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For what felt like the hundredth time, Hornet sighed as she reminisced about the events of the past day or so, memories constantly replaying in her mind as she thought about the next course of action.
First losing Ghost in the storm, then finding him in the hands of the human, then attacking said human. Then they made friends with him before coming back to Dirtmouth, where the confrontation between the Vessel and the Radiance, Ghost and the Knight, finally came to a close, in one final, climatic fight. They had won. Destroyed the infection that had plagued their kingdom for ages. However, it said something that between that and the arrival of Deuwie, Hornet still wasn’t sure which major event she’d consider to be more impactful.
Deuwie…
When she first saw him, Hornet was horrified, and understandably so. She had seen corpses of other giant beasts before, deep in Hallownest, but to gaze upon one that was still alive? With the Ghost in its hands, no less? She had reacted only by instinct then, striking out at the massive beast and retreating before it could retaliate. In those first moments, it had never once occurred to her that this alien creature might be friendly. She had spent so long attacking nearly everything that crossed her path, that Hornet had found it difficult to not act as if everyone around her was hostile in some shape or form.
It was her own mistake, assuming the human would act like the rest. “Beasts of flesh”, as they were commonly referred to, were not complete unknowns in Hallownest. Occasionally they wandered into the cave system, caused havoc, and then were either slain or chased off. But nothing like, or as big as, Deuwie had ever been seen before. The other flesh creatures were just mindless animals, but Deuwie was, well, aware.
There was still so much about Hallownest Hornet was not privy too, and the news that the world was far bigger than anyone had previously thought certainly didn’t help matters. It was, partly, one of the reasons why she insisted on rushing back to the Nest after “saving” Ghost. She did not want to become entangled with this new world of open skies and strange giants, but of course it hadn’t been that easy. Deuwie had followed them back, Deuwie had woken up the Vessel, and now, with his promise to return tomorrow, and likely every other day after, the human child had cemented himself in a new role in Dirtmouth’s little ecosystem.
A child.
A child. The fact almost made Hornet dizzy every time she thought of it. He was still quite young, and if he was telling the truth, had not even started to truly mature. Not to mention that the boy claimed he was small for his age. She gulped at the thought that Deuwie’s father might be as gargantuan to him as he was to them. Seeing something like that might cause half to the town to drop dead from shock alone. However, there was also that tiny, little additional detail. The guilt. The guilt of dragging yet another child into Hallownest’s conflict, even unwittingly, and causing him pain along the way, first with her own nail and then after he fell into a hole and scraped himself. True, his injuries were easily brushed off, but it still nagged at Hornet. She had attacked an innocent being, and even if Deuwie had forgiven her, she wasn’t sure she could forgive herself just yet. The boy was, possibly, the friendliest creature Hornet had ever met, and by all notions he should be a beloved member of their town, admired by all.
But.
There was no escaping the problems his sheer size could cause for the average bug, even putting aside his tendency to step on things. For instance, early in his visit, while laying on the ground and showing everyone his “bug book”, the child had casually yawned, and it was only by sheer luck that the entire town was not sent into terrified hysterics. Quirrel, who had been right next to Deuwie, nearly fainted, and Hornet, who had been right beneath him, almost drew her nail on instinct, as between the beasts of Deepnest and the infected former citizens, she had become all too familiar with sudden, gaping maws big enough to swallow her whole appearing out of nowhere.
Thankfully, Deuwie was able to explain the situation before any harm was done, but it was still uncomfortable all round. Especially considering that humans’ insides were even more unnerving to look at than their outsides. She shuddered slightly in disgust as she thought back to the view of the inside of his mouth. Dark, wet, red flesh bordered by two rows of perfectly white, alien teeth, some flat and others pointed, like they had been designed to crush and tear through prey, respectively. She was still thankful that Deuwie had not brought any food with him, as she was sure watching him eat was…not a sight she was ready to witness.
It was weird. Humans were weird. And yet, despite all of that, she had to admit, there was a certain appeal to his presence. His childhood curiosity and eagerness to share and help was solid proof that, even with the Kingdom fallen and a good ninety-nine percent of its citizens now corpses, that not all hope had faded just yet.
How appropriate that said hope came from a world outside of theirs.
