Oh, Hello! I didn't expect you to be here! Welcome ^^
Who I am? I'm Syrus, your friendly, probably not neighborhood crazy ceative person!
Being a creative person such as myself, I write stories (FanFictions about Hazbin Hotel mainly) and draw... Sometimes...
When I do, I draw dragons or the Hazbins (though I'm still learning 🙈).
(More Unter Cut)
What I'm Working On
I'm currently working on three Hazbin FanFics. Traveling Circus, Dancing Through Debris, and Bambi and Falino, as well as an Animatic for the former.
Traveling Circus is a sequel to my other FanFic, Freakshow, which revolves around Alastor, Vox and my own character Sky. The sequel is mainly about Sky and Vox, on the other hand.
Dancing Through Debris is the story revolving around my Broken AU, in which Alastor agrees to Vox' partnership offer, which pisses off Rosie, big time.
Bambi and Falino is a story revolving around Alastor and my OC Kieran, who has been featured in a few artworks already. Namely this one, and that one.
Okay, time for a Speed Round!
General Facts About Moi
I'm AroAce, specifically cupioromantic and fluctuating between aegosexual and apothisexual
I'm from Germany
I've been writing and drawing for six years, give or take
"Anyway" is a word I use way too much
I have ADD
I try to write as correct as possible regarding grammar and spelling
I'm sarcastic
I very much do give a fuck about others' opinions about me
I forget things a lot
I got hit by a car once and lived to tell the very funny tale (Feel free to ask)
Hellaverse Facts About Moi
I love Alastor, I love Vox, The rest are alright, I guess /silly
Lucifer can go to double-Hell, though /affectionately
And because I love Al and Vox, I make them suffer
Main Headcanons: Asexual Demiromantic Alastor, Aromantic Bisexual Vox, They both have severe childhood trauma :3
My favorite ship? Fluffy RadioStatic. But just the fluffy kind, stay away from me with RadioSilence. I might write angst, but that means I don't need more
My least favorite ship? Probably RadioApple. Unless they date out of spite, I don't care about it
I'm not as much into Helluva as I am into Hazbin, but I've watched both shows
I've read the trivia section of nearly every Hazbin Character on the official Fandom Wiki
Hazbin Hotel is the first fandom I've ever wanted merch from, but of course, I can't buy it (more like don't want to, but anyway, let's move on)
Masterpost
There are many sub-categories. I love categories.
Comics & Other Art
Quality Time At Dusk - Dragon Alastor & Dragon Sky
Singing In The Rain - Demon Alastor
Something About Something - Demon Vox & Demon Alastor
Spiky Dragon - A.... spiky dragon
Let Yourself Go - Demon Vox & Demon Sky
Ballpoint Pen Sketch - Dragon Sketch
Feathered Redemption - Cover Gift
Kieran 'Syrus' Jäger - Reference Image
"Vicious" Beasts - Deer-Alastor & Demon-Kieran
Banner (Again) - A... banner...
Frankenstein's Creations - Randomly Generated Animals and Hazbin Fankid
I'll Be King - Demon Alastor
Happy Pride Month Part 1 - Pride Month Art
Happy Pride Month Part 2 - Pride Month Art
I Don't Recognise You - ArtFight Revenge
To Meet You Underneath The Moonlight - ArtFight Revenge
AUs
Broken AU
Freakshow AU
Finished LongFics
Freakshow - Finished Writing; Publishing Finished
Ongoing LongFics
Traveling Circus - On Ice
Dancing Through Debris - On Ice
Bambi and Falino - Writing Ongoing Sporadically
Short Stories
After The Show | Short Story Collection - Publishing Ongoing
Enemies To Lovers
Trust Us
Off Air
Moth Quarrels
Dancing Through The Dark With(out) You By My Side
Thronum Capere
What If I Ruin It All?
The Chains That Tie Us...
The Animal He Became
Other Links
Ao3 - All of my stories
ArtFight - Don't expect me to be very active there
DeviantArt - I have more art on there that I won't upload here (Too much of a hassle)
YouTube - I rarely post speedpaints and animatics
Discord Server - It exists, I guess? Pretty inactive at the moment
Since this thing *gestures wildly at the story* has become such a big part of my life, kind of, it only felt right to leave a last note. You know, thank the people that helped me, some plans for the future, yatter, yatter.
Vox: *pokes head in from the side* He invited me too!
Alastor: Us, my friend. *appears next to him* Though I cannot imagine why we’d have to be in this white limbo for this.
Sky: *lands in her dragon form* It’s a blank slate people often use for things like this. *transforms back and waves at you* Hello, by the way!
Thanks for making it here-
Alastor: You make it seem like we had a choice, dear.
You did. Kind of. Not really- Anyway! First things first-
Vox: I’ma say all the words inside my- *get’s muted*
Sky: *grins at Vox* Loser~
Vox: *flips her off*
Now, firstly, I want to thank Asteraeon for being Freakshow’s biggest fan from pretty much since the beginning! They’ve helped me with so many ideas and are probably the biggest reason I didn’t drop the story halfway through!
Vox: *scrolls his phone* They’re great and got a cool YouTube channel!
Sky: *looks over his shoulder and nods* I agree!
Alastor: *rolls his eyes* Dear Syrus, would you be so kind and send me back? I believe I’m at quite the wrong place, here.
If you wish so
Alastor: Thank you *melts away*
Vox: *has snatched my script* Also a special thanks to Draknarok for being the first person to ever support Syrus on this journey and lending his characters Draco and Azaria for the story!
Sky: *steals the script from Vox and mimes putting on glasses, before reading with a dramatic voice* Their story can be further explored in his FanFiction “Feathered Redemption”
Guys, this is my script
Sky: And now we have it
Sigh~ Fine. Knock yourself out.
Vox: *takes a photo of the script and reads it from his phone* Another special thanks goes to @falsesleeper who may not have helped as much with Freakshow, as with other stories, but she helped a lot with some of the worldbuilding aspects you saw after the Heaven Arc!
She’s got some amazing stories on her Ao3 account which are definitely worth looking into!
Sky: Syrus also thanks the VoxTek Discord Server for getting the stone rolling that got Freakshow onto Ao3 and WattPad!
Vox: Ah, yes. My company is here to save the day again *fakes humbleness before getting boxed against the shoulder by Sky* Anyway. What else do we have here? *continues to silently read the script*
We’re done with thanking all the amazing people that helped me, so now we’re getting into some future plans for the Freakshow-Verse-thing!
Sky: Ohh, exciting >:)
Vox: What do you have in store, honey?
Nope. That’d be spoilers to you! Off you go!
Sky & Vox: *get teleported away*
Now, my dear readers, we come to the upcoming ideas I have.
Firstly, I had the idea of writing a few scenes from the story with the characters being actors. No clue what that would be called, but I thought it was a neat idea. Feel free to suggest some scenes I could do or if you want to see it at all!
Next up:
I am writing a sequel!
This time around, I’ll try to keep everything more concise and relevant, unlike the many set-ups without pay-offs I had in Freakshow.
Generally, I’ve learned a lot about writing since starting this fic, and I’m only going to learn more!
Other than that, I’ll be releasing short snippets of the Hazbins’ lives after Freakshow and leading up to the sequel. They’re not a must-read though.
Okay, now, this is it with the Freakshow-Verse announcements. All who aren’t interested in what my other plans are can leave now.
Adieu!
Now, regarding my other plans for writing, I’m currently working on a RadioStatic fic called “Dancing Through Debris”. I won’t give too many details, but the canon story changes basically completely and gets flipped and tossed around like a ragdoll.
Also, angst.
So much angst.
I feel like Stolas whenever Blitz is near him when I think of the angst.
Okay, well, not that much, but it’s quite angsty. Of course, I also chuck a healthy dose of fluff-band aids behind it, so maybe that will help.
Anyway, these are my plans, and I hope I’ll see you again for future fics, short stories, concepts and whatever else the world will throw at us!
Ladies and Gentlemen, you have done it! The last chapter!
Enjoy!
„If there is anything you want to talk to me about that you didn‘t think of now, don‘t shy away from informing me or Theo and we‘ll go out of our way to talk with you“, Sky promised and opened the door for the starling demoness.
„Thank you for-“, she said, but cut herself off when she noticed the masculine pitch of her voice.
„And remember“, she continued and smiled at her. „Try to speak with your own voice, Lani.“
The demoness nodded, before she smiled a thanks at her and then left the room.
„And what is the matter with her, darling?“
Sky didn‘t need to look up to recognize Alastor, as she locked the files for Lani in the drawer again. „I believe I am unable to tell you that~“
„Why do you have to be so proper, sweetheart?“, her partner faux complained, before wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on the crown of her head.
„Shouldn‘t you be at the meeting?“, she changed the topic as she leaned into his embrace.
„I wanted to ask if you would like to join me“, he answered and nuzzled into her hair, his hand moving beneath her shirt and over the bandages around her waist. He was concerned, yes, but she‘d made it clear that she was fully capable of taking care of herself.
