HAPPY EASTER! Okay, before we get started, I just want to clear something up. Now, I've spoken with some of you recently, and I've told you that this was going to be a big chapter. I believe I said this was the chapter was the one I've been dying to write since I first came up with this story. Unfortunately, that's no longer the case. See, the events of this chapter as it is now were originally just supposed to be buildup for the good stuff. But my creativity got the better of me and the buildup became the length of a full chapter. So, rather than make this chapter disproportionately longer than the rest of the story, I decided to split my original idea for this chapter into two. So, Chapter 6 is where things will really start getting good. Anyway, Hazbin Hotel is owned by Amazon and Adventure Time is owned by Cartoon Network. Enjoy.
Chapter 5: The Long Walk
(A short time later)
"See anything yet, Husk?" Charlie called from her position in front of the Hotel's main entrance.
"Yeah, I see fog! Lots and lots of fog! Just like the last eight times you asked me!" the Bartender called back from his position hanging halfway out a seventh story window with a pair of binoculars. "I promise if I see something you'll be the first to know!"
"Okay then! Carry on!" the Demon Princess replied and then went back to her pacing.
She knew she was being a bit of a pest, but she couldn't help it.
She was anxious.
Anxious as all Hell.
And for a very good reason.
After her encounter with Doug the Mega-Newt, it became painfully clear that they were not on Earth like she'd originally thought. However, having visited every Ring at least twice, she knew this couldn't be Hell either. And since she doubted there could be any part of Heaven that smelled this foul, that only left one inescapable conclusion.
They had somehow been transported… somewhere else.
Okay, so it was a super vague conclusion, but that's why she was having Husk do recon.
They needed more intel on this strange new world.
"Everything okay, Hon?" Vaggie asked as she rejoined her lover outside, having changed out of her nightie and into her normal attire.
"Not really, but I'm trying to stay optimistic." Charlie replied, trying to maintain at least a semblance of her usual zeal. "I thought you were resting."
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine. You're still hurt. Go rest."
"I'll rest when this is over."
"No, you'll rest now."
"I'm not tired."
"Vaggie, this isn't your girlfriend talking, this is your boss. And as your boss, I'm ordering you to go lie down."
"I told you I'm fine. Why are you making such a big deal out of this?"
"Because you're hurt!" the Demon Princess said sharply as her eyes began to well up with tears. "Because you got beat up by that big bully and I wasn't there to help you because I'm a bad girlfriend!"
"No, no, Charlie. You're not." The Fallen Angel said reassuringly as she put her arms around her in a comforting embrace. "You're a wonderful girlfriend."
"No, I'm not! I'm horrible!"
"Shhh~ It's okay, Hon." Vaggie replied soothingly as she stroked Charlie's hair. "Now listen, we've known each other a long time, right?"
"Sniff. Uh-huh."
"And you know I don't really like… people, right?"
"Yeah."
"But with you it's different. Charlie, I love you, and I love being with you, because you make me happier than anyone else in the world. And if that means that sometimes I get beaten up, then I'm okay with that. Because I know I can take it. Okay?"
"Okay." Charlie replied softly, as she wiped away some of the tears with her sleeve. "But I'm not sure I can take it."
Vaggie said nothing but shot the Demon Princess one of those warm half smiles that told her everything was going to be okay.
"Hey, down there!" shouted Husk from his lofty perch, instantly gaining the lovers' attention. "Sorry to break up this lovefest, but I just spotted something you're gonna wanna see!"
XXX
(Not long after that)
"Was it this way or over here? Maybe that way?" Charlie muttered to herself as she attempted to locate one specific patch of fog through Husk's binoculars. "Or maybe it's more up? Or maybe to the right? Or…"
"Oh, for Christ's sake." groaned the semi-loyal Bartender in exasperation as he took her by the chin and steered her gaze several inches to the left. "There, see it now?"
And indeed, she did.
Through a small gap in the fog, the Demon Princess saw what appeared to be a house. Specifically, a two-story stilt house whose bright pink paintjob made it stand out amongst the gloom like a bearded lady at a beauty pageant. And that's exactly where she needed to go.
"Alright, I've got my heading." Charlie said confidently as she turned to her 'loyal subordinates' to issue her commands. "Listen up, people. I'll soon be heading into unknown territory to gather intel on this strange new land. Do you all know your assignments while I'm gone?"
