Chapter 10
Written By Illuminet
Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter.
"..."-Indicate Speech
'...'-Indicate Thought
------
Unknown...
The sun was out and the sky was so blue. This confused Laharl. The Netherworld seldom ever had an endless blue sky. The sky he was seeing was characteristic of Celestia.
'Celestia...?'
Laharl blinked once, then heaved himself up into a sitting position from his laid down position, continually looking at the sky.
"What's going on here?"
Laharl said out loud as he peered all around him. Short grass plains and hills could be made out as far as the eye could see. He tried looking for some kind of landmark to help him determine where he was. A soft melody began to play and it caught Laharl's attention instantly. He turned towards the direction of the music and found the top of a large tree peering out from over one of the grassy hills.
'I could have sworn I already looked in that direction and didn't se that tree behind that hill...well, it doesn't matter. If there is music playing, then that means someone is playing it and that someone may be able to give me information as to where I am.'
Laharl concluded in his head and made his way to over the small hill. What he saw made him gasp. The tall tree was near a small lake with crystal clear water. Near the tree, under the shade was a person. Laharl's eyes, having been hindered by the bright sunlight, could not make the person out. He got closer for a better look.
'An Angel...'
Laharl thought as he saw the person more clearly. The female Angel had her back to him, so he could not make out what the Angel looked like. She was playing a rather large golden harp. He supposed she was quite skilled with the instrument. He would never be able to tell by how she played since harps were not instruments used in the Netherworld.
"Excuse me, miss. Is this Celestia by any chance?"
He asked her in a soft voice as to not startle her, at least not to badly. The Angel stopped playing but did not turn to face him.
"No, this isn't Celestia. You could call it a dream of sorts though."
She said to him. Her voice sounded vaguely familiar to Laharl's ears but he could not remember where he had heard it for some reason.
"What do you mean? This looks like an area of Celestia and you, an Angel, are here playing an instrument used by Angels in the first place. How do I know your not lying?"
He questioned her with his logic. The Angel laughed softly.
"Still the analytical Demon as always, aren't we, Laharl?"
She said. Laharl's eyes narrowed.
"You speak with a lot of familiarity of me in your voice. Who are you?"
He asked in a low and dangerous tone, his muscles getting tense and his mind going on alert. The Angel simply laughed as she got up, her large feathery wings unfolding out to full length as she let them stretch before letting them relax. She finally turned to face him, and if his jaw could physically do it, it probably would have hit the ground.
"F...F...Flonne? It's you..."
Was all he could choke out of his mouth as he peered at her. Had his mind been processing normally, he would have found it hard to believe the person before him was actually his childhood love. For some reason he never thought that he would see her as an adult before. Her deep blue eyes somehow allowed him to recognize her instantly. Her expression was a mostly happy one, but Laharl could hint a deep sadness within her. His eyes traveled lower to the rest of her body. Had he been thinking normally he would have realized that the long white robe that covered her body was actually translucent, giving him a somewhat revealing view. Laharl's cheeks got warm. Flonne chuckled softly.
"How strange. I thought you couldn't stand women with sexy bodies around, Laharl."
She said to him. Laharl's mind snapped back to attention at her words and he took a step back in surprise. His blush had increased a hundred fold, much to Flonne's amusement.
"How odd. Somehow, I'm not affected like I was when I was a kid. I guess being an adult has changed that."
Laharl said in a flustered manner. Laharl never thought he would see an almost naked woman in all his life, and the only thing that would come close would probably Succubus type Demons. True, Flonne did wear the robe which came down to the ground, but because he could see through it a little, Laharl still considered it to be a bit to revealing. He vaguely remembered reading that Angels tended to wear translucent garments whenever they were in private places, like in their own home. So the shock of seeing Flonne dressed as she was subsided a bit as he remembered that little bit of information.
"You could also not be affected by me because of your own altered appearance. Well, you are affected in a certain area."
She said to him. Laharl's blush deepened further because he knew what she was implying with her second meaning. What she said first bothered him though.
"My appearance...?"
Laharl said as he brought his arms up to look at them. His eyes widened in surprise.
"My skin! Why is it so dark?"