„I‘d still love to go, but I have to help Theo here“, she sighed and turned around to press a kiss onto his chin. „You can handle the Overlords, honey.“
„Darling, I‘ve been ‘handling’ these demons for the better part of a century“, Alastor chuckled and shifted his left hand to grasp her right one, before pulling her into a slow dance to a melody only he could hear. „Besides, it is the last time any of us will have to interact with them, anymore. Most likely, at least.“
„So, you‘re certain about this?“
The deer demon nodded quietly. “You said it yourself, haven’t you? The spotlight, the glamour, the lies. They’re getting quite tiresome.”
“People will target us”, she pointed out while Alastor spun her outward before pulling her back in. “One of the most powerful Overlord trios steps down. It’s a headline made in Heaven.”
“Well, if they do come for us, I’m certain together we can tear them to pieces and scatter them over the streets as a warning~”
“You’re insane”, she chuckled and moved her hand to his neck, before leaning her forehead against his and looking into his eyes. “I love it.”
“Et je t’aime, toi”, he smiled, before bridging the gap between their lips.
“We did not only lose regular sinners in this fight”, Carmilla announced and let her gaze roam over her fellow Overlords. “We also lost Overlords. Friends, to some.”
For just a moment, she looked at Zeezi and Alastor. The latter looked completely unbothered by Rosie’s passing or even her alleged possession.
“In a way, this was the most effective Extermination to date”, she continued and rested her hand on the table. “We have yet to analyze the full scale, but our estimates tell us that we lost more than half of Hell’s sinner population.”
“Such being our present weakened condition, it would be most prudent to remain at peace with Heaven and the royal house”, Zestial spoke up, his hands clasped elegantly. “Alastor.”
The Radio Demon perked up with a mildly interested expression.
“Pray tell, is there anything concerning Their Majesties of which we ought to be made aware?”
Alastor contemplated his answer for a few seconds. Why? For the drama, of course!
„Queen Lilith is reclaiming her influence on Hell“, he then said with an easy voice and folded one leg over the other. „And I have the feeling that she and Lucifer will soon take on their roles as our leaders again.“
His vermillion gaze drifted over every Overlord for a moment, judging their disgruntled reactions to the news.
Carmilla was right. Their numbers had shrunk. Of twelve Overlords, eight were left. Carmilla, Zestial, Zeezi and the two remaining Vees, as well as he himself and his partner and friend.
„Although he has informed me of being willing to attend one of our meetings in the near future and is open to ruling Hell together“, Alastor added and busied himself with inspecting his staff, as if he didn‘t know it better than the back of his hand.
„Tzeh, yeah, sure“, Velvette scoffed and put her feet on the table. „Like he‘s gonna do anything but mope in his crappy palace.“
„Though that is a valid concern, Queen Lilith is more determined than ever to guide Hell‘s sinner population back to its former glory“, the Radio Demon continued without dedicating Velvette another glance.
„Thank you, Alastor“, Carmilla nodded and took a breath to continue speaking, when she was cut off by said Overlord again.
„I also have some other news to share.“ Alastor wanted to tear out his heart for beating as fast as it did. Why in God‘s name was he nervous?
„Well?“, the arms dealer asked and raised one eyebrow.
„I have decided to give Husker- Husk his soul back.“
There was silence for a long moment, before Zestial caught himself again and spoke. „Pray, what has led you to arrive at this decision?“
Alastor smiled easily as he leaned back and clasped his hands on his knee. „The Media Demon, The Dread and I have come to the decision to retire from our positions as Overlords.“
His ear twitched faintly when he heard whispered questions and theories between the demons but chose to ignore them.
Let them talk.
Carmilla looked at Zestial for a moment, before focusing back on the Radio Demon. „Will you continue to join us in meetings?“
„I don‘t believe we will“, Alastor said and rose from his seat, taking his sweet time to adjust the cuffs of his sleeves and his bowtie, before gracing the Overlords with his gaze again. „Why, I do believe there is no reason for me to stay here for much longer.“
Several eyes followed him with utterly stunned expressions as he walked towards the door, before turning back around to them.
„And I believe it is time for me to say“, he began, before bowing theatrically. „Thank you and Goodnight!“
“Alastor! What is going on?”
“Why do we look different?”
“Where is Rosie?”
The new former Overlord ignored the questions as he walked through the crowd, until he reached the pavilion and turned back around to them, tapping against his microphone to make them quiet down.
“My dear cannibals”, he began and looked from his cane back to Rosie’s people. “As you might know, Rosie, the Overlord of Cannibalism, has perished together with the Root of All Evil.”
“Did she help you and Charlie kill Roo?”, a cannibal with bright green eyes asked and pulled the rose-colored fuzzy boa tighter around herself.
“She did not”, Alastor answered and softened his features just a little, before addressing the crowd at large again. “In fact, she had been possessed by Roo for longer than even I knew her.”
“What makes you think that?”, Susan asked and made her way through the cannibals, her now cold, grey eyes displaying her disapproval even more. “Her black eyes? We all have them!”
“Had, Susan”, he corrected her. “I am quite certain that Rosie had all of you under a contract.”
The crowd nodded with quiet murmurs, before the deer demon continued. “And it wouldn’t surprise me if that contract changed your eye color to the one Hell has known you for. Well, with her death, you are no longer tied to her.”
“So… what do we do now?”, a young man asked and nervously fiddled with his tie.
“I cannot answer that, but I suggest you elect a new leader”, Alastor replied and smirked in faux compassion. “I’d hate to see this pretty little town get turned into yet another Entertainment or Doomsday District. Besides, there’s a power vacuum amongst the Overlords, currently. I’m sure it would be easy to make the one or another power grab.”
It was like a switch had been flipped. The quiet crowd suddenly began to murmur and whisper amongst themselves, completely ignoring the deer demon as he melted into the shadows and disappeared.
Vox almost walked past the house when he reached it, that was how much he’d gotten used to seeing the ruins that had masked it for nearly eight years.
His eyes flicked towards his hand, before he summoned a few electric sparks to assure himself for the tenth time that his powers were really back, before he teleported the key into his hand and unlocked the door.
“Azaria?”, he called into the house as he stepped in and closed the door behind him.
It didn’t take long until the peacock demoness appeared at the top of the stairs, the train of green and blue shimmering feathers trailing behind her like the hem of a dress.
It was no surprise she’d been Silvio and Valentino’s favorite.
“What are you doing here?”, she asked and crossed her arms again, before bowing her head in submission. “Mister Wittman.”
“Vox is okay”, he smiled and cleared his throat. “Sky asked me to tell you two that you can return to the hotel.”
“Why didn’t she do it herself?” Draco appeared next to Azaria on the staircase, his feathers suspiciously mussed.
“Ah, post-battle fun, I see”, the Media Demon grinned, which earned him an annoyed eyeroll from Azaria and an embarrassed squawk from her boyfriend as his feathers fluffed up. With a huff of amusement, Vox got serious again and folded his arms behind his back. “Sky has a job to do at the Hazbin, that’s why she sent me.”
“Yeah, because you got demoted and fired”, the peacock demoness smirked as she leaned her hip against the wall.
“At least I take care of the electricity and make sure your vibrator gets charged”, he fired back with an almost playful grin, while Draco was staring daggers into his screen for that comment, so Vox decided to one up himself. “Unlike your unemployed boyfriend here.”
For a moment, the corvid demon’s eyes turned red, before Azaria placed a hand on his shoulder and made her way down the steps, her expression becoming serious.
“Something tells me you’re gonna tell me someone died”, Vox said in a playful tone, but nervousness crept into his voice with every word.
“Because it’s true”, the dancer sighed and waved the TV Demon with her into the room where Tibrax lived, if he recalled correctly.
Had lived, he soon enough found out.
“He got overwhelmed by the possessed demons”, Azaria explained and stepped back, while Vox walked over to the bed where Tibrax lay.
“Well…” He pushed his hands into his pockets. “I just love to ruin Sky’s good mood.”
He wasn’t hit by the little imp’s death. Okay, maybe just a little. Then again, he’d barely known him.
But Sky?
Vox sighed through his nose, before he turned away and passed the two bird demons.
“I’d say we go back home and I’ll tell Sky.”
“What about him?”, Azaria asked and gestured at Tibrax, before closing the door.
“It won’t be long”, the TV Demon answered and waved the couple out of the house, before following them.
Lilith’s voice floated lightly through the room as she sat on the bed and leafed through one of the many, many photo albums Lucifer had kept of Charlie, her humming wrapping around her with the memories.
Eventually, her gaze fell onto a picture that spanned an entire page.
Her smile softened into something barely noticeable as she ran her fingertip over her daughter’s soft, slightly puffy features, as she peeked over her mother’s shoulder into the camera.
The Lilith in the picture seemed younger as well. Of course, since her banishment she hadn’t aged a day, but there was no worry shimmering in her eyes, no heaviness playing around her parted lips as she sang.
With a sigh, the Queen of Hell closed her eyes and tilted her head back a little, before she began to sing the song from back then.
“Dancing bears, painted wings.” Her gaze fell onto the album again. “Things I almost remember.”
“And a song”, she suddenly heard her daughter sing from the door, her lighter voice joining Lilith’s. “Someone sings once upon a December.”
Mother and daughter paused for a moment, just looking at each other, before Lilith stood up and opened her arms.
