[Author's Notes] So this is heavily inspired by a story I've been reading and enjoying for some time now. "A Loud Among Demons" by TvFan2244 and if you guys haven't read it yet I highly recommend it. There are so many things the author gets right and is one of the best crossovers I've read in a long time. Now the reason why I'm writing this is because I'm eagerly awaiting the chapter when Lincoln is reunited with his family and introduces them to I.M.P in Helluva Boss. Now obviously I have no idea how it will actually go down or how the real story will play out, this is just how I would do it if this were my version of the story. Bear in mind that I am not the author, again that is TvFan2244 and I insist you read it for yourself it's very good. But all credit goes to the original author, not me. With that said, I hope you like it.
-Helluva Reunion-
It was a sunny day in Royal Woods Michigan and at twelve sixteen Franklin Avenue, aka the Loud residence the house of thirteen was abnormally quiet. Way more than it usually was. And this is because for nearly a year now one of it's members had disappeared. It was as if he had vanished right off the face of the Earth. And naturally this had a very negative effect on everyone who dealt with the grief in their own way. But unbeknownst to them, their long lost family member was going to be returning very soon. Just across the street a magic portal opens up and a young, white haired preteen boy steps through before it closes behind him. He was dressed in the casual outfit his Goesia friend got for him not too long ago. His hair slightly more messy, a dark grey tee shirt with an orange smiley face that had a devil's horns and tail, black jeans with tears in the legs and a bracelet with a pentagram dangling on a chain.
The boy took a moment to take in the view of his childhood home and was overcome with emotion. He had almost forgotten what his home looked like after living in Imp City for so long. And while he was eager to see his parents and sisters again he also experienced a feeling of anxiety about the whole situation. After taking a deep breath he makes his way across the street and up the stairs to the front door. Inside, sixteen year old Luna Loud had just emerged from the kitchen after getting herself a snack. She needed another distraction from the feeling of despair she had felt ever since her precious baby brother had vanished. She was just about to go back upstairs to her room when the doorbell rang. Being the only one she answered.
As soon as she opened the door her eyes shot wide open, her mouth gaped in an audible gasp and her chocolate pudding slipped through her fingers and out of her hand. "Hey Luna." Lincoln greeted with a nervous smile to his big sister. "I'm home." he said with his arms out expecting a hug.
"Lincoln?" she asked after she found her voice. "Lincoln is that you?" she asked him as tears were welling up in the corners of her eyes. She was relieved that it wasn't a dream when her brother took her hand and nodded. She then pulled him into a hug almost as tight as his demon mother's as Luna cried holding him close. "Guys! Lincoln came home! He's here! He's alive!" she shouted as loudly as she could with both joy and heartache in her voice.
There came the sounds of feet from the rest of the family running to the living room where they saw Luna holding her daughter crying loudly from happiness while hugging her little brother close. Lincoln didn't have the chance to say anything this time because suddenly he was swarmed by his parents and the rest of his sisters. And honestly he couldn't say anything yet. Like the rest of his family he too was overcome with emotions. For thirty whole minutes it was just him, his mom and dad and all his sisters just crying together while he was smothered with hugs and kisses. Each time he finally let go of hugging one of his sisters another would immediately move in to hug him next. And he couldn't escape either his mom or dad's iron grip as they held him.
Finally once everyone had calmed down and Lincoln was able to get some space his mother who was on her knees with her hands on his shoulders and her mackup running down her cheeks was the first to speak to him.
"Oh Lincoln. All this time, all this time I was tortured by the pain of having lost my baby. I didn't even know if you were still alive or dead which only made it even more painful." she said while still sobbing before holding him close to her again. "I can't tell you how relieved I am that my little boy has come home. God I missed you so much." she wailed.
"I missed you too." Lincoln choked as he hugged her back. He had been away for so damn long he almost forgot how warm her hugs were and to feel it all over again was overwhelming.
"Lincoln where have you been?" What happened to you?" Lori asked wiping her eyes in her best efforts to dry them.
So Lincoln explained what last happened when he was at school before his disappearance. How his substitute teacher of the day, a Mr. Stillman was a genuinely warm and friendly man who won over the whole class with his charm and kindness. And he explained how he asked if one of his students would be willing to help him out with a project after school for extra credit. And Lincoln was the volunteer he chose, not knowing what the man was actually planning to do. And how would he know? Children naturally trust their teachers. How was he supposed to know that he was actually being kidnapped until it was too late? His whole family knew already about Mr. Stillman and were horrified by the idea of what he would have done to him had he gotten away.
"But what happened Bro?" Lynn Jr. asked after hugging her brother yet again.
"Yeah, it was like you vanished out of thin air." Luan told him.
"Not even with my most advanced tracking system was I able to locate you Lincoln." Lisa added after spending countless hours in front of her computer looking for him on her world maps.
"I was in hell." he answered.
His parents and his sisters were taken back by such a blunt statement. "Oh, Lincoln. I'm sure wherever you were must've been horrible. But seriously, where were you?" his father asked.
