The Princess and the space cowboy Chapter 32: SLOTH, a loud house fanfic

Chapter 32: SLOTH.

Lincoln's P.O.V:

Now you did it, congrats, Lincoln, What an amazing brother, what an exemplar human being.

Yes, she is crying, and it's YOUR fault.

I begin hitting my head with a nearby wall, as I keep hearing the slight whimpers of my little sister as she continues to drown them in her pillow in a desperate attempt to appear though in front on me, those soul-crushing whimpers from the girl that always tries her hardest to appear strong, whether it is to maintain her pride or to appear level-headed to me, I'll never know, but there is one thing I'm sure of, if Lola Loud is crying in front of someone.

… It's because she's really hurt.

I think I now realize what exactly hurt her like this, well… it doesn't take a genius to figure it out, I did say nasty thing to her, like implying that her presence was unwanted.

But there's also the little things, when she mentioned that story… It clicked.

But now, there's no time to think about that, right now, there's a major crisis to attend, I just can't stand here like if nothing happened, drowning in self-loath, there's a person that needs me right now.

Even if she doesn't want to.

- …Lols? - I use the softest voice I can, as I approach her bed and assume a sitting position besides her, raising my hand in an attempt to softly caress her head.

- Get out! - She harshly commands while rudely deflecting my arm to the side, it clearly wasn't going to be that easy.

- Lola, I'm really sorry for saying that, look, I know that it sounded really harsh, but I didn't mean it that way! the reason why I don't get to do favors to the others is really just about me, not about anyone else, and you know what? Maybe I am getting lazy, maybe I have lost motivation, so I don't really interact with them that much nowadays, and well… - I take a moment to breath in, the inspiration from deep within rising - That's definitely not because of you, if anything, it's thanks to you that I haven't lost my will for trying, if anything, I don't spend time with them because I'd rather spend it with you - I take a brief pause to think about the wording, even if it is coming from the inside.

- And now that I think about it, all this time, the only one that's been doing nice things for the other, is you… Lola, I'm really sorry, you've been spending time with me, helping me with Stella, from manners to dating advice, you've been supporting me from the beginning, you've even become my gaming partner! And yet… - I look as my princess begins to budge from her face down position, getting a trace of her beautiful blue eye looking back at me from behind - I haven't been able to truly help you with your stuff either, I've become more distant to your pageant presentations, I've become more reluctant to help you with your make up, and more importantly - I manage to get her full attention - I am failing with our promise! - I look at her peeking eye straight, with a resolute expression.

- So, if you feel like not talking to me today, that's ok, I'll understand - I turn to look down in shame once again - But, if you want to… Maybe we can continue the story today? - I give one last hopeful look to her figure, before she turns once again with her face hidden by the pillow, signaling that my apology wouldn't be enough for today, I look down in disappointment - … I see, well, good night Lols… see you tomorrow - I then assume a standing position, and reach the door to the hallway.

- Wait! - I turn around, looks like it wasn't over just yet.

- hmmm - I see Lola sitting on the bed with a serious expression and slightly reddish eyes, my heart sinks at that depressing sight.

- … maybe we can write another chapter - I hear her say with a reserved tone while looking to the side, my heart flares, she might forgive me after all!

- Ok, then come with me - I smile while signaling for her to come by my side as we exit her room and head to mine.

- It sure is taking her a long time… - I think to myself as I stare at the girl sitting by my side on my old, cranky bed, writing restlessly on the aging notebook with a professional poker face, only mustering a smile or a frown at times for what feels like milliseconds, it allows me some time to think about my lines going forward, as I was pretty convinced that she wasn't about to fully forgive me yet.

