Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was monsoon season in Bugaria. With how devastating the storms could be for bug-built structures - and for the inhabitants of said structures - it was best for the kingdoms to bunker down and wait it out.

Even with all the preparations, they couldn’t truly prepare for the monsoon that battered their world. Walls collapsed, roads were blocked by mud and rocks, some roofs fell in, thankfully no one was seriously hurt.

(Even the fortified Termite Kingdom felt the brunt of nature’s power, the docks filled with mud and water, causing mass flooding on the waterfront.)

The rivers and lake flooded as the rain continued to pour, but Metal Island had seen floods before and suffered minimal damage. 

Off in a long-forgotten corner of Bugaria, bordering the Dead Lands and the swamps, the rain poured hard enough to uncover a small, dark cave.

“It’s honestly a miracle the Exploration’s Association didn’t fall into the river.” Maki sighed, watching the ant workers attempt to dig out the Exploration building from the mud. He and many other members of the association offered to help, but the workers politely denied them. This was their job, after all.

“I don’t believe the Ant Kingdom suffered too much damage.” said Kabbu, trying to reassure Maki. “I do worry about the other kingdoms, though.”

“Speak for yourself! I thought our house was gonna fall down!” Vi shouted, her fluff puffing up. “Worry about the other kingdoms? Worry about us!”

Leif snorted, patting her head with an almost condescending air. “Oh yes, you seemed so concerned by all the snoring you did.”

“Leif, I will kick you.”

Maki nodded. “No, Kabbu is right. That storm was one of the worst ones we’ve had in years. While I have no doubt the bees and termites would be fine, I am a bit worried for the wasps-”

“What? Why are you worried about them?” Vi asked incredulously. “We got rid of the king, they should be fine.”

“Because they’ve spent years funneling all their resources into their military, and they are only now beginning to heal.” Maki answered, trying not to sound disappointed in Vi’s answer. “And if they were spending all their resources on military, do you know what they weren’t spending it on?”

Vi had to think for a moment, and even with that moment, Kabbu answered for her. “Their infrastructure. When we visited the Wasp Kingdom during the king’s rule, it was...run down.”

“It looked like shit.” Leif clarified. “It looked terribly run down, broken, and we doubt they are anywhere near repairing their buildings, even with the workers Elizant sent to help.”

"Bingo." Maki said, snapping his fingers in Leif's direction.

"When we get back, that's five berries for the swear jar." Kabbu said, almost instinctively. 

"I also worry about the swamps. If they're flooded, that could affect the territory of the Leafbug tribe, causing conflict between the Wasps or the Rubber Prison. The last thing the wasps need right now is more conflict."

"So you want us to go to the swamps and Wasp Kingdom?" Vi smirked. "What's wrong, Maki, did you hurt your ankle again?"

Maki was unimpressed. "Yes Vi, you're very funny." He said, voice devoid of humor. "No, I'm going to visit the Bee Kingdom to make sure the weather damage there is minimal. When you three are done, report back here. If the damage is substantial, Elizant may send more workers to aid."

"Alright, so you want us to check in on the Wasp Kingdom and the swamps?" Kabbu echoed, wanting to make sure he had the right idea of what Maki wanted.

"Correct."

Kabbu puffed out his chest, almost striking a pose. "You can count on us!"

"Calm down, we're just sightseeing." Leif reminded him, voice flat. "Quick visit to the wasp Kingdom and surroundings. We won't even take Chompy."

"Still, it's important!" Kabbu replied, slumping his shoulders.

"Important that we get it over with ." Vi interrupted the two of them. "C'mon, let's get out of here before it starts raining again!"

Leif rolled his eyes. "Fine, fine. We'll stop at the shops for some traveling snacks, then we'll get going." 

Team Snakemouth was greeted with nervous enthusiasm at the Wasp Kingdom. They were thankful for what the team did, but many wasps avoided them.

If it was out of fear, embarrassment, or something else, Team Snakemouth wasn't sure. 

Queen Vanessa greeted them warmly, however, and General Fuff showed them the extent of the damage the storm had caused.

Several sections of walls had collapsed and the river banks had widened, causing parts of their hive to sink into the waters. While bad, it could have certainly been worse. Kabbu offered to have Elizant send more workers, but both Fuff and Vanessa sheepishly (and politely) declined, worried about exploiting Elizant’s kindness.

Team Snakemouth hesitated as they approached the borders of the Wild Swamplands. “...are you guys getting a bad feeling?” Vi asked, sounding quieter than usual.

“Well, yeah, every time I come here.” shrugged Kabbu. “Why?”

“...nevermind.”

The swamps, true to Maki’s concerns, were heavily flooded. The terrain was already difficult to navigate before, but now? It was nearly impossible. If not for Leif’s ice magic, traversing the swamps would definitely be impossible.

“What are we looking for exactly?” Vi asked, kicking a small pebble into the almost distressingly high waters.

“Anything out of place.” answered Leif. “...aside from the flooding, we suppose.”

Kabbu was quick to reassure his team. “The flooding will go down. The swamps have seen worse. They’re built for floods, after all-”

Vi interrupted. “Whoa whoa, what’s that?” She reached both hands into the waters, digging into the soft mud. “Something shiny! Finders keepers!”

Partially coated in grey mud, Vi unearthed a silver-colored rock, barely larger than the palm of her hand. Washing the mud off, however, revealed that it was segmented, almost like the shell of a bug, and incredibly shiny.

“Oooh! It’s pretty!” Vi exclaimed. “...dunno what it is though.”

Kabbu leaned down, looking over her shoulder. “I’ve never seen anything quite like it!”

“We could take it back to Neolith, see what he thinks.” Leif tilted his head, antennae twitching. “It could be some sort of fossil.” 

“Look! Another one!” Vi waded in knee-deep water, pulling another silver rock from the mud. “And another!”

“The flood must have unearthed them,” Kabbu said, following her to make sure the waters didn’t sweep her away. “Or carried them from somewhere else.”

“Well let’s go find out where they came from!” Vi waved the shiny stones in the air. “I want so many of these things, maybe we could sell them!”

Leif sighed, deadpanning, “That’s our Vi.”

“C’mon! We’re not doing anything else today, anyways.”

Kabbu and Leif gave each other a look. Leif spoke first. Shrugging, he said, "Well, she has a point."

Kabbu sighed. "Fine, we'll look around, but then we report back to Maki, OK?"

"I thought we were an Exploration Team, not a bunch of midges!" Vi snapped back.

"Hey."

Vi eagerly followed the trail of silver rocks, picking up each one and stashing it away. Leif and Kabbu followed, carrying the little bee on their shoulders when the waters were too high.

The path became less swampy, with the purple foliage giving way to hardened rock. These rocks looked strange, having spirals carved into them.

“Kabbu. Would this qualify as being out of place?” asked Leif, running his claws along the rocks. “They’re...cold. Cold to the touch.”

“Do you think it might be related to Roach technology?” Kabbu asked, then, trying to be delicate, said, “Like uh. Like...your powers?”

“No. Not like us. Different.”

“Uh, guys?” Vi called out from behind some of the carved rocks. “Come check this out!”

Vi stood at the mouth of a cave that seemed to absorb light, darkness covered every inch of the inside. Despite being very clearly a cave, Team Snakemouth could feel a gentle, cold breeze coming from somewhere deep inside the cave.

“I...I don’t know what cave this is.” Kabbu stammered, reaching for their map. “It’s not marked on here, either.”

“What kind of cave has a breeze inside?” Vi reached down, grabbing another silver rock. “And did these come from inside?”

Leif took a cautious step forward.“It might not be a cave. It could be a tunnel, with the breeze at the other end.”

“That could mean unexplored land!” Kabbu said. Leif and Vi could almost see the stars in his eyes. “Uncharted territory! This is amazing!”

“What happened to reporting back to Maki?” Vi teased.

Kabbu nervously chuckled. “W-Well, surely if we came back with news of discovery…!”

Giving the beetle a playful nudge, Leif replied, "Well, what are you waiting for? Take the lead."

"Yeah, let's see what's on the other side of the cave!" Vi said, starting to push Kabbu forward to walk. "C'mooooooooon let's go!"

"I've talked to you about pushing, Vi." Kabbu scolded, voice soft, yet disappointed. Despite this, he let Vi 'push' him forward into the darkness of the cave.

Unlike the cave that gave Team Snakemouth their namesake, this cave was dark and devoid of life. The breeze could still be felt, smelling of dust and dirt. Larger motes of dust flitted in the stale cave air.

And it was so, so very dark. If not for Leif summoning a small crystal of ice to float around them, they’d be standing in pitch black.

“The weird rocks make up the walls and floors.” Kabbu observed.

“We...we feel traces of magic.” Leif said, hesitating slightly as he paused to explain. “It’s...it’s not focused, though. The feeling is faint, but scattered.”

Vi scoffed, “Uh, could you try to explain that a bit better?”

“...It’s in the air. ” was all Leif could say on the matter.

“Uh...yeah, OK bud.” Vi said, choosing not to press the matter further. “Some tunnel this is. I can’t see the other side yet!”

“It might be a long tunnel.”

Kabbu stopped, holding out his arms to stop his teammates as well. “Hold on, the ground feels strange. We better be careful?”

Leif lightly stamped his foot on the ground. “Hm. Are you sure?”

“Of course! I know when something’s wrong with the ground under my feet. It’s like a sixth sense.” Kabbu explained. “It’s like how I can tell if I can’t dig through certain types of terrain.”

“The ground feels fine to me!” Vi said, quite sure of her assessment. “Watch-” She was so confident, in fact, she stomped on the ground as well.

Kabbu quickly scooped her up. “Vi! Don’t do that, it could be dangerous!”

“Kabbu, the ground seems fine-”

With a sickening crack of stone, parts of the ground gave way, revealing nothing but darkness beneath their feet. Team Snakemouth scrambled in an attempt to flee - especially Vi, who was still being held by Kabbu -  but the crumbling rocks were faster.

Team Snakemouth fell, devoured by the darkness of the cave, with no evidence that they ever visited in the first place.

Chapter Text

Team Snakemouth fell for what seemed like forever. All they knew was that after several minutes of falling in pure darkness, the ground suddenly rushed up to meet them.

They fell hard. Crashing into the unforgiving rocks below.

“Oowww ow ow…” Vi whined, crawling onto Kabbu’s prone form. “W-Why didn’t you let me go?! I have wings, Kabbu!”

Kabbu limply brushed at her. “F...five more minutes, Vi.” he mumbled. “Let...let me sleep.”

“YOU’RE NOT ASLEEP!” Vi shouted, “WE FELL DOWN THIS STUPID CAVE AND I’M HURT-” 

Kabbu shot up. “Hurt?! You’re hurt?! Where! Where did you get hurt?!” He inspected her, checking her limbs and face for any visible injuries.

She pushed his hands off her. “I landed on my wings! I-I hope they’re not bent. H-How do they look, do they look bad?” she asked, turning so he could see.

Looking at her wings, Kabbu shook his head. “No, no they look fine. Try flying.”

Vi started to flutter her wings, but winced. “Ow! Ow ow ow...wh..why does it hurt though??”

“You might have hurt where your wings connect to your back.” he suggested.

“Oh. Uh, I think they’re called wing buds? I-I must’ve landed on them wrong.”

“Be glad you did, wing buds can get better, but broken wings can’t.” said Kabbu, cracking a smile as he reassured her. “I think I’m OK...mostly. I’ve handled worse.”

Kabbu stood, going slow to make sure nothing was injured. “Yeah...yeah, I hurt. But nothing feels cracked, or broken...just bruised. I’ll be sore, but I think we’re-” Kabbu froze, looking horrified.

Spinning around, Kabbu and Vi finally saw Leif laying on the ground, perfectly still. “LEIF?!” Kabbu shouted, starting to shake the moth. “LEIF! SPEAK TO US!”

Leif was silent, his white eyes staring ahead at nothing.

“I-Is he dead?! Did he die?!” Vi asked, nervously stroking the fluff around her neck. “No no no, Leif! Leif, you gotta say something!”

“Leif, please!”

“...nja...nja hc-c ka…” Leif managed to cough, speaking in roach dialect. “...jsbvgs av pwhsm…’

Kabbu and Vi breathed sighs of relief. “Leif, you’re alive!” Kabbu said, “Thank Venus!”

Vi’s concern shifted to anger. “You can’t scare me like that, Leif! My little heart can’t take it!”

“Nja...nja hc ka!” Leif hissed, more urgently than before. “ Jsbvgs av pwhsm!”

“L-Leif, Vi and I don’t know roach dialect-”

“LET US GO BEFORE WE BARF-” Leif shoved himself out of Kabbu’s grip, turning away to retch onto the rocks they landed on.

“Leif, are you alright?” Kabbu asked, patting Leif on the back. “Was it the fall?”

“No shame in hurling.” Vi added. “Remember when Crisbee made those donuts with an extra layer of glaze and I ate like, 5? I was so sick-”

“N-No,” Leif said in between taking deep breaths. “There’s...there’s so much magic here.”

Kabbu desperately wanted to scoop the moth into a hug, but decided that giving the sick bug a hug would be a poor idea. He continued to pat Leif’s back. “Right, you tend to react to magic. Are you saying there’s an artifact nearby? You’ve never reacted this badly before-”

“It’s in the air, Kabbu.” Leif managed to choke out before continuing to retch. “I-It’s making us sick.”

Vi winced. “Yeesh, how much did you eat earlier? The tank’s gotta be empty soon, right?”

Kabbu shot her a look, then turned back to Leif. “Rest assured, once we get you back to the Ant Kingdom tunnels, we’ll take you right to Isau’s clinic in Defiant Root, and...and...hm.” Looking up, he only saw darkness. “...how are we going to get home?”

Scoffing, Vi replied, “I’ll just fly us out and-” her antennae drooped. “Oh. Right. Can’t fly.”

Carefully helping Leif to his feet, Kabbu tried to keep hopes high. “Surely there is an exit somewhere...but where is here?”

Team Snakemouth began to adjust to the dark gloom of the cave. They were surrounded by large, spiral-shaped rocks and piles of dust so high they resembled dunes of sand. The breeze was stronger now, carrying dust and dirt in ample qualities. Everything was a dull, lifeless grey.

“...our head hurts.” Leif whined, resting his head against the crook of Kabbu’s neck.

“Are you sure it’s magic that made you sick?” asked Vi. “Or did you get a concussion? Like, you hit your head so hard your brain rattled around?”

Leif mumbled something, his body going limp. Kabbu was quick to catch him. “Yeah, that sounds like concussion talk. We gotta find a place to rest…”

“In case you haven’t noticed, Kabbu, we’re in the middle of NOWHERE!” Vi shouted, her voice echoing across the sands and rocks.

Kabbu took a moment to shift his hold on Leif to something more comfortable for both parties. With the moth securely on his back, Kabbu finally replied, “Well. It does us no good to stay here, now does it?”

Vi grumbled and complained under her breath, but when Kabbu started walking, she followed.

They walked. And they walked. Climbing over rocks and dunes and crossing through smaller tunnels. 

"...Kabbu we better not be walking around in circles." Vi hissed, puffing up the fur around her neck.

"No, we aren't. If a rock is close enough, I mark it with my horn! And we haven't found any rocks I marked." Said Kabbu matter-of-factly. "We're moving forward."

"But where?!"

"Vi…! There's a light!"

Vi started pulling on Kabbu's cape. "OOOH NO. DO NOT GO INTO THE LIGHT-"

"No, Vi, I mean a streetlight! Like in the Termite Kingdom!" Kabbu pointed ahead. True to his word, there was a long metal pole with a hanging light.

"That means civilization!" Vi cheered, running ahead. "They might have a way out!"

Kabbu struggled to keep up while carrying Leif on his back. "Vi, wait, don't run off-"

There was the sharp whistle of something flying through the air, and that was the only warning Team Snakemouth was given. A thin, silver, sword-like weapon whizzed through the air, embedding itself right where Vi was going to step. 

Vi yelped, stumbling backward. “Wh-?!”

“You’ve gone far enough.”

Kabbu and Vi turned, seeing a figure perched on nearby rock formations. The bug had a flowing red cloak and two slender white horns. But the figure didn’t resemble a beetle or any other bug.

Were they even a bug?

“I’ve seen you three skulking about the wastes.” She hissed. Her accent was thick and unknown to the trio. “I know who you are. What you’re here for.”

“Y-Yes! Hello!” Kabbu said, waving a free hand. “We’re with the Exploration Guild-”

The bug scoffed. “Explorers? Grave Robbers, more likely.” With a flick of her wrist and a flash of white string, the silver weapon was back in her hand. “I am offering you three a single chance to turn back from whence you came.”

“Yeah uh, we can’t do that!” Vi said, shouting to make sure this mystery bug could hear her. “We fell down a cave at the surface and we’re stuck!”

“We’re not graverobbers!” Kabbu sounded insulted at the mere idea. “I’m not lying! We’re explorers, and my teammates are injured-”

The cloaked bug didn’t allow him to continue. “I give you the chance to leave, and instead you spout madness?” She took a battle-ready stance. “Now you will face me.”

“I am not going to fight you.” Kabbu said, voice firm. He gently set Leif on the ground, turning to Vi. “Vi, you are to stay behind me with Leif.”

Vi tugged on Kabbu’s arm. “We can take her! We’ve taken on worse!”

“No. We are not fighting. This is a bug that can be reasoned with.” Kabbu turned back to the cloak bug and gulped. “I hope…”

The bug stood motionless, her dark eyes holding no expression. Was she thinking? Hesitating? It was near impossible to read her.

Whatever she was doing, it was only for a fraction of a second. With startling speed, the cloaked bug dashed forward with her silver weapon in hand. Kabbu was barely able to block her slash, raising his forearms to guard the face.

“Pacifism will get you nowhere.” the bug hissed. Kabbu stared into her dark eyes, trying to find...something. Anything . But as he stared at this bug’s face, he quickly realized that it wasn’t her face. He was staring at an emotionless mask.

“So will fighting like this.” Kabbu finally managed to say.

The cloaked bug dashed away, weapon still held at ready. “You. You plan on standing there and accepting my blows?” Her tone was strange, foreign in nature. “Why don’t you try to defend yourself?”

“I’m not fighting you.” Kabbu repeated. 

Vi piped up from behind him. “Please, listen to us! We’re not bad bugs! We’re explorers who lost their way! We’ve saved the WORLD before, you know! We found the Everlasting Sapling, and we fought the Wasp King-”

“Spare me your inane words!” The cloaked bug snapped. “How can you expect me to believe you when you spout nonsense!”

“Then just listen to what I’m about to say!” Kabbu shouted. The masked bug turned to him, black eyes staring right into him. He felt as if she was staring right into his soul. Despite the unease, Kabbu steeled his nerves. 

“W-We are Explorers. We aren’t grave robbers, we’re not thieves, or bandits, or anything else of that sort. We’re hurt, and we’re just trying to find help.” Kabbu tried to make himself look smaller, keeping his eyes to the floor. “... please .”

The cloaked bug continued to stare, the mask she wore unchanging in expression. The tense silence was only broken by the whistling of the wind.

Finally, she spoke. “There is a town below the cliffs, you will find help there.” She gestured in the direction of more lights. “Our lands are unforgiving, and the dangers vast. You would more likely meet a kinder end by my needle than by anything else you find below.”

With her cryptic warning already fading into the wind, the cloaked bug darted to the shadows, vanishing from sight.

Once sure she was gone, Vi muttered, “...we totally could have taken her.”

“Absolutely not!” Kabbu scooped Leif off the ground and onto his back. “Leif’s unconscious, you’re injured, and it didn’t look like it, but she hit hard! We should go into the town and get patched up, so we can focus on going home.”

“Can you carry me too? My legs hurt” Vi whined, tugging on Kabbu’s arm. “Please, please? I hardly ever ask!”

Kabbu sighed. “But I’m already-” but taking one look at Vi’s pleading face, he gave up. “Fine, fine. Just don’t hurt Leif.”

Vi eagerly crawled into Kabbu's shoulders. "And we're gonna head into the town, yeah?"

Grunting from the added weight, Kabbu started marching along the path set by the light posts. "Right. We're going to ask for an inn and get some rest, and see about going home."

Maki frowned, scanning the bugs currently in the Association building. He had been preoccupied with repairs, he only just now noticed that Team Snakemouth was nowhere to be found.

"Maki?" Yin said, stifling a yawn. "It's b-bedtime…?"

"You're right. It is bedtime." Maki replied, ruffling the fur on her head, but his mind was elsewhere. 

He turned, walking inside. "Kina. Have you seen Vi, Kabbu, or Leif today?"

"Not since you told them to leave earlier." She replied. "They should have been back by now."

Maki went and asked every single Exploration Team the same question. But he was given the same answer every time.

Worrisome.

"Something happened." Maki finally said.

Mothiva snorted, leaning against one of the support beams. "So what? They can handle themselves."

"But a scouting mission shouldn't have taken this long." Delilah countered. "Trust me, I would know."

Celia cleared her throat. "Well, Maki, you did send them to the Wasp Kingdom-"

"What is that supposed to mean?!" Zasp growled, wings flared and buzzing.

"Nothing, nothing!" Celia backpedaled. "I was just worried maybe something happened there?"

Maki thought for a moment. "No, if something happened, they would have sent word. The Wasp Kingdom are our allies , now, remember."

"Well, Maki, where else did you send them?" Asked Gen.

"Yeah, yeah, didn't you ask them to go somewhere else?" Eri added.

Rubbing his temples, Maki responded, "Well, yes, the Wild Swamplands. And I would have been worried before, but I saw Kabbu defeat and slay the Beast before my very eyes!"

"So what do you think happened?" Kina asked, resting a hand on her brother's shoulder.

Maki pulled away, snapping, "If I knew, I wouldn't be asking! This is very unlike them, and they shouldn't have run into such problems on a simple scouting mission!"

"So what do you suggest we do?" Levi asked, treading carefully to avoid Maki snapping at him next.

"I'm...gonna give them until the morning." Maki decided. "If they don't return by sunrise, we're sending search parties."

"Can't," Mothiva said, barely paying attention to the conversation at hand. "Have a show tomorrow."

"Then you better hope Team Snakemouth returns." That was the only advice Maki could give. "Be prepared to cancel."

"But my show!-"

Maki didn't have the patience for Mothiva tonight. "You are an Explorer first and foremost, Mothiva. Your main priorities should lie with the guild and the kingdom."

He turned to speak to the rest of the guild. "Everyone get some rest, and prepare for the worst."

Chapter Text

“I spy with my little eye, something grey.”

“Is it that rock?”

“Close, it was the rock next to it.”

Team Snakemouth had been following the line of streetlamps for an hour now. At least they assumed an hour, time telling in caves was difficult. 

Kabbu would never say it aloud, but he was truly exhausted. Having to carry both teammates on his back was taxing enough, and his injuries didn’t help. “Vi...can you walk?”

“Hm? Oh yeah, I can.” She replied, but made no move to get off his shoulder.

“...Vi. Please get off.”

Giving him a sheepish chuckle, Vi climbed off. “Yeah, I’ll walk.”

“I wonder if Maki noticed our absence.” Kabbu mused aloud. “Surely he would have, it was just a scouting mission-”

Vi interrupted, not paying attention. “I spy with my little eye, something....red?”

“Red?”

“Red! Big red tents.” Vi pointed and ran ahead. But she barely made it ten paces before she stopped dead in her tracks, staring.

“Vi!” Kabbu called after her, picking up his pace. “You can’t run off...like...that.” 

The two bugs stared at the bright red, purple, and black circus tents. The tent openings resemble faces with wide eyes, forever screaming in agony. There is black running down the openings, resembling dried tears. Music drifted faintly from within, the eerie melody drifting and dying on the winds.

Resting near the entrance of a larger tent, two creatures laid on the dirt, their legs tucked under dull red shells. Raising their long necks, the creatures revealed their faces to be white masks, with pitch black eyes. Two lines ran along the face and eyes, resembling the dried tears of the tent entrances.

The two creatures stared directly at Team Snakemouth, and Team Snakemouth stared back.

Kabbu grabbed Vi’s hand, dragging her away. “I-I’m sure we look very strange to them, we are the strangers here.” he reminded her, although it sounded like he was comforting himself as well.

The strange creatures followed them with their eyes, tracking their every move.

Once they passed the frightening red tents and the creatures that guarded them, Vi and Kabbu sighed in relief.

They had made it to the town.

It was...grey. Like everything else so far, aside from the red tents. Houses carved from rocks, street lamps lighting the town. Several houses were dark, but several more had lights inside. Few bugs lingered, round beetles from the looks of it, their shells a dull blue.

They all wore masks.

The locals eyed Team Snakemouth with suspicion and curiosity. No one dared approach.

“Sheesh, what’s up with these guys?” Vi muttered, stepping closer to Kabbu, her small claws wrapped around his forearm. “It’s like someone died…”

“Masks could be very common here, Vi.” Kabbu replied, glancing around for the tell-tale sign of an inn. Oddly enough, there didn’t seem to be one. “Hm. We might have to ask around.”

Kabbu approached a beetle with two-pronged horns, who was currently tending to a flowerbed. “Excuse me...hello?”

The beetle stood up and turned, looking surprised. “O-oh, hello! Travelers, I presume? We don’t get many. I’m Elderbug.”

Kabbu nodded, both glad and relieved to talk to someone without threat of being stabbed. “Yes! Yes we are! We fell from the surface, and my teammates and I were injured. We were hoping to find the inn, where is it?”

Elderbug frowned. “Surface?”

“Oh great, not you too-” Vi starts to complain, but Kabbu interrupts. 

“A-Actually, don’t worry about that. If you could point us in the direction of the inn, we’d be on our way.”

“Oh...I don’t think we have one of those.” Elderbug slowly replied.  “We don’t get many travelers, see.”

Kabbu’s heart sank. Where could they rest and patch up? 

As if sensing this, Elderbug started to scuttle away. “Here, I may know a way to help.”

Team Snakemouth hesitated in following him, but they didn’t have other options. “So,” Vi started to say, fiddling with her antennae. “What is this place? It’s not on any of our maps, or anything.”

“This is Dirtmouth. We are a small, quiet town. We forage and we farm and we get by.” Elderbug replied, nonchalant in tone. “We don’t get many travelers.”

“Obviously.” she mumbles, too quiet for the old bug to hear.

“We apologize for barging in.” Kabbu says, shifting Leif slightly in his grip. Leif had been unconscious the entire time, which was deeply worrying.

“There is nothing to apologize for. Besides, the occasional visitor is nice! I just don’t want the town flooded with rowdy merchants.” chuckled Elderbug. “Sly is enough as it is.”

Elderbug stopped at a very large house, still carved from rock like the rest of them, with no lights inside. “Here we are!”

Vi gave the old bug a doubtful frown. “...an empty house?” 

“Oh. Is it empty?” Elderbug knocked on the door. “Hello? Miss?”

“Miss Hornet is out for patrols, Elderbug.” Answered a voice behind them. 

The new voice belonged to a rounder bug with thin, long limbs and a bandana tied around his head. "Everyone's busy today. I came to check on supplies…" The newcomer turned to Team Snakemouth. Like everyone and everything else they had encountered, this bug also wore a white mask.

"Oh! Hello! Where are my manners, my name is Quirrel."

Thanking whatever Gods or Goddesses existed in this cave, Kabbu returned the warm greeting. "Hello! I am Kabbu of Team Snakemouth. This is Vi-"

"Sup?"

"- and the moth currently on my back is Leif." Kabbu anxiously shifted on his feet. "We were injured, and we were looking for an inn of sorts to rest-"

Quirrel nodded, and despite the mask he wore, he gave the impression that he was smiling. “Ah! Not to worry! Here, come in. I’ll get some medicine for you two and your friend.”

Elderbug waved goodbye, returning to his flowerbed. Quirrel started to unlock the front door. “So, where did you three come from?”

Vi and Kabbu hesitated, giving each other an unsure look. “Um. The surface?”

“Really?! I’ve only heard rumors of bugs living on the surface, is it true?” asked Quirrel as he opened the front door. Despite the darkness of the mask’s eyeholes, Quirrel’s eyes seemed to light up. “Many bugs have lived here all their lives, the idea of ‘the surface’ isn’t something they may not understand.”

“I’m glad you do!” Vi shouted, sounding relieved. “No one else understood!”

Quirrel stepped out of the way to allow them inside the house. Team Snakemouth was greeted with a cozy sitting area with well-worn looking furniture and childlike drawings pinned to the wall consisting of plants and foreign creatures.

(It was a bit strange seeing the couches and chairs having what appeared to be large scratch marks on them, stuffing and wood almost spilling out. Did some animal break-in recently? Why hadn’t they repaired the damage?)

“Here, place your moth friend on the couch.” Quirrel instructed, turning on the lights in the room. “We should have some Lifeblood tea in the cupboards, if not, I know we have some raw-”

“Lifeblood?” Kabbu asked as he set Leif down, taking care to position him comfortably.

Quirrel was quick to reassure him. “I can assure you, it’s perfectly safe! We harvest it in the pass-”

“Well I’m glad you do! But, what is it?”

Pausing his rambling explanations, Quirrel’s antennae twitched. “Do they not have it where you’re from?”

Vi huffed, “Obviously not, otherwise we wouldn’t be asking. Is it like a flower?”

“Erm.” Quirrel looked away, hands folded. “It’s like...it’s like…” the hesitation was not very comforting. “ Texture-wise , I suppose it’s similar to honeydew.”

“Does it taste like honeydew?”

“It’s actually quite bitter, as is most medicine.”

Antennae drooping from disappointment, Vi mumbled an “Oh.”

Clapping his hands together, Quirrel quickly got back on track. “Right! Please, make yourself comfortable while I get the medicine and tea.”

Once he was out of the room (presumably in the kitchen) Vi turned to Kabbu. “Look, this place is giving me major heebie-jeebies. Everyone wears a mask, it’s dark and grey, and now they’re gonna give us something called Lifeblood?” Vi hissed in a hushed tone. “Did we stumble into a cult?”