He said in surprise as he looked at the rest of himself. He hadn't noticed before, but the bangs of hair which usually came in front of his eyes were dark black. Flonne turned towards the lake and pointed to it.
"Have a look Laharl."
She told him softly. Laharl slowly stepped over to the side of the lake to peer at his reflection. When he was greeted by it, the reflection was still him, and yet, it was a different looking person all together. He touched his cheek to confirm it was his face he was looking at.
"What happened to me?"
Laharl said in a hushed voice.
"You're the Lord of Terror now, Laharl. You do remember Baal don't you? You're his successor."
Flonne told him. Laharl's mind went blank for a second, before flash back images swirled through his head.
'That's right...I was fighting Baal...and..."
Laharl looked at his reflection. His face contorted with rage. He pounded the water with his fist, letting the water spray everywhere as his reflection became distorted amongst the ripples. Once the water's surface calmed again, Laharl's reflection still glared at him.
"GO AWAY!!"
Laharl yelled in blind fury as he began mercilessly pounding at the water with his fists repeatedly. In his rage, he didn't realize he was actually going out further into the lake until the anger subsided. He noticed he was about waist deep in the water, his reflection still the same as it was when he first saw it. It was foolish to think he could change back to how he was originally. Even if his body was blessed with the immense power of the Lord of Terror, the same power made his guilt that much greater, and so Laharl believed it a curse. Although he had calmed down a bit, the violent rage within began to resurface as he stared at his reflection again. He glared at his own hateful image, and it glared back at him.
"Fine...I'll make you disappear."
Laharl said in a low voice. He brought his arms up and began concentrating. Red spheres of energy began to fill the sky. He would aim his own attack at himself, letting him rest in eternal darkness without a physical presence. Before he could pull down his arms to launch his attack, Laharl felt someone embrace him from behind. The physical contact made him lose concentration and the energy spheres dissipated.
"That's enough Laharl. I know it's hard, but you must cope with it. Just by accepting who you are now, your guilt will begin to subside. But only you can make that effort. No one else, all they can do is help you along the way."
Flonne said to him. Her wings came forward to wrap him in warmth. Laharl was breathing heavily from his rage, as he calmed down. Laharl closed his eyes tightly as he refused to look at the water out of fear he would lose his cool again.
"This...this isn't right Flonne...This power within me killed you...I can't accept your comfort...I'm not worthy of it."
Laharl said and began to free himself of her embrace, but Flonne held him tightly, and as hard as Laharl wanted to fight against it, her warmth kept him rooted to where he was.
"There's no need to blame yourself for what happened. Your power is just a tool. It can't decide how it is going to be used, you have to decide for it. It was Baal who gave you his power, and now that your free of the Lord of Terror's influence, you may use that power as you see fit."
Flonne explained to him. He felt as if a great weight was lifted off his chest knowing that she didn't blame him for what happened. Still, his guilt was strong, and it would take a long time for him to truly be at ease with himself.
"Flonne..."
Laharl said her name softly. A need filled his heart. How long had it been since he yearned for her touch? Her comfort? She said this was a dream, and since he knew she wouldn't lie to him about it, what she said must be true. He dared to hope he would never wake up, but he knew that his hope would not last and that he would wake up eventually. He would have to face the real world again.
'But not now...we have time...right?'
Laharl thought. He turned to face her, opening his eyes. She smiled at him with understanding. Impulsively, Laharl held her close to him.
"Flonne...there's something I need to tell you..."
Laharl said, his tone nervous.
"You don't have to say it Laharl. I already know."
Flonne told him.
"You do?"
Laharl asked in surprise. Flonne chuckled slightly.
"Your actions were the only things I needed to see in order to know what your true feelings are. I feel the same way, but I'm sure you were already aware of that as well, Laharl..."
Flonne said to him. Her words were cut off by the sounds of cracking glass.
"The sky's falling..."
Laharl said in awe as jagged cracks of darkness began to expand throughout the sky.
"Looks like your waking up, Laharl."
Flonne said as she backed away from him. Laharl held out his hand to her.
"Please Flonne, don't go...not yet."
Laharl said desperately. Flonne shook her head and turned away from him.
