Sunset landed softly at the bottom of the well with the Grimmchild close behind. To either side, tunnels stretched out into the gloom, sparsely lit by lanterns and some sort of bioluminescent plant. Aside from the occasional vermin, they were completely alone
Sunset pulled out her map for the crossroads and checked the route she had planned. Greenpath was to the west of the well, more or less, while to the east was a place marked as the ‘Temple of the Black Egg.’
Briefly, she regretted not being able to buy a compass from Iselda, before brushing that thought aside.
“I’ll know if we’re on the right path before too long,” she rationalized, before stowing the map once more. Picking a tunnel, Sunset began her journey.
...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...
Other than the occasional sinkhole, the road was in much better condition than the one through the cliffs. This time, Sunset let her new pin do the work whenever a pest got to bold. After all, there was no sense in using magic for everything.
Just like Celestia always said.
Sunset shook the unwanted thought from her head. There was no point in looking back. She should just focus on what lay ahead.
Such as that upright bug walking toward her.
“Oh, Hello!” Sunset called out. “I did not expect to meet another bug so soon!”
The other bug made no response.
As they approached one another, Sunset noticed that the bug’s gait was uneven, more of a drunken stagger.
Sunset called out once more, “Excuse me, are you all right?”
She quickened her own pace and approached the bug. That finally got it’s attention. The bug turned to Sunset, finally giving her a clear look at it. It’s shell was dull and cracked. Behind the mask it wore, it’s dead eyes glowed with a sinister orange light.
With a feral snarl, the bug lunged at Sunset. The Grimmchild dashed up to the ceiling, while Sunset dove to the side, flailing her pin at her assailant. Her pin’s strike knocked them both to the ground, though Sunset was able to quickly recover.
The other bug was not so lucky. It landed face first with a sharp snap as it’s mask splintered on the stone floor. Keeping her pin at the ready, Sunset approached the bug once more.
A glowing, orange ichor seeped out from a gash in the bug’s side opened by Sunset’s pin. The unnatural fluid made Sunset ill just looking at it. More ichor trickled out from beneath the broken mask, suggesting an unpleasant injury from the shards.
Just when Sunset thought that was the end of it, the body suddenly spasmed. The bug pushed itself up, broken mask shards falling away from it’s mangled face. The bug shrieked and threw itself at Sunset This time, she managed to sidestep the attack, countering with an upward slash of her pin. A severed forelimb flew off in an arc, though the bug hardly seemed to notice it’s sudden loss. Rather than let her opponent make another move, Sunset followed up with a stab to the back of it’s head. The body stiffened, before going limp and collapsing.
Sunset stepped away from the corpse, horrified. Not quite at what she had done, but more so at the condition the bug had been in. That’s not to say she was fine with having killed it, but she had not been given much of a choice.
Sunset sank to the ground, shaking. What if that had been one of the missing villagers at one point? What had even happened to that bug to put them in such a state? Could she have ended the fight another way?
Sunset took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She had done the only thing she could. Such measures were understandable when dealing with the undead.
Sunset took out a rag and began to wipe off her pin. Above, she saw the Grimmchild peeking out from behind a stalactite. Wordlessly, she patted the ground beside her, and the smaller bug drifted down to settle beside her.
Way to go Sunset, you get in one little fight and you immediately break down. You really aren’t ready.
Sunset brushed those traitorous thoughts aside. Ready or not, she was going to press on.
Her pin cleaned, Sunset stood up, but she paused. She could hear a strange gurgling noise, almost like...
Sunset panned back to see the husk struggling to rise once more. If she still had eyelids, she was certain they’d be twitching right now. Nevertheless, her new antennae were fulfilling that role.
Sunset knew to stay calm. She had this situation well under control. Readying herself, she took a deep breath and...
“OH COME ON! I was having a moment because of you!”
Clearly, the plan to stay calm had failed.
“At least have the decency to STAY dead!”
The air around Sunset flickered as she drew back a claw and threw a glittering gold fireball at the husk. The undead bug flailed about as it’s dry shell was lit aflame, before falling still, hopefully for good.
The Grimmchild hovered over to examine the burning corpse. It gave a satisfied nod, and then blew a flaming raspberry of all things, before returning to Sunset’s side.
“Was that really necessary?” She asked.
The Grimmchild simply responded with another fiery “Thbbb.”
Sunset gave the little bug an unimpressed look.
“Well ‘fweet’ to you too.” Sunset shot back with a toot of her own. The fact that she had sounded like a roll up party horn didn’t even bother her.