Kabbu felt Leif’s forehead and checked his pulse. “I don’t think it’s a cult. I think this is a new kingdom with very different cultures than we’re used to. Do you remember the first time we entered the Termite Kingdom?”

Vi crawled onto one of the chairs, sinking into the aging cushions. “Yeaahhh, I know.”

“Or when we first met Riz and his family? They were isolated from Bugaria too.”

“Riz didn’t wear spooky white masks!” Vi shot back. “I just keep thinking of the False Monarch…”

Kabbu rolled his eyes. “I don’t think this is a False Monarch situation. These bugs can talk and think and help-”

“Indeed we can!” Quirrel agreed, returning to the living room with several cups in his hands. “Now, I mixed trace amounts of Lifeblood in your tea, enough to begin the healing process. For you friend, I have a full dose.”

“Ah, thank you,” Kabbu took the cup, noting the chips and cracks from age and use. “You are too kind.”

Quirrel chuckled. “Don’t say that yet, I need your help opening your friend’s mouth.”

“Ha! Have fun with that, pal.” Vi snickered, picking up her tea to take a drink. Instantly her face contorted into one of disgust. “Eww, gods, this is so bitter! And it has PULP? Grooooossssss!”

“Vi, it’s medicine. Medicine doesn’t always taste good!” scolded Kabbu, tilting Leif’s head back. “S-Sorry, Leif.”

Quirrel poured the Lifeblood into Leif’s mouth. There was a pause, and almost immediately Leif started gurgling and coughing. “Eugh- Wh-What did you put in our mouth…?!-”

“Oh, I’m so glad you’re awake!” cheered Kabbu. “We were worried sick!”

“You need to swallow the medicine.” Quirrel told the confused moth. “Hi, I’m Quirrel, by the way.”

Leif swallowed, shuddering at the taste. “We have...so many questions…”

“You passed out.” Vi said, nonchalant. “You either conked your head or the magic messed with your brain-”

“And we took you to the nearest town to fix you up!” Kabbu finished for her. “This is Dirtmouth, and this is Quirrel!”

“Hello!” Quirrel leaned closer. “I will admit, we don’t get many moths around these parts, and Vi said magic messed with your brain?”

Leif leaned away from Quirrel, the ruff of fur nearly standing on edge. “Um. Hi. Personal space?”

“Oh, sorry!”

“We have a sort of... built-in sense for magic. While not a problem usually, this place is full of magic. Even now, our head hurts…”

Quirrel nodded. “You would be correct! Hallownest is full of magic, my best guess would be that your body went into a form of shock until you could adjust.”

Kabbu and Vi shared a puzzled look. Clearing his throat, Kabbu asked, “Quirrel? I thought we were in Dirtmouth?”

“Hey, we still have questions!” Leif interjected. “How long have we been here? How are we going to get home? Why are you wearing a mask?”

Quirrel chuckled, tugging at one of his antennae. “Goodness, those are some questions!”

“We’ve only been here for a few hours.” Vi replied. “And we can’t get out until my wings get better.”

Quirrel took a breath. “Both questions are a bit complicated, I’ll summarize. Essentially, masks are used to protect oneself. It shields your true nature, helps you harness magic better, keeps you strong. Those born without a mask make or find one.”

“That gave us way more questions.”

“Secondly...Dirtmouth is only a town. Hallownest is the Kingdom. Or, it was.”

“ Was? ” Leif blinked, glancing around the room. “W-We’re dreaming. This is a strange, nightmarish dream because we had too many Cooked Dangers again.”

“Otherwise we’re having the same dream.” Kabbu said. “You’re not dreaming. We’re in a new kingdom, in a new town, deep deep underground.”

Finally caught up, Leif nodded slowly. “OK...what did you put in our mouth?”

“Medicine,” said Quirrel. “Kabbu still needs to have his.”

Vi tugged on Kabbu’s cape. “Trust me, you don’t want it. It’s so gross.”

“Incredibly gross.” Leif agreed.

With those ‘encouraging’ words, Kabbu took his cup. “Medicine is medicine.” The tea was just as disgusting as his teammates warned him, and Kabbu struggled to choke it down. “By the grace of Venus that is foul.”

“It’s not that bad.” Despite the mask, Team Snakemouth could feel Quirrel rolling his eyes. “At risk of sounding callous, we can’t afford to be picky. Supplies are limited.”

“Well, have you told the Queen?” Vi asked, hoping to distract her team while she dumped the rest of her tea into Kabbu’s cup. 

“We don’t have a Queen.”

“What?” Team Snakemouth asked in unison.

“And the King vanished long, long ago.” Quirrel added. “I told you, the Kingdom of Hallownest is no more! We are the survivors, and many of us moved to Dirtmouth-”

“Survivors of what?” Kabbu interrupted.

Quirrel immediately stopped talking. 

“Quirrel? Survivors of what? ”

“Erm. I think Vi needs more Lifeblood tea-”

“Quirrel.” Kabbu insisted, standing up from the couch. “Survivors of what? If there’s something here that could harm my team, I need to know.”

Faltering for a response, Quirrel said, “W-Well, it’s...complicated. In the simplest terms, there was a plague.”

“As in a sickness?” Leif reiterated. 

“Yes. Its symptoms were often fatal, and spread so rapidly, the kingdom couldn’t prepare fast enough. Many perished.” 

“Is it still around?” Vi asked. “Did we walk into a plague-infested wasteland?”

“Technically we fell into a plague-infested wasteland.” corrected Leif.

Quirrel waved his hands, dispelling the notion. “Not to fear, the source of the infection was taken care of. With the source dea- er, subdued, the infection is gone.”

Kabbu’s shoulders slumped. “But it took your king and queen...Quirrel, I am truly sorry-”

“Hm? Oh, no, they didn’t die of the infection! They vanished.” Quirrel responded with a shrug. “Higher Beings and all.”

Vi frowned. “Higher beings?”

Quirrel took a deep breath, exhaled, and sat on a chair. “Right. This is going to take a while to explain, isn’t it?”

It took almost an hour for Quirrel to properly explain how Hallownest used to function and how the infection destroyed it. It was quite a lot for Team Snakemouth to wrap their heads around - especially the part where the old Queen was not the mother of the Kingdom - but after lots of patience, they were starting to come around.

(Quirrel had to omit lots of detail, but simply put, these new bugs had no business knowing about the Vessels, the Abyss, or anything of the sort.)

“I think...what upsets me the most is how we had no idea.” Kabbu said, firmly grasping his teacup with both hands. “An entire kingdom wiped out...right below our feet!”

Vi nodded, “Yeah, I’ve never, ever, ever heard of Hallownest!”

“Neither have we.” Leif held his head low. “If we knew...maybe, maybe we could have-”

“No. There was no help for us.” Quirrel shook his head. “I’m sure you three explorers have done many great feats, but this was something that you could not have stopped. If you were around during the infection’s prime...there would be no doubt about it; you would be dead.”

“We...we might be too late to help Hallownest.” Kabbu admitted, setting the cup down. “But we’re not too late to help Dirtmouth.”

Quirrel tilted his head. “Not sure I follow.”

“Once we get home, we can tell Elizant about Hallownest! And Dirtmouth! And I’m sure she’d send help right away!”

“Elizant is the second ant queen, and she’s very kind,” Leif explained. “We’re sure once she hears of Hallownest’s fall and about Dirtmouth, she’ll send reinforcements-”

“I am...not sure about that.” Quirrel kept his eyes on the floor as if he was unable to make eye contact. “Involving other kingdoms seems a bit messy. You say they want to help, but what if they just...take over?”

“Take over?” Vi scoffed. “Nah, that’s not Elizant’s style. The Ant Kingdom’s plenty busy. Besides, technically you’d be part of the Wasp Kingdom-”

“Oh, you say that, yes. But we would have no idea!” Quirrel countered. He sighed. “Remember how I said we have no king or queen left? That doesn’t mean we lack a leader. And I know she would hear your idea, and immediately suspect an invasion!”

“But we wouldn’t do that!” Kabbu insisted, tone verging on despair. “We only want to help! Where is your leader now, can’t we talk to her?”

“Maybe when she gets back.” Quirrel stood, glancing at the door. “And that gives us time to prepare. Her name is Hornet, see, and she doesn’t like newcomers much-”

The front door opened with a soft click. “Quirrel, I know you were coming to visit today, are you here?” asked a voice eerily familiar to Kabbu and Vi.

The cloaked bug stepped into the living room. The conversation died immediately as she looked at each member of Team Snakemouth, then at Quirrel.

With a voice colder than ice, Hornet hissed, “Why are they in my house?”

Chapter Text

Team Snakemouth sat on worn furniture, completely silent, as Hornet and Quirrel shouted at one another in the kitchen.

Hornet had started to make a very loud fuss almost immediately after stepping foot inside, but Quirrel had demanded they move to the kitchen in what was no doubt an honorable attempt at being quiet.

It wasn't working. And now it was awkward.

After a particularly loud outburst from Hornet, Leif turned to his team. "She speaks as if she's seen us before."

"Technically, she did?" Kabbu replied, sounding sheepish. "You were unconscious, and she thought we were grave robbers. I managed to talk her down...at least I thought."

It's not our fault! We didn't know this was her house!" Vi shot back, whispering so Hornet and Quirrel didn't hear. "We are completely innocent!"

Leif scoffed. "For once." Turning to Kabbu, he added, "You know, we know an easy way to cool her down, if you catch our drift." As if to demonstrate, Leif summoned a small floating ball of ice.

Kabbu shook his head. "No no no no no. Leif, no. This is the closest thing we have to a Queen here, we must treat her with respect!"

"She started it!" Vi cried, not bothering to keep quiet this time around.

“Try flipping the script. If strange bugs wearing masks appeared in the ant kingdom, what would have happened?”

Vi huffed and pouted, already knowing the answer. “...Elizant would send guards.”

“We suppose she’s only being cautious-” Leif agreed, pausing as the shouting grew louder.

“WHAT IF THEY HURT YOU?! WHAT IF THEY WERE LYING IN WAIT-”

“Are you implying I can’t defend myself?! I might be old, but I am not decrepit! Calm! Down!” 

“...still, there’s being cautious, and then there’s being delusional.” 

Bursting through the kitchen door, Hornet stormed into the living room. Quirrel followed close behind. “Miss Hornet, I believe you’re letting your paranoia cloud your judgment! I’ve been talking with these three for at least an hour! They’re intelligent, rational bugs who don’t deserve your negative attitude!”

“My paranoia has kept us safe! ” Hornet shot back, completely ignoring Team Snakemouth. It was if she didn’t even register their presence, or didn’t care if they heard. “So forgive me if I’m upset that three strange bugs are in my house!”

Team Snakemouth looked at one another, unsure if they should interrupt.

Finally, she acknowledged their presence. Turning around, she glared at the three bugs currently sitting on her furniture. Pointing a claw at Vi, she demanded, “You. Name.”

“Vi?”

Pointing at Kabbu now, “You. Name.”

“K-Kabbu. I am so sorry for-”

She didn’t let him finish, pointing at Leif. “You. Name.”

“Leif. Are you going to let us-”

“Get out of my house.”

“Miss Hornet!” shouted Quirrel, attempting to pull her off to the side. “You are being unkind, unwelcoming, unforgiving, and many other things that begin with ‘un’! You’re going to toss these injured bugs back into the Wastes?”

“If need be.” 

“I-If I may!” Kabbu stood, approaching the two. Hornet stepped back, hand on her weapon’s handle. “Please, we’re very very sorry for entering your home, we were unaware of the fact. I spoke the truth when we fought earlier. We mean no harm to you or your town. Or your Kingdom.”

Hornet sucked in a breath, whirling around to Quirrel with a guttural hiss. “How much did you tell them?!”

“Only the basics.”

Turning back to Kabbu, Hornet continued to spit metaphorical flames. “Hallownest is not my Kingdom. Hallownest is a decayed corpse , do you understand? Intruders aren’t welcome.”

“I-I apologize! I-I wasn’t aware-” Kabbu was stumbling over himself to be apologetic, wringing his hands and keeping his gaze firmly at the floor.

Leif stood, subtly placing himself in between the two. “Hornet, was it? It’s our turn to plead our case.”

“This is not a discussion-”

“It is now.” Leif insisted, his tone blunt and frigid. “You seem intent on making many assumptions about us and our intentions, but have no plans on talking to us directly to get the full story. Instead of threats and demands, why don’t we have a calm, rational conversation?”

Hornet, taken off-guard by his blunt tone, was silent.

“Right. We’ll assume that is a yes.” Leif gestured to Kabbu and Vi. “We are Team Snakemouth, a trio of explorers and travelers. We mean no harm, we only wished for a place to stay and patch up our wounds. We understand the need to be wary, especially if you do encounter bandits and thieves and graverobbers, but acting this aggressively to bugs you’ve never met...what do you hope to gain here?”

Even Quirrel seemed surprised by Leif’s boldness. Hornet was silent for only a moment more, before responding, her tone dangerously soft. “I don’t like you. Either of you three, but especially you.”

Turning to Quirrel, she hissed, “You gave them Lifeblood. Their wounds should heal within two days. Get them out of my house.” Before Quirrel or anyone else could object, she stormed out of the house, slamming the front door behind her.

Vi was the first to speak. "...yikes." 

Sighing and rubbing his temples, Quirrel said, "I know Miss Hornet can be quite... difficult."

"We would have used ‘intense’ ." Leif muttered under his breath.

"She's usually not like this, I promise! She just...she's very distrusting of strangers."

"I can understand." Kabbu nodded. "Even if we are at the brunt of her distrust, I can understand her stance. We are strangers in her house, after all."

"Are you gonna kick us out?" Vi asked, wiggling deeper into the chair she was sitting on.

Quirrel hummed in thought. "Well….she didn't say anything about letting you three back inside … How about a tour around the Kingdom?”

“You want us to climb down a gross, old well?” Vi asked, peering down the stone structure.

Quirrel chuckled, “It used to be a well! But the bottom fell out, and there’s more space down there, and so Dirtmouth just sort of...extended down!”

“You’re still going to make us climb though.”

“Well...yes.”

Kabbu hoisted Vi onto his shoulders and began scaling down the well. “Are there more bugs down here?” he asked. “The upper levels of Dirtmouth seemed a bit...empty.”

“Hm...slightly! Most of the merchants live down here.” Quirrel replied, starting to clamber down as well.

Leif hesitated at the top of the well. He flicked bits of ice from his fingers, considering his options. He could float down using his magic, but perhaps that piece of info should be tucked away for now.

“Kabbu? If we jump down, can you catch us?” he shouted down the well, already stepping over the short, rock wall.

Kabbu set Vi down, looking back up. “Uuuh, I believe so! Let’s do it on the count of 3-”

Leif jumped down, landing on Kabbu’s back, causing the two to crumple to the floor. “...good catch, Kabbu.” Leif deadpanned.

“You should have given me a heads up!” Kabbu groaned, pushing Leif off.

“We did. We asked if you could catch us.”

Vi started looking around, seeing all the merchant booths set up, selling different wares. “Cooool, it’s like the tavern mixed with the Ant Plaza! I wonder what badges you guys sell down here…”

As she turned back to her team, Vi was spooked when she instead came face to mask with a little bug with black eyes staring right at her. It had a white face, two horns, and a grey cloak wrapped around its form.

“Whoa! Whoa whoa, you can’t just sneak up on people like that!” Vi shouted at the little bug.

The little bug with dark eyes was eerily silent, its large head lolling onto its shoulder. Vi Mimicked them with a frown, antennae twitching. “What’sa matter? Weevil got your tongue?”

“Ah!” Quirrel chimed in as he helped Leif to his feet. “That is Ghost! They’re mute.”

“Mute?” Vi echoed, poking Ghost’s head.

Kabbu bent down to be closer to Ghost’s level. “Small little thing! How old are they? Where are their parents?”

Quirrel made an awkward noise. “Well, uh! See, we...don’t actually know! Their age, their parents, all of that is a bit of a mystery! They seem to be at a very young age though, and we’ve just accepted it.”

"We can keep them." Leif assured him, patting Ghost on the head.

Ghost swatted Leif's hand away, darting to hide behind Quirrel. 

"Hm, no, I don't think they'd like that." Quirrel chuckled. "And their sister-"

Ghost tugged on Quirrel's arm, pointing to Team Snakemouth. "Oh, right! Ghost, this is Vi, Kabbu, and Leif!"

Little Ghost reached for their back, beginning to unsheathe a sharpened blade. Quirrel placed a hand on their head. “No, no need for that. We had enough of that from Hornet.”

Ghost sheathed their blade.

“Want to join us? I’m going to show our new guests around the Crossroads!”

Ghost hopped up and down, grabbing Vi’s hand and beginning to drag her along. “W-Where are they taking me?” Vi asked, sounding a touch concerned. She dug in her heels, trying to slow them down.

“They probably want to show you their friends!” Quirrel chuckled, following close behind. “They’re very excitable, and they don’t have many friends their age...ish.”

“Cute!” Kabbu cooed. “I babysit bugs their age, they can be very energetic! Shame about having no peers, are there no other kids here?”

“Not really, no.”

“Hey Ghost, show me where to buy some souvenirs!” Vi demanded, easing on dragging her feet. 

“And something to eat,” Leif added. “No doubt, we missed dinner back home.”

Quirrel stopped, reaching around his bag. “Not to worry, I have some jerky. Is Tiktik alright? That's all I have right now.”

Leif, not one to turn down free food, nodded. “I’ve never heard of Tiktik Jerky before, what is it?”

Quirrel handed him the dried meat. “Oh, nothing special! Tiktik is a local creature around here, Hornet catches it and dries it-”

About to take a bite, Leif frowned. “Wait. Catch?”

“What type of plant do you catch?” asked Kabbu.

Quirrel was confused. “Plant? No, Tiktik is an animal! As in meat.”

Leif dropped the jerky as if it burned his shell. “Meat?!”

“As in DEAD BUG?” Vi shouted, pulling away from Ghost. “YOU EAT BUGS?”

“Oh dear, do you not?” Quirrel asked, sounding both apologetic and curious. “I didn’t know you were vegetarians!”

Kabbu cleared his throat, speaking in a hushed tone, “Eating meat is very taboo where we’re from!”

“Is it? Interesting! Meat is a staple food here. If not for our omnivorous natures, we would have surely starved.” Quirrel explained. “Many bugs here are omnivores but may lean towards carnivorous or herbivorous tendencies. Hornet, for example, is very carnivorous!”

“So she was gonna eat us.” Vi said, horrified.

Quirrel shook his head. “No, she wouldn’t have.”

“No, we agree with Vi on this one.”

“No. She wouldn’t have.” Quirrel reiterated. Then, he sighed. “I apologize for making you three uncomfortable. Later, when we make dinner, we won’t use any meat.”

Eager to move on, Kabbu nodded, “Yes, thank you! I-It’s very appreciated.”

Ghost grabbed Vi’s hand, once again trying to pull her along. When she pulled away, Ghost continued to eagerly hop around her, occasionally fluttering white wings. “W-What are they doing?”

“They want to show you something.” Quirrel translated.

“They must be so excited for a new friend!” Kabbu practically squeaked. “Vi you made a friend!”

Ghost hopped over to Kabbu, tugging on his clawed fingers. “They’re so light!...and cold. Are they usually this cold?”

“Yes.”

Kabbu shrugged it off, picking up Little Ghost and placing them on his shoulders. 

The merchants gave Team Snakemouth a curious, if a bit wary, of a stare. They all had masks or a hood to cover their faces.

A smaller merchant waved them over. “H-Hi Ghost, hi Quirrel!” She was small, a little bit taller than Ghost, with a round body and white mask. “Who are those s-strangers?”

“OK. If we can’t take Ghost home, can we take her?” Leif asked.

“W-What?”

“Myla, this is Team Snakemouth! An exploration team that happened to stumble into our little town, they’ll be staying with us for a few days.” Quirrel began the introductions. “Myla, this is Vi, Kabbu, and Leif. Everyone, this is Myla!”

Ghost hopped off Kabbu’s shoulders, ran around to the back of the stand, and all-but tackled Myla in a hug.

Vi peered at the counter and the wares placed on it. “These are some beautiful crystals! I’ve never seen purple ones! Blue and yellow ones, but never purple!”

Leif picked up a smaller crystal, carved into intricate shapes. “Indeed. Where do you find these?”

“I-I mine them! In the peaks! A-And then I carve them.” Myla answered, sounding proud.

Vi reached into her ruff of fur, setting down berries on the table. “Alright! How much? I’m buyin’!”

Myla and Quirrel stared at the berries on the table. “...Erm…” Myla reached forward, picking up a smaller berry. “T-Thanks?” She placed the berry underneath her mask, where it vanished from sight. “I-It’s a bit bitter, but not bad!”

Now it was Team Snakemouth’s turn to stare. “Vi, I don’t think they use Berries as currency here.” Kabbu whispered to a horrified Vi.

“You use food as a form of currency?” Quirrel asked, incredulous. “That seems like a terrible thing to use, berries rot. ”

Myla counted the berries, taking a small pile for herself. Then, she gently pushed a smaller, carved crystal forward. “L-Let’s call it even. Here you are! T-Thank you for your p-patronage!”

Vi was silent, mortified at the thought of eating money. Still, she took the crystal, tucking it - and the remaining berries - away into her ruff. “N-No problem.”

Quirrel coughed, then nervously chuckled. “Let’s move on with the tour. Myla, do you care to join us?”

Myla set up a sign on her table in a language Team Snakemouth couldn’t read. “I-I could take 15 minutes!”

Hornet felt like she was moments away from blowing a blood vessel. She had left Quirrel and the three nuisances in an attempt to cool down, but the more she thought about it, the more enraged she became.

She didn’t want strange, potentially dangerous bugs in her home, why was that so hard for Quirrel to understand?

She was the Protector of Dirtmouth and Hallownest, not a goddamn dinner hostess.

Traveling through the Fungal Wastes in order to sulk in Deepnest, she stopped, seeing familiar bugs pacing around the mushroom-strewn lands.

Landing behind them, she gave a curt greeting. “Tiso, Cloth. I was under the impression you were hunting-”

Tiso spun around, almost stumbling over his own two feet. "You have GOT to stop sneaking up on us like that! You're so quiet-"

"I've grown to accept it, Hornet is just super quiet when moving." Cloth shrugged. "Still a bit startling, Hornet."

Hornet rolled her eyes. "Right. What are you two doing here? I thought you two were hunting?"

"We were ." Cloth gave Tiso a pointed glare. "But someone wanted Garpede meat."

Tiso groaned, "Oh great, here we go."

"So Tiso had the brilliant idea of luring a Garpede out of Deepnest and into the Fungal Wastes, where we proceeded to lose it-"

"MY PLAN WOULD HAVE WORKED IF YOU HAD DONE AS I SAID!" Tiso snarled, wildly gesturing with both hands. 

Hornet felt a headache beginning to bloom. She put pressure on the bridge between her eyes. "Let me make sure I have this correct; there is a Garpede . Loose in the Fungal Wastes?"

"Yuuup." Cloth drawled.

Sighing, Hornet replied, "Look, I don't have the time nor capacity to care for this. Garpedes tend to wander, I'm sure it'll find its way back to its nest."

"You...alright?" Asked Tiso, tilting his head slightly. "You seem tense. More than usual."

"...no." Hornet answered after a moment of hesitation. "Outsiders came to Dirtmouth, and Quirrel had the bright idea of inviting them into our home."

Cloth and Tiso winced. “Oh no, you must’ve hated that,” said Cloth, trying to sound reassuring. “I know you don’t like outsiders, did they seem dangerous?”

Hornet glared at the floor as she recalled. “They were injured, but I’ve seen dozens of bugs try to enter Hallownest. I knew that they were capable fighters at best, thieves at worst.”

“Did they fight you?! Did you get hurt?” Cloth nudged Hornet’s face, tilting it to get a better look at any possible injuries.

“That’s the thing!” Hornet hissed, making no attempt to stop her. She knew Cloth was just worried. “They didn’t fight back! They made no attempt to even defend themselves!”

“...so you attacked innocent bugs that didn’t fight back.” Tiso echoed. 

Hornet hissed at him. “They could have been deceitful! Pretending to be injured to lower my guard! Spouting nonsense about surface worlds and other kingdoms-”

“Whoa, wait, hold on.” Cloth stopped her, sharing a look with Tiso. “The ‘surface world’ isn’t nonsense, it exists. I've never visited it personally, but it exists. And there’s lots of other kingdoms! Lots and lots! Some underground, some above ground!”

“Above? Ground?” Hornet’s headache was in full swing. “No. No no no, other kingdoms cannot exist. Anything past the wastes will wipe a bug’s mind, making civilization impossible! That was what I was told!”

Cloth put a hand on Hornet's shoulder. "Hornet. Where do you think me and Tiso came from?"

Hornet started to answer, but whatever explanation she had died in her throat. She had never given it too much thought before.

"Yeah, there's tons of other kingdoms and just, groups of bugs." Tiso agreed, arms crossed over his chest. "I came from an ant colony. Hated it. Left looking for adventure and glory and for screaming, adoring crowds-"

"Back to the point." Cloth said, deadpan.

"Right, right. I hated my old colony, so I left, and I found Hallownest! Hallownest is way, way underground, Hornet."

Cloth nodded. "And I came from the South, far far from here. There are lots of kingdoms and bugs that live everywhere! It's just... Hallownest is...well-"

"Hallownest is kind of a shithole, sorry Princess." Tiso shrugged.

"Sounds like you owe our new guests an apology!" Chirped Cloth. "Because it doesn't sound like they're bad bugs, and they weren't lying about where they came from."

Hornet didn't answer.

Tiso sighed. "You're not going to apologize, are you?"

Hornet still didn’t answer, folding her arms over her chest and huffing like a child being forced to apologize. “Why should I apologize to them? They’re going to die in Hallownest regardless, I’m not going to apologize to a corpse, why apologize to them now?”

“Wow.” Cloth said, disappointed. “Well, you better start being nicer, can you at least do that?”

Grumbling under her breath, Hornet begrudgingly replied, “I will no longer be actively hostile to them. Happy now?”

Sounding smug, Cloth answered, “Yes. Yes I am.” she picked up her club, swinging it onto her shoulder. “C’mon, let’s rustle up some dinner.”

Chapter Text

Dirtmouth was so strange compared to what Team Snakemouth had seen during their travels. There was no sun to speak of, so they did minimal farming. They had no aphids or any sort of domesticated animal. Their houses were carved from rock and they used small, glowing insects as light sources.

They had no inns, no hotels, no restaurants, no guilds. Just small homes and merchant shops.

There was no sun, no moon, no stars. There were no festivals or games, or children playing in the streets. 

Everything was still and quiet and grey and lifeless.

“And just outside of town, there’s the graveyard.” Quirrel said, “And a little bit further is Jiji! She’s an odd one, but nice.” He clapped his hands together, looking at the group. “That concludes the tour of Dirtmouth! Myla, did I miss anything?”

“T-There’s an elevator to the C-Crystal Peaks, it’s where I go to mine!” Myla chirped, pointing in the general direction. “I-It’s a bit dangerous...so maybe I can show you another time…”

“Any questions?”

Team Snakemouth, in truth, were still baffled about the entire state of Dirtmouth. The fact they didn’t have a Queen or King was strange enough, but trying to wrap their heads around the lack of farms, buildings, festivals, games, other bugs ...it was a lot.

“This place sucks .” Vi said.

“That isn’t a question.”

“You have no farms.” Leif said, slowly, waiting for Quirrel to correct him. But Quirrel did not, so he continued, “How do you get food?”

“Oh! That is an excellent question!” Quirrel answered. “We gather and we hunt! There is a wide array of edible fauna and flora here, and many of us go down there to gather what we need for the day-”

“And what if there isn’t enough?” he interrupted.

Quirrel and Myla gave each other uncomfortable looks.

The silence only made Leif's frown deepen. "Quirrel, your lack of answer concerns us."

Quirrel fiddled with his hands, unable to look them in the eyes."Well...in lean times, we may cut portion sizes some...and if things get truly dire, sometimes bugs go to bed hungry. But rest assured, we haven't done that in some time! We are doing much better!"

"W-When the infection went away...a-a lot of the animals and plants st-still weren't edible." Myla added.

Team Snakemouth were stunned. Did they just admit to being in essentially a famine ?

"If you're worried, we should have enough supplies while you're here-"

"I'm more worried about you!" Kabbu said, sounding deeply concerned. "It sounds as if you are barely scraping by!"

Quirrel shook his head. "Things have been lean, but we aren't suffering. Your concern is most admirable, Kabbu."

Myla pulled Ghost into a hug. "A-As long as we have each other, w-we'll be alright!"

"Oh, can we please take her with-"

"No, Leif."

"And Hallownest can be quite beautiful, all things considered!" Quirrel added. "Just because Dirtmouth is a bit grey, doesn't mean everything else is."

Vi crossed her arms over her chest. "Prove it."

QuIrrel tapped his chin, thinking. "Hmm. Well, Greenpath is beginning to flower, Fog Canyon is always beautiful but the Ooma are rather active today, the City-"

"City? There's a City nearby?" Kabbu asked, perking up some. Cities meant other bugs.

"Oh, yes! The City is always so beautiful, as long as you're fine with a little rain." Quirrel said, almost sounding wistful. "But the way it shimmers off the windows, it's gorgeous."

"How do you get rain in a cave?" Vi asked with a frown. "And isn't all that rain bad?"

Quirrel beamed, happy to answer. "The City was built underneath a lake, see, so water falls in between the cracks in the rock and it looks like it rains!"

"Building a city under a lake? That sounds moronic." Leif deadpanned.

"You'd be surprised how many poor architectural choices our king made." Shrugged Quirrel. "Do you want to see it?"

Kabbu answered for his team. "Yes! We would! We'd love to see the city!"

