In my time of healing - Penny_Dredfel (2024)

Chapter 1: The Meeting

Chapter Text

<Stolas to Blitzo> 8/14 1:42pm: I need to discuss something very important with you regarding our arrangement. I will be coming over to your office in about 15 minutes. Have my grimoire ready for me:

“Crap Crap CRAP!!! I’m supposed to see him tonight! What could he possibly need to talk about that it can’t wait?! We have a good thing running… right? Is he mad at me for something? Is it because we haven’t f*cked for a while?? Is it about the whole Striker thing? Is that it?? Gasp!! What if he wants to take the book back permanently!!” Blitz muttered to himself loudly while pacing the room in a panic.

“Well sir, maybe he just needs the book back for a little while.” Moxxie tried calming his boss down. “I mean it is his. Maybe he needs it back for some royalty stuff.”

“Nah, fatty, it’s definitely because he’s grown bored." Loona said not even looking up from her phone.

“Gah!! I knew it! He’s definitely mad were not f*cking… I know! Maybe if I give him a good time once he arrives, he will forget all about this whole thing.” Blitz reassured himself. "First, I’ll do that thing he likes with my tongue and then I’ll use the stapler to…”

“SIR PLEEEAASE! We do not want to know the details of your sex life.”

“Excuse me, Blitz?” Everyone turned to Blitz’s office to see the Goetia prince standing in the doorway.

“Stolas…hey buddy. How’s it hanging?” Blitz tried sweet talking. Trying to hide how nervous he was.

“Can we talk? In private, please?” Stolas said, turning to go back into the office, not wanting to waste any time beating it around the bush.

“Uhm… suurre… right.” The mottled imp grabbed the grimoire from Loona’s desk. (Well... might as well get it over with.)

*****

Once he made sure the door was locked, he turned to the owl demon, who was standing next to the office window. Briefly, the imp noticed the small box sitting on top of his desk.

“So, what can I do for you that it can’t wait til tonight?” the imp asked nervously.

“Do you have my grimoire” Stolas asked, holding out his hand expectingly.

“Uh… yeah, sure... right here” the mottled imp replied, holding up the large book. “Why, uh, why do you ask?”

“I will need it back… for a while longer than usual.” Hearing this, the imp held the book tighter to himself.

“Stolas wait… please… I need the book. If you aren’t happy with anything I can change. I can… f*ck you more often? How about… once a week… instead of every full moon? How does that sound?”

Blitz finally looked up at the prince to give him what he could describe as his award-winning puppy dog eyes, knowing full well that Stolas never could say no to that face… then again, he rarely said no to anything Blitz asked of him. It was then that he saw the taller demon had a sad smile on his face.

“Blitz, darling, although I would like to spend more time with you, this is not going to be a permanent thing. I apologize that I wasn’t able to inform you sooner, I was busy making preparations”. (Preparations for what? He got some strange sex fantasy he needs to set up or something?).

“There is a rare lunar event known as a super blue blood moon that is happening tonight. I am needed to perform my Goetia duties during the event,” the Goetia explained. “I, uh… will need my grimoire for it. Also, as this is a very important event, I, ahem, must cancel our full moon meetup tonight.”

“Oh…is that all?... I guess that’s fine then” (phew… that’s a relief). Blitz reluctantly handed back the book.

“Thank you, Blitz."

“So, how long are we talking about? Like two days? Three?”

“A few weeks at best, a month at most… hopefully.”

“A month??… a whole f*cking month??? Stolas I can’t go that long without the book. I have a business to run, people to kill…”

“I am well aware of that.” He cut off the smaller demon. “Which is why I brought you this.” Stolas picked up the box and gave it to the imp. It looked like a regular box, other than the emblem printed on top.

“Is this from Asmodeus? How the hell is a sex toy making it up to me???” The imp was starting to lose his temper with the pervy owl.

“It’s not a sex toy. Here see,” Stolas took the box and opened it, revealing an amber crystal in it. Taking it out of the box, he gently put it in his favorite imp’s hand.

“This is an Asmodean crystal. You will be under his jurisdiction while you have it, but you will be able to travel to the human world and back with no trouble at all. All without my grimoire.” Stolas explained. The imp looked at the stone in his hand then back to the owl. There has to be something more to this, right?

“There is just but one little thing I ask of you, Blitz”

Ah yes. There it is. He knew just what the owl wanted. “Let me guess? You want me to f*ck your birdbrains out here, in my office? Am I right?”

“What! … no Blitz.”

“You’re my sexy secretary and I’m the super strict boss amiright?” Clearly the imp chose to ignore the taller demon. He could see the blush appear on the owl’s face. If he wanted to play hard to get, then let him.

“Blitz…”

Blitz knocked the stuff on his desk off. He heard something break but he could fix it later. That was what glue was for.

“It’s sir. Someone’s been a baaad boy. Maybe I should punish you right here, on my...” The imp started talking in his most sexy voice that he knew could rile up Stolas.

“Blitz!!!” that got the imp to stop. Stolas rarely used that tone on him. “Stop. Just… please stop…this isn’t about sex. It’s something far more important than that”.

“Oh…ok…so then what is it? You need me to kill someone for you or something?” Stolas shook his head before pulling out a small piece of paper from his pocket, handing it to the assassin.

“This is my daughter, Octavia’s, phone number.” Blitz looked at the number, written in Stolas’ neat handwriting before looking back up to the owl. Stolas loved his daughter more than anything, this must be serious... “I want you to promise me that, should she be in any kind of trouble, that you and your colleagues will help her. I ask this as a favor from one father to another. Please…should anything happen that you will keep her safe.”

Oh, sh*t… this was serious. It dawned on the imp that Stolas has been calling him by his name for the entire time he’s been here, never once calling him Blitzy. Now he was concerned.

“Stolas… what’s going on? Why are you talking like you're dying?”

The Goetia sighed, turning toward the dirty window in his office “This ritual, it’s… complex and very dangerous. One small mistake and I could…” he trailed off. “Anyway, I can’t protect my daughter or myself during this time. I do not expect you to protect me, Blitz. But after what happened with that Striker fellow … I just want to make sure that she will be safe. So please…promise me you will watch out and protect her.”

The imp winced at that. He wouldn’t admit it but seeing what happened to the Goetia prince after he was kidnapped... just thinking about it always made him feel uneasy. Stolas had asked him to save him, and he failed. If Moxxie and Millie hadn’t arrived, Stolas probably wouldn’t be here now.

“Stolas…”

“Promise Me”

“Okay, okay. I promise. I will protect Via.” The assassin promised.

Stolas sighed in relief, giving the imp a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

“But why me Stolas? Why not your bodyguards you have around the palace?”

“Blitz, there are very few that I would trust when it comes to my child. I know if anyone is to keep her safe, it’s you.” Blitz could only look up at the owl as Stolas touched his cheek fondly.

“… I should be going. I need to finish preparing for tonight’s ritual. Do not try to contact me. I will contact you as soon as I am able to.” Stolas turned around, facing the door to open a portal back to his palace. Before he stepped in, he turned around to look at the imp one last time.

“Goodbye, Blitz” he said before walking through the portal. Blitz snapped out of his trance as he heard the owl demon say his farewell.

“Stolas, wait...”

He ran to catch the retreating demon, but it was too late. The portal disappeared. Leaving him to crash into his door. Causing it to fall off its hinges and landing on poor Moxxie. Blitz glanced around, ignoring how the girls gave him a weird look or Moxxie’s feeble struggles to get the door and his boss off him.

“What…the f*ck?”

Chapter 2: The Ritual

Chapter Text

It was nearly time. Stolas had been preparing for most of the day to make sure everything was perfect. He had triple checked his work earlier to make sure he had done everything correctly. One couldn’t afford any mistakes with this ritual, doing so would lead to bad outcomes.

:BUZZ…BUZZ…BUZZ:

Stolas turned to look at his phone sitting on top of his bedroom dresser. He didn’t bother going over to check it. He knew that it was his favorite assassin. He had been trying to reach the owl for several hours now, but Stolas ignored all of Blitz’s attempts to reach him.

He had been giving the imp space after their failed date at Ozzie’s. Hoping, praying, that Blitz would realize his genuine feelings for him. He thought that things were getting better for the two of them after their time in L.A., but after he was kidnapped and hospitalized, he finally understood that Blitz only wanted him for one thing: his grimoire.

Once he was well enough, he contacted Asmodeus about getting I.M.P. a crystal so they could travel to the human world without him. He was hoping to give it to his red and white imp during this month’s full moon meeting, talk about ending their arrangement and hopefully starting a genuine relationship. That was until he found out he was expected to perform the super blue blood moon ritual. He will just have to wait until the next time he sees the imp to talk to him.

:PING:

:PING:

:PING:

:PING:

Blitz was trying to do it again, with text messages this time. And once again, Stolas ignored him. He had more important things to do.

He looked in the mirror at himself. He was neatly groomed, just coming out of a bath and preened to perfection. The only thing he was wearing was a bandage on his left arm from when he was injured. It hasn’t fully healed since Striker stabbed him repeatedly with a blessed blade, but it was slowly healing at least. He took off the bandage. It was a rather nasty looking wound, that still hurt a bit, but he didn’t think it would hinder him tonight.

After changing into a simple yet elegant purple robe and with grimoire in hand, Stolas walked to Octavia’s room. She was sitting at her bedroom desk, working on a taxidermy project. From the looks of it, it was a porcupine on a motorcycle.

Stolas really didn’t want his daughter to be here for this. He tried convincing her to go stay with her friends, or go to a summer camp, He even suggested she stay with her mom in her uncle’s mansion (yes, he was that desperate) until everything was complete. Both female Goetia refused this request. For Stella, because she wanted to make Stolas as miserable as possible. For Via, it was wanting to stay with her dad for when he needed her.

Eventually he relented when Vassago convinced him that this would be a good learning experience for her about the dangers of prophesizing (as if she already didn’t know), that he would only allow her to help check the outer wards as well as aid in his recovery once the ritual was over, and that he would not let her be witness to anything that Stolas had not approve of.

Stolas stood by the doorway for a moment, before knocking on her door to get her attention. “My Starfire” Via looked up from her work. “It’s time” Via went up to embrace her father.

“Do you really have to do this dad?” she asked. Stolas smiled down at his daughter, petting her feathers at the top of her head while looking into those big pink eyes.

“Unfortunately, I do. I promise that once this is all over, I’m taking you out for a shopping spree to Stylish Occult.” He tried comforting his daughter. “Now remember. Do not come near the observatory by yourself until the ritual is done. And how will you know that it is done?” He quizzed his daughter.

“The candle that you put on the kitchen table. It will stay alight with a blue flame until the ritual is over. If it starts to go out that means that it is ending.”

“Correct. And will you be able to enter the observatory at all until then?”

“No.” Via answered correctly again. “It will be sealed with a magic ward until it is complete. Also, no one is allowed to come to the palace unless it’s me, Vassago, or your boyfriend and his crew. But only if it’s an emergency.”

“That’s right, my Starfire… although… Blitzy isn’t technically my boyfriend…” Stolas smiled down at his daughter.

“Stolas,” came a voice from behind him. He turned to see Vassago. “It’s time.”

Turning back to his daughter, he gave her one final hug. “I know you are worried my dear, but it will be ok. You will be ok. I will see you as soon as I am done.” He then turned to the parrot demon and started making his way up to the observatory.

*****

“You know what to do?” Stolas asked his fellow Goetia. Vassago nodded.

“I’ve checked the wards. They are at their fullest strength. I will not interfere with the ritual unless the wards weaken, or until the next full moon should you still be continuing it.” Stolas nodded approvingly.

“And Via?”

“I will teach her to study the wards outside the observatory and a few techniques to help aid you in your recovery afterwords. I will not allow her to witness anything that you haven’t approved of.”

“Stella?”

“She and her brother are not permitted anywhere near the premises until this is all over.”

“Excellent. And…Blitz?”

“You’ve given Via his number and have shown me what he looks like as well as his colleagues. Should they be needed, we will contact them.”

“Thank you Vassago” the owl smiled gratefully to his friend.

“You do not have to thank me. As your keeper and friend, it is my duty to ensure that I do all I can to aid you in this.”

They continued their journey in silence until they reached the observatory at the other end of the palace.

*****

The round room was cleared out of all furnishings except for everything that he would need for tonight. The hardwood floor was marked with chalk drawn in a web-like pattern with runes scattered all over. Thick white candles carefully placed around the corners of the web, their soft flames giving an ominous glow. Wards of various designs were drawn over the walls, both inside and outside the room, just as a precaution should anything go wrong. The roof was made with impenetrable glass, showing a clear view of the sky overhead. Several large crystals were placed around the room in designated areas. In the center, an ornate box held the most important items that he would need for tonight.

Closing the door, the two bird demons headed for the center of the room. Opening the box, Stolas took out a large crystal ball made with the purest quartz and a simple yet sturdy wooden stand. He placed these in the center right in front of him. Then, he pulled out the next items in the box: two small pewter bowls the size of his palm and two small knives made of pure silver. He handed the other Goetia one of each.

Stolas removed his robe. He wouldn’t be needing it anymore tonight. Using the knife, he sliced his right wrist, letting the blood pour into the bowl. Handing both items back, the parrot dipped his fingers into the bowl and drew a seal on the owl’s stomach. Wiping his fingers clean, he placed the used tools back in the box, before grabbing the other set.

Vassago sliced both wrists open, holding them over the pewter bowl until he was satisfied with the amount of blood in the bowl. Placing the blade down, he turned toward the owl kneeling before him. He used his own blood to draw different glyphs all over the naked owl’s body. His blood would not only help Stolas give a little boost in magic to get the desired effects of tonight’s ritual but would allow him to interfere should he need to.

After Stolas was completely marked with the glyphs, Vassago handed the owl the final item in the box, an 11-inch, ornate dagger. The blade was made from orichalcum, runes engraved in the legendary metal. The sheath and the handle were made of obsidian with golden stars all over.

Vassago collected the robe, bowls and knives, placing them in the box, before carefully making his way back toward the door. Before exiting he paused by the door and turned back to the owl.

“Good luck, Stolas”, he said before closing the door, sealing it with a ward.

Kneeling before he the crystal ball, he opened the grimoire to the page he needed and unsheathed the dagger. For this ritual, he would become a conduit of sorts. His blood and the power of his grimoire would help draw the natural powers of the moon toward the marked room tonight, trapping as much natural magic as possible.

The trapped raw magic would be then drawn toward the seal on his stomach, channeling that power into his body. That magic will flow through him, enhancing his prophesizing powers. He then he would use his own magic to transfer the visions into the crystal ball, thus storing them for further deciphering. While absorbing the moon’s magic would only be for one night, handling that much magic could take several days or even weeks, depending on the power of visions.

He looked up to the moon. It was at its peak. (It’s time). With a shaky breath he brought the blade to his marked abdomen and stabbed himself. Grunting he as he pushed with as much force as he could and twisting the blade, trying to get as deep as it would go. Blood pouring around the floor surrounding the crystal ball near him, but never on it. Then he transformed into his Eldrich form.

Great claws leaving grooves onto the floor, his large jet black and crimson wings circling around the ball, making it easier for him to channel his magic to the object that will hold his visions. His four eyes looking up at the moon feeling its magical properties envelop him. As he muttered a spell, the grimoire rose from the ground, a bright white light emitting from its pages. With a final roar he unleashed his spell.

The markings on the floor and walls started glowing. The candles’ flames changed from a warm, natural yellow to a blue hue as his blood began to spread onto the floor. Crystals began to glow an ominous glow as magic perforated the air.

White hot pain enveloped him, as the raw magic from the moon started entering him. Focusing, he channeled this magic to the crystal ball and started to open his mind, as the sight of the moon disappeared before him, visions of the past, present and future started surrounding him. He willed himself to focus, to endure this pain, so that he may get back to Via, to Vassago and of course, to Blitz.

(Focus…I can do it… I can endure… just need… to focus.)

Chapter 3: I Miss You

Chapter Text

<Blitzo to Stolas> 8/ 14 8:09 pm :Stols pk up yor fne!:

<Blitzo to Stolas> 8/ 15 8:04 am :kal me!:

<Blitzo to Stolas> 8/ 17 3:14 pm :r u ok?:

<Blitzo to Stolas> 8/ 19 4:45 pm :is yor mun thing don yet?:

<Blitzo to Stolas> 8/ 23 8:14 pm : (Image of a ‘funny’ meme about gay birds)

<Blitzo to Stolas> 8/ 23 8:14 pm :ths md me thnk of u. plz rspnd:

<Blitzo to Stolas> 8/ 25 12:01 pm :stp ignrn me brdbrane:

<Blitzo to Stolas> 9/ 1 4:45 pm :r u mad at me? I sowy. idk wat i did but i sowy.:

<Blitzo to Stolas> 9/9 11: 53 pm : I mss ur swt ass:

<Blitzo to Stolas> 9/10 9:42 am :dnt rd tht! Ws drnk!:

<Blitzo to Stolas> 9/14 2:44 pm :amsr me u dum bch! PLZ!!!:

*****

“Come on… come on… pick up, you stupid owl” Blitz muttered in irritation.

“…Burrr…Burrr…Hello, this is Stolas. I’m not here right now so please leave a message and I will get to you as soon as possible…BEEEEEP” Voicemail…again.

“If you would like to leave a message, then screw you! Their mailbox is full Bwahahaha!!” Hell’s automated answering machine replied.

“Dammit!!” Blitz yelled as he threw his phone on the ground in irritation at getting another voicemail, groaning as he realized that he had thrown it so hard that it smashed into several pieces. “Gah... Christ on a cracker!”

“You ok there, B?” Millie asked from her spot on their torn-up sofa, sitting right next to her husband. A coffee cup with her face on it in her hand.

“He said a few weeks he'd be done. Few means two. It’s been four, Mils… Four!!!…Why is he ghosting me?”

“Well, sir, maybe it’s because he’s busy and doesn’t have time to answer your million messages. He did say this was important work, afterall.” Moxxie replied in a sardonic voice before taking a sip of his own coffee.

The taller imp walked up to Moxxie “Ok, first of all, Mox, it wasn’t a million. It was 298 calls and 1934 texts”. He defended himself pointing a finger at the smaller imp. “And second that full moon thing ended weeks ago. He should be done by now, right? Ugh… I just need to know what happened to him. Uh… I mean… so we can get the grimoire back… yeah that’s it”.

“Look, Blitz… its sweet that you’re worried about your boyfriend..." Millie began.

“He isn’t my boyfriend!!”

“…anyway, as I was saying, its sweet that you are worried about him but there’s nothing you can do right now. He said he will let you know when he’s done, right? And besides, isn’t no news is good news?”

“Ugh, fine. I’ll stop... for now…just until I can find my spare, spare phone”

Moxxie looked at Blitz with a weird expression on his face. “How many phones do you even have?”

“Well, Mox, that’s for me to know and you to mind your own f*cking damn business.” The red and white imp said with a smirk. “Sigh… I’m going to my office, and get some important work done”

“What work?” Moxxie asked but was ignored.

The taller imp turned to walk back to his office before trying to make a reach for the landline phone on Loona’s desk. Just as he was about to touch it, his daughter pulled it closer to her, giving him a threatening growl. Putting up his hands in defeat, he scooched to his office door.

As the door closed, Moxxie and Millie gave each other a worried look. Anytime they were not actively killing someone, they would notice the imp try to sneak a call or check his phone. They knew Blitz was worried, but they hadn’t seen him like this before.

*****

Blitz wasn’t worried because he wasn’t talking to Stolas, they have gone days where he hasn’t messaged the bird (granted Stolas always answers my messages right away). It’s because of how he was talking in their last meeting that made him sound like that was a final goodbye. That's what got him worried.

Blitz tried contacting the owl whenever he could, but never got a response. He asked Fizz if Ozzie had heard from him. The answer was no. He didn’t want to message Octavia; he wouldn’t know what to say to her. The owl hadn’t posted or commented on anything on Sinstagram since before he had last seen him either. Sometimes he would even drive to the palace to see if there was any sign of the Goetia prince. There never was.

Blitz sat in his office chair with a sigh, fiddling with a pen that sat on top of his desk. He didn’t really have any paperwork to do, he signed all the important looking documents and made origami horses with the rest. He didn’t have any motivation for making any new, convoluted plans for potential targets.

And with a little bit of glue, he already fixed the Moxxie and Millie bobblehead dolls that he broke (ok… maybe he accidentally put the dolls heads on the wrong bodies, but Moxxie’s head looked way better on Millie’s body if he did say so himself. So, there was no point in trying to refix it). But anyway, he fixed the dolls that got broke when he tried making room for Stolas on his desk last month.

Sigh… Stolas.

He really missed him. Even here in his office, everything reminded him of the prince. The half dead plant in the corner he knew the bird would gush over until it was alive again, the panic button under his desk designated exclusively for the owl, the trunk in the corner labeled ‘Stolas Sex Stuff’ (so he could get to the palace right after work). Even his secret envelope he kept in a file in his safe labeled classified.

Turning around in his chair, he took off the painting and typed in the security code 4-3-2-1 (Stolas made him change his last password from 1-2-3-4 after the whole L.A. incident) and took out the file. Reaching in he took out several envelopes, each labeled with the different names of people important to him. He put all the envelopes on the side, only keeping the one labeled Stolas on it. Opening it, he took out its contents.

A film strip of a happy Stolas and a moody Octavia in a photo booth in Loo Loo Land, a printed out photo he took with his phone of Stolas sleeping after one of their sessions, a news article photo of Stolas, Striker and Blitz (the latter two scribbled out) from the Harvest Moon Festival games, a stunning ‘Welcome to Ozzie’s’ souvenir photo of the two of them when they went on their ‘date’ (the half with Blitz torn off), Person’s magazine article of Stolas in his human disguise waving shyly behind a scribble out picture of ‘Brennan Rager’ and a group photo of them with their daughters with the L.A. fireworks in the background (that one he hasn’t defaced himself just yet). He looked so happy in that photo...

Knock Knock Knock

Blitz ignored whoever was at the door. His crew could handle it.

Satan, he missed him. He hoped that the pervy prick of a bird would answer him soon.

Knock Knock Knock

“Uh, sir?”

"You know what, screw it. If he won’t talk to me, then I’m going over there to him. It’s the full moon anyway so he has no excuse to avoid me. He better have a damn good reason why he’s been ignoring me or so help me; I will kick his feathered ass all the way to earth and back." Blitz said to himself.

Knock Knock Knock

“SIR?!”

With a new resolve he decided that he would drop off M&M and his Looney Tooney at home then break into the palace to see that bastard owl, whether he liked it or not.

“BLITZ!! Get your ass out here! Call for you!” He heard his adoptive daughter call out to him. Bursting out the door, slamming poor Moxxie into the wall.

“Stolas?”

“No”

“Oh. Then tell whoever it is I’m busy”

He turned to head back into his office when Loona, surprisingly, gently grabbed his shoulder to stop him. Turning to her, he noticed the worry in her eyes. “It’s Via.”

Millie stopped trying to help her husband sit up to listen in. Both looking up to the taller imp. The hellhound handed her phone (the one thing he was never allowed to touch, under any circ*mstances) over to him.