Somehow, I get a… nostalgic? Feeling about this, an activity that I internalized so much that I could literally work on auto-pilot for it, the story wasn't even the most important part about it, it had come as a way for me to exteriorized some of my feelings for the world in a way that only Lola could understand, every adventure that I wrote had been a result of experiences with my friends, or with my family…

…Or about those dreams, it's honestly so embarrassing to even think about it, the first one was already a pretty rough experience, it took me weeks, no, months, to let go, no doubt in part thanks to Stella's support, I guess Clyde also played a part, but it really wasn't until Stella confronted me back in that hellish week, that I could even let go of it and look at Lola normally again, even then, it still took a long time for me to be able to think about it without cringing, without extracting more implications that I should have.

But, I guess life always finds a way to bring you down even when you think you have already cleared all major obstacles, enter 13 year old, hormonal Lincoln Loud, what an amazing gift to be greeted by life, We continued the story as normal, with Captain(Sir) Triton and the princess going on their quest for the Icy tundra, we thought about finishing the journey quite early, but first we took a detour for a village at the end of the desert to "refill".

And then I had that dream, one to completely dethrone the first one, the king.

The king of degenerates that is.

But of course, if was not the first, nor would it be the last, my mind is barely kept sane if only for the fact that I woke up before-

- I'm done! - Lola gets me out of my train of thought as she shoves her work on my lap, I turn to look at her and find myself in awe, she is actually smirking, clearly proud of whatever she wrote, I can only find relief in the fact that she wasn't angry enough to stop with her teasing, I would rather have Chandler throw me to a mud pool than have to witness my dear sister's sad look for one more second.

Anyways, I proceed to read.

Into the story:

" - Captain watch out! - DeLola makes a quick call to warn the stubborn Captain-turned-knight on his path through the falling rocks of the mountain, as they were heading through the summit, where they would be met by the unbearable cold of the frozen cold tundra.

- Got it! - Triton makes a clumsy maneuver to barely avoid his impending doom, all while retaining his composure and determination to follow the radar.

- You know, you should be more careful dear, you were almost a pretzel - The beautiful princess-turned-agent reminds the cowboy with alarming concern - Here I though all of those months training on the desert village had actually been worth something - She added with sarcasm.

- I apologize, my love, but we must make haste, the signal is weakening, it could be the signal of an incoming blizzard! - The captain turned to his girlfriend, while offering his hand in an attempt to speed up the pace.

- I'd be more careful of the effects of the evil which honey, ever since she inflicted that curse upon you, your abilities seemed to have weakened over time - DeLola warned the cowboy, noticing his increased agitation as the air in the mountain became thinner.

- Come on, that spell is insignificant, and for the last time, agent, Lady Priscella is not evil, she's just… misguided - The captain deflected his girlfriend's concern, rising up at the defense of the witch, who had previously attacked him with a love curse in order to tie him into giving her the Gluttony Diamond.

[ Oh right, I remembered the other reason for not wanting to do this as of lately… ]

- Captain, sometimes, it looks like if you were still under that curse - The princess retained her composure, despite of obvious signs of annoyance over the cowboy's naiveness when it came to women.

- Whatever - The captain halted the conversation as he proceeded to guide his partner into the rocky climb, brazing for the gelid wind from the Tundra, which was starting to become visible.

As the pair traveled through the snowy pines that signaled the entrance to the Cursed Tundra, the radar began emitting a strong signal for the place that would contain the temple where the second diamond rested, or so they assumed, but it wouldn't really be a bad guess, considering the amount of frozen remains of the fools who had dared to cross the territory unprepared, it was a given that under the intense cold of the region, many would perish on their way to the temple.

Fortunately, some of the dangerous effects of the climate where partially nullified by the heavy equipment of the Captain, who managed to create an area of heat with the space-resistant material of his suit, which also helped the princess to retain warmth right there.

As the couple approached the spot marked by the radar, the visibility was becoming reduced, warning signs of an incoming blizzard were starting to show.

- Dear, maybe we should find a sheltered place to cover from the storm? - The princess quickly pointed it out to the focused captain, who looked back in apparent annoyance.

- My princess, it would be better if we got out of here as soon as we can - The captain replied while quickening the pace.

