No, I'm not dead, this chapter just took me longer than usual because of the Christmas Holidays, in which I paradoxically had less free time. We're at the endgame now, have fun reading!
CHAPTER 15
The first impact the residents of the Hotel had with the appearance of the Queen of Hell in their hall was of astonishment; they were all used to the silliness and the antics of Lucifer, the titular King, ruler of the Pride Ring and the Seven Deadly Sins, who seemed more of a circus clown. And that energy and personality was partially shared by Charlie, who was easygoing and friendly most of the time and certainly didn't leave the impression of a princess. Lilith instead embodied what a royal was supposed to look: incredibly tall, more than the already tall Charlie, a splendid figure clad in a dark dress and a calm demeanor that exuded regalness at every step. Her hand was lightly touching the extended one of Lucifer, whose top head could not compensate for the extreme height difference. They descended the staircase one step at the time, probably in order to accommodate the far from perfect physical state of the queen or probably because the royal etiquette demanded it.
Once the two got down in the hall, Lilith slightly bowed down towards the people observing her. "It is good to know you, my good guests. My name is Lilith, and I have been dubbed the Queen of Hell in the past". Then, she bowed down more deeply, a troubled expression on her face. "I am so sorry for all the problems I may have caused in my…not healthy state". That was obviously an understatement, but her story had already been discussed by Charlie beforehand so she had no real way to address every part of it except apologising. And as her daughter told her, a heartfelt 'sorry' could do wonders.
"As it was the first time someone tried to kill us all, we are getting used to it" Vaggie dismissed, waving her hand. Lilith walked close to Vaggie, staring at her deeply, towering over the fallen angel. Vaggie instantly felt uneasy, since her throat well remembered being grabbed harshly by those seemingly unassuming hands. "So…you are my baby girl's girlfriend…". Lilith's words lingered in the air: suddenly, everyone felt like they were in a courtroom in front of Satan himself, Vaggie most of all. "Yes…Yes, I am". Vaggie tried to appear as brave as she possibly could but still felt as if she was about to be jumped by a feral animal. And it actually happened.
Lilith closed the distance and embraced Vaggie tenderly, pulling her closer. "You are so precious, I am so glad Charlie found you!". The fallen angel's cheeks turned gold out of embarrassment, both because she was called 'precious' and because by hugging her, Lilith practically drowned her head into her breasts, which weren't exactly small! She was used to Charlie's, which were bigger than her own and often teased her for that, but she was about to choke. "Ehm…thank you?" she said, her voice muffled. With the corner of her eye, she saw Charlie and Angel Dust snickering, while Cherri turned around so she couldn't be seen laughing. They loved to see the usually hardass Vaggie being smothered with affection because she could hardly deal with it except when it was from Charlie.
"Aww, you see? Mom likes you" Charlie said as finally Lilith released Vaggie from her embrace. "So, there we have Angel Dust, our first patron and as of now, our cook…". Angel Dust smirked and struck a pose. Lilith bowed. "I cannot wait to see what you have prepared for us, then". Then, Charlie pointed at Husk. "...and there we have Husk, he's in charge of the bar, if you look for knowledge about alcohol and gambling and a psychologist, he's your guy". Lilith bowed to him too. "I am a light drinker, but I like my chardonnay". Husk nodded. "That won't be a problem, your Highness, we had just replenished".
"She's Cherri, one of our recent additions, she has an explosive personality". Cherri laughed. "You got that right, bitch!" she exclaimed, playing with one of her bombs. Lilith glanced back at Charlie, a little weirded out, but seeing that her daughter just shrugged, she just bowed lightly. Then, her eyes set on Alastor, whose smiling face betrayed his annoyance. "Well, you know Alastor, our Facility Manager. Are you going to tell us how…well…". Lilith shook her head, staring at Alastor with amusement. "I am sure your smiling friend agrees with me in saying that such a story deserves justice before being told. Hi Al, it has been such a long time". Once again, Lilith bowed, but this time Charlie read a hint of mockery from her mother, amusingly enough. Also, she could see that Alastor was more on edge than usual, an indication that even the powerful Overlord was aware that he could not fuck with her. On the other hand, the tiny Niffty, who was nesting on Alastor's head, waved enthusiastically at the Queen. "And she's Nifty, our maid. Don't let her size deceive you, she can be really efficient". Lilith waved back at the tiny sinner, a smile on her face. And finally, her eyes set on Wicken, who was polishing what seemed to be a semi-automatic gun with expert movements. Instantly, something in her head rang like a bell, like she was in front of a guy not to be messed with.