“Octavia, sweetie, are you there? Everything ok?”

“Blitz?... Can you come over here and get me… Please?” She sounded like she’d been crying.

“What’s wrong, honey? What happened?” He turned to look at M&M, seeing the concern in their eyes.

“It’s dad…”

Chapter 4: A Call For Help

Chapter Text

“What??? What happened?? What’s wrong with Stolas???” Blitz ignored the worried looks on M&M’s faces.

“He…he had to do a ritual last month, right? And, well… he... he hasn’t come back yet. Vassago said…”

“Wait, wait, wait… who?”

“Vassago. He...he’s the one that’s trying to help my dad. An…anyway, he said that he may have to interfere with the ritual before it’s too late but doesn’t want me to see what’s happening to him. Can… can you pick me up and take me somewhere? ... Please? He won’t go to dad until I’m out of the house.”

Blitz gritted his teeth when he heard that. (Stolas is in trouble? And whoever this prick is won’t do anything to help until his kid’s gone?? That’s messed up).

“Alright… I’ll be right over. Just… try to stay calm. Everything will be ok” He ended the call before gripping the phone so hard that it broke.

“Blitz! That was mine” his daughter growled. He could endure her wrath later.

“Everyone listen up! I’m going to bring Via here. I’ll be back shortly.” He opened a portal with the crystal and jumped right through before anyone could protest.

When he landed, took a brief look at his surroundings…of course. It would be Stolas’ bedroom. It was as neat and tidy as it always had been. The only thing that was out of place was a few leather trunks by his nightstand. He could figure out what that meant later. Right now, he was here on a mission.

Running out of the room, he started to shout for the owl girl. “Via, you here?”

“Blitz? Is that you?” he heard Via call out. (Kitchen. That’s where she is).

He ran all the way there, surprised by the sight of two Goetias. One was Via. She looked like a mess with her tear-stained face and bags under her eyes. The other one was a tall, red parrot. He wore a fancy red outfit and yellow glasses that made Blitz think of something a millennial with a midlife crisis might wear. This must be the guy that Via mentioned, the one who should be helping Stolas but isn’t.

Blitz reached for his concealed gun that he kept in his jacket. Just in case he needed it. “Via, you ok?”

“How… how did you get here so fast? I literally just called.”

“It’s not important. Now can you explain what the hell’s going on?” he demanded, pointing his gun toward the other Goetia.

“You can put that away. I’m not a threat.” the parrot said.

“Yea? Then why is she upset?” the imp gestured to the owl. “And where the f*ck is Stolas? Via said he’s in trouble and you won’t help him until she leaves.”

“Because that’s what I swore to him.” The imp lowered his weapon at that, confusion lighting his face. “Stolas made me promise that should anything happen during this ritual where I might need to intervene, that I would make sure Via would be safe out of harm’s way and prevent her from seeing things that she shouldn’t.” The parrot explained.

“And what exactly happened?”

“He’s taking too long to complete the ritual.”

“He’s taking…How ‘s that a problem? He’s always been a perfectionist.” The imp questioned, putting his gun back in his jacket.

“Being thorough has nothing to do with this I’m afraid.” Vassago turned around to look at a candle sitting on the table. The flame glowing blue and unmoving. “You see, for this kind of ritual, Stolas is using a combination of all three types of magic.”

“He’s doing what with a what now?” The imp didn’t know there was more than one type. Then again Stolas probably told him about it sometime and he zoned out.

“Anyway…” the parrot continued, ignoring the question directed at him, “While using all three types at once can provide very powerful, potent magic for spells and prophecies, it’s also very deadly. Many have perished after using the combination for long periods of time.” Blitz heard Via hitch a sob.

“We have used this candle to mark when the ritual is near its end, so I can release the wards and collect him. However, despite being a month, the candle stays lit. Do you understand what that means?”

“Uhh? … That that’s one good quality candle?” Blitz tried to joke. The parrot scowled at him, and Via looked at him as though he were an idiot. (Stolas would have thought that was funny).

“No, you idiot. It means the ritual is still going on. I need to unseal the doors and try to stop him before he loses his life. And I can’t do that with her here. I gave him my word”.

Oh… so that’s why. He didn’t really understand this magic talk, but apparently the candle was linked to Stolas. “Well, just blow out the candle. That would stop it, right?” He hopped on the table to put it out. (If all we need to do is blow out a candle to save his feathered ass, then I’m gonna blow the hell out of that thing).

Weren’t you listening you ignoramus?” The parrot demon grabbed the imp by the tail before he could touch the candle. Vassago glared at the imp he was dangling upside down by the tail. “The candle isn’t…” he paused, looking at the flame. Blitz looked at the flame as well. It was getting smaller and smaller. (GAH! Did I break it? I haven’t even blown yet!)

“It’s ending…he’s ending it.” Vassago dropped the imp before turning in a series of red feathers and flew out of there like a swarm of angry hornets.

“Dad…” Octavia grabbed Blitz by the tail before turning into a swarm as well and flew over to the observatory as well.

(Ok… Feather travel is not the best mode of transportation). The imp was trying not to get motion sickness as they came to a the top of a very large spiral staircase. He saw the parrot demon using a spell to unseal the glowing door in front of him.

“I thought I told you to get her out of here. She should not see this.”

“But he’s my dad!” the teen argued back.

“Octavia…” Vassago stopped to turn to her. Putting his hands on her shoulders so she would listen to him. “He would not want you to see him like this. Believe me.”

Seeing the look in his eyes, Blitz understood. Vassago was trying to protect her. Just as Stolas asked him to do as well.

“… I’ll get her out of here.” Blitz told them before activating his Asmodean crystal, opening a portal back at I.M.P.. He saw Millie looking in before pushing Via through to her. “Take care of her for me. I’ll let you know when we’ve gotten Stolas.”

“Hey wait…” He closed the portal.

“You don’t need to stay for this.” Vassago told him, turning back to work on unsealing the door.

“Yeah, well I’m not leaving. So might as well get over it.”

“Tch… fine.” Vassago reluctantly agreed. He didn’t have time for arguing. “But if you do anything to hurt him, you will learn the hard way why you shouldn’t make an enemy of Ars Goetia. Do I make myself clear, imp?”

“Fiinneee! Now will you open the Satan damned door already?” Blitz yelled, growing impatient. Finally, the glow from the door dissipated as he heard the door unlock. Swinging it open, he was not sure what to expect. But it was definitely not this.

The floors were covered with a thick black liquid. There was a faint glowing underneath it with strange markings. Candles that were nearly completely melted were scattered all over the floor. and in the center, he could make out what looked like a book (of course, the grimoire) hovering in the air giving off a white light. And right behind it, was the one he was looking for.

Stolas was still in his Eldrich form, giving a heart-retching, pain filled moan from his place in the center of the room. It looked like he was protecting something in his wings. From where he was standing, the imp could make out the same black liquid on the floor flowing down his legs and coming out of his mouth (Blood? Is he hurt? Wait... Is this stuff on the floor all Stolas’ blood? How does he even have that much in him?).

“Stolas!” Blitz shouted as he ran toward the demon, only to be bounced back, as if he ran right into wall. “Ugh! Satan dammit! What the hell”. He shouted, holding his face in pain.

“It’s a barrier you fool. You will need to wait until he’s finished before crossing the threshold.”

“Well don’t just stand there Viagra. Stop it!”

“My name is Vassago and I can only interfere if he can’t finish it. The candle was going out. He’s nearing completion.”

The imp was going to retort when he heard a loud snap of a book shutting and a piercing screech. Stolas was changing back to his original form. His grimoire fell to the floor with a dull thud next to a weird orb that looked to be filled with galaxies that Blitz had not noticed before. (Was this what he was protecting?)

Looking back up he saw Stolas on his hands and knees, struggling to hold himself up. Dark strips of steam seemed to be rolling off in wisps throughout his bloodied, disheveled body. A large dagger sticking out from his torso. (He is hurt!). He was starting to see the reason why the parrot Goetia didn’t want Via to see this.

“Stol…Aahhh” Blitz tried to walk to the owl, only to once again be pushed pack with another forcefield. “Gah!!! Dammit!!!” He cried out, holding his face in pain.

He felt a hand on his shoulder. Looking up he saw the parrot demon give him a look, before turning his attention back to the figure in the room. To his horror, he saw Stolas, with shaky hands, try to pull the blade out of himself

“No! Don’t do that you idiot! You’ll only make it worse!” the imp shouted, only to be ignored.

With a pained grunt, he pulled it out, coughing up a large amount of blood as well. Then, he grabbed his self-inflicted wound with his right hand.

Blitz saw a small amount of dark blue energy coming from his hand. Seeing the look of pain and concentration on the owl’s exhausted face, he could only guess that he was trying to heal himself. After what felt like an eternity, but was probably a minute or two, he let go of his wound and crawled a few paces out of the center of the circle before collapsing.

The room grew dark as the runes ended their glow and the candles went out. The only light coming from was the orb sitting in the center of the room. The moment Vassago let go of his shoulder, he ran, not caring if he got hit in the face a third time by another forcefield. This time though, there wasn’t one.

“Stolas!!”

“Wait! Don’t touch him!” Vassago tried to warn him. Unfortunately, he didn’t listen as he reached for the bloody and still smoking demon. Kneeling near the body, he shakingly reached the downed demon.

He barely touched the still form when his world went black.

Chapter 5: Look My Way

Chapter Text

Blitz slowly woke up in another room. Books lined the walls in large bookcases. A solar system light fixture dangled from the ceiling. A set of staircases lead up to a dais before branching. And in between the stairs was a large desk where someone was writing in a large book.

Stolas.

But instead of the bloodied, naked frame that he saw just moments ago, he looked healthy. He was dressed in his regal garb with his hat off to the side of his large desk.

“Stolas? What happened? Are you ok?” He tried asking the owl, only to get no response, not even any acknowledgement that he had even heard. Blitz frowned before climbing up onto the desk, standing right in front of him.

“Stolas? Hey Stols? Hell to birdbrain can you hear me?” The imp impatiently waved his hand in front of the owl’s face only to be ignored once again.

Ok, now he was getting irritated. He had been worried about this prick for a month and now he was just ignoring him? Suddenly, he heard the door behind him open. He quickly jumped off the table to be greeted with the sight of the Goetia's butler, Pringles, or at least that’s what Blitz thought he was called. (He really does look like a Pringles.)

“Hey you! I think your boss is broken.” ‘Pringles’ ignored him as well and walked towards the desk. (Ugh! I hate being ignored.) Blitz stood in front of the butler only for the smaller imp to walk right through him. (What just happened? Am I dead?)

He turned to see the imp place a gift bag onto the owl’s desk with a bow before leaving. Stolas turned his attention away from his work to take out a small box from the bag, opening it. Blitz noticed it looked like an Asmodean crystal. In fact, it looked like the exact same one he had on his glove right now.

The owl gave a sad smile toward the crystal before closing the box. Standing from his desk, Stolas closed his book and started doing something the imp was not expecting. He started to sing.

It is expected, an oath by blood to hold thetome
And the starlight passes overhead
Fuels all the skills I've honed

Stolas started climbing up the stairs to the dais. Blitz followed him all the way to the top and entered the portal the owl demon opened. Suddenly they were no longer in Hell. Nor earth for the matter. (Are we in space? How can I still breathe? Why aren’t I floating away?)

I am a guardian, a watcher of these ancient rites
Yet I find myself drawn from that path
On those dazzling moonlit nights

Blitz saw Stolas grabbing a small planet earth with a moon, no larger than the size of a coin. Taking the moon to hold it close, in a loving embrace while discarding the planet. (Wow. He really loves that thing)

Let me holdyou, keep you close to me
I long to hear your voice
But, dearest, I know better now
I must give you this choice

With a final fond hug, he reluctantly released the moon, letting it float around him.

I can give you everything you need
Or do you want to hear me plead?
Just look my way
Just look my way

Blitz noticed how the owl gave the moon a pleading look as if asking it to return to him but would not grab it. “Hey Stols, what’s with the moon?” the imp asked, of course being ignored again. Finally, Stolas walked to the moon reaching out for it before withdrawing his hand, letting it float away.

Is there something more that I don't know
That you won't say 'til we've both grown cold?
Just say, "Please, stay. Look my way”

(Why is he so upset? What’s so special about that thing anyway?). He blinked once and they were no longer in space. He did not see land anywhere, just water. Spotting the owl, he ran to catch up to Stolas, somehow, they were walking on the water. The moon was now up in the sky. Much larger and giving a golden glow. Stolas walked along the water to continue his song.

This unspoken contract, a deed we forged for mutual gain
If that's all this was when you're not here
What is this rooted pain?

(What contract? What did you promise? Who’s hurting you?) Something told Blitz that Stolas wasn’t singing about the moon, just as the owl made a constellation that looked like an imp.

(He looked very familiar. But where have I seen him before?) He saw how Stolas looked so happy with the constellation even leaning into its touch, feeling a little bit of jealousy.

I don't care that you're oflower station
Or primed to sate my dark temptations
Why can't you understand? Let me explain!

The constellation faded away as Stolas reached out for it before collapsing on the ground hugging himself as he shed a tear. (Who is this guy? What did he do to you?) Blitz tried putting a comforting hand on the owl, only for it to go through him. (Of course. I’m a ghost).

And I'm terrified, as I cry
To make these feelings true
What's left for me and my broken heart
If I cannot have you?

As a tear dropped into the water around them, Stolas disappeared and reappeared as a set of blue constellations. A string was attached to his finger, and on the other end, a red moon. As the moon turned a red form appeared huddled in a black bubble. It was an imp. The same imp as before. Now he recognized him.

(Wait… is …is that supposed to be me? Am I the moon? I’m hurting him?) Blitz realized with horror that Stolas was singing about him this entire time.

Unless it's me
And no matter what in this world I could give
It's not enough
To get through the walls you've conjured up to live

He saw the owl’s constellation going to the imp with a worried look. He tried getting the imp’s attention, but he wouldn’t look up.

Is this what you feel?
Scorned by a realm that cannot comprehend
What you are

With great reluctance, the owl pushed the sphere away with great enough force that the string snapped. As the imp drifted further away, he became a large red moon.

So, I'll grant you this mercy, this bind on our souls needs to end

The imp blinked and Stolas was back in his original form, both back on the lake.

“What are you talking about? Ending what? Stolas, what are you going to do?” he asked the owl, realizing that there was no way he would get a response from the forlorn owl.

Stolas had one last determined look before leaping toward the moon with such force that Blitz fell back, nearly sinking into the water himself. Looking up, he thought the owl would be able to reach the moon.

I will try to make amends
For making you means to an end
So, look my way
Please look my way

Just as Stolas was about to touch the moon, he fell. To the imp’s horror, Stolas kept plummeting toward the lake, not even trying to save himself, only reaching for the moon. From where he was, he could see tears freely flowing from the owls’ eyes.

And if there's something more that I don't know
I'll save us both before we grow cold

He crashed in the water. Just sinking to the dark depths still reaching out. Blitz dove down reaching out for him.

If you'll stay, and just say, "Look my way"

He tried swimming faster, trying to reach the rapidly sinking bird as darkness enveloped them. Tears formed in his eyes as Stolas disappeared into oblivion.

Chapter 6: A Lecture In Magic

Chapter Text

Blitz woke up with a piercing headache. Rubbing his temples with a grown, he quickly turned to throw up on the floor. (Ugh, I haven’t felt this hungover since that party at Beelzebub’s and even then, it wasn’t this bad.) With bleary eyes he took in his surroundings.

He was in a purple room with a fancy purple couch. His clothes were stained with something black that looked vaguely like demon blood. There was a tv hanging on the wall across from him. The red rug that was now definitely ruined by vomit looked rather expensive. And sitting on the end table at the foot of the couch was a fancy phone. (Stolas has one that looks just like… Stolas!)

Blitz sat up too suddenly, getting dizzy enough to once again ruin a perfectly good rug. (Bad idea. Very, very bad idea). He thought with a groan. Laying there for a few minutes. Tried to will his pounding head to stop hurting. After what felt like an eternity, the pain receded enough for him to collect his thoughts.

(How did I get here? Wasn’t I on another planet with Stolas or something? Was it just a dream? Yeah… that must be it. Where is he anyway? Better go look for him. Make sure he’s ok.)

With that thought, he went to go look for the prince, but first making his way to the kitchen to get some water, still feeling a bit hungover. Not feeling like doing acrobatics to get a glass, he just drank the water straight from the tap.

(Now if I were Stolas, where would I be. He wasn’t in the living room, or in the kitchen. Maybe in his office where I had that strange dream… no, he would be too injured for work. He…he wouldn’t still be lying in that room, would he?) Blitz panicked for a moment just thinking about the owl just lying there in a pool of his own blood.

(No…no don’t think about that. I doubt that red bastard, Viagra or whatever his name is, would just leave him there. I know! I’ll check the bedroom. That’s where I usually find him anyway.)

With that thought, he made his way to the Goetia princes’ private chambers. As he rounded the corner, he noticed a soft light leaking through the partially open door. Quietly, he snuck in.

The room reeked of incense. There was a first aid kit and various bottles on the nightstand next to the lamp that was bathing the room in soft glow. Stolas’ grimoire was on the vanity nearby. He saw the parrot Goetia, standing near the bed holding something in his arms.

“You’ve finally awakened” The red parrot spoke out loud, not turning to look up from his work.

“What happened Viagra?”

“Sigh…For the last time my name is Vassago, not Viagra” the parrot answered annoyed before continuing.

“You had touched Stolas even though I specifically told you not to. Some traces of magic entered you. Judging from your muttering, I believe you had a prophecy. You fainted not long after, so I left you on the couch until you collected yourself, and I could take care of Stolas.”

(So that wasn’t some weird dream? It was a prophecy. Does that mean I saw the future?) “Ugh… thanks… I guess Viag… I mean Vassago”. Blitz warily made his way toward the bed. And there he was.

Vassago did a pretty good job cleaning up the owl. There wasn’t any blood left on him. He must have given Stolas a bath, and, judging by how smooth his feathers looked, probably preened him as well. A large bandage was wrapped around the owl’s stomach, and another one around his left arm. He didn’t recall seeing Stolas’ arm injured. But then again, he was more focused on the sharp metal object sticking out of his owl. (Wait… my owl? Where the hell did that come from?).

Vassago has one hand holding up the other Goetia’s head, trying to get the unconscious bird to drink… something. It looked like one of those infused bottles Fizz was telling him about. There was clear liquid with bits of something floating in it (looks like parsley) in the top and at the bottom were…rocks? Pink, purple, black, and white ones (is he trying to feed Stolas rocks?)

“What’s that?” He asked.

“Water. Infused with medicinal herbs and healing crystals” the parrot said after getting some water into the owl’s mouth. Gently massaged his neck until he swallowed.

“Oh…” was all the imp said as he returned his gaze to Stolas.

Blitz got a better look at the prince. Even though he was cleaned, and his wounds dressed, he looked… bad. His usually soft, shiny feathers were very dull. He looked thin (was he always this thin or because he probably hasn’t eaten for like a month?) Looking at his face, he looked exhausted. Both pairs of eyes were closed, with dark bags under them. And he was still…so, so still. If it weren’t for Vassago getting him to drink that magic rock water, Blitz would have believed he was dead. “How is he?”

“Not good I’m afraid. He’s very anemic for one. He was able to cauterize his stab wound before fainting, so that should be hopefully healing, but better keep an eye on it. That one is the least of my worries, if you believe that. The wound on his arm was something he received prior to the ritual, but somehow it reopened completely and became infected. I’ve cleaned it the best I can, but I’ll keep an eye on it as well to make sure it heals properly. But my greatest concern is his mana levels. He had depleted the stores in his body. If he’s to make a full recovery, his body will need to replenish them”

“If it’s that bad, then shouldn’t we take him to a hospital?”

“Unfortunately, no. While it might help with the physical wounds, his mana depletion is a magic malady. Modern medicine will not be able to help with that. Only he will be able to heal himself. I will aid him as much as I can, but the rest is up to him.” Vassago said while placing a blanket over his patient.

“what’s mana?” asked the imp

“It is his innate magic”, Vassago answered, turning to the imp. Noticing his confusion, he decided to elaborate

“There are three types of magic we use. Mana magic, natural magic and blood magic. Mana is the most common. It is within every sentient being. For many, we see it as natural talents or honed skills, like a marksman who never misses a shot even though he rarely practices.

And for some, like Stolas or myself, are able to manifest magic to its full potential, as you’ve probably seen Stolas do. We can use it to create portals, levitate items, that sort of thing. The stronger the spells, the more mana is used up. Generally, the mana levels will restore themselves right away, however depending on how much is used, it could take a while, and if they do not replenish and regulate themselves in an adequate manner, the mana could poison the body and the user may perish.” that last part got Blitz worried.

“Natural magic comes from drawing the powers of something from nature itself. From the healing properties of crystals and plants to the energy of the moon, as was this case for the ritual. It would not use up one's mana, as mana magic does, and could even help heal and restore a magic user if utilized correctly, as I am trying to do now.” The parrot explained. “Normally Stolas uses mana and natural magic only”

“Blood magic is a bit different as the power comes from, as you might have guess by the name, blood, or rather the life essence from someone's blood. It doesn’t matter if it comes from the conjurer themselves or another. The more blood there is, and the more painful way used to obtain it, the more powerful the spells. In ancient times, blood sacrifices would be used to create powerful spells. However, this type of magic is quite volatile and rarely used anymore. If he is needed to use blood magic, Stolas always prefers to use his own rather than harm another.”

“Normally, one does not use these three magics at the same time, as combining all three could be dangerous, however given that this is a very significant lunar event, he needed all sources of magic as possible. If he was less adept in magic, this would certainly have killed him. Unfortunately, with his mana gone, his recovery isn’t going so well. I will keep measuring his mana levels and do what I can to make sure he fully recovers though. You have my word on that.” Vassago finished his lecture. Hoping that would be enough to sate the imp.

“Thanks” Blitz told him. He didn’t really understand all this magic mumbo jumbo, but he did understand Stolas wasn’t well.

“I guess I haven’t properly introduced myself yet. The name’s Blitz. The O is silent.” Blitz introduced himself holding out a hand

“What O?”

“Exactly”.

“I am Vassago of Ars Goetia. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.” The parrot demon shook his hand before turning his attention back to the owl.

"..."

“…” (Well now, this is awkward)

“Would it be ok if I brought Via back now? She’s probably worried about him." Blitz asked as he turned to Vassago, breaking the awkward silence.

The parrot demon turned to the imp with a soft smile. “Of course. I’m sure she would like to see her father.”

Chapter 7: Meanwhile at I.M.P.

Chapter Text

It had been over an hour since Blitz had shoved her into the portal and closed it. Via was sitting on the couch with Millie and Loona. A box of tissues was set out in front of her in case she needed them. She sat in the center of the couch, her legs drawn up close to her body. In her hands, a purple and silver locket that was attached to a slim, silver chain around her neck.