“Someone holds me safe and warm”, they continued together as Charlie stepped closer and wrapped her arms around her mother’s waist and Lilith looped her arms around her daughter’s shoulders in return. “Horses prance through a silver storm.”
“Figures dancing gracefully…” The mother rested her hand against the daughter’s face with a doting smile, before pulling her close again. “Across my memory…”
For a long few minutes, they just held each other, before Lilith tilted Charlie’s face up to look at her.
“I feel like I missed a lifetime”, she admitted, her smile fading as guilt replaced it.
Charlie nodded faintly, before she looked at the ground. “I’m sorry for how I acted, mom. I’m not proud of many things that I said to you…”
“I’ve made mistakes as well, Little Star”, the older woman responded and brushed a tear from her daughter’s eye. “But mine a greater than yours. I was wrong for killing your guest without consideration. I apologize for that.”
Lilith bent down slightly to look the half-angel in the eyes. “Tell me, can I make it up to you?”
The Princess of Hell hesitated, before she nodded with a hopeful smile. “I’m sure you will. I mean, we have an immortal life to fix our mistakes.”
With that, she spread her arms as an invite for Lilith, who took it and wrapped her arms around her daughter in another soft embrace.
Charlie nuzzled into her mother’s shoulder, before looking up at her when she pulled back slightly.
“On the subject of fixing mistakes”, the Queen of Hell said and guided her daughter back to the bed before she sat down next to her. “Now that Roo is defeated, I was contemplating the idea of hosting a ball at the palace to celebrate, like we used to.”
“You mean those where everyone is invited?”, Charlie asked, sparkles appearing around her head and in her eyes, as her mother chuckled.
“Yes, those, Little Star”, she nodded and brushed a loose strand of hair from the half-angel’s face. “Everyone can attend if they wish so. We will have a grand meal, dance and have music be played to celebrate all of Hell joining arms and defeating the, by far, greatest evil its ever faced.”
“Will you sing?” The princess was basically up and ahead of getting her whiteboard out. “Can others sing too? Everyone here is so talented!”
“I have noticed”, Lilith chuckled and caught her daughter’s wildly gesturing hands. “And yes, everyone who wishes to sing can.”
“Aren’t you and dad going to the next Overlord meeting? You could bring it up then, I’m sure they’d love the idea!”, Charlie suggested, her voice jumping up half an octave from her excitement.
The Queen of Hell’s gaze softened as she watched her daughter get up and summon her whiteboard including some colorful markers, before starting to sketch up a plan for the ball.
She’s so much like him… she thought at the sight, her smile softening in motherly adoration.
Meanwhile downstairs, he stood in the kitchen and flipped a pancake with a practiced motion of the pan.
“Hey Lu.”
Sky ducked when the King of Hell flung the pan at her, before he realized what he’d done and quickly caught it again with his magic. “Oh, Sky! He- hey, sorry ‘bout… that…”
“You’re good”, the dragon demoness chuckled and took the pan out of the air, before giving it back to Lucifer and looking at the stacks of pancakes next to him. “Isn’t that a bit overkill? We already have a buffet that’s bending the table.”
“Therapy!”, he answered and let sparkles rain down around him, before sighing and turning back to the stove. “Or something, I dunno…”
Sky watched him for a few seconds, before smiling. “You know, the reason I stepped back from being the guests’ therapist is so I can focus on the staff.”
The fallen angel turned his head towards her and raised an eyebrow, while he poured another pancake like on autopilot.
“If you ever want to talk, just knock on my office”, she finished, before shrugging. “Or ask KeeKee where I am. That cat knows everything going on in the hotel.”
Right on cue, the feline embodiment of the Hazbin appeared in a puff of red smoke and landed in Sky’s arms.
“That’s good to know”, Lucifer responded and turned the pancake, before reaching out to pet KeeKee, his smile fading again.
“Is there anything you want to talk to me about now?”, the demoness asked then, her fingers threading through the cat’s silken fur.
“I’m just… worried about future threats”, the King of Hell answered and swallowed. “After everything that happened… I seem to care a bit about your kind.”
“How charming”, she chuckled and set the feline onto the counter, before leaning against it with her back. “But I’m positive that whatever Heaven or Hell will throw at us, we’ll handle it just fine.”
“I don’t know”, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Sometimes I’m wondering why there are so little suicides down here. It’s a pretty hopeless place, compared to Heaven.”
“Well”, Sky objected, bitter amusement coloring her voice. “Heaven would probably be a horrible place for most of us. We’re pretty used to all the violence and stuff.”
She then looked at the King of Hell again and smiled. “Hell is forever, whether you like it or not. But nobody ever said we can’t make the best of it.”
“Spoken like Mozart”, the fallen angel smirked, while Sky couldn’t help but laugh.
“Mozart was a composer, not a poet.”
“Whatever. Humans are confusing.”
“True.”
Specter wondered when they’d last eaten something so delicious. These pizza rolls were effing fantastic.
“Make way!”, they suddenly heard Niffty’s pointy voice before the cyclops darted past them, speed-cleaning the ink from the floor as Baxter tried to keep up.
They still felt bad for her whenever she ran past them to clean up their ink trail, but the little maid had assured them that she wasn’t mad about it.
“I can drown the roaches with it!”, she’d cackled earlier before running off with her bucket and rag.
That woman is something else, Specter thought, before they turned their head towards the door that led to the staff section, from which Sky and Lucifer emerged, both of them holding plates of pancakes and another one hovering next to the dragon demoness.
Her gaze caught Specter’s when she and the fallen angel set down their plates, but aside from a small wave, she didn’t acknowledge them much.
The ink demon huffed amused as they thought about their strange dynamic with Sky. They clearly weren’t friends, but rivals didn’t seem to fit either.
Frenemies, perhaps, they thought as they put a few pancakes on their plate, before covering them in a healthy amount of hell-maple syrup.
At the other end of the lobby, Husk, Angel and Cherri hung around at the bar – where else? – the latter two holding two Pornstar Martinis while Husk had made do with a Virgin Bloody Mary.
No alcohol? Yes, Angel and Cherri had also been surprised.
“So…”, the spider demon drawled out, before laying down on the bar on his stomach and kicking his feet as he scratched Fat Nuggets’ head, his eyes focused on Husk. “Did Smiles return ya soul to ya, yet?”
“Yeah”, the bartender turned Overlord again answered, his lips curling up in a rare smile. “Feels good.”
“Like ya are whole again”, the former Pornstar finished the sentence and pulled Fat Nuggets into a hug, while Cherri sneakily fed the little hellhog a cocktail cherry.
“So ye’re goin’ back to bein’ a scary Overlord, or what?”, she then asked Husk, who merely shrugged.
“Maybe, maybe not. I like it here”, he explained and took another sip from his glass. “And I feel like you two wouldn’t let me go anyway.”
“Oh, we would”, Angel objected, before he grinned. “We just wouldn’t stop annoying you until you came back.”
“Yeah. Besides, Vaggi would lose her mind if the only person who can restrain Angie and me were to leave.”
“Rafa can be pretty persuasive when she wants someone to stop drinking for the night”, Husk chuckled and looked at the cat demoness as she approached. “Ain’t that right, Rafa?”
“You know me too well”, she smirked, her tail flicking behind her as she leaned against the bar. “Doesn’t look like you need any help. Pretty empty, non è vero?“
„They’re going to come running back the moment their favorite snack is out”, the old tomcat huffed amused and gestured at the buffet. “Until then, I’ll enjoy myself.”
“Good call”, she replied and stepped behind the bar to make herself a Kamikaze.
“How ya doin’, on that note, dolce”, Angel asked when he looked at the drink. “Everything went down pretty fast after Lils killed him.”
“I’ve experienced worse losses”, Rafaela shrugged, though she felt her throat tighten. “Besides. Maybe he did it and is up there now.”
They all knew that wasn’t the case.
“Has anyone seen Charlie?” Vaggi landed next to them at that moment, her wings disappearing the moment her feet touched the ground.
“Nope”, the spider demon answered, popping the ‘P’ like a bubble gum bubble. “Why?”
“I wanted to ask her about an idea I had for the demons that got killed”, she explained and took a seat at the bar. “Just something I read recently in a book about the first war.”
“The remaining sinners burning the bodies to honor them?”, Angel asked and sipped from his drink.
“I thought you weren’t big on politics?”, the fallen angel asked and raised an eyebrow.
“Doesn’t mean I don’t read”, he scoffed and rolled his eyes.
“Anyway. Yeah, that’s what I wanted to suggest”, Vaggi went back on track as Rafa gave the former exorcist her usual drink. That cat demoness had a sixth sense for what drinks her patrons wanted. “Seems fitting, I think.”
“And you totally don’t just want a quicker way to get rid of the bodies”, Cherri grinned and clinked her glass against the fallen angel’s.
“I just like being efficient”, she replied sheepishly and took a long swallow from her drink, before setting it down again.
“Hello, ladies~” With a flame, Sky appeared perched on the countertop, one leg propped up, the other hanging down.
“Alastor’s a horrible influence on you”, Vaggi groaned and sneered at her spilled drink.