The demon trio all nodded in unison.
"Good, but just for the heck of it, let's go over it one more time. Husk, you're in charge of the Hotel. Just keep everyone on task and out of trouble until I get back."
"You got it, Kiddo." The Bartender replied dryly.
"Angel, you take care of Vaggie. I know she's stubborn, but she needs her rest. So, make sure she does and promise me you won't get on her nerves."
"I can promise not to do it on purpose." The Spider Demon said matter-of-factly. "But beyond that I can't help ya."
"Good enough. Now Cherri, you're in charge of Niffty. Just watch over her until she wakes up."
"No prob, love." The Aussie Cyclops said proudly as she gave her unconscious charge a gentle pat on the head. "Nothin's gonna happen to this little psycho while I'm around."
"Good, and do you all remember what to do if that scary guy comes back?"
"Run and hide like cowards." Angel answered bluntly.
"Exactly. This is no time to be heroes. All that matters now is survival." Charlie said with a weird sense of leaderish pride. "Okay, you've all got your assignments. Now wish me luck."
And with that said, the Demon Princess spun around to begin her journey, only to come face to face with her girlfriend, who did not look happy.
"Vaggie?" she said surprisedly. "You're supposed to be in bed."
"You didn't seriously think I was gonna let you do this alone, did you?" the Fallen Angel asked disapprovingly.
"Vaggie, we've been over this. You need rest. Period. Now go back to our room."
"You do remember you can't fly, right?"
"So, I'll walk."
"Charlie, that house is at least a mile away. Let me carry you."
"No. You're hurt."
"I'll be fine. You're not that heavy. And besides, who knows what else is out there? For all you know that house could be a trap."
"All the more reason for you to stay here where it's safe."
"Hon, this is crazy. You can't walk a full mile in the rain to a strange house all by yourself. I'm coming with you."
"No~" the Demon Princess whined childishly. "I couldn't live with myself if you got hurt again trying to protect me."
"And you think I could live with myself if you got hurt while I was here napping?"
"I uh… I guess not." Charlie admitted weakly. "But you still need to rest."
"Charlie, I'm not gonna be able to rest if I'm worried about you being out here by yourself." Vaggie reasoned. "So, you might as well let me come with you."
"Yeah, but I… I…" Charlie stammered stupidly as she struggled to come up with a convincing argument. But when that ultimately failed, she finally gave in. "Sigh. Fine, you win. You can come, but only on one condition."
XXX
(Fifty-three minutes later)
Charlie puffed and panted like an asthmatic as she slowly trudged across the muddy landscape; carrying her beloved Vaggie in her arms like the precious cargo she was. Sure, her shoes were ruined, her back was aching, and her chest felt like it was on fire, but it was a small price to pay to let her future wife heal. Her happiness was all that mattered.
"You know, I'm actually feeling a lot better now." Vaggie said to her with a pleading look in her eye. "I don't mind walking the rest of the way."
"What? Pfft! No~ Don't be silly. I love carrying you like this. It's almost like we're practicing for our wedding night. Heh-Heh-Heh-Heh…" the Demon Princess said, forcing herself to smile, while deep inside she was thinking. 'Oh, sweet merciful God! How can someone so small and skinny be this heavy? My arms feel like they're gonna fall off! I think I'm gonna throw up! Oh please, oh please, oh please, oh PLEEEEEEAAAZE~ Let us be almost there!'
"Charlie." The Fallen Angel said softly, shaking her out of her mental anguish. "Nothing that happened today was your fault."
"I know that." Charlie replied, more bluntly than she'd meant to.
"Then why are you punishing yourself like this?"
"I'm not punishing myself." The Demon Princess replied, trying very hard to sound calm and rational. "If you'll recall, I wanted you to stay at the Hotel. This is just my way of making a compromise."
Vaggie just sighed, looking quite defeated, until a sly grin spread across her lips.
"You know what this reminds me of? Our first week together." The Fallen Angel said with a hint of playful nostalgia in her voice. "Remember, Hon?"
"How could I forget?" Charlie replied, the memory taking her mind off her discomfort. "You were a difficult patient then too. You wouldn't let me do anything for you. You had to change your own bandages, and make your own bed, and walk yourself to the bathroom."
