Chapter Text
She held the pale flower in her hands, its glow softly illuminating her mask in the gloom. Her brain was slowly chewing through the Herald’s words, trying to find a sliver of meaning, a grain of advice, a whisper of guidance…
The Abyss was quiet, as it always was, not like a peaceful night, but like a forest in the presence of a predator. Even sitting at the bench, a safe place, Hornet could not shake the unease.
The flower – a ticket to the depths of the sea of darkness, but what should she do once down there?
The easiest course of action would be to finish both mother and child, but then how would she ascend? Did she even deserve to survive the ordeal of fixing her mistake? Perhaps her perishing would save Pharloom from yet another potential tyrant...
Hmm, and then there was that parasitic menace in the Wormways. It would become a problem very soon and would love to find the kingdom defenseless, bugs desperate, they wouldn’t be ready… She also did not wish to die, as long as her life has been, things have only just started to get interesting, enjoyable even. She had friends again, bugs she cared about and wanted to protect. A home.
“...Trust yourself. And each other. The solutions is always within grasp...
...The little left-behind... you've decided, then? A companion for the journey…
...For the kind-hearted, a weapon can also be a friend...
...You're so eager to follow in her footsteps. But what are you leaving for those who come next?…
..Do they realise it would only be the beginning? If they cleave themselves free, they would need to find their way anew... “
Something clicked into place in her subconscious, like gleaning the meaning of a wise text, without being able to voice it.
The world shook again with the screams of the Grand Mother, the void-soaked stands writhing.
Hornet got up, new determination flowing through her – she didn’t have a plan, but she felt she would know what to do once at the bottom of the world.
***
Cursed be the Void and its apparent love for vessels. The pale one had been possessed, of course she had – perfect vessel for the darkness beneath all. Her hits were stronger, her movements swifter, her shell – harder. The void tendrils under her control, aiding her, as malleable as any tool Hornet had created. No wonder the possessed bugs above had also been so troublesome… And no wonder her sibling’s shell could shrug off blows that would cripple Hornet – the void gave them resilience in its weird way.
The gold pin rang against Hornet’s needle, the silk bug’s attacks much more aggressive than in their last duel, but just as graceful. Hornet could dodge, but could not move too rashly in her retreat either, for the possessed doll would reappear from the void lake just where she need to be to let the weaver’s momentum lead her to a sharp pin.
Windows to counterattack that Hornet learned from their previous fights were shut tight by the void tendrils. Projectiles aimed for her, while her opponent was relentlessly attacking. A cogfly tried to dive at the silk bug, but was swiftly pierced and discarded as the dark figure continued its pursuit of Hornet, its tiny body quickly swallowed by the darkness.
Cursed be those snail shamans too! To keep the nature of their plan from her. Was part of their plan indeed for her to perish alongside the pale god? One less higher being to worry about, right? What a mess… And now they had paid the ultimate price and so would Hornet and the rest of the kingdom if this fight dragged on much longer. If she failed. The wounds she was sustaining were getting heavier and more frequent, the void eagerly lapping up any silk and soul that escaped her shell, impeding her healing.
Hornet finally landed a brutal hit and her opponent staggered, the darkness’ grip loosening slightly. The fencer let out a pained laugh and dived under the surface.
Then things took a turn for the worst – loud thuds echoed in the cocoon, the void was bashing against the silk. The pale monarch, in her frayed state could not withstand the aggression, she fell, no longer able to renew the outer layers of silk. More void seeped into the cocoon and soon a massive wave of darkness, claws and fangs slashing wildly, threatened to engulf Hornet. She ran up the wall, wings stretching, barely cresting over the danger.
The monarch screamed in pain and, as if summoned by her mother’s thrashing, the child surfaced again, letting out a pitiful wail.
In the back of her mind Horned wondered if the daughter could feel her mother’s suffering. If the void truly quieted the conscious mind completely and brought out the most basic instincts out of the possessed. Created to be a loyal daughter, to serve and protect her mother to the end, a truly suffocating purpose to be engraved with from her very creation.
The fight intensified, desperation pushing both to the limit, but with one last decisive hit, Hornet was victorious. Her opponent collapsed and sunk into the void and for a moment everything went deathly still. Hornet used it to catch her breath, senses sharp to catch any new threats.
Something stirred beneath the surface and soon the fencer’s body floated up, seemingly draining of all darkness as it did. Motionless, but not dead.
This was it, it was in this moment Hornet felt that hunch from before – this is what she had to do. She gently picked up the pale form before her, cradling her close, she then turned to the Grand Mother, determination and promise in her eyes and called out to her.
The god understood, her wish to be granted – her child safe, even if she would not see it herself. For her daughter – the ultimate sacrifice. Silk poured into Hornet, charged with soul and more abundant than she had ever had. She concentrated and threw her needle far and up, further than she ever could, further than possible, further than she would ever be able to again. After what felt ages it latched onto something and Hornet blasted off, precious silken child in her hands, last of her kind, last bit of the monarch’s glow in this world…