The little knight sleeps in much longer today. Typically, it is the sound of me waking that, in turn, rouses the vessel from its slumber. On this occasion, that is not the case. I am concerned, but not enough to disturb it. Perhaps it exhausted itself yesterday and simply needs the extra rest? Whatever the case, I leave to make the rounds through the village.

My walk lasts for an hour or so. When I return home, I see that the knight is now up and about. Its movements are uncharacteristically sluggish, however. It is obvious that the vessel is having trouble keeping its balance. Periodically, its body shivers and shudders. I see, now, that the knight's weakened state was the cause for its lengthy sleep.

"Little One, what is the matter? You are not yourself."

Currently, the vessel is laying down, belly-up, on the rug in the middle of our single room house. At my question, it thinks for a moment before shrugging.

"Are you in pain? Did you receive some wound you were not aware of?"

It shakes its head.

"…You are feeling disoriented, yes?

It nods.

"You are…nauseous?"

It nods again.

"…Is it possible that you have fallen ill? Though, I do not even know if vessels can become ill."

It does not respond. It must not know either.

"Well, it is the only explanation that I can surmise. You have contracted some sort of ailment. For the time being, I will assume this to be the case. If you truly are sick, then we need not despair. A common illness, while a miserable affair, tends to last only a few days at most."

The knight rolls onto its stomach and lays its head down in, what I believe is, defeat.

"Oh, do not be so morose, Little One. You will return to your former health in no time, I swear it."

It does not respond.

"Hmph. If you think I will let you wallow in your misery here, all alone, you are sorely mistaken. As your big sister, it is my duty to take care of you when you cannot care for yourself. Follow me, Little Knight."

It looks up at me for a moment. It seems to consider my words, but plants its face back in the rug.

"So, I must be more forceful, hmm? It is no problem. I will gladly accept this burden."

I lift the vessel off the floor and into my arms. Like a young child, it hugs me around the neck, and I carry it out of our home.

"I will find us a place to rest. Normally, I would challenge you to a duel to lift your spirits, but I doubt you could manage much in your sorry state."

I try my best to think of locations that the knight would find peaceful, but…nothing really comes to mind. Although…

"Ah, of course!"

I carry the knight into the center of Dirtmouth. There, under the streetlamp, sits a bench. It is not just any bench, though.

"This is your favorite spot…right? I see you relaxing here quite often."

Weakly, the vessel nods.

"Sit with me, then. Perhaps the serene atmosphere will provide you with some peace."

I seat the knight on the bench and then take my place beside it. Before I can get comfortable, the vessel scoots away and stares at me.

"Hmm? Is something wrong? You are usually not one to shy away from me."

The knight points at itself, points at me, and shakes its head.

"…Oh, you are worried about passing your illness onto me, yes?"

It nods slowly.

"I see. You are right, that is a potential concern. However, I do not mind the risk. As I said before, I am your big sister and I'll take care of you to the best of my ability. So, do not fret over this, please. You may sit near me if you wish to."

After being granted permission, the little knight slides across the bench and rests its head in my lap.

I cannot hold back a sigh. "This was not what I had in mind, Little One, but if this will ease your troubles then…I will allow it."

For some time, all is still. With as delicate of a touch as a I can muster, I gently massage the top of the knight's mask. The act is quite foreign to me. I've never had much reason or opportunity to…caress something in this fashion. Still, the sensation appears to be effective. I see its breathing begin to calm and my pride swells just a bit. The little knight has done so much for me since I have come into contact with it. I feel very content when I am able to assist the vessel for a change.

As we occupy the bench, the quiet in Dirtmouth persists. I once thought that my sibling was strange for spending so much of its time here. After I finished a task that took me outside the village, I would return to find the knight in this exact spot. Well, most of the time, at least. I did not understand why it was so fascinated with this bench in particular. Now, though, I believe that I finally see the appeal.

Dirtmouth has a certain charm to it that I could not recognize at first. Sitting at this bench, that quality is even more apparent. The tranquil, somber atmosphere can feel depressing, yes, but it also has a soothing quality that is easy to overlook. I often see the elderbug standing near this bench as well. It seems that the knight and I are not the only ones who are drawn to this place. I take a moment to glace downward. As far as I can tell, the knight has fallen asleep with my lap taking the role of pillow. Though I am not tired, I will comfort my sibling for as long as needed. It is a sister's duty, after all!