However, none of that changed the fact that Deuwie, although Hornet knew he was gentle by nature, could still be very dangerous, even unintentionally. The houses crushed beneath his feet, and then what he did to the infected Hollow…
It had been yet another grim reminder that, despite Deuwie’s seemingly perpetual happy and curious state, his size still made him a liability. The battle with the Vessel was not one Hornet expected to come out of without a mortal wound. Yet all Deuwie had to do was just…take a step forward. And then a few more. One of the greatest threats to their kingdom, defeated in seconds.
Hornet gripped her nail tighter as she realized, not for the first time, just how supremely lucky they had been that Deuwie was of a kind nature, and not malicious. The child had said it himself, after all. Most humans saw bugs as pests and had a tendency to kill them on sight. It was not a comforting thought to know that outside Hallownest, outside of the cave they dwelled in, there was a vast, alien world full of gargantuan creatures who could crush them all without much effort, if the mood struck them.
Deuwie was not even a mature member of his species, for the King's sake! His father could be a dozen times his size, and if angered he could destroy the entire Kingdom with a single sweep of his hand. Also, knowing Deuwie, she didn’t put it past him to just bring his sire here to introduce him to all his new “bug friends”, regardless of how they warned him against it. That was the main problem here, more than anything. Deuwie was caring, had saved Ghost, stopped Hollow, and was a warm presence in the cold apocalypse of Hallownest…but the boy was just too naive. Which, ironically, meant that his father might’ve made for a more tolerable presence than him.
Still, Hornet couldn’t bring herself to hate or even dislike the human. Not in the slightest. It was just so frustrating. Another thing to deal with and plan for on top of everything else. Surely, it was a time for celebration, yes? The Vessel had returned. The Radiance was dead and gone. The infection had vanished. What remained of the citizens, they could rebuild their lives.
Yet, all Hornet felt was an empty feeling inside her chest. Was it because so many had still died and could not be brought back, the citizens and her siblings alike? Was it because even though Hollow, who had finally returned, was left a broken, clearly traumatized mess? Or perhaps it was the newfound knowledge they gained that day, of a race of giant, alien beings who could suddenly show up and erase their civilization with ease, and the only thing standing in their way…was a child. Of that same race.
Probably all three, and a few more besides. Cringing at the thought, Hornet slung her nail onto her back and took a moment to observe the town. Even the more introverted individuals were busying about in the streets, fervently discussing with the others the Radiance, Hollow, humans, and a dozen other topics that Hornet had no desire to speak further of. At least not anytime soon.
Considering her past, she knew it would not take long for them to seek her out to gain her perspective on things, and so with a huff, Hornet turned and entered her home, a small hovel on the outskirts of Dirtmouth. She was not a person of creature comforts. The inside of her house (which she had not even needed to buy, considering how empty the town used to be) consisted of little more than a bed, a stash of Geo, a rack for her nail and other useful objects she found, and a small chest for various relics. Despite knowing that it held no practical value, Hornet still collected the occasional trinkets she found in the Kingdom. Objects resembling the King, the White Lady, and anyone else she felt was of importance. They might be useful some day. Yes. That is the only reason she collected them. Obviously.
Tearing her eyes away from that, she quickly found her way towards her bed, casually placing her nail on the rack and laying down on the comforting fabric. Even putting Deuwie aside, it had been a very long day. Ghost, the Knight, the Radiance…it was almost too much to take in, and Hornet needed some long-desired leisure time to properly digest the day’s events. All she wanted to do right now was fall asleep before tomorrow's problems came.
And a moment later, she did, fading into sleep the moment her body hit the bed.
***
BOOM
CRACK
BOOM
Hornet flinched at the sound of destruction in the distance, holding her weapon tight as she breathed heavily. She was pretty sure her left arm was broken, and she couldn’t see out of her right eye. A nasty combination. But considering the rest of Hallownest’s injuries, her own wounds were practically negligible. She could only pray that she hadn’t been infected, but with the giant piles of orange muck now covering literally every square inch of the Kingdom, at this point it was inevitable.
The little Ghost sat next to her in their hiding place, near-comatose, also recovering from their last…attempt. They hadn’t been able to fight properly. The tiny warrior could have, of course, but at the last possible second they choked up. It made sense, she supposed, considering their former friendship. It also meant that the goal of creating the perfect vessel had failed in the end. Not that that mattered now. At this point, they’d be lucky for even a single bug to make it out of this alive.
A moment later Quirrel landed next to them, blade covered in orange goo as he collapsed to the ground. His own injuries consisted of little more than a few scratches and bruises, if only because Hornet had specifically instructed him to provide them with recon and nothing else.