"Dad I'm being serious. I've literally been living in hell." he answered. He watched everyone looked to one another with confused looks so he sighed and stepped away briefly. "Ok, I guess you're not going to believe me unless I show you." he said reaching into one of his pocket's and pulling out one of his tarot cards with the spell he was looking for on it. "Just promise me guys, you're going to remain calm and let me give you a full explanation. I promise, everything will make sense when I do." he told them.
"Hey what's that?" Leni asked looking at the card her brother was holding.
"I have spells traced on a number of tarot cards I've brought back with me." he answered looking briefly for a good place to cast it.
"Oh boy one of Linky's magic tricks." she said jumping in place.
"Leni this is serious." Lori said to her sister with a deadpan expression.
"Seriously, magic isn't real Leni. I've been over this with you plenty of times. There's no credible scientific evidence that-" Lisa started before both she and everyone were surprised by what they saw.
Lincoln's eyes glowed a bright red and magic energy shrouded his hands before he started levitating off the ground and reciting a strange incantation in a language they couldn't understand. Then much to their shock he threw the card he was holding and it mid air it formed a swirling blue flame that expanded and opened up hole in the mid air. Like a doorway and they could briefly glimpse into what looked like another room. Once he had finished casting the spell his eyes and hands stopped glowing then he casually walked up to the portal and poked his head through.
"Hey guys, we're ready. You can come through now." he called out.
The Louds were only more shocked when a number of strange and horrifying creatures walked through and into their living room. Three were these demonic red creatures that were all taller than Lincoln but shorter than Rita, Lynn and their oldest daughters. The tallest of them wore a dark blue and black business suite with a red skull around his neck. A large part of his face had a white spot on the right side and he had large curved horns on his head that were colored like black and white stripes. He had yellow eyes with red irises and he had a sadistic smile as he looked at them. There was another just like him but a little shorter with white hair and his horns were more jagged. He also wore a similar suite to the taller one but with a bow tie.
The third one looked about as tall as the second but she was female wearing black shredded overalls, had black hair and thinner horns that didn't have the same prominent white stripes as the first two. She also had a more friendly expression and even cuddled with Lincoln after she stepped through. The fourth and final creature to come through the portal was a tall dog woman with animal fur ranging from grey, dark grey and white all over her body and a big bushy tail. She had grey hair over one side, red eyes with white irises and was dressed in a punk rock and death metal outfit. She looked pretty scary but she did flash Lincoln a friendly grin on her canine features. Once they were all through the portal closed and Lincoln turned to his family.
"So, introductions. Guys, this is my family." he said to the demons. "My parents, Rita and Lynn Sr. And these are my sisters. My older sisters Lori, Leni, Luna, Luan and Lynn Jr. And these are my little sisters, Lucy Lana, Lola, Lisa and Lily." he listed off before addressing his family again. "Guys, this is I.M.P. They're my friends, coworkers and... my demon family. My boss Blitz, his daughter Loona, Moxxie and his wife Millie." he finished with his best smile.
The silence that came in response to the introduction was deafening. Lynn, Rita and their girls just stared with wide eyes and mouths agape. At first it was watching Lincoln using actual magic. But the horrifying demonic creatures that entered their house has left them all in a state of shock. So naturally Blitzo was the first to break the ice and he made sure to do so in the most Blitzo way possible.
He walked up and took both parents hands in his shaking them. "Hey there, the name's Blitz the O is silent. Nice to finally meet the sperm donor who squirted his kid into his woman one night after hours of fun under the sheets. And it's also nice to meet said woman who squeezed him back out nine months later. Him and ten other crotch goblins." he said with his trademark smile.
"W-WHAT?!" Lynn and Rita shouted in shock after snapping out of the shock of seeing magic and demons.
Lincoln responded by facepalming and groaning at his boss' choice of words. "Sir! We just talked about making a good first impression and not embarrass Lincoln like this." Moxxie shouted in frustration.
"And I think it was a great first impression Moxxie. They're not gonna forget me any time soon." he replied.
"He's not wrong." Loona said crossing her arms and rolling her eyes.
Lincoln then walked back up to his parents. "Guys I'm sorry, I was really hoping he wouldn't but Blitz is just... well Blitz." he said looking back at him briefly again.
"You knew who your boss was before you invited us over Intern." he said with a smug and his hands on his hips.
Moxxie walked over and shook their hands. "I apologize Mr. and Mrs. Loud. Our boss is very eccentric. But it is very nice to finally meet you all." he greeted with a friendly smile.
"Lincoln, who are they? What are they?" Lynn Jr. asked.
"We're red leprechauns with pots of turds at the end of the rainbow." Blitzo answered with a sarcastic tone.
"Guys I told you. They're demons. Blitz, Moxxie and Millie are Imps." Lincoln explained.
"And Loona is our Hellhound." Millie added.
This annoyed Loona who snapped back. "Hey! I'm not just someone's Hellhound." she barked.
"Yeah Mills she's both our invaluable receptionist and my daughter." Blitzo before hugging her affectionately much to her annoyance.
"Demons?" Like, real live demons?" Leni asked in disbelief.
"As opposed to fake dead ones?" Loona asked back arching one of her eyebrows.
