Vessels and Tears (Archived Version)

Please Wake Up

 No one came to get you from the stag station for nearly 26 hours, where you sat still and cried. Cried for mom. Cried for Pale. Cried for yourself. Eventually Hollow showed up to join the pity party. Though they didn't cry, they put an arm around you and handed you a note. It was addressed to Rift, Hollow, and White, so you opened it.

Tears flowed harder and faster than before as you read it. It read:

Dear Children and Wife,

I love you all very much, and you were all very good bugs and trees. But I cant live with myself any more. All the innocents I killed and needing to sacrifice Hollow was enough to rock my boat, but the moment I looked into Rift's eyes, watched her stubbornly fight back and be so angry its adorable and happy it tipped me over the edge. Even though I only knew them for a while I realized my mistake. There were others like them. Strong willed and adorably sweet.

Which is why I couldn't take it any more. I hate to leave you all so sad but my presence is no longer needed. Tell Hollow they can stop pretending to be hollow and let Rift do what they want. This world is just not my place and as much as I loved you all, and I hope that if anything my death makes you stronger. Don't try to stop me either. I deserve it. Such a shame to make you all cry, because I know you all will but let this be a lesson. Don't do what I did is basically what I'm saying!! I don't mean to be selfish but I know Radiance will reason with White. Hollow can rule the kingdom when they're older, if they chose.

I understand if you never forgive me, but I did it for all of you. I'll most likely be dead by the time you read this, my final message for you three is Rift, you're a sweetheart and I'm glad to have met you. Hollow, I love you and wish you luck with your future. And White, thank you for being there for me all those years. Thanks for putting up with my madness. I love you.

-The Pale King

(P.S I'll be in the Howling Cliffs if you want to give me funeral)

You sat up and stretched your limbs. This was a lot to take in. You hadn't seen this coming but... oh shoot. OH SHOOT. You just screwed up the timeline. Permanently. You couldn't take back not taking death for an answer. You passed out upon thousands of thoughts and questions flowing through you. Hollow picked you up fairly easily and took you back to the White Palace.

Taking the long route so no one could see the two of you, they pushed the door to their room open and Dryya sat on the floor, in shock and still recovering from passing out for a whole day straight. News of the King's attempt at taking his own life spread faster than the infection itself. Dryya, whom was minding her own business and chatting with Ogrim was told by a very shaken and worn out Isma. Dryya passed out and Ogrim didn't catch her. How nice of him.

She looked up at Hollow and they made eye contact. They placed you in a nest of blankets they had made a while ago and patted you head. Dryya coughed and looked more pale than she already was. She had visited the infirmary where Pale was and he was on deaths doorstep. Lost a lot of blood, was weak, and even if he did survive the damage was done and the crack wouldn't heal. She did a forbidden action and poked around his workshop until she found two notes, one addressed to his family and one to the rest of the world.

Being The White Lady was in no condition to read her husbands possible last words, she gave it it Hollow and told them to find Rift. And she was positive they were both traumatized, or in a similar state. The kingdom was in a state of panic, but Dryya was too exhausted to care. Curling up next to you, she held on to you for dear life and Hollow joined the big, cuddly, pity party.

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"HE WHAT?!" The Radiance did a double take. She and Seer were having a nice, friendly, swear filled argument about you name it. Seer brought up the Pale Kings suicide attempt and Radiance freaked out like never before. "WHY?! KILLING HIM IS MY JOB AND MY JOB ONLY!!!" Seer flinched as the room just got thirty times warmer and Radiance got twenty times brighter.

"Calm down, his kid saved him... one of them." "What do you mean 'one of them'?" "He kept two." "That no good bastard! That messes up my plan! Now I have to kill BOTH OF THEM?! COME ON!!!!!!" She was pissed. Actually, almost every other higher being or queen was pissed. In the mantis tribe, four mantises quietly swapped rumors. "I heard that hes dead." "No, not yet anyway." Two of them, sitting on their thrones as usual, fidgeted as the male asked "What's it to us?!" "Yeah, don't worry about the loser, hes probably fine and its all a publicity stunt." the third female sighed.

"Oh you four are FAR from right." Herrah emerged from the right, cutting through and heading back to Deepnest. "Hes FAR from fine, just visited him. Holy shoot. Apparently his kid and some onion head are responsible for keeping him from death. Shocked to be honest." they continued to gossip as time ticked on.

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You woke up cuddled between your sibling and your friend? Did Dryya count as a friend or just an ally? You couldn't care less. You lifted your head and glanced at the clock. 12:13 A.M. How nice. You slipped out of their arms, slightly embarrassed and pushed the door open. Wandering until you found your destination, you unlatched a door to the infirmary and walked undetected to where Pale was. He was clearly in bad shape.

You stood on the foot of the bed and surveyed him. The most powerful man in Hallownest. The king. The Wyrm. Your fucking father. It was weird to think that. You crouched down and crawled onto his slow moving chest, focusing with all your might on just a few words.

Please wake up...

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It only gets more chaotic and happy from here.

hope you enjoyed, no comment.

Erase and ascend, peace-