Chapter 11

Written By Illuminet

Disclaimer: Refer to the first chapter to view it.

"..."-Indicate Speech

'...'-Indicate Thought

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Etna and (temporarily) Laharl's room

Laharl was looking through some of the ancient collection of books he acquired from Baal's library in the Alternate Netherworld. He was hoping to find some means to revert himself back to what he used to be, but so far, nothing worthy of note was mentioned in the texts, but Laharl doggedly kept reading through one book after another. This is all he's been doing throughout most of the month staying at the castle.

'There's not a thing written in any of these books I don't already know. Baal must have passed on everything to me...'

Laharl thought to himself. He lowered his head, feeling depressed. There was nothing wrong with his new body at all and it was altered in appearance only slightly to how it use to be before he became the Lord of Terror. Laharl knew why he didn't like it though. Everything in his life revolved around Flonne, and he blamed himself greatly still. Laharl shook his head, trying to get himself out of his depression. His ear twitched as he heard a sound at the door to the room. Aramis had come in, bowing slightly.

"Hello, prince...I mean, sir. Are you alright? You've been in here for almost eight hours today."

Aramis said. Laharl nodded.

"Don't worry about me, I'll be fine."

Laharl said bluntly, not lifting his head from the page he was looking at.

"You sure, your high...I mean, sir? You should at least take a break."

Aramis said. Laharl made it clear that he would not be addressed with a high title. The Lord of Terror may surpass the Overlord in power, but the title was not one of royalty like the Overlord was, so Laharl refused to be called highness or prince. Laharl sighed.

"I suppose..."

Laharl muttered. He got up from his sitting position on the floor and stretched, letting his joints pop

audibly.

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Balcony

Laharl wanted to be by himself for a little while to clear his head from the growing headache that had surfaced from having read so much through all the books he brought with him from Baal's tower. He could not travel very far from the castle. All the races had mixed reactions about Laharl being kept alive and free. His title as the Lord of Terror made him rather feared by the masses, and so he wanted to stay away from anybody as much as possible. His only real friends were Etna and her Vassals, Priere, and the Seraph Michelangelo.

"I thought you might be here."

Laharl heard Etna say. Laharl nodded.

"Everything seems peaceful. You've done a good job of keeping the peace with the other worlds, Etna."

Laharl praised her. Etna's cheeks turned slightly red.

"Thanks. Did you find out anything from any of those books? Most of them are in that first Demon language that I can't read."

Etna asked him. Laharl shook his head.

"Everything in those books are already known to me. I'll probably go back to the Alternate Netherworld to check on some of the other books he's had down there."

Laharl said.

"But if you already know everything from the books, what makes you think you'll find something new?"

Etna asked him. Laharl shrugged.

"I don't. Still, even if I have his former knowledge, that doesn't mean I can remember everything all at once. If there is at least anything that might be able to change my appearance back to how it was...even with all this power, I would have thought he could have changed what he looked like..."

Laharl said, lowering his head to look at the ground.

"You don't need to change your own appearance, Laharl. Your transformation was only a slight alternation to what you originally were. Deep down your still the same, right? So what has to be changed?"

Etna tried to comfort him with her words. Laharl nodded.

"Flonne said the same thing in my last dream...but I can't help but curse my appearance now, and the power that came with it. Its easy to say I should accept it, but when will I? Every time I see my reflection I want to kill the Demon that stares back at me."

Laharl said, his voice barely containing the violent rage boiling within him. Etna put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Hey now, don't let it get you down. Everyone gets that way every now and then. That's why we can't just rely on ourselves all the time..."

Etna said, but the more she spoke, the angrier Laharl got. The Overlord soon found herself being lifted off the ground and unable to breath. Laharl's hands went around her throat, cutting off her supply of air steadily.

"Shut up woman! What do you know? I don't just feel that way every once in a while. I feel it every second of the day, so don't try and pretend you understand me!"

Laharl said in a dangerous tone, his narrowed eyes gleaming crimson and his fangs bared as he growled low in his throat.

"Laharl..."