- Why? What's the hurry? - DeLola insisted.

- There aren't many safe places that can save us from a blizzard, the sooner we find the temple, the better - He continued resisting, his mind set on finding the temple.

- But what if we don't? What if that stupid radar tricks us again? - She reminded the cowboy of their near-death experience at the desert.

- It should still be nearby, the radar wasn't entirely wrong, we should just keep looking - He persisted.

- In the middle of a blizzard? - The princess pointed the obvious flaw of his plan.

- Doesn't look like we have many options, do we? - The captain finally halted the pace to look back at his love with annoyance.

- Well, I don't know you, but I see a cave right over there! - The princess pointed her finger to the location, across a dense path of trees, a cave rising before an icy peak became barely visible through the increasingly dense snow.

- Look, we could go to that cave, risk our butts to whatever creature could be residing there and lose an entire day, or we could just go the temple, get the diamond and just leave before the blizzard happens. - The cowboy said with an irritated look.

- You know the answer, captain, it's not that hard, and anyways, what's the hurry? We've brought food, we brought shelter, we have quite enough weapons to kill a Golem, we can survive the cold with our equipment, but a blizzard? That's another story. - The princess was beginning to lose her temperament as she mimicked the expression and tone of her personal knight.

- It's not that simple, agent! - The cowboy snapped.

- Why not? - The princess snapped back - Is it because of your friends at the town? do you have an "important meeting with them" to play their dumb card game again?

-…-

- Or… ohhhh wait, is it because of her? What is it now? A new potion? A new spell? A new way to make you lose track of what we're here for? -

-…-

- What is it captain? -

-…-

- Don't you want to continue with this quest anymore? -"

Back in the real world.

I look at those last words, then turn the page to the next one.

There is nothing else.

Oh, she really ended it there.

I make a mental note to punch myself for insisting on continuing the story as I gulp some leftover saliva before turning my eye from the book to her eyes.

Her expectant look says it all, she wants an answer, not from Captain Triton, no…

She wants an answer from Lincoln Loud

… Fine, I'll give one to her, but it's up to her whatever she might interpret from Triton.

We don't exchange a single word, as a silent mutual agreement is made between the both of us, I begin writing.

Into the story:

"- … Fine, come with me. - Triton lowers his head as he directs his attention to the cave that the princess had pointed to before, then begins doing a slow an awkward walk towards it.

Being only a few yards off, the walk doesn't take long, but the icy distance between the two adventurers is felt, as they manage to approach the entrance, the brave captain pulls a lantern from the equipment to illuminate the cave. In the hopes of it being empty.

The flashlight reveals a very deep passage, presenting itself as a bottomless road enveloped in darkness, a little too ominous for a "natural" structure, but regardless, as expected from the state of the climate outside, the deafening sound of the imminent blizzard is muffled by the echo of the cave.

The princess was right.

The pair decide to venture deeper on to the cave, careful on not making loud sounds on the potential danger of awakening a secluded beast, after a few steps deep into the cave, the captain decides to halt their progress, settling a small campfire with dehydrated materials from his bag and grabbing a bag of fried slugs from the village.

As the adventurers lay their backs on the rocky walls of the cave and assume a sitting position, facing each other in opposite directions, the cowboy begins to speak.

- Look, my beautiful princess, it may seem that I… -

*beep*

The captain is cut short, as a loud beep reaches the pair, echoing through the cave, this puts the couple in high alert, as they decide to grab the food and save it back into the bag, the captain grabs the lantern and ventures forward, the curious princess following behind.

The radar was indicating another spot, and it was located in a direction coinciding with the shape of the cave.

- i swear it was going over here! - The captain explains to the disappointed agent as they reach a dead end, a single wall signaling the end of the road.

At least it meant that the cave was safe.

- As always, when are you going to stop trusting that radar, that slug was probably just looking to scam us - DeLola said with a boring expression, as she allowed her back to rest in a nearby wall.

