DISCLAIMER

RWBY is owned by Rooster Teeth and Monty Oum. Hollow Knight is owned by Team Cherry. I own NOTHING from either title.

A/N: Before we begin I would just like to say this now: I have zero experience in narrative writing. I started writing this story because of an urge to merge the two universes together. I love watching RWBY (which I admit I have not seen much of YET, I've only just finished watching the 2nd Season) and playing Hollow Knight (a game that I loved so much I spent a whole lot of time trying to get the hardest ending of them all), so one day I thought "Oh gee, I wonder if there are any good crossovers of the two?". I searched for that and… not a lot of crossovers with Hollow Knight at all, much less ones with RWBY. I read some RWBY x Hollow Knight crossovers that interested me, and I wanted more from them, but so far, none of the fanfics have been updated yet. That leads to me deciding to take matters into my own hands, and creating my own fanfic. Besides, if someone won't give you what you are waiting for, why not get it yourself? So here we are, a world of bloody evolution, and a world haunted by all-consuming dreams, merged into one… I can't wait to see where my own imagination takes me! And to you, reader, I will present to you my best on my first ever story, with help from a very supportive someone.

Anyway, let's begin! This chapter will be all about world building in the Hollow Knight universe, the crossing over will be in a future chapter, maybe the next. Let me know what you think of this!

DatMeeM

To my beta reader: If you see any instance of me referring to Little Ghost and/or The Hollow Knight as he, I kindly ask that you replace it with they (in Hornet's POV) or it (3rd person POV), thank you! Why it differs with POVs I will explain in the end note. Also, we won't be changing POVs until later chapters, so this chapter is all Hornet's POV.

The Empty Little Huntsman

Hornet's POV

"SHAW!" *slash*

"HA!" *whoosh*

"EDINU!" *swish*

I had a difficult time trying to wrap my head around what Ghost has revealed to me last week. It was the most awe-inspiring thing I have heard from them.

When Ghost had put the three Dreamers to rest, I stationed myself at the entrance to Father's "leavings", just outside the kingdom. I've seen the longing look on their face upon the discovery of that door guarding the darkness. No doubt they intend to breach the gate and explore that little corner of Hallownest as well. That's exactly what concerned me.

Ghost's nature… creatures like them could never be considered as any kind of bug. They may have been animate, but they were merely Vessels. Father's intended to use them to seal Her mark away forever. I remembered his exact words in describing my "Siblings".

"No mind to think,

No will to break,

No voice to cry suffering,"

The very foundation of this kingdom, the very foundation of bugkind, and they lack these pillars, and yet they walk among us, move like us. That's why Father wanted them. They were alive, and yet, paradoxically, they were not. The perfect seals to purge this land of the light. However, that would have been too easy.

The problem with Vessels like Ghost is simple, and should have been obvious from the start; they are conscious beings, therefore not a single one of their pseudo-souls were perfectly devoid of any of those pillars. Each and every one of them, including the ascended, had a shadow of a personality, and every shadow always has a source. Out of all of them, only Ghost and The Hollow Knight were able to at least live. Father's shortsightedness disallowed him to think of much less…violent ways to handle his "rejects". And, as if it was the most obvious solution, He slew any and all He deemed unfit for their destinies, sending their shells far down that Abyss, from which they came, their shells piled up, one over the other.

That's exactly why I feared what would happen if they somehow gained access to that cursed place.

In that pit were mountains of their corpses, silently pleading to no one for mercy. I didn't want Ghost to bear witness to the remnants of Father's greatest mistake. It could have overwhelmed them, the madness, destroyed them, even. But, what if they were too strong to break down to that? I had to make sure. If they could defeat me, perhaps I had misjudged them, and only then can I allow them to see the horrible truth.

It was a tough battle, and had I not missed, I surely would have placed them to rest as well. After all, the weight of this dead kingdom is for no one to bear. Perhaps I was out of practice; perhaps I had stretched out a little too far in that fateful strike, perhaps it was by some divine intervention that I had been bested, not once, but twice by my own younger sibling. If they were stronger than I, then who was I to stop him from going back home? Since then, I had bode my time at the Temple of the Black Egg, the foul and invasive fumes having escaped captivity, and spread Her influence thickly across the Crossroads, taking shape, taking form, taking life. Sharpening my needle, I awaited his return, so we could both finish what was started long ago, for He-who-could-not-keep-a-promise. I found it strange that Ghost has not arrived yet. They may not be as swift and agile as I am, but their mobility was still unmatched by any other bug I've met, save for that old traveler, Quirrel.

I shouldn't worry too much, though. It's detrimental to my health. Besides, can their kind truly die, anyway? Their Shades seem to be eternal. So, instead of wasting my time, I opted to practice my nailsmanship on the critters that plagued the roads of the now-plagued Forgotten Crossroads (which I shall not dub Infected Crossroads). That tragedy that was my most recent duel with little Ghost cannot happen here, not when we have both come so far. Of course, being the mortal bug that I was, the activity left me exhausted. I considered retreating to Dirtmouth and converse with the elder of the quaint little town to keep him company, but I decided he's just young enough to wait for me a while longer, and so back to the Egg I went awaiting his arrival. This moment was simply too important for any dallying. While I rested, I took the time to properly observe the cancerous growths and tumors of Her infectious desire to "be remembered". Then, the witnessed the most intriguing thing to ever happen since the Collector.

