Song Of The Void (A Jumpchain-Inspired Fanfic)

[GamerXZ]

Author's Note: Cross-posting this from Ao3 as was suggested by a person on a fanfic server so enjoy

Darkness.

That is all my world was when I first awoke. Pitch-black nothingness as far as the eye could see. It was everywhere. All-encompassing. Seemingly absolute. Not a speck of light anywhere. Perpetual nothingness.

Now, one would logically expect a certain degree of panic and concern upon first waking up and being greeted by such a sight. Like, maybe ponder if you had just been kidnapped and now were being used as blackmail to extort a massive amount of money from one's folks. Or perhaps you were dead and this was the place that existed between your old life and the great mystery.

Either way, a part of me was well aware that I should be at least a little bit worried and yet, for some absurd reason, I wasn't. Why that was the case was a question that eluded me for the time being, but perhaps it had something to do with the fact I felt "something" enveloping my entire body.

Something…warm, but not blazing hot. Like being wrapped in a toasty blanket while lying in bed and somebody has just hit that perfect level of bliss. The kind that makes one feel as if all the world's problems don't mean jack in this moment. That leaves one with little motivation to leave the comfort of said covers.

That was the sensation I was experiencing right this moment, and not the suffocating, domineering, all-consuming, uncaring force that some folks liked to depict the Darkness as being. After all, at the end of the day, the Dark was nothing more than a force of nature that helped keep the world moving. Every bit as essential as Gravity or Water are.

And thus, I simply allowed myself to remain there for a bit, drifting in and out of consciousness, but even I knew I couldn't stay under my covers forever. As such, I forced myself back into full alertness and as I did so, one thing became crystal clear almost immediately.

Namely that I couldn't feel the "floor" beneath me. If anything, it felt similar to what one experiences when they enter the deep end of a pool for the first time. That sudden lack of weight. That buoyancy. That emptiness As if the ground itself had just ceased to exist.

Even still, with this revelation, I didn't feel that gnawing sense of dread, only the need to adapt to this new situation. Alright, man. Been a while since you did any actual swimming but it's like riding a bike. You never truly forget. Just need a couple minutes to shake off the cobwebs is all.

With this in mind, I angled myself and began "pushing" forward. I wasn't entirely certain where I was going, but I knew from life experience that nothing got set into motion unless one's self starts moving themselves. Using that fact as motivation, I proceeded to "swim" through the inky blackness towards whatever lay in wait for me.
As I did this, I began talking to myself to help pass the time. Ok, partner! Let's try and figure out how you might have gotten here. What did you do last night? You didn't go out and get stone-faced drunk or snort up cocaine, but you DID play an awful lot of Silksong. As such, we could chalk this up to you simply having a very lucid dream themed around said game.

… Granted, you've already put close to 100 hours into it, so maybe you were past due for a scenario like this?

I paddled along for some time, the quiet and the emptiness not bothering me all that much like it would other people. That said, there does eventually come a time when all of us seek some form of companionship, and so I began turning my head every which way even if in the act of doing so all I gleaned was more darkness. "...Hello?"

At first, nothing called back, but then I heard it in the distance. Faint to the point of being barely even noticeable unless one paid close attention, but there. Incoherent whispers and mumblings. Deciding I didn't have much to lose at the moment, I proceeded to "swim" through the void towards the source.

In the act of doing so, said whispers began to slowly grow louder, although I still couldn't quite make out what they were saying. Deciding to try again, I called out once more. This time a little bit louder. "Um, hello…? Can anybody hear me out there?"

Then the whispers stopped. As quickly as they had come. For a second, there was nothing but silence in the void and I briefly wondered if speaking up had actually been the wisest decision, especially since I "sensed" a presence approaching me. No, wait, scratch that, not one but multiple presences, all steadily coming towards my location.

Naturally, I began to feel myself getting a little apprehensive, but said feeling didn't last long as suddenly I felt some sort of what I can only label a "pressure" against my head. Said pressure seemed to carry certain emotions with it. Namely a mix of genuine curiosity and bewilderment. Almost as if said presence hadn't expected my arrival, but weren't against me being here either.

And that's when I saw the white pinpricks starting to form within the dark all around me. And then, even though this was a realm of perpetual void, I spotted the barest hint of an outline. A rather… small outline, if I was being completely honest.

Of course, that's when it finally hit me in the fact what exactly I was looking at:

Shades.

And that's when the gears in my own head started to turn, leading me to recognize where exactly I had to be at the moment. It wasn't possible. Or more like it shouldn't be possible, but somehow, some way… well, as the old saying goes, the proof was in the pudding.

This was the realm that existed at the lowest point in a certain, fallen kingdom. The place that its rulers tried to exploit in a last-ditch effort to destroy the infection that plagued said kingdom. And to that end, they were desperate enough to sacrifice their own flesh and blood to said force; throwing away who knows how many until they got the one they needed.

And once the deed was done, they sealed said domain away, largely out of guilt over said sins. A despicable, monstrous act, and one that I felt shouldn't be forgiven or forgotten… But at the same time, I was not them. I did not have the weight of an entire kingdom resting on my shoulders, and where every decision I made could dictate whether people lived or died.

