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“No, Ghost, you must wait until we’ve finished eating before you can get seconds!” Hornet lightly smacked their claw, which had been reaching for another hotcake when they’d thought their siblings were distracted. They pulled it close to their body as if they’d been stung. Hornet merely scoffed, but mercifully took a hotcake from the dwindling stack and put it on Ghost’s plate. Any pretense of pain dropped as they slathered it in honey-syrup and scarfed it up into their void through one of their masks eye-holes.
Hornet averted her gaze, still not used to seeing the vessels eat. Ghost feigned not noticing, swiping a void tendril around to pick up any remaining syrup.
“Really, I don’t remember you being this hungry, Hollow, even when I snuck you treats.” Hollow, who’d been watching Ghost, looked at their sister and shrugged. ‘I don’t get hungry, just eat because I like it.’
Hornet only hummed at this, before returning her attention to her own plate. Ghost’s void buzzed underneath their shell, still hungry for more. They briefly considered making an attempt at another hotcake, but their sister seemed to sense this and had pulled the plate out of their reach. The little vessel sat back in their chair and crossed their arms, sending their sister a look of utter betrayal. She didn’t even meet their gaze.
Well, if she was just going to stuff her face and ignore them, they’d find something better to do. Casting around the room for a distraction, they saw their whittling kit, a few blocks of wood and a knife. Decision made, they pushed away from the table and jumped down, finding a place to sit on the soft rug. From here they could see and hear their siblings as well as the front door.
(Dirtmouth was well protected, but old habits died hard. Ghost knew, because the dining table had been conspicuously placed where its occupants could also see the entrance. Their siblings were only recently able to spend an entire meal without stealing a look at it.)
They got to work whittling, letting their stubby claws work the knife through wood. Despite Sheo’s attempts to teach them any and all hobbies, it was the Nailmaster who suggested whittling. He told them that it helped when he got restless. Cutting through wood wasn’t too dissimilar to cutting through enemies, after all. Sheo tried to put a happier spin on it, something about letting bad thoughts go and your imagination to take over. Ghost couldn’t help but see the Nailmasters point.
They were halfway through carving a figure of an Ooma when they caught movement coming from the table. Their siblings had finished eating, and Hornet had risen to clean their plates. What had caught their attention was Hollow’s claw moving to sign.
On the day Ghost ascended ended the infection, Hornet had come running into Dirtmouth asking after anyone with medical skills. The town's inhabitants helped her get Hollow out of the black egg and into something that could loosely be called a house. Hollow slowly began to heal, and in that time it had become important for them to find some way to communicate. Elderbug had an idea, and began teaching them sign.
By the time Ghost had stumbled into Dirtmouth, Hollow could hold a stilted conversation. Ghost tried to learn, really, but their stubby claws didn’t lend themselves to articulation any more complex than wielding a nail. Everyone pitied comforted them, told them that it would take time, that it just came more naturally to Hollow. They, in turn, pretended that they understood. That it didn’t hurt every time someone’s expression would flash with annoyance when Ghost couldn’t find the right word.
The only time they’d be grateful for their newfound abilities was when they realized they could communicate with Hollow through their void. Rather than words, it was more of an impression of thoughts and emotions that worked to get their idea across. It made a lot more sense for Ghost, and despite their constant vigilance for it, Hollow showed frustration with having to translate for them.
This also had the benefit that Ghost could pick up on their siblings' conversation without seeing Hollow’s signs. (Hollow probably didn’t even realize they were projecting enough for Ghost to hear.)
‘It’s nothing important…’ Hollow said. Ghost must’ve missed their sister asking some question.
“It is important if it troubles you, siblings. You needn’t protect me, if your fear is that I will take offense.” Hornet spoke with her back to Ghost, so quiet they had to strain to parse the words. “Is it about your sibling?”
About me? Ghost’s claws momentarily stopped, their mind focusing on the conversation. Of course they’re gonna ease drop, especially if it’s about them!
Hollow hesitated and stole a glance at Ghost, who had continued their whittling innocently as though they were clueless of the conversation. ‘It is and it isn’t.’
Hornet only hummed in question.
‘I remembered a… dream that I had.’ Hollow paused as if they were taking a breath. ‘Just before my chains came undone, I dreamt that I was fighting.’
Hornet set the final dish to dry and turned to sit down at the table. “It is not uncommon for our minds to replay memories from our past.”
Hollow looked more certain now, and shook their head. ‘No, it was not a memory. It could not have been.’
Ghost has a bad feeling about this.
‘I remember first wondering why I wasn’t in pain, why it was much easier to move. My body felt young, like I’d never entered the maw of that temple.’ Hollow gave no indication of it, but Ghost felt tendrils of their distress leak through their connection. Hornet must’ve seen it too, in her own way; When Ghost looked over, she’d laid a claw on the table and Hollow had taken it. A silent thank you passed before they retracted their claw to continued.
‘Then I saw them… Ghost.’ They said it softly, as if speaking it too loud would give too much weight to the memory. ‘They looked… exhausted. But more so, throughout our fight, I could feel that they were determined.’ They paused, a flash of mirth coming through, ‘I think you’d be proud if you saw how well they fought.’
