AU NAME: O Empty One (OEO)

!! HOLLOW KNIGHT + UNORDINARY SPOILERS AHEAD !!

Deep beneath the surface, a vast kingdom rots.

Once, a terrible disease tore through this kingdom, decimating its half-human inhabitants. The infection is gone now, but so is most of the kingdom. Five of the survivors escaped to the human world, making a home for themselves and discovering all it had to offer. Now, all they want is a peaceful life. But with Flynn starting their first year at Wellston in the midst of Spectre's civil war, that might be easier said than done.

(Prologue is set well before Chapter 1 of unOrdinary, a few weeks after the "Dream No More" ending. Chapter 1 is set about 2 years after that, during the morning of Episode 272.)

Harper: Hornet
Oliver: The Knight/Ghost
Sol: Grimmchild
Flynn: THK

PROLOGUE

Deep in the wilderness, a dusty road took a winding path into the desert. This far from civilization, it was nothing but a poorly maintained dirt road.

Still, despite its unassuming looks, this road was about to become very important. A crack formed in the hard ground. If one listened closely, one would have heard a faint scream from beneath it as a spell hammered against the ceiling of a cave.

Another crack formed. And another, and another, as the Knight slowly chipped away at rock and dirt. Finally, they burst free with one final shriek, tumbling onto the road.

Four others climbed up one by one, adjusting to sunlight for the first time in their lives.

They all turned to look into the hole they had come from. The once-grand kingdom seemed so... drab from up here. It hadn't been built with real sunlight in mind, just the faint glow of Lumaflies and lightning.

Silently, each member of the group bid their goodbyes to their home, the only one they had ever known.

And then they were off.

CHAPTER ONE

Flynn slung their bag over their shoulder. Quirrel was waiting in the car, but they weren't ready to leave yet.

School. They turned the word over in their mind. They'd never been to a school before. They wondered what it would be like– would they make friends? What would they learn?

Finally, they'd gathered their thoughts. They stepped outside... and immediately stepped back inside. Ow. They'd forgotten their sunglasses.

Rubbing their eyes and wincing, Flynn grabbed them off the counter. They went back outside, hopping into the car.

"Excited?" Quirrel asked, smiling at them.

They nodded cheerfully, tucking their knees to their chest. Quirrel patted them on the shoulder. "Put your seatbelt on!"

Flynn giggled and straightened out again. They strapped in, looking out the window and wondering at the beauty of this new world.

~~~

When they stepped out, they were greeted by the largest school they'd ever seen.

Yes, school, because the White Palace had definitely been bigger than Wellston. But still. It was impressive. They grinned happily, waving goodbye to Quirrel as he drove away.

They were going to a real school!

Buzzing with excitement, they checked their schedule. Their first class was... English, with Mr. Eyrie. They couldn't tell what part of the building the room was in, but that was alright. They'd figure it out.

As Flynn walked through the hall, they heard vague whispers from around them. Was their hearing acting up again?

They shrugged it off, scanning the walls for their room number. Hm. They turned to the nearest person–a minty green-haired boy with blue eyes–and asked carefully, "Do you know where Room 215 is, sir?"

He looked up at them, frowning slightly. "Uh..." Then he shook himself and pointed down the hall. "That way."

Flynn smiled. "Thank you." They followed his directions, keeping their eyes on the walls so they wouldn't miss it.

This, unfortunately, led to them running directly into someone. They let out a distressed chitter, leaning against the wall to avoid falling down. "Ah! Sorry, sir."

The person Flynn had run into stared up at them. He had spiky red hair and golden eyes, which were currently wide with... surprise? "Er- it's fine. Just try to pay more attention next time."

They nodded, gaze flickering to the ground. They were still a little off-balance, and they could feel a headache coming on. But... They weren't about to miss their first class, and so they shuffled away.

To their surprise, the red-head paused. "Hey, do you need help?"

Flynn straightened up a bit and looked over at him. "...No."

His gaze lingered on them, but he just nodded and continued on his way. Flynn continued down the hallway, humming a tune under their breath.

Lost motivation for writing :(