"There's no need to be so panicked. All I can do is heal your soul Laharl, through dreams. It will take others in the real world to help you heal your body and your mind Laharl. Until we meet again."
Flonne said. Laharl was left in darkness.
"Flonne..."
Laharl whispered as he lowered his head and closed his eyes.
"I remember...within the deepest part of a person is the soul...it's only function is to keep the body alive and to take the mind with it when the body has died...the mind houses all the innermost thoughts and memories of a person...when a person is reborn, often times the memories are suppressed and the reincarnated have no idea of their past lives, but every once in a while the mind may bring up those past life memories...then the body which allows the person to interact with other bodies...to communicate with others."
Laharl shook his head.
"Should the body or the mind come to be harmed, the soul is injured as well. If my guilt is what I express through my body, then effects my mind...it harms my soul. Even if Flonne heals my soul slowly...can't such a wound still continue to grow if the mind and body do not play a role in helping the soul as well? There will be others in the real world who can help me if only I can learn to accept their help and stop shouldering the burden all alone. I can't promise anything, but I can still try..."
------
Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Etna's Room (formally Laharl's Room)
Laharl opened his eyes to find that he was lying down. He was still enshrouded in darkness. Reflexively, Laharl brought his hand forward, touching a smooth surface. Slowly he pushed a little bit more, letting a dim light come into his vision. The ceiling he was looking at was one he was all too familiar with.
'I'm in my bed...but what happened to it?'
He looked around to find that his room seemed to have gotten a feminine touch added to it. He got up and went to the full length mirror in the corner of the room and peered at his reflection.
'It's as Flonne said...'
Laharl thought as he saw the same dark skinned Demon dressed in black staring back at him. Laharl clenched his fist, his anger building up. He would have liked nothing more than to smash the mirror into pieces, but he resisted the urge to and forcefully calmed himself down before he decided to do something brash. Laharl turned away from the mirror, only to find his crimson eyes lock with another pair of crimson eyes.
"Etna..."
Laharl said in a hushed voice, barely able to contain his surprise of her sneaking up behind him.
"Are you okay now, Laharl?"
She asked. Laharl's eyes turned away from her.
"Not really..."
Laharl muttered. Before Etna could say anymore, Laharl already walked swiftly past her. She quickly recovered from momentarily being caught off guard and followed him out to the throne room.
------
Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Throne Room
Upon his formal Vassals seeing him, they all bowed low in respect. Laharl scoffed at their gesture.
"Don't be idiots. You don't have to bow down to me. She's the Overlord here, not me."
Laharl told them as he shifted his head towards Etna's direction as she came out of the room.
"Sorry."
The Vassal all apologized. Laharl sighed.
"Why was I brought here in the first place? You are all well aware that a former Overlord who has abandoned his or her duty can never be brought back anyway."
Laharl told them firmly. Etna stepped forward in the defense of the Vassals.
"I had that rule changed in the Dark Assembly."
She told Laharl. Laharl looked at her with a neutral expression.
"I see. Whatever is passed through the Dark Assembly by the Overlord, weather by vote or by force, is law. Even so, I would rather not be here."
Laharl said. Laharl was well aware of the power he was harnessed with. With a few complex hand gestures, Laharl opened up a Dimensional Gateway. Everyone was left in awe. Before he could step through the Gateway, though, Etna stopped him.
"Why can't you just accept our help?"
She asked him. Laharl just stared at the Gateway for a while, then with a wave of his arm, the portal vanished. Etna's question brought Laharl back to thinking about what Flonne had said to him in the dream.
'Flonne can only heal my soul...but the effort alone will not be enough. There are others here in the real world who can help me recover both my mind and body from the rest my pain...Etna may just be one of them.'
Laharl thought as he turned to face Etna.
"Your right, Etna. I guess I'm just wrapped up in my own problems too much that I often miss when other people are trying to help me. Sorry about that."
He said. The effort was a bit forced, considering Laharl was not one who apologized often. Etna's surprise subsided quickly of course, and she began thinking where she could put Laharl until better sleeping quarters could be arranged.
"I guess you can use my room, since it used to be your room originally. I'll have a spare coffin brought up."
Etna said. She then turned to the Vassals in the room.
"Well, you heard me. Go get a coffin brought up here."