The Louds looked about to one another not knowing how to properly process all this information. That was when Lincoln spoke up. "Guys, there's more to the story." he said gaining their attention again.
He then went into more details about how Mr. Stillman wasn't just a kidnapper but also a practicing demonologist who studied the demonic arts and made deals with Hell's overlords which involved human sacrifices in exchange for prolonged life and youth. That he had been ritualistically kidnapping and murdering his students for decades and that he was going to be his next victim. When his parents and sisters heard that they were horrified. They knew already that he must've been a truly evil man to exploit vulnerable children and was kidnapping Lincoln. But the fact he planned to sacrifice him in some satanic ritual was just to unreal to be true. And the fact that he survived and had finally come home put things in a whole new light.
"Well thank God you're okay now Lincoln." Rita said after getting the whole story.
"Oh sure, we're the ones who saved him but it's her Sky Daddy who gets the credit." Blitzo mumbles with his arms crossed.
"But I don't get it Dude, why didn't you just come straight back home? We're were looking for you for months." Luna told him.
"Because of the curse that Mr. Stillman placed on me." he answered. "Before he preforms his sacrifices he puts an incantation on his victims that binds their souls to Hell." he answered.
"A curse?" Lola asked.
"That's right." he replied. "And while Blitzo, Moxxie and Millie stopped Mr. Stillman from completing the ritual and have saved my life, my soul is still bound to Hell. So until I find a way to break the curse I'm unable to remain in the mortal world for long periods of time." he explained.
"Wait!" Lucy interrupted. "Does that mean... you can't stay?" she asked sounding distraught.
"Lucy I-" he replied before she tackled him in a hug.
The rest of his little sisters rushed in to hug him as well followed by all his older sisters too.
"Please don't go Lincoln." Lana pleaded sounding like she was going to cry.
"Please Link, we just got you back." Luan pleaded.
"Guys I..." he said, struggling to come up with the right words but only hugged them back to try and comfort them as best he could.
Minutes later Rita was in the kitchen with her husband to talk with him in private. "How are you handling it Hun?" Lynn asked his wife.
"I'm... still trying to wrap my head around it Lynn." she replied. "I mean I'm overjoyed our son came home but all this talk about demons and curses is just... I don't know." she admitted.
That was when they heard a clanking sound and turned to see that large dog woman who shared the same name as one of their daughters raiding their fridge. "Hey whoever's pasta this is, I'm taking it because I missed lunch earlier and I'm fucking starving." she crudely said before taking the top off and pouring it straight down her throat.
"Hey! That was supposed to be for dinner tonight." Lyn protested.
"Mmmm, Link was right. You're not too bad a cook." she complimented licking her furry lips. "So where do you guys keep your liquor?" she asked.
"Miss, my husband and I have eleven kids living in this house. Neither of us drink." she said with her hands on her hips and looking at her in a very disapproving manner.
Loona just looked at them with a deadpan expression briefly before finally responding. "Seriously, where's the booze?" she asked.
In the other room Lincoln was still with his sisters as well as Blitzo, Moxxie and Millie and he was explaining to them what Hell was really like. "So Hell is divided up into seven rings. Each ring representing the seven deadly sins of man. Blitz, Moxxie, Millie, Loona and I have been living and working in the Ring of Pride." he told them.
All the sisters were baffled by this revelation but Lisa was the most perplexed. "All this time. All this time I had devoted my life to science and reason. I never found one single scrap of evidence that there was any such thing as magic, curses, demons and alternate dimensions." she said still examining Blitz. "I'm curious, are Imps mammals or reptiles?" she asked him.
"What the fuck is that supposed to mean?" he snapped.
"Sir please. Remember what Lincoln told us, his family aren't comfortable with copious amounts of swearing." Moxxie spoke up, trying to get his boss to watch his mouth in front of human children.
"Yes, thank you." Lori replied. "The last thing we need is for the younger girls to literally develop a potty mouth." she added.
"Yeah sorry Lori." Lincoln said rubbing the back of his neck. "I tried talking to them about this before coming back to the mortal world and I thought we had an agreement but swearing is really commonplace for the denizens of hell." he said as Loona reentered the room. "I mean Loona can't say good morning without dropping the F bomb twice." he remarked.
"Hey!" the Hellhound barked. Lincoln gave her a look and she then shrugged in response. "Okay okay fair enough." she said looking back into her smart phone.
"So, what exactly is Hell's society like?" Lynn asked her brother.
"A very complicated and chaotic one at once." he answered. "In addition to having a birthplace and racial caste system they also have an autocracy with various ranks and titles." he told them.
"It's important to know that there's also a lot of crossover and overlap between all these ranks, titles and races. Sometimes very powerful demons will have multiple titles at once." Moxxie added.
"That's right." Millie interjected. "For example, the King of all Hell is also one of the Seven Deadly Princes and an Overlord all at the same time." she told them.
"Uh, wait what?" Lola asked with a confused look.
