Rapture - The Slow Fall

by Uros Osium

With the truth of Extermination brought to bear the youngest Seraphim makes a choice; if her sister thinks Sinners and the overpopulation in Hell is a danger, then let's solve it. She concocts a plan in record time through desperation and hope. But said plan is mostly good intentions and a wish. And we all know where good intentions lead...

4. Chapter III

Chapter III

Well people, second chapter of the month. So after this you'll have to wait till the next chapter for another chapter. Perhaps two? I don't know if I'll manage. Anyway: This chapter has a warning.

There'll be discussions about racism, child abuse, forced/coerced gender reassignment, both good and bad (and usually selfish or shortsighted) intentions creating massive shitty results, general bad parenting and other such crap that is here for drama.

The group is going to meet Mayberry, and she works at a school in HELL. Children go to Hell too, remember. As you'll see, Heaven doesn't mind much if you were the one doing a Sin, or if you suffered from it. They have grown very guarded, though explanations about why will have to wait. It is a perfect moment to give Emily another cold reality shower and slowly turn her dial less away from the 100% happy and positive a bit more while making her have sympathy for some people that aren't perfect good.

Simply put: This chapter may suck for some people, but you have been warned that this is not likely everyone's cup of tea, but it felt right to bring forth some of the crap the human world is doing so Emily had to see it.

Also: No, let's not get political or such in the comments. I will ignore that bull.

Warning and all that crap over.

*** On with the story ***

Emily had to admit he had learned very fast about one thing in Hell.

Everything was shit.

At least in Pride.

And it bothered Lucifer a lot. Not like, you know, he wasn't aware of how crap everything was. More like 'Why can't you stop being yourself for FIVE MINUTES' kind of bothering.

Of course Emily would never voice such thoughts or words. In fact she hadn't even dared say those things in her mind. But the imagery had been a perfect fit: Imp City was, well, shitty. Not HORRIBLE, horrible, you know? At least Lucifer had mentioned that there were FAR worse cities out there, depending on the Circle of Pride.

Ah, yes. Emily had known that the 'Circles' existed, and that one of the few humans to ever visit Hell had thought it was all there was to Hell. Funny how the Nine Circles were indeed vast swaths of land in Hell, but only encompassed the first Ring of it all.

Not like anyone in Heaven had decided to correct the man. Emily was never told why, though considering how little Heaven did for humanity she'd… she'd have to admit they didn't correct him because it was useful to keep whatever knowledge came from Hell as incorrect as possible. I mean, Hell wasn't nice, at least not what Emily had seen, but even if it had been much worse once upon a time, could Sera not help humans by updating all that was in both Heaven and Hell?

Whatever. Emily was going to make sure that became a thing. That is the one goal that kept her pushing right now.

AND! And. While the place they were at was, and Emily didn't really want to admit to this, crappy. It was also one place where she could literally feel good souls. Perhaps not 'good' good, but better than some of the bystanders she had crossed paths after leaving the I.M.P office.

Speaking about that. Emily had FELT really bad souls in many Sinners. No doubt about that. But they hadn't been the majority. Most were, if we talk in color to make it simpler, 'grey'. After all, as Emily had learned by spending time with many Winners, 'good' was defined in many ways that she could attribute to colors in a sense. It was her artistic way of seeing it.

Green, for example, could mean unhealthy lifestyles, drugs, natural frail bodies and health and so on if it was dark. It was something she had felt in many Sinners. Addictions and the like. A sad truth as it appears, or so Charlie told her. Drugs are easy to make and acquire in Hell, and many that did not use them before coming here end up taking that route to numb the (almost universal) shitty days. Emily hated that, but it wasn't so bad.

There were many dark colors in many souls.

But there were also many bright ones.

Not everyone here was a monster, or downright evil. Many were, as she had feared, just regular people whose balance was either 'slightly dark or slightly bright', but none were… Emily couldn't help it. She let out a sigh as she thought of the words.

"None are good enough."

"Well, we do what we can, my dear angel."

Emily cringed as she looked at her side. An anthropomorphic eagle like Sinner, a very sturdy and strong woman, slightly shorter than Alastor, but, and she had inadvertently said this out loud too, very masculine. Apparently the long haired brunette Sinner had hated the idea of ever looking like her older sister, an olympic athlete that looked so buff that the eagle looking Sinner knew she'd never get a man (and apparently she had been right so far). Hell had taken it as the go ahead to give her a body powerful and as far from her old womanly and beautiful appearance as it could.

Not that the Sinner was ugly. She was a statuesque woman and, apparently, just as tall in life as she had been in death. With an ample chest, curvy legs and incredible hips. Those details hadn't changed. But she was also now so muscular that her suit and skirt looked ready to rip at the drop of a hat. Something that probably intimidated and aroused many demons if Emily was to bet, but that made the woman reel in disgust when she had to look at her reflection too long.

It probably did help with keeping children and teens at Imp City's 'Satan's Teaching Grounds' school. Considering it was one of the few learning places in the city, it had to accept anything from preschool to those about to head off and start working. It was a massive complex that, sadly, looked more like a prison than anything else.

I mean, considering the behavior of Hellborn and Sinners… it had to be just as secure as a prison. Emily had to accept that was the grim reality. But this woman, Ms. Principal Liberty (And yes, that was the name she had adopted after landing in Hell), had ensured some greenery, spaces for the children and general good vibes and behavior reigned all over the school.

Even if she had to administer some old school punishment herself from time to time. And apparently the Sinner was powerful enough to keep everyone in line.

"I don't mean the place, or you, or-!"

The Sinner chuckled and rolled her eyes. "I know. But you keep getting distracted."

Charlie came to aid Emily, or at least help the blushing angel try to save some face. Emily squeezed Charlie's hand on her shoulder as a sign of appreciation.

"It is just surprising, you know?" Charlie voiced as they walked the halls of the S.T.G School. While dreary and apprehensive, it was MUCH better than most Sinners and demons would expect at first. "I mean, IIIIII think it could do well with some paint and brighter colors, but this is awesome! Pentagram City does NOT have any schools or anything like that. I mean, there ARE children there too, but it seems as if no one has time for them."

Miss Principal chuckled drily. "Dear. Pentagram is basically the capital of Pride. But it is also where the Exterminators tend to come first." The eagle Sinner threw the Princess of Hell a glance. "We have children from that city coming here and reaching many other cities for schooling. No one wants their kids to get used to living in Pentagram. And not only because of Extermination Day."

"Although many do homeschool their children." Surprisingly for Emily, it was Alastor the one to speak. "Why, Cannibal Town does have a few little rapscallions and hellions always running about. The community there takes to rearing children with shared proclivities. It is not rare for young ones to bite someone, swallow some blood, or even tear chunks of meat in life defending themselves from assailants. Although…" The warble in his voice and smile on his lips, but only for a moment. "They don't usually survive…" Then, after a second, when everyone had their attention on him, Alastor returned to his usual 'mood'. "And they are sent down here as cannibals of all things! Rosie makes sure to find them good homes and someone to teach them."

Emily would've cooed at the information if it wasn't both so grizzly and sad. She was warming up to this Rosie woman, but to think that innocent children would be sent down here just because they tried to defend themselves, only to spill blood, or even 'eat' part of someone in fear.

It was a disgusting thought on many levels. But the children should NOT be at fault. What barred people from entering Heaven? Emily HAD to learn at some point. Someone had to have the answer.

But first things first.

"Rearing cannibals sounds hard as fuck and metal as hell." Blitzo let his opinion be known as he walked besides Lucifer, sunglasses covering his eyes. "She a hellborn or…?"

"Sinner, older than me. A powerful Overlord and great friend." Alastor said fondly. He seemed to have gathered some respect for the Imp. Some. Not much. But Emily thought it was likely hard to impress the man. "She may be joining our group at a later date. I do need to talk to her about this if we get it to move forward."

"Figures." Blitzo clicked his viperine tongue. "Then again. What hellborn would lead a place called Cannibal Town? Probably only one of those shark fucks from Greed." The Imp grumbled. "Fucking hate Loansharks."

