If you like my writing and what I do, please buy my book Commencement by Joseph Lankford(available on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, wherever). Because I would rather sell a finished product of my own work than open a pat reon for donations on a fanfic. Just makes me feel better about myself
Not dead, just had writer's block with this story for a long time. Especially with the middle part. After that, this is what we got.
Royals Taking the Stage
(Makubari Dome: Keroli/Kuromu's Dressing Room)
"Yes, this is quite the problem." Poro said as soon as Irumi told her the full story, the twins being securely held on her lap with her hands caressing their heads. The princess was blushing up a storm while Iruma seemed to be holding in his annoyance, they needed help with this after all. Mar seemed like her brain was glitching out, any process lagging behind as she tried and failed to understand anything that was happening since Poro appeared. "It certainly does seem similar to when Del-chan and I stalled that army for 666 hours."
"So... can you help mama?" Irumi asked, giving her best hell puppy eyes to the Sound Demon, getting her to beam brightly to her beloved student and daughter figure.
"Of course I can!" Poro sang with a smile, making everyone smile and sigh in relief. "But, I won't." The Sound Demon said, still maintaining that smile while shocking everyone else.
"EHHH!?" They all screamed out, the twins jumping out of Poro's lap to properly look at her.
"Could I resolve this? Yes, and it'd be easy. For me." Amduscias started to explain. "And that's why I will not be doing it. Calm down a whole stadium of demons on the verge of snapping? Why should I bother with something so simple when the better option is right in front of me?" She asked with a smile, filling the twins with dread.
"Mommy, please no." Irumi begged, too horrified to take a cuter form while Poro pointed at the two and passed judgment with a sinister smile.
"The two of you shall finally take to the stage and calm their growing wrath." She announced crushing any remaining hope from the two royals who were desperately hoping to avoid this exact fate.
"L-lord Poro," Alice started, nervous about addressing such a powerful demon, "the lord and lady were hoping to avoid-"
"The crowd wants a cute amateur they can support, not a well established master that can command their attention with a sound." Poro answered, cutting off the young demon. "While I could handle it myself, there would still be a measure of dissatisfaction, no matter how small." That struck a chord with the two royals, who's greed to see their people happy superseded everything else.
"This is still because you want us to be Demdols, don't you?" Irumi accused.
"I'll be satisfied if you go out there." Poro responded, rising to her feet to look down at them. "Or are you suggesting that you're incapable of producing a satisfying sound?" She challenged, knowing how the twins respond to those. She was already smirking as the 'Sound of Challenge' echoed in their chests.
"Fine. AZZY! CLARA!" Irumi called, making the two demons stand at attention. "Help Uma and myself get ready. We need proper disguises."
"Yes milady!/Roger Irumi-chi!" They responded, Alice taking Irumi while Clara pushed Iruma to the clothing rack... before Ameri caught them and made them switch.
"A-are you sure this will work Lord Amduscias?" Mar asked, her mind finally catching up to what has just happened.
"Call me Poro-chan, and yes." The Sound Demon said as she brought out her hell-phone. "After all, I did teach them both. Now I need to make a few calls." She said, already ringing up the one person more precious to her than anything else. "Del-chan~! You're gonna wanna see this~!"
(Obligatory time skip. Because.)
The minutes ticked away while Keroli remained trapped in her forced slumber, her breaths becoming slightly more erratic as she began experiencing a bad dream. She remembered her family's cold nature, never showing anything beyond an emotionless cold mask as befitting the ice masters of the Netherworld, and how she never seemed to get anything beyond 'let's work harder' when her mother passed out her judgments on their efforts. She remembered when her grandmother showed her her first Demdol show and the inspiration to use her cuteness to excel, and how she really wanted to see them smile. To make her family happy and proud of her.
"Please... let me... see it." Keroli mumbled out, the sleep spell finally wearing off, but something about her current situation was too soothing to want to move. The soft pillow under her head and the cold gentle hand petting her crwn.