He looked like hell.
“Report…” She said, her voice weak. She barely had the strength to stand.
“I just came from the Queen’s Gardens. He’s-”
“It.” Hornet said. “He’s an it now.”
“…R-right.” Quirrel mumbled, leaning against a rock. “As I was saying, the Gardens are now under attack. It’s destroying everything in its path, not even giving the bugs around it time to be infected. It’s just…making its way from one part of the Kingdom to the next. The Mantis tribe are currently trying to slow it down, but…they won’t last long. Their Elders are already dead.”
Hornet growled and looked away, knowing all was lost already but not having the heart to admit it. Of course the Radiance wouldn’t let go that easily. She remembered the moment that he appeared again, Ghost and Quirrel so happy to see Deuwie once, only for a giant, malformed, infected flesh beast to barge into the cavern, their once joyous friend now leaking orange ooze from his eyes and mouth, and in his pupils she could see the furious Radiance in there, intent on wiping them all out as a sort of final, petty revenge. From there it had been a slaughter, the boy-turned-beast destroying most of the town before the ground beneath him failed, allowing it access to the rest of the Nest. And now they were here. They were reluctant to attack their former friend, of course, but…what else could be done?
The infected were little more than walking corpses. Bug or human, it was all the same.
But of course, everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face, and this particular fist happened to be twice the size of a stag. Nothing they did could even so much as slow him down. The Radiance seemed insistent on pushing this new, mammalian, fleshy body to its limits in a quest to wipe the Kingdom clean of life…a goal it might very well succeed at.
“Hornet.” Quirrel said, snapping her out of her thoughts. “It’s…it’s over. We can’t stop him - it. We have to find whoever we can and evacuate Hallownest.”
“Evacuate? There’s nowhere else to go!”
“We can leave the cave Deuwie said we’re inside. You said your mind didn’t decay out there! We can find a new home-”
“The second the Radiance finishes killing everything down here, it’ll go right back up there to infect the humans and spread itself anew!” She pointed out with a shake of her head. “Wherever we go, it’ll find us. We have to stop it here or now, or die trying.”
“Then we’ll just die.” Quirrel said, insistent. “Hornet, I…was with Ogrim down there.”
“…And?” She asked, her heart sinking.
“He tried to confront it. That thing’s reaction was to pick him up and bite him in half. He was one of the five knights, and he was barely more than a snack to that infection.” He trembled. “We can’t beat it. You know we can’t.”
Yes, she did.
And yet…
“W-we still have to try. Do we still have those chains from Hollow’s prison? We could try and-”
BOOM.
All of them flinched and turned as a massive arm shot up from the ground, crashing into the remains of a nearby house. Hornet stood and gasped, knowing that this was it. A shadow fell over Dirtmouth as the infected human raised itself up from the ground, the Radiance glimmering in its eyes, looking down at its hated foes as a massive shoe came up and-
“GAH!”
With a shout, Hornet fell out of bed, nearly hyperventilating as she swiped her nail off the rack and dashed out of the house. She looked back and forth, expecting to find the town in ruins, the crushed dead littering ground, and a massive monster laying waste to their home…
…only to find that everything was as it had been. The houses Deuwie had accidentally crushed were still there, but that was all. No monsters. No dead. No disaster.
A dream.
Just a dream.
With a groan, Hornet slumped to the ground, covering her face with her hands. Hours spent worrying about tomorrow, and her subconscious mind decided to kindly deliver to her a vision of the worst possible scenario. She knew by now that Deuwie hadn’t (and likely couldn’t, he got a face full of the stuff and only sneezed a few times) been infected, but of course her stupid brain would still lead her to the darkest places. Doing anything it could to convince her that the human shouldn’t return. She had begrudgingly accepted his presence, and was fully aware that he was going to return whether she liked it or not. The townsfolk outvoted her on that opinion, for one. Perhaps she could just keep watch from afar, make sure he didn’t get into trouble while he visited them.
…But could she really just give Deuwie the cold shoulder, after everything? The kind flesh-beast that had a family of his own, was willing to try to be friends with everyone, and seemed obsessed with learning more about their culture? Sure, he could be annoying at times due to the unintentional destruction he caused, but the key word there was “unintentional”. With how many residents had become part of the town recently, the damage could be fixed rather quickly. The wounds from Deuwie’s mishaps on the land would last not even a few days, and it was clear with his apologies that he didn’t mean it. Heck, he would almost certainly offer to help rebuild the structures, and with his help they’d be done in a flash.
