After their Veterans Day breakfast at Fire & Brimstone's cafe, Loona walked along the streets of Imp City trying to find a quiet place to hide, so she could portal up and take Balin to school.

Soon, the little boy tugged on her shorts to divert her attention from her phone.

"Hey, Loona, I see a shop that's empty." he said, pointing to a small sewing shop on the other side of the street.

With a shrug, Loona then lifted Balin and gave him a piggyback-ride parkour across the road, pouncing from one car to the other with him hanging on her neck before landing on the footpath, on her feet.

When the two casually into the fabric store, Loona got on all fours to sneak past an elderly cashier, crawling past her with the boy hugging into her so she couldn't see them.

Before long, they found the perfect aisle to portal up from, one that had darker lighting and enough fabric to hide them.

As Balin slid off Loona's back, grabbing the Grimoire from her hair, he got an idea just as he was about to hand it to her.

"Loona? Can we, uhh... can we see my Aunty's grave before we go to school, please?" he asked.

Loona looked at her phone, surprised to hear that question but seeing the time was 8:03am in Australia.

"Okay. But just for a bit, okay? You got the book."

"Thank you, Loona." replied the boy with a smile.

As Balin carefully opened a portal to the No-Name Town cemetery, Loona quickly swiped a few bluebell-shaped backpack patches.

"Hey, kid, why not bring these for her?" she handed him the fake flowers.

"Isn't that stealing?"

"Not if it's for family." chuckled Loona, before whispering. "Besides, it's Hell. Even the dead still steals."

The boy shrugged, with a little giggle hearing that from a hellhound who lived around the dead, before the two walked through the portal and into the cemetery, where the morning sun shone brightly.

This one was rather different to the one they visited on Halloween, as it was set on a hill.

Loona turned to her human form, before turning around to see a shit-ton of cars driving peacefully on the highway. Admittedly, she was stunned and thought seeing this sight at this time of day was beautiful. Especially with the sun shining brighter than any day she visited Earth.

"Wow..."

"Hey, Loona! Up here!" called Balin, from a few rows of graves up the hill.

"I'm coming!" she replied, using her super-speed to run towards him.

By the time she caught up to him, she was already panting with a few hound-like chuffs, feeling exhausted.

"Are you okay?"

"A-okay, Meal." she still panted in response. "Guess hellhounds don't have half the strength in these forms."

"Hehehehehe." giggled Balin.

So as Loona held his hand, the two slowly walked up the slope, a couple rows until they reached his Aunty's grave.

The tombstone read:
MATILDA 'TILLY' JOHNSON
BORN 14th May 1989 / DIED 9th August 2016
Daughter / (Would've Made a Damn-Good) Aunt

"Hello, Aunty Tilly." Balin greeted the grave. "It's your cousin, Balin. ...I know it's not April yet, even though it's still nice to visit. But as you can see, things are different now."

He said that last part looking at the hellhound-in-disguise who softly rubbed his back.

"This is Loona." he continued. "She's my new best friend, who's been looking after me while mommy and daddy are away. It's a long story."

Loona let out a little giggle, not wanting to laugh too much during the solemn moment.

"She's new to town. I heard, she moved here from America. Did you know over there, ANZAC Day is November?" he continued speaking again. "Since mommy and daddy went away, to witness protection, a lot has changed. Like, I'm now living with Loona and her friends."

"Who aren't necessarily her 'friends' friends." interrupted Loona cheekily.

"And I've made lots of other new friends, gone on lots of adventures, and I'm still going to school with my friends. OH! I'm even auditioning for another play today."

"WHAT?" Loona exclaimed, widening her eyes and tickling his side. "Little dude, a school play? Why do you keep telling us these talented things last minute?"

"I'm a shy little boy." giggled Balin in response, before speaking to his aunt again. "But, I'm still the happy kid you met at birth. We all are. I just wish I could've met you so you could meet her. But I know you have, from Heaven above."

The boy then looked up at the sky and said: "Happy Veterans Day, Aunty Tilly." and grabbed his bluebell patches.

"Careful. Bluebells have thorns..." teased Loona in a sing-song voice.

With a deep breath, Balin softly dropped the petals at the grave one by one, while Loona kept her sentimental smile. When he was done, she opened her arms and knelt down on her knees.

"C'mere."

Doing just that, Balin wrapped his arms around her waist and embraced her.

"You okay?" she asked lovingly.

"Yeah."

"Yeah? Good."

The two stayed in this hug for a little bit, until they portalled up and arrived at his school moments later.

AT THE SCHOOL...

"Good luck with the audition, Balin!" Loona called out, as the boy ran down the courtyard. "Hope you get in!"

"Thank you, Loona!" exclaimed Balin back.

"Bye!" she left the school, typing a shopping list full of groceries on her phone, including ANZAC cookies.

...