"I-I have to get back to work, it's b-been lovely to meet you!" Chirped Myla. "Th-Thank you for the berries!"

" Don't mention it." Vi grumbled.

Leif leaned close to Kabbu to whisper, "Are you sure we can't take her with."

"...maybe later. When we can actually go home."

Quirrel gestured for them to follow, Ghost reaching to hold his hand. "C'mon, I'll show you to the elevator."

He led them deeper into the caves, past Dirtmouth and past a strange, temple-like structure. Quirrel didn’t seem to make note of it, it must just be an abandoned building in terrible ruin. The deeper they went in, the stranger the caves and the inhabitants appeared.

"What is that?" Leif asked, pointing at a scuttling little bug with a white shell.

"Ah, don't be alarmed! It's a Tiktik. They are harmless." Quirrel assured the group. "They like to skitter about and eat mosses."

"Are they good pets?"

"Leif no." Vi frowned. "Chompy is enough!"

Quirrel seemed uncomfortable with the question. "Well. No, it wouldn't be a good pet. It's a wild creature, it's best to leave it alone. Or eat it."

"Well we're certainly not doing that! Isn't there something cute we could pet?"

Quirrel thought for a moment. Then picked up Ghost, holding them out for Leif. "Here. They like their head being rubbed between the horns."

Leif happily accepted, scooping Ghost and holding them close. "An acceptable substitute."

They approached an elevator made of gleaming metal in the shape of a cage, a far cry from the wooden elevator outside of the hive. But like the hive, a guard with an eye patch and red armor stood watch.

"Archivist Quirrel!" She greeted, saluting. "I heard there were newcomers, I didn't expect to see them." She looked them up and down. "...no masks...creepy."

"What!? No way, you're the creepy one!" Vi shot back.

The guard brushed aside Vi's angry retort. "So there's other kingdoms nearby...how close?"

"Oh, not that far!" Kabbu replied. "We fell far, but maybe with ladders, it might be half a day's journey?"

"A kingdom so close…"

Quirrel cleared his throat. "Can we go to the city now?"

The guard straightened. "Sorry sir, my bad." She opened the metal doors, loudly thinking aloud. "A kingdom so close...and to think they did nothing to help during the infection…"

A cold dread smothered Team Snakemouth. The image of a Kingdom dying below their feet unsettled them deeply...were they really to blame here? Could they have helped?

“Just lower the elevator for us.” Quirrel sighed, also hearing what the guard had said. The guard saluted again, then strained to push a massive steel lever to start the elevator.

The trip down the elevator was mostly silent. “...Quirrel, what’s an Archivist?” Kabbu asked, hoping to steer the conversation elsewhere.

“Oh, the closest thing would be a Scholar, I suppose.” he started to explain. "Many of the scholars in Hallownest worked in a building called 'The Archives', and sometimes we were called 'Archivists' instead. The head scientist and researcher was my teacher, and she was called the Head Archivist….it's only me now." There was a pause. "You can imagine how busy I am!"

Ghost wiggled in Leif's grip. He set them down, and the little thing immediately ran to Quirrel's side to hug him.

"What do you do, then?" Vi asked.

"Well, archive, I suppose. I was a lot busier when the infection went away, it was my job to analyze samples of plants and animals to see if they were edible. Now, though, I occasionally check in with samples. My time is spent in Dirtmouth now."

As the elevator descended, it grew colder. The air seemed wet with condensation. Vi shivered, leaning against Kabbu for warmth. "I-It's freezing! H-How do bugs live here?"

"Oh, I forgot about the temperature." Quirrel mused. "It's colder in caves, although we're used to it by now. It must be warm where you live!"

"Well. When the sun shines-"

"You have a sun! Amazing! Ours died." Quirrel said, nonchalantly, as if it was an everyday occurrence. Ghost nodded, corroborating his story.

"...Oh." Kabbu said quietly. "I'm. I'm sorry for your loss?"

"Oh, don't be! It's better this way."

Kabbu started to say something, but Leif put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head. Maybe it was better to leave this mystery unsolved for how.

The elevator slowed to a stop. The metal doors swung open, a carved stone pathway leading forward.

"This doesn't look like much of a city." Leif said.

"These are the storerooms. Just outside the city proper." He paused, head tilted. "You three might require umbrellas."

"Why?" Vi frowned, sounding confused. "You said your sun, uh...died. Why would we need umbrellas?"

Quirrel's turn to be confused. "For the rain? What else?"

"We might have different ideas of rain.'' said Kabbu. "In Bugaria, rain is destructive, powerful, capable of washing away entire kingdoms."

"Oh goodness, that's not our rain!" Quirrel chuckled. "I forgot about real, above-ground rain. Our rain is nothing like that - perhaps it's best to show you. Come."

Quirrel and Ghost lead them through the storerooms, and it was here that Team Snakemouth realized there was something wrong. They could hear the sound of water, but nothing else. Where were the other bugs?

"This is one of my favorite spots. You're going to love it!" Quirrel assured them, leading them deeper down. But it got brighter, with soft lights strung on the ceiling. The walls shifted from rocky cave walls to carved wood, metal, and stone. The carvings were well done, even if they showed their age. Cracks in the stone and scuffs in the metal, clear signs of time.

Little Ghost eagerly sat down on a metal bench, pulling out a small bag and rummaging around inside. Quirrel joined them, groaning as their shell creaked like old wood. “Forgive me, I tire easily.”

“Is this the city?” Vi sounded unimpressed.

“Well no, this is an enclosed balcony.” Quirrel gestured to the massive windows nearby. “Why don’t you take a look?”

Droplets of water pittered against the glass windows. The windows flush with water, bathing the room in a pale blue, it was rather pretty...But an entire city constantly under the barrage of rain sounded awful, and Team Snakemouth seemed to hesitate. There was this feeling they couldn’t shake; a deep, somber feeling.

Leif approached the window first, Kabbu and Vi following behind like shadows.

The city was enormous . Towers and spires and streets as far as they could see, larger than the Ant Kingdom, larger than the Termite Kingdom, larger than anything they’ve ever seen. Street Lamps lit the streets slick with water as it gently rained from above, walkways and balconies providing safe havens for those trying to escape it.

It was beautiful.

And it was painfully, horribly empty.

Dirtmouth was grey and quiet, but at least there was life. There were bugs living grey, quiet lives. There was no movement in the city, there were no signs of life.

“It’s...it’s empty.” Kabbu said quietly, one of his hands pressing against the window. “Where is everyone?”

“I only promised you a city.” Quirrel said, his voice devoid of emotion. “I never promised you occupants.” 

Then, with a more thoughtful tone, he added. “Well, a few bugs live here. Lemm the Relic Seeker, he’s a nice bug...Millibelle too, but she keeps to herself...oh and Emilitia, but she’s not particularly pleasant-”

“Three bugs?! In this entire city?!” Kabbu shouted. “Quirrel, th-that’s awful! This is horrible! ”

“Was the infection to blame?” Leif asked.

Quirrel stood, pausing to crack his back. “Oh, yes. There were other factors, too, of course. When the infection was at its peak, the entire City was sealed shut, trapping everyone inside. They all perished shortly afterwards.”

“I-I wanna go home…” Vi whimpered.

“Oh, it’s not dangerous!” Quirrel tried to assure them. “It’s quite beautiful, really! Especially when you’re walking in the streets. The architecture is really a sight to behold-”

Kabbu was not reassured. “But thousands died here!”

“Not thousands!” Quirrel shot back. “Millions, maybe-”

“MILLIONS?!” The beetle shouted. “A Kingdom of MILLIONS died?! Right beneath our feet?!”

Quirrel was completely unfazed. At least, he seemed to be. Wearing a mask, Team Snakemouth couldn’t see any sort of facial expressions. He stood there, blinking slowly. “There was nothing you three could have done. There was nothing to be done.”

Team Snakemouth couldn’t respond. Quirrel was so.. .nonchalant about it all.

“Oh. You think this is normal, don’t you?” Leif whispered, horrified.

“We have no other ‘normal’. This is our life. This is our home.” he said plainly. Ghost stood beside him, holding onto his leg with dark paws. “The past is the past. And if we focus entirely on the past...we’ll never see the future. We must cherish and appreciate what we have now!”

Quirrel clapped his hands together. “Let’s get you three some umbrellas and let’s go see the city!”

Team Snakemouth stood underneath a glass balcony while Quirrel and Ghost stood in the street, mere feet away. The two Hallownest inhabitants were getting rained on, yes, but they were more than used to it by now. “See?” Quirrel said, holding out an arm to catch a few drops for emphasis. “The rain here can’t hurt you.”

Vi huffed, refusing to take another step. “No way! I’m not getting my fur wet!” She turned to Leif. “Can’t you use your-”

“We don’t know what you’re talking about.” Leif hissed, his voice strangely stiff.

She pulled on his wings. “Stop acting weird!”

Quirrel glanced between them. “Do you need a moment, perhaps?”

“Yes.” Leif insisted. Turning to his teammate, he hissed, “We are not so sure if showing our magic is the best idea? What if they burn us at the stake?”

“Quirrel said Hallownest was full of Magic, they might not burn you at the stake?” Kabbu offered.

Vi rolled her eyes. “Quirrel, if one of us has Magic, would you attack us?”

“VI-”

Quirrel shook his head, surprised. “What? No? Magic is fairly common here. Does one of you wield magic?”

Leif stepped a tiny bit forward. Slowly, he waved his hands, the droplets of water freezing midair. “You...could call it that.”

“Fascinating!” Quirrel’s eyes seemed to sparkle as he stepped closer. “The ability to change the state of water! The practical effects this could have are nearly limitless!”

“You should see him in combat.” Kabbu chuckled. 

“Kabbu!” Leif hissed.

“Oh, combat?” the Archivist asked, giving the floating ice a cautious poke. “I shouldn’t sound so surprised, combat is a vital skill.” He turned to Ghost. “Do you want to show our guests some of your magic?”

Ghost stomped on the ground and shook their head. Quirrel chuckled, “Oh? Don’t want to be a performing Obble today? That’s fine. Little Ghost is quite the force to behold!”

Vi snickered. “Oh yeah, sure. I’m gonna behold how short they are.”

Little Ghost shook with irritation. They stomped on the floor, cloak swooshing around as they threw a small tantrum.

Leif raised his arms up, forming a rudimentary ice-umbrella. “There. Now we won’t get rained on.”

“Wow! I’m sure that was much easier than using the umbrellas I offered.” Quirrel deadpanned.

“Leif is anything but conventional.” Kabbu said with a shrug, carefully stepping under the umbrella. Vi joined him, hiding underneath his elytra for extra protection.

Quirrel sighed. “Alright, if you’re ready, let’s see the sights!”

“Like what?” Leif asked, glancing around. “Empty shops?”

“...mostly! But there’s a lot of statues and fountains.” he waved his hands around, gesturing to the aforementioned statues and fountains. 

Walking through the streets was a lot different from seeing the city from above. The city was slick with rain, giving everything an unusual shimmer. Seeing the empty shops - their aged wooden signs gently swinging in the nonexistent breeze - and cracked statues of bugs long since dead was more than eerie.

“See that tower?” Quirrel asked, pointing up. Said tower was easily the tallest so far, the tip nearly scraping the stalactites above. “That is the Watcher’s Spire! The Watchers were a group of bugs who watched the city in the King’s absence.”

“Like mayors.” Vi said, but Quirrel shook his head.

“No, they had little sway in politics. They did as their name suggested, they Watched. Using their telescopes, they observed the city in silence, to report back to the Pale King." He leaned around the corner, gesturing for them to come closer. "Look, here is a statue! This is Lurien, the Head Watcher."

Carved from rock and steel, a vaguely-bug shaped figure stood on a pillar. His body hidden behind a billowing cloak, a mask covering his face. Where a face should be instead was an empty hole.

Vi shivered. "Where's his face?"

"No one saw his face, save the King." Quirrel explained. "He was quite the recluse."

Quirrel and Ghost moved on, but Team Snakemouth lingered for a moment longer, unable to tear their eyes away from Lurien the Watcher's mask.

Nearby, Ghost splashed in puddles, swinging around a toy sword.

Kabbu frowned. “...that’s a toy sword, right?”

“No? They’re perfectly capable of wielding a real one.” Quirrel shrugged. 

“What if they get hurt?”

“It will be a lesson learned.”

Kabbu made an unhappy noise and clenched his fists tight. Vi tugged on his arm. “Can I get a sword?”

“No.” said Kabbu through gritted mandibles.

Team Snakemouth fell silent as they approached a looming fountain. Three masked bugs with a massive horned figure in the middle.

Leif paused, seeing that Quirrel had stopped walking. “Is...everything alright?”

Quirrel kicked at the stones beneath his feet. “It’s nothing, really. That fountain was never my favorite.”

“Why not?” Vi asked, “I mean, it’s creepy and weird, but do you have a specific reason?”

“I’m the last of the Archivists, as you recall. One of the masked figures was my teacher.” He said slowly. Quirrel’s gaze lowered to the floor. “...I miss her a lot.”

Kabbu gasped. “Oh. Oh Quirrel, I’m so sorry.” He left the safety of Leif’s ice umbrella, wincing as rain fell on him. “Being rained on feels weird-” Kabbu placed a hand on Quirrel’s shoulder. “Losing someone is never easy.”

“You’re a kind soul.” said Quirrel.

“Which one was it?” Vi asked, squinting at the statues. “They all look like that Lurien statue you showed us earlier. Creepy..."

“The three figures were meant to be different. They were meant to be the Watcher, my teacher, and...erm...another bug. Unfortunately, the King was pressed for time, and instead he used Lurien as a template.”

“Still creepy!”

Leif stepped closer, seeing Ghost standing next to the plaque. “Memorial to the Hollow Knight.” he recited. “In the Black Vault far above. Through its sacrifice Hallownest lasts eternal.”

Vi scoffed. “Well that was a lie.”

“You know nothing of their sacrifice.”

All of Team Snakemouth jumped, taking fighting stances. Hornet landed nearby, her needle flying into her hands. She too, didn’t seem to mind the rain. She didn’t even seem to notice. “And you are still here.” She glared at Quirrel. “Why are they here?”

Ghost ran to her, arms outstretched for a hug. They nuzzled against her cloak, but her frigid demeanor didn’t thaw.

Quirrel crossed his arms over his chest. “They are guests, Miss Hornet. You should consider being nicer. They wanted to see the city! Who am I to deny them?”

Hornet sighed. “I am here to be ‘nicer’. I am here to apologize.”

“Wait, really?” Quirrel asked, sounding surprised.

Team Snakemouth all stood a bit straighter, Kabbu smiling and Vi looking smug.

She kept her eyes on the ground, looking like a soggy aphid with how soaked her cloak was. “I was incorrect in calling you inane for hailing from the surface. For that, you have my apology.”

Silence.

“...where’s the rest of it?” Vi asked. “That’s barely half an apology.”

“That’s the apology I’m giving you.” Hornet hissed. “You can accept it, or not, but that is what I’m giving.”

Leif tilted his head. “You don’t apologize often. Is this because you don’t like apologizing? Or are you too stubborn?”

Hornet snarled at him, causing Vi and Kabbu to recoil. “You know nothing about me, don’t assume you do! My patience wears thin with you lot!”

“Hornet.” Quirrel scolded.

“T-The apology is appreciated!” Kabbu stammered. “Really, w-we want to be gracious guests!”

This seemed to calm her down slightly. Hornet still glared at them, but managed to grumble, “I offer you our home to stay, until you are able to return to your Kingdom.”

Leif nodded. “Your generosity is appreciated. And on behalf of Team Snakemouth, we apologize for the loss of so many bugs here. It must have been terrible...and for that we feel truly sorry.”

“Your pity isn’t needed.” She hissed under her breath. Turning to Quirrel, she said, “Tiso and Cloth are in Dirtmouth. Their hunt went poorly, and as usual, it is up to me to fix it.”

“Our guests are vegetarian. Make sure you grab something for them.”

Hornet scowled, gently removing Ghost from their tight hug. “We can’t exactly afford to be picky. You know this.”

“I’m sure we’ll find a way.” Quirrel said with a smile. “Is Hollow still in the Ancient Basin?”

Team Snakemouth glanced at one another. Tiso? Cloth? Hollow?

She nodded, wrapping silk around her needle in preparation to leave. “Yes. They’ll return home soon, to cook dinner.”

“Great!” he beamed. Hornet let her needle fly, swinging behind it and vanishing into the rainy city.

Leif frowned. “We asked earlier if rationing will be an issue-”

“And it won’t be.” Quirrel assured them. He pat Ghost on the head, chirping, “Should we head up for dinner?”

Chapter Text

Team Snakemouth had never been so thankful to see the grey town of Dirtmouth. After the painful emptiness of the City of Tears, seeing bugs moving and going about their day was uplifting.

It was even nicer seeing two bugs waving at them. “You must be the newcomers!” One said; a large bug with a poncho and a cloth sack over her head. As they came closer, she took Kabbu’s hand and gave it a firm shake. “It’s always nice seeing new faces! And you three are certainly interesting!”

This was the warmest welcome they had gotten by far. Kabbu eagerly shook her hand back. “T-Thank you! You’ve all been so welcoming!”

“Except for Hornet.” Vi muttered.

The bug besides Cloth barked a laugh. “Oh, oh yeah. Hornet’s rough around the edges.” His voice was rough, nasally. He had blue armor and pauldrons, with a terrible-looking crack running down his left side. Instead of a mask, he wore a blue hood that hid his face, except for his glowing white eyes.

“This is Tiso.” Cloth introduced, patting her companion’s shoulders. 

Tiso leaned down, poking Vi’s head. “Aww, bite-sized!”

Vi immediately darted behind Leif, squeaking in surprise. “I-I knew it! I knew they were gonna eat us!” which only caused Tiso to laugh again, harder this time.

Cloth smacked him, “No! I told you not to make that joke, you jerk!” she scolded, ignoring his grumblings. “We’re not going to eat you.”

“Are-are you sure?” Kabbu asked, his voice cracking.

“Yes.” Quirrel assured them, sounding tired. “We’re not going to eat you, promise.”

Cloth looked them over, hands on her hips. “Let’s see here, it’s been some time since I’ve seen bugs from the Aboveworld…” She started pointing. “Scarab beetle, Honeybee, and...Moth!”

Ghost perked up at the last one, as if remembering something. They began tugging on Leif’s wings, pointing and gesturing for him to follow. 

“Oh?” Leif asked, tilting his head. “They...want to take me somewhere?”

“Oh, no doubt to show you something,” Tiso said nonchalantly. “Probably a rock.”

“We do enjoy rocks.” he said.

Kabbu started to follow too, but Ghost stopped him. They gestured with their hands about...something.

“Ah, they just want Leif.” Quirrel translated. “That’s how they communicate, they’re a bit rough, but we can understand them at least!”

“They want to show Leif something.” nodded Cloth. “You two can stay for tea, I have so many questions to ask!”

Leif chuckled. “Alright, we don’t mind.” he turned to his teammates, giving a half-hearted wave. “Don’t wait up.”

As soon as Ghost and Leif vanished down the well, Vi said, “And we never saw Leif again.”

“Vi.”

Cloth opened the door to the large home from earlier. “Come in, come in! I don’t even know your names!”

“Well the moth is Leif.” Tiso said, stepping inside ahead of everyone, hanging his shield on a poorly made ‘weapon rack’ near the front door. “I’ll get started on tea, hope you like White Tea.”

Vi sat back at the chair from before, wiggling to get comfortable. “Just as I left it!” 

“You sound like you have experience with the…’Aboveworld’.” Kabbu started to say, sitting on the couch close to Vi. “Have you been to Bugaria?”

“Nope!” Cloth answered, sitting on the couch nearby but not too close. “How far is it?”

Kabbu didn’t let his disappointment show. “It’s really not. The cave we fell in is literally on the outskirts.”

Quirrel dragged a chair a bit closer, and then brought in another, presumably for Tiso. “Isn’t it fun? We have neighbors!”

“I know!” she chirped. “Tell me all about it, I’m so curious!”

“Gosh, where do we start?” Vi looked to Kabbu for an answer, but he too seemed stumped on what to begin with. How does one describe a Kingdom so different from your own?

“You said you were explorers?” Quirrel urged gently, giving them some footing. “What does that pertain?”

“Oh! Oh! Well it’s a guild in the Ant Kingdom, and while our main goal was to explore and look for magical artifacts, we also solved jobs for rewards!” Vi explained, speaking quickly due to her excitement.

“Ant Kingdom?” Tiso spat as if the word itself was poisonous. He brought back several cups of tea, setting them down on the worn-down table. “Eugh, gross.”

“It’s not that bad! It’s well organized, it’s clean, the Queen is so nice-” Kabbu started to say.

Tiso continued to sneer. “A nice Queen is an oxymoron.”

“Tisooo.” Cloth droned. “C’mon, I wanna hear about their Kingdom!”

“Well, there’s multiple. Four, at least.” Vi started counting off from her fingers. “The Ant Kingdom, Bee Kingdom, Termite Kingdom, and the Wasp Kingdom.”

“Wow! That’s a lot of Kingdoms. I assume you are in constant war?” Quirrel asked, sipping his tea.

“Well, no. We had a scare with the Wasp Kingdom, but otherwise, we’re amicable.” Kabbu was almost beaming with pride. “It was us who helped bolster relationships between the Termites and Wasps!”

Cloth gasped, her eyes sparkling. “Diplomats too?”

“If you consider fighting in a colosseum diplomatic-” Vi started to say.

Tiso spit out his tea. “YOU HAVE A COLOSSEUM TOO?!”

“You’re not going!” Cloth shouted back. “You nearly died last time!” She turned to Kabbu, sighing, “See that crack? He nearly died trying to fight in the Colosseum outside of the Kingdom.”

“Don’t tell them that…” he whined, shrinking in on himself.

Cloth was on the edge of her seat, clearly enraptured by the two guests. “So, can anyone join the Exploration Guild? What’s it like?”

“Some bugs join for Fame or Glory, or berries.” Kabbu said, giving Vi a pointed look.

Vi chuckled nervously. “Y-Yeah, we didn’t join for berries…”

“Berries? Like the things you eat?” Tiso sounded incredulous. “I’d join for a decent meal.”

Vi growled, reaching in her ruff and placing a pile of berries on the table. “Noo, we use certain berries as currency!”

The trio leaned closer, frowning. Tiso reached forward, plucking a berry off the table and eating it. “...you seriously use these for money? They taste fine?”

“STOP DOING THAT!” Vi tucked her money back away, glaring at them. “They don’t taste good! And they’re easy to grow and replace when they rot!”

“All I’m hearing is that you have a food surplus so massive that you literally throw stuff away.” Tiso grumbled, arms crossed over his chest.

An uncomfortable silence fell over the group. Kabbu and Vi felt the now familiar stabs of guilt boiling in their bellies. They really never considered how well off they were until they came here…

"Tiso." Quirrel said, his voice firm. "They had no idea of Hallownest's existence until now."

Mumbling incoherently under his breath - something about 'the winter months' - Tiso was somewhat pacified...on this matter anyway.

Cloth took a sip of her tea before asking, "So, how did you get here, anyway?"

"We fell!" Vi answered, all too eager to move on. "We were scouting for potential flooding in the nearby swamps when we found a cave! And we fell in. Bada bing, Bada boom, now we're here!"

"Our guild is no doubt looking for us." Kabbu said, softly, almost as if he was convincing himself. Then, louder, he continued, "And when we return, maybe we can convince the Queens to build an elevator, for easy access-"

The Hallownest inhabitants winced at his suggestion. "That isn't going to fly well with Hornet." Cloth said, her tone blunt. "She'd stop construction herself, knowing her."

"What's her deal, anyways?!" Vi asked, voice edging on a shout. "She's been nothing but a jerk since we got here! We haven't even done anything!"

Quirrel heaved a heavy sigh. "I know how she's...difficult. Truly, I do! We were all at the brunt of her cold nature before."

"I've known her for almost a year now. She barely tolerates me." Tiso said with a dry snicker. "She's...she's got some walls. And they're very, very high walls. She's just protecting herself from getting hurt."

"She lost a lot. Her kingdom, her family." Cloth said. "She has so little left...and she's been hurt so much. We've had outsiders attempt to hurt us, and she's our first defense."

"Is that why she distrusts outsiders?" Kabbu asked, his voice soft and full of sorrow.

"Partially." Quirrel set down the cup of tea. "I'm not the best bug to tell you this, but Hallownest was not the most well put together. There were many factions and groups that did not align with Hallownest and the king. Hornet's mother was a Queen of said group...Herrah the Beast, Queen of Deepnest, lair of the Weavers."

"She doesn't like talking about it much." Tiso shrugged. "And we don't pry. But Deepnest and Hallownest didn't get along. The King kept trying to invade, kept trying to build shit in there."

"Again, there's so much we don't know." Quirrel insisted. "And you don't know her like we do! Because truthfully, she's very loving, and kind, and she cares for us so much."

"Just...give her some time. The fact that she apologized to you is astonishing!" Cloth laughed. "She wasn't going to, me and Tiso had to make her.”

Vi grumbled, leaning back in her chair. “Fine, she still seems like a jerk...but a jerk with good reasons.”

“Tell us more about you two! And your moth partner!” Cloth urged them.

Kabbu couldn’t help but sound proud as he said, “We are Team Snakemouth, the Queen’s Royal Blades! I am Kabbu, hailing from the North.”

“I’m Vi, I’m the first-ever explorer bee!” She chirped. “No one in my hive believed in me, but I showed them!”

Cloth and Quirrel clapped politely in response. Tiso didn’t seem impressed.

“Leif, our third teammate, has Ice Magic.” Kabbu began to explain. “He’s a bit on the strange side, but he’s a friend for a lifetime.”

Tiso scoffed. “Your weapons, let’s see ‘em. C’mon, let’s see the weapons belonging to the Queen’s Lapbugs.”

Clearly upset by his words, Vi revealed her Beemerang. “Behold! The finest tech from the Hive-” Tiso stood up, strode over, and plucked it from her hands. “-HEY?!”

Vi jumped for it, whining for him to give it back. Tiso inspected it carefully. “Aw, baby’s first toy, huh?”

“GIVE IT BACK, GIVE IT BACK!” She shouted. 

Kabbu looked to Cloth and Quirrel for backup, but they didn’t seem too worried. “Tiso’s a jokester,” Quirrel said, calmly sipping his tea. “This is how he shows he cares. Teasing.”

Ruffling her head, Tiso handed it back. “C’mere, squib, this is a true weapon!” he boasted, revealing his shield.

Vi stuck her tongue out at him. “That’s just a dumb shield!”

“Oh?” Tiso grinned. With a loud clang, his shield unfolded into a spiral of sharp blades. “See? That’s a weapon!”

“Mighty impressive work! I’ve never seen anything like it!” Kabbu said.

“Where’s your weapon?” Quirrel asked, turning to him.

He chuckled, puffing out his chest. “My horn and my strength!”

“That’s terrible.” Cloth said, her voice flat.

Kabbu deflated. “W-Wha? Why?”

“What if your horn breaks? Weapons can be replaced, body parts cannot!” she stressed, putting a concerned hand on his shoulder. “Do you need a weapon? We can get you a nail, or maybe a club if you prefer?”

"Kabbu, you totally should get a club!" Vi agreed.

"I-I'll consider it." He stammered. "It feels sacrilegious…"

“Maybe when your moth friend returns, we should spar!” Cloth said, sounding eager.

“Yeah!” Tiso agreed, cracking his knuckles with a devious smirk. “It’d be nice to get fresh prey to fight.”

Leif dutifully allowed himself to get tugged along by little Ghost, occasionally glancing around at his surroundings.

They were moving away from the town, and the scenery didn't change much. Still rather grey and rocky, some rocks have the strange spiral pattern from before they entered the underground.

Strange...were they even rocks at all?

"Where are you taking us, little one?" Leif asked.

Ghost looked up, giving a little hop, but said nothing. They had a strange sort of determination to them, though. Honestly, Ghost was just...strange. Leif could sense magic from them, but a different kind of magic.

Little Ghost led him to a room carved from the rock with a massive metal machine in the middle. The walkway was also metal and creaked with every step.

Leif tugged his hand away from Ghost, brushing it against the huge machine. It was like nothing he had ever seen. It was no secret that technology differed from Kingdom to Kingdom, but this looked so alien to him.

"What...is this?" He asked.

Ghost stepped up to a door in the side of the machine, slipping a paper inside. With a loud hiss of steam, the door opened.

They looked at him expectantly. "Y-You can't seriously expect us to go inside. We have no idea what this is!"

Ghost tilted their head, then stepped into the machine. Leif peeked his head inside, seeing the little bug sitting on a plush bench.

They pat the spot next to them, looking directly at him.

Leif sighed. This machine didn't appear to be dangerous, at least initially. Carefully, he stepped inside and sat next to Ghost, who eagerly scooted closer to him.

The doors closed and the machine hummed to life. It jerked into motion, metal wheels squealing to life.

Oh, was this a sort of transport? Leif felt very silly for being worried.

"Things are so different here," Leif said aloud, feeling himself being lulled by the gentle movement of the machine. Ghost laid their head in his lap, and Leif rubbed in between their horns. “Are you happy here? In this cold, dark place? There is no sun, no plant life to be found."

Leif smiled softly. "We would love to take you to Bugaria. See you play in the grass and see the sun-"

He looked down. Ghost was staring at him with a blank expression. "...we are talking to ourselves, aren't we?"

The machine hummed and jerked to a stop, squealing as its wheels slowed. Ghost stood up and tip-tapped over to the door, where it slid open on its own. They stood in the doorway, turning their head to stare at him.

“Oh, sorry.” Leif stood, dusting off his wings. “We’re right behind you, lead the way.”

This new place was different. The air was stale, and there wasn’t any wind flow like Dirtmouth had. God, he thought Dirtmouth was grey, this place was Grey grey . He shivered, feeling powerful, ancient magic lingering in the air. All around were tall, carved stones jutting from the ground.