“You’re just too jumpy, Mrs. soon-to-be Morningstar”, the dragon demoness grinned and watched as the fallen angel’s face reddened. “Yeah, don’t think I didn’t notice the ring you’ve been carrying around with yourself all week.”
“Wait, hold on a fuckin’ minute!”, Angel demanded and stood up on the counter, before bending at the waist to look at Vaggi. “You’re planning to propose to Charlie and didn’t fuckin’ tell me???”
“Nobody was supposed to know!”, she said and hid her face behind her hands.
“Honey, you are at the right address”, the spider demon smirked and hopped from the counter, before picking the hotel’s manager up and carrying her away. “Now let’s talk about that proposal.”
“I’m not missing that TED talk”, Cherri laughed and jumped after the duo, leaving only Husk, Rafa and Sky behind.
“Noooowwww….”, the dragon demoness drawled out, before she began to sing. “What do we do with a drunken sailor-“
“Too early”, Husk scoffed and gave Sky a wet slap with his rag, after which she just scoffed and crossed her arms.
Their gazes were drawn to the open doors of the hotel, when Alastor and Vox entered the lobby, with Azaria, Draco and Mitty close behind and branching off the moment they could get away from the former Overlords.
Immediately, Sky vanished in a flame, before weaseling her way through the crowd and appearing right next to Vox. “Boo!”
When Vox jumped behind Alastor with a scream, it wasn’t even that exaggerated. “Fuck you, Sky!”
“I had to”, she grinned and dodged a playful zap from Vox, before turning to Alastor and giving him a kiss on the cheek. “How’d it go?”
“I didn’t stick around long enough to gauge our former fellow Overlords’ reactions”, the deer demon responded with a smirk. “I had to leave an impact before I left.”
“Of course you did”, Sky chuckled, before Vox tapped her shoulder and cleared his throat.
“I hate to ruin the mood, but there’s something you should probably know…”, the TV demon said and tapped his claws together nervously, before taking a deep breath. “Tibrax…”
Sky’s ears lowered as her mind already finished the sentence before Vox did.
“Is dead…”
After a few seconds of no reaction, Alastor looked at his partner with worried eyes – his smile still firmly in place, though – and rested a hand on her shoulder. “Are you alright, darling?”
“Yes, I- I just need a minute”, she said, which was the only cue the deer demon needed to wrap her, Vox and himself up in his shadows and transport them into the radio tower.
Vox helped his friend into the chair while Alastor teleported a glass of water into his hands and gave it to her.
With a thankful glance, she took a few small sips from the glass, before resting it back in her lap and looked back at Vox.
“Do you know how he died?”, she asked, her voice shaking ever so slightly.
“Azaria said he got overwhelmed in the fight”, the Media Demon answered and took a seat on the desk after asking Alastor for permission with a glance.
Sky just nodded and took another swallow from the glass before looking at the ceiling with a sigh. “Where is he now?”
“Your home. His room.” Vox inspected his friend’s expression closely before looking at the tips of his shoes. “I had assumed you’d want to see him one last time.”
Another nod from Sky, before she stood up and sat the glass down on the desk. “Will you two come with me?”
“For you we’d go through Heaven”, Alastor smiled and wrapped his partner up in his arms.
“Thank you”, she sobbed and buried her face against his chest, when they suddenly heard a clicking sound from Vox.
“Oh my god, you didn’t glitch out”, said demon then muttered and when Sky and Alastor looked at him, they found him staring at his phone in disbelief, before grinning at his friends. “I’m counting that as a win.”
“Vox…”, the Radio Demon drawled out, static crackling around him. “Did you take a photograph of us?”
“No~”, Vox lied blatantly and jumped away when Sky tried to grab his phone, his voice switching to one Sky was quite familiar with. “Ah-Ah-Ah, you didn’t say the magic word!”
“Quit the movie references!”, she snapped, but her grin betrayed how much she was enjoying herself, as she jumped up and almost reached Vox’ phone…
When it disappeared with a spark of electricity.
“Oh, fuck you!”, she scoffed and crossed her arms. “Cheater.”
“If it makes you laugh again, anytime”, Vox shot back and booped Sky’s nose, for which he got a smack against the side of his head. “I didn’t deserve that.”
“Yes, you did, Jack Sparrow”, she grinned, her ears twitching amused.
“That’s Captain Jack Sparrow, for you, missy”, he responded back, his voice mimicking the slurred cadence of the character.
“Okay, I believe that is quite enough with the movie references”, Alastor intervened, already looking like his head was smoking. “Shall we?”
That reminded Sky of what she’d just been told, but she put on a brave face and hooked into Alastor’s arm, while Vox rested his hand on her shoulder, before the shadows swallowed them whole again.
Seconds later, they were in Sky’s living room, with her immediately letting go of her partner and heading towards Tibrax’ room like she felt his presence there.
Alastor and Vox exchanged a worried glance, before following her through the door.
Sky froze for a moment when she saw him, orange skin paling, eyes closed as if asleep, before she made a hesitant step forward. Then another. Then three more until she stood by the bed, her hand ghosting over his cheek.
Her lips parted, but no sound came as she sunk onto the bed’s edge and just looked at the imp for a few, long seconds.
Neither Alastor nor Vox quite knew what to do. They had never really seen the demoness grief stricken, nor had she ever told them what she did to cope with loss.
“He died to protect them”, she murmured, her voice fluctuating between bitterness and simple, plain despair as she twirled a lock of his white hair around her finger. “And the house… He died for what he loved…”
Her eyes turned towards the ceiling, before she stood up and looked at him again, before turning her head towards her friends. “Vaggi said that the dead get burned in Hell…”
“Sometimes, yes”, Vox nodded and folded his arms, claws tapping against his arm. “You want to…?”
“Yes”, she nodded and looked at Tibrax once more, before heading towards the exit. “I don’t need the house anymore. I… wouldn’t want to live in it anymore.”
The two demons nodded understandingly as they followed her outside and not long after, they watched as white flames engulfed the house Sky had called her home for the longest time in Hell.
“Closure?”, Alastor asked and gathered her hand in his.
“Closure…”, she agreed, before turning away and to the direction of the Hazbin.
Vox and Alastor quickly fell into step beside her, the former’s gaze soon straying away to look at the crumbling roots that had left their marks.
“Is it too early to bet on when the next tragedy will occur?”, he asked with an uncertain grin, but quickly looked away when he got a pair of death glares from his friends. “Just curious..”
Sky then chuckled softly and took a deep breath, before letting her own gaze stray. “I more so wonder how long it’s going to take until Pentagram City looks like normal again. The Entertainment District’s progress has been nullified.”
“Couldn’t care less”, Vox responded with a dismissive tilt of his head.
“Fair enough.”
After absolutely not getting distracted by a few stores in the Satan’s Mall – Alastor was the one that eventually called it quits and dragged them out of the fifth media store – they reached the Morningstar District in near-darkness.
“I cannot fathom how a game about simulating a normal, daily life can be interesting enough to buy eleven hundred dollars in – what did you call it? – DLCs”, Alastor said with a scoff as they reached the foot of the small hill the hotel was perched on.
“Hey, it’s fun to torture your pawns!”, Sky retorted while Vox nodded enthusiastically.
“I mean, you can have them be eaten by a plant and spit back out!”, he added and spread his arms. “What’s not to love?”
“I give up”, the deer demon sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, before looking back ahead and noticing a bonfire to the side of the building, their voices floating through the air accompanied by a guitar. “Why, it seems our friends are celebrating without us. How rude.”
“Let’s go and join them!”, Sky grinned and opened her wings to fly over to the group.
“Got a hole in the middle and it’s split in two!”, the group sang – with a drunk Husk completely off beat – as Niffty jumped around with her guitar. “And that’s what you call the Ring Dang Doo!”
Laughter rang through the air as the maid bridged the gap to the next verse with nimble fingers, before Sky landed next to Angel and gestured at him with her arms and wing. “She went off to be a whore!”
“Hung this sign upon her door”, Angel joined in and mimed a sign in front of his groin with a saucy smirk.
“A dollar each!”, Sky interjected and jabbed one finger into the air.
“And three for two”, the spider demon added and raised two fingers high, before scissoring them in the air as he and Sky ‘harmonized’ – if you could call it that – again. “To take a crack at my Ring Dang Doo!”
Vox and Alastor watched for a moment as the crew sang the refrain again, before the TV demon linked his arm with his best friend’s and dragged him into the circle, while joining in for the chaos.
“The Ring Dang Doo, now what is that! It’s soft and round like a pussy cat!”, the Hazbin Family sang and at some point in the night, even Alastor had enough booze in his system to join the songs, no matter what they were about.
“Got a hole in the middle and it’s split in two! And that’s what you call the Ring Dang Doo!”
Sky had always wondered what death would feel like.
And now she knew that despite its downsides, it was the best thing that could have ever happened to her.
And, it's official! This story is over!
BUT! I have one last thing to say, so click ahead to the author's note!
Her voice rang in Lilith’s ears like a song she’d long forgotten.
“DID YOU MISS ME, LILITH?”
Yes…, she thought, her fingers running over the side of the mirror that showed only darkness. I miss you, Eve…
“COME AND WATCH MY VICTORY!”
The first sinner closed her eyes, before looking at the mirror again, as it crumbled into violet dust between her fingers.
