate: "Noz shez not."
"Come, we show the princess that Vespa lives."
The path was a familiar one to Hornet. The center of The Hive was the same location Vespa had been when she'd begun to become too big.
As they walked through the golden and honeyed walls, Half forgotten memories started flooding into Hornet. Running away from keepers with the siblings, pulling off pranks with Ani, and hiding from Vespa's discipline.
"Squeeee!" Hornet looked up at the Childgrimm. The little guy was staring at a bunch of little hivelings playing.
Hornet smiled. "Go on, I don't know how long this will be."
There was a squeak, and suddenly the child was in the middle of the group, spreading his brand of chaos.
It was not long after that they reached the chamber doors.
"Come, come; I'm sure the queen will love to see you. Maybe she gives orders after." The enthusiastic worker ran towards the door. Hornet couldn't help the pity on her face. How was she going to explain this to them?
Taking a deep breath, she opened the doors.
"Vespa?"
No! A… ghost? Hornet couldn't believe what she was looking at. The giant figure of Vespa's corpse was in the middle of the chamber. Yet, at the same time, a smaller translucent Vespa was standing on the viewing bridge.
The ghost turned to face Hornet. "Oh, Hornet, you're all grown up."
Hornet recognized the characteristic eye smile, posture, and voice. Without a doubt, this was Vespa, Queen of The Hive. But…
"How?" Hornet sounded as mystified as she felt.
"Oh, this." Vespa rubbed her ghost shoulders. "It's only temporary. A mutual friend granted me a time of clemency. I just need to finish some business here on the mortal-plane. Come!"
Vespa started walking to the far door, leaving Hornet no time to ask questions; Hornet had so many questions.
Hornet gasped as she entered the side room. It was a nursery — the nursery. Hornet had forgotten about this room, but it was here that Vespa kept her eggs and hivelings for their first few days of life. In this case, the two high walls of honey that held the eggs were in pressing need of repairs. Sadly, many of the eggs were dead, sickly yellow, and broken. Hornet moved her eyes from the view of desolation.
A few specialized workers were buzzing around, trying to care for the eggs that were still alive. The thing that dominated Hornet's attention was sitting on a dais in the middle of the room.
A queen's egg.
Like all the others, the egg was of a golden-honey color. Unlike the others, this one was bigger and had a swirling red pattern to its shell.
Hesitantly, Hornet approached the egg. Laying a hand upon it, she could hear the thrumming of a heartbeat, but something was off. Hornet couldn't describe it, not to herself, she just knew.
"I need you to do one last thing for me."
Hornet turned to face her old mentor. "I think I can guess."
"She will know what to do." The ghost of the queen motioned to her workers, and soon Hornet was fitted with a large backpack to hold the egg. After the preparations were settled, she looked at the door to the chamber and then back to her mentor.
"Will you be… leaving?" Hornet knew the answer already, but she couldn't help but ask.
"Yes, I was only given a little time. Dead is dead after all, but it isn't the end; not anymore." Vespa patted her adopted daughter on the head.
Hornet felt a small chill run down her spine. The ghost fingers had a very familiar sensation to it, much like the Void. It was unusual, but comforting.
"I will make sure that my brethren are ready for the changes; as much as I can before my time runs out. That should make things easier for you."
Hornet went for the door, but stopped just before she opened it.
"Love you, mom, and goodbye."
"I love you too, daughter. Now get going, a Queen's duty is never over."
Hornet left with a smile on her face. It took a few minutes to find the Childgrimm, and then a few more to put out the fires, but soon they made their way out of The Hive.
"Squeee!"
"That's right; we're going the wrong way. I have to go to Queen's Garden, and that's on the other side of the kingdom. I'm not going to lug this egg across the entirety of Hollownest."
It didn't take them long to reach Hornet's goal. Hornet rang the bell that was standing near the entrance of a large cave. She could hear the echoing sound of the ring through the cave. Soon the ringing was replaced by footsteps.
The sound of swift and thunderous footsteps. Hornet sighed in relief as the form of the Last Stag slid in front of them. She had hoped the rumors of his survival were more than tales.
"Oh, princess, is that you and the Childgrimm?"
"Yes, Last Stag, I hope you are well."
"Oh, I am well; my mind has never been this clear. Tell me, princess, do you need to use the Stag Ways once more!?"
Hornet nodded. "We need to go to Queen's Garden."
"Then come aboard!"
Hornet and Childgrimm made their way to the seats atop the stag; they found themselves not alone. Looking over the first seat were three pairs of eyes that belong to very small stags. Hornet, shocked but also a bit excited, could just barely ask.
"Last Stag! Are these… I thought...?
"Oh, yes, I almost forgot! My name is not Last Stag anymore, call me Old Stag."
A/n: As a side note I realised that I may have been sparse on lore details for those that don't 'know' Hollow Knight. I am sorry, and from now on I'm going to try to add more background for those that are new to the franchise. I was going to have to do that anyway due to my 'additions'.