“Where are we?” Leif asked, before shaking his head. “Right. Mute.”

Ghost continued walking, Leif following close behind. He strayed away for a moment, to get a better look at nearby stones. It took him a moment to realize as his claws scraped the hard rock, with dread in the pit of his stomach, that these were all graves.

Hundreds of them. Hundreds of graves. Leif recoiled at the sight, feeling nauseous.

“Not thousands-” Quirrel echoed in his head. “Millions, maybe…” The dead needed a place to go, afterall.

He nearly jumped out of his shell when he noticed Ghost had joined him, staring silently at the graves.

“I-Is this what you wanted to show us?” He asked, almost afraid of the answer.

Ghost shook their head, turning and heading deeper into the graveyard. There were even more graves, including three massive ones in the middle. Ghost stopped dead in their tracks, bowed to the three graves, and continued on as if nothing happened.

The amount of magic circling the three gravestones made his head swim, but Leif couldn’t help it, he had to take a look.

To protect the Vessel, the Dreamers lay sleeping.

Monomon the Teacher

In her Archive, surrounded by fog and mist.

Lurien the Watcher

In his Spire, looking over the city.

Herrah the Beast

In her Den, amidst the deep darkness beyond the kingdom.

Through their devotion, Hallownest lasts eternal.

Lurien. The name sounded familiar; it was the bug in the city that Quirrel made note of, the one without a face. To solidify this connection, one of the graves matched the Watcher’s mask. Quirrel also mentioned his teacher, that must’ve been Monomon.

The graves only gave him more questions - Who was Herrah, and why didn’t Quirrel mention her? Who was the vessel? And why were they called Dreamers?

Quirrel hadn’t told them everything, it seemed, either due to lack of knowledge on his part…or he had omitted details intentionally.

Leif frowned as he pondered this. Lost in thought, he could almost hear whispers in the corners of his mind-

Ghost tugged him away, dragging him to an area without graves. (Mostly. There were stone coffins tucked away in the corner.) “If you don’t want to show us the graves, or the ‘Dreamers’, what are we here to see-”

He could hear singing. Soft, faint, familiar. Familiar in the way old family heirlooms are, ancient and homely. “...what is that?” Leif asked, seeing Ghost start ascending the cave using a crudely built staircase. 

Leif needed no urging. He too started to ascend, the singing growing louder. At the top of the cave was a tent, nestled into the walls. Bits and baubles dangled from the ceiling - flowers and bells and gems. Soft light flooded from the tent entrance, the singing was at its loudest.

Ghost opened the tent flap slightly, gesturing for Leif to follow. And carefully, cautiously, he did. The inside was lit by many, many candles, the floor covered with blankets and pillows. Ghost set their nail by the entrance, sitting down on one of the soft pillows.

“Aaaah? Little Dream, you’ve come to visit!” An old voice crooned from the back of the tent. “Good thing, too! I made Milkweed tea and cookies!”

From a backroom emerged an elderly, withered moth. Her fur was a muted purple, and she was very small. She held a tray in both hands, a tea set and a plate of cookies balancing on top.

“It’s so nice to see you-”

The elderly moth froze upon seeing Leif, her eyes widening in surprise. Leif stood there like a dope, almost as surprised as she was. Seeing another moth was not what he expected.

And clearly, it wasn’t what she expected either.

The elderly moth dropped the tray on the floor, spilling tea and cookies. Tears filled her large eyes, her antennae quivered. “I-I thought…I was the last Moth alive…” she sniffled.

Maki groaned, rubbing his temples. “No sign of Snakemouth? Anywhere?”

“We searched through the Ant Kingdom!” said Celia. “And...other parts of the Kingdom they might frequent.”

Rolling his eyes, Maki chose not to bring up the underground bar. Least-Guarded secret in the entire kingdom. "They went exploring near the Wild Swamplands , remember? Why did you stay here?"

Levi and Celia gave each other sheepish looks. "...in case they came back?"

“We looked through the Golden Path and hills.” Gen and Eri said in unison.”

"Why?"

"Uhm…"

Maki was going to start screaming at this rate. He sighed, slicking back his antennae. "Right. OK. Zasp, Mothiva, please tell me you searched nearby?"

"We searched the desert around the entrance to the Grasslands." Answered Zasp.

"And we poked around the Swamplands." Stratos rumbled in the back. "It was too flooded to traverse."

"And we looked in the Grasslands." Kina nudged her brother's side. "Sounds like no Snakemouth."

"That's... not good. You all realize that's not good right?" Maki shook his head.

"Boohoo, Snakemouth went galavanting off somewhere. They do it all the time." Mothiva scoffed, running her fingers through her ruff of fur.

"Never for this long!" Delilah said, sounding disgusted. "So you seriously don't care?"

"They're fiiiiine!" She whined.

"They're rather strong." Zasp agreed.

"They could also be dead in a ditch somewhere!" Maki shouted. The Guild members flinched at his outburst.

He took several deep breaths. "We are going to go to bed. It's too dark to actively search. Tomorrow, we're switching places to search. And we're searching relevant places tomorrow."

"Hey guys your teammates might be dead in a ditch." Levi said in a mocking tone. "Good night everyone! Sweet dreams!"

Maki growled, struggling to keep his cool. "Levi, not the time."

As the rest of the guild filed out, Kina sighed. "I hope they're alright…" like a switch, her demeanor changed on the spot, and she punched the palm of her other hand. "So I can strangle them myself!" 

Chapter Text

Seer poured Leif a brimming cup of tea, then moved the plate of cookies closer to him. "You're too thin, my dear. Have some cookies."

Leif would normally never turn down snacks of this nature, but his appetite had been lacking as of late. "Thank you." He says quietly, holding the warm cup in his hands.

Little Ghost picked up a cookie and inserted it into one of their eyeholes, where it vanished from sight. Leif suppressed a shudder.

"It has been so long since I've seen another. Well, another living one, anyway." Seer cooed.

"We would like to ask about that. Are there no living moths in Hallownest?" He asked. "What happened ? Something happened here, something bad. Can you maybe tell us more?"

The old moth sighed. "It's a terrible thing, really." She took a sip of her tea, then said, with sorrow in her voice, "There was a war."

"Quirrel never mentioned a war…" Leif muttered.

Seer continued. "It was a war between Higher Beings, with Hallownest and its inhabitants caught in the crossfire."

Ghost nodded, looking somber.

Higher beings? Did she mean...no, there was no way. "When you say Higher Beings-" he starts to ask.

And she answers with a nod. "Gods. The two Gods of Hallownest were at war, and they cared not for the casualties they caused."

Leif nearly choked on his tea. That is not what Quirrel told him. "Gods? Honest Gods?"

"If you really want to know, I should start at the beginning." Seer sighed. "And you should know. You're involved."

"H-How are we involved?" He asked, struggling not to panic. Did she know? Did she know he was more fungus than moth?

Seer took another sip of her tea before starting. “It begins with Her. The Radiance was a Goddess of Dreams and Light, and from her dreams came Moths. The Moth tribe worshiped Her, for She was our creator and source of Light.”

Leif blinked at her, dumbfounded. She continued on regardless. “Then, the Wyrm came. A powerful serpent in the shape of a King, He came to the Moth Tribe. He promised them higher thought if they worshiped Him instead…and they did.”

“So this…Wyrm, he became the King of Hallownest?” Leif clarified. 

Seer nodded. “The King went on to form the Kingdom of Hallownest, with grand cities, architecture, culture, and technology. The Radiance was forgotten by Her people, left to disappear.”

“That’s…not nice.” Leif hesitated, unsure of what to say.

“Of course, She was not content to sit around and disappear.” Seer said, disappointment creeping into her voice. “Loneliness and abandonment had twisted Her into something monstrous. Consumed with hatred and revenge, the Radiance’s once warm light became blinding. She entered the dreams of mortal bugs…and infected them.”

“She was the plague!” Leif blurted out, starting to piece the puzzles together. “She caused the infection! Did the King try and stop it?”

Ghost went tense, their dark paws clutching at the teacup in their hands. Seer pat their head, reassuringly. “He tried. The King made constructs, meant to contain a God. The true number…I don’t know. He used one of the constructs and three powerful bugs to try and seal her away... But it failed.”

Seer paused. Silently, she set a fourth teacup opposite of Leif, pouring a cup. “Here, if you’re going to mope like that.” Neither Ghost nor Seer made a comment on how strange this was, and Leif decided not to either. 

“The King, with his plans failed and his kingdom crumbling, fled. Vanished from this mortal realm, accepting that his people would die.” Seer said, calmly sipping her tea after. “And die they did. I am the last of my tribe.”

Leif felt sick. He didn’t know many Gods, but the idea of them treating mortal lives so callously made him feel ill…and enraged. “This Moth Goddess, she wiped out her own people to get back at this king?!” he asked, feeling his icy blood start to boil. “And when his people needed him most, the king left?!”

“The decisions of Gods are often nonsensical to mortals-”

“No, we can make sense of them. It sounds selfish.” Leif hissed, feeling something deep inside him writhe with anger. “Quirrel mentioned that the ‘source of the infection’ was…taken care of. Is this the truth? Do we need to worry about a vengeful goddess roaming this land?”

“You needn't worry.” Seer said with a smile, patting Ghost’s head. “Our little friend here took their blade and plunged it deep into her gnarled heart, killing the Radiance for good. She will not return.”

Ghost wiggled in their seat, looking at Leif expectantly. This little…thing, killed a Goddess? Leif had little room to talk, fighting Venus once before…but that was a spar, not a fight to the death!

“W-We see…what of the King?” 

She shrugged. “Vanished to this day. Although, Little Ghost bears the mark of Royalty…making them the next King.” Ghost pawed at their mask, clearly uncomfortable. “...although they are in no hurry to claim that title…if ever.”

This whole story was starting to get confusing. Leif had no reason to doubt her - aside from pouring a glass of tea for no one - and the answers were clearer than when Quirrel told him.

"This is a lot to take in." He said slowly, holding his teacup with both hands. It had gone cold a long while ago. "But we are very thankful for you telling us."

"And I'm thankful for the company!" Seer laughed, patting his arm. "The little one is nice, but seeing another moth has raised my spirits!" She turned to the empty teacup, pausing her conversation for a moment. "Well, a living moth!"

Leif set his cup on the table. "What if...we brought more moths?" He was sure Neolith would be happy to see her, and his own family wouldn't mind. And he didn't care how much of a fit she threw, he'd take Mothiva if it'd make Seer happy.

How long had she been alone down here?

"More? There are more moths?" Seer sounded surprised, which made his heartbreak.

"There are lots! Lots and lots! Where we're from, they're everywhere!"

She looked ready to cry again. "I would love to meet more...for the longest time, I thought I was the last."

"You're not." He assured her, placing a hand on her shoulders. "Not anymore."

Leif and Ghost clambered out of the well, with the moth dusting off his wings as he did so.

His teammates were with Quirrel and two other, unknown bugs, looking at a small garden.

Kabbu waved him over. "Leif! You're back! Come over and introduce yourself!"

Leif regarded the other two bugs with minimal interest. "Hi. Kabbu, Vi, we require a word."

"Ooh, chilly reception." A large bug with a cloth sack over her face said, sounding disappointed.

"Well, alright." Kabbu muttered, "But that was a very rude way to introduce yourself."

Leif ushered his team a distance away, glancing to make sure they hadn't been followed. "The little one led us to the graveyard. And there, we met a moth."

Vi didn't seem impressed. "Oh...kay? Are you bragging or-"

"Let us finish ." He growled, in a rare show of temper. "Her name is Seer, and she's been alive for a long time, and knows a lot about what happened here."

"But Quirrel already told us." Kabbu said, trying to calm his teammate down.

"Quirrel didn't tell us everything." Leif continued. "If Seer is to be believed, there is a lot more to Hallownest than meets the eye."

"So what did the old kook say?" Said the bee, sounding more and more irritated.

"Do not call her that!" Leif barked, causing her to squeak. Taking a breath to calm down, he said, "Seer said that the infection was no mere illness. It was an act of divinity. Hallownest was the battlefield for two Gods, and the bugs that lived and died here felt the brunt of their violence."

Both Kabbu and Vi looked at each other. "Y-You can't be serious. Leif, Gods are nothing to joke over!"

"We are not joking. Truthfully, we are very, very angry. Their King went to war against a Goddess, using his own people as fodder. Millions died, including the bugs Quirrel mentioned earlier. Lurien the Watcher, Monomon the Teacher, Herrah the beast-"

"Quirrel told us about Herrah!" Vi interrupted. "That was Hornet's mom!" Her antenna drooped. "If...if the King…"

"The King was the cause of her demise, leaving Hornet without a mother." Kabbu finished for her, sounding utterly devastated.

Vi pulled out her beemerang. "Alright, where's this king, let's go beat him up!" 

"The King is gone." Quirrel answered behind them, giving them quite a startle. (How was he so quiet?)

"We know of the Radiance and the Pale King, Quirrel." Leif hissed upon regaining his composure. "We know everything now, why did you try to hide it from us?"

Quirrel crossed his arms over his chest. "Because we don't know you? Did you honestly expect me to roll over like a grub and tell you every single thing that happened here? You're practically strangers! Would you have told me everything about your kingdom?"

Team Snakemouth winced, Kabbu giving Leif a concerned glance. They certainly would have omitted details as well. "...sorry." Kabbu mumbled.

"And you don't know everything." Quirrel continued to berate. "There is so much hidden below the surface, even I don't know! Did you think that maybe I omitted details because I was trying to make it easier to understand? Or protect those who are left?!"

"W-We didn't-" Leif tried to say, but Quirrel didn't let him.

"But yes, you're right. The Pale King and the Radiance went to war and millions died! Is that what you want to hear? That my teacher and Hornet's mother were sacrificed for a cause that was fruitless?! That their deaths meant nothing?! Is that what you want to hear?!"

Cloth set a hand on his shoulder. "Quirrel. Go take a walk." She told him, voice kind, but firm. "You're getting yourself worked up again. Ghost, go with.”

"I will! I'm going to take a little walk and calm down!" He continued to shout, storming off for the well. Ghost followed closely behind, giving them a little wave before hopping down themselves.

They watched him go, Tiso snickering, "Haven't seen him worked up like that in a while."

"We didn't mean to!" Leif blurted out. "We just heard of the King and the Radiance from Seer, and we were so upset at all of the loss of life-"

"Shush." Cloth told him. "Listen. Tiso and I aren't from here, so we had to learn all this the hard way too. You're right. It's awful what happened."

Leif couldn't stop himself. "But you've accepted it! This isn't normal!"

"And what are we supposed to do about it?" She asked. "The King and Radiance are dead and gone. Hornet and Quirrel and Ghost and all the others don't want to leave, so what are we to do, exactly?"

Team Snakemouth was silent, shameful. “The ant Queen, Elizant the second. She would want to help. And we want to help.” Kabbu said, quietly. “Maybe we can do that at least? Accept help given to you?”

“Yeah! Supplies and stuff!” agreed Vi. “We can do that! Both ant and bee kingdoms! Maybe even the wasp kingdom!”

Tiso made a displeased chirp. "Doubtful Hornet would accept it. And honestly, I don't like the idea of an ant queen sticking her nose in here. Ant colonies can be real monsters."

"No, I like the idea." Cloth countered. "More supplies like medicine could be helpful. We should be able to convince her."

"Can you?" Leif asked. "Please please?"

"One condition." The hooded bug said with a sly grin. "I want a spar. Me and Cloth against you three."

Vi laughed. "You wanna fight us? We're official blades of the queen! We're like knights!"

"Yeah. And I wanna see it." Tiso hissed, a glint in his eyes. "I want to see how lapbugs like you fight, to get such high praise."

"But please go a bit easy on us." Cloth chuckled. She lifted her poncho some, revealing a scar running up her belly and chest. "Tiso and I are...fragile."

" Speak for yourself!!" He barked, sounding both parts offended and embarrassed. "I DON'T need to be coddled, Cloth!"

"I'm sure it will be OK!" Kabbu insisted, sick and tired of yelling. "How about we see what happens?"

Tiso nodded, "Sure. Whatever. Just get ready quick, I'm itching for a fight." He sounded way too excited for a friendly spar.

Team Snakemouth couldn't help giving each other smug looks. They were Team Snakemouth. They had fought the Wasp King, Team Maki and Team Slacker, and every single bounty boss Dopple could throw at them. 

“Well, we’ll give you a minute.” Leif assured them, nonchalantly summoning his ball of ice. (Perhaps to show off some.) “You can begin once ready-”

In a near blink of an eye, Tiso had tackled him. He had moved so much faster than Team Snakemouth thought possible, there was no way Leif could have prepared. The poor moth crashed to the floor, all the wind knocked from his lungs.

“I thought you were ready?” Tiso asked, half taunting but half genuine. “Do you need a moment?”

Kabbu helped Leif to his feet, Vi taking the lead. “I’ll give you a moment!” she shouted, hurling her Beemerang at him.

Tiso didn’t bother stepping out of the way. Cloth stepped in front of him, wielding a club almost twice her size, and she swat the Beemerang out of the air like it was nothing.

“C’mon, I expected more from Lapbugs like you!” he shouted, definitely taunting now.

And the taunting worked. Leif stood on shaking legs, pushing Kabbu aside and preparing an Ice Rain. “We considered going easy on you.” Leif snarled.

While meant to be intimidating, Tiso seemed positively giddy at the thought. “Yes!! YES! Hit me with your best shot!!”

Cloth didn’t share his sentiment. With - again - surprising speed, she leaped out of the way of his attack. At the peak of her jump, she pulled her club back, intent on hitting whoever was below her with all the force of her descent.

Leif shifted his stance to face his team, changing his spell at the last minute to shield them instead. If Tiso could knock the wind out of him with a charge, he didn’t want to know what Cloth could do with a club like that.

She aimed for Kabbu. Even with Leif’s shields, he could feel the force of the impact. The bubble surrounding him shook and flickered, barely withstanding the blow.

“PROTECTION SHIELDS ARE CHEATING!” Tiso shouted. Similar to Vi’s Beemerang, he reared back and threw his shield at them with all his might. 

This was, of course, the exact moment Leif’s shields went down. Tiso’s shield beamed Kabbu right in the head. 

“By the ancestors, they hit hard!” Kabbu grunted, pressing on where the shield made contact.

“And they’re quick.” Leif agreed. "If we could just get a good shot-"

"Cloth is gone." Vi interrupted. "Where did she go?!"

Kabbu looked up, shouting, "S-She jumped again! LEIF!"

Leif knew he had to make a snap decision. He could shield again, but he had seen how his shields barely held on for her first attack, would it hold for this one?

What if…

Instead of summoning a shield, Leif created a ball of ice and hurled it at her. It was a direct hit. The ice changed her trajectory, sending her careening towards the ground, where she landed with a heavy thud.

Team Snakemouth cheered; finally, they had landed a decent attack.

"Cloth?!" Tiso shouted, darting to her side in an instant. "Are you hurt?!"

Cloth groaned but didn't move. "She told you to go easy!" He barked, "What is wrong with you three?!"

"Oh gods-" Kabbu joined Cloth's side, helping her up. "We are so sorry! You two are so much stronger than you look-"

Once sitting, she started to laugh. "No, no! Don't apologize." She assured him between laughs. "You did fine, really. I think we have different fighting styles and standards. I heard you saying we were so fast."

"Well duh, if you sit still, you're a sitting duck!" Tiso agreed. Now that Cloth was OK, he had calmed down considerably. "And I have to hand it to you lapbugs. You three can take a beating! Not many bugs can take a shield to the face and not go down."

Kabbu instinctively rubbed the side of his head. "Yeah that...That hurt." 

"You three fought valiantly. And you work very well together." Cloth continued to compliment, standing up and leaning on her club. "I'd be happy to spar with you three again."

Vi shook her head. "No thanks, I'm good."

"We don't want to get full-body tackled again, please."

"That's fair." She chuckled. "Listen, I know things are weird here, for you three. You're not used to it, and that's good! Between you and me...I think a little outside perspective might be helpful. Sometimes you don’t realize something’s wrong until someone else points it out.”

"And don't be discouraged by Quirrel." Tiso added. "He's upset now, but he'll come back soon enough and most likely apologize to you. Just keep being nice and polite and you'll be fine."

"What about Hornet?" Kabbu asked. "Is she going to be frigid towards us forever?"

Cloth shook her head. "Not forever . You just...gotta keep at it. She's stubborn as anything, so you just gotta be more stubborn. Show that you're worried, show that you just want to be friends."

"Like befriending a Pibu." Leif nodded.

"Sure!...whatever that is."

Without warning, the ground shook. Subtle, but enough to feel it. “What in-” Kabbu started to say, but Cloth shushed him.

“Hollow’s here.” she told them. “Listen very, very carefully. Hollow is very, very sensitive. Do not mention the King, do not mention the Radiance, or anything of the sort. Got it?”

“If you make them upset, Hornet would honest-to-God hurt you. Bad.” Tiso added. “She’s very protective, for good reason. They’re especially fragile.”

Kabbu went pale and Vi gulped, but Leif was unphased. “Hornet doesn’t scare us. We would never intentionally upset anyone, of course, but quite frankly, we are tired of her behavior.”

“Uh, you weren’t here when we talked about Hornet.” Kabbu said, ignoring when the ground shook once more. Then, he sighed. “Please be nice.”

Leif only huffed as a reply.

Out of the well popped Hornet. She glared at them, hissing, “You three are still alive, I see.”

“We had a spar.” Cloth said, warmly. “They’re very strong. I don’t think they’re going to slip and crack their heads open.”

“Shame.” was all Hornet said in reply. Leif huffed again at that, clearly offended, but otherwise said nothing.

A huge, pitch-black arm emerged from the well. The bug that followed was like nothing Team Snakemouth had ever seen; a behemoth of a bug with enormous white horns, a black shell, and a tattered brown cloak attached at the neck. 

The enormous bug lumbered with an unsteady gait, lurching towards them in an unnatural manner. Then, inches away from Team Snakemouth, it stopped. And it stared at them, completely, perfectly still. Two large eyes stared down at them, one of the eyes split with a massive crack from their mask.

“This is my sibling.” Hornet said. “Hollow.”

Chapter Text

The giant bug loomed over Team Snakemouth, staring down at them with unblinking black eyes. The large bug - Hollow - was completely still. They didn’t even seem to breathe.

Team Snakemouth dare not move. Perhaps letting Hollow take the first step would be best. Their previous attempts at introductions had gone poorly.

Hollow lifted their hand, for they only had one, and they began to gesture. Similar to Little Ghost, but slower. More deliberate.

Kabbu glanced at the other Hallownest bugs nearby. “...uhm. Can we get some help?” he asked quietly, not wanting to look away from the giant bug for long.

“Oh, yeah I forgot sorry.” Tiso muttered. “They say their name is Hollow, and they’re a big, scary monster who will crack open your shells and eat you.”

Hollow stopped signing immediately. Vi let out a little whimper, Leif and Kabbu tensed. Hollow slowly turned their giant head towards Tiso as he snickered under his breath. 

They smacked Tiso, quickly signing something to him. “Fine! Fine, I’m sorry for being funny.” Tiso whined, rubbing his head.

“That’s not what they said.” Cloth clarified. Hollow repeated what they signed before, with Cloth to translate.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. Hornet has told me much about you, but she tends to exaggerate.”

“I do not!” Hornet shouted, indignant.

“It’s good to see more bugs. Our numbers are small.” Hollow paused, fingers twitching slightly as they stared. After a moment of consideration, they began signing again, but Cloth didn’t translate.

“Hollow, no, don’t be ridiculous. Leif is clearly a moth.”

Leif made a quiet, strangled noise that he tried to hide with awkward laughter. “We are a moth, unfortunately! We would have loved to have been something with working wings.”

“Your wings look fine. What’s wrong with them?” Hornet asked dryly.

Cloth smacked the back of her head. “You can’t just ask that! That’s rude!”

Hollow continued to stare at them with an unchanging expression. With a quiet, nearly silent sigh, they stood back to their full height and continued to sign.

“It’s nice to have guests. I can experiment with dinner. Are you three hungry?”

“Yes. Yes we are.” Leif said, a bit quickly, wanting to move far away from the previous conversation. It wasn’t a lie, they hadn’t eaten since early morning.

Thinking for a moment, Hollow said, “Might be tricky. Hornet said you don't eat meat. Tricky. But doable.”

Hornet and Tiso scowled at each other at the meat comment, but a stern look from Cloth kept them quiet.

“I-It’s very appreciated! Your hospitality is most humbling.” Kabbu said, bowing his head slightly.

Nodding slightly, Hollow turned and pointed at Tiso, signing again. Tiso sighed, rolling his eyes and grabbing his shield. “I got mushrooms from the wastes last time , but fiiiine, I’ll go get more.”

They pointed at Cloth next, continuing to sign. “Sure thing!” she chirped. “But let me talk to our guests for a minute.” she gave Hornet a pointed look. “Alone.”

Hornet visibly bristled, hissing, “Anything you say to them, you should be able to say to me-!”

Hollow bumped their large head against her horns. Immediately, her attention shifted to them. “Is everything alright?” she practically cooed, her harsh tone turning quiet and gentle. “I know you went to the basin, you didn’t strain yourself, did you?”

Team Snakemouth was stunned - this was the same bug who had been nothing but hostile to them, the same bug who had tried to harm them just this morning. But now she was as sweet as a glazed honey.

The larger bug nudged Hornet inside, and she barely put up a fight about it. Hollow and Hornet entered the house, closing the door behind them. Tiso picked up his shield, nodding to the trio before heading to the well and hopping inside. Now alone, Cloth cleared her throat. “I’m sure you have questions.”

Vi’s hand shot up. “What happened to their arm?”

“They were…very sick. For a very, very long time.” she said, voice somber. “Their arm rotted away. It’s also why they have the crack in her mask, and it’s why they have to bend down like that-”

“It was the Radiance, wasn’t it?” Leif interrupted, his voice firm. Vi and Kabbu could tell just by how he asked that he was very, very upset.

Cloth hesitated. “Y-Yeah. Yeah it was Her. Hollow barely survived their ordeal. If what Hornet says is true, they were bedridden for nearly a month.”

Kabbu was next, asking, “And to be clear, that is the Hollow Knight? The one who was sacrificed for this kingdom to last eternal? And that sacrifice didn’t work?”

“That would be correct! Hornet is their Half-Sibling, but she loves them with her whole heart." She said, reaching into her bag for something as she stepped closer. “They look real frail, but they can handle themselves. Speaking of…”

Cloth pulled out a very large and very detailed map. Hallownest looked so, so much more massive than Bugaria could ever dream of when Team Snakemouth compared maps. The map of Hallownest was neatly labeled with the main areas and sub-sections, each with their own detailed notes.

“Normally, you can buy a map from the mapmakers, but you don’t have any Geo, so I’ll give you mine.” she told them, chuckling at their stunned looks. “It’s a pretty big map, I should have warned you.”

“Wow, there’s a lot of places to go…” Vi said, her eyes darting all over it, settling on ‘The Hive’. “You guys have a Hive too??”

Cloth pulled a quill from her bag. “Don’t get too excited, there are caveats.” With a flick of her wrist, she crossed out ‘Ancient Basin’ and ‘Queen’s Gardens’ . “These are off-limits. Sacred grounds, you see. Need direct permission from Hornet to enter. I, heh, I have a funny story about the gardens. Another time, maybe.”

Subtly, Leif eyed the Ancient Basin section with a frown. He could see the smaller writing that said ‘palace grounds’, but said nothing.

Cloth continued to cross off areas. “Deepnest, avoid. Terrible place, really. It’s a graveyard full of beasts. Colosseum, avoid. Nothing but death there. Tiso almost died there, he doesn’t like talking about it.”

“How barbaric.” Kabbu said with a shudder. “And the Kingdom’s Edge? What is that?”

“Well it’s gross, for one. It constantly rains ash and dead warriors from the sky. Very tricky to traverse if you got no wings. But you have wings, so you should be fine-”

“Oh. We cannot fly.” Leif bluntly interrupted. “Only Vi can fly.”

She seemed surprised. “Really? Huh!” She picked up the quill once more, crossing off the edge. “Then I’d avoid going there all together.”

“What about the Hive, can we go there?” Vi asked, pointing to it.

Team Snakemouth could hear the chittering of her mandibles under the cloth hood. “Eeehhh, I wouldn’t. I know you’re a bee, but our Hive is probably nothing like yours. They’re fiercely territorial. Without Hornet or Ghost, they’d skewer you.” And it was crossed off the map, much to Vi’s disappointment.

“Finally, Fog Canyon. Avoid. For starters, that’s where Quirrel goes wherever he’s upset and he probably hasn’t cooled off just yet. Secondly, it’s full of creatures that explode.”

“Explode?” All three members of Team Snakemouth asked in unison.

“Mhm! And there’s acid. Beautiful place, though. Hmm…soft avoid.” And with her list of exceptions, Cloth rolled up the map of Hallownest and handed it over. “Otherwise, it should be alright for you to explore! You can take care of yourselves, clearly. If anyone gives you trouble, say Quirrel sent you. And if someone’s really being an asshole, say Hornet sent you.”

Kabbu took the map, slowly unrolling it back out. “Are…are you sure?”

Cloth turned to leave, but gave a carefree hand wave to his concerns. “Yup! I’m sure you’ll be fine! I should help Tiso before he eats all the mushrooms, but feel free to explore! Come back soonish for dinner, alright?"

The three looked over the map, silently mulling over each possible location from the handful they had. “...Greenpath?” Leif offered.

Kabbu nodded. “Greenpath.”

Greenpath was the home away from home they were looking for. Almost impossibly lush and full of life, plant life bursting from every possible inch. And since this was a cave, that meant plans growing from the walls and ceilings.

There were the ruins of architecture, quickly being reclaimed by nature. It was so overtaken that the trio barely noticed it was even there.

