Disclaimer: Chaps a bit on the long side so don't be surprised.
News spread like wildfire that 'Queen Charlotte' had taken the throne. Charlie was being hailed as the new Queen and her dreams of taking the throne had finally arisen.
Free of her Father's shadow, the former princess basked in an aurora of pride that outshined the sun. Shortly afterwards, Charlie's hotel ended up getting flocked with customers who were eager to be the first 'redeemed' souls officially, with the Extermination being called off as 'no longer necessary'.
Having planned ahead of time, Charlie made sure to request several servants to handle the affairs of the hotel while she and her mother dealt with the issues that affected Hell on a wider scale to ensure she got her work done while still following through with the redemption plan. She had even hired others to build other reformation clinics to help the Hazbin Hotel be less full and so the spread of Redemption could be more easily accessible once they were fully built.
By now, the other Hazbins were watching as the work more or less did itself. Now that Charlie's hotel was legit, her servants were basically helping keep the hotel in check. Niffty and Husk didn't even have to do anything at this point, watching their jobs being done for them.
"Looks like we won't be needing to do anything anymore," Husk admitted,"About time, been getting tired of sitting behind that bar. Now it's going to be someone else's problem…"
"I thought you liked managing the bar," Niffty said,"What happened?"
"Oh nothing, just the fact I can't taste anything. Drinking kind of loses its allure when you can't taste any of it and I don't even require food to function. You don't understand what I'm talking about but I bet if you had an injury that made cleaning feel a pointless chore you'd have the same reaction."
"I can't imagine that…"
"Trust me, you don't. I'm only just now coming to terms with it, before it fucking sucked. Felt utterly miserable with no purpose in life...Not that I wasn't already, it just got worse the moment I woke up with a good portion of my body replaced with robotic limbs…"
"So what now?" She asked,"The Hotel works and it doesn't feel like we're needed anymore. Charlie's got people basically doing our jobs for 's left for us to do?"
"What do you mean?"
"Husk, the only reason we were brought here was because Alastor summoned us. Now that he's gone and the Hotel has succeeded, what's left for us anymore?"
"Hell if I know, I never expected my soul to be free when I made a deal with that bastard," He admitted,"Now that Alastor's gone, we're basically able to do what we want. Though what that entails is up in the air…"
"You don't sound too excited…"
"Not an excitable person. That and I really don't have that much motivation to go anywhere. Even if I'm free I don't really see any other place for me to go from here. The Hotel is dirt cheap, it's a relatively comfortable environment and you don't have to worry about getting mugged or worse. It's not perfect but compared to what's out there it's literally paradise. Why? Are you thinking of leaving?"
"I mean...I was just thinking that now that I don't have a job anymore that I can find another purpose? I get you don't like doing much but for me, I don't like sitting still for long periods while time passes by and now that the Hotel doesn't need my services maybe it's time I go elsewhere."
"Go where? You know the streets aren't exactly safe…"
"Husk, I've been In Hell longer than you have, I know my way around. I'm old enough to handle myself," She assured,"Besides, it's not like I have anything else to do. Now that Al's not here it's gotten rather lonely without him…"
Husk nodded, it was never really the same when Al and Vox died. Alastor was the bombastic one who always made his presence known the moment he was on the street and now that he was gone, it was always eerily quiet in the Hotel after his death.
Even with the other Alastor there, his presence could never fill in the gap their version left. It didn't help that he was more or less trying to tend to Volastor when he was at the worst of his depression and never really had time to interact with anyone outside of Velvet and Vol when he wasn't locked in his room.
Any interaction up until recently had been brief and it was never enough to really mend the issue.
Even now, it didn't feel the same and no matter how similar he acted, Husk had to withdraw himself from getting too attached, knowing that eventually...he would leave and the last trace of Alastor he had would soon vanish from sight.
"Yeah...Never really got over the bastard. I still can't believe he and Vox are gone. I was always used to that bastard summoning me out of nowhere and now that he's not here anymore, it feels weird being completely alone. If he were still here he'd be going off about how entertaining things were because it felt like that was the one thing he valued most...At least until Volastor showed up. Then he started giving a fuck about another person to the point he was willing to throw his life away for him."