*Click*

The princess nearly falls in her butt as a hidden door turns around, showing the passage to what appears to be a glistening cave covered in a pale blue crystal, where a giant stone sculpture in the form of a bear-like creature, lies to the side of a wall with an ancient inscription, as the captain and the princess come closer to said wall, he recalls the inscription, now without the need for his trustable translator:

"Confess, control, overcome. Succeed and the stone of legend shall be yours, otherwise, the guardian of this sacred shrine will awaken"

- Well, I guess we are in the temple of sloth - The agent remarks with ill intent, rather than genuine amazement, Triton braces himself for the fated confrontation. - Go ahead, Captain, touch it, I'm sure you have something to tell us - She finishes passive-aggressively.

Knowing what is to come, the cowboy gulps and shrieks in anticipation, as he musters the courage to touch the wall, revealing the ancient microphone-like device, alongside the illuminated inscription, he makes use of his translator one more time:

"Have you ever procrastinated, avoided or insufficiently performed your duty?"

[- I look at my sister in the eyes as I narrate his words, echoing my sentiments - ]

- I, Captain-Sir Triton, leader of the galactic federation, solemnly declare to have avoided my honored duty on inquiring to the princesses desires and to procrastinate on our quest to obtain the 7 legendary diamonds, my life in the town had been getting too comfortable on the past 3 years, and as a result, I had lost track on this important matter. -

Back in the real world.

- … Hey, why are looking at me like that? - I say as I become intimidated with the suspicious look that Lola is giving me at the moment.

- Nothing… - She says as she looks to the other side, seriously, you would have to be living with her for a long time to understand her at times.

So of course, I knew that something was wrong, guess she didn't feel like if it was enough.

- Let's just say that the wall isn't moving yet - She looks back at me with a distant look of disappointment.

I greet my teeth as I grasp at straws to find a way to "satisfy" her curiosity, I told her everything I needed to tell her, there is nothing else to hide, of course I have an idea of what she wants me to add!

But I refuse to do it.

- Lola, I'm not going to involve her anymore in the story, we talked about this before! - I finally break the silence, as I decide to tackle the subject directly, sometimes, you just need to hold the bull by it's horns.

- So i guess the Golem will wake up and kill us all, well thank you, Lincoln, now I know how this story ends. - The bull is starting to overwhelm me, I see the sheer sadness of my sister as she makes an effort to stand up with clear intentions to leave the room.

I… can't let her go, I wouldn't forgive myself.

- Wait! - I forfeit my dignity, as I grab her hand to stop her from leaving, - I'll write something more ok - I catch her attention as I write an additional confession.

Into the story:

"- It seems that the wall won't budge, captain - " The princess wisely points out, signaling the obvious withholding for the full story on the hands of the cowboy.

As the pressure increases, the ancient remnants of the bear-shaped giant golem to the side begin shifting, a signal of impending doom approaches, as the captain lightly turns his head back into the stone wall, the signs were clear.

He cannot fool this ancient artifact.

- I shall also confess, that through the process of alliance, my recent closeness with the sorcerer, Lady Priscella, may have blinded me to the path that was chosen by fate, making me stutter and deviate from the journey that bonded me with the princess by my side. - The captain confesses with full conviction."

Back in the real world.

- … so, is the first obstacle conquered? - I refer to the blonde by my side with a hint of annoyance, nobody would like getting as cornered on the spot as I was!

-…mmm ok, it seems that the wall may start crumbling now. - Lola explain with a snarky smile, conscious of her victory, I cannot say that my admission was fully sincere, but it had to get the job done.

- However, there is still one thing, Triton. - She looks at me on the eyes, her teasing gaze turning to my video game console, then to my magic cards, then to my cellphone.

…Right, that I may be willing to agree.

Into the story:

"The walls start to crumble, and the familiar braille-like series of dots are revealed through the place where the inscriptions are found, all three of them, but the first one doesn't turn green immediately, there was still more juicy truth to squeeze from the growingly frustrated cowboy.