“Oh, I didn’t even realize how much I missed the color green!” Vi shouted, practically falling on her back into a soft bush.

Kabbu looked hurt. “What am I then?”

She waved him off, barely looking up. “All the grey light made you look grey too. C’mon, admit you missed this!”

“...I did miss it.”

Leif carefully peeked over the ledge, wincing. “Don’t get too cozy, you two. There’s acid below us.”

Vi sighed. “Of course. Why not? Everything here wants us dead, why not?”

Kabbu came to join his teammate on the ledge. “We must watch our steps, then.” he pulled the map out of his bag, squinting at it with a frustrated look. “With all of this plant life, you would think Greenpath would connect with the surface! But it’s completely enclosed! How could all this grow-”

“There is something powerful here.” Leif took a deep breath, closing his eyes as he tried to pinpoint the source. “The magic here is…slumbering. Barely there, but just enough to know that it is not to be trifled with.”

Vi came to join them, sharing a confused look with Kabbu at Leif’s words. But then, a look of understanding came to the beetle. “ Another Goddess! Of course! There must be another plant Goddess here! Perhaps even Venus herself!”

“We’ve seen stranger, huh?” shrugged Vi.

“If we find the goddess here, she may have a way to let us out!” the beetle continued.

“We are…unsure of this idea.” said Leif with a shake of his head. “It doesn’t feel like Venus. Besides, we doubt we should explore too deep, with the acid and all.”

“Just a peek!” Kabbu insisted, already walking further into the cave. “It’ll be fine!”

Deeper into Greenpath, the trio found more evidence of carved architecture; intricate pillars in various states of collapse and decay, several empty street lamps, an iron bench, among other things.

“I wonder why they gave up halfway.” Vi muttered, helping Kabbu over a pit of acid.

Leif lingered for a moment, wiping away some of the moss off a nearby column. “Maybe this place was too dangerous to live in.”

“Cloth said we wouldn’t have any problems. Lighten up, Leif!”

“Perhaps by her standards.” Leif shot back. “The inhabitants may be used to tougher foes than what we’re used to…we are technically in the Deadlands , afterall…”

The single word sent a collective shiver down their shells.

"We are very lucky we haven't found any Deadlanders yet…they may not live here." Kabbi said. "I…actually haven't seen any kind of foe, thinking about it."

Vi countered, "Hey, that's not true. There's Hornet-"

"There's that thing." Leif interrupted, pointing at a shaking pile of leaves. From the pile of leaves emerged a small creature, with stubby legs and large, white eyes. It was using the leaves for cover, giving it a fuzzy, almost soft appearance.

“And it’s ours now.” Leif continued, scooping up the little thing. “No further conversation needed.”

“Leif, I doubt we can take that back-” Began Kabbu.

“No further conversation needed.”

“You’re not gonna get him to let go of that thing.” Vi said. “Now, if we were looking for a plant goddess, should we go up or down?”

The moth hummed, stroking the leafy bug in his arms. “We cannot pinpoint a precise location. The magic in these tunnels are…dense.”

Kabbu brushed aside some leaves, revealing more stone ruins. “Perhaps if we follow the ruins, we’ll find a temple? Or even a small town?”

“Cloth didn’t mention any towns.” Leif said coldly. “There’s no one left.”

With the atmosphere thoroughly dampened, Kabbu and Vi nodded. Secretly, the two of them hoped to find a town to prove Leif wrong.

But as they descended further down into the depths of Greenpath, and while they found ruins, they didn’t find evidence of intelligent bugs living there. Although they found a variety of strange creatures; shambling across the leaves, bumbling in the air, or swimming atop the acid lakes.

“Aha! See, there’s someone!” Kabbu walked a bit faster, pointing to a small tent set up against the cave walls. “See, Leif? Hello! Hello fellow travelers!”

Kabbu pushed aside the tent flaps. “Hello-” But the rest of his sentence twisted into a strangled, choking gasp. The beetle recoiled in pure horror, stepping back to his team. “D-Dead! They’re dead! T-They’re j-just husks!”

“No way! Can I see?” Vi started to step forward, only to be grabbed by Kabbu before she could.

“We tried to warn you…aside from Dirtmouth, this kingdom is dead.” Leif stiffly walked past the tent, clutching the mossy creature tight for comfort.

Kabbu and Vi gave each other concerned looks before slowly following Leif. Perhaps…if they went deeper, they’d find signs of intelligent life.

Cloth opened the door, letting Tiso in first before closing it behind her. “We brought back mushrooms! They’re only slightly nibbled on!”

“I am completely innocent!” Tiso said as he dumped the pile of mushrooms on the counter. He picked up a knife and began mincing them.

Cloth set down another few mushrooms, turning to Hornet, whom was busy slicing dried vengefly. “Hey, Tiso and I were hoping-”

“Don’t drag me in this-”

“Tiso and I were hoping we could talk?”

Hornet didn’t turn to face them, but slowly set down the knife. “It’s about our… guests, isn’t it?”

“No, Hornet. It’s about the weather.” the cicada deadpanned. “Yes, of course it’s about our guests. Hollow, you listen too.”

Hollow, who had been mixing a bowl of salad, nodded.

Cloth put her hands together, carefully mulling over her choice of words. “We know that you don’t like…unexpected guests. And aside from a few little…incidents, they have been nothing but-”

“Bothersome.” Hornet hissed.

“No-”

“A thorn in my side.”

“Hornet-”

“Exceedingly nosey.”

Tiso shrugged. “You know, I’m gonna agree with that one.”

“This conversation is getting off track. Hornet. Hollow.” Cloth took a deep breath. Hornet had turned, arms crossed. Hollow had stopped stirring the bowl of salad, fixated on her completely.

“They want to help.”

Hornet immediately bristled up, snarling, “I don’t want charity.” puffed up like a furious Belfly, she poked Cloth's chest. "And I Especially don't want their pity ."

Cloth smacked her hand away. "It's not pity, you overgrown fluke! It's concern! And the fact that you can't tell the difference speaks volumes!"

"There isn't a difference!"

"THERE IS! Pity would mean they see us as lesser! They clearly don't!"

"Clearly?! Clearly?! How can you be so sure?!" Hornet's voice took a higher, clearly mocking tone. "Oh yes, they'll come help us alright! We'll eat their food, and live in their homes, then they'll 'help' by telling us what to do and where to go and what Gods to worship!"

"Hornet!"

Hollow lurched forward, picking up their smaller sister and holding her tight. A way to de-escalate the tension.

Hornet shrieked in their grip. "Set me down at once! I am not a spiderling anymore! You cannot just pick me up!"

"Hornet, come on!" Tiso practically pleaded. "You have to think rationally about this! What about medicine? What about food? They have plenty of it! They want to help!"

Finally, she squirmed out of Hollow's grip, skittering away from all three of them to the door. "Once their wounds are healed I want them out of my house , out of my kingdom , and out of my life !"

She stormed out of the house, slamming the door behind her and cursing ceaselessly under her breath.

Cloth heaved a deep, heavy sigh. "That…didn't go well."

Tiso pat her on the back. "Hey, it could've gone worse! Where do you think she's going?"

"Greenpath. Definitely Greenpath." Cloth cracked her back, grabbing her club from the side of the door. "C'mon, let's go get her. Hollow, mind staying here?"

Hollow nodded slowly. They never liked seeing their sister so upset.

"Right. We'll be back soon."

Tiso followed short, grabbing his shield. "Add some more meat to dinner while we're gone-"

"They're vegetarian remember?" Cloth chided.

"Ah. Damn. Do you think if we sneak it in-"

"Don't."

Chapter Text

Somehow, as Team Snakemouth delved further into Greenpath, the local flora started to change. More and more gnarled, thorny vines overtook the moss, choking it for resources.

“Are we still in Greenpath?” asked Vi, poking one of the mushrooms and recoiling as it spewed a cloud of spores.

Kabbu pulled out the map, trying to pinpoint where they were. “Uh. Yes? Leif, do you still feel that magic presence?”

Leif glanced around. “It’s...murky. Muddled. Like there’s different sources all around us.” He pat the mossy creature in his arms as he thought. “We can’t pinpoint anything concrete. But up ahead…looks like a tunnel.”

“Huh…it’s not on our map.”

Vi shrugged, “This is a big place. I doubt they know every little thing that goes on here! Maybe there’s more bugs! Or maybe more husks I can see, because I didn’t see the last ones-”

“I sincerely hope there isn’t.”

The trio carefully traversed the small tunnel. Mushrooms started to become more prevalent as they walked, their caps poking from rocks and in between cracks in the wall.

“That lingering magic…it’s definitely here.” Leif comments. “Not the magic we sensed before, though.”

“How many Gods are in this place?” muttered Vi.

The other side of the tunnel was very different from Greenpath. It was almost as if they had stepped into an entirely different world; gone was the moss and leaves and thorny vines. There was now only mushrooms and the spore-filled air.

“This isn’t Greenpath at all.”

“Well, let’s turn back.” Kabbu said, turning around and beginning to walk. “...wait. This ground…we walked on it earlier, but I think we may have disturbed it. It may be unsafe.”

He picked up a rock, tossing it inside the tunnel. There was a loud crack, and the entire tunnel gave way. Where there was ground was now a deep, dark, bottomless pit…

Kabbu shuddered. “...so no going back now.”

“So now what? Are we stuck?” squeaked Vi.

Leif peered over Kabbu’s shoulder to look at the map. “This is only a hunch…but we think we’re in the Fungal Wastes. Just a guess.”

“I agree. I think we can head back up to Dirtmouth through the Fungal Wastes. There should be a path up ahead.” Kabbu tucked the map back into his bag. “We’ve dawdled enough. Let’s hope we don’t find any more corpses…”

Hornet descended the well, muttering under her breath.

Pity. She hated pity. She could remember the condescending tones and false smiles of the retainers at the White Palace.

“The Beast sleeps now. The poor grub.” the retainers whispered behind her back. “How blessed then, for his Paleness to take her in.”

“Beasts have no manners. No morals. She’ll have to be taught, if she wants to stay here.”

Hornet growled at the memories. She didn’t need their pity, she didn’t want their pity. They were perfectly fine here, Hallownest had been isolated for centuries without issue.

…Well, the infection certainly was an issue. But it was gone now, never to darken their doorsteps again.

A small voice echoed from the market stands. “H-Hello Hornet!”

Hornet couldn’t be mad at Myla. Really, who could? “Greetings, Myla. How are your wares?”

“G-Good! Have you met the newcomers? They bought something earlier. They-They seem nice.”

She hissed under her breath. “Looks can be deceiving.”  

“They went to Greenpath, i-if you're looking for them!”

Well, that killed her plans of going to Greenpath to unwind.

“No, I am in fact doing the opposite. Good day, Myla. I would normally invite you for dinner, but we have three unexpected leeches joining us tonight.”

“O-Oh no?”

Hornet unsheathed her needle as she left, beelining for the Fungal Wastes. Normally, the local wildlife in the Wastes was…unpalatable.

But if the Garpede was still lingering…that would certainly give her an outlet. Garpedes were near impossible to kill, but fun to fight nonetheless.

Myla was just starting to close up shop when Tiso and Cloth descended from the well.

“Myla, did you see Hornet pass by?” Asked Cloth. “We had an argument.”

Before Myla could answer, Ghost hopped up from the entrance to the Fog Canyon.

“Wait up, I'm not as fast as you!” Quirrel echoed behind them.

“Well,” said Tiso. “She's not in Fog Canyon.”

Ghost began helping Quirrel up. “Uh oh, did we lose a guest?” he asked, dusting himself off.

“Worse. Got into a fight with Hornet.” Cloth explained. “She just…she's not understanding that our guests are trying to offer help.”

“I knew she'd be apprehensive.” Quirrel sighed, shaking his head. “Well, let's go find her, I suppose.”

“S-She went to the Fungal Wastes.” Myla offered. “I-I heard there was a Garpede in there!”

Tiso nervously snickered.

The four of them waved goodbye to Myla before following Hornet into the Fungal Wastes.

The Fungal Wastes weren't nearly as pleasant as Greenpath.

Gone were was the moss and greenery, the sprawling vines and bushes, the small wildlife bustling about.

Now it was just mushrooms. Mushrooms and spores and acid.

Leif sneezed, wiping at his snout. “This place…is not pleasant. The spores in the air are not kind to our nose.”

Kabbu looked at the map once more, trying fruitlessly to pinpoint their location. “I think…we're lost.”

Vi whipped around, glaring at one of the darker tunnels of the wastes. She had no proof, but she swore they were being watched. Little eyes gleaming in the inky blackness. Whispers behind their backs.

“This place is giving me the creeps! This entire cave system is awful!”

“Well, let’s try…this direction?” Kabbu said, sounding more than unsure.

“We'll probably miss dinner at this rate.”

Vi huffed, “I can’t believe you’re thinking of food.”

“You’re not hungry?”

“W-Well, I am! But this seems more important-”

Kabbu swiftly shoved the map into their bag. “We need to leave.”

“That’s what I’m saying!”

He picked Vi and Leif up, much to their confusion. “I can sense something, tunneling close by. Something big. We need to go.”

While normally the two would be deeply offended by this, Vi and Leif didn’t protest, not with how deadly serious Kabbu sounded.

By the time they entered a large room in the tunnels, Vi and Leif could feel it too. A deep trembling within the walls and floors, getting more intense with every second-

A tremor caused Leif to drop the mossy creature. “W-Wait! We dropped-”

Bursting from the floor was a massive monster, a tunneling terror with hundreds of legs and enormous mandibles. It had tossed the moss creature into the air, biting down with a disgusting crunch. It turned its head to Team Snakemouth, all four of its eyes glaring down upon them. 

Kabbu looked over his shoulder, his voice trembling, “B-BEAST?!” 

“S-SNAKE?!” Vi shouted.

“It’s bad news, that’s what it is! Kabbu! Get us out of here!”

Kabbu didn’t need any convincing. There was an entrance to another tunnel at the end of the clearing, and the beetle made a mad dash for their salvation.

But the Tunneling Beast was faster.

It slammed part of its long, segmented body in front of them, blocking their path completely. It clacked its mandibles together and let out a shell-chilling screech.

Kabbu skidded to a stop. “No good! We’ll have to fight!”

Vi clung onto Kabbu, even as he tried to remove her. “HOW?! That’s bigger than the Beast! It’s bigger than the Tidal Wyrm!”

Leif took a fighting stance beside Kabbu. “Maybe so, but we fought those and won, didn’t we?”

“Y-Yeah, but I still don’t like this!”

Perched on Kabbu’s shoulder, Vi threw her boomerang at the Tunneling Beast. “That’s it, Vi! Direct shot!”

Vi’s Beemerang hissed through the air, hitting the Tunneling Beast and immediately bouncing off with a soft clink!

“OK. That did nothing.” Leif shook out his shoulders. “Cover us. We doubt it can shake off magic so easily.”

Magic took concentration. Focus. Getting attacked while casting a spell was a surefire way to ruin it.

The tail of the Tunneling Beast swung forward, Kabbu only barely managing to use his horn to parry the attack.

“Maybe you do need a club, Kabbu!” said Vi, rushing forward to get her beemerang, barely dodging a lunge from its mandibles.

“Afterwards I’ll consider it!”

“MOVE!” Leif barked, a surge of freezing magic ready and aimed at the Tunneling Beast’s middle. “NOW!”

His magic shot through the ground, leaving massive ice crystals in its wake, before spiking upwards. The ice failed to crack through the Beast’s hardened carapace, but it did succeed in freezing that one section in place.

The Tunneling Beast writhed and thrashed, shrieking as it tried to release itself from the ice crystal pinning it in place.

Vi hid behind Kabbu, holding her beemarang tight. “It just looks pissed off!”

“None of our attacks have done anything…” said Kabbu through gritted mandibles. “But if we keep freezing it, maybe the cold can help shatter it!” 

“At the very least, freezing it will let us escape.” Leif began preparing another spell. “Cover us!”

The Tunneling Beast lurched forward, mandibles snapping as it prepared to bite them.

There was the hiss of metal through air, and a blade embedded itself into the Tunneling Beast’s eye. It screamed in pain, rearing back and shaking its head to try and dislodge it.

Hornet landed in front of Team Snakemouth, briefly looking over her shoulder to glare at them. “Of course you fools would find the Garpede. And now I need to rescue-”

“MOVE OUT OF OUR WAY!”

She did so, barely dodging the second wave of ice crystals shooting from the ground. Another segment of the Garpede was swiftly encased in ice, only enraging it further.

“Y-You, Moth! Was that your doing?” asked Hornet, sounding genuinely surprised. “You may not be as helpless as I thought…but it’s best you let me handle this.”

Leif shrugged. “OK. That tunnel should be-”

Kabbu grabbed him by the shoulders. “No, no, we can’t leave now! This is an excellent opportunity!”

“A good opportunity for dying, maybe! What are you talking about?”

Hornet lept onto the Garpede, scaling its back until she reached the head. With her needle in reach, she ripped it from the beast’s eyesocket. 

“This isn’t just a Garpede, this must’ve been an elder…perhaps female…” she muttered to herself, using her needle to swing off and out of biting range. 

“This is a great opportunity to prove ourselves to Hornet! Score some points!” Kabbu explained in a hush. “Vi, do you remember what Cloth told us?”

Vi nodded. “We need to be stubborn! We gotta show her we care!” the bee turned around, shouting, “We’re not gonna abandon you!! Team Snakemouth never runs from a fight! We’ll help out how we can!”

Hornet was quick, faster than any bug they had seen. Using her needle not just as a weapon, but a psuedo-grappling hook to swing around the arena. Upon hearing the bee’s proclamation, she dropped from the ceiling in front of them.

“Listen, you don’t know what you’re up against. This is a Garpede. No blade can piece its shell. Especially one this old. Only the juveniles with soft shells can be defeated.”

Her mandibles chittered from behind the mask, and she said very forcefully. “I am trying to be nice. Take up my offer before someone gets hurt.”

“You clearly don’t know us. We are Team Snakemouth, and we never abandon a friend!” Kabbu insisted. “We’ll help how we can!”

She clearly wanted to argue more on the matter. But the Garpede swung its tail again, causing all the bugs to scatter. “Keep it distracted! We'll keep freezing it as much as we can!”

“You should all leave!” Hornet insisted, clinging to the wall. “‘More Bugs’ is not the solution to this problem!”

There was a bellowing war cry as Cloth jumped from a tunnel near the ceiling, using the momentum to swing her club down, down, down-

Hitting the Garpede in the head with a resounding THUD, the beast stunned for the moment as its entire body drooped. 

“Did you FOLLOW me?!” Demanded Hornet.

“Yes we did! We’re not done with our conversation, and there is no way you can defeat this on your own!”

Leif took notice of the Garpede as it lay still, if only for a moment, before slowly rising back up. “The head…if we could freeze the head…”

Ghost wasn’t far behind, slowing their fall with a set of silver wings. Upon touching the ground, they unsheathed their blade, gleaming with a brilliant light-

“Whoa! Stay with me!” Kabbu insisted, picking Ghost up. “This is dangerous! No place for children!”

The Garpede stretched and flexed, breaking the ice that once pinned it in place. Now, with its movement returned, the Garpede shifted and coiled around the space with a shriek.

“Moth! Use your ice magic!” Hornet shouted.

“Stun it again! Get its head on the ground!” he shouted back.

“What would that accomplish?!”

“You’ll have to trust us on that!”

Kabbu shifted from one foot to the other. “I have an idea! Vi, you hold Ghost.” and he shoved the small bug into Vi’s arms.

“What?! I’m not a Grubsitter!” she tried to protest, falling on deaf ears.

Kabbu rushed to Cloth’s side. “What if I toss you into the air? Do you think you can stun it again?”

“It’s worth a shot! Ready when you are!”

He picked her up, aiming for the Garpede’s head. “Aaaaaand- HEAVE!”

Cloth let out another war cry, raising her club high. The Garpede turned to her, and her club made direct contact with the side of its head.

The Garpede fell, its head and neck landing into the ground with a thud.

“Now, Moth!”

Leif sent a final wave of ice, encasing the Garpede’s head and neck in a block of ice.

“Hornet! Strike the middle of the block!” shouted Leif. “Strike the middle! Shatter it!”

She needed no more encouraging. With blazing speed, she charged from the wall, needle ready to strike-

Her needle struck dead in the center with a terrible CRACK . Spiderweb-like fractures spread through the block of ice, and more cracking noises filled the room.

She dug her needle in only a touch deeper, and the block of ice split in two…and the Garpede with it. Its head decapitated from its body, its form writhing as the last bits of its life seeped through its severed neck.

Its coiled body crashed to the floor, and lay still.

“I…I can’t believe that worked.” Hornet whispered, peering down at the hemolymph pooling at the floor.

“Of course! Anything is possible with Teamwork!” Kabbu said.

Cloth nudged him. “Tone it down a little.”

From the tunnel above them, they heard the voice of Quirrel. “Hello? Is everything alright? That was a commotion!”

“Come down, Quirrel! Tiso too! You won’t believe this!” Cloth yelled back.

Quirrel hopped down, a little rocky on the landing. “Ooh, bit high- OH!” He slowly approached the Garpede corpse. “Such a large specimen! How did you do it?”

“The Moth- Leif. He froze the head and neck, which made it brittle enough to split.” Hornet explained, hopping down.

“We appreciate you using our name this time.” Leif said with a bow.

Tiso followed shortly after. “WHOA! Heey, I thought I lost you-!”

Hornet was swift to confront him. “YOU! YOU SAID YOU GOT A GARPEDE, NOT A MONSTROSITY!”

“How was I supposed to tell?! They dig!” he shouted back. “It worked out in the end, didn’t it?!”

“Yes…and what do you plan on doing with this?” asked Kabbu.

“We’ll bury it, give our proper respects.” Tiso answered.

“Oh, that’s…very nice of you-”

“HA! No! That was a joke! We’re gonna take it back to Dirtmouth and cook it! It’ll make a great Feast!”

Vi set a squirmy Ghost down, looking pale. “Y-You’re gonna eat it?”

Quirrel clapped his hands. “Oh! It’s been some time since a Feast! It’ll be a wonderful celebration!”

“For our new friends!” Cloth added. “A Feast of Garpede Meat!”

Leif swallowed nervously. “H..Hooray?”

Chapter Text

Team Snakemouth awkwardly offered to help carry the Garpede up to Dirtmouth. It was massive up close, the thickest parts of its long body being as wide as Kabbu was tall.

But Quirrel shook his head. “That’d be rather rude, having you carry something you don’t plan to eat. It’d be a great help if you go on ahead while we carve it up.”

Leif glanced over, suppressing a gag as he watched Hornet using her needle to slice between the carapace and flesh of the neck. “Yes, let’s leave now.”

“I’ll take you back up.” said Cloth as she swung her club over her shoulder. “I'll dig us a little tunnel.”

As they began to leave, they overheard Quirrel telling Ghost to ‘tell the stragglers’ about the Feast.

“Oh, this will be fun! We haven’t had a celebration since…” Cloth thought as she dug out the small tunnel. “Oh, I think when Hollow was finally able to walk around.”

“Like a get-well party?” asked Vi.

“Yeah, that’s an apt comparison. Hollow was hit very hard by the Infection; their recovery was a good sign, and definitely worth celebration.”

Kabbu squeezed his way beside her, “Do you need help with the digging? And…do you not have other celebrations? Festivals? Parties?”

“We do! They’re just…small. We’ve been focusing on rebuilding, mostly.”

“Sad.” Leif whispered to Vi.

Finally, Cloth finished her tunnel, landing them on the outskirts of lower Dirtmouth. Even at a distance, it was clear there was a panic in the air, a general sense of worry and concern.

“Uh oh. I thought we were far down enough that no one would notice…” Cloth muttered, dusting off bits of dirt off her shoulders. “Back in your Kingdom, were you good at settling crowds?”

The three looked amongst each other. No, that was usually Maki’s job.

“Just follow my lead.”

Cloth entered the marketplace, Team Snakemouth close behind, and they were subsequently swarmed with anxious merchants. 

“W-What happened down there?” Myla asked, trembling from nerves. “We heard screams and shrieks, and the entire market was sh-shaking!”

They all looked so scared. Quivering in their shells, ready to flee at a moment’s notice. Was this a regular occurrence for them? Or was it just instinct, molded by past events…?

Cloth’s voice was loud over the crowd of frightened whispers and murmurs. “It’s alright everyone, there was a bit of trouble, but thanks to our New Friends, Team Snakemouth-” she gestured to the three, who tried not to notice the dozens of eyes on them now, “It’s been taking care of!”

“W-What was it?”

“A Garpede escaped Deepnest. But- But! Let me finish!” she said quickly, hearing the frightened muttering returned. “With the help of Kabbu, Leif, and Vi, the Beast is dead!”

Cheers erupted from the crowd, some of the bugs nearby stammering out grateful words to the three.

“Oh yeah. I missed this.” said Vi, crossing her arms over her chest,

But Cloth still wasn’t done. “Hornet and Quirrel are working to get the Garpede to the surface for a Feast!”

This caused the loudest cheer yet, and with the promise of this celebration, the locals truly got to work; closing up shop, cleaning up the areas, putting up meager decorations, and rushing to tell the great news to everyone nearby.

Cloth turned to the three, who were a bit stunned by the local bugs acting so quick. “Be honest. When you first came to Dirtmouth, what did you think?”

“Grey.” Vi said.

Kabbu replied next, “Dreary?” 

“Little dead.” Leif said with a shrug.

“Just wait until you see the Feast.”

Seeing the town of Dirtmouth prepare for a festival was like seeing a beast waking up from a deep, long slumber.

The once quiet, unassuming townsbugs were moving with a clear purpose; prepare for celebration. Small, humble decorations, places for bugs to sit, tables for food. There was a new energy that filled every nook and cranny of Dirtmouth; an excited, buzzing energy that was spreading from bug to bug to bug.

Cloth and Hollow (mostly Cloth) set up large fires, no doubt to cook the garpede when it arrived. “You’re welcome to have some, you know.” she offered. “I’m sure we’ll have plenty. Our larders will be full for the first time in months!”

She didn’t notice the concerned look Team Snakemouth shared with each other.

Hollow did, but misinterpreted. They nudged Cloth, then began to sign. “Will make you food. No meat. Fought hard, need nutrients. Have dish already in mind.”

And Hollow slowly shambled off, no doubt to gather ingredients.

“They’re very passionate about cooking.” Leif said, mostly to himself.

“Between you and me? I think they enjoy following a list of steps. With some room for safe experimentation.” said Cloth, sounding almost sad. “Hornet tells of a time where Hollow had no will of their own, no sense of self.”

Kabbu shivered. “Sounds awful.”

More bugs emerged to prepare. Some came from the well, some emerged from their homes, some came from the red tents. The bugs from the red tents were visibly different from the others, dressed in red and black, wearing white masks with black streaks. They were setting up what appeared to be a small stage for a performance.

Now the town was really looking like a celebration was about to commence.

A great commotion came from the well, and the bugs that were just lingering about rushed over to help. And slowly, inching out of the well like a centipede from hell, the corpse of the Garpede was lifted up and out of the depths of the cave.

With the help of the town, they carried the corpse of the Garpede to the center of town, onto the tables for preparation.

Hornet spoke briefly to Tiso and Quirrel before turning to Team Snakemouth.

They tried very hard to ignore the large splatters of hemolymph on her once pristine red cloak. “I see those looks. Some adventurers you are, if you cannot handle a bit of gore.”

“N-No, no. We’ve seen our fair share…you’re just so nonchalant about it.” Kabbu tried to explain, stifling a gag.

She didn’t seem impressed by this. “Has my sibling returned?”

“Ghost? No…”

Hornet let out a disgruntled sigh. “I forgot to send them a chaperone…well, if you really want to see the residents of Hallownest…you’ll get your wish.”

Team Snakemouth had never been interested in bug-watching. Such a passive hobby, they couldn’t exactly fit the activity into their busy schedule.

But here, in Dirtmouth, they suddenly found themselves very interested.

From the deep tunnels of the fallen kingdom, it seemed like every bug from every walk of life emerged to partake in the feast. Bugs in all shapes and sizes, all sorts of colors. Large ones carrying packs and bags as large as they were, ones completely hidden in hoods or cloaks or capes, small ones that skittered and scuttled underfoot, and so many, many more.

But…they weren’t right.

It was as if they were poor facsimiles of bugs, created from the same basic description, but so very different. 

It was easy to guess that the insect with fuzz and yellow stripes was a bee, but bees generally weren’t normally so large, heavily armored or covered in brown fur. Nor did bees usually ride atop other, larger bees.

And it was easy to guess the slender, weapon-wielding bugs were mantises, but some of the mantises had blades instead of paws.

There were others that they couldn’t even fathom what they could be. A long, slender, black centipede that wore a stark white mask that could split in half? A bug that wore a snail shell as a hat? Pudgy white creatures that moved with a strange sadness to them? A pink, squishy bug covered in jewels?

Vi thoughtfully chewed on the salad Hollow brought them. It wasn’t what she expected, the leaves and vegetables springy instead of crunchy, but not bad. “...What do you think those ones are?” she whispered.

Kabbu and Leif looked at the bugs in question. They had come in a group, colored green with dark eyes and fluffy antennae, wearing moss and armor, carrying rusted blades.

“It’s not nice to comment on other appearances.” Kabbu answered. “We’re guests here.”

The Garpede had been slowly roasting for hours now, piece by piece. As soon as the shell began to turn a brilliant red, it was removed from the fires, cut, and divided amongst the crowd. Then, another piece was set to start cooking.

The festivities only grew with each new addition. They added life to the party, so to speak. The bugs in red brought music, performing strange, unknown songs on the stage. And, with some, they had brought their own dishes to add to the Feast. The ‘Mantises’ had brought their own cooked meat to share, the ‘bees’ had brought barrels of some sort of drink, and the mossy-leafy bugs had brought mushrooms and berries on skewers to cook.

