Author note - welcome back readers! Another chapter for you all, hooray! Thanks to the 36-42 supporters, y'all are five-stars, flawless, greater than great! Enjoy the read.
Chapter 48: Hell is Forever?
When they came to, there was nothing.
Darkness enveloped them as they floated in an endless void; it reminded them of Alastor's shadow travel expanse, but more unsettling somehow. They tried to raise an arm to grasp at something or summon a flame to light their way, only to come to the stark realization that they didn't have an arm anymore. They were entirely without a body to speak of.
They tried to take a deep breath to settle their unease, but they lacked the means to push air down their throat and into their lungs. Panicking, their thoughts swirled with curses and questions, all circling around what their future held, if anything.
Once their alarm abated, they drifted in the endless sea of shadows in their formless state, occasionally hearing a clink of chains or the crackling of fire, seemingly coming from everywhere and nowhere all at once.
After what felt like forever, they wondered how long they had been floating in the dark nothingness. With no sense of time, it could have been seconds, hours, or even days; it was impossible to say.
'Is this it?' They wondered grimly.
Suddenly, there was a change in the air, and they felt like they were being watched, judged even. Despite the void around them looking empty, they knew they weren't alone. Feeling exposed, they tried to locate the unknowable being examining them, with no success. In the edges of their perception, they thought they heard whispers, as if spirits were locked in a heated debate. But then it stopped, and they felt utterly alone again. What was going to happen now, they thought.
And then they felt like they were rising.
Faster and faster they rose, feeling like they would surely be thrown into the vastness of space and eventually the sun at the rate they were going.
Taylor then heard a loud choral note ring out and a golden light surrounded them. They barely had time to register the stimulus before they ungracefully landed in a heap on the ground.
They groaned before rubbing their head.
'Is a soft landing too much to ask for?' They grumbled before it hit them. 'Wait, landing?'
Glancing up, they were surprised to see the now familiar blue room with the golden round table and chairs from their dreams about Heaven.
"No way." They uttered in disbelief.
Spying a small mirror hanging over a table laid out with decanters and glasses, they scrambled to their feet to look at themselves.
Their skin was now a sky blue instead of their regular light yellow along with their normal attire being changed out for a white long sleeve dress shirt, a navy vest and a long navy skirt. Their hair style was still reminiscent of a flame, but their orange and yellow locks were now blue and white, giving off the impression of a blue fire instead of their normal yellow fire form. They gently pawed at their shimmering white halo that hovered above their head in awe. Taylor's vision swam with tears before they wiped them away; the fiery yellow eyes and black sclera they had grown to accept since they died were replaced with the same hazel ones they had when they were alive. It was like seeing an old friend you hadn't seen in awhile, and Taylor took the time to admire them for a bit.
'I did it, Charlie! Oh god, it's really possible!' They thought joyfully as they took everything in.
Wrenching themselves from the mirror, they walked over to the back of the room and looked out the floor-to-ceiling window. Far below, they saw a bustling metropolis surrounded by clouds that contrasted the mostly empty environment from their dreams, along with several kinds of angels from a distance flying or ambling around. There were more buildings than they remembered and some even had billboards on them that were novel to them.
Before they could come up with a plan on what to do next, they heard the door open and they turned toward the noise.
A young woman with silver skin and long pale lavender hair going down to her thighs walked in and brightened when she saw Taylor. Her large friendly-looking purple eyes sat above white freckles and long purple eyelashes. Wearing a lavender ballgown with a high collar, dark purple triangular trimming at the hem, a sash at her waist, a purple star pattern at her chest, and purple puffy sleeves, she reminded them of a princess. Taylor noted her light blue halo looked like a tiara and her six purple and white wings that fluttered in excitement. The seraphim flew over quickly to them and greeted them energetically.
"Hi! I'm Emily! Or E, Emmy, Em whatever you like!" She said, voice full of pep and warmth. "I don't think we've met, and I make it a point to greet everyone! Are you a new arrival?"
