Ghost tapped their foot impatiently as they waited for Oro to finish fumbling about.
"Hurry up! Its only a few mintutes before he'll get here!" they tried.
"Alright, alright I'm ready!"Oro exclaimed with Mato's fixed nail under a cloth. Ghost sighed and breathed in the fresh Dirtmouth air. It had started a peaceful morning but that was about to be interrupted...
Sheo stood a short distance behind ready to spectate. He still hadn't been told the full story but got the gist that the nail was broken due to a falling out. Footsteps could be heard in the distance now and Ghost bobbed up and down excitedly on the spot.
"Alright, so why'd you call me here?" the nailmaster asked once he came into view.
"Well..."Ghost grinned at turned their gaze to Oro who waved awkwardly. Mato's gaze hardened.
"What are you doing here Oro?"
"I have as much right to be here as you! But uhm... What I'm here for is to apologize. I'm sorry for the fight we had and your nail breaking so Ghost here helped me fix my error." Oro passed the nail still wrapped in cloth to his brother. The fine silk flew off and revealed the prized nail in all its glory, now etched with channels to make it even sharper. It shined in the light of the lumafly lamps and looked beautiful.
Mato was at a loss for words. Or Ghost assumed he was because the large bug had been silent the whole time since he'd seen the gift.
"Y-you fixed it!" he spoke at last.
"Y-you fixed it for me!"
"Well of course! I couldn't let our relationship stay broken forever now, could I?" Oro replied rather awkwardly.
"Thank you brother! But how could you afford it?"
"Well I may have had some help..." Oro gestured slightly to Ghost. Mato grinned and pulled them both into a big bear hug. Ghost didn't mind. They had decided that they liked hugs recently. Well, they at least tolerated them, they could get a little boring if they were too long but others had told them they had a short attention span before. Ghost wasn't really sure why.
"I missed you Oro" Mato sniffed once they left the hug.
"And you to Sheo!" he called. Ghost just smiled. They had done their job well.
"Well we could just set up weekly training sessions or something" Sheo inputted.
"What and I come all the way from Kingdom's Edge every week!?" Oro replied dryly.
"Yes! Ever heard of stag stations?" Mato answered joyfully. So this was how siblings interacted Ghost mentally noted. Hollow would agree to help them practise social interactions for all their other siblings right? Everyone was brought out of their doing by a loud voice and a quiet padding of footsteps.
"Celebrating without me are you!?" Sly said grinning deviously.
"Nailsage" Sheo exclaimed shocked. All three brothers bowed down to him. Ghost supposed they should as well due to their status as a nailmaster but they didn't really want to.
"Master, we vowed to never look upon you again!" Mato said still in shock.
"Eh, I said to never see me again as the nailsage but bla bla bla I pronounce Ghost the new nailsage. I've got a business to run!"
"What!" all four cried.
"You heard me, Ghost's the new nailsage. I'm just a plain old nail master now. Equal to you three. Ghost has bested us all in combat! Now take a new vow or whatever if you really want but make it quick, wasting this time means I have less open shop time which means less geo!" Ghost giggled to themselves. Of course Sly was thinking of geo... They should probably feel shocked or humbled at their new title but all of Sly's points were correct. They had rightfully earned the it! They'd had to work hard to be able to beat Sly!
"Thank you, simple nailmaster. You are dismissed to return to your shop now" they said in a posh voice. Sly snorted and left and they then turned to the nailmasters.
"Now, my students, go and train or do whatever it is that you normally do with each other. I, have business to attend to with my many siblings" they announced. Yeah, they had go tell all of their siblings the new respect that they should be treated with. Mato stared at them wide eyed before ushering off his brothers.
"Of course, great will still visit though right?" he asked tentatively.
"Oh, I suppose I can find time in my schedule which must be very busy with my err duties to visit you commoners" Mato laughed before joining his siblings off in the distance.
Well, that had gone well!
Hollow still wan't feeling great but there was something they wanted. No. Not just wanted, they needed. At this point they were convinced the only thing that could make them feel better was hive honey. They loved the sweet taste of it and had heard plenty of tales of Ghost taking it excess if they felt ill. Apparantly even Hornet was known to have some when she got ill, from time to time and there was no way she'd ever even admit to someone she was ever ill in the first place. So it was decided then. The hive honey was calling their name and they would go get it.