“Are those done cooking yet?” asked Leif, trying to crane his neck to look over the crowd.

Team Snakemouth tried to keep their head low. Cloth and Quirrel were quick to tell anyone that asked that they were the reason for the feast. And while normally, the trio would be happy to join in…

Something caused them to hesitate. Maybe they felt a little out of place. They were the strangers here, in a culture they didn’t know, with customs they didn’t understand. 

Maybe the fact that almost every single bug carried a blade of some kind made them nervous.

They had found a spot to eat just on the outskirts of the festival. Close enough to enjoy the merriment and mirth, but far enough to hopefully not draw attention.

“Here. I saw you eyeing these.” Tiso said as he walked up, carrying four skewers of mushrooms and berries. “You’re our guests, I wanted to make sure you had some.”

Leif eagerly took the skewer offered to him, Kabbu following suit. “Ah, thank you Tiso.”

“Any sign of Ghost?”

Vi shook her head as she took the skewer. “No…we’ve been looking. There’s so many of them…I thought Hallownest was…was…”

“Dead?” Tiso finished for her, pausing to take a bite from the fourth skewer. “There’s lots of stragglers. They usually keep to themselves, only coming together for times of crisis or celebration. The mantis tribe, the mosskin, the bees-”

The well shook.

A few bugs in strange, rusted armor began climbing out of the well. But they did not join the feast. They looked back into the well, waiting for… something.

Tiso choked, dropping the skewer onto the ground. “T-The Fools-”

And without explanation, he ran back to the festival, disappearing into the crowd.

“F…fools?” Leif asked slowly, the trio looking back to the well to see what that could mean.

Legs skittered from the sides of the well, gripping tight to try and scramble up. Bursting from the well was a beast , with tendrils for a mouth, a fat body, and a cracked face. But the beast wasn’t alone, there was a bug riding atop. The rider had the strange armor, rusted red, and a massive lance.

The beast squeezed itself out of the well, the bugs in strange armor cheering and hollering as it did so.

“Fools?” Kabbu repeated, internally debating if this meant a fight. The rest of the festival had noticed their presence by now, and there was a definite shift in the air.

“Do we…?” asked Vi, as if sensing Kabbu’s internal thoughts.

The bug rider turned their head, pointing at them with a free hand. And the fools - and beast - began approaching.

Leif slowly put down the empty skewer atop his empty salad bowl, and moved the two off his lap. “...Team? Should we-”

“Hey.” the rider said as they approached. The rest of the fools waited by her side, as if waiting for commands. “You Team Snakemouth?”

Vi and Leif turned to Kabbu, waiting for him to answer for them. Kabbu swallowed. “Y…Yes?”

“So you’re the ones that killed the Garpede, then?”

The entire party had gone silent, even the musicians had stopped playing, watching this encounter with keen interest.

“Well, I believe it was more of a group effort-” Kabbu began to say.

“Yeah, we killed it!” Vi shouted. “What about it?”

The rider leaned back, reaching into the saddle on the side of the beast. “Here. From the Colosseum.” and she tossed a heavy bag at them.

Kabbu caught it first, hesitantly looking inside. 

It was full of silver rocks, the same silver rocks that led them to Hallownest in the first place.

“Don’t spend it all in one place, alright?” The rider said, sounding almost playful under the helmet.

Then, the rider and the fools turned to the festival. “Hey? Is this a party, or what?! Let’s have some fun!”

And with her proclamation, the joy and mirth returned. The performers continued their songs, and the cooking commenced.

But now the festival goers knew of Team Snakemouth.

The ‘mantises’ slowly approached them now, and they looked even stranger up-close. So…stringy, but they moved with such grace. The three tallest mantises - who all looked identical - bowed their head. 

“Is the Fool Leader correct?” the middle one asked.

“You slayed the Garpede?” the one on the left asked.

“You are Snakemouth?” the one on the right asked 

“Uhm. Yes?” Leif replied, hoping to answer all three.

“You have our thanks.” They said in unison, bowing even lower to them.

Another ‘mantis’ slowly approached. Larger than the others, but not as tall as the three identical ones, with blades for arms and a broken horn. He rasped, “I hhave not sseen a celebration like thiss…ssince before the infectionhhh…you hhave my thhhanksss…”

“S-Sure dude! Do-don’t mention it…” Vi muttered, scooting closed to Kabbu. 

More and more bugs began to cautiously approach. Each giving their quiet thanks, each trying to get a closer look at the trio, some even trying to offer gifts and trinkets.

Despite trying to not become the center of attention, the center of attention they became.

Finally, the last few bugs crawled from the well; a large bug with a fuzzy coat and an equally large blade, an enormous beetle that walked on all six legs, and little Ghost.

“ORO, YOU PIECE OF SHIT!” another large bug (who also looked nearly identical, did Hallownest have a pension for twins and triplets?) shouted from the crowd.

“Shove off, I'm allowed to join a festival.” Oro replied gruffly.

Little Ghost watched the two stragglers slowly join the festival and mingle, looking mighty pleased.

“My friend, did you really invite everyone ?” Quirrel asked, sounding a touch exasperated.

Ghost nodded, then happily hopped away, rushing to say hello to everyone.

“Whoa, look over there!” Vi whispered, tugging on Kabbu and Leif to get their attention.

Hornet, who had been tending to the fires and cooking the Garpede all night, had finally sat down with her own bowl. She sat by a beetle in red armor and the warrior bee, and it was clear by her body language that she was relaxed and actually laughing. They couldn't hear her, chuckling softly in the company of her friends, but it was such a strange sight to see.

For a bug who had been nothing but hostile, nothing but aggressive, nothing but violent…

She was interrupted by a tall, red bug. Instantly her sharpness returned. The red bug whispered to her, and she took a moment to consider before nodding. She quickly scarfed down the rest of her bowl, then unsheathed her needle.

Getting a little nervous now, Team Snakemouth watched the same red bug find Ghost. The bug leaned down, grinning as they whispered something to Ghost now, who seemed very excited.

“...Should we be concerned?” Leif asked.

The crowd of bugs started to shift. Most of them had eaten or were currently eating, and had turned their attention to the stage to watch the performers. Some moved closer for a better view, including Team Snakemouth.

The red bug appeared on the stage with a puff of smoke and a delighted applause from the audience. “Distinguished guests!” the bug said, voice raspy and low. “This has been a lovely evening, and I extend my gratitude to our guests for providing the bulk of the meal.”

He gestured to the trio, who sheepishly accepted the applause from the festival goers.

“But, what is a gathering like this without a little live entertainment, hm? Well, what do you all think?”

The crowd cheered at that, and the red bug relished in the attention. “Well, you’re all in luck! I’ve prepared quite a treat for you all! A glorious spectacle of combat, between some of the most skilled fighters in all of Hallownest!”

Surely he didn’t mean-

“On this side of the stage, you’ve all seen this little shadow flitting about. Some of you may have even been on the opposing end of their wicked blows. None other than the Ghost of Hallownest!”

Ghost practically pranced onto the stage like a show-aphid, waving to the crowd. While most of the crowd cheered, there were a few who booed and hissed - no doubt bugs that Ghost had fought in the past.

“I-I can’t condone this! Ghost is just a grub-” Kabbu started to say, but the red bug continued.

“Opposite side of the stage, as quick as the wind and as sharp as her own needle, she never backs down from a fight, even with her own life on the line. Hallownest’s protector and sentinel, Hornet!”

Hornet didn’t have the same excited pep that Ghost did, but even from the audience it was clear she was ready to fight. Her form was tense, eyes focused on Ghost completely, like a spider watching its prey about to stumble into its web. Most of the crowd cheered her as well, but a few were rooting for Ghost instead.

“Ooh, the drama! Needle versus nail, sibling versus sibling! Who will come out on top?”

“He’s going to make them fight?!” Kabbu stood. “That’s-That’s barbaric! We can’t allow that- She’ll kill them-!”

“Oh, sit down. It’s not that worrisome, the two fight all the time.” A bug nearby answered. He was average height compared to the other attendants, with a long furry beard and fuzzy collar. He squinted at them. “...Good lord, you three really aren’t from here, are you?”

“No, we’re from a nearby Kingdom.” Leif said. “Bugaria, do you know of it?”

“Haven’t the foggiest.” The bug glanced around. “If you have the time, I'll be shopping here tomorrow. Come talk to me.”

“Ah! Your name is?”

The bug settled back into his seat. “Lemm. Of the Relic Seekers. You should watch this. For the first time, it's rather impressive.”

“Impressive?” asked Kabbu, still very apprehensive about the whole thing.

“Ghost has fought half of the audience here, I assure you.” Lemm waved his hand to shush him. “Sit down, it’s about to start.” 

“I want a good, clean fight now.” The red bug purred. “And try not to destroy my nice stage, hm?”

Ghost and Hornet bowed to one another. The musicians - who had moved a safe distance off the stage - began to play.

The two clashed with surprising speed, the sound of metal clanging against metal echoing through the town.

It was almost like a dance. Ghost and Hornet dodged and weaved around one another, occasionally parrying attacks. It was clear just by watching that the two fought similarly; either they had been taught by the same person, or Hornet had taught Ghost.

Vi was completely mesmerized by the performance. “Look at them go! Could you imagine Tod fighting like that, Leif?”

“We’d rather not.” Leif muttered, completely horrified by the display.

There was a flash of light, and gleaming strands of silk suddenly enveloped Hornet. They spun and twisted around the stage, and Ghost couldn’t dodge them all. The strands connected with the little bug, and there was a sickening crack of shell.

Cheers and boos briefly drowned out the musicians.

Hornet snickered, drawing the string back into her form. “Come now, don’t tell me you’re going easy on me!”

Going easy on her?

Ghost stood, trembling slightly. Some bugs in the crowd cheered them on, urging them to keep going.

They darted forward, their blade glowing a brilliant white. Hornet was barely able to raise her needle to block the devastating blow, the sheer force causing her to skid to the edge of the stage.

“HA! See that? That was my Dash Slash!” A voice shouted over the crowd.

Hornet steadied herself briefly, and threw her needle at Ghost with all her strength. Which, Ghost dodged. But Ghost did not dodge when Hornet jumped on top of them.

Weapons temporarily forgotten, Hornet and Ghost wrestled on the stage, more akin to rough-housing than actual playing. Despite this, the crowd had reached a crescendo, sensing the end of the fight and performance.

Team Snakemouth were swiftly becoming overwhelmed. The musicians, the ravenous cheering of the crowd-

Finally, Hornet grabbed the scruff of Ghost’s cloak, she raised them to the crowd. Ghost struggled and squirmed, trying to reach behind them to free themselves, with little luck. “Behold! I am victorious!”

And the crowd nearly exploded with applause and cheers . Hornet bowed to them, taking a moment to soak up the attention, then she tucked Ghost under her arm like a parcel.

Kabbu struggled to find the words to speak. “Well. That was…that was-”

“Intense.” Leif finished for him. “Combat seems to be of high importance here. Not just for survival, either…Vi, how do your wings feel?”

Vi winced as she tried to buzz her wings. “M-My back still hurts…I don’t think I can carry Kabbu out of here.”

“And we cannot make an ice float with three bugs on it. Hm…we are at least spending the night.”

Chapter Text

The party began to slowly wind down after a few hours. The elderly and frail bugs were the first to depart to their homes. The rest of the guests weren’t far behind, having their fill of food and company.

Many of them stopped to thank Team Snakemouth again before they left, and the trio anxiously accepted it.

They, too, were quite exhausted. Vi had practically fallen asleep in Leif’s lap, and Leif himself was barely keeping himself sitting upright. “We…we fell in this morning, right?” he asked, turning over the jar of honey that the strange bee had insisted on giving them. “How long has it been?”

Kabbu rubbed at his eyes. “By the Antcestors…I have no idea. It certainly feels like forever, hasn’t it?”

The remaining bugs were working hard at cutting up the remaining meat (there was still quite a bit) for storage and preservation. They moved with great precision and speed, having clear experience in preparing food like this.

Hornet had been speaking to the beetle in red armor, quite seriously from what Team Snakemouth could tell.

“So, what did you think of the festival?” asked Quirrel. “Quite a spectacle, hm?”

Leif tried to shake himself awake. “It was…certainly interesting to see. Very eye-opening.”

“It was good to see a bit of life in this town.” said Kabbu. “I was beginning to worry this place was as lively as a graveyard.”

“Oh, food certainly brings bugs together, doesn’t it? It was quite extraordinary, we rarely get such a menagerie for festivals and events. Maybe they could sense something different about this one.” he chuckled. “Or maybe it was just the prospect of garpede meat and some coincidence. There’s still plenty of leftovers, would you like some?”

Quirrel could tell the answer just by the sour look on their faces. “Alright, I was just offering. I’ll let Hornet know. She may offer her home to you. If not, there’s always plenty of room in the city!”

The idea of sleeping in a dead city wasn’t appealing to the three of them. But at the same time, staying in the same house as Hornet?

Soon, all of the meat was packed away, and all the guests had left. Leif had fully fallen asleep by that point, leaning against Kabbu. But the beetle nudged him awake as Hornet and her siblings approached.

“Part of me is tempted to let you sleep on the bench.” she said, and by the tone of her voice, it almost sounded like a joke. “I never got to personally thank you for helping me defeat the garpede. I haven’t eaten that well in some time.”

“We’re happy to assist.” Leif said slowly, trying to hide the fact that he was asleep just moments ago. “...what was that last part?”

“It’s only fair then, that I offer you our home to rest.” Then, she lowered her voice. “And I’ve been thinking. You say that there are kingdoms nearby, and they’re willing to… help.” She said, the word ‘help’ dripping with distrust.

Immediately, Kabbu and Leif shook off whatever exhaustion clung to them. “Y-Yes! Yes! I’m certain that once they know of your situation, they’d offer assistance however they can-”

“I am sure they would. But you must understand my hesitance.”

“Of course. You fear invasion.” Leif said simply.

She seemed surprised at his answer. “Well…yes. Higher Beings meddling in affairs that don’t pertain to them, it only causes strife and heartache…but at the same time, the prospect of medicine and supplies is nothing to scoff at.”

Hornet glanced at Hollow. Silent, save for the quiet wheezing of their breath. “Allow me time to think on the matter. Come. Let’s set you up for the night.”

“You’re not so bad when you’re not trying to stab us…” Vi sleepily muttered.

Hornet turned to look at her, tilting her head. “...suppose I am. Come. We should have spare blankets and pillows, if Ghost can share for once.”

Ghost took offense, fluttering and jumping about, tugging on her cloak. If they held any animosity for the fight earlier, they didn’t show it.

They returned to the house from before, Ghost diligently resting their nail against the weapon-and-coat rack.

Then, Ghost clambered onto the couch, crawling around like a weevil.

Suddenly, Team Snakemouth realized where all the cuts and scratches on the furniture came from.

Hornet grabbed them, placing them down on the floor. “Go get the spare blankets from your room. You do not need six blankets.”

Ghost looked at her, almost like they were trying to argue that they did, in fact, need six blankets.  Eventually they trudged upstairs to retrieve them. Hollow began to move the furniture, and Hornet swiftly tried to intervene.

“No, Hollow, you shouldn’t be doing that-” Hollow started signing, too fast for Snakemouth to even attempt to keep up. “- I know you can, I just don’t think- I am not treating you like a glass grub!”

“Please, allow us to help?” Kabbu offered.

“Yes, Hollow, I’d much rather have them do it than you.”

With some effort, the den was cleared away, giving the trio space to sleep on the floor. Ghost returned from the upstairs with spare pillows and blankets, and Hornet began extinguishing candles.

“Rest well.” was all Hornet said as she ascended the stairs, followed close behind by her siblings.

As Team Snakemouth nestled into the blankets that smelled faintly of dust and age, in a house that creaked and groaned with the wind, they hoped it wouldn’t take long to fall asleep.

But their day had been so long, so exhausting, that the three fell asleep the moment their heads hit their pillows.

Mothiva brushed out the fur on her chest and cheeks, paying more attention to the mirror than the empty bags by her vanity.

“Moth, I’d hate to rush you, but you should be packing.” came Zasp’s voice, trying to be gentle. “Maki wants us in the Wild Swamplands, pronto. Preferably before noon.”

“Right, I know. But I have a show.”

“...didn’t he say to cancel?”

She set the brush down with an irritated huff. “Zasp, I’m not canceling my show! With those losers gone, who will bring cheer and hope and joy to the masses? Plus, with them gone, more fans will come to see me!”

He tilted his head, “So…we’re just not going?”

“No, I’m staying for my show. You’re going to the Swamps to look around in the mud and gunk.”

Zasp nearly did a double take, wings buzzing with anxiety. “You’re going to do your show alone?! Who will protect you? What if you need help?!”

“You can help get Maki off my butt! You need to find Snakemouth, capiche?”

Zasp stammered, trying to find some sort of rebuttal. But Mothiva pouted, batting her eyes and pulling her best sad face.

“...of…of course, Mothiva. I'll leave immediately.”

When Kabbu opened his eyes, he was met with a pair of empty eyesockets staring back at him.

He yelped, startling his teammates awake, and Ghost jumped in surprise. “AH! Ghost! It's you!”

Vi grumbled, worming her way deeper into her blankets. “Too early…!”

Leif sat up, and Ghost wiggled over onto the moth’s lap. “We had…the strangest dream. We were at another party in the clouds. Bugs of all kinds flitted about, and we felt as if we were floating off the floor.” He absentmindedly rubbed between Ghost’s horns. “It was ethereal, strange, and wonderful…” his face fell. “And then, a red moth in a helmet called us an asshole, and claimed we were ‘attempting to take his place’ . And then we woke up.”

“Maybe you had too much of that drink from the barrels.” Offered Kabbu. “Or maybe all the magic is messing with your head. And don't think just because we're not home doesn't make the swear jar not apply."

Leif was only half listening. “That moth was so rude…”

“I see you had the ‘Ghost Wake-Up Call'.” Came Hornet’s voice from the top of the stairs. “They're just excited to see you.”

She came down, glancing at them. “Bee. Your wings. How are they?”

Vi grunted something from under the blankets.

“I have plans for today, you three. I hope you don't expect me to babysit you.” She said, head tilted. “I'm going on my patrols. Ghost should be more than happy to accompany you. I believe the market opens soon, and I know the Fools gave you money.”

“Oh!” Kabbu reached over for the bag. “These things right? They look like fossils, or pretty rocks-”

“We call them geo.” Hornet stepped over, peering into the bag. “That one is worth one, that one is worth five, and that one is worth twenty-five. Do you not use geo where you are from?”

Kabbu shook his head, but didn’t elaborate further.

With nothing else to say on the matter, Hornet made for the front door and left without a word.

“Guess we're on our own for breakfast.” Leif grumbled.

Kabbu began attempting to shake Vi awake. “Maybe there's something at the market. Plus, that bug from last night said he would be there, and he seems a knowledgeable sort.”

After finally shaking Vi awake (barely), the four of them left for the supposed market. Ghost led the way, hopping along as they went.

“Morning markets usually have something to eat.” Kabbu said, mostly to break the silence.

Leif glanced up at the darkness above them. “Hmm, if this is ‘morning’. We have no way to tell time.”

“Oh…I didn’t think of it like that…I wonder what time it is.”

“Still too early.” Vi grumbled.

“Look, there’s the bug from last night!” Kabbu pointed to the bug with the long beard, who appeared to be shopping for vegetables. “What was his name?”

“Lemjamin?” Leif suggested with a shrug. “Let’s go ask him.”

The bug noticed them approaching. “Ah, you three survived the party, hm? I never did catch your names…not that I’m one to normally ask the name of every bloke that wanders in. But not every wanderer kills a garpede.”

“I’m Kabbu, this is Leif, and the bee currently half asleep is Vi. Could you remind us of your name?”

“Lemm, of the Relic Seekers.” he said, squinting at a squishy spot on a root vegetable of some kind. “Bit of a historian myself. How’d you three end up here?”

“We…fell.” Leif said, hesitating slightly, possibly embarrassed.

“You… fell. ” he repeated, squinting at them. Then, after a moment, Lemm replied, “You can’t possibly be lying, not with that excuse. What, did you trip over a rock? Here-”

He handed Kabbu his bags, taking a closer look at the vegetables now. “So, why are you staying?”

“O-Oh, well, Vi hurt her wings, so we can’t leave until-”

“No, no. There’s something else. I can see it in your eyes.” Lemm reached into his pockets, placing a few bits of geo into Ghost’s paws. “Here. I think the nice weevil is here, selling her sweet rolls. Why don’t you go get one?”

Ghost excitedly tip-tapped in place, looking at their new shiny bits of geo, before darting off for the promise of sweet cakes.

“Little pitchers. Now that it’s just the adults-” he glanced at Vi, who was still half-asleep and definitely not paying attention. “...now that it’s just the adults, be honest. If you’re honest, I can offer more information.”

“This place sucks.” said the moth in a hush. “It's a death pit. We want to go back to our home and return with supplies like medicine, food, stuff along those lines-”

“Hm. Hornet won’t like that." He paid the merchant for his wares, putting them into the bag Kabbu was currently holding and moving on to the next stall. “But it’s a noble goal, if a bit optimistic.”

“Back home, our job is to help others in need. Keep the Kingdom safe.”

“Aye? Knights, hm?” Lemm turned to face them, arms crossed over his chest. “Look. I’m all for helping out the town. Gods know they need it.” he glanced around, gesturing for the two to lean in closer. “I was here during the Infection. I wasn’t born here, but I witnessed it first-hand.”

Leif looked a bit surprised. “How…how was it?”

“ Horrendous. Something out of a nightmare. Bugs like you and me, acting like…like…honestly I can’t even describe it. They’d shamble about, oozing pus and gore from every orifice. And when they were struck down, they’d just get back up again. They'd attack anything that moved, killing and devouring everything in their path.”

The two couldn’t help but shiver at the description. “It’s gone now, right?” Kabbu asked in a fearful whisper.

“Right. Little one took care of it. Somehow.” he gestured to Ghost, still looking around for the fabled sweet cakes. “Dunno how. They showed up, and it just…went away. Your goal is quite charitable, if you’re not lying to me. But…you must understand. These bugs are…well…how do I put this nicely… damaged. ”

 The beetle gave him a curious look. “Damaged?”

“Hornet. She’s the one in the red cloak, I’m certain you’ve seen her. Absolutely broken. Poor bastard was born smack in the middle of it. It’s all she knew for years, running around a Kingdom rotting from the inside out. No home, no family, no friends. All she had were the husks and the dead. It’s a miracle that she somehow survived.”

 A chill ran up Kabbu’s shell. A young bug, completely alone in an apocalypse. “How…how horrible.”

“Rest aren’t better.” Lemm said with a strange air of nonchalance. “Quirrel had to flee the kingdom for some time due to it. Completely scrambled his brain. Ghost had to fix the whole mess, I saw them traveling up and down the city, getting attacked by every husk in sight. And the Hollow Kn- the eldest. You’ve seen them. I don’t need to elaborate. The two dimwitted fighters have their own problems. Almost everyone in this damn place has problems.”

He turned to look at the stall closest to them. “Have these prices gone up?”

Leif stammered, glancing around as he tried to think. “The two fighters- Tiso. Cloth. They seem relatively…fine?”

Lemm scoffed. “Those two are just as mucked up in the head as everyone else. I'd take their word with a few pinches of salt.”

Kabbu frowned. “What makes you say that? They've been nothing but kind to us.”

“Everyone who came to Hallownest during the infection, they came here looking for something. And I'd like to state for the record, I'm not exempt. I came looking for relics, treasures of the past, scraps of history.”

He picked up an unknown fruit, inspecting it closely. “No…Tiso and Cloth came here looking to die.”

Kabbu and Leif tried not to think too hard about that terrifying bit of information. “D..Die? Did you say that right?” Leif asked, unable to help himself.

“Yep. Came damn close too, if what Quirrel said was true.” Lemm put the fruit back, deciding the price was too much, and began to wander again. “Ghost found them, half dead, and carried them back to Dirtmouth. They’ve got a new attitude now, a whole new change in perspective.” He looked at them with a half-smile. “Least I’d hope.”

“Why are you telling us this?” the moth finally cut to the heart of the conversation. “What’s your gain?”

Lemm spoke very seriously now. “I’m trying to make my point painfully clear. You want to help? Then you need to tread extremely carefully. For their sake and yours. If you push them too far, they’ll lash out. Fighting is all they’ve ever known. Kill or be killed, eat or be eaten. The first time Ghost saw me, they swung their nail at me in fright. You will quite literally kill them with kindness.”

He gestured with his hands, “You can’t just show up with a bunch of bugs from your Kingdom. Hornet would - and I mean this quite seriously - lose her mind, and possibly kill them.”

Kabbu thought back to their encounter with Hornet in the cliffs. “Y-Yeah…that seems about right.”

“And why are you telling us?” Leif asked again. “Are you not ‘damaged’ yourself?”

“The only thing damaging me is the raise in prices here. I managed to get out of this whole mess unscathed. I don’t mind more help around here too, as long as they don’t poke around where they aren’t wanted. And…” his voice grew strangely wistful. “Quirrel’s a…friend of mine. I worry about him.”

Ghost returned empty handed, quivering with rage at being tricked. Lemm chuckled, “Oh, was she not here? Shame. Give me back my geo then.”

“Your insight has been…eye-opening.” Leif said, watching little Ghost with a newfound horror.

“Aye. One day, I’ll have you help me look for relics around here. As payment.”

Chapter Text

“We just…we still have more questions.” Leif mumbled to himself. 

Ghost, having been denied the prospect of sweet rolls, had begun scouring the markets for something else to eat. After the talk with Lemm, Team Snakemouth had completely lost their appetite.

“How much investigation work do you wanna do? We already got the picture!” Vi began to argue. “There was a sprawling Kingdom, then a God or whatever made everyone sick and crazy!”

Kabbu began speaking his thoughts on the matter. “And I’ll be honest, thinking too hard about it makes me…upset. Everyone is so nonchalant about such a tragedy…”

Leif shook his head. “We worry about explaining this to Elizant. Too little details, and she may underestimate the direness of the situation. Too many details, and she may get the wrong idea.”

“I’m telling you! Kingdom, crazy goddess, everyone died!”

Kabbu gestured for her to settle down. “Vi, we’re in a public space! Maybe don’t talk about death so loud?”

But Leif continued to quietly mumble. “Where did their Queen go…How did Ghost stop the enraged Goddess…why did Hollow ask if we were a moth?”

A bug started screaming off in the distance, from the upper levels of Dirtmouth. Ghost stopped what they were doing and dashed over to the well, nail in hand, and began to climb.

Kabbu sprung into action. “Let’s put a hold on this conversation, someone needs our help!”

It was a young beetle, clutching onto a training sword made of wood. “T-THERE’S SOMETHING IN THE HOWLING CLIFFS!” she wailed. “And Hornet is patrolling near the Crystal Peaks! It’ll be upon us before she returns!”

Team Snakemouth could feel the fear in the air, and they thought back to a conversation with Cloth. "She has so little left...and she's been hurt so much. We've had outsiders attempt to hurt us, and she's our first defense."  

The nearby bugs began whispering fearfully amongst one another. “Now now, Bretta. Everything will be alright…” Elderbug looked over to Ghost. “My friend…could you please-”

“We’ll come with!” Kabbu insisted. “It’s our job to protect others!”

Ghost seemed excited at the prospect of their new friends joining them. They tapped their nail against the rocky around and began to run ahead. And they were fast. They clearly knew the terrain better than the three, clambering over and leaping over rocks like it was second nature.

“The bugs here…are so fast…!” Kabbu panted.

Vi, without the use of her wings, struggled to keep up. “Yeah…! And they…hit hard!”

Ghost waited patiently at the tops of the cliffs for them to catch up. If they had any thoughts for how winded and slow the three were, they didn’t show it. Instead, they brandished their nail and turned to the empty expanse before them.

They didn’t move after that, still as a statue, waiting for their opponent to draw near. Ghost didn’t even seem to breathe.

Team Snakemouth could barely make out anything in the dark and gloom. 

“Do you see anything, little friend?” said Kabbu in a hush.

No answer.

But soon enough, they heard the distinct buzzing of powerful wings. Flight was a rare commodity in Bugaria, so more likely…it was a creature native to the caves and wilds below.

“Ready yourselves, team! Ghost, let us do the fighting.”

A figure began to emerge, the details lost in the murkiness of the dark. But it was tall and lanky, with large black wings.

As the creature approached, Ghost darted forward. “H-Hey! I said let us do the fighting!” Kabbu shouted after them.

The creature landed and began to walk briskly towards them. More details came into view; a red and black shell, a large stinger, bent and crooked antennae-

“WAIT, GHOST, WE KNOW HIM!” shouted Vi, starting to give chase.

“I knew it!” said Kabbu, following close behind. “I knew the guild would come looking for us!”

Zasp stopped walking, squinting to try and see a little clearer. “Team…Snakemouth? Is that you-?” He nearly jumped when Ghost skidded to a halt in front of them, “W-What is that-”

He was immediately tackled by Vi, and then by Kabbu. “I’ve never been so happy to see youuuu!” Vi whimpered, nuzzling against his leg.

Kabbu gave the wasp a crushing hug. “I’m so glad to see you! I knew you’d come find us!”

Zasp wiggled and squirmed, “Alright, alright, I get it! Let go of me!” Once freed from their affections, he grew angry. “Do you three morons know how much trouble you’ve caused?! You’ve been gone for three days! Maki’s ready to tear our heads off!”

“Three days? Huh. Our guess was off.” Leif muttered. “How did you find us?”

“I was doing a sweep of the grasslands when I found a load of rocks floating in the water. Following them, I found a small cave and this-” he held up a tuft of yellow fuzz, “-inside the entrance. I assumed you three idiots fell in.”

“What have you been doing down here anyway?” He pointed to Ghost. “And what is That?”