Indeed, I was not ignorant enough to believe that authority figures always had it easy. Sometimes, they had to face situations where there were seemingly no 'good' options, and just had to pick something and have the willingness to live with the consequences. That said, I also knew there had to have been better options than just committing child murder and trying to control a primordial force that had already wiped out an entire civilization.

… It also didn't help Wyrm's case that when things finally imploded their reaction was to peace out with their entire palace into a dreamscape to just rot away in isolation instead of staying and helping to lead the survivors. Like, I get they were most certainly feeling like complete and utter shit over the fact all their efforts and sacrifices had amounted to nothing, but a reaction like that honestly made them look rather cowardly.

Still, regardless of how I felt, that was in the past, and this was the present.

And here in the present, I was now currently surrounded by multiple pairs of white eyes. The whispers had returned, but now if I focused I could actually make out some of the things they were saying. Phrases like Sibling? New Sibling! Or Sibling lonely? Sibling want to play/rest?

However, that's when I shook my head. "I apologize, but I am…not one of your siblings. I just woke up here an-hey!" It was then one of the Shades drifted forward until I could actually see their entire form outlined before me. And that's when I spotted a familiar pair of curved horns sticking out of their head.

The Vessel From Greenpath. The one that Hornet forced herself to cut down. Supposedly. That whole situation was a little bit on the ambiguous side. Although considering how ruthless Herrah's daughter could be at times… well, I wouldn't exactly put it past her.

Anyhow, said former vessel ended up tilting their head in an almost curious manner as I then heard their presence echoing in my mind. Not…Sibling? But Sibling looks like Sibling…

And now it was my turn to tilt my head. "Again, I'm sorry. I don't know how to tell you this but I am very much not-huh?" I paused at raising my arm into view only to immediately realize that something was off. Namely that said limb was no longer flesh, but seemed to consist of more of this inky blackness done in the shape of a mass of tendrils.

The sight of this was enough to make me start patting myself all over, and it soon became clear that my physiology… well, it wasn't quite as I remembered it being. It was as smooth as the surface of an apple yet strangely malleable. Almost like clay.

I should've been panicking now. I mean, waking up in the frekkin Abyss from the game Hollow Knight and having seemingly been transformed into a void entity? Yeah, that would be an excellent reason to have a bit of a breakdown. And yet I wasn't. Granted, that may be partly due to the fact that I often wondered what it would be like to slip into the skin of another creature for a while instead of being human.

But there was also the fact that I kept hearing faint whispers in my mind. Whispers that carried with them traces of genuine concern for my well-being. I looked up to the Greenpath Shade and had to ask, "...Do you…have your own mind?"

Mind? The shade brought a tendril to their chin, as if contemplating that query. … Sibling is Sibling. They then pointed to me. Sibling is also Sibling. And Sibling is Home. Despite not having a mouth, I saw their expression suddenly perk up and they drifted to my side to lay against me. Safe here. Peaceful.

As if some sort of invisible trigger had been hit, other Shades began to take form and drift around me. I made the effort to protest but before long, their bodies were up against mine. It wasn't suffocating, thankfully, but it was certainly closer than what I was used to. Of course, I'm not gonna lie, the idea of simply drifting back into a dormant state did sound… Oddly tempting.

The problem, however, is that I was never one for staying in a single place for too long, and a part of me figured that if I gave in to that temptation, well, I wouldn't be moving under my own power again anytime soon.

With this in mind, I found myself letting out a sigh. "I'm sorry, but I still have things I need to do on the outside…" And with that, I proceeded to push myself free of the mass we were all gradually becoming, much to the quiet protests of the other shades. Although to their credit they didn't bother putting in much effort to stop me.

I spared a moment to stop and look back at them all with what I hoped came across as a remorseful expression on my face. The Shades all simply drifted there, staring blankly but I could hear their voices in my mind all whispering. Don't go, Sibling. Not safe above. Stay. Please?

I couldn't help flinching at their pleas and turned so my back faced them. "Forgive me, but my place is not here…" I knew I needed to throw them a bone of some kind, and so I continued; just going with the first thing that came to mind. "Not yet, anyways," Naturally, that just earned a fresh wave of curiosity on their part. "Like I said, I got things I both need and want to do before-hand. I… I hope you understand…"

As I allowed myself to drift upwards, I spared one final meaningful glance back their way. I wanted to say more, but nothing came to mind. Thus, I shifted my gaze upwards and began drifting in that direction. The vessel had mentioned that above wasn't 'safe' which meant there had to be a way out if I did exactly what they said NOT to do.

Keeping this fact in mind, I pushed myself to drift upwards at an even faster rate. It was strange. Moving about in a space like this felt… oddly natural. Like I had done this pretty much my whole life; except that couldn't be the case as up until last night I had been a perfectly mundane human. As such, having these alien instincts feel so familiar was more than a little off-putting.

Nonetheless, if it helped me get out of here then I wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth. Of course, as I drifted upwards at an accelerated rate, I started to once more hear those whispers from within the abyss. Whispers that echoed within my mind; carrying with them questions like what did I think I was doing? Why was I trying to leave Home? Did I not deserve peace like the rest of them?

