The journey to the Ancient Basin was done in silence. Not that Hollow ever talked out loud, but Sibling Hornet was more quiet than usual.
They understood. Their own feelings about the White Lady were...well, they were still getting used to having feelings in the first place, and the White Lady inspired all sorts of feelings. Affection. Love. Anger. Betrayal. Others, that they didn't have a name for yet. Hornet had felt those feelings for many cycles longer than Hollow had, so doubtlessly she felt even more.
Their conversation with the White Lady...with their mother, had been brief, but it had helped them understand and recognize their feelings. Despite everything that their creators...their parents, had done, they still wanted to be close with the White Lady. When the White Lady had cradled them on her lap, they had been consumed by bubbly joy. It was becoming clear that physical touch was something they enjoyed.
But, then Sibling Hornet had stormed off, and their mother had told them to go after her. The desire to stay had briefly warred with their sense of duty, but in the end, they had left. Sibling Hornet needed them, and that trumped their desire for physical touch.
Though...maybe Sibling Hornet would be open to more of...what was it called? Cuddles?
These thoughts circled around the Hollow Knight's head as the two siblings descended into the Ancient Basin. They stopped before they could enter the Abyss though, for there was a curious figure blocking their way.
Hollow was certain that they had never seen this bug before in their life. The elaborate golden mask, the embroidered wrappings, the odd figure, all of it was foreign. And yet...something about this bug was strangely familiar. As if they had seen them in a dream.
Sibling Hornet, upon seeing the bug, drew her needle. Hollow kept their longnail sheathed on their back; if it was necessary, they could draw it in an instant.
The bug didn't react immediately upon seeing them, though. They stared off into space for a moment, before their attention snapped to Hornet and Hollow.
"The Great God of Void welcomes you, but they implore that you descend no further." they said, in a multi-layered, echoing voice.
Sibling Hornet seemed taken aback, and Hollow was as well. Who did this strange bug think they were, to speak for Hollow's own Sibling? Hornet pointed her nail at the foreign bug and spoke.
"I am Hornet, Queen of Hallownest, and this...Great God of Void is my Sibling! Stand aside or-"
"We know who you are, Honored Queen of Hallownest. We do not ask you to halt for any reason other than your own safety."
Sibling Hornet's pedipalps clacked together in confusion, which Hollow felt as well. Why would the Abyss be more dangerous now? Surely with their Sibling, the little Knight, in control, the other Siblings wouldn't attack them anymore?
Hornet, impatient as she so often was, pointed her nail at the bug and snarled "Explain. What do you mean our 'safety'? Who are you? Why should we trust anything you say?"
The golden-masked bug tilted their head towards the ceiling, as if listening to some distant song, before they refocused their attention on Hornet.
"We are the Godseeker. In times long past, our own gods abandoned us. We traveled to Hallownest to find new gods; in our hubris and ignorance, we thought the Old Light was the one we sought. The Great God of Void, the Shade Lord, the one you know as Sibling...they were the one we truly sought. They ascended through the Pantheons, then faced the Old Light within the confines of the mind of the Hollow Knight," the Godseeker said, nodding to Hollow. They then continued, saying, "As for your safety...you have already heard from Queen Vespa that the rules are different here. This plane, this world; it limits those with great and terrible power. The Great God cannot speak to you, Queen of Hallownest, they must instead use proxies, and communicate through whispers and dreams."
"Why? What god is powerful enough to control the Void United?"
"You do not understand. It is not a god that controls them. It is the framework, the composition, the rules of this place. The Great God could defy those rules, and appear outside of dreams, speak above a whisper, but to do so would surely destroy Hallownest utterly. To a lesser extent, the same applies to Primordial Unn."
Sibling Hornet was silent for a time, mulling this over, before she said "You mentioned proxies. Why can't our Sibling speak to us through you directly, if you truly speak for them?"
The Godseeker hummed a resonant note.
"Yes. That is acceptable. But only Hollow may be spoken to. Despite your parentage, Queen of Hallownest, you retain mortal weakness beyond that of your Siblings; the attention of the Great God of Void would destroy you. We, as chosen prophets of the Great God, bear some measure of immunity in addition to our own nature, and the Hollow Knight is born of Void like their Sibling. Is this acceptable to you?"