Niffty nodded,"Mhm. Nobody thought it'd go this far and now that it did, we're just left to pick up what they all left behind."
"So what's your plan exactly, Niffty? You're just going to head out on the road and see where the wind takes you?"
"I got a backup plan, Baxter says his battery gets super messy and he could always use an assistant to clean up when things go bad. Considering how messy he is, that should at least keep me busy in the meantime."
"So you're just gonna be his personal maid?"
"What? That's what I did with Al, I don't see the difference outside of him being smaller and less influential. It's not like I have anything else better to do and Baxter's at least giving me something to take up my schedule now that the Hotel doesn't need me anymore. Though are you certain you don't wanna head out and discover yourself?"
"I lost interest in 'discovering myself' years ago. I can't remember the last time I thought of doing things out of my ovation and sure as hell am not 'discovering' myself at this age. I'm way too old for that time for me to be enthusiastic about life has long since passed. There's nothing for me out there, at least, nothing I want anyway. The Hotel isn't perfect but it's at least giving me something to go back to. The alternative is possibly being homeless or working at a shitty bar for lackluster wages."
"I see. I can't say I blame you Husk, you and I are too completely different people with different outlooks on life and given how long we've known each other it shouldn't come off as a shock we decide to go separate paths. Still, I kind of wish you let yourself live a little, even if you can't drink, surely there's something out there for you…"
He shrugged,"I'll try but I don't exactly have a drive to do anything anymore. I'll find something to do, I just don't know what that will be. Maybe if I stay long enough I'll try doing this Redemption shit…"
"You will? Really?"
"I mean, what the fuck else am I going to do? I ain't getting any younger and now that Charlie's plan works I don't see why I can't give it a shot. The times are changing and now that Heaven's allowing the Redemption to pass it's not like we're trapped in Hell anymore. We got the choice to ascend and I don't know about you, but I never liked being in Hell. Now that there's an option to leave I'd be a fool not to take it. Still, I got some unfinished business to do before I put any effort into that…."
"What's that?"
"Just a little something that I should've done a while ago…" He then stood up from his seat before heading out the door.
Niffty sighed, she'd see him later. It'd be a bit before she and Baxter left so she figured she'd go and give an official goodbye after he was done.
Vox sighed, his wings being forcibly removed had done a lot of damage and made walking without crutches impossible. Those things had helped his balance and having them taken away did inhibit his quality of life.'Can't wait for them to regenerate…' He told himself, hoping that his wings would regenerate sooner rather than later.
"Take it that you're not faring too well, are you?" Al asked from his wheelchair with a semi-amused expression.
"Not really. I'm still sore from when that bastard clipped my wings off. Gonna be on these crutches until my wings regenerate and we all know that's going to take a while…"
"At least you can walk," Al muttered bitterly,"I have to rely on this damn chair to go places because of my lack of depth perception. It doesn't help that Vol doesn't trust me walking just yet. He insists I stay in the chair and even now when I told him I can wheel myself around, he says to still not walk unless he's in the area…"
"Aw, he cares. That's cute, Al."
"As cute as it is annoying. I wish I could do something on my own so he didn't have to worry about me but I know I'll just end up proving his point somehow. This lack of depth perception is rather irritating and I don't get how Vaggie can even walk with that eye-patch around."
"She's been living without her eye for a while, she's gotten used to it. You just lost your eye not too long ago. You'll have to adjust to the loss and it'll be a while before you fully get used to it."
"Easy for you to say. At least your wings will grow back. My eye is gone forever."
"I know, it's pretty clear I got the better deal between the two of us. In the very least we both can't die anymore so we don't have to worry about anything else happening to us in the future…" Vox then paused when he heard something outside,"You hear that?"
"Yes. Sounds like someone is doing something outside. Perhaps we should go check it out…"
They headed towards the door though it was a bit of a struggle for Vox trying to balance himself on his crutches while still opening the door. As they were trying to open the door, Vanny was walking down the hallway on her phone only to see them struggling.
"Need a hand?" She offered.
"Yeah, we could use that…"
She then opened the door for them, allowing them to pass through. They made their way outside, Alastor turning to thank her,"Thanks dear. Your help is greatly appreciated."