She had told them everything. How her dad had to perform the super blue blood moon ritual, how he tried to send her away, how she grew more worried as the days turned into weeks, how Vassago told her he will need to intervene before it’s too late, how she tried calling Blitz several times, but the line was always busy, so she had to call Loona for help, not knowing if her dad was alive or not.

As the employees listened to her story, Moxxie turned the ‘we’re closed’ sign to give them all privacy before going to the kitchenette to get something for the young owl. Loona and Millie on either side of her, tried to comfort her.

“It’ll be alright sweetie. Your dad’s a tough bird. He won’t leave you. I can guarantee that,” Millie sat with her on the couch, just rubbing her back trying to comfort the upset teenager. The owl looked to her with tear-stained eyes with a thankful look.

“Here, your highness, this will help”. Via turned her attention to the white-haired imp as he was handing her his coffee cup, filled with hot cocoa. She took it gratefully and sipped it. The sweet taste of chocolate helped her feel a little better.

“Millie’s right. Your dad will be ok…. Why don’t we do something to help you get your mind off things until Blitz comes back. I know! How about we show you what we do when we aren’t killing people”. Loona offered.

*****

Via was expecting, paperwork, planning, cleaning… anything that said: ‘I am actually trying to run a business.’ What she didn’t expect was them sitting in a conference room playing what they called ‘Shoot or Pass’. “Look, the games’ easy. I’ll go first and show you how to play” the hellhound offered.

Moxxie put an old box t.v. onto a small table on the other side of a conference room, before stepping away. Millie gave Loona a remote and a shot gun.

(Why do we need a gun?)

As if sensing the owls thought Loona looked at her with a smile. “So, basically, you take this remote and turn on the t.v.” Loona demonstrated “then, you flip through the channels until you find something you don’t like.” The hell hound flipped through a few channels.

Ocatvia took note of the channels: a commercial for Loo-Loo Land, the intro to Hella- Novella (dads favorite show… no…no… not thinking about that now), a commercial for a new hotel in the Pride Ring, the ending of a slasher movie, and an old medical show where a doctor is giving a hellhound a Hellbies shot. Loona stopped at that one “Then you shoot.”

BANG!!!

That startled the owl a bit, as she stared into a smoking tv.

Moxie lifted the now ruined t.v. from the table before throwing it out the window, while Millie grabbed another one in a nearby closet. (There are so many in there. Why do they have that many? How could they afford them all?)

“Moxxie here won an Invader Dib lookalike contest a while back.” Millie explained noting the owls bewildered look.

“I wasn’t even participating. I was just trying to find a bathroom.” The male imp grumbled from his spot at the window.

“He won a lifetime supply of free T.V.’s!” Millie continued. “We thought that they were just gonna give him a new one every year or something… until they dropped these off. We sometimes sell some if we’re low on cash, but since they’re so out of date, no one really uses them anymore. So, we put them to use the best way we can."

That made sense… kinda. “Wanna take a go?” Loona offered her the gun and remote.

“Umm… will this work for the t.v.?” The owl asked.

“Oh yeah. It’s a universal remote.” Via didn’t think that’s how they worked, but alright. She was going to give it a go. She flipped through the channels.

An imp named Wally Wackford begging for clients in a commercial, a party video in the Gluttony Ring, and then she stopped at fashion show for Goetia. Her mom always forced her wear these types of outfits for galas or balls and she hates them. She fired the gun as a flamingo demon was walking on stage wearing the ‘latest fashion’: a frilly pink dress that made her look like a deformed boob.

BANG!!!

That… felt good.

“Nice shot your highness” Moxxie complemented her.

“If you ever get sick of this royalty thing you can always join us at I.M.P.. We can always use a good marksman” Millie joked, but Octavia felt the kindness radiating from her words.

They played for quite a while until it was Moxxie’s turn. He stopped on a channel where this sleazy looking shark demon started bragging about himself. Moxxie fired not just one shot but whipped out his pistols and started firing like crazy. Even more surprisingly was Millie whipping out her battle ax and really going for the kill. That poor t.v. never stood a chance.

“Ok… I think we are done for a while; Let’s go do something else.” Loona pushed her out while the imps kept obliterating the remains of the tv.

“What was that?” she asked.

“Just some ex of theirs. And no, they aren’t poly. It was before they met.” Loona explained.

“o…k…”

They went to the couch to look at Sinstagram on Octavia’s phone, since Blitz destroyed Loona’s. The imps eventually came out a while later looking a little disheveled (Octavia suspected it had nothing to do with the tv slaughter). Millie went to the kitchenette to grab some snacks for everyone as Moxxie went to Blitz’s office to put some expense reports on his boss’s desk.

As he was placing the reports on the desk, he noticed an empty classified file with several envelopes in a pile in the corner. “What’s this?” he asked himself as he opened an envelope that said Moxxie and Millie.

He screamed.

The girls rushed to the office to see what Moxxie was screaming about. Moxxie was crouched on the floor, trembling. Eyes wide in horror and a nervous sweat ran down his brow as he just stared at the picture in his shaky hands.

“Mox, sweetie? Everything ok? “Millie asked her husband nervously.

“How…why… why does he have this…” the white-haired imp asked with a shaking voice. Millie took a glance at what her husband was holding…and laughed.

In his hands was a photo of Moxxie and Millie from after they returned from Crimson’s ambush wedding. With Moxxie still wearing the wedding dress.

“It’s not funny Millie!” the imp scolded his wife.

“Wheeze… s..sorry babe. But you are so cute in that thing. “

“Damn fatty, you look good in a dress” Loona chimed in with a smirk. Octavia giggled at the male imp. He was cute in a dress.

“You think this is funny? Well, he’s got stuff on both of you as well “he answered with a glint in his eyes. He handed Millie their envelope and went to the desk to give Loona hers.

“The f*ck?” Loona growled. The first picture she saw was from the first time she got a Hellbies shot after being adopted. She’s curled up on their apartment couch, holding a plush horse, sleeping. She looked cute. (Blitz better have a damn good reason for this.)

She regained her temper as she heard whimpering. She turned to find the owl princess standing at the desk, holding something.

“Via? You ok?” Loona saw what was in her hands. It was the photo of them in L.A. with the fireworks. She looked at the desk. There were several photos with Stolas on it. (Blitz has one with Stolas’ pictures as well?)

Via clutched her locket around her neck and let the tears flow again. Loona pulled her into a hug rubbed her back to calm her down, giving Moxxie a glare like this is somehow his fault. After a few minutes she calmed down a bit. They left the office and headed back to the couch.

“I’m sorry. I’m just… so scared…sigh…He… he did something like this years ago when I was little… it didn’t last for nearly this long, but he almost died” she told them.

Loona looked at her sadly. That explains a lot. She wasn’t this upset just because of the what ifs, but because she nearly lost him already. “Hey it’ll be ok. And remember what we told you earlier. He’s strong. He won’t leave you alone. I promise." She hugged her again.

“Thank you...”

:RING RING RING:

:RING RING RING:

The landline was ringing, but the hellhound secretary was not about to get up to answer it. She had more important things to do.

“Moxxie answer that! We’re having a moment!” Loona barked out an order.

“Thank you for calling I.M.P. where our motto is… sir? Uh... yeah. She’s still here” Octavia perked up a bit “Do you want to…ok, yeah… sure… I’ll tell her. See you soon.” He answered before hanging up, turning to the girls on the couch. “Blitz is going to be coming in a few minutes to grab Octavia so she can see her dad.”

Octavia’s eyes widen. She… was going to see her dad? Was he ok?

“Dad…”

Chapter 8: Via's Memory

Chapter Text

Just as he promised, Blitz came back via crystal a few minutes later. “Where is he? Is he ok? Also, what happened to you?” the owl princess asked the red and white imp, taking note of his bruised face and bloodied clothes. The imp gave her a tired smile.

“In his room, he’s alive and forcefield.” Was all he said, gesturing for her to go through the portal. Once she crossed over, he looked back at his employees.

“Looney, you’re gonna have to take M&M back home.” He said while tossing his keys at the hellhound. “I’ll come back home later tonight…or maybe tomorrow. I don’t know yet.” He said before hopping back into the portal.

Looking around, Via noticed that they were in her family’s living room. There was no sign of her father, but she didn’t fail to notice a large stain on the carpet.

“Did dad get sick or something?” She asked the imp.

“No. That was me” he said casually, but after seeing the confusion in her face, he quickly added “I mean uh… well… I kinda got prophesied when we got him and well… anyway, do you want to see him or not” Blitz took the young owl to her father’s room.

Vassago was there sitting on the chair that was usually by her father’s vanity, looking up to see the two. But her focus was on the still figure on the bed. “Dad!” Octavia ran over to the bed. “Dad?” she tried again. He wasn’t moving.

“He won’t wake up just yet” Vassago told her.

“What’s wrong with him?” She hasn’t seen him this still in a long time… not since last time.

“He has a few wounds that I will keep an eye on as well as mana depletion” Via let out a gasp. She had learned at an early age the dangers of using too much mana.

“But… he will be ok though… right?” she turned to ask the parrot.

“I will do all I can to make sure he will make a full recovery”

“Thank you Vassago”.

“You don’t need to thank me. It is my duty as his keeper and his friend”.

Blitz wanted to ask what a keeper was, but figured now wasn’t the best time. They stayed like that for a while. Blitz secretly prayed that Stolas would wake up, just so he could see those glowing red eyes again.

“It’s getting late. You should get to bed, Octavia. I will keep watch over him tonight and let you know if anything changes. You as well Blitz. Thank you for coming.”

“Uh… yeah, no worries. I’ll come over sometime tomorrow to check up on you three. Let me know if you need anything”. With one last look at the unconscious owl, he reluctantly opened a portal to his apartment and jumped in.

After watching him go, Via turned to her father. “Goodnight dad. I love you” giving him a quick kiss on his forehead, before turning to the parrot. “Goodnight Vassago.”

“Goodnight Octavia.”

*****

Octavia was lying on her bed, sleep avoiding her. She just couldn’t stop worrying about her dad. Not after what happened all those years ago. She couldn’t remember exactly how long the ritual lasted or if it was even the same one, but she remembered the aftermath well.

~FLASHBACK~

12 years ago...

Five-year-old Octavia was working hard on her project in her bedroom. Sitting at the tiny round table where she would do her art and play her tea parties with her plushies and sometime daddy, she was working on a masterpiece. Her daddy had to do work for a longer time than normal. She wanted to make her daddy a present for when he was done.

Some of her crayons were broken from the force she used to color and the floor had some balled-up papers from the pictures she was not happy with. But this time she was determined to get it right. She just needed to find the perfect purple.

Just as she picked up the prettiest shade she had; she heard her mommy yelling for her daddy. Mommy sounded angry. Is daddy back? Her picture can wait she wanted to give daddy a great big hug!

Little Via followed her mom’s voice to her parents’ bedroom. She opened the door a little to look in. There she saw her mommy and Vassago. Vassago was talking to her mom with the same look on his face that Stella gave Via whenever she felt her daughter was bothering her too much (which was often). Stella was yelling out bad words that daddy told her she should never say, waving her arms around like she usually did when she was angry (again quite often).

Then she saw him. There, on the bed looking like he was sleeping but not making his hooting snores, was daddy. She stepped in the room a little bit to get a better look at the figure in the bed. He didn’t look good. Is he sick?

“…Daddy?” she asked quietly, getting the attention of the two arguing adults.

“What is she doing here? She shouldn’t see him like this. Get her out of here this instant!” She heard Vassago yell, but her eyes were focused on her dad. Tears were forming in her eyes as one of the hell hound guards picked her up and carried her away.

“No!!! I want my daddy!!! Daddy!!!”

*****

“His highness is getting worse I hear.”

“The missus has been in one of her moods again. Threw poor Impington out the window.”

“I hear Lord Vassago yellin at the missus. Somethin bout her interferin?”

“The Missus brother is here….”

“I saw the missus messin with them herbs n’ potions Lord Vassago brought. Can’t say if she tryin ta help her husband or tryin ta off him”

“I hope his highness don’t die. He’s one of them good ones, he is.”

“The poor little princess. She’s so close with her pa. Can’t imagine how she’s taking it.”

Octavia tried ignoring the servants’ whispers around the palace. But it was hard. She really missed her daddy.

*****

One week later...

It had been a week since Octavia saw her dad in his bedroom. Mommy was angry as normal and Vassago, though kind and patient with her, wouldn’t let her see Daddy. So, she dove into her work to make the best present she could for her dad. Her bedroom floor was littered with balls of paper of the drawings that she was not satisfied with. This HAD to be perfect.

Finally, after many broken crayons, lots of paper, and all the glitter she could find, it was all done. The perfect picture! She drew her and daddy smiling, holding hands on the moon with lots of sparkly stars and planets. In big purple letters, she wrote:

I LUV U DADY

Now she just had to give it to him, but Vassago would not let her in the bedroom. She would have to be sneaky. Carefully, Via folded her masterpiece and put it in the pocket of the blue dress she was wearing before leaving her room.

As the owlet neared her destination, she heard mommy yelling again. Turning around the corner, she found mommy holding the phone, screaming bad words at someone, before throwing the phone and Impington, who was holding it. Stella looked up to her daughter before advancing, roughly grabbing her by the arm.

“You wretched brat! How dare you eavesdrop on me!” Via didn’t know what ‘eavesdrop’ meant, but she wasn’t sure she did that.

“Mommy I don’t…” Slap! Stella cut her daughter off with a hard blow to her cheek.

“You’ve been a bad girl and brats like you deserve to be punished,” Stella said dragging her daughter roughly by the arm, ignoring the poor girl’s pleas and cries of pain. Finally, they made their way to the observatory. The door was glowing with magic. The five-year-old knew that meant that it was magically locked.

Stella dropped her daughter by the door. “You can just sit here and think about what you’ve done,” she said before moving to stand a few feet away, leaning against a wall. Little Via didn’t understand. If she was on time out, then shouldn’t she be in her room or something?

Suddenly, she heard a scream… a horrible, blood curdling scream. It scared her. Then she heard begging and crying followed by more horrible screams of pain. She knew the voice. It was daddy! He was behind the magic door. And he was hurting!

Via tried pulling on the door, but due to the magic, it wouldn’t budge. She started pounding on the door pleading for it to open.

“Daddy! Daddy!” she called out tears running down her cheeks. She tried running away to mommy to get her to open the door to help daddy.

“Mommy! Please! Help daddy!” she cried. SLAP! Another blow to her sore cheek.

“Enough, you stupid brat! This is your punishment. You will sit here and don’t bother me again” Stella yelled at her, before depositing her by the door again, returning to her place near the stairs.

The young owlet tried to drown out the noise by covering her ears, but the cries were just too loud. The owlet could do nothing except sit there huddled against the wall opposite the door and cry as she listened to her father’s suffering. After what felt like forever, everything went quiet. The doors lost their glow as Vassago came out, holding something (or rather someone) covered with a sheet.

She met his gaze briefly, seeing a look of horror in his eyes as he realized she had heard what was going on the other side of the door. Her gaze lowered to what he was holding. Although she couldn’t see most of it due to the white sheet that had something black seeping through, the owlet saw a limp arm with black blood dripping down it fall from the sheets.

She recognized that arm. It belonged to the same person who would hold her tight. The same person who would give her warm hugs. It belonged to the person she wanted most.

Daddy…

Little Via started to cry again in earnest, calling for her father as Vassago carried him away. She didn’t see the harsh look Vassago gave to Stella as he walked past nor the vindictive smirk she returned to the parrot. All she could focus on was her father being carried away.

It wasn’t until after Vassago was out of sight that she felt her mother pick her up and dump her in her room.

*****

Later that night...

It was way past her bedtime, but little Via couldn’t sleep. She wanted her daddy. Was he ok? She decided to find out. Grabbing the picture she made for him, (because that will help him feel better) the child snuck into his room. Neither mommy nor Vassago was in the room, but she could see her dad was.

She crept quietly to the bed. He was curled up in a fetal position, his lower half under the blankets. She could hear his ragged breathing and the occasional pain-filled chitter coming from him. His eyes were closed but she couldn’t tell if he was asleep.

“Daddy?” she asked quietly. No response. She just wanted to be near her daddy, so she climbed onto the bed. Via was going to hug him until she saw lots of bandages on him. Not wanting to hurt him further, she laid down real close to him, resting her head against his chest. She closed her eyes, suddenly tired. As she was drifting off, Via heard a soft moan and felt movement around her.

Once his little Starfire settled after snuggling to him, Stolas wrapped his bandaged arms around his child, and with a trembling hand, began petting her long head feathers in comfort as she drifted to sleep.

~FLASHBACK ENDS~

The next morning when they woke up, she gave Stolas her picture, which he said was the best present he’d ever gotten (It’s proudly displayed in a picture frame in his office to this day). He made a full recovery with the help of Vassago and her super amazing picture (his words, not hers).

Years later, Via learned that Vassago had to do a purification ritual (the one she had been forced to listen to) to save his life. Her mother was taken out of the palace until Stolas recovered and from then on, she was made to leave during any and all lunar rituals, even the routine ones Stolas normally did. Octavia didn’t know why, Vassago told her she would learn when she got older, Stolas would always change the subject and Stella would always blame her dad.

Via would get upset whenever Stolas had to do a full moon ritual for several months, but thankfully they only lasted a night and were not anywhere near as dangerous as the one that traumatized her. When she was a little older, Stolas would even let her sit in on one from time to time, and eventually the fear subsided.

Unfortunately, Via continued to have nightmares about Stolas disappearing, even to this day. Stolas would come into her room late at night to take her to see the stars and sing her a lullaby, letting her know that he would always be with her even if he was gone and that she would be ok.

On her sixth birthday, he gave her a special locket, the one she was still wearing. Whenever she opened it, it would show a holographic image of her younger self and her dad smiling, while playing her lullaby.

Whenever you wear this, my little Starfire, know that even if you can’t see me, I will always be with you. Everything will be ok. You will be ok.

Now here she was lying on her bed, hoping her father would awaken soon. Looking at her locket, she opened it, staring at the holographic image of them that appeared, she listened to her father’s voice singing the familiar, comforting tune.

It always seems more quiet in the dark
It always feels so stark
How silence grows under the moon
Constellations gone so soon
I used to think that I was bold
I used to think love would be fun
Now all my stories have been told except for one

Octavia closed her eyes listening to the song.

As the stars start to align
I hope you take it as a sign
That you'll be ok
Everything will be ok

If she imagined hard enough, she could still see the cosmos that her dad would show her whenever he sang this song.

And if theSeven Ringscollapse
Although the day could be my last
You will be ok
When I'm gone you'll be ok

“Dad, please come back to me soon.”

And when Creation goes to die
You can find me in the sky
Upon the last day

As the song died out, the pendant closed by itself. Octavia drifted off into a deep sleep.

And you will be ok

Chapter 9: Nightmare

Chapter Text

“How could you Blitz? I was beginning to think you were better than this?” Fizz asked him with a look of sheer disappointment. He turned around to see a young owl Goetia.

“You’ve taken him from me! My family is destroyed because of you!” Octavia cried.

“You always take from those around you and leave them worse and more broken than you found them. Ain't that right?” Millie spoke up, disgust on her face. She turned around and in her place was Moxxie, with an equally disgusted look.

“You didn’t care at all did you, Sir? You just used him like … ” Blitz tuned out the rest of whatever Moxxie was saying, turning to look around the desolate wasteland around him.

The sky was a smoggy purple. The ground was scattered with rusted metal and debris. other than the two imps, there was no one around.

“SHUT UP!!!” He turned to yell at Moxxie, tired of his prattling, only to find he was no longer there. The mottled imp started walking. Like hell, he was just going to stand there and listen to all this bullsh*t. (Even if it is true).

“You just shove away anyone who gets too close until they resent you. You really are a selfish, sh*tty f*ckwad.” Verosika appeared before him, arms folded, looking down at him in disgust. He turned, making a run for it.

“You killed momma, you destroyed Fizz, and now your bird is hurting. Why do we all suffer because of you?” Barbie appeared on his left; loathing etched on her face.

“No! I didn’t mean…” he stopped to turn to her, however, she just disappeared as well. Tears were forming in his eyes now. He turned around to be met with his angry daughter.

“You just destroy all those around you. Who’s next? Moxxie? Millie? ME???” His sweet Looney demanded with a hate filled growl. Behind her, he saw his mother, who looked away from her son in shame and disappointment. Backing away, Blitz tripped over a large, jagged piece of metal.

“You really can’t do anything right, can you, boy?” It was his dad that appeared in front of him now, shear loathing etched in his face.

“Stop it…stop it…” he closed his eyes and covered his ears. Willing these accusations to stop. Tears flowing from his eyes.

“Congrats Blitzy. You did what I couldn’t. Destroy that blue blooded bastard. Knew you had it in you.” He heard an amused voice right behind him. He knew that voice. That voice filled him with such hatred. Striker.

“I said stop!” he screamed grabbing onto the metal that tripped him. He lunged with all his might, feeling the metal going through the other imp. Blitz could hear metal piercing flesh and bone, feel blood pouring onto his hands.

“Bl…it…zy?” he opened his eyes at the sound of his name. That wasn’t Striker.

Where Striker should have been, was Stolas. Black blood ran out of his mouth. All four of his eyes filled with hurt and betrayal, tears running down them.

He looked down at his now blood-stained hands. The metal pierced all the way through the owl.

(No…what have I done?)

He let go of the metal as Stolas collapsed.

His pierced body unmoving. His red eyes, now dull and lifeless. Black blood soaking the ground.

“S..Stolas?”

Your fault… Your fault… Your fault…

“STOLAS!!!”

*****

Blitz woke with a start, sitting up panting. He looked all around. Instead of a desolate wasteland, there were horses, scribbled out photos of himself all over the walls and a run down, yet comfy couch. Home.

It was a dream… another horrible dream. That was the third one tonight. Blitz grabbed his phone. 2:45 am. Well… it was about four hours until his alarm went off, but after this last dream, there was no way in hell he was going to try to go back to sleep again. Might as well get ready for work. He trudged his way to the bathroom for a shower.

Pulling back the torn shower curtain, he removed the clothesline and the clothes that he was drying from the night before, trying to get the bloodstains out. Turning on the shower he stepped into the freezing water, not bothering to let it warm up first.

That last dream really shook him up. But the imp knew that it was due to yesterday’s events. He knew that it none of this was his fault. Stolas’s condition, Via’s tears, that prophecy (Okay maybe that one is kinda my fault. I’m not sure yet).

That prophecy. Blitz let out a shiver that was not just from the cold water. Was it really for the future? Was it going to happen, or could it be prevented? What did mean anyway? He thought back to the visions and the owl's song.

(The moon, the imp, his song… it all must mean something. Does it have anything to do with our full moon meetings? Stolas was singing about ending something in my vision. Does that mean he wants to end our arrangement? Does he not want me anymore? But then, why was he so upset? He clearly loved that moon and imp in my vision. Ugh…it’s too early for this).

The mottled imp got out of the shower and went back to the main room. Putting on some clothes that passed the sniff test, he went back to the couch and turned on the t.v. (one that was ‘generously’ given to him by M&M, free of charge). He flipped through the channels. But nothing good was on.