Any further levity was cut of by a piercing shriek that echoed sounded the tunnel. Sunset spun around, trying to see where it came from.
“H-h-Help! P-Please?”
Sunset took off after the voice, flying down the tunnel with the Grimmchild close behind.
...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...
Myla struggled to get out from under the hostile husk that had her pinned, her trusty pick against it’s neck the only thing keeping it’s foaming jaws at bay. What concerned her more though was the second husk stalking towards her. While she might be capable of dealing with the first one, she wasn’t confident she could do so before the second reached her.
Suddenly, a shimmering red and gold form flew overhead. There was a flash of silver, and the husk that had kept her pinned was knocked aside in a spray of orange. Myla had a moment to ponder how oddly colorful this dire situation was now, before she realized she was free to move. She scrambled to her feet and clutched at her pick defensively, readying herself for the second husk.
She needn’t have bothered, her shimmering savior had already confronted the shambling corpse. Golden fires tipped in red leapt forth at their bidding, crisping the husk. It stumbled forward, heedless of the flames that tried to consume it. Myla watched in awe as the other bug swung their weapon upwards, tearing open the husk’s body, letting the mystical fire ravage the interior of the undead bug.
With her assistants dispatched, Myla was able to get a better look at her savior. She was a moth, her wings patterned like flames in red and gold. A crimson cloak billowed around her body, and a white mask with vertical lines accenting the eyes adorned her face.
It took Myla a moment to realize she’d been staring at the moth. It took another to realize that the moth had noticed this.
“Oh! S-sorry for staring,” she quickly said, “M-my name is Myla. T-thank you f-for saving me.”
...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...
According to Myla, Sunset had indeed been headed in the direction of the Black Egg temple, though they both agreed it was a fortunate mistake in the end. As they were briefly traveling together, the Grimmchild kept itself hidden as it followed them. The way it moved from shadow to shadow was unnerving, but Sunset knew it was preferable to letting Myla see it’s withered form. The last thing she wanted to do was fray the poor bugs nerves even further.
Myla was a miner, formerly part of a large expedition that had come to Hallownest to take advantage of the abandoned fabled mines of Crystal Peak. However, it was not long before calamity struck. A cave in had rendered the main entrance to the mines impassible for bugs who couldn’t fly, trapping the expedition.
“I f-found a way out, but it was a one way t-trip.” She explained. “I-I’ve been trying to d-d-dig back in, I found a p-part of the crossroads that comes c-close to the mines, b-but it’s taking a l-long time.”
It had become a part of her routine as of late to occasionally take a break from mining and was travel to a nearby hot spring to recuperate. In all this time, there had never been anything more dangerous in the crossroads than the occasional vengefly. That was how she was caught so off guard when the husks attacked.
“I-I’ve never seen anything l-like it,” she continued. “There were rumors, s-some sort of sickness or plague, b-but we all thought that they were j-just stories.”
“And you’re sure you can’t find a safer way back to the mines?” asked Sunset.
Myla shook her head. “Now that I know ab-bout the husks, I sh-should be able to avoid them,” she said.
Sunset was not as reassured. “If you feel that the crossroads are starting to get to dangerous, promise me you’ll return to Dirtmouth.”
“I d-don’t believe that will b-be a problem,” Myla replied. “If it t-took so long for those husks to ap-pear, how common can th-they even be?”
...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...
Soon, the three of them came upon a large shaft cut into the rock. Metal platforms suspended on vertical rails filled the pit, some still carrying long abandoned cargo. Large ‘gruzflies,’ as Myla called them, drifted aimlessly through the air. Just below them, Sunset saw an alcove that was partially overgrown with moss.
“So Greenpath must be through there,” Sunset guessed.
“Th-that’s right,” Myla confirmed, “and th-the hot spring is further down.”
“Then I guess this is where we part ways,” said Sunset. While she was reluctant to leave the miner bug alone, Sunset knew they both had their own missions.
“Oh! B-before you go! There are some things ab-bout Greenpath you may want to know,” Myla offered. “They’re m-mostly rumors, b-but so were the husks.”
“There have been mentions of b-bug eating plants, s-so watch where you step. Some stories even t-tell of the moss itself c-coming to life. Then there was the Mosskin, a t-tribe of bugs that lived in Greenpath b-before the founding of Hallownest. They were m-mostly reclusive, but they were also not known f-for being fond of k-kingdom bugs. Also, there is a legend of an eyeless g-ghost haunting a darkened temple, p-probably just a statue, b-b-but you can never be to careful. Finally, avoid any p-place with rocks like fangs, and d-don’t fall in the water.”
