Long forgotten magic flowed through his already overworked soul channels and gave him a glimpse at his former glory. If pale monarch's plan succeeded he wouldn't need to worry about the consequences for the next day. He wasnt quite sure how his next day would play out if he completed the plan. How he did miss his foresight sometimes...

This magic dragged him into the dream realm just as planned. It was no special feat -he had taken himself and an entire palace in before- yet he couldn't help but feel proud at his developing magic and how he had done it despite this issue with the dream realm. His form was surrounded by white essence in this realm as if it recognised his status hidden deep away in his core. He knew where he had to go and knew it also might have been easier to walk there in the normal realm but then he could be noticed and he couldn't add that to list of things he'd done to them.

Doubts irked at the Pale King the entire way and still wasn't entirely sure he could go through with this. Its success would mean giving up on everything he'd worked so hard for in the past month. Was he capable of doing an act now? He hadn't been ready to try an act of a similar calibre against the Radiance. He wasn't the type to put himself before others. So the vessels came. Really, he owed it to them to do this. They fixed an issue that was his problem. Clenching his fist, he pushed on forwards pushing these ideas to the back of his head hoping they wouldn't get in his way.

He had another issue he probably should have dealt with before hand though. This became apparent when he stumbled into a vast space with a large golden structure when he'd thought he was in the Waterways. He wouldn't have realised where he was if not for a familiar face. A blotchy void form came into view as he flew gently over the pillars. It kept shifting shape and size so he couldn't get a proper look at it. He would have been more cautious in his approach had he realised who it was.

Abrubtly, the figure stoped shifting once he flew past. It stayed in a massive form -like that of an eldrich monster- with several dark protrusions and eight glowing eyes. It bore a gaze into him and spoke in an imposing and resounding voice that was yet all too familiar.
"And what do you think you're doing here?"
"Ghost, I can explain! I assume this is that 'Godhome' place you spoke of? Well I didn't mean to come here just passing through"
"Oh so you accidently stumbled here? And what were you doing, running? Hiding like you did before? I should not have let the void be so merciful on you. You won't get away with it this time." Their voice took on a dangerous air of power and chilled the surrounding air.
"No Ghost! I'm not running! You see I'm just" he fumbled for a suitable excuse in case he couldn't pull off his plan and disappointed them, "was seeing how bad the damage here was myself" They sneered at him.
"A likely story. I won't fall for it. Its time you payed for your crimes." They closed a massive, sharply clawed hand. A pain inflicted upon him by the same deity all that time ago came flooding back. The familiar aching coldness that charged through him. The burning sensation of standing in the brightest of blazes upon his shell. Pain running through him like being struck by lightning forced him to the ground.

"And here I'd thought you'd actually changed" He wanted to cry out and tell them that he had changed! To tell them his true intentions and motives but he could not even move his mouth through the pain. He could feel the void -so alien to his body until this form- seep out of him causing a crtain light headedness to greet him. For...Hollow...though. He pushed on and forced his power into speaking. Ghost's form was currently much more powerful than his own and they had the advantage of being able to manipulate his body. But somehow he managed to croak out four words.
"I'll tell the truth" Their grip lossened and the pain turned to a dull throb across his whole body.
"Go on" And so he unveiled his whole plan to them.
"I plan to attempt to fix this whole mess. To claim her spot as the ruler of this realm. I won't be able to manifest a physical form for quite a while but all these problems will be solved. I'm doing what I should have done before- take on my problems."

Ghost looked stumped at this as their eyes glazed over and their claws wide open. He could tell he was heavily injured but was no longer actively being harmed. He hoped his grip over dream was still strong enough to escape even while Ghost couldn't. Everything would just get even worse if he to was trapped. Wheezing slightly, he got up and started to pass through the grand location whilst Ghost was seemingly too stunned to stop him.

