"You think you're the most sucsessful of all of us?!" Mato questioned loudly.
"Well Sheo seems to have retreated as of late and we both know that I am much superior to you" Oro replied smugly. The two brothers stood face to face in dancing glint of Crystal Peak. They couldn't train in Dirtmouth due to their vow to nost see their teacher the Great Nailsage Sly again, so they had agreed to meet here. Once they were past the sharpened, glistening points of crystal and the mechanical system of conveyor belts, it was perhaps even better than the town without the risk of accidental harm to citizens.
"Well brother we may both agree that Sheo is better than us but realistically how can you expect to be second best automatically without even considering me? Especially when your technique requires the ability of a dash when only with the strands of mothwing is that possible. How do you honestly expect to pass it down?"
"Oh yes brother, as obsessed as ever at teaching... Surely that would distract you from being the best at real combat..."
"At least I wish to actually fulfill the role of a nailmaster!"
"I became one for the skills I would gain to to have to teach some untalented, ungrateful grub"
"If its skills you so care about why don't we settle this with a duel then brother..."
"If that's what you believe brother..."
Mato looked into the depths of his brothers eyes and saw only lust for power. He cared not for the way of the nail masters! The arrogant fool... He would be taught a lesson from the heart!
Mato drew his prized nail and went straight in for Oro. The strike landed and caught he other master off guard but was quickly countered with an upwards strike of their own. Mato retreated into a corner and charged the energy from the air he needed to perform his signiture move -the cyclone slash. The bug flew high in the sir from the force of the whirling blade before dropping down still spinning his nail at Oro. Oro blocked it and too began charging for his tchnique. Mato jumped in the air in hopes of evading but was unable to stay airborne for long enough. It was then that ssomething srange seemed to come over his brother...
His eyes seemed to glow with an odd orange tint and each move was performed almost roboticaly without mercy. Every strike bore down into Mato's nail until it broke. Crevice turned to crack turned to halves. His brother had broken the one thing he knew was special to him! He turned to the offendor with a cold, hard stare.
"I'm ashamed to call you my kin..." he spat.
"Brother! Wait, I do not know what came over me!"
"I do, you forgot your way and scarcly deserve your title any longer..."
"I truely am sorry though..."
"I've had this since the beginning of my training, it is irreplaceable."
Mato strode out of the crystals now glowing omninously with the same strange orange tint with tears brimming in his eyes at the loss of both his prized nail and brother.
Unbeknowns to him, Oro had that day vowed fix the nail to its original condition no matter the cost. So he took the shards with him and left to the true edge of this world...
Ghost turned was met yet again with a sight devoid of being. All the vessels (even Hollow!) had left! They would just have to do wonder around in solitude like before. It was strange though, in the past times they could easily wonder around in solitude and accept anyone's equest with the most extreme passiveness they'd ever seen. But now... Now they were upset that the siblings they hadn't even tried to bond with were gone! They cared about Hollow yes, but they'd known that they wouldn't stick around forever. They hadn't counted on the other vessels asserting themselves though...
They brought their memory back to when they were still with Scarlet and were imagining all their friends. Maybe that would make them feel better...
They were certain Hornet was doing good - perhaps even better than before from what they'd heard of her visit to the vessels. Quirrel was clearly happy to be back with Monomon doing what he loved. Ogrim must be fine after all, they'd heard Fizz and Eve had teamed up with him to do pranks. If he was able to express himself and leave Isma then he must be doing really good! They knew Hollow was doing good and enjoying fitting in with new soceity after spending so much time with them. Scarlet herself had taken on Verde and was in fact putting on a performance soon! And better yet, Ghost was invited! Myla had been fine after some convincing she was better now and was living happily in the Archives. Ghost hadn't actually seen Cornifer, Iselda or Sly yet but they were probably fine.
It was then that Ghost realised who they had missed out before. The bug they considered to e their dad much more than their real father - Mato. They quivered with excitement planning a visit to him. He would be so pleased to see them again! Maybe they would even show him the power they gainedin combat from being able to turn into the shade ord! Or maybe they'd just stick to a safer void form that wasn't possibly so massive that it could destroy the area. At least the size could get them to stagnest from the Howling Cliffs now. Right? Well whatever they'd do, they were leaving righ now!
The knight set off to the storerooms at the top of the city and asked the stag to take them to their destination. They were able to actually control their emotions and keep relatively calm this time.
They shuddered though walking through the corpses of deseaced stags. It was unclear to them why they hadn't felt anything in the cold halls for the loss of life. It was even more unclear to them why they were able feel now! They still bore the mark of being outside Hallownest and the void heart carried on beating ever powerful in the core of their being! Maye it happened from the godseeker's role in their ascension?
Well none of that mattered anynore when Ghost found themselves standing outsie of Mato's home. They bounded into the cosy cottage and absorbed their surroundings.
Two wooden planks sat upon the walls surporting the mask of a large bug. In front of that sat a large bench covered in a rich perple fabric . The ceiling sloped into a diamond shape with drapes of other fabrics hanging down. Through the doorway the bug they came her for sat in meditation under a large pillar of light flittering through a window high above. They ran through the hallway, past the bench an to their extended family.