"Okay so first let's start with the three main categories of demons and I'll try to make it simple." Lincoln replied. "Three main kinds of demons are Fallen Angels, Sinners and Hellborn. Fallen Angels are exactly what they sound like. When Lucifer was cast down from heaven eons ago he took a third of the angels in heaven with him. So now they're a subspecies of demon in hell along with him. Sinners are when humans who die and go to hell are reborn as twisted versions of who they once were before they died and are shaped by the sins they committed. Hellborn demons are those native hell and each race has it's origins in one of the seven rings. For example, Imps come from the Ring of Wrath. In fact, Millie herself is a Wrath Imp." he pointed out.
"Wait, Overlord? Deadly Prince?" Leni asked tilting her head slightly.
"So Overlord is a rank above... well everyone else." he responded. "And it's important to know that there's a lot of nuance to the rank. There are demon royalty and nobles that are literally born with the rank of Overlord and then there are Sinners and Hellborn demons who can achieve the rank through wealth, influence, raw demonic power and or a combination of all three. For example, the demon royalty and nobles are all Overlords with just fancy titles that they hold and inherit. But there are also Overlords who don't really hold titles but still have power and influence. Several Overlords I've heard of operate in Pentagram City. Vox, Valentino and Velvet, all collectively known as the Three Vs. Though not Royalty definitely very powerful demons in their own rights." he told them.
"So just to be sure that we're following, Overlord is a rank while Kings and Deadly Princes are titles that about right?" Luna asked.
"Nailed it." Blitzo answered.
"Right." Lincoln added. "Now titles are how various Fallen Angels and Hellborn Overlords are arranged in the hierarchy. And like Moxxie said, there's a lot of overlap too. First at the top is Lucifer. Lucifer is the King over all of hell and is also the Deadly Prince of Pride where he lives and rules over. With him is his family, Queen Lilith and their daughter Princess Charlie Morningstar. Below them are the Seven Deadly Princes, also known as the Seven Deadly Sins. As I said Lucifer is the Deadly Prince of Pride and rules as the supreme Overlord of the Ring of Pride. Satan is the Deadly Prince of Wrath, Mammon is the Deadly Prince of Greed, Beelzebub is the Deadly Prince of Gluttony, Asmodeus is the Deadly Prince of Lust, Leviathan is the Deadly Prince of Envy and Belphegor is the Deadly Prince of Sloth." he finished listing off.
"And each Deadly Prince rules over each respective ring in hell with absolute authority." Moxxie Commented. "King Lucifer may be the sovereign ruler of all seven rings, but how much power he has beyond Pride is debatable. It's fair to assume that the other Deadly Princes just pay tribute and lip service to him and his family." he told them.
"To be honest most in hell just do their own thing." Loona commented while still reading from her phone.
"Next are the Ars Goetia." Lincoln continued. "Over seventy two aristocratic families in all seven rings that come from the Fallen Angels who followed Lucifer after he was cast out of heaven. The Ars Goetia are also divided up into every title you'd expect from royalty and nobility. Titles as high as Kings and Queens right down to lessor nobility like Barons and Baronesses. And just as Moxxie pointed out, there's a lot of overlap too. Asmodeus also holds two titles as an Overlord. He's both the Deadly Prince of Lust and a King of the Ars Goetia." he pointed out at the end.
"This is just getting crazier." Luan commented.
"I did say earlier things were really chaotic." Lincoln replied.
This was when Rita and Lynn Sr. reentered the room. "Lincoln, Honey your father and I need to know. Is there a way to break your curse?" she asked him.
"I honestly don't know yet. My magic teacher could probably explain better than I could since he's a master of the demonic arcane arts. However he and I both have been trying to find a way since day one. Still, I see no harm in asking." he says before pulling out his hellphone. "Give me one moment, going to call a good friend." he said grinning.
"You aren't seriously calling Stolas are you?" Blitzo asked with a groan.
Lincoln didn't respond but he did finish dialing his friend's number. After ringing a few times he heard a familiar, moody girl's voice on the other end. "Hello, this is Octavia Goetia. Daughter of the most dysfunctional family in all of hell. I can't answer at the moment either because I'm doing something that doesn't involve hearing my parents fight or I don't care. If you want me to get back to you then leave a message after the..." she said before she finished by blowing raspberries into her phone.
"Uh, Octavia is this really your message box?" he said chuckling.
"Oh Lincoln hey!" he heard her sounding a lot more upbeat. "I'm sorry, I was distracted and didn't check who was calling. How's it going?" she asked him.
"It's good. I'm back in the human world. I'm... I'm finally visiting with my family again for the first time in months." he said almost not believing it himself.
"Really?! Link that's great." she replied sounding very happy for him.
"Hey I called because I need to know, is your Dad busy? If he has a moment I was hoping he could help explain my condition better for everyone." he told her.
"Sure I think he's... hey Link if Dad comes over, is it alright if I come over too?" she asked. "You've told me a whole lot about your family and I would really like to meet them." she told him sounding genuine.
"I mean if your Dad has no problem with it I see no reason why not." he said with a shrug.
"I'll go get him now! See you again soon Link!" she said sounding more giddy about going to the human world again.
"See you again real soon Octavia." he replied before ending the call. "Okay I guess we'll have to wait a few minutes and I'm sure Stolas will be here soon." he told everyone.
"Oh fucking damn it." Blitzo said with a face palm.