Hornet looked up at Hollow, who looked down at her. Hollow still wasn't entirely sure what to think about what the Godseeker said, but if they spoke the truth, it would be best for Hollow to speak with their Sibling alone. They preferred Hornet alive, after all.
Hollow nodded to Hornet, who nodded back (albeit reluctantly) and they turned to face the Godseeker.
[A̵̠̒ĉ̸̻c̵̢̓e̷̞̔p̴̟̍ẗ̵̻́a̴̜͊n̸̓ͅc̵͖̀e̴̜̓.̸̳̓ ̸̗̿R̵̻͆e̸̦͌q̸̩͘ù̶̺ẻ̸̩ș̸́t̶̢́:̸̝͒ ̴̫̓C̶͔̀ö̴̙́m̷͔̅m̶̍ͅu̷̥͝n̴̡̋i̴̦̿c̸̩͠a̵͉̐t̵͈͝i̷̖̊ǒ̵̰n̵̍͜.̵̥͌ ̵̗̒S̸͚͒i̷̖̅b̷̤̔l̶͙͂ï̵̭n̷͝ͅḡ̴ͅ?̷͍́]
The Godseeker froze in place, and liquid Void began to leak out of their mask.
[Ǧ̶̙̾̔R̵̪̅̄͛E̷͚̼̙͋E̸͈̬̞̩̅T̷̽̐͑͜I̴͔͒̑̈́̔͘N̶̮̝̘̳̄̚G̴̨̖̟̟̼̓͝S̴̲̅͜.̶̩̦͖̌̿̚ͅ ̶̤͗͌̃́̓Ä̴̘̰͔́͒̎F̴̗͈̰̗̣̉F̴̧̞͓̖͍͆́I̵̫̹̔̏͌ͅR̶̩̠̭̦͕͘M̶͈̝̤̱͋̿͂̿Ḁ̷͔̈͒̄̃͝Ṫ̷͉̬͚I̶͇̽̕O̷͇͎͖̺͇̾̔̒̚Ǹ̷͉͎̲̯̈́̆͠.̶̡̳̂̈͑̌ ̶̫̐̐͆J̵̧̹̮̳̿́̌O̶͓̪̓̃̊͠Y̵̫͔̅.̵̯̤̦̠͂̊̚ͅ ̵̜̭̝̋C̵̢̧͖̥̀A̶̖̩̖͎͂̆Ṷ̶̫̟͊̈̕Ṭ̸̪̾́͘Ï̴͔̃̐O̶̟͓̻͕̾ͅN̶̡̜͉̭̾̄͜͠.̴̢̡̤̀̌͆ ̷̡̡͎̄͝]
Hollow stumbled, nearly falling to the ground. The Voidspeech of their Sibling was far beyond anything they expected. It was a crushing force, driving all other thoughts from their mind. So...this was what mortals felt when Hollow 'spoke' to them. They understood now why so many found Voidspeech unsettling.
