The Lost Element

".....KILL IT....."

That voice again. But much angrier. Demanding me... No. It was not talking to me. It was demanding...the Hollow Knight to act. Demanding the vessel to act. I took a step back as the Hollow Knight began to struggle harder like a voiceless puppet responding to its master's calls. And then... The whispers became a roar.

"KILL THE LIGHTBRINGER!!!"

The plague... The source of the plague trapped within the Hollow Knight... It was screaming at me. It hated me. It hated the light of my trusted sword. Glowing with such bright pestilence, yet revolted by the light I carried in my hand. This infection... It was not a mindless disease that infected and spread just to sustain itself. This plague...had a will. A desire. A truly evil living force that unleashed an apocalypse upon Hallownest. I gazed into the eyes of the struggling Hollow Knight as they finally became still, their bindings still too strong to break free of. And I spoke firmly with my grasp on my sword's hilt tightening, "Who are you?"

It was only then that the dreamcatcher sigils floating between the Hollow Knight and I disappeared. And the voice became silent. What was causing those ethereal sigils to manifest? Was it allowing me to hear voices that were silent at all other times? If that was the case... Then the Hollow Knight was truly voiceless. I heard the calls of the plague itself, but not them. Voiceless...but not thoughtless.

Renewed resolved filled me as I stabbed the Celestial Sword into the floor to free up my right hand. And I raised it high to rest it upon the Hollow Knight's face. That barrier manifested again and remained between me and the Hollow Knight, but did not push me away. I felt...such a profound sense of pity for the vessel before me. How long had they been alone in that chamber? Unable to move, speak, or even think with nothing but the voices of Hallownest's foulest enemy in their head. Were they in pain? Were they numb? Were they even aware of my presence? I sighed as a heaviness settled in my heart. "Just a little longer... It'll be over soon."

My eyes widened. While the Hollow Knight did not speak... There was a physical response. A single trickle of tainted orange fluid flowed from the left eye. Infected...tears? Or was the infection within their body literally beginning to overflow? Whether or not that was a glimpse of the emotions that truly dwelled in the Hollow Knight's heart... Regardless, I took the Celestial Sword in hand once more before casting my gaze upon the Hollow Knight's fallen sword. I could have destroyed it and left my imminent opponent severely handicapped, but...I could not. I turned to the Hollow Knight one last time and said softly, "Let's keep it clean... A knightly duel, right?"

Never before had my knightly title weighed so heavily upon me as I approached that final intact chain. The two of us... Two knights sworn to two different kingdoms. One thriving, the other long dead. One knight, alive and well. The other, corrupted and defiled. Our kingdoms had been beset by great threats that sought to permanently change our worlds for the worst. But where my efforts to preserve and protect Equestria ended in success... The Hollow Knight failed. And their kingdom was all but gone. But one thing I knew for certain... We had walked through different paths of pain, but still we were the same. I stood before the final chain and raised my sword to my left, ready to cleave through the base and release the sealed beast.

Once more, I looked back at the Hollow Knight while they gazed upon me. My eyes lowered to notice their fallen sword once again before looking back up at them. They were still watching. Waiting... Awaiting the inevitable. A nameless tension was filling the air. Cold sweat began to flow down my face the longer I delayed. My nerves were tightening as if a silent crescendo was filling the air signaling the approaching climax of this conflict. I took a long breath, steeled my nerves...and swung my sword.

The Celestial Sword cleaved through the base of the chain as its runic sleeve of pale light dissolved away into fading embers. The chain shattered like the others as I quickly turned to face the Hollow Knight. And in a matter of seconds, the chains holding them from above began to jingle and unravel. The entire Hollow Knight fell to the floor as the tarnished dark armor covering its upper body also came loose and fell apart in all directions with a clatter. The Hollow Knight slumped to the floor on their knees with the left hand weakly resting on the ground. Hunched over and bowed, its stained and tattered cloak was now slung more heavily over their right side. But...where was the right arm? Had the infection rotted it off?

The Hollow Knight remained still. And I was filled with a deep concern. Their eyes were still filled with that putrid orange glow, but they remained still and kneeled upon the floor with head bowed. Had the infection eaten away at their own body for so long that it had been ruined to the point of being too weak to move? Convinced that the Hollow Knight truly was nothing more than a decayed husk waiting to be put out of its misery, I began to approach. "I'm sorry... There's only one way this can end. If you perish now, the plague dies with you. That's how diseases work... Right? I'll make this quick."

They did not respond. Too weak to even move. The great Hollow Knight, now just a shriveled husk that could not even bring itself to stand. But when I was only a few paces away from being close enough to strike... Their head jerked up. Those eyes filled with a malevolent orange stared at me with a piercing gaze. And then they began to rise.

The fallen knight began to rise to their feet, their left hand suddenly reaching out and grasping the hilt of their tarnished sword. Once back on their feet while still hunched over, they yanked it up out of the floor while I stood back. Defiled and decayed, but still able to stand and hold a weapon. My eyes widened as I beheld this fabled knight of Hallownest struggling to defy their body's deterioration as the infection tugged on unseen puppet strings.

The Hollow Knight, once voiceless, threw their head back and unleashed an otherworldly howl that echoed throughout their prison. A howl that I was certain was not their own. And they finally stood with nail in hand while I kept my shield ready. Even hunched over with their darkly colored chitinous body revealed under their cloak, I could see that the Hollow Knight was a giant among bugs. Even towering over me with those impressive horns reaching high. But that posture... Especially when they began to shuffle towards me at a tepid pace... They were no different than the reanimated husks that had assaulted me earlier. Just a slave to the plague. The only difference between them and the knight before me was...that the Hollow Knight was very much alive. They were still in there somewhere. Forced to watch as their body was moved by the will of another.

My will to fight began to wane as I beheld this once majestic knight shuffling towards me with blade in hand. Even voiceless, I could almost sense that the Hollow Knight was wracked by unfathomable suffering. I spoke towards them, "I... I don't want to do this... You're still in there, right? Right?! You can be saved, right?! How do I cure you?!"

The Hollow Knight was finally within range and raised their impressive nail high. I barely got my shield up in time as the Hollow Knight struck thrive with impressive speed. Even as a shell of themselves in their prime, the Hollow Knight still displayed impressive strength and speed. That nail was the size of a greatsword, yet they were still swinging it as swiftly as a dagger! I recoiled under each suddenly clash of that blade against my shield before flapping my armor's wings to put some distance between us. They even had the presence of mind to jump back in response to their failed assault. I called out to them and pleaded with the suffering creature before me, "We shouldn't have to do this! There has to be another way! Tell me! What should I do?!"

My opponent replied with no words. Instead, they vanished in a shrouded flash. And I only barely caught sight of them on my left. The Hollow Knight readied themselves and lunged forward with their insect legs hurling themselves a great distance over a horizontal distance with the same impressive agility Hornet herself had displayed. I managed to raise my shield and shove the Hollow Knight off to my side and hopped back as I was left wondering if salvation was even possible for the Hollow Knight. I wanted to believe! I wanted to believe that their years of suffering would not be all for nothing! "Please! All that's happened! It can't be all for nothing! We've both served our kingdoms! We've both suffered for them! I want to help you! Don't force me to have to destroy you!"

When the Hollow Knight turned to face me again... It hesitated. And I saw them again. But from both eyes. The Hollow Knight's illuminated eyes began to both leak trails of fluid. I was sure of it. They were not simply overflowing infected liquid. Those were tears. The towering knight hunched over further, trembling as if trying to defy the will that controlled them. My eyes widened in hope...only for the Hollow Knight to suddenly turn their head up to glare at me and trying to thrust out their left arm at me. Except there was no arm... And what came forth...

The Hollow Knight's left arm truly was gone. And the gaping wound left behind at the shoulder had never healed. With the cloak flicked back, that wound beneath it forcefully expelled large globs of the Hollow Knight's own infected orange blood at me in a growing arc. Literally weaponizing the host's own bodily fluids... And that glow... That light... That shade of orange in that corrosive fluid did look warm, but...not like that of the rays of the sun. Or even the glow of a warm flame. It instead brought to mind the nauseating putrid warmth of infected wounds and violent fevers.

I stood my ground and raised my shield as that barrage of putrid liquid rained down at me. Some missed, but most splattered against the Lunar Shield without harm. Even liquid tainted by a supernatural plague would not get by that perfect shield. But when it did stop and I lowered my shield to consider my options, I only barely happened to notice the Hollow Knight above me in the middle of an impressive leapt. They adjusted their grip and came down in an attempt to impale me from above on their nail.

A quick flap of my wings was enough to fling myself backwards with the Hollow Knight's nail piercing the ground hard without so much as snapping its blade. And I quickly found that such an attack was not necessarily meant to strike me. The instant the blade pierced the floor, I only had less than a second to notice dozens of flaming circles flare up across the chamber's floor. I was brown completely off my feet as one formed right under me before every circle of flames erupted into towering pillars of flames stained by orange pestilence. I landed with a clatter on my back before quickly pushing myself back onto my with my wings. My armor only blocked that blast so much and I had to react quickly when I saw the Hollow Knight once again teleport to my blind spot. I raised my shield and shoved it into the incoming slash to push the Hollow Knight off balance and finally managed to land a slash across their body. "Sorry!"

The Celestial Sword cleaved as cleanly as it did through everything else I had struck that day. Cut right through the Hollow Knight's entire torso. And yet... Even with their body split in two above the waist with a line of luminescent orange leaking trails of putrid blood, the Hollow Knight's body remained intact. Held together by...something. And they capitalized on my confused horror by striking me hard with the full force of their great nail into my right pardon. The dent left on my armor was deep and even knocked me to the floor. A tiny human could never compare to the might of an insect of equal size. My shoulder bruised to the point where I was afraid my shoulder had been outright broken by that blow, I glanced up at the Hollow Knight as they again adjusted their grip on their nail to impale me from above. But...

They hesitated again. Quivering as tainted tears still flowed from their eyes. I watched with caution as the Hollow Knight even took a step back. Desperately fighting the infection within to not strike me while I was down. I watched with bated breath as hope bloomed in my heart. "You really are still in there..."

The Hollow Knight lurched forward suddenly with nail raised when I was on my knees. I recoiled in fright while trying to raise my shield, but the Hollow Knight again resisted and stepped back. Finally... With another ethereal howl that I am not so certain was from the infection itself... The Hollow Knight finally struck. But not at me. I watched in horror as the infested vessel turned their blade on themselves with that long piercing blade impaling the poor creature through their bleeding belly.

A geyser of that infected blood sprayed out from behind them. And it did not stop there. Using every ounce of will they had, the Hollow Knight withdrew their nail from their body and plunged it in again. And again. Over and over, deep and fiercely, they impaled themselves upon their own sword in a desperate frenzy as an endless flow of infected glowing blood sprayed. This...was not a means to open up new opportunities to attack me. The Hollow Knight...was desperately trying to put themselves out of their misery. To kill themselves so they would not kill me.

After the first several impalements, I began to feel something with every time that blade plunged into its wielder's body. A dull throbbing ache... Some sort of...phantom pain right in my core. Something...familiar. The Celestial Sword fell from my right hand before I held my hand just under my breastplate. Where I had...

Horror wracked my mind as a memory returned to the forefront of my mind. A dark memory in recent times of crisis that was not buried. Deep in the depths of my dreams during the final days of the War of Preservation. When the royal family and I tried and failed to enter the mind of an ancient emperor who never slept. An ancient fool sustained by my own existence. And with no way to reach him with desperation taking hold, I took my sword and...lashed out at the only other thing that was fueling his endeavors.

I remembered. The Celestial Sword in both hands as I repeatedly plunged it through my body in sheer desperation in spite of the agony. Doing anything I could to make the nightmare stop. To try and use his own exploitation of my existence against him. Even if no wound was left on my body when I awoke, the memories of that pain were still there. And tears burst from my eyes as I watched the Hollow Knight mirroring my own agonized desperation. Two knights of different worlds. Two knights unwittingly becoming pawns to great enemies to the worlds they loved... I whimpered with my gauntlet over my mouth. "We really are the same..."

