Quick warning for this chapter: We're looking at the Vessels, their creation, and all the emotions that comes with that. So this will be a heavy chapter. If you'd prefer to skip it, then feel free to. I'll give a short explanation of what happened at the end notes.

Thank you all so much for your continued support, and I hope you enjoy!

Chapter 8: Regret

When she had followed them into the mines, Midwife had expected a very specific outcome. She would find the trio, stop them from going any further, and immediately take them into her custody. The Gendered Child might whine and complain that her adventure was cut short, but would acquiesce if she nagged her enough. The two Vessels would be harder, but if they had followed the little princess this far, then with luck, they would follow her back as well. If the Pure Vessel tried to put up a fight, well, she was happy to take it on.

Midwife was a bug that could eat Garpedes without hesitation. The Pale King's spawn would be no challenge.

That was what she had expected.

Given the trouble they had caused so far, she was a fool to think it would go smoothly.

When she finally found them, she scolded the little princess, and watched the two Vessels carefully. The Pure Vessel clutched the Gendered Child tightly to its chest, trembling at the mention of the Pale King. Yet neither of them moved until it became clear that Midwife would not leave without them. But it was not the Pure Vessel that challenged her.

When the Rogue Vessel stepped in front of the other two protectively, she wanted to laugh. It was no taller than the Gendered Child, its mask far too big for its childlike body, and it wielded a stick that was longer than itself. She immediately discarded it as a threat.

Perhaps, in retrospect, she should have been more wary. Should have listened to the warnings of the Nailmaster. But she was the Midwife, the Terror of Deepnest. What could it have done? And so she looked at it, and grinned.

"Oh? Do you have something to say, Rogue Vessel?"

It looked at the other two, before turning to her, almost resigned. She watched, slowly tensing up as its mask began to drip a thick black liquid, carefully crafting a mouth on an otherwise blank visage.

For a moment, there was silence.

And then the mouth opened, screamed.

Void exploded from it in a shockwave, flinging a cloud of heavy liquid that clung to every surface, and Midwife flinched backwards. The grating noise seemed to physically force her away as it echoed within her very exoskeleton, static beating against her chest like fists. But she forced herself to stay upright upright, claws clinging to steadily splintering rock, and she turned her gaze upon the creature that kept on screaming and screaming. She watched in distant horror as things began to crawl from the viscous liquid the Vessel continued to spew, shaping them into familiar figures that twitched and trembled.

They looked like the vessels, she realised.

Her eyes darted over to Herrah's daughter, who clung to the Pure Vessel and watched the Vessel with terror. Midwife knew she had to get her out of here. The Vessels could stay for all she cared, but the child went with her. The shakiness settled into determination, and she tensed, ready to strike.

A blobby shade crawled towards Midwife, and she darted forward, tearing it to shreds with her claws, unwilling to take any chances. As it disintegrated, a wail filled the air, and its siblings turned to her, tiny hands outstretched. The static grew louder, and thick tendrils began to form from their childlike bodies, desperately trying to reach her. She swung her hind body at the approaching figures, watching with grim satisfaction as they were crushed beneath her weight.

"Child!" she called out, dodging a flash of black. It splattered against the wall, and she had to force herself not to look. "Child!"

Something grabbed Midwife's carapace, and she snarled, trying to shake it off, but it clung on like sticky honey. The Gendered Child looked at her, mouth seemingly open as she cried out something, but the scream of the Vessel drowned her out. More and more shades coalesced, unwilling to let her go now that they had her, and Midwife thrashed, desperate to break free as her vision began to fade.

And then, there was nothing.

Midwife awoke to inky blackness, the darkness having no start and no end as it surrounded her like a vice. She hissed, but the sound died the moment it left her, leaving nothing but utter silence.

True silence.

It was not the silence of the mines, where the clinging sound of pickaxes remained. It was not the silence of Deepnest, made out of the scuttle of legs and murmur of voices.

This silence was made out of nothing but despair, and it seemed to slowly choke her as it kept her still.

And then, slowly, as though being carved from stone, a set of eyes appeared, watching her ever so carefully.

Apology.

The feeling of being crushed disappeared, and Midwife gasped, sucking in air. Nothing had been spoken, but she could feel the intent of it so clearly she could almost believe it had been said out loud.

Regret.

"I should hope so," she said without thinking, and immediately, the void surrounding her seemed to shift into something... cowed.

Somehow, she thought disbelievingly, it seemed like a child. Perhaps then, she had to approach it like one. Shifting her limbs into a non-threatening position, she tilted her head.