I did my best to ignore them and focused on my ascension. Come on! Come on! The way out can't be too far now! I wasn't entirely certain what I would do about the fact I was now stuck in a body made of void substance, but in situations like this it was best to handle things one step at a time.

Of course, that's when more eyes started to form all around me. It seemed my attempt to leave was drawing even more attention. Row after row of eyes focused on me and now I was starting to get a mild case of the chills. If all the Shades were down here, then did that also mean that…?

Nope. Nope! Nope! Not even entertaining that train of thought!!

I exclaimed loudly within my own mind as I kept up the ascent; now slightly more desperate to find a way out. Maybe I could shake off a few Shades, but if a certain somebody got involved… actually, it was perhaps better not to think of how I'd handle that.

Of course, that's when a Shade drifted into my field of view, thoughts of what I was up to echoing within whatever I had for a brain right now. Not having the energy or the time to waste on verbal speaking, I decided to send a message back: Have work to do up above. Can't rest. Not yet.

The shade tilted its head at this message, but thankfully made no effort to impede my progress as I left them behind. I passed upward through the abyss for some time, refusing to relent in my efforts. Let it never be cast in doubt that I was anything if not determined.

And it seemed said determination was showing signs of paying off as high, high above me, so far away that it was barely even noticeable even if one squinted… there was the tiniest pinprick of light. And that only further fueled the spark deep within me. There really was a way out!

Now more motivated than before, I swam upwards frantically with said pinprick acting as the closest thing I had to a destination at the moment.

However, that's when I heard something 'swishing' past me and this finally got me to slow down just a little. For a second, I was tempted to call out, but then realized that might not have been the wisest idea and so I kept moving upwards. The 'swishing' went past me yet again but I paid it no heed.

Of course, when the eyes watching me suddenly all winked out, that's when an ice-cold grip clenched at my heart, sending chills through this body of mine. I was running out of time! Didn't matter how peaceful and accommodating the Abyss tried to be! I had a world out there to see, after all.

The pinprick that acted as my guide was slowly but surely getting stronger, and I knew it wouldn't be long before I reached it. I just needed to…

And that's when I finally felt it. A new presence. Stronger. More intense. Yet not malevolent in the slightest. That said, it was also the kind of presence that refused to be ignored. And you weren't going anywhere till they got the attention they sought. As such, my ascent finally came to a crawl and I allowed a dismayed sigh to escape whatever I had for a mouth right now. Couldn't let me go without having your say, could you?

Deciding that it was better to just get this over with, I turned to face said individual….

Yep. It was them. In the-well, saying 'flesh' wasn't entirely accurate. But it was indeed the genuine article. Sure enough, the player character of Hollow Knight now floated not even ten feet in front of me in their Shade form. At the very least, they had the decency not to appear before me in their… Other form.

Maybe I was being a tad overdramatic, but I got the unnerving sensation that if I ever saw that thing up close, especially in a place like this… well, no offense to Ghost, but I would probably never catch a wink of actual sleep again.

Still, the fact they weren't using said form meant they, hopefully, didn't see me as a threat?

Anyhow, Ghost simply remained floating before me, their tendrils drifting all about, staring right into my soul with those bright white eyes. I didn't bother making the first move as well, I knew they had a will and a mind of their own, but the question remained as to what kind it was?

Would they treat me as one of their own like the other Shades had? Or would they see me as an intruder, a defiler, just like a certain Pale King, and thus try to consume me completely? If it were the latter then all I could hope for is that they made it quick. After all, as the Lord of this realm, their power was absolute. Trying to fight that would be the epitome of foolishness.
The new Lord of Shades drifted a little closer, one of their tendrils stopping its flailing and slowly angling itself towards me. I braced myself for whatever came next… only for said tendril to lightly boop off my chest. "...Huh?"

Ghost poked at my chest a couple more times, and even without a mouth they seemed to almost be scrutinizing me from top to bottom. After repeating this little procedure for a bit, they finally lifted their head up and locked eyes with me. I both heard and felt their presence within my skull. Lost?

Ok, they weren't jumping straight to treating me as an intruder but as more a hapless soul that was simply in way over their head. That was good. Great even. I could work with that. "Uhh, yes, actually," I found myself nodding vigorously. "I wish I could explain how I got here, I really do, but I can't. Last thing I recall is being asleep in my bed then the sensation of…falling, and then I woke up here as…this…"

I gestured to the void essence that had now clung itself to my very being.

The savior of Hallownest tilted their noggin in an oddly adorable fashion. So…Sibling is not Sibling but Visitor…yet Void seems drawn to Visitor…Ghost is confused yet wishes to know more.

Hearing them mention that name was enough to send a jolt of shock right through me. "Ghost? That's your name?" They nodded in confirmation. Well, that was one fan theory which I could now confirm to be canon. "I see…Well! In that case, I guess it's only fair to make a proper greeting?" I offered a hand to shake. "Nice to meet you, Little Ghost."

Their expression seemed to perk up at being addressed by their given name and they extended a tendril out to wrap around my hand. Their touch was oddly warm, much like how it was when their Siblings had swarmed me. Ghost happy. Happy to meet new friend!