"...and we have Wicken, our most recent addition. He's the one that de-cursed you, so to speak". Lilith's eyes widened in surprise: sure, he seemed very dangerous, but he didn't exactly exude otherworldly power like her family or even Alastor did. She was instantly curious. "Then I have to thank you, Mister Wicken. Pray tell, how did you free me of my accursed state?". Instantly, silence fell into the hall as they looked back at the actions of the other day. Wicken ignored the tense air that had formed in the hotel. "Shot you clean in the head" he simply answered. Charlie, Vaggie and Lucifer looked like they were restraining themselves from facepalming while the others looked at the assassin like he was mad. But they were surprised when Lilith showed absolutely no emotion at that remark. "Well, did it work?". The assassin smirked. "Apparently? Like a charm. You're welcome". Lilith scoffed lightly. "You do not give a damn about anything, do you?". Wicken gave the Queen a knowing look and she chuckled, turning to Charlie. "You have such interesting friends, darling!". The hellborn's eyes filled with delight, happy to see that her mother had accepted her friends so quickly. Even Lucifer had struggled a little with that!
"You don't know how! But let's just sit, dinner's ready, right Angel?". Angel Dust nodded and waved towards the dinner table, which was already ready with a lot of food. "Please sit and serve yourself. Today's speciality is Pasta al Pesto! Then I made some sides so I can satisfy every taste. Like I usually do, but with less sex involved, this time". Charlie, Vaggie, Husk and Lucifer looked at Angel Dust totally weirded out, but Lilith didn't seem to mind Angel Dust's innuendos.
The dinner was very pleasant, as Lilith showed to be a perfect table companion, politely but generously complimenting Angel Dust for his superb cooking and being a perfect conversator, despite her memory being faulty at places. She really wanted to know everything about Charlie's friends and often questioned them with direct but not excessively intrusive questions and, in response, answered every question she was asked by the other guests, even replying to Angel Dust too deep curiosity, much to Charlie's dismay. Lilith found the former pornstar's approach endearing, not really used but not swayed too much by his somewhat excessive behaviour; she was also delighted by Husk's ability to make a very sophisticated conversation and his in depth knowledge about the functioning of the human soul, which came from his wide experience as a bartender. And his extensive knowledge in sommeliering, since she openly complimented the wine that was served together with the food, which was in her words "superb and perfectly chosen".
"I have to say, I had not had such a pleasant dinner in decades. Usually, my last family dinners ended up in food fights". Lilith instantly blushed, but almost no one noticed how embarrassed she was. "And who won, usually? You or your hubby?" Cherri Bomb asked. Lucifer laughed heartily. "No winners, but her throws had become really nasty. Sometimes, I still feel some stew in my ear! Our maid had become ballistic by the end of it!". That made Cherri and Angel laugh even harder, while Charlie tried to look embarrassed but she was enjoying that dinner too much to actually care that the topics of discussion weren't sometimes appropriate. Vaggie noticed that and put a hand on her shoulder, who in turn got squeezed lightly by her girlfriend.
After the dinner, the royal family, Vaggie, Husk and Wicken moved into the hall while Angel Dust and Cherri Bomb brought everything in the kitchen to wash and Alastor offered to brew some tea, a proposition that was gladly accepted. As they sat on the sofa, Lilith pointed at a painting that was over the fireplace. "Who is that? He must have been of great importance to warrant such an honor". The air suddenly felt somber: since most of the present were able to at least speak with Sir Pentious, his death affected them somewhat. This didn't go unnoticed by Lilith, whose eyes turned sad. "I am sorry, maybe it is not something you want to discuss…" she was saying, but Charlie shot down her mother's remark. "No no mom, it's ok, we don't talk about him enough anyway". She then pointed to the painting. "He's Sir Pentious. At first, he was a spy sent by…someone, and an enemy of the hotel, but he turned his ways around and quickly became our dearest friend. He fought really hard to defend us when we got attacked by the Extermination Army but fell. He was a genius inventor and very kind hearted and really believed in what I'm doing here". Tears clouded Charlie's eyes, prompting Vaggie to come closer to her and hug her.
Lilith stared at the solemn painting of the snake sinner: somewhere, in the corner of her mind, there was a feeling that he already perceived him in some capacity but she couldn't really put the finger on why. She cursed her memoryless condition under her teeth. "He must have been a great person, if he is remembered so fondly". She then noticed that a small part of the painting, around the forehead of the picture of Sir Pentious, was of a slightly different colour, just like it had been recently fixed, albeit just enough so that it could be seen when up close. "Was it restored recently?" she asked. Charlie's head shot up. "What? When?". She remembered that when Wicken had attacked one of the bullets hit the painting and she was going to call someone to restore it but with everything that had followed that day she hardly thought of that. Or maybe she did, unconsciously? Someone, however, talked up, clearing her doubts. "That was me". Everyone turned to Wicken, who was the one who talked: he was sitting in an armchair, mindlessly checking up his new gun. "You did? When?" Charlie asked.
"Last night. I felt a bit bad for having ruined it, so when everyone was sleeping I got up and fixed it the best I could. I'm no pro renovator but for the time being it could do, I guess". Everyone looked at the assassin, puzzled. "When could you have possibly done that? You were super drunk!" Husk asked; the assassin chuckled but didn't answer.