Etna began softly, as her hands grasped on to Laharl's wrists, trying to find a way to get him to release her from his death grip. She could feel herself fading as her lungs constricted. Laharl's eyes opened wide in surprise and lost their murderous glint. He released Etna immediately, as if his hands had caught on fire. Etna fell on her rear, a hand over her chest, coughing as her lungs painfully began to fill up with air again. Laharl backed up from her slowly, his eyes guarded from view because of his long bangs of hair.

"Laharl..."

Etna said once her coughing fit subsided and she could breath normally again. Laharl didn't look up to meet with her eyes. Large black wings began protruding from Laharl's back. Laharl swiftly rushed to the edge of the balcony and leaped high into the air, flapping his powerful wings as he sped off.

"Wait, Laharl!"

Etna shouted at him, but he did not turn back. It was at this time Aramis came in.

"Your highness, it's time for..."

Aramis began speaking, but was interrupted by Etna.

"Not now. I'm going after Laharl."

Etna said firmly, the small wings on her back enlarging. Aramis looked at her in surprise.

"Whoa, wait a minute, you can't..."

Aramis said, but Etna had already taken off after the Lord of Terror. She had hoped she would be able to catch up with him, but Laharl was extremely fast, becoming smaller and smaller in her line of vision. Etna knew that she would simply tire herself out if she tried to catch up with him.

'Laharl...you were doing so well for the past couple of weeks....damn it all, maybe I should have let him vent out his frustrations completely before trying to comfort him...'

Etna thought sadly to herself. Laharl had been very slowly getting out of the slump of his guilt, and unfortunately he now had something else to bring him back down. It was a crime punishable by death to try and murder the Overlord, and even if he choked her just out of anger and didn't really mean to do it, he still had.

'He most likely thinks I'll turn on him now, and he'll no longer have the small support from the castle he once had a week ago...but that's impossible for me to do to him, now and ever. I have to let him know that I'm trying to help him...'

Etna had a feeling she knew where Laharl was headed. The place he had been for so long already.

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Infinite Darkness, endless wastelands

Laharl descended quickly. Too quickly. Once his feet touched the ground, instead of skidding to a stop, Laharl fell on his side, rolling briefly before coming to a stop on his back. Laharl looked at the dark clouds that rose above him. He heard the distant crack of thunder. A storm was coming. Rarely did storms ever come into the Infinite Darkness. A drop of water hit Laharl's nose. Rain began to fall slowly at first, before it became a rushing downpour, making the ground muddy and slick. Laharl stayed in his position for a bit longer before he rolled over and got up in a kneeling position. His clothes and body got dirty from all the mud but Laharl could care less.

'How could I do it...? I nearly murdered my best friend...'

Laharl's fists began to mercilessly pound in the mud.

"DAMN IT ALL!!! DAMN IT ALL!!! DAMN IT ALL!!!"

His screams were lost amongst the sound of falling rain and the booming crack of thunder. Lightning cut through the darkness with it's jagged blade of light. Laharl got up to his feet, making his way slowly deeper and deeper into the wasteland.

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Infinite Darkness, Beginning

It was kind of odd to Etna. It was a little afternoon, so the sun shined brightly upon the Netherworld. However, in the Infinite Darkness, it was dark, gloomy, and raining endlessly. Etna briefly wished she wasn't wearing as little as she was accustomed to. Etna steeled herself and prepared to walk between the crossing point from the day of the rest of the Netherworld to the rain filled wastelands of the Infinite Darkness.

'Damn, it's cold here.'

Etna thought as the rain cascaded all over her. Her red hair matted down from the rain, her pigtails clinging to the back of her neck. Etna continued to press on, her boots sloshing in the mud, and Etna tried to keep herself from slipping on the slick ground. She pressed on, her only source of light being the lightning which illuminated her path.

'Laharl...where are you?'

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Infinite Darkness, Laharl's location

'Damn it...Flonne, I wish you were here with me...'

Laharl trudged through the mud. His hair kept getting in his line of vision, the long tendrils of hair at the top of his head also kept drooping low. All he knew was that he'd been going on for a very long time.

"Why did I have to fail in the first place...why did you end up having to become a figment of my imagination now?"