"Likewise," I replied while offering a friendly smile. I loved both of the Hollow Knight games to pieces so to have one of the main characters from them straight-up label me a friend made a very warm feeling take root within my chest. "As for my name, well, I would share it with you but as I am at the moment I don't know if it's appropriate…"

Then good chance to come up with new name! Ghost excitedly flailed their tendrils every which way. New life, new name! Ghost will even think of one for Visitor! Once more, I saw them bring a tendril to their chin, clearly doing so now out of contemplation. They seemed to be eyeing me up and down now while tapping said tendril on their chin. Hmm… Ghost cannot give the name Lost as that's taken…

As if to reinforce that point, we would then see the Shade belonging to the Lost Kin drifting out of the darkness briefly. They waved happily before proceeding to fade out of sight. The sight of this was enough to make an amused snort escape me. "Heh. Yeah, that would be kinda awkward."

And can't call new friend Ghost as Ghost IS Ghost. The Knight pointed out like it was the most obvious thing in the entire world. They then turned to face the circle of eyes now observing us. Do Siblings have ideas for name?

Another round of faint whispers hovered through the space we stood, and I caught names like 'Noir' and 'Eclipse' and even the name 'Ghost Two' which earned a genuine roll of the eyes courtesy of the one and only Ghost. I wasn't entirely sure where their siblings were getting all these ideas but maybe those who managed to escape picked up on them on their own travels?

Anyhow, I took a moment to ponder over my options before settling on one of them. "You know, for some reason, I like the name…Echo…"

Oooh! Echo good name! Ghost approves very much! Ghost waved their tendrils happily in celebration and I couldn't help breaking out into a chuckle. I had played plenty of Metroidvanias in my life so far and while I did love the majority of them, there was just something… special about this particular world.

Maybe it was the world itself with all its deep, mysterious lore, the characters, the endless amounts of charm, the constant surprises around every corner… or maybe it was some mix of all those things. Even years after I was done with the first game, it still left a permanent impression in the depths of my mind.

Ghost would like to know more about where Friend Echo came from… If friend is alright with sharing.

"Huh?" I was startled out of my thoughts at the question, now seeing an inquisitive gleam in the Knight's gaze as they waited for my reply. "Oh. Well, see, that's a little tricky for me to do as I'm not really from around here. In fact, I'm from a place very very far away. I know you've done a lot of traveling up on the surface but trust me when I say this ain't a place you've heard of…"

However, my words only seemed to embolden the Knight's curiosity as they drifted closer towards me. Ghost is now even more intrigued! Please tell Ghost about this place!

I ended up bringing a void-covered appendage up to scratch the back of my neck awkwardly while trying to avoid looking them in the eye. "Well, if you insist… I am not from any kingdom you've probably heard of. In fact, I'm from another world…" Just the mere mention of this was enough to generate a fresh round of frantic whispers from the abyss around us.

However, when I looked at Ghost, the intrigue was still there, but I didn't see a hint of shock or surprise which, well, did raise my own curiosity as a result. "...You're looking at me as if you expected to hear that."

Instead of replying right away, though, they merely turned away for a moment and proceeded to seemingly stare off blankly into space. As if they were witnessing something only they could see. Before I could inquire as to whether they were alright, they finally spoke up again. Their tone now a little heavier than before. …Ghost would like to know something…does Echo know why Hallownest fell?

At being asked such a question, I couldn't help instinctively recoiling as if they had slapped me across the face. Of course, I wasn't the type who could lie their way out of a paper bag and thus I simply decided it was best to roll the dice.

I found myself letting out a long, mournful sigh before nodding in acknowledgment. "I do, sadly… It wasn't overnight and it certainly wasn't due to any one factor. A certain goddess of dreams who was desperate to not be forgotten by her tribe, an infection, and a King and a Queen driven to do something terrible just for the vague hope of saving their kingdom…."

Wyrm….

Just the mere mention of that word, to not just hear but feel the venom infused into it… It was enough to send a rather nasty chill down my spine. Especially when for a brief instance, I saw Ghost's face shift into that of a certain eight-eyed figure. On instinct, I chimed in. "And for the record? I don't agree with what he did! Not in the slightest! It was a horrible thing to do to you guys and it never should've happened!"

My impassioned words seemed to have some sort of effect as, almost immediately, I saw the Shade Lord's expression soften a little and then revert back to just being Ghost. Still, the melancholy remained and they returned to staring blankly. The Wyrm…tried to control us…control the Abyss…thought he could be its master…Our master…

For some absurd reason, I got the feeling this wasn't just Ghost speaking to me right now. Now it was my turn to avert my gaze, which drifted towards the void on my body. "... But the Void is not something one meddles with unless they wish to unleash a catastrophe even worse than the one they're trying to stop…but he just kept on pushing…kept on taking, didn't he?"