- … Finally - The captain continues, while holding his hand to the heart in admission - I confess to delaying my mission on the rescue of the lost team lead by sergeant Cloud McStrife for the personal reason of lack of motivation, which has also affected my diligent training for the sake of improving my abilities. I confess to creating a growing tension between the galactic federation as a result of my inabilities to engage meaningfully, I confess to becoming distant to my family back in my constellation, and most importantly - The captain holds the hands of the beautiful princess by his side - I confess to taking my companion for granted, for using her assistance in my town escapades for no real return, for ignoring my quest with her out of fear, and for becoming so lazy to assist her with her own royal debuts - He concludes."

Back in the real world.

- … and he means it! - I finish my narration by referring to her, not DeLola, the princess from the tale, I mean Lola, my real sister, taking my eyes away from the story to gently hold her hand. My admission finally catching up to my consciousness, allowing me to see the decadent path that I had been taking without even noticing, I don't know what came over to me when writing that "confession", but it did reach a part that I though I had concealed well.

Regret.

- I see… - Lola closed her eyes while turning back to face the wall, she stood there for what felt like minutes, before turning back to face me, her face showing determination.

- Gimme that! - She said while quickly taking the notebook away from my lap, immersing herself with the pen and the paper before I could even get the chance to protest.

Into the story:

" A strong quake caught the knight and the princess off guard, making them almost fall over, but it quickly stopped as the familiar green glow appeared in one of the braille like cravings, signaling that the first task, "confess", had been completed.

It was then, to the surprise of the captain and the princess, that the second symbol also lit up, quickly following the first, signaling that "control" had also been completed.

[ - Wait wha-? -]

[ - shhh, just keep reading -]

- I don't get it - The captain scratched his head at the overachieving result of his confession -

- Well, could it be perhaps, that admitting was already the first big step? - The Princess commented, after analyzing the situation.

- What do you mean? - The captain inquired for her to elaborate.

- Isn't it obvious, my love? - DeLola explained - By coming here, by accepting to pursue this journey once again, by admitting your recent shortcomings with such conviction, every thing you did and say today were already things that you were looking to avoid, that is the first step in "controlling" your laziness, and in that regard, you had already opened the second seal, Triton. - She finished with confidence.

But regardless of the reason, the cowboy still had to face one last challenge."

Back in the real world.

- Ok Linky, you know what to do! - Lola looks at me with a promising smile, the last task ahead didn't need any explaining to do.

- Right away - I share the look, as I take the pen from her hand and begin writing.

Into the story:

" - I, Captain Triton, hereby declare, upon the judgement of the guardian that keeps this temple safe, that I will never again delay, or actively avoid to assist, or spend time, with the people around me in the name of sloth and lack of dedication, and will muster all of my willpower and energy into achieving my goals, to return to my glory days - The once-brave cowboy returned to his first stance, and with new-found determination faced the dangers awaiting, expecting to advance by breaking the last seal of this temple.

[- So, will it open? -]

[-What do you think?-]

The power of triton's newly obtained conviction proved effective, as the last symbol began glowing it's characteristic green, leading to the sudden collapse of the heavily armored wall, granting the pair access to the chamber ahead.

Inside, as if expecting for a pattern to emerge, the duo examined the walls of the entrance first, expecting a meaningful message in a similar style of how the chamber of the temple of gluttony represented food, but there was nothing, just a weary stone wall, in a way, the lack of a solid presentation of the cave kind of made a lot of sense for the meaning of it's respective theme.

Perhaps the ancient designers were too lazy to add anything else.

Going deeper into the cave, was the shrine, which held the blinding light-blue shine of the legendary diamond of sloth, held in a pedestal, but without any additional protection, ready for the pair to claim it.

Maybe the ancient designers couldn't be bothered to add any additional test either, and regardless, it was clear that the princess held no qualms in regards to this particular sin, being the only one to consistently push for the progression of this journey.