The growths were wilting, rotting. Their bright hue of yellowish-orange was fading into a deathly black. This disconcerted me. Did Ghost do this? What had they been doing in Hallownest while I was up here? While I pondered upon any possible explanations, I heard loud and uneven footsteps from within the endless Egg. That shocked me, and after a moment, I had adapted a defensive stance. There's only one thing in that Egg that could possibly be moving: The Hollow Knight. How did they escape quarantine just like that? Father's seals were impossible to breach without their respective keys, and those seals reinforced the pale ore-forged chains that restricted every inch of Knight's body. Were they broken somehow? As if on cue, I heard the rattling of chains being dragged along the ground. Whatever happened, it set them loose. That means the Infection is loose, which would result in another outbreak. I couldn't allow that to happen.

Brandishing my needle, I prepared for the fight of my life. What I saw next confused me, relieved me, and disheartened me.

Knight was in a very poor state. Their once elegant white cloak had been reduced to dusty old and gray rags that painted him in the picture of a beggar, its ends ragged and uneven. Their once pristine shell now deeply cracked through their left eye which, though looks like it impaired his vision, thankfully has not affected it. Their once Pure Nail, a nail that even the legendary Nailsmith of the City of Tears could only dream of forging, had degraded severely judging by the numerous cracks that adorned its sleek form. But the worst part was that their right arm has vanished, and their black torso was grotesquely marred, the scar appearing to be a third degree burn.

I felt pity for my elder sibling, who endured unimaginable amounts of pain in their little cage.

Knight unsteadily, but surely, trudged towards me. They must have been very weak, because they relied on their longnail to remain bipedal. After spending a long time in absolute captivity, who wouldn't be?

Without another word, I offered them my shoulder as I escorted them back to Dirtmouth. They need rest, and that bench will surely do. I was wondering how I would get them up that well, but it appears they didn't need my help anymore, as they stood up straight (or as straight as they can), and jumped all the way up to the surface. I quickly followed, grappling the wall with my needle for a boost.

Knight's abrupt appearance, however, came with minor consequences.

It took a long while to explain to Elderbug the complicated situation. It was an ironic scene, really. I was teaching the elder of us Hallownest History of all things.

Elderbug, being the Good Samaritan that he was, gladly allowed Knight to settle down at the bench and even offered them one of the houses should they wish to move in. However, Sly, Iselda, and Bretta were reluctant to even approach them. I presume it is due to my elder sibling's imposing and intimidating figure.

I don't blame them. Knight's horns are very developed.

Wait, what was I thinking!? I'm their sister, Wyrmdamnit! Waitwaitwait, relax; it was simply nothing more than a compliment.

Shortly after, Ghost finally decided to show themselves. They felt…different. Like the very air around them suddenly changed. His outer appearance was still unchanged though. They were wrapped in a similar cloak to Knight's, albeit the shade was greatly darker. Their youthful mask was still boxed whereas Knight's was in a parabolic shape to adjust to their horns. Their right breast was adorned with multiple colorful charms meant to aid them in combat. Perhaps that was what gave Ghost an edge over me in one on one combat? Their nail was a dagger compared to Knight's longnail. It is, however, a Pure Nail—the epitome of nails in Hallownest—so where it is lacking in length, it makes up for in power and efficiency.

I was, of course, frustrated by their truancy. I told them that they worried me, and demanded that they explain their extended absence. What I heard next I could not have possibly prepared for.

"The Radiance is dead. I killed her." Ghost calmly explaine

I blinked once, then twice. I shook my head as I stuttered out, "My apologies, could you repeat that?"

"The Radiance is dead. I killed her."

"I'm no fool, Ghost. The Radiance is a deity. She does not have a physical form. It is nigh impossible to kill the Radiance. How did you 'kill' her, then, hm?" I challenged, unamused by what I assume is their attempt at a joke.

"Godhome."

Again, I blinked.

"Ghost, surely you jest? The last bug to have access to Godhome perished a long time ago, along with the rest of their cult."

That's right, if memory serves me, these "Godseekers" were an order that was the opposite of the ancient civilization that once inhabited the Basin. Whereas the Basin dwellers worshipped the Void—the same substance that Ghost if composed of—these cultists worshipped Her light. A light that if misused could doom their minds to eternal enslavement. They reside, or rather their minds reside, in Godhome where they constantly partake in rituals of "attuning" themselves to the "gods" of Hallownest by slaying them over and over, until they "ascend". I quickly dismissed the rumors as utter bullcrap and ignored them. Their narcissistic attitude only urged me to move further away from them as fast as possible.

So, when Ghost told me all about their journey in the realm of Godhome, I was stunned silent. Ghost is a horrible liar, seen as their personality is still under heavy development, so there was no doubt everything they were saying is the truth, and nothing but the truth.