Sunset took a moment to process everything. Most of it sounded like they were just ghost stories, but so did everything ponies typically said about the Everfree forest. Timberwolves were not something to be dismissed as fantasy.
“Thank you,” said Sunset. “I’ll be sure to keep your advice in mind.”
Sunset stepped of the ledge and flew down to the mossy alcove. Turning back, she watched as Myla hopped down the platforms with practiced ease. Soon the miner reached the bottom of the shaft, where a roughly dug hole in the rocks lead further down. Myla looked back up to Sunset and gave a final wave farewell, before jumping down the hole and vanishing from sight.
...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...
Sunset stared at the wreckage of the bug before her.
‘Wreckage,’ while normally not a term one would use to describe a corpse, seemed appropriate. The large bug had wedged itself into the only entrance to Greenpath, and apparently something else had a disagreement with it’s choice of nesting space. It had been blown to bits, as if it had been standing in front of a canon as it fired. Sunset hoped she’d never meet whatever was responsible.
Sunset was pulled from her gawking by the sounds of the Grimmchild struggling against something. She turned around to see it snagged in a small spiderweb hanging from an archway. Sunset sighed and raised the hook of her pin.
“Hang on, I’ll get you out.”
However, before she could follow through, something struck the pin from Sunset’s grasp. A long bladed weapon embedded itself point first in a nearby wall, with her pin hanging from a ring below the grip.
A bug in a red cloak dropped in between Sunset and the Grimmchild. It wore a pale mask that smoothly transitioned into a par of tall horns. With a sharp gesture from the bug, their weapon pulled itself from the wall and flew to it’s master, taking Sunset’s pin with it. The bug then turned to regard the Grimmchild, before brandishing it’s weapon.
“So this is the focus of the fell presence I’ve sensed?” She questioned. “No matter, destroying it should dispel the rest.”
Sunset was livid. “Just what in Tartarus do you think you’re doing!” she cried out. She wanted to tackle the other bug, but found herself staring down the point of her own pin.
“I am willing to let you flee with your life ‘moth,’ do not convince me otherwise.” She warned.
The situation was dire, and Sunset knew it. She had to do something.
“Just who do you even think you are, threatening an innocent bug like that?” She demanded.
The cloaked bug paused. “I’d hardly call that thing innocent,” she sneered, “much less a bug.” She turned to face Sunset. The Grimmchild redoubled it’s struggling now that the masked bug wasn’t paying attention to it, but the web that ensnared it was expertly woven.
“As the guardian of Hallownest, it is my duty to vanquish any threats that may arise,” she declared, leveling her weapon at Sunset, “whomever that may be.”
Good, Sunset had the cloaked bug’s attention, which also qualified as bad. Still, as long as she could keep the other bug talking instead of fighting, Sunset could probe her for ammunition of a different sort. For instance...
“Some guardian you are,” Sunset taunted. “The kingdom is in ruins and the dead stalk the catacombs. You’re nothing but a brigand attacking travelers on a whim!”
Sunset could tell her words had hit a nerve. The cloaked bug’s weapon began quivering in her grip. “What gives you the right,” she growled. “I only know of one living moth, and you are not she. There is a strangeness to you, Outsider. You wear the face of a bug and ally yourself with demons.”
“No, what gives You the right?” Sunset countered, “Bugs are lured to this kingdom and disappear. You claim to be a guardian, but what have you done to keep the town above safe? Or are they ‘Outsiders’ too? What have you done to help the miners trapped in Crystal Peak?”
“SILENCE!” the cloaked bug shouted. “You know not of what you speak, Outsider. There are forces at play that are beyond our keen, beyond my control.” She threw the hookpin back at Sunset, who was barely able to catch it in time to deflect a strike from the cloaked bug’s own weapon.
“At the very least, what I can do is put a stop to you here and now!”
Heeding Sly’s advice, Sunset took flight. The cloaked bug’s next strike knocked her back, putting much appreciated space between them.
Congratulations Sunset, you have her attention; now what?
Sunset barely had any time to react when the cloaked bug threw her weapon. Sunset spun to the side, guarding with her pin. She hoped that disarming the cloaked bug would let her end this peacefully. As the cloaked bug’s weapon returned to it’s owner’s claw, Sunset acknowledged that this would be... difficult.