No, no, no. Hollow remembered that? Any time Ghost had hinted towards weird dreams involving themself, the bug they were talking to would have a variety of reactions, but never recognition. They had planned on asking their siblings, but had put it off. After all, no one else remembered. Why dredge up the mess of emotions that surrounded dreams when they could just ignore the problem?
Well, look where that got them.
‘Then we... We fought. It’s a blur, now, but I remembered the look they gave me just before the dream faded away. Sorrow, like they knew what I would return to had I not woken up.’
Ghost would never know what the Radiance did to their siblings, but they knew that their meddling was doing nothing to calm Her.
(Maybe if they’d been quicker, killed her the first time, she wouldn’t have taken so much of her anger out on Hollow. Maybe their siblings mask would be unmarked. Maybe their sibling would still have their arm.)
“But you did wake up.” Hornet said after a moment. “And you of all bugs know that She will distort any memory if it means getting Her way. You shouldn’t let this occupy you any longer.”
It was sound advice. Ghost hopes Hollow will listen to their sister and leave the burden of that memory solely on Ghost. They’ve too much to carry already.
‘I thought so too. But… then the dream continued.’
No.
‘It was loud. I was surrounded by a sea of voices that were screaming.’ Hollow’s claws clutched their sisters tighter. ‘I was screaming. I was angry. I was sad.’
The void rose up after Ghost, their siblings voices joining together into a roar. They cried for vengeance. Ghost’s own void pushed against its confines, clawing and scratching until their mask-
‘Then I saw-‘
knock knock
All three siblings startled when they heard a knock on the door. Ghost had gone still, and now looked down to find a pile of splintered wood where the Ooma had been. They shoved what they could into their void just before Hornet passed them to crack open the door.
She stood tall and threatening but relaxed upon seeing who it was. She held the door further open, and Ghost saw it was Elderbug. He smiled at the invitation, but stayed outside.
“I’m glad to see you kids are doing well.” (They’re all decades older than him, but never had the heart to tell him.) “The salve that little fly sold you is working, I’d take it?” He asked Hollow, who nodded. He then turned to Ghost, “What are you working on there? Starting a new project?” Ghost looked down at their claws then up at Elderbug again but gave no other reaction. Used to their silence, he smiled encouragingly and turned to Hornet.
“While I do love to check up on you three, I’ve come today with a request.” He looked behind himself, “Here, you can come out.”
A small bug stepped out from where they’d been hiding behind his cloak. They were a small beetle no taller than Ghost. They carried a meager bag on their back, and held a pickaxe…
...
“Haha, do you know that one? It’s one of my f-favorites! We can sing something else if you’d like. You start singing and I’ll join in.”
…
“…Bury my body…c-cover my shell, What meaning in darkness? Yet here I remain…”
…
Their nail rested heavy in their claws. They didn’t mean to… She wasn’t supposed to… Why does everyone…
…
“-Ghost can attest to that. I thought I might find her a sturdy house somewhere in our town, but any that remain unoccupied will require rebuilding. I thought to ask our little adventurer, with how much they love making friends, and would of course take any help you or your taller sibling may offer.”
Ghost came back to the present and found themself staring into the eyes of a stranger. She was staring right back at them, curiously shining in her green eyes despite her evident skittishness.
“I‘ve got no obligations to attend to for some time, and little Ghost could use an outlet for their boundless energy.” Hornet looked to Hollow, who still sat at the table. “Sibling, do you care to come with?”
Hollow shook their head, ‘Want to finish painting’. Hornet hummed, then finally looked to Ghost. Without further prompting, they set their whittling knife to the side and stood to join their sister. The beetle huddled further behind Elderbug cloak as they approached. Ghost faltered, but after a moment’s thought, held up their arms as if to say ‘I surrender’.
The beetle’s eyes roamed over them before taking a step away from the safety of Elderbug, though her claw still grasped the fabric of his cloak. Ghost warmed, dropping one arm and leaving the other to wave.
They made themself focus on the differences. The color of her shell (a grayish-purple). The green of her eyes (unclouded). The firm hold she had on her pick (not uncoordinated).
Hornet glanced between her siblings and the stranger.
“We best be on our way, then. I must be back in time to prepare dinner, else this one might try eating their own cloak.” She patted Ghost between their horns, her warm claws a stark contrast to their cold shell. They leaned into her, and grumbled when she had to pull away to situate her needle across her back. Ghost pulled their own nail from their void to do the same. The stranger startled, jumping back behind Elderbug. He huffed a laugh as he caught her from tripping.
“Don’t worry, little one. They’re different from you and I, but you’ll get used to their oddities.”
Ghost ignored the pang in their chest. They appreciated everyone’s acceptance, but they found themself wishing they were more like their siblings. Hornet, who though quiet, became appreciated as she could provide for her community and outsiders alike. Hollow, who painted and baked and found solace in the little things.
Hollow, who had made more friends in the time they’d been here than Ghost had in their entire time in Hallownest.
Maybe there’s a reason that everyone Ghost called a friend isn't here now. Maybe there’s a reason Hollow left them to fall. Maybe there's a reason everyone found their happy endings without Ghost.
Maybe there’s a reason that everyone leaves.