Lucifer chimed in. "You have been curious about that topic since we mentioned Mayberry."

Blitzo hummed as if not clear on what Lucifer was speaking about. "What topic?"

"Cannibals." Alastor pointed out. "You have been anything but subtle."

Blitzo made a face. "Well, pardon me for being curious. Mayberry was the reason we had to tangle with a whole family of the fuckers for her job. And they were stupidly strong too! I mean, I know most Imps aren't impressive in a fight and all, and Moxxie does fuck all in hand to hand, but one single little girls ragged him around like a fucking plushie!"

Other than Miss Principal, everyone in the group was drawn to Blitzo. It was either curiosity, wonder or something else. Emily herself couldn't help but ask.

"A… a whole family?" Cannibals on Earth were still a thing, she knew. But Emily couldn't help a little bit of vile coming to her mouth.

Down in Hell? It was… normal. Hellborn were violent by nature and things happened. Sinners? They regenerated from that. It wasn't pretty, it wasn't pleasant, but you did what you had to do or what you nature demanded. She wasn't going to start judging now, even if she thought she was wrong.

But Sarah lived in a nice area. And the woman she hired to have killed, Martha, had a lot of cash, both before and after the 'accident'. Heck, she became quite famous and had a lot of media coverage on her for a long time, even after her death!

… then why did the police blow up her home? That had been something Emily hadn't shared with the group. She had thought it had been the infamous 'police brutality' she had sadly heard about. But now that Blitzo had shared that tidbit, she was sure there had to be more about what basically was an execution of the whole line and basically the erasure of all proof left behind.

"Is that why you killed the whole family?" Emily found herself asking. She just couldn't help it.

"Whatcha mean the whole family?" Blitzo stopped and turned to face the Seraphim. "We were hired to kill that bitch Martha and that is what we did. Everyone else was left alone."

That confirmed some of Emily's suspicions. It could easily be chalked down to humans being humans, but Emily suspected otherwise. She had used her time on that time bubble to search, and this information had been VERY prominent on Heaven's database, more so than many other crimes that were far worse in every sense of the word.

Someone had kept an eye on Martha. And it was clear that the information had been altered to make it look like the family had been dead beforehand. But then why make it clear that the police had been the ones to blow the house up?

Something just didn't add up. And humans had made a fuss, but not enough to clear it up.

"Oh, yes. Martha's family was not killed by these little Imps. Well, beyond Martha herself." Miss Principal nodded her head. "She and Mayberry butt heads regularly."

Charlie snapped to the eagle Sinner. "Wait, what?"

"Martha appeared around Pentagram City somewhere." Miss Principal spoke nonchalantly of the topic. Where one fell in was random, but those that died close enough in location, timeframe and connections USUALLY fell close enough. "Her husband and children came not long after. But while Martha got killed by this Moxxie, the others did not. Apparently the husband and children all resisted police arrest by brandishing weapons, even taking a shot at them. They swear one of the police officers, the one in charge, had a crucifix or something in hand when they came to arrest the lot of them." Miss Principal shrugged. She had heard stranger things when it came to deaths. "Then the police helicopter went ballistic, fired a missile and blew the house up. Brutally excessive, but not the weirdest death tale I have heard."

There were those not surprised by the news, in fact only Charlie seemed shocked. Emily had MOST of the information from before, Lucifer could hardly be surprised, Alastor's mind was not exactly open for Emily to guess what was going on and Blitzo just snorted at the thought. Besides, as he had said back when it happened, 'Fuck that family'.

Still, Emily WAS curious. "And is this Martha around?"

"No. It is usually her husband who comes around to pick the kids up." Miss Principal admitted. "While she came down here with a bit of power, much like the rest of her family, it seemed to drain very quickly. She bitches and moans regularly about all her work being wasted and unappreciated." The eagle Sinner shrugged, but she had a look of distaste. "The worse things you do in life, or sometimes even the best and most good, the more power you land with. I guess Martha thought a long life of murder and cannibalism would give her more, considering she was aware Hell existed."

Alastor chuckled. "Believe me madam. JUST cannibalism and murder are not enough. You have to have the right intent, the right tools, and more. Otherwise whatever power you may have at first is likely to diminish."

Miss Principal chuckled. "Oh, I know that very well. Not the cannibalism bit, but the intent… and means."

Emily bit her lip. Everyone else didn't seem to mind it much as they kept walking. The school was a huge complex and they still had a minute or two more to reach Mayberry apparently. So she took her shot and asked.

"Your soul is… bright, Miss Principal." And this is what boggles the mind when it comes to Emily trying, and failing, to understand why the woman was here. "There are some dark colors, but yours is bright, and green. You are a nurturer, a caretaker. I can see that in you." The group made a stop and looked at Emily. "I… why are you in Hell?"

The Sinner clicked her tongue, the beak on her face making the sound even more literal. "I killed children."

Okay, that was not the answer Emily expected. Much less with that nonchalant tone.

In fact no one did. The group as a whole was staring at the woman.

"But… Why?" Emily couldn't help but ask. There were many things that she had expected for Miss Principal to say. That? No, anything but that. "How… I cannot see someone like you doing that. Your soul speaks to anything but violence!"

"Not my body?" The eagle Sinner chuckled. A mirthless laugh.

"Your body has nothing to do with it!" Emily almost burst out, barely containing a yell. She couldn't understand. "Why? Please?"

Miss Principal sighed and stopped her act. "Turn around. Here. Look down." The woman approached the glasses that looked down to one of the schoolyard areas. This one was designed for the young children that went to preschool, mostly. "Do you see those children down there?"

The group did. Everyone, even Blitzo, looked down. There were easily hundreds of children going around, playing, play fighting or just downright fighting. This was Hell after all. So long as they didn't do something really nasty, or brought weapons or drugs, they were allowed to grow some thick skin in ways Earth wouldn't permit. Still, it was a nice and tame image when it came to Hell. If you ignore the huge walls in the distance.

You had to protect children from real monsters after all. Not like those people lived long in Hell, demon or Sinner.

"I had a child, once." Miss Principal began. "A little boy… at first." She made a face. She tried to hide it, but she did. "Sadly, he, or rather she, suffered from gender dysphoria."

Some in the group noded, others just heard her out. Emily saw Alastor making a face, though she was pretty sure it didn't have to do with the news itself. A memory of someone or some situation? She wasn't going to ask

There was a lot of emotion behind Miss Principal as she spoke again. "I will outright admit I wasn't happy with it. I am still not happy with it. See, I had money, once. I grew up in a well to do family in the United States. But it was a very old school family, one that expected me to meet someone of not only my social status, but also race. Some of those beliefs did stick with me, even after I turned my back on most of them."

Alastor let out a humm. "Well, our dear country has always had a problem with that kind of thing."

"Right?" Miss Principal chuckled. "Funny how people nowadays say 'blacks can't be racist towards white people', because 'whites are horrible' and shit. Stupid assholes."

The Radio Demon glanced at the woman. Not that he thought she was wrong, Emily could see that, but there was a question there. "Of course you disagree."

"Of course. I am, or well, was black." Miss Principal shrugged. "Our heritage has little to do with what we are NOW."

Alastor let out a simple. "Ah, I see." Then nodded to himself. "Still surprised, though."

"As was I." Although Miss Principal clearly spoke of something different than Alastor did. "I haven't been dead that long, but to see how much hard work, all the sacrifices our forefathers had to go through, has been eroded year after year? To see the culture of today? Disgusting." The woman shook her head in disgust. "But it doesn't change the facts. My family, as a whole, almost to the last man, woman and child, was horribly racist and classist. They were always talking about our African heritage, how we 'built this country', how 'the white man took u s from our homes'." The Sinner snorted. "I was a teacher before I left them. I was a history major. I looked at our heritage. I searched for months. I found out that our 'African fathers' sold us to 'the white man'." The disgust was now so thick you could cut it with a knife. "There were no 'good people' back then, not if you look at it with today's sensibilities."