"Oh for crying out loud." Lynn Sr. complained. "Mr. Blitz, will you please watch your language in front of my children?" he asked him.
Lola turned to her brother. "Why does Blitz seem unhappy with this Stolas guy coming over?" she asked him.
Moxxie however answered. "Well young lady, your brother's magic teacher really... likes Blitz." he tried explaining in a way that they would understand without it sounding too adult for them.
"More like "Really Likes" him." Millie said before looking at Blitzo in a teasing manner. "The Prince is our Boss' Boyfriend!" she explained while really drawing it out for dramatics.
All of Lincoln's sisters and parents did a collective "Oh" in unison and decided not to comment. However Blitzo was quick to react. "Millie I gave you a similar warning back in Wrath so I'll say it again. I am not above slapping a female in front of her son." he threatened.
What Blitzo said took his parents by surprise. "Son?" they bosth asked looking at one another.
"Oh right." Lincoln said rubbing the back of his neck feeling a little awkward for not bring this up sooner. However Moxxie and Millie putting their hands on his shoulders with caring smiles made him feel a little better. "Uh Mom? Dad? Blitz is definitely my boss and both he and Loona are great friends and coworkers. But Moxxie and Millie are more than that. When I first came to hell I had nowhere to go so they've both been taking care of me. They're... well my foster parents." he said before Millie embraced him in a tender hug and holding him close.
This day was just full of surprises. First they're son comes home, then he reveals that hell is a real place, that he's been cursed to stay there and that he's been working with demons, but now he reveals that two of those said demons have taken him in as their own surrogate son. Just one more thing for Rita and Lynn as well as the rest of the girls to fully process.
Moxxie took a few steps forward to address Lincoln's parents by blood. "Mr. and Mrs. Loud. Ever since Millie and I have taken up the role as Lincoln's legal guardians, I can speak for the both of us when I say you both truly have a wonderful son. Lincoln is such a special boy and my wife and I have been, will this will sound odd coming from us but truly blessed to have him as our foster child." he told them sincerely.
"It really has been so wonderful." Millie said after finishing her hug. "Moxxie and I celebrated our first wedding anniversary not long ago and already we feel like the proud parents of our own little Impling." she told them.
Lincoln was worried about how his folks would react but he was pleasantly surprised when his dad shook hands with his foster father with both smiling. Rita stepped forward and took Millie's hands in her own before speaking.
"Millie, for months I was so worried about my little boy. Every day I feared for him and could only wonder where he had gone. What made it especially painful was I had no idea if he was even alive or dead. So I speak for both my husband and our family when I say thank you, both of you for watching over and keeping Lincoln safe." she told her honestly.
Lincoln was happy to see that things were already warming up between both his families. He could already tell that there was a feeling of warmth and trust developing between them. Even Blitzo and Loona couldn't help but smile a little.
"So, Lincoln said you guys were his coworkers. What do you guys do?" Lori asked.
"Oh we're assassins kiddo." Blitzo answered with a smug.
And just like that the Louds were shocked once more by yet another revelation. "Assassins? Like the kill people kind of assassins?" Luan asked looking between the imps, the hellhound and her brother.
"There any other kind?" Loona asked looking up to her briefly with one of her brows raised.
"Assassins." Lynn Sr. said still trying to wrap his head around this. "Lincoln, you haven't... killed anyone have you?" he asked dreading the answer.
"What? Oh no Dad I don't kill people at all. Moxxie, Millie and Blitz handle the killing part all I do is open portals to and from with magic." he answered.
"Oh thank goodness." he replied with a feeling of relief.
"But still, who would hire you to kill people?" Rita asked looking to Blitzo.
"Sinner demons." Moxxie answered.
"Yup." Lincoln said beginning another explanation. "Sometimes humans who die and are reborn as Sinners have unfinished business or grudges they want settled in the human world. But both under King Lucifer's decree and because it's impossible for Sinners to even exist anywhere but in the Pride Ring, they come to us and pay up front to have someone here killed." he told them.
"And I've made sure to only hire the best for I.M.P. aka, Immediate Murder Professionals. And Moxxie." Blitzo said purposely getting under his employee's skin.
"It makes sense that people come to us for these jobs." Moxxie said stepping in. "Imps such as myself, my wife and our boss are natural born killers no matter which ring we hail from." he told them.
"He's not joking." Lincoln interjected. "I've been to the Wrath Ring and while all Imps have a natural affinity for violence Wrath Imps are the most bloodthirsty. Makes sense since that is where they originate. Heck, Millie's parents Pappy Joe and Granny Lin share all their personal war stories from when they were my age. Heck, Wrath Imps even join sides between families and clans to start civil wars just for fun and that's not even a joke." he said with a smile like he couldn't believe it.
"The point we're trying to make is if you're ever good at doing something don't ever do it for free." Blitzo said with a proud smile and hands on his hips.
"So what does your Loona do?" Lana asked making sure not to confuse the hellhound with her older sister.
"She's our receptionist." Blitzo answered sounding proud of his adopted daughter.
"Unfortunately." Moxxie grumbled.
"I heard that!" Loona barked.