Taylor smiled genially as Emily's effervescent energy reminded them Charlie.
"Hi Emily, I'm Taylor. As far as your question goes, you could say I'm a new arrival of sorts." They explained as they tried to find the right words.
Emily squealed in excitement before she grabbed their hands.
"Well, let me be the first to welcome you to Heaven! You're going to love it here!"
Taylor's smile faltered slightly as Emily's words made them think of Charlie and her greeting for the hotel.
"Thank you, I hope so." They took a deep breath and gripped Emily's hands. "Listen, Emily, I really need to get in contact with someone. She and others are going to think the worst when they realize I'm not around, and it's really important that they know that isn't the case." They asked earnestly.
Emily tilted her head sympathetically.
"Loved ones on Earth?"
Taylor shook their head.
"No. I think it best if one of your higher-ups hears what I have to say too." They said as they thought of the fact that Adam, Lute, and a whole army of Exorcist angels would be here. There was no doubt in their mind that they would be ruthless enough to cut down any potential threat to their yearly fun before word got out, angel or not.
"But I also need certain people not to be privy to this information." They stared at the angel intently. "Please, Emily. I know I'm asking a lot from someone you just met, but can you help me?"
The seraphim's bubbly energy simmered down some when she saw how serious Taylor looked. She nodded quickly.
"Of course! I can go get Sera, she's the other seraphim, and if it's within her power, she can help!" She let go of their hands and started moving to the door. "I think she's down the hall, let me go get her and we can talk!"
Taylor wasn't sure if Sera was a safe option either since she allowed the Exterminations to happen, but if she was the highest-ranking angel here, they had no choice but to risk it.
"Thanks Emily." They said gratefully before they had a thought. "Oh, hang on!" They called, making the seraphim pause. "Umm, weird question. You said you're a seraphim angel, but do you know what kind of angel has four wings with rings and flames for a head?" They asked hopefully.
Emily thought for a moment before she lit up.
"Do you mean an Ophanim? We have a couple of those on the Council, I'd be happy to introduce you if you like!" She said helpfully.
'An Ophanim! I guess that's where the Nim comes from.' They mused.
"If you say so, thanks Emily!" They said before she left the room, leaving the door ajar.
Taylor moved to the front of the room to wait. They didn't know why they even bothered to ask, it didn't matter anymore. They had been killed by angelic weapons, one of the few ways known to break a contract, even if it ended up with erasure of the contracted soul. Normally anyway, they hadn't figured out by what cosmic means they ended up where they were now, but at the moment they didn't care. They smiled to themselves; they were free. Free to live as they wanted, without the threat of torture or possession by their patron. No. Not their patron, that unhinged psychopath who made their afterlife a living hell.
They heard Emily's chipper voice down the hall and stood up straighter in anticipation when suddenly something clamped around their throat and their air supply was cut off. Gasping for breath, they clawed at their neck before icy dread snaked up their spine: their collar and chain had manifested, and in front of them they saw the red chains stretch out to a red portal in the floor. They blanched when they saw the chains rattle and the length retracted into the portal before they felt a strong pull drag them along toward the opening.
'What the hell?! Why is this still here?!' They thought hysterically.
"Emily!" They rasped as they tried to call out to the angel. They gripped the chain and pulled back while they willed their flames to ignite. But in their panicked and oxygen-deprived state, it was proving difficult and they were still inching closer to the aperture.
They struggled to hear Emily's voice over the roar in their ears, but then they heard hers and another's voice getting closer.
'No, no, no! Not now!' They panicked as their feet were at the edge of the opening to the crimson tract below.
Suddenly the silver flames sputtered to life and Taylor dug in their heels, pulling back as hard as they could.
"Emily! Hurry!" They pleaded raggedly in between gasps before they saw the seraphim's profile come into view outside the doorway.