Charlie cleared her throat. Bless her heart. Emily was lost about what to do. "I… am sorry to interrupt. But you were telling us about your story? About the children down there?"

Yes. Anything better than that. Emily was curious about Miss Principal's tale, if only to know WHY she had killed children. Her soul looked so pure otherwise. Tainted, yes, but Emily had a NEED to know. She needed to understand why Miss Principal had done what she did. Perhaps understand *what* in particular barred her from Heaven, other than the act itself.

Because Emily already knew that 'I had a child, once' had very much to do with those murders. The young Seraphim could not see this soul hurting a child of any age otherwise, not seriously anyway.

"Yes. Sorry. Modern politics and all that. It never ends well." Miss Principal chuckled and even Alastor let out a nod. Emily understood. That was a sensitive topic even in Heaven. "Anyway. It does have to do with me being thrown out, quite literally, from my home." And Emily had to wince when she understood just how 'sensitive' it was. "See, I made my discovery public, about our family in particular. There were MANY other modern families whose roots have to do with Africa that were sold by fellow Africans. There was a massive slave trade, and the 'white man' could do little but buy or die, either from the many warring tribes at the time or the illnesses that made them last, at best, a year." Miss Principal shook her head, and Emily had to wonder just how many people had died just to 'trade'. Such morbid thoughts. "My family did not like that I had been 'tainted by the white man word'. I was given an ultimatum… and I found my choice landed me outside my family home, disdain and disgust their only response afterwards."

Emily could feel her sadness come clean as her shoulders shagged, Charlie was similar. Blitzo and Alastor didn't seem to mind, probably used to this and worse. Lucifer? He was just frowning. Free will had created many good things, Emily saw it did. But it also created… that kind of situation.

"I'll spare you a whole year of basically living as a pauper on the streets. My family made sure I could do little else, and even managed to make it impossible for me to get out of the city. Money talks, it hardly matters the color of your skin." Miss Principal shrugged despite the obvious pain the topic brought. "They did not expect a young Italian man to find me one cold night. They did not expect him to be the nicest person I ever met, nor the gentlest and most pure. Vanni Angelo was the greatest thing to ever happen to me." Any and all sadness was gone the moment she said that name. "He gave me everything and asked for nothing. A bit of an idiot that way; too nice, too trusting. But a marvelous person. The kind that, like my child, went to Heaven."

Was that a positive? Emily had to frown as she asked herself that question. It should be, right? They would want for nothing in Heaven.

But… a wife and a mother was still in Hell. The family had been broken apart.

"Long story short: Vanni got me out of the city that was once my home, then my prison. He and I grew together the few months he stayed over there, and then he helped me not only escape, but start a new life. My family didn't even care at that point. I was tainting the bloodline on top of everything else. Or at least I thought they didn't care, at first." Miss Principal tensed, her muscular body almost rippling as the woman grabbed the edge of the window, the reinforced concrete, and then CRUSHED it to ruble. That would need a repair, but it wasn't her focus as Emily heard the anger in her voice. "I got their 'regards' a year later. I was early in my pregnancy when we had a 'car accident'. An 'accident' arranged by my own blood. I lost Vinni that day; he saw it coming and shielded me as best as he could. I was still hurt, and, as I would come to learn, it affected my pregnancy. But it wouldn't be until my little Vittor, or Vittoria, began growing up."

The woman sighed and deflated, letting go of the ruined stone. "I was ruined after the crash. I had money, I had a job, my health was barely impacted… well, other than mentally of course." Miss Principal let out a sad chuckle. "But my lower body got hit hard. It was a miracle that Vittor-ia survived. My womb was done for though, and I was told that giving birth, in any way, would likely kill me. Survival only meant I would not have more children anyway. I still went through with it and Vittor." The Sinner sighed. "Vittoria was born. Not without complications of course, and as I would learn latter, hi-her development was damaged, but I was happy then."

"Vittoria grew up normal, to a point. But soon there were medical issues, behavioral problems. At five I found out why. Both too early and too late." The eagle Sinner looked down at the children, and so did most of the group. "Her brain did not develop right. The growth hormones she produced were not that of a male, but a female. The car crash had been enough to damage the whole process and I was lucky my child even survived. I was only lucky that Vittoria not only had a body growing wrong, but a brain to match." Miss Principal let a tired breath through her beak. "If I could have had more children, if Vinni was still alive, I would have minded it far less. Probably wouldn't have cared but… as I learned, my child, my Vittoria, would likely have a very short and painful life if her body kept growing wrong without help. Even with 'help' Vittoria would end up sterile, if she ever made it. Hormonal treatment that starts at any point before adulthood is stupidly dangerous, and impossible to reverse after a point. However my case, as shown by biology and psychology, was clear: Vittor was not meant to be a boy, at least not anymore. She would grow as Vittoria… for as long as she could live, if something went wrong. I did not like it, but this was my child. I would do my best for her."

Emily understood. Not the events that brought things to this point, no. But she understood Miss Principal's devotion, and regret, when it came to her child. She had been left alone, all she had after the accident was one child, and in a few years it was made clear that it would be the end of the line. Heaven had a few souls that had 'changed' during their life, and all of them spoke of the one regret they had.

Such changes did not bring children in most cases. They had them beforehand in some cases, but more often than not, in a very primal way, they ended alone, no matter who else they found afterwards.

A sad story, even if many were also fulfilling and happy otherwise. Miss Principal clearly did not have even that much.

"With time and dedication, as well as luck, I managed to be what I am now, only in life: The principal of the school that my daughter went to. I was no less strict there than I am here, though unlike there, I didn't bring this around." Miss Principal was nonchalant as she took a hand between her large breasts and brought out a massive silver colored handgun. It was unsurprising to most there, though Emily had her eyes widen. The thing was a hand cannon! "You need to push the fear of Satan in some of these little miscreants. Perhaps I should have done the same back in the living world." The woman shook her head as she took the gun away and tucked it in her bossom once more. "See, most of the children there were, well, little snots, but not too bad. And almost everyone was informed and understanding of my daughter's medical condition." Charlie seemed about to speak up but Miss Principal stopped her. "Dear, I know you have a bleeding heart, okay? But let me stop you there. Gender dysphoria is, like many other mental problems, a sickness, a mistake. This is not my old values, this is biology. You can be as humane and as nice as you want but… Well, I asked all of you to look down for a reason. That, however, will wait until I am done."

Charlie frowned and Emily understood why. Again, it had to do with how much she had learned this past month, as well as old tales and stories from many Winners. Those that suffered from gender dysphoria had been treated horribly for the longest time. But it wasn't all bad! Things had changed!

But, as Emily had learned as she read through recent history, perhaps it had changed too much. She was afraid of what Miss Principal was going to share.

"See, my family found out that I hadn't 'learned my lesson'. They learned that my child survived, that a 'disgusting hybrid' was still around. Worse: They learned that my poor Vittoria was what she was. My own feelings aside, I loved my child and, at twelve, she was growing to be a great woman." Miss Principal sighed and rubbed the bridge of where her nose should be. "I wish that she was born a normal girl, I won't lie, but I would've helped my daughter until I died. I was even hopeful too. Any possible health problems that she was likely to have? All bypassed, at least to that point. It was a miracle, or so I thought." Her mood darkened quickly. "But surprise, surprise, I found out my family had learned of this the day one of my brothers came around. Apparently the family was extending its roots! How lucky I was to have him and a few of his colleagues move into this other city. MY CITY." Emily feared for a moment that Miss Principal was going to break something else. The woman became eerily still however. Perhaps worse than anger was her calm. "And with them came six children that, 'somehow', found themselves in my daughter's class."

Alastor managed to get a word edgewise. "Family can be the greatest thing to ever exist." There was little interference, if any, in his voice. "They can be your greatest hope and source of love." But there was clear anger that he couldn't contain. Emily had to wonder who was behind it. "Or a great source of pain and hate." He turned to face his fellow Sinner. "It is no mystery how your little tale is going to end."

