AN: Hope you enjoy reading~


Chapter 25:

It was always unsettling to see Samuel lying in a hospital bed. But this time, it was far more heartbreaking. He laid on his left side, thick white bandages wrapped around his chest and back, light pink splotches seen over his right shoulder blade. He was unconscious, apparently sleeping, though Killia hazard a guess it wasn't a peaceful slumber.

Christo was the one who attended to his injuries, quite protective of Samuel, only allowing a couple of the hospital's healers to assist simply by handing medicine and bandages. Though, it should not be a surprise; he had quite the extensive knowledge on how to deal with injuries regarding wings.

With Samuel safe and sound nestled in bed and in the Pocket Netherworld, Killia took some time to explained to everyone what had happened to the best of his knowledge. He left out some of the graphic details, especially in regard to what Samuel did with Hellekin, despite his actions being completely justified.

What disturbed Killia the most was how…delighted Hellekin was. That man was truly deranged. To think that Samuel was trapped under his control for who knows how many years.

Hellekin was lucky that he was dead…

After Killia finished explaining everything, his companions fell into a contemplative silence.

"No wonder Samuel reacted the way he did," Zeroken said. "Anyone in his position would have."

Usalia nodded. "If that happened to me, my parents probably would have, plip."

Red Magnus folded his arms across his chest and frowned. "This was done on purpose? Why?"

"From what I understand, Halflings have this unique ability, if you destroy the angel half, you will empower the demon half, creating a truly demonic entity."

Samuel's power had increased tremendously. But it was not wanton violence. He destroyed the Snap Draingons, defeated Hellekin, and…punished himself. No sadistic joy in any of his actions.

No. Hellekin was far more deranged and demonic than Samuel was.

Christo looked both disturbed and intrigued. "Does that mean, if we remove the demon side of a Halfling, they'll ascend higher than that of an angel?"

"I have no idea," Killia confessed. "I don't even know if anything in Hellekin's deranged ramblings can be taken as truth."

Although, he appeared to be the type to take sadistic delight in revealing the painful, horrible truth.

"One thing I do know is that Samuel is not like us. His heart has always been pure and kind. But now, his heart been broken." Killia looked over at the bed and a feeling of helplessness washed over him. "And I don't know what to do to help him."

Which was all the more unfair as Samuel had helped him in so many ways.

"Do you think it's true?" Zeroken asked him softly. "That there's no Halflings left in Nugatory?"

Killia shook his head. "I don't want to believe that." For Samuel's sake.

"Yeah…"

Killia turned toward Christo. "How is he?"

Christo sighed as his gaze flickered toward Samuel, his eyes softening. "Well, he has done some serious damage to his back when he ripped out his wings, but there should not be any lasting effects. He…won't be battling for a while. Which is sure to make him feel worse."

Samuel liked to be busy. To be useful. Sitting on the sidelines was not something he was used to. Or wanted to do.

But he needed time to heal.

"The best thing we can do is let him rest," Christo added.

"I'll wait for him to wake up, plip," Usalia announced. She toddled over to his bedside, crouched down and with her hand, stroked down his hair gently, trying to comfort him in her own way.

Killia was unlikely to wander very far from the hospital, either.

… … … … …

Killia had no idea how long he had been in the hospital, sitting by Samuel's bedside. In truth, it did not matter. He had with him a couple of books, but he barely registered any of the words. His eyes kept trailing from the pages to glance over at Samuel.

He barely stirred since they had brought him back to the Pocket Netherworld, even when Christo took care of his injuries. He hoped it was a positive sign, meaning that he was not being disturbed in his dreams.

A movement from the corner of his eyes pulled Killia from his book altogether.

Zeroken entered and walked toward the foot of the bed, where Usalia sat, also waiting patiently for Samuel to awaken. "Is he still sleeping?"

Usalia nodded. "Yes, plip."