However, something about the whole situation still didn’t sit right with her. She didn’t know what, it was just-
“Can’t sleep?”
Hornet jumped and looked over to see Quirrel standing there, his face twisted into one of concern. She relaxed and huffed, leaning back against her home and sitting down. Someone managed to sneak up on her? She truly was out of it. “No.”
“Nightmares?”
Hornet didn’t answer, but the silence was one on its own all the same. Quirrel nodded in sympathy, before sitting next to her, keeping his distance. Hornet had always tolerated the warrior, and a small part of her did respect him for his skill. She had never personally seen him fight, but the way he carried himself showed evidence of a nail wielder with many years of experience.
“I had one as well.” He blurted out. “That moth thing…the Radiance…it was still alive. Everyone but me had been infected, and all I could do was run, and run, and run…” He let out a slow breath. “…I thought I was still dreaming when I awoke. That’s always the worst part of them. Realizing too late that it wasn’t real.”
“As did I. Only in my dream, it was a single individual who was infected instead of them all.” Hornet replied, figuring that a conversation would be a good distraction from her thoughts.
“Who? Yourself?”
“No. Deuwie.”
“…That sounds utterly horrifying.” Quirrel said, looking disturbed.
“It was. You were planning to evacuate Hallownest after he - it showed up. It killed Ogrim, Hollow…anyone that stood in its way. I woke up just as it crushed me with its foot.”
A brief silence, before Quirrel swallowed deeply. “Do you think-”
“That Deuwie might be infected, and my dream could come to pass?” She shook her head. “No, I don’t think so. Deuwie is a flesh-beast. Something he called a “mammal”. I know little about what he is, but I do know he isn’t a bug. And the other, tinier flesh creatures that wandered into Hallownest before never showed signs of infection.” Hornet explained. “I don’t think the Radiance can actually affect the kind of thing he is.”
“Good. Because I can’t believe I’m saying it, but I think I prefer my nightmare over yours…” Quirrel mumbled. “Everything’s well in the town. Most people have gone to sleep, and we’ve made plans to start repairs tomorrow. Although some of us are wondering. What should be done with that big statue Deuwie broke?”
Hornet winced as she thought of the Moth effigy, the last remaining proof of the Radiance’s existence. The solution was obvious. “Destroy it. If there are any mining bugs left, have them smash it to pieces then scatter the shards in Deepnest.”
“Are…are you su-”
“Yes. That statue is why the Radiance came back in the first place. It needs people to know it existed.” She said, taking a deep breath. “Just get rid of it, Quirrel. However you can.”
“Okay. Don’t think anyone’s gonna complain about that. Especially not Ghost. Every time they looked at the thing, they acted like it was staring back.”
“It probably was, in one way or another. But how is Ghost, anyway?” She asked. “Deuwie might have fixed their mask, but…”
“They seem alright. I mean, it’s obviously hard to tell at times, but they just seem to be happy to have made a new friend, and that everyone’s…mostly okay. They’re with Hollow and Elderbug right now.” Quirrel said, before chuckling. “Y’know, it took me an embarrassing amount of time to realize they couldn’t talk and it wasn’t just selective. I wish we could do something about that.”
“Who knows, maybe Deuwie can make them a mouth.”
Quirrel perked up at that, clearly taking the suggestion seriously. “You really think that he-”
“No. Although it wouldn’t surprise me. I thought Ghost’s mask to be unfixable, and yet he went and did it with something he claims is a product meant for children.” She said, “At this point, it would be unwise to assume anything of what the humans can do, and what Deuwie has. When I was up in their world, the place I rescued Ghost from…” She paused as she thought back to Deuwie’s house, a structure far larger than the White Palace had ever been, made of strange red blocks and filled with human knicknacks. She only had a few glimpses of the inside, but what she did see?
She sighed. “I’ve never seen anything like it. I didn’t *understand* any of it, and that…that…”
“Terrified you?”
Hornet looked at him in surprise, while Quirrel laughed again. “It’s okay to admit it. My first encounter with Deuwie was him staring at me with eyes bigger than my entire body. It’d be strange if I wasn’t scared of all this.” He said. “I thought I had seen everything there is to see in Hallownest, in the world we live in, but now…” He snorted and then leaned towards Hornet, and she knew exactly what he was about to ask. “I know you said you didn’t understand it, but what was it like up there?”