The Hollow Knight's impaling stabs began to slow after maybe the twentieth impalement. Only a few more later, the suffering knight finally could take the pain no more and once against slumped to their knees with nail falling from their hand. I gazed upon the trembling vessel in horrified sorrow as a pool of that noxious stained blood spread out from under them. And yet, they still lived. Having suffered from wounds from their hand and my own that should have proven fatal several times over, yet still not being allowed to die. The plague's source was both controlling and sustaining the Hollow Knight well past their physical limits. And seeing them gazing up at me with infected tears flowing free, I...

There was no possible way I could bring myself to strike the Hollow Knight again. They had already harmed themselves more than I had. I could not slay someone who had suffered like I had. There had to be a way! Refusing to take up my sword again, I shook my tears from my face and took a step forward. "I'm not gonna let you go like this! There has to be a way to drive it out of you!"

In spite of everything the Hollow Knight had suffered through, in spite of all the pain they were in, their master still forced them to strike. Their hand snatched up their nail and swung hard at me from my left. I did not even get my shield arm up and was only saved from harm by the Lunar Shield just happening to be in the way. I was sent tumbling and clattering quite a distance away before I managed to get back up on my feet. And when the Hollow Knight rose to their feet and began to shamble my way, they resisted again. With such admirable defiance in spite of state of their body, they once again readied their blade for another bout of impalement.

I could not bear to watch that again. The Hollow Knight had already suffered too much. I quickly reached out with both hands as I channeled the levitation spell thought each gauntlet. A golden yellow billowing aura coated the Hollow Knight's nail while a blue aura shrouded their hand. They appeared confused as they found their limb being restrained. I had to get that nail away from them. "No more! Don't do this to yourself! Just...let...go!"

The Hollow Knight's grasp was strong. It was a struggle as I pulled in two direction, my left hand trying to fling their weapon away while my other tried to pry their fingers off its hilt. Desperate seconds went by as I exerted my will. And it happened so suddenly. That great nail went flying off to the far end of the chamber the instant its wielder lost its grip on it. Separated from their weapon, I finally released my magical grasped on the unarmed Hollow Knight. And they still did all they could to not lash out at me. Their hand free, they suddenly reached under their cloak to take hold of something.

What was under that cloak? They were not reaching for their wounds. It was...higher than that. Over their chest. And as they leaned back while struggling to pull, I saw it. A cluster of dull orange pustules affixed to the Hollow Knight's chest with glowing tendrils snuck into their exoskeleton. Like a parasite... My eyes widened as a new layer of hope settled over my mind. .i could see what they were doing. "Let me help you!"

I reached out with both hands and took hold of that cluster of putrid pustules along with the Hollow Knight's hand. And together, we pulled. Further and harder, the tendrils becoming strained as they struggled to remain rooted to their prey. We were so close to removing it. And after a mercifully short time, the entire cluster of pustules was torn from the Hollow Knight and was flung across the room like refuse. It was utterly disgusting to behold and the Hollow Knight slumped to their knees again in relief. Their blood was still stained orange and their eyes filled with the light, but they were free now. I wheezed a sigh of relief. "It's done... It's... No... No!"

Our triumph was all too brief. The Hollow Knight suddenly winced and clutched at their chest. And then...in horrifying and crushing fashion, they sudden raised their body as the cloak draped over their chest was blown outward. A cluster of far larger pustules suddenly burst out of their body to replace the ones we had just torn out of their chest and even carried the Hollow Knight into the air while they dangled almost lifelessly from that cluster of putrid balloons. My hope was fading rapidly as I beheld this horrifying and disturbing sight looming over me. The harder we tried to extract the infection from its victim, the more violently it tried to maintain its grasp on them. "I can't save you... I can't... Why?!"

The Hollow Knight... No. The Hollow Knight was completely helpless. The infection itself lashed out at me in a grossly graceless fashion. The cluster of pustules suddenly dove at me in an attempt to crush me with the sheer weight of itself and its host's body. I flapped my wings hard to fling myself to the side as the putrid cluster of balloons literally bounced back into the air upon striking the floor. And this went on for a moment longer with it just narrowly missing me. Until finally it anticipated which direction I would throw myself in once I started to notice the pattern of its timing. It struck me when I least expected it and smashed me to the ground as if I just got crushed by a very soft boulder.

My armor held, but the impact still knocked the wind out of me. And when I gathered my senses, I found the Hollow Knight standing over me while still unarmed and with that new cluster of pustules having shrunk back down to a more manageable size under their cloak. And in mere seconds, they were upon me. The Hollow Knight pinned me under their knees and took hold of my throat with their tough chitinous hand. I could not breathe...

My own emotions became my enemy. I was too distraught... Could not focus enough to use magic and could not reach my sword. My armored hand futilely grasped at the Hollow Knight's arm as my lungs demanded air. And as those ethereal dreamcatcher shapes began to appear around us again, the tears being shed from the Hollow Knight's infected eyes began to spill more profusely. My own face stained with fresh tears, I could literally see the Hollow Knight silently weeping as they helplessly watched their own hand strangling the life out of me. Were they pleading? Begging for something or someone to stop them? But the voice I did hear... Even as I saw the Hollow Night's weeping eyes filled with that evil glow...

"...Fade... Disappear, lightbringer... There is only one light... One beacon... Your light will never eclipse me..."

It was over. The plague had bested me. Even if this was all just a dream, I felt...such a profound sense of failure. I had failed in trying to save that dying world. But as I felt things going dark and my ears began to fail... A voice reached me one last time. But not in my mind. It came from nearby. "Release him!"

The Hollow Knight suddenly threw their head up as something lashed out with a passing slash. A splash of their infect blood filled the air. But their loosening grasp suddenly tightened on my throat again as the infection demanded the helpless vessel to finish me off. But my savior then suddenly appeared to take hold of the Hollow Knight's cloak and pulled it off me with a great heave and hurl them a short distance away. I heard the Hollow Knight crash along the floor with a thud before a familiar white face stood over me with hand outreached to me. "That was close! Are you all right?!"

I gasped for breath as I could not believe who had come to my rescue. I reached up and took hold as I wheezed, "Quirrel...! How...?! You can't fight them..."

My new friend took hold of my hand and helped me to my feet while still maintaining an air of his jovial nature about himself. That barrier leading out was clearly only a one-way entrance. One could enter, but not escape. "I know. I see them now and I know I can't best them alone. But together! Together, we can triumph! What do you say, Sir James? Shall I assist?"

I could see Quirrel's nail in his other hand. He really did know how to fight. But I had barely gotten up onto my feet when I saw the Hollow Knight suddenly appear behind Quirrel with a sudden shadowy teleportation. Nail in hand, they prepared to lunge. "Quirrel! They...!"

The Hollow Knight leapt at Quirrel with blade raised high to cut him down with a single leaping slash. But instead of trying to parry the blade, Quirrel suddenly pulled his hat down as he stood his ground. And when that great nail struck Quirrel's masked scalp, it... That enchanted mask did not simply block that strike. It repelled the Hollow Knight entirely with a flash of pale light the generated a circular field around itself or an instant. The Hollow Knight very nearly fell to the ground after being shoved back by this sudden resistance. The mask not merely a hat. It was an impenetrable shield. And Quirrel was quick to act as the Hollow Knight struggled to maintain balance. He brought his nail to his side and called out as he suddenly almost vanished. "Over here, over here!"

At speed my eyes only barely detected, Quirrel became a blur as he rushed past the Hollow Knight with another splash of that infected blood. It was as if witnessing the speed of a mantis strike being used for sheer movement. That passing slash was enough to draw the Hollow Knight's attention as they turned and thrust their left shoulder at him to spray another volley of corrosive infected blood at him. No matter how much of their blood was spilled or expelled as a weapon, the Hollow Knight never came close to running dry.

Quirrel nimbly rushed across the chamber as that hail of infected blood fell around him. At the first opportunity, he readied his blade and rushed past the Hollow Knight in an instant to land another slash. Another spray of blood splashed along the floor as the Hollow Knight reeled from that strike. Quirrel then looked at me and asked, "Sir James! Retrieve your blade! I can't do this alone!"

I had to force myself to focus enough to use the levitation spell to call the Celestial Sword back to my hand. But the Hollow Knight did not come rushing in to strike. They instead threw their head back as those grotesque pustules under their cloak once again expanded in size and carried them high near the ceiling. And then... They unleash an attack I could only view as an act of desperation. Those pustules began to rapidly expel globs of infected blood in all directions. Dozens... Maybe hundreds...

The air became thick with that sickeningly sweet scent as literally the entire chamber was being drenched in that endless supply of putrid fluid. There was no way Quirrel and I could hope to dodge this one. All we could do was stand our ground. I raised the Lunar Shield high and felt those heavy splashes of fluid crash against it many times while Quirrel lowered his hat as its enchantments repelled every liquid projectile with flashes of a bright circular rune. It went on for so long too. Ten seconds... Twenty seconds...

When that barrage finally went on for thirty seconds, the pustules receded and the Hollow Knight suddenly dropped out of the air and fell into a slumping heap to the floor. No matter how far the infection pushed them beyond their body's limits, there is no way expelling so much blood was not taxing on their body. And that was without taking into consideration the ghastly wounds they had suffered by then. So many trails of glowing orange blood flowing down their black body and pooling into tiny puddles at their feet... The Hollow Knight should have been slain several times by that point. Were they beyond death entirely?

Even Quirrel began to hesitate as he beheld the sorry state of the Hollow Knight. For a good moment, they were wide open to attack. We could have struck, but... Quirrel relaxed his stance instead of going in for another quick slash. "This...doesn't even feel like a true battle now..."

"I know... I...don't want to hurt them..." I added as the Hollow Knight managed to shakily rise to their feet before slowly shambling forward towards us. We stood ready with our defenses raised, but... When the Hollow Knight made another swing of their great nail, they were just out of reach and immediately lost balance and slumped to their knees instead of stepping forward to lash out for a combo. My stance relaxed entirely. The Hollow Knight's body was at its limit. I whispered to our suffering enemy, "Please... No more... You can't defeat us, so... Just stop!"

The infection within did not heed my pleas. It forced its helpless thrall to stand once again even as it stood dying before us. The Hollow Knight readied their nail for another swing, but...they did not strike me. When they once again missed, they managed to release their grip on their weapon and send it flying all the way across the chamber and leaving its blade embedded in the stone wall with a loud clank. Now disarmed and too weak to even put up much resistance at all, I relaxed myself around them. Even Quirrel completely lowered his nail as we were both lured into a sense of security.

The Hollow Knight raised their gaze to look upon me. And their move was swift. They reached out with their one hand and suddenly took hold of the Celestial Sword right around the spines of its crossguard. I feared that they were about to try and wrestle my far sharper sword away from me, but...that was not the case. With a solid grip on my own weapon, the Hollow Knight pulled it forward and drove the Celestial Sword's glowing blade through its heavily bleeding torso. Right down to the hilt.

Horror and sorrow filled me as I beheld the ravaged vessel before me gazing right back at me from just inches away. Their infested eyes constantly weeping infected tears as they trembled where they stood. Even Quirrel had been rendered speechless as he beheld the pitiful scene before him. And soon, tears once again began to flow down my cheeks. The Hollow Knight could not be saved. I wanted to believe that they could, and yet...

The will to fight left me entirely. And the Hollow Knight saw this. They released their grasp on my sword and weakly rested their hand on my dented right pauldron. I released my grip on the Celestial Sword with its still thoroughly impaled through them. I willed the Lunar Shield to detach from my left arm with it hitting the floor with a clatter. We were not enemies. I knew this for certain. I reached out and held the Hollow Knight in my arms with my face buried in their tarnished cloak. For just a moment, there was calm. The infection could not wrest control of its host for now.

No words came. My throat clenched as my voice would not allow me to speak. But again, those ethereal dreamcatcher sigils began to float around us. But the voice I heard in my head... It was not the voice I heard calling for my death. It was...another. Masculine. Feminine. I cannot for the life of me determine what side of that spectrum it leaned towards. But a quiet...and very pained voice filled my head.

"....it burns... The light burns... It never dims..."

My embrace tightened around the dying hero in my arms. I wanted to speak to them, but I just could not fight my sorrow. I heard the voice plead again. "...Hero... Kind soul... End my suffering..."