But, they needed back up.
Hollow couldn't ask Ghost because that would mean admitting to their younger sibling that they were ill and start 100% attention on them and a lot of over worrying from them. Hornet was a no as well as the idea would probably be frowned upon by her and she'd go get it alone when Hollow also kind of wanted an excuse to do something. They were very bored...
Most vessels were too inexperienced to meet them in Deepnest so it would probably have to be a resident. That left them with the options of Lili, Thorn, Herrah or Spider. Hollow grinned. They knew just who to ask...
Lili would not do well going against Hornet's opinion nor had any combat training, Thorn would likely accodently spill their plan to Hornet or Herrah, Herrah herself would probably just have a similar opinion to Hornet and she was just as stubborn... So that left Spider. Hollow was certain she'd be able to handle it; she seemed like the right bug for a stealth mission such as this.
So Hollow rose slowly from their bed and sped over to her shop. They had already checked the small convenience store to se if they had honey in stock there but found nothing. The small bell on the door jingled softly as they stepped in.
"Hi, Spider" they started not even bothering to surpress the devious smirk spreading across their face. "Can I help you?" she replied with an expression that matched their own except for the slight bit confusion mixed in.
"I need your help"
"With what?" Hollow checked around to see if anyone else was there and inhaled ready to explain when it was clear that there was not.
"I really want to go get some hive honey but I know it's a bad idea to go alone. No one else here would actually go with me but I know this is a job tight up your alley!" Hollow was about to go on but was interupted by Spider taking hold of a needle and coming over to them.
"Say no more" she grinned and Hollow knew she was on board.
"Just give me a moment to ask Lili to run the shop for me- I'll meet you at the abandoned stag station." With that Spider tok off and Hollow wondered off to their meeting place slightly dazed by Spiders enthusiasm.
They weren't waiting long for the weaver when she turned up and their head had began to feel slightly better in the fresh air. "Best way out if here is by the tram for going to the Hive" Hollow nodded in agreement.
"So we just have to sneak away unoticed" "I can get myself there, can you?"
"Course I can! I've done it hundreds of times with Hornet!" Hollow smirked at that.
"Follow me then" They then proceeded to concentrate on the void with in them and let it take over. It was a technique Ghost had taught them intended for combat but being all of the same colour as shadows wouldn't hurt. They then jumped down to one of the small passages below and slunk against the wall to the exit. Spider was right behind them the whole way using silk to sling in and out of sight.
It didnt take long to traverse Deepnest even when there were still some roaming hostile bugs. Even dashing through the pits of garpedes wasnt too hard. Hollow had been trained to be the best and they were going to use that.
"You know at this point I'm questioning whether your even ill!" Spider's laughing voice chimed in,
"What, you expect me to be keeling over dying after every step?" they replied dryly.
"Ha ha very funny" she said sarchastically, "But seriously how are you doing it? Like, if I was ill I'd be on break every few minutes and complainig the whole time!"
"I was trained to be an excellent warrior. And I was supposed to be hollow of feelings so I guess I'm just used to ignoring pain" Spider gave them a skeptical look but soon shrugged it off.
They were at the tram station now and the large machine stood waiting for them. Hollow stepped into it and sat down. They were glad Ghost had found away to leave them permanently open- passes were so rare these days. Spider scuttled over to the glowing button on the right of the enterance then. She looked over to check Hollow was ready then pushed it. The transport whirred to life and drove forward. The ride to the Hive was not a long one so Hollow spent it resting to regain their breath.
Before they could really comprehend what was going on though, the tram stopped and the door creaked open. Hollow bolted up knowing the sweet goop was near now. They hadn't had hive honey in so long!
They raced outside and scurried along the path wih Spider in tow. The nearest enterence was just a few jumps up now and Hollow was giddy with excitement. Spider took one look at them and sighed. Hollow heard her mutter, "Yes, this is the very dignified prince supposedly hollow and stoic." They shot her a glare and prepared to jump.
They got onto the first platform and looked down to see Spider gone. Hollow looked around panicking but found her giggling already at their destination. The tall vessel huffed in indignation and scrambled up as fast as they could. This was their mission! They weren't going to be shown up by their number two.
