Before long, the large crowd of Imps once again gathered in front of the stage where Stolas stood, all of them waiting in anticipation for the grand finale to the Harvest Moon Festival, one that the Goetia Prince himself was responsible for.

"My dear commoners of the Ring of Wrath!" he announced, levitating his magical grimoire in front of him and flipping through its pages. "I, Stolas, of the Ars Goetia hereby curse this year's harvest with the glow of the true Harvest Moon!"

The moment he said that a large surge of magic suddenly appeared in the sky, opening up into a huge portal that revealed a beautiful red-coloured moon among the stars, sending a beautiful glow all over Wrath and the Imps who looked up at it in awe.

Of course, while most Imps liked to be on the stage in person since the moonlight could be seen from so far away, there were a select few who preferred to watch the display from the comfort of their own windows. Among them, were two particular Demons who were left in a state of bliss, particularly the Sinner whose eyes slowly began to fill with tears.

"Hey, y'all okay?" Ember asked, placing a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh! Y-yeah, I'm fine," Mick quickly said, wiping his eyes. "It's just… It's been so long, ya know?"

Nodding her head, Ember understood completely why Mick would feel such a way. In fact, it was one of the reasons why she invited him into her room to begin with. After everything that had happened over the last couple of days, she wanted to do something nice for the Cat Demon to ease him after all the stress he went through… and what better way to do that than to give him the best view of something he had been missing for the last 14 years?

"As beautiful as you remember?" she asked, causing Mick to chuckle.

"Oh, you have no idea," he replied shamelessly.

Seeing that Mick was happy, Ember then thought it was time to bring up the OTHER reason she brought him here, the more important one that needed to be addressed before Mick left for Pride again.

"Hey, um… thank ya, by the way," she said, causing Mick to raise an eyebrow.

"For what?" he asked.

"You know what," Ember retorted, scooching a little closer to the Sinner as they both sat on the windowsill. "YOU recorded my song and sent it to that fella in Wrath, didn't you?"

Realizing that he had been caught, Mick made no attempt to lie about it. After all, he didn't want to insult Ember's intelligence by denying his involvement.

"It's that obvious, huh?" he said, giving Ember cause to smirk.

"Mhm," the Imp replied, crossing her arms like a scolding parent. "When'd you do it?"

"Well… I recorded your song with my phone during my second night here," Mick explained. "And then I might have messaged it to my former employer this morning."

"AFTER I told you about my dream to see Pride I'm assuming?" Ember asked curiously.

"Yeah," Mick answered, bashfully scratching the back of his head. "I know I might have been overstepping but… but you and Granny did so much for me during the last couple of days, I wanted to do something for you in return… you're not… mad, are you?"

Slightly taken aback by the Sinner's words, Ember needed a moment to recollect herself before shaking her head with a smile.

"Of course, I ain't mad," she said playfully. "True, you went behind my back, but it's not like ya did it out of malice… plus being given the option to go is WAY better than y'all just hogtying me and dragging me to the Pride Ring."

With the mood quickly lifted, the two Demons shared a small laugh at Ember's joke.

"So… what are you gonna do?" Mick asked, genuinely curious about the result of his efforts.

At first, Ember didn't say a thing, choosing only to look back out her window with a solemn smile. Then after closing the window and the curtains, she gave Mick her answer.

"Well… me and Granny talked about it, and as much as I don't like leaving her… she insisted that I take the chance," she said, both giving Mick a surprise AND a surge of relief. "I'm off to the Pride Ring on Monday."

Hearing that, Mick felt ecstatic for the beautiful Imp. Not only is she finally following her dream, but she's also moving to a place where he could see her any time he wanted, so now he could congratulate her for her success in person.

"I'm happy for you, Em," he said honestly, causing Ember's smile to grow. "You deserve it."

At that moment, Ember suddenly tackled the Sinner into a tight hug, the happiness she was feeling being too much to hold back anymore.

"Woah, hey now!" Mick exclaimed with an amused chuckle. "I didn't do that much."