[İ̶̘͠ñ̸̥̙̘̘͚f̶͉͎̯̻͚͌͗ỏ̷̩͔̜̮̖r̴̨͔͎̠͝m̵̲͑͌͠ä̸͙́t̸̢̛̯̬͔̓ȉ̴̺̺̻̫̼̐͊̾͝ȏ̷̼̯͉̣̞́̕n̴̠̻̭̼̈̆̋:̶̖͚͔̹̀̃̔ ̶̡̄̿Ṫ̷̗̝͚̣̔̎̍r̶̼̬̒̒̈̀͝u̸̦̓͂t̸̫͇͇͐̾̊h̵͚̮̹̫́?̵̦̪̫̫̾]
[D̸̙͍̀͊̔͆̇Ạ̵̡̞̦̼̯̄̓N̴̺̗̪̈́͂̈́́͒̋G̵̜͍͆͐̓E̴̘̫̲̩̬̝͑̽͒̚͝R̵̛̪̮̪̒.̸̰̗̓̋̑ ̸̰͋̇̍̋́̆P̷͙̌R̴͖̞̂̉͌͒Ę̴̙̅Ḑ̷̞͕͓̣̈́̈́̕Ȉ̶̯̆́̂̀͂C̸̛̝͛̒̌̑͑T̶͙̯͓͔͗I̸̞̫̎͆̇̆̽Ǒ̴͇͎̯͋ͅN̶͓̗̺̾̈́͛̌.̵̯͙̑̏͗̅͊͂͜ ̵̞̱͚̼̀H̸̩̹̓Ę̸̣̹̉́͂L̸̛̖̝̫̍͛̀P̷̏̀͆͜.̶͚͎̓ ̵̡̝̼͈̤̻͒Ầ̴̲̦̮́̔Ĺ̸͓̯͑̓̋͜͝L̶̢̺̩̘͇͆I̶̜̍͘Ằ̵̠N̵͎̋́̽͘Ć̴̠͑E̵̦͉̱͔̪̟͆̈́́.̴̟́̒̿͝ ̴͙̱̀̈́S̴̢̹̫͇̼͍̀̽̔́͑̾Ị̷̾̆̅̓B̶̢̺̜͍̟̼̿L̶̦̕Ḯ̵̻̹̳̓͗N̵̖̪̣̥̱͗ͅG̸̨̬͖̜͓̻̿̊͊S̴̗̿̏͝.̴̗̞͉̦̳͊̓̉̉͘̕ ̴̯̙̓̑̒D̸͈̘͓̓E̷̹̪̓͘I̷̩̳̯̹̫̎̄̈́̏̒̉T̸̼͗̀Y̸̨̪̪̫͍̜͋.̸̛̙̼̎͐̆ ̵̹͌̾͘͘͝͠Ṕ̶̩̳̺̒̋̇̓̓R̵̘͉͓̻͙̅̎E̸̠͌̈́́̾̅̈Ḑ̶̬͙̓̒I̷̫̪͉̮͕͐̄͠C̷̡͓̗̪̫̼͝T̸͕̠̜͇̀͐I̴̥͛͊̄̚͝Ö̷̧̡̩̗̻̙͊̐̿̑̓Ņ̷̹̌͂̑.̵͎̦̬̣͙̤̓͑̆̈́͆ ̸̧͕̀̈́͠W̴̢̡̟̅̓̀̍̌̐Ã̵̪̤͖͐R̵̠̲͉̲̗͑͛͆Ń̵̟̂̕I̴̧͔̪̠̙͕̒̒̃͌͌N̴̖̲̾ͅG̵̡̡̧̜̺̈.̴̣́̇̚ ̶̪̩̩͌̒́͋͘͝R̸̪̟͙̔͑̀̈̓̔Ĕ̶̖̇̒̒̉̕Q̵̯̟̯̝̘͂͆U̶̯͇̪̝͈̪̿͂E̶̗̖͂͆̈́͊͘S̴̼͗͒̚̚T̶̨̧̥̻̩̀.̶̼͎̼͍̼͊ ̷̡̯͎̟̫̟͂͌̈́C̶̢̜̈́͝Ọ̶̡͇̭̓̀͑̀̇͘N̷͕̯̣͍̝̒͐̓̀͝͝C̶̨̻̗͈̋̋̀̃̅̚͜L̶̰̯̮̰̘̈̌̃Ů̴̢̼͕̺̹͉Ş̷̫̦͛̌̓Ḯ̵̛͓̘̣̓͂͝͠Ó̶̟͍͎̍̆͘N̵̙͙̈́̊̈́͌͗.̵͍̤̥͉͘]
Hollow lost the battle to stay upright and collapsed. Across from them, the Godseeker did the same, blackened Void still seeping out of their mask. Hollow could hear them muttering to themself.
"We are sorry. We are not strong enough...our weakness shames you. Forgive us."
Hollow felt a claw on their thorax that tore their attention away from the Godseeker. They turned their head to see Hornet, their sibling looking distressed.
"Hollow? Are you alright? Please, speak to me!?"
Hollow took a moment to collect their thoughts after they'd been scattered by the crushing force of their Sibling's 'Voice' before they spoke to Hornet.