Blitz pulled out his phone and looked at the time. 3:18 am. Then, he pulled up his text messages. There were four new texts from Fizz sent yesterday evening that he totally missed.

<Fizz to Blitzo> 9/14 7:45pm: Wich 1 4 2nite?:

<Fizz to Blitzo> 9/14 7:46 pm: (one photo of Fizz wearing a rainbow striped jesters’ outfit)

<Fizz to Blitzo>) 9/14 7:46 pm: (one photo of Fizz wearing a purple jester’s outfit with rainbow polka dots)

<Fizz to Blitzo>) 9/14 8:02 pm: nvmd, Ozzie helpd:

<Fizz to Blitzo>) 9/14 8:45 pm : Sry I 4got u c Stolas on 14th. Hav fun 2nite ;) :

Well… Fizz was partially right. He was with Stolas last night. But there was nothing fun about any of it.

<Blitzo to Fizz> 9/15 3:21 am: Sry Fizz. Bd tim. Stolas nt wel:

Blitz then went to Stolas’ messages. Wondering if he had woken up yet, he decided to send a message. After typing and deleting his text a few times, he decided to send a simple:

<Blitzo to Stolas> 9/15 3:27 am: Hy prty brd. Ho u feln? U ok?:

He waited a few minutes for a reply, but his message, just like the previous 1934, was left unanswered. He’s probably asleep still. Good. He needed rest to get better. But just to be on the safe side he pulled up Via’s number.

<Blitzo to Via> 9/15 3:34 am: Hy Via. Itz Blitzo. Hws yor dad don. He wk yt? I cum after wrk to vst l8r:

He didn’t get a response from her either. Probably asleep. Which he should be doing but refused to go through another nightmare again. So, he did the next best thing. Grab some cheese with hot sauce and put on his DVD of Spirit.

As the movie played, he would occasionally check his phone, waiting for one of the owls to answer him. Neither one did.

Chapter 10: Back To Work

Chapter Text

As soon as the gang entered their office Millie went to make a pot of coffee. “You ok there, Blitz? You don’t look so good,” the red imp asked as she poured him a cup of coffee in his Boss Bitch mug.

“Oh, sure Mils. Just a rough night is all. Just thinking about… things,” her boss answered. Instead of taking the offered mug, he grabbed the entire pot the female imp was holding, downing it in one go. (Ahhh… much better)

Making their way to the conference room, Blitz took his seat at the head of the table. Moxxie was giving him a weird look like he wanted to say something, but Blitz ignored him for now.

“Alright gang. We’ve got five targets today in the same location. So, the plan is to go there, kill some people and come home alright?” No one commented. Millie gave him a look, knowing that usually his plans are more convoluted than this. Loona didn’t bother looking up from her phone.

“Got something to say Mox?” The taller imp finally getting tired of the smaller male’s glare.

“Actually, sir, I do. Do you mind explaining why this was in your office?” He held his photo of the wedding dress in front of his boss’s face.

“Okay. First off Mox. It’s extremely unprofessional and rude to invade other people's privacy” he said unfazed.

“B-but … you invade our privacy all the time” Moxxie sputtered.

“Secondly” Blitz interrupted “That is a good picture from an awesome day. You got to tell your old man to go f*ck himself, your wife saved you by killing people with dild*s, and I f*cked your ex. Great day”.

“Uh huh” the smaller imp said in disbelief. “Then how do you explain…THIS” he held up the bobble head with his head on Millie’s body.

“…so, you look good as a woman. Big deal. It’s a complement” he said dismissively, ignoring the ‘what the f*ck’ face Moxxie was giving him. He turned to the girls. "If there’s nothing else, then let’s get this over with, bitches.”

*****

Their targets were all at a large aquarium. According to the client, she wanted revenge on her manager Melvin, for demoting her for ‘not being good at her job’, her security guard fiancé, Chad, for cheating on her with the piranha handler, Jodi. Jodi, for stealing her man. Dennis the cashier at the gift shop for making her uncomfortable (and honestly, Blitz would have killed him anyway just for being named Dennis). And finally, the most important (and strangest) target: Cuddles, the shark, because apparently ‘f*ck Cuddles’ (Not sure why we’re killing a shark. She was killed by piranhas).

It was getting closer to closing time in the human world. Since Blitz wanted to get back to hell as soon as possible, they were going to split up. Loona would get the manager. M&M would get the cheaters and shark (Again what the f*ck did the shark do?) And Blitz would personally deal with Dennis.

Loona transformed into her human disguise and went to the management office, which looked more like a beat-up trailer home than an actual office. Banging on the door, a middle aged, balding fat man opened it.

“I’m here for a job interview”, Blitz heard his daughter say as the man let her inside, before moving to his target. Through the shadows of the window of the trailer, Melvin backs up in panic. He is holding the bleeding remains of where his hand had been a few moments ago. The poor bastard gives a horrified scream as a hellhound bites his head off, leaving blood spattered across the window.

One down four to go.

Moxie went for the two cheaters. Chad looked like blonde surfer dude wearing a too large security uniform. He was flirting with a big busted, red head, wearing a khaki uniform holding a steak above a large tank. From his hiding place he took aim.

BANG

He fired once at Chad’s crotch, just to let the cheater suffer before his death. Hearing him wail out in pain, Jodi panicked. “All right scumbags. This is for ruining the sanctity of a not yet marriage” Moxxie fired again.

BANG BANG

The two fell into the piranha filled water, where their remains were eaten clean.

Never too far from her husband. Millie was in a death battle with a large shark. It tried taking a bite out of her, but she narrowly escaped. Swinging her ax underwater was a challenge she soon learned. As soon as the shark came back for her, she swung her battle ax with all her might. Soon, the tank turned red with blood as the remains of a shark floated up to the surface. Millie jumped out in victory

“Yeah! Woohoo! In your face, you toothy bastard” the female imp cheered in victory.

“.. uh honey? That’s not Cuddles… he’s over there,” her husband said gently, pointing to a tank on the other side of the room. Sure enough, there was a shark (who was looking a bit scared) in another large tank. Right below the tank, was a plaque that said ‘HI! I’M CUDDLES’.

Millie looked at the tank she jumped out of. The plaque there said ‘HI! I’M SNUGGLES’. With a sheepish grin she whipped out her battle ax and dove right in into the panicking sharks’ tank.

Four (or is it four and a half?) down. One to go.

Meanwhile, in the aquarium giftshop, Blitz snuck along the merchandise. Hiding in the t-shirts, camouflaging himself in the plushies, and somehow blending in with a cardboard standee of a mermaid.

There was Dennis, counting out the register while putting a few bills in his pocket. Blitz did not like the look of this guy. He looked like a greasy wierdo that would jack off to chibi anime characters.

Blitz snuck around him before grabbing onto the back of his greasy, pimply neck (eewww) “Alright you creep. This is for being a Dennis!” The imp yelled before slashing the bastard’s throat.

“Huh… that sounded a lot better in my head.” Blitz said to himself as his target lay there dying, gurgling in his own blood.

Blitz took out his phone. In hell time, it was around 3:45 pm. He got two text messages since he checked this morning. His heart skipped a beat, then fell as he opened them to find a message from his best friend and another from Via, none from Stolas.

He decided to open Fizz’s message first.

<Fizz to Blitzo>9/15 9:18am : I’m sry Blitzo :( nythng I can help wth?:

<Blitzo to Fizz> 9/15 3:44pm : nt rt nw. myb l8r. thnx:

Blitz texted back, before opening Octavia’s message.

<Via to Blitzo> 9/15 9:47am :He’s still out if that is what u r asking. Your spelling is bad btw. Vassago says u can come over later to visit if u want 2:

Well, he didn’t care if he had Vassago’s permission or not. He was going to come over anyway to visit his favorite owl.

<Blitzo to Via> 9/15 3:49 pm: B ovr sn. Hav u 8 yet? I cn brng Pza r somtin if u wnt:

Blitz put his phone back in his pocket. Looking at the postcards displayed right next to the register, he saw one that had some baby penguins. (They kinda look like Stolas from when we were kids. Well, I am in a gift shop. Maybe I should get him a gift for when he wakes up. That’ll sure make him feel better). Blitz thought to himself, looking around the tiny store.

Now what should he get him... maybe a snow globe or a mug? … nah too tacky. Necklaces or t-shirt… nothing he could see the owl wearing. A postcard perhaps (ok you could do a lot better than that, Blitz).

Maybe a book about the fish here? Stolas loves reading, after all. He went to a bookshelf at the corner of the room. Picking a book up he realized that it was mostly a picture book with a few fun facts. (Stolas would finish this in three seconds flat… huh… male seahorses could give birth? Weird. I didn’t even know there were horses in the sea). He tossed the book over his shoulder before moving on to the other side of the room.

He went through the figurines and décor section. He saw a glass figurine of a puffin, a pelican candy dish and a canvas painting of a seagull eating an ice cream cone. (No… no. Those might be offensive. Besides the puffin kinda looks like Vassago)

Going over to the toys he found a wind-up bath toy of a clownfish (no… the pervy owl would definitely use it as a sex toy, not a bath toy) and a puffer fish stress ball (this… might work for when he was stressed from work or dealing with his bitch ex). Happy with this thought, he gave the stress ball a squeeze. It popped, filling his hands with a slimy blue goo. (Eww). Going over to Dennis, he wiped his hands on the employee’s blue uniform.

Only one area left. The plushies. “Octopus… no, too kinky. Carp… too boring. An anglerfish, who would even want this?” he muttered to himself. And then he saw it. The perfect gift. A lilac-colored seahorse plush about the size of Blitz himself. (Perfect).

It was Stolas’ favorite color, he could share the fun fact he learned and best of all, it was technically a horse. Happy with his selection he grabbed the stuffed animal. Exiting the gift shop, he ran into his employees. Loona was scrolling through her phone while Moxxie and a gore covered Millie came up to him. Both holding buckets of… he didn’t want to know, (is that a fin???)

“Whatcha got there?” He really didn’t want to know but he just had to.

“Dinner” Millie said proudly… yeah, he didn’t want to know after all. “Whatcha got there, Blitz?” the female imp asked.

“A seahorse” he said proudly.

“Really, sir?” Moxxie gave him an unimpressed look.

“It…it’s not for me… anyway, we all done here? Yeah? Good. Let’s go home then.”

With that he activated his crystal to open a portal to I.M.P. headquarters.

Chapter 11: Eris

Chapter Text

After they collected their payment from the client and ordered some pizzas, Blitz took M&M home. He was relieved once they exited the van (that fishy gore smell was starting to stink up the van). He was planning on picking up the pizzas, drop off Loona with a box, so she had dinner, then drive to the palace to see the birds. Instead, Loona insisted that she come too. She wanted to make sure that Via (and Blitz, though she wouldn’t admit it out loud) would be ok.

<Blitzo to Via> 9:15 5:28 pm : I hre. Hav fd. Brt Loona 2. is dor unlkd?:

Loona convinced him that it would be better if they went through the front door instead of climbing up the balcony like he usually does.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

… Surely someone should be able to answer the door, right? He rang the doorbell.

DING DONG

…. Nothing. (Huh maybe Pringles or whatever his name is went home already?)

“Oh well, guess we’ll just have to use the hidden spare key”. Handing the pizzas and plush to his daughter, the imp goes to the back of the bush on his left, picking up the fake stone he knows holds the spare key to the palace.

“Wait. You know where the spare key is? Then why do you keep climbing up the building every time you come over?” his daughter asked.

“It’s more fun that way.” He casually replied (Also helps sets the mood). As they walked through the mansion, Loona sniffed around.

“Huh that’s weird.”

“What’s weird?”

“I smell two Goetia, and a lot of plants…but that’s it.” The hell hound said.

Now that he thought about it. He didn’t see any guards or servants as well. “The servants probably just gone home for the night sweety”.

“No, I mean there hasn’t been anyone here for a while”. Okay. Now that is weird.

Turning to the kitchen he had Loona deposit the pizzas on the table. Blitz saw the candle had been removed from there … good he didn’t want to see it again.

“What kind of plant is this?" He heard Loona ask. Turning to his daughter, his face paled. She was getting really close to a carnivorous plant in the kitchen. One he knew from personal experience she should not get close to.

“Looney! No! Get away from that” He demanded before pulling her away by the tail. With the hate-filled glare and the growl she was giving him, he knew he shouldn’t have done that.

“Sorry sweetie, but you don’t want to be near that thing” he tried to explain quickly. “It will eat you. Trust me.”

~FLASHBACK~

Several months ago...

He was in the kitchen with Stolas, joining him for breakfast after a night of ‘passionate fornication’. Stolas was wearing his favorite red robe, Blitz was in his boxers.

While the owl was at the stove cooking some bacon and eggs (is him eating eggs considered cannibalism?), Blitz went to inspect the plant sitting in the corner of the room. “Hey feathers. What’s this?” he asked out of curiosity. The owl glanced up from his cooking.

“Oh! That’s Eris darling. Isn’t she the sweetest? I still need to…” he tuned out the prattling bird. Well, it was unique, looking that was for sure. To him it looked like a giant onion with eyes. (I wonder if it smells any good).

Blitz went to smell the plant when suddenly darkness surrounded him. It was so tight and moist, with something sharp digging into his trapped arms. Blitz felt himself being lifted upside down. Not being able to do more than kick his legs in the air, he screamed, hoping Stolas would hear and save him.

A few seconds later he felt the grip around him loosen. Magic surrounded him, gently lifting him out of the (literal) jaws of death. And there, upside down was the Goetia prince, hooting in laughter at his predicament. “It’s not funny, asshole!” the imp growled.

“I’m (hoot hoot) s-sorry (hoot), Blitzy.” He said between laughs. After calming down a bit, the owl spoke once more. “I did try to warn you she hasn’t had breakfast yet”. He said putting the imp down gently.

Taking a few slices of bacon, he tossed them to ‘Eris’ who gulped them down greedily, before giving her bulb a fond rub. The plant’s 'eyes' turned to the imp. A small gurgling sound came from it as he swore that it was smiling at him.

“Awe. She likes you” the owl said cheerfully, ignoring the imps discomfort. (If this is her liking me. I don’t want to know how she acts if she hates me).

~FLASHBACK ENDS~

“Your joking” the voice of his daughter brought him out of his memory.

“I’m not. And the scariest thing is, he says this one is his tamest plants.”

Avoiding Eris, they made their way to the bedroom. Blitz knocked on the closed door. And waited. He heard shuffling and stepped back as Via opened the door.

“Hey.” She greeted the pair.

“Hey. I hope you don’t mind but a brought pizza and my Looney Tooney with me.” Blitz said, Loona scowled at the nickname.

“Oh, sure…what’s that? “She asked spotting the plush.

“A get well soon present.”

Via stepped to the side to let him in. Taking a deep breath, he smelled incense all throughout the room, making his daughter gag a bit.

“Sorry. I know it smells in here. But Vassago says that this stuff is supposed to help dad.” She explained, as they all turned their attention to the figure in the bed.

He looked…well, the same as before to be honest. In fact, he looks like he hasn’t moved at all since last night.

“Has he woken up yet?” The imp asked concerned.

“No, I’m afraid not. Vassago says once he recovers a bit more mana he should wake up.”

“Speaking of which, where is that bastard anyway” the imp asked, not seeing the parrot anywhere. Wasn’t he supposed to help heal the owl?

“In the observatory. He went to clean up from last night.”

Oh… that makes sense. He probably didn’t want the younger owl to see the horror from the ritual. And to be honest, Blitz wasn’t so sure he wanted to go up there again as well.

“Well why don’t you and Looney go down to the kitchen and eat. Maybe watch a movie or something. I’ll look after your old man” the tall imp suggested.

“I don’t know. Are you sure you can handle it?” Via asked. She wasn’t sure she wanted to leave her dad, but the thought of pizza and a movie was tempting. She could use a break from worrying.

“Of course, how hard can it be?”

“Well… I guess… ok. Try to get him to drink some of the water,” she pointed to a 1/3^rd full bottle of water with herbs and rocks in it. “Other than that, I guess let me know if anything happens”. She said as she walked out with the hellhound. Leaving the imp alone with the prince.

Chapter 12: Confessions and Checkups

Chapter Text

“Hey Stols. How’s it hanging?” He asked the unconscious bird. No response. Not that he was expecting an answer. “I got you a present,” he said holding up the seahorse.

“I did an assassination today and this made me think of you. It’s a sea horse. Did you know that the boys have babies not the girls?” Still no answer.

“I’ll just put this right here for you.” He walked over to his vanity and propped the plush up next to the grimoire.

Coming back to the bedside, he hopped onto the chair next to the bed. The imp heard from somewhere that if you talk to someone in a coma, they will recover better. Maybe if he talked to the owl a bit, he might wake up sooner.

“I guess it’s been a while since we spoke. A lot of stuff has happened. Where to start… me and Fizz are friends again. You remember him, right? He was at Ozzie’s. In fact, Asmodeus hired me to be his bodyguard during Mammon’s annual clown contest. Did you know that they’re in a relationship?”

*****

Sometime later…

“And the worst part wasn’t even the lumberjacks or the chainsaws. It was the damn squirrels. Those things are assholes. Running up your pants and biting places that should not be bit. Good thing Millie pegs Moxxie, so at least they got to have sex that night” Blitz finished his story. The owl still hasn’t moved. Blitz sighed. Might as well try to get him to drink something.

Not gonna lie, he was scared he was going to get another prophecy. But he did promise Via that he would take care of her dad and that meant getting him to drink some of that magic healing water.

He closed his eyes, and with a shaking hand slowly reached for Stolas. Once he touched feathers, he cracked open one eye. Looking around, he was still in the bedroom. The owl, whose cheek he was now touching, was still out cold. (No strange visions, no singing, no new prophecy… Phew…)

Gently he opened the owl’s mouth. Then he grabbed the crystal and herb filled water bottle from the nightstand, uncapping it. Carefully, he lifted the owl’s head and poured the water. He missed his mouth a little but managed to get some water in there. Placing the bottle down the imp closed Stolas’ mouth and gently rubbed his throat, like he had seen last night, until the owl swallowed.

“You better be getting better soon asshole. Via needs you. I… I need you” the imp told Stolas, gently lowering his head back down onto the pillow, half expecting the owl to wake up to his confession like in one of those Hella- Novellas Stolas likes so much.

“You know, or maybe you don’t, but I visited you… At the hospital. Well, kinda… They wouldn’t let me in your room, so I climbed up to your window at night. It was easier that way. You were asleep. Or at least I think you were. I could have unlocked the window and come in. But I just… couldn’t. I couldn’t face you after I failed you. You must understand, Loona needed her shot, and I thought you could handle it” the mottled imp tried defending himself. Tears formed in his eyes as he looked down on Stolas’ still frame.

“…I’m sorry… I should have been there for you. I screwed up, I know. I always do. But please… Wake up already dammit. Come on Stols. Don’t make me say it. I...” He cut himself off when he heard the door behind him open. Quickly he wiped his tears away before turning to see Vassago entering the room.

“Via's with my daughter, Loona, somewhere in this place. There’s pizza in the kitchen if you want,” the imp said.

“I am aware. I saw the two watching a movie. Loona seems like a wonderful young lady.” Vassago replied.

Blitz smiled at that. He loved his daughter. And he loves it when other people say nice things about her. He noticed the parrot giving a questioning look behind him. Turning, he saw the seahorse.

“It’s a gift” the imp explained.

“Ah.”

“Say Vassago, mind if I call you Vas?”

“I would prefer you di…”

“Where is everyone?" Blitz continued, not bothering to let the parrot finish. " I mean the servants and guards and sh*t. Loona said she couldn’t smell anyone.”

“They have been sent away to Stella’s.”

“Why? Shouldn’t there be at least one person here to help with the cooking and cleaning?”

“It is partially due to the divorce, but mostly we do not want anyone Stolas hasn’t approved of to be here at this time, in case someone sabotages his recovery.”

“The hell’s that supposed to mean?” Why would anyone try to hurt him while he was ill? Especially if he was the one paying their salaries.

“Years ago. After a lunar ritual like this, Stella interfered with his healing.”

“What did she do? Throw a bucket of water on him or something.” Blitz already didn’t like the owls ex, but what could she have done that was so bad that no one was allowed here?

“If only that.” The red Goetia turned to the leather trunks in the corner, opening one, searching for the supplies that he would need.

“She tampered with Stolas’ medicinal herbs, put toxins in his food and drink, was abusive to him when he had no energy to defend himself, had her brother try to convince the council that I was failing as Stolas’ keeper and should be replaced by whoever Stella deemed fit. Stolas… nearly didn’t make it.” He explained, as he took out a first aid kit, some weird looking scissors, and a small cloth bag.

“It wasn’t until after she exposed Octavia to his condition that I was able to convince the royal council to send her away. Some of her servants testified against her to help my case, however Stella had them fired shortly after. Once the council saw Stolas recovering after she left and with the evidence against her, she was found guilty.” Vassago said opening the trunk on the right of the first one.

“She should have been sentenced to a harsh punishment, but her brother, Andrealphus, convinced the council to give her leniency.” the parrot continued, as he held up two vials of liquid (one pink, one blue), examining them.

“Instead of facing a greater punishment she rightfully deserved. She was banished from the palace during any and all lunar rituals. She was ostracized for a while by the members of the court, but eventually, she was able to convince some that she was trying to help her husband.”

“Because of the divorce, the servants divide their time between two houses. We do not want someone who is loyal to her to try anything with him during the ritual or while he recovers.” Vassago put the blue vial back, before getting up, returning to the bed, supplies in hand.

“She tried killing her husband and got away with it? She hated him that bad, even back then?” He was seething. It was one thing to poison Stolas. But to use his own child to hurt him? That was f*cked up.

Vassago, looked down at the imp. “I’m not sure that it was just her hatred of him. Stolas and I have been considered enemies with her brother, Andrealphus for quite some time. Should I, as Stolas’ keeper, not be able fulfill my duties, then Andrealphus could use that against me for political gain. Stolas dying would just be a bonus for Stella” he explained.

He turned back to the still form on the bed. “I’m going to tend to his wounds and check his mana levels. You don’t need to be in here if you don’t wish to” the Goetia explained.

“It’s fine. I can handle it.” The assassin reassured him. “By the way, you said you are his keeper before. What is that?” asked the imp.

“It is one of two roles during powerful rituals such as these. The vessel, and the keeper. The vessel, which would be Stolas, is the one performing the ritual. They are the ones responsible for making sure that the ritual is done correctly and to gain the best possible outcome of whatever they partake in.

The keeper, such as myself, is someone the vessel trusts with their life. Their job is to intervene if there are complications with the ritual and to make sure that the vessel makes a full recovery afterword.” The parrot explained as he removed the blanket covering Stolas.

“Stolas and I have known each other for a long time. He has always been an ally to me when I have been surrounded by enemies. The level of trust we have is quite strong. He always chooses me as his keeper, just as I choose him as mine”. He said as he picked up the scissors.

The bandages on his stomach looked clean but the ones on his arm were the exact opposite. They were stained with a strange liquid. The imp really hoped that it was some sort of ointment that soaked the bandages.