"What is this all about then?" Midwife asked, and the void burbled in what was undeniably pride.

Help!

"The Vessel?"

A wave of love and affection crashed into her, stealing her breath away as it surrounded her in thick waves.

Sibling, sibling, sibling!

Midwife choked, and the feeling subsided, immediately being replaced with regret and worry. She took a moment to gather herself before speaking again.

"Please... be careful," she croaked out, and the feeling immediately turned to agreement. Whatever it was, it was certainly not malicious. That much was apparent. Curious, she decided to test her luck.

"May I leave?"

Mournful, but determined rejection filled the space.

Midwife frowned.

"Just as you wish to help your sibling, I must assist someone as well," she tried to explain, but the feeling grew stronger.

She grumbled softly.

"I'm not going to hurt them, you know."

Overwhelming doubt flooded her, and she shuddered.

"I am duty bound to protect the little one, the Gendered Child," she bit back, and the doubt faded slowly.

Help? Sister?

That was... one way to put it, she supposed. The Pale King had indeed created the Vessels, so in some way, they were his children.

"Sister? She's- I suppose technically she is."

Curiosity filled the air, and Midwife sighed, unsure of how to proceed.

"I am one of her caretakers. Her mother is desperately worried, you see. Your sibling has caused quite a conundrum."

The curiosity lingered, an unspoken request for more details. Suddenly, Midwife noticed that more eyes had appeared within the void, each of them carefully focused on her. What in the name of the First Mother was this thing?

"Look, it really is quite complicated. How about this; you let me free, and I will not go after them just yet. I will instead return to her mother and tell her that the child is safe. Then, we will all follow them," she suggested. A pulse of uncertainty went through her, and she twitched.

But suddenly, there was agreement.

Help sister, it seemed to whisper, and she nodded.

"Yes. I simply wish to help. So do her mother and father, no matter how useless he is."

Father? Father? Father?

The inquisitiveness almost bowled her over, forcing her to tense her limbs.

"Yes," she gritted out, "her father. Your creator."

For a moment, there was nothing. The eyes looking at her seemed empty, and she wondered if she was frozen in time.

And then the void was filled with nothing but rage and grief, echoing over and over and over until she was forced to curl up into a ball. The twisted sorrow and despair burrowed deep in her mind, and she could see nothing but the eyes in the void, glaring at her with such hatred and accusation that she doubted she would leave alive.

No Voice! No Voice! No Mind, no Will!

Midwife clutched at her head, trying to block out the increasing crescendo, but it was no use. It was as though the sound had wormed its way into her very soul.

We suffer! We suffer! We Suffer! Their scream tore through the void, bursting with such anguish that she couldn't hold back a sob.

"Forgive me," she tried to choke out, "I do not know anything."

At the sound of her voice, the rage seemed to spike up, before receding into a soft background hum, leaving only an aching sorrow behind. Cautiously, she looked up, swallowing at the shades that now surrounded her.

She opened her mouth to speak, but no sound escaped her. None of them moved, locked in a voiceless stalemate that she could not comprehend. And slowly, the void began to fade, the dim light of the mines shining like a beacon. Midwife shut her eyes, the sudden glare too much after being trapped in darkness for so long. When she finally opened them, the void was gone, leaving no trace behind save for the lingering emotion that seemed to pulse with every heartbeat.

Apology. Apology. Apology.

For a moment, Midwife did not even dare to breathe, her body aching from how tense she kept her limbs. Then she turned, and headed back the same way she had entered. She did not think. She did not speak.

All she knew was that the Pale King had much to answer for, and one way or another, she would force the truth out of him.

Hornet was trembling, Hollow noted distantly, their arms holding her even tighter. They could not blame her. They were trembling as well. Hollow had only been somewhat aware of their sibling's fight against the Radiance, but this... this went beyond what they had seen.

In front of them, a sphere of void encased their pursuer. Ghost stood close by, mask hidden from their view, but Hollow would not be able to forget the sight they had seen. The eyes that had clung to their sibling's mask, the stream of void that fell from their eyes- Hollow shuddered, and Hornet gripped on even tighter.

"Ghost?" she finally croaked out, and their sibling's head cocked to the side, not yet turning to face them. For a moment, it was quiet, before Hornet forced herself to speak again.

"Will she be okay?"

Ghost nodded slowly. Tension leaked from Hornet, and she let out a relieved sigh.

"Thank you. She is... dear to me."