"It isn't. It is as old as time." Miss Principal didn't move an inch as she spoke. Her body was locked tight. "It began with my child coming looking shaken or nervous, not that it was uncommon. Not every day was a good day. But when she began to hide her body from me? When I first saw a bruise? I knew something was up. Sadly, I did not know how to act. Fear robbed me of a clear mind… not that I had much time to do anything."

Emily didn't like the silence that formed, but she was afraid to ask. When no one else volunteered, the poor Seraphim raised the question. "How long-?"

"Two more days after that." Miss Principal's voice became stone hard and cold as the vacuum of space. "Vittoria 'fell' down the stairs at school. A quick and 'clean' investigation was launched. The cameras had failed. No one had seen anything. But I knew who had been there. Perhaps not with the intention to do what they did, but they did so anyway. And you know what? My own brother had the balls to come and tell me it was my fault. So, I snapped."

Many others would've had much more emotion. Either deranged or sincere, controle and methodical or raving around like the owner of the voice was a lunatic.

Miss Principal? She felt nothing. There was nothing Emily could sense from her. It was as if that day had made a vacuum inside of her soul. It was the one colorless moment when she looked at the eagle Sinner. As if that event had emptied her whole.

"I sacrificed everything after Vinni died to make my child happy. I ignored my own feelings because that is what you have to do. My daughter was not at fault for how things had developed. She was my child. I would never reject her, whether I agreed or liked how things had gone. I would support her. And after all that suffering? After sleepless nights and so much pain? My old life came back and did this to me."

It was eerie, almost sickening, just how calm Miss Principal was. She looked down at the children still playing with both longing and a guarded gaze that told Emily how much anyone trying to harm them would suffer.

"I shouldn't have done it, not to them. But I was barely in control. I should have gone for my brother and his friends. The ones that made the kids do it. Do I regret it? Yes. Would I do it all again? Yes. Because the satisfaction was incredible." At last there was a smirk. A thin smile that showed the fangs hidden within the woman's beak. A lost, ravenous look in her eyes. The darkness in her soul. "To see my brother horrified as I waited in his room, his child's form still in front of me. That, and the gun. The gun I had aimed oh so perfectly. Before I did myself in, I made sure my brother would suffer just as I did: He would never have another child again. How poetic that he had invested twelve years of his life in his one son. All of it was taken away by me. I don't know, nor do I care, if he survived what I did to him. I hope he did. I hope he is still alive and miserable." There was satisfaction. Not at the pain of the child, but at the pain of the father. Revenge. Cruel, cold and brutal. Emily was ashamed to admit she understood that satisfaction. She couldn't fault the woman. The cruelty was excessive, but so had been the trauma. "I understood why I woke up here. All the same, I also felt my penance should fit the crime. As such I searched for somewhere to pay my dues. And this." She motioned at the school itself. "Was the perfect place."

Of everyone present it was Lucifer the one to ask. "And what does this have to do with the children down there?" He pointed his cane at a group at random. It was mostly Imps. "I mean, they seem quite well adapted, for those in Hell, of course."

"You know what I had to do with my daughter? The hormonal treatment and all? I was aware of the changes. I checked, double checked and made full sure my child had that particular problem. But nowadays? People are ignoring precautions, biology and simple medical care!" Miss Principal turned to face Lucifer. The King of Hell shook his head in response. "Most of those children are forced into these changes, and many end down here!"

Nearly everyone bristled at that. From Blitzo to Alastor, Charlie and Lucifer to even Emily.

"Why?" And for the first time Emily thought she'd let anger show outside of the few interactions with her sister.

"People have grown to resent history, much like my family." Miss Principal turned to look down at the children again. "They all think anything that pertains to what is 'wrong' should be erased, destroyed or changed. They want 'equity', no matter how good or bad someone is at what they do. They want for 'inclusion' where there already was acceptance, but now it must be mandatory and 'equal' to all. They want humanity to be 'good' or 'better', but they don't understand that FORCING it is pushing people back." The woman let out a tired sigh. "More and more people come down here and tell me this. Tell me they don't know why they landed in Hell. Then I ask them what they did. I ask them, they answer and then I slap reality on their faces."

Miss Principal pointed at a little, robotic looking little boy. "See that 'boy'? That is Dianna. She has been here two years. Does she look like a boy? Yes. Why? Because her mother was SURE that Dianna was a boy. She liked and still likes boy things, she liked to fight, she liked to be dirty, she liked cars, and robots and all that. So why not pump her full of meds? Why not ignore the idea of doing as I did and go to a psychologist to see if there was something wrong? Gender dysphoria is not wrong, it is not a sickness. It is normal! To be celebrated even!"

Again the eagle woman crushed stone, and this time also steel, as she punched the wall to her side. She was horribly angry and whatever had been under her fist had been reduced to rubble. Blitzo had almost been turned to paste, but the assassin was quick enough to dodge. Emily almost had a heart attack at the sight.

"People nowadays are acting like ALL things should be accepted, some of them go for even the WORST and most disgusting ideas imaginable. It is making everyone stupid and ensuring everyone gets hurt. Friendships are breaking apart, families are being torn, and old rights are being stretched so thin that they will at some point be revoked. All because everyone now wants to be 'virtuous' or is growing tired of this bullshit. And you know the worst part? Because a soul, young or old, should defend themselves from this, should defend the temple that is their body, they are found as Sinners when they are hurt. It doesn't matter if they manage to defend themselves. Hell, just like the Radio Demon said: Sometimes they are sent here BECAUSE they defended themselves. They just cannot win!"

Miss Principal had grown more and more frantic and angry as she spoke. It was clear that this had been bubbling for a while and she had not been able to let it out for the longest time.

Emily understood. She had not been able to meet any soul that went through this. But looking back? It was likely that those souls didn't ever make it to Heaven. And if they did? She was sure Sera made the right arrangements to have them sent somewhere else.

Somewhere with an angel that would ask less questions and have the right tools to help them, not just 'try to make them happy.

Miss Principal finally turned to face the group. "Dianna will now ALWAYS be in a boy body, and she hates it. She is horrified by what happened to her body, she has nightmares and PTSD about the pain, how her bones and body weakened, how it broke, and to top it all off she will be that way every single day. I have hundreds of abused children whose parents thought they were doing the right thing. And you know what? I can't fault most of them. Many ARE trying to help. Many THINK they are helping. Because the crap going on in the living world? It has people with true concerns involved. But anyone that knows of Earth is aware of the truth: This is done to create problems, to generate MONEY. And, as always, it is the innocent that pay. Because things were going so well that someone had to CREATE problems and friction." The woman Sinner turned her head to look at the children down in the schoolyard. "So many young souls that were just different… People wanted to force 'normalcy' into every one of them. So many good intended souls are abused daily and led astray… but being ignorant is no excuse."

Blitzo made sure to cut the tirade earlier by clearing his throat. "Not that I don't consider such people piece of shits myself. I am a father, I would murder whoever fucked with my daughter." Though he left the meaning open ended on his end. "But we should be meeting someone else. Apparently this is time sensitive."

"Oh, we will." Miss Principal said with a much more calm, but no less intense, intonation in her voice. "I was not interested in sharing my baggage, but it has served a similar purpose."

Alastor hummed as his curiosity was piqued. "That being?"

"I have every right to deny even The Devil himself entry. This is my domain. I rule over this school with power shared with me by every soul within." Miss Principal demonstrated this by literally warping the space around them and teleporting to the entrance of the school. "By all rights and laws of Hell I am tasked with this parcel of land and the fate of every soul, hellborn or not. Without a solid reason for intrusion not even the King of Hell itself is allowed entry, not without a fight." The eagle woman smirked at the group, especially Lucifer. "And none of you want to be here in bad blood."

Charlie wasn't the first to realize it, but with a gasp she was the first to voice the obvious. "You have been leading us in circles!"

"Of course, dear!" Miss Principal snickered, a far gentler sound than any other she had made before. "You REALLY are innocent, aren't you? We need more souls like you in Hell."

