Chapter Text
Lace let out a breathy laugh that Hornet could tell was a masked sob.
The spider kept her gaze trained on her figure as she tried to grasp what had just occurred. After all this time, after all this suffering, her siblings came and saved them. She had thought the moment to be her and Lace’s last, but they had other plans for them. They would go on to live, being placed on the cold, but safe, dock.
Hornet felt the ground rumble a bit beneath them, observing as protruding tendrils from the void lake began to twist and tear, pulling back down into the dark mass from where it once came. Lace blatantly fumbled and lost her grip on keeping herself sitting up after the shakes, falling onto her elbows that revealed the silk was quite worn down on her limbs.
Lace peered up and met eyes with Hornet once more, a look to them pleading for help, but also trying to not give away her weakness. Even after all of this, Lace still tried to remain stoic and refused to ask for help in her childish way.
Hornet took note of how Lace didn’t appear in the best condition and realized they needed to start moving before things got worse. No matter how exhausted the both were after an intense fight and almost being consumed by the void, staying down in the abyss would only seal their dooms. It was going to be a rough journey back to the deep docks, but there was no other choice in the matter.
“Child,” Hornet started, but quickly noticed how Lace’s gaze sharpened and she retracted back into herself, sitting up straight and cowering her knees to her chest. Hornet let a moment of silence come between them, trying to grasp just how awful that nickname probably made the other girl feel at the moment.
“Sorry… Lace, we need to start heading back up. There’s a bell-“
“We?” Lace said, snapping her head back towards her. “Why ‘we?’ Is this not the part where you leave me? You did it, there is no need to care anymore.”
Hornet studied her as she let out another airy chuckle, gripping her legs even tighter to her chest. All the rational thoughts in Hornet’s mind pertained to her own safety and well being, but something inside her could not leave Lace to succumb to her likely demise. Whether that be her own heart getting in the way, or because she was afraid that not fully completing the job of securing Lace’s safety would cause uproar from Grandmother Silk once more, she wasn’t about to take that chance.
“I am not going to leave you here, if that’s what you’re insinuating. Come on, we need to get a move on,” Hornet said sternly, managing to stand her weakened body up and walking closer to the white being. She noticed some of her red cloak was torn at the edges and took a mental note to mend it later on.
Lace, however, remained unmoving as she faced an empty cavern in the abyss, frozen in her previous position. Hornet narrowed her eyes, a little bit annoyed at her stubbornness preventing them from getting to safety.
“… Lace, come on. How else will you be able to rematch me in a duel?” Hornet said, a twinge of lightness in her voice as she reached a claw out towards the other girl. Her head was pounding, all she wanted was to coerce Lace to follow her so that she could return to her bell home and rest for a while.
Lace finally acknowledged her and peered at her outstretched claw, then back up to her eyes. “Offering me a hand? If you wanted to hold hands, spider, you could have just asked. I know I gave you a hard beating back there, so I would not mind,” she said and grabbed her hand gently. Hornet scoffed at her comment but did not retract.
Hornet used some of the little strength she had left to step back and try to pull Lace up from her position, and it did work, but only for a moment. Lace was pulled onto her feet and the second she tried to stand, her knees buckled and slammed back into the ground. Looks like Lace was the one who took a worse beating.
“Who needs their hand held more?” Hornet inquired snarkily but immediately bent down to make sure she was okay. Lace grunted and looked away, ashamed of what had just occurred.
Hornet studied her and noticed her legs seemed to have fraying on them, much like her arms but a little more extreme. She wondered if such happened from the fight or simply due to the fact her only life-line of silk was no longer around.
“Hmm,” Hornet hummed, sitting back on her knees to be level with the other. “I might have to carry you.”
Lace looked up and immediately noticed how close Hornet was to her, wondering why the spider was intruding her personal space. Their faces were so close that she could feel a ghosting of her breath brush against her cheek, and her body heat radiated in a way that made the abyss not seem as cold. In order to not allow Hornet to see her true reaction, she instead let a laugh slip.