"Don't mention it, Al. A girl has to help her partners out if they're in a bind. Still, why are you guys going out? Don't tell me you two are going on vacation without me, are ya?"
"You think we're going on vacation like this? Ha, no way," Vox chuckled,"We're just going out to check on the noise we heard from the inside. I think it's happening out the back so we better go check it out."
Vanny nodded before helping the boys outside and even going as far as to wheel Alastor around to ensure nothing happened. They headed to the back of the hotel only to see Husk was working on something outback.
"Husker? What are you doing out here? You've never been one to go outside, what gives?"
Husk paused before turning his head and saying,"Just creating a little something special out back. I just finished it too…"
"Can we see?"
"Sure…" Husk then stepped aside, revealing a headstone. Upon closer inspection, it had the Vox and Alastor's names on it."It's for the versions we lost. Figured I'd at least make something to remember them by now that they're gone…"
"Holy fuck, that looks awesome!" Vanny exclaimed,"Since when could you make art?"
"Old talent of mine. Hadn't used it in a while since there was never really a need for it," He shrugged,"That and having claws made creating crafts rather difficult. Still, I pushed through just so I could create something of value for them since they never really got an official burial."
"Hard to bury someone that left nothing behind," Vox admitted,"They more or less stopped physically existing. Basically they die twice, the only difference is they don't even get to have their soul reincarnated. It's just gone forever…"
"Hey, they may be gone but they aren't forgotten," Al said,"I may have only known myself for less than five minutes but I could tell that he had changed as a person. I can't believe we used to be the same person and had Vol never been created, we probably still would be."
"So much has happened that even when we compare timelines, it feels like we've all diverged into completely separate people."
"We may as well be different people," Vanny said."Me and my other self act similar but even now, you can tell something has changed along the way. I don't think we'll ever go back to being the exact same."
"Not like we'd want to. We've long since past the point where going back to the way things used to be is an option…"
Just then, footsteps approached from behind, Volastor's voice piping up,"Guys, what are you all doing out here? Is something happening?"
"No, we're just looking over Husker's fantastic work. He's made something really special and I'd think you'd like it. Why don't you take a look and tell us what you think?"
Vol got closer and stood gobsmacked when he saw the work of art in front of him. It was rare for him to be utterly speechless but this was an exception that he was willing to make.
"Do you like it?"
"Yes…" He said,"I really do. Did you make it for...them?"
"Yeah, them. I felt like I had to do something and even if they're gone, I believed it was best to at least make a memorial so that we could always have something to look back on, something that won't be removed or tossed aside."
"I...I see…Well done, Husk. It must've taken a lot of effort to create something like this…"
"Thanks..I appreciate the compliments. Never really used this skill too often so it's nice to see it being treated with respect. Still, I should get going, it ain't gonna be long before Niffty decides to leave and I wanna see her out before she goes. Wanna come?"
"Tempting, but I'd prefer to stay here," Al said,"Don't worry, we'll catch up with you later."
"Suit yourself…" Husk then turned his back and left.
A few moments had passed before Volastor said,"You know you don't have to stay here for my sake. It's not at all necessary."
"We know," Vox said,"We just didn't want you to feel alone…"
Vol didn't say anything, eyes glued to the stone. He didn't move nor did his expression at all change but when Al looked into his eyes, he saw the sadness in his eyes."Volastor, you know it's not your fault. They made the choice to erase themselves for you, there was nothing you could do…"
"I know…" He mumbled,"Doesn't make me feel any better. Especially with the knowledge that this whole thing could've been prevented had Val and Cherri not given some one-sided sob story to the King that prompted his ire towards me. I expected that shit out of Val but Cherri...I'm actually disappointed."
"Everyone is," The former TV Demon said,"It feels surreal that this entire event happened because of a petty grudge. I'm not too surprised Val pulled that card though, the bastard always finds a way to make himself look like the victim even when he isn't. Gaslights and manipulates the situation in his favor at every turn. I just didn't think he had the guts to do it with Lucifer. I thought he at least valued his life enough to not lie straight to the King's face. It's a shame Val died before he could be brought to justice because I imagine if Lucifer found out he had been lied to before it got out of control things would've been different. Maybe you two could've been friends in a different world…"
Vol made a face, he wasn't certain about that one but it was likely if things were different, they'd at least be on semi-decent terms…
"Still, if it hadn't happened, would we have ever gone as far as we did? Things back in the other timeline would've never occurred had events not played out as they did. It's hardly a justification, but it's doubtful we'd be here if history went a different direction."