“We’re all gonna die!”, Niffty yelled and raised her dagger, before erupting into laughter and running off to God knows where.
“Okay, time to shut down the hotel”, Vaggi asserted and pointed her spear at Husk, Cherri and Angel. “Get on the roof and start blasting everything you have at whatever demons try to enter the hotel. Show no fucking mercy.”
“Got ‘cha toots!”, Angel grinned and dragged his friends off, while the fallen angel turned towards Baxter and Niffty.
“Bax, power up the defense system. Niff, protect him. Nobody should be in here who wants to kill us, but we can never know.”
Niffty – who had returned to the group – grinned at that, before she jumped onto Baxter’s shoulders and pointed her dagger forward like a lance. “Onwards we go, smart boy!”
The angler fish demon seemed like he wanted to protest, before he just rolled his eyes with a smile and headed for the staircase leading into the basement.
“Rafa, Pip, can you two make sure the guests stay in their rooms unless they want to fight on our side?”, the former exorcist asked the two bartenders, who hummed in approval, before heading off.
Vaggi’s gaze then fell onto Charlie, who was still crying and panting on the floor.
“C’mon”, she whispered and picked her girlfriend up, before spreading her wings. “Let’s get you upstairs.”
“The shield failed”, Tibrax said and averted his gaze from the window towards the two bird demons he was residing with. “Vox and Alastor’s powers must have vanished, which means yours too.”
Draco just stared at the imp, before trying to shift forms. But nothing happened.
“We’re getting attacked”, Azaria pointed out the obvious, her feathers puffing up in fear.
Screams rang throughout Pride as Roo overlooked the pentagram, watching her minions advance on any sinner unfortunate enough to still be outside.
“LOOKS LIKE YOUR TIME IS RUNNING OUT, SISTER!”, she said, her voice carrying over the city. “YOUR SUBJECTS ARE POWERLESS AND YOUR FAMILY TORN! WHATEVER WILL YOU DO NOW?”
Nobody expected it. Not the sinners, not the Overlords, not the hotel crew, not Lucifer or Charlie.
“I will make things right.”
Roo’s eyes narrowed at the Queen of Hell, who had appeared on the main street leading towards the Embassy.
“HOW SO?”
“With nothing but the truth, now”, Lilith began to sing, sinners perking up when her voice floated through the buildings. “Nothing but the proof of how I failed.”
“Protecting what I lived for.”
Lucifer’s shoulders slumped a little as he watched from the cathedral.
“For what we have created”, she continued singing, her steps leaving violet glowing prints on the street. “I could never tell you that I don’t know how I’d try to fix it.”
Her gaze turned to a group of sinners in an alley, watching her with nervous eyes.
“I’d save our people.” Lilith’s expression grew regretful as she stepped over an angelic sword. “From blades so twisted, from lies so certain.”
“And while you were trying” She directed her eyes at the Cathedral of Overlords, where she knew Lucifer was watching her, before averting her gaze again. “To fix what I’d ruined, I was just looking away…”
“We broke into a million pieces”, she continued, her arms falling to her side. “And I can’t fix that.”
Charlie slowly stepped onto the balcony with Vaggi. “But I know she’s seeing all the beauty in the broken glass.”
“I repent for what I did”, Lilith promised and looked back to where Lucifer was. “From now I will commit to listening to you, to what you deem is right, Lu.”
Lucifer hesitated, before he opened his wings and joined his wife’s song. “I know, I should have shown more interest in protecting them…”
“I should not be so set to get them to the other realm”, Charlie joined in, two pairs of black, bat-like wings unfolding from her back.
“Our flaws are not the end”, they now sang together, Lucifer and Charlie rising into the air to get to Lilith. “It’s not our final stand.”
“Our voices unified, this is what they sound like!”
“STOP THIS SONG!”, Roo screamed, the possessed demons suddenly waking up again and attacking.
From the corner of her eye, Sky just barely spotted a strike of blue, before she was grabbed by Zophiel and pushed off the cliff of the cathedral.
“Time to pay up, cunt!”, the angel snapped, while Sky shifted into her dragon form.
“We’re shattering the silence, we’re rising defiant.”
Alastor’s gaze was suddenly drawn to Vox, when the TV demon pointed at a gaggle of black-eyed demons with tree growths climbing over the edge of the cliff, his friend’s eyes widened fearfully.
“Shouting in the quiet ‘You’re not alone!’”
The deer demon grinned, before pulling his cane apart and revealing an angelic sword inside. He had accepted the gift from the last extermination.
A little more confident, Vox conjured up the last remnants of his power and teleported his weather man staff into his hand, before jumping into action with his friend.
“We listened to you, demon.”
Vaggi landed in the lobby of the hotel, her eyes scanning her friends and the guests that were willing to fight, as the possessed demons banged against the front doors.
“We let you get between us.”
Draco, Azaria and Tibrax stood outside the house, watching as the demons ran towards them, frothing at their maws with eagerness.
“We fight to death!”, the imp shouted and pulled out a rocket launcher from Satan knows where, before firing the first shot.
“But none of us are out here on our own!”
Lucifer’s frame was bathed in a golden glow as he manifested his sword and began to slash into the possessed demons scurrying over the streets.
“So, we were cowards, so we were liars.”
With a melodic tune, Lilith summoned her obsidian daggers and sent them slashing into the black-eyed creatures’ throats.
“So, we’re not heroes!” Charlie’s hand tightened around her trident, before she stabbed it into a possessed demon’s chest. “We’re still survivors!”
“The dreamers!” Lucifer cut through the last wall of demons, before folding his wings in when he spotted his family.
“The fighters!” With a last swing of her hands, Lilith made the daggers disappear, before smiling at her husband and daughter.
“No lying!” With a giddy smile, Charlie jumped towards her parents, her wings disappearing again.
“I’m tired! But dive in the fire and I’ll be right here by your side!”
The three Morningstars took the last steps towards each other, before Lilith and Lucifer wrapped their arms around their little girl as the music around them crescendoed.
“We broke into a million pieces and we can’t go back!”, they sang as they summoned their weapons once again and turned back towards the demons charging at them.
“But now we’re seeing all the beauty in the broken glass!”
Alastor ducked underneath a swing from Vox that decapitated a demon trying to get him from behind, before diving under his friend’s arm and piercing another sinner that attempted to lay their hands on the TV Demon.
With an appreciative smile over the shoulder, Vox thanked him, before charging at another squad of sinners.
“The scars are part of me!”
Sky’s claws caught in Zophiel’s wings, before she beat her own to carry them upwards.
“Darkness and harmony!”
The Overlord’s jaws opened with a hiss of flames igniting within her throat as she prepared to serve the killing blow.
“Our voices unified, this is what they sound like!”
She didn’t hear the scream tearing from Zophiel’s throat as her frame was engulfed in blazing white fire, before Sky’s jaws closed around her sword and shattered it once and for all.
“Why did we cover up the colors stuck inside our head?”
Husk threw Angel another round of ammunition for his tommy gun, before he spread his wings and attacked a black-eyed sinner with branch-y legs from the sky, while Vaggi twisted another one’s head 360° with a delicious crunch.
“Get up and let the jagged edges meet the light instead!”
While Charlie and Lucifer branched off to save a group of sinners from the possessed, Lilith continued on her way to the roots of the tree, as Roo’s massive form looked down upon her.
“Show me what’s underneath! I’ll find your harmony!”
“Fearless and undefined, this is what it sounds like!”
The Queen of Hell came to a stop in front of the thickest root, her head tilting back.
The music slowed and settled into a pulsing rhythm, making Vox and Alastor look towards the Embassy, before their gazes drifted to each other with worried expressions.
“Vox…?” Alastor’s eyes widened when he saw the darkness return to Vox’, his legs taking a few steps back, as his friend’s features twisted in agony and his claws raked over his screen.
Down in the city, Draco and Azaria froze when they heard the shift, and some of the demons they’d been fighting disintegrated into red spores that got drawn towards the tree.
The peacock demoness’ gaze turned towards Tibrax, before her features dropped and her heart seemed to still, when she saw the little imp get pushed to the ground by one of the demons who hadn’t been destroyed.
“Tibrax!”, she yelled and grabbed her dagger, before throwing it at the tentacle demon, which immediately turned into red ash.
“Eve! I know you’re in there, sister!”, Lilith shouted, as Roo bent down, one wooden claw landing besides the first sinner with a Thump!.
“OH, SILLY GIRL!”, she shouted, her lips splitting into a needle-like scowl. “EVE. IS. DEAD. I TOOK OVER HER BODY EONS AGO! THERE IS NOTHING LEFT BUT THE ROOT OF ALL EVIL! AND YOU CANNOT DESTROY IT!”
Lilith just stared at her for a moment, before her eyes narrowed. “If that’s the case…”
Roo’s eyes widened when the Queen of Hell raised her arms, the voices of thousands of sinners floating through Pentagram City, as violet music notes rippled from Lilith’s frame like waves and to every demon who’d lost their powers.
“This is what it sounds like!”
“Is he-“
Azaria only nodded, before she took a deep breath and straightened herself again and looked at her boyfriend. “Let’s show those assholes that he didn’t die in vain.”