Luckily enough, he was able to leave Ghost's place of confinement and dirfted through the dream realm of the city. It was not nearly as grand as the real place but at least it wasn't raining. It had been quite a shock to discover the caverns had started to leak in his absence between reincarnations. The strongest point of connection between the realms -and subsequently the firmest structure there- was the spire Lurien had slumbered in for years. Thre was also a strangely strong spot in the heart of the soul sanctum but that place had gone so crazy and uncontrollable he wasn't that surprised to gfind something like that.

But eventually he did reach his destination- the place with the stringest connection between realms in all of Hallownest. The monument stood clear infront of him but it was the strange arching structure in the distance that looked like a vessels horns that really seemed to be there. He wasn't exactly sure how to proceed but prepared to start a spell that might do the trick. He really did try to start anyway but the voice came back. His doubts in willingness to give himself up for this role stopping his magic for fractions of seconds just long enough to disrupt his spell and make him restart. It was only once he started to feed into these thoughts that it appeared.

A void being for sure but it took on the shape of his previous life. Not his original wyrm body but the crowned monarch most knew him as. Its colour scheme was inverted from his true state and the cloak seeming thing draped down ripped and ragged. Seeing his old form now, he could see the cold harshness that intimidated so many other bugs. The glare that kept Lurien and his other subjects tied to his will. The calculating mind working behind the eyes that somehow convinced Herrah of Deepnest to take part in his plan of great self sacrifice on her part. He understood the mind behind it that spoke such convincing words just as he understood himself then. But he still wasnt sure he could overcome it.

"You think yourself beneath this problem?"
"Well...They're not going to be able to fix it are they?
" It glared at him and rolled its eyes.
"They'll come to the same conclusion as you eventually and do it themselves. Failing that just tell them! You're the king not some common bug playing at being a hero"
"I could be a hero if I tried.
.." An illuminated, scornful stare fell upon him as it floated up to eclipse the fading gold in the distance to become the only source of light. The void became a vast expanse blanketing around him and it.
"You tell heroes what to do, not be one."
"Well who's going to be the hero then?"
"The vessels! They're tools- we made them to be that
" He shivered as some distant part of himself agreed. The vessels had been tools. Not meant to live out as they did now. Not even meant to have the potential to live out as they did now.
"And sometimes tools can break and you have to do things yourself?" he tried but was trying to convince himself at the same time.
"Yes, you're definitely going to go fix a broken contraption with your bare hands because the screwdriver's broken." it spat out sarcastically. But the tone felt almost right. Like how he would speak: not some kind of doubt manifestation.

Now his new ideals felt distant as he subconsciously took back on that tone.
"Of course not, I'd use my magic"
"Exactly! Except here you don't have to fix it yourself. You can just fix the tool. Just go do some mind convincing to one of the weaker ones and be done with it."
"But which one?" he mused. What was he thinking agreeing to this!? It wasn't what he came here to do! But it was the easy option...
"Exploit one of their fears."
"You think I know them well enough to know that kind of thing?" They laughed harshly together. Maybe he should think that bad but it just seemed funny. Of course he didn't know the tools well!

"If you move this void stuff, I'll go get one now." he remarked.
"Easy" The gold seeped once again through but it stung his eyes and reminded him of his deep rooted hatred of the Radiance..
"Ugh glad she's gone!"
"One useful thing that Ghost one did!" Something kept nagging at his mind though as he exited. Flashes of his old idea came up and guilt rose for this new plan slightly. But the old idea would just fail like his plan for the Radiance right? It must have seen his hesitation as it rounded on him and seemed to read him. "They'll hate me even more for this..."
"You're the boss though!"
"So was the Radiance originally"
"And look what happened when you took that! She fought back! Basically got back control!"
"You're right...I don't even know any of them well enough to care. Well except for Hollow"
"And look how well that worked for us... Somehow weren't distanced enough"
"B-but that was a character f-flaw right? They n-never truly were h-hollow were they?"
"No! It was just a temporary lapse in our judgement from being under so much stress"

Was there even a 'pure' vessel? Was it his plan that failed? 'Yes, it was the plan!' a voice told him. But the infection still ended so this part of him couldn't be right could it? What had it accomplished sitting ovr a desk making figurines for weeks? Besides, even if the vessles hated him for forcing them into his new plan, if it worked then they would be forced to admit it was good! Hollow would be fine and proud of him for saving them!