"You are a man of many talents, I see. Assassination, renovation, curse-lifter…". The last word perked the interest of everyone; it seemed that the peculiar nature of the assassin wasn't revealed to the Queen just yet, so her curiosity was well justified, but felt ominous at times. Wicken however ignored it and shrugged. "I went everywhere, did everything and picked up a bit of this and a bit of that. But about the last one, I'm not so sure, since the only reason it worked it's because I have the same problem you once had". Lilith's eyes widened in surprise: she expected everything but that! "Oh…my apologies, I was not aware…" but the apology was quickly shot down by the assassin himself. "Save it, big mommy, your daughter already helped me dealing with that, I am at peace with myself right now. You should think of something more important, like that meeting your husband was talking about".
The topic of the programmed meeting with Sera was in fact touched during the dinner but not really discussed over. What Charlie and the others were able to get from that was that things in Heaven were stale at the moment but they really didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing, and Lucifer sadly couldn't provide any information that could get them some peace. And the most frustrated one was Lucifer himself, who only restricted himself to break in into Heaven cane blazing just out of respect of the other Sins, who certainly would not appreciate entering into a full-fledged war with Heaven's forces: they welcomed him and Lilith when he fell, it would be a dick move from him to throw out that generosity for something they might have considered a "petty squabble".
"Unfortunately I cannot provide many insights about Heaven and their workings that can help in that regard". Lilith sighed, almost as frustrated as her husband was. At that moment, Alastor entered the room with a kettle of steaming tea, followed by Niffty that was carrying a tray full of biscuits. "Tell me already if you're discussing politics, I'm always down for a riveting discussion about the powers in charge in front of an evening cup of tea" the Overlord chimed with his robotic voice, pouring the liquid in many cups with expert precision. Lucifer scoffed. "Great, now my wife's pet has something to say. Pray tell, what insight can you provide, o chained one?". When he found that Alastor's soul was chained to Lilith, Lucifer had found it so funny that he couldn't wait to joke around with him about that, and he was o so glad that he found the opportunity to do so, much to Alastor's annoyance. Alastor's eyes reduced to slit but there was little he could do since he had no argument in that regard.
"Wait dad, he can tell us something. He's an Overlord, so at least we can have the point of view of someone who has great interest and influence in Hell's political landscape" Charlie chimed in in defence of his employee; she could hardly bear the bickering between Alastor and her dad, especially when it was so gratuitous. Lucifer looked a little in disbelief but stayed silent while Alastor poured the final cup of tea for himself and sat on the chair beside Charlie. "Well, first of all I think I can talk on behalf of any Overlord past, present and future when I say that we don't want the Extermination to continue. It is bad business for us, after all, all those poor souls that we own gone in a second because our king wasn't able to secure a fitting deal". Charlie could hear her dad fuming but he didn't retorted, knowing there was some truth in his words. "But with recent development I see that now more than ever Hell holds some semblance of advantage: now the main weakness of angels is known and, most of all, finally the main ruler of Hell has taken a position, and I'm sure that if that's the case the other rulers will at least partially help. I'm not aware in the slightest how powerful the other upper angels are but from what I can gather, if they never thought to directly attack Hell maybe it's because they aren't sure if they can outright win". At this statement, Lucifer scoffed. "Pff, hardly. It's not a matter of if they are able or not, it's that they can't". All the audience barring Lilith looked at him, confused.
"Would you care to elaborate that, Your Highness?". Alastor chewed the last two words but Lucifer ignored that. "Look, I don't know how many of you know how Hell actually works, but Heaven cannot really access it. Or better, could not. Now it can thanks to the embassy but in ancient times only people of high power could open a portal between these two dimensions, it's what I did when I was banished. And thanks to the fact that Heavens is all stuck up on order and rules and all that stuff, you have to be authorised to traverse from Heaven to Hell and vice versa. I can freely do it because, you know, fuck them, but I can only access the entrance of it, the Gates. We are, for all purposes, separate dimensions and as we cannot go in guns blazing, so do they. It's not a matter of power, it is a matter of how things work. Though of one thing you may be right: an all out war wouldn't be clear in their favour, especially now. But the scale is still tipped in their favour, I'm afraid: the Sins are strong, but so are the Seraphims and their immediate subordinates, the Ophanium and the Thrones, and their numbers are still superior to ours. So, the purpose of the meeting with Sera tomorrow is to understand how the council is going to proceed forward after what happened a month ago. I'm given to understand that she changed her view, matching the one of her peers who vocally talked against the council, but they are just two, so it's hard to understand their view as a whole". As Lucifer was explaining all of this, Angel Dust and Cherri joined the rest of the people in the hall, plopping down the sofa. Despite the apparent disinterest they had shown before, their ears perked at the explanation.
"So, if tomorrow goes south, we are fucked?" Angel Dust asked, but Lucifer shook his head. "Not really, but we will definitely need to be on guard. I can't predict what will happen next, but if anything goes wrong I will contact my fellow Sins, I'm sure some of them will help me out, but I hope I don't have to resort to that anytime soon, I'd hate to involve them". Lucifer concluded, then looked around, seeing that anyone was on edge, too tense to speak. He chuckled. "No need to be afraid, if anything happens I will fuck them! Up, I'll fuck them up!" Lucifer proclaimed, jumping out of his armchair, making everyone but Alastor laugh. It was good to know that they would have the support of their king from the start, this time, and that helped break up the tension, if only just a little. The prospect of an all-out war with Heaven was really scary, and they hoped that it wouldn't come to this.