She ordered. Her Vassals bowed politely before leaving the room.
"I guess choosing you to be my successor was the right thing to do."
Laharl said as he watched the last of the Vassals exit the room. Etna looked at him.
"I'm glad you think so. What do you plan on doing, Laharl? Now that your..."
Etna's voice trailed off.
"The Lord of Terror?"
Laharl said, finishing her sentence. Etna nodded slowly. Laharl went deep into thinking.
"There's not much I can do for the races. As the Lord of Terror, I'm sure many will fear me from what they witnessed of Baal's power. If I am to do anything, I'll help myself. For my sake, as well as Flonne's."
Laharl said in a far away voice.
"I had a dream about Flonne, Etna. She told me she didn't blame me for what happened to her and to stop blaming myself about it. Yet, now that I am in command of this amazing power, it makes me hate myself for not being able to save her. I hate the fact that I didn't have the power to stop the Seraph from turning Flonne into a flower, and I didn't have the power to save the flower she had become from Baal. Whenever I obtained the new powers, it would already be too late. Trying to forget it and move on with my life is impossible. Once I can truly come to terms with myself, I can accept what has happened in the past and move on. It sounds so easy but in reality, it will be a very long process. One that I may need your help on, Etna, if your willing to."
Laharl told her. Etna remained silent for a long time. She then looked at Laharl and gave a forced smile.
"Sure. I can do that."
She said. Laharl nodded to her thankfully before going back deep in thought as he waited for the Vassals to present him with a coffin to use. Etna herself went deep into thought as well.
'Flonne once told me that when you love someone, that someone's happiness is what you want above all else, even your own happiness. I don't know if I can stand it...but maybe if I can help Laharl find happiness, his happiness will be my happiness, even if it's not with me. By helping him, I hope to find that answer.'
Etna thought as she continued to stare at him.
-TBC-
Note: Well, I guess you could say this is a pretty sappy chapter. Since I'm not a major romance writer, this is both a fun but very challenging story for me to write. Still I hope readers will enjoy this chapter despite my relative inexperience with these kinds of story genres. Well, until next chapter. See Ya.
Written By Illuminet
Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter.
"..."-Indicate Speech
'...'-Indicate Thought
------
Unknown...
The sun was out and the sky was so blue. This confused Laharl. The Netherworld seldom ever had an endless blue sky. The sky he was seeing was characteristic of Celestia.
'Celestia...?'
Laharl blinked once, then heaved himself up into a sitting position from his laid down position, continually looking at the sky.
"What's going on here?"
Laharl said out loud as he peered all around him. Short grass plains and hills could be made out as far as the eye could see. He tried looking for some kind of landmark to help him determine where he was. A soft melody began to play and it caught Laharl's attention instantly. He turned towards the direction of the music and found the top of a large tree peering out from over one of the grassy hills.
'I could have sworn I already looked in that direction and didn't se that tree behind that hill...well, it doesn't matter. If there is music playing, then that means someone is playing it and that someone may be able to give me information as to where I am.'
Laharl concluded in his head and made his way to over the small hill. What he saw made him gasp. The tall tree was near a small lake with crystal clear water. Near the tree, under the shade was a person. Laharl's eyes, having been hindered by the bright sunlight, could not make the person out. He got closer for a better look.
'An Angel...'
Laharl thought as he saw the person more clearly. The female Angel had her back to him, so he could not make out what the Angel looked like. She was playing a rather large golden harp. He supposed she was quite skilled with the instrument. He would never be able to tell by how she played since harps were not instruments used in the Netherworld.
"Excuse me, miss. Is this Celestia by any chance?"
He asked her in a soft voice as to not startle her, at least not to badly. The Angel stopped playing but did not turn to face him.
"No, this isn't Celestia. You could call it a dream of sorts though."
She said to him. Her voice sounded vaguely familiar to Laharl's ears but he could not remember where he had heard it for some reason.
"What do you mean? This looks like an area of Celestia and you, an Angel, are here playing an instrument used by Angels in the first place. How do I know your not lying?"
He questioned her with his logic. The Angel laughed softly.
"Still the analytical Demon as always, aren't we, Laharl?"
She said. Laharl's eyes narrowed.