I could not. I so desperately wanted to save that suffering soul. I could not believe that there was no way out. It was a plague. An infection that could be cured. There had to be a way...

"...KILL IT..."

That voice again. The one filled with a proud malice. The voice of a woman that was clearly not that of the Hollow Knight. The voice demanded obedience. It demanded its puppet to defy the damage it had suffered and do what could no longer be done. And the Hollow Knight finally defied that voice.

"...I...will...not..."

The voice once again demanded firmly of its victim. The voice was filled with madness and hate. And all I could do was tighten my embrace and even shroud the Hollow Knight with my enchanted wings as I tried to shield them from all directions and keep the voices out. Just doing what I could to protect them.

"...KILL THE USURPER..."

The exhausted voice whispered again as I held tightly to the dying knight in my arms.

"...Let there be an end..."

And finally, the call of the infection roared within our minds.

"KILL THE LIGHTBRINGER!!!"

I was suddenly pushed back by the Hollow Knight themselves. They suddenly shoved me back with a firm thrust of their palm against my cuirass as I was left reeling with paralyzing emotions. My wings were forced to release them as they suddenly grasped the hilt of the Celestial Sword and tore my sword from their body with that disgusting glowing blood coating the shining white blade. But instead of turning it on me, they once again raised it high in an reverse grip. And again... Their voice reached my mind.

"LET ME DIIIIIIIEEEEE!!!"

I reached out helplessly as Quirrel and I could only watch as the Hollow Knight once again plunged my own sword deep through their body. The desperation... The agony... I could not fathom what that poor soul was experiencing. They had sworn to seal the plague, and failed in that . With no cure or escape... All that was left was for them to die and take the plague with them. Quirrel even finally muttered, "The poor thing..."

Nearly all strength had been exhausted. But even then, that extra impaling wound was not enough. The Hollow Knight withdrew my sword from their body and raised it high for another stab. But...as they raised their arm high above their great horned head... Another blade shot past Quirrel and I. And it struck the Hollow Knight directly in the brow at the base of where that great crack in their skull began. It was not a sword or nail... It was a needle.

The Hollow Knight recoiled from that blow. Eyes wide in shock and voice silent as the dreamcatcher sigils faded. A thin flash of light rang along a thread tied to the needle's ring pommel before a familiar sentry wrapped in a red cloak zipped by me and anchored herself atop the Hollow Knight's head with her entire body wrapped around her weapon. And with one firm stab powered by her entire bodyweight, the needle completely pierced the Hollow Knight's tough outer shell. Countless threads wrapped around the Hollow Knight as they released their grip on my sword. And finally, the vessel was brought to their knees.

There was no escape from Hornet's net. The Hollow Knight wiggled weakly, but their body was at its limit. Hornet, voice wracked by tension, spoke out to us. "No... No more! The vessel cannot be allowed to be destroyed!"

Quirrel rested a hand upon his chest as he sighed in sharp relief. Although I was too confused or distraught to really understand the full context of the situation anymore. Quirrel then sighed, "Oh, thank goodness you decided to join us. It was getting too harrowing in here..."

As if on cue, the Hollow Knight once again let out an otherworldly howl as they remained hunkered over. And I saw it. A vast cloud of that orange haze began to explode out of them in all directions. Between my armor, Quirrel's mask, and whatever safeguard Hornet had been using, we were safe from the infection for now. But with how rapidly it was filling the room with that gaseous light...

Hornet looked down at the shackled Hollow Knight as the infection spilled heavily from their heavily bleeding body. And she called out to us. "Do you see it?! The vessel's demise will not stop the plague! With their destruction, the plague will spread once again! Unfettered and unchained, all will be claimed! The host's death will not claim the heart of the plague!"

I... Quirrel and I looked at each other with horror in our eyes. I had forgotten... The plague does not spread via bacteria. It infects...through thoughts. Through dreams. A plague from beyond the physical realm. It had no viral strain that could be seen under a microscope. And now that it was just bursting out of its host with no barriers left to inhibit the spread... I then asked, "Then...how?! How do we stop it?!"

Hornet gazed at me with hopeful panic in her voice. "I will hold the Hollow Knight. As for you, Sir James... You cannot face the plague here in the physical world. You must cut beyond the veil of dreams. Venture into the dreams and thoughts where the infection resides! Quickly! Draw your Dream Nail and pierce through the veil!"

Another realm... A dream realm? A dream within a world contained within a dream? But it sounded like I needed something else. Something that, to my horror, I did not have. I looked at my hands. Then at the fallen Lunar Shield and the bloodstained Celestial Sword. But...they were not what I needed. And it began to dawn on Hornet as well with her eyes opening wider by the second. "You...do possess a Dream Nail, do you not? Or...an equivalent from your kingdom?"

Terror filled my heart as I realized that I did not have what I needed. And Quirrel looked at me with a growing look of horror on his otherwise blank face. "You...don't. Do you...?"

It was over. The path to the plague's heart was open before us. Even the very gash in the Hollow Knight's skull was not spilling fluid. It instead was erupting with a veritable geyser of those dreamcatcher sigils. As if beckoning us to enter. And yet...we could not. And as this reality dawned on us, Hornet... She began to shriek at me. Tears streaming from her eyes as they opened wide in fury, "You... YOU FOOL!!! YOU IMBECILE!!! I BELIEVED IN YOU!!! I BELIEVED THAT YOU WOULD BE THE ONE!!! THE ONE TO PUT AN END TO THE INFECTION!!! THE ONE TO MAKE ALL OF HALLOWNEST'S SUFFERING NOT BE ALL FOR NAUGHT!!!"

Hornet was screaming at me. And I cowered in the face of her fury and despair. She lived through the demise of Hallownest and all those in it. She witnessed an apocalypse claim her home that could not be cured. One that could only be barely contained from spreading beyond the kingdom. And now...that seal had been broken. And it was all my fault. And she made sure I knew this as she wailed in fury with tears still flowing free. "THE PLAGUE WILL SPREAD!!! IT WILL CONSUME ALL!!! WITH THIS FAILURE, HALLOWNEST IS LOST!!! ALL BECAUSE OF YOU, SIR KNIGHT!!! ALL BECAUSE YOU DARED TO...to..."

Her voice began to soften. And all eyes fell upon me. More of those dreamcatcher sigils began to appear around me. But...they mostly gathered to my left. Near my...left hand. We all gazed silently as I raised my left hand to inspect it. Why my left hand? That was the arm I carry the Lunar Shield on. The one that contains Luna's magic.

Luna's magic... The Princess of the Night... Dream magic.

Hope burst in my heart. And I began to focus the magic in my left hand. That billowing blue aura began to coat my arm below the elbow. I was not trying to cast a specific spell. I was merely readying its magical energies for use. And after a few seconds, a pale light began to form over my entire hand. And soon... A surging ethereal blade burst forth with my armored hand serving as a base. A blade that was mostly triangular and constantly wavering with incorporeal power. A sword... But not one that could harm anything with physical form. Quirrel asked softly, "Is that...it? A Dream Nail?"

I looked at Hornet and her eyes were wide in disbelief. But her tears had ceased to flow. "You... That's it. A Dream Nail. It must be. You've possessed this all along? You can do it?! You can pierce the veil?"

"I...don't know. I've never gotten a reaction out of this gauntlet's magic like this. There must be something in the air here... Something in this world that's reacting to my magic like this." I said calmly as I gazed down upon the Hollow Knight. They too were observing the blade on my left hand with keen interest. I then took a step forward and said, "I think this will do it... Wish me luck."

Hornet spoke with fierce determination in her voice. And renewed hope. "Yes... We cannot follow you. Go, Sir James. This fight is yours. Pierce the veil into the realm of dreams...and deliver Hallownest from this plague!"

But I did not just yet. I kneeled before the Hollow Knight and rested my right hand upon their head's left horn. We shared a gaze of silence, but their mind was not so silent. The strange dream properties of that world was responding to the Luna's magic manifesting. And they spoke to me one last time.

"...Do it..."

"Hang on just a little longer. We're almost done here..." I said to the poor soul before me. Remaining on my knees, I readied my left hand before me before making a quick slicing motion. The instant I struck the Hollow Knight, an explosion of those dreamcatcher sigils clouded my vision along with a soft ethereal light. My senses dulled for a moment as calm took me. Almost as if I was rapidly falling asleep. But not for long.

I came to as if I had just begun another lucid dream... To go from one dream to another... It is the only way I can describe it. The Lunar Shield and the Celestial Sword were both back in my hands and any damage my armor had sustained had been mended. My body and my equipment were in pristine condition. And as I gazed about at my surroundings, I was hardly surprised. "Huh... This certainly feels like a dream."

The world around me consisted of a sea of golden clouds under an equally heavenly sky. Like a literal dreamland. It certainly felt inviting and peaceful. And yet...why was it so quiet? Only the gentle chiming whispers of ethereal winds reached my ears. The only thing contrasting those heavenly golds were great curved black spires extending out of the clouds that lend themselves to the insect aesthetics of Hallownest, many ridges lining the insides of the curves to bring to mind insect mandibles. That, and a great many dark polished stone platforms filling the air to give whoever was there something to rest on. "This realm defies all natural logic... Something that can literally only exist in a dream. Are you seeing this, Nightmare Moon? Are you there?"

The only true witness to my trial spoke up to me, but her voice was slightly muffled. As if we were too far apart at the time. "Yes, and you have my sincerest condolences for the plight you are facing tonight. You have truly willed up a very harrowing experience for yourself. Are you absolutely certain you do not need my assistance tonight? A great presence is somewhere near you. Bright...yet not at all like Celestia's light. This light is harsh... Cruel. One that burns and corrupts. Please let me be by your side, my love. I know that you are not in any true danger here, yet... I do not wish to see you weep so. I will assist you if you only call."

Nightmare Moon's words comforted me and I was extremely tempted to take her up on her offer. But I was still compelled to take this entire experience as naturally as possible. And so I replied, "No... No, not yet. I'm not ruling out that I might need help, but... Keep watching for now, all right? If I absolutely need you, I'll ask. I'm feeling OK now though. There's a light at the end of the tunnel now."

"If you insist. But go with the greatest of caution, my dear. That defiled warrior was powerful, but hardly a glimmer to what had infested it. Whatever it is that awaits you here... Show it no quarter." The Princess of Dreams said before her voice fell silent. She was reluctant in leaving me to myself, but she still respected my will. We had spent an entire day together just yesterday. We could wait a little longer before seeing each other again. But for the moment...

I steeled my will and pushed the sorrow out of my mind. Now that I was in the realm where the plague originated from, I could put an end to it. With the death of the infection's creator, the Hollow Knight would be saved. At least I sincerely hoped they could be saved in spite of the injuries they had suffered through by then. But where was it? The only way to go was...up?

I was very deep down in that sea of golden clouds. And so I began to ascend at a cautious pace. I could have simply taken to the air and flown up above the clouds, but my nerves were demanding that I approach cautiously. To savor this final approach in soothing solitude. I flapped my armor's wings to propel myself through the air from platform to platform with lofty jumps. The air was disarmingly calm... Too calm...

"...You would dare...?"

I froze as that voice reached my mind... No, not that time. I was no longer hearing a disembodied voice speaking through my thoughts. My ears heard that one. I glanced around cautiously, scanning the horizon for anything or anyone that might not have been there before. But nothing moved. I felt no eyes upon me. And so I carried on ever higher through the clouds. One jump at a time.

"...YOU WOULD DARE?!"

That voice roared at me once again and I stopped. That sounded like a threat and I readied myself for an. But still nothing came. Furious as that voice sounded, I was not assaulted. More like it was trying to warn me away. Perhaps that light did fear me after all... And it continued to shriek in defiance at me. "You would dare bring with you the light of a sun that is not my own?! Into my realm?! My last remaining sanctuary?!"

That voice sounded like nothing short of divine... The voice of some goddess of that world. It had to be. It certainly carried the pride and arrogance of one. I gazed up at the se of clouds around me and the golden sky above as a newfound disgust filled my gut. The one who brought ruin to Hallownest... The one who brought constant suffering upon the gallant Hollow Knight... They were near. "Yes. I do dare. I carry the light of a wondrous and loving sun queen. A queen who shines brighter than you ever will."

