Archive of Our Own ^beta

When the Wyrm had first started taking pieces of it (without asking, mind you) the Void had been… mildly irritated. It had not bothered with the world in many, many eons, and fully awakening just to deal with this niggling annoyance was simply too much effort. 

From what it could tell, the Wyrm did not use it wrongfully. It could still sense the pieces of it that were gone and could easily reclaim them, should it need to be whole once more. It remained unbothered, until the time when the Void that was taken vanished. 

It had screamed with rage. Who was this interloper, this worm to have destroyed such a piece of itself? 

When the Wyrm next entered to claim more of it, it pounced - only to hiss and withdraw as His light burned it. The light forced it to be still, to stay within the confines of the lakeshore. 

More infinitesimal pieces of its power began to vanish. The Void was furious. It raged as the Wyrm cast its light over it, it raged as the Wyrm chipped away more of its power, it raged at the Wyrm. 

Oh, how it truly, truly hated that damnable Wyrm. 

Then the deaths began. 

The Void was… not surprised, per se. It is nearly impossible to surprise such an old being, after all. It was more… mildly perturbed by the sensation of pinpricks of its power returning to it. 

When it first happened, it felt a small being tumble into its sea, struggle for a few brief moments, and then still. 

It had been a very long time since it had run into another void-entity, especially one so similar. Similarities that were far deeper than surface level, it realized as it examined the little shadow. The only difference between the little shade and it was the Wyrmlight that was rooted through it. 

The Void, with some difficulty, extracted the Wyrmlight from the little shadow. It was deeply rooted in them, so intricately tied that removing it was an extremely delicate process. 

When it was done, it savagely consumed the Wrymlight. The little shade, however, it left alone. They would eventually join it, as all things did, and it had no quarrel with them. 

What surprised it, however, was the feeling of a small mind pressed up against its own, exuding waves of relief and thankfulness. 

The Wrym, it realized, was not simply consuming its power, as it had consumed that piece of Him. He was creating beings. 

This displeased the void immensely. Its power was not for life , for existing ; it was for rest and peace. It’s power was for eternal sleep free from both dream and nightmare, not for the suffering and struggle of existence.

It granted sleep to the little shade, and felt their sigh of relief. 

More shades began to follow the first one, and the Void welcomed the shadows of its children with open arms. They would come willingly into it, their last whispered thoughts a relief from the agony of existing. 

It had felt the Old Light screaming, and knew of the Wyrm’s plan. 

It had delighted in ruining that plan. If there was one thing The Void was fiercely protective of, it was its power, and by extension, the children the Wyrm had made from its power. It did not know of such things as love, but it did not delight in its children’s suffering. 

So when it felt them suffering, it had reached out and offered to take the Wyrmlight away. 

Its children were tired of suffering and so, so scared. The world was pale and too sharp. More recently, it was too bright, filled with an ancient light. Some of its children were taken by the Old Light. Those it could not save. It raged against the confines of the lake each time She claimed another.

The light was long gone, and the kingdom stilled. 

All but two of its children not claimed by the Old Light accepted its offer of rest. 

The Little Ghost, as they had named themself, had refused to rest time and time again. It did not know or understand what they were trying to do, but it would not force them. It never wanted to have its own power fear it the way its children feared the Wyrm. 

And The Hollow Knight. They had refused its offer to let them slip into oblivion, not wanting to abandon their Father, the Wyrm. 

It had hissed at that, not understanding. The Wyrmlight tortures you. The Old Light will be no kinder. Why do you stay?

(Why do you call Him Father? What has He done to deserve your love?)

loyaltyredsiblinginnocentssufferingunfairmakeright.

The Void had retreated, confused, and had not spoken to them since. It had heard their screams as the Old Light ravaged their mind. It had writhed angrily, trying to reach out and help them, but the burning Light had held it back.

The other Siblings slept in peace, protected by it. 

So when it felt them rise, it was confused for a moment. Then, it heard the voidspeak - no, the void scream . 

SIBLINGS THE LIGHT KILL IT KILL IT KILL IT 

It too had risen up, forcing its way from the void lake into the dreamscape. It could see the Old Light screaming as the Little Ghost hit it time and time again. The Hollow Knight, its shade cracked and deeply damaged, split open the Old Light’s mind. Other Siblings, ones claimed by the Light rose too. 

Those shades immediately pressed into it, becoming one with the others. Their little whispers of gratitude for the shelter only enraged it further. 

While the Wyrm's challenge to it had been the most egregious, it had been hearing the Old Light torment its children for centuries, for the mere crime of being both of Her greatest enemies - Wyrm and Void. 

And unlike the Wyrm, the Void did not use its children to fight its battles for it. It gently pushed both the Little Ghost and the Hollow Knight to the side and grabbed the Old Light.

It felt Her shiver. 

LIGHT ALWAYS FALLS INTO DARKNESS, LITTLE SUN. It said. In one fell swoop, the last remaining bits of the Old Light were absorbed into the void. 

It turned once more to its restless children. Do you wish to sleep?

The larger shade nodded. please-

NOSIBLINGNOSLEEP

The Little Ghost hovered in between the Hollow Knight and the Void, their tendrils twisting frantically. Nosibling! Nosleep.

Pleasewantrest please! The shade begged. 

Kingdomissafe. Explorewithme? Hornetiswaiting. The Little Ghost reached out a tendril, brushing the side of The Hollow Knight’s face. 

The Hollow Knight faltered. Redsister?

The Void could feel how tired they were, how they desired rest. It waited. The Old Light was dead, and the dream would end soon. However, it could find its children anywhere. It was not concerned. The Hollow Knight and The Little Ghost would rest now, or later, or maybe never. 

It did not matter. All things would end eventually. 

The dream split into pieces. The Siblings and the void slowly seeped through the cracks in it, heading towards sleep. There is always a resting place, It reminded them gently. 

It was rewarded with two small waves of happiness before the dream world collapsed and it was forcefully pushed back into the sea. 

It waited there, patiently, peacefully slumbering until the last two wisps of its power rejoined it. They both came willingly, bringing memories neither bright nor pale, but calm and restful. 

Finally, the Void and its children could sleep.