"Fair enough, still, I do wish things could've happened with them still around…"
"I'm certain everyone does. Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do for them. Even then, I have the feeling that if they were able to see you, I bet they'd be happy to see how far you've come…"
"I hope so…" He then sighed,"Listen you guys, I know you want to be there for me, but I'd appreciate it if you left me alone just for a bit. I need some space and I'd like to think by myself before I head back."
"Are you certain?"
"Very."
Alastor sighed, wearily,"Very well, Vanny, can you lead us back?"
"Course I would! Let's head back boys…"
As Vanny led them away, Vol stayed behind to look at the gravestone soberly, still in mourning for those he had lost long ago. No matter how long ago it was, the wound they had left was still fresh…
He grit his teeth as water welled up in his eyes, his knees began to shake before eventually giving out. Unable to support his weight anymore. Weeping silently, he cried to himself beside the grave.
As he sobbed he flinched when he felt someone's hand on his shoulder. He growled,"I thought I said I wanted to be left alone, Al…"
"I'm not Al," Velvet corrected.
Vol tensed before doing his best to remain stoic,"Oh..Sorry Vel. I didn't know it was you. What are you doing here?"
"I came to check on you. You OK? You look...sad…"
He scoffed,"Thanks for stating the obvious, Vel. I totally couldn't have figured out I was sad on my own."
"Save the sass, Vol. I'm just trying to help, you looked like you needed some comfort…"
"I don't need comfort, dammit. I'm not a child…"
"You're never too old to reach out to someone. You don't have to wait till everyone's outta sight to show your emotions."
"I don't like showing weakness, Velvet…"
"It's not a weakness…"
"Down here it is and I don't like others seeing me break down and cry…" She then hugged him from behind, Vol blinking in response,"What...What are you doing, Vel? Why are you touching me?"
"Comforting you…."
"Why?"
"Because I love you and I don't like seeing you like this…" She then sighed,"Look, I get it. You've been through a lot and honestly, I can't really blame you for being emotionally distant. You've lost a lot and you're scared of getting too attached in fear you'll lose them, right?"
"..."
"Yeah, I thought so. It's alright, Vol. There's no more people trying to kill us anymore. It's all been dealt with. It may not be perfect but everything is starting to improve not just for ourselves, but for everyone else. I don't completely understand what you're going through but you're not the only one who's lost a loved one, Vol. They were our friends too and it's not your fault that this happened."
"It may not be, but I still feel guilty for attacking them. Perhaps if I hadn't...we all could've made it out alive. Lucifer only got the chance to stab me when I had my guard down, if it hadn't then-"
"It doesn't matter. We can't change the past, Vol. But we can try and change our future together."
"You sound so certain…."
"It's happened before, Vol. This isn't the first time people have tried to change their future and it won't be the last. We've been through so much and I think it's time we end this chapter of our lives. I know it hurts but Vol, I think it's time to move on. If not for your sake, do it for theirs, it's what they'd want for you. They wanted you to be happy and you know that! We're all trying to accept the loss, Vol, but there's no need to do it alone. We're all here for you. So what do you say? Wanna try moving on together?"
"I...I wouldn't mind…"
"That's the spirit! Come on, let's dry those tears and show me a smile!" She giggled as she wiped the tears away. Vol weakly smiled in response,"There it is! There's that cute little smile!"
Vol rolled his eyes,"Vel, you're embarrassing me…"
"I'm just stating facts, this face is the definition of adorable."
"You're pushing it…"
"No I'm not. It's not my fault you're the cutest guy ever. You really gotta learn to smile more because it's like the world lights up when you do…"
Vol blushed heavily as his eyes averted, visibly taken off guard by the compliment,"I...I'll work on it…"
"Aw, that's the spirit! Come on, Vol, it's time we leave…" Velvet then outstretched her hand,"Together."