"If you want that, then open your eyes Keroli." She heard a familiar voice say, rousing her from her slumber to look up at-
"Mother?" The icy Demdol said as she looked up to a lovely demon with long, icy blue hair and wearing a long sleeved, pale blue dress, gently smiling down at her.
"I'm proud of you for working so hard at your job, but please take care of yourself." She said, still stroking her daughter's head, almost lulling the girl back to sleep. Then Keroli's eyes snapped open as her brain caught up.
"Wait! What's happening!?" She shouted, shooting upright while her mother barely managed to avoid her daughter's reaction. "What are you... e-everyone?" She asked as she saw the rest of her immediate family; her grandmother, her brother, her older and younger sisters, all in the room with her. All with the same icy blue hair and clothes aesthetic.
"When we heard you overheated yourself, we all rushed over to help." Her brother started saying. "And then we were going to head back home so that we could watch the broadcast of your concert for when you woke up and took the stage back. We haven't missed one show." To prove that statement, her brother pulled open his jacket to reveal a 'Little Imp' shirt with Kuromu's face while her sisters pulled out fans and glowsticks. This reveal sent a rush of emotions through Keroli; from joy at seeing her family supporting her to embarrassment at seeing her family being such big fans of hers.
"T-this is too much!" She said as she buried her face into her mother's chest in a vain effort to hide her embarrassment, the elder demoness still stroking her daughter's head while using her ice magic.
"Calm down sweetie. We just got you to wake up." She lightly chided, happy to be able to express herself more. "And stop teasing your sister."
"Yes mother." He said, bowing his head slightly. It was now that Keroli picked up on a few details.
"Wait... you mentioned 'taking back the stage' and you're all being more expressive... what did I miss?" She asked, getting a smile from her family as her mother rose to her feet, pulling her along.
"Well, after you fell asleep, your classmates called lord Amduscias Poro to try and help keep the crowd from dipping into their evil cycles." Her mother began to explain as they walked to the stage. "It turns out that lord Poro was also their music teacher and... basically pressured them into taking the stage." Keroli then heard a captivating melody, of strings and keys that washed their notes all around her. As she looked onto the stage, she saw a tall woman with red hair in a ponytail and an elegant pink gown with a violin in her hands while at a piano was a small boy with red hair in a black suit. From the pair, the sounds and notes they played seemed to take a physical form that flowed from the instruments to the crowd. Within that crowd she found six demons that seemed beyond dedicated to capturing every last detail of this performance on camera and video... which no one seemed to be stopping since one of those six was Amduscias Poro.
"I-is that Iruma and Irumi?!" She asked, trying to process the sight before her as she remembered what Irumi said about becoming a Demdol. 'No wonder she said that.'
"I've a lot of respect for those that do it, but I want less attention on me. Besides, even a passing mention to one person I know and I'd dominant the industry. Too easy."
"I guess. We were more interested in getting you better." Her older sister said. "As lord Derkila told us, 'family should always support family'." This peaked Keroli's interest.
"When did you meet the king!?" She shouted, covering her mouth in shock that she may have ruined her classmates' performance, only to find everyone still captivated by the sounds.
"Well Keroli, it was shortly after your friends took the stage, and he used his magic to make us able to attend." Her mother answered. "He then took on a disguise and screamed out that he's 'going to record his babies' performance'."
"Oh." Kuromu said numbly, freezing for a few seconds before her mother pointed out one of the ones recording the show. The most enthusiastic one.
"That's him right there." Keroli finally understood the full situation, and promptly fainted again.
(The Opening Act)
The dome's stands were alight with hundreds of thousands of glowsticks and thundered with thousands of voices, all clamoring for Kuromu. The air was becoming more and more tense as the excited cheers started to shift into furious demands, their chants echoing throughout the whole of the Makubari Dome. Their clamoring continued until Amduscias Poro stepped out on the stage, those that recognized the powerful demon were stunned into silence while those that didn't recognize the court musician voiced their rage. The Sound Demon merely smirked and pulled out a piccolo from her inside suit pocket, brought it to her lips, and blew. A single note and the entirety of the stadium felt enveloped in a warm soothing embrace, a shining sun in a field of fluffy cotton, and peace was created.