It was now English time an hour later, and Balin had his World War homework all prepped for his presentation.

As the teacher looked for who would go first, he pointed to the boy with his hand up, rather excited to be chosen.

"Ah, Mr. Johnson. Showing excitement, I see." he said. "C'mon up, mate."

So as Balin stood up in front of the class, he grabbed his notebook and read his studies on World Donut Day being founded during the battles of World War I by the Salvation Army. He even showed a YouTube video he found to the class.

...

LUNCH-TIME...

Soon, Balin and his friends were eating their packed lunches while the other kids were in the playground.

They were about to play some soccer when they finished, when Balin stood up to do something else.

"Balin? Where are you off to?" asked Darius.

"To practice for the variety play auditions today." he smiled. "Isn't everyone?"

"Heck yeah WE are." said James, with the boys going 'HEAR-HEAR!', "What are you doing in the show? Acting?"

"I'm singing, this time." Balin spoke again, putting a surprised look on his friends' faces.

"...You can sing too?" asked Roxanne.

"Believe me." muttered Matt.

"That's a big surprise already." said Jerry. "I knew you were in music class, but for singing?"

"Mmhmm."

"Well, I can't wait to hear you." smiled James.

"Thank you." replied Balin in return. "Well, best be going. One of the teachers promised to help while it's still lunchtime."

"Okay. Well good luck, mate!" the kids all waved as he ran a few feet away from the playground.

...

A teacher's aide was waiting for him outside the music room, just as Balin arrived.

But something wasn't right.

"You ready for some practicing, little guy?" he asked in a Brooklyn accent.

The aide was actually the undercover agent sent by Stella and her newly formed legion of I.M.P's enemies to keep an eye on the kid from his hometown.

As he walked inside, he called Stella through his sky-glasses, which were a gadget that came in handy as a phone, from time to time.

"I've now got close eyes on the junior, ma'am." he whispered to her. "He's currently rehearsing for that singing telegram thingy."

"Good. Now keep a close eye on the little shit and whatever you do, do not blow your cover." said Stella, tapping on her desk from the DHORKS headquarters. "He's our only shot of getting closer and closer information on those impish fucks."

"Roger that." whispered the agent again, before hanging up the glasses and turning back to the kid. "So, little guy, what you got planned for this stage gig?"

"Oh, I'm gonna sing a song." the boy replied.

"Yeah, I got that." chuckled the agent, looking around the music room. "But what song though?"

"It's a song that my mommy used to sing me to sleep with every night before tucking me into my crib." he then sighed, knowing how much he missed that at the moment.

"Let's hear it." the agent smiled, taking a seat. "Knock yourself out."

Just then, Balin grabbed out his phone, turned on the song, and started singing.

SONG: "Climb Every Mountain" by Voctave.

The agent nodded the entire tie to know what the hell he was doing, but he actually didn't.

"Not bad, kid." said the agent. "I actually like your voice. Great pitch, tone, blues, everything."

"Blues?" asked the boy in confusion. "Have you ever studied music before?"

The agent then widened his eyes underneath his glasses at the question. "Uhh, no? But what better place for the teacher to start learning too? Hehehehehe." he chuckled with one sweat coming out of his glasses.

"Why are you wearing sunglasses inside?" Balin asked again.

"Uhh, what the hell are sunglasses?" the agent showed a more nervous smile.

"You don't have to. There's no sun in here." said the boy. "Why don't you just take them off for a bit?"

"NO!" exclaimed the agent, before clearing his throat to lie. "I mean, I'm b-b-blind underneath these glasses, so, I... won't be able to see anyone making love."

"What the fuck is that for a cover-up?!" barked Stella through the glasses, disgusted after hearing that.

"Oh well."

"Wait... are those, spy glasses?" Balin then gasped in excitement. "Like in the movies?"

"Wh-What? Don't be absurd!" he stuttered again.

"That is so c-" the little boy was about to say 'cool', but realised something else. "Spy... *GASP!* You're one of those spy people, aren't you?!"

Showing a nervously frozen look on his face, the agent began playing the signature melody of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' on the piano, before slamming the wrong keys on purpose to throw him off.

"Alert! Alert! We've been compromised!" he cried, running towards the door. "I repeat, mission's been compromised!"

"What- NO!" Stella spoke again. "It's only compromised if he attracts more human attention, you goddamn embarrassment!"

"Mr. Spy? Who are you talking to?" asked Balin, walking over to him.

"N-No one, sport." he chuckled anxiously. "You can go back to doing your... shit."

"Ugh, Agent 23." spoke Stella more calmly. "Put me on that FaceTime thing. PLEASE?!"

"Yes, ma'am." gulped Agent 23. "Right away."

The aide of an agent grabbed out his phone, and with shaking fingers, he contacted Stella via FaceTime.

"Turn me around. So I can see him, again." she spoke quietly, but sinisterly.

