Forever Sinners:
Chapter XV—Confronting the Devil
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A/N: This can be taken in two ways. One, Richard going to see Senor Diablo or our heroes (yeah right) meeting Richard. How interesting. This is all in Todd's POV, just to tell you. That's all. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: Jhonen is forcing me to end this quickly because he hates me. Wah! Where is the love!?
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I sat down at the table, close to Johnny for two reasons. One, I haven't been around him for awhile, or it felt like it. And two, to keep him from strangling/maiming D, I believe his name is.
"So, Mr. Devil, what's going on?" Johnny turned towards Pepito's father, but I had a feeling he still was keeping an eye on D.
"What do you mean?" Senor Diablo sat down, with a coy smile on his face while Pepito leaned up against one of the walls.
"Cookies!" I nearly fall out of my chair as Pepito's mother rushes in and hands everyone a plate of cookies and milk.
She's a sweet woman, nicer than my mother has ever been. Pepito's lucky to have her…though judging by the look on his face, I don't think he would agree with me right now.
"M-Mother!" Pepito cries out again, his voice hitting a few high notes. I've noticed he's never done this before…maybe his mother can only bring this side out.
"Yes, Pepito?" She literally sparkles as she begins to fawn over her son while the rest of us, even Senor Diablo, somewhat ignore or gawk.
I sit back and eat a cookie; I might as well not worsen matters by laughing right now. Pepito would probably set me on fire, despite the fact we're friends. D, however, isn't containing his laughter, and is getting death looks from the Anti-Christ.
I wonder if Senor Diablo has a fire extinguisher around here. I hope so…
However, Johnny is just gawking and looking…remorseful? Why? But, the look of sadness soon ends, as Diablo coughs into his hand, quieting everyone.
"Dear…"
"Yes, Juan, love?" She glomps onto his arm and this makes D burst into laughter and slam his fist on the table.
Oh dear…I don't think the Devil should look at someone like that. I wonder how long D is going to live if he continues to laugh like that.
"Honey," Diablo is trying not to attack D, I'm sure of it. "Could you…"
He flattered. I'm sure he's trying to think of a nice way of saying "get lost" to his own wife.
"These are Pepito's friends and they need some quality time." Wow, the Devil really is smooth. "You know, guy stuff."
D looks at Pepito's father as if he is insane, this time.
"Oh! Of course!" She smiles brightly. "I'm sorry for breaking in, Pepito."
"It's…alright…Mother…" Pepito looks ready to bolt as she kisses him on the cheek.
"You be good now!" She says as she waves to us all, walking out of the room.
D can no longer breath, he's laughing so hard. Johnny is now trying to fend off Pepito, saying that D's his to kill. And Senor Diablo has somewhat of a blank look on his face.
Me? Oh I'm hiding under the table, trying not to be killed by my "friends."
It doesn't take long for us to call calm down…Pepito's father threw a fireball in the general direction of the fight those three were having.
I'm going to be scared with Pepito gets that good at starting those fires.
"Didn't you want to know something, Johnny?" I hear Senor Diablo say.
I hop out from my hiding spot, and sit down on the chair.
"Oh right," Johnny sits down as well, but has D by the collar. "What's with him?" He motions by shaking D a bit. "He isn't supposed to have a body."
"No. He isn't." Diablo takes a moment for Pepito to sit down as well. "It's Thedius' doing, I'm sure."
"…Thedius?"
"Too Biblical?" He smiles. "Richard, for this time period I believe."
"Huh!?" There are now four dumbfounded faces looking at Senor Diablo.
"Yes, Thedius or rather Richard, is to say the least…my brother."
There is absolute silence. How can one respond to that?
However, D seems to have the perfect response.
"…you are SHITTIN' me! You? Richard, my master?[11]" He begins to start laughing, but soon stops by the eerie glow that is starting to fill Diablo's eyes.
"No I am not shittin' you." Diablo growls a bit, then continues. "He is my brother in the sense that God is my brother."
"God…?" Johnny looks at Diablo with a look of a lost child. "That lawn gnome?"
"Perfect likeness of him, but yes." He rubs his temples. "Unfortunately, he's very lazy and leaves me to do a lot of things. Such as the job of the Little Brother, I suppose."
"What an image." D murmurs, trying not to laugh. "You the younger of the two."
"Yes, well Richard is the youngest of us all," Diablo's eyes began to glow, making me feel a bit uncomfortable. "Meaning, I can kill you if you keep up those smart remarks."
D's eyes widen a bit, and he soon shuts up.
"So, why was he in my wall?" Johnny asks while Diablo clicks his tongue, like the answer was obvious.