"SILENCE, MORTAL!!!" That voice shrieked as I was even startled into stumbling backwards. I definitely challenged her ego. But she did fall silent for a moment while I resumed my gradual ascent up those stairs of many disconnected steps. At least for a moment. The voice began to speak again, but it almost sounded like she strangely appreciated being able to directly speak to someone. Even if I was her enemy. "No matter... You would not be the first to challenge my luminescence. And you will fail as he did in the end."

I was not swayed from my journey up those many heavenly platforms. But I at least granted that foul light my ear. "Pardon me for knowing nothing about this world. I'm pretty sure you can see that I'm not from around here."

And so that haughty goddess of putrid light began to speak again. "Then I shall enlighten you. A pale fool sought to reign in ages past. I watched over and guided my children with the love of my light. And they still bowed to him in the end! I was banished... Forgotten! Eons passed as Hallownest thrived under the watch of the pale usurper! And then... Then...they discovered it. Atop Hallownest's highest peak overlooking the kingdom."

I stopped in the middle of a larger platform perhaps halfway up. The inflections of the voice I was hearing... I felt like I needed to grant this my full attention for the moment. And the voice took notice of my pause. "A fragment... A reminder of my era. And when they beheld that stone tribute in my likeness... Beheld my radiant form... They began to remember. And through that, I was able to reach them once again. And this time, they all remembered when they saw my light within their dreams. They finally forsook the pale fool and remembered who truly reigns."

The light was forgotten...and then remembered once her actual silhouette was discovered in the form of an ancient artifact? Just seeing it was enough to allow the people of Hallownest to remember that light goddess? Was she really completely unable to reach anyone while no one remembered her? A very strange roadblock... But I could understand why Hallownest's previous ruler likely went to great lengths to erase any remnants of the light's legacy. I had seen what had happened after she had been remembered. A growing sense of contempt growing in my heart, I resumed my ascent.

I remembered those reanimated husks I found after entering the tunnels just under the surface. They were already dead, yet still held by the light's evil plague. Even in death, forced to carry the light. That was not a show of love. It was a show of control. The will of one who could not let go. And the light continued to speak to me. "And now, Hallownest is at last what it should have always been. My children once again bow to me. And under my eternal light, they will never be swayed again."

"This kingdom is DEAD!!!" I finally shouted upon landing and raising my sword to the sky above. All that talk about loving her children and guiding them... Even when nearly all of them are just shambling corpses without wills of their own? It was a sickening display of the light's ego and I could not listen idly any longer. "Everyone who bows to you is nothing but a corpse now! And those who still live... They don't bow to you freely! They don't worship you! You don't guide them! You enslave them! Just puppets for you to play with! How is that a show of love?!"

"They...are...MINE!!!" The voice did not take kindly to my objection. I even felt the world tremble with that scream. And the light continued to roar at me. "They always were! And you...are not one of them! You know not what you trifle in, outsider. But the light you carry will never outshine me. You will be extinguished here. Lest you turn back now. Flee. And never return."

My eyes narrowed into a scowl. I remember what I had heard. I remembered what I had seen from those infected by the plague of light. And how they remained bound to the light's will even in death. And most vividly... I remembered how Hallownest's greatest martyr suffered after they desperately tried to contain the entire plague within themselves only to fail. All that death... All that suffering... All for nothing. And the Hollow Knight's words in my mind... How they so dearly pleaded for death...

Fleeing was not an option. The end was near and I was not going to let my fellow knight suffer any longer. I lowered my sword while still glaring up at the heavenly sky above. "Shut up. My light will burn you away to nothing. Your oblivion for the genocide of an entire kingdom. You deserve nothing less, you wretch."

Before the voice could respond, I quickly brought my shield and sword together. And I whispered to the only other person listening in. "Nightmare Moon. If you can hear me, I think I'll be needing my best sword for this one."

The Princess of Dreams did not speak, but she did respond. The Celestial Sword was engulfed by a bright golden glow while the Lunar Shield was consumed by a beautiful blue. They floated out before me with the blue and gold merging into a swirling pillar of ever brightening light. And when I reach in and took hold, the light faded to reveal a familiar titan of a sword. A greatsword with a crescent moon emblazoned over the sun of my sword's crossguard. The blade was much longer with the edge still shining that beautiful white while the center of the blade down the middle was filled with the colors of the night sky dotted with faintly glowing stars. For as rarely as I take up that sword, it felt comfortable and familiar in my hands. I was ready for this.

"Your blade..." I heard that haughty voice speak again. But now with a cautious curiosity in it. The light marveled at my transformed weapon as I lowered it to my side while grasping it in just my right hand. "The light of the sun remains, but it now encases the shadows... Shadows filled with tiny beacons... No. You are not a lightbringer. You are neither day or night. Neither sun nor shadow. You...are the eclipse."

Poetic. I suppose I should not have expected anything less from an ancient goddess. But that haughtiness then returned as her ego shone through. "But you still carry the light of the sun in your hand. And there is no place for you in my world. I am the only light Hallownest needs! The only light they will ever have! I have waited much too long at the edges of their memories! I will not be forgotten again!"

I was more than halfway up by that point. With my mightiest sword in hand, I resumed my ascent. And the light still roared at me. "Approach me if you dare, mortal. Challenge me and fade into my eternal glare!"

"The only thing I've learned about you is that the haughtiest sure do love to hear themselves talk. In that case, I'm done listening." I was starting to become thoroughly annoyed by that point. And my retort apparently convinced the light to finally shut up. They did not speak once as I continued to ascend jump by jump. The air was quiet with only very weak ethereal breezes caressing me. I felt so alone...

At last, I reached the summit. A great stretch of a dark stone platform held me as that sea of clouds lay spread out before me. But no matter where I looked, I did not see anyone. The light did not speak once. All I noticed there atop the sea of clouds that had not been there before...was the sun.

There is was out in that sea. A bright glowing golden orb of light. But...that was not the sun. The sun glows so brightly that it almost appears to be white. And it is near impossible to gaze upon it directly. And yet that sun peaking out of the clouds was very easy on the eyes. And I quickly came to a realization. "That must be her..."

I took a few steps forward, but...I began to notice something. That situation... Ascending high into the heavens, standing atop the world between two realms with the fate of one hanging in the balance... And with the source of the conflict before me... My left hand rose to my armored head as I was wracked by harrowing memories of not long ago. Standing atop the Heaven's Pillar, beholding the swirling portal to a blighted world tainted by human sin... A world threatening to supplant the other. I muttered under my breath, "Hollow Knight... We really are the same..."

The parallels between my most recent trials and those of the Hollow Knight were jarring. I began to wonder how this world I was in even came to be. Was the act of watching our new beehive for too long the only source? Or...was this also being generated by my darkest memories of Equestria's most recent crisis? If it was, then the world of Hallownest and its fate was a far bleaker parallel to the outcome we achieved in the end. I tried to push those thoughts out of my mind and began to approach the golden sun ahead. But then...

A heavy thud came from behind me. It sounded like something had dropped out of the sky. Or maybe followed me up the many steps below to reach me with a great leap. Was the light before me not the source of the voice I heard? I knew that Quirrel and Hornet could not have followed me into that realm, so then... Who had just shown up?

Knowing I may be in danger, I brought the sword in my right to my left and grasped it between both hands. I took a deep breath and spun around to face the threat with sword held out before me. But I immediately lowered the blade when I saw who had arrived. There before me, still slumped to their knees in exhaustion...was the Hollow Knight.

My fear of an impending assault was replaced with confusion when I noticed that the putrid orange glow filling the Hollow Knight's eyes was gone. They appeared just as dark and empty as any bug I had met that day. That cracked scar still remained above their left eye and their right arm was still missing, but I saw that their cloak did not look as stained as before. It was just a dark gray. I suppose I should not have been surprised that they were present. I was inside their own mind at the time. But for them to be free of infection... Was my presence disrupting the plague's control over them?

Our eyes and met and we stared with no words being exchanged. I felt comforted in seeing that the Hollow Knight was free of infection with no signs of injury, but...why had they arrived? They had surely already faced the source of the infection in their own mind and failed to destroy it. And they looked just as scarred and ravaged as when I first saw them. I was at a loss for words as I gazed upon the longsuffering knight. But I soon noticed them hunch over further. As...something began to be rise around them.

What was this? I could hear a faint rushing hiss filling the air around the Hollow Knight. Trails of pale light began to rapidly rise past them. And that sound... Crackling, yet also...liquid? I took a step back as I saw the cloak draped over the Hollow Knight's right shoulder rise a bit. As if something was pushing it up. And to my shock, a fully reconstructed right arm suddenly extended out from under the cloak. The pale particles rising around the Hollow Knight faded before they then gazed upon their empty hand. And I could only ask, "You...can heal yourself?"

The Hollow Knight looked up at me for a second before appearing to nod. How long ago did they lose their right arm to begin with? The healed knight again looked upon their right hand as they tested their chitinous black digits. The hand soon curled into a fist, but the Hollow Knight remained kneeling. While finally whole again, they still looked exhausted. With my sword now resting in my left hand, I offered my right. Just to give them some leverage in climbing to their feet. The Hollow Knight gazed up at me for a second with their eyes remaining in the exact same shape at all times. They were silent and stoic, but not at all hollow. And after a moment, they then placed their right hand in mine as I slowly helped them up onto their very narrow feet.

I respected the Hollow Knight's silence by voicing my own. And they were not done yet. The Hollow Knight took their tarnished nail in both hands and stabbed it into the ground as they stood tall. Now that they were not constantly hunched over, I could see that they were indeed a giant among bugs. My eyes only came up to their chest. And as more of those pale particles began to rapidly rise around the Hollow Knight with their cloak billowing, I took a step back. They were not done restoring themselves with that wondrous power.

The crack atop the Hollow Knight's brow disappeared in seconds, but even that was not enough. They were now fully healed. What was left to do? And my eyes widened as I got an answer. A pale veil began to coat the Hollow Knight's upper body. The light soon began to fade and revealed that the Hollow Knight's fragile tarnished armor had returned to cover their shoulders and torso that vaguely resembled the petals of an upside-down flower. And the color of that metal plating was a beautiful pale alloy. Suddenly, a long flowing pale cape unfurled from the back of the Hollow Knight's cuirass and gently touched the floor. Even their nail was being restored to pristine condition with all cracks and chips in its length disappearing entirely. With the pale particles fading and their stance relaxing, there they stood. The Hollow Knight was free of infection and healed to pristine condition. The vessel was once again pure.

Such magnificence... I marveled at the glorious form of the Hollow Knight's armored and healed body. This must have been how they looked back in their prime. Where the form I first saw was shambling and clearly hindered by the infection more than empowered by it, the Hollow Knight's true form was elegant and powerful. My mind raced as I wondered how well I would be able to hold my own against them if forced to duel. It would be a struggle for certain. Such a beautiful and gallant appearance. Bug or no bug, the Hollow Knight truly had a knightly visage about themselves. As they gazed out at the golden sun ahead of us, I spoke softly to them. "You are...glorious."

The Hollow Knight turned their head to meet my gaze with their great horned head having to tilt down slightly to meet my own eyes. Those eyes were as dark as those of any other bug I had spoken to. And I understood that they had no voice to speak with. They may very well have not even had a mouth. But after a few seconds, I was surprised. The Hollow Knight did react. Their eyes narrowed just slightly. As if they were smiling.

"You're not hollow at all... Are you?" I asked quietly now that I knew the Hollow Knight truly did have a mind to think with. And they responded accordingly. That smiling gaze faded as a more saddened look filled those eyes. Hands still clutching the hilt of their nail, the Hollow Knight turned their gaze away from me and just...bowed their head. As if disappointed or ashamed of themselves. I did not question it further. We both knew that not being hollow was what doomed Hallownest in the end.

"It's OK... We can still..." I said as I reached out to them. Towards their exposed abdomen below their breastplate. Not a scar remained. There was no signs of any impalement wounds. Our physical conditions did not follow us into that realm. But I still remembered the very many times the Hollow Knight impaled themselves on their own blade. And how the sight of such self harm had reminded me of when I did the same during a particularly harrowing dream. Doing whatever I could to inconvenience my enemy...

