Hat Kid opens her eyes to find herself in the brightly lit cloudy world she found herself in when Seer had to wake her up. "Am I dead?" She asks herself.
"No, child, you're merely asleep." A voice says.
Hat Kid turns around to see the three ghosts that trapped her in this place the first time. "Uhh, what do you three want?"
Monomon speaks, "We're here to help. As you know, the infection has spread due to the failed attempt of the Hollow Knight. I believe all is lost in this method and something needs to change."
"Well what can I do about it, I'm just out here trying to survive."
"You can start by breaking the seals that stop things from entering the Black Egg Temple. We sacrificed our bodies to secure it but now that the infection is still spreading... it was in vain."
"That must really suck."
"Yes, it does. We have all come to an agreement that if someone were to dismiss our souls and open the temple to try and stop the infection, well that'd be a sacrifice we're willing to make, after all; we've come this far in our sacrifice, why not one more for the kingdom."
Herrah starts speaking, "We have been watching you for a while, we gave you the dream nail and you had that moth put some of it's essence into your mask, that is your way into the dream world."
Lurien speaks up, "You should know where all of us are so we'll be waiting, kid. Oh, and we're just a projection here. You have to actually go inside of our mind's individually to dismiss our souls. The final thing to seal the deal and destroy the infection you physically cannot do, ask Herrah's daughter about it."
Hat Kid looks at all three of them. "That was a lot of info guys."
Lurien rolls his eye. "I think it's time for you to wake up." They push Hat Kid off into the clouds.
Hat Kid awakens lying down in a shallow pool of blue substance. She doesn't try to get up, just lies there looking at the ceiling. After wondering for a bit if she's dead or alive, she sits up and checks her aching chest wound to see it mostly healed. "H-how? I was impaled with a lance straight through my body."
She looks through her timewatch for info about Herrah's daughter. "Let's see who the freak I have to find is." She finds the info and looks around in guilt. "Oh... Hornet is the freak I guess."
She hears the sound of Hornet's voice from another room. "I know I keep asking but you're sure she'll be fine, right?"
"Yes, princess, my sister checked on her not too long ago and says the lifeblood pool is healing her wounds at the normal rate. She is still asleep which is a bit unexpected, it shouldn't take this long for her to wake up." The Mantis Lord says.
Hat Kid stumbles to the door holding herself up on the wall. "H-hey!"
They turn around. "Hat Kid, you're alive!" Hornet runs over and hugs her tightly.
"Ow..." Hat Kid says clenching her eyes.
"Oh, sorry." Hornet says.
"Hornet, I know what must be done."
"What are you talking about, kid?"
"To stop the infection, I know what I must do."
"I... I don't advise it."
"Is it because Harrah is your mother?"
Hornet and Hat Kid just stare at each other in silence. The Mantis Lord snorts a quick laugh. "Uh, sorry."
Hornet gives the mantis an angry look and turns back to Hat Kid. "Hat Kid, even if we opened the temple, we ourselves have no way of actually stopping the infection."
"I know, your mother asked me to ask you how we actually do that... so how do we do that, Hornet?"
"Well, we would need a living vessel, and I've murdered any I've found because clearly they're too weak if they can't beat me."
"Have you ever thought about training one?"
"If a Pure Vessel couldn't do it; do you really believe a little weak vessel could do it!?"
"That's your only hope is it not?"
"It is, but you're basically saying we need to unite the void. Pretty impossible if you ask me."
Hat Kid accepts this for the moment and walks over to the Mantis Lord.
The mantis looks up and down at the wounded Hat Kid. "What?" She says annoyed."
"I want Snappy back, I'll pay you whatever you want, just give him back to me."
"No, child, we will keep him here where he can not fulfill his role, and The Nightmares Heart will try to send its slave army to free him but we will be ready for their onslaught. Unless you can kill a higherbeing than I suggest you stop trying to convince me."
"I'll do it whatever the cost, just give me Snappy."
"Kid, you'd have to be able to enter the nightmare realm to do that and I don't think you're capable of such a feat." The Mantis Lord sips her bug juice with a smirk.
Hat Kid pulls out her mask and puts it over her face, looking at the Mantis Lord. "This kid is so irritating with all these questions, just let me drink my juice in peace. I do wish my brother hadn't gone and taken the infection willingly... I'd kill him if he weren't so far deep in the queen's gardens."
Hat Kid takes the mask off. "I'll kill your brother for you."
The Mantis Lord spits out her juice in shock. "Excuse me!"
"I accessed your mind, I can enter the Nightmare Realm and kill the Nightmares Heart, just give me Snappy back and I'll do it all."
The Mantis Lord looks at Hornet who nods. "Alright, you seem like an honest young lady, so I'll create a contract saying you must kill my brother, The Traitor Lord I like to call him, and you will also attempt to kill the Nightmares Heart."
"I've signed plenty of contracts back in the day, what do you keep as leverage, my soul perhaps?"
"N-no... who do you think I am?"
"Uh... nevermind."
"I'll give you SnAPy back, dumb name." She mutters under her breath. Hat Kid gives her a look of offended disgust. The mantis hands Hat Kid the contract. "On the condition that before you go on your path of pain to fight the Nightmares Heart, you leave Snappy with us, as you fully understand why."
"Ok, deal." She says signing the contract.
The Mantis Lord summons someone to bring Snappy. "You should really think before you act so fast, kid."
"I've come this far and I'm alive so I'll stick to my current thinking; thanks." Hat Kid says as she gestures at Hornet to walk with her. "Hornet, I can break the seals and you can find a living vessel, right?"
"I believe we can do both of those things but it seems pointless."
"Just try, alright, we'll meet up later." Hat Kid says, Hornet leaving the village.
A mantis comes with Snappy in webs and cuts him free. Hat Kid hugs Snappy who gives her a happy screech. She puts him in her hat and they go up, leaving the village.
"Back to the ol grind, Snappy, I'm glad you're back because I was losing myself without you in this psychotic kingdom."
As she walks through the fungal wastes; she looks through her timewatch for the nearest stag station. "It says the only stag station in this sector is the queens station so let's pick up the pace."
After journeying through more treacherous lands full of new and dangerous creatures, they arrive at the queens station and ring the bell.
The stag comes running in from the tunnels, "Now this is a nice station, where to, kid?"
"Back to the creepy Deepnest, Mr. Stag."
"I hate that station. But I can't deny a rider's request, hop on."
During the ride, Hat Kid reads up on important locations that may hold timepieces. "The closest area to Deepnest that interests me is the white palace, so we'll go there after I... eliminate Herrah's soul. That sounds morbid but it's what I have to do, and I know they agreed to let me do it but I still feel bad."
They arrive at the Distant village and head to the beast's den. "I forgot how dark and creepy this place is."
Hat Kid and Snappy enter the beast's den to see some eccentric looking bugs. "Not even 5 feet though the entrance and this already seems suspicious as peck."
The bugs look at each other for a moment. "We are friends, just simple villagers, nothing to fear." One of the bugs says.
Hat Kid puts on her mask to see what they're thinking. "..." She gives a look of suspicion to Snappy. "They don't have any thoughts." She whispers.
"Scyaaaa."
She walks past them and sits down on the bench nearby. She starts looking over her timewatch for the location of Herrah. "She should be around here somewhere but this seems like a dead end, let's look elsewhere." She goes to get up but is stuck to the bench. "Deceived by a friendly seat. Not again!" The bugs start slowly closing in.
"Snappy, do something!"
"Scyaaaa!"
She grabs her parasol off her back and starts swinging at the bugs but her nail and Snappy's fire just goes through them. "Why is everything going dark!? Peeeeeck!..."
Hat Kid awakens dazed in some dark caverns. She groans, "M-my hat; where's my hat? Snappy!?"
"Scyaaaa." Snappy squeaks; sitting on her head.
"Ah, you're unharmed, that's good that they didn't hurt you... but also really dumb. They can't be that smart if they didn't web you up. Help me out would you?" She says struggling to break out of the webs.
Snappy spews fire over the webs, burning them away within a minute. She lands on the dirt floor where her hat is laying. She checks the contents of her hat. "They left everything, what kind of assaulters are those bugs? Let's see if we can find a way out of this creepy den."
Hat Kid stabs an approaching bug. "Good, something that can actually be killed." They fight their way up till they find a light at the top. They find a body lying on a large stone. "This is Herrah..."
She closes her eyes and puts on her mask. "Time to diminish a soul." She opens her eyes while staring at Herrah; falling to the floor without warning and her vision goes white.
She awakens in the dream realm with Herrah looking at her. "You've done well to make it. I do apologize for not warning you about the spirits that guard me and feed outsiders to the large beasts."
"That would have been helpful to know, Herrah."
"Alright, Hat Kid, I'm ready, tell Hornet I will always watch over her wherever I may be. Don't hesitate, we dreamers can't feel the pain."
Hat Kid nods and stabs Herrah through the heart to make it as simple as possible. Herrah's essence is drawn into Hat Kid's mask and Herrah's body disappears into the clouds. Hat Kid sits for a moment and looks to the horizon. "I haven't thought about this till now but... where is the sun? It's here in this realm but I've never seen it on the surface of the waking world, is that even the surface of Hallownest? This kingdom is so complicated." She takes the mask off and wakes up in the beast's den on the floor.
She stands up to see Hornet sitting on the stone bed. "Hey... Hornet, what are you doing here?"
"I came to investigate mantis that had gone missing during Deepnest patrol. Also to see my mother one last time since I knew you would come here eventually. Anyway, I followed a lead and it appears whatever was luring the mantis to their death was killed. The creature had many cuts and slashes on its body so the logical explanation is that something even worse is out there."
Hat Kid looks around awkwardly. "Guess I'm the apex predator." She mutters with a giggle.
"What did you say?" Hornet asks.
"I uh... I killed it."
"You did!?"
"Yup."
"That's amazing, kid, wish I could have seen you in action."
"I suppose I did have help from Zote the Mighty, if you know who that is."
"Ugh, him? Yeah I know him, I'm surprised he didn't get himself killed."
"I'm heading out then, we will stop this infection, Hornet, keep looking for another vessel, I think you'll find one strong enough sooner than later."
"You're too hopeful, kid."
"I have to be, it's how I've survived this long... and your mother said she'll watch over you wherever she is now."
"Ok... that makes me feel better about all this."
Hat Kid heads out and makes her way into Deepnest and heads upward, fighting off infected weavers. "Scyaaaa?"
"I know this isn't the way to the white palace but I've got an idea to help us in the future."
They find the Mask Maker's home where he is still chipping away, shaping and painting masks. "You're back, why are you back?" The Mask Maker asks.
Hat Kid steps forward with geo in hand. "I want to buy more of those blue orbs you had."
"Do you know what those blue orbs are?"
"They are lifeseeds that can be used in healing the body and countering soul. I would like 3."
He pulls out the jar of lifeseeds and takes three out; putting them into individual bottles. "200 geo."
"Alright."
"Each."
Hat Kid grumbles but hands over the 600 geo.
"Thanks for your business, kid." The Mask Maker says.
Hat Kid starts heading down towards the tram ways that lead to the Ancient Basin. Once they reach the tram they take it to the Ancient Basin and head down deeper to where the White Palace should be. "Why is this basin so gray faded, and what's with the black vapor floating around?"
They arrive in a long courtyard with a black melted corpse in royal white armor sitting next to a time rift. "A time rift, here? The only way this could have happened is if a timepiece was broken and not on someone's own terms I'm sure. Time can't be manipulated here so this time rift was created by a malfunction. This time rift must lead to another dimension, and it's white... I have no idea what dimension it leads to so I'll note it's presence in the timewatch. There is guaranteed a timepiece in there but I don't think it's worth trying to find. Time rifts are unpredictable and this one in particular is very mysterious." She looks around at the widely open space. "The White Palace should be here but it's not. The arching entrance seems to be, but the palace itself isn't. Guess there isn't all that much here for us."
"Scyaaaa."
"Do you even understand any of the complicated info I ramble about?"
"Scyaaaa."
"Doesn't matter, as long as you're listening I guess."
Hat Kid and Snappy continue back to the tram ways they didn't discover yet. They take the tram way to the Kingdom's edge. "Hm, this music they're playing in this tram is pretty neat." Hat Kid comments.
Once they arrive they start climbing to hopefully discover something worthwhile. "Bees; that actually look relatively normal to earth bees."
The white flakes that fall from above land all over Hat Kid. She starts dusting them off. "Is this snow? Ash? I have no idea."
She starts parkouring over the acidic waters. Right before she makes her jump, a corpse rapidly hits the water out of nowhere.
"Ahh! Why is everything out to scare me? More importantly, where did it fall from?" More bodies start falling from above as Hat Kid starts hurrying to get out of the danger.
Once she and Snappy are safe; she can hear cheering from above where the bodies are falling. "That sounds like a lot of bugs that aren't infected. Let's check it out."
The small parts of the world begin rumbling and large mosquito hoppers break through the cave roof, causing Hat Kid to fall and quickly kick away with her legs. After almost getting crushed, she gets up and starts sprinting to find somewhere safe. Even more great hoppers start chasing them down. The great hoppers start to catch up and Hat Kid is starting to fatigue. "They just keep appearing!" She trips in the white substance and falls to the ground. She closes her eyes preparing to get crushed and holds her blade out as a last stand against the mob.
A great hopper jumps in for the killing blow. "Huwa!" A large cracking sound is heard and Hat Kid opens her eyes just in time to see a bug send a great hopper being launched away with a long dash slash. "Quesoooo!" The new bug yells; shaking the caverns and scaring away the great hoppers.
Hat Kid stands up with her knees wobbling a bit. "I've got to admit, I have the best luck with others saving me, you're here to save me right? Who might you be?"
"I'm a nailmaster, I guard the weak. It's what I swore to do." He starts walking away.
"You're a brother of Mato and Sheo, aren't you?"
He stops in his tracks. "... yes, my name is Oro."