"I just spoke to the weapon shop," Zeroken revealed. "I asked them to make a couple of Samuel's vests for him. He feels better when he has his back covered."

Killia set his book aside. "He'll appreciate that."

His old one could not be salvaged; torn and covered entirely in blood. In his blood. It was just…thrown out. No one bared to look at it.

A soft groan from the bed made everyone jump and immediately turn their attention and full focus toward the bed. Killia pushed himself to his feet and watch, trying to be patient, as Samuel slowly stirred in his bed. He uttered another soft groan as he pressed his face into the pillow, appearing as though he wanted nothing more than to curl into himself and go back to sleep.

Yet, his eyelids fluttered and soon, his eyes opened.

And a pair of bright blue eyes were revealed.

Killia hadn't realised how much of a brilliant blue Samuel's eyes truly were. Even tired and half-lidded, they were quite striking.

"Ah, you're awake!" Usalia said cheerfully.

"How are you feeling?" Zeroken asked.

Killia was about to chide the two about giving Samuel some space to recover from awakening. The words died on his lips when Samuel suddenly threw his arms around the necks of the two, dragging the two toward him and hugging them tightly.

"You two aren't allowed to die before me…" he murmured with his face buried into their shoulders.

Both Zeroken and Usalia froze under the suddenly embrace. However, Usalia recovered first and quickly slipped her arms around Samuel in return, hugging him back tightly. And Killia mildly wondered if, in Usalia's mind, she was picturing herself hugging her parents like she so desperately wanted to. For his part, Zeroken was a bit more hesitant, seemingly afraid to return the embrace as he might cause Samuel more harm.

Killia stood back silently, waiting patiently for the moment to play out. Until all those involved found the comfort they needed and deserved.

Some time had passed before Samuel slowly pulled his arms away from the two, his hand lingering on the back of Usalia's head for a moment so that he could press his forehead against hers for a precious moment, the two exchanging a quiet word or two.

Just like a parent speaking to their child.

Killia felt it was time to make his presence known. "How are you feeling?"

Samuel looked up at him, his face pale and drawn, his eyes unfairly tired and miserable. "I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused," he said instead of answering Killia's question.

He remembered everything that happened, didn't he?

Killia turned to Usalia and Zeroken. "Could you two head into the kitchen and get things ready for me? I'm sure Samuel would like something to eat later."

Zeroken nodded his head, quickly grasping onto the situation. "Alright. Let's go, Usalia."

"Ok, plip."

Killia stood still and watched until the two were out of sight and out of hearing range before he turned his attention back to Samuel. He took a moment to inwardly prepare himself, hoping that he could help Samuel with the same amount of wisdom and understanding that he had toward him in the past.

Thinking back on it, he made it look so effortless.

Samuel sat back in his bed and clutched his right shoulder, his chin dropping toward his chest. "You…saw all that, didn't you?" he asked quietly.

Killia moved to sit on the bed, facing him. "Yeah. That's why I can confidently say you didn't do anything wrong."

"But…" Samuel shook his head, his white hair falling over his eyes. "Everything was because of me."

"No, everything was because of Hellekin." He paused as a feeling of déjà vu washed over him. A half smile switched onto his lips and he reached out to slip a finger under Samuel's chin, guiding his head up to look at him. "Remember what you said to me on Flowerful?"

Samuel appeared puzzled for a moment, only for realisation to flicker across his features and he tried to give him a small smile. "Yeah. I guess that also applies here, doesn't it?"

His smile faded completely shortly after and he reached up with his hand to tug at Killia's wrist, to pull his hand away from his chin. However, he kept a hold of his hand, finding some comfort in his touch. "I…I don't understand what happened," he said, looking at him, lost and confused. "I've never felt anything like it before. Everything…just hurt so much."

Killia pressed his lips together, debating whether or not to tell Samuel what Hellekin had rambled to him. But decided to be honest with him, as he had been from the very beginning.