Ghost did not move, and Hollow cast a glance to their sister. Her brow was furrowed in worry, and her claws tugged against their cloak in a silent request to move closer. Hollow obliged, slowly approaching their unmoving sibling.

"Can you look at me? At us? We aren't- we won't hurt you," Hornet pleaded softly. They were trembling, Hollow realised, and their heart dropped.

Did their sibling believe that they would hate them? That they would cast them away in disgust?

A mournful huff escaped their chest, and with shaky legs, they stepped forward, claws outstretched to grab their sibling. They flinched away at the touch, but Hollow did not stop until they were tucked into their arms. Hornet did not hesitate to wrap herself around them, burying her head into their cloak.

"It's okay, Ghost. I promise. We love you, no matter what," she murmured like a mantra, and Hollow nodded their agreement. Their sibling held on tightly, and Hollow could feel something wet leak onto their cloak. Hornet seemed to notice as well, as she gently placed her claws on their mask.

"Can we see you?"

Ghost shuddered at the words, twitching every so often, but they did not flinch away. Slowly, Hornet lifted their head up, until their mask stared at both of them. Hollow locked their gaze with a multitude of eyes, watching as Void dripped from them like tears.

"Oh Ghost," Hornet breathed out softly, reaching up to wipe the tears away. "You did what you had to."

A silent hiccup seemed to escape them as they leaned into her touch, and Hollow could not stop themself from holding their siblings tighter. Had Ghost been carrying this burden all along? Hollow cursed their inability to speak and reassure their smaller sibling. But Hornet, clever, sweet Hornet, always knew when to voice the thoughts they could not say.

"I'm so sorry, Ghost. That must have been hard to carry with you."

There were unshed tears in her eyes, and it struck Hollow just how young she truly was. She was a child who had grown up so quickly just to survive, who still held such love for her siblings despite the hardships she endured. And even when faced with the chance to stay with the mother she had lost long ago, she had chosen to follow her siblings.

A silent keen escaped their chest, and they bent over, cloak covering their younger siblings from view. They knew they could not protect her from what had happened in the future, but they had to protect her now.

"Hollow?" Hornet whispered softly, voice muffled by their cloak, and they forced themself upright again. She looked up at them with concern, and even Ghost had lifted their head to make sure they were alright. The eyes on their sibling's mask had begun to close and disappear, the tears evaporating into nothing, and Hollow let out a heavy sigh. They tilted their head towards the path they needed to follow, hoping their siblings could see their regret at breaking up this moment. But they were so close, and if Hollow wanted to protect their siblings, then they had to finish what had been started.

Hornet blinked, but nodded, a watery smile on her face.

"No, no, you're right, Hollow. We're almost there. Ghost?"

She turned to face them, and they leaned forward, bumping their mask against hers. She let out a shaky giggle.

"I guess that's your agreement then," she said.

With a final squeeze, Hollow let go of their siblings. Hornet stood up straight, even as the hand clutching her needle trembled imperceptibly. But they knew it was not out of fear anymore, but rather, it was anticipation. Ghost stared straight ahead, eyes keenly focused on the path before them. They were close. So close.

Letting out one last huff, Hollow straightened their spine, determination buzzing through their limbs. Soon, they would be at the Resting Grounds.

Hollow would make sure their siblings finally had a happy ending. No matter what.

When Midwife burst out of the tunnel in a cloud of dust, Herrah feared the worst. Had the Vessels attacked her? Had they turned hostile towards the Gendered Child? Was her daughter safe? But before she could open her mouth, Midwife turned to the Wyrm, fangs bared in hostility.

"What did you do?" she hissed out, and Herrah narrowed her eyes, claw reaching out to grab her friend. The moment her fingers brushed against her carapace, Midwife flinched, rearing backwards to her full height as her mask unlatched in warning.

"Midwife," Herrah said, voice ringing out in the silence that had befallen the group. "What happened? Is my daughter safe?"

Her friend shuddered, a mixture of terror and rage blazing from her eyes.

"Yes. The Vessels view her as their sister. She is not and will not be harmed."

Relief flooded through Herrah, the ever present knot of worry in her chest loosening slightly, but she could not relax just yet. With cool certainty, she looked at Midwife directly.

"Then what has caused you to turn your fangs on your Queen?"

Midwife's mask shut with a snap, and she lowered herself down in a fluid movement.

"Fear, my Lady," she hissed out, "fear and fury from what I learned within the mines."