My hand drew away from the Hollow Knight and rested upon my own breastplate. I could still feel that throbbing phantom pain as that memory came back to me. And the Hollow Knight noticed. They turned their gaze to me with their eyes showing some form of concern. I sighed and bowed my head before saying, "I know... I've suffered too... We both have suffered for our kingdoms."

The Hollow Knight reacted in a way I did not expect. They reached out with their right hand. And when I lowered mine, they gently touched their fingers to my breastplate. We stood there in silence. As if the Hollow Knight was trying to feel for a wound. But they then surprised me with another move. They raised their right hand and rested it atop my armored head. Gently rubbing my head as if trying to tussle the hair beneath it. Those eyes... They looked happy. Almost like the Hollow Knight wanted to chuckle. And I found myself starting to smile. "You're not hollow...but you are kind."

They continued to smile with only their eyes conveying the emotions hidden behind that hardened face. All those years of silent suffering with no one to comfort them, yet their true heart was still intact. To be free of the infection after so long... I could not fathom the relief the Hollow Knight was experiencing. They soon lowered their hand from my head and returned it to the hilt of their great nail. The Hollow Knight then offered their left. Held out to be held by me. Seeing that I could only hold the left with my own left, I swapped my sword to my right and took hold of the Hollow Knight's hand with my left. And I saw why. More of those ethereal dreamcatcher sigils formed and floated around us. And then... Their voice...

"No will to break, yet I was broken... No mind to think, yet I know... No voice to cry, yet I suffered..."

The voice was nothing short of androgynous. Neither masculine nor feminine. I cannot even begin to describe it. Was the Hollow Knight...neither? And as the Hollow Knight continued to smile at me, they spoke to me the only way they could. "And you...shed so many tears for me... Why, mysterious knight? Why do you weep for me?"

"Because we are the same." I said firmly while trying to keep my emotions in check. The urge was still there. And I had only just left the situation behind. I could not settle for a mere handshake. I released my grasp on the Hollow Knight's hand while I dropped my sword with a clank. I stepped past the Hollow Knight's nail and held them once again in an embrace. "We've both suffered... Both been used by our enemies... Became a threat to our people... Almost gave everything for them... I know... I know what it's like..."

"And you speak the truth." The Hollow Knight whispered in my mind while they too held me. Their hand rested on the back of my helmet in a comforting embrace. The towering gallant knight said softly, "And I am most grateful that it was you who shattered my chains. Now...I can fulfill my duty. But this time... Not alone."

I gradually and reluctantly released the Hollow Knight from my embrace and stepped back. It was...awkward to realize I was no longer holding a gravely wounded soul struggling to defy a higher will controlling their own mangled body. With those sigils still floating around us, the Hollow Knight rested their hand upon my pauldron. And they asked gently, "Will you stand with me against the light...my friend? Help me save whatever is left to save?"

My eyes widened. For all that talk of Hallownest being a dead kingdom, I had seen very little of it. But there was still Hornet. And Quirrel. And even the kindly Elderbug up there in Dirtmouth. If they still lived... Were there more survivors out there? Was there still hope for the ruins of Hallownest? With this opportunity set before us, I found myself smiling at my newest friend. "This is not my kingdom...but I'll do what I can to help you save it."

"Such insolence..." A voice echoed through the air. The light called out to us. And we turned to face the sun peeking through the clouds. She had been watching the entire time. And was surprisingly patient to allow the Hollow Knight and I to share a moment of peace with each other. The light spoke arrogantly, yet wisely. "You would still struggle against the light...? Still seek to triumph...knowing I have already won?"

"I will never forgive the light..." I heard the Hollow Knight whisper with a quiet fury. I saw their eyes narrow with a bitter scowl. "I gave all I had and she still...took everything. For Hallownest... For them... For...Father... If I die here at last, I will see to it the light dies with me."

"You're not going to die here. You're gonna live." I retorted with my hand grasping that of the Hollow Knight. Their eyes widened considerably as they gazed down at me. I spoke firmly with my other hand curled into an armored fist. I all but glared at my friend as I said, "I won't let you die here. I can finally save you. I know it. We'll get through this together in one piece, all right?"

I was so certain of it by then. Once the source of the plague was gone, the Hollow Knight would be cured. And they would even be able to heal themselves much like I had just witnessed. Victory was within sight. And they had suffered too much already. I could not bear the thought of them losing what little they had left after suffering for so long. They deserved to live... To start over.

The Hollow Knight gazed down at me in stunned silence. Even with my left gauntlet's dream magic allowing them to speak to me via their thoughts, I heard nothing for a moment. Until finally, I saw the Hollow Knight's eyes close entirely. And they pulled me into another embrace with my face against their breastplate. I heard their voice whisper in my mind, "What did I do to deserve having you by my side during this final trial?"

"It'll be OK... We're almost done here, right?" I replied gently while holding them in the embrace of my wings. Just taking a moment to savor one last moment of peace before the final clash.

With great reluctance, we released each other. And we both took our blades in hand before the Hollow Knight whispered one last time as the dreamcatcher sigils around us faded. "Together."

I took a deep breath and then steeled my nerves. The two of us shared a quick glance as I saw the Hollow Knight's eyes sharpen with a focused glare. We were ready. We then turned to face the light, raised our swords in the air...and challenged the sun!

"So be it! No matter how you struggle, none shall eclipse the Radiance!" The light called out to us. Seconds later, the sun...spread its wings as it answered out call. "Knight of the Eclipse! Night of the Void! PERISH!!!"

Such a presence... It emanated so strongly. And with a flash, the sun vanished as a great radiant being appeared before us with a glorious angelic sigil behind her. This towering almost...mothlike being with many fluttering wings coming together on each side of the pale gold fluffy body let out an otherworldly hymn of a shriek. Gazing out from her almost hooded head were a pair of glowing eyes filled with a heavenly golden shine. Three spires stood atop her head that brought more than a passing resemblance to a crown. And their legs dangling below like stilts of silver... They had merged to form what almost looked like a massive blade. I was awestruck, yet disgusted. This goddess... This...Radiance. So beautiful, yet so wicked. Radiant, yet utterly mad and evil. This was a light that needed to be extinguished.

No words were left to say. Together, the Hollow Knight and I leaped at the hovering form of the Radiance to cleave her in two. Our bravery was countered by a sudden pillar of scorching golden light that hit me with unbelievable force. I felt my entire suit of armor rattle from the blast as my friend and I were thrown back across the arena we stood upon. Such power would ravage my armor if I got careless. The Hollow Knight and I staggered upon landing before I said to them, "She's powerful..."

The Hollow Knight suddenly grasped my pauldron to get my attention. But the glare had faded from their eyes. They almost seemed to be beaming with a very confident unseen smile. There was no despair in those eyes. And I found myself smiling back at them. "Yeah... We can take her!"

The Radiance was not about to let us savor a moment of camaraderie. A flurry of golden suns were conjured up and came our way. The Hollow Knight responded quickly by suddenly thrusting out their hand and unleashing a volley of pale daggers from their left hand that flew swiftly along pale lines. They intercepted some of the suns and exploded them in flashes of gold and white. The rest that got through was quickly cut out of the air by very swift strikes from the nail in the Hollow Knight's right hand as they stepped forward. They must have been ambidextrous to wield their blade so efficiently in either hand. And I was not about to let myself get upstaged by this pale champion.

The Hollow Knight stood their ground and drew the attention of the Radiance by launching volley after volley of flechettes at her while she countered with a barrage of golden suns that even curved through the air to home in on them. Some struck the moth goddess, but no signs of physical damage was being done with her form flashing from the impact of each shot that got through. This creature was a divine being... Were they beyond death entirely?

I clenched my fist as I refused to believe such a notion. I beheld the glorious Hollow Knight serving as a distraction between myself and the Radiance. Deliberately attacking from a distance as they were surely allowing me to get in a good hit. We were so close to saving my new friend and whatever was left of Hallownest. There had to be a way! We could triumph!

With a flash of blue magic from my left gauntlet, I made my first move. A volley of frigid blue ice shards formed in the air above and sot forward to shatter themselves against the very surprised Radiance. She shrieked in surprise and turned her gaze to me as I readied my great blade in my hands. Her assault disrupted, the Hollow Knight capitalized on this by lunging themselves through the air with immense speed and slashing the Radiance on their way. I only barely saw this move as I was too focused on using the teleportation spell to place myself above the Radiance with sword raised high. I came down hard just as they glanced up and cleaved the goddess down the middle between her glowing golden eyes.

And yet... She was still intact! Nothing I had ever sliced with that mighty greatsword had ever remained in one piece afterwards. Although that blow did indeed harm her. She recoiled with a howl as I landed almost on my knees with blade touching the floor. The Hollow Knight suddenly appeared beside me with a flash of black before their body finished materializing all in less than a second. We then both tried to strike from below with another volley of ice shards and pale flechettes, but the Radiance then floated elegantly in the air with her many fluttering wings holding her aloft. We were not prepared as rays of golden light burst from her face in many directions with us only barely able to retreat backwards. I growled in irritation, "I guess we just have to hit her until she breaks!"

The Hollow Knight remained voiceless, but their focused scowl mirrored my own. But we were forced to go on the defensive again when the Radiance did a quick spiral while wrapping herself in her wings before she vanished in a flash of light and dreamcatcher sigils. A wall of sword composed of a pure white metal came flying in from nowhere. Each were as large as our own weapons and we had to move quickly to avoid having those piercing blades run us through. One line of swords was followed by another as we both had to basically dance around them. But we also had to rely on each other to guard our blind spots.

I almost backed right into a wall of incoming flying blades and would have taking quite a hit had the Hollow Knight not grabbed my arm and pulled me aside. And they almost got run through as well from behind after sidestepping another wave of blades. I had to shield them by summoning a blue barrier behind them that resulted in the swords vanishing in golden flashes of light upon contact. I noticed the Hollow Knight appear to smile at me only for them to suddenly glance upward before frantically reaching out to me with a gaze of wide-eyed panic.

My friend had spotted something. And with no more walls of blades coming in at us, I too looked up at the last second and saw the Radiance coming down on us from above. The great blade serving as her legs was coated in a layer of scorching golden light and was about to impale us! The two of us had to jump in opposite direction to evade as that massive blade crashed into the very platform with great fissures running throughout the floor. I had to act quickly to not be scorched by the burning golden geysers that suddenly ruptured out from them.

Separated from the Hollow Knight, I was not prepared for what happened next. The Radiance burying herself up to her waist in the floor was not merely an attempt to attack us from below. The entire platform we stood on suddenly shattered as the entire thing crumbled and sent us plummeting back down from whence we came! My armor's great wings prevented me from being in danger, but I could only watch as the wingless Hollow Knight plummeted helpless towards the golden abyss below.

"Hang on, I gotcha!" I shouted as I went into a swift dive to try and catch y falling friend while their impressive cape added enough drag to slow their descent enough for me to outrace them. I swooped by my friend and snatched them out of the air with my hand grasping theirs before I went into a gliding descent to find a safe spot to land on. We had already passed all of the larger platforms I had climbed past the first time up and had to settle for the platform at the very bottom of the stairs.

The Radiance did not let up as we fell. Rays of golden light shot down from above to try and cut me out of the air. The aim was poor and those golden pillars did not stay for long whenever they did manifest. But just when I was coming in for a landing on the deepest platform in that sea of golden clouds, the Radiance finally landed a blow as I was struck right between my wings. I lost my grip on the Hollow Knight's hand and managed to drop them safely on their feet, but the hard blow to my back still caused me to come in for a crash landing. I flopped across the floor nosily as I was left reeling from that genuinely painful blow. I struggled to my knees before my friend rushed to my side and offered their hand to help me up. In this moment of brief calm, they patted me on my pauldron in encouragement while still gazing at me with a look of concern in their eyes. I grunted and said, "I'm OK... I'm OK, really."

A sudden flash far ahead of us caught my attention. And at the very far end of that vast arena floating in the sea of heavenly clouds was the Radiance once again. She did not attack as she floated there with those glowing golden eyes watching us. Almost as if she was daring us to approach. We would have to cover a great distance to reach her and she likely anticipated a quick and easy teleport. If we used teleportation to suddenly reach her, she could do the same to get away from us.