…Yes. Blunt and straight to the point. Void existed long before the rise of even the first kingdom, and will remain long after the last of them meets its end…its presence is not just in the depths of Hallownest…but further…further than even the Wyrm could've ever imagined…

"The ability to defy time itself… Because it was here even before time began…"

Ghost only nodded somberly. Friend Echo seems to understand… At least better than Wyrm ever did… They at last turned to face me again and I saw their demeanor soften somewhat. Ghost would like to show Echo something. They reached out with their tendrils, as if wanting me to come to them.

I found myself frowning and eyeing the pinprick of light up above. My way out was there, but something told me that trying to bail on Ghost now when they were in the middle of having a sensitive moment AND had been nice enough to welcome me into their abode… Well, everything pointed to it just being a really, really stupid idea right now.

Plus this meant I got to have a little more time with them so, hey, win-win for both of us.

Thus, I found myself shrugging and drifting towards them. They gently and graciously clung to me and next thing I knew, I was giving out a sharp gasp as images flashed through my brain like parts of a slideshow.

A caravan of sorts traveling through a desolate wasteland towards a shining citadel in the distance…

A certain figure in a red dress manages to break free of their confines with the help of a certain Silk-based creature driven by bitterness and envy…

A long pilgrimage fraught with peril and hardship…the figure in red suffering and falling time and time again only to be forced back into the fray once more…

Reaching the Citadel of Song and being exposed to all the horrors that lie within…the Underworks, the Whiteward, the High Halls, Bilewater and Sinner's Road…

Finally, after many trials, they stood at the peak of the kingdom, ready to clash with the Pale Being that had turned this place into Hell on Earth…

But this is where things got a bit…Confusing. Contradictory even. On one route, they would strike down the current monarch; consuming her and ascending to Godhood at the price of losing her sense of self and simply becoming another dictator.

Hornet…

Sister Hornet…

And then the images seemed to 'flip' back on themselves and showed the same thing happening again. Only now the princess carrying the parasite would find herself and her foe both consumed as something arguably even worse would use them as vessels to ascend itself to Godhood.

Greyroot….

The slideshow played itself out once more. This time, an attempt to seal the Pale Being. Much safer than the other options, yes, but… All this would do was set in motion the release of the Abyss. Pharloom falling to ruin, many many good bugs and friends falling to it, Hornet wracked with misguided guilt as she's forced to commit more ruthless actions to try and avert another Hallownest…

Sure, Hornet and Lace survive along with a good portion of their friends, but that didn't change the fact Pharloom got totaled in the process of dismantling its monstrous system.

And to think this here is the closest thing we got to a happy ending…

So you know. Ghost's voice echoed within my mind. Still soft and non-accusatory but more… Pointed now. More direct. Friend Echo knows these are more than just dreams…

I couldn't help swallowing a lump in my throat as I thought back. I do. They're visions…of the future. Your sister's future. Or, at the very least, possible futures. I would question how you're doing this but… Like it or not, you do share your heritage with the Pale King so there's this theory where I come from that you and Hornet inherited his Foresight.

So it would seem. There was more than a little bitterness in just having to acknowledge that. Yeah, it was clear as day to me that there was no shortage of animosity Ghost felt towards their father. Couldn't fault him one bit for it either. If I found out my own father had sacrificed hundreds, possibly thousands, of his own flesh and blood to an eldritch entity just to form the one that survived into a weapon whose only fate was to spend all eternity sealed away…

Yeah, I'd probably not want the first thing to do with him either. Especially if I then later found out he had ported away to another realm to let himself rot in isolation when his plans all went belly up. Just leaving one giant mess for everybody else to clean up. Heck, not even the fact he had a daughter he was leaving all alone was enough to make him consider staying behind.

Funny how things work. Start out your reign as a beloved ruler who rose bugkind to greatness only to end said reign as the definition of a fool and a coward.

Ghost? Have you had these…visions before?

The Knight went silent for a bit; possibly considering whether or not they wanted to answer that query. However, their hesitation didn't last long, as they spoke again. Yes…Not as strongly as we do now but whenever Ghost tried to sleep or they were in peril, there would be this…Thought that this had happened before.

At times, it was as if Self was living in a dream…And if things went right in said dream then they would bring themselves back to reality.

Yep. Sounds like Foresight to me. Lets you plan ahead and if things go right then you can keep that outcome, but if not, then force yourself to go back and try again. Not that it seemed to help your fath- A light growling. Sorry. The Pale King very much.

No. It did not. Ghost then went quiet but I got the feeling they were now trying to simply settle their mood. I'll admit that I did feel a little bad about bringing up the man who had caused him, his family, and their kingdom so much pain but what was I supposed to do? Lie? Play dumb? Yeah, good way to insult the fella who had basically treated me as kin almost on sight.

…Echo? If the Wyrm had such a gift…Why do you think they failed?

I gave off the impression of folding my arms and staring off into blank space as I took a minute to ponder an adequate response. …Well, for one thing, the gift of Foresight is not the same as being truly all-knowing. In fact, just the simple act of seeing the future maybe enough to change it in some ways all because you saw it. What you saw on a path today may not be what you see tomorrow.

Hmm, Ghost thinks they understand a little. There were times Ghost felt as if they had done something many times before it finally went right for them.