The aroma was filling their head now and they were happy. Glass jars were swept out of their cloak into Hollow's hands. They rushed in grinning at all the hivelings and made their way to the golden walls oozing the substance they wanted. They swung a jar into it and watched the viscous liquid seep in. They could imagine their mmoment of bliss now...
They turned while filling up a fourth jar and saw Spider doing the same thing as them.
"You want honey to?" they asked.
"Well, duh! I mean sneaking out is fun and all but this will sell really well!" Hollow smirked. Of course the weaver had other reasons to come. Hollow had thought she had said yes a little too quickly and enthusiastically.
The vessel soon ran out of jars and rounded sharply ready to leave and Spider caught up. They were nearly at the exit when a few hivelings and some hive soldiers closed in on them.
"You're going to have to pay for that you know!" one spoke.
"Here you go..." Hollow said bringing out a bag of geo uncertainly.
"We don't need that!" another exclaimed.
"Will some Deepnest silk, of only the highest quality of course suffice? Spider said her best salesbug voice pulling out several coils of shining silk.
"We'll take it!" buzzed the first hiveling. Spider then pulled a face that made Hollow realize she was about to push their luck.
"How do you feel about scheduled trades like this?"
"You mean like we give you honey for silk between set intervals?"
"Yes"
"That sounds good thank you kind weaver. When will our next trade occur then?"
"How about in three weeks?"
"Ok"
"Well see you then"
With that the pair left with Hollow gaping at Spider's good negotiating skills.
"So you'll be able to stock honey now!?"
"If my supplies do not 'magically disappear' due to a certain someone" she jabbed a leg at them, "then yes" Hollow grinned happily. The rest of the journey back to the Distant Village was uneventful with the only thing hapening being Hollow taking small tastes of their honey trying to saveur its bliss.
Well the journey was uneventful until they arrived into one of Spider's hidden passageways into the village to see a very disapproving Hornet with a guilty looking Lili by her side.
"So this is staying and resting is it" she asked sharply.
"Uhmm, I really wanted hive honey?" they argued weakly. Hornet simply tutted and dragged them up to their room. They watched Spider's gaze at Lili that screamed 'Why!?' with vague interest as they left. At least they got their honey.
- It flashed in front of their eyes. Thorn. Limping towards them dripping infection. The darkness. Her voice. The crack of their shell. Void surrounding them. The crunch of their sibling's shell. Them raining down. Locked there forgotten. The creature. Its claws sharp and edged.
The memories warped and entwined. Their trauma returning in waves. They could see their blank broken face in the smooth shiny walls of the king's chamber. They saw the void streaks oozing out of them like the infection. It dripped staining the cool floor. But it rose agin. It rose into a horrid monster. It was a shade of them.
Rim jumped and reached for their scizzors. But they weren't there. It closed in on them claws out like the creature. Its voice rang in their head as loud and clear as her's had. Was this real? If they stuck their hand out, would it phase right through it or meet the cold surface of void being?
"They're still gone" it whispered.
"You're still here"
"Is she really gone?"
"Did they really kill the creature"
"You'll be safer with me"
"Safer"
"Safer with you" they mumbeled closing inwards on themself.
"Yes"
"Leave them"
"Return home"
"Home"
"Home" they repeated from it.
"Rim" a new voice cut in. They couldn't trust that. They should go.
"Ignore them" it said softly.
"Rim, are you with us? Its me, Lost. I wondered if you wanted to practise summoning your wings from the void"
"Home" it said again.
"Rim!"
"Save yourself"
"Rim! Please answer me! Are you ok!?" There was a sharp intake of breath from the other.
"Love, please, can you help them?"
Rim found themself in a new place. The monster was still there but there was also a new being. They were immensly big and had several large glowing blue eyes.
"Rim, you have to listen to me. It isn't real. The more you listen to it, the more control it gets. Its just your negative ideas. If you don't want to do it for yourself, do it for Lost."
"Lost..." they mumbled in response.
"Home" the creature, their thoughts they supposed, said. "Rim" the being tried again placing a vine of cool blue liquid on them.
Suddenly they could think lucidly again. Reality had become clear. Why were they letting this thing boss them around?! "Leave" they told it, "This is my mind" It nodded absently but offered a hand. They didn't take it though. The thing glowed bright white and distanced itself from them before fading.
The real world came into view and they saw Lost frowning at them worridly. They were ok though.
They let go of the past.