“Such a stupid little spider. I told you to leave me here and you just won’t listen. Don’t bother yourself with carrying me-“ Lace said, but was cut off by Hornet sneaking an arm around her back and another arm beneath her legs. In an instant, she was now being carried once more by the weaver she so despised.
“You don’t know when to silence yourself.”
Lace widened her eyes and then scoffed at her comment, trying to ignore how the warmth of her body heat was much closer and now consuming her. Even though she was in a lot of pain from the events that just took place, the embrace made her feel the tiniest bit better. And her cloak… How was it so soft?
Hornet ignored the sound of protest from Lace and felt successful that she accepted her fate. Finally, Lace was being compliant and made no attempts to wriggle herself out of Hornet’s arms. She was sure Lace wanted to leave just as much as her, but allowed the stubborn notion that no one would care to save her get in the way. The notion was tragic when mulled over.
Hornet adjusted her grip on the girl, realizing how soft to the touch she really was. She was surprisingly heavy, though, probably due to the amount of condensed silk in her being. But that was mainly speculation; Hornet wasn’t sure what to make of her construct and hardly knew anything about her aside from the surface representation.
They began on their way out of the abyss, Hornet taking caution every time she needed to use her silk skills to climb and avoid any void entities in their way. Luckily, it seemed most of them were gone or slain due to her previous descent.
Once they reached the area of the bell, Hornet looked down at Lace who had been quiet the entire time, noticing her eyes looked extremely heavy. Just the sight of seeing her look so exhausted reminded her of what little energy she had left in her shell. It made her feel a wave of faintness as she stumbled.
The two in her footsteps seemed to wake Lace up a bit and she noticed the slow movement of Hornet’s pace as she wobbled from side to side. Before them was some sort of giant bell that seemed to be lined with lava-proof metal, recognizable due to her travels in Pharloom during its rise and fall. She looked up at Hornet and saw her eyes shut, then open, then shut and so on as her pace remained slow.
“Spider?” Lace said, reaching up and tapping the cheek of Hornet’s mask. This seemed to wake her up a bit as she looked down at her, a bit of annoyance in that gaze.
But Hornet didn’t say a word, she couldn’t. Her voice didn’t have enough power or energy to work, and she found her body slowly crumpling to the ground. First her right knee, then her left knee, and suddenly she was sitting on the damp floor with Lace still hanging in her arms, now being nearly cradled on her lap. After remaining awake for so long trying to finally free Pharloom, she was beyond exhausted. And the heat from the deep docks wasn’t helping.
Lace tried to will herself to sit up and wake the other girl up some more, but her whole body ached. “Spider.”
Hornet felt her head spin and flashes of dreams started to form in her vision. She was actively falling asleep and needed to see it to herself that she remain awake, but she couldn’t grasp what was real and what was not.
“Spider… Hornet!” Lace yelled and managed to reach both of her hands and place it onto Hornet’s shoulders. Finally, Lace could see the cloud in her vision clear as she blinked a few times.
“Lace? Oh… we’re here.” Hornet said and immediately started to lift herself and Lace back up until she was back on her feet. The warmth from the deep docks was seeping in and most likely didn’t help with the dreamy state she escaped to just then. Whatever spell came over her, thankfully its grip loosened enough for her body to move and mind to think clearer.
Hornet pushed the door in and immediately set Lace down on the chair in the center. Her arms were throbbing but at least they both made it in one piece. She quickly turned and pulled the door shut with an audible groan as her muscles tried to fight against her. Lace sat in the seat watching carefully, unable to feel any of her limbs and feeling some sense of guilt in being unable to help.
Hornet then turned back towards Lace and looked her up and down, making the girl feel small under her gaze. “Um, why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because the seat is the only restraint in this bell to protect us from being thrown around upon ascent. We, uh, might need to share,” Hornet said, cursing herself for the slight stutter. But there was no really good way to ask someone to sit on your lap. She felt her face burn a tiny bit from the embarrassment, but tried to remain as stoic as ever, the tiredness helping in this.