“This is what it sounds like!”
A violet wave of power enabled Alastor to summon his trusty shadows and restrain Vox, as the Media Overlord fought to push Roo’s influence back.
“Resist her”, the deer demon whispered as he came closer, his shadows disappearing when he finally reached the other demon and rested his hands on Vox’ shoulders. “I know you can.”
“A-Al?” He blinked, the red of his eyes shining through for a moment, before turning black again.
“This is what it sounds like!”
Another surge rippled through the air, catching on Vox’ frame and chasing the darkness from his mind.
For a moment, his eyes shimmered purple, before they settled back into their normal shade of red and he looked up at Alastor.
“Did I do it?”, he asked, his head still feeling a little woozy.
“Yes”, the deer demon said, his voice shaking, before he pulled Vox into a bone crushing hug. “Yes, you did it!”
“This is what it- This is what it-“
“This is what it sounds like!”, the Hazbin Family joined in before another round of bombs from Cherri painted the air golden.
“We broke into a million pieces and we can’t go back!”, the Morningstars joined back in as golden magic threaded from the sinners and wrapped around them, forming a stairway up to the Root of All Evil.
“But now we’re seeing all the beauty in the broken glass!”
Charlie looked at her mother, before holding a hand out for her to take.
“We’re dreamers ‘til the end!” With a smile, Lilith took her daughter’s hand, before looking over to Lucifer and offering him one as well. “There’s nothing we can’t mend!”
With an adoring expression, the King of Hell wrapped his fingers around his wife’s, before he turned his gaze back to Roo with a grin.
“Our voices unified, this is what they sound like!”
Roo’s features twisted into anger as she drew her hand back, before striking at the royals. But instead of her claws tearing through them like butter, her hand was engulfed in golden flames raking up her arm, as a scream of agony ripped from her lungs.
“Why did we cover up the colors stuck inside our head?”
Sky raised her head to look at the center of Pentagram City, before the corners of her jaws curled into a smile and she joined the hellish choir, her soul beginning to glow golden.
“Get up and let the jagged edges meet the light instead!”
“Show me what’s underneath!”, the Hazbin Family sang as they joined hands, golden magic threading from their souls towards where the Morningstars advanced on a raging Root of All Evil.
“I’ll find your harmony!”
Draco and Azaria also raised their voices as they offered their magic to the royal family.
“Fearless and undefined, this is what it sounds like!”
The golden threads of magic spiraled around Charlie and her parents a few times, before charging directly at where Roo’s heart would have been.
“Truth after all this time!”
With a final scream that was completely drowned out by Hell’s voice, golden rays of light broke through the cracks in the Root of All Evil, its wooden skin bursting into flames.
“Our voices all combined!”
The demon and its minions withered in a matter of seconds, red leaves turning grey and crumbling into ash, as the tree and all its roots blackened into basalt.
“When darkness meets the light, this is what it sounds like!”
The music slowed as all of Hell watched the Root of All Evil decay and the black sky clear before their eyes, and Lucifer, Lilith and Charlie Morningstar stepped back onto the street.
The royal family let their gazes drift as silence settled in for just a moment.
Then, every demon in Pride raised their voice in cheers, as applause filled the streets.
“Vox! Vox! Vox! Vox! Vox!”
Said demon was completely caught off guard by the small missile that Sky had turned into, crashing into him, before he laughed and wrapped his arms around her.
“Oh, I’m so sorry for being so shitty to you earlier”, she said after coming down a little from her high. “Will you-“
“Yes”, Vox interrupted her apology with a gentle smile. “Already have.”
“How sweet”, Alastor grinned from the sidelines. „It‘s sickening~“
“We know you‘re jealous”, Vox smirked, before he pulled the deer demon into the embrace as well.
“Haha!” Angel grabbed Husk and basically spun in a circle with him. “WE DIDN’T DIE!”
Vaggi couldn’t help but laugh at the almost hysterical display, while Cherri grabbed Niffty from the ground and threw her into the air, the little gremlin cheering with one or two maniacal giggles in between and Baxter watching from a safe distance with a fond smile.
“Ahhh! I’m so fucking happy, Husk!”, the spider demon yelled before he wrapped his arms around the cat demon until his joints popped. “WE LIVE, BITCH!”
The fallen angel smiled at them fondly, as Angel dragged the crew to the bar.
Yes… She thought. Today we live…
AND WE ARE DONE!
FUCK YES!
Anyway! One chapter to go, then the author's note and after that I have some short stories prepared that I'll post after this behemoth is finished.
With a Thud! the book landed behind her on the floor, the old pages crumpling under its weight.
“Hm…”
She pushed herself upright with one hand, the other holding the book as she left the library and walked down the hallway, roots pulsing stronger in time with her clicking heels.
The Vial of Power is the name bestowed upon those memories which ordain the strength of a Sinner. For the might of Sinners and Overlords alike is wrought from the life they once did lead upon the mortal earth; and should they forget the days of their former flesh, the bond to their sorcerous puissance is undone, and their gifts wither as a flame deprived of air.
Roo’s steps halted as her eyes widened with interest, her thin pupils scanning the well-kept words written on the pages in careful script.
For in Hell, it is memory that is the wellspring of all dominion. The most potent recollections are gathered and enshrined within the Memory Hall, which stands in solemn grandeur inside the Cathedral of Overlords, there kept as relics of dread and reverence.
Slowly, she raised her gaze to the grand door in front of her. A golden relief of flames and depictions of the first war.
Her eyes narrowed down on the scratched gold that had once borne her likeness, delegating the newborn forces of Hell.
“It’s only a matter of time until it will happen again”, she murmured with a scowl, the roots around her growing and raising like snake heads, before they forced open the door, breaking the depictions of Heaven’s army with a delicious groan of the metal.
“The final countdown has started…”
The branch creaked whenever she moved what her arm used to be. The side of her head itched from the bark growing from it, leaves rustling with every shift of the air.
“What is this witchcraft?”, she snarled and clawed at the reddish bark with her hand, but the calloused wood didn’t budge.
Pain shot through her head, tearing a scream of agony from her throat as her talons raked over her face and drew three parallel lines over her cheek.
“Come…”
The word echoed in her mind like a hollow roar, her eye opening and looking around herself with wild panic.
“Who is there?!”
“Come…”
The pain grew worse, head splitting even, her head turning towards the window.
“Come…”
Her muscles moved without her telling them to. Or did she tell them to move? It didn’t matter.
“We’re coming…”
“Anything odd going on in Pentagram City?”, Vox asked his friend, who merely shook his head, his hand coming up to rub his temple.
“Nothing to be alarmed by”, Alastor said and tapped his fingers on the surface of his desk, a sigh fleeing him. “I would have never thought that Hell being quiet would unsettle me.”
“Yeah, no shit”, the TV demon scoffed and leaned against the desk with crossed arms.
Silence settled over them as they hung after their thoughts. Well, Vox was less thinking about their potentially short-lived future and more worrying about the tugging he felt deep within his mind, the subtle stings of pain he’d grown to fear.
He didn’t realize he was trembling until he felt Alastor’s hand close around his, the red tips of his fingers threading with the blue of his.
“She has no hold over you”, the deer demon said in a soothing tone, his thumb running over the back of Vox’ hand. “Not with us by your side.”
The Media Overlord swallowed, before he managed to smile. “I needed that… Thanks, Al.”
“Always a pleasure”, he answered and gave his friend’s hand a squeeze, before letting go and putting the headphones on again to continue listening in on the radios all around the Pride Ring.
Vox watched for a second longer, before he whistled Vark to himself and left the radio tower with his pet in tow.
By now, he knew the service corridors like the back of his hand. Probably better than the hallways the guests used.
Vark gently bumped his head against Vox’ leg with a quiet whine, his big eyes looking worriedly at the television demon.
He hadn’t noticed his heartbeat quickening against the silence of the dimly lit corridor.
“It’s okay”, he told the shark-dog and rubbed his hand over Vark’s broad head, before taking a few deep breaths, his gills fluttering against the fabric of his shirt. “I’m fine.”
He wasn’t, but denial had worked for him before.
Eventually, he pushed the service door open that lead into the staff lounging area.
His eyes quickly found Sky at the bar, scrolling on her phone as music rang through the empty room.
“Will things ever be the same again?”, he heard a voice sing from her phone, his circuits recalling the correct song immediately.
“It’s the final countdown”, Vox then sang along, before he stopped the music with a brush of his finger against the side of Sky’s phone.
The dragon demoness huffed half-heartedly, her tail curling around Vox’ leg as he took a seat next to her on a barstool.
“Is there a reason you’re playing this?”, he asked, his voice softer now, when he saw her gloomy expression.
“Just trying to get the vibes of upcoming doom going”, she joked grimly and rested her head on her crossed arms.
Vox’ lips pressed into a thin line, before he sighed and carefully slid her phone away. “Want to talk about it?”
Sky hesitated, before she swallowed and straightened again. “I- I’m scared, Vox”, she then admitted and looked up at him. “The last time we fought on the same side…”
Images flashed in his mind at the memory, his artificial muscles locking up for a second.