"Yeah, ya have," Ember insisted, looking deep into the Cat Demon's eyes with admiration. "Do you have any idea how long I waited for such a chance? Granny may have been telling me to go for years, but YOU were the one who gave me the push I needed."

Then Ember turned her head away, obstructing Mick's view of her face, which slowly began to gain a mischievous grin.

"…and I think it's time y'all REALLY knew how much I appreciate ya."

At first, Mick had no idea what Ember meant by such a statement… however that curiosity immediately flew out the window when she suddenly walked over to her bedroom door and locked the bolt on it.

CLICK!

"Uh… Ember?" he uttered nervously. "W-what are you doing?"

At those words, Ember turned and showed the Cat Demon her sultry grin.

"Oh, just making sure we're not disturbed," she said, confusing Mick even more.

"Why would-"

"Sorry, Mick but could you take off your mouthpiece for a moment?" Ember interrupted, not giving Mick the chance to ask anything.

As baffled as he was, not to mention miffed about being cut off like that, Mick nevertheless obliged Ember's request and removed the said piece from his mask.

"Okay, so what's- Mmmmmmmmmhhh!"

The moment the Cat Demon's mouth came into view, it didn't take more than 2 seconds for Ember to suddenly grab him by the front of his shirt, and crash her lips against his before slamming him into the nearest wall. While startled at first, Mick had to admit that the Imp's soft, luscious lips felt amazing against his own. However, as blissful as it was, the Cat Demon had enough of his senses to push Ember away long enough for him to breathe.

"Ember, what are you-" he tried to say, only to be cut off AGAIN by Ember placing a single finger over his mouth.

"Nuh-uh!" she said firmly, biting her lip with what looked like a predatory thirst. "No talking. Tonight, I'M the one in charge."

As much as Mick wanted to argue, he suddenly found himself captivated by her dazzling, hungry eyes that were practically pleading with him for something.

"You have NO idea how much I've wanted this, Micky," Ember continued, dragging her finger down from the Cat Demon's mouth, along his neck before circling across his chest. "You're not like any of the other assholes down here. You're kind, chivalrous… and you have no idea how much that turned me on even BEFORE you went wild during the games… now that I've seen that… I just can't resist anymore!"

Holy fuck! She actually meant it! Mick may have seen sexual desire before, hell, Jewel subjects almost everyone with a pulse to it… but this… this was different. The look of longing Ember had in her eyes… the sensual way she was licking her soft lips… there was no denying it. Ember wanted him BADLY!

"Ember, I-" Mick tried to say, only for Ember to once again cut him off.

"I said no talking," she said with a gentle growl. "Just let it happen, cowboy!"

With that, she then pulled Mick away from the wall and attacked him with another kiss, only this time pushing her tongue into his mouth. Feeling the Imp's slippery organ squirming around his teeth like an eel, any sense the Cat Demon may have had left was now all but gone. Melting into the sloppy kiss, Mick quickly turned things around and started wrestling Ember's tongue with his own. At that moment, it was like something awoke in the pair of them… something PRIMAL!

Moments later, Ember guided Mick towards her bed before she jumped forwards, her legs instantly wrapping around his hips in a lustrous frenzy. With the sudden weight added to his front, Mick suddenly found himself stumbling backwards, causing the pair of them to crash onto the mattress. Parting their mouths for a moment, a tiny sliver of saliva still connecting them as Ember lifted her head, Mick soon found himself gasping upon noticing the position the pair of them were in.

Looking down at Mick as she straddled his waist, Ember couldn't help but giggle as she arched her back and spread her legs even more, giving Mick a clear view of her crotch. With her tight shorts leaving next to nothing to the imagination, Mick couldn't help but quiver as he felt something stiffen and rise upon seeing the Imp's inner thighs in such a delicious pose.

"Seems like someone's finally come out to play," Ember chuckled, grinding her hips before taking hold of the Cat Demon's hands and slapping them on her backside.

The moment Mick's hands came into contact with her ass cheeks, his eyes immediately rolled back in ecstasy. While he may have been mesmerized by Ember's beauty before, especially when he first laid eyes on her, he never could have imagined being able to touch her like this. With his palms sinking into the soft, pillowy buns through her shorts, it was like grasping a pair of firm, luscious marshmallows. After a moment of making Mick caress her butt, Ember decided to up her game and slide his hands down her shorts to allow him full access to her flesh.

Purrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Feeling the string panties between his fingers, Mick was unable to hold back a pleasurable purr from his feline throat, causing Ember to giggle even harder.

"Having fun, are we?" she teased. "Well… what do you say we make this even MORE fun?"

"Uh…"

RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRIP!

Before Mick even had the chance to say anything, Ember suddenly grabbed the front of her shirt and ripped it open, popping off almost every single button before holding it out in front of her and tearing it in half. Being too mesmerized by Ember's breath-taking, devilishly toned upper body clothed now only by a black backless bra, Mick was unable to put up any resistance when she suddenly pinned him down, took the torn pieces of her shirt and tied his wrists to the bedposts. Seeing the gorgeous Imp's plump breasts bouncing in his face, the Cat Demon knew that there was no turning back now. If this were an anime, his nose would already be gushing gallons of blood at this point.

"This is it, Micky," Ember purred with a sultry lick against Mick's cheek. "You. Inside me. Right now. Hope you're ready, cause this cowgirl's gonna ride this stallion till he breaks!"

"Oh… fuck."

"Exactly,"

Meanwhile, back downstairs, the celebration was practically nearing its end when the customers of the Snakeskin Saloon began to flood out the front entrance.

"Alright, closing time," Granny announced, ushering a few of the more reluctant patrons out. "I know y'all want another drink but I'm closing early."

"Awwwwwwwwwwwwww,"

Needless to say, some of Granny's more stubborn customers didn't like that particular notion. However, all of them knew better than to mess with Granny even while drunk. Soon enough, the entire building was empty save for Granny, Chimp, Champ, Chomp and Snowflake, the latter three snoozing behind the bar while Chimp helped Granny wipe it down.

"Looks like someone's all tuckered out," Granny chuckled, taking note of the children's current state before turning to their older sibling. "Surprised you ain't the same way, given what you went through today."

At those words, Chimp instinctively placed a hand on the band-aid on the cheek where Scorch's knife grazed her face. However, she quickly shook her head to get rid of the memory before it lingered.

"I'll be alright," she insisted. "But… uh, thanks for looking out for me anyway."

Granny couldn't help but grin at that.

"That Mick fella really got through to ya, huh?" she asked, taking note of how open Chimp was trying to be compared to yesterday. Undoubtedly the result of her little chat with the aforementioned Sinner.

Chimp, of course, couldn't resist smiling herself.

"Yeah…" she said. "He really is the best."

"OH YES! DON'T STOP, YOU ANIMAL!"

Though it may have been muffled through the floorboards above their heads, there was no denying the sound of Ember's voice as Chimp and Granny heard her out from her bedroom upstairs.

"YES! YES! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAHA YEEEEESS!"

Hearing the sound of her granddaughter's voice as well as seeing the hanging lights sway from side to side as the ceiling shook, it didn't take much time for Granny to figure out what was going on up there.

"Sounds like my granddaughter agrees with ya, sugar," she commented, unable to hold back a small chuckle.

Chimp, however, was only left confused.

"What the hell is happening up there?" she asked, causing Granny to stop laughing immediately.

It was at that moment an awkward silence fell between the two Imps. For a brief few seconds, Granny had completely forgotten that she was standing next to a 10-year-old.

"Uh… I'll tell ya when you're older," she said, choosing not to spoil the pouting child's innocence and patting her on the head.

By the time morning arrived back in Wrath, many Imps in the streets awoke with terrible hangovers due to partying too hard the previous night. Some of them had even taken to sleeping just outside their respective dives. However, one particular Imp awoke with a look of satisfaction upon her face as she laid belly-down on her bed, naked as the day she was born, her bare ass on display for all to see as tiny scratches marked her skin in certain places.

"Wow…" she uttered, taking a drag of one of Mick's marijuana joints as she ran a hand through her messed-up hair. "Talk about a wild ride, huh?"