"Again?" the boy tilted his head in confusion.

And with that, the agent stood in his guard-like pose and showed Balin who he was speaking with. Stella, in her demon form, showing a smug but very posh grin.

"Well, my. Who do we have here?" she said in her sultry British accent. "Earth's little traitor, once again."

"You!" Balin gasped in fright. "You...?"

"Uh-uh-uh. Remember, little one, the name's Stella Ars Goetia." she spoke again. "But so very sweet of you to try and call me Your Highness though."

"What? B-B-But, why would I call you Your Highness?" asked the boy.

Hearing that made Stella immediately change her expression. "I beg your pardon?"

Balin then blushed in fear hearing her ask that in a sharp tone. He knew it wasn't polite to say something like that to royalty, even a royal demon. But then again, she wasn't exactly the kindest of royals. Not to Stolas.

"I'm sorry I asked." he gulped. "I didn't-"

"Oh, I know what you didn't." Stella rolled her eyes. "You were never meant to have my husband's bottled-up failures bestowed upon you."

"Failures?"

"Typical, though. One meek little human such as yourself enters our home, starts winning over the itty-bittiest of demons. Kinda proves my point of why I'm up against him in the first place."

"What the heck does that mean?" the boy asked in confusion again.

"You'll find out. Eventually." replied Stella. "But for now, how've you been since we last associated? How's the little... Balin, I believe?"

"It's pronounced 'Baylin' Johns-" he then tried to be strong. "And y-y-you don't deserve to know my name!"

"What?"

"I'm sorry again, but I'm not supposed to talk to you." explained the boy further. "Why would I? You tried to kill me last time!"

"If I wanted to kill you back at that lab, I would've done it without you seeing me." Stella said. "Like those demon friends, or any other demon, would."

"But, you didn't. You just scratched my chest with your claws!" protested Balin. "And I still have the scars, thanks to you."

"Thanks to... MOI?!" she barked upon hearing that.

Soon, a knocking was heard at the music room door, causing everyone to go silent and try to act casual.

"C-Come in!" said Agent 23.

"G'day guys." the door was opened to reveal it was the boy's happy-go-lucky homeroom teacher, Mrs. Briggs. "Is everything good in here? I could hear a few little exclamations in here."

"Oh, uh, uh, that was just the kid's singing." the agent lied, briefly. "He's surprisingly good."

"He is, is he?" Mrs. Briggs asked in surprise as Balin blushed. "I'll see you at the auctions later on today then, sweetheart!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Briggs." replied Balin as she left the music room.

The two waited for her to leave their sights, and as she walked past the windows, they went back to the phone. ...Just to find out that Stella was no longer there.

"Ma'am?" asked the agent.

Soon, Balin heard someone creep up behind him, then felt a violent jolt grab his left shoulder and turn him around to Stella in her human disguise.

"As I was saying! OH YEAH?!" she barked once more. "And you think I didn't get a scar when you gave me that bite afterwards?!" she then pulled off one of her long gloves to show the bite he gave her a couple months ago was still there.

"I... did that?" he softly gasped in shock seeing that.

"Like a flea-bitten hellhound." she replied in a growl.

"Oooh." he cringed. "If I caused that, then, I'm-"

"I know." interrupted Stella. "Sorry."

"Ma'am? Hehehehe, may I suggest taking this one lightly?" asked the DHORK nervously. "If you're here, we might not need to attract anyone else's attention."

"Ugh... Well, considering you're a kid, I suppose it's okay." she pinched her nose with a deep breath, before glaring at the agent. "Just shut, the fuck, up. You had your job, and you're lucky you still do, as long as you let me do the talking."

The agent saluted her in response and sat back down at the piano, playing some quiet music.

In the meantime, Stella examined Balin with her raised eyebrow, studying him as if she was imprinting on him with her owl-like instincts.

STELLA: *to herself* "Fascinating..."

BALIN: "What's fascinating?"

STELLA: "You. Something's... changed, within."

BALIN: "Well, I turned 8-years-old, y-yesterday."

STELLA: "Really? Well, you have my congratulations. But that's not what makes you an interesting marvel at this moment."

BALIN: "What's a marvel?"

STELLA: "Child, it means something new. Like you, a human child merged with the essence of a demon."

BALIN: "How do you know my-? I-I'm not a demon."

STELLA: "Even without royalties, I'm still one. And I can see you for what you are, even if isn't just such a weakling. Like my husband. Plus, there's an old saying in the Goetia family: All two things eventually merge into one."

BALIN: "What does that mean? Y-You... knew I'd become a hybrid?"

STELLA: "Of course not! You se the surprise in my face?"

*Silence*

BALIN: "N-No?"

STELLA: "Right. It only lingers a short amount of time. You never know how long an impression lasts until it's gone. Yet, staying around those impish-... for a time as long as you have, I've had an impression from the got-go. And it still lingers in me. Thus, that makes you, an abomination."

