Hollow Time (A Hat in Time X HollowKnight AU)

Chapter 4 (Friends in Overgrown Places)

Hat Kid continues her journey though the nature covered land collecting geo and finding new creatures which are just going about their lives while others are trying to kill her in more ways than one. She comes across a big fluffy bug which becomes hostile towards her. She slashes it up and it falls to the ground then begins to shake. "Uh oh." Hat Kid dives out of the way and the bug explodes, getting dirt on Hat Kid's outfit. "Not like my outfit was clean anyway."

She comes across some green bubbling water. "It appears to be water but looks nowhere near safe, I should test it somehow. I could grab a grass bug and toss' em in but that seems unnecessarily cruel. I'll get a hostile creature, that sounds justified." She gets a fluffy bug's attention and it comes charging at her. "Alright agility training, don't fail me now." She flips forward in the air; hitting the charging bug midair into the mysterious water. She lands and quickly looks over to see the bug shriveling up and sink. "Well I can conclude that it ain't pecking safe for me."

Hat Kid notice's a large cave with sharp teeth like bones sticking out as if it were a mouth. She walks into the cave, weapon in hand. She spots another small cave with more mouth teeth. She spots and picks up a book. "Timewatch, scan contents of book."

"Scanning contents... scan complete." The small cave rumbles and six eyes light up inside and whatever's in it lets out a loud nasty growl. Hat Kid drops the book and retreats without hesitation, stumbling as she runs away screaming. Hat Kid trips and falls down a tight pitfall, leading her to crash through a white looking spirit. She gets up feeling dread and self anxiety but it slowly fades. She precariously inspects a large shell which gives her that anxiety feeling again and decides to continue though the greenpath once more.

Hat Kid starts climbing back up the way she came when she spots a weird creature stalking her and she feels the magic presence once again. "Hey, you up there, who are you?!" The creature sprints away out of her sight. "Wait a millisecond." She chases after the figure, rustling through lots of grass and thorns. She finds the creature standing below her and decides to jump down.

The creature speaks in a calm tone, "I can feel you shaking, young one, although you are not prey; you are no hunter. I did understand what you said earlier but you probably can't understand what I'm saying now anyway."

"Oh, but I can understand you." Hat Kid says stepping forward.

The creature points her needle weapon at Hat Kid. "Come no closer... who are you?"

"I'm Hat Kid, and you seem civilized, who are you?"

The creature thinks about what to say next. "I am Hornet, princess of Hallownest."

"Oh, a princess, like royalty?"

"Yes, like royalty... but that's not worth anything in this kingdom anymore. Hat Kid; would you care to spar?"

"Gladly, Hornet, maybe you can teach me something."

"Like what?"

"Like how you move so fast, is it just a natural ability with your species?"

"Well child it is just my species but also my weapon which pulls me forward should I wish when I throw it, may I ask why you wear that cape, because it serves you no extra mobility."

"Huh, oh my cape, it's a time traveler's standard issue, the color of my cape and hat stripe are yellow, matching my rank among other time travelers."

Hornet looks very confused at Hat Kid who has a pleasant smile on her face. "I'm not going to question the time traveler thing right now but do all of you have a cape and might I say large hat?"

"Well, my friend Bow Kid, which by the way; don't tell anyone, isn't her real name, like how mine isn't actually Hat Kid. Bow Kid has a blue bow and blue skirt, representing her rank among the time travelers. I don't mean to brag but... yellow is a higher rank than blue."