Slowly, time passes. The light overhead flickers. Brisk winds carry dust as my dress flutters. If I listen closely, I can hear…Zote's blathering? I frown. It may be time to find a new location. Eventually, the vessel begins to stir. It managed to get a few hours of sleep. Hopefully this will bring back some of its missing enthusiasm. It's not until now that I realize how much I miss it.

"Hello, Little One. Did you sleep well?"

Groggily, it stretches but does not answer.

"Do you feel that your ailments have improved at all?"

It nods with hesitation.

"But you are still feeling quite weak, hmm?"

It nods.

"That is…unfortunate but expected. Little Knight, is there anything you would like to do? I know you are not in high spirits at the moment, but keeping your thoughts distracted may prove helpful. I am sure it would be more beneficial than brooding over how frail you have become, at least."

My question appears to have sparked an idea in the vessel's mind. With surprising energy, it jumps onto my back and snakes its arms over my shoulders.

"H-Hey, I did not give you permission to climb on top of me!"

It points off into the distance.

"…What, you want me to carry you? You are aware that you could have simply asked, yes? Also, why not let me lift you as I did before? There is no need to jump onto my back like some brute."

It shakes its head and points into the darkness. This is clearly not a fight that I will win.

"…Alright then. Lead the way."

With the vessel giving directions, and I carrying said vessel on my back, we travel through the crossroads. I am led to an elevator that takes us to the City of Tears. We make our way through the downpour until we reach the eastern side of the capital. From what I remember, the members of the city's high society resided here. I climb up to the higher platforms and we, finally, arrive at a building with a sign that displays a hot spring. Ah, I see now. That would surely improve the knight's condition. I step inside.

"What is this? 'Songstress Marissa, a voice to ease all burdens and still all troubled minds.' Such a pity…There is no doubt that she fell to the infection, but I would have liked to hear her perform…Be that as it may, you are here for the hot spring so let us move on."

The vessel continues to point the way and an elevator takes us higher up. I see the entrance to the spring, but the knight insists that I take the lower path. Inside, I find a large chamber with a grand stage and flowers throughout. This must have been where the songstress performed and the flowers must have been offerings from her fans, surely. Reaching its supposed destination, the knight hops off my back and climbs onto the edge of the stage. It sits and beckons me to join it.

"What are you after, Little One? I figured you came here to use the hot springs above us."

The little knight draws the Dream Nail. It holds the weapon out.

"You want me to hold it?"

It nods.

And so, I grab onto the ethereal blade. With that simple action, some…strange happenings take place. I hear…singing. It is simply beautiful. I've never heard such a pleasing voice in all my life. Then, when I look up from the Dream Nail, I see her. It is the spirit of the songstress, Marissa. But, is it truly her? Does the Dream Nail really possess such an ability? Can she even see me? I have…many questions. After a moment, the spirit's eyes meet my own.

"Ah, welcome to my stage young miss. I am Marissa, a songstress of some renown, though, given the sorry state of this place, you may find it hard to believe."

"H-Hello…Marissa. You may call me Hornet."

"It is a pleasure to meet you. That little one there was my first visitor in a very long time. Did it lead you to this place? If so, I must thank it. I would so love to have another listener."

"…Ah, yes. The small one is my sibling, actually. It has fallen ill, and it wished to come and hear your voice. If you do not mind, I…would like to as well. It would be an honor to listen to a performance from one so highly-esteemed as yourself."

"Of course, you may listen, Hornet. Performing for an audience is what I live for. Please, put your minds at ease and let my voice soothe your souls."

With that, she begins her song. It is graceful and elegant. It…really does soothe the soul. My mind wanders to Marissa, herself. How strange it is to communicate with a spirit. From her words, it seems that she is unaware of her fate in the real world. Even if that is the case, though, I do not have the heart to tell her. So long as the vessel and I are around, she will always have an audience.

I feel the little one sit down in my lap and lean into me. Looking at it now, it is only a matter of minutes before the vessel falls asleep again, I can tell. Actually…I am a bit…tired too. Her voice is incredible, that is obvious, but this song…it is just like a lullaby that hushes me to sleep. Am I even able to fight it at this point?

I look down at the vessel. It is sleeping. If I tried to get up, I would surely wake it. So…I am trapped then. Hmph, I might as well just accept it. With the knight on my lap and our hands gripped around the Dream Nail, I lean back against the vase full of flowers and shut my eyes as Marissa's voice rings out.