say hello, honey i'm home

[impure_void]

The Egg, the Palace, the flickers of the Abyss were all they truly learned, even that little scorched out with Light; flickers of memory from the Infected and Fath--the Pale King's World Sense left behind are all the knowledge they have of Hallownest.

They're uncertain where they are.

Too green to be the Crossroads, where they had begun. Unn's lands. The White Lady's gardens. Somewhere else overgrown.  

They've been dragging their body through the tunnels for quite some time. Most is a blur. Dig claw or Nail into the ground. move forward. Keep moving. Ignore the cracks and gouges in their torso. 

After some time, it comes to them there is no reason to do this. They have no goal. They have little understanding of where they could go, or should. A creature with a mind would stop at this realization, but the Hollow Knight is not meant to have one in the first place. Therefore, its shortcomings matter little.

Presently, they've stopped, resting their head on a ledge. There are thorns on the ground beneath it. They cannot move forward here.

...This is a perfectly functional place to rest.

Comments

[impure_void]

[They gather their strength. Their body protests too much Soul use, which they ignore and force Focus. It doesn't heal well, but they should do so now instead of waiting for their form to heal over time--or more likely, fall apart.

Most of it goes to their stump of an arm. This isn't entirely intentional. At least their cloak rubbing against it won't make them twitch.

Sibling sits beside them. They do not let themselves wonder why, and lever their body up until they're mostly sitting as well. Pain crackles through their chest, but less. If they allowed themselves to examine their emotions, there would be some surprise to it.

They angle their head, watching Sibling with their functioning eye without seeming to. They are not meant to make eye contact like a true bug, but if an order comes, they should not miss it.]

[voidbug]

[Still siting. They are relieved that their actions did managed to help the Hollow Knight...somewhat, even if it wasn't exactly perfect. Given the cracks and scars it barely looked like any progress was made at all.]

[They sat there and watched curiously, even if their sibling might've been going out of their way to purposefully ignore them. They weren't too bothered by it.]

[But curiosity was getting the best. They kept looking at the crack just above the Hollow Knight's eye. They remembered it was there when they fought, and apparently it still never recovered even after all that healing.]

[Pretty much what any toddler might do, they gently reached up high to touch it. How long had such a thing been there and also why hadn't it gone away yet??]

[Also now might've been as best of time as any for the Hollow Knight to see that this nameless vessel also had a mark of their own. A very noteworthy royal one at that. Not that they were trying to keep secret about it.]

[impure_void]

[They do not move, no matter how much pain they expect. An attack would be impractical after trying to heal them, but revenge would hardly be unexpected. They failed despite being one among hundreds of thousands chosen.

It isn't. It's only a touch.

Despite not knowing their sibling's reason, they lean forward to allow them easier access.

Their eye snaps to a very familiar mark, and this is what makes them flinch.]

[voidbug]

[They flinch too, perhaps even more aggressively as they did not know what the panic was about. Whether it was something they did or something was happening.]

[It seemed best to just not...get in the way at the moment. What was that for?]

[impure_void]

[They did wrong. They should not have done that. They force their body still until aches burn along their back, chanting inwardly do not do not do not do not--

--but the Pale King's symbol is still there, and with near-true mindlessness, the Hollow Knight's stare follows it as their sibling's hand pulls away.

Should not be there. Should not be possible to be there. The brand that was His and His alone, put onto Void. And if it is here, He...he is...]

[voidbug]

[Somehow they hadn't put it together that this was about the brand. At least not until they kept staring at their hand even after they tucked it away.]

[...Right. It was a very distinctive crest, and they would know it better than most.]

[Well, this is awkward.]

[They hesitated, but inevitably revealed the brand once again. Not too sure how they were going to take it.]

[impure_void]

[They hold back from a flinch this time.

Of course the Pale King is gone. He would not have relinquished kingship to anyone, let alone a Vessel; he would not have disappeared from Hallownest if there was a chance to recover it from his Vessel's impurity.

Do not feel, do not think, do not speak--

They've failed. It's obvious how terribly they have failed. They lost in battle against this other Vessel, who had an up-close look at how badly the Hollow Knight is ruined.

Everything within them screams against the effort of simply lifting their hand to point to their sibling's. At the Brand. How--?]

[voidbug]

[There was no easy way to explain it. Not without a voice. It's almost impossible.]

[It was not like they had much of a choice. Just as Hornet said, if they wished to learn the truth, there was no other way. But only once they proven to be strong enough to carry it and the burden it holds.]

[The Pale King was gone, presumably it had been so for quite some time now. They know not of the details since it must've happened long before they returned. It didn't seem like it really mattered one way or the other, and yet...]

[They slumped further on the ground. A subtle gesture of guilt, sorrow, perhaps even sympathy that they couldn't really say anything on the matter.]