"I am trying to make good souls go to Heaven!" Charli blurted out with just a little bit of fire. "And we don't have time to be led around! We need to talk with Mayberry!"

"So you said." Miss Principal hummed. "And the fact that you do want to do good is what made me allow you entry. But." Another warbled worldview, another teleport unlike the one Emily herself had used or the portals of Lucifer. They soon were on the school's rooftop as Miss Principal pointed down. "Not all my children here are good people. There are some evil souls, even among children, yes. But the rest? They are good."

Lucifer let out a sigh. It was clear that there was something the woman wanted. "What kind of Deal are you looking for?"

"Sinners don't change." Miss Principal noted. This much Emily knew. But what part was the woman speaking of? "I know breaking the nature of Hell is… tricky. But I am also aware you can do it. If you promise not to harm Sarah for whatever you all are planning."

"We promise." Emily jumped at the chance. She was determined and didn't know how long they had been here.

The woman's tale had been illuminating, and while Emily understood why she was in Hell, it also told her that sending her here had been perhaps too rash. It was clear Miss Principal was accepting of her punishment. She had admitted that doing what she did to the children in vengeance had been wrong. Emily would not dispute that. She could not say anything she had heard in that story had been anywhere close to being right at all.

But she was doing her best to stop looking at things in black and white. She was still new to having these doubts, but they were proving to be founded. Even if Miss Principal was a murderer of, well, not the worst kind, but pretty bad still, she was not a bad person, not really.

So Emily had no problem making a promise here. "And I swear. If I can help? I will. But we DO need to talk with Miss Mayberry."

Miss Principal remained stoic, thoughtful, for a moment. Then she allowed a nod. "You seem honest, girly. A real dear. So I won't pressure anyone for a Deal. You seem like a woman of her word. So here is what I ask." Again she looked down at the children. "Those that are here just because they were ignorant or cowardly? Too young to know better or to defend themselves? I want them allowed to grow, allowed to change. I want the damage done to them in life finally repaired, both physical and mental. Hellborn have means to alter bodies with spells and potions. Just allow them the ability to change and I will help them myself."

Blitzo surprised Emily by offering his two cents. "Oh yeah. Millie's sister is, what was the word? A yeah, shemale or something like that. I think it is the 'non cool' and 'offensive' definition. But eh, don't give a fuck. Besides, I managed to talk to the chick. She still has her dick and balls yet she also should be able to get pregnant, or some shit like that. Tuned out half of it, pretty sure she was trying to flirt with me or some shit." Everyone looked at the Imp in varying levels of interest, disgust or just befuddlement. Alastor in particular seemed about to turn green, if Emily was to judge. "Okay, so the thing is: She got herself a spell worker to go from guy to gal… Well, half gal? Whatever. Not my circus, not my monkeys. Just saying that it should be easy as shit to find someone or some means to do that crap."

Lucifer let out a groan. Well, this was a small price to pay. "I don't see why this couldn't be done. So long as we get Mayberry to agree with us that is. Not to be heartless, but I highly doubt you will have much time to worry about the children if this fails."

Miss Principal narrowed her eyes. "You may be Lucifer, but I won't let you do anything to the children without-."

"Not me." Lucifer waved a hand as if the woman's warning was a non issue. Sadly for her, it was. "We require Mayberry's help to, hopefully, make Heaven's Extermination a non issue. If this doesn't work? Then there may be more frequent raids." And, loathe as he may to admit it, Lucifer didn't like the idea of what would happen to the children below if such a thing came to be. "And I doubt all Exterminators would ignore Sinners, children or not."

The truth of his words weighed heavily on Emily's mind. How many angels trained to zealotry in their desire to eliminate Hell's influence would care if the soul they were going to end was that of a child? Miss Principal clearly knew, if her horrified expression was anything to go by.

"They don't. Most of them attack the children all the same. I can only protect them by warping things around, and… some angels know enough magic to thwart me." The woman had a melancholic tone and face as she clearly remembered past failures. She finally relented a moment later. "Fine. I will guide you to Sarah. I just hope that whatever you all want to do with her does bring us at least a small reprieve."

Emily's heart sank. She had thought she was prepared to hear the obvious. That was as far from the truth as it could get.

Just… Was it really necessary to hurt children too?

"In Heaven children are allowed to grow after they die." Though the words felt disgusting in her mouth. No children should die, but the mortal world was how it was. "I know Hell is meant to punish. But why this way?"

Lucifer frowned as he looked away. This was perhaps one topic he didn't like about Sinners. He didn't like Sinners in general, Emily had seen that. He just hated how his gift had been used. Hell, Lucifer probably thought that having less free will may have been a good idea coming from God in the end. But what was done was done, and he clearly saw that not all punishments were equal or as deserved.

"This wasn't the case back when Hell was young." Lucifer took a deep breath. "True that at first it was much crueler. But back then people could change. Heaven thought so too, or so I think. Sinners came here mostly human, save a constant pallor and other signs of their fall. They were punished, true, but they also were allowed to show penance, to sometimes go back to life and try again." He motioned to Hell as a whole with one arm. "You can see that has changed. I don't know when, how or why. I stopped trying to help Sinners a long time ago. It probably was around the time I forced all medical attention to go down to Sloth because every single Sinner here at the time, young or old, just abused pharmacies and hospitals for even more drugs, sometimes even going after demons in medical care." He let out a hiss. That day had been tiring. "I just got fed up with Heaven and Hell. I got tired of trying to help."

There was a moment of silence as everyone present looked at Lucifer with their own thoughts unvoiced. Only Charlie dislodged herself from Emily's side to go and place a hand on her father's shoulder, making Lucifer smile up at the Princess of Hell.

Emily wished she could see that happening between her and her sister.

Before the situation took too much longer or, worse, someone asked any questions that could set Lucifer off, the local loudmouth brought the world back into focus. And, as he usually did, and Emily was growing far too familiar with, Blitzo didn't think through his words first.

"You know, not like I have anything against telling the worst Sinners to fuck off." The Imp began, and that sentiment was apparently shared by most of those present if Emily had to guess. "But couldn't you bring back some of that to this Ring? Fuck, it took me five years to get my daughter a Hellbies shot! Even Stolas had to be carted off to Sloth after he-."

"Stolas?"

All attention was back on Lucifer, only to be diverted to Blitzo again when the King of Hell turned to face the Imp.

"So, is Stolas the one to endorse your little business?" Lucifer hummed as he placed the tip of his cane under his chin. "Oh, yes. He should have that book again. It had been some time since his last death after all."

For a moment it looked to Emily as if Blitzo had gone ramrod straight. "Last death?"

"Many Goethia were originally angels, my good man. They fell with me, much like the Sins. All of us, all except Lilith, died once that day." This seemed to be news to virtually everyone, including Charlie, because the Princess of Hell gasped at the mention of that tidbit. "Then again, it was a 'different' kind of death, but death nonetheless."

The Devil took a moment to think about how to explain it while, of all present, Emily couldn't help but get lost in the words. There was something there that Lucifer didn't want to share, but it just kept spilling and the audience drank on it all.

"Think of it less like the traditional sense, more like closing your eyes for a second, only to open them again and see that everything has changed. My Halo wasn't taken, neither was that of the Goetia, or the Sins. All that we were was unmade in a second, then remade. There was no passage of time. I even kept falling alongside Lilith when it happened. But I could feel it inside me…" Lucifer took another second, the memory was clearly not pleasant. "Horns, tail, fangs and many other changes. They all happened like that, in a snap. But our souls? They remained almost intact, just… modified. For the Goetia, the 'lesser' of us? They retained their immortal powers in a different way. They can create very few new souls among their number. But if they die? They get reborn in a new slate, a new body, instead of creating a new soul. By now I think only Paimon has managed to live the longest without a 'reset' as it were. Everyone else has suffered their own cursed existence thanks to Heaven: To have true eternal life, yet having it taken away at every mistake. Never learning, even if others tell you of your own past…"

"Dad? That is-."

