Pain, that was the first thing Emily felt when she opened her eyes, or eye as her left one was barely open. Her head hurt, her back felt as though it was numb and on fire. She'd heard of pain but never felt it before, although now she knew why some winners said it was so bad. "But...why?" it hurt to think, hurt to do anything really, but she could recall some things. Lute...hit me? Through the pain she remembered the punch making contact. Ye-yeah and then...
That's all she could remember as when she tried to think her hand began shaking before something happened, something frighting, her heart started beating faster as it became harder to breathe. For a few moments her body shook as the only the only thing she could feel was what she believed to be fear.
Not knowing what to do she simply prayed it would pass as she focused on breathing. It took a few minutes and by the end her body was damp with sweat.
"wha?" she didn't like whatever that was. It felt...bad... like how some winners described death. She didn't want to feel that again.
Once she calmed down, she shook her head and began to notice the room she was in. It looked to be a hospital room, a very elaborate one judging by the gold lining the walls and the massive crimson bed filled with stuffed animals she was in. Grabbing one she hugged it feeling herself calm down a bit more.
Though it hurt she sat up and saw the pink waves of light coming through the window which allowed her to see the IV filled with golden blood flowing into her left arm. She also saw she was in a pink hospital gown with what appeared to be bandages across her chest.
Guess I hurt myself when I fell. Sera must have brought me here after Lute's punch knocked me out. I'll need to think her later; she's always worrying about me and me being here must be making her so upset.
Leaning back into the pillow she gazed out the window taking in the pink light. She was a bit curious as to why it was pink, but she remembered some areas of Heaven did change colors to simulate day or night cycles. Not that she minded, usually all she saw was the golden light of the promenade.
Part of her wanted to send Sera a message telling her she was okay. But as she raised her hand, she didn't feel her magic activating. Instead, she felt her eyes drooping as she started falling asleep.
"Tireeeddd."
Having rarely experienced sleep, especially a drug induced one she let herself get lost in the dreams.
Or that's what she expected to happen. Instead, all she saw was darkness followed by Sera's voice.
"I'm sorry Emily, but you were warned." followed by her own screams.
She didn't like hearing those, didn't like hearing Sera talk like that. Her hands began shaking as she heard the sound of something ripping. She tried to fly away but her wings didn't respond. To her horror they began disappearing. Unable to move or stop all she could do was try to block out her screams.
"Sera stop it. Sera don't say those things, Sera...Sera...Ser-
"Emily"
Her eyes shot open, and she saw a pale man in a white and red suit looking worried as he held her hand. His smile was soft, and she saw worry in his eyes as he gently squeezed her hand "Easy there Emily, you looked to be having a pretty bad nightmare. Not too surprising after well..." he looked away not finishing.
"oh sorry...uhhh?"
"Right, you probably wouldn't know me. At least nothing beyond my name or past but we'll get to that, right now I want to know how you're feeling as you were in pretty bad shape when I got you here. Charlie nearly passed out when she saw your back but don't worry Bel's the best doctor I know."
Charlie? Bel? Who are those people? Part of the medical staff most likely... wait, what did he say about my back?
"My back?"
"Yeah, it was pretty mes-" he stopped himself seeing how she was staring at him before his eyes winded before becoming sad. "Emily, can you do me a favor and tell me what you remember?"
"Lute punched me, and I fell. I must have fallen pretty badly because my back really hurts. I must have fallen on my wings because I can't feel them right now, or maybe they retracted to heal?"
He gave a small nod before standing up looking nervous. "Yeah...uhhh I'll be right back, need to check something."
"Okay, oh wait, can you tell Sera I'm fine? She must be worried sick and I can't seem to use my powers." for a brief moment she saw something not nice flash on his face before his smile returned, though this one looked forced. "Yeah, but right now you just get some rest and let Bel tend to you." as he left the room, she saw him walk up to a tall pale woman who upon seeing her smiled and tried to enter only for the man to stop her and shake her head before telling her something. This seemed to upset her as her hand covered her mouth before she looked at her upset. To Emily, it told her the doctors here took every injury seriously.
"Such nice staff they have here."
After a few more minutes she and the man came into the room followed by a large pink sheep who she guessed was the doctor. All the eyes on her neck were open as she eyed her chart but what Emily was most intrigued by was the candle burning on her head. Curious as she didn't see a halo, nor one on the other two, or wings. I suppose they retract them to work...but why remove your halos?
"I see you're finally awake." the sheep said in a tone that made her want to go back to sleep.
"Yes." she replied curios as to who this was and where she was.
"Good" she said calmly looking down to her chart. "We were begging to worry, but I suppose given the severity of your injuries four days being comatose is to be expected."
This got her attention. "Four days? Bu-but I was only punched in the face before falling on my wings." At this the sheep snaped up all of her eyes widening before she jotted something down. "Dissociative amnesia, not to surprising, even a mercy you could say. Of course, this means we may need to heavily medicate you when I treat your back. Otherwise, the trauma of losing your-
"Bel!" the man said nervously balling his hands into fists his tone sounding more like a plea. He tried to speak but couldn't seem to find the words. "Okay...okay... maaybe I should- err maybe... okay let's start with something easy." flexing his back all six of his wings sprouted.
"Your wings..." she'd never seen wings like his before. He has six?! He must be a serpahim, but I've never seen him before.
"Yeah, white and red. Been that way since I fell." seeing her expression he went on "Emily my name is Lucifer Morningstar, and this is my daughter princess Charlie Morningstar."
"Just Charlie is fine." Charlie quickly added smiling at her. Emily couldn't help but blink in confusion, but after a few moments she did something none of them saw coming. She smiled, a smile that quickly told the three of them she had the wrong idea.
"That's wonderful! I knew Sera would listen to me and let you back into Heaven."
"...Huh?" he questioned.
"She must have brought you up here as an apology." she quickly shot up causing a bit of pain, but she ignored it to lost in the moment. "I've heard a lot about you, well okay not a lot, but enough to know you were around when everything was being created. What was it like before? Sera said it was a bit dull...oh wait..." her blue eyes lit up realizing something.
"You haven't seen Heaven since the beginning... which means I can show you around!" turning to Charlie who was now looking worried she went on. "And that goes double for you princess Charlie. Don't worry I'll give you the best tour ever!" in her excitement she tried to move her wings like she usually did but was immediately hit with a bolt of pain.
"ahhh!...after my wings heal though."
The three of them exchanged looks and Charlie had to look away to wipe the tears from her eyes.
"Dad..."
"Yeah Charlie, I know." their voices were low and filled with sadness that Emily couldn't understand.
"Emily" he attempted only to see her smiling back at him. The smile of pure soul that didn't realize they were now condemned to Hell. A smile that would never be the same after he told her the truth.
Damn you Sera for making me do this.
"Emily... we're not...you're not... you're currently in Hell. The sloth right to be exact, it's the medical capital of all of hell. Bel here, or as you might know her Belphegor has been treating you since you arrived."
"Rest assured my dear as my patient I've given you all my attention." Emily had to blink a few times as Belphaegor was the sin of sloth. One of the seven, their forms said to be monstrous. And yet to Emily she looked not only kind but like she'd fall asleep any moment.
Lucifer rolled his eyes. "Bel she's your only patient."
Bel's response was a simple shrug before gesturing of Lucifer to continue. "You were brought here after you injury."
"ohhhhh I guess that makes sense, I mean seraphim don't get hurt in Heaven, but Hell is more dangerous, so I guess bringing me here makes sense." she gestured to the IV "But all this for a simple fall is a bit much. Sera really does take things to far sometimes."
Lucifer's face darkened as the air heated up around him. She heard him mumble something that didn't sound nice. When he was done, he took on a tone that Emily knew well. The tone that meant she was about to be told and needed to listen tone.
"Emily I am really really really really really sorry to have to tell you this. Honestly it kills me, but you need to know the truth. And sadly, this will have to be more of a show then a tell." he summoned a small mirror and angled it up just above her head.
Where her halo was... No, where her halo should be... Where her halo wasn't... the feeling from before started coming back as with one hand she clutched the stuffed bear again while the other reached up to grab at the air where her halo once sat. With each grasp of air she felt her body starting to tense up.
"m-my halo?"
"Yeah, it's gone."
"...Sera must have it. Probably keeping it safe until I get back...yeah-yeah that must be it." already imaging Sera nervously holding her halo she began to calm down a bit.
Lucifer nodded to Charlie who sat on the bed next to Emily. "I'm sorry Emily but-" Charlie's words triggered something. A memory of Sera walking over to her, reaching down and...
"-You were warned."