Lilith was laughing together with the others, when suddenly she put a hand on her head, feeling lightheaded. And this didn't go unnoticed by her daughter. "What's wrong mom, you have a headache?". Instantly, everyone's attention shifted towards the queen. "Just a little, pumpkins. Luci, could you be a dear and take me to my room? I think I am a little tired. I am sorry everyone, you are an incredible company, I hate to leave you like this" she said, mournfully. Everyone shook their heads, not taking any offence in Lilith's behaviour: after all, she had just recovered from a terrible condition! Lucifer was quick to take his wife's hand and open a portal. "Don't worry, I'll help you out, have a good night guys!". He accompanied Lilith through the portal and let it close, leaving the other Hazbin residents in the hall.
"Ok, here we are Lily, I think we may have some medicine lying around, hoping it is not Angel's…stash…". Lucifer quickly found it difficult to continue speaking as his eyes lied on his wife, sitting on the bed with crossed legs and a seductive look on her face. "You don't really feel that bad, do you?!". Lilith left her head hanging sideways, smiling a little. "Well, I am a little lightheaded, probably I have not fully recovered, but it would have felt rude dismissing Charlie's friend any other way. Do not get me wrong, I like them a lot, but I wanted to be alone with you". Lucifer raised an eyebrow. "Oh, and what for?". He received an answer when he was Lilith letting slip one of the shoulders of her dress with a smooth gesture. He smirked and removed his jacket and vest. "Let's make Charlie a baby bro!"
Once the portal closed, Charlie exaled a long breath: she was a bit on edge for almost all the evening, fearing that some kind of tension could explode for any reason. Instead, everything went smoothly, even the after dinner conversation remained pleasant, despite the banter between Alastor and her dad, something that everyone was used to by now. And she could rest assured, knowing that no one resented her mother for her actions while she was under the influence of her curse. She didn't know, but wasn't that sure, whether the crew's past self could have condoned such acts with ease, as she well remembered that just a month prior she was the only one to forgive Pentious for his villainous acts while Vaggie and the others took their time to be on the same page. They had changed a lot, and in better, she thought!
"You were nervous, Hun?" Vaggie asked, collecting her cup. Since Charlie noticed the smirk in her face, she knew that the question was a rhetorical one. "Can you blame me, babe? I basically had to present my girlfriend and my friends to my mom, all together! And I was afraid everything could go wrong after you know, all that happened recently". Vaggie chuckled. "Oh come on, it's not like it could be the end of the world…I think. I mean, your mom is pretty deadly but she seemed nice enough. Very affectionate, as well. I mean, I've never seen someone take every Angel's joke with such grace…".
"Hey! My jokes are top tier. Of course a classy lady like her would get them unbothered. Not like someone of my knowledge…". Angel Dust trailed off, but his stare was directed towards Vaggie, who looked at him deadpanned but didn't reply at him and then turned to Charlie. "My point is: everyone loves her, she seems to like us so you can relax, babe". The hellborn exhaled, calmed by her girlfriend. She flashed her an appreciative smile. "Thanks!". Charlie's eyes then wandered off, oddly enough resting on Pentious' painting; her smile faded away, replaced by a pensive look.
"What are you thinking, Princess? That I didn't do a good enough job?" a gruff voice said, pulling Charlie out of her thoughts. Looking sideways, she saw Wicken staring at the same painting. "No no, you actually did really well, Master of the Many Talents. No, I was thinking about many things. And I'm worried about tomorrow's meeting: last time it didn't go that well, even if this time I will have dad with me from the start. I don't know if that's a good thing or not, though". Silence hung in the air for a while and then the assassin talked. "You are one to stress a bit too much, you know Princess? You should believe in yourself in the same way you believe a band of ragtag misfits like us can be worthy of Heaven. Just believe in yourself and everything will work. And if they still want to go to war...well, they'll find how bad of an idea it is to cross the deadliest assassin in Hell". Wicken smirked, causing Charlie to chuckle at the assassin's confidence, which reminded her of her girlfriend's same attitude.
Charlie turned to see Vaggie, who was helping Alastor collect all the tea cups; she was going to have her by her side tomorrow and honestly, that made her feel better. It was incredible how just thinking about her had the power to calm her and fill her with confidence. Yes, with Vaggie by her side, Charlie knew she could do anything. Her eyes met the singular one of the fallen angel and they exchanged a tender smile, full of love and understanding. Then, Vaggie took the tray and followed Alastor in the kitchen. Angel Dust was chatting with Cherri and Husk, so they were a bit distracted. Which was ideal for her. "Wicken…can I talk to you about something private?". Charlie's tone was hushed, prompting Wicken to raise an eyebrow. He looked around, but the other sinners were still busy talking about their businesses and didn't pay them any mind. He gestured towards the side door with his head, ready to hear her out.