The cloaked bug leapt into the air and dove at Sunset, weapon aimed for her thorax. She parried, but the cloaked bug’s momentum sent them crashing to the floor. As the cloaked bug leapt off of her, Sunset struggled to ready herself for the next attack. The cloaked bug dashed towards her, weapon ready for an upwards strike. Sunset used her wings to roll to the side and get airborne once more, the wind from her foe’s attack close enough to be felt.
The cloaked bug spun around and hurled her weapon at Sunset once more, only this time she had anticipated the attack. Sunset had already dove for the ground, landing on all legs, letting the attack sail harmlessly overhead. She then pushed herself into the air once more, and swung her pin’s hook to catch the weapon by it’s ring. When she landed, Sunset turned around to point the cloaked bug’s own weapon at her.
“Now then, let’s discuss this in a civilized manner,” Sunset taunted.
The cloaked bug’s only response was to chuckle.
You are an idiot, Sunset.
The cloaked bug twirled about and heaved as if she was throwing something large over her shoulder. Sunset felt something pull at her in response, and found herself being thrown as well. She hit the floor hard, dropping both weapons. The cloaked bug then spun about, and Sunset found herself slammed into a wall. Stars filled her vision as Sunset slid to the ground, but the cloaked bug wasn’t finished with her yet. With one final spin, Sunset was pulled to the center of their arena, where she found herself suspended in midair.
Webs Sunset, she’s a spider using a needle and silk! Now how do you get rid of spiders, Sunset?
...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...
Hornet was breathing heavily as she retrieved her needle. Swinging that moth around had taken more out of her stamina than she liked. She knew that she should not have lost her temper the way she did, but that moth’s words had cut at her more than her pin.
“In the end, your words are just that, meaningless words,” said Hornet. “You know nothing of this kingdoms past, of the trials it’s faced.”
She readied her needle, set on striking down the moth and her ‘pet’ in one blow.
“I may not have been able to prevent Hallownest’s decline, but I can stop you scavengers from destroying what remains!”
Hornet prepared to throw her needle. She took aim, lining up with both enemies, but something caught her attention.
The mask the moth wore, it’s eyes were glowing. Pinpricks of red light danced in the black holes of the mask.
Without warning, the webbing holding the moth in place burst aflame, letting her drop to the floor. Scarlet embers shot out, tracing lines that filled the chamber, almost as if they were following...
With a jolt, Hornet realized what was happening. She quickly cut the silken threads that connected her to the rest of her web before the fell fire could reach her.
It was unfortunate that she neglected to remove the thread from her own needle.
Hornet cried out as the flames lit up her body, greedily devouring the supply of silk she always kept in reserve. The heat clawed at her, threatening to consume her as well. Just when Hornet was sure she’d be burned alive, the fire cut out.
Hornet dropped to the ground, wisps of smoke drifting lazily off her prone form. She lay there dazed, while the moth slowly got back on her own feet. Hornet struggled to get up as the moth retrieved her pin.
“I don’t think... that either one of us is in any state to keep fighting,” said the moth. Her breathless tone of voice mirrored how Hornet felt. The moth began rummaging through her cloak, eventually pulling out a slightly crushed seed box.
“Well now look what you did,” the moth grumbled, “after Sly insisted I buy this burn salve, you went and smashed it.”
The moth tossed the medicine at hornet’s feet, then turned to leave, heading in the direction of Greenpath, her unnatural companion close behind.
Hornet clenched at her pin. It was like everything that moth said was meant to irritate her.
“You.. don’t think your trickery will save you next time, Outsider!” She called out.
The moth did not respond, as she was already gone.
...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...
Myla sighed in contentment as she reclined deeper in the waters of the hot spring. The warm waters soothed her nerves just as it eased the tension built up from mining. As she relaxed she was able to simply let her mind wander, and for a time, forget just why she was here. Dancing lights filled the corners of her vision as she slipped closer to dreaming, when she was suddenly jerked back to the waking world by another bug joining her.
Hornet eased herself into the healing waters across from the miner bug, the gentle warmth and natural minerals of the spring aiding the salve in soothing her burns.
The guardian’s condition was not lost on Myla. It was clear to her that Hornet had just come from a difficult fight, but Myla knew that not to pry. The Guardian of Hallownest was a solitary bug by nature.
Hornet, for her part, found Myla’s presence to be an unpleasant reminder of the moth’s biting accusations. She knew that the fate of Myla’s fellow miners was not her fault, there was nothing that could be done for them.
This did not stop Hornet from blaming herself.
“So, Myla,” Hornet spoke up, “About your fellows....”
“Hm?” Myla perked up.