Her partner, however, couldn't utter a word in response due to his mind still reeling over the events of the previous night… and how little control he had over himself. Sitting next to Ember as equally naked save for the top half of his mask, all Mick could really do was smoke his joint and recall everything that happened over and over again. The writhing, the biting, at one point Ember even used Mick's own tail as a whip while she used hers to do… other things. In all honesty, wild was putting things MILDLY considering how much they were both reduced to animals last night.

"That was... an interesting turn of events," Mick eventually said once he was finally able to get his voice back.

Hearing that, Ember couldn't help but giggle, albeit somewhat nervously

"Y-yeah," she said. "Sorry for just springing that on ya. But… you enjoyed it right?"

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't," Mick admitted, remembering how little he resisted when Ember started tearing off his pants. "Are you always that flexible?"

"Impressed, were you?" Ember replied, giving the Cat Demon a seductive smirk.

"Again, I'd be lying if I wasn't."

However, after letting out a small laugh at that, Ember's smile slowly faded before she turned her head away and spoke back with a more serious tone.

"Of course… you'd enjoy it a lot more if it were someone else, wouldn't you?" she said, causing Mick to cough up some smoke in surprise.

"Wh… what?" he uttered, only to receive an even bigger shock when Ember further elaborated.

"You know who I mean," she said, turning her head back to the Sinner and giving him a stern glance. "The gal who clearly has your heart… a certain Goetia Princess?"

As soon as Ember said that, Mick immediately threw his legs over the side of the bed and turned his back to the Imp with a small scowl across his mouth.

"I thought we agreed to drop that conversation," he said irritably, recalling the talk the two of them had after Ember overheard his call with the aforementioned Goetia.

"Yeah, I know," Ember retorted. "But I felt that y'all weren't as fully into it as I was. This was fun, sure, but I know when someone's heart belongs to someone else."

The more Ember pushed the subject, however, the more defensive Mick became. So much so that his tone got slightly more aggressive with each passing second.

"Look, for the last time, I don't have feelings for her!" he snapped.

However, Ember wasn't going to back down from this.

"Bullshit!" she retorted. "That torch you're carrying is brighter than every flicker of Hellfire! You'd have to be blind not to realize it!"

"Let it go, Ember!"

"For fuck's sake, why can't you just be honest about it!?"

"Because I CAN'T have feelings for her alright!? It's better for everyone if I didn't!"

…

"What… what do you mean by that?"

Realizing that the shouting contest between the two of them had caused him to let slip more than he wanted to, Mick let out a heavy sigh of defeat.

"It's... complicated," he uttered, looking down at the floor before reaching down and picking up his pants.

Peering over the Cat Demon's shoulder, Ember's eyes turned soft when she saw him pull out his Rosario. As he clutched it tightly with a heavy sigh, looking down at it with sad eyes, the Imp soon began to formulate a theory.

"There was… someone else, wasn't there?" she asked. "Before that Princess of yours, I mean."

At first, Mick said nothing, however, seeing that Ember had no intention of dropping the subject, the Sinner had no choice but to answer truthfully.

"In a manner of speaking," he said, further elaborating as he noticed Ember's raised eyebrow. "About 7 years ago, I had this… friend. She and I were close… Not romantically, no! Nothing like that. But you could say we really cared about each other… in a way she was like a big sister to me."

To further illustrate his point, Mick then turned and allowed Ember a good long look at the Rosario in his palm.

"She was the one who gave me this, you see," he further explained, causing Ember to blink in surprise.

"That's why you were so desperate to get it back?" she assumed, causing Mick to answer with a positive nod before his frown returned.

"It was the last thing she gave me before… before the Exorcists took her."

At those words, Ember slapped a hand over her mouth and gasped. Worse still, she immediately noticed Mick's hand trembling as some undoubtedly awful memories began coming back to him. However, rather than letting the Imp see him cry, Mick pulled the Rosario close to his chest and turned his back to her once more.

Taking everything Mick said into account, Ember slowly began to understand everything she had been witnessing over the last couple of days, especially the Cat Demon's connection to a certain Impling downstairs. So THAT'S why he was so quick to forgive her because at the time they both had something they cherished taken from them… specifically something that was given to them by someone they lost.