Suddenly the flights began to flicker before they all went out in the house and everyone was now in the dark. A deep rumbling was felt in everyone's feet while the Louds looked around left and right wondering what's happening.
"Lincoln?" his dad asked.
"It's okay guys. Stolas is here." he said still grinning and not worried at all.
That was when a portal opened in the middle of the floor and out came this large, birdlike demon of red and black with a dark and terrible energy about it. After revealing itself in all it's true demonic glory it then condensed itself into a tall owl like demon with four glowing red eyes and dressed in royal attire with a flowing cape draped over his shoulders, a top hat, a scepter in one hand and his grimoire in the other. The portal then closed and with a click of his fingers the lights came back on. At first he said nothing but then out from behind him came another, smaller owl demon. This one shared similar features as the taller one but was dressed in more casual clothing which included a black shawl over a pink shirt with stars on it and a black beanie hate with a tiara.
"Dad? Did you have to make such an entrance?" Octavia asked crossing her arms.
He then chuckled at her question. "I didn't have to make such an entrance my dear Octavia. But I certainly enjoyed it." he replied in a jovial manner while she just rolled her eyes.
Lincoln ran up with a smile while his family were still trying to calm down from when the owl demon scared them. "Hi Stolas, hi Octavia." he greeted happily.
"Ah Lincoln, I'm delighted to see you again my dear boy." the Goetia prince said nodding his head and with a smile.
"Hey Link." his daughter greeted with her own soft smile.
"So, introductions." he says turning to his family once again. "This is my human family. My mom and dad Rita and Lynn Sr. and all my sisters. Lori, Leni, Luna, Luan, Lynn Jr., Lucy, Lana, Lola, Lisa and Lily." he listed off.
The demonic royal stepped forward and shook hands with a slightly nervous Lynn Sr. "And it is a pleasure to finally meet you Mr. and Mrs. Loud and I must say that you have a very lovely house." he told him.
"I, um, uh, thank you your highness." he said smiling and rubbing the back of his head.
Lily then walked up with her curious smile, getting Stolas' attention. "Birdie." she said in her little baby voice.
"Ohhoohoohoo!" Stolas laughed in delight before reaching down and picking the baby girl up. "You are simply the cutest thing I have ever seen. Why I remember when my dear Via was your size." he said remembering the good ol' days when his little owlet was a baby.
"Dad please." his teenage daughter asked hoping he wouldn't start telling stories from her youth.
That was when Lincoln spoke up again. "Everyone, this is Prince Stolas. He's a good friend of mine and my magic teacher. And this is his daughter and one of my friends Octavia." he introduced.
That was when the Goetia prince noticed his favorite imp. "And of course I'm always happy to see you again as well my dear Blitzy." he said in a very flirtatious manner.
"This isn't another booty call Stolas." he yelled back.
"Oh don't worry about that, the full moon isn't for another week." he replied with his smile.
"Dad please." Octavia groaned through grit teeth.
"Right right right." he said before putting Lily back down. "I came here strictly for serious reasons. Children, I will accompany Mr. and Mrs. Loud to the kitchen for a private discussion. Why don't you all go and have some fun while we adults talk. Play nice now my dear Via." he said before following the couple out the room.
"I'm not a little kid anymore Dad." she said before turning back to Lincoln. "I'm glad I had the chance to meet back up with you again Link. And that Dad brought me along to meet your family. Things were getting dull back home." she told him.
"Are you really a Princess?" Lola asked in amazement as being a princess was something she always wanted.
"Not as much fun as it sounds trust me." she replied.
"Come on, let's go upstairs guys. We got a lot of catching up to do and I would like to see my room again." Lincoln told them.
"We made sure it stayed exactly the way you last left it Lincoln." Lana told him eagerly.
At the top of the stairs the group of humans and demons split up with Lincoln, the male imps and the younger sisters going to Lincoln's room while Millie, Loona and Octavia followed Lori and the rest of Lincoln's older sisters to Lori and Leni's room. Lincoln stepped inside his bedroom and took a moment to take in the sight.
"I can't believe I almost forgot what my room used to look like." he said with a small smile.
"You sleep in a closet? I thought your parents loved you." Blitzo remarked.
"My parents do Blitz. It's just as our family got bigger over the years-" he began explaining before he was cut off.
"Because your Dad doesn't know how to-" Blitzo interrupted to say something inappropriate before Moxxie cut him off.
"Sir!" he other male imp shouted, reminding him of the younger girls.
"... As my family got bigger over the years and space was running out, my folks converted a linen closet into my bedroom. Since I was the only boy I needed my own place and this was it." he finished.
"You know Link." Lana started playing with her hands. "Ever since you disappeared on us, Lols and I. We would come here from time to time and.." she said before tears began welling up.
"We hoped one morning you would be here again." Lola finished.
Lincoln got down on his knees and allowed the twins to rush in for a hug. "I missed you guys too." he said holding them close. Even Lucy and Lisa rushed in for some affection from their older brother and as soon as Lily got a hug she refused to let Lincoln put her down again.
"I must admit Lincoln. While a closet wouldn't be the first place I would choose to sleep in, let alone let my son sleep I can see why you would do well in here." Moxxie said looking around. "May not be the most spacious but it looks cozy enough." he commented.