[A̴̧͙̻̅f̴̧̩͓͛͗̓f̶͍̟̭̒̏̆i̶̘̣̥̎̈r̷̙̱̻̀͝m̶͚̐ȃ̵̻̬̙͊t̸͖́̒̓i̸̯̝̅̔̕ò̸̧̜n̵͈̩̣͑̈.̷̻͋ ̵̖̒͂Ẅ̸̧̥́͠a̶̖̓͋r̴̝̬̺͗͐ń̴͓̜̝ĩ̴͙ņ̴̜̽̌̾g̷̭͓͒:̴̺̬̳̽͌ ̴̻̀̈́͒P̵͇̏̉̑r̷͖̟̲̈́e̷͈̊ḑ̸̲͔͛̓i̵̢͑̑c̸̩͇͐t̴͈̘̆i̵͓̕ỏ̵̲̚ņ̷̜̣̌.̵͇̅̈́ ̸̣̼̔Ǵ̸̩̫̌ũ̸̺į̴͖̈́̈́̇d̵̗̯͈̆̓̆ȃ̷̢̡̟͐͂ǹ̷̳̐c̵̢̦͚͂̚͠e̵̗͑:̸͙̤̭͂͛ ̶̢̛͋D̸͙͈̭̂ẹ̷̡̼́̃͝i̸̫̙̹̋t̵̢̑͜ỹ̶̨͎ͅ.̸̰̂ ̸̖͆͗̐R̶̯̔e̶̫̭͎͂̂͘q̵̧̻̍̊u̷͍̲͂̓e̵͓̭͛̐͜s̵̮̠̮̀t̷͉̓.̷͙͑͝]
Sibling Hornet stiffened, then began pacing.
"So...the Godseeker and Queen Vespa were telling the truth after all. Our Sibling is limited in what they can do and where they can go. They can't aid us directly, or interact with us directly I should say, in any way. Even speaking through the Godseeker was almost enough to kill both of you. Though why did Queen Vespa...perhaps because she's already dead, and in a dream? Hmm…and I heard the Voidspeech in the dream, but I survived. Perhaps the dream, and Vespa combined created enough of a disconnect to soften the weight..."
Hollow leveraged themselves onto their feet while Hornet continued muttering.
"And they can see the future, in some capacity. There's a threat on the horizon, but they won't tell us what. It's one that we'll have to deal with ourselves, with minimal help from them, but it's many cycles off. A...deity of some kind? And the best way to deal with this future threat is by making alliances with the leaders of this land. I presume the Zelda that Vespa was told about is one of those leaders…" Hornet paused, then nodded to herself.
"While this is all very strange...this doesn't change much that I had planned anyways. It is regrettable that I cannot talk to my Sibling...ever, apparently, but just knowing that they are here in the Abyss, watching out for all of us...it reassures me."
With her mind apparently made up, Hornet turned back to the Godseeker, who looked almost the same as they had before, save for the trembling in their limbs and the Void dripping down their mask.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Godseeker. So...you are our Sibling's prophet now?"
The Godseeker bowed and said "Indeed. The Great God honors us with their choice, for We deserved destruction at their claws. Now, We live only to serve them, and to spread their word."
Hollow and Hornet looked at each other, before Hornet grunted.
"As long as you don't antagonize those who worship other gods, I see no harm in you spreading the word of...well, we can't call them the Little Knight anymore, can we?"
The Godseeker chittered in amusement and said "Ah. They wish to be called Ghost by the two of you, they said. As you are their honored Siblings, you are afforded that right."
Hornet looked at the Godseeker for a moment before she turned away.
"Fine. Well...I suppose our business down here is concluded. Come along Hollow; I want to go visit the Hive before returning to Dirtmouth. I have more questions for Vespa...and my...daughter...should have hatched by now."
As the two of them left Godseeker and the Abyss behind, Hollow found one thought floating at the forefront of their mind.
Since when did Hornet have a child!?
. . .