"A story for another time. I was just reminescending there for a second. Besides, I think we took long enough with dear Miss Principal here. No offense intended of course." Emily didn't know if the others noticed, but it was clear Lucifer had said far more than he wanted to. Even his smile as he faced the group again was not fully there. "But we keep spending time we may not have. So how about we get this rolling at last?"

As the world around them changed once more, Emily found everything slowing down.

This had been… enlightening.

The bit about not seeing in black and white anymore? It was true. Though Emily would gladly admit that those that hurt children without any reason would likely be the few that she could never forgive, something that took strength to do. Emily was convinced, fully so, that many that had done as Miss Principal mentioned were likely misinformed. She herself had admitted to this being the case. Misguided souls COULD be forgiven. But, and this was a sovereign thought, not everyone could be as understanding as she was, she knew this.

In fact there were many things she saw in Heaven that she could not forgive, not anymore. Far too many disgusting acts. It was not angelic behavior to be this vitriolic, even if, as far as it went, Emily had as much 'vitriol' as a cup of seawater. She just had seen images, videos, or read things that made her want to puke. And those things? Her only reaction was: These people do deserve Hell. But those souls were few. Many just did not have the right motivation. Humanity at large had no one at the wheel, and even when they had it had only been a human perspective.

Emily knew things changed. Things changed a lot. At least with time.

Many years ago slavery, as controversial as it was, was not 'wrong'. It was the norm all over the world. Everyone, or almost everyone, did it. And, compared to many alternatives? It was, and Emily hated to admit it, the lesser evil. But that wasn't all, of course. Many things had pivoted around and adapted a more modern mindset as fiction became fact.

It was also common to have very young brides and husbands. Humans had been designed by God to live for many hundreds of years, but after they were 'corrupted' by Lucifer? Their lifespan was cut terribly short. It wasn't until they managed to extend it a lot with medicine that being pregnant at a young age was deemed immoral. But as the creator's curse in their design had been overcome? They grew, and then they changed.

And now? Now, for some reason, taking 'actions' towards children was becoming normal. Emily had seen it. Emily had seen how humans had grown so extremely complacent, so extremely safe and happy, that they had become UNhappy.

They had, in a way, defeated God and Heaven's will, even if in a small way. This, in turn, apparently broke something in them. And while Emily would never, ever, say she was happy with the punishment doled to a whole species, she had to admit that humans had done terrible and horrible things the moment they had shaken off many of the ills made for them by those in what humanity considered 'The Afterlife'.

Because when humanity became bored, became safe, became unfulfilled because they were close to getting all they wanted, they became dangerous to themselves. And you know what? Emily would've accepted it. She would've accepted that humanity was flawed all the same and would've loved anyone that made it to Heaven, either by default or because they had learned their errors and taken steps to repent after their death.

And by this she means that she would've accepted it if she hadn't found out just how messed up everything was.

Not just Earth, but Heaven and Hell. It made her finally draw a line on the sand. It was a very wide line, blurry and imperfect, but every day that passed, every moment she saw something else disgusting or horrible, that line became more defined.

She hated herself for it. The young Seraphim hated that a part of her was not just pure joy anymore.

Emily felt wrong when she judged others. She hated how she had been MADE to be a nice little cotton puff; always happy and soft. Not because she disliked the idea of being that soft, cuddly and nice, but because she had been made for that purpose in hopes she never found out what was going on.

That is why she, despite hearing of Miss Principal's crimes, had hope for the woman. She was caring, she was concerned, and she did her best, even in Hell, to help the most vulnerable, even if she likely had to be brutal at times to do it.

That is why, looking at innocent children whose only crime was not protecting the sacred gift that was their own bodies and life, Emily believed that something HAD to have happened to change Heaven for the worse. Her fellow angels couldn't have been like this from the start.

That is WHY she was going to make things BETTER. The reason why she was going to give humans a wakeup call the same as she would everyone else. And if they did not learn? Then Emily had tried, and that was better than acting as if everything was fine.

As such, as soon as the world settled and they appeared in front of a door, Emily found her resolve surging just as much as she did. She overtook everyone else and pushed the door open to face the woman they came here to seek.

"Sarah Mayberry?"

The classroom was normal. Or as normal as one could get here. It was not the grey concrete from before, but a more colorful (if also largely defaced by crude childish drawings and a few smears here and there), with a chalkboard largely devoid of any obscenities (thanks God) and MOSTLY intact seats, ceiling lights and so on. It was almost average, or below average for Earth, and Emily couldn't help but notice that the Sinner here had had a smile on her face not long ago.

At least until Emily said her name.

Sarah was a shapely and very slim lady. Her old sandy blonde hair was now grey,almost white, though the waist length was the same. Those green eyes her old photo had were instead overtaken by the red many Sinners had with slit yellow pupils. She had a pair of horns (a trait most Sinners also shared, except some rare cases like Miss Principal) that were partially like a goat, an attribute that had fully overtaken her feet and legs, going so far as to exchanging said feet for hooves. Much more normal was how her natural skin color had also been overridden in exchange for a light violet tone, perhaps the 'lesser' change. She even had a tail, much like an imp, going back and forth behind her.

A quick gasp also made Emily notice the yellow fangs in her mouth, the claws of her hands and just how easy she seemed to put in a defensive position when compared to her human self. Emily could feel that the woman's soul had taken in a more irate incarnation.

Not that she could fault her. Hell changed people very quickly. Emily even saw an ashtray nearly full besides Sarah. At least the young Seraphim was happy to see that the teacher had gone for one of the 'less' harmful options for coping in Hell. Though the betrayal from her ex-husband and her own actions likely helped.

Mayberry didn't seem in an overall bad shape at least. True she had changed her attire for something darker or drearier, what with the cat eyed glasses, the jewelry she sported in many of her old photos had also been discarded in favor of something else. Emily didn't know if it was fashion or her students, but her skirt was largely torn and the turtleneck was etched with many red 'X's, something that in Hell's culture had to do with violence and death, which Emily could only take as a sign of warning.

"Who are you?" At least Sarah had the presence to sound polite, even if she looked on guard. More so when the rest of the group got into her classroom. "Who are these people? Paetra?"

Emily turned to Miss Principal, as did everyone else. The woman just sighed.

"Sarah. I told not to use my real name unless we are in private. Remember that names have power in Hell." The woman rubbed her eyes in frustration. So her real name was 'Paetra'? Emily stored that for later. "You have visitors."

"I can SEE that, thank you 'Principal'." Mayberry grunted in clear disdain. Apparently she didn't seem to like the idea of changing anything of who she was, and this included her name. "So who are they?"

Emily took charge once more as she stepped closer to the woman, only to manage a single step and nothing else. Mayberry was clearly on the defensive as she pushed her seat back, her hair waving behind her as she snarled.

Clearly the woman did not trust strangers, and Emily couldn't fault her for lacking faith.

So Emily offered her biggest and most hopeful smile. Not that it was hard. She was hopeful. Hopeful that this would work fine and pave the road for what she had planned. "My name is Emily. I am a Seraphim and I am here for you."

Those words seemed to break the woman for a moment.

"A Seraphim?" Sarah spoke with a single moment of hitched breath. "From Heaven?"

"No, from the Sloth Ring." Blitzo stepped forth, having been mostly relegated to the back of the group and out of Mayberry's view. "How are you doing purple tits?"

Mayberry's awe died down with a very disgusted look and tone of voice. "Oh, it is you again."

"Hey! Don't act like you didn't enjoy my presence before. We got the job done as requested. You should at least have some fond memories." Blitzo smirked, either full of himself or giddy at teasing the woman.

"You didn't give a crap when I told my story, your office was ON FIRE because you had literal demonic and electric eels in a condemned building and your employee almost put a crossbow bolt between my eyes in an accident." Sarah enumerated the many reasons why her memories of Blitzo were anything but positive. "And you did your JOB. At least you are competent at that."

As the pair traded barbs, Emily watched.