"And it's nice and quiet." Lincoln replied with a smile. "In a family as big as mine, peace and quiet is hard to come by so when you have a space where you can find it, you really appreciate it." he told him.
"So where exactly do you stay while living in Hell?" Lucy asked her brother.
"A spare room in the back of I.M.P." he answered. "Not too different from my room here but a little bigger." he told her.
"Millie really wanted to bring Lincoln back home with us shortly after his arrival but we just couldn't." Moxxie said rubbing the back of his neck. "We're a one bedroom apartment in Imp City and our Landlord would've been displeased if we had a third person living with us when the lease we signed said only two." he told them.
"Probably for the best." Blitzo said getting their attention. "The both of them didn't need Lincoln around while the both of them were busy fu-" he said right before he was cut off again.
"Sir!" Moxxie shouted.
"Blitz!" Lincoln also yelled.
Down the hallway in Lori and Leni's room Millie, Loona and Octavia were sitting and talking with Lincoln's older sisters. Millie sat next to Luan on Leni's bed, Octavia sat in between Luna and Lynn, Lori sat next to Leni on her bed while Loona stood off to the side with her arms crossed. Everyone had a can of soda and were simply relaxing while they talked.
"So how did you and Moxxie become Lincoln's foster family?" Luan asked the female imp.
"Oh it didn't happen straight away." Millie said turning to the brunette. "Lincoln needed time to adjust to his new home in Pride and his new job with us. Once he was more comfortable with us and I introduced him to his new grandparents in Wrath, we got closer and closer. And one day he made it official when he called me and Moxxie Mom and Dad. It was the best day of my life since the day Mox Mox and I said I do." she said with her hands on her cheeks and stars in her eyes.
"That and Moxxie is firing blanks." Loona said with no small amount of snark.
This however got under the imp's skin very easily. "Moxxie does not you bitch!" she snapped, flipping her off while Loona started growling.
"Hey woah woah woah easy Dudes!" Luna said standing up quickly trying to calm them down. "Look, let's change the subject." she suggested.
Lynn turned to the Goetia princess. "So when did you because friends with our brother?" she asked her.
Octavia grinned at that then responded. "We met shortly after my Dad hired I.M.P. to be our bodyguards at... Loo Loo Land." she said with a grumble and a grim expression.
"Loo Loo Land?" Lori asked with one of her brows raised.
"It's a theme park my Dad took me to when I was a little girl." she answered.
"You needed security for a theme park?" Luna asked perplexed by that.
"Must be very dangerous." Leni said disbelief.
"Not really." she said before taking a sip of her soda. "Dad only hired them because he wanted to flirt with Lincoln's red, dick headed boss." she told her.
Loona shivered in disgust in response to that. "So glad I decided to stay back that day." she remarked sticking her tongue out briefly.
"The only good things about that day out was I met Lincoln and we burned that wretched fucking place to the ground." she continued. "That and I met Lincoln. When Dad first told me about a human boy cursed to live in hell I seriously thought he was joking. It was nice to have someone I could talk to while I was there but..." she stopped before smiling fondly as she remembered that day very well. "He became a friend when I really needed one. He really is a sweet and caring kid. Surprisingly mature for his age too. After that Dad invited him to our palace to teach him magic. So he became a fellow student in the demonic arts. And he's getting really good at it." she told them.
"You sound very fond of our brother." Luan remarked.
She responded by taking another quick sip of her drink before speaking again. "I'm an only child. My parents... well the less said about my Mum and Dad the better." she said remembering how they're still going through a very messy divorce. "And I didn't have very many friends growing up. Lincoln isn't just my friend to me. He fells like, the little brother I never had. You have no idea how lucky you guys are to have him." she said with a soft smile.
The five older Loud sisters couldn't agree more. They really did love him a lot. Lincoln wasn't just their little brother he was their little buddy. They each had a lot of very special memories they treasured of him over the years. Looking back and thinking about them brought the five of them such joy. But it also brought them a sense of guilt too. It wasn't until after he disappeared one day did they realize how much he really meant to all of them. Not only that, but they really did take him for granted at times or worse, they did unfairly gang up on him a lot. Yeah Lincoln did screw up at times and there were times he had it coming. But more than half the time they were the ones clearly in the wrong and simply didn't want to admit it.
Downstairs in the kitchen Stolas was seated and using his magic to pour some tea for Rita and Lynn Sr. while they talked. "This has to be the best tea I've ever had." Lynn said as he takes another sip.
"It's amazing. I feel like I'm having tea for the first time ever." Rita told him graciously.
"I am please that you're pleased Mr. and Mrs. Loud. I must say, it was rather nice to share some of finest drinks with such humble and kind people such as yourselves." he said before taking a sip himself.
"So your the one teaching our son magic?" Rita asked placing the cup and saucer on her lap.
"Oh yes. He's been learning at an extraordinary pace for one so young. While I haven't had many students to teach in the demonic arcane arts, I can confidently say he is one of the best. He and my dear Via do quite well together." he told her.
"I take it he comes to study regularly with your daughter?" Lynn asked him.