Princess Zelda winced as she pulled at the Octorok slime in her hair. While traveling with the Zora saved them an entire day of travel, it did also put them in the path of certain river monsters that wanted to kill them. Sidon had displayed exceptional skill, avoiding all of the boulders shot at them and dispatching the Octoroks with ease, despite carrying Zelda, but some of the Octorok's...fluids...had gotten into her hair and created a gummy, disgusting mess that she couldn't seem to wash out.
Oh well. She'd wanted to cut her hair for a long time anyways.
"Link. Can you come over here please?"
Her loyal bodyguard looked up from where he was pulling supplies out of his Sheikah Slate and smiled. She smiled back, and gestured to her hair when he stood next to her.
"Honestly, it doesn't seem to be coming out, and it's a hassle anyways when we're travelling. Cut it off, please. However much you need to to get the slime out."
Link nodded, and tapped away at the Sheikah Slate, a Guardian Sword appearing in his hand seconds later.
If it was anyone else, Zelda would be afraid of them holding a naked blade anywhere near her hair, especially one so sharp as a Guardian Blade. But Link was Link; she knew he could never hurt her. She sat as still as she could while the sword parted her blonde locks near her jawline, the matted mess falling to the ground. Not even a minute passed until Link handed her a polished shield, that she looked herself over with.
"Not bad...not bad at all. It isn't exactly traditional for a woman of the royal family to have such short hair, but...I could care less at this point. Thank you Link," said Zelda. Her knight smiled again, then returned to his work setting up the campsite, starting the campfire, and cooking dinner.
They'd made good time with Sidon and the other Zora. In fact, if they'd traveled after nightfall, they could have made it to Zora's Domain around midnight. However, as much as Zelda wanted to get to Zora's Domain as soon as possible, she also didn't want to endanger herself or any of her companions, and the river was more dangerous at night. Perhaps someday it would be safe enough to travel the Zora River at night, but so soon after Ganon's defeat, there were still many threats hidden in the flowing waters.
Link handed Zelda a steaming bowl of fish and rice, and Zelda ate while watching those around the campfire. The three Sheikah guards looked thoroughly disgruntled at spending the entire day swimming, but also awed by their surroundings. None of them had ever been this far upriver, and the blue crystals of Northern Lanayru were quite a sight. Sidon was chatting with Fyson, learning about Tarrey Town and their new insectoid neighbors. And Link...well, Link was as inscrutable as ever.
Zelda thought about her feelings for Link. Her gratitude, her admiration...her desire...perhaps it was because he'd cut her hair earlier, but she found herself wondering what it was that kept her from acting on her more romantic inclinations. Was she letting 'opinions' and 'tradition' dictate how she felt, even now when there was no one left to protest? Like her hair...was her reluctance to tell Link of her feelings born from the standards of the old nobility who no longer existed?
Of course...she wasn't sure if Link even felt the same way about her. She knew that he and Mipha had felt something for each other. And it was possible that Link had inclinations towards some other living person that had developed in the months that he'd been awake. Or no inclinations at all; lack of interest in another living person did not mean he would want her in the way she wanted him.
Later, when everyone was settling down to sleep, Zelda looked at the stars and continued to think it over.
Did she dare tell Link how she felt about him? Did she allow herself to follow the desires of her heart?
What would be the best choice for the Realm?
. . .
Hornet looked down at the squirming larva with some discomfort. Around her, the bees went about their business, the Hive as busy as ever. Hollow sat down beside her, their eyes on the larva as well.
The fact that she was supposed to be a mother now was...not something that Hornet had given much thought to. She had concentrated on problems of the Kingdom instead, because that was what was needed right now. But faced with the tiny, mewling larva...well, the thought was front and center in her mind.
She was supposed to be a mother now...how in the name of the Void did she do that?
"Vespa, I know you're present in the Hivemind...I...what am I doing?"
A handful of worker drones stopped their work and buzzed over. They spoke in a unified voice, the cadence familiar to Hornet as the deceased Queen Vespa.
"Hornet, child, I expect little from you at this point. She's a larva right now, the Hive is perfectly well equipped to care for her for the next two cycles without any input from you. Your role will come later, when she needs to learn about the world, about the affairs of state, and more."
Hornet grunted, then said "Alright...that's...acceptable. I confess I have no idea how to care for a larva...what's her name, by the way?"