"Now that I have your attention," Poro said as she returned her small instrument to her pocket, "allow me to say a few things. I'm Amduscias Poro, court musician of Lord Derkila and the highest authority of theater and music in the whole Netherworld." That declaration stunned the entire audience into silence just as much as the single note that was played as everyone finally understood just who took the stage. "As such, I'm now commandeering this stage to allow two students of mine to perform an opening act! Because I can." She declared shamelessly, earning the ire of the crowds. "Now put your hands together for... the Misfit Twins! Iirmu and Aimur!" Poro called out as the pair came onto the stage, a small girl in a frilly pink dress with red hair in a ponytail being carried on the arm of a very tall man with red hair in a black suit.
"Hi hi everyone~!" The girl greeted enthusiastically, flowers seeming to bloom in midair around her. "I'm Iirmu and this is my brother! Tell everyone hi Aimur!" The taller twin merely rose his free hand and waved. "Oh, that's right. You were super nervous and overworked your throat didn't you. Silly brother!" She explained, smiling as she patted him on the head.
'C-cute~!' The crowds thought as they watched the display.
"Guess this means we can't sing that duet we were planning. So what can we do instead?" She said, putting a finger to her cheek and looking up like she was thinking before snapping. "We'll just have to play! Switch with me bro!" She declared beaming at Iruma who calmly raised his hand in response. Irumi clapped it and immediately the sizes and positions between the two switched, making her a tall woman in an elegant pink dress while he turned into a small kid in a suit in her arms. "Oh, I just love seeing you like this~!" She cooed, nuzzling her smaller brother and getting a blushing pout from him.
"Cute!" A few of the crowd started calling out. "Cuddle me too big sis!"
"Now, let's see what we have to play!" Irumi said as she put Iruma down and walked a bit to the side of the stage before clapping her hands twice and making a bunch of miniature instruments appear before her. "Okay... not that one. That one is too big. Not in the mood for that." She said, picking out various instruments and tossing them over her shoulder, which caused them to turn into their full sized versions and head directly for Iruma. The small prince made an exaggerated show of panic before rushing about to catch each instrument as his sister flung them out. The audience found themselves laughing and cheering for the prince as he dashed about the stage.
"This is it!" Irumi cheered, throwing out a piano that Iruma who seemingly barely managed to catch it and gently set it down. "This is what we need~!" She said before turning around with a violin in hand... and seeing the mess she made with her brother comforting a whimpering piano. "Oops. Clumsy me!" She said, giving a cutesy smile while bonking her head. Iruma clapped his hands and all of the other instruments disappeared as their stance subtly shifted to a more serious one, the twins getting ready to play their respective musical partners. No announcements, no declarations, just a sudden improvised music show. Which brings us to now, the twins playing a piece completely on the spot while making a few noticeable mistakes here and there, just enough to seem amateurish since they couldn't upstage Keroli. Eventually, a cold mist started to pour out on the stage, revealing Kuromu descending down an icy staircase, and she was vocalizing with the royal twins.
"Laa~ha, laa~a." She sang out, the prince and princess falling in line to her lead. "DeviCue- DeviCue- DeviCue- DeviCute!" Kuromu suddenly sped up, switching it from the elegant show to return to the cute that she was known for, the twins following suit seamlessly. "Sorry for the wait everyone, but I'm taking the stage back now!" The crowd roared their approval while Iruma and Irumi snapped their fingers and made their respective instruments disappear. "Thank you, my lord and lady." Keroli said with a slight bow while Irumi bent over slightly to pat her classmate on the head.
"Don't worry about it Kuromu." She said with a smile. "Honestly... it was super embarrassing to act like that." She admitted with a flushed face.
"I know. I still get like that sometimes." The ice demon admitted, thinking about how much skin she's been exposing in this outfit.
"Well, we'll-" Irumi started before feeling Iruma tug on her dress, pointing to the side of the stage, where Keroli's manager Mar was holding up a few cue cards.
