Gasping for breath, I fall to my knees. I cannot locate my needle. It must have been knocked away in the chaos. I am powerless like this, but I cannot let the kingdom fall here! What can I even manage in this state, though? It will take a miracle to claim victory over this unyielding force.

With squinted eyes, I make out the enemy as best I can. All I see, though, is a blazing brightness that threatens to exert its will over all things. It is a foe without shape, without form. It calls down pillars of light that raze anything in its course and creates explosions that radiate with godly power.

Farther down the bridge to the palace, I see the body of the king. My father, seemingly, spent every waking moment on his efforts to control the infection. While his methods were…merciless, I can say that he explored every possibility. He did all that he could, yet here lays his corpse at the mercy of this contagion. Was there, truly, no way to avoid this outcome?

I feel the heat grow ever stronger. That cursed light beckons at my thoughts. It controls the minds of bugs and drives them to madness. I have seen it time and time again. Even so, I cannot help but imagine how effortless it would be to just give in. I feel so weak. All I wish for is to lie down and rest for a bit.

"Yes, I just need to close my eyes and- "

Then, I feel a hand resting on my back. I look to my right.

"…Little Knight? Is that…really you?"

It nods.

"W-Where have you been all this time? …No, it doesn't matter. You must leave now, Little One, please. The infection has already destroyed the palace, the knights, and the king. It is only a matter of time before I succumb to it as well. Get away from here while you still have your strength, my sibling. I beg you."

The vessel does not run. It draws its nail and faces the light with its foolish courageousness. I would scold the knight for ignoring my pleas if I had any energy to do so. Instead, I am forced to watch it do battle with the infection itself. I release a nervous sigh. I suppose if anyone can bring forth a miracle here, it will be the Hero of Hallownest.

I see the vessel jump toward the source of light. It has become so bright in the palace grounds that it is difficult to even keep my eyes open, but I still manage to catch a glimpse of my sibling landing a clean strike with its nail upon our foe. After drawing the attention of the infection, the knight is forced on the defensive. With startling agility, it dances and weaves through a gauntlet of attacks. Shining blades fly through the air from all directions. Towering beams of light make thunderous bangs as they cascade through the Palace Grounds. Despite it all, the knight has perfect positioning and perfect patience. It knows exactly how to avoid danger and when to strike back.

The heart of the infection roars out in pain as the vessel continues its bombardment of slashes. As the battle goes on, I can feel the radiant light starting to fade. Truly, I cannot believe what I am seeing. To take on the infection itself would be an act of suicide. But, to do it alone and to succeed would be unthinkable! As childish as my sibling can be at times, I cannot ever doubt its skill. It has proven me wrong too many times for that.

My train of thought stops when the knight lands a deadly blow upon its opponent. The fading light turns violent and fills the entire cavern. A bloodcurdling howl reverberates and the ground trembles. I cannot tell what has happened. I am confident that the knight was winning the conflict, but the brightness has grown so powerful. Something is wrong… I feel so unstable, so light-headed. I cannot move my body. It's as though there are heavy weights pulling me down. What has happened to me…? Where…?

My eyes flash open. I scream. My heart is racing too fast and I struggle to catch my breath. My gaze darts around, taking in my surroundings. I am…in bed. I am home, in Dirtmouth. My sibling is beside me, rubbing my shoulder. It must be trying to calm me down. I wish to speak but…I need a few more moments to collect myself…I breathe in and I breathe out.

"L-Little Knight…I am a bit…dazed, at the moment. I am…still here and alive, and…so are you."

The knight continues its soothing shoulder rub.

"I can only guess that I had… a nightmare of sorts. The heart of the infection had been unleashed. It destroyed the palace and Father. I could do nothing…And then, you showed up. Just when all seemed hopeless, you fought back against the infection. Though it was just a nightmare, you were unparalleled in combat. If this took place in my mind, I suppose that is simply my own perception of you."

The vessel nuzzles its head into me.

"Oh, stop it. It is not far from the truth, after all. You are the Hero of Hallownest, do not forget. Even though it was not really you, you did save me from the infection in my dream. So…Thank you for that, I guess."

The knight take a step back, brandishes the Dream Nail, and holds it aloft.

"…What are you trying to say? You entered into…my nightmare?"

It nods happily.

"…Then, that really was you? The knight that appeared so suddenly was actually you entering into my nightmare with the Dream Nail?"

It nods again, quite proudly.

"But…why would you do that, Little Knight? I may have been distraught in the real world, but the infection has already been vanquished. What happens in my nightmares cannot, truly, hurt me. When you enter dream world, you put yourself in danger, do you not?"

The vessel thinks and then shrugs.

I shut my eyes and sigh. "Little One, please, you must learn not to be so reckless. You entered my nightmare and fought against the heart of the infection. Yes, you were victorious, but it was an unnecessary risk. What reason did you have for attempting something so dangerous?"

It points at me.

"…Me? What about me?"

The vessel puts it hands on its head.

"…You wanted to help me because I was having a nightmare? Is that all?"

It nods eagerly.

"Oh, Little One…You are such a fool sometimes. I have to commend your bravery, at least. To risk so much just to save your sister from a bad dream, you must have a very kind soul, Little Knight. Thank you for coming to my rescue, yet again."

The knight gives a salute.

I, then, ease my body back into bed and try to collect myself.

The vessel stares at me for a while and then taps me on the arm.

"You need something?"

It points at me and then it points at my head.

"You are worried that I will have more nightmares?"

It nods.

"…It is not impossible. I will just have to deal with the problem when it comes...It may take some time before I will fall asleep again, though. I am still…quite distressed, I fear."

At this, the knight climbs into my bed and wraps its arms around me.

"…Little One, I know you wish to help me, but I did not intend for this arrangement to be repeated."

It does not listen, of course. It hugs me tightly and nestles into my dress.

"…You are skilled at testing my patience, you know."

It doesn't respond.

I sigh. I have heard that intimacy, the sensation of touch between two beings, is a very healthy thing. Because she was sealed away when I was young, I never received such closeness from my mother. In the sparse time I spent with father, he was never the type for affection either. As I am now, closeness and intimacy…They are things that I am…inexperienced with. For all my life, my goals and hobbies all related to my training. Passion and tenderness were simply forgotten about. They were never even considered. The knight, however, is very much the opposite. It is such a clingy thing, always hugging and always holding my hand. It embarrasses me often, but this closeness may be a…good thing. The feeling is starting to grow on me, at least.

"Alright, Little One. I recognize your attempt to soothe me by hugging, however, you had better prepare yourself. I will now return your hug with two times the force!"

I envelop the little vessel in a mighty embrace. The knight squeezes harder in response.

It is a bit…crushing. It does feel relaxing though. My manic thoughts begin to slow, and my breathing begins to steady. There is a certain warmth that I feel when I hold the little knight close. Already, I can feel it lulling me to sleep. Perhaps this closeness will be the solution for defeating these nightmares. I would not mind testing this theory again in the future, at any rate.

- Author's note -

With the radiance defeated, are bugs unable to dream at all? The Nightmare Heart is the god of nightmares, so what about those? Could Hornet even have a nightmare about the infection, something that has affected her life in major ways, even though the knight got rid of it all?

I don't know, but this was how I wanted to write this chapter. If story elements/interpretations don't line up right and that bothers you, all I can ask is that you ignore it and treat this story as its own thing.