“Horrible.” She said instantly. “The sky is endless and blue, and there’s a colossal light hanging over everything that never goes away. The plants grow everywhere and make it incredibly irritating to traverse the terrain, and besides the humans, everything living up there is as mindless as the infected. It’s impossible to predict what might happen next.” She explained. “You’re welcome to go there if you wish. I’m sure Deuwie wouldn’t mind taking you out and up. But I’m just warning you. His home isn’t some wonderland. It’s too…different.”
“Different doesn’t have to be bad.” Quirrel pointed out. “I mean, just look at Deuwie himself. When I first saw him, I thought I was about to be eaten and was prepared to spend the last few seconds of life in utter terror. But he exceeded every expectation I had of him. Sure, he can be…clusmy…” He admitted, both of them simultaneously glancing at the wreckage of a house. “But he has a good heart and wants to help. Isn’t that what matters, in the end?”
“My Father just wanted to help…I think…and in the end it didn’t help anything.” Hornet pointed out with an almost comical amount of cynicism.
“Ahh, but did he have a good heart?”
“...I don’t remember.” She said, in a tone of voice that indicated that that was the end of that conversation. She did not like to think or talk about her father and what he did. That subject was too complex for a lifetime of therapy, thank you very much. “But what the King was like hardly matters now. It’s over, isn’t it? The Radiance is gone. The infection is gone. There are still people left to rebuild this town with.” She pointed out, standing up and stretching her limbs. “I know it’s impossible to ignore the past, but after everything, I just want us to move forward and make the best out of the lives we have left.”
“That’s…very noble of you.”
“Being noble has nothing to do with it. It’s just what needs to happen.” Hornet said, staring at the spot where the Radiance had faded, which Quirrel matched a moment later.
“And do…do you think it might ever come back?” He asked, leaving no question as to what “it” was.
“No.” Hornet replied promptly, although more than anything, that’s just what she wanted to believe. “I’ve combed Hallownest. The crossroads, the stations, the City, even Deepnest. No sign of infection remains anywhere. Even if it does somehow return, we’ll all likely be long gone by that point.”
“Good enough for me. Still, we should write down some warnings for the future generations, just in case.” He pointed out, before tilting his head to the side. Hornet knew that if he was human, he’d be smiling in the same manner Deuwie always did. “It was very nice of you, by the way. Letting Deuwie come back tomorrow. Especially when you were so opposed to it at the start.”
“It was for everyone’s safety, more than anything.” Hornet mumbled, looking away, as if embarrassed. “Deuwie is a grub. As I said, can you imagine what would happen if his father came here looking for him? Just how large he might be?” She huffed. “I…was scared. I admit it. If it came down to a fight, I don’t trust my skills to take something down as big as Deuwie, nevermind his parent.” She explained. “Besides, there’s nothing we could have said to him to convince him not to return.”
“Heheh. That’s true. He reminds me of myself when I was young.” Quirrel said, standing up as he patted himself off. “You know? I think Deuwie is exactly what Dirtmouth needs. You mentioned we should try and look forward to escape the horrors of the past? That human is the perfect method. Everyone will be so enamored with him and what he shows us that soon the infection will be a distant memory. I know I’m looking forward to his visit in the morning. You should as well. Maybe his world is filled with a lot of scary stuff, but it can’t be all bad. And something new and exciting is exactly what will help us move ahead.”
Hornet stewed over this, thinking on the wisdom of Quirrel’s words, before she nodded her head. “I…will try to be more optimistic. But I’m not going to stop telling him to not bring another human in unexpectedly.”
“Sounds good.” Quirrel said with a tone of amusement, before nodding back. “Goodnight, Hornet.”
And with that, the old warrior left, heading back to his home and leaving Hornet alone in the dark. The dark she knew. The dark she trusted. That was what she had learned in this life. Fear the light. Fear the infection it brings. Stay in the dark and you’ll survive.
But now…
Maybe bringing a little bit of light, in the form of one human child, wasn’t such a bad thing. She’d be cautious, of course, but her instincts told her that Deuwie, for all his naivety, was someone they could trust. With that in mind, Hornet headed back to bed, and although a few of her dreams did include the young human and his predictable antics, no more did she envision a world gone wrong, twisted by the plague that no longer hounded them. A plague that had been replaced by something just as large and bright, but far, far kinder.