Laharl said to himself. He found himself by a small canyon. He recognized the place quickly and made his way down the steep cliff face slightly, where a small cave was situated. Laharl almost slipped, but successfully climbed in. His back hit the cave wall roughly as he breathed heavily.

'I've come farther then I thought. This canyon is almost half way through the entire wasteland. That means I've been traveling for several hours.'

Laharl thought as his breathing calmed down.

"I should have never left in the first place..."

Laharl whispered lowly, letting his guilt take the better of him more and more. Had he not left, he would have never had the flower or the pendant destroyed, he would have never become the Lord of Terror, or have an increased guilt trip for being it.

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Infinite Darkness, Etna's location

For how long she traveled, she couldn't be sure. Etna strived onward, praying she would find Laharl soon. She felt herself on the brink of exhaustion. By sheer force of will did Etna keep moving now, her only hope being that she find Laharl. The rain began to let up a bit on its relentless downpour, beginning to come down much more softly. The booming of thunder was no longer as loud as it used to be, and the lightning began showing up farther and farther away.

'Just a little bit more...'

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Throne Room

"Damn, they've been gone for a long time now."

Aramis said. He sat on one of the small steps in front of the throne.

"I hope those two are alright."

Dratti said, her tone filled with worry.

"I have fath that they will be alright, wherever they are. I just want to know what caused them to run off in the first place."

Goleck said.

"You didn't see a thing happen between them when you walked in, right Aramis?"

Manty asked the teenaged Demon. Aramis shook his head.

"Not a thing. As I said, Laharl wasn't even there when I came to the balcony. Overlord Etna simply said she was going to go after him."

Aramis answered him. Manty nodded.

"I see. I hope he hasn't lead her to a dangerous place."

Manty said.

"It's really very sad actually. Despite the danger of the situation, our Overlord will follow the new Lord of Terror anywhere he goes."

Dratti said.

"That's love for you. The greatest feeling in the world is also the hardest to obtain, and once it is, there are few out there who can let it escape out of their grasp."

Ghoss said, walking in on the conversation. All the Demons looked at the Ghost.

"Agreed."

Everyone in the room said.

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Infinite Darkness, on top of deep canyon

Etna kneeled forward, breathing heavily. She hadn't found a single sign of Laharl's whereabouts.

'He could be long gone...he's been here for so long, I'm sure he knows this place like the back of his hand...'

Etna thought. A sound from behind caught her attention. Etna whirled around to find herself surrounded by a lot of male humanoid Demons.

"Whoa...hey babe, what are you doing all the way out here all by yourself?"

A warrior asked in an amused tone, giving Etna a lewd glance, a perverted smirk showing on his face.

"It can be dangerous if you don't have someone to back you up around here. Why don't you come with us?"

A thief spoke to her. Etna scowled.

"Sorry, I don't have time for you guys. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll be on my way."

Etna said coolly.

"Hey babe, you ain't going nowhere. It's been a while since we've had a catch as hot as you. Just don't resist and we'll be quick with you."

A fighter said, coming up and bringing a grimy hand on Etna's shoulder. Etna narrowed her eyes.

"Piss off."

Etna said sternly. She swatted the fighter's hand away, before swiftly bringing her knee up to strike him hard in the genitals. The fighter staggered back from the painful blow, and before he could react again, Etna brought her hands to the side of his head, making him face her as she head butted him in the fore head with tremendous force. The fighter hit the muddy ground, cursing violently for the blows he sustained from the Overlord.

"You think you can get away with that, woman?"

A warrior said, drawing his sword. Many of the other combatants drew their weapons when he did. They charged at Etna, who cursed softly for having not bringing the Longinus. One of the warriors came at her, brandishing an axe. He slashed out horizontally, but Etna evaded the blow by crouching and the quickly stuck her opponent hard in the chin with an open palm strike, sending him off his feet. Another one came with a sword, striking downward onto Etna's head. Etna side stepped the attack, bringing up her fist to smash the enemy in the face. She continued to counter attack her enemies, but they continued to come back at her, despite how much power she expanded in fighting them back. She used many a Sexy Beam and Chaos Impact attacks to thwart many of the enemies that lied in her path. Yet the large male brigand of outcasts refused to give Etna up.