Vol blinked before accepting her hand and standing up. Velvet then wrapped herself around his waist, staring up at him affectionately.
"Anything you wanna say to them before you go?"
"Vel, they can't hear me…"
"Even if they can't, it's good to let out all those feelings. Just pretend they can hear you…"
"Fine,"The fusion sighed, shaking his head,"Ever since you two died...it hasn't been the same for us. Even now, it felt as if a part of me died when you did. But no matter, I think it's time to part ways. You were truly the best and I do wish you were here but I suppose we can't have everything. Regardless, if there's one thing I can take solace in, it's the fact that you'll always be a part of me…" He dryly chuckled, touching the center of his chest where the gem was located,"As much as I miss you two, I suppose it's time to let go. After all, I'm certain you two would want that from me. I don't know why you thought my life was worth more than yours, but I'm thankful you cared so much for me. Such a shame I'll never get a chance to repay you two. The least I can do is live my life to the fullest…"
He then turned his back on the sight, Velvet clinging to him as they left the gravestone behind.
When Velvet and Vol got back inside the hotel they saw the others with Baxter and Niffty, both of whom were carrying bags in their hands.
"Saying goodbye already, Baxter?" Vol asked.
"Pretty much. This is the end of the line for me," He said,"As much as I like being in this hotel, it's gotten way too crowded for my liking and it's about time I headed back to my lab. Got a few inventions I want to create and since Niffty's offering to clean I'll be able to deal with my failed experiments more. It's about time I returned to my normal life after the shitshow that took place here."
"I see…" The fusion sighed,"Can't say I blame you. You must miss being back at home. I'm sorry for dragging you into this mess, especially since you got injured pretty badly."
"Eh, it was my choice to get involved," The fish shrugged,"I'm not the bravest demon on the block and I'll admit I'm a massive coward but I couldn't have let you die back there. You saved me multiple times and I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I had left you back there. And don't worry about the cut that healed long ago. "
"Does it hurt?"
"Not unless I specifically lean on that spot but otherwise I'm good as new. Besides, it's not like I didn't get payback…" He then pulled out the jar with Ada frozen inside.
Vol flinched,"Uh...is she alive?"
"Oh yeah, she is. She's basically a statue as long as she's in here…"
"Don't you think you should let her out? It sounds cruel to just keep her in there…"
"Are you crazy? As long as she's in this jar she's at least contained, she'll probably try to kill me or someone else the moment she's free…"
"In the very least you should at least release her…"
Baxter rolled his eyes,"Alright, fine. I'll release her later right after I find a way to drop her somewhere without endangering me in the process. But in the meantime she's staying here…"
"Fair enough," Vol sighed.
"So this is the end of the line for you, Niffty?" Al asked,"You seem fairly certain about leaving."
She nodded,"Yup. As much as I like the Hotel, it's clear that it doesn't need me anymore. Despite everything I really did enjoy my stay but I think it's time for me to see new scenery and Baxter's providing it."
"Good for you dear, I just hope that he treats you well while you're there."
"Don't worry, Baxter's really nice when he's not busy with his experiments! We're like good friends, trust me!"
"I'll take your word for it," Al said,"As long as you're happy I don't see the problem with it."
"Just remember," Husk started,"If you two wanna come back here and check in, we'll be waiting for you…"
"I'll keep that in mind," Niffty replied before turning her head towards Baxter,"I say we hit the road. It's about time we took our leave don't you think?"
"Agreed, farewell everyone, especially you, Vol. I hope maybe our paths can cross another time because I really did like you being my friend…"
"Me too…"
Baxter and Niffty then left the Hotel, taking their bags with them and stepping out the door, giving one last wave before they went.
"So...they're gone, huh?" Vanny asked, folding both her arms over her chest,"Guess that's that. Wonder what happens now?"
"Well, for us, I do believe it's best we head back home to the other timeline. There's not much else for us here," Vol admitted,"We really should get going. It seems everyone is more or less diverging off into their own paths. We should take ours and go…"
"Sounds fair," Vox said,"I've been waiting to go home anyhow.."
Everyone was preparing themselves to leave when Sir Pentious suddenly rushed out and shouted,"Wait, don't go just yet! I have something to say!"