Sarah Mayberry's soul was bright. Just like Miss (Paetra) Principal, Mayberry's soul had dark splotches. It was as if it was scarred, which Emily could understand. But was it dark, dreary and bad? Not really. Downright evil? No. Sarah's soul was much better than the eagle Sinner, but it DID need healing.

Emily knew she had picked a good candidate, one that could help herself and those close to her.

Her examination was cut short as Alastor stepped forward to be at Emily's side. "Please. Please. Our dear girl here has something to say after all. So we could conduct our introductions and move on only if everyone cooperates."

There was a lot of niceness in his tone, but also a very clear hint of warning.

Emily would take that. There hadn't been any time to waste a long while ago and she knew that every encounter was going to drain even more. At least this was the last stop before meeting with Jack and stopping him from making the biggest mistake he could.

"Okay, stop this bickering." Miss Principal huffed and made everyone shimmer down. "Sarah, these people are important. You know the assassin while Emily has been very forward and presented herself. I am sure that if I mention the name 'Alastor', or the moniker of the 'Radio Demon', it probably will ring a bell."

Alastor seemed to have relaxed, or at least he made an act of it as he bowed. "Pleasure to meet you, my dear. It is always nice to make acquaintances with fellow killers. After all, one has to have cold blood to make sure unfinished business reaches a… satisfying conclusion, even if not by your own hand."

"That bitch had it coming. And from what I have learned of her and her family? She should've gotten it earlier. Pushing her children to kill and eat people would've been reason enough." Mayberry grumbled as she finally got up from her seat. "And from what I hear you are another cannibal…"

"Yes, well, one ends up learning to enjoy things when you are forced into a certain lifestyle. However, unlike those children, my case was more out of necessity." Alastor hummed as he toyed with his cane. "The Dust Bowl was not exactly a pleasant time to be alive. After that? Well, it was a good way to hide the bodies of those that were better off dead."

The other two Sinners present grimace. Miss Principal more than Mayberry. Being someone that knew history very well, Paetra obviously was aware of what Alastor spoke of.

Emily didn't, and curiosity told her to learn later. She didn't know it yet, but this would lead to sympathy for a very dangerous individual.

Miss Principal cleared her throat. "Yes, well, history lessons aside." She moved to Sarah's side, motioning to the short King and Charlie. "Lucifer himself and his daughter, Charlotte Morningstar."

Now that floored the woman a little bit.

"I prefer Charlie." Charlie spoke with a smile as she offered Mayberry a hand. "It is nice to meet you, Mrs Mayberry."

"Charmed." Sarah managed to croak before looking at Lucifer. The King of Hell had been looking at the woman for a while now. "And, uh, his majesty?"

Lucifer almost looked surprised at being mentioned. "Oh! Oh sorry. I was a bit lost in your soul."

This made Sarah blink. "My soul?"

"It is very pink." Emily mentioned. She was sure that Lucifer had noticed too. "It speaks of unconditional love and care."

Mayberry snorted. "It also tells you how much of an idiot I was in life."

"We all are my dear. But we learn." Alastor hummed to himself. The specifics behind his words were lost to everyone present. "But something tells me that you have not been dead long enough to change that fact."

The teacher grimaced. "Death had nothing to do with how ashamed I am about being so naive."

"We have all been there, tooths." Blitzo chimed in. "Emotions make idiots of ourselves. And believe me: I am a master of that craft."

"I can believe you." Sarah deadpanned at the Imp. "But why is my soul that important? I have been here for a while now and no one gave a shit till now. What is going on?"

Miss Principal looked at the group with at least a small level of doubt. Not about what had been said before, Emily did not see distrust in the woman's eyes. But she was clearly unsure of how likely to succeed the group was.

In any capacity.

Still, she tried to assuage Sarah's fears. "Apparently they need you for a plan. Something that may put a stop to the Exterminations."

Mayberry looked at her friend like she had grown a second head. Then she looked at the group, as if expecting Blitzo to start laughing. Finally, she landed her eyes on Emily.

And then she complained about being out of smokes under her breath before closing her eyes and wondering, loudly and very tiredly, what the fuck was going on.

"What kind of joke is this?" Mayberry grumbled a moment before she took a thumbnail to her mouth and began bitting at the claw. The fangs wouldn't cut through and it was the perfect chew toy to let the stress dissipate as she began pacing around. "Why me? I am a nobody. I teach children. I ended up here because I couldn't take it on the chin and let my no good excuse for an ex-husband pork that bitch. He was most likely going to end up in a pot, reported missing and I could've lived a few years grieving before finding a much better man!" She stopped to face the group. "What the fuck is this!?"

"It is the truth." Emily again approached the woman, this time without Mayberry recoiling. She took Sarah's hand and squeezed it gently. "I will not lie to you. I found you appropriate for this by sheer chance. I am not going to tell you that you are unique or anything like that. I am not my sister; I am not going to offer you pretty words and sweet nothings. But I can assure you: For this to work we need YOU."

Sarah looked at the young Seraphim in confusion. "Why?"

Emily didn't want to be too giddy at the idea. Still, happiness and hope mixed into her voice as she spoke. "You haven't died too long ago. Your Sin is still fresh, but it is not as grievous as you think. You may find a way to make up for it. You may find a way to redeem yourself. If you do, you could ascend and leave this place. And if that happened?" Finally her smile did appear, almost blinding Mayberry with just how… nice she was. To Emily this was a win. "Then Exterminations may not be necessary anymore."

Mayberry looked from Emily to Charlie. "Does this have to do with your Hotel? A lot of people really thought it was a trap to lure souls and screw them over."

Charlie seemed to lose her smile and deflate at that. "Wait. Really?"

"Girl this is Hell. Anyone trying to be nice tends to end up badly. And yes, I will just say 'badly'. I got myself killed TWICE before I learned that lesson." Sarah grumbled and, for a moment, thought of taking her hand away from Emily. The look of hopefulness on the young Seraphim made her desist. "But really. What is this about?"

"It… well, it does have to do with my hotel." Charlie admitted. "But not you coming over there and staying with us."

"Not quite, at least." Lucifer pointed out as he took a hand to his chin. "I think I will link this project to your hotel, Char-Char. A portal to connect it all, considering there will be some traffic coming and going."

"Oh! It is a good idea! A permanent gate to the mortal world in my hotel won't be bothered by anyone. More so if you help warding it, dad!" Charlie's eyes turned into stars for a second. Emily couldn't help but share in the joy. Charlie's hotel was likely the safest place for this. Even Lucifer's castle had more people wandering about. "In fact, I think the hotel had a secret basement? I remember you told me a few stories of things that happ-."

"Nope!" Lucifer quickly changed from pensive but happy at his child's praise to someone that was about to hyperventilate. "Heh. No. Not remembering those stories. Dad's head was somewhere else, mostly because your mom was around to be in on the joke." He cleared his throat. "But yes, it could be the perfect place."

"Excuse me." Miss Principal and Mayberry both looked lost, with the former quickly putting a stop to this possible ramble. "I think I may require further explanations about this plan. Why would you need my employee anywhere near a portal to Earth? Last I heard we bounce back like a rubber ball when we try to cross the barriers in Hell. And that is if we are lucky."

Damn it. Emily wasn't sure how to say this. Telling Mayberry about Jack would do the trick. But would she really be doing this because she wanted to do it, or because of Jack? Emily knew that Sarah would do anything for her surrogate son, that was a fact, but…

Would she truly want to change for him? Redemption was, to put it bluntly, a selfish act.

It was selfish to wish for change after you hurt others. Not because it was wrong, but because, if we are to be sincere, and Emily had come to terms with it, you should never NEED redemption.

Making mistakes is one things; mistakes can hurt, and mistakes may make other people make mistakes too. It was a cascade of failure, that was true. But a mistake is something you do as an accident or without knowing. A proper Sin, like the ones both Mayberry and Paetra had committed, were acts done in rage and through emotions, yes, but those weren't 'mistakes'. Those were actions that had consequences, done in perhaps not a clear mind, but with intent behind it.