Lace cocked her head to the side while trying to put the pieces together, and when she did, she let out a giggle which added to Hornet’s previous embarrassment.
“Well, come on over. Snuggle up tight, spider.” Lace said and placed her claw over her face to laugh even more mischievously. Hornet groaned again out of annoyance that she knew how to mess with her and get a reaction. But this wasn’t something she could refuse to do since as she said, the restraints on this bench were the only things strong enough to keep the both of them in place.
Hornet slunk over and carefully scooped up Lace once more, sitting herself on the bench and placing Lace on top of her lap. Somehow, this position felt even closer than when she was carrying her.
“What’s the matter? Didn’t want to sit on my lap?” Lace said and tilted her head back to look at Hornet.
“Did you want me to crush your already unworking legs?” Hornet fired back, earning herself a sigh of resignation from Lace who was disappointed at her joke being shut down.
Hornet grabbed the straps on either side and wrapped them around herself and on top of Lace’s lap, securing the buckle and feeling the girl on top press even further into her body. The strap was most likely not meant for a two person travel, so the uncomfortable pressure was the only way. Although, maybe in a way it wasn’t too uncomfortable.
In fact, Lace didn’t seem to be worried about the tight restraints, but was more concerned about the fact that she could feel Hornet’s entire body pressed into her own. Her drowsiness seemed to dissipate immediately as she felt the warmth once again, but this time more intense. It was comfortable, it was refreshing, it was… something Lace has never experienced. She wasn’t used to such intimate physical contact, let alone anyone wanting to engage in it with her. Even her own mother didn’t care to give her hugs, leaving her silk shell feeling cold and empty.
Hornet shifted and reached her arm out to the side to grab the communication device. “Ballow, I’m ready to ascend.”
“Hornet!” Ballow’s voice came out in almost a yelp of surprise. “You’re alive. When I saw the void tendrils dissipate and didn’t hear anything for a while, I thought… never mind. Prepare for ascent!”
The bell shifted slightly before being dragged upwards slowly, until the pace quickened and suddenly they were ascending at alarming speeds.
Lace let out a little yelp at the sudden quick acceleration and subconsciously grabbed onto Hornet’s hands that had at some point, wrapped around her waist. The ascent only lasted a minute before the bell came to a slow stop. Lace was out of breath and felt her vision getting blurry from the incredible speed. It felt like she was going to hurl.
While in a daze, at some point Hornet had undone the restraints and Lace was now back in the spider’s arms. The nauseous feeling started to subside but was quickly replaced by the drowsiness once more. She heard Hornet speaking to someone, presumably the Ballow character she called to from below, before her eyes fully shut and she drifted off once more.
Thanks to Ballow’s help, Hornet was guided back to the bell beast station due to her ever slipping consciousness being a concern she had. Ballow nodded to her and gave them space, looking back only once before leaving the station.
Hornet called out to the bell beast. “Eira!” And the bells began to rattle before the bell beast emerged with ecstatic energy. Hornet could cry from the sight of her best friend, but had other matters to attend. Lace was in her arms, and by the looks of it, she was asleep.
Now comes a crossroad. They escaped the abyss, Lace was alive, they could move on. Hornet could either part ways with her here, or take her back to Bellhart and introduce her into the community. She didn’t really have an issue either way, but Lace seemed to be the type to want to be alone after all of this.
Hornet carefully squatted and laid Lace down on the floor, watching as she groaned and stretched a little bit, but still stayed soundly asleep.
Lace. The girl that she first met in the deep docks. The girl she dueled thrice, once when she was not herself. The girl that… saved her from being dragged down with that goddess. Although it had caused a ripple effect that turned Pharloom for the worse, Hornet couldn’t help but feel indebted. What had even caused her to take Hornet’s place while being dragged down? It was something she couldn’t quite understand.
And now, peering down at Lace as she soundly sleeps, she can’t help but observe how injured her body appeared. She’s not in good condition, and can’t even stand on her own. Parting ways now would be leaving her as a sitting duck, waiting for her own demise. Sure, Hornet could always ask someone else to take Lace in and care for her injuries until she’s ready to move on, but something nagged in the back of Hornet’s mind.