"Hm?" Vol turned,"Oh hey, Penitous, it's been a while. What's up?"
"I just wanted to 'catch up' as kids would call it nowadays before you headed off. I know it's been a while since we've seen each other but I just wanted to let you know that you helped me rebuild my self confidence. After all, despite how great I am, others don't seem too fond of me for some reason. I was getting rather lonely until you showed up and when you gave me a chance I felt elated, it's been so long since I've had a friend and I just wanted to say I'm grateful for you being there. I know it doesn't mean much but I really do appreciate that you put up with me."
"It's nothing," He assured me."Anything for a friend. As strange as you were, I actually sort of liked hanging out with you…"
"Really?"
"Ye-" Vol didn't get the chance to finish as Sir Pentious was hugging him and going off about how happy he was, much to Vol's utter bemusement.
"OMG THANK YOU! I'm so happy you cared that much! You're the best, Vol! It's such a shame you're leaving because I actually think I'll miss you when you go...Do you have to leave?"
"Yes, I have to leave. But don't worry, I can travel through timelines at will, it wouldn't take much effort for me to travel back here."
"Oh thank god, I'm relieved. Be sure to hit me up when you do come back because I'll gladly invite you over at my place! It'll be just like old times...just without the attacks and such."
"When I have time I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Regardless, I do believe it's time for the rest of us to go. I'll see you later, Pentious, but it's time me and the others take their leave…"
"I understand."
"Alright everyone, grab onto me, it's time we head back home…"
The others then grabbed onto Volastor before a blinding bright light encompassed them, leaving not a trace of them behind. Husk and Sir Penitous shielded their eyes, only lowering their hands when the light faded.
"Looks like they're gone," Husk said,"Can't say I'm too surprised."
"Neither am I…."
Husk then narrowed his eyes,"You know, now that everyone's leaving I'm starting to notice how quiet this hotel is when the other residents that just flooded in aren't around. Seriously, Angel would be talking up a storm by now, where the fuck is that spider anyway?"
"Oh him? I think we went off to go after the Cherri Bomb. At least, that's what he told me when I asked him where he was running off to."
"He's going after that liar? What for?"
"Because despite everything, she's his friend and I don't think Angel wants to give up on her just yet. They were rather close and Angel did seem upset when he heard she basically lied to Lucifer about the whole situation."
"Serves her right, I lost several limbs over a lie. Don't get what he even sees in her…"
"It's clearly something important if he's still willing to go after her. I wouldn't worry too much about it though, I doubt Cherri will show her face around here anytime soon."
"She better not," He growled before asking,"Hey...wanna play poker?"
"Why?"
"To pass the time, it's rather dull around here and card games are one of the few things I can still do without my limbs inhibiting it."
"I don't see why not. Haven't played in a while but I know I still got it. I'll gladly oblige so that you can see how great I am."
"Cocky words for someone about to lose…" Husk sneered.
"Oh hush, if you're so confident why don't we start, shall we?"
"Fine, let's play…." Husk then pulled out his deck and shuffled the cards.
Angel sighed as he jumped across the rooftops. One of the few benefits of his demonic form was being able to jump larger distances than normal demons so Angel was able to hop across buildings with minimal effort.
'Come on, Cherri...I know you're around here somewhere….'
As he made another jump he spotted someone all too familiar standing up on a rooftop. He quickly rushed over and shouted,"Hey Sugar Tits, long time no see, eh?"
"Wasn't that long ago, Angel…"
"I know, but I figured that'd be a good way to start…" He then sighed,"Look, Cherri, we gotta talk."
"About?"
"You know what the fuck this is about, don't deflect. You've been ignoring my texts about the situation and it's getting on my damn nerves!"
"How is that my problem?" She retorted accusingly.
"It's your problem, Cherri! You can't just ignore the problem and hope it goes away! That shit didn't fly on Earth and it sure as hell doesn't fly down here! Ya gotta admit ya fucked up, Cherri! Ya can't hide from it!"