"Ahh my pupil! An honour to have you back here! How may I help you?" he spoke kindly.
"I don't need help, I just came here to see you and show you how I've improved!"
"Ah well then, what have you learned in your travels?"
"Well I guess I only really started learning when I got proper emotions from-"
"Is this why you have a voice now?"
"Yes. I got proper emotions from ascending to defeat the Radiance. Its totally not like she's that bad. *Cough cough* inection *cough couh*. Then I escaped Goshome with Scarlet, you know the grimmchild I had with me sometimes? Then I helped resurect some of my siblings into proper bodies. They're all so different! Its just ridiculous to try and please them all at once! All liking different things, arguein over petty things oh and half of them just disappeared off soewhere else and seemed to think I wouldn't notice!"
"You know your tale has reminded me of my own siblings..."
"Oro and Sheo?"
"Why yes! Of course I knew you'd met them but I hadn't realised you knew of our relation"
Ghost rolled their eyes at that -Oro and Mato looked pratically identical and Sheo was barely that different!
"So what about them?"
"When I left Oro... He destroyed my special nail... I was furious at him similar to how you feel at some of your siblings, but now I realise it was not worth upsetting over. I should let him, my family come first not some possession..."
Ghost smiled and toddled up to him. They wrapped their arms around him. they weren't sure it was what they should be doing but they just went along with instinct. "We're family too"
Scarlet stood, eyes glowing, in a chamber in one of her tents. She was keeping an eye on the grimmkin making sure they gave out the invitations to Verde's family for the performance. One however, was doing an atrocious job! He was supposed to be informing a couple of vessels called 'Misforune' and 'Nymph' but seemed to fail at every corner. Right now they were playing around in a feild of thorns, laughing at their immunity to that kind of physical injury.
"Get back to work!" she mentally screamed at them. They jumped obviously scared when they heard her message. Their shoulders sagged slightly and she felt slightly bad as they floated on. That ended when their energy came abrubtly back. They were boucing up and down on the path, going along with the directions given to find them. "Veer up then west" he read aloud. He shrugged and went up before turning directly east at the top. Scarlet facepalmed. How incompetent could this grimmkin get! He couldn't even read directions!
When the next direction was impossible for him, he turned around and went yet again the wrong direction.
"No! Just turn back to that flower wrapped in thorns and go west not east!" she tried.
An expression clearly speaking realisation came across his mask. He then started going the correct direction for a short while. This lasted until they came across some mossflies and started to play with them. He jumped around them and played tag. The mossflies lookd like they couldn't care less and tried to flutter away. Unfortunately, the grimmkin hung on got way off course. Scarlet's hand met her face again at that point. At least he seemed to realise his mission again once he was hopelessly lost. There wasn't much point to this now was there Scarlet sighed. She snapped her fingers and the grimmkin faded into essence. He then reappeared at his destination looking confused.
"I teleported you here after you so clearly failed with orienteering."
He shrugged and floated happily off to the vessels nearby.
Sometimes Scarlet wondered how her father had manged to find such useless helpers. That was if it was even her father who recruited them...
"Sir we've recieved word that you, Lost, Hollow and Rim have been invited to see Verde's performance with the Grimm Troupe" Lurien explained.
"Not a chance" He replied.
"Sire, why ever not?"
"'I'm not going out there with a bunch of vengeful vessels. They're only one step away from being axe murderers!"
"Since when have those ever existed in Hallownest?"
"Not entirely important"
"Right..."
The pale king was sat once again at his desk in the shining light of the chamber he built. Bandages with healing ointment were wrapped around him in places he was injured from strain of magic the most. "I wouldn't be wearing these of those lunatics weren't running around"
"Sir really-"
"Plus as if I'd want to go to some performance anyway. R-right?" he managed.
"Is that really what you think?"
"Of course it is!" He would never drop his formalness and regality in front of Lurien. Unfortunately for him, Lurien seemed to realise this and returned with his three vessel children. "Now why don't you want to go to the performance?"
"I'm scared..." he whispered.
"Of what father?" Lost softly asked obviously having picked up on his comment through the enhancements the Lifeblood Creature gave him. She was always the type to give out silly passive powers like that.
"Pardon?" Hollow asked them all.
"I said that t-that I'm too scared to"
"Why ever though?" Lost tried again.
"Them" Rim said insightfully.
"Its true" he sighed, " Every time I go anywhere your kind comes after me. I come here and Ghost is upon me. I so much as go outside and Est is chucking me down the Abyss to die. Kind regards again for saving me Lost" he pet the vessel on the head, "Then I go to 'help fix the Archives' and find a vessel I didn't know was there attack me. My magic certainly won't be ready quick enough for this! What if I have to defend myself. These void beings also seem to have a degree of control over me."
"Father-" Hollow started but was cut off by Lost.
"We'll heal you then. We'll protect you then"
"I know you're better than they told of you. Show them you've changed." Rim imputed. He would, he thought miserably, but I haven't really have I...
"Alright if it really makes you feel better, I'll go." His companions started cheering at that. "BUT! If I do become injured I'm holding you all accountable. Be my three great uhh vessel knights" Hollow laughed a swept them all in to a big hug.
Uhhh, not this again...