"Samuel, listen. I don't know if this is true, but Hellekin said something. He said that Halflings have this unique ability. That if they have their heart broken, if they have their angelic side overtaken by the demon side, they are able to transform into something truly demonic."

"What?" Samuel uttered as horror filtered across his face. "Did I-? Was that-? Do I need to keep control of my demonic side?"

"No." Killia cupped the side of Samuel's face to stop him from panicking. "As Christo said before; that wasn't your demonic side, that was the manifestation of the pain and suffering you've endured your entire life. We need to find a way for you to accept your broken heart and learn to mourn."

Samuel stared at him with his big blue eyes silently before, slowly, releasing a breath and relaxing. "Thinking about myself, huh? That may be the most difficult thing I've ever done."

Killia nodded. "You're not very good with being honest with yourself."

Samuel pouted, a tiny bit of colour returning to his cheeks. "That's not fair; neither are you."

"That's fair. I guess we're more honest with each other than we are to ourselves."

A soft smile graced Samuel's lips and he looked away, leaning his cheek into Killia's palm. He even found comfort in his hand, which was a…strange feeling. For year, so many years, Killia's hands, his fists had caused so much harm and devastation, and yet now, his hand brought Samuel comfort.

"I…" Samuel sighed and rested his hand against Killia's. "I really am sorry for everything. If I had stayed in Nugatory, then this mess with the Seedlings may never have happened."

Killia shook his head. "If you had stayed in Nugatory, and Hellekin had still unleashed these Seedlings throughout the Netherverse, we would not have known what to do. We'd have no idea what was actually going on. We, ourselves, may actually be victims. And…if you had stayed in Nugatory, then I may not be the man I am today."

Samuel's eyes widen ever so slightly and his lips parted in soft surprise. "You think so?" he asked, not in disbelief, but hopeful.

So, Killia nodded his head. "I know so."

A hopeful spark of life returned to Samuel's eyes and he smiled gently. "…I'm glad to have met you, Killia," he said as he unexpectedly pushed forward, wrapping his arms around Killia's neck. "You really are the best thing that's ever happened to me."

Though stunned by Samuel's own words, Killia instinctively wrapped his arms around him in return.

…Hah. To go from a Tyrant Overlord to being a genuine comfort to someone.

"Yeah…"

… … … … …

Samuel sat with his back against the headboard of his hospital bed, a thick blanket draped around his shoulders and covering his back. The bed had been moved, positioned so that he could gaze out into the vast Netherverse outside the thick, dense panelled windows.

He had been frequently visited by the others. Except Seraphina, which was not a surprise. And honestly, it was for the best. It would be awkward and forced at best. They were not on the best of terms, and after what he had been through, a forced connection between the two would not help. Either of them.

The reasons for the frequent visits were numerous; to keep him company, to check on his health, to keep his mind busy and from wandering. But mostly, just to ensure that he was all right.

He…had scared them. Quite a bit, it seemed.

Samuel was honestly glad for the visits. He did not like his mind wandering too far. Did not like remembering what…happened. It hurt too much to remember.

But some memories would not be kept at bay, no matter how much he tried to force them back.

Ronny…

Why? Why did he have to die like that? Why did he listen to Hellekin? He was their warden. Their captor. Their abuser. What had happened in the time he had been away? How did he leave?

Just…there were so many questions. And they hurt to think about.

"Ah, Samuel. Good, you're awake. Let me have a look at that back of yours."

Samuel forcibly shoved his thoughts aside and dutifully gave Christo a patient smile as he shuffled away from the backboard. He leaned forward, allowing for Christo to remove the thick bandages and wadding to look at the wounds on the right side of his upper back.

He never liked exposing his back, with the numerous scars and old injuries. And the fact that he had three more, self-inflicted ones at that, made him all the more self-conscious.

Christo did not make any comments on the many scars, however, and Samuel was grateful for that consideration.