'Lord Amduscias convinced his majesty to sign you up as Demdols with our agency. Lord Derkila said something about altering your punishment slightly and to let you know you can punish Lord Amduscias in your own way in turn.'
"So... what does that mean?" Keroli asked, seeing Iruma and Irumi's eyes start twitching.
"It means she loses 'mommy' privileges," The princess declared with the prince nodding in agreement while sending a text to Alice, Sabro, and Clara, "and that we're going to make this the best show we can." She held her hand down for Iruma as they clapped their hands and changed their forms again. Now Irumi was closer to Keroli's size and wearing a similar outfit with red, pink, and white colors while Iruma was now the taller one, wearing red cargo pants with a white undershirt and a red hoodie. The prince clapped twice and made a synthesizer appear, the stage hands immediately running out to hook it up to the speakers. "Little Imp?" Irumi asked as she and Kuromu took each other's hands.
"Yep, and here we go!" They said, winking to the audience as Iruma played the music as they sang. Keroli still had the lead but Irumi followed and matched her movements. Just off stage, Asmodeus made a rainbow colored flame dance around the dome, Clara throwing out some kind of winged hearts, and Sabro making golden feathers fall around the stage.
(Back in the Dressing Room)
The show was finally over and the performers and their families went to gather in the backstage dressing room to have a small relaxing celebration of a job well done. Kuromu apologized to the staff and members of her team for causing so much trouble, but the show was a resounding success so they were happy to forgive. With that minor detail out of the way, Keroli went to her family.
"Here you go Keroli." The Demdol's mother said, handing her a note. "You've earned this." The young ice demon unfolded it and her face lit up. On it was smiling devi face with a 'great job' written on it. "We're so proud of you, my dear Kuromu." Keroli couldn't contain her smile as she embraced her mother. As that happened, Iruma and Irumi, free of their usual disguises, met with the other demons Poro invited; Opera, Amaryllis, Levy, Beliard, and their father. Sullivan was still being punished so he didn't get to go.
"You were so brilliant my dears~!" The head of lust sang, snuggling up to the two while the rest of the demons immediately went about adding the new photos to the albums and collages.
"See~! I knew they'd shine brightly on the stage!" Poro sang, feeling very proud of herself.
"Indeed, lord Amduscias." Irumi said formally, causing the Sound Demon to turn into a stone statue.
"GIVE ME THAT CONTRACT!" She roared, looking utterly furious. "I'M TEARING IT TO PIECES!" The Devimuse staff started freaking out and looked ready to bolt from the high ranking demon.
"B-but Lord Poro, even his majesty gave his ok-" One of the staff tried to start explaining, but the Sound Demon didn't care.
"I DON'T CARE! I CAN'T LOSE MOMMY PRIVILEGES!" She shouted, rising to her feet while the manager demon tossed the contract and bolted. Problem for Poro was that this contract was reinforced by Derkila's magic, making it nigh impossible to break.
"That's what she gets for pushing you two into this." Derkila said, still wearing his disguise and facing his children, Amaryllis now helping Opera sort and pick out outfit ideas for future shows. Ameri, Alice, and Sabro standing at attention, waiting for the king's judgment, and Clara... didn't care. "Anyway... Iruma, you and Ameri can have your manga back." Iruma and Ameri's expression lit up immediately, the idea of getting their favorite stories back making this experience somewhat worth it. "And Irumi... I'll have Opera pull back on the adult supervision with your fiance and also, you can enjoy manga as well." Irumi immediately sent Alice a happy look before blowing a kiss his way, making the demon blush but still smile in excitement.
'This one was a little unexpected, but I can't say I hate the results.' Derkila thought as he watched the young demons start mingling and talk about what future events, the current student council members focusing on future school events and how they might schedule for future shows. His face broke out in a wide smile as he laughed to himself. 'I'm so glad I had my kids!'
If you like my writing and what I do, please buy my book Commencement by Joseph Lankford(available on Amazon, iTunes, Barnes and Noble, wherever). Because I would rather sell a finished product of my own work than open a pat reon for donations on a fanfic. Just makes me feel better about myself.