Using the scissors, the parrot demon cut the stomach bandages first. The area where Stolas had been stabbed was a bit darker than the rest of his torso. Vasaggo gently moved the feathers in that area around until he could see skin. The injured skin was darker than the surrounding area, looking like a healing burn rather than a large cut. “Mhh...hmm,” was all that the parrot said prodding a few places before gently removing his hand.

“No bleeding, no swelling, no signs of infection. This one is healing fine.” Blitz sighed in relief. Until he remembered that this was the one Vassago said didn’t worry him as much as the other issues. The parrot decided that he was healed enough that he no longer needed bandages for that area.

Vassago worked on cutting off the bandages around his arm next. As the last bandage was removed, the imp paled. Being an assassin, he has seen his fair share of gore. In fact, he usually is the cause of it. But this? This was somehow worse than what he should be used to.

The wound was deep, deeper than a supposedly nearly healed wound should be, and definitely infected. The area surrounding the wound was inflamed with a darker, veinlike pattern that went all the way around his upper arm. The wound was oozing something sickening silvery instead of healthy black blood. There was a horrible smell coming from the wound as well. He was going to be sick.

“If you are going to throw up, then go to the bathroom and do it. He doesn’t need to be covered in your puke.” The parrot told him without looking up as he cleaned the wound with the pink fluid in the vial, he took out earlier. Blitz turned away for a minute, taking several deep breaths until the nausea passed.

“How… how did this happen?” the imp asked.

“A few months ago, Stolas was kidnapped and tortured with a blessed weapon” (Striker! I am sooo going to kill that f*cking bastard!)

“While most of his wounds had healed, this one had not fully recovered. There may have been some traces of the blessed essence still in his body before he started the ritual. I fear the magic he was doing had reversed his healing and made his injury worse. I have Octavia helping me with an elixir that should help rid the taint, however it won’t be ready just yet.” The parrot explained

Blitz finally turned back to see Vassago finishing up dressing his wound. Satisfied with the work, the parrot put the scissors, vial and first aid kit to the side before removing the pillow supporting Stolas’ head.

“What are you doing now?”

“I told you earlier. I’m going to be checking his mana. It won’t hurt him, but he should be lying flat to get an easier reading” Vassago said as he opened the small bag. Taking seven flat stones. Each stone was a different color with a golden symbol etched on each one. They look like those chakra stones he’s seen before at Stylish Occult, when he was trying to find an adoption day present for Loona.

Vassago placed the stones along a line on the right side of Stolas’ still form. Placing a red stone at about crotch level then, an orange stone a little higher up. Followed by a yellow, green, light blue, indigo and finally a purple stone next to the top of his head.

Then with his right hand he placed two fingers on the owl’s groin. (The f*ck is he doing??? Is he trying to molest Stolas???). The imp forced himself to calm down as the parrot slowly started to drag his fingers up Stolas’ body in a straight line, the runes of the stones glowing as his fingers went past them. Coming to a stop at the top of his head, where the purple stone was next to. Leaving his fingers there. Then taking his left hand, he placed it on the owl’s crotch. (Breathe Blitz. He’s helping Stolas. He ain’t molesting him.)

The red stone lost its glow as the parrot moved his hand up but came to a stop just barely above where he first started. “Hmm…3%. That’s not good” the parrot muttered. Removing his hands, the stones lost their glow.

“Wha? What’s not good?” The imp asked as the parrot picked up the stones, placing them back into the bag. He hated asking all these questions, but he really wanted to know what was going on.

“It means he is not recovering his mana as well as he should be. By now his mana should be at 15% at least. I fear that the infection is causing complications to mana recovery. If it doesn’t regulate properly, he will be in danger of mana poisoning”. The parrot explained as he placed the pillow under the owl’s head. “Once the elixir is ready, I will hopefully get the remaining essence out of his body. Then, he should make a swifter recovery.”

Blitz looked up at the parrot demon, noticing the large bags under his eyes. He looked as exhausted as Blitz felt.

“When was the last time you slept?”. The imp asked suddenly, catching the parrot off guard, pausing as he was placing a blanket over the owl. He was not expecting any questions regarding his well-being.

“Not since the night before, why do you ask?”

“Just that you look like sh*t. Don’t give me that look. I mean that you could use a break. Why don’t you eat and get some rest. I can look over feathers here for you tonight.” Vassago gave him a look and if Blitz didn’t know any better, he would say that he saw his eyes glowing behind his gaudy gold glasses. “Besides Stolas won’t get better if you pass out from exhaustion.”

“Sigh… very well. I will take you up on your offer. Thank you.”

He turned to leave. “Before you go, I do have one last question.” Vassago stopped right at the door, looking back at the imp.

“You said that he dismissed his staff because they weren’t trusted. So why am I here? Why are you letting me, someone you just met, stay with him. Not that you can’t trust me or anything…” he added quickly. “Just curious is all”.

The taller demon thought for a moment about the best way to answer this question. “Because Stolas cares for and trusts you. He told me himself”. that caught the imp off guard.

“There are very few he can truly trust and care about. You and your employees are amongst those few. But you, in particular, are very important to him. He’s always thought very highly of you, you know. And if he trusts you with his life, then I should as well. Goodnight, Blitz. Wake me if his condition changes.” And with that the parrot left, closing the door behind him.

Blitz turned to look at Stolas “Is what he said true? You really feel that way about me, Stolas?”

There was no response.

Chapter 13: Intruder Alert

Chapter Text

It was still dark when Blitz suddenly woke up from his spot at the Goetia’s bedside, not sure exactly what woke him up (he didn’t even realize he had fallen asleep). The lights were off, a blanket wrapped around his shoulders. A plate with a now cold slice of pizza was sitting on the nightstand next to him. Maybe Vassago was here? Or Via?

(Sigh…whelp. I gotta pee.) Hopping off the chair he stretched, trying to get the kinks out of back and neck. That chair is not made for sleeping in.

“I’ll be right back, sleeping beauty. Gotta take a piss” he told his unconscious patient before heading to the bathroom. Not bothering to turn on the bathroom light, he went to the toilet and let himself go.

The imp was about to flush when he heard a noise. It sounded like a door opening, followed by the ruffling of curtains. Someone was in the room, coming from the balcony if he could guess. Thanks to his time as an assassin, he could hear the telltale sound of hooves scurrying on the marble floor. An imp.

He reached for his gun from his jacket, he quietly exited the bathroom, and he was greeted by the sight of an imp. They were taller than Moxxie, but shorter than himself. Whoever it was, they were dressed completely in black, with the only parts of their body uncovered were their crimson tail and glowing, yellow eyes.

The intruder was standing on the bed, near the owl demon’s head. Blitz continued to sneak toward the strange imp, who hadn’t sensed his presence yet. Watching as the intruder removed small backpack to take out a syringe. Blitz didn’t know what was in it, but it based off the glowing, golden liquid inside, it couldn’t be good.

“Step away from the bird, scumwad” he threatened. The intruder jumped a bit, before turning to the armed imp. They whipped out a weapon of their own. Blitz’s eyes widened. An angelic knife.

“I wouldn’t shoot if I were you, you might make me nick him. Would be a shame. He’s got such a pretty face.” The imp (a female imp, judging by their voice) threatened pointing the tip of the blade to Stolas’ face.

“Now you just stay put. I’m just gonna give him a little shot is all. Don’t worry. He won’t be suffering for long” she said inching closer to his owl.

Crap.

While she was blathering Blitz spotted something that could help him; a suspension device, hidden in the bed’s canopy. On some of their full moon nights, he would bind the slu*tty owl and have him dangling from it. Since it is a favorite of theirs, and a hassle to set up, they just left it there, hidden behind the cloth of his canopy. Blitz had an idea.

“Fine. I guess if you’re trying to make him feel better, then maybe I should give you a hand” he said as he fired his gun.

BANG

The chain holding the suspension device broke, causing its thick, leather strap to come down, smacking the female imp in the back of the head. Having her drop both the syringe and the knife. Blitz lunged for her, throwing her off the bed with all his might. She quickly regained her composure and attacked him in retaliation.

They wrestled around like a bunch of angry cats clawing, hissing and biting each other like there was no tomorrow. Blitz grabbed the mask she was wearing at some point, yanking it off, revealing an imp in their mid-twenties with a dark, pixie haircut and two scars running down the left corner of her mouth.

They continued to fight until she landed a cheap shot at his crotch. While he clutched his groin in pain, she tackled Blitz. Pinning the mottled imp down, she started choking him. (Damn, she’s stronger than she looks).

“I heard rumors that a Goetia was f*cking an imp. That you? Awe... did da widdle pwayting catch feewings for a biwdie?” She mocked.

As his vision darkened, he started to feel around, hoping to grab something, anything, to get her off. Luckily, he touched something with the tips of his fingers.

“Don’t worry. I’ll be sure to take good care of him for you. So you can go ahead and die in peace” she squeezed harder. Inching the item he was touching closer to his reach, he grabbed it and with all his might, hit her with it. She screamed as she let go of her enemy to grab her wounded shoulder.

The angelic knife. That’s what he grabbed and stabbed her with. Scrambling away, trying to catch his breath, he aimed his gun at her.

Click…click… (Damn, out of bullets).

She yanked the knife out of her arm and lunged at him. Just as he thought this was the end, she started glowing red, hovering in the air, before being thrown to the wall on the other end of the room with force, causing her to drop the knife.

Blitz, turned around and there was disheveled looking Vassago, wearing an orange bathrobe and glasses missing. Holding out his hand, he used his magic to restrain the intruder as he walked toward her. She looked up into his murderous gaze before being turned to stone.

“Are you all right Blitz?” the parrot asked.

“I think so” he said, rubbing his sore neck, turning around as the lights flicked on and saw the girls in the doorway, looking tired and alarmed, but safe.

“What happened?” Loona asked. They had fallen asleep on the couch when they heard a gun go off.

Is dad ok?” Via asked, seeing the stone imp and her weapon.

“I think so” Blitz walked back to the bed. Stolas hadn’t been cut, that was good. But his eyes widened in horror when he found the syringe. The needle completely disappearing into his neck.

(No…please no…nonononononono!)

Vassago, noticed his distress and saw the syringe. He picked it up, examining it.

“It’s alright. The cap is still on the needle, see?” He held it up for the imp. Sure enough, there was a slim plastic covering the needle.

“It just rolled under him. He wasn’t hurt” the parrot reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. the mottled imp sighed in relief. “You did good, Blitz. He was right to trust you.”

“Loona, can you smell if there’s anyone else in the palace” the parrot asked the hell hound.

“On it” she headed out to the hall, started sniffing around. Vassago went to check the balcony as Via was putting some healing salve Vassago packed on Blit’z scratches and bruises.

The parrot demon had placed a ward on the balcony door the evening before, after Via went to bed, yet somehow it was unsealed. Other than the caster or very powerful magic, very few things could break a ward.

He found what he was looking for on the ground. It was a displacement crystal. This small, red crystal had enough magical properties to unseal wards. But displacement crystals are very rare and only those with a knowledge of magic know what they are and how to use them.

Whoever this intruder is, had to have been hired by someone with a knowledge of magic, someone who could afford such a rare magical artifact. Someone who wanted Stolas dead.

“I don’t smell anyone” Loona returned after a while.

“Excellent. I am going to put up a barrier around the palace to prevent this from happening again. It will be stronger than the last ward I placed. However, we may need another line of defense, just in case someone slips past it somehow.”

“What about M&M? What if they came here?” Loona suggested.

“Great idea Looney Patooney” his daughter growled at the nickname.

“They are the others from I.M.P., Moxxie and Millie. They saved dad when he got kidnapped” Via explained to the parrot. Vassago nodded approvingly.

“Great! I can go grab them real quick. But… uh… what about her?” Blitz asked, pointing to the stone imp.

“I will be dealing with her. She will know what happens when you make an enemy of Ars Goetia.” Vassago said menacingly as he used magic to lift the intruder, her backpack and weapons, walking out the door.

“Um, what’s this?” Blitz looked to Via, standing by the bed, holding the strap to the broken suspension device.

“Oh. Um, that… Well… you’ll learn when your older” was all the imp said before opening a portal and jumping in.

*****

Vassago brought the petrified intruder into an empty, windowless room. At one point it could have been a closet perhaps, given the smile size.

He went through the backpack. There was blessed rope, two more displacement crystals, four syringes filled with that strange liquid, two vials labeled angel blood (a poison so lethal that a small dose would be fatal to even a healthy Goetia) and written orders. He recognized the seal and the handwriting on the paper. He had enough evidence to bring them down, but he wanted a confession from the imp, just in case the evidence he had was not enough.

Setting her in the center of the room, he pulled out a small, recording device, setting it against the wall. Then, using his magic, he unpetrified the imp’s head.

“You have made a grave mistake imp. You have attempted to take the life of a Goetia. Talk and I might let you live.”

“You can’t scare me” the imp spat defiantly.

“Can’t I?” Vassago’s eyes glowed as he allowed nightmarish visions to enter her mind. She saw her loved ones dying in agony, felt hellfire burning her flesh and bone, heard agonizing screams around her. She screamed and begged him to stop. After a few seconds, but an eternity for her, the nightmare stopped.

“That was just a taste of what I can do to you. Now. Talk” he demanded.

“Okay, okay. I was hired by two other Goetia. They wanted him dead but wanted to make it look like he died of sickness or something. I was told to hide a bottle in with his medicine to make it look like his nurse or whatever done it.”

“And these two other Goetia are…?” He waited for her to continue.

“One was blue, cold like ice. The other was a real mean lady.”

“Their names. I want their names” Vassago demanded, eyes starting to glow menacingly.

“I don’t know. They never said. The lady kept calling my target cheating bastard though. Kept spewing about divorce.” The female imp replied hastily. She did not want to go through the parrot’s torture again.

“I see. There is nothing else?”

“No, that’s it I swear.”

“Then you are of no further use to me.”

“Wait…please let me go now. I won’t do anything else to the bird. I swear it. And you… you promised you’ll let me live.”

“Actually, my dear, I said I might let you live.” Vassago corrected as he turned away from the imp. Using his magic, he destroyed her stone body. He heard her scream before hearing the clatter of stones, and the sound of a head rolling on stone.

He collected the recorder before heading out of the room. He felt he had enough evidence against his foes and had administered justice for Stolas and Blitz.

No one makes an enemy of Ars Goetia.

Chapter 14: M&M Arrive

Chapter Text

:Ominous organ music ring tone playing:

Moxxie hit the decline button on his phone, before starting to drift off back into the sweet blissfulness that is sleep.

:Ominous organ music ring tone playing:

“Groan… what is it sir” Moxxie answered his phone drowsily, not bothering to open his eyes. He knew it was his boss calling. Who else would call this late at night?

“We got a very special job Mox, and no you can’t refuse.”

“Groan… Can’t it wait til morning?”

“Nope. Now get your asses out of bed and start packing. It starts now.”

“Ugh…fine” the imp answered annoyed, before realizing something. His connection sounded echoey, like Blitz was really close by.

“Hey, where are you calling from anyway?” he asked sitting up, only to come face to face with the taller imp standing on the foot of their bed.

“… of course,” the white-haired imp said unimpressed.

*****

It took less than an hour for M&M to pack their belongings (way longer than what Blitz would have liked). Once they heard what happened to the prince that night, and how much Via was willing to pay them (free board and bed during their stay, access to most places of the palace and their amenities to use as they wish, with some restrictions of course, and a big enough paycheck to pay for two years’ worth of rent each), they agreed to help protect the Goetia. (They would have agreed even if they weren’t getting paid. They liked owl prince and princess).

The married couple packed their clothes, toiletries, weapons, Moxxie’s guitar, and the “leftovers” from yesterday’s mission, (just so it wouldn’t go bad). As they were packing, Blitz teleported to his own apartment to pack for himself and Loona, packing clothes, toiletries, a spare phone and charger, extra weapons and bullets, and of course, his favorite Spirit hoodie the owl gave him.

“Are you two done yet? I’d like to get back to the palace sometime today” the mottled imp grew impatient.

“All set Blitz.” Millie said cheerfully. Blitz nodded, opening a portal to the palace’s living room, where Vassago was waiting for them. Turning to the married pair, he greeted them with a smile and gave a slight bow. (Am I seeing things or were his eyes glowing just a second ago?)

“Allow me to introduce myself. I am Vassago of Ars Goetia. Thank you for coming at short notice.” Vassago introduced himself.

Moxxie bowed, and Millie curtsied back. Blitz gave a confused look at the parrot. He seemed friendlier to M&M than he was to Blitz.

“I am Moxxie Knolastname. And this is my wife, Millie. We’re happy to help your highness,” the white-haired imp responded.

"I trust your employer explained the reason for your being here?” both the imps nodded.

“Excellent. I am going to put up a barrier around the palace. The magic will recognize all who are in it as safe to be here. You are free to come and go as you please, however no one else will be able to enter the premises at all until the barrier is shut down. Do you all understand?” The parrot looked at all three imps who all nodded. Vassago opened a red book, his own grimoire, flipping the pages to a spell.

Closing his eyes for a moment, he muttered an incantation. A bright yellow light emitting from his body. The light spread around them, giving the imps a tingling feeling as it spread around the room. A few seconds later, the light disappeared.

“It is done. A barrier has been put up. I suggest the two of you retire for the night. I will show you to your quarters. This way please” the Parrot gestured for the couple to follow him. Blitz went in the opposite direction toward the prince’s room. He could figure out where M&M were staying later.

Entering the room, he found Octavia and Loona, keeping vigil of Stolas. “Ok everyone’s here and Vassago put up a barrier. We should be safe for now. Why don’t you girls go back to bed. I’ll take it from here. Looney, can you put these in our rooms?” He handed her two duffle bags. She could figure out who’s is who’s. Taking the bags, and with a final ‘goodnight’, the girls left.

Blitz let himself look around the room. Looks like the girls put the place back together while he was gone. The room was cleaned up and the suspension device taken down. He felt a small twinge of sadness seeing it gone. They had quite a few fun nights using that thing. He turned off the lights, went to the chair, determined to keep vigilant in case someone else tried to break in again. After a while, exhaustion took over him and Blitz fell asleep once more.

*****

Two days later…

“Remember, not too big, you do not want it to burn the poultice” Vassago advised Octavia. She was holding a bottle like the one they’ve been using for Stolas to drink. There were some colorful medicinal herbs floating around and various colored crystals in the bottom of the bottle. And a large, moss colored green ball floating in the center surrounded by water. She was using a magic flame from her finger to heat the bottom of the bottle.

“Yawn…sup bitches” Blitz announced walking in the kitchen to get a cup of coffee. Getting a little close to Eris He heard her gurgle, causing him to jump back.

“No!” he scolded the plant, pointing at it in warning. Walking backwards toward the coffee pot, he did not break eye contact with her until he was a good distance away.

After pouring himself a mug that was near the coffee pot, he sat next to Millie, grabbing himself a bowl of marshmallow cereal from one of the boxes sitting at the table. “Watcha doing?” he asked, noticing the owl trying to light the bottle.

“Finishing up an elixer for dad” Blitz watched as the green ball dissolved, making the clear liquid inside turn to a sickly green. It reminded the mottled imp of a kale smoothie he stole from Moxxie once. He had taken a sip of that gross drink before throwing it out the window, much to his employee’s dismay.

“Now invert it seven times exactly” Vassago advised. The owl did as she was told, before handing it back to the elder Goetia. He had what he needed prepared for a second try should Octavia fail this, but he wanted her to learn how to make this elixir for future reference. Vassago opened it and poured a small amount onto his fingers. After inspecting it, he turned to the teen with a proud smile.

“Well done. Your father will be proud”. The owl beamed up at that.

“Blitz, I may need your help with the next part after breakfast,” the parrot explained after wiping his fingers clean.

“Uh, ok, sure.”

“If all goes well, Stolas should wake up today. Via, I will need you to…” Blitz tuned him out. (We’re gonna wake him up? Can we even do that?)

“I can make him something to eat, your highness.” Moxxie’s voice broke Blitz out of his thoughts. “I am a pretty decent cook if I do say so myself.” As if they didn’t already know. Moxxie had taken over most of the cooking since arrived.

The white-haired imp had stored the couple’s ‘leftovers’ in the freezer so he could make a particular recipe he thought the sick Goetia would like and now was the perfect time to use it.

“I can help Via with the herbs. I got a pretty good nose so we could find them quicker.” Loona offered.

“Mind if I tag along? I haven’t been in the greenhouse yet. And if I know my Moxxie, he’s going to need some specific herbs and spices for this recipe” Millie asked.

“Then its settled. We will see you all later then. Blitz, when you are done with breakfast, come up to the room.” Everyone nodded in acknowledgement, as they turned to leave for their tasks. Blitz ate his cereal and downed his coffee as quickly as he could.

“It’s great that his highness will wake up soon. I hope he likes what I’m preparing for him.” Moxxie told his boss as he took out the frozen meat, letting them thaw in sink.

“Yeah, it’s about time he woke up” the mottled imp replied, placing his dirty dishes in the dishwasher.

“Let me know if you guys need any help. I’ll come up and do what can right away sir.” Moxxie told his boss.

“Thanks Mox. Whatever you’re cooking better be delicious. Oh, and be careful with Eris. I don’t think she’s eaten,” Blitz warned before turning to leave the kitchen.

“No!” Blitz yelled at said plant, who leaned a little too close to him, giving off a gurgle.

It’s finally happening. He would finally see those four beautiful, glowing red eyes again. He will once again hear that melodic voice (hopefully not cryptically singing). Maybe he would even hear the owl call him Blitzy after so long. With that thought in mind, Blitz picked up his pace.

It was finally time for Stolas to wake up.

Chapter 15: The Greenhouse

Chapter Text

The girls were in the massive greenhouse, Millie and Loona looking around in wonder from their spot near the entrance. They knew it was a large building, but it somehow seemed bigger on the inside. There were plants that they’d seen before and others they didn’t know even existed. Colorful flowers, massive trees bearing strange fruits and carnivorous plants as far as the eye can see.

“Alright, so we need Echinacea, Valerian, Mandrake, St. John’s Wart, Moly…” She began reading off a list that Vassago provided for her.

“So, are they all in like the corner or something?” the hellhound asked, taking in a large tree with white leaves and pink flowers blooming from it.

“Hm? Oh no, they are all placed wherever they would thrive best. Dad has a guide to where all the plants are, how to care for them, that sort of thing” she said whipping out a small book from her bag. Stolas, wanting his daughter to take an interest in botany, made her a very thorough guide of all the plants in his greenhouse. “It should be a piece of cake.”

Opening the guide, she showed them a picture of an Echinacea. The guide said that it should be near the entrance. “Is that it?” Millie pointed to a nearby purple flower.

“That’s it. Good eyes Mil’s,” the owl hooted, making the imp blush. Millie went over to the flower, picking it and handing it back to the owl, who then placed it in a special herb pouch. Via checked that off her list before looking at her guide to find if any other herbs were in this area before they moved on.