First of all, Godhome being a location in the dream realm that Ghost was forced to access by using the Dream Nail—A mythical and controversial weapon crafted by the Moth Tribe—upon a Godseeker concealed in a bronze coffin in a Junk Pit in the Royal Waterways? That was a pill that was hard to swallow.

Second of all, there were "Pantheons" filled with enemies and rivals that they have already defeated and forced to conquer to access the later Pantheons? That confused me. It must be because it is a dream realm; therefore anything can be in there.

Finally, when they reached the final Pantheon's finale, they fought the Radiance and defeated Her by turning into an enormous bug they dubbed "Shade Lord" and sliced Her soul into pieces? Now it finally made sense. Why the air around Ghost was so different. Why the air in general felt so different. Why those growths just withered away. They did not just destroy the very source of the Infection. They destroyed its creator, by transforming into their mortal enemy, and shredding Her soul apart. Her very soul for Wyrm's sake!

Now She can never come back. Now She can never be remembered.

We no longer have to suffer in the aftermath.

Ghost truly is a formidable opponent. Wyrm help anyone who gets in their way.

And now, here we are, a week after The Hollow Knight has once again become as free as a Vengefly. The Hollow Knight and I are now having a friendly duel out in the graveyard, in a clearing so as not to disturb the resting souls. We are currently being supervised by Ghost, who has proven to be far superior to the combined might if myself and Knight. So far, I am winning, because unlike the Knight, I do not hesitate when I face my opponents. I hold nothing back, that I still very much retained both of my arms. Deep down, Knight just wanted to be a normal bug, despite his descent, and so their judgement is to avoid injuring me too fatally, as I am still their friend.

I smile at this. It shows that no matter who Knight is, he is still just like us in every aspect of bugkind. Now, if only they can learn to think of what and when…

"Enough," Ghost loudly announces. "We have a victor: Hornet!"

At hearing this, I sheathe my needle. This was to be expected. I have been trained in the ways of combat by the Mantis Lords themselves. Every form, every stance, every strike, they have all been perfected through rigorous training under them. If there's anyone to thank for my survival, they are the Mantis Lords and the Mantis Tribe.

The Mantises are a very reclusive people. Anyone who is not them is deemed an enemy (besides my fellow spiders in Deepnest, they are the only ones they tolerate), and brutally yet efficiently felled by their claws and stingers, if not then by the lances of the three Mantis Lords. They are a very strong people, faithful and dedicated to the survival of their species. Because of that, they have earned every ounce of respect from me. After all, family is above all else.

I turned to face Knight and bowed. "Bama, finero."I say respectfully. I noticed that Knight was down from this spar. Even after all these years, they still react like children. It's adorable in a way, watching a grown bug wallow in despair at their loss. I'll have to cheer them back up once we return to our little home in Dirtmouth.

"We should retire for the day. We have spent enough time outdoors and I would like to rest now," I tiredly suggest. Upon hearing this, Knight nodded in agreement.

"Of course, Come on you two. It's time for supper!" Ghost announced, very excitedly. I chuckle to myself at this. Ghost was a legend in the battlefield, but only half-decent in the kitchen. This following week I will be teaching Ghost the basics of the culinary arts, if only for their own sake.

As we walked the trail back to the town square, Ghost linked hands with The Hollow Knight and I. It mildly surprised me, but I accepted the gesture. It's a reminder that we are a whole family now. Though Ghost simply wanted to hold our hands, I appreciated this gesture from him very much.

Then, Ghost pulled both of us down to their level, causing Knight to nearly tumble, but they managed to keep their balance.

"What is it Ghost?" I asked, a curious look on both my face and Knight's.

"I love you. The both of you. I don't want either of you to forget that," Ghost whispered.

I was taken aback by this. This was such a drastic development in my sibling's character, where did they learn that? From Cornifer and Iselda?

Still, I smiled warmly at them. "I love you too, Ghost."

We continued on our way back, satisfied with the day we had today.

Empty Little Huntsman

A/N: Whoo! 2,900+ words, one chapter, one night, I… actually should I slow down?

Hornet, Ghost, and Knight's shared love is COMPLETELY PLATONIC if that was not obvious enough. There will be no incest in this story. There (probably) won't be any shipping in this fanfic. I say probably because I might change my mind.

I refer to any of the higher beings with capitalized pronouns. I do this because God is referred to with capitalized pronouns, so I think the citizens of Hallownest would refer to their deties in such a way as well.

I might have broken canon with the way Hornet gives her reasoning here. But whatever, hopefully it does not ruin the immersion.

Oh mah gah, a curseword! Yeah, I think I might have to rate this fanfic M just for that one curseword. Besides, knowing me there's probably going to be more.

So that's that for world-building in the Hollow Knight universe! I plan to bring Little Ghost (and sadly only Little Ghost until further notice) into the RWBY universe by making it so that they exist on the same planet on the same universe but not once have either party ever interacted.

Also, I spoiled RWBY for myself a whole lot by reading a lot of RWBY crossover fanfics, so minus points for myself -_-. But hey, at least I will have a better grip of the plot for writing this fanfic!

Let me know your thoughts on my first ever story, and my first ever chapter!

DatMeeM

"Take life seriously, but not too seriously!"