BALIN: "Hey! That's not very nice."

STELLA: "Not nice things are in your world. That mangy mutt who broke demon law, twice, told you for herself, right? Because you've seen it for yourself. Haven't you."

BALIN: "I.M.P are my friends."

STELLA: "Those four demons are your friends? Even if they're lower-class, demons are nothing but evil! And as evident as you see, I'm big enough of one to admit that."

BALIN: "Then why would Loona save me? So she could eat me?"

STELLA: "Even I've the foggiest idea. You may be a smart little boy, but you don't seem to be as strong as them. But it does bring me to the reason why we're here, if I'd be obliged to tell. If you wish to hear."

BALIN: *hesitantly* "Okay?"

STELLA: "For the longest time, I've had my hands full trying to correct my ex-husband's failures and my daughter's future, even if it means I must make her understand that she's to rule Hell with an iron-fist, if she ever wants to make it in my family. And while that impish play-thing of his, along with that empire he's built for himself are another thing, the last thing I need is a human such as yourself getting involved with both."

BALIN: "What are you talking about?"

STELLA: "I'm saying, with or without those demons, you're more an abomination. You are now a problem. Having you near my family will only spiral into too many back-ups that I cannot possibly fathom or control. So in short, that is why I've hired this fat-ass at the keys to watch you since we last spoke."

BALIN: "You've been spying on me the whole time?"

AGENT 23: "Not the whole time. Since we first met."

STELLA: "That's even worse, dumbass! Even for me!" *to Balin* "But yes. To not only wait for the opportunity to save or remove you another way, if any means necessary, but to make sure you don't cause anymore spirals, so I don't have to."

BALIN: "I don't understand what your problem is!"

STELLA: "Then let me put it this short way. My husband. Like I said, he's put all these thoughts in your head about how Hell is much different from every read and tellings from your kind's history, but it's not. It's still a world, like yours, which I do seem to admire by the way." *preens Balin's hair with an evil touch of her fingers* "Piece by piece. Age by age. It picks apart a loose feather, showing what's different about what you people believe. And those who are against, that are Stolas, your friends, and you." *stops preening* "But I've been merciful with you for as long as I could, since you're the different one. So I've got a solution. I can relieve this human of his spying duty, and you can stay with those impish 'friends' of yours."

AGENT 23: "I have a fucking name, you know."

STELLA: "If they break you like the demons they are and when they do, you could still come running to us, but stay away from my family! You are never to speak to them again! If you ever break that condition, I have ways of breaking you without even laying a finger on your body again!"

Struggling to find the right words, Balin took a deep breath, remembering Loona and Via's words from after the first encounter with Stella, and replied.

"No."

"NO?!"

BALIN: "You heard me. I'm not gonna stay away from the people I care about and love, just as much as they've promised to do the same for me, all because you want control over everything your evil plot is against. You're right, I am a little boy, who's trying to live a normal life. It's a little bonkers in Hell, but I'm happy AND I'm strong, and you just can't mind your own business, can you? So no! I'm not staying away from your family. Because they're mine now too! Even if I already have another family in my life!"

STELLA: "Is that so? Then, what if some other demon kills you before they can even SEE YOU AGAIN?!"

Stella grabbed a guitar and started swinging it at Balin, making him cower and evade her. The two started fighting as the agent played more suspenseful music on the piano, until she pounced on him.

Pinning him down, she put on a demon-proof glove and held a cross at him. "Hopefully THIS should get rid of those demonic germs!" she sneered.

"What?"

"UGH!" Stella threw the cross at the agent's head, impaling him like a sword, then grabbed a spray-bottle full of holy water. "I bet something STINGS in here!" she spritzed him.

Balin then started giggling as the water tickled him. "Holy water doesn't hurt me. It tickles."

"Yeah?!" sneered Stella again. "Can just A GUN tickle, you little shit?!"

"YES!" Balin widened his eyes in fear again. "AAAHHH!"

Before she could take a shot, Balin rolled away from Stella's grasp and escaped from the music room. Running away fast and panting in fear, Stella was about to go after him, if not for the crowd of kids playing nearby. So she growled and walked away, flipping him off.

"THIS ISN'T OVER!" she roared.

Now hiding a few feet away, at the school garden where the pond still polluted with the McDonalds garbage was, Balin panted and looked behind him. He then sighed in relief, knowing Stella wasn't following him.

"Thank you, Aunty Tilly." he smiled at the sky. "It was hectic, but I did get some good audition advice."

STELLA (V.O): "If you ever break that condition, I have my ways of breaking you without laying a finger on your body again."

And with that, as the school bell rung, Balin left the garden for his next class, humming his audition song to himself ...and still thinking about Stella's other words.

A/N: See y'all in the next chapter.