*****

They went to different locations within the greenhouse. Picking up the herbs on Vassago’s list as well as a few Moxxie requested for the soup he was making. When Via said that the herbs were in locations that would help them thrive the best, the I.M.P. employees expected heat lamps and sprinklers to help the plants grow.

Instead, the areas broke into different biomes. In one area a dark, moist cave, another a desert-like terrain, another yet was a winter tundra. The strangest was a wall of water filled with aquatic plants. Via went into that one herself. Millies’s favorite was a dimmed area filled with bioluminescent plants.

“Alright there’s just one last thing left and it’s in the restricted section. Dad doesn’t usually let anyone go in there without him because of how dangerous the plants are, but I think we can handle it,” Via told her team.

They made their way near the back of the greenhouse. Where, unlike the biomes, there was a small building with a locked door covered in hazard signs. Via took a key from a nearby hiding spot and unlocked it. Inside looked like a mutant jungle planet. And everything here was considered highly dangerous. From the deadly nightshade scattered around to the large plant in the center that looked like a red Eris with tentacles.

“Ok so what we need Mandrake. It looks like a stick with a few leaves. Once I pull it up, plug your ears.” She told the other two who gave her a questioning look. “If they are pulled out, they let out a really loud scream that can knock someone out.” She explained as she put in her headphones. She will need them to protect her own ears.

Slither

“What was that?” Loona’s ears perked up.

“What’s what?”

“I thought I heard… never mind.”

They took a few steps forward before she stopped.

Slither

She heard it again. “Via, your dad doesn’t keep any snakes in here, does he?”

“Um, no? It’s just plants. Why do you…Screech!!”

Something wrapped around her legs, lifting her off the ground. It was the large plant that looked like Eris, dragging the poor owl to its waiting maw.

“Oh no you don’t” Millie yelled, whipping out her ax, slicing off the tendrils of the plant. Once via dropped, she scrambled as far away as she could. Activating a red cloud paralyzing spores of some round, blue flowers nearby.

Loona jumped up and grabbed her, holding her breathe so she wouldn’t breathe in the toxins. Jumping at a safer distance, she looked down at the owl in her arms. “Are you ok?"

“Yeah, I think so… look out!”

Pew...pew...pew...

The hellhound barely had time to dodge as another of the plants fired its thorns at her like a gun shooting bullets. She rolled away, coming face to face with a plant they needed.

“There it is. Everyone, plug your ears.” Via warned before pulling out the mandrake. Loona was expecting to see some roots once the owl lifted it. Instead, it looked like a fetus with a stick on its head if she was completely honest.

AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!

Even though the hellhound covered her ears, her head was ringing, and she felt dizzy. A few seconds later, it stopped screaming, she unplugged her ears, before dodging another plant trying to grab her.

“Millie!” the hellhound shouted, waving toward the imp, who was busy dodging vines. “We got it. Time to go.”

The girls made their way to the door, avoiding the plants that were trying to keep them there. Finally reaching the door. Loona slammed it shut as Via locked it. The girls collapsed on the ground, trying to catch their breath. “Did (Pant Pant) did anyone get hurt?”

“No. (Pant Pant) I think I’m ok.”

"(Pant Pant) Same.”

The owl pulled out her list. “Ok…that’s the last of it. Let’s head back. I could really use a shower.” She said, feeling the dirt and debris in her feathers. Her companions nodded in agreement.

Herbs in hand and the promise of a shower waiting was all the motivation they needed to get back.

Chapter 16: Wake Up

Chapter Text

Meanwhile…

Blitz made his way back to the bedroom. Once inside, the parrot demon locked the door, sealing it with magic so they would not be disturbed. Then, Vassago went to one of the trunks, gathering the rest of the supplies they would need.

“I will need you to grab some towels, and a cloth from the bathroom. Also grab the wastebasket in there as well. You may need it.” the parrot demon instructed as he was perusing the different potions in his case.

Blitz did as he was asked. Returning from the bathroom, he noticed a small bowl, a sharp, silver blade, the bag of magic rocks to test mana and the first aid kit now sitting next to the elixir.

“What’s all that stuff for?” the imp asked, eyeing the blade in particular.

“As I mentioned before, I fear the infection is what’s causing his mana suppression. We are going to try to get out as much of the taint as possible.” Vassago replied, as he selected a vial of blue liquid from one of the trunks, before closing it and opening another trunk.

“How are we going to do that?”

“I will reopen the wound, then use the elixir and my mana to help draw the taint out through it.” The parrot explained, as he studied a rope in one hand and a link of chains in the other.

“What’s with the bondage gear?” Blitz asked as he saw what the parrot was holding.

“He might thrash around or try to spit out the elixir, hence why I need to bind his limbs and gag him.” Vassago explained as he tried to decide which one would be best to secure his friend.

“And I’m here because…?”

“I will need you to help me keep him still. I do not want to bind his injured arm like the rest of his limbs. I need to get better access to the wound. Your daughter may be strong enough to hold him down, but should he awaken during this, he might respond better to you”.

Yeah, he could understand that. Stolas might recognize the hellhound, but he wouldn’t be as receptive. Plus, he didn’t want his baby girl seeing this, even though she could probably handle it.

“Ok I understand. However, I don’t think what your packing would work very well.” The imp explained, causing Vassago to look up at him.

“Stolas knows how to escape from most knots, unless he’s in a full body binding or using blessed rope, which I highly doubt you have or want to use. He could easily escape from those in ten seconds flat.” The imp explained, pointing to the rope and chains in Vassagos’s hands. “Plus, a rag might not hold so well if you’re going to use it as a gag. If it’s not secure enough, he could undo it. Believe me I know”.

“Well, what do you recommend then?”

“You said I can leave this barrier thing, right? Like even through a portal?”

“Why?” the taller demon asked suspiciously.

“Just answer the question” Blitz said impatiently.

“Yes, you can commute through this barrier via portal. In times past, royals have used portals to escape from barriers in times of crisis. Anyone that was not in the barrier before its construction would not be able to enter through portals though. But you should have no trouble at all.” Vassago was still suspicious as to what the imp had in mind.

“Great! Be right back,” the imp said, opening a portal to his office. He went to the trunk that said, ‘Stolas Sex Stuff’, opening it. Vassago could only watch as Blitz tossed out paddles, vibrators and other sex toys that he really did not need to know his friend used.

“Aha!” The imp announced triumphantly. Returning to the bedroom he closed the portal and presented his items to the parrot.

They were straps made of wyvern hide, some of the strongest leather in hell. At the end of the straps were padded cuffs. He also grabbed a red ball gag, a favorite of theirs (Granted, I wish I brought the matching body harness that makes Stolas look so sexy. But now’s not the time. But the next time we have sex, he’s definitely wearing it).

“These will work. Trust me” the imp said confidently.

“Sigh… alright then. Get him bound. But not his left arm. That one you will need to hold.”

The imp did as he was instructed. Attaching the straps to the corners of the bed and the cuffs to the owls’ limbs. Had the situation not been dire, he could almost imagine this was one of their scenes. He attached the ball gag to the bird’s head, resting the ball near his mouth for now. “Ok, I’m done” he announced.

Vassago placed one towel under the injured arm, and another replaced his pillow under his head, in case of messes. Grabbing the vanity chair, he placed it right next to the bed before putting the bowl and elixir onto the edge. Finally, he cut off the bandages.

Blitz knew that the parrot demon regularly cleaned and dressed the wound, (having seen him do so himself several times with different potions and tonics) but it just would not heal. Instead, due to the blessed essence, it just got worse.

The vein-like pattern of the infection spread toward Stolas’ clavicle and down to his elbow. It still oozed that silvery substance as well, definitely caused by the blessed essence. Hopefully, if this works, the owl will heal properly.

As Vassago grabbed the knife, lifting the owl’s injured arm, Blitz looked away. He couldn’t bear to see Stolas getting stabbed. He heard the sickening sound of flesh and bone meeting metal, before looking up. The blade went completely through his arm, black blood mixed with the silver taint as it dripped onto the towel below. He looked away again, willing himself not to throw up (good thing I didn’t have a filling breakfast).

HIIISSSS

That got him to look up again. Vassago had poured the elixir through the newly made wound. The green goo was somehow steaming out of the wound.

“Is it supposed to do that?” he asked apprehensively.

“Yes,” the parrot answered, handing him the bottle. “Have him drink some of this then gag him” he instructed. The imp took the bottle and shakingly poured some of the green contents down the bird’s throat. Rubbing it until he swallowed. Then he placed the gag on, tightening it enough that it wouldn’t fall out, but not enough to hurt him.

“Is it secure?”

“Yeah. It should hold.”

“Good. Now come here and hold his arm down while I concentrate.” Blitz put the elixir on the nightstand before sitting on the unconscious owl’s pelvis, holding his arm and bracing himself for what was to come.

Vassago placed one hand over the owl’s chest and the other hovered above the wound. His hands started to glow red as he concentrated on his mana. After a few seconds Blitz felt the arm he was holding tense, tremble slightly.

“Get ready” was all the warning he got when the arm started to jerk. He quickly tightened his grip on the appendage as he felt the body underneath him jerk. And then, he heard whimpering.

The imp looked up at the owl’s face. Stolas’ eyes were still closed, but pain was etched all over his face. Blitz relaxed his grip slightly as the arm jerked again, more violently this time.

“Keep him still” Vassago scolded him.

Blitz readjusted his grip as he watched Vassago pull the taint from the wound. There was silver mixed with green being raised from the wound, magic guiding in the disgusting fluid into the bowl. Stolas’ jerking soon became thrashing, as if trying to escape. (Damn, he’s strong for someone who’s been in a coma).

The whimpering soon became muffled cries of pain. From the corner of his eyes Blitz saw the owl’s head raise. Seeing something red from his peripheral vision, he glanced up once again, coming face to face with a very much now awake Stolas.

His four red eyes were dim. Tears flowing down them freely. His normally hidden, white pupils visible with pain and distress.

Their gaze met briefly before Stolas dropped his head back down, screwing his eyes shut with pain, as he let out a muffled scream. Blitz knew he had a high pain tolerance, (they used beartraps in bed) so this must be agony for him.

He wanted to see Stolas’ eyes open, hear his voice, and have him move. But not like this. Not with him in pain and fear. He slightly relaxed his grip on his hurting lover.

“Hold him!” Vassago barked. He turned his attention back to his task, tightening his grip to minimize the movement. He can figure out how to make it up to Stolas for causing so much pain once this is over. Right now, he had a job to do.

It was hard to ignore the way Stolas was thrashing, trying to get away from them. It was near unbearable for him to try to tune out the cries of pain and fear.

SNAP SNAP SNAP

He almost let go when he heard the three snaps from the owls’ fingers. It was their safe word for when he was gagged. One is good, two is slow down. Three means stop the scene entirely. He willed himself to focus on the task at hand, tightening his grip on the arm, holding him as still as possible. (I’m sorry Stolas. Bear with it for just a little longer.)

“Almost done. Just a little more… there” He heard Vassago say, as he saw the gunk he was pulling out of him was no longer a silvery green but contained black. Using magic to guide the fluid to the bowl, the parrot took his hands away from Stolas. The owl stopped thrashing after a moment, just lying there with eyes closed, panting from exhaustion, an occasional whimper escaping from the poor owl.

“Ok. You can release him now.” Vassago said moving the bowl away. Not wasting a minute, he let go of the injured arm, hopped up to the head of the bed and removed the gag first, allowing the owl to breathe a bit easier.

Once it was removed, Stolas coughed for breath, before turning his head to the right to throw up a bit of the green gunk on the towel under him. Blitz stepped back a moment as the injured owl tried to regulate his breathing.

A few seconds later Blitz was met with four dim, red eyes looking at him in confusion. He barely heard the owl's soft voice when he finally said the one word that he's been waiting for so long to hear again.

“…Bl…it…zy?”

Chapter 17: Waking Up

Chapter Text

The first thing that Stolas’ brain registered was pain. It was sharp at first, then it started to burn. It was coming from his left arm. He tried to move it but couldn’t.

The second thing he noticed was pressure on the lower half of his body. Something was on top of him, holding down his arm. Was that what’s hurting him? He tried moving his right arm to push whatever was on him off, but it wouldn’t move. Stolas tried kicking his legs, but they wouldn’t move either. He was trapped. The pain was getting worse.

The third thing the owl noticed was something in his mouth. He whimpered at the pain he was feeling, wanting to tell whatever was on him to get off him, to tell it to stop hurting him, but couldn’t move his mouth to form words. He realized he was gagged.

Now he was starting to panic. (I’ve been taken again. No! Not again. Please stop. I need to escape) With what little strength he had, he tried to escape. It must be working as whatever was holding his left arm down was loosening.

“Keep him still” Stolas heard a voice from above him. (It sounds familiar, but where?) The hold on his arm tightened. The pain was getting unbearable. He let out a cry as another wave of pain hit him.

Mustering as much energy as he could, Stolas opened his eyes. His vision was blurry. The owl saw colors (mostly red, white and yellow with a little green) but couldn’t make out any shapes or forms. Whatever these colors were, they were hurting him. Stolas tried using his petrifying glare to get whatever that was to stop, but his powers were not working.

(I’m bound by blessed rope. It's the only reason why I can't move and my powers won't work). Tears fell from his eyes at his realization. (No, not again… please, not again!). As the pain grew worse, Stolas stared to thrash. Maybe he could break out of his bindings or pull his arm loose from whatever was pinning him down.

He raised his head, briefly from his thrashing. He saw the thing on top of him. It was red, black and white. A blurry shape was forming in the colors. It looked familiar.

(Blitzy? What’s he doing? Is this one of our sessions? I don’t like it) The imp must have sensed this as he closed his eyes and screamed in agony, as another wave of pain hit him. The owl felt the grip lessen on his limb. Just as Stolas was about to pull his arm away to safety, he heard the voice above him again.

“Hold him!” The grip was back. He couldn’t move it.

(No, Blitzy, I don’t like this. I wanna stop). Stolas thrashed and screamed, but the imp wouldn't budge.

(Safeword… Gotta use the safeword) Since he was gagged, he had to snap. It’s the only thing that would make it all stop. He snapped his fingers thrice.

SNAP SNAP SNAP

Now the imp would stop and give the poor owl all the comfort and cuddles he wants. But that didn’t happen. The grip on his arm only tightened.

(Why isn’t he stopping? It hurts! Blitzy, stop... PLEASE!). Stolas thrashed more to try to get him to stop, crying and screaming in agony. It hurt so much.

(Please, no more! Please, stop! Someone...HELP ME!!!)

He heard the voice above him speak again, but in his pain and fear induced state, he couldn’t understand what they were saying anymore. After another agonizing moment, it finally stopped.

The owl was exhausted, whimpering as the pain slowly started to recede. He heard the voice above him speak, but he couldn’t focus on what they were saying. He was going to be sick. Stolas felt the gag in his mouth come out. Turning his head, he threw up something foul tasting.

He didn’t want to open his eyes, but he needed to. He needed to know where he was, what was happening, find a way to escape his tormentors. Slowly, Stolas opened his eyes.

The red, black and white thing was in front of him now. As his vision started to come into focus, he recognized the curved horns, the red and white face.

It is Blitz. He looks concerned, worried and relieved. (What’s going on?)

“…Bl…it…zy?”

Chapter 18: Explanations

Chapter Text

“Hey, pretty bird. Sorry we had to do that. You ok?” Blitz quietly asked Stolas as he placed gentle hands on the owl’s face, wiping away the tears still running.

“Wha…” was all the owl said before his face contorted in agony, trying to hold back another cry of pain.

“I’m sorry Stolas, but I need to finish cleaning and dressing your wound.” That voice. It was the one he heard earlier. He recognized the voice now.

“Vas..sago?” He looked up, seeing his keeper pouring the blue fluid on his injury.

“Wha…?” the owl managed to ask; his voice quiet from exhaustion.

“You performed a super blue blood moon ritual. You took a month to complete it, I almost had to intervene.” The parrot explained as if reading his mind, dabbing the wound with the clean cloth, causing the owl to wince. “Your mana levels were completely depleted once you finished. You’ve been out for a several days.”

(Ah! I remember now. That explains why I feel so weak. But why is Blitz here?... Where’s my daughter???)

...Via?” He turned to the imp, who was unbinding his right foot from the bed. He recognized what was holding him now. (Why am I tied with our bondage gear?)

“Oh, she’s fine. She and Looney are in the greenhouse getting some things for you, I think. She really missed you” the imp replied. The owl gave him a smile before grimacing in pain. Blitz noticed that Vassago finished wrapping the wound, tightening the bandages so they wouldn’t fall off.

“What happened …to my arm? Didn’t I… slice my wrist… for the seal?”

“Wait, you did what now?” the imp asked looking back at Stolas. (How many other ways have you hurt yourself for this stupid thing, birdbrain?)

“You received this wound prior to the ritual. It had some of traces blessed essence from when you received it”. the keeper explained, gently releasing his vessels’ injured arm. Stolas held it close to his body with his now freed right arm, protecting it from further pain.

“Unfortunately, the blessed essence not only reopened the wound and tainted your body, but has likely affected you’re your mana recovery as well.”

“Blessed?... but then?... the prophecies!” The owl tried to sit up suddenly, but the pain and exhaustion were too much for him to do even that. He collapsed back down, closing his eyes at the sudden feelings, he tried to collect himself.

“Woah! Woah! Hey now, don’t do that feather brain.” Stolas opened his eyes to see four concerned faces of the mottled imp circling in his vision, looking down at him before merging into one. “Don’t try to get up too fast. Your gonna pass out and you just woke up” the imp scolded him.

“The…prof…ecies?” he managed to ask again. (They can’t be tainted. Please let them be all right. Please don’t let this be in vain.)

“They are fine. Stolas. I could find no traces of the blessed essence in the orb. The prophecies were not tainted.” Vassago reassured his distressed friend.

“Good” the owl relaxed, closing his eyes, trying to regulate his breathing. Trying not to pass out.

“I’m going to check your mana levels, if that is all right with you.” Vassago asked him, holding the bag of rocks. Stolas gave a shaky nod, reluctantly letting go of his injured arm so that he could lay flat on the bed. He felt Blitz hop off the bed as Vassago placed the stones near his body.

Blitz watched as Vassago touched his owl, tracing a path from his groin to his head. At this point he knew that Vassago was trying to help, keeping track of his owl’s mana, but that didn’t mean that he had to like where he was touching him.

“11%…” was all the parrot said. Blitz noticed Stolas frowning at his diagnosis.

“Hey that’s good right? It means it’s going up.”

“Not as much as it should be. His mana is returning at too slow of a pace. We don’t want the possibility of mana poisoning.” Vassago said picking up the stones.

“Stolas,” the owl looked up to his keeper at the sound of his name. “If it doesn’t improve, I’m afraid we may need to do a purification”. the parrot said solemnly.

Blitz saw the owls’ eyes widened, his white pupils became visible briefly, before he closed his eyes with a grimace. He didn’t know what a purification meant, but judging the bird’s reaction, it couldn’t be good.

“I…I understand”.

“Would you like to see Octavia now” the parrot changed topic.

Stolas opened his eyes, giving the parrot a nod. He flicked his eyes to the imp, before back to Vassago. The parrot got the hint.

“I’ll go get her for you. Blitz, could you help him dress into something comfortable? I doubt he’d want his daughter to see him naked” Vassago asked.

“Yeah, no worries”. Vassago, nodded before unsealing the door. Closing it behind him as he exited.

The imp went to the closet, grabbing the owl’s favorite red robe, before going back to the bed. Placing the robe down, he slid his hands under Stolas.

“Bear with me for a second,” he warned as he helped the Goetia sit up. “Sorry, you ok?” he asked, seeing the prince grimacing in pain, before placing his pillow behind the prince to help support him in a sitting position. After a moment Stolas nodded at his question.

Lifting the robe, he tried to figure out how to put it on the owl. “Heh… usually I’m the one taking off your clothes, not putting them on” he joked

“Blitz?” the imp paused hearing his name, looking up at the dim red eyes. “What…are you…?”

“Um, trying to figure out how to put this thing on you?” The imp interrupted the owl. He thought it was obvious what he was doing.

"No…I mean… it’s not the full moon. ...Is it? If so…” he tried to explain he wasn't well enough for their usual fun, only to be interrupted once again by a now annoyed imp.

“Don’t even think about it. You are in no condition for any of that kind of sh*t” the imp scolded, pointing at the confused owl.

“I… I didn’t... I’m not… why’re you here?” he finally stammered out, blush forming at the implications.

“Because. That’s why. Now give me your damn arm.” The imp ordered. Stolas gave him his uninjured arm.

“…how long have you…?”

“A few days.” He interrupted.

He hopped over Stolas’ legs to get to his other side. Grabbing the robe’s left sleeve, he tried to figure out the best way to put it on without further hurting Stolas.

“Ok. I am going to need your other arm now. I’ll be as gentle as I can.” The imp offered. Stolas winced as his injured arm was maneuvered into the robe.

“You’re doing so well, pretty bird. So proud of you” the imp offered encouraging words, not unlike during their more intense sessions.

After the robe was loosely on the owl, he went in front of Stolas, to tie it closed.

“Thank you… for everything”. Blitz paused, looking up at Stolas, seeing a grateful smile on his face.

“Uh, yeah, no worries… um, too tight?” he asked as he tied the robe. Stolas shook his head. Blitz hopped off the bed as he heard the door opening.

“…dad?” Stolas turned to see his daughter in the doorway, tears starting to form in her eyes.

“Starfire...”

Via ran to her father flinging her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Blitz noticed the wincing as she touched his injured arm.

“Dad! I was so worried. I thought you’d never wake up.” Stolas heard his daughter say.

“There, there my dear… I’m sorry I worried you…. Everything’s ok now.” Stolas told his daughter, holding her as tight as his weakened body would allow.

Blitz watched them for a moment, meeting Stolas’ gaze over Vai’s shoulders. The owl gave him a thankful smile, before closing his eyes, hugging his daughter closer to him.

Deciding to give the two some privacy, he left the bedroom, closing the door behind him.

Chapter 19: A Father- Daughter Moment

Chapter Text

“How are you feeling? Do you need anything?” His child asked.

“I’ve been better, but I’ll manage….” Stolas replied, looking at his daughter. She looked a little run down. “What about you? Are you feeling ok, Starfire? … you have something in your feathers by the way,” he said as he pulled a twig from his child’s hair.

“I’m fine. Just a little tired is all. I went to the greenhouse earlier to get some herbs for you. And don’t worry I’ve been taking care of your plants as well,” Via hoped that explanation was enough for her dad. She didn’t want to let him know how she hadn’t gotten a decent night’s sleep in weeks.

“Oh, is that all? What did you get?” He could tell she was keeping something from him but decided not to press the issue.

“Moly, skullcap, mandrake, sage for Mox…” she started to list off the herbs. Stolas perked up as his daughter mentioned one herb in particular.

“Mandrake? Via… you didn’t…”

“I… kinda did…” she replied sheepishly. Stolas’ shocked face turned into a stern one.

“Octavia.” She recognized that tone. It was the same one she would get whenever she did something he specifically told her not to do. Like the time she climbed a large bookcase in his office so she could play with the sextant on the top shelf. She was about to get scolded.