Before they could call out again, they felt a sharp heave that pitched them forward. Letting go of the chain, they desperately gripped the edge of the portal and were left dangling over the side. Clinging for dear life, their collar kept a crushing downward pressure on their throat as they started to see stars.
"Em…i…ly," they scraped out as the wind below them howled.
"Taylor?" They heard Emily's voice question above them before their fingers slipped and they plunged into the carmine vastness below. The tightness around their neck disappeared and they took in a heaving breath.
"EMILY!" They shouted in a last-ditch attempt to reach her, but it was too late; the portal above them closed and as they descended, their dread gave way to despair and fury.
As they fell, they screamed. They screamed, threw out obscenities, and hurled threats at their patron and the unfairness of it all. Their raving was interrupted when they passed through a cloud; lightning crackled around them and their skin both burned and became charged with electricity, making them bristle. Looking down, the cityscape came into view and the brightness of the artificial lights burned their eyes as much as the acid around them. Taking a breath, they screwed their eyes shut and waited for impact.
They crashed into a slanted rooftop before rolling off it and landing hard in a grassy field. They hissed in pain before looking over and realizing they had landed in the courtyard of the Heaven Embassy. Wincing, they hobbled over to the covered area to get out of the caustic rain and slumped against the wall to catch their breath.
"I'm back. Shit, I'm back." They uttered defeatedly as the put their head against the cool stone. Turning their head, they looked over and observed a mound of black soot nearby next to a trail of browned blood. They paled when they realized that they were back where they had died, and their body was gone, presumably burned by the looks of it. They turned away to keep their stomach from roiling and zoned in on their sky-blue hands. Reaching up, they felt their halo and got to their feet in an instant.
"Gotta get back to the hotel. No one will deny I was redeemed when they see me." They said determinedly.
But before they could take a step, searing pain overtook them, making their muscles go limp. Falling to their knees, they screamed through their teeth as their mark burned and they felt themselves catch on fire. They shook as their blue skin burned away like paper, exposing a layer of light-yellow skin underneath. Soon enough, the flames went out and the pain subsided. They started to sit back when they heard a clatter as their halo hit the floor. Shakily reaching out for the last shred of evidence of their redemption, they tried to grasp it, only for it vanished into smoke upon contact.
They sat there numbly as they processed what just happened. In a flash, they slammed their hand into the ground, cracking it and sending a cloud of ash into the air.
"GOD DAMN IT!" They screamed irately before they ran their hands through their hair in exasperation.
'Why, why, why, why!' They repeated in their head as they worked through their anger. They sat there for some time as the rain drummed down on the roof above them, cursing their patron once more. Eventually, they exhausted themselves and they came to terms with their situation. Listlessly getting to their feet, they looked up at the sky and grimaced at the prospect of getting back to the hotel during the rainstorm, but they had little choice. Dusting some ash off them, they made their way around the side of the building to endure the downpour.
It was slow going. Even when they summoned their flames to shield them from the rain, they had to stop at every storefront or alcove to reignite the fire and shake acid off their body. They gazed at the road in front of them, planning their next move, before they recognized a building in the distance. Slowly working their way toward the familiar structure, they made their way up the stairs and knocked on the door.
"Fuck the hell off! Rent's not due for another week, scumbag!" Antonio's strained voice rang out from the other side.
"Antonio, it's me."
There was a moment of silence before they heard shuffling, items being knocked over, and locks turning. The door flew open and both Antonio and Melanie stared back at them with bloodshot eyes, frozen in disbelief.
They smiled and went to take a step forward. "Hey, gu-" they didn't get to finish their sentence when two sets of arms wrapped tightly around them before the two shook and clung to them. They heard Melanie start to cry, and their own tears started to fall in response. Letting out a breathy laugh, they put their arms around the two in return. "I'm sorry."
Antonio let go and quickly pulled Taylor inside while Melanie held onto them as if they'd disappear if she let go. Standing in the living room, Antonio gripped their shoulders and stared at them like he was seeing a ghost.