"You speak with a lot of familiarity of me in your voice. Who are you?"
He asked in a low and dangerous tone, his muscles getting tense and his mind going on alert. The Angel simply laughed as she got up, her large feathery wings unfolding out to full length as she let them stretch before letting them relax. She finally turned to face him, and if his jaw could physically do it, it probably would have hit the ground.
"F...F...Flonne? It's you..."
Was all he could choke out of his mouth as he peered at her. Had his mind been processing normally, he would have found it hard to believe the person before him was actually his childhood love. For some reason he never thought that he would see her as an adult before. Her deep blue eyes somehow allowed him to recognize her instantly. Her expression was a mostly happy one, but Laharl could hint a deep sadness within her. His eyes traveled lower to the rest of her body. Had he been thinking normally he would have realized that the long white robe that covered her body was actually translucent, giving him a somewhat revealing view. Laharl's cheeks got warm. Flonne chuckled softly.
"How strange. I thought you couldn't stand women with sexy bodies around, Laharl."
She said to him. Laharl's mind snapped back to attention at her words and he took a step back in surprise. His blush had increased a hundred fold, much to Flonne's amusement.
"How odd. Somehow, I'm not affected like I was when I was a kid. I guess being an adult has changed that."
Laharl said in a flustered manner. Laharl never thought he would see an almost naked woman in all his life, and the only thing that would come close would probably Succubus type Demons. True, Flonne did wear the robe which came down to the ground, but because he could see through it a little, Laharl still considered it to be a bit to revealing. He vaguely remembered reading that Angels tended to wear translucent garments whenever they were in private places, like in their own home. So the shock of seeing Flonne dressed as she was subsided a bit as he remembered that little bit of information.
"You could also not be affected by me because of your own altered appearance. Well, you are affected in a certain area."
She said to him. Laharl's blush deepened further because he knew what she was implying with her second meaning. What she said first bothered him though.
"My appearance...?"
Laharl said as he brought his arms up to look at them. His eyes widened in surprise.
"My skin! Why is it so dark?"
He said in surprise as he looked at the rest of himself. He hadn't noticed before, but the bangs of hair which usually came in front of his eyes were dark black. Flonne turned towards the lake and pointed to it.
"Have a look Laharl."
She told him softly. Laharl slowly stepped over to the side of the lake to peer at his reflection. When he was greeted by it, the reflection was still him, and yet, it was a different looking person all together. He touched his cheek to confirm it was his face he was looking at.
"What happened to me?"
Laharl said in a hushed voice.
"You're the Lord of Terror now, Laharl. You do remember Baal don't you? You're his successor."
Flonne told him. Laharl's mind went blank for a second, before flash back images swirled through his head.
'That's right...I was fighting Baal...and..."
Laharl looked at his reflection. His face contorted with rage. He pounded the water with his fist, letting the water spray everywhere as his reflection became distorted amongst the ripples. Once the water's surface calmed again, Laharl's reflection still glared at him.
"GO AWAY!!"
Laharl yelled in blind fury as he began mercilessly pounding at the water with his fists repeatedly. In his rage, he didn't realize he was actually going out further into the lake until the anger subsided. He noticed he was about waist deep in the water, his reflection still the same as it was when he first saw it. It was foolish to think he could change back to how he was originally. Even if his body was blessed with the immense power of the Lord of Terror, the same power made his guilt that much greater, and so Laharl believed it a curse. Although he had calmed down a bit, the violent rage within began to resurface as he stared at his reflection again. He glared at his own hateful image, and it glared back at him.
"Fine...I'll make you disappear."
Laharl said in a low voice. He brought his arms up and began concentrating. Red spheres of energy began to fill the sky. He would aim his own attack at himself, letting him rest in eternal darkness without a physical presence. Before he could pull down his arms to launch his attack, Laharl felt someone embrace him from behind. The physical contact made him lose concentration and the energy spheres dissipated.
"That's enough Laharl. I know it's hard, but you must cope with it. Just by accepting who you are now, your guilt will begin to subside. But only you can make that effort. No one else, all they can do is help you along the way."