Kabbu cleared his throat. “Vi injured her wings when we fell down here, so we haven’t been able to leave. But we discovered a town, isolated from the surface for years!” He pat Ghost on the head. “This is one of the natives, Ghost. They’ve graciously allowed us to stay.”

“A town? All the way down here?” Zasp sounded surprised at the notion. “But there’s no sun, no plants, how could they have survived-”

“Maybe…you should come see for yourself.” said Leif. “We know everyone wants us back soon, but at least let us say goodbye.”

“...of course you made friends.” Zasp pointed to Ghost. “Can they please stop staring at me? Do they all look like this?”

Leif shrugged. “Some yes, some no. They look very different from what we’re used to. But here, we are the strange ones. And…tread carefully.”

Zasp gave him an odd look, but nodded.

Upon returning to Dirtmouth with Zasp in-tow, a small crowd began to gather. Zasp looked perturbed by the inhabitants, and they looked equally as intrigued by him. “Oh…is this a friend of yours?” asked Elderbug.

“Yes! He’s from our guild!” Kabbu gave Zasp a friendly nudge. “An explorer and adventurer, just like us! Zasp, why don’t you say hello?”

Zasp gave an awkward wave. “Sup?”

“We’ll be showing him around briefly before we say goodbye.”

The crowd began to slowly disperse, but some continued to stare at a safe distance. Ghost stuck around, interested in a potential new friend.

“This place…” Zasp said in a quiet hush. “It’s unlike any town I’ve ever seen. It’s almost like…have you read stories that adults tell to grubs about not wandering off? I feel like we’ve wandered off in one of those stories, and now we’re somewhere that we shouldn’t be.”

“That’s certainly a vivid description.” said Leif. “But it’s pretty accurate.”

He looked around a bit more. “...where’s the inn? The farms? Their Queen?”

Leif glanced at Ghost, covering the little bug in his wings in an attempt to muffle the conversation. “They don’t have any of those.”

Zasp tried very hard to portray himself as serious, emotionless. But it was clear by the anxious buzzing of his wings and twitching of his crooked antennae, he was confused and concerned. “No Queen? King, then? How have they been…living?”

“Hm.” Leif briefly thought of how best to describe it. “How does ‘poorly’ sound?”

“Stars above…”

“They’ve been foraging for supplies.” Kabbu began to explain. “From what we could gather, they’re recovering from a catastrophe, and the locals are still very fragile and skittish. We didn’t exactly get a warm welcome.”

“What does that mean-”

There was a flash of red and silver, and Zasp was tackled to the ground. The tip of Hornet’s needle was pointed firmly at his throat, just barely grazing the softer shell of his underside.

Zasp growled, “Oh. I see.”

“W-WAIT! HORNET! Th-That’s our friend!” Kabbu started to shout, wanting to step in and intervene, but feared that would make the situation worse.

Ghost wiggled out of Leif’s wings, rushing over to silently corroborate their claims.

Hornet let out a guttural hiss before replying, “A friend of yours? How many of you are there? Is he the monster from the cliffs?”

“Monster may be a bit strong…” said Leif. “But he is our friend…kind of. He’s harmless, for the most part. He’s part of our Guild. We’ve been missing for some time, so they sent scouts to look for us.”

She slowly removed the needle from his neck. “I see. A scout.”

“Did you three get the same welcome?” Zasp grumbled as he sat up, but whatever train of thought he had swiftly derailed when Hornet leaned in to look at him closely. Very closely, her mask inches away from his face.

“What manner of bug are you?” she asked, half suspicious, half curious.

His wings buzzed, a clear sign of irritation. “You never seen a wasp before? For someone named Hornet, that’s hard to believe…”

“My name is not a moniker of what I am.”

Then, she gasped. “Wait! If he’s a scout from your homeland, will you be leaving now?”

Ghost seemed very upset by this new development, rushing over to tug on Kabbu’s wings, as if encouraging them to stay.

“I’ll let you say your goodbyes.” said Zasp. “I’ll be waiting outside of town when you’re ready. Less chance of being attacked, apparently..”

Hornet waited for him to leave, eyeing him suspiciously. “Will you tell your Kingdom about us?”

Kabbu picked Ghost up, bouncing the little thing in his arms. “Yes. Respectfully, of course. Only telling what needs to be said, enough for the Queen to understand your circumstances.”

She stared at them, and Kabbu felt the same chill from when they first met. Her expression unchanging, thoughts unknowable, her dark eyes boring a hole right through him.

“Circumstances being…?” she asked, not quite a question, more of a challenge. 

“You are...surviving.” Leif began, slowly, putting a great deal of thought into his words. “But you aren’t living.”

Her sharp gaze snapped over to him. He faltered a little at the intensity emanating off her, but continued, “Don’t take that the wrong way. You hunt, and you gather, and you scrounge up what you can. But what if something else happens? What if you can’t?”

Hornet began to tremble almost imperceptibly. But her gaze was completely focused on Leif.

“Please. We want to help you.”

A terrible silence fell. Both groups waited for the other to say something, anything. 

“...I want to see…your kingdom.” Hornet said, slowly, softly, uncertainty making her voice almost recognizable. She finally tore her gaze from them, looking at the floor. The sharp, dangerous bug was gone. “I want…to meet your Queen. To negotiate. To…to discuss. Before we accept…”

She wanted to see Queen Elizant? Team Snakemouth tried to wrap their head around the idea…and struggled to do so. Quirrel, maybe, but Hornet?

Just as swiftly as it left, Hornet’s bite returned to her words. “Return in three days. If you do not return within those three days, do not bother returning at all. Come, Ghost.”

Ghost knew better than to argue when she was talking like this. They slowly clambered out of Kabbu’s arms to stand beside her. They tugged on her cloak, as if reminding her of something. “...fine. Do you want me to gather the others for you to say goodbye? Tiso and Cloth are no doubt hungover after the mead they drank. Quirrel should be out and about, though.”

“It won’t be a goodbye, though!” Kabbu said, brimming with positivity. Hornet had - in a roundabout way - agreed to them helping in one way or another, which was really all he wanted. “We’ll be back before you know it! We’ll take you to Queen Elizant, we’ll show you all of Bugaria and beyond!”

Even Leif and Vi thought he was going a bit overboard.

“I’ll believe it when I see it. Goodbye, Team Snakemouth.”

Chapter Text

It took a little bit of time and effort for Zasp to get all three members of Snakemouth back to the cave they fell through. With Vi having an injury rendering her unable to fly and Leif not wanting to use his magic for fear of something going wrong, it took a few trips.

“I missed the fresh air!” Vi shouted as she ran out of the cave. “Hello sky, hello grass, hello swamps! I never thought I’d miss you but I do!”

Leif shook off the fine layer of dust that had accumulated on his wings and ruff. “Ah, and a beautiful sunrise to greet us-”

“Sunset.” Zasp corrected.

“Come again?”

“Sunset. You’ve been gone for three days. Yeesh, three days in a cave and already you’ve lost your mind.”

“But, we just woke up! We thought it was morning!”

Kabbu shrugged. “Who’s to say they follow the same time frame that we do?”

“I don’t care if we just woke up, I want to lay back down in my own bed!” Vi sighed, almost wistfully. “I miss my bed!”

“Hey you three,” Zasp growled, “You can sleep later, but for now I’m dragging you back to Maki before he explodes or something.”

“Oh cripes, Maki must be worried sick!” instantly, Kabbu began to fret. “And our guild, and Elizant too! We must return home, post-haste!”

“Yes, because we oh so wanted to stay in the swamp. Let’s go find the tunnel and return home.”

The trek back through the ant tunnels was a rather silent affair. The familiar tunnels of their home only made them think of the dark caverns of Hallownest below. If the miner ants kept digging…would they have fallen in?

“...you’re quiet.” Zasp noted. “Thinking about those bugs aren’t ya?”

“We can’t just…leave them down there.” mumbled Leif.

“Some bugs want to be left alone. You’re bleeding hearts, all of you. Do you even have a plan?”

Kabbu stammered, “W-Well, first we must tell Queen Elizant first. Maybe Neo might have some texts or artifacts? It just seems so unlikely that no one knew of Hallownest beneath us-”

“Hallownest?” interrupted Zasp with a thoughtful buzz of his wings. “That’s the name, huh? Really, how much of a kingdom is it, with no Queen? How much is there to save?”

Vi thought for a moment, “The bug that had you pinned was the princess, technically…I think. She’s in charge.”

“Holy shit. Really?”

“Swear jar.” Said Kabbu, instinctively.

“Your fuckin’ swear jar doesn’t apply to me.” Zasp gave him a sly smile, enjoying the frustration on Kabbu’s face.

The Ant Kingdom was rather quiet at night, but seeing the familiar buildings and shops brought comfort to Team Snakemouth. Finally home.

Rounding the corner towards the Explorer’s Association, there was a small crowd just outside the building. All of the exploration teams had gathered, relaying their reports to Maki and Kina, both of them looking sullen.

Celia noticed them first. “HEY! There they are! They’re back!”

They were immediately swarmed by their friends and fellow explorers, each clamoring with worry in their voices. It was good to see so many familiar faces, with not a single mask in sight.

“We’re quite alright, please don’t fret!” said Kabbu, unable to stop himself from smiling, touched at all the concern.

“I’m going to STRANGLE you three!” Kina shouted above the small crowd, trying to push through. “Who do you think you are, vanishing like that?! COME HERE-”

“NOT ALRIGHT!” Vi squeaked. “PROTECT US!”

“Kina, calm yourself. All that matters now is that they're safe.” Maki said, placing a hand on her shoulder. “...besides, I call first dibs .”

“S-Sir Maki-” Kabbu began, sounding nervous.

Maki easily pushed through the crowd. The other explorers fell silent in fear of drawing his ire. “You three were missing for three days . We looked everywhere for you! Where in Bugaria did you go?! What happened?!”

Team Snakemouth winced at his scolding. “We're so sorry, Sir Maki…” Kabbu practically withered under his gaze.

“W-We have a good excuse!” Squeaked Vi. “Uh…uh, someone else should explain it though.”

His eyes narrowed. “Not encouraging. Leif? What say you?”

Leif cleared his throat. “The rain cleared a small cave in the Easternmost part of the swamplands. Upon exploring it, we fell deep into the cave and were unable to escape due to injuries.”

“See? That is a perfectly reasonable explanation. We'll put you three on rest until you've recovered-”

“There is…something else.”

The explorers began to mutter amongst themselves, curious as to what he could mean. Even Maki raised an eyebrow. “Something else?”

Leif glanced at Kabbu and Vi, the two of them nodding for him to go on.

“The cave we fell into went deep. Very deep. And…we found a town .”

Maki was stunned into silence. The other teams were not.

“Bugs? Underground like that? Were they roaches?” Asked Levi.

“No, no! They must be termites! Were they termites?” Stratos rumbled.

“Living so deep underground…how do they grow food? How do they live?” Gen and Eri asked in unison.

Maki waved his hand to settle the crowd. “Enough, enough. Settle for now. I'm sure Team Snakemouth is tired, and we are all tired from searching. Let us move to the association, so we can at least sit down and discuss.” He gave the three a strange look. “... although your story is hard to believe.”

That was a hard pill to swallow. But Team Snakemouth were gently guided into the association, with some of the others offering medicine or blankets.

“Vi and Leif are the most injured. Please, tend to them first.” Kabbu tried to insist.

“You got the shield to the head, dummy!”

“Shield to the head?” Levi sounded surprised. “Were you attacked?”

“No! Well. Kind of!”

“Kabbu.” Leif said, voice low. “Let's wait until we're inside.”

Inside was Eetl, who looked on the verge of tears. “YOU THREE CANNOT KEEP SCARING ME!” he blubbered. “MY HEART CAN ONLY TAKE SO MUCH!”

“Eetl…we're so sorry.” Kabbu felt as though he was apologizing a lot tonight. 

Artis chimed in from the second story. “Do you three realize how difficult it is to file death paperwork?”

“Sorry, Artis…”

“Don't make a habit of vanishing.”

Everyone worked to clear out the center of the room, setting up places to sit in a rough circle on the floor.

“We are missing Mothiva.” Said Kina, giving Zasp a pointed look. “Where is she?”

“She was injured earlier today, so I insisted she go home and rest while I finished our search.” Lied Zasp, with no hint of guilt or shame.

“I'm a little upset you're lying to my face, Zasp. We can talk later.”

Team Snakemouth gladly took their seats, soaking in the familiarity of the building and the bugs around them.

“Alright.” Maki slowly lowered himself to sit. “Tell us everything.” He briefly addressed the others. “Let's hold off on questions until now.”

Kabbu shifted where he sat. “There is…quite a lot to say…”

“Start at the beginning.”

Leif got the ball rolling. “As we said outside, we were patrolling the swamps as instructed by Maki. The swamps were flooded, still flooded now, and the rain must have uncovered a small cave to the East.”

“And! And! And we started seeing these weird rocks-” Vi interrupted, reaching into her fluff to pull out bits of geo. “These! See? Aren't they cool?”

Kabbu nudged her. “Pass them around so they can see.”

She did so, the others ‘ooh’ed and ‘ah’ed as the fossils were passed around. “They're beautiful…” Celia muttered as she held one up to the light. “Vi, can I keep one?”

“Twenty geo! I mean berries!”

“No questions until the end.”

“The ground of the cave was unstable, and collapsed as we tried to explore further.” Kabbu continued. “And we fell, a very, very long way down. When we came to, Vi had injured her wings, making her unable to fly, and Leif had a terrible concussion and was unresponsive…so we walked.”

“It was so…grey.” Vi mumbled, playing with her fur nervously. “Grey rocks as far as you can see. And we walked and walked-”

“Until we found streetlights. And when we began to follow them, we were stopped by a warrior bug dressed in red. She wasn't happy to see us, fearing we were there to cause harm to the town below.”

“Maki, I know you said no questions, but this is a complaint.” Kina grumbled, crossing her arms. “This is a wonderful story, but I require more proof than some rocks. For all we know, you three could've hit your head as you fell and imagined this whole thing until Zasp dragged you out!”

“Are you saying we're liars?” Leif hissed.

“I'm saying this is hard to believe!”

“I saw the bug in red.” Zasp said, nonchalant. “I saw the town and the locals. I can confirm their story.”

Kina’s jaw dropped. 

“Well. That certainly adds some credibility.” Said Maki, leaning in a bit closer. “Please, go on.”

“Well, continuing where we were before Kina so rudely interrupted-” Vi said, sounding smug. “The bug in red thought we were crooks! And she attacked us!”

“We learned through this encounter that she had never heard of Bugaria, never heard of the Explorer's Association, and had never heard of ‘the surface world’ before.”

The others muttered and whispered, surprised at such a notion. How could a bug not have heard of Bugaria?

“This bug in red. What was she?” Delilah asked. “Sorry Maki, but I gotta know.”

Leif slowly shook his head. “We have no idea. Actually, Artis, can we borrow a leaf and a pencil?”

Artis obliged, and while Leif was drawing, Kabbu spoke. “We managed to reason with her, and she begrudgingly allowed us through. Once she did so, we finally reached the town of Dirtmouth.”

“Dirtmouth…” Maki repeated, eyes narrowed. “...what was it like?”

“It had roaches right?”

“No termites! Termites?”

“Other questions need to stop.”

Kabbu struggled to describe the town. “When we first approached, we were met with bugs, yes. But their species…is undeterminable. For you see, every single one wore a white mask, or wore something to cover their face.”

“It was super mega creepy.” Vi added. “You can't tell what they're thinking! You can't read expressions! I thought we stumbled into a cult!”

“Here. This is what the bug in red looked like. Hornet.” Leif held up the leaf with his drawing of Hornet, trying his best to capture her likeness. “Do forgive us, we tried to be accurate.”

They all crowded around to try and get a look.

“What are those horns?”

“And those eyes!”

“What kind of weapon is that?”

Leif spoke now. “We had been unconscious up until we reached their village, but we were given medicine by a local scholar, Quirrel. Here, I’ll try to draw him too - he told us about Dirtmouth, and their Kingdom below, Hallownest.”

“A truly grim affair.” Kabbu shook his head, voice filled with sorrow. “They suffered a terrible tragedy that killed millions. Their Queen and King are gone, and all that remains are a few dozen stragglers.”

“All of their food and supplies come from scavenging what they can. They’ve admitted to being in a famine, and they eat meat! Bleh!” Vi shook her head in disgust. A few of the others shared her sentiment, looking shocked and disgusted as well.

Maki bowed his head, muttering to himself in thought. “No Queen, a famine, a catastrophe…things sound truly dire.”

With a new vigor, Kabbu insisted, “Tomorrow, we must discuss this with Queen Elizant! We cannot sit idly by as these bugs slowly wither away! Surely we can help!”

“I'm sure Elizant would help out!” Celia reassured them. “The other Queens too, I bet!”

“We certainly hope Elizant will help.” Leif placed his drawings into the middle of the circle, now showing Quirrel, Tiso, Cloth, Ghost, and Hollow. “...because they want to meet her.”

Chapter Text

Team Snakemouth answered some of them to the best of their abilities, with the clear caveat that they didn’t know everything. The biggest question, though, was when these strange newcomers wanted to visit, and ‘within three days’ sent a buzz through the entire association.

It was then that the time spent being lost in a cave and having only one decent meal finally caught up with them. As politely as he could, Kabbu asked if they could continue the discussion tomorrow, and to be dismissed to rest.

And they practically collapsed into their beds.

When morning broke, Kabbu was the first to wake, as usual. But even early-riser Kabbu slept far longer than usual. “Come on, you two. We need a good breakfast, and we must speak to Elizant.”

Leif was easy to rouse with the promise of a hearty breakfast. He waited for Vi, peeking through the windows. “...what do you think Quirrel meant when he said their sun died?” he sleepily mumbled.

“I think he was being metaphorical. At least, I hope.”

The fact the two of them weren't entirely sure spoke volumes. “When they travel here…” Leif changed topics. “We may have to travel by night. We doubt they'll be used to the brightness of the day. Unless the termites have something to aid us with…”

Kabbu had now pulled Vi out of her bed, ignoring her quiet whining. “We'll cross that bridge when we get there.”

“Be nice to me…” Vi whined. “I had a nightmare…”

“Oh, about what?” 

Vi hesitated. “It's. It's stupid.”

“Come on…” Leif tried to coax. “You don't feel better until you tell us.”

“...I dreamt that Hornet tried to eat us.” she tried to explain, gesturing as she spoke, “Like, like I was on a huge table, and she kept trying to stab me with a fork! One of those really fancy forks!”

Kabbu frowned. “That's a bit harsh of an opinion don't you think?”

“Well! We don't know what she's capable of! Food seems pretty scarce down there, and we know she eats meat-”

“You will stop that terrible thought this instant.” Scolded Leif. “Let's go get breakfast, and move on from this nightmare.”

Seeing the familiar faces of the ant kingdom bustling about their daily lives was a far cry from the emptiness of Dirtmouth. A few expressed worry at their absence, which Kabbu and Leif were quick to reassure them about.

Fry was one of those few. “You three were gone for a while! Was startin’ to get a bit worried, you’re some of my best customers!”

“We’ve always wanted to ask…” Leif asked, tone playful. “Who are your other ‘best customers’?”

“Truthfully, most of the other exploration teams. You lot have great appetites. Speaking of, what can I get you three?”

“We will have two hearty breakfasts.” Leif said, but Kabbu nudged him.

“Let’s just do one, so we can hurry to see the Queen.”

“Oh, fine.”

“Vi and I will have two honey leaves, please.”

The three ate off in a secluded corner, discussing quietly amongst themselves.

“We were scant with the finer details with the association,” Leif had long finished his breakfast, and had begun the conversation. “But we will need to tell Elizant more.”

“Mhm. Maki too, since he’ll be joining us-” A sour look briefly flashed on Kabbu’s face. “We…should probably ask Zasp to join us. He also saw Dirtmouth.”

“But he’s with Mothiva today.” grumbled Vi. “And you know what he’s like with her.”

It was an unfortunate truth, one that Team Snakemouth still struggled to accept. But when Zasp was around Mothiva, the generally well-meaning and cooperative bug was gone. Replaced by a stranger with only Mothiva’s interest in mind.

A true tragedy.

“We’ll have to try. We refuse to let Mothiva completely roadblock us. She goes to the association every morning, we might be able to cut them off if we hurry.” He gave the other two an impatient look, Vi and Kabbu quickly eating their breakfast in response to it.

They managed to catch Mothiva and Zasp just as they were leaving the association building. “Ooh~ Team Snakemouth!” she purred, sickly sweet. “I’d say it’s so good to see you…but it’s not nice to lie.”

Vi growled under her breath, but Kabbu and Leif managed to keep their cool. “Has Zasp filled you in on what happened to us?” asked Kabbu, glancing at the wasp behind her.

“Nope. But I never asked, so…” she turned to Zasp. “Give me the main beats.”

“They had fallen down a cave system-”

“Ha! Classic! Nice going, you dopes!”

“-and they found a town of bugs, having been isolated from Bugaria their entire lives.”

That got her attention. She whipped around to glare at them. “You what?! Save some of the fun stuff for us, will you?! You get all the good discoveries!”

Kabbu mumbled, “We wouldn’t exactly call it fun.”

“We would like Zasp to accompany us while discussing with the Queen. His account will help with our authenticity, and is critical to our explanation.”

“Hmph.” Mothiva gave them a shit-eating grin. “And what's in it for me?”

“Not having your antennae frozen solid and shattered.” Leif hissed in a rare display of true anger. “We are being nice now, we will not hesitate to drag you there ourselves.”

Mothiva recoiled at the threat and Zasp glared at them. “Ugh! You’re no fun when you’re scary!” she whined, “Why do you even care about these bugs? They’re not even from the Ant Kingdom.”

“The world does not revolve around you.” He said coldly. “There is more to it than just you and the Ant Kingdom. These bugs need our help, and therefore, we need you.”

She didn't have a retort for that. But she huffed and pouted all the same, and Zasp gave all three of them a death glare. “... fine! Fine, we'll go. Happy now?”

“Marginally.”

And with her reluctant agreement, the five began to make their way for the Palace.

“If I'm agreeing to this, then I need to pretend I was actually there, you know.” Mothiva continued to huff. “Zasp, fill me in!”

Zasp eagerly did so, telling her exactly what he did so she could better save face in front of the Queen and Maki.

The three of them rolled their eyes, but said nothing. The meeting was far more important than correcting her.

“Team Snakemouth, Team Mothiva.” One of the guards nodded to them. “The Queen is expecting you. Please, head on in.”

Elizant the Second rose from her throne upon seeing them enter. It wasn't just Elizant in the throne room, of course. Zaryant stood by her side, with Maki and Neolith standing nearby.

“Team Snakemouth.” Queen Elizant greeted, hints of concern under her professional tone. “When I heard you had gone missing…I was truly worried. I'm glad to see you all here, unharmed. Team Mothiva, you'll be rewarded for rescuing them.”

Maki rolled his eyes. Neolith waved to Kabbu, Kabbu waved back.

“Maki mentioned that you discovered something during your absence.” She continued, slowly stepping closer. “But he insisted you tell me, and not him. If you'd please?”

“It's quite a lot, your majesty.” Kabbu said quietly. “And it's quite fantastical, so please, we speak only the truth.”

“Deep inside the cave, we discovered a group of bugs that have been isolated from the outside world.” Leif began to explain. “Their Kingdom has fallen to ruin many moons ago, and all that remain are the survivors.”

Elizant was immediately taken aback. “A Kingdom below the surface? Is such a thing…possible?”

“Well…it was. A terrible catastrophe struck their Kingdom, and all that remains now are ruins and a handful of survivors.”

“Survival, from what we could gather, is harsh and difficult.” Kabbu spoke. “They have no farms, or anything similar, so all of their food and supplies must be foraged or scavenged from the ruins. I believe it's unsustainable in the long-run.””

“And the bugs there are weird!”

Kabbu nudged her. “Vi, you need to be a bit more descriptive. ‘Weird’ isn’t helpful.” he said in a whisper.

She struggled to find the words, shifting from one foot to another. “They’re…they’re scared. And they’re skittish, and they’re paranoid, and they act like they could be attacked at any moment! They wear masks or hoods or something to hide their faces, and every single one we met carried a weapon!”

“Are they violent?” Elizant asked.

The three of them didn’t answer immediately, hemming and hawing about how to reply.

“One of them is.” came Zasp’s voice from behind. “She pinned me by the throat with a blade.”

Neolith gasped, and Maki shot them all concerned looks. “You failed to mention that to me! Are these bugs dangerous?”

Kabbu stammered, “T-That’s painting her in a very negative light!”

“I never said it was a negative thing.”

“Well-well yes, Zasp is correct. The leader of the survivors, Hornet. She protects them fiercely. She took us as threats and attacked.” Kabbu tried to explain. “According to the locals, they’ve been threatened by outsiders before, so she acted out of fear, not hatred.”

Elizant thought for a moment about what she had been told. “You paint a grim picture of this…well, what remains of this Kingdom. What do you wish to do?”

“At…risk of overstepping…” Leif tentatively spoke, “We feel as though they require aid. Similar to the Wasp Kingdom, to help them get back on their feet, so to speak. Although…” he almost seemed to visibly wilt. “They…they hesitate. They’re afraid, your majesty. They’re afraid you or another Queen will invade. To conquer and destroy what little they have left. ”

Elizant practically bristled at the notion. “ Invade ? Why would we- Who would- no. No, I would never do such a thing. And I can confidently speak for the other three Queens when I say they wouldn’t do such a thing either. I…I shudder to think of the things they’ve experienced to fear such notions.”

She turned to Neolith. “Neolith, I implore you to scour any records we may have of this Kingdom. Any information is good information.”

Neolith stammered, “I-I can try. B-But I’ve…I’ve never found anything pertaining to a Kingdom completely underground-”

Vi gasped, reaching into her fluff. “Oh! Neo! Look at this!” In one paw, she held one of the geo stones, in the other, the crystal she had bought from Myla. “The rock thing, that’s what they use instead of berries. And this crystal thing I bought from a merchant. Maybe they can help?”

He practically rushed over. “These..these are…Yes! Yes! I might be able to use these! I can cross reference them, and then I can run analysis-” Neolith began to mutter to himself, gently taking the items from her paws.

“My Queen.” Zaryant rumbled. “I hate to ask…but do we have enough supplies to spare? Stretching our surplus between the Wasp Kingdom and these newcomers-”

“Queen Vanessa has sent word about their rebuilding efforts. It appears to be going well, and she predicts they won’t need our supplies or workers for much longer. If what Team Snakemouth says is true…this new kingdom may require more than what the Wasp Kingdom needed.”

Elizant turned back to Team Snakemouth. “Do you…know what they might need?”

“You can probably ask them yourself.” Vi nervously snickered.

“Pardon?”

“It’s true, your majesty.” Kabbu began to elaborate. “Before we departed, Hornet asked us to return within three days…she wants to see Bugaria…she wishes to meet you, Elizant.”

She seemed almost taken aback by this claim. “That is not a lot of time to prepare. How many will come?”

“We don’t know. At least Hornet, perhaps her siblings. They’re a…rather cryptic bunch.”

“This is certainly unprecedented. The closest I can think of is when the Termite Kingdom set up small businesses…but they were still aware of Bugaria customs and laws and culture…” Elizant paused, slowly turning to look over Team Snakemouth, Team Mothiva, and Maki. “...Maki. How do you feel about the Explorer’s Association temporarily taking diplomatic roles?”

Maki glanced at Mothiva, eyes narrowed. “I feel that most of us could handle the responsibility.” He looked back to Elizant, a bit more confident in his wording. “But if these outsiders wish to truly experience Bugaria, we are the most well-traveled group. We can also protect them, I’m sure that the beasts upon the surface don’t hold a candle to below.”

Vi snorted at that.

Kabbu quickly spoke, so the others wouldn’t hear her. “While I do like that idea, I strongly encourage that we take things slow. I would hate to overwhelm them. Vi is correct, they are very skittish.”

“If we may…?” Leif started to say.

“You may.”

“Hornet expects us to return in three days…just us. Team Snakemouth. Us three will fetch Hornet and whoever wishes to join her, and while we safely lead them through the swamps, the rest of the Explorers prepare for their arrival. That way, we can slowly acclimate them to the surface. Most likely at night.”

Elizant turned to Mothiva, who had been silent during the whole exchange. “What say you?”

“I-I was just…so worried about Team Snakemouth…” she whimpered, tears welling in the corners of her eyes. “That place was so, so horrid! And the bugs were so barbaric! ”

Mothiva was many things. And unfortunately, ‘good actress’ was one of them.

Elizant shook her head. “I understand. Worrying about a fellow team must have been difficult. But do you have any thoughts about allowing these Underground bugs to visit? You would assist in diplomatic duties-”

“I would do anything to help these poor bugs, your highness! To bring a little light to their dark lives!”

Team Snakemouth felt like throwing up.

“Very well. We will proceed with Leif’s plan, then. If you three returned last night, not including today, that gives us two days to prepare. Maki, please tell the rest of the association of our plan going forward.”

“Yes, Elizant.”

“Neolith, find all that you can about this…Kabbu, what was the Kingdom’s name?”

“Hallownest, your grace.”

“Find all you can about this Hallownest. I will contact Vanessa to discuss aid and supplies, and personally prepare myself for their arrival. Dismissed.”

“We’re gonna be Diplomats? ” Gen and Eri asked in unison, practically grinning ear to ear.

The rest of the explorers were equally excited at the prospect, talking amongst themselves about their new titles.

“Something like this has never happened before.” Maki began to explain. “Never before have bugs from a Kingdom so isolated requested an audience with the Queen. Even the termites had some connection to Bugaria and its inhabitants.”

“So what’s the plan, Maki?” Stratos rumbled. “We’ve never had diplomatic duties before, I’m a bit lost on what you want us to do exactly.”

“If these bugs truly wish to see Bugaria, who better to show them around?” Levi answered for Maki’s stead. “Think about it!”