"Is it really you? This isn't some cruel trick my mind is playing on me, is it?" Antonio said in disbelief before giving them a light shake.
They chuckled. "Hmm…no, I don't think so."
"I-I-I never gave up hope. I'm just so h-h-happy-" Melanie choked up as she squeezed them tighter.
Antonio shook his head before giving them a once over.
"You can tell us what happened after we get you cleaned up. Your clothes are like Swiss cheese at this point." He glanced down at Melanie. "Mels, you got to let go, they're not going anywhere." His eyes darted back to them intensely. "Right?"
They raised their hand up in a salute. "Scout's honor. I promise."
Satisfied, they managed to disentangle themselves from the white dog demoness and get a new change of clothes from Antonio before settling in for a story. They told them about what had occurred, with the alteration of how exactly they found themselves falling back to Hell when their mark starting burning again in warning.
"You actually did it? Halo and everything? Holy smokes, Tee." Antonio said quietly before sitting back in astonishment.
"Can we see what you looked like?" Melanie asked quietly.
Taylor nodded as they summoned their blue flames to cover them. Once the flames dissipated, they looked back at their friends, but the two stared back, confused.
"Want to try that again? I don't think it took." Antonio said gently.
Looking down at their hands, they were still light yellow. Grunting in frustration, they got up and strode into the bathroom before stepping in front of the mirror. They tried again, but when the flames went out, they remained in their Hell form. They growled and tried again a few more times without success before they cried out in exasperation. They noticed their friends worried looks, took a deep breath to calm themselves, and walked back to the living room.
"Sorry, not sure why it's not working. Another mystery to add to the pile, I guess." They said tensely before turning to Antonio. "Now, I hate to cut my visit short, but it's been quite the day and I was hoping you'd be willing to give me a ride to the hotel."
Antonio gave them a troubled look, making them pause.
"Tee, you've been gone for almost a week."
They stood there for a moment, dumbfounded, processing the statement.
"What? How can that be? It's still raining out there!" They said incredulously, gesturing towards the door.
"Yeah, it's one of those once-in-a-century kind of downpours or something like that. The city's been paralyzed since the internet and transport of goods are down." Antonio explained. "Mels and I have been hunkering down here since, you know."
"So no one knows I died?"
"Listen, we were pretty shaken up after we lost you, and we about to call the hotel, but then services went out and we only just got electricity back."
'Charlie and the others must be worried sick.' They thought guiltily before they made their way to the door.
"Where are you going? It's not safe out there!" Melanie called out.
"Doesn't matter. I made it from the Embassy to here, the hotel shouldn't be too much more difficult." They replied as they put on their shoes. They turned to the two and patted their pockets. "Thanks for holding onto my stuff, I appreciate it. When I can, I'll call you to tell you I made it." They paused at the door. "And sorry for putting you through all that." They said quietly before heading out into the fray again.
After another hour of jumping between storefronts and making a mad dash up the hillside, they made it to the front door of the hotel. Burned in places, but nothing their regeneration couldn't resolve in a few days. After catching their breath, they opened the doors and stepped inside.
"Where the fuck have you been?!" They heard Husk yell at them before they saw him vault the bar counter and stalk toward them, fur raised up and pupils narrowed into angry slits.
Taylor flinched as they'd never seen Husk this pissed off before.
"I—" they barely had enough time to duck before the winged cat demon swung at them. "What the fuck, Husk?!"
"Everyone is beside themselves worried over your sorry ass!" He swung again, only Taylor caught his fist and held it in place.
"I can explain-" Husk threw another punch before Taylor caught his arm and pushed him back hard. "Would you stop trying to hit me and listen?"
Husk stumbled back and swore in several languages they couldn't place.