Right, Hollow... Would they actually approve.
"Hey what do you think Hollow will think of this?"
"They'll be proud you saved the kingdom. If our dad had been that good we'd have been proud of him!" The active part of him was reassured as he strode regally down the path he came at a slow pace. But the altered version of himself that had come to light recently still called out for Hollow's real opinion. This left him to accidently slip a muttered call for them.
"Father! What are you doing?"

He looked up sharply and banged heads with it as they looked together at the new arrival. It was a fuzzy smiling image of Hollow. They appeared as in their younger days. Not as tiny as when he'd first found them but also not the tall form that would grow to be so ragged and worn in recent times.
"Trying to save this cursed realm of course!"
"And how do you plan on doing that? I'm worried for Hornet and Ghost and all my other siblings!"
"Through those siblings!" it yelled but Hollow didn't seem to be able to notice it. 'By taking on the role myself' he thought. So out of his mouth came incoherent stutters. But he looked at Hollow and saw the warm forgivness contrasting their cold void body behind their eyes. They would do this job themself if they had to! It was quite a stark contrast to it.
"You can't let Hollow do the plan!" it whispered to him alarmed.
"Father, you do have a plan right? They'll all be so disappointed if I don't wake! And if this realm collapses you'll never leave and they'll miss you too despite what they -mainly Ghost and Est- would have you believe!"

Their words struck through him and it like a blade. They'd miss him if he was gone... He'd already messed up with Blanca... he couldn't mess up with them too with this lazy atremt at solving the issue without doing it himslef! Only he could do it! Maybe they'd miss him, but anyone of them would miss a lost sibling more. H's come here for a purpose. He'd let this get out of hand though. Yes, he knew it be hard to give up on what he'd worked for since his rising. And yes he'd miss the contact with all the importamt bugs in his life but at least then they'd live on. His mind started to stitch the gap between its arguing view points as the strange version of himslef drifted away past Hollow. It didn't quite leave though. Instead it opted to try and lull him back to it with tempting words. It would be easier to go with its plan but it wasn't right.

"Yes Hollow, I have a plan. But I'm afraid it will mean goodbye" Hollow and it both jumped in surprise but Hollow stayed solidish while it -from the distance- started to brighten. Eventually it expanded it glow and rushed outwards. This was absorbed by him though as Hollow go their words out. He noticed then that he felt truely whole for the first time in years.
"Goodbye...? W-what are you doing?"
"Taking her place. Due to this limited form I'll have to keep developing enough power to appear physically and see you. It won't be a quick process either..."
"T-thank you f-father... I-I'll m-miss you..." they snuffled with void tears rolling down their cheeks.
"I'll miss you all... Tell them I said goodbye all right?" he sniffed trying to hide his his distress. "I will! I love you father! I won't forget you!"
"I love you too Hollow" With that he pulled their image into a brief embrace. It couldn't last long though: he'd already wasted enoigh time.

He fanned his wings and flew out of their arms back towards the monumnt. He kneeled at its platform and began his spell to complete the plan. White runes flowed around him as he pictured the Radianvce and her realm. Mentally, he grasped it and pulled it into himself. Soul leaked off of him and flowed away into the darkness behind him. Steadily, the gold glow transitioned into silver and brightened as he felt power rushing to him.

The pale monarch could tell when it was done. His wyrm like pale form had been restored and he felt the realm. It was a simple fix to pull it tightly back and ingraine it down. Power started to charge up slightly as it secured itself, meaning it was over and his process of regaining a way to see them again had begun. He whispered out one more final goodbye to Hollow as they left his new domain for good.