“I had Loona and Millie with me. We didn’t get hurt or anything,” she explained hoping that would placate her father. Stolas still gave her the ‘you are about to get a lecture’ look. “And your plants didn’t get harmed either. At least not too much.”

“I don’t care about the plants. What I do care about is that you went in there after I specifically told you not too. You know I keep that area off limits for a reason. What if you got hurt? What if you died?”

“I’m sorry dad. I just wanted to help.” She turned away from her father in shame.

He touched her face gently, making her look into his dimmed red eyes. “Oh, my Starfire… I appreciate that you did it for me. But please do not go in there without me or Vassago again. I couldn’t bear the thought of losing you.” He comforted his child.

“Ok dad.” She hugged him again.

(I’m going to have to have a serious talk with Vassago about allowing her to go in the restricted area).

“You mentioned the I.M.P. employee’s names? What are they doing here? Did something happen?” He grew worried. They weren’t supposed to be here unless his daughter was in danger.

Via told him about the assassination attempt and how Vassago put up a barrier but wanted extra security. Stolas’ heart fluttered hearing that Blitz saved him. Maybe he really did care about the owl.

“By the way. There was this weird thing with leather straps that we had to take down from your bed. Do you know what that was?” His daughter asked. Stolas’ eyes widened and a blush formed as he realized what she was talking about. “Dad? Are you ok? You’re a little red.”

“Oh, ah... yes… I’m fine Starfire. Those um… well… you’ll learn when you’re older.”

“Dad, I’m 17...”

“When you’re older” he reiterated.

(It’s a sex thing, isn’t it?) Seeing how this was making him uncomfortable, she was going to drop the subject, when she saw something on the floor behind him. Stolas turned his head to see what she was looking at.

His eyes widened even more, pupils dilating. His face went as red as the robe he was wearing.

It was the cuffs and gag... laying in a pile in the middle of the floor…in full view of his daughter.

“Via... that’s, uh …they… I…Umm...” Stolas stammered, trying to figure out a way to explain this. Sure, he could tell her that they needed it for medical reasons, but how to explain why bondage gear specifically.

“Dad it’s… its fine, really... I don’t want to know” she looked away embarrassed. “Um, I’m almost done working on my latest taxidermy project.” She changed the subject.

Stolas listened as she described her most recent project. It was a rabbit stabbing a knife into a pile of crows (a murder of crows). She told him some of her future project ideas, an old movie she found that he might like, anything to distract him, but Stolas was losing focus.

(She’s thinks I’m a slu*t. I caused her to worry to the point she’s exhausted. She placed herself in danger, because of me. Blitz had to come and save me because I couldn’t protect myself… again. I’m supposed to be a powerful Goetia, yet I can barely sit up by myself. I’m pathetic.)

“Dad…”

(Blitz is only here because he wants my grimoire. He doesn’t really care about me. Via would be better off without me. Vassago is here because of his duty as my keeper. I’m just a burden to everyone around me.)

“Dad?”

(Stella was right. I am pathetic…worthless…)

“Dad?” Stolas jumped a bit as his daughter touched his hand. He looked up at her worried pink eyes. “Are you ok?”

“Sorry Starfire, my mana’s still very low. I’m just… tired is all…what were you saying?” He asked her with an apologetic smile.

“I was just asking if you're hungry… you sure you’re, ok?” She asked him. He did look tired, but he also looked…sad.

“I’ll be fine, don’t worry. And yes, something to eat would be lovely darling.” He reassured her.

“I’ll go see if Moxxie’s done making lunch.” She stood up giving a kiss to the side of his head. “Love you daddy” she said walking out of the room.

As soon as she was gone, Stolas shoulders slumped, bringing his right hand to cover his eyes in exhaustion. He wasn’t lying when he told her he was exhausted. But what he kept from her (what he’s been keeping from her for her entire life) was about his depression. A month off his antidepressants was starting to take its toll.

He hoped that Vassago would come back soon and give him his pills. He was the only one here that knew about them.

Chapter 20: Cuddles Soup

Chapter Text

Blitz made his way to the kitchen. He found Moxxie by the stove, stirring a large pot of something that smelled so good it made his mouth water. Millie was chopping some of the meat on the nearby counter. Vassago was sitting at the table, reading a book.

“Smell good. Whatcha making?” the boss asked as he made his way to the kitchen, hissing at Eris like an angry cat as she gurgled, leaning too close to him.

“Cuddle’s soup,” Moxxie replied as he added some spices to his pot.

“Cuddles? Is that some sort of lover’s soup or …wait” The taller imp remembered something, seeing the meat Millie was cutting “That’s not the shark from the aquarium, is it?" He asked apprehensively.

“Yep! Its technically Moxxie’s family’s recipe for shark fin soup, but cuddles soup sounds so much better.” Millie explained cheerfully, handing all but one, uncut fin to her husband. Taking the fin, she walked to Eris.

“Careful with her, Mils” Blitz warned. He knew if Eris tried to eat her, Moxxie would shoot to get her out, but Stolas would probably be upset if one of his favorite plants was shot to death.

“Nah, she’s a sweetie,” she said as she tossed the fin to Eris, who gulped it down greedily. The imp gave her a fond rub, just as he’d seen the Stolas do before. Eris made her strange gurgling sound as she eyed the mottled imp. (Why does everyone think she’s sweet? She wants to eat me).

“Where’s Loona?” Blitz asked, taking note that his daughter was missing from the group.

“She went to take a shower”. Millie responded from her spot near Eris.

“Is the soup done?” The imps looked up to see Via enter the kitchen.

“Almost, Via. I just need to add a few more ingredients and let it simmer for a little bit.” Moxxie said from his spot at the stove. Octavia insisted that Moxxie didn’t need to call her by her title, so he’s been trying to call her by her name instead.

“Need any help?” she offered.

“If you don’t mind, can you cut some of that up for me?” Moxxie used his wooden spoon to point to some lion mane mushrooms that the girls collected earlier. Vassago suggested using those for the soup, the flavors would pair well with the shark meat and the medicinal properties would help Stolas heal.

Octavia went to a drawer and pulled out a clean cutting board. Walking to the counter, she pulled a knife from the knife block and began to dice some of the mushrooms. Once she was finished, she showed Moxxie, who nodded in approval, letting her slide them into the pot.

“You're a pretty decent cook. I mean, no offense, but I didn’t think royalty cooked,” the imp told the princess.

“Dad taught me how to cook, clean and do laundry. He wants to teach me independence and how to take care of myself” she explained. Blitz perked up at that. He knew Stolas knew how to cook but didn’t think he cleaned or did laundry. Wasn’t that what his servants were there for?

“So, have you been cleaning this entire palace by yourself? For a month?” he asked.

“No, I only clean the areas I use. Bedroom, kitchen, that sort of thing. Vassago helped as well. When the servants return, they’ll take care of the rest.” She explained. (I guess that makes sense).

Blitz turned his attention to Vassago who was still reading. “Watcha reading, Vas?” he asked, using the nickname he knew Vassago didn’t like. The parrot scowled at the name, not looking at the imp.

“A book,” He replied. (It’s probably smut). Blitz decided to leave him be.

He had a feeling the parrot didn’t like him for some reason. Sure, he let him help take care of Stolas, answered all his questions, and was civil enough. But compared to how friendly he treated the others, he seemed just to tolerate the mottled imp. He couldn’t figure out why. Oh well, the feeling’s mutual anyway.

As Moxxie was finishing up the soup, Millie got out bowls and spoons for everyone, as well as a tray so they could take some up to Stolas. Loona came into the kitchen, wearing a purple bathrobe and a towel over her hair soon after. Blitz was listening as she was telling Via about a party in the Gluttony ring she got invited to. He really hoped that if she went, she would take the owl with her. With all the stress she’s endured, she could really use some fun right now.

“Soups ready!” Moxxie called out, pouring out bowls of soup for everyone. Millie had somehow cut the shark fins into tiny hearts, making it aesthetically pleasing. It looked as good as it smelled.

Blitz took two bowls with spoons and placed them on the tray. “I’ll take some up to Stolas,” he called out, taking the tray before anyone could protest, making his way up to the bedroom. Octavia got to spend some alone time with him, now it was his turn.

*****

Stolas was sitting on the bed, just as the imp left him. He stared listlessly at his hands in his lap, lost in thought.

“Soups on bitch!” the imp shouted as he entered the room.

“HOOT! … Oh, Blitz... you startled me”. The owl jumped a bit at the imp’s entrance, not expecting such a loud entry.

“My bad. Man, you look like sh*t. This should perk you up.” He said placing the tray on the bird’s lap, taking a bowl for himself.

“What’s this?” the owl asked, not recognizing the type of soup in front of him. Perhaps it was his tired eyes playing tricks on him, but he could swear that the contents looked like little hearts.

“Cuddles soup” the imp answered before looking up at the owl who tilted his head slightly, giving him an adorable, confused look. “Cuddles was the name of a shark. So, I guess shark soup?”

Blitz slurped up his soup strait from the bowl. The texture of the fins was weird, but at least it tastes good. Moxxie really outdid himself. While drinking his soup, he watched the owl slowly eat his with shaky, unsteady hands. Seeing Stolas struggle, Blitz put aside his own, now empty bowl, before snatching the spoon out of the owls’ hands.

“What’re you… mmphh,” Stolas was interrupted when the stolen spoon was shoved into his mouth. Once it was removed, he swallowed. He understood what the imp was doing. “I can feed mysel… mmphh.” He tried protesting only to have another spoonful of soup shoved into his mouth.

“Just shut up and eat already,” Blitz ordered. Stolas allowed the assassin to feed him in silence, happy that Blitz was taking care of him. After eating about 1/4th of the soup, he put his hand up getting the imps attention. “I think I’ve had enough darling. Thank you.”

“You sure? You didn’t eat much. If you don’t like it, I can find you something else.” He offered. The owl hadn’t eaten in so long, surely, he should eat a little more.

The Goetia, shook his head with a smile. “No, it was very good, but I’ve eaten my fill. My appetite will come back with time”. He reassured the imp.

“Alright then”. Blitz put the soup back on the tray and set it off to the side. “Need anything? Water, book, massage?” he offered. He wanted to make it up to Stolas for what he had to do earlier, even though he knew that the owl probably understood why they had to do it.

“Maybe a book for later. And if it’s not too much trouble, could you do something about that” he looked to the bondage gear sitting on the floor. (Wait, did Via see that? That’s embarrassing.)

“Got it.”

He grabbed the gear before throwing it in owl’s closet. Who knows if they’re going to need it again. Especially if they have to do that purification thing. Finished with his task, he headed to one of the bookshelves in the owl’s bedroom. “Anything in particular?” he asked.

“Anything should be fine”.

He looked at the different titles. There were so many books to choose from. He grabbed a red one that was nearby that had a funny title: Kama Sutra: Hell’s Edition.

(This should be ok.) He went back to Stolas, placing the book in his lap. Blitz looked up to the owl, seeing him turn red, looking at the book he picked. “You ok? You got a fever or something?” he asked as he placed his hand on the owl’s forehead, trying to take his temperature.

“Um…yes but I’m, um… not well for this kind of thing, dear.” the blushing owl replied.

“What, reading? But you asked for a book.” The imp was confused. (What’s he playing at?)

“Blitz… you do know what the Kama Sutra is…don’t you?” the imp shook his head. Stolas looked away in embarrassment, rubbing the back of his neck trying to figure out how to explain it to the imp. “Its… um, well… a manual…for sex.”

“You’re joking.” Blitz opened the book to a random page and sure enough, there was a very explicit image of a pair of sinners who seemed to be 69ing each other. One was bound, hanging upside down, whip marks and red candlewax littering their body while the Dom was holding a whip in one hand and a lit, red candle above their Sub. On the opposite page was a list of instructions on what they were doing.

“Why the f*ck do you have this??!!!” The imp demanded, blushing from the picture alone. (Did he get this for us? We haven’t even tried this yet!)

“It was a wedding gift… from my father” Stolas answered embarrassed. “So that I could produce a precautionary heir quickly.”

“Seriously? That’s f*cked up.”

“Tell me about it.” Stolas replied sarcastically.

“Ok…I’m just gonna grab something else… you don’t have any other sex books over there. Do you?” he asked suspiciously.

The owl shook his head. He went back to the bookshelf, hiding the Kama Sutra in his jacket to look at later. (Maybe there’s something in here I could do to Stolas once he’s better.)

Grabbing a green book, he skimmed through it. It looked like a botany book. Happy with his choice, he brought it back to the owl. “Thank you…Why is there a seahorse on my vanity?” he asked, looking at the plush.

“Oh, it’s a get-well gift. I saw it during an assignment, and I thought of you." Blitz said casually.

Stolas’ pupils dilated into little hearts. (Blitzy got me a present?) “I love it. Thank you.” He turned to the imp giving him a big smile.

The imp smiled. Happy that Stolas liked his gift. “No problem… say, did you know the boys get pregnant?”

Chapter 21: Via's Tea

Chapter Text

Blitz was telling Stolas about what he had been doing for the last month. Retelling some of his more amusing assassinations, how he was a bodyguard for Fizz and even explained how he and the other imp rekindled their friendship.

The owl was glad that Blitz had his best friend again but was upset that it was because he was captured during Fizz’s hostage situation. If he had known that the mottled imp was in danger, maybe he could have done more than try to help Asmodeus negotiate for Fizz’s return.

(I couldn’t do anything to help him. He had to save himself. He doesn’t need me. He’s probably only here because he feels obligated to.)

“Stolas? Stoolllsss…”

(I will talk to him about ending our arrangement as soon as I’m well again. For now, though, I’ll let him do what he wants and pretend he’s here because he cares for me.)

Suddenly, the mottled imp’s hand was in his face, snapping his fingers to get his attention. “Yo, birdbrain, anyone home?” Stolas perked up at that, looking over to his favorite imp.

“Sorry, you and Fizz are friends again. That’s great”. The owl apologized with a smile.

“Uh, yeah. If I’m boring you, just say it.” the imp said annoyed. He told Stolas about him and Fizz not that long ago, but he was in the middle of telling the lumberjack and squirrel story when he noticed the prince was zoning out.

Stolas’ eyes widened he didn’t mean to offend his favorite imp. “Oh no darling. You could never bore me. I’m sorry… I’m just exhausted.” The owl apologized, looking down at his hands. “Mana depletion sucks. Believe me.” he clenched his hands into fists. He couldn’t even materialize his magic right now, let alone cast a simple spell. It’s a miracle he was able to heal his stab wound without his keeper’s intervention after completing the ritual.

The imp looked at the owl in sympathy. Stolas did look like he was struggling to stay awake. (Maybe I’ll leave soon so he can take a nap. He looks like he could use one. But since he’s awake right now, maybe I should ask him.)

“There’s something I wanna talk to you about.” Blitz said, getting the owl’s attention. “When you were finishing your ritual, I… kinda touched you”.

Stolas looked at him in horror. (What the hell was he doing there? How much did he see? First Via in the restricted area and now Blitz??? Vassago had some serious explaining to do.)

“I’m so, so sorry. You…”

“It’s fine” the imp interrupted, waving him off. What happened was his fault, not Stolas’.

“But yea, anyway, I touched you and got prophesied…I’m still trying to figure out what it means” the owl turned away in shame that his magic affected the assassin. (Great I was hoping that wouldn’t have happened.)

“So, my question is, did I see the future? Will what I saw happen or can I change it?” the imp continued. Stolas thought for a moment on how to explain how prophecies work.

“Well… sort of. A prophecy shows past, present, and future. Events of the past and present are set in stone, obviously, as they’ve already or are currently happening. They are shown to help interpret the future. The future can technically be altered if one can interpret the prophecy correctly and take the necessary steps to change it. It’s one of my royal duties, to collect the prophecies and determine what they mean so we could change the future to our advantage.” The owl explained. Hoping that would be simple enough for Blitz to understand.

“If you don’t mind me asking…, what was it about? Maybe I can help you interpret it,” he offered. Blitz looked at the owl. (I guess I should tell him. He was in it after all. Besides, this is his job, he might be able to figure it out better than I can).

“Sigh… Well…” he started looking away, rubbing the back of his neck, trying to figure out how to explain what he saw. “It was about me, I think. And yo…”

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

The pair looked up to see the Goetia princess entering with a steaming cup of green tea. (Real bad timing, kid.)

“Hey dad, I made you some herbal tea,” Via gave her dad the cup. “I was wondering if you wanted to watch a movie with us in a little bit. You can choose what to watch.” She offered.

“Thank you, Starfire, that sounds lovely”, Stolas brought the cup to his beak with shaky hands, taking a sip. He let out a squeak, closing his eyes, at the awful flavor.

“You don’t like it?” Via asked disappointed.

“Oh n-no dear, you did good… It’s very…potent,” he said with a forced smile. She didn’t believe him.

“It’s bad, isn’t it?” she asked, taking the cup from him before taking a sip herself. With a grimace and a full body shiver she pulled the cup away from her beak. “Yep. It’s bad.”

“It can’t be that bad, you big eggs.” Blitz took the cup from the owl girl, taking a sip of his own, before spitting it out.

“SWEET SATAN’S BALLS!!! THIS sh*t’S NASTY!!!” he yelled, shoving the cup into Stolas’ hands before wiping his tongue off with his own, trying to get the very bitter flavor out of his mouth. (How the f*ck can someone that came from Stolas make tea this bad?) He heard hooting laughter from behind him. Turning around, he saw the two owls laughing at his expense. He glared at them before addressing the prince.

“Why are you laughing? I’m not the one who has to drink that nasty crap…no offense kid”. He smirked as Stolas stopped his laughing to scowl at him. He even grabbed the owls’ barely eaten soup and took a swig, just to wash away that awful taste in spite.

Stolas sighed as he took another shaky sip of the awful brew, grimacing at the flavor. “I’m guessing Vassago taught you how to brew this?” Via nodded. “Figures. For as long as I’ve known him, he’s never been able to brew a good tasting tea.”

“You’re exaggerating. My tea isn’t that bad.”

(Speak of the devil…) Vassago entered carrying a cane large enough for the owl to use if he needed to later.

“Vassago. Can have word with you. In private.” Stolas asked with a serious tone. Blitz smirked. He didn’t know what the parrot did, but he knew what that tone meant. Stolas used that on him when I.M.P. got captured by D.H.O.R.K.S.

(Uh oh. Someone’s in trouble.)

Chapter 22: A Movie With Friends

Chapter Text

“Starfire, you mentioned a movie you thought I would like earlier, right? Why don’t you find it and set it up while I talk to Vassago. We will join you in a little bit.”

“Uh, sure dad. We’ll be in the living room when you’re ready. You coming, Blitz?” Via asked the imp. He looked at the adult Goetia, who gave him an expectant look, before reluctantly following along. (Aww… I wanna hear Vassago get scolded.)

Once the door closed, Stolas looked back to his keeper. “You better have a damn good reason why you let my daughter gather mandrake,” The owl said threateningly.

“I used up all my supplies for the elixir for your arm” the parrot answered. Stolas unconsciously went to grab his injured arm at the memory of the pain it went through. “And I wanted to have more in case it was needed for your recovery. I figured having her gather medicinal herbs while we removed the taint would keep her occupied enough so she wouldn’t have to witness that.”

“So, you allowed her to go into the restricted area of the greenhouse by herself? The one area you know damn full well I keep off limits to most people?”

“I did. Neither of you never mentioned that she wasn’t allowed in there, and she has been taking care of your other plants, many are carnivorous, I might add. I thought she would be able to handle it. She had protection with her, and they all came out unscathed.” Vassago explained, seeing the stern look on Stolas’ face. “I’m sorry. Next time I need something in there, I will make sure she won’t get it.” Stolas nodded at his apology.

(I guess I can’t argue with his reasonings. Afterall, I didn’t tell him she wasn’t allowed to go into the restricted area, so this is partially my fault. Besides, she’s safe and it won’t happen again. That’s all that matters.)

“And what about Blitz? He told me he witnessed the ritual. Why the f*ck was he in the observatory? And how much did he see?” the owl continued with his stern questioning.

It’s bad enough that someone other than his keeper saw him in such a vulnerable and dangerous position. But for it to be Blitz of all people? At least his daughter didn’t see him like that.

“He saw you ending it. I was about to intervene and had Octavia call him to come over and collect her. As soon as she was gone, he refused to leave. I was more focused on getting to you and didn’t have much choice other than to let him stay.”

“He told me he experienced a prophecy after touching me. Did he touch me before or after I completely ended the ritual?” Stolas asked.

“It was after you ended it. The barriers from the wards prevented him from going to you until then, though he tried getting to you sooner. Once you were done, he ran over and touched you. I tried to warn him not to, but he didn’t listen. He experienced his prophecy moments later.” Vassago explained, looking down in shame.

“I’m sorry. I know I should have done something more to get rid of him, but I was more focused on you, getting ready to intervene if I needed to. I didn’t want you suffering the same fate as your predecessors.” Vassago apologized.

Stolas understood what he meant. The super blue blood moon ritual he had to perform is not only one of the rarest, most magically fueled lunar events, but one of the most dangerous. The last two vessels who performed the ritual didn’t survive.

“Sigh… I guess there wasn’t much that you could have done about him then. He’s always been stubborn and reckless.” the owl said with a fond smile before being serious once more. “There is one last thing. My pills…”

“I’m afraid you’re not well enough for them just yet. You’ve been without them for so long and were prescribed the highest dosage possible that if you take them in your current state, you might overdose. I’ve had Via gather some herbs that may help you with your depression. St john’s wort and skullcap, amongst them. I’ve had her put some in the tea for you.” the parrot explained.

Stolas frowned at that. He was hoping for something stronger, but he supposed this would do for now. He took another drink of the disgusting tea, making a face.

“Thank you… although I was serious when I said you couldn’t make a good tea even if you tried.” he said with amusem*nt as he set it down on the nightstand.

“It’s hardly my fault you can’t handle strong tea.” The parrot said amused, happy he was forgiven for his mistakes.

‘So now that you met all of them, what do you think of I.M.P?” Stolas asked, changing the topic to something more positive.

“I must say, you have made some great friends, Stolas. Moxxie and Millie have done well to help us, and Loona has become quite supportive to Via. I’m glad for their help.” Stolas was glad Vassago approved of them and that his daughter had found a friend in the hellhound.

“And Blitz?” He was curious about his friend’s opinion of the imp. Vassago knew about how he felt about him.

“Hhmmm… he has helped me care for you and even saved you from an assassination attempt, as I’m sure you are aware at this point.” Stolas nodded. “So, I am grateful for his dedication to you. However, I find him quite crass and stubborn at times. He keeps calling me names other than my own,” the parrot continued.

“And thanks to him, I’ve learned way more about your sex life than I wish to know. Seriously Stolas, how many sex toys do you need?” The owl blushed at his friends teasing.

“You’re judging my sex life? Who’s the one that goes to gay sex clubs twice a month?” It was the parrots turn to blush.

“At least I don’t dress like soap opera characters when I go on my dates.” (Oh no he didn’t.)