Exactly. And personally? I'm not much of a fan of even the idea of having Foresight. Ghost sent me the sensation that they were tilting their head in curiosity. Well, for one thing, being able to see into the future would make things kinda boring. No more being able to be surprised by something unforeseen. And I just think it would be too easy to rely on it as a crutch for everything.

A crutch?

It's basically a fancy term for something that gets relied on way too much. To the point that you neglect other things that may be better suited to helping you. Like, your Nail there. If you relied on just that for your whole journey, do you think you would've gotten half as far as you did?

The impression of them shaking their head was sent back to me. Exactly. In fact, I think that may have been half the reason PK failed. He became so convinced that the Hollow Knight project was their last, best hope that he neglected all other options. Like the Moth Tribe, for instance. You know, the very bugs who once worshipped the Radiance as their goddess? Who were all about Dreams and the ability to access and control them?

…And yet he chose instead to try and gamble with the Void. The Wyrm's arrogance really did know no bounds…

Arrogance. Desperation. Call it what you wish, but he still ended up paying the price for it, Another dismayed sigh. But that's neither here nor there. What those visions showed us just now…They haven't come to pass. Not yet anyway. There's still time to change it. You've been keeping tabs on your family up on the surface, right?

Silence on their part. This didn't sit well with me. Right…?

Sister Hornet…she thinks Self is… They trailed off but I could fill in the blanks for myself. After all, I'd read enough fanfiction to get the impression that she would not take the loss of yet another family member very well. …And Ghost is now Lord Of Shades…Self's place is here in the Abyss. The Abyss must not be disturbed…Siblings must be allowed to rest…

I couldn't help allowing a disgruntled frown to cross my face. You know…If Hornet were here right now, she'd probably be giving you a dressing down over how you having the King's Brand marks you as the next Monarch and so you got a duty to lead the people. To help them rebuild.

Again, silence, but this particular silence carried with it the lingering sense that they knew I was right. Of course, when I spoke next I made sure to soften my tone. But I am not your sister, and I can't say I'm the biggest fan of giving OR receiving lectures. Then again, I highly doubt most people are. Besides, where I come from, we got an old saying concerning those stuck with ruling: "Heavy is the head that wears the crown".

I tried to reach back out to them to hold in turn. My point is… I'm not gonna judge you, and as tempting as it may be, I'm not gonna try to force your hand. Not like I could anyway. Being a ruler isn't meant for just anybody, so If you genuinely feel that you've done enough then you've done enough. Hallownest has no right to demand more of you when you've already given so much.

Friend… Ghost gave off the impression of abject guilt over thinking of themself. …Friend Echo has been honest with Ghost so Ghost will be honest with Echo. They…do not wish to be King. Do not wish to be worshipped as a God. Being with friends Elder, Cornifer, Iselda, Mister Stag, the Nailmasters, Quirrel, and living together…That would be enough for Ghost.

Hearing them admit this actually made something in my chest twist inward. I tried to send them more comforting vibes. You could still have that, Ghost. I highly doubt the majority of folks are gonna care about having a god in their midst. I mean, they seem to have accepted your sister pretty well and she's part god.

…It is a lovely thought, yes, but…Ghost would like to remind Echo of which one of us here can see the future.

Before I could offer any form of rebuttal, I saw another flash of images playing out before me. Ghost opting to return to the surface, but doing so came with…Complications. The relationships they had before now strained due to their new godhood and the fact they were now expected to help rebuild and rule.

The town of Dirtmouth becomes the birthplace of a new kingdom and soon starts drawing bugfolk from far and wide. However, a not insignificant portion come seeking to pay tribute to the ascension of a new Higher Being. One far stronger than any of the prior rulers who came before.

Ghost does their best to adjust with the help of their siblings, but it's clear the weight of the crown is a heavy one and they have barely any time to themselves more often than not. The days of going on grand adventures and unearthing long-buried secrets gradually comes to a near-complete halt. Replaced by the need to reconstruct a kingdom from the ground up.

Business meetings. Politics. Dealing with overzealous worshippers. Things are only made worse when a law is made forbidding any further tampering with the Void lest there be severe consequences… And needless to say, not everybody takes well to this particular decree.

Ghost even attempts to offer a law forbidding bugfolk from worshipping them, but their siblings convince them that would simply make things worse.

Over time, more tribes come to make the new Hallownest their home, but as is usually the case when it comes to those with different divinities they worship, there is conflict between the groups. Ghost and their family do their best to mediate these situations, but any peace that is struck is an uneasy one, at best.

Time passes, and another Pale Being, the Black Wyrm, finally appears. The kingdom is divided and a civil war erupts. Eventually, the Black Wyrm is indeed defeated for good, but at the cost of much damage to the land and the loss of many good bugs. Including a number of Ghost's friends.

At this point, deciding enough is enough, the family places those they trust in power and decide to go their separate ways….

"Alright, alright! I get the picture! You can stop now, please!!"

The slideshow finally ended and we found ourselves back in the Abyss. Ghost now with their head turned to the side likely out of shame. Ghost is sorry, but they felt Echo would understand better if they saw for themself.

