No Emotions to Feel

Ch 6 : Greetings and Goodbyes

"Let us go further into the archives to talk"

Monomon started down an isle of tablets, heading towards the furthest corner of the room.

Quirrel felt a pang of guilt, he had forgotten about why they found the vessel in the first place. Now he had another worry added onto his ever growing list of stress-inducing thoughts.

He felt someone staring at him again, and looked down. Empty-yet-judging eye-sockets held his gaze. It wrote in the air again, 'not nothing' and walked away towards Monomon.

How does it keep doing that? Quirrel stared after it, it's like it can read my mind. He joined the vessel in following his teacher, now is a bad time, but i'll ask if we ever meet again after all of this.

They stopped at the little clearing in the corner of the room. Sitting down around the glass table, Monomon looked at the vessel. "do you know what is going to happen to your sibling tonight?"

The vessel gestured for something to write on, nodding in thanks when Quirrel handed it a blank tablet and a piece of limestone (chalk).

'mostly' it wrote, 'Hollow will seal the infection. The dark temple will seal Hollow. You, Herrah, and Lurien will go inside dreams and seal the dark temple'

Monomon nodded in approval, "That's correct. And may I add, that your writing and social skills have improved greatly."

The vessel simply wrote, 'only because of you two and kindly Isma.' It turned its empty gaze towards her, waiting for her to continue talking.

"Ah, well, we didn't really bring you here to talk about your sibling. We're here to talk about what will happen to you." The vessel tilted its head a bit, it didn't know that something was supposed to happen to it.

"So you don't know..." Monomon looked a little guilty, "I'm sorry to be the one to tell you, we were hoping to comfort you because of this. You are going to be sealed as well."

She sighed and continued, "After the Pure Vessel is sealed, the King will preserve your body in a charm. You will stay sealed until he is sure that the infection is completely gone."

Both teacher and apprentice looked at the vessel, hoping for some kind of reaction.

However, it only erased its previous words and wrote, 'I was created to serve the King'

Quirrel was struck with the recollection that, no matter how the vessel may act, it was empty. He looked back to Monomon, glimpsing a sad expression behind her mask.

"Of course," she could barely hide the disappointment in her voice as she stood up, "I guess we've kept you long enough. Someone will retrieve you later for the event, we won't be able to talk then. Let us escort you back to your room."

They walked back to the vessel's room in silence, bidding it a heartfelt farewell once they got there.

The vessel sat back down onto the bed.

— — — — — — — —

It was finally time.

The door opened and the vessel looked up, expecting to see a kingsmold. Instead, Quirrel stood in the doorway. Wearing a welcoming expression on his face, he held out his hand for the vessel to take.

"Besides this morning, we haven't talked in forever" he rubbed the back of his neck, looking somewhat guilty, "so I volunteered to escort you to the temple"

The vessel reached for his hand and walked out of The White Palace with him, unaware that it would never be able to enter again.

Quirrel talked to the vessel; voicing some of his concerns, recalling his adventures, and asking yes or no questions about its time with The Five Great Knights.

They took the stagways to Dirtmouth, a lively town mostly unaffected by the infection. People greeted the duo, some bugs bowing to the vessel while others wished them good luck. Quirrel replied with cheery comments the vessel nodded slightly in response. Once they climbed down the well however, Quirrel's lighthearted expression faded.

"We're really close to the temple now..." he looked in the direction they would head in, "this may be the last we'll ever talk."

Tilting its head at him, Quirrel explained, "For the protection of Monomon, I will be traveling far away with the key to access her comatose body. I will not be allowed to return until the infection is completely destroyed."

He started walking slowly, stretching their time it as long as possible, "Now that shouldn't be a problem for us to meet considering that both of us would return to Hallownest if this whole plan works. The issue it that I may not remember to come back at all."

The vessel turned its head slightly towards him, perhaps a bit too quickly, because Quirrel chuckled, "It's not that I would just forget! I hope that I never forget anyone at all! It's just that..." he looked a little distant, "There is a theory that, despite how grand Hallownest is, anyone who steps past the edges of The Howling Cliffs forgets everything about it. This only seemed to rise to the surface once the infection started, since hundreds of travelers used to visit. But we've never gotten any recordings of it since those few who tried never returned."

They were only a couple passages away from the temple.

Quirrel's hand tightened its hold just a fraction, "I..." his voice wavered and dropped, "I don't want to forget"

He looked down at the small vessel, "I don't want to forget anything. Not my memories, or Hallownest, or Monomon, Herrah's daughter, Hollow, or you."

He sighed and his posture fell just a little, hating each step they took closer to the end. "If I'm not back in Hallownest when everything's fixed, please..." Quirrel made eye contact with the vessel, "don't look for me. I would hate for anyone else to share my fate, especially someone I care for."

The duo stopped under a stone archway. The temple was now clearly visible, and a small crowd of bugs stood around the entrance.

Quirrel straightened his posture and shook his head, "let's hope for the best, shall we?" he kneeled down to the vessel with a smile, brushing off any dust that got on its robes, "we're both going to leave Hallownest for a while, so we might as well leave it as we want to remember it."

They began their final walk to the temple, Quirrel giving his last comments, "Thank you for always listening, I know I can be quite the rambler about topics of interest."

They were getting closer to the crowd, "I'm not sure how I know, but one day we'll meet again. For now however, it's goodbye"

They were now only a couple steps away, his hand shook slightly, "I'm going to miss you, kid."

The vessel squeezed his hand for a moment, and finally let go. It turned to him, taking a second to remember every detail.

Just before it took a step into the now-parting crowd, it gave a small bow and signed 'thank you'

Quirrel nodded with a bittersweet smile. It would be the last he'd give the one he considered a good friend, maybe even a younger sibling. Quirrel took step forward, and they walked towards the clearing of people.