With a smooth twist, her friend turned her attention back onto the Pale King.

"I ask you again, Worm, what did you do?"

The Pale King tilted his head ever so slightly, regarding Midwife with detached curiosity.

"You will have to be clearer, I'm afraid," he said softly, and the centipede let out a harsh scoff. Her body swayed back and forth, and for a moment, Herrah wondered if she was going to attack the King.

"Midwife," she called out, stepping forward to touch her once again. This time, she did not flinch away from her touch, but Herrah could still feel the nervous tension in Midwife's exoskeleton.

Silence lingered within the group for a moment, waiting cautiously for Midwife to explain herself. With a careful eye, Herrah watched the way her friend's eyes darted back a forth, the instinctive clenching and unclenching of a mask that was desperate to open, and she wondered just what the hell she had seen.

And then, with a low and trembling voice, Midwife spoke:

"No mind. No will. No voice. But they suffer still."

The Pale King reeled backwards, eyes wide in shock and terror.

"Where did you hear that?" he whispered, and Midwife laughed.

"Where do you think?"

The Pale King was shaking, Herrah noticed, still confused. His light fluctuated between glaring white and dim grey, seeming to reflect the turmoil that roiled within his mind.

"Would you care to explain to the rest of us?" she asked lowly, watching the way the King twitched at her words. Midwife glanced back at her, before giving a slow nod.

"I found them all together in the mines. They were about to head down the path to the Resting Grounds when I stopped them. The Gendered Child was fine, and seemed comfortable in the arms of the Pure Vessel. But then the Rogue Vessel stepped forward.

"Sly was right. They can scream. But they did more than just collapse a tunnel."

Midwife had begun to tremble, and Herrah tightened her grip on her carapace, desperate to lend her old friend some comfort.

"What did it do?" she encouraged gently, and Midwife released a shuddering breath.

"It released a swarm of shades, each similar in shape and size to the Vessels. They trapped me within a sphere of void, and spoke to me through thoughts and feelings. At first, they were apologetic, but kind. They were children," the last word was hissed out suddenly, slicing through the air. The Pale King hid his face in his hands.

"Please," he mumbled, "please, no more."

"They were children," she repeated again, words choked with grief. "But when I mentioned you, Pale King, they changed. Why, Wyrm, did they fill the air with anguish? Why did they release such sorrow and rage? Why, Pale King? Why?

"What did you do to them?"

Her voice echoed within the cavern, seemingly sinking into the foundations of stone surrounding them. Herrah did not move as dust trickled from the ceiling, instead standing her ground as she bore into the Pale King with her gaze.

"Where did the Vessels come from, Wyrm?" she finally asked.

The Pale King did not reply for a while, shoulders trembling in grief and self-loathing. And then, another voice cut in.

"They are our children," Root said softly, limbs reaching out to pull her husband close.

"You would sacrifice your own grub?" Midwife spat out, and Root let out a cold laugh.

"What would you have done, Midwife of the Deep? Faced with a collapsing kingdom, with the knowledge that the only way to save your people was by sacrificing your children to the void below, hollowing it out into nothing more than an empty husk, what would you have done?"

"They were never empty!" she roared out. "You chose to see them as empty, forced them to be empty! You were a coward."

"We did what had to be done," Root hissed back, tears dripping down her face. "If we had seen them as true children, then we would have faltered. We did falter! And we will live with that knowledge forever, will live knowing that every child we sacrificed was living and alive! But my children are out there now, and I want them! I want my children back!"

She was weeping by the time she finished, the sound echoing loudly across the cavern, and Herrah looked away, fangs clenching. Midwife looked as though she had more to say, but stayed silent when Herrah shook her head. Blinking harshly, the Queen of Deepnest swallowed.

"What now, then?"

At her words, the Pale King shifted, claws gripped tightly around his wife. His eyes shone with regret and unshed tears, but he stood up straight despite it.

"Now," he rasped out, "we go after the children."

And what could Herrah do other than silently agree?

For those who skipped: Ghost trapped Midwife in a ball of void, and she was confronted by the shades. She mentioned the Pale King and they went ballistic, before releasing her. She is furious, and goes back to Herrah and the King. When she reaches them, she demands to know what the Pale King did, and Root reveals that the Vessels are their children. Everyone has a bit of a breakdown, before deciding to go after the kids. Meanwhile, Hollow and Hornet comfort Ghost who is terrified that they've made their siblings hate them, and they have a nice cuddle together.

I think that's everything!

Thank you all so much for reading