"Yeah, I did, but a little more warning next time before you do that would be appreciated," I grumbled as I massaged my temples to relieve the pressure. At the very least, the fact I needed to do so meant I could still feel pain and anxiety to some degree. "But I get it. You're worried everything is gonna go to hell in a hand basket. That's valid, I suppose, but you can't-"

There are futures where even worse things happen.

That brought me up short. "...I'm sorry. What?"

Like Self said, there are worse fates out there. They repeated in a somewhat cryptic and not at all foreboding manner. What Echo just saw was but one possibility for how things may unfold. I went to open my mouth to object, but they cut me off again. Friend Echo said they were not going to force Ghost into anything, remember?

"I did…" I admitted with a grunt at having my own words thrown back at me. "I just… Look, I'll only say this once and then I'll leave the matter alone, I promise. Alright?" Ghost said nothing, but I did see them give a slight nod in acceptance. "Thank you. Now, like I said, if you feel you've done your part for Hallownest, that's fine. You stopped the Radiance. Ended the Infection. Brought your siblings peace. Gave those left a chance to rebuild. Great work all around,"

I took a moment to shift my gaze onto the tiny pinprick of light high above us. "If anyone has earned their rest, it's you, and maybe I'm out of line here for even suggesting this, but… I just feel that those left behind at least deserve some form of closure. Don't you?" Ghost visibly flinched and went eerily quiet. And that in turn made me feel kinda scummy as this was starting to sound like guilt tripping on my part now.

"Ghost, we… We can't let what may happen in the future keep us from living our lives here in the present," Hearing me say this seemed to cut through the fog their mind was in as now I had their attention again. "If we were always doing that then nothing would ever get done. I'm sure we can agree on that much, right?"

Ghost's eyes narrowed slightly, but they did give a slow, reluctant nod in acknowledgment. "Right. That being the case-"

Quiet. I immediately clammed up at the command and for a moment wondered if I had crossed a line, but Ghost was now no longer facing me. Instead, their gaze was drawn upwards to the pinprick of light that I had been using as a beacon. Before I could ask what was wrong, I suddenly found myself wincing as an invisible wave of something washed over me out of nowhere. A blast of pure, concentrated emotion. A cocktail of anxiety, desperation, even a little bit of fear and confusion mixed in there too.

W-What is this???

Something is wrong! Sister Hornet! In trouble!

In trouble? And that's when it clicked for me what exactly was going on. Oh no… Don't tell me it's already beginning. Ghost eyed me warily and I found myself frowning. Your visions… I think Hornet's being captured right now. She's gonna be taken to the Citadel Of Song by the Choir!

Sister… Ghost's body started trembling from a mix of agitation and pure animosity. I winced at seeing their horns starting to grow out as their eyes split and shaped into an unnervingly familiar multi-eyed pattern. All while the realm around us seemed to shudder like a great beast starting to wake up. …Why? Why Sister of all bugs??!

Because she's descended from the Weavers! I cut in sharply. Partly out of fear from Ghost losing control of themselves. And it's not just her. Anybody with the Weaver's blood in their veins is being captured and taken to the Citadel! To basically be a sacrifice for Mother Silk's awakening!

Sacrifice… The Knight's body trembled for a bit longer before starting to settle down and return to normal, but the agitation was still there. Merely controlled now. Ghost has heard enough about sacrifices to last a lifetime…

Yes. I suppose you have. I concurred, trying to make my sympathy come through loud and strong. And the thing is your Sister adamantly refuses to leave Pharloom until she sees Mother Silk dealt with… One way or the other.

Indeed. Sister is committed like that. Ghost conceded, his voice straddling the line between pride and exasperation. She may act cold and has done some things Ghost doesn't agree with, but Sister does genuinely care.

Yeah, even if she's not the easiest person to be around, she does have a heart of justice at the end of the day. My own gaze was yet again drawn to the beacon at the peak. And as I did so, I felt my hand clenching fiercely. …Ghost. I think we can both agree that the future isn't set in stone, right?

The Knight's gaze followed my own and I saw them shaking their head in denial. Ghost has not seen Echo in any of those visions so… perhaps there is a reason that friend is here now of all times?

And I can't say I particularly like the idea of her being left all on her lonesome on such a risky pilgrimage. Even if it IS Hornet. With that, I began my ascent with renewed vigor. It's been great getting to meet you, Little Ghost, but I need to be on my way now.

I drifted up past the rows of eyes watching us, catching fragments of whispers and little conversations. Not-Sibling Is Leaving? Sister In Trouble? Trouble! Big Trouble! Do we go? Do we stay? What can we do to help?

As I kept on going upwards, the rows of white eyes would wink out one by one but I paid them little heed. That darn pinprick of light still seemed to be like a million miles away but I was nothing if not stubborn myself. I would reach it even if I-why was I suddenly not moving at all?

Blinking in confusion, I turned to see what the deal was and my heart froze briefly at seeing a tendril had grabbed hold of one of my appendages. I followed the trail to its source and I saw the culprit: "...Ghost?" They said nothing. Merely closed their eyes as the darkness rushed forth to engulf them like a blanket.

And that's when I saw the eyes opening up before me and I felt my stomach drop to rock bottom at what now was before me. "....Ghost…?"