"Your pretty strong, woman. I'm surprised you held us off you for this long."

One of the thieves said.

"Damn, you guys don't know when to quit, do you?"

Etna said. She had a feeling she'd be at this for awhile. But the battle ended much quicker then that. A rain of blades cut through the black clouds, impaling most of the brigand of Demons. Fearful for their lives now, the rest of them retreated into the darkness of the eternal night.

"Why did you come here, Etna? This is no place for you."

Etna turned to see Laharl by the canyon's edge. His head hung low, not allowing his eyes to meet her gaze.

"It's no place for you either."

She told him. Laharl shook his head.

"No, it's the perfect place. If only I had never left to help you fight Baal in the first place...she'd still be here...her and the pendant."

Laharl said in a low voice.

"Laharl, snap out of it. You of all Demons should know that there are casualties in battle. It's sad, and most of the times it's not fair. That's the harsh reality. You and I have both known that fact since we were children."

Etna spoke to Laharl, but his head never lifted to meet her gaze.

"I loved her...I still love her. She saved me from my own damnation and made me come to terms with my own life, yet in the end I couldn't give her that same comfort. I couldn't show her the depths of my feelings for her. I'm a failure..."

Laharl fell to his knees. He didn't make a sound, but Etna briefly wondered if perhaps he was crying. Of course, it could look that way because of the rain. Etna made her way to Laharl's kneeling form.

"You told me that you wanted to beat your own guilt, but it has gotten the better of you again. You can still fight it, though. Your strong enough to, but your only Demon, and you sometimes feel weak too. Weather Human, Angel, or Demon...we are all flawed in some form or another. Please let me help you Laharl...remember what Flonne told you in your dreams. She can support you only partially, and you have to make an effort too. Don't let this month of hard work go to waste. We have all the time we need, right?"

Etna said to him. In normal circumstances, she might find it laughable at how corny she might have sounded when she spoke to him. But Laharl had to be reassured, and all she was doing was giving her best effort to help him pick up the shattered pieces of his life and glue them back together again. Sure it wouldn't be perfect, but being perfect is nearly and of itself impossible in the first place, wasn't it?

"Etna..."

Laharl's voice sounded a bit strained. Etna was left in surprise when his arms encircled her and brought her close to him.

"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."

His voice was barely above a whisper now. Despite how wet he was from the rain, his skin was oddly warm and pleasant to the touch. As Etna's head leaned against his chest, she could hear his heart beat reverberating from within. Her arms went around his waist, holding him closer to her. The rain continued falling softly.

:::TWF:::

Netherworld, Overlord's Castle, Throne Room

"We're back."

All of Etna's vassals turned to see her and Laharl soaking wet and stained with mud.

"And what have you two been up too, Hmmm?"

Manty asked, a big grin plastered on his lion like face. Laharl and Etna blushed, realizing their appearances made them look as if they were doing...something naughty. The two sobered up quickly, though.

"Make yourselves useful and get us some towels."

Etna ordered firmly. The vassals saluted and were off to fulfill their task.

"Darn, and we had the rug cleaned only yesterday."

Aramis said, shaking his head as he left the room. Laharl and Etna noticed they were tracking water and mud all over the floor. Etna shrugged.

"Oh well. These kinds of things happen."

Etna said. Laharl nodded.

"Etna...I want to thank you again for helping me. I'd be lost in the real world without you. I'll repay the favor someday."

Laharl told her.

"No problem. I'm just glad I was able to get through to you. Your usually a very stubborn Demon."

Etna said. Laharl nodded.

"I know. Still, you can be just as stubborn."

He said to her. Etna smiled. She was able to keep him from losing focus of his ultimate goal. And Laharl swore he would never lose sight of what it was he was trying to accomplish. Deep within, Flonne smiled.

[][][TBC][][]

Note: Well, I finally got a new computer, so hopefully I can update things a bit faster. The only real problem I'm having now is that I have only Word Perfect to use, rather then Microsoft Works and Word, which I have grown very accustomed to since I began posting fics on this site. So please, bare with me if some things seem a bit different. Anyway, this chapter is a bit short, so I'm sorry about that. Like I said, please bare with me on some of this.