“Everything went to shit…”
Silence settled between them, and for a moment, Vox just looked at her, gaze averted, fingers curling into her sleeves.
“Sky…”, he then whispered and gently took her small hands in his.
That action made her look up and only now did he notice the tears in her eyes.
“This…” He carefully raised his hand to brush a rouge tear from her cheek that wanted to escape. “Isn’t like last time.”
“Yeah, we’re just fighting against the literal Root of All Evil”, she scoffed and wanted to pull away, but Vox kept his hand around hers.
“Perhaps, but look on the bright side”, he said and softly turned her head back to face him. “Roo isn’t an angel and neither are the possessed demons. We can hurt them. And we are stronger than ever. If not physically, then mentally.”
Sky didn’t resist when he pulled her into his arms. “I don’t want to lose you two again…”
“I know”, he whispered and closed his eyes as he rested his chin on her head. “I don’t want to lose you either. But we have no choice.”
She knew that. There never was a choice when it came to war, wasn’t there? At least not a choice she could make.
“Will we die?”
“Maybe.” Vox pulled away again to look at her. “But even if we do, I’ll die fighting for us. You, Alastor and me.”
“Me too”, she nodded and looked up at her friend. “It’ll be okay, right?”
The TV demon nodded. “We will be okay.”
Sky blinked a few tears away with a hopeful smile, before wrapping her arms around Vox’ waist and pulling him back into the hug.
“You look like shit”, Rafaela huffed and poured the sparrow demon his usual drink. “Again.”
“Tais-toi…”, Toby grumped and grabbed the glass from her hand, the many rings adorning his fingers clinking against it like soft chimes.
“I’ll assume that means that I should shut up”, the bartender chuckled and leaned against the bar. “But you know I won’t, so what’s bothering you?”
He didn’t answer for a good few seconds, trying to pretend he hadn’t heard her, as he twisted the golden twin ring around his left ring finger.
“I’ll see ya again in Heaven, lil brother…”
Oh, he’d done so much wrong…
“Toby?”
The sparrow demon perked up again, before clearing his throat. “I, uh- What? Oh, right… well… None of your business.”
“It’s your brother and his wife, isn’t it?”, she then asked and refilled his glass after he’d finished it.
“Oui…” Toby’s gaze fell to the rings on his thumb and he scowled. That heist had ruined everything and now he couldn’t take that reminder off his body.
“Hey, look on the positive side”, Rafaela smiled and rested her furred hand over his. “It was just a jewel heist, and you didn’t kill anyone. I’m sure you’ll be in Heaven in no time.”
“You think so?”
“Absolutely”, the cat demoness nodded and flicked her ear, before letting go of his hand again and turning to fill a glass of her own. “Especially now that the therapy program will start soon.”
“Hm”, Toby hummed and swirled the liquid in his glass with a small smile.
Redemption. Also known to him as the only hope he had left.
“Communque. Sky told me to limit your alcohol, so that's it for tonight.”
His golden eyes narrowed as he watched Rafaela reach for his empty glass, before he grabbed her wrist. “Don’t you dare…”, he growled and glared at the cat demoness.
“Toby, we’ve been over thi-“
She couldn’t finish her sentence before a fist landed in her face and she slammed into the shelf behind her. With a clattering sound, a bottle crashed into the back of her head before bursting on the floor.
“What’s going on here?”
In a plume of golden smoke, Lilith appeared before the bar and glared down at Toby.
“Fuck off!”, the sparrow demon snapped, before he realized who he was talking to and immediately deflated. “Wait, no, I’m sorry, your Majesty, I-“
Rafaela’s face fell and her ears pressed against her skull when she watched the obsidian blade crash down on her friend, cutting his words off just like it did his head.
“Lily?”
“Mom..?”
Lilith turned around to her daughter and husband as the sword dispersed into black dust.
“Why did you do that?”, Charlie asked, her voice horrified as she stared at Toby’s corpse.
“He- he was possessed!”, Lilith said, but made a step away from the dead sinner.
“What makes you think that?”, Lucifer asked, his pupils narrowing. “We know what possessed demons look like! He didn’t show any symptoms!”
“But- but he was angry-“
“He was working on it!”, Charlie cried out, her hair ties tearing as it freed itself. “He was trying so hard to be redeemed, alcohol was just this one small problem!”
“Little Star, I’m sorry-“
“Not even Dad tried to harm one of our guests!”, the Cursed Angel screamed, her eyes turning a flaming red as horns grew from her forehead. “How can you claim you care for our people and then kill one of them?!”
The Queen of Hell growled, her eyes narrowing as she raised her voice, distorted like a banshee’s screech. “I only try to keep us safe, Charlotte. All of us and that means losses are inevitable.”
“But there is no need for violence, mom!”
“Charlie, maybe we should all calm down”, Lucifer tried to reason with his daughter, but she simply shoved him away.
“Leave! Mom!”, Charlie snarled and pointed at the door. “I don’t want you here anymore!”
Lilith’s eyes widened at that, and she made a step back, her eyes flicking between her husband and daughter, to the corpse of the sinner and the bartender hiding behind the counter with quivering ears.
“I’m sorry”, she whispered, before her frame was engulfed in a cloud of smoke and she was gone.
The red eyes opened with a start when Roo perked up, her gaze drawn to the greyish window overlooking Pentagram City.
She felt the rift in the power system of Hell like her chest had been split open.
It is time…
The roots all over the Pride Ring began to writhe in gleeful anticipation, growing into the nooks and crannies of buildings, of the ground, through torn corpses which began to twitch with ancient power. Black-eyed demons all over the city perked their heads towards the Cathedral of Overlords, as Roo stepped into the Memory Hall and spread her arms.
“Potestates antiquae, nunc me audite”, she spoke, the shadows lurking in the corners darkening and eyes opening within them.
“Ignem memorīarum accendite!”
The basin in the center of the room turned from iridescent white to a dark grey with veins of red replacing the golden marbling, as a black, red and white fire ignited within it.
“Vim quae mihi ablata est excitate!” Her voice turned into a chant as the roots around her grew to pick up the books from the shelves and feed them into the flames. “Scintillas malitiae incendite et flammas desperationis alite!”
The citizens of Pride raised their eyes to the sky, as the red they were so used to darkened into a shade none except for a few of them had ever seen before.
“Potestatem mihi olim datam reddite”, the Root of All Evil chanted, her voice carrying throughout all of Hell. “Et viam ad victoriam sternite!”
“What is going on?”, Sky asked as she and Vox came down the stairs. The rest of the hotel crew – Rafaela, Pip, Husk, Angel, Niffty, Cherri and Baxter – had already arrived and could only watch as Charlie collapsed onto her knees, with Vaggi rushing over to wrap her arms around the Cursed Angel.
There was a garbled mess of static next to Vox and Sky, before Alastor was practically spat out by the shadows, his doppelganger turning solid and unmoving the moment the Radio Demon had fully manifested again.
“The sky has turned black and so have my memories, what is going on, Charlie?”, his voice, devoid of static, asked and looked at the Princess, who could only force out a pathetic jumble of words, before they were cut off by tears.
“My, that is a bit of a strong reaction”, Alastor hummed with surprised, wide eyes and perked up ears, before he leaned down to Sky. “Am I really that threatening?”
“Can you shut up for five seconds, jukebox?”, Lucifer snapped, before he looked out the windows with a worried expression.
“Wait a hot second”, Vox then spoke up and rubbed the side of his head. “I can’t… I can’t remember my life. Like, my life on earth!”
Sky was about to respond when she stopped herself and filed through her memories as well, hands coming up to her head and eyes widening, before they latched onto Vox and Alastor.
“Sweetheart?”, the deer demon asked hesitantly, his ears tilting back when he saw the sheer horror in her eyes.
“I can’t remember how we met”, she breathed, her tail curling around herself, before she looked at Vox, her eyes narrowing. “Why am I even trusting you? Why are we trusting you?”
“Wh-what?” Vox’ eyes became almost round as noise distorted his screen.
“You did nothing but hurt the hotel!”, Sky accused him, her pupils pinpricks in her pale eyes. “How can we be sure you didn’t fake everything you did since you returned to the hotel? Or maybe you hypnotized us!”
Alastor stared at his partner in shock, before it dawned on him.
They weren’t forgetting their human lives.
They were forgetting everything that had happened before their latest permanent death.
“Sky, stop!”, Vox shouted and jumped to the side when Sky lunged at him.
Alastor’s blood froze when he saw a glint of silver from the corner of his eye, as Vaggi spread her wings and raised her spear to throw it at the raging Overlord.
“We’re not done with you yet, bitch!”, he heard the former exorcist yell in his head again, seconds before-
“Everybody stop!”, the Princess of Hell yelled and stood up, her horns growing even further.
Vaggie, Sky and Vox perked up at that and turned towards her, with Sky shooting suspicious glances at the Media Demon.
With a deep breath, Charlie calmed down again and shrunk back into her normal form, before fixating Sky. “We and Vox have a common enemy. Roo. So, stop trying to kill him.”
“He could be mani-“
“Sky.”
That made her shut up.
Charlie turned towards her father, who had backed away from the window with wide eyes. “You are going to your room and will stay there.”
