Flaming Desire [Ghost X Yandere!Grimm]

Chapter 2- Howling Flames

(A/N The image is from @fabycinder from Instagram.)

Ghost's POV
(Timeframe is during the few hours while Elderbug was sleeping)

I went my way up to the Cliffs, eager to fill out my map the best I can. I want to explore every nook and cranny before I went to defeat any of the dreamers, and I saw that the map around there was quite.....empty. It was a bit hard at first discovering the terrain without my handy map-maker Cornifer once I first entered, but once I found him I quickly made my way out again to fix it up.

Here, up in the cliffs I felt that I could be along with my thoughts. I adore Elderbug, such a kind old bug to me with his mindful chatter and nice advice, but after all of the adventures I've been through with fulfilling my duties, it is nice to head to a silent place and think out my thoughts. Here, all that I can hear is the howling wind and the chattering of bug that crawl around, doing what they best do- being pest for me. I try to ignore them the best i can, but sometimes they're just in the way. A quick slash of my nail or use of my spirit cuts them down with ease, and soon I land down to some rocky platforms. 

The stone feels.....strange to me once I took a leap and landed on it, although it happens with all. As if it took part of me, but only for a moment's time. I'm able to fall from great heights, and yet remain unaffected, only needing a moment to regain my lost part before I can move forward with whatever I am doing. I thought all bugkin could do this, but my battle with the False Knight and Soul Master has proven me otherwise- they are stunned for a great time or even die from such heights. Despite this making me stand out even more to the few residents that still remain, it does have many perks- I am able to easily fall back to the edge of Dirtmouth from King's Pass without worrying about getting my mask shattered, saving me much time from traveling back down to Greenpath. It bring up some memories of my half-sibling, mostly of when they lured me to one of many cracked and broken vessel of my sibling. 

I carefully place one of my clawed finger on my mask- yes, don't want it to shatter and crack. I have a purpose, I cannot crack. I cannot be flawed anymore then I am already. Must make Father proud. I shake my head, trying to pry away from those thoughts once I realize they've wormed back into my head. The most unwelcome of them all are those thoughts. 

I found myself landing in a cornered area of the cliffs, and once walking more inwards, I saw a drop into a lower area. I decided to drop in, landing with a soft thud as I looked around. To the right of me was some more rotten beams, holding up a false wall that most likely lead back to an area, and the left was another corpse. I give a sigh- another one? There are many here in Hallownest, but then again this was a fallen kingdom and with the Infection able to spread rapidly, most wouldn't come out alive. The exoskeleton of the bug was curled up, and it grasped another Wander's Journal. I elected to take it, as they have some value to the bug that collects the artifacts in the City of Tears. 

Looking up from the body, I saw that the cobbled wall was loose, and a firm push of my hand proved that to be true. I wonder what was behind this- another Grub? Maybe some more Geo? Taking out my nail I give 5 harsh strikes to the loose soil, the stone and dirt crumbling away as I soon walked into the hidden cavern. I soon slowly walked in, nail drawn and ready to attack as experience has taught me that beast and critters like to hide within these hidden parts of the map. 

But I found nothing.

I was suspicious, a large room empty? Maybe what guarded this has died and withered away. Oh well, less fighting for me. I was mindful of any potential loose rock on where I walked, but found nothing. Walking to the next room, I see another thing at the very end.

It's a bug. It was a corpse of a large bug, but I was taking off guard by the fact it had a hood and a mask! That was strange and unusual, I've never seen anyone wear a hood like that before, not to mention the colour! It was....a red? I'm not sure what kind or red it was- I've never seen much red in my adventures and quest. I'm tempted to touch it, but I shouldn't. Maybe it's infected, or it could spring to life and attack me! I strike it with my nail to make sure it's dead, and it is as I hear and feel the weakness of the chitin, but I have an idea. I had gotten a Dream Nail, and maybe the bug's ghost could help me. I have learned that those who've passed away that their spirits can linger on, and they can give me some insight

I hold my strike, and gave it a forceful hit against the corpse. It spewed out essence, but not the usually color. It was like the colour of the hood, a strange red. It lingered only for a few moments, but I was still enticed to stare in awe as the details flashed before me, most of them slowly fading away while some came back. I look back at the husk of the fallen masked bug, seeing no reaction, and decide to leave. 

Turning back around, I walk back to notice that there is a strange light coming from the massive room I thought was empty. Oh dear, did I awaken something with the bug? I keep my grip firmly on my nail, ready to fight whatever infected creature is, but I was greeted by a massive torch stem. Looking around, I saw a few unlit torches as well, but they weren't meant to be illuminated by Lumaflys, but I was drawn to the largest one in the room. Seeing that there was some hot rocks barred away underneath the lantern, I wonder what I was suppose to do. Do I strike it?

Hitting things with my nails seemed to be the solution for many things I've come across. Something attacking me? Wack it. A lever needed to be switched? Wack it. Needed to call the Stag? Wack the bell. Found some more purple bouncy mushrooms? Wack them! 

I don't have anything else to try lighting the lantern- too short and there was no stick I could carry up to the top. Holding my nail, I start to strike the base, small embers flinging up in the air. Oh, so I am suppose to strike it! I start to strike it some more, until the flames roared to life, making me squeal and leap back in surprise.

As I heard the now softening cackle of the flames, a massive rumbling of the ground and ceiling began, some rocks falling as a creepy and eerie tone of music was heard, made by an instrument that I've never heard of before. I grab onto whatever stable item I could find, confused on what exactly I just did, and hearing the strange music. It played a small melody, the music and rumbling both silenced after a small time. 

I took a moment to regain my balance, seeing more to the strange red essence flicking around the flames, now deciding that I should return back to Dirtmouth to see what I've done. Maybe Elderbug knows what I've done now. 

Hopefully, nothing I'll regret. 

(A/N: And here's the second Chapter! A little clarification; Ghost has the curiosity of a child, as never properly having a childhood he acts out on his curious thoughts. He also have 'Vessel Thoughts', which is something I've implemented. All vessels has these thoughts implanted by the Pale King, and it is meant to have them follow what they are made and commanded to do- be hollow until there is a perfect vessel. Ghost has them despite there already being a Hollow Knight due to his escape of the Abyss. Total words: 1419)