In a wasteland, under the light purple sky of the Sloth ring, three figures were marching, undeterred by the rising puffs of dust in the air: one was a short imp with a broken horn and the red reptile-like face full of bruises, while the other resembled a sheep. She wasn't that heavily injured but she sported a black eye and the candle on her head was dwindling. They both rose their stares in fear to their company, a tall figure clad in a black cape that was urging them to walk, pointing a golden sword that was hidden in the mantle.
They soon found themselves outside a small wrecked building which looked like a temple, although it didn't bear any symbol the two demons knew; despite the aspect, it exhuded a strange aura that made the hellborns tremble. "Are we there yet? Is this the place?" the hooded figure asked. Both the imp and the belphegorian hastily nodded, afraid of what would have happened if they hadn't.
The cladded figure stepped forward and started inspecting the inscription on the closed door, which despite the rundown aspect seemed to sturdy to be opened by force, as if a strange and untold magic was protecting it. Their eyes laid on a series of apparently casual writing in a language they couldn't understand. Their hand grabbed the imp and dragged him towards the door. "Read them!" they ordered, causing the imp to flinch. "I'm sorry, it's ancient infernal, I don't know it!" he said, his voice trembling, on the verge of tears.
The belphegorian stepped forward, looking at the inscription. "I can read it, it says that it requires a blood sacrifice…" The sheep demon's words died in her throat as she helplessly witnessed the figure bashing the head of the imp on the dorr so strongly that it was reduced to a pulp just with a single strike. Blood and remains of eyes and brains poured on the basement of the door, causing it to start rumble as it slowly opened. The body of the dead imp that was laying on it fell down, much to the other hellborn's horror. She tried to move and flee but the figure guessed her intentions well and grabbed her head and dragged her through the short corridor towards a second door.
The figure lifted the demon so she could read the second inscription. "Read, now!". At first, the hellborn wanted to refuse herself, but the increasing pressure on her head that was threatening to crush her made her cave in. "The key is here, feed her the blood and the Destroyer will be free…". She couldn't say more as she felt a sword ripping through her chest, ending her life almost instantly as her body was crushed in the door. Something absorbed all the blood that was seeping through the wounds of the dead belphegorian, as the door was slowly rising, revealing a black sphere that looked more like a black hole that was sucking in all the blood that was spilled, not only from the sheep demon but also from the imp at the entrance. The strong wind made the cape wane revealing Lute under it, who was staring marveled at the sheer power that sphere was emitting. She did it, she freed it! And now, it would destroy anything! She cackled maniacally as the temple was trembling around her.
Lucifer didn't remember the last time he had been genuinely intimate with Lilith without resentment involved, and he quite liked the feeling he was left with after that night of passion. However, it didn't last long and soon the King of Hell was overtaken by worrying thoughts: it was a few hours before the fateful meeting and despite it being actually just a small get-together he was anxious something could go horribly wrong, with consequences that could have terrible ramifications. Nonetheless he, as the ruler of Hell, had to see that through, one of the many obligations he had missed for so long.
He heard stirring from the side: turning around, he saw Lilith opening her eyes and yawning. "Good morning dear. Did you sleep well?" the Queen asked, sitting herself and drawing the cover a little to cover herself. Lucifer smiled at the modest gesture: it was cute that even after all those years she could be that shy around him, a thing that was almost at reverse when they met each other, with him being the timid one and her being the self-assertive type. "Oh, I slept like a baby, darling. I trust that you had as well". Lilith nodded and sighed contently. "I have not had such a lovely interaction in a long time. It has been…lovely". The fallen angel had a hard time containing a laugh. "Lovely? Lily, you were fire tonight! How I missed that!". Lilith blushed a little but smiled, causing Lucifer to smile back, glad that the sparks of their initial love didn't really die out, even after all this time.
They stayed there for a while, revelling in each other's affection, then Lucifer started to slip out of the blankets, getting ready for the day. He could have conjured the clothes on him but he enjoyed the view of Lilith ogling at his body which, despite him being on the short side, was lean and toned . He wasn't the Sin of Pride for nothing! He wore his circus attire with precise and deliberate movements, when he saw Lilith getting up. "What are you doing?" he asked as the Queen collected her dress, sweeping it clean with a bit of magic. She turned to him and smirked. "What do you think? Today you will have your queen at your side, of course. It has been a long time since it happened, and I think it is time Heaven shall remember that they had let go of some of their finest -not to mention, most beautiful- elements". Lucifer wanted to argue at that, knowing well that Lilith couldn't have fully recovered, but instead a toothy smile opened on his face. That was the kind of passionate pride that oh so much he loved in Lilith!
"Here it goes. Hon, are you sure I can come to…whatever it is that? It looks like something official I have no place to be". Vaggie had just worn his boots when she voiced once again her doubts. The last time she accompanied Charlie to an official meeting with someone of Heaven, things went so much south it almost caused them to break up, so of course the fallen angel was wary: she didn't want to screw up again! But anytime she had expressed those doubts, Charlie had always been quick to shut them off. The hellborn sighed, prepared to do that once again.