“Char-Char”, he intervened and gestured out the window. “She’s escalating. I remember this sky; she is absorbing the power of all these sinners to get to us.”
Angel and Cherri exchanged worried glances, before stepping closer towards Husk, whose fur had puffed up in fear.
“Okay…”, Charlie said and cleared her throat. “Okay, we- we can- we should prolab- probably-“ Her gaze shot to her trembling hands, before she looked around. Her friends… Her friends looked terrified. Every single one of them. Even Alastor couldn’t hide the fear in his eyes.
This is too big for them, she thought and looked at her father, her lips moving, but no sound following.
Help me…
Lucifer just looked at her for a moment, before he inhaled deeply and turned towards the sinners around him. “Charlie, you will stay here with the crew. Protect the guests whatever it takes.”
His gaze turned towards the Overlords. “Rudolph, soap opera and Sky, you three come with me investigate the Memory Fire. It has to be the reason you are all forgetting whatever happened before your death.”
Alastor scowled at the King of Hell for the nickname he’d received, and Vox’s screen glitched in frustration, before Sky walked past them and stepped towards Lucifer, who opened a portal with his cane.
“On we go”, he said and waved the sinners through the gate, before following.
“What happened here?” Sky turned around her own axis as she looked around the hall. The bookshelves were empty and the basin cracked, with angry flames roaring within it.
“Roo happened”, Lucifer growled, the horns starting to grow on his forehead.
They froze in their tracks when the power shift rippled through the air like a wave, followed by a scratchy, banshee-like scream.
The fallen angel was the first one to turn on his heel and sprint out of the Memory Hall and towards the nearest window, destroyed as it may be.
The Overlords followed him on but stopped dead in their steps when their eyes met Pentagram City.
Roots, thick and pulsing, ran through the buildings and around them, cracks of red shimmering in intervals that made them look like veins leading to the center of it all.
A giant tree, taller than the VTower, taller than the pentagram in the sky was low, cast its black shadow over the city from the old Heaven Embassy, scarlet red leaves thudding like a heart.
The young Bewilderbeast let out a high-pitched whine as the bullhook struck down on the already sliced scales and skin of the terrified dragon. He tried to avoid setting his injured leg onto the ground, but the Screaming Man had none of it.
“LISTEN TO ME!”, he bellowed and hit the metal staff against the cage. “I AM YOUR MASTER!”
She let out a soft whine and pressed into the corner of the wooden box she had been put into.
The Screaming Man struck the Bewilderbeast over and over again and again, the dragon’s cries echoing through the caves.
Is this right?, the Dust Fury wondered. Is this what life is supposed to be?
I am so sorry… Through the small hole in the box, she watched as the young dragon was beaten to the ground again, the bullhook pointed at his eye.
“KILL IT!”, the Screaming Man yelled and pointed the bullhook at the Triple Stryke that was tied to the ground with heavy chains, his three tails pierced into the wooden floor with spears.
She narrowed her eyes at the downed dragon, her wings pressing against her sides and ears pinned back.
I do not want to kill him, her thoughts whispered, but any form of resistance was intercepted by a slicing pain in her skull.
“KILL IT, YOU USELESS THING!”
A low rumble resonated from her throat, before she focused her attention on the Triple Stryke again, the sound she was making turning into a low whine as she took a deep breath. With a sharp sound, the green flame erupted from her throat and hit the tied down dragon square in the chest, his body going limp in an instant.
She waited. A few heartbeats. Another few.
No yelling. No pain.
“This is what I want from you”, the Screaming Man said. Was that the first time he was not screaming? How was that possible?
Her gaze darted towards him, before she looked away again.
He would punish her if she looked at him. He had done it before.
But there was a way to appease him.
Follow the Screaming Man’s orders and you will survive.
And if I do not?, she wondered and felt her ears twitch when she heard his footsteps stalk around her.
Then you did not deserve to survive.
Silence.
So. Much. Silence.
She thought that was what she wanted. Surely, silence was better than not surviving.
Wrong. She had been wrong. She was wrong. She will always be wrong.
Her gaze ran along the tusk she was perched on. Over the shackles with which he was tied to the ground. Right to the eyes of the Bewilderbeast.
Was he a friend?
He did not look like one.
But his eyes looked sad.
Was he sad for her?
Was he sad about the silence she was now trapped in?
It was not his fault that her world was silent now.
You did not follow the Screaming Man’s orders.
Then why did I survive?, she wondered.
You are thinking too much.
The Bewilderbeast’s tusk vibrated, the tremors shooting through her paws into her head and what was left of her ears.
A rumble.
An apology.
Why?
Her head tilted to the side as she looked at the massive dragon.
Why?, her thoughts asked.
His eyes could not speak. But they told her that he felt the same pain.
I am not in pain, she thought.
Not the truth.
What was left of her ears hurt. The cuts scattered over her body, over their bodies, hurt.
But what hurt most was her soul.
It did not feel right.
The Screaming Man had told her that everyone was the enemy. That he was the enemy.
If that was the truth, then why was the Bewilderbeast not the enemy?
Are you the enemy?, she wondered.
Vibrations ran through the tusk again.
No.
How?
Carefully, she pushed herself onto her paws, before walking along the tusk up to the shackle.
The Bewilderbeast listened to the Screaming Man. He never faltered.
Why was he tied to the ground, then?
He did not listen at first.
Follow the Screaming Man’s orders and you will survive.
She stepped over the shackle and followed the tusk to where it had grown out of the Bewilderbeast’s jaw, all those years ago.
His eyes followed her.
His pupils were wide.
They were never wide.
You do not act like you are supposed to, she thought.
A rumble. Maybe she heard it.
She could not tell what it meant this time.
Why?, she wondered.
His eyes looked sad.
Her eyes very likely looked sad, as well.
The Night Fury looked more like her than any other dragon.
But he was not a friend.
Not like the Bewilderbeast.
Even though the Night Fury had broken the rules.
Why did he survive?, she wondered.
You are thinking too much.
Her wings unfurled as she jumped into the air, soaring shortly above the Screaming Man riding the Night Fury and the Quiet Man riding the young Scuttleclaw.
What was left of her ear twitched when she felt the Bewilderbeast’s vibrations rumble through the air.
The Night Fury was fighting his will.
There was nothing for her to fight against.
Silence made it impossible for him to control her body.
She was sure he would never do it to her if he could.
Unless the Screaming Man told him to.
I am thinking too much, she thought and watched as the Night Fury grabbed the bullhook and threw the Screaming Man off his back.
Follow the Screaming Man’s orders and you will survive.
He did not.
Why does he survive?, she wondered.
The Quiet Man jumped after the Night Fury.
He would attack him.
He was the enemy.
The Night Fury is also the enemy. He did not follow the Screaming Man’s orders.
Her gaze turned towards the Screaming Man.
Do not survive, she thought.
You are the enemy, then.
I am not, she thought.
Her wings pressed against her sides as she dove down and caught the Screaming Man, before setting him onto the Bewilderbeast’s tusk.
Follow the Screaming Man’s orders and you will survive.
She would survive.
Her eyes looked up and around herself after she had landed on the Bewilderbeast’s tusk.
The Night Fury and the Quiet Man were gone.
Where?
A rumble.
Her eyes flicked towards where the Bewilderbeast was looking.
The Night Fury.
The Quiet Man.
Her wings opened again and she pushed herself off the tusk to attack.
She was born to attack.
She was meant to kill.
She would follow the Screaming Man’s orders and she would survive.
Her jaw parted, but the Night Fury was quicker.
His tail fin hit her eyes and she was blinded.
Where was she?
Where was the friend?
A rumble, then she felt the familiar feeling of the Bewilderbeast’s tusk.
He had caught her.
Why?
Was it an order of the Screaming Man?
She opened her eyes, but everything was wrong. Everything spun in her vision.
I can not follow the orders of the Screaming Man and I will not survive.
A low rumble vibrated through the tusk.
She opened her eyes.
Where was she?
Her gaze turned towards the friend. He looked at her.
His eyes did not look sad.
Why?
Vibrations rumbled through her body and his gaze turned towards something in front of them.
He was swimming.
Why was he not diving?
She would not survive.
But she had not followed the Screaming Man’s orders and was not allowed to survive.
She focused her eyes on what the friend had tried to show her.
A hole in the ocean.
Where are we?, she wondered.
A rumble vibrated through her body.
Safe.
What does that mean?, she wondered.
The Bewilderbeast swam into the hole in the ocean.
It went deep. The tunnel after that was big.
Big enough for him.
And he glowed.
And she glowed.
And the cave glowed.
It did not feel sad.
The tunnel went deep. The cave after that was massive.
The Bewilderbeast and the Dust Fury did not glow anymore.
But the cave was bright. The cave was not sad.
She felt vibrations run from the friend into her paws.
Safe.
Yes.
Maybe this was safe.
A bit of a different kind of short story.
This was so fun to write ^^ Like, it was sad, but also SO fun.
We're way past that point, but I recently saw a post that inspired my to draw this. No idea who made the post because stupid old me didn't think to save it, but oh well.
Anywho. Sky is reaching for Alastor who's unaware she's alive, all the while Sky cannot escape her personal Hell.
Symbolism, or something.
Anywho. Have a good one!