Pulling his legs to his chest and resting his arms on his knees in an attempt to get comfortable, Samuel turned his head toward Christo. "Christo, can I ask a favour of you?"

Christo looked at him and arched an eyebrow. "This is rare. What is it?"

"Can you teach me how to heal?"

That earned him a positively puzzled look from Christo. "But you know how to heal already. You kept Usalia alive, didn't you?"

"Only just. You were the one who saved her life."

And since he was half angel, he figured that he might be able to learn a bit of angel magic. Of course, he was not able to actually make that request aloud, so he hoped Christo would catch on.

Of course, there was another reason he wanted to learn more healing.

"I always thought that there was no way to save the lives of the victims of Seedlings once they began to sprout. But…what if that wasn't true?"

He tried…he tried so hard…

"Samuel…" Christo sighed. "I don't think I can help with that."

Samuel felt a twinge in his chest. "You…looked?"

Christo cast a healing spell on his back. "It was as you said; once the Seedling took hold of the victim's core, there was nothing that could be done."

"I see…So, there really was no way to save Ronny."

He did not want to hear that, and yet, he did. That meant all the lives he had seen lost before his eyes could not have been saved, no matter what he could have done. Regardless of what spell or magic he knew.

No one could have saved them; demon, halfling, or angel.

It was…depressing, honestly.

"I still want to learn more about healing from you, though," Samuel insisted. "We need to take care of our little demon family."

Christo gave him a small smile. "We'll see if we have the time. Now, sit up. I need to redress your bandages."

Samuel dutifully did as he was told. As he sat there, allowing for Christo to carefully reset his dressings, a particular thought occurred to him. When Killia learnt that Samuel was a Halfling, he was surprised and shocked. He had never heard of such a thing. And within the history that Samuel had learnt of the Netherverse, it was never mentioned anywhere of Halflings.

But he knew nothing of the history of Celestia.

"Does it…bother you?" Samuel asked slowly. "That I am a Halfling? You know, half demon, half angel?"

Christo momentarily paused in his healing. "Hm? Have I given the indicating that it does?"

Samuel shook his head. "No. I just wanted to ask. Since my existence is blasphemous and all."

It should especially be against the laws of angels, after all.

"Why should it bother me?" Christo asked.

Samuel smiled. Ok, still maintaining his demon ruse, then. "I just wanted to ask."

Christo returning to redressing the bandages, working silently. He quickly tied them off and patted Samuel on the back, indicating that he was free to move about (under strict conditions, of course) once more.

He stepped back, allowing Samuel room to grab a light blanket to drape around his shoulders and back, giving him coverage and security.

"Can I ask you something?" Christo suddenly asked him.

"Hm?"

A frown tugged at Christo's lips. "You said that Halflings are taken to Nugatory as punishment. Who or what is taking them there?"

That was a very good question.

"I'm afraid I don't know," Samuel replied, regretful. "I was just a child when I ended up there. My earliest memory was when my…" he trailed off, his back twitching with pain.

"Your?" Christo prodded.

Samuel could not prevent a grimace. "When my wings were ripped from my back."

Christo's eyes widen, his mouth dropping open in surprise. Unexpectedly, a flash of anger appeared on his face for a moment before it was quickly smothered into an expression of empathy.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I will admit that I never knew of the existence of Halflings. I had never encountered them during all my research in Cel-Certain Giant. But now that I do, I would like to investigate it further. Especially the less-than-ideal treatment…"

Christo gave him a tight smile as he quickly prattled off a few standard 'no training' and 'no heavy lifting' spiels along with a few words of advice about taking better care of himself, and such. He then turned on his heel and quickly walked away.

And as Christo walked away, Samuel noted that he had reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He had no idea who Christo was going to call, perhaps that 'superior' had often complained about.

Maybe, just maybe, if he tried a little harder, if he could talk a little louder about his experiences, then maybe future Halflings won't have to endure the pain and suffering that he had to endure.