Chapter 1

(Author's note: I wanted to mention MissLittleTall's fic "off balance" for inspiration, there are a few things that may appear that were based on that fic. Enjoy)

The Pale King felt like he had been falling forever, yet… What was happening? The last thing he remembered was coming out of his bedroom. He opened his eyes. All he could see was orange and yellow mist surrounding him. Wait, orange and yellow mist? Was this a dream? This was the most disoriented he'd ever felt. He hit the ground. The King quickly stood up, trying to get some clarity of the situation. Ok, a dream, all he would have to do would be to jump off the ledge to wake up. He hopped. He landed in the same spot. No, what? This is a dream! I should be able to wake up by jumping off! He tried again. The same thing happened. Again. Again.

"That isn't going to work, Wyrm!" The King turned around to see the face he hated the most. The face of his predecessor as ruler of Hallownest. The face he had sworn to remove from the kingdom for good. The face of the infection. The face of the moth god. The face of the Radiance.

She was sitting on the ledge with her feet dangling off. She looked at him with a mixture of surprise, hatred, and annoyance. What is that Wyrm doing here? Why must he accompany her in this dream?

"Why are you here, moth!?" The Wyrm yelled. He couldn't stand her. She was an evil excuse for a god. "Why can't I wake up? Have you come to haunt my dreams!?"

"Wyrm, I have been sitting here in this exact spot for over a decade. I would have no interest in seeing you, and besides, YOU are the one that trapped ME here! The question should be: what are YOU doing here!?" The moth wanted to get up and strike down her blasted nemesis right then and there. It would be easy, she was much stronger than him. But, she was so weak…

"I don't know what I'm doing here! You clearly must have brought me here for some meticulous reason! Do you want to kill me? If so, be my guest!" The wyrm's chest hurt from yelling so loud. What he said was true, though. He wouldn't mind being finally stuck down by the moth. It wouldn't benefit her at all, she was incapable of escaping this dream. But, did that mean the same thing happened to him? Did someone trap him in the dream realm?

"As much as I want to kill you, I cannot! Your games you've been playing have weakened my senses. And I will say it again, I did not bring you here!" She was furious. Anyone else. Anyone else would've done just fine to accompany her in this everlasting state. But of course, the Wyrm was the one. Out of all people.

"If that is true, then who did!? Who would trap me in the dream realm, with YOU nonetheless!?" He flared his wings a little bit, and he clenched his fists so tightly it hurt. He was filled with rage, desperation, and confusion.

"I am not all-knowing, Wyrm! Your personal issues are none of my concern!" She hadn't raised her voice like this in centuries. It sounded a tad raspy. If only the Wyrm would understand that she was telling the truth.

"You are a self centered bitch!" Oh god, he didn't curse like that a lot. "Of course you would be the one to cause inconveniences to my life for the hell of it!" The Wyrm could not stand being in her presence any longer. He was going to explode. He felt his soul getting concentrated into his hands. But he couldn't attack the moth, that would make him no better than her.

The moth was taken aback by her successor's words. She couldn't hold back any longer. At the top of her lungs, she screamed: "You mindless, pitiful, egotistical excuse of a king!! You ripped everything from me! My kingdom, my spawn, even the memory of me! And here you are calling ME self centered!? You killed your own children! You cheated on your wife! You were going to sacrifice three innocent bugs for YOUR OWN GAIN! And I'M the self centered one!?" She needed a breath as soon as she finished her rant. Her head felt a lot clearer now that she got that out.

The Wyrm's body was rushing with agony and regret. She didn't understand. He had done what he did for the kingdom, and the kingdom alone. No cost too great. For the kingdom. But, was she right? Had he convinced his mind that he didn't care what happened to him, just as long as the kingdom was safe? Did he really do it to remain monarch?

The Wyrm's mind was a swirl of thoughts and worries. He didn't even know why he was there. He felt tired and just wanted everything to be over. To wake up in his bed and eat breakfast with his wife and child, and carry on with his duties. For once, he had no response for the moth. He just sat down and closed his eyes, putting his head on his hands. If he could just wake up…

"I knew that would break you. How very predictable of a being you are." The moth relaxed her body, putting her wings in her lap, continuing her blank stare out into the vast nothingness of the dream realm. She hated the Wyrm with every ounce of her body. Yet, there was this one part of her she could not reach… that was relieved to have at least someone to be with. She had been alone for so long. She couldn't remember the last time she had physical communication with another being. And even if the one person she would be in contact with was the one person she despised, it was better than no one.

(Author's note: I have been wanting to write this fic for a while and now it is happening. I hope, if anyone reads this, that you enjoy. It won't be SUPER long, but a decent sized story.)