“Vassago, you have an entire room, the size of this one, dedicated to glasses, yet you always wear the same pair. I’m not afraid of trying a different look once in a while.” Stolas retorted.

“It’s called a hobby, and my collection is safer than all the dangerous plants you have. And I’m not just talking about the ones in your greenhouse.”

“At least I know how to properly care for them. Remember the Sanguine Vine I gave you?” Stolas smirked, knowing he won this round.

“Ugh…you are never going to let me live that down, are you?”

“Nope!”

The birds suddenly burst into laughter at that memory.

“Honestly though, what were you thinking? Giving it an aphrodisiac?” Stolas asked, calming down a bit.

“It was an experiment. Granted, I probably should have used it on a less dangerous plant.” the parrot remembered. “We’ve both made some rather amusing mistakes though. Remember the time you accidentally spiked the wine at your brother-in-laws party?”

Stolas hooted in laughter at that memory. Andrealphus and Stella humiliated themselves in front of their guests to the point where Stolas didn’t have to host or go to one of those horrid parties for a year. And the best part: no one ever figured out he was the cause of it.

“That’s still the best party he’s hosted that I’ve ever had the misfortune of attending. We should probably meet the others so they could start their movie. I may need to use the restroom first though, if you don’t mind helping me get there.”

“Of course,” Vassago said as he helped Stolas to his feet, throwing his right arm over his shoulder he helped guide the owl to the bathroom.

*****

Blitz stood at the other end of the door. He walked with Via halfway to the livingroom when he said that he needed to go to the bathroom first and would meet everyone in a little bit. Once the owl was out of sight, he went back to the bedroom placing his ears against the door. He didn’t hear any scolding as he would have liked, instead he heard what he could describe as friendly banter and… laughing?

(Did I miss something? I could’ve sworn it sounded like Vassago was in trouble. Maybe I’m reading it wrong? Maybe Stolas just wanted to spend alone time with him. They do sound happy in there. Are they really just friends?)

The mottled imp looked through the keyhole and saw Vassago help Stolas to his feet. (Well, that’s my cue. Don’t want them to think I was spying on them.)

He portaled himself to an empty bathroom somewhere in the palace and flushed the toilet in case someone was nearby. Had to make sure he had an alibi afterall. He left the bathroom and headed to the living room.

“There you are. You took your sweet time.” Loona said from her spot on the loveseat next to the couch. Everyone except for the adult Goetia were there. Moxxie and Millie were on the floor leaning against the couch, the vomit stain he made on the rug now long gone. Via was on the left seat of the couch, next to Loona. A seat next to his daughter, two spots on the couch and a nearby recliner were left vacant. There were bowls of popcorn and drinks on the coffee table for everyone. The t.v. was on pause, the movie ready to play.

“Sorry I had to take a dump. Uh, you may not want to go in there for a while,” he lied. As he walked to the couch hopping onto the opposite end of Via.

“T.M.I. sir” Moxxie said with disgust.

He would have retorted when the last two people showed up, via portal. Stolas was leaning on Vassago for support, a cane in his hand to help hold him steady.

“Hello, your highness, how are you feeling?” the white-haired imp asked.

“I am alright. Thank you for asking. And thank you all for taking care of my daughter and I during this time” Stolas said with a smile.

“Glad we could help” Millie responded.

Vassago helped Stolas sit on the couch, between his daughter and the imp.

“So, what are we watching?” the parrot asked as he sat in the recliner

“It’s called Little Store of Terror. It’s a musical about this guy who tries to impress his crush with a man-eating plant.” Loona explained before pressing play. (Yeah, that does sound like something Stolas would like.)

It was about thirty minutes into the movie when Blitz felt something hit the top of his horns, before hearing very quiet, even hooting sounds.

(Did he just fall asleep on me? Guess he really was tired afterall. I don’t think I’m a very good pillow though. I should probably move him, so he doesn’t hurt himself on my horn. How to do this?)

Blitz glanced over to the younger owl at the other end of the couch. “Psst… Via” he whispered over to her, hoping she could help move her dad off his horns. Via seemed to notice the imp’s predicament and got up to help readjust her father. Not once did the older owl stir. Stolas was now laying on the couch, his head in Blitz's lap. A blue throw blanket draped over his body to keep him warm. Via moved to sit next to Loona as the movie continued.

Blitz ran his fingers through the owl’s feathered head as he watched the movie. He took note that the owl felt a little warm, but just figured that he overexerted himself from the day’s events.

About halfway through the movie, he glanced around. Vassago, M&M and Loona were watching the movie while it looked like Via fell asleep as well, using Loona’s shoulder as a pillow. Not long after, he felt himself drifting off.

As the movie finishing, Moxxie looked behind him to see how his boss liked the musical, only to see both him and Stolas asleep. They looked so adorable together. Suddenly, he had an idea. A way for him to get revenge for the wedding dress photo.

Taking out his phone, he discreetly took a photo of the sleeping pair. He’s definitely going to have it printed out and added to Blitz’s 'Stolas'envelope. And maybe send the photo to the owl later. Afterall, the prince liked the imp a lot so maybe he would like a copy of the photo for himself.

Once the movie finished, Vassago picked up Stolas, holding him bridal style, Loona grabbed Via in a similar manner, while Moxxie and Millie both grabbed their boss, surprised he didn’t wake up. Then again, he’s been staying up a lot at night to look after Stolas and staying awake most of the day, only to take brief naps here and there.

The group separated, taking their charges to their rooms for a much-needed nap.

Chapter 23: Date Night

Chapter Text

After the owls and Blitz were tucked into their beds, Millie went to Stolas’ room where she found Vassago sitting in the vanity chair, reading the book he brought earlier. “Vassago?” The parrot looked up at the imp in the doorway. “I was wondering if it would be alright if Moxxie and I had a date in the greenhouse.” Vassago smiled at her simple request.

He didn’t see a problem with that and knew Stolas would agree to it. His friend was always a romantic and the fact that his friends thought his greenhouse would be the perfect place for a date sounded like something the owl would appreciate.

“That’s fine. Just be sure to clean up after you’re done and do not go into the restricted area.” He didn’t want to get scolded again.

“We won’t. Thank you” Millie thanked the parrot.

“Have fun.” She heard him call as she left to tell her husband they got permission for their date.

Moxxie and Millie decided to split up for an hour. Moxxie was making food for their date, as well as dinner for the other inhabitants of the palace, while Millie went to set up what she needed in the greenhouse.

“Everything ready, honey?” Millie came back asking her husband.

“Almost, just need to put this here… ok. Ready!” Her husband responded, as he finished packing a basket with their meal.

“Great now put this on”. Millie said excitedly as she held up a blindfold, going around her husband to tie it onto his head.

“Uh, Millie? Is this necessary?” he asked.

“Yep! Trust me, it’ll be worth it” she took the basket from her husband before grabbing his hand. Guiding the now blinded imp through the palace to the greenhouse.

*****

“Watch out for that root, honey,” Millie warned as her husband tripped over said root.

“Oooff…Uh, Mil’s, that’s the third thing I’ve tripped over. Maybe it’s best I take the blindfold off?” Her husband asked hopefully.

“Nope! It’ll ruin the surprise. Now come on. And watch out for that rock”

“Oooff!” Moxxie tripped again.

Finally, they made their way to their destination.

“Alright sweetie, you can take the blindfold off now.” With a sigh of relief, Moxxie removed the blindfold, taking in the beautiful scenery around them.

They were in the bioluminescent section of the greenhouse. The trees glowed with pink leaves, the shrubs a soft, minty color and flowers gleamed with all the colors of the rainbow and a few he didn’t know even existed. Even the ground seemed to glow a golden earthy color. Looking above, Moxxie could see stars above the canopy, even though he knew the sun was just setting when they left the kitchen a few minutes ago.

In front of the imp there was a white patio table with two chairs sitting next to each other. The table was set with cloth napkins, silver forks, wine classes and a lit candelabra.

“Oh, Millie…its beautiful!” Moxxie said, tears forming in the corners of his eyes from the sheer beauty of this place.

“I thought you might like it,” the female imp said as she led her husband to the table.

Moxxie pulled up a chair for Millie, before he took out their meal. First, he took out a bottle of red wine he knew would pair well with their meal, with a little difficulty, he popped off the cork of the bottle, filling their glasses with the wine.

Then he took out a large plate and a Tupperware container of spaghetti. He pulled his seat up closer to Millie before placing the spaghetti on the plate in front of him. They ate in relative silence, more than once, accidentally (on purpose) getting the same piece of spaghetti, eating at both ends until their mouths met for a kiss.

Once the plate was finished, Moxxie took out a small Tupperware of their dessert: chocolate covered strawberries. As the two imps were feeding the strawberries to each other, Millie noticed something. Looking up her eyes widened. Moxxie followed her gaze, his eyes widening when he realized what she was looking at.

Beautiful, yellow flowers appeared in the pink trees, blooming, releasing golden spores as they opened. “Uh, those aren’t poisonous…right?” The male imp asked his wife nervously. That would be a damper on their date.

“Hang on, let me check.” She whipped out Octavia’s guidebook she borrowed from the owl earlier, skimming until she found the trees. “No, it says they’re safe. They bloom for a few hours each day, releasing spores to help fertilize the nearby plants” she said.

“Oh, ok then. Phew.”

They imps looked around in wonder as the spores danced around them like fireflies. It was so magical. Moxxie could think of only one thing that would make this even better. He went to the basket and pulled out the last thing he packed: his guitar. Millies’s attention turned back to her husband as she heard him playing the song that won her heart.

Oh, what a thrill
When the crimson starts to spill
And myMilliegoes in for the kill

Millies eyes began to sparkle, a loving smile forming on her face.

She takes away my breath
She's the angel of death for me
Oh, Millie!

The imps looked at each other adoringly as the Moxxie continued his song.

She's my queen
It's like a dream
When I hear her victims start to scream
In and out of the sack
She's the maniac for me
Oh, Millie!
When the blood starts dripping down the walls

Millie knew what was coming and she was ready for her sound effects.

Drip, drip, drip!

Millie sang the sound effects

And the bodies start to fall

Thud!

Millie Shouted.

My heart skips a beat
When my Millie's guns a-blazing in the heat

Bang, bang, bang!

The female imp sang, making gun gestures with her hands. She loved that part.

My assassin love
She makes the murdering fun for me
Oh, la-da-dee!

The imps sat close to one another, gazing into each other’s eyes.

Of all the Imps in Hell

They both sang the next part.

It's for her/him that I fell

Oh, Millie!

Moxxie finished his song as his wife pulled him in for a passionate kiss.

This was perfect. Good food, beautiful scenery, no Blitz recording them. Just perfect.

Nothing could ruin this night.

Chapter 24: The Diagnosis

Chapter Text

A few hours later…

Stolas woke up feeling a bit worse than he had earlier. He felt hot and achy, his arm hurt, and he felt lightheaded. He didn’t think too much of it, though. Other than his injury, he always felt like this whenever he used up too much mana. Dizzily, he forced himself to sit up.

“How are you feeling?” He turned his head to Vassago, who had been reading a book from the vanity chair nearby.

“Like crap, but that’s normal. Watcha reading?” he asked his friend curiously, seeing the book in hand.

“Just a novel I brought.” He replied, holding up a blue book for the owl to see. Stolas couldn’t make out the title from where he was but could see two swords crossing and a black rose between them.

“So, smut?”

“No, it’s …what is it with you always assuming I read smut?” The parrot pretended to be offended.

“I’m just teasing. Although… now I’m positive it’s smut.” he joked.

“Well, you must be feeling better if you’re making jokes about my taste in literature. I need to clean and dress your wound if that’s ok.” Stolas reluctantly nodded, sliding the left side of his robe off enough to let the parrot have access to his arm.

“So, how was the movie?” he asked as Vassago cut away the bandages. He felt bad that he slept through it when his daughter thought he would like it. He really tried to stay awake, but he was just so tired.

Vassago looked at the wound. It looked a lot better than it had this morning. The veinlike pattern was still there but had receded back to near the wound. It was no longer oozing and looked like it was actually starting to heal this time.

“It was all right. Via and Blitz slept through it as well, so maybe you three can try to watch it again sometime.” Vassago replied as he cleaned the wound with a blue potion, causing the owl to wince. “Or sleep through it again. Whichever you prefer.” He joked.

“Speaking of which, where are they?”

“Last I knew, in their rooms taking a nap. I hope you don’t mind, but I gave Moxxie and Millie permission to have a date in your greenhouse.”

“Did you tell them not to go in the restricted section?” he asked warily. Via said Millie went in there with her earlier, but he’d rather she not go in there again. He didn’t want any harm to come to either of the imps.

“Yes,” the parrot answered as he wrapped the injury with clean bandages.

“Then that’s fine.” He responded, pulling the robe back up once the parrot was finished. He was glad that someone could have a romantic moment in his favorite place. Maybe one day, he can have one in there with Blitz.

“I’d like to get started preparing the mandrake while everyone’s occupied. Would you be ok by yourself for a half hour or so?” Stolas nodded. Better Vassago prepare it than his daughter.

“Do you need anything before I go?”

The owl shook his head. “No, I’ll be ok. Don’t let the mandrake bite your ass again.” he warned amused.

“It bit you, not me.” The parrot argued, chuckling at the memory. “Holler if you need me.” And with that the parrot left, leaving the door slightly ajar so he could listen for Stolas.

Once he was gone, Stolas looked around his room for something to occupy him for the next half hour. The owl spotted his grimoire on the vanity, right next to the seahorse his favorite imp got him. He smiled at the plush (I’m still not sure why it made him think of me, but it’s cute), before spotting his phone on his dresser. He realized he forgot to plug it in to charge before he did the ritual last month. (The battery’s probably dead, so guess I can’t use that right now.)

Sighing, he turned to the nightstand next to him. There was the now cold cup of tea Via made for him, and the book Blitz brought him earlier. There was a cane leaning against the nightstand, should the owl need it if he needed to use the bathroom or something. Seeing as there was really nothing else to do, he decided to get some reading done.

He was reading a chapter on crossbreeding Mandrake with poisonous plants, making a mental note to try it himself with nightshade, when he started coughing. It was just a little cough. Probably caused by all the incense in his room. Still, he took a sip of that awful tea to help clear his throat. It tasted worse when it was cold.

“Blech…I swear, the first thing I’m doing once I’m better is teach Octavia how to brew a proper herbal tea.” he said to himself with a shutter.

Setting the cup down, he turned his attention back to his book. A few minutes later, while reading the effects of crossbreeding nightshade with medicinal herbs, (yep, I’m definitely trying this with mandrake) he coughed again.

Covering his mouth, he coughed more violently this time. Stolas stopped coughing when he felt something wet covering his hand. He looked at it, thinking it would just be phlegm. Instead, he was greeted by the sight of black.

(That’s not good.)

“Vassago” he called out weakly. There was no answer. He wasn’t loud enough. Stolas needed to get to him at once. Reaching for the cane, he shakily stood up before another, even more violent, coughing fit took over.

Thud...shatter

The owl collapsed, hitting his head against the corner of the nightstand, the force knocking the teacup off, shattering it against the floor.

He could do nothing but cough from his spot on the floor, black seeping through the hand covering his mouth. He felt like he was coughing up a lung. He couldn’t breathe.

“…ness...right?” He heard a familiar voice, unable to see who it was or respond as he hacked up more blood.

“Mil…Sago…Ry” he heard the voice say before he felt a gentle hand rub his back as he continued his coughing. “Hold …high…ming…”

*****

Millie and Moxxie were heading to their room to finish their romantic evening with what could only be described as a night of ‘passionate fornication’, as their host would put it. They were passing the prince's room when they heard a loud noise.

Thud...shatter

Fearing another assassination attempt, they whipped out their weapons, kicking the door fully open. The armed couple looked around, weapons drawn, when they spotted the prince sprawled on the floor, violently coughing.

‘Your highness! Are you alright?” Moxxie asked as he lowered his pistols, walking slowly to the downed owl so as not to startle him. As he inched closer, he noticed what looked like blood seeping out of the hand covering his beak.

‘sh*t!” He dropped his guns as he ran to the downed owl demon.

“Millie! Get Vassago! Hurry!” The male imp ordered, before his wife ran out the door, leaving the boys in the room. “Hold on your highness. Help’s coming.”

Millie ran all the way to the kitchen, where she saw the parrot not too long ago cutting the mandrake she helped gather earlier. Vassago looked up from his work as he saw Millie run up to him, panic in her eyes.

“Somethings wrong with Stolas!” was all she said, before he grabbed her. Turning into his feather form.

She was a little dizzy from the feather travel, but she faced worse. The female imp saw her husband hunched over the owl’s form, rubbing Stolas’ back as he gasped for air, black blood still coming out of his mouth.

“What happened?” the parrot demanded as he helped his vessel sit up. He’d been gone less than ten minutes and Stolas was fine when he left.

“We were heading back to our room when we heard a crash. We came in and found him like this, your highness.” Moxxie explained.

The parrot noticed the black coming from the owl’s mouth as well as the unusual heat radiating from his body. Stolas was a little warm when he was tending to his arm, but it seemed his temperature spiked in the few minutes he was gone. Vassago’s eyes widened at the symptoms. (Please don’t let it be what I think it is.)

“One of you, hand me the small cloth bag in the leftmost trunk. The other, get the round crimson bottle and lime green vial in the trunk next to it. Now!” he ordered as he picked up Stolas, laying him on the bed. He moved his pillow to the side before untying the owl’s robe.

Moxxie opened the left trunk, taking out the bag of mana stones while Millie went to the other trunk for the potions. The male imp handed the bag to Vassago, who dumped out the stones into his hand. Moxxie watched with concern as the parrot demon lined up the stones and then traced a path from groin to head with his fingers before following the same path with his hand.

Vassago’s eyes widened at his reading. He removed his hands and retraced the path again. He needed to be sure he was reading his mana correctly, hoping his first reading was wrong.

The hand stopped between the red and orange stones. Lower than where it was when he checked hours ago when Stolas first woke up.

His reading was correct.

“f*ck… 9%” he said gravely.

“N-nine? … but…i-it was eleven… that means…”? The owl asked horrified. He sat up, nearly falling over if not for the white-haired imp holding him steady.

“Easy there, your highness” Moxxie said gently.

I’m afraid so… mana poisoning.” He answered solemnly. “I’m sorry. We have no choice now. We’ll need to do a purification.”

(A purification? … No... No, not again.) The last time Vassago had to do one on him was when Via was five, after the Stella nearly killed him after he performed the black moon ritual. He couldn’t go through that again. Not again.

He grabbed his head. His heart was racing. He couldn’t breathe.

(Not again. Not again. Not again)

“Your highness?” Moxxie noticed the prince’s body trembling, the quickening of his breath and the look in his dilated eyes. He recognized the symptoms. A panic attack.

“Stolas? Calm down. Breathe Stolas” Vassago said trying to get his attention, looking at his friend with concern as he began hyperventilating.

(Not again. Not again. NOT AGAIN!)

Suddenly the white-haired imp was right in front of him, hands gently but firmly grabbing his shoulders.

“Your highness, focus on my voice. Tell me five things you see.” What a weird request. Stolas tried to listen.

“Come on. Tell me five things you see”. The imp ordered once more.

“Y-you…m-my blanket…a-a b-bookcase... d-door… V-vass-sago”

“Good. And four things you are touching” the imp kept talking.

“Y-you…m-my bed… my r-robe…m-my f-feathers”

“Good. Now three things you can hear.”

This was slowly calming the owl demon down. He wasn’t sure what was happening. But whatever it is, it’s working.

“My breathing… Y-you… something… moving?” He was talking about Millie, still rummaging through the trunk. There were a few red bottles, but which one was crimson, was it this one? Or is this one scarlet?

“Good. Now two things you can smell.”

“Incense and…pasta?” His breathing was nearly back to normal.

“Good and one thing you can taste.”

“Bad tea.” His breathing was normal now.

“What was that? How did you know how to do that?” Vassago asked. He’d never seen anything like that before.

“It’s a grounding technique for panic attacks. I get them sometimes. It helps pull you out of it.” Moxxie explained to the parrot.

“I’m sorry.” He turned back to the owl. “You shouldn’t have witnessed that.” The owl apologized, looking down embarrassed.

“Don’t apologize, your highness. These things suck. Believe me, I know” Moxxie replied.

Millie tugged on the parrot demons’ arm, getting his attention, holding up the potions, hoping she grabbed the right ones. He nodded thanks at her before taking them, making sure she grabbed the correct ones. Satisfied she did, he uncorked both before pouring some of the crimson potion into the green vial. Swirling it around until it turned into a neon orange color.

Then he brought the vial to the owl’s beak helping him drink the potion. “Here, this will help for the time being.” The parrot explained. Stolas knew he was right about the potion, having made it himself before.

It will only work for about twelve hours, enough time to set up the purification. Unfortunately, it won’t cure him or stop the symptoms, but it will slow the poison enough that he would at least survive until Vassago could perform the ritual.

“I’ll start setting up for the purification. It'll be ready by morning. We’ll do it then.” Vassago said, looking at his friend with regret. Stolas wouldn’t meet his gaze. He was too busy looking down at his hands, willing himself to not have another panic attack.

He didn’t blame the parrot for his diagnosis. Stolas knew Vassago did everything he could to prevent this from happening and knew his keeper didn’t want to do the ritual either, but this was the only way to cure mana poisoning.

“I’m sorry… I really am.” the parrot said sympathetically, placing a comforting hand on Stolas’ shoulder before walking over to the vanity. He grabbed Stolas’ grimoire, knocking the seahorse onto the floor in the process. They will need the book for what’s to come. The mandrake can wait. This was far more important.

“Is there anything we can do to help you, your highness?” Moxxie asked the owl. Whatever this thing was, it must be bad to cause a panic attack.

Stolas gave a sad, appreciative smile to the imps. He appreciated the offer, but there wasn’t really anything either of them could do to help him. But there is someone here that can. Someone he wanted, no, needed to speak to right now.

“Yes, I would like to speak to Loona for a moment. Could you please go get her?”

Chapter 25: Please Leave, But Stay With Me

Chapter Text

Loona knocked on the door to the owl’s bedroom. She got irritated when Moxxie and Millie came to her room, looking for her. She was even about to throw Moxxie out the window before they explained Stolas wanted to talk to her.

“Come in,” she heard him call out. She entered the room, almost gagging at the smell of incense. She saw the sick owl looking at her expectantly from his bed. A blanket draped over his lap and robe loosely tied around his waist.

“You wanted to see me?” she asked, trying to hide her nervousness. (Is this about what I did to the toaster? Does he even know about that?)

“Yes. I wanted to thank you. You have been a great friend to my daughter, helping her when I couldn’t. I am truly grateful for that” he said with a kind smile.

“Oh um. Sure, no problem”. She wasn’t sure how to respond to that.

“That said, I do have a favor to ask of you. Tomorrow, Vassago and I need to, um, perform…a ritual… of sorts.” The hellhound couldn’t help but notice the look the owl made when he said ‘ritual’. “And…”

“Wait,” she interrupted.” