Chapter Text
"If you send him as that extra protection, you'll kill him!" Monomon (did he ever know her by anything different?) yells.
"What are you talking about, Teacher? The protections I proposed would keep any bug alive for the three days it would take to pass through the wastes?" The Pale King (Why is the Pale King here? Isn't this just a dream?) questions.
Both are in the chamber Monomon is to be sealed at.
Nobody's noticed Quirrel, yet.
"He can't hydrate like normal bugs, and dehydrates faster! This would kill him!" Monomon shouts.
(He's been hydrating fine, though? Like a normal bug?)
"Madam?" Quirrel calls, ending the argument.
(Why is he so small, in this dream?)
The King and Teacher jump.
(This is a memory, isn't it?)
"Quirrel? Ogrim's supposed to be watching you? Why are you back early?" Monomon asks, lifting him up.
"I forgot something. Why are you shouting at the King?" Quirrel replies, voice full of youth.
"You know your hydration issues?" Monomon asks, in lieu of an answer.
(Hydration issues?)
"Yeah?" Quirrel's responds, confusion clear.
"The Pale King wants to seal the infection away. To do that he needs three people to be sealed with the vessel. He also wants to put an additional protection on one of the seals." Monomon begins, gently.
The Pale King makes a choking noise.
"That additional protection would need to be carried by someone close to the dreamer. He wanted it to be you. The protector would have to walk far away from Hallownest. Past the Wastes." Monomon finishes.
"Are there any rivers or ponds in the Wastes? Anything?" Quirrel questions.
"No. There is nothing for three days." The Pale King answers.
"Would I be able to bring a bunch of water with me?" Quirrel tries.
(Can't everyone go for at least four days without water before having problems?)
"It would draw too much attention." The King replies.
Monomon cues something at Quirrel.
(What did that cue mean?)
And Quirrel jumps out of her hold, graceful as can be.
(Was I always so agile? Even back when I was so young?)
And runs.
The King follows at Monomon's request.
Quirrel can hear footsteps.
He comes across a pool of water.
And jumps.
-
Quirrel jerks awake, in Dirtmouth.
"What an odd dream." Quirrel mutters.
A squeak from the other side of the room.
It seems his little friend is having a nightmare again.
Better nightmares than golden dreams, at least.
"Little Ghost, it's a nightmare again." He whispers, gently shaking the tiny god.
Ghost sits up. They give him a hug.
He picks them up, muttering the same soft reassurances he does for every nightmare he wakes to.
Still. What a weird dream.
Why would he jump in the water if he could never learn to swim?
He's a bit thirsty.
After Ghost is feeling better, he'll get something to drink and head back to bed himself.
Hornet grumbles in the sibling pile.
Tiso snores in his lone corner.
Quirrel smiles.
It really is nice, sharing a house with his friends.
He'll have to talk to the kids about where their parents are in the morning.
All of them (Tiso included), are too young to be on their own. Godhood or not.
"We lived. We all did." Quirrel whispers.
Ghost nods.
The two fall asleep like that.
It is sweet, and dreamless.