The two of us stood at each other's side with swords in hand. For as stubborn and tricky as our enemy's attacks were, we still stood strong. I then looked at my friend and asked, "Before we continue... How're you holding up?"

My comrade's response almost got a laugh out of me. The Hollow Knight looked at me with a rather whimsical gaze before raising their fist and giving me a thumbs-up gesture. I responded with a huge grin on my face and said, "Yeah, me too!"

With our path plotted, I raised my greatsword to my shoulder and charged ahead. I ran with the speed of a stallion, but the Hollow Knight even managed to match my pace thanks to their long legs allowing them to make very swift and great strides. They kept their nail back and almost dragging along the ground as we anticipated an assault. I could already see incoming golden suns tumbling through the air as the Radiance floated defiantly ahead of us. I glanced over at the Hollow Knight and called out, "You lead!"

The Hollow Knight went first. They hastened their pace to rush ahead and cleave a trail of suns out of the air. They paused just slightly to allow me to go next as I used the glowing blade of my sword to also cleave through those devastating orbs of scorching light one by one. We took turns, going ahead and carving a path before tagging out to let the other go. And as we drew closer, the Radiance only intensified her assault on us. Not only did we have to contend with incoming projectiles. We were also being beset by attacks from below.

We only barely noticed in time as golden sigils formed on the floor. And from them burst patches of white blades in an attempt to trip us up and have us fall into them. They kept popping up at unexpected times. Both as a means to slow us down and to try and cause us to fall into them. It was a confusing nightmare as we advanced, fending off explosive homing in on us and trying to not trip over or be struck from underneath by deathtraps. And that was not even mentioning trying to not strike each other with swords that were as tall as I was. It was a struggle trying to stay close, yet not too close. We would be picked off if we strayed too far from each other.

At one point, I noticed that the Hollow Knight was no longer at my side. I quickly looked back as several suns flew past me. The Hollow Knight was standing their ground and launching pale flechettes from their hand to destroy the incoming suns, but they appeared to be stuck. And I saw why. Another patch of blades had popped up behind them and had skewered their very long cape. And unlike all the others we had passed, this patch of blades did not disappear. It remained where it was and held the Hollow Knight captive. With too many attacks coming in, they could not focus on freeing themselves. Seeing what needed to be done, I rushed back over to them. "Cover me, I got this!"

The Hollow Knight did as I requested and performed a very unexpected maneuver. They plunged their nail directly into the ground. And a second later, massive pale blades rose all across the entire field! Trapped inside that forest of blades, the Radiance struggled to get to us. Scorching suns and even rays of light from her piercing gaze tried to tear through the forest as I could see and hear the blades shattering one by one. Our defenses would not hold for long.

I had to act quickly. With on great swing of my sword, I cleaved the Hollow Knight's cape from its very base. We both looked back at that great strip of pale fabric before I found some humor in that predicament. "For as amazing as you look in that cape, that thing's just gonna get in the way."

The Hollow Knight light slapped the top of my pauldron and I saw them hunched over while bobbing their head a bit. Judging by that joyous look in their eyes, I could tell that the Hollow Knight was outright laughing. They had no voice, but they were still laughing. But that joy was cut short as we heard the nearing shattering of those pale defenses failing under the barrage of the Radiance's light I narrowed my gaze and readied the magic in my left hand. "Drop them. I got a surprise for her."

My friend nodded with their gaze harshening. The instant they removed their nail from the floor, the forest of pale blades disappeared in pillars of light that faded instantly. A barrage of suns was incoming, but I reacted quickly. I thrust out my left hand and unleashed the strongest torrent of lightning magic I could muster. It cut right through the trail of suns and exploded into the Radiance's face with the force of a thunderclap. She recoiled backwards with a heavenly shout before once again unleashing rays of light from her face. Our path clear, we again charged with the Hollow Knight even looking quite pleased with my attack.

The rays of light constantly shining our way pivoted around constantly to try and trip us up. We had to weave and jump as we rushed through that radiant resistance. And once again, the Radiance did not make herself an easy target. Once we were getting a little too close, she suddenly vanished. And we immediately turned our gazes upward. The only way left to go was up. And from so far below, the Radiance's distant form once again looked like a distant sun.

We would have to ascend if we were going to take the fight back to the Radiance. And there was no way I was going to climb all those steps again. Certainly not with the Radiance bearing down on me with projectiles the entire way. I scowled in annoyance. This mad goddess was so desperate to not fail against us that she was resorting to outright cowardly tactics. Although I was certain it was more out of cunning than fear.

My armor's great wings spread as I prepared to take flight. But I then remembered my comrade and looked at them as they too gazed up at the light far above us. "Hey... We'll need to fly. I don't suppose you have a way to rise quickly through the air?"

That stare... I think the Hollow Knight was smirking at me. They suddenly hunched over a bit before I was greeted with a wondrous sight. Six ethereal insect wings suddenly manifested behind them with a very impressive wingspan. And I suddenly felt silly over struggling to save them from that great fall earlier. I cracked a crooked grimace and asked, "I guess this means I didn't need to save you earlier...?"

The Hollow Knight's eyes narrowed as I could almost see their cheekbones turning upward with a cheeky grin. I snickered to myself, before readying my wings. "Right then... Let's fly!"

Our great wings flapped hard to launch us skyward. And together, we soared. The Hollow Knight's ethereal wings flapped in a descending rhythm with the top set of wings flapping downward first, followed by the middle and then the bottom. As tempted as I was to observe them in flight, I had to direct my eyes upward. The Radiance knew we were coming.

One by one, pillars of light shot down at us to try and cut us out of the air. And then I saw little white bits approaching us. A literally hail of those pure white blades were beginning to fall towards us. The Hollow Knight and I had to pivot and spiral around this falling wall of obstacles. And just when I thought I would make it while getting ahead of the Hollow Knight for a moment, one of those great blades struck my right wing squarely in the frame and sent me into a tumble.

I yelped in confusion while sent into an uncontrollable roll. But my loss of upward momentum suddenly ceased as something snatched my left hand and began to carry me upward. I turned my head up and saw the Hollow Knight looking down at me while their glorious shimmering wings carried us both along at a speedy pace. More dreamcatcher sigils formed around our hands as I heard their voice in my head one more time. "Let's reach the summit together, friend!"

Confidence and hope returned to my heart as I smiled back at my friend. We had come this far. It was time to take this duel to the very peak of that realm of dreams. The Hollow Knight suddenly sped up with their wings flapping at a quicker rate while they carried me around the few falling projectiles that remained. And with a great heave, the Hollow Knight flung me upwards with my wings carrying me along. The rays of piercing light and fallen white blades finally stopped. And instead, I was met with a falling cloud of ethereal feathers... Angel feathers?

The Radiance knew I was close and I was preparing a surprise for her. I channeled my solar magic into the greatsword in my hand to coat its blade in that scorching white fire. A great stone platform came into view as the radiant glare of the Radiance became obstructed by it. And once I shot up past our destination, there she floated. High above the sea of clouds and even the great curled spires rising out of it, we now stood at the every summit of the heavens in the light's own domain. With the Radiance gazing up at me as I came out of my ascent, I swung my sword to unleash a crescent wave of burning celestial fire at her. "Gotcha now!"

The goddess before me merely floated there and took the blast without objection. And...she stood there unscathed with the white embers fading out. I landed with a clank before looking at my sword's long blade. Fire and even solar magic would not work against the light herself? I suppose that would make some kind of sense. Unless that layer of fluffy moth fur was shielding her from it...

I had to act quickly when I noticed more of those glowing runes appear under my feet. My wings quickly carried me to the side as another thicket of small blades burst from the ground before disappearing again. And as more of those burning suns were sent tumbling at me, the Hollow Knight reached us. They rose up and came down hard to plunge their sword into the floor as their ethereal wings faded. And like before, a forest of massive white blades burst out of the floor all over the platform. With the suns intercepted, the Radiance was even stabbed by one and recoiled back from the blow. But I did not see any blood spilled. All I saw her body release upon being struck was...more dreamcatcher sigils?

The forest of blades quickly retracted back to nowhere before the Hollow Knight held out their hand and launched another volley of pale flechettes at the Radiance. She quickly teleported to the other side of the platform while leaving a flash of those sigils in her wake before another volley of golden rays of light were released from her gaze. I then saw several walls of those white blades incoming from multiple directions. And they were converging on the Hollow Knight. They saw this and looked at me before thrusting their arm outward. Asking me to back away?

I followed my gut and did throw myself backwards with a flap of my wings. With the blades drawing in close, the Hollow Knight hunched over with more pale particles rapidly rising past them. And just when it looked like they were about to be struck, they threw their head back as a great spherical pale shockwave was unleashed in all directions. This blast sent the blades flying back and tumbling out of sight as they fell into the golden abyss below. But just as the Radiance readied another volley of heavenly light from her gaze, I saw smaller spherical beacons form around her.

The was an opportunity I could not miss. With the teleportation spell ready, I watched as the Hollow Knight's trick played out. A series of smaller spherical pale explosions burst all around the Radiance and even threw her about with each blow. And once the last trap burst, I made my move. I readied my sword, teleported myself right above the Radiance, and came down on her with another great cleaving chop before I landed on the floor before her.

That should have done it. And yet... She still remained intact! I then noticed. With every blow, her body would release no blood. Just bursts of those dreamcatcher sigils. Even the most lethal of blows got the same results with no signs of damage being left on her body. Was this light goddess beyond actual injury? Were our efforts futile?!

I refused to believe this. With the Hollow Knight desperately trying to draw the Radiance's attention away from me with more flechette storms, I resorted to more teleportation slashes. From one side to the other, I cleaved through the Radiance again and again with nothing but flashes of dreamcatchers filling the air. "This...isn't...working!"

Even with the Radiance having gone out of her way to not make herself an easy target, it felt like we were not getting anywhere! After several deadly slashes, the Radiance finally roared in frustration and teleported to a spot above us in the golden sky. She unleashed a thick volley of golden rays down at me that forced me to retreat back to the Hollow Knight's side. Now grouped together, the Radiance had us right where she wanted us. And from all directions, dozens upon dozens of blades as large as myself coming in fast from all directions.

With so many projectiles at once and with so much weight behind them, I dared not try to use a barrier spell to block them all. They would break my focus before the barrage would end. The Hollow Knight made a desperate attempt to block this incoming barrage by stabbing their nail into the floor and summoning a forest of pale spires all around us. But those too began to break. Dozens...maybe hundreds of those pure blades smashed against their defenses as I heard them shattering one by one. From the sides... Even from above! I looked over my shoulder at my friend while they gazed back at me with eyes wide with a look of uncertainty in them. I gulped hard before saying, "She never was one for fighting fair... You think we can win?"

The Hollow Knight knew our enemy better than I did. But they did not nod. Nor did they shake their head. They...had no answer for me. And at last, the few remaining pale spires shattered before we were beset by a never-ending volley of blades. We dodged and weaved around what we could and cleaved others out of the air, but it was an impossible situation. One by one, those blades plunged into our armored bodies and vanished in a flash of light a second after contact. My armor began to dent and crack as I felt the heavy blows of foul light strike me and the Hollow Knight was not much better off. Their pale armor began to buckle under this impossible barrage. Chipping, fracturing, and with even one of their glorious pauldrons breaking away entirely. And finally...

My eyes went wide in panic as the Hollow Knight suffered a wound to a very familiar location. A blade plunged directly into their brow between the eyes. This blow sent them reeling and brought them to their knees. Ravaged and exhausted, we both staggered as only then did the Radiance cease her assault. Gazing down on us as she floated elegantly in the golden sky. She had no words, but she still radiated an air of smug victory. As if she knew we could never hope to triumph against an actual deity.

It was such a frustrating situation... Whether in the form of a corrupting plague or in a seemingly physical form, the Radiance was a light that would not let itself be extinguished. I considered my options before looking at my companion. The Hollow knight, pure and untarnished, had been brought to their knees once again. A familiar scar had returned to their face, the strike to their brow leaving a very noticeable crack in the center of their forehead. They silently wheezed as we both tried to catch our breaths. I looked up at the Radiance again as she waited. Victory was nearly hers and her silence spoke volumes. I asked my friend softly, "Any ideas...?"