"Sera no!" her eyes shot open as the memory quickly vanished as her heart felt like it was going to explode.
"Emily." they both said worried as she clutched the bear hard enough to rip out stuffing.
Belphegor seeing this exhaled a light pink mist that covered Emily and calmed her down. "There, that should calm her down."
Lucifer tried to say thank you but she held up her hand. "Thank me after step two."
Emily panicked hearing step two. And from their melancholy expressions knew they didn't like it either. Lucifer's expression was worse as his had a degree of understanding. "You don't have your halo for the same reason you don't have your wings." she opened her mouth to speak but found no sound came out. He could feel the dread rising but he had to tell her this. "I'm afraid you've fallen Emily." he felt it spike but he had to tell her the final part. Even if he knew what it would lead to.
"All of which by Sera's hands."
He felt a series of emotions swirling within her. Confusion, disbelief, sadness, fear, worry. And when she finally spoke her voice was small and desperate. "your lying. Sera wouldn't..."
With another nod Charlie gently pulled her into a hug. Charlie was warm which felt good right now. "I'm sorry Emily but you need to see this." before she could ask Charlie had parted the back of her gown while Lucifer summoned another mirror before positioning them to show her bandaged back.
A back that had six golden splotches right where her wings once were.
Seeing them brought forth another memory. This one of seeing Sera's wounded face. "Oh my gosh Sera I'm so sorry!" she heard herself say before Sera reached out and took her wings with two glowing hands and started pulling. "Sera! Please don't! I'll be good! I won't-aaahhhH!"
Sera took my wings?...Sera...hurt me? C-cast me out?
In that moment Emily couldn't breathe. Her heart basically switched between beating too fast and not at all. Her mind wouldn't work, her body kept screaming to fly away but she couldn't which only made it worse. The room felt too small, their gazes felt piercing, everything just felt wrong. Make it stop make it stop makeitstopmakeitstop!
She heard the words "panic attack" which only made it worse as hearing the word "attack" made her body do something embarrassing. First it just locked up, then she felt warmth coming from below her, only to then realize it was a damp warmth.
Nobody said anything as the blanket near her waist darkened as Emily's slightly pained whimpers filled the room.
Once she was done and it dawned on her what' she'd done Charlie was the first to act hugging her as her body radiated a magical warmth. "i'm sor-" Emily attempted.
"sssshhh none of that. It's okay to be scared Emily, nobody will judge you here, you just let it all out." that two sentences and the certainty behind it is what finally broke Emily. In the past if she ever messed up or did something embarrassing Sera would scold her and tell her she need to be better. But now? After she'd just done something so embarrassing in front of the King and princess she wasn't lectured. Instead, she was shown compassion and kindness when she desperately needed it. The tears came hard and fast as she latched onto Charlie sobbing loudly as Charlie gently picked her up and took her to the bathroom while her dad magically cleaned up.
Once the bathroom door closed Lucifer let out a sigh. "Be honest with me Bel, how well did that actually go?"
"Considering she just found out she her wings ripped off by the person she trusted most who also cast her out...I'd say as well as it could have."
Gazing at the door he could faintly hear "butttt i was goood. I just..just wanted to heeeellp." in between chocked sobs. He'd be lying if hearing this didn't trigger his own memoires of being cast out.
"Can you help her?"
Belphegor checked her chart before grimacing. "Luci, I can treat her physically injuries and give her medication to help ease her mind, but you and I know she needs an anchor."
"Like Lilith was for me?" he didn't like recalling the days after he fell. The pain of his fall, the pain of transforming, the pain of watching Lilith transforming. Knowing he could never go back but being forced to see Heaven forever floating above him.
I won't let her go through that. Charlie won't let her go through that. I swear it.
While inside the bathroom Emily had stopped crying and was now just sitting on the floor with Charlie hugging her from behind. She was still trembling and upset but with Charlie humming a small tune she felt a bit better.
"Charlie..."
"Yeah?"
"...Thank you." she wanted to say more but instead let herself melt into Charlie's hug as what strength she had gave out.
Picking her back up she brought her back to bed before getting in with her. Her had discussed this with her before and agreed one person would always be there with her.
He left the room leaving Bel to run some tests and nearly walking into Vaggie sharpening her spear. Opening a portal and gave a simple command. "Anyone other than Bel attempts to go inside you kill them."
"Yes sir."