“Why… why did you save me?” Hornet said, scooping the girl back up which earned a soft moan. She carefully climbed on Eira’s back and gently placed Lace behind the bell beast’s head. Hornet made herself comfortable behind Lace and secured her by wrapping her arm around her waist tightly. “Take us to Bellhart.”
Eira purred and shook her head, causing Hornet to chuckle. “Please, sorry.”
Eira reared which caused a bit of a trifle trying to hold Lace in place until she launched forward and into the bell veins. Hornet breathed a sigh of relief at how gentle and smooth Eira was running, probably sensing the conditions of the bugs on her back. Hornet felt drowsiness seeping in again from the smooth ride, her horns suddenly feeling too heavy to keep up. Hornet felt her head drop onto Lace’s shoulder as the girl in front shifted only slightly. Not purposeful, but acted as a perfect rest for her aching neck. Her silk was so soft and cozy that sleep was trying to creep in fast.
Before she knew it, the both of them were peacefully sleeping on the ride to Bellhart.
-
“Hornet wielding needle!” A voice yelled, startling Hornet from her slumber as she came to. She was still sitting on the back of Eira, Lace slouched in front of her, and now inside the bell station for Bellhart. Before them, Shakra had just clanged her rings and called out to her.
“Shakra..! Shakra wielding rings, can you help-?”
“You’re back.” Shakra interrupted, walking over to the bell beast and gazing up at Hornet, then eyeing Lace. “You actually did it.”
Hornet took the words in and only then understood the gravity of her actions. Had she really accomplished what she had been striving for since falling into this kingdom? After all this time, was the bad finally extinguished enough for peace to set in? It seemed incomprehensible.
“I… I,” is all Hornet managed to croak out, attention then caught by Shakra climbing up Eira a bit and reaching a hand out to Hornet.
The spider smiled at the offer but shook her head. “Can you help me with her, first? She’s in… not so good of condition.”
Shakra seemed to pause and look at Lace once more, then back at Hornet before moving any further. “Hornet… is this who I believe it to be? The… child?”
Hornet then realized that Lace’s presence around Pharloom might not have been a favorable one previously. No doubt that bugs would recognize her such as Shakra, which could take a lot of work mending now that she’s not under the control of her mother.
“Yes… there is a lot to explain, but as of now I need your help,” Hornet said with a pleading twinge in her voice. Without hesitation, Shakra nodded and took to action. She carefully grabbed Lace and stepped off of Eira, then facing Hornet who sighed in relief.
Hornet began trying to step off of the bell beast until a wave of dizziness hit her once more. Her foot slid and before she knew it, she had fallen and became momentarily airborne. However, there was no harsh collision due to Shakra’s fast reflexes that managed to catch her within a moment's notice.
“Hornet, you look in much the same shape as the child. Don’t overdo it, I shall help you both to your resting area,” Shakra said with concern, placing Hornet on her feet. The spider looked over and saw Lace gently placed on the ground once more, still wondering how Shakra had managed to move so quickly.
After Shakra had once more picked Lace up, the three of them made their way up to Bellhart from the bell station. Hornet immediately noticed Pavo, and the dancing pilgrim had done the same. Pavo came up with much haste and energy and immediately began praising.
“You did it! You’ve actually-“ Pavo started, but Shakra cleared her throat to interrupt the confrontation.
“Excuse us, Pavo. Gratitude is much welcome but at this moment, Hornet is in poor condition. She must rest immediately and then we can discuss her accomplishments.”
Hornet squeezed Shakra’s wrist that had at some point made its way into her hand for stability. She was so dazed at the moment that she couldn’t express her gratitude in any other way, nor guide herself to her bellhome. Luckily, in the blink of an eye, Shakra managed to carry them both to the top where Hornet’s bellhome resided.
“Hornet, maybe consider a lower bell in the future for when this happens again?” Shakra said, voice teasing. Hornet managed an airy chuckle, but couldn’t help the insane relief she felt viewing the inside of her bellhome once more.
