The entire troupe instantly had to pick up and start on an unplanned journey to the White Palace. Which made your heart race and your fears never leave. The chaos that awaited you was far beyond what you could ever imagine you were sure, but as the caravan moved along Grimm held your hand tightly. The two of you would make it through...
Though after a day of journeying almost nonstop, Brumm had to stop the steeds as they began to grow weary and restless. The shout of chaos coming from a long trail and echoing in the dark area you were currently paused in. Grimm took this sign and grabbed a cloak for himself before handing a smaller one to you. As he put his cloak on you realized that it was the one he would wear in the City of Tears when traveling at night and meeting with you. You found it funny... How from strangers to friends, to lovers, and now going on the obscure quest to save an entire kingdom together. The more you thought about it all, the more you realized how your life turned into a novel you never expected. Like a story, one you would have read when you were younger and would once dream to be a part of... Your dream had come true, now how many more would also?
Grimm hopped out of the caravan after Divine and Brumm did, which you instinctively followed after.
"Oh my Wyrm..." Grimm mumbled as you could hear the screams, the shouting, and the faint clashing of nails. Divine looked weary as she moved back to the caravan and Brumm let out a long sigh.
"I cannot get you two any closer, forgive me, Master." Brumm apologized and Grimm shook his head and found your hand to hold to keep both of you in comfort.
"There is no need to apologize, Brumm. It's dangerous up ahead... I want you guys to all stay back here."
"The two of you are going in alone?"
"That's the only feasible option." You then spoke up, your nerves never completely settling but you did your best to seem calm. "It's best if just Grimm and I go so no one else can get hurt."
"Well, in that case, the two of you better remain safe. Divine and I will stay here with the troupe." Brumm bowed to you and his master as he said this. Grimm gave a small smile to him as he nodded.
"Thank you, Brumm. Y/n, we should make our way in as quick as we ca-"
"Wait! Lady Y/n and Master!" Divine came rushing out of the Caravan as she held something long wrapped in what looked like extremely old cloth, but still cared for many years. When Divine reached the two of you she held the object out to you with a respectful bow. "This will hopefully aid you in the palace since you have no other way to defend yourself." She informed you as you took the wrapped object and removed the worn cloth to reveal a long nail with a sharp edge and slight curve to it. The hilt had a purple ribbon with silver trim to it as you looked at it in awe.
"This is incredible Divine, you had this?" Which she nodded as an answer for you.
"It belonged to Isa, Grimm's grandmother..." She smiled at her Master who then grew interested in the nail after hearing who it belonged to. You instantly knew why it then had a purple ribbon since Isa had a purple body. When you met Divine's eyes she smiled warmly. "You actually seem so much like her and Grimm's mother as well... Maybe in a sense, they rubbed off on you." She said with a giggle and you couldn't believe what she said. Did she know? The glint in her eye made her seem like she was holding a secret, but now was not the time to ask about what she meant. You took the nail handling it with care and ease before you smiled at her.
"Thank you, Divine."
"Be careful, both of you. We will be here." Divine and Brumm waved as Grimm began to lead you away. He pulled his hood over his head to hide his figure more and you did the same. Both of you quickly and quietly making your way to the palace.
****
War raged on outside the castle as you and Grimm did all in your power to sneak inside the castle walls, which wasn't the hardest part. Though inside was worse... Corpses littered the ground as you realized that those who were against the militia leader fell from lethal blows. Grimm refused to keep you around the worse parts for long as the two of you ran through the pearly white halls dyed with deep red or whatever color blood different bugs held. It was horrid, the smell of death everywhere and for what? A power as King that would never even guarantee success? It was cruel.
Not before long, you had both reached the council room that was eerily empty. Grimm closed the large doors and grabbed a broken chair that would hopefully lock the doors so no one could enter as you regained yourselves. The two of you were out of breath and tired, but as you looked around the room Grimm spoke.
"This used to be the Pale King's old throne room. His husk should be here somewhere in the statue." He said as he removed his hood and so did you. The more you looked around you then saw it. The statue was on a large pedestal depicting him in front of his throne, draped in his well known long robes. You would have to climb a bit, but you didn't care. As you rushed to the pedestal you used the ledges up to it like a steep staircase to reach it. "Y/n, be careful!" Grimm warned and you grunted a response,
"I'm fine dear!" Though as you were a few more ledges away from even reaching the statue, banging could be heard at the large doors to the council room. This caused you and Grimm to both stop and look back just as the doors were forced open by soldiers who looked at you both with anger and no fear.