"I wasn't used to having someone take care of me. It was… different." Vaggie said, her cheeks turning red from embarrassment. "Besides, I kinda thought you were crazy."
"What? Why?"
"Well, you'd invited a total stranger to come live with you, and you'd put bubble wrap on everything."
"I did that for you. You kept bumping into everything."
"I understand that now, and I think it was really sweet. But did you really have to cover up one of your eyes too?"
"I didn't want you to feel self-conscious… but yeah, that was a stupid idea."
"I just wish you'd figured that out before you fell down the stairs. Six times."
"Yeah… I guess I do get carried away sometimes." The Demon Princess said as her own cheeks started to burn. "Vaggie, I… I'm sorry if I've been a little… smothering today. It's just… seeing you that hurt, it… it scared me. It scared me because it happened when I wasn't around. When I was asleep. It makes me feel like… like I'm not doing my fair share in this relationship."
"Oh Hon." Vaggie said before leaning in to give her lover a sympathetic kiss on the cheek. "I'm sorry too. If I'd known things would get so crazy, I would've woken you up right away and we could've dealt with it together. But I thought it was just more of Angel's nonsense, so I let you sleep."
"Of course you did. You're too sweet to 've done anything else." Charlie replied sweetly, before her expression turned sullen.
"There's something else bothering you, isn't there?" the Fallen Angel asked her, but she did not reply. "Come on, Charlie. You know you can tell me anything."
"Ugh. I don't know. It's… It's stupid."
"There's no one else here and talking might make you feel better."
"Sigh. Okay…" the Demon Princess relented, pausing for a few moments to organize her thoughts. "It's just… seeing you with that big bruise on your chest, it made me think about my Mom."
"Sorry, I'm not following."
"Well, my parents were together for like… eons, and I always thought they were happy, but then one day my Mom just left. And as much as I wanna believe it was for a good reason, maybe it was just because she finally got sick of my Dad. I mean, you know how he is. He means well, but he's… a lot."
"Okay, but what does that have to do with us?"
"Well… I'm a lot."
"Yeah, so what?"
"So what? Vaggie, I'm annoying! I never think things through! I screwed up in Heaven because I couldn't control my emotions. I'm always embarrassing you in front of other demons. I let Alastor pick on you because at the time it doesn't seem like a big deal, but then later I realize that it is a big deal, but I still don't say anything because I need his help and I don't…"
Vaggie placed a gentle finger on her lips to stop her mid-ramble.
"Hon, breathe."
Charlie chose to take her advice and took a few quick cleansing breaths.
"Feel better now?"
"Yeah… much better."
"Good. Now stop berating yourself and tell me what's really bothering you."
"Okay, it's just… I know helping me run the Hotel isn't really what you want. I know you just want to settle down and start a life together. And I know you're willing to wait for that because you love me. But sometimes I worry that one day I'll do something or say something that'll make you stop loving me and then you'll leave me too."
"Oh Charlie… That is the stupidest thing you've ever said."
"I know, but…"
"But nothing! Charlie, I love you, and there's nothing you could ever do or say that could change that. And okay, sure, Alastor and the others drive me nuts, and sometimes I wish it was just the two of us, but I'm not gonna bail on the Hotel. Not if it means living without you."
"You mean it?"
"Of course, Hon. You know you're the only girl for me."
Hearing this made Charlie smile, which made her soul feel a thousand times lighter.
"Thanks, Vaggie."
"Anytime, Hon."
And for a brief moment, all their problems just seemed to melt away.
The aches and pains in her back, the looming threat of the mysterious scorpion-man, even the fact that they were lost in some strange new world; none of that seemed to matter so long as they were together.
"Well, looks like me made it." Vaggie said, shaking the Demon Princess back to reality. "Oh boy."
Charlie was about to ask what the 'Oh boy' had been for, when she suddenly remembered a key detail about the house she'd seen through the binoculars; namely that it had been a stilt house.
Before them stood a dozen or so thick wooden pillars that suspended the house proper at least thirty feet above the ground. There was no way in Hell the Demon Princess could climb that, even if she hadn't just walked a full mile through the mud while carrying another person.
"Do you want me to fly us up there?" Vaggie offered, to which Charlie softly replied,
"Yes please."
End Notes:
I said too much in the opening, so I'll make this brief.
The next chapter will be super awesome, thanks so much for reading and I'll see you there.
Peace.