"Between losing her… and losing my mom 8 years before that… I finally came to the conclusion that I'm not meant to get too close to anyone," Mick continued, gritting his teeth in frustration. "Sure, I've made friends over the years but… I just can't allow myself to get any closer than that. Because every time I do… someone always leaves."

At those words, fresh tears began to drip out from the eyeholes of Mick's mask.

"I just… I just can't put myself through that again,"

Unable to bear seeing the Sinner like this, Ember shed a few small tears herself and suddenly wrapped her arms around Mick's chest from behind in a comforting hug.

"Oh, Mick," she said, resting her chin on the Cat Demon's shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

Feeling Ember's bare breasts squeezed up against his back, Mick felt a little flustered at first. However, that swiftly faded as he melted into the embrace. But as nice as it was, to Mick something felt… off as if the moment was still missing something… or someone. Looking down at the arms wrapped around him, he suddenly found himself seeing a pair that didn't belong to Ember… a pair with dark feathers. Before he even realized it, his mind had caused him to envision Octavia being the one embracing him, the pair of them in a state of bliss unlike any other.

Snapping his eyes shut, Mick shut those thoughts off immediately. This was wrong. He can't just keep lying to himself anymore… and he certainly can't keep lying to Ember after everything they had been through.

"You wanna know the worst part?" he eventually sighed, feeling the floodgates of his heart being blasted wide open from the inside. "You're actually right. I DO have feelings for Octavia... I just can't bring myself to admit it… and I don't even think I should."

Hearing Mick finally admit his feelings, Ember didn't know whether to be relieved or concerned that he still wasn't willing to act on them. In any case, she couldn't stay silent with her opinion on the matter.

"Mick…" she uttered, rubbing her temple. "You have to at least TELL her how you feel."

"You really think I don't want to!?" Mick snapped, feeling Ember's statement to be slightly condescending. "You don't just walk up to a girl, hand her a bouquet and tell her that you have a massive crush on her out of the blue!"

Ember, however, merely smirked at such an excuse.

"Uh-huh," she said. "This coming from a guy who spent most of last night banging a pretty girl?"

"Yeah, well to be fair YOU took the lead on that one," Mick retorted with an eye roll. "Besides, what have I got to offer her? I mean, she's a highborn lady of quality for crying out loud."

Now it was Ember's turn to roll her eyes.

"Oh Mick, must I really be the one to list what you have to offer?" she asked, earning herself a small scoff.

"Oh, please, do tell me how I'm the Princess's valiant soul mate," Mick sarcastically declared. "Correct me of my foolish ways."

This, of course, earned him a small, albeit playful, jab in the shoulder.

"I'm serious!" Ember replied with a laugh, the mood slightly elevated only for a brief moment.

"So am I," Mick retorted, letting out a heavy sigh. "I mean, even if I did confess and we started going out, I'd only be causing her problems, especially from her family. It's not like they're gonna let their heir slum it with some peasant who can't give her one of her own."

That last part, of course, made Ember's eyes shoot wide open when the realization kicked in.

"Oh, yeah," she said, scratching the back of her head. "You Sinners are all infertile after death, ain't ya?"

"Mhm," Mick replied with a nod. "So there you have it. As much as I want to tell her how I feel… the fact is that I'm not good enough for her."

SLAP!

"OW!"

"Now you listen here, sugar," Ember snapped, not feeling an ounce of regret in giving Mick a good smack across the back of his head. "I ain't just gonna sit here and let you put yourself down like that!"

"But-" Mick tried to say, only to be further scolded for his trouble.

"Shut it!" Ember growled, grabbing the sides of his head and turning it to face her… even though the rest of his body didn't do the same. "Look, you can say anything ya like, but it just sounds to me that you're just wanting excuses not to give yourself a chance. Come on, have SOME pride."

At first, all Mick could do was stare at the Imp in astonishment, but then after resetting his neck, he let out a small sigh.

"You… you really think I have a chance?" he asked, this time earning himself a smile and another embrace.