"Hey! Both of you are going to come here if you know what is best for you!" The one in front said as their nail was coated with the blood of other bugs. As they began approaching you looked down at Grimm with fear and you saw his eyes flare with a dangerous glow as he hissed.
"Don't you dare step any closer!" Grimm barked back but when they didn't listen he growled. His eyes glowed brighter and his cloak spiked into the ground before resurfacing as many large spiraled spikes. As a barrier around you, him and the statue.
"Grimm!" You gasped and he looked back at you, the power he had deep down glowed in his eyes.
"Keep going! I'll hold them back!" He encouraged you as he created bright scarlet flames in the palm of his hand that he used to aim at the soldiers that attempted to still get closer. You wanted to stop and help him, but you knew that you also had to get to the statue and finish your duty. So with your blood pumping more than ever, you kept climbing. Making sure you didn't slip or misstep as you got closer and closer to the statue of the Pale King.
Not before long, you did reach it. Though as you reached out to touch it, nothing happened at first. Your heart began to sink as you feared that perhaps this wouldn't work after all and that you had doomed not just yourself but Grimm as well. Though you closed your eyes tightly and begged. Holding close your dreams...
To be an adventurer, a hero, a mother, a lover, and someone people could look up to. Your dream was that you wanted to matter to everyone in some way shape or form, and with that dream instilled the hand placed on the statue began to glow a faint gold as you felt the world fade from you. The sound of Grimm fighting faded as you were transported somewhere else.
****
A bright light blinded you as it soon dimmed down and you could see the realm you were in. Golden skies with fluffy clouds that absorbed a similar color, it seemed enchanting and so calming. As you looked at the platform where you stood you could hear something. Like a soft or faint whisper that rang in your head.
"Yes..." it whispered. This caused your eyes to dart around, a bit of panic rising in your chest.
"Hello?" you called back, not seeing anyone that shared the same space as you right now. To your eyes, you were alone.
"You... You will do just fine..." They spoke again and you began to grow impatient.
"Are you the Goddess? Are you Radiance?" You called out and a ray of light came from one direction, causing you to instinctively look towards it as a loud shriek also emitted. When the light faded and you saw what you were facing, your jaw dropped a bit in awe. Before you were Radiance herself, wings supporting her in midair as her pale orange-yellow eyes stared down at you in judgment. You felt intimidated and afraid, but you knew you came too far to just give in to fear now.
"I am the Goddess you speak of." She spoke, but it felt like her voice was in your head which you could believe since she had to mouth really. "And you, foolish bug, could be who I need to take my place in this minuscule world again." She added and your body began to feel cold and numb. This caused you to fall to your knees and notice how weak you began to feel. "Submit to me. Allow a dream to be instilled... They will pay once more of what they did to me, and you will be the spark that starts it again." Her voice was malicious and power-hungry. You wanted so badly to give in and fall asleep though you couldn't. Grimm was fighting for you, Hallownest depended on you. This was what helped you to stand up slowly and fight back.
"No... No. No. No!" You cried and the realm shook a bit as you fought back Radiance. Her eyes glowed with rage as she narrowed her eyes, that was when you noticed the marks from the ritual on your face were faintly glowing pale red just like how Grimm's did the night of the ritual.
"A bearer of my brother's weakened heart comes into my domain and expects me to show them mercy? Foolish of you! I will get my dream, once and for all!" She sent a ball of light at you which you grew the sudden energy to dodge. Still holding your nail tightly in your hand.
"Stop! I'm trying to help and save Hallownest! The kingdom is dying, and balance needs to be returned! That means Dreams and Nightmares must be one again!" you tried to reason with the anger Goddess, but she didn't back down.
"My brother was weak and a fool! Nightmares have no need to exist when I was all they needed! I refuse to watch my brother Grimm ruin the land I ruled alone!"
"Then grant me your power! To save Hallownest! To keep it eternal! I will be their Goddess of Dreams, and the current living Grimm will be their God of Nightmares!" You demanded and explained while parrying another ball of light she sent at you. This only made matters worse as she shrieked loudly with rage.
"NEVER! NO MORTAL BUG CAN WIELD MY POWERS! THIS KINGDOM IS MINE! AND MINE ALONE!" She declared before casting a large beam of light going too fast for you to dodge. You covered your face with your arms as if that would help, but you accepted your doom from the angered Goddess. Though your end never came and when you looked back up you were caught off guard to see another moth blocking you from Radiance's blast with a rose gold colored shield.
When the moth looked back at you, you saw how her fur was a soft pinkish glow and her wings were a fluffy golden and pink combination. Yet her eyes were still kind.