"I've told you Vaggie, this time is different, we'll have dad by our side and this is a thing Heaven is greatly interested in helping us sorting it out, or at least not interfere. It's very, very different from before. Besides…I kinda want you there, it brings me comfort". Charlie said the last words in a faint voice, almost a whisper, but Vaggie caught it thanks to her refined hearing, causing her to smile. She nodded. "Ok, I'll accompany you then…". She couldn't finish the sentence because Charlie turned around suddenly and kissed her. "Thank you, you're the best!". Vaggie was a little taken aback: she never shied away from her girlfriend's affection, especially when they were alone and could go all out. However, she had taken notice that in the last few days Charlie had become even more affectionate than usual. Vaggie of course liked that, but she was a little concerned that Charlie was hiding something from her and masking it with great affection to divert the attention. Which was working to some extent, she reasoned. They had agreed to not keep any secret anymore but they also said that they should trust each other regardless. Vaggie had enormous trust in Charlie so, whatever she was hiding -if it was that and not a joke of her mind, which was put under test one too many times in the last week- there was a good reason and wasn't something pivotal. Besides, the side effect was having more good times with her beloved, so it couldn't be that bad!
Suddenly, they heard a knock on the door. "Hey Char Char, it's me, are you ready?" the voice of Lucifer asked. Both Charlie and Vaggie got up and nodded while Charlie opened the door, finding both her parents in the hall waiting for them. "We're ready dad. Mom, are you coming with us?". Lilith nodded. "Like I said to your father, it is time for Heaven to see that the royalty is united once again. In your terms, they have to learn not to fuck with us". Charlie chuckled a little hearing her mother cursing, something she rarely did because she mostly retained a clean and refined language. The four of them walked downstairs, where they found the other guests of the hotel there to see them off. They all agreed to stay at the hotel, ready in the case things weren't going well.
"Well, we're going, try not to party up in the meantime. And you know what to do when a potential customer arrives, don't you?" Charlie asked, looking at everyone.
"Offer them a drink?" Husk replied in his usual monotone speech.
"Do them a lap dance? I'm very good with the pole" Angel Dust chimed, striking a sexy pose that caused Husk to look at him weirdly.
"Shoot them in the knees?" Wicken added, although it was clear that he was joking. At least, Charlie hoped so.
"Invite them in, offer them a cup of coffee if they desire, listen to the reason for the visit and tell them that both the owner and the general manager are at the moment unavailable and they can wait in the lounge with the bar at their disposal". Charlie smiled lightly at Alastor. "And that's why you are the facility manager, Al. Now everyone, behave well and hopefully we'll see you at lunch". Lucifer promptly opened a portal and the royal family plus Vaggie disappeared inside.
The golden portal opened straight into the embassy, in the very same room Charlie had met Adam for the first time. But this time, it wasn't the first man waiting for her, instead there was the tall, slim figure of Sera, who had forgoed her usual stoic look in favour of one of slight worry and distress, something unusual for her. And behind her there was…
"Emily?". The younger seraphim's face lightened up considerably at the sight of Charlie, who smiled in return. As the only one who advocated for her in Heaven, the Princess of Hell was more than happy to see her. Emily ran forward and took Charlie's hands in hers.
"I'm so glad to see you! I wasn't sure you would be here, but I told myself and Sera that there were good chances you would be here so I told her that I would come too and…holy shit, is that your mom?". Charlie and Vaggie looked at Emily, surprised that she had cursed: last time Charlie did when she was in Heaven, the young seraphim had given her a look!
"Emily, language!" Sera chided, causing her young peer to shrink out of embarrassment. Lucifer and Lilith, instead, chuckled. "Oh dear, don't listen to what my sister says, you can curse how you want in Hell, we don't censor" Lucifer stated, much to Sera's annoyance.
"Please Lucifer, do not entertain Emily in that" the seraphim groaned, a little frustrated. Then, her eyes laid on the dignified figure of the Queen of Hell. She remembered well how she looked, she was there when she was created together with Adam and she thought she would never see her after her banishment.
"I see you are well, Lilith" Sera curtly said, trying to stay as neutral as possible. She had felt some affection towards the humans that were created in Heaven but she had also felt some resentment towards Lilith for how things had turned to after the forbidden fruit incident. However, after recent development, she thought it was hypocritical of her to give Lilith all the faults.
Lilith nodded. "I am. No thanks to Adam". They both sized each other, being almost equally tall, but the Queen noted that Sera had a conflicted look, despite the dignified look, and soon relented with a small bow.
"So, you've seen with your eyes that she's back after a seven-year vacation in Heaven, something I have been told you have no knowledge of. How did your golden child manage to evade your numerous eyes, snuck her into your house and keep her there for so long?". Lucifer's stream of questions caught Sera unprepared and she got lost in thoughts. "I do not know the exact details. I have been asking questions to the entire exorcist army but to no avail, no one even knew that Adam had a side house at the sea".
"I did. Lute couldn't stop talking about it to me every damn time". Every eye in the room turned towards Vaggie. "She always did. Probably she thought I wasn't listening or some shit".