Extra Character information
- Location
- US
@Lleh , is this what you were going for?
Summary of Hollow Knight, for purposes of the story (contains Spoilers):
In Hollow Knight, you control the "knight", a small bug made of "void" and child of the now deceased "Pale King" of Hollownest and his now-self-banished Queen, the "White Lady".
In the game, you lead the knight throughout the various bug kingdoms, each of which is generally ruled by a type of bug (eg: Mantis, Bees, Spiders, etc). DeepNest is the spider Kingdom. Along the way, the knight meets other bugs including:
Other Notes: Charms are special items that are created when a bug dies or does something special and grant various buffs/abilities to the holder. Bugs can only use a limited number of charms at a time.
Soul is possessed by living bugs and is regenerated by stealing it from others, relaxing in hot springs or using specific charms. The Knight is able to use their "Soul" to do spells, such as healing injuries, screaming a blast of dark energy up or forwards, or slamming into the ground.
Summary of Hollow Knight, for purposes of the story (contains Spoilers):
In Hollow Knight, you control the "knight", a small bug made of "void" and child of the now deceased "Pale King" of Hollownest and his now-self-banished Queen, the "White Lady".
In the game, you lead the knight throughout the various bug kingdoms, each of which is generally ruled by a type of bug (eg: Mantis, Bees, Spiders, etc). DeepNest is the spider Kingdom. Along the way, the knight meets other bugs including:
* The Radiance: The big bad of the game. The Radiance is a god of light and sun who was poisoning the bugs in all the kingdoms for abandoning it long ago. During some (this story's) endings, the Knight becomes a god after killing the Radiance.
*Hornet: The knights half-sister, and the only one of their siblings with a gender. Daughter of the Queen of Deepnest, Herrah (NOT the "White Lady") and the "Pale King", she is the heir to both kingdoms. She is a half-spider and can make her own silk that she uses as a weapon, though is somehow still bipedal.
*Hollow-knight: The Knight's sibling. They trapped the Radiance inside themselves and were sealed away, but the Radiance managed to corrupt them and almost escaped before being killed by the knight.
* Sly: the shopkeeper. He was a former Nail (ie: sword) master.
* Grimmschild: Given to the Knight to raise as a companion by the very seedy and morally suspect Traveling Grimm Troupe (think carnival). Grimmschild can shoot fire balls, and seems loyal to the knight.
* Old Stag: Stags were used as a form of living busses, and used to quickly transport other bugs between the kingdoms. At the start of the game, he believes he is the last stag, but near the end discovers some empty stag eggs that give him hope.
* GodSeeker: Has the power to enter and bring others into dreamworlds. He worshipped the bosses in the game as "gods" and allowed the Knight to rebattle them in the dream realm. After the Knight defeated the strengthened Radiance in the dream realm, the knight gained a new form and more power, and the godsMaster started worshipping the knight instead of the other "gods".
*Vespa: now deceased former ruler of the bees.
*Fools: A group of Gladiators/Colosseum fighters. They live to fight and compete.
*Hornet: The knights half-sister, and the only one of their siblings with a gender. Daughter of the Queen of Deepnest, Herrah (NOT the "White Lady") and the "Pale King", she is the heir to both kingdoms. She is a half-spider and can make her own silk that she uses as a weapon, though is somehow still bipedal.
*Hollow-knight: The Knight's sibling. They trapped the Radiance inside themselves and were sealed away, but the Radiance managed to corrupt them and almost escaped before being killed by the knight.
* Sly: the shopkeeper. He was a former Nail (ie: sword) master.
* Grimmschild: Given to the Knight to raise as a companion by the very seedy and morally suspect Traveling Grimm Troupe (think carnival). Grimmschild can shoot fire balls, and seems loyal to the knight.
* Old Stag: Stags were used as a form of living busses, and used to quickly transport other bugs between the kingdoms. At the start of the game, he believes he is the last stag, but near the end discovers some empty stag eggs that give him hope.
* GodSeeker: Has the power to enter and bring others into dreamworlds. He worshipped the bosses in the game as "gods" and allowed the Knight to rebattle them in the dream realm. After the Knight defeated the strengthened Radiance in the dream realm, the knight gained a new form and more power, and the godsMaster started worshipping the knight instead of the other "gods".
*Vespa: now deceased former ruler of the bees.
*Fools: A group of Gladiators/Colosseum fighters. They live to fight and compete.
Other Notes: Charms are special items that are created when a bug dies or does something special and grant various buffs/abilities to the holder. Bugs can only use a limited number of charms at a time.
Soul is possessed by living bugs and is regenerated by stealing it from others, relaxing in hot springs or using specific charms. The Knight is able to use their "Soul" to do spells, such as healing injuries, screaming a blast of dark energy up or forwards, or slamming into the ground.
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