Shakra gently closed the door and set Hornet back down, then heading to her bed and laying Lace on her back. Lace had yet to stir since riding Eera, and this fact concerned Hornet all too much. Even she was able to stay conscious at the moment, no matter how difficult it was, but Lace had no such luck.
Hornet stumbled to her bench and sat down swiftly, relief filling her already. It wasn’t enough to heal her, she took way too much damage fighting Lace and nearly getting lost in the void, but it was enough to clear her woozy head to communicate properly once more.
“Shakra, is she okay?” Hornet said, shifting her gaze from Shakra who was standing next to the bed, and eyeing up Lace’s unmoving body on top of the sheets.
Shakra leaned down and placed a claw on Lace’s chest, and then her other claw on her forehead. The bug stayed silent for all too long, making Hornet fear the worst.
“She’s alive… but she’s in really poor condition. Do you know how to fix her?” Shakra inquired, which made Hornet flinch.
Fix her? It was something that hadn’t crossed her mind. Her silken body most likely couldn’t repair itself which meant that without Grandmother Silk around, no one was to replenish her body. However, Hornet was well aware of the fact that she could generate silk, and resting at the bench she could feel Eva’s power replenishing the silk in her shell. While in no world was she in good shape, Hornet had to think about the consequences of leaving Lace in this condition for much longer.
“I… I can try,” Hornet spoke finally, managing to stand herself up from the bench once more and feeling her legs wobble. Shakra immediately came to her aid in case she fell, but Hornet managed to stabilize herself.
“Hornet wielding needle, are you sure this is a good idea in your state?”
Hornet looked up at Shakra and they locked eyes. “I have to try. My silk will replenish, hers will not. Binding merely takes energy that I don’t have, but is energy that I need to have.”
Shakra looked at Hornet with concern in her eyes, but knew too well that trying to stop her would be futile. Once the spider made up her mind, she would risk her own life to set things right. Hence why she saved Pharloom, her will is like no other.
Hornet stepped towards the bed and climbed on top, sitting on her knees beside Lace as she tried to sense the silk within her shell. Only has she ever bound herself with silk to heal, now she would have to direct her bind into something… someone else.
Acting carefully, Hornet shifted her weight and swung a leg over Lace’s waist, careful to not put any pressure of her body onto her broken one. Shakra watched from the side cautiously and nervously that this wouldn’t go as planned, but she needed to be there if Hornet needed help.
Hornet grabbed Lace’s shoulders and felt her soft silk fill her claws. She closed her eyes and could feel every strand tightly bound together, encouraging her mind to picture Lace’s will instead of her own. She needed to understand her silk before she could even attempt to bind it. It wasn’t enough though, she needed her closer.
Hornet carefully wrapped her arms under her waist and pulled her close to her chest, Lace’s head just above her shoulder. Now she could sense her silken heart, she could feel it beating underneath all the layers, and for a moment, she could feel her heart beating in sync with her own. Without another hesitation, she muttered her binding words and felt an excruciating sensation within her shell. It felt like her own body was being extracted, and she knew by this that it was working.
Silk withdrew itself from Hornet and bound itself onto Lace’s body in tendrils and sparks. The process only took the same amount of time it does for Hornet to heal, but the white glow was so bright that it nearly blinded her through her shut eyes.
Shakra observed and covered her face when the flash occurred, then peering back at the two bugs after the fact. Hornet was still sat on top of Lace, head pointed towards the ceiling as her arms went lax and dropped Lace back on the bed. The white being groaned at the movement, and that’s when Shakra knew that what Hornet had done had worked. However, the spider looked frozen, until her entire body went fully limp and she fell to the side of the other girl.
Shakra ran over with haste and checked on Hornet, but she had no breathing issues, no feverish feel, and no signs of pain. She merely looked soundly asleep much like the other. This made Shakra sigh in relief.
After a moment, the ring wielder tucked the two bugs in as a concerned gesture, deciding it was best to leave and check back in on them when morning rose.