So without any additional hesitation, the captain, having cleared his own test of willpower to allow the pair access to the shrine, made a brave advance to retrieve the glowing diamond, keeping his guard high in case of any traps.

It was to his surprise, then, that picking the stone from the pedestal, and saving it in his bag, did not trigger any additional mechanism, as he began taking a few steps away from the shrine to reunite with the princess.

- You know, having 2 of the 7 in our possession… made me feel like if we should just keep going, no hesitation this time! - The captain gave away his new-found resolution to the beautiful companion by his side, making it clear that this time around, their adventure wouldn't be delayed or halted.

The look of happiness and confidence that she gave back to him was the last confirmation that he needed, now resolute, the pair exited the shrine and began heading back to the town, not to stay there and procrastinate, no…

To prepare for their next journey.

Back in the real world.

- … You mean it, Linky? - The little girl by my side whispers in a barely audible, sleepy and adorable tone, well aware of the hour I assume.

- Of course Lols! - I reply confidently, pointing a finger at myself in a heroic fashion.

- So you will continue to follow your dreams? - She replies with a raised eyebrow.

- I will - I reply without a trace of doubt, - In fact, what you said earlier kind of made me realize that I was leaving Clyde and my other sisters a little behind, from now own, I will try to make as much time for them now as I would with Stella or you, sorry about that Lols! - I said while looking at the side, a little ashamed at thinking just how much I was avoiding my responsibilities and setting for mediocrity, that's no attitude for the man with the plan!

- Actually… - Lola begins looking at me with a visibly ashamed expression, touching her fingers like a shy anime girl - … forget our sisters, I really don't mind you spending more time with me…. - She confesses while looking at the side, I look at her with confusion and bewilderment, was she backing down on what she had just told me? - …Look, As long as you continue doing your best in what you like, whether it is writing, drawing comics or performing magic tricks, I will support you, I know that you can be anything you set your mind on Linky, and I usually don't like to repeat myself, but that thing I told you on that trip to Scotland is still true, you're special, bro, you can always come up with a plan, you always know what to say, you have incredible convincing abilities, and if you just put a little more effort, you can become number 1 in a lot of things! - … ok, now that's just flattery, I can't help but feel a growing warmth in my chest, she is obviously trying to change the subject, but I let her go on.

- So please, don't let anybody convince you otherwise, not even her! - Lola looks at me directly at my eyes, a concerned look evidently showing, I honestly don't know what to respond, no matter how hard I think, I still fail to see the connection between Stella and me not "following my dreams".

- Ok, I won't Lols, don't worry, I will try harder now! - I say anything I can come with to ease her worries.

- And also… thanks for continuing the story, I had a feeling that you no longer liked it - Lola was now looking down to her chest, crestfallen, obviously, my big brother instinct was activated instantly, I pulled my arm closer to her back and pushed her in my chest in a tight hug, she immediately relaxed and cooed sweetly, making my chest feel strangely heavier.

- … you also know very well how to woo a girl~ - Lola managed to slip under her breath, barely audible but enough for me to catch up.

- Yeah, i didn't believe at first, but Stella's confession was definitely a surprise - I replied in a haze, confused about the remark but flattered at the compliment.

- Yeah… that's… the… probl…- I didn't get to hear that full part, Lola began gently snoring on my chest, a clear indication that she had successfully drifted to sleep, I watched with heavy eyes as I felt her soft breaths coming in an out of my chest, I gently laid the home book, our home book, in the nearest night table, making sure not to wake her up and began focusing myself on the task of finding some z's on my own, holding my princess tight in my own arms and smelling the delightful aroma that was emanating for her usually pristine, beautiful hair, I couldn't help but direct my hand to caress her curls, somehow, it felt right, I felt right, with my beautiful little princess by my side, protecting her from everything.

… This isn't happening, please tell me it's a joke, why is my stupid teenage body doing this to me? Fucking hormones, please STOP IT!

These spontaneous hard-ons are the worst.