My Post Infection AU [Hollow Knight]

Part 10: Rocks in a Hard Place

"Come back!" Vessel shouted at them as they took off down the stairway. She was laughing at their sort of childlike run as they booked it down, carrying the broken mask with them.

They made their strange noise at her once again, the closest thing they had managed to get to words.

"Well I can't FIX it if you don't give it to me!" Vessel yells at them, starting to chase them down the stairs. Clearly they wanted to make this more fun and had commanded the Kingsmoulds to rest.

There's that cry again.

"You are such a cheater!" Vessel shouts, focusing her efforts and managing to teleport to the first floor and grab the mask from them.
"There that wasn't so hard!" Vessel pats their Void head.

They were adjusting rather nicely to not being in the Dream Realm anymore. They were quite excited when Vessel made the suggestion to them a while back.

A second chance at the lives their father had robbed them of.

"You two really need to calm down if you don't want to cause a panic wherever you go." Vessel sat down and began to seal the pale mask back up, healing it as a vessel would heal themself.

The Hollow Shade clanged down beside her on the floor, watching her carefully as she worked in ways they never could because of the armor they bore.

"There." Vessel fixed the mask back onto their head. It showed a combination of both Oamri and the full grown Hollow Knight's horns.

They seemed to cry in delight as they shook their head around.

"You're going to break it again acting like that!" Vessel laughs.

They pull her into a hug.

"I love you too." Vessel hugs them back, "But we both still have a lot to learn."

They pull away and make their way back to the entrance, watching the door silently close.

"What?" Vessel follows them.

They point to the paper now on the table, not looking away from the door.

They approach the door as Vessel goes to look at the paper.

"What are you doing?" She asks them.

They gesture towards the door and try to form what to say, but instead a mess of sounds come out of their mouth.

"I know." Vessel walks up to them, "Someone was here, and it's time to go outside."

She didn't really want to. She had managed to bring them here so they could help her, so they could work together to keep Hallownest from the ruins it had once become. But part of her still knew that she wasn't ready yet.

They seemed to have a different idea because they nodded and grabbed her hand, basically pulling her out the door.

"Are you sure you should be coming with me?" Vessel laughs, patting their head.

They grab her hand and nod.

"Ok yeah you're right I wouldn't be doing this if it was just me." Vessel admits.

They sit down at the Hidden Station bench, and bask in the silence for a moment.

That is before they nudge Vessel up and point to the bell.

"Fine fine." The wyrm stood up, following her Hollow Shade's request and ringing the bell loudly.

They wait for a moment.

"Something is wrong." Vessel says immediately. Her eyes narrow in a silent rage.

The armored Void shifts her to the left slightly and rings the bell three times in a harder manner.