"Lute is the only one I did not talk to, but that's because I could not find her anywhere. Since Adam's death she became…nervous, erratic. She hardly respects her superiors and is prone to violent episodes. Jay understood that probably she was deeply attached to Adam and his loss affected her in ways we still do not understand…". The royal family and Vaggie in tow scoffed: it was so obvious what was going on but they thought that hardly mattered. "She 100% knew that mom was there, don't kid yourself Sera. And I assume that you didn't keep an eye on him during his attacks in Hell, did you?" Charlie stated, looking at the seraphim inquisitively: it already didn't sit well with her that she was the one who allowed Adam and his army to attack Hell indiscriminately and the fact that she might have turned a blind eye to any other misdeed of his increased her dislike of Sera and her ongoing hypocrisy.
Sera lowered her head in shame, much to Charlie and Vaggie's surprise. "I did. I did overlook many of his behaviours and idiosyncrasies, and so did many of my peers. Adam had been the first human soul to ascend to Heaven, after all, he had been granted special privileges just for that. And he used that to his advantage to blindside us, I see that now. Still, I think that killing him was slightly uncalled for". At this statement, Lucifer advanced face to face with Sera, a furious look on his face. "He attacked my daughter and his friend, you blind seven-foot tall idiot, he more than deserved what happened to him. And my daughter still wanted to spare him after he vaporized his good friend. And after the mercy he received, Adam just wanted to cry out like the little bitch he was and that got him killed. So either take that back or I'll swear to our dad, I'm going to…". A soft touch stopped Lucifer in his tracks: when he turned, he saw Charlie looking at him sad and slightly afraid. "Please dad, we aren't here to fight" she pleaded. That calmed Lucifer down; he adjusted his jacket and his cuffs and sighed.
"She's right, we should be here to avoid a war, not causing one" the King said. Sera looked at him, mildly surprised that he calmed down so easily: she remembered that his passionate and fiery temperament was incredibly difficult to keep in check, that was why he was considered the oddball of the family. She reasoned that probably his love for his family probably had the ability to mellow him out, which caused her to smile lightly. "You are right, Lucifer, you had your reasons. I do not and will never share them, but it is not my place to discuss them. He did break the rule of not attacking hellborns so he should have expected some retaliation. And like you, I'm here to seek peace, not conflict".
"Glad we're on the same page, my dear sister. Now, in light of the information I had given Jay about what happened that led to this situation, will you consider letting the Hazbin Hotel continue its operation, and maybe advocating Charlie's case in the next Echelon?". Sera mused on Lucifer request: Jay had relayed to her all the information Lucifer had written to him about Lilith and the curse that afflicted her through a very lengthy vocal text that slightly annoyed the Archangel. "If any of that is true, it means that the very foundations on which the Extermination was based were rocky at best, so of course I will push for an immediate stop at that. But I needed not such a story, believe me: I had good insight, and Emily can agree with me, that everything about that idea was wrong to begin with so yes, at the next Echelon you will have both me and Emily to advocate for you, no question asked".
Charlie smiled widely at Sera: finally she was seeing the long sought recognition for her efforts! The High Seraphim, one of the most important authorities in Heaven, was willing to side with her! She couldn't have been happier. She tackled Sera in a crushing hug, causing her to almost stumble. Sera was surprised: until a few minutes ago Charlie was almost hostile to her, and now she did a complete one-eighty and was hugging her?
"Thankyouthankyouthankyouuuu!" Charlie squealed in happiness. Sera was still surprised, but then smiled lightly and patted the young princess on her head. "Sure, daughter of the Morningstar. Charlie realised that the seraphim was a little uneasy and released her.
"Sorry, I can become pushy when really happy. But I'm so fucking glad we can see eye to eye finally. But I'm a bit curious…What made you change your mind? Did you start listening to Emily at last?". The two seraphim looked solemnly at each other. "Should we…tell them, Emily?". The younger seraphim stared at the older one with a side look. "We've already talked about this Sera, we have to! It's their right to know!" Emily said with a decisive tone. Sera lowered her look. "I am sorry, you are absolutely right. You see, Daughter of the Morningstar, after our last encounter Emily and I were at constant disagreement about what we should do, especially after the last Extermination. And that brought us…in a bad place, me especially. We were able to reconcile, of course, and we decided to disclose to you all an information I think will be crucial in supporting your case in front of the Echelon".
"And what would that be?" Vaggie asked, half curious and half uncertain. For it to be so important, she thought it had to be at least groundbreaking. Sera stood right. "I think it is better to show you, it will be much better than words". With a gesture, a golden portal opened just beside her and two figures emerged: one was Jay and the other was a tall, serpentine one, clad with golden and shiny white clothes and with on his head a comically large white top head. At the sight of this figure, Charlie and Vaggie's eyes widened in surprise and soon filled with tears: Pentious timidly waved at them, tears in his own eyes.
"Hello Charlie…Vagatha…". He couldn't say more: both Charlie and Vaggie tackled him in a tight hug that didn't make him fall just because he didn't have any legs. The two girls cried their eyes out, their heads at the last heroic moments of Sir Pentious charging at Adam with his trusty zeppelin before his demise. "How did…what did…we thought you were…" Charlie tried to say but her emotions were too intense to form a coherent sentence.