The bees buzzed in thought, then said in unison, "I think you should be the one to name her. I gave you the name Hornet while you trained in the Hive, and you have used it ever since. It would mean much to me if you named my daughter in turn."
Hornet tapped her claws on the honeycomb she was sitting on, thinking.
"...Aurantia. Her name is Aurantia."
Vespa, through the group of worker bees, hummed in thought.
"After that Weaver in Herrah's old Undercourt, the one who acted as diplomat to the Hive? Yes...I think that will do nicely. It shall be so."
Hornet felt a mixture of strange emotions as she looked down at the child...Aurantia, as the larva continued squirming and mewling. One day, that little tube of flesh would grow to be a mighty Queen of the Bees. Strange, how life developed. Hornet would be responsible for part of that growth...though, thankfully, not for cycles to come. She just hoped that when the time came, she'd perform the role adequately.
Shaking her head, Hornet refocused on the disembodied Vespa.
"I didn't only come to see the hatchling. I have questions. My first is, how did you endure the voice of Ghost, the Void United, without being hurt? Hollow spoke to our Sibling through a proxy, and their Voidspeech still nearly killed both Hollow and the proxy."
The bees rustled about, before Vespa's voice returned.
"We didn't come out of the experience unscathed. Fifteen worker drones died from hearing their voice. That was with the added protection of them coming to us in a dream, and the hivemind itself. I don't think they anticipated that outcome either; despite all of their power, they are rather new to all of this."
Hornet clicked in agreement.
"I see...so, that is how it must be. Whispers and dreams indeed. My second question is, how long do you plan to stick around...for your daughter, I mean. You implied before that you intend to pass on once she's ready."
"Oh...we'll see. I'll stick around for at least ten cycles. I want to make sure the Hive will function without me. But eventually...yes. I will pass on, and the mantle will go to Aurantia."
Hornet nodded, swallowing her grief. Vespa was already dead, these feelings were unneeded. Vespa seemed to notice though, despite Hornet trying to hold those feelings inside of herself, and one of the worker bees came over next to Hornet.
"I am sorry that all of this is falling on you at the same time, child. But you can deal with it. I know you can. You have Herrah's strength, my poise, and the White Lady's grace. You have power from your father and the support of your Siblings."
Vespa, through the guise of the bee, reassured Hornet.
"Through your efforts Hornet...Hallownest will be made whole again."
Author's Note:
Hey thanks for reading. Guess what, it's time for more MATH.
I decided that the limitations of the in-game Sheikah Slate Inventory make zero sense, so I'm altering how it works. Instead of there being a limit on weapons, bows, and shields (but nothing else), the Sheikah Slate is now limited by mass. I think that is a much less arbitrary measurement. In this case, Link would limit the amount of weaponry anyways, because metal is heavy yo.
Let's say that Link has, at any moment, around 15 weapons, 10 bows, 5 shields, 500 arrows (of all combined types), and 12 outfits (because Link is a fashionista). We'll put the average weight of the weapons at 5 pounds, the average bow weight at 4 pounds, and the average shield weight at 15 pounds. Each arrow is an average weight of 1 pound, and each outfit is an average weight of 8 pounds (keep in mind, this is averaged between all of Link's gear. So while normal arrows are less than a pound, bomb/ancient arrows are more, some outfits are very light, while anything that is armored is much heavier, etc).
That's 786 pounds. Then we've got all of the food, monster parts, gems, materials, etc. Each page has 20 slots, and there are 6 pages, so there's 120 slots for materials that Link can find. Let's say that Link has an average of 10 of each thing, and that each individual thing is an average of 1 pound (apples and berries less, pumpkins and meat more). That's an additional 1200 pounds. And then add on maybe 200 pounds of cooked meals, elixirs, saddles, camping supplies, and other odds and ends.
Thus, I think that it's reasonable to say that Link's Sheikah Slate can hold around 1 metric ton of mass in its pocket dimension (2204 pounds, or 1000 kilograms). That allows Link to carry basically everything he can in-game, without being absolutely absurd. If he wants to carry other stuff, he has to dump some of his stache when he nears the limit.