"Hello, Y/n. A pleasure to see you again!" She greeted and you felt close to tears.
"Rosie!" You greeted back before you both looked at the fuming goddess.
"You, young one. With what purpose urged you to enter my realm as well?" Radiance demanded from Rosie and she lowered her shield and bowed to the goddess her people once worshipped long ago.
"Our Goddess Radiance, it is an honor to be in your presence... Please forgive me and our people for our betrayal to you. What we did was shameful beyond all belief, and we pay for it now. Though times have changed and will continue to change. Hallownest is not the same as it once was hundreds of years ago when you ruled. If you were to take power, who is to say things will not go wrong again?" Rosie's voice was sweet but serious. It surprised you at how a gentle woman with a kind heart could talk to her own goddess with confidence as such. Radiance's temper to her though was calmer than to you, but you understood the many reasons why.
"Then why support my brother and his foul existence? How do you think the kingdom would survive with a mortal bug like her and a jester of my brother's descent as their rulers?" Radiance argued, her tone ringing to both you and Rosie now. Though Rosie still brought you from around her so both of her hands rested on your shoulders. In this dream-like form, Rosie was a bit bigger than you than she was in reality but she was still much smaller than Radiance.
"Y/n here has so much in her heart, and the descendant of Nightmare King Grimm has a kinder heart than your brother. The two will not rule as separate cohorts but like a finely blended dye. Not as brother and sister bound by blood, but as trusted partners bounded by internal fate. They will create their own blood that way." Rosie stood her ground with her belief in you as Radiance could only look down at you in a bit of distaste. Rosie then added, "her dreams and compassion, that was how she came here with no Dream Nail even haven't you noticed? She has the ability to be your second coming... Y/n is no normal bug, but one built purely of dreams. Her own and those around her." She looked down at you as well. With confidence in you truly.
Radiance remained silent though, as she examined you closely. It was as if she was trying to see for herself what Rosie deemed she saw in you. There was a heavy pause before Radiance finally shifted and lowered her head.
"Perhaps I have been too out of hand for the past few centuries... Bugs will be bugs, but I must also accept when I have been wrong. Y/n, you have more inside of you then you have been permitted to show and I admit I cannot do much with how far I have been knocked down. Only existing through a dead memory of my worst enemy..." She explained as she began to glow and shrink down, Rosie did the same as you looked to them both in shock.
Rosie looked like the normal self she was when you met her in the Crossroads town. Though she looked worn and exhausted, her color looking paper which made you concerned for the bubbly moth who indeed saved your life. Radiance in a more tame state looked like a normal mother, her wings folding down into a feather cloak as she approached you both calmly.
"Maybe it's time we truly move on... In good name, I have faith you and my brother's descendant will ensure Hallownest's success." She sighed before bowing down to you, where Rosie did the same. When they both stood back up fully, Radiance turned to Rosie. "Rosella, my dear, you understand that when she leaves... You and I will part your home for all of eternity?" You looked to Rosie in surprise not knowing that her being here with you would mean she would be gone as well. Though Rosie nodded solemnly, accepting her fate.
"I knew of the consequences of coming here, but I understood that ensuring Y/n's goal in life and fate was met was far more important." She smiled at you with warm and kind eyes even though you had confusion and fear painted on your face. "Don't worry about me Y/n. My people were long gone, it was time I too accepted that with no more moths in Hallownest or anywhere at all. With that, it was best I used my life to do as much as I could in my people's dead name before passing on myself. It is time. We are gone, and that is okay... Can you please, as Goddess of Dreams, care for the ones I left behind? Tilla and her other siblings need security in this Kingdom, finally, you can ensure that all living beings in Hallownest belong and can thrive." She requested as she took both your hands in her own. Tears came to your eyes as you placed a smile as best as you could.
"They'll be okay. I will ensure they will all be okay." You promised, before Rosie and you hugged tightly. You both soon parted and Rosie took a stand next Radiance as you took a step back.
"Farewell Y/n... Dream well, and rule with confidence. Hallownest will be eternal." Radiance gave her final farewell as your body began to feel extremely warm and she and Rosie glowed faintly before starting to fade. Your head ached soon after as your form began to glow as well. Voices muttered in your head as your heartbeat increased with them, both becoming loud to the point your ears began to ring and you could not see anymore. Nothing but pure white. It was agonizing. Not harmful or unbearable, but it felt like you were stuck and you couldn't take it. You began to squirm and move but something deep down began to boil. You wanted to scream.
So you did. A loud and powerful scream like the cry of a newborn child. The mark of the birth of the new Goddess of Dreams, Y/n.