Flonne said to him. Her wings came forward to wrap him in warmth. Laharl was breathing heavily from his rage, as he calmed down. Laharl closed his eyes tightly as he refused to look at the water out of fear he would lose his cool again.
"This...this isn't right Flonne...This power within me killed you...I can't accept your comfort...I'm not worthy of it."
Laharl said and began to free himself of her embrace, but Flonne held him tightly, and as hard as Laharl wanted to fight against it, her warmth kept him rooted to where he was.
"There's no need to blame yourself for what happened. Your power is just a tool. It can't decide how it is going to be used, you have to decide for it. It was Baal who gave you his power, and now that your free of the Lord of Terror's influence, you may use that power as you see fit."
Flonne explained to him. He felt as if a great weight was lifted off his chest knowing that she didn't blame him for what happened. Still, his guilt was strong, and it would take a long time for him to truly be at ease with himself.
"Flonne..."
Laharl said her name softly. A need filled his heart. How long had it been since he yearned for her touch? Her comfort? She said this was a dream, and since he knew she wouldn't lie to him about it, what she said must be true. He dared to hope he would never wake up, but he knew that his hope would not last and that he would wake up eventually. He would have to face the real world again.
'But not now...we have time...right?'
Laharl thought. He turned to face her, opening his eyes. She smiled at him with understanding. Impulsively, Laharl held her close to him.
"Flonne...there's something I need to tell you..."
Laharl said, his tone nervous.
"You don't have to say it Laharl. I already know."
Flonne told him.
"You do?"
Laharl asked in surprise. Flonne chuckled slightly.
"Your actions were the only things I needed to see in order to know what your true feelings are. I feel the same way, but I'm sure you were already aware of that as well, Laharl..."
Flonne said to him. Her words were cut off by the sounds of cracking glass.
"The sky's falling..."
Laharl said in awe as jagged cracks of darkness began to expand throughout the sky.
"Looks like your waking up, Laharl."
Flonne said as she backed away from him. Laharl held out his hand to her.
"Please Flonne, don't go...not yet."
Laharl said desperately. Flonne shook her head and turned away from him.
"There's no need to be so panicked. All I can do is heal your soul Laharl, through dreams. It will take others in the real world to help you heal your body and your mind Laharl. Until we meet again."
Flonne said. Laharl was left in darkness.
"Flonne..."
Laharl whispered as he lowered his head and closed his eyes.
"I remember...within the deepest part of a person is the soul...it's only function is to keep the body alive and to take the mind with it when the body has died...the mind houses all the innermost thoughts and memories of a person...when a person is reborn, often times the memories are suppressed and the reincarnated have no idea of their past lives, but every once in a while the mind may bring up those past life memories...then the body which allows the person to interact with other bodies...to communicate with others."
Laharl shook his head.
"Should the body or the mind come to be harmed, the soul is injured as well. If my guilt is what I express through my body, then effects my mind...it harms my soul. Even if Flonne heals my soul slowly...can't such a wound still continue to grow if the mind and body do not play a role in helping the soul as well? There will be others in the real world who can help me if only I can learn to accept their help and stop shouldering the burden all alone. I can't promise anything, but I can still try..."
------
Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Etna's Room (formally Laharl's Room)
Laharl opened his eyes to find that he was lying down. He was still enshrouded in darkness. Reflexively, Laharl brought his hand forward, touching a smooth surface. Slowly he pushed a little bit more, letting a dim light come into his vision. The ceiling he was looking at was one he was all too familiar with.
'I'm in my bed...but what happened to it?'
He looked around to find that his room seemed to have gotten a feminine touch added to it. He got up and went to the full length mirror in the corner of the room and peered at his reflection.
'It's as Flonne said...'
Laharl thought as he saw the same dark skinned Demon dressed in black staring back at him. Laharl clenched his fist, his anger building up. He would have liked nothing more than to smash the mirror into pieces, but he resisted the urge to and forcefully calmed himself down before he decided to do something brash. Laharl turned away from the mirror, only to find his crimson eyes lock with another pair of crimson eyes.
"Etna..."
Laharl said in a hushed voice, barely able to contain his surprise of her sneaking up behind him.
"Are you okay now, Laharl?"
She asked. Laharl's eyes turned away from her.
"Not really..."