"Fuck you!" He charged them and grabbed them by the collar. "Charlie's been scouring the city since you up and disappeared on us! We thought maybe some of Vox's goons got ahold of you and snuffed you out!" He seethed as he brought his face close. "Princess was this close to making a deal with Alastor so he would use his voodoo shit to get you back!"
Despite the twinge of guilt they felt that Charlie was so upset, after the day they had, their fuse was next to nonexistent.
"Husk." They gripped his claws and pulling them off their shirt. "I'm going to ask you to back the shit up and listen." They said, indignation creeping into their voice. "You're a bartender, so I know you know how to do that." They pushed him back gently.
Husk was truly pissed now, eye twitching and fists balled up and shaking.
"Why I oughta—" he snapped as he reared back to tackle them, only for Angel to come up from behind and hold him back. "Get off! This fucker just waltzed in like it was nothing after the stress they put us through!"
"Husk, stop! Let 'em get a word in edgewise before ya go all ape-shit!" Angel argued, trying to contain his flailing limbs with his extra arms.
"I concur!" They heard the hiss of static before the grinning deer demon rose from the shadows next to the group. "While a good old bar brawl would be quite entertaining, I too am curious to hear what kind of tale our resident firebrand will spin this time to explain their radio silence." He said, chuckling at his choice of words.
After Husk settled down, Angel let him go, but the winged cat demon still looked like he was ready to come to blows. Taylor took a deep breath to calm themselves before addressing their audience.
"Okay. First off, I'm sorry I was gone so long, it wasn't my intention." They turned to Husk. "And as far as you thinking Vox did me in, you're not too far off the mark."
So for the second time that day, they told the story of being attacked by cherubs, Adam and Lute showing up and killing them, waiting in the dark void until they rose to Heaven, meeting a seraphim angel before tumbling their way back down to Hell and finally making their way back to the hotel. During their retelling, Sir Pentious and Niffty showed up to listen as well.
When they finished, a tense silence stretched between them.
"What a load of shit!" Husk scoffed.
"Agreed, utter bushwa!" Alastor added.
"I liked that story; the falling part was my favorite!" Niffty chimed in excitedly.
Taylor pinched the bridge of their nose in frustration.
"Look, I know it sounds a bit outlandish, but it's the truth. What's important is that redemption is possible."
"Look Fuoco, if ya don't want ta tell us where ya been, that's one thing, but making stuff up is a real dick move." Angel said, crossing his arms in annoyance. "Ya better not give Charlie that song and dance about redemption either." He warned as his eyes narrowed.
Taylor rolled their eyes. It was clear no one was going to take them seriously, no matter what they said.
"Whatever, it's the only story I got, and I have no reason to lie. Where are Charlie and Vaggie anyway?"
"Out there looking for you! With the storm, we can't even tell them you're back." Husk growled before he stomped back to the bar, grumbling curses as he went. The group dispersed, barring Angel and Alastor.
Taylor watched Husk with resentment when Angel placed a hand on their shoulder.
"Don't be too hard on him. After Charlie, he was the most worried about ya. I think cause he was an Overlord before and he knows how dangerous it is. Just give him time." He said as he gazed over at the fuming cat demon at the bar. He then glanced back at them. "Anyways, glad yer back in one piece."
Taylor's pique quelled and was replaced by guilt. They nodded tiredly.
"Thanks. Since story time is over, I'm gonna swap out these clothes and wait up for Charlie and Vaggie then."
"Allow me, chum!" Alastor piped up before he snapped his fingers and their acid burned clothes were good as new.
"Thanks." Taylor replied.
"No trouble at all! I look forward to the more faithful rendition of your escapades at a later time, chum! Ta ta!" He chirped before he sank into the shadows and left.
Angel shrugged at them before making his way to the bar to calm down an agitated Husk. Determining that they were more likely to get a drink hurled at them than served, they made their way over to the parlor to wait. Taking a seat in an armchair, they rubbed their eyes wearily.
"I do wonder what kind of mischief you got yourself into this time, little one." said a familiar lilting voice next to them.