"I don't know…nobody knowsss" the serpentine angel said in a midst of tears.
"We saw you die, you reckless idiot, how did you pull that off?!" Vaggie screamed.
"We tried to understand that, but still cannot come up with an answer" Sera stated, smiling at the emotional scene.
"Yeah, he just appeared in front of us. He didn't even pass through the Gates, just directly to us, no stop. But you know what that means, Charlie?".
Charlie stopped crying, even if she didn't let go of sir Pentious. But now, the realization of this happening was stronger than ever. She staggered back and didn't fall down only because Vaggie reacted at light speed, grabbing her. "It means…sinners can be redeemed! They can Vaggie, they actually can seek redemption and ascend to Heaven if they want!". More tears started to stream from her eyes, while Lucifer put a hand on her shoulder, a sorrowful look on his face. "I'm sorry Charlie, I should have supported you a long time ago. You are so right, and I was so wrong". Charlie shook her head: she never thought her dad was guilty of something, she herself believed in her dream but had no tangible proof, just her faith in it. But now…
Lilith had looked at the scene, warmed by the fact that the dream of her dear daughter could become reality, then turned to Sera. "Is that why you had changed your mind? Having actual proof?". Sera stared at Lilith with an unreadable look then nodded. "Yes. I admit, it is very difficult for me to accept the new, since I am as old as the world itself. But seeing something so unexpected really threw me off so much. And that is why I want to stop that senseless project that is the Extermination once and for all: now that we know that even the human souls in Hell can be redeemed, I cannot bear to know that all those lost souls could become angelic".
Vaggie scoffed. "Took you long enough". Sera turned to the fallen angel and stared at her coldly but didn't reply, seeing that she was more or less right. "Now now Vaggie, now my dear sister saw the error of her ways and we can start what I hope will be a fruitful cooperation" Lucifer stated with a toothy smile, much to Sera's annoyance. How she disliked when Lucifer managed to one up her! "Ook, now Pentious can visit the Hotel? We really have some catching up to do!". Charlie smiled at the former sinner, who grinned in delight. He had liked being a guest of Emily, she was a fantastic host, but he really missed his friends!
"That would be unwise, Charlie. Angelic souls usually cannot stay here willy nilly, he'll need some arrangements before". Charlie looked at her father confused, then Vaggie chimed in. "Oh yeah, I never thought about that. Exorcists and higher angels can come here no problem, but the winners may have some difficulties. The air of Hell is…heavy". She was taught at the training field about the magic that surrounds Hell and permeates it and knew very well that Pentious would need some help now if he wanted to traverse his old dimension freely.
"You do not have to worry about that. It will take a couple of days but he will be able to come and go to and from Hell how he pleases. Provided that Emily could escort him, of course". All of the Hell residents gave Sera a weird look, but it was the young seraphim herself who interjected. "It's actually my idea, I'd love to look around and take notes about the environment here. It could really help our case. Aaaaand I have been curious about the Hazbin Hotel since Charlie mentioned, so I'll take it as a chance to visit it. If you're ok with it, of course". The giddy excitement on Emily's face was all they needed to know that that was the actual reason she was wanting to stick around, but Charlie saw no problem at that. She took a mental note to warn the other guests of the Hotel, especially Alastor.
"Well, it sucks that we have to wait but I'm sure everyone would be excited to see you again. In particular Cherri". Vaggie smirked as Sir Pentious had the exact reaction she was expecting of him: he quickly blushed (and Vaggie noted that now his blushing was golden, something that they now shared) and took his top head off, bringing it to his chest. "Miss Bomb is at the hotel? Is she…ok?". Charlie smiled. "More than ok, she is staying now permanently at the Hotel and if I'm not wrong I caught her staring at your painting more than once, so I'm sure she will be very happy to see you! As I'm sure everyone else will be".
There were so many things Charlie wanted to share with Sir Pentious, as elated as she was that he was still alive and could also come to visit them. Looking at the angelic-clad snake, she now knew that her efforts were not in vain and who knew, maybe that would bring renewed strength to her project, now that she had proof it wasn't all for nothing. Suddenly, however, her thoughts were abruptly brought back to the ground, in the form of a powerful earthquake that threatened to bring down the entire building. Screams of pain and fear suddenly filled the air out of the embassy, as if millions of people were fleeing for their lives.
"Ok, what the fuck is now?". Lucifer opened a light portal to see outside, an annoyed look on his face. When he looked outside though, his expression morphed into one of horrified surprise, as he saw what seemed to be a black wave flowing through the streets of Pentagram City, swallowing things and people alike, making no distinction between sinners and hellborns. Charlie saw with horror a family of imps being swallowed by that black wave, which left behind nothing.
"What the fuck is happening?!"
I know my last couple of chapters have been more story driven, but now we're getting back to the action, if that's what you prefer more. I usually distribute action and narration evenly, but there were so many things to talk about! But from now on it will be more action packed! As usually, I hope you enjoy the story and I invite you to like the story and comment on it if you feel like! To the next time!