I heard a voice in my head which both sounded and didn't sound like the Knight. We are, and we are not. We have no Beginning, and thus no End. All that exists now was born from us…and be they Mortal or Higher Being…All will one day return to its origin…

This was it. This was no longer just Little Ghost talking to me anymore. This was the Void's Will Made Manifest.

I merely remained silent as the tendril attached to me suddenly grew and spread out to form into a giant claw-tipped hand which now held me in its palm. I didn't move. I didn't speak. Because, really, what could I do in a situation like this? I was well and truly powerless. Bottom of the food chain. No. Beneath even that!

After all, this was the entity that had straight-up deleted a goddess of dreams when the best a certain Wyrm could do was banish her to the depths of the Dream Realm and make her be forgotten. That was the kind of power gap we were dealing with here!

… And yet still I sensed no malice within them. No anger or intense emotions of any kind. No hunger. No hatred. Nothing. I don't know what motivated me to do what I did next. Maybe it was morbid curiosity, or me acting the role of the fool, or maybe sentimentality getting the better of me again. Regardless of the reason, I found myself drifting closer to them.

The entity actually lowered itself down just enough so my void-infused limb could reach their chin. "Little Ghost…"

I heard their voices in my mind yet again. However, the manner they used was surprisingly tender, almost reassuring even. Many have attempted to claim ownership over Us… Over the power to create and destroy all…To claim dominion over Destiny itself…So we ask…Who Are You in the grand tapestry? What qualifies you to command Us in comparison to those who came before?

I found myself scowling and lowering my gaze away from their piercing eyes. I sent my thoughts to them. I am nobody. I am no Higher Being. No ruler of some far-off land. I'm just someone who wishes to be part of something bigger than themselves. One who refuses to accept the future's already been decided. Whose heart is bigger than their brain more often than not!

I raised my head to meet their face again. Now I spoke out loud. "...And I'm not commanding you guys to do anything for me. If you don't wish to help, then that's entirely your decision. As far as I'm concerned, nobody has the right to claim ownership over anybody else!" It may have been my imagination but for a brief instance, it almost seemed like their eyes had widened slightly at my proclamation.

"I guess…" I briefly flapped my limbs out to the sides of me in the classic 'what you gonna do?" gesture. "All I can do is…Ask. Ask for you to help me, help you, help your sister and everybody else in Pharloom. So, yeah. That's pretty much it. I'm not demanding. I'm not ordering. I'm not even gonna bargain. I'm asking. Making a request for your aid. Would you be willing to do that? Please?"

The Abyss went eerily silent after I finished my little bit of Talk No Jutsu. I had been told more than once I had a way with words, but I usually had them written down on a piece of paper to help formulate my thoughts. Coming up with them on the fly was… A tad more difficult.

Still, I'd done what I could and now the ball was in their court. Making demands or ordering around the eldritch force from which everything was spawned was an incredibly stupid idea, after all. Taking its power by force? Yeah, if you had a death wish.

No. All I could do was make a request and hope that they were in a giving mood. If not… Well, I'd adapt. I was always good at that.

…The Void cannot be disturbed…And we do not choose sides…

I merely nodded my head in begrudging acceptance. I was about to speak up, to say that there were no hard feelings, when they cut me off again. However, thou have already been christened by Us…And you have earned our…Curiosity… As such, We will aid you in realizing Your Potential. So that you may survive what is to come… And perhaps even forge a path…a world… that exists outside our gaze.

Upon hearing this, my demeanor immediately brightened up like a thousand degrees. "R-Really?? That's great! Amazing, even! Thank you! Thank you so much! So, what exactly do we need to do?"

Simple. Thou merely needs to look deep within Us…And in doing so…Within Yourself.

It took a moment for me to grasp the significance of those words. "Ohhh….right. When you stare into the Abyss, the Abyss stares back into you…" And so, I did exactly that. I locked eyes with the Void, and the Void's gaze locked onto mine. I looked. And looked. And looked some more. Just staring deeper and deeper into their gaze.

Yep. Just here having a staring contest with the Abyss itself. Waiting for something to happen. If anything. But no. I knew I had to keep the faith. Because regardless of what it was, this entity was still made up of Ghost and all their Siblings. And they would never steer me wrong. Especially when family was on the line.

Finally, a new sensation began to take hold of my being. A type of ''pull'' of sorts. Like I was being lifted upwards. Their gaze growing to fill my vision. And as this happened, a tingle of sorts began to take over my body. A strange sense of fatigue which caused my vision to start blurring in and out. "Wha…"

Do not be afraid, our Child. The Abyss murmured in an oddly reassuring manner as its hand began to slowly curl inward. Almost like it was forming a cocoon of sorts around me. Rest now…Find The Seed Within You…And Together…We Will Make That Seed Sprout…Into something…Most Interesting…

I went to speak up, to ask for more guidance, but I suddenly felt oh so drowsy…maybe if I closed my eyes for just a minute…

Of course, before my eyes drifted shut, their voice would reach me one last time. Words that I would carry with me for the rest of my days. For good or ill.

From This Day Forward…

You Are One Of Us

 

[Romafedu]

It is a fun read, but you should try to fix the threadmarking.