"I can try…"
"Won't do ya anything good. Everyone already knows what you did. And just so ya know, this ain't something that can just be brushed under the rug! This ain't like you stealing candy from the candy store and lying to your mom about it, this is literally lying to the King of Hell and causing him to freak out the possibility this dangerous creature was a threat to him and his family! I expected better outta ya, Cherri, all of us did and you let us all down!"
"I didn't think it'd get this far. I didn't think an entire conflict would start over this…"
"That doesn't change what happened! Its a miracle Lucifer didn't try to murder you for lying to his face! Then again, the man probably had bigger problems thanks to the lie you and Val told. If it weren't for that you'd be in the doghouse for what you pulled on everyone. Cherri, I expect dishonest bullshit from Val but I thought you were better than this. You're lucky that nobody tried attacking you for what you did."
"I know I fucked up but there's nothing I can really do, can I? It's already happened, what else is there to do?"
"Hell if I know, but I suggest ya turn back, Cherri. At least try and come back to us sometime so you can make up for it. You caused a lotta damage, a lot of which ain't repairable. The least you could do is come back and try and turn yourself around."
"You mean going clean? Don't tell me you're serious about that are you, Angel? I thought you believed that Redemption shit was bull."
"It was, but things have changed Cherri. Charlie's project has the official approval of Heaven; the Exterminators are gonna be called off. More centers are gonna be opened so that Charlie's dream can spread and I have no doubt there will be more built in the future. Now that the Redemption thing is legit, maybe it's time to invest in that 'inner rainbow' Charlie always talks about us demons having."
"You actually believe that rainbow shit?"
"Nah, not really. But the Redemption thing is legit and I ain't got much else better to do. Val's been dead for a while and I've been out of a job since then so why not actually take it seriously? It's been given the stamp of approval and I don't have much of a future down here. There's nothing for me here anymore, Cherri, and I hope that eventually you come around too. You've got plenty of time and you're not getting any older down here so I hope that even if you don't wanna do it now, you change your mind later. Ultimately it's your call, but I hope you make the right decision. Arrivederci, my friend…"
Angel then turned his back on Cherri, leaving the mad bomber behind. She clenched her fist, trying to reach into her pocket and throw out a bomb to relieve her stress. As she did so, she found herself unable to throw it and growled.
She couldn't distract herself anymore, it was like something was physically preventing her from doing so…
'Dammit…' She dropped the inactive bomb onto the ground before sighing."Guess this is what it's like to lose all hope, isn't it?"
She wondered what to do next, she felt no real desire to do anything at the moment. No urge to engage in a fight, no urge to roughhouse. Nothing. She could no longer deny the truth, the truth she hadn't hoped to ever hear.
Everyone was moving on...without her. Even Angel Dust was moving on and he was going a step further by taking his Redemption seriously. If things panned out he'd be out of Hell by the end of the year and she'd be beside herself…
In the end, the only person she called friend had more or less distanced himself from her, giving her the option to come back or move on with her life….
Sighing, she decided that another day, not today or tomorrow, she would go back. She wasn't ready to face the demons she left but when she was...maybe then she'll decide to go back. Until then, the shadows were the most comfortable place for her and she intended on keeping it that way….
When Vol and the others got back to their timeline, they had informed the others of what occurred in the one they just left.
"Aw!" Charlie whined,"My other self is so lucky,I wish I could be Queen!"
"You'll Get that crown eventually, Charlie. Maybe by the end of the century you'll be Queen but I wouldn't count on it anytime soon," Vox mentioned,"Not like it matters, I like calling you 'Princess' over Queen anyway…"
"But I wanna be Queen…"
"You'll be Queen...eventually…" Al said,"Don't worry yourself over something so trivial. I bet your counterpart has tons of personalities and there's more to a title than meets the eye. You'll get the crown when you get it but until then, I say you enjoy the time you have…"
"Fine…" She huffed,"I'll just wait until it's my turn to rise to the throne. It'll come eventually, it just has to…"
Vaggie made a face,"Don't worry, Hun. You'll get the throne eventually. Al and Vox are right, enjoy being a Princess while you can because being Queen is a heavy responsibility."
"I know…"
"So what now?" Vanny asked,"Everything's pretty much over for us. No more people to fight, everyone's more or less gone their separate ways and are living their own lives. What's next for us?"
