Chapter Text
In Endless Vigil
Hollow doesn’t remember much from the time it failed its task and its sibling had to do it for Hollow. The memories come back in bits and pieces it tries to ignore. Ignores because Hornet told it those types of memories weren’t good to dwell on. Because it knows dwelling on them implies its thinking and-
Do not think…
It watches from its current perch within its siblings home in Dirtmouth. Watching the townspeople go about their lives while Hollow waits for its siblings to come home. It was not ordered to follow, nor do anything else so it stays in the spot they had left it in by the window as they traveled below.
Hollow would watch them leave almost every day, ever since they had deemed it well enough to finish recovery on it’s own. Hollow could still feel the aching pain left by the Radiance and its own attempts at punishing itself with its nail. It currently did not know where its nail was but Hornet said she was keeping it safe until she deemed Hollow well enough to have it returned. Hollow had wanted to know why it wasn’t allowed its only asset, but had been a good vessel and accepted that Hornet must only be doing what is good for it.
Hollow had tried their best to remember their recovery. Its sibling, Ghost, had inquired if it remembered anything from when pain and infection (Not caused by the Radiance, both Ghost and Hornet had to reassure Hollow). It had tried to bring up anything from before they had awoken, but was met with a wall of tangled pain and confusion it didn’t know how to handle.
Neither Ghost nor Hornet had brought it up since.
They were busy after all, they had a kingdom and its people to reunite. It had no right to inconvenience them with its own potentially faulty thoughts and behaviors that were unbecoming of a vessel. For one should not have to worry about their possessions. It would be ridiculous to have to worry about one’s possessions moving around without the owners express interference.
Hollow tried to suppress the horrible feeling of loneliness it should not have. Repress the tiny inklings of envy that threatened to ruin the vessel at the confusion on why Ghost got to be at Hornet’s side and not it.
It reminded itself that its sibling hadn’t failed at its purpose like it has.
Ghost deserves more than it.
It should be grateful that its siblings haven’t deemed its failures worthy of being thrown away like it knows it deserves-
It finally noticed how its body was shaking, claws on its remaining hand digging painfully into its healing chest wounds, and forced itself to stand into a stiff, ramrod straight posture to the right of the window, staring into the annals of the house.
Away from anything that could distract it.
Quashing its feelings down, it reminded itself that its feelings on being left alone to dwell most days were irrelevant. Not when its siblings were already so stressed about their own burdens. Besides, it shouldn’t be feeling anything.
Do not feel…
Its joints ached from remaining in its position by the window, but it refused to move. Could not move. It would survive. It must. Just as it had for the age it spent in the black egg. Where it was unable to do anything but listen, while its physical body slowly decayed from constant aches and pains, as the Radiance tried to speak and lure Hollow into her trap of dreams. The aches from being immobile for so long had yet to disappear. Hollow didn’t like how it knew the reason behind every scratch, scar, and pit in its chitin.
The Radiance had tried long and hard to break Hollow. Break Hollow so that it could no longer hold up the seals that had chained the Radiance to its void. The Radiance had tried every jeer, taunt, empty promise she could think off, and while it had eventually come to respond just as the Radiance desired, the seals still did not waver. Once she had discovered Hollow was just as much a prisoner as she was, she had moved on to trying to break Hollow physically. Infection burning through every muscle, bone, and sinew Hollow possessed. Bloating, bursting, and breaking every inch of skin in hopes that its void would finally stop reforming after every attempt. Hoping that by destroying the vessel the seals would no longer hold up. It was in that throe of endless agony when it had felt its mask crack with a sharp, painful clarity, that it finally gave in and cried out. For its siblings. For father. Mother. Hornet. Anyone. When it received no reply was when Hollow finally gave into tears.
Do not hope...
When the door to the temple finally let in the first specks of pale light it had seen in too long an age, Hollow had already cornered itself in a small corner of its mind. Scared. Helpless to the never ending physical and mental pain the Radiance wrought in her attempts to shatter Hollow. Hollow remained unaware of the small figure that was approaching its body. Of the seemingly empty stare it gave at Hollow’s hanging body.
Until it felt the Radiance forcibly move its head.
Scared, but somewhat intrigued by what had finally taken the Radiance’s attention off of Hollow, it cautiously threaded its consciousness back to its physical body. It finds itself stuck at seeing but being unable to move anything, but it is enough to understand what is happening.
A sibling.
Hollow doesn’t know how to feel. It hurts and Hollow’s scared of what will happen. Accustomed to pain at every small moment. Logically, Hollow knows what will happen as its sibling approaches their chains.
Its sibling will hack it free. For even Hollow can sense the King’s Brand that glows like a shining, pale beacon to its mind that has long grown used to the painful contrast of absolute black nothing and absolute blinding light.
Its sibling will then approach its quivering form on the floor, before taking its nail and taking the infection it contains.
It has failed after all.
A failed vessel deserves to be discarded and replaced.
What it didn’t take into account was the blinding pain that forced Hollow back into its little corner of mind as its sibling hacked away at the last of the seals keeping it suspended.
Do not…
All Hollow feels is pain. Pain pain pain pain as the piercing light blinds what is left of their eyesight pain pain pain pain while the Radiance forcibly moves its body, so atrophied to uselessness, every centimeter of movement bringing only PAIN PAIN PAIN PAIN and it wants to die.
For the first time in countless ages it fights the Radiance. Fights for just a sliver of control as it forces its remaining arm, holding its broken nail, back into itself. As it pierces the amalgamation of infection and void, Hollow can only kreen in happiness at the thought of finally ending the pain that had never left since it was sealed away.
Again.
And again.
It can feel its sibling slashing away and what is left of its body, helping Hollow bring the only thing it had ever dared to think of having.
Until its nail is dropped by the impact of something stabbing into its face, forcing it to the ground immobile.
A voice that rings painfully familiar yet not to Hollow was all it heard before unconsciousness overtook it.
“Get Good!”
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