"Mick, if you could win ME over in two days, I'd be surprised if that gal hasn't fallen for you already."

Whether that was meant to be a joke or not, Ember's statement only seemed to fuel Mick's anxiety. Was it actually possible for him and Octi? It wouldn't be the first Sinner/Royal relationship in Hell… then again none of them had Octavia's parents. Still, the thought of it being a possibility was… wonderful.

"I know you're afraid of being hurt, Mick," Ember continued, sensing the tension rushing through the Sinner. "But I'm telling you right now, if you don't even try, you'll regret it for the rest of your afterlife."

Mick will give Ember one thing, she was extremely stubborn when she was trying to make her point… and fuck it, she was definitely winning Mick over with her argument.

"But I wouldn't even know where to start," the Cat Demon pointed out, still feeling a surge of hesitation. "In case you didn't notice, I'm not exactly a Casanova."

Ember couldn't help but laugh at that. After the night they shared, it was pretty ironic to hear Mick actually say that.

"Well… maybe I could help?"

As soon as those words reached Mick's ears, he immediately had to check them to make sure he heard right.

"Come again?" he uttered, causing Ember's smile to soften.

"Mick… I like ya more than you realize," she elaborated, causing Mick to feel a little guilty. "But even if you ain't mine if I can help you in any way… I'd be ok with that. I just want y'all to be happy."

Hearing Ember pour her heart out like that, Mick was overwhelmed with emotions. So much so that he had to lift the Imp's chin up and give her a small peck on the lips.

"I don't know what to say, Ember," he said, giving her a small hug. "You know, you really are the best friend I could ask for down here."

After melting into the hug for a few moments, Ember soon pulled away with a new content smile… which soon turned into a mischievous smirk.

"A friend... with benefits?" she asked.

SLAP!

"OOP!"

This joke, of course, earned her a small spank courtesy of the Sinner, who in turn gave her a grin of his own.

"Cheeky!" he chuckled, causing Ember's own grin to grow.

"Oh, that's it!" she said, growling like a panther before she pounced. "Come here!"

After that, the pair of them shared a hearty laugh as they readied themselves for Round 3.

Sometime after 10 AM, Mick and Ember came downstairs. Now fully clothed and slightly drained, the pair of them were looking forward to a decent breakfast. However, as soon as they reached the bottom of the stairs, the pair of them were surprised to see that every table in the entire saloon was filled with bunches of bouquets and gift baskets. Needless to say, neither of them were expecting to see something like this that morning.

"What the flying fuck?" Mick gasped, scratching his head in confusion.

"SURPRISE!"

"GAH!"

And then they received an even bigger shock when Chomp and Snowflake suddenly burst out of one of the nearest gift baskets like strippers in a cake.

"These things have a shit ton of CANDY!" the little Imp exclaimed excitedly as she stuffed her face with one of the chocolate bars in the basket while Snowflake chomped down on what looked like a dried sausage.

"Okay, what in tarnation is all this?!" Ember snapped, quickly losing her patience with being in the dark.

"This here is the result of popularity, my dear granddaughter,"

Turning their heads, Mick and Ember followed the sound of the voice and caught Granny cackling like a madwoman as she walked out from behind the bar.

"These here tokens were being dropped off out front all morning," she continued, pointing a thumb behind her to show Champ carrying in two more baskets while Chimp limped next to him with another bouquet of flowers.

"And they don't seem to be stopping," she added with a grin.

Mick, however, remained confused.

"But why?" he uttered, causing Granny to laugh even harder as if he were told a great joke.

"Why!?" she repeated. "Mick, they're 'thank yous'. From hotels, taverns, and every other business in Wrath. That varmint, Scorch was one of the most hated Imps in the Ring, and anyone who saw the fight on Voxtube wanted to send their regards."

Hearing that, Mick didn't know what to say. On the one hand, he was flattered that many of the Wrath Ring sent their regards in such a way, on the other hand, he was concerned that they were so quick to find out where he was staying… wait…

"It's on Voxtube already!?"