“Someone to protect them, someone to show them around places-” Celia continued. “If they’re as skittish as Team Snakemouth said they were, the poor things might faint at the sight of a seedling!”

Delilah grinned, and with a playful tone asked, “So it sounds like we’re having guests over, right? Gotta clean up before guests arrive? Sweep up all the dust!”

Maki rolled his eyes. “If that helps you visualize it, then sure. In two days, Team Snakemouth will retrieve them from the swamp and bring them here.”

“A question for the three of them, then.” Zasp began to ask, leaning against the main support beam. “ Why are they coming? What’s their goal? If we know that, we might have something to go off of.”

The three looked at each other, mulling it over.

“We think…” Leif began to muse. “We think they’re surprised we’re here. Hornet wasn’t even aware there was a surface until we arrived. Completely unaware of each other’s existence And maybe…they just want to see a living Kingdom, after living in ruins for so long.”

Kabbu also began to think outloud. “In truth, I believe this is an exercise in trust. They’re extremely skittish and fearful, and when we mentioned Elizant offering aid, they immediately saw it as a threat. Visiting Bugaria may assure them that we mean no harm.”

“I think Hornet just wanted to get rid of us.” Vi grumbled.

Maki shrugged. “Well, all of those are possible, and it gives us something to work with. Trust, or curiosity, or maybe both.” He looked around the association. “...actually, Delilah, your comparison may be apt. We should probably clean a little.”

Chapter Text

“I just wish you came and got us before they left.” Tiso grumbled. He carefully placed a trap on the ground, mostly hidden by pale ferns and rocks.

Hornet had decided to hunt on the outskirts of the crossroads today, to clear up any nasty pests before they had the chance to get closer to Dirtmouth.

“You were horrendously hungover, for starters.” she replied matter-of-factly. “Secondly, they were the ones who said not to wake you.”

“And you were the one who said you wanted to visit their Kingdom? Am I talking to Hornet, or a Nosk?”

Hornet hesitated in answering, setting up a silken snare near a small hole, no doubt a balder burrow. “Even I must admit, I’m not certain what came over me. But I want to meet with their leader face-to-face before I accept anything from them.”

“Smart. Do you know what they told me? They answer to an Ant Queen.” Tiso practically spat, “You can’t trust those. All they care about is themselves.” he watched Hornet set another snare, seemingly in thought. “...do you think they'll actually come back?”

“I can't say. If I may be cynical, I believe they only said that to be in our good graces.” She replied, trying not to hiss. “If their Kingdom is so good , why bother with us?”

Hornet tried to reign her cynicism back. “...what do you think?”

Tiso tilted his head. “I think we should meet back with Cloth.”

Cloth had stayed near the upper levels of the crossroads to try and clear some of the hordes of gruzzers that seemingly popped out of the ground overnight. They bred like wildfire, and if not kept in check, the already delicate and recovering ecosystem could crumble.

“Ah! There you two are! How did trap setting go?” she asked upon seeing them.

“Uneventful.” Hornet answered with a nod. “How goes it with you?”

“Bah, the flying little bastards don’t make it easy on me!” Cloth said, but there was no real bite to her words.

“We were talking about the three bugs who left recently.” Tiso started, getting to the topic of conversation. “What are your thoughts on them? Hornet doesn’t think they’ll come back.”

“That’s not what I said.” Hornet grumbled.

Cloth set her club down and leaned against a nearby pillar. “That is the question, isn’t it? Well, we didn’t have them for long, and it’s hard to judge them based on that…But I think they will.”

She turned to Hornet, smiling under her hood, “I’m so proud of you, taking a step for diplomacy and wanting to visit their kingdom!”

“I am simply erring on the side of caution. I don’t make deals with bugs I’ve never met, especially royalty.”

“I’d expect nothing less from you, Hornet. Have you asked Quirrel?”

Tiso rolled his eyes. “He’s been in the archive since they left, trying to see if Mono-whatever had any information on the kingdom they're from.”

“And I’d expect nothing less from Quirrel!” chuckled Cloth. “Look at us! In rare form today!”

There was a pause in conversation.

“...so, do you have a plan?” she asked. “Or any idea of what’ll happen when you meet with their queen?”

“They'll want something.” Hornet said, voice a bitter hiss. “Rarely is there free kindness, with no strings attached-”

Tiso snorted a laugh at that. “Disagree, Princess.”

“What do you mean?”

He gestured to himself and Cloth. “You dragged us back to Dirtmouth when we were on death’s door, remember? That was certainly a kindness.”

Hornet turned away, clearly embarrassed. “I did it for Ghost. That doesn’t count.”

“I might be biased, but I think it does. Although, that’s not what I meant.” Cloth began to explain. “They’ll return in three days. What’s next?”

Hornet blinked. “I am…unsure.”

“Well, what about meeting with the other knights? What about their Queen? Have you thought about what to say?”

“Well, not concisely-”

“How much thought have you put into this, Princess? I’m guessing not a lot.” Tiso asked, rather bluntly.

It was clear that Hornet had not put thought into this at all. She didn’t expect them to leave so soon, and the idea of even the slimmest chance of aid slipping through her claws wasn’t an option.

But now she was forced to actually think about the logistics of her rash decision. She was expected to trust these complete strangers, and travel to a different kingdom and meet with foreign royalty and actually discuss her fears and worries with words, and not through combat .

Hornet began to hyperventilate.

“Hornet? Hornet, are you alright?” Cloth asked, reaching out to touch her shoulder, but Hornet flinched away.

“I…I don’t know. I don’t know.” Hornet curled in on herself, gripping the sides of her mask. “We don’t know them, we don’t know their kingdom. They say their intentions are good, but all we have is their word-”

She took in a sharp breath. “Trap. Trap. It must be a trap. They’re going to capture me, they’re going to attack the town-”

“Hornet, settle down!” Cloth said, voice gentle. She grabbed Hornet’s shoulders, “Listen. You are Hornet . Princess-Protector of Hallownest and every bug within it. You are the strongest bug I know. You honestly think that someone could capture you like a common squit?”

“Give yourself some credit.” Tiso chimed in behind her. “Plus, I’m a little offended that you’d think you’d go by yourself? Like we’d just stay behind? Not happening.”

Slowly, her breathing steadied. Then, Hornet looked at them for a moment. Then she replied in a quiet, hesitant voice that didn’t suit her one bit, “...really?”

“Did you honestly think we’d let you galavant off somewhere without us? Are you serious?! Even if the bugs are the most honest, truthful, and nicest bugs to ever exist, what if there’s monsters?”

It was comforting, in a strange way she had never felt before. Having others by her side wasn't something she was entirely used to, even after the infection was defeated.

“I…I'm grateful. Thank you.” She said, bowing her head. “I'd be happy to have you there…” Hornet paused, seemingly in thought. “That reminds me. It's a thought I've had only once or twice, but perhaps I should consider it.”

“Speaking as the Princess-Protector of Hallownest, I would like you two to become my Knights. ”

Cloth placed a hand on her chest, clearly choked up. “Oh…Oh Hornet…We would be so-”

“YES!” Tiso shouted, he practically tackled her in a shell-squeezing hug, ignoring her hissing protests. “YES YES YES YES!!!! You have NO idea how long I've waited for you to ask!”

Hornet tried to squeeze from his grasp, but he had a surprising grip. “I am about to revoke that offer!”

He immediately set her down. “Do we get titles? Do we get names? Can you knight me now?! Right now, right now?!”

“Stop.” she said firmly.

To his credit, Tiso slapped a hand over his mouth, as if unable to stop talking. He was silent, although shifting back from one foot to another in excitement.

“Care to explain your thought process?” Cloth asked, softly chuckling at Tiso’s behavior.

She glanced away. “I am…not the best at conversation of this nature. I admit this freely, and with… minimal shame. I feared I would have to attempt diplomacy on my own. Even if you were to join me as allies, that isn’t a guarantee they’ll allow you to join me while I discuss with their nobility. But if I were to knight you, to give you a title and a role…then who are they to question?”

Hornet thought about the brief memories of her Father. Rarely was he alone, and not counting Hollow - known then as the Pure Vessel - he was almost always accompanied by one of his five knights or at least a Kingsmould.

She hated the idea of being even somewhat similar to her Father. But already she was taking a step that her Father would never do; accept that she needed help. Just having the two of them (three if Quirrel agreed) in the room was doing wonders for her peace of mind.

“I think that's a great idea. Ghost and Hollow are coming too, right?” Asked Cloth.

“Not the best conversationalists.” Tiso said with a smirk, having somewhat calmed down from the idea of being knighted. “So, princess, what's our first duty as Knights then?”

“I'm sending you to war.” She replied, a hint of mischief in her voice.

“God DAMMIT.”

“In all seriousness, we should check our traps and then see if Quirrel is in the Archives. Perhaps he's found something about our guests.”

Cloth started walking ahead, humming to herself as she did so.

Tiso started to follow, but as Cloth turned a corner and was out of sight, Hornet grabbed his arm.

“Oi, what’s the big idea Prince-” he started to say, but the serious look she gave him and the way she grabbed his arm tightly, all mischief in his voice died. “...Hornet?” he asked, worry creeping into his words. “What’s wrong?”

“I am asking this of you, and you alone.” she said quietly. “For Ghost and Cloth and Quirrel are far too soft, and I cannot ask this of Hollow.”

She paused, waiting for any objections. But Tiso was silent.

“If there is even a hint of deception from these outsiders…If there is even the slimmest chance of danger…I want you to help me kill them.”

His eyes went wide, and he waited to see if there was any chance she was joking.

But Hornet continued to stare at him, tightening her grip on his arm ever so slightly. “Please.”

Tiso placed a hand on hers, and answered with a quiet, “I promise. I won’t let anyone hurt us.”

Quirrel set the slate back into the shelf with a sigh.

The math that his Madame and the other scholars performed years and years ago showed evidence of a ‘surface world’, this was true. But no bug nor beast had ever visited the surface before.

At least, not until three of them quite literally fell onto the town.

Quirrel had to admit, he was a bit wary, especially of the Moth. And thankfully, they were amicable enough…if a bit nosey. Sticking their claws and snouts where they didn’t belong…but it was done now, and they had left.

But not for long.

In a rare move that surprised him, Hornet had asked them to return in three days. Even more surprisingly, she had asked to visit their Kingdom.

Upon hearing the news, Quirrel immediately descended into the Archives to try to find any information he could for the trip.

(He would be going with her, no matter what Hornet said. He wasn’t about to let her travel to God knows where alone like that.)

But information was scarce. There were a few mentions of bugs claiming they were from the surface, saying there were plants as tall as towers and a glowing, brilliant light in the sky, but they lacked real proof of the surface world.

There were folk stories, too. Strange bugs from the surface, often portrayed as performers, artisans, musicians, explorers. Often written as colorful, cheerful, and overly kind. Most stories warned of grubs being charmed by their whimsy and snatched away, never to be seen again.

Unsettling. Hopefully not true. But Quirrel had little faith in folklore. He preferred hard facts, primary sources backed by dozens of interviews and quotes, maybe even a nice chart with math and labels.

Ghost pitter-pattered behind him, holding another tablet. “Oh, you think this one? Well, let’s take a look. But I’ll be honest, my friend, I’m losing hope.”

He quickly scanned through the tablet. It did discuss the idea of hypothetical surface bugs; sturdy to survive the barren surface and strong winds, hypothesizing how they would have light, if possible.

Fascinating, but ultimately not helpful.

Until something caught his eye. The passage of time on the surface.

In the tablet, Monomon mostly mused about the potential difference in time, namely, how bugs on the surface might recognize it. If there was truly no light, ‘days’ could be as long as a week, or even a month. Conversely, ‘days’ could be as short as a few hours.

“Truly,” she wrote, the flowing script he loved so dearly, “It’s quite a mystery! Who could say for certain, aside from those who have experienced it. One day, I hope to meet one. I have so many questions.”

Quirrel took a shuddering breath, gently tapping his forehead against the tablet. He took a moment, taking some comfort in her words. She may not be around anymore, but there were bits and pieces of memory hiding in the Archives.

He sighed, composing himself. “This is interesting, Little one. Tell me, when did Hornet ask them to return?”

Ghost thought for a moment, then held up three fingers.

“...Hm. If Monomon’s hypotheses are true, then Team Snakemouth could return in a matter of weeks…or a matter of hours. That is…not good.”

Hornet absolutely despised surprises. Well, no, that wasn’t entirely fair. They all despised surprises. Quirrel was certain if they would appear much earlier than expected, it would no doubt send Hornet (at the least) into a panic.

“Right. She won’t be happy. But we should tell her at least, so it won’t be a total surprise.”

Ghost nodded, already rushing off to find their sister. Quirrel lingered for a moment, sliding the tablet into an open space. The Archives was due for a good reorganizing, but that could wait.

“I’ll see it, madam. I’ll see the surface. And I’ll document it all, and put it right here.” He whispered, fingers trailing the edges of her flowing script. “I promise.”

Chapter Text

Cleaning and prepping the association building had taken the better part of the day. The sun had started to set, the sky filled with pinks and oranges.

It had been decided that the Explorer’s Association would temporarily function as lodging for Hornet and any other bugs she brought.

“It's far from others, so as to not overwhelm anyone.” Artis explained. “It's quiet, it's large, and when you go to fetch them, you can bring them straight here. I'll move my papers outside for the time being, it'll be nice to get some sun.”

“We’ll be feeding her, right? And anyone else she brings?” Leif asked, voice almost a hush.

Maki looked a bit surprised. “Why…wouldn't we?”

“Hornet eats meat.” He said plainly. “And many others do as well. According to them, food is so scarce that they couldn't afford to be ‘picky’. She thought our vegetarian diet was strange. Is that…going to be a problem? We know the idea can make others uncomfortable…”

Maki thought for a moment. “....no, it shouldn't be. I hope that everyone here can stomach the idea, knowing what our duties can entail.” He paused, then sighed, as if disappointed with himself, “Erm, no pun intended. Kina and I can assist with that.”

“The last thing I want is for them to be hungry while here.” Leif admitted. “Their nonchalance around being in a famine is more than worrying.”

“They were nonchalant about that?”

“Very nonchalant. They said things are better, but not fixed, if you catch my drift.”

“Rest assured, we'll keep them fed. Your concern is touching.” Maki said with a smile.

While Leif consulted with Maki, other members of the association tiptoed closer to Kabbu and Vi.

“Can you…tell us more about the bugs underground?” Celia asked, hesitant but coy, as if asking for a second dessert. “I know they'll be here soon…but…”

“Yeah, yeah, we're just so curious.” Delilah agreed with a nod. 

Kabbu hummed, clearly unsure how to answer. “Well, you’re right, you’ll see them soon enough-”

But Vi knew what they wanted. “OK, so they’re weirdly fast! Like Hornet can dart around like no one’s business!” she said. “And we had a friendly spar against some of the locals, and they’re fast too! And they hit hard!”

“They…do. They hit very hard.” Kabbu nearly whimpered, rubbing the side of his head. “One of them threw his shield like a discus, or a boomerang. Their combat skills are nothing to scoff at, for certain.”

“You think I can throw my shield like that?” Celia asked, looking at her own shield in a new light.

Stratos, who had been somewhat eavesdropping, offered his two berries to the conversation. “If life down there is as rough as you describe, then they must be good at combat to survive.” He rumbled thoughtfully. “And surely there is a downside. If they are very fast, and they hit very hard, maybe their shells are not that tough? Or maybe they don't have very good defensive capabilities?”

“That's true! That's true!” Delilah chirped. “Like, I can be fast. But without my bazooka, I don't really do much damage otherwise.”

“I think that proboscis of yours does quite a bit of damage.” Kabbu muttered under his breath.

But Kabbu and Vi thought of Stratos’ theory. “I mean, during our spar, Leif was able to instantly knock out Cloth with a single spell.” said the little bee, paw on her chin as she tried to remember. “But Cloth said she was fragile…”

“Team Snakemouth!” Neolith shouted as he rounded the corner to the association. “Team Snakemouth! There you are!”

The three of them turned to the clearly frazzled Neolith carrying dozens of old leaves and bits of paper. “What’s the matter?” Kabbu asked, “Is everything alright?”

(Despite only calling for Team Snakemouth, the other exploration teams couldn’t help but listen in.)

“I’ve been looking through every document, every bit of archived information I could scrounge through.” Neolith began, rifling through the dozens of documents. “And I’ll be honest, there isn’t that much in terms of concrete information.”

That wasn’t a total surprise. If Bugaria even had a whisper of an underground Kingdom, treasure hunters would’ve been all over it.

“B-But then, I moved onto folk stories, and fairytales, and myths and legends-”

“Not to offend you,” Leif said, sounding skeptical, “But those don’t seem very…credible?”

“You’re not alone in that thought.” Neolith started to answer, with the confidence of a bug who has explained this many times, “But folklore and other such traditions are important for historians like me! How do you think I found the artifacts?”

Leif had nothing to rebuke that, and fell silent.

Neolith continued. “I began going through these old accounts, buried deep within our archives…and I'm growing concerned about our… guests.”

A confused, almost frightened energy filled the clearing. The other teams muttered to themselves.

“What…what do you mean?” Kabbu asked.

Neolith pulled out a particularly worn document. “Tell me if this sounds familiar. ‘There is said to be bugs that live deep underground, in the Otherworld, in the land of the Dark. Their forms stretched, twisted, and strange, like a broken mirror of yourself. They speak in riddles and rhymes, words cryptic and confusing.’”

Leif slowly nodded. “That…does sound a bit like them.” 

He continued. “‘The Bugs of the Dark are capricious in nature, with some being helpful, playful even. While others are ruthless and violent, with no qualms of devouring those before them. But it should be noted that the Bugs of the Dark are cunning and charismatic, and even the most stalwart of bugs can fall for their charms. The Bugs of the Dark should never be trusted fully, for while they seem incapable of lying, they are almost equally incapable of telling the full truth.’”

Neolith looked at the three bugs that stood in front of him. “Who…or What exactly did you invite to our Kingdom?”

“Eep.” squeaked Vi.

“...no. No, no, that is not how they acted.” Kabbu insisted. “Yes, they talk a bit strangely, and yes, their cultures are different. But this is all circumstantial-”

“‘Beware, children beware, The Bugs from the Shadows. Dressed in cloaks, forms fair, White masks, dark eyes aglow.’” Neolith interrupted, reading from a different document. “‘ Their words are sharp, so are their blades, and you have good reason for being afraid. They’ll drag you down to their world below, where no light will ever show. They’ll eat you up, piece by piece, and thank their dead gods for the small feast.’”

“...catchy.” Leif muttered.

The whispers from the others were growing stronger now, fearful even.

“I don’t mean to criticize bugs I have never met.” Neolith said, sounding sheepish, but still so anxious. “I just…I just worry.”

“I am going to ask you three this question again.” said Maki, sounding tense. “Are. These. Bugs. Dangerous?”

Leif thought of Seer, brought to tears just by his presence alone. Kabbu thought of Quirrel’s sullen nonchalance at the completely empty City of Tears, saying that there was absolutely nothing to be done. Vi thought of Hornet, carefully cooing over her enormous sibling, as sweet as could be.

“...no.” Kabbu said. “They act out of fear, not malice. I am positive that if we were to show them kindness, kindness with no strings attached, they would prove to be amazing allies, possibly for life.”

“We concur. Neolith, your accounts may have grains of truth, but they pale in comparison to our actual accounts.”

“Uhm…” Vi kicked at the ground. “I think…they're kinda weird, to be honest…but I don't think they're bad.”

“Well,” Neolith gave them a nervous smile. “If you three say so…then I trust you! I'm sorry for startling you. I get a bit nervous sometimes, heh…”

“Likewise. You three have told nothing but the truth.” Maki said with a nod. “I too, get a bit protective of our Kingdom.”

Then, he grew serious once more. “Tomorrow. What is the plan?”

“Tomorrow, we return to the cave we fell in, and this time, we use my magic to carry us down safely.” Leif explained. “Once we retrieve Hornet, and anyone else who wishes to come, we will return to the Swamplands and travel to the Ant Kingdom the long way, traveling only by night.”

“Why not use the ant tunnels?” Asked Gen.

“Yeah, that's why they're there, aren't they?” Asked Eri.

“Well, surely they would want to see the surface, right?” Kabbu asked with a chuckle. “Out one cave and into another? That doesn't sound very fun!”

(Secretly, they worried Hollow may not fit in the ant tunnels if they were to join. None of them mentioned this outloud.)

“And it gives us more time to make any final preparations.” Added Maki. “Blankets, pillows, food, anything else we may think of. That's a good plan.”

“Can I ask…a few questions?” Neolith said, fiddling with his antennae. “I-I know I caused a bit of a scare…and I don't want to ask these questions directly.”

Team Snakemouth found that a bit odd. “Like...what?” Leif asked, a little afraid of the answer.

“Well, did you eat their food? Some stories claim if you eat their food, you’ll be trapped in their world forever.”

Vi giggled a bit at that, “Well, we did eat their food, but we’re still here! They gave us a salad and some roasted mushrooms.”

“See? Not everything I read is true!”

Maki cleared his throat. “Neolith, perhaps these questions should be saved for another time. No doubt we’ll need rest for the upcoming visit.”

“Ah! Terribly sorry, Maki. I’ll write them down, then.” Neolith apologized as he turned to leave. “I’m just glad they didn’t steal your names!”

“...what?”

“And you’re alright with watching Dirtmouth during our absence?” Hornet asked as she poured herself another cup of tea.

Tea was a rare commodity, most of it had been ruined thanks to the rain of the city. But Hornet was happy to share her meager supply with such an old friend.

“Of course! I’d be more than happy to!” Ogrim said with a soft chuckle. “It’d do me some good to stretch my legs some. I’m very proud of you, taking steps for diplomacy like that.”

Hornet couldn’t help but bask in the praise. “Th…thank you. I am taking steps to improve myself in that skill. Of course, things still might not work out. We have time to plan, they won’t be here for two more days.”

“Not everything does.” he said with a shrug. “You won’t be alone. Your siblings, your friends-” Ogrim chuckled, unable to stop himself from smiling, “The blue one, you made him a knight, did you?”

“Oh, no.”

“He has been telling everyone who would listen. He has a good heart.” 

“I’d certainly hope he has something under his thick shell, for he definitely doesn’t have a brain.”

“Reminds me a bit of how I was, when your Father knighted me. Maybe you’ll have Five Great Knights of your own!”

Hornet bristled slightly at the mention of her Father, but tried not to show it. Ogrim still regarded him fondly, and now was not the time to ruin such things.

She focused on the windows, shimmering with rain and rushing water. With the Husks gone, the City was truly a beautiful place. “I just hope I am doing everything right.”

Ogrim took a thoughtful sip from his cup. “Are you listening to your instincts? Are you doing your best?”

“Well, I am trying to.”

“That is all you can do.”

She wondered how Ogrim learned to be so wise, so understanding. Hornet wished she could be like that, some day. For now, having Ogrim as a kindly voice to listen to and a nice shoulder to rest upon was good enough.

(She was very happy that he kept his mind intact during the Infection. The mere thought of such a thing was almost too much to bear.)

The two heard footsteps approaching, and both turned to see Ghost tip-tapping down the corridor.

“Ah! The little Warrior! Are you stopping for a visit?” Ogrim asked, lowering themselves to allow Ghost to hug him.

And Ghost obliged, rushing over to give the large beetle a hug. 

Quirrel was soon to follow. “Ah! Hornet, there you are. Just the bug I wanted to see.”

Despite herself, Hornet couldn’t help but feel on edge. “Quirrel.” she greeted with a nod. “Is there something you need?”

“Well, I’ve been in the Archives, as you know. Looking for any information I can find on our Surface World visitors.”

“Smart lad.” Ogrim said with a nod. “I assume you’ve found something then?”

“The vast majority was useless. But I did find one thing…” His tone immediately struck Hornet as concerning. It was the tone of voice he used when he didn’t want to upset her, but knew he was about to regardless.

Hornet set down her teacup. “Speak, Archivist.”

“Well, Ghost found a document regarding the possible issue of timing.” he began to explain. “There is no evidence that our concept of a singular ‘day’ would be the same on the surface. Hornet, I recall you saying they would return in three days time, correct?”

“Correct.”

“Well, we have no frame of reference for how long their ‘day’ may be. In short, they could suddenly reappear within a matter of hours, or perhaps a matter of weeks.”

Hornet’s reply was blunt. “So you're telling me that they could appear with no warning, while we are unprepared?”

“Essentially…yes?”

There was a pause. Ogrim turned to Hornet, worry clear in his voice. “...Princess? Are you alright?”

Hornet took a deep breath. “Ogrim. Is it possible for you to move up to Dirtmouth ahead of schedule? Preferably as soon as possible?”

“Y-Yes, of course. I’ll be sure to wash before I come- but are you alright?”

“I am afraid I’ll need to cut our little discussion short.” she said, slowly standing from her chair. “For you see, I need to go scream somewhere, very, very loudly.”

As night fell over Bugaria, as the stars twinkled and the moon slowly peeked over the horizon, something stirred.

As bugs of all shapes and sizes slept in their beds, some dreaming, some not, something wiggled.

As the last of the raindrops from the torrential storms dripped into Metal Lake, something moved.

Deep, deep, deep at the bottom of Metal Lake, something woke up.

Chapter Text

Ghost: HP 9, DEF -1

An enigmatic little bug with a surprising amount of skill in battle. Despite their small size and childish nature, Little Ghost is absolutely ferocious in combat. There’s definitely more underneath the surface…Don’t be surprised if your attacks simply don’t land.

Kabbu: I feel…a little uncomfortable fighting a child. However, Ghost seems to be eager to fight. They hit surprisingly hard, team. Steady yourself! A-And maybe let’s go a bit easy on them?

Vi: WHOA! I’ve never seen anything with a negative defense! This should be easy…huh? Why can’t I hit them? Stay still!

Leif: There is something off about Ghost…something that we cannot place. We know this for certain; they are much stronger than they appear. We’ll combat their magic with our own.

Hornet: HP 10, DEF -1

Quick with her deadly needle and relentless in battle, Hornet is the skilled huntress and protector of Hallownest…or at least, what remains. Absolutely dead serious and no nonsense, some bugs wonder if she’s even capable of smiling. (Not that you’d see with her mask). Don’t be surprised if your attacks simply don’t land.

Kabbu: I’ve never seen a bug so fast! I can’t get in close enough for a hit! I-I don’t want to hurt her! Seeing her in combat, she seems so…frail. Don’t tell her I said that. Let’s simply subdue her, for now.

Vi: EEP! I-I thought I saw fangs! She knows we’re just sparring, right? D-Does she look hungry to you guys? I keep trying to hit her, but she keeps dodging?! Isn’t that cheating?!

Leif: We do not envy you, Hornet. Your role and the duties that come with it…it’s not easy, and we wouldn’t wish it upon anyone…We still think you could be a bit nicer, though. Perhaps a few minutes as an ice cube might cool you off…

Hollow: HP 14, DEF -1

The eldest of the Pale Siblings, Hollow is normally rather passive and calm when compared to the other two. Do not let this fool you. Hollow’s ‘cane’ is actually an enormous weapon, capable of slicing stone in two. They love honey treats and cooking. Don’t be surprised if your attacks simply don’t land.

Kabbu: Such strength! Such power! A classic lesson to be learned…never underestimate your opponent! Team! We must work together! Wait for an opening and strike!

Vi: A bug THAT big should NOT move that fast! That’s just unfair! And their weapon is taller than me! Can I call time out? Please?!

Leif: We cannot shake the terrible feeling we have when we observe them in combat…who trained them? Such powerful strikes, such powerful magic…They are no normal bug. But then…what could they be?

Quirrel: HP 10, DEF -1

Quirrel prefers to describe himself as an observer, not a warrior. Even so, Quirrel is amazingly quick, and can hit rather hard! Despite his friendly demeanour there is an odd quality to him, he claims it's simply his age. Don’t be surprised if your attacks simply don’t land.

Kabbu: Quirrel seems well traveled, I wonder how he didn’t stumble across Bugaria before. Regardless, let’s have a good, clean fight.

Vi: Why is everyone from this stupid kingdom so fast?! It just doesn’t make sense! Grr! Whatever, I’ll nail him eventually!

Leif: Why would a scholar know to fight? We’ve heard of defending one’s thesis, but this is a bit extreme. No, it must be for survival. How unfortunate.

Cloth: HP 8, DEF -1

One of the friendlier faces in Hallownest, despite never showing her face. Her chipper and kind demeanour is somewhat hindered by her choice of weapon, a tooth of a great beast that she uses as a club. Her soft voice lends well to singing, although she doesn't like doing it in front of others. Don’t be surprised if your attacks simply don’t land.

Kabbu: I wish I could jump that high. Imagine the possibilities! Imagine the attacks! I must ask how she does it! And where she got her weapon! Maybe I can have something similar in the future!

Vi: Mask or no mask, still a little creepy how she hides her face. It’s a good thing she’s super duper nice. She’s alright in my book.

Leif: We are deeply sorry for our previous battle. We know better now, and we hope this battle is smoother. We’ll only go a little easy on her. After all, we need to make up for the previous fight.

Tiso: HP 8, DEF -1

A warrior bug who carries a deadly shield, with a material that seems strangely familiar…Despite nearly losing his life in a gladiatorial colosseum, he loves combat, but his rash decisions and cocky nature usually end the fight early. Don’t be surprised if your attacks simply don’t land.

Kabbu: I don't think I've ever met a bug that is this enthusiastic about combat…let's show him what we can do! Carefully. I don't want to injure him further.

Vi: I didn't know you could use a shield like a beemerang! We should ask for tips, or maybe we could give him tips! Or, maybe Celia would know?

Leif: He’s definitely sturdy, we must give him that. Although his fighting style vexes us. Use a shield…as a shield? Maybe he wouldn’t have that crack in his shell if he did. Perhaps it’s different in Hallownest.