"As often as time permits." he answers before taking another sip. "Via spends the weekends with her mother and Lincoln's little imp friends keep him busy with work in Imp City but he does come for his regular classes at least two or three times a week. And of course my dear Via is truly delighted to have her friend come to see her. Whether they're studying or "Hanging Out" as the kids say she's always at her happiest. You both should be very proud Mr. and Mrs. Loud. Lincoln is a really special boy." he complimented.
Lynn then put his cup of tea down on the table and looked to the Goegia prince. "Your highness, is there a chance we can break this curse on our son?" he asked him.
"Yes, all we want more than anything else is for our little boy to come home." Rita told him with heartache in her voice.
Stolas responded by taking one more sip of his tea before putting it down. "Truthfully Mr. and Mrs. Loud, I do not know." he told them sounding sorry. "I honestly don't know. Your son is a very unique case. There has never in hell's history been a living mortal bound to hell in this way. Now I will not say that the curse cannot be lifted but this is an unknown case to my knowledge. I don't even know if King Lucifer would know the answer. Let alone care." he explained.
"Is there anything that can be done? Anything we can do?" Rita asked him sounding desprete.
"I think there is." he answered.
"Anything." Lynn replied.
"Lincoln and I are hard at work studying up on curses and seals but he actually theorized that if we could examine the source, it could give us a clue to lifting the curse that binds him. We just have to find the book that his substitute teacher used to curse him to begin with." he told both of them.
"We'll get a search on it immediately." Lynn said with determination.
"I'm sure the girls will help out however they can too." Rita added.
After a couple more minutes Lynn Sr. called everyone down and announced that they would be ordering pizzas. Stolas offered to pay and while the Louds tried to politely refuse the offer he assured them it was no problem and that he was more than happy to do so. And this time they would have a feast in the Loud residence. They ordered six extra large pizzas with cheese stuffed crust. Not only that but they also ordered breadsticks, Buffalo and BBQ chicken wings and eight two liters of sodas. And very quickly things proceeded like families do when at dinner. Lots of banter and goofing around lovingly in a warm family friendly atmosphere. And Lincoln loved seeing his birth parents and his sisters getting along so well with his surrogate family and friends.
And vise versa. He was extremely nervous at first when he decided to introduce everyone and while there were a few hiccups here and there everything actually turned out better than he had hoped. He was happy to see his father Lynn and his foster father Moxxie getting along great at the dinner table and so did Millie and Rita. Stolas sat at the head of the table and very quickly got along great with the younger girls. Especially Lana who was fascinated with the tall owl demon. She did love animals after all. Blitzo mostly kept to himself but Link was pleased to see him and Loona getting along better.
And Loona herself seemed to be enjoying Lori, Leni and Lynn Jr.'s company while they ate while Octavia most talked with Luna and Luan. Speaking of which, tonight's dinner was a real treat for the younger owl demon. Growing up a princess, she was just too used to fine dining prepared by the finest chefs' She was completely bored of that kind of food and her taste buds were numb to it. So having food a little more down to earth like pizzas, burgers, fries and chicken wings were a very refreshing meal for her. Once everyone had finished eating they would return to the living room and naturally the Loud house would live up to it's name as things got a little chaotic which was simply the norm for such a large family. Even if demons weren't visiting them.
But unfortunately, time was running out. And Stolas would be the one to have to deliver the bad news. "I'm afraid that it's time for us to return everyone." he informed them.
That was when Lucy, Lana, Lola and Lisa immediately rushed in to hug Lincoln. "Please tell us that you're not leaving Lincoln." Lola begged as her eyes welled up.
"We just got you back." her twin pleaded.
The rest of his family rushed in to hug him too and he returned the hug to as many as he could. "I'm afraid I have to go guys." he said wiping his own eyes. "But don't worry, I will come back. Eventually I will break this curse and come straight back to you. That's a promise." he told them sounding as confident as he could.
Stolas used his grimoire to open a portal to hell once again and they demons were the first to enter. Lincoln would step through and wave his final goodbye to his human family. With heavy hearts but hopeful smiles they waved back as well. Rita, Lynn Sr. and their daughters were going to make it their goal now to find that book and get it back to Lincoln as soon as possible to help him break that curse. But they were not the only ones with heavy hearts. As Lincoln waved Millie's own smile faded as a thought came to her. She turned to her husband who gave her the same look. Without even saying a word both of them knew what the other was thinking. If Lincoln succeeded in breaking his curse and returns to the mortal world, he'll go back to his human family.
But does that mean that they'll both lose their son too?
[Author's Note] Like I said before, this technically isn't really even my story. I was inspired to do this by TvFan2244 who is currently writing "A Loud Among Demons" and while there will eventually be a chapter where Lincoln does reunite with his family and introduce them to I.M.P. I can't say for sure that this is how it will play out. This is just my guess or what I would do if it were my story. Either way I hope you liked this little mini one shot story and if you guys haven't been to TvFan2244's page or checked out the stories there I highly recommend it. Especially "A Loud Among Demons" because it's a lot of fun. Thanks for reading and reviewing, I'm eager to read what you all think.
This is Dragon1990 signing out :-)