"In our case, I think it's time Vox and I go pay Heaven a visit," Al said,"We've done what we came here for and I think our journey has come to an end. I say we both head over to Heaven…"
"How are you going back though?" Velvet asked,"You two are both injured and neither of you can fly in your conditions."
"Easy, like this," Vox then used a bit of magic to summon a portal,"We'll be taking our leave. It's time to go and while it's been a wild ride, all rides eventually come to an end. It was nice knowing you, Princess but I think I'm gonna be taking a break for a while."
"So am I,' Al said," I really need a rest from all these adventures. I'm actually getting tired from all the conflicts we've been in. It's about time we all take a break…"
"What about us though?" Vanny asked,"You know you guys are with me right? Ya can't just leave me down here…"
"I'm certain you can visit us. I'm certain we can work something out with Micheal to let you in. That or you just go through Charlie's little hotel and you can meet us up there if you want…"
Vanny sighed,"I guess I'll try that if nothing else works. But you guys better be waiting for me on the other side, you hear?"
"We're not going anywhere, trust me,"Al assured,"We're going to rest up in Heaven for a while. Doubt we'll be coming down here too often. And Vol?"
"Yeah?"
"Feel free to visit us, you're our son and we'd like to see you up there as well. Wouldn't want you to forget about us now, would we?" Al teased.
Vol chuckled,"What a preposterous accusation, as if I could forget my parents. What an absurd statement!"
"Just saying, we don't want you to forget just because we're not here physically," Vox said,"Else we'll just come down here and make you remember instead…"
"Don't worry, I'll be coming up there. I promise I will…"
"You better," Vox said before motioning to Al,"Come on, let's go meet Micheal and the others. I'm certain they'd love to come talk to us…"
"We shall…Farewell everyone, we'll see you all soon..."
Vox and Al then made their way through the portal, Vol, Velvet and Vanny bidding them farewell as Vaggie and Charlie stood off in the distance.
"Welp, guess I'll be putting in some effort for this little Redemption shtick now that it works. I'm coming to Heaven whether they like it or not! What about you two? What's your plan?"
"Take a break," Vol said,"I think it's safe to say that a break is what we all need after all the hectic things we've been through."
Velvet then grinned, grabbing his face,"Aw, is my boyfriend stressed? Why don't I do something about that? I've got the 'perfect' idea to get rid of all that stress and it only involves the two of us~"
Vol smirked as he grabbed her waist,"Oh...Oh I see, you want to play that game? In that case, I don't see why not.."
"GET A FUCKING ROOM!" Vaggie shouted, causing both Vol and Velvet to wince in annoyance,"Nobody wants to see that shit! If you're gonna fuck, do it in the hotel!"
Velvet pouted,"You're no fun! Oh well, come on Vol, let's go spend some 'quality time' together!"
"Gladly~"
The couple soon left and found a room to 'have fun in'.
"Hey you two," Vanny piped up,"I know it's a bad idea but what do you think would happen if I decided to barge in on them fucking?"
"Do you want to die?" Charlie asked.
"Can't die twice, bitch. Besides, the other fucker that tried to kill me failed so I ain't scared…"
"It's your funeral, Vanny…"
"Great, that means I can get buried twice. I'm all for it."
Needless to say, several hours had passed only for everyone in the Hotel to be alerted to Volastor screaming like a banshee and trying to strangle Vanny with his bare hands for interrupting his 'quality time' with Velvet. Everyone including Velvet herself was trying to keep Vol back from killing Vanny, who was pretty much giggling like a maniac in amusement.
Vaggie facepalmed,"You know, no matter how many things change, it feels like the dumb shit that keeps happening stays the same…"
"I don't think that'll ever change Vag. Still, things have ended on a mostly happy note and that's what matters."
"I hope so, Hon..."
Thanks for the 14,676 views, tell me what you think below!
Enigmus288: Not in that timeline so they can't ask him. Also do you think they want to take a chance with Micheal because while the guy means well, he usually ends up fucking up the spell somehow(Vox's memory loss cough cough). It'd be way easier to grow that back than to go to someone who could fuck it up. Not to mention Vox prefers doing shit on his own and not relying on others all the time.