Thus, redemption was, despite its positive outcome and desire, despite the good it could do for others, a selfish act.

So, Emily was torn. If Mayberry was offered a chance she could do it. But if she was told that she could be with her nephew, she may do her best to take as long as possible just to be with him. But there was a problem: Emily needed Mayberry to make progress before the next Extermination.

As much as she wanted to trust her sister, and Emily was overwhelmed with the desire and hope for her sister to hear her out and believe in her back, it was clear that Heaven would need hard proof for there to be change. The young Seraphim needed express results or there would be a reckoning of some kind, either coming from Sera or someone else. She knew this.

Emily didn't want to be cruel though, she didn't have the soul for it. She wanted to tell the woman about Jack, even if her doubts ate away at her. Luckily for her, any internal struggle was bypassed by Blitzo becoming useful once more.

"They plan on telling humans topside that Hell and Heaven exists." The Imp grumbled. The pay he got had made him mellow a bit, but Blitzo was clearly still unhappy about it.

Mayberry, for her part, seemed curious. "You want me to go back to Earth to help with this?"

"Oh my dear. That is not exactly the task we have in mind for you." Alastor chuckled, but he seemed curious, at least when it came to Sarah's reaction. "No. Your job will be to seek redemption. Will you aid in bringing the injustices of Heaven to light? Indubitably, but that is just part of your purpose."

It took a moment before Sarah became pensive. Mayberry's attention had been grabbed by something. Perhaps an errant thought, or an idea. Emily didn't know, but she was interested in the answer that the Sinner could provide.

The teacher didn't take long to answer.

"I cannot die again. Not unless it is a temporary or final death anyway." Sarah began with a mutter, but she soon became more clear. "I don't give a shit about my ex-husband, but I am sorry about the children I hurt. I would like to go back and make peace, if nothing else."

Emily was elated. Her smile threatened to go nuclear. "That is a great first step!" She was so happy she could flutter about, but she wasn't done yet. "But that won't be the FIRST step you must take."

Mayberry grimaced a bit. Emily didn't know, but she was squeezing too hard at this point. It took the little angel a second to let go of the poor Sinner's hand with a faint 'sorry' from her.

"So…" Sarah rubbed her sore hand. For someone so petite Emily sure was strong. "What would be that first step?"

"Emily said you have a nephew, basically a son to you." Charlie's words made Mayberry's neck nearly snap as the Sinner's head turned her way so fast it shouldn't be possible, not even with her inhumane qualities. "He, uh… may be in trouble?"

The whole scene began to change as whatever power Mayberry may've had began to coalescence. Raw emotions making the woman glow red. For a Sinner Emily could say that Mayberry's soul wasn't that powerful. But when a demon, once human or hellborn, is overloaded by emotions? That power explodes.

"Tell. Me. NOW."

A bright red light blinded everyone, but it didn't come from Mayberry.

It came from Emily. From one of the many hidden pockets in her dress.

"No." Emily's eyes widened, her previous mood dropping faster than she ever thought possible. "No. No. No. No!"

Charlie's voice barely reached her. "Emily?"

"What is that?" Blitzo's curiosity didn't register.

"I sense strong magic." Alastor's deduction was ignored.

"It is a communication crystal. Technology from Heaven." Lucifer's explanation was meaningless.

Because the red light was a warning. Those still helping her from their place in Heaven had been keeping an eye out. Sera would likely flip if she learned of her keeping tabs on Jack, but she had said nothing against it. Emily could worry about the possible consequences later.

The young Seraphim faced Mayberry. "Sarah."

The Sinner had stopped her glowering, instead looking confused, worried even. "W-what is happening?"

"You have to tell me. Now." Emily urged, her face a mountain of worry and no small hint of fear. "Will you accept our offer? Will you try to be redeemed?" And before Mayberry could utter a word Emily pressed. "Sarah. Stop. You have to want to do this for YOURSELF. You must be sincere when you tell me that you agree. I wish, I DEARLY wish, for you to reunite with Jack. I wish to give you all the time in the world to be with those you love. But I fear Heaven will not give you longer than the next Extermination if they see no proof." Emily found her lip quivering. She hated being this mean, this forceful. It was like when she had a yelling match with Sera. The poor young Seraphim was close to tears. "If you aren't determined, then I'll feel it. The lie will come through your soul. You MUST want to be better or I won't be able to open a portal to Earth. You MUST know this will mean sacrifice and accept it. But… please? I beg of you." There were glimmers of tears unshed. Emily was really close to cracking. Hell, she was about to go to her knees. "Please?"

Five tense seconds speed down to a crawl before Emily got an answer.

The first had Sarah look at Emily with immense worry and doubt.

It was clear Mayberry wanted to go to Earth for her child. Maybe she didn't birth him, maybe he was 'just' her nephew, but she had raised him. He was the last family she had left, at least the family she cared for. It would be impossible for her to say that she did not want to go back for him first and foremost.

The second saw her rage and simmer down in the blink of an eye.

Sarah was angry at her ex-husband. This was not ALL his fault, because she made her own decisions after the truth came to life. It was likely that Jack was paying for HER actions and this brought shame as much as it did anger. Emily could see the teacher come to terms with how her passing hadn't been as seamless as she had hoped after her hasty decision to end it all was taken.

The third had doubt and guilt. Sarah truly wanted to see her little one once more.

And once she admitted this to herself what little rage was left dissipated. Instead a pit in her stomach formed. Her Jack's suffering had to be worse than she thought. If Emily was acting like this, then time was very much finite, and Mayberry quickly noticed it didn't mean 'the end of the year' kind of finite. It was a much closer end. And you know what? Emily could see Sarah's realization in her widening eyes.

The fourth made said realization clear: If she had been better, and less deluded, from the get go, she wouldn't have needed to make up her mind just to see her child.

But what was done was, sadly, done. The past could not be changed, and even if it was, Sarah Mayberry was aware of something Emily would've told her with no lies and a lot of regret: She wasn't worth the more than likely damage to reality that changing history could do. And even if she was. What kind of worth would it have to go back and stop her? Sarah had taken her fate on her hands and she had been the one to press the trigger. All she had to do now was choose: To accept her error and make up for it, or be selfish and stay the same?

And the fifth had Sarah admit it to herself: She was in this mess out of her own making, and she was missing on Jack's life because she allowed the pressure to end it all. It was her fault, and whatever was happening likely had to do with it. Worse: Jack was suffering for her actions.

The woman came to a simple conclusion: Atonement was the right thing to do, and she wouldn't achieve it by staying here, much as she'd wish to escape her fate. She had made her bed and, instead of facing the consequences, she escaped from them and landed on Hell.

And you know what? Hell had been painful in many ways, but it had truly been an escape. It was time to stop running and face the music.

Thus Emily was not surprised when Sarah let a very heavy answer past her lips. "I swear: I wish to be redeemed. To make up for past mistakes… Even if I don't know how. I at least want to try, please."

Not the most memorable words Emily could've hoped for, but they were sincere.

So, without another word or delay, she turned to an empty spot and opened a portal.

Because time was running out.

A young man was choking seconds away from it. He had tried hanging himself from a tree.

"JACK!?"

Emily was glad that Sarah had accepted the offer of her own volition. She was truly happy that the woman truly wished to become better and make amends. But she also knew there was another undeniable truth: If Jack died, then Sarah would lose whatever drive she had. And if that happened…

Sera would never change her mind.

Thus, with a simple command of her mind Emily allowed her wings out. All six of them pushed with all their might, launching her towards the slowly dying mortal. She hadn't had a chance to calculate, she hadn't been able to measure her strength, she had even taken action in such a brutal fashion that everyone ended up pushed back or on the ground the moment Emily's powerful flap of her wings created a shockwave so back in Hell that the whole class ended up in disarray.

And yet Emily didn't know if she would've cared. As harsh as it was in her mind, as much of a selfish reason of her own as it was, there was only one person that mattered right now: The young man that was slowly turning blue and that held all hopes for things to change.

Emily could only hope that she was fast enough to save him.