The Hollow Knight tightened their grasp around the hilt of their nail. Quivering in frustration. They had failed once before. And now failure was nearing again. This was our last chance to bring an end to the plague that had brought Hallownest to ruin. The last chance to save whatever and whoever might be left. But just when I though they were about to rise up in defiance...they dropped their nail. And became very still. My eyes widened in concern as I asked, "Hey... You OK?"

Their hands suddenly rose and clutched at their head. The Hollow Knight quivered as I heard a sound. A crack. And I saw it. That crack in their head... Beginning to spread. Crawling down the middle of their face inch by inch. And it was clearly far from comfortable. But why? I had seen such a wound on them earlier and it did not progressively worsen like that. And there was no infection within them trying to spill out. There was nothing inside them... Nothing... And I would soon realize to my horror...nothing is still something.

Even the Radiance responded with concern. I heard her gasp above us as she leaned over to more effectively gaze down upon us. And as the crack neared the bottom of their head, I heard the Hollow Knight's voice in my head. "It calls... It beckons..."

Confusion filled my heart as reached out for my trembling friend. And before anything else could happen, their voice screamed out in my mind.

"THE VOID HUNGERS!!!"

In an instant, the Hollow Knight's hardened white head split in two down the middle. And with an indescribable otherworldly roar... Something came out. The Hollow Knight's form was consumed by what I could only describe as darkness given form. Their head was still very visible, but what was white was black and their eyes were filled with a bright white glow. They suddenly shot up and floated before the Radiance, their almost ghostly legless form matching the Radiance in size with many flailing black tendrils making up their cloak with armor discarded. The Radiance even seemed to recognize this shadowy form of the Hollow Knight as I heard her speak out one last time in a fusion of terror and rage.

"ANCIENT ENEMY!!!"

And with one swift move, the Hollow Knight landed the first of many blows. Their arms extended and slammed into the Radiance across her fluffy body with blow after thunderous blow. She recoiled heavily from each strike with the air rippling from the sheer amount of power behind each strike. Dreamcatcher sigils were just exploding out of her with each strike. And I could only gaze up at them in confusion and horror before looking down at the only thing that remained of their prior mortal form. The hard white skull being neatly split in two down the middle now lying empty on the floor. What even was the Hollow Knight anymore? Were they even themselves? Or had they...become the avatar of some other dark god?

Powerful as the Hollow Knight was in this state, the Radiance refused to let herself be overpowered. She shrieked in defiance and teleported to the Hollow Knight's left to just barely evade another strike. Volleys of piercing light burst from her eyes and tore through the shadowy creature before her while they let out an eldritch howl. But they did not relent. Pain meant nothing to the Hollow Knight as barbed tendrils burst out from under their cloak and slashed against the furious Radiance. More pure white blades struck them from behind and sank deep before vanishing in puffs of dreamcatcher sigils.

I was completely out of my depth as I gazed up at the divine battle happening right above me. The brightest light versus the blackest void. Tendrils and fists of black against burning rays of light, exploding suns, and brightest blades. I stood there with my mouth agape as neither side seemed to be able to overcome the other. Blow for blow, claw for ray, it just kept going as they struggled against each other with neither relenting.

After being on the receiving end of another burst of burning rays of light tearing through their shadowy form, the Hollow Knight backed up with a hand clutching at their chest. Were they already reaching their limits? Or did the pain become too much for them at that moment? The Radiance looked no worse for the wear as her face began to glow brightly to signal another volley of piercing light. But then, the Hollow Knight acted swiftly. With a diving swoop, they dove under the burst of light and caught the Radiance in their coils. They wrapped themselves around the her with great barbed tendrils coiling around just about everything but her wings. And once they had their upper body over her head, the Hollow Knight looked right down at me with those piercing white eyes.

The instant I realized they were looking at me and not the Radiance, I flinched. That gaze was fierce. Were they going to come for me next? The goddess of light was all but still in the Hollow Knight's coils with only her wings weakly fluttering to hold herself aloft. I asked quietly, "Are you...still you?"

With one simple motion, the Hollow Knight answered me. They nodded. And I breathed a sigh of relief. No matter what they were then, they were still my new friend. But then I saw that the Hollow Knight almost appeared to be struggling. At that point, neither they nor the Radiance could lash out. It had become a stalemate. Neither had the power to destroy the other with the Hollow Knight having resorted to just restraining the Radiance. Our enemy could not even teleport out of those shadowy chains. But if their power was now canceling each other out... All that remained was me.

A smirk crossed my lips as I understood what the Hollow Knight was saying to me. It was time for the final blow. I took my sword's long hilt into both hands and waited for the signal. The Hollow Knight then made one last preparation. They took hold of the edges of the Radiance's face before pulling outward. After a few seconds of tugging, they got the results they needed. The edges of that pale gold fluff around the Radiance's face was pulled outward with the golden light within spilling out like a beacon. The Radiance's face could not be seen anymore. Her inner light was shining too brightly.

"I did say I would use my light to burn you down to nothing, didn't I?" I asked while hoping the Radiance could here me. With such a gaping opening to her inner light exposed, the Radiance knew she was in dire peril. She began to squirm in the Hollow Knight's shadowy clutches. Trying desperately to get free. But she failed. Their grip was too strong. They could not destroy her, but they would never let her go now. I then said with a newfound smugness settling in my voice, "Guess what happens next."

With victory in sight, I raised my sword high. I channeled the solar magic in my right gauntlet directly into my sword and set its great blade alight with a surging layer of scorching white fire. The Radiance began to shriek incoherently as she surely saw her doom right before her. The mad goddess frantically squirmed with otherworldly growls and cries filling the air. There were no words left to say. All that remained was a trapped mad beast. I readied my sword and spread my wings. "Let's see who shines brighter!"

My wings carried me high into that golden sky with a great flap. I rose up and over my friend and our enemy while the Hollow Knight watched me from below. I turned my sword around and readied it for a diving thrust as my ascent began to slow. My eyes met those of my shadowy friend. I knew it was over now. And they would soon be able to rest and live again. "Hey... See you soon."

The Hollow knight's eyes narrowed as I recognized that smiling gaze. They held my target still even as she shrieked and roared in defiance to the bitter end. And as gravity took hold of me, I readied my blade. Down I went... And I plunged my great burning blade deep through the Radiance's face.

My sword was buried to the hilt as I practically stood atop the Radiance's fluffy form. And with that, I dealt the final blow. I channeled my solar magic as hard as I could through the length of my sword. And the Radiance screamed as that scorching white fire began to explode out of her radiant body in all directions while an utter geyser of dreamcatcher sigils began to erupt from out of her glowing face. Burning as that golden light was being eclipsed by the bright white light of the sun. Brighter and bright... Filling the sky and the world around us. The world began to disappear into that growing brightness as the Radiance screamed her last breaths. Even the shadowy blackness of the Hollow Knight was being swallowed up. Our gazes met one last time. And as white filled my vision and the world around me grew silent... One last time. In the depths of my mind.

"Farewell, my friend. And thank you."

My vision returned to me. And I suddenly jerked my head up with a strange grogginess coming over me. Had I...fallen asleep while down on one knee? I was surprised I had not fallen over entirely. I quickly glanced about. Was I back in the chamber that held the Hollow Knight?

"Ah, you're awake. You're not harmed? No pain?" A familiar voice spoke to my right. Quirrel was near and rested his hand on my pauldron. I really must have fallen asleep. Perhaps it is a result of entering a world of dreams. Hornet stood to my left with needle in hand, the silence of the chamber we were in startling me. It was much darker by then too. The only source of light left in there was from the glowing blade of the Celestial Sword as it shone particularly brightly from where it had fallen. I looked up at Quirrel as he explained, "You just...went limped after that dream blade struck. As if you fell asleep. What did you see in there?"

"I... I saw the light. The Hollow Knight was there too, but...they were pure. And they were amazing. We fought together and...destroyed the Radiance." I explained while still gradually coming back to my senses. I had fallen asleep in a less than ideal position and felt rather painfully stiff. I flexed a bit where I knelt to loosen myself up. But I then realized who I had just mentioned and asked quickly, "Wait! The Hollow Knight! Are they OK?!"

Hornet then pointed ahead of me. "They remain exactly where they were."

I had somehow overlooked what was right in front of me. The Hollow Knight remained hunched over on the floor and completely still. And I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that their eyes were again free of the infection's putrid orange glow. I did not even see any blood leaking out of them from under their stained cloak. "Oh thank god... Then...it's really over...?"

I turned back to Hornet as she gazed stoically upon me. She then turned her head to gaze upon the stone chamber around us. It was...gone. All of those glowing vines and pulsating pustules had simply disappeared. As if they had never been there in the first place. She spoke softly and almost as if she was nearly in a trance. "It's gone... All gone. The infection...is no more? Truly?"

"Yeah... The light... She called herself the Radiance. And she...had a lot to say before I could actually see her. The plague really was alive... A guiding light gone mad. But...she's gone. We destroyed her." I replied while so relieved that such a nightmare was over. I then turned my gaze to the friend I had made along the way as they silently gazed back at me. A smile crossed my lips as I said, "And...I heard their voice too. No voice to speak, but they had a mind to think. Right?"

We gazed upon the voiceless knight before us. I knew they could not speak and I had picked up on how I could only hear them if those strange dreamcatcher sigils manifested near us. There was no sign of them, so I knew I would not hear the Hollow Knight's voice. I bowed my head and sighed in such relief after a bitter struggle. "It's done... You're free now. You can...start to live again."

Quirrel and Hornet were noticeably silent. Although I noticed Quirrel out of the corner of my eye and he leaned to one side with arms crossed. He looked more confused than anything. But Hornet... I saw her turn away. Her left hand clutched more firmly at the hilt of her needle. And then her eyes closed. I looked back at the Hollow Knight as they remained very still with eyes gazing at me. "Hey... I know you can't speak. But...come on. Let me help you up."

I held out my hand and waited for the Hollow Knight to place her one remaining hand in mine. I waited...but they did not response. They just continued to stare at me. My soft smile began to fade as I puzzled their great silence. They had not fallen to the floor in fatigue. But then I noticed something about their face. The cracked that reached down to their left eye... It had branched off before that point and now reached all the way down tot he bottom of their face. A crack that separated the two halves of their face. "That scar... Did it get bigger?"

I gingerly reached for the Hollow Knight's face. And only then did they finally respond. I pulled my hand back as the Hollow Knight began to lean forward and to their right. And with a thud, they completely collapsed to the ground. But... My eyes went wide in silent shock. In the process, their head completely disconnected from the rest of their body...and fell to the ground in two even halves. And the interiors... It was entirely hollow. As if nothing had never been in there in the first place. And my companions dared not speak. They could see the truth before them.

"No... Please, no..." I muttered as my voice began to break. I was so sure... I reassured the Hollow Knight that they would live when that mess was all over. But now... When their head split open to unleash that dark power within... Did that also apply to their physical body in the real world? A power that doomed them?

"Come on... You... Not like this... Please..." I whispered pathetically as my hands tenderly cradled the two halves of the Hollow Knight's horned head in each hand. I brought them back together with the head being whole again. But...it was not the same. The tears returned to me and flowed as I let the two halves fall from my armored hands again. The reality of the situation began to set in. I had only just met them. We only just became friends. I did not even get to say goodbye... I squinted my eyes shot with head bowed, trying to make sense of this outcome. "Why couldn't I save you...?"

Dead... The Hollow Knight... I did everything I could. Stood by them in battle. We defended and supported each other. I promised them they would live past that struggle, and yet... They lay dead before me. And Hornet spoke softly yet coolly, "It...could not be helped... The vessel... They lived a cursed existence. Even since the beginning... They were always meant to serve as the final sacrifice for Hallownest's salvation. And it is finally done..."

Something about Hornet's words... And her persistent cold tone of voice... And the way she referred It stirred something in me. A bitter anger merging with my sorrow. "Take that back..."

Hornet spoke again. Almost with her voice being in a very restrained monotone. "It is the truth. The vessel was to serve as..."