Laharl muttered. Before Etna could say anymore, Laharl already walked swiftly past her. She quickly recovered from momentarily being caught off guard and followed him out to the throne room.
------
Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Throne Room
Upon his formal Vassals seeing him, they all bowed low in respect. Laharl scoffed at their gesture.
"Don't be idiots. You don't have to bow down to me. She's the Overlord here, not me."
Laharl told them as he shifted his head towards Etna's direction as she came out of the room.
"Sorry."
The Vassal all apologized. Laharl sighed.
"Why was I brought here in the first place? You are all well aware that a former Overlord who has abandoned his or her duty can never be brought back anyway."
Laharl told them firmly. Etna stepped forward in the defense of the Vassals.
"I had that rule changed in the Dark Assembly."
She told Laharl. Laharl looked at her with a neutral expression.
"I see. Whatever is passed through the Dark Assembly by the Overlord, weather by vote or by force, is law. Even so, I would rather not be here."
Laharl said. Laharl was well aware of the power he was harnessed with. With a few complex hand gestures, Laharl opened up a Dimensional Gateway. Everyone was left in awe. Before he could step through the Gateway, though, Etna stopped him.
"Why can't you just accept our help?"
She asked him. Laharl just stared at the Gateway for a while, then with a wave of his arm, the portal vanished. Etna's question brought Laharl back to thinking about what Flonne had said to him in the dream.
'Flonne can only heal my soul...but the effort alone will not be enough. There are others here in the real world who can help me recover both my mind and body from the rest my pain...Etna may just be one of them.'
Laharl thought as he turned to face Etna.
"Your right, Etna. I guess I'm just wrapped up in my own problems too much that I often miss when other people are trying to help me. Sorry about that."
He said. The effort was a bit forced, considering Laharl was not one who apologized often. Etna's surprise subsided quickly of course, and she began thinking where she could put Laharl until better sleeping quarters could be arranged.
"I guess you can use my room, since it used to be your room originally. I'll have a spare coffin brought up."
Etna said. She then turned to the Vassals in the room.
"Well, you heard me. Go get a coffin brought up here."
She ordered. Her Vassals bowed politely before leaving the room.
"I guess choosing you to be my successor was the right thing to do."
Laharl said as he watched the last of the Vassals exit the room. Etna looked at him.
"I'm glad you think so. What do you plan on doing, Laharl? Now that your..."
Etna's voice trailed off.
"The Lord of Terror?"
Laharl said, finishing her sentence. Etna nodded slowly. Laharl went deep into thinking.
"There's not much I can do for the races. As the Lord of Terror, I'm sure many will fear me from what they witnessed of Baal's power. If I am to do anything, I'll help myself. For my sake, as well as Flonne's."
Laharl said in a far away voice.
"I had a dream about Flonne, Etna. She told me she didn't blame me for what happened to her and to stop blaming myself about it. Yet, now that I am in command of this amazing power, it makes me hate myself for not being able to save her. I hate the fact that I didn't have the power to stop the Seraph from turning Flonne into a flower, and I didn't have the power to save the flower she had become from Baal. Whenever I obtained the new powers, it would already be too late. Trying to forget it and move on with my life is impossible. Once I can truly come to terms with myself, I can accept what has happened in the past and move on. It sounds so easy but in reality, it will be a very long process. One that I may need your help on, Etna, if your willing to."
Laharl told her. Etna remained silent for a long time. She then looked at Laharl and gave a forced smile.
"Sure. I can do that."
She said. Laharl nodded to her thankfully before going back deep in thought as he waited for the Vassals to present him with a coffin to use. Etna herself went deep into thought as well.
'Flonne once told me that when you love someone, that someone's happiness is what you want above all else, even your own happiness. I don't know if I can stand it...but maybe if I can help Laharl find happiness, his happiness will be my happiness, even if it's not with me. By helping him, I hope to find that answer.'
Etna thought as she continued to stare at him.
-TBC-
Note: Well, I guess you could say this is a pretty sappy chapter. Since I'm not a major romance writer, this is both a fun but very challenging story for me to write. Still I hope readers will enjoy this chapter despite my relative inexperience with these kinds of story genres. Well, until next chapter. See Ya.