Hornet wanted to tell the truth, to tell Myla to flee Hallownest before it was too late for her.
“I am... sure you will reunite with them soon.”
Not exactly a lie, but far from the whole truth.
Myla did not notice Hornet’s somber tone. She took Hornet’s reassurance at face value.
“I think I’m really c-close to breaking through,” Myla responded, “it’s like I c-can almost hear them c-calling for me through the crystals. Silly, r-right?”
“Right, silly,” Hornet agreed. Myla’s fellow miners obviously were not calling to her through the crystals. Hearing voices was simply one of the earliest symptoms.
“Oh! I had a b-bit of an adventure n-not too long ago!” Myla offered.
“Oh?” Hornet responded, hoping for a change of topic.
“I was j-just on my way to the hot spring. Simply another b-break like any other, when suddenly I f-found myself surrounded...”
Hornet simply listened as Myla wove an epic, and almost certainly heavily embellished, retelling of her most recent journey to the hot spring. Still, Myla’s tale served to illustrate one important fact; Hallownest was growing more dangerous.
“...there I was, c-cornered, ab-bout to be overwhelmed, when sud-d-denlly, out of nowhere the husks were all burned to ashes by a wave of shimmering g-golden red fire!”
That got Hornet’s attention, as did Myla’s enthusiastic description of her unexpected savior, a certain familiar moth.
“Was there another bug accompanying this moth?” Asked Hornet.
“N-no,” was Myla’s answer. “Did you meet her on the way to G-greenpath?”
So that creature with the moth kept itself hidden.
“No,” Hornet lied, thankful that Myla had not connected her injuries to the moth’s unnatural fire.
And so the two of them sat for a time in an awkward silence.
...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...---...
“Oh? And what do we have here?”
The voice dragged Hornet back to the world of the waking. The first thing she saw was that Myla had left the hot spring at some point. Turning around, she saw the bug who had just spoken.
She was a dragonfly, tall and slender, with a youthful yellow shell that showed no sign of her true age. Her garments, fine silken lace, lacked any adornment other than a single brilliant red gemstone that hung as a pendant. The mask she wore was of the same pale material that the old king granted to only his most trusted retainers. Hornet herself wore one such mask, though the dragonfly’s was broader, with narrowed eyes and wider, branched horns.
“Lazing about are we?” said the Dragonfly, “Little spider, I never thought you had it in you!”
Hornet extracted herself from the healing waters.
“My apologies,” she said with a bow, “it was not my intention to fall asleep here.”
The dragonfly simply laughed. “Oh, little spider, I had no intention to chastise you.” She took a seat by hornet, the water barely passing her abdomen. “Indeed, it is important you be rested, as such opportunities to recuperate may soon be rare.”
The dragonfly looked up, to where she knew a great black ‘egg’ lay enshrined in the highest reach of the crossroads.
“Hallownest is beginning to stir once more, and forces within and without have taken notice,” she explained, “but that is not why I have come here. I have sensed something else.”
“Something else?” Hornet repeated.
“I have sensed a presence, one new to this world, and yet somehow familiar,” the Dragonfly explained. “Imagine my curiosity when following it’s trail lead me to you? Judging from your current condition, you must have had a run in with something unusual.”
“She appeared to be a moth,” Hornet answered. She told the dragonfly of her encounter with the strange moth and her fell ward, of their duel, and of her near victory. Hornet recounted the moth’s sudden conjuration of red fire, and how she gave Hornet medicine for the light burns her fire had inflicted.
“Most interesting,” the Dragonfly mused. “A moth allied with the Grimm. And you believe she may not truly be a moth at all?”
“There is an aura about her,” Hornet explained, “I can’t explain it, but she seems to radiate potential.” She thought back to their duel. “She held herself like a bug only recently granted higher thought, yet her speech was of a mind fully developed. It was like she was not yet familiar with her own body.”
“And you’re certain she simply has not recently pupated?” The dragonfly suggested.
Hornet shook he head. “Such a thing is unheard of. A bug’s familiarity with their form is instinctive, Metamorphosis is no exception.”
“And this stranger is now allied with the Grimm,” the dragonfly mused. “I know of their kind, though my memories are faded. Still, her path will likely lead her to the city soon enough. Perhaps we should await her there.”
“She will have to make her way through the fungal wastes first,” Hornet countered, “the Mantis tribe may not take kindly to her presence.”
“Perhaps only time shall tell,” the dragonfly replied, standing once more, “Come, Hornet. We should return to the city. These events will likely not go unnoticed by the sanctum.”