"I put him there."
"Put him there?" I question, now I feel really stupid.
"Pepito?" Senor Diablo motions for his son to continue, but gets a blank stare.
"You mean that story was true?"
"What story? Why put him there?" D growls a bit. "You're losing me!"
"What a shocker." Diablo says, before turning towards Pepito. "Yes, it was true."
Pepito looks a bit in awe before murmuring. "…wow."
"Fill us in, please?" I ask, politely, before D or Johnny can start ranting about not knowing what's going on.
"Father told me once, there was a creature like God and himself resigning on Earth." Pepito motioned for around us. "See, it was placed there to look after the living things on Earth while God went to Heaven—to take a nap." Johnny smirked and D repressed his laughter. "And Father punished all those in Hell."
"It was a good relationship, but the creature got tired of being so lowly on the chain of commands." Pepito's eyes narrow a bit, glowing red. "As Father said, he was the second youngest, so it challenged him first…thinking if it defeated Father, it would gain his powers and be able to take on God, himself."
"But, God's a lawn gnome, why not go after him?" Johnny said, munching on a cookie.
"Despite looks Johnny," Pepito raised an eyebrow. "God is a lot stronger than what meets the eye. He did create the world you know."
"…oh right…"
"Forgot that didn't you?" D looked at Johnny, laughter dancing in his pupil-less eyes.
"Don't make me hurt you."[12] Johnny took another bite out of the cookie.
"Anyways, the creature went down into the bowels of Hell, looking for Father." Pepito growled, not liking to be ignored. "He found him and thus began a great fight."
"Fight, eh?" D looked at Diablo. "Is that why your face looks all screwed up?"
"Keep talking, Doughboy." His eyes glowed. "Just keep it up."
D again shut up and allowed Pepito to continue.
"It lasted for centuries, which is why there was peace on Earth for so long," Pepito stuck his tongue out at the word 'peace.' "However, Father won and cut the monster into six different pieces. With those pieces, he hid them all in stones. This way, the creature would never be whole again and thus couldn't break out."
"So…what happened?" I ask, really getting into this story.
"Some idiot got lucky or rather unlucky." Pepito growled. "He found those six stones along with a few others and made a wall out of them for his house."
"So, did you have to lock him away again, Mr. Devil?" Johnny looked towards the person in question.
"No. Richard was too weak to do anything and needed to have a host, so to speak, to feed off of." Diablo answered. "Their lifeforce."
"What are the odds?" D murmured.
"Very slim, I thought." Diablo grumbled. "Should have cut him into more pieces."
Johnny's head snapped up. "Wait! So I was a host?"
"I'm afraid so. Along with all those victims." Diablo put his head in his hands. "However, I planted a thought in your head to keep Richard from getting out. Painting the wall with blood."
"You did?! Why?! Why blood?!"
"It's the purest substance from a human body." Diablo shrugged. "Only things pure things can hurt things like Richard. Good or bad, doesn't matter."
"But…how?"
Again the Devil shrugged. "When Eff became strong enough, I promised the little doughboy that I would set him free if he kept telling you to keep the wall wet."
"….oh…." Johnny looked like he was ready to see if you can really kill the Devil.
"I know this isn't a consolation, Johnny. But I'm sorry to have used you."
"Well…I guess it's okay." Johnny sulked.
"So that's why…" D turned his head towards Diablo. "You're the one that filled his head with all that nonsense! And you didn't even keep your promise!"
"I'm the Devil. And I would have…if I had been given enough time. But work got…"
"BULLSHIT!" D grabbed Diablo by the collar, which I might add isn't the smartest thing to do to the second strongest being in the universe. "You promised him something. You gave him hope! Then you crushed it!? You are worst than Richard ever was!"
Diablo's eyes turned a blood red. I think I'm going to go hide now. Johnny looks a bit amused and Pepito looks like he's going to help his father do whatever he is going to do to D.
"Please…can't we get along…?" As lame as it sounded, I don't want the roof to fall on my head.
"Repeat. That." Diablo growled, obviously ignoring me.
"You. Are. Worst. Than…"
A blast was sounded from outside.
"Eh!?" I look at Diablo and then to Pepito. Both seem as shocked as I am.
"What was that?" I timidly ask.
Diablo lifts his head up and looks like he is looking through the wall (considering who this is…I think it is possible). "My little brother is paying a house call."
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TBC?
C&C are welcome!
[11] Kurumi was helping me write this and she thought up funny lines.
[12] Same as above.
I hope you liked it! I'm going to be ending this soon, but don't worry I'm working on a sequel for it. That's all!