"THEY HAD A NAME!!! THEY WERE THE HOLLOW KNIGHT!!!" I finally broke and turned to glare at Hornet while remaining on my knees. Both she and Quirrel recoiled as I raised my voice. My emotions a whirling maelstrom of grief and anger, I lost my balance and propped myself up with one hand. The tears flowing freely from my eyes, I bowed my head as I wept. "They should've lived... They should've been able to see that it was all worth it in the end... We were the same! So why... Why this...?!"

I could barely see Hornet out of the corner of my eye. Her eyes were wide as she took in my words. And Quirrel then spoke more kindly to me. "The same...? How? What trials did you face before you found your way to Hallownest?"

So many memories still remained from that dark time. And I tried to compose myself enough to speak. "The same struggle the Hollow Knight faced... Being instrumental in stopping a great evil from long ago... A threat that would ruin my world if left unchecked. A threat...that sustained themselves through me. Making my very existence a threat to the world I love... So many suffered along the way... I was wounded, but still faced the enemy at the top... And then...it was all for nothing..."

I could still viscerally remember that moment when I stood before the Forgotten Emperor. When it dawned on me that I could not destroy him. When I held that miniature sun above me and promised to destroy us both if it meant the portal to my tainted homeworld would finally close. Only to discover...that the emperor's death would result in it remaining open forever. And the...crushing sense of failure and futility that came over me. When I realized the War of Preservation had been all for nothing.

But it was not all for nothing. The fact that I was there proved that. "But then...a miracle happened. One little unexpected blessing happened and...everything worked out in the end. I...barely survived. We all went home... We recovered... And now my world is thriving again. So then... Why...? Why couldn't they have the same as me?!"

It was just so unfair... While the Hollow Knight and I were the same, we were still vastly different. I knew that gallant knight suffered far more than I did and for far longer. And it only made them all the more deserving for a just reward for succeeding in their very long struggle. And yet, they now lay dead before us...

My throat clenched up as I finally went silent even as I continued to weep. I was so distraught that I failed to notice Hornet approach me. And she ever so gently cupped my cheek with her right hand and lifted my face to gaze up at her. Her gaze had softened. She even looked pained. "Forgive me... I could not have known. And I meant no disrespect by being so cold... It is just... For so long, my heart had to become like stone just to... And now...that I can...grieve..."

I noticed the voice of that cloaked defender starting to waver. I raised myself up on my knees as Hornet's grip on her needle failed. It fell to the floor with a light clatter as she asked, "Please... Tell me once more. Is it true? Has the light been vanquished? Does Hallownest live again? Did you truly...make the impossible a reality?"

All I could do was nod. My fury at Hornet faded as she tilted her head back to gaze at the ceiling. And then I saw them. Trails of tears began to flow free. Tears that even I thought had run dry by then. I could hear her breathing becoming labored. Struggling to hold it in. I felt compelled to reach out to the weeping sentry. So I did.

My armored hand rested upon Hornet's shoulder. And she responded immediately. The hardened sentinel dropped to her knees and rested her hardened white face against my breastplate. Hands resting against me, she let out an incomprehensible wail that echoed through the chamber around us. Quirrel respectfully turned away and bowed his head to give us a moment to grieve. Two warriors weeping together as I draped Hornet in my arms and wings. Our tears flowed heavily. Tears that soothed.

I held Hornet against me as we both sought comfort in this moment of shared grief. She had been there since the very beginning and saw the collapse of her kingdom. She lived through the resulting ruin. And having to live day to day with the Radiance's thralls likely being out for her head. All...for this after goodness knows how many years. While nothing was gained in the War of Preservation, at least Equestria was just that. The world I loved was successfully preserved in the end. But with Hallownest... What was even left to save?

These utterly depressing thoughts filled me with a newfound despair. Even if this fictional world woven by my own overactive imagination would never be seen again... To bear witness to such a crushing ending to Hallownest's tale... I was not prepared for it. But my thoughts were interrupted as Hornet's weeping finally ceased and her voice spoke to me. "Bless you... Bless you, Sir James..."

Words failed me. I simply could not find the will to speak. But Hornet continued to speak weakly to me. "Had you not been here... Had you not wandered from beyond the wastes... Hallownest would still be a corpse choked by infection... Perhaps now... New seeds can sprout anew... We can only wait...and see."

With great reluctance, I forced myself to my feet while Hornet did the same. She used her own cloak to dry her tears before gazing up at me with her voice speaking softly. "Make no mistake. You performed a great kindness for my kingdom. And I am forever in your debt. And again... My greatest apologies for any transgressions I forced upon you. May you continue to serve your kingdom with grace."

All I could do was nod. My heart was still too heavy to allow my lungs to offer words. Although we then saw Quirrel finally approach while Hornet retrieved her nail. "My goodness... Are you both all right? Such a spectacle today... I know I said I am here merely to witness... But I never expected to witness such a grand event in Hallownest's history. It...was an honor to be here today."

"And I thank you as well for what assistance you did provide." Hornet replied before she graciously bowed to the two of us. She was shaken, but her looked and sounded so very relieved. I could only wonder how long she had been holding in those tears. She then asked, "And what now, Quirrel? Do you intend to wander Hallownest some more?"

"Actually..." He began to say before he removed the mask sitting atop his head. Our companion held it in his hands and beheld the pattern on the mask before saying wistfully, "I think there's somewhere in Hallownest I need to be. A strange feeling that...someone is waiting for me. I only wish I remembered the way."

"You will find it. Something called you to this place." Hornet replied while Quirrel returned that mask to the top of his head. She then turned her gaze at nothing in particular and muttered, "And...I believe there is someone I must see as well. One I have not spoken to in so long."

Quirrel then turned his gaze up to me while tilting his unconventional hat up to get a better look at me. He was still jovial, but spoke with a much softer and sympathetic tone than usual. "And what about you, Sir James? Where will you go next?"

My gaze lowered while my heart was still heavy with grief. I said what little I could. "Don't know..."

"I see... Well, do take care, my friend. You stand a hero now. Now then... I do believe I shoudl be off. And I dearly hope we cross paths again someday. Safe travels, both of you." He said in farewell before quietly seeing himself out through the only exit to that chamber. And with that, Quirrel was gone.

I did not know what to think or say. And I did feel the faintest quiver in the air. The dream was nearly over. My body would not stay asleep for much longer. But after taking several steps forward, I noticed that Hornet was not following. Looking back, I found her standing before the corpse of the Hollow Knight. And when I drew near, I heard her speak. "No cost too great..."

My grief was pushed down by a new curiosity in my heart. That was a very cryptic thing to say. And once Hornet detected my presence when I drew near, she continued to speak. "No cost too great... No will to break... No mind to think... No voice to cry suffering..."

"They...said something similar to me..." I replied when I noticed something familiar in most of those words.

"Yes... That is what they said. A vessel with those qualities. They would be the Hollow Knight. The one who would seal the light that plagued our dreams." Hornet replied quietly. She then bowed her head as she gazed down upon the remains of Hallownest's savior. "But...they were not hollow. They had a will. A mind... A heart to love with."

Hornet raised her hand and rested it atop her scalp at the very bottom of the two curves that made up her horns. She rubbed herself there... As if cherishing a precious memory. "I was small... So young... And they were so kind to me. And I could not have understood then...that such kindness was a sign that the project had already failed."

Hornet then lowered her arm and gazed up at the domed stone ceiling above us. "I wonder... What did they feel in the end? What do you suppose, Sir James?"

The tiniest of smiles spread across my lips as I recalled very recently crafted memories. "I think they were happy. They...were almost always smiling at me as we fought beside each other. They called me...their friend."

"And I thank you for being kind to them, Sir James. To know they found fulfillment... To even find happiness in their final moments... It...soothes my heart. To know that they faded from this world with a smile." Hornet said with a wistful sigh. She then kneeled before the remains of our friend. And with head bowed, she spoke to them one last time. "Gallant Hollow Knight... Through your sacrifice, Hallownest stands eternal. May your shade finally find rest."

She remained there for a moment longer before rising to her feet. Hornet then turned to me and said, "I...must be off now. If you plan to explore Hallownest further, take great care. Even with the plague gone, I can't say what dangers you may find down here now."

I nodded again as my eyes followed her. Hornet seemed to understand I was not emotionally well enough to really hold a conversation with and did not press me further. But she did speak kindly to me one last time as she passed. "Safe travels, sir knight. And know that you will always be welcome in Hallownest."

Hornet departed with a slower stride than expected. We all had a lot on our minds by then. The world around me quivered again as I was reminded of my imminent awakening. And as I cast my gaze down to the floor, a voice spoke in my mind. "Are you...well, my love?"

Nightmare Moon. She had surely witnessed everything. And I was still at a loss for words. The Princess of Dreams said softly to me, "Your heart is heavy... What a grim situation. To think that even the light can be a tool of evil... And yet, you triumphed. Well played, my dear. Well played indeed."

All I did was nod weakly. It was hard for me to speak idly when so upset. I looked back at the Hollow Knight's corpse and finally muttered, "Why... I know this is all just a dream. This isn't real. This doesn't matter. So...why does it hurt so much?"

"Do not disregard these dreams so easily, my dear James. Dreams that carry this much of an impact upon your heart often have meaning behind them. Cherish these memories, no matter how tragic." Nightmare Moon said wisely while I nodded in some agreement. That night would not be forgotten so easily.

I felt the world tremble again. Not even Nightmare Moon could stop myself from awakening. She then said to me softly, "It is nearly time. I will not distract you any longer. I pray the following day soothes you after such a harrowing ordeal. Take care, my love. I will see you again soon."

Nightmare Moon's voice fell silent. And I was alone again. It pained me to behold the remains of my fallen friend. But when I turned away, a sound reached my ears. Metal clattering against the stone floor. I turned and quickly scanned the distance. And I saw it. The Hollow Knight's nail had finally become dislodged from the wall it had been flung into and was now lying upon the floor.

My time was short. And I finally decided how I wished to spend my final moments in that world. I kneeled before the corpse of the Hollow Knight and removed my helmet before setting it aside. I reached out to the distant fallen nail with only the Celestial Sword illuminating us. I took hold of the nail with my levitation spell and drew it near me. Using the same spell cast from my other gauntlet, I very carefully pried open the Hollow Knight's fingers. I had to be very gentle to avoid causing them to snap right off now that their insect body's rigor mortis was setting in. With great care, I managed to close their fingers around the hilt of their tarnished yet trusty weapon. If nothing else, I saw to it that the Hollow Knight died with a sword in their hand.

It was time. A great wall of an encroaching white void began to consume the chamber around us. Drawing near bit by bit as I gazed upon the two halves of the Hollow Knight's head, their empty black eyes forever gazing up at me. And once again, my tears flow. Vision becoming unclear, I bowed my head and whispered one last time as the white void of awakening took us. "Goodbye, my friend."

I awoke to a feeling of profound emptiness as I gazed up at the ceiling above me. I did not feel rested at all. If anything, I felt weaker than when I first climbed in bed. At least I was not alone. I was borrowed on each side by two wonderful ladies. My beautiful wife and a lovely little dragoness. But the dragoness was false. I knew that a precious Changeling was just under the surface.

Their presence did little to comfort me. And as I lay there in silence in the morning light, someone stirred on my right. And that little dragoness gazed at me with beautiful eyes as she frowned in concern. I could never hide my heart from her. "What's wrong...?"

I did not want to appear upset in front of Ocellus, but I could not hide my broken heart. I gazed up at the ceiling and muttered, "A dream... A very sad dream."

"I'm sorry... Let me hold you. I don't want you to start your day so sad." Ocellus whispered before draping her arm over me. I looked at her while she looked at me. And we soon brought our lips together. "I love you."

"Love you too, love bug." I whispered back as I tried to distract myself from my weeping heart. And there I stayed until Fluttershy awoke.

My morning was listless and miserable. I tried to distract myself with my friends and family while taking many breaks in writing out this entry. What a miserable outcome, even if it was just a dream...

I will not forget Hallownest or those in it. Juts a shame I did not get to see more of it. Even if that world technically does not exist... I find myself hoping that it finds salvation in some form.

I need a drink... And dinner is almost ready. Hopefully I will go to sleep happy tonight.