As soon as Mick let out that shout, the room was once again filled with amused chuckles. Feeling curious herself, Ember quickly took out her Hellphone and began to search through her Voxtube account. Sure enough, multiple videos showing the fight between Mick and Scorch were at the top of the list, especially the ones emphasizing the whole event when Mick was a literal fireball. As soon as Ember showed one of the videos to the Demon in question, Mick was instantly mortified,

"Oh, sweet Lucifer," he uttered.

As terrifying as it was to experience such a phenomenon first-hand, seeing himself recorded in that particular form was a whole new level of trauma. Then again, he couldn't lie and say he didn't look pretty badass, all things considered.

"Well… it's better than the video where I crash into a building at least," he admitted, feeling a little more dignified than he did watching any of the previous videos.

"You should see the hits the one with the musical number had," Chimp commented, recalling a few Imps taking their Hellphones out while Mick was playing the piano the previous night.

At that moment, Mick suddenly noticed the number of views listed under the video.

"30 million hits!?" he exclaimed, his mind practically shattered as he realized that it was the highest number of views he had for a video to date.

"Seems like I'm not the only star coming out of Wrath," Ember commented with a grin, wrapping an arm around Mick's shoulder as she desperately tried not to laugh.

"Hey Mick, look this way!"

When Mick turned his head at the sound of Granny's voice, he was then suddenly caught off guard by a bright flash of light in his face.

SNAP!

"Hey!" he snapped, blinking to make sure he didn't go blind from that. "What the hell!?"

Snapping her head back towards her grandmother, Ember had the right mind to scold her for that stunt. Bad enough that she took a photo without consent, but she also used one of those old-fashioned cameras with the bright flashing bulb on the top.

"Sorry, sugar, but I had to get a picture before you go," Granny apologised with a smile as a small photo printed out of the bottom of the camera. "Gonna get a plaque made for the bar, with an engraving saying 'Michael Fireclaw stayed here'.

Ember, however, wasn't impressed, even less so when she noticed how bad Mick looked in the photo when it developed in the light.

"Granny… you could've at least taken a better picture," she said, taking note of the squint in Mick's eyes in the picture. "This one looks more like it belongs on a plaque saying 'Michael Fireclaw stayed here… and thought it was shit'."

That comment, of course, earned a few light chuckles from the kids, and surprisingly enough, Granny herself.

"Well, where's the fun in that?" she retorted. "Besides, this way it's more like I'm taking a pic of a celebrity!"

Seeing the scene laid out before him, even Mick couldn't help but let out a few small laughs. In the short time he had been here, it felt like he had been here for ages… it almost made him wonder whether or not he should stay just a little… no, no, impossible. He had spent far too long in this particular Ring already… It was time.

"Thank you… for just being like this," he said, drawing everyone's attention. "You know, I really am gonna miss you guys."

With that one sentence, the smiles on all three of the children's faces faded away, replaced by light frowns as the reality of what was going to happen began to set in. However, none looked more solemn than Chimp did. Out of all three siblings, she was the one who connected with Mick the most… and as such, the news of his departure hit the poor girl pretty hard.

"Do… do you really have to go?" she asked, almost whimpering as she limped on over to the Cat Demon with pleading eyes.

As guilty as it made him feel, Mick knew that he couldn't hold this off forever. After all, Granny was right, the kids deserved a proper goodbye before he left.

"I'm afraid so, kid," he answered with a small sigh. "As much as I've enjoyed myself down here, I'm afraid the longer I stay, the more I'm causing trouble for you guys."

"Oh, come on!" Champ protested. "You ain't trouble!"

"Yeah, stay with us!" Chimp added, only for Mick to shake his head.

"I'd like to. Really, I would," he replied. "But the fact is that Sinners aren't SUPPOSED to be in the other Rings. If that video HAS gone viral and Malphas, or worse, Satan finds out that I'm still down here, it's going to be a shitstorm of trouble."

"But I… I…" Chimp tried to say, only for her words to fail her in place of a few small tears.

His heart practically breaking upon seeing such a thing, Mick immediately collapsed to his knees and wiped away the Imp's tears with the tip of his tail.

"Hey, come on now," he said softly, lifting up her chin with a finger. "Not all goodbyes are forever, kid. We'll see each other again, alright? You ain't getting rid of me that easily."

"Y-you… you promise?" Chimp asked with a hopeful sob, causing Mick to give her a gentle smile.

"I promise," he replied, having no hesitation whatsoever. "If you guys are ever in the Pride Ring, I'll be glad to meet up with you any time."

Despite her doubts, Chimp could see no lie in Mick's mismatched eyes. If that wasn't enough to convince her, Snowflake chose to add her own piece by rubbing herself against Chimp's leg like a cat, looking up at the Impling with the biggest eyes she had ever seen. Unable to bottle up her emotions any longer, Chimp eventually wiped her tears and tackled the Cat Demon into a small hug.

"Thank you, Mick," she whispered. "For everything."

Mick, of course, was unable to keep himself from smiling as he returned the embrace.

"As I usually like to say up in Pride… One is glad to be of service," he said, earning himself a small laugh.

After a large farewell breakfast, it wasn't long before Mick was standing outside the Snakeskin Saloon with Snowflake on his shoulder and Granny, Ember and the kids saying their final goodbyes. Not only that but there also seemed to be a small number of Imps from the neighbouring buildings stepping out to see what was going on. As if Mick didn't feel awkward enough already.

"Well… I suppose this is it," the Sinner said after giving Ember one final hug.

"Seems so," Granny replied with a sigh. "Y'all take care of yourself, ya hear?"

"Oh, I will," Mick said assuringly before turning his attention back to Ember. "You be sure to give me a call once you've settled into your new place, okay?"

"You bet your sweet ass I will," Ember replied with a wink and a smirk.

Obviously, Mick and Ember had decided to share contact info before he left, same with Granny at the Saloon. However, given what she heard last night, Granny had her suspicions that the Sinner much preferred to have her Granddaughter's number over her own.

"Okay, you ready, girl?" Mick eventually said, looking down at the Kitsune pup on his shoulder, who gave him an affirmative yip. "Bye, guys. It's been fun."

"Bye, Mick," Chimp replied, giving the Sinner a small wave.

"You kick ass up there," Champ added.

"Bye-bye, Snowy!" Chomp yelled, believing she was going to miss the little fox most of all.

"Alright, here we go!" Mick finally declared, pulling out the paper Stolas gave him from his pocket and reading the words aloud. "In nomine Luciferi, permitte mihi transitum!"

After reading the incantation aloud, Mick immediately looked down at his feet, expecting the same kind of portal that brought him here… only to find nothing but the dirt beneath his shoes.

"What the shit!?" he exclaimed angrily. "Where's the-"

However, seeing the looks of astoundment on everyone else's faces, Mick's voice ended up getting halted in his own throat.

"Uh… Mick?" Chimp uttered, pointing a finger at the sky above them.

Nervously looking up where Chimp was pointing, Mick then immediately paled upon seeing a familiar-looking vortex swirling above his head. Knowing his luck, he could easily guess what was coming up next,

"Oh, balls."

Those were the last words Mick would ever get to say in the Wrath Ring before he and Snowflake were suddenly sucked up into the vortex like a dust bunny into a vacuum cleaner.

"WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

Within a span of three seconds, the Sinner known as Mick Nikos, AKA Michael Fireclaw, was gone from Wrath, leaving a swiftly closing portal in his wake before it too, disappeared completely. Upon seeing the final cinders of the vortex flicker away into nothing, Ember let out a small sombre sigh.

"You sure you just wanna let that one get away, hun?" Granny spoke up, grabbing her granddaughter's attention. "He sure seemed like a good one."

However, much to Granny Magma's surprise, Ember merely gave her a small smirk.

"Oh, I ain't letting him go, Granny," she said. "I'm just biding my time."

This answer, however, only confused the elder Imp even more.

"Even though he's gonna court another?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That IS true," Ember admitted… before her smirk grew even bigger and a lot more mischievous. "But you know what they say… Some of the best things come in package deals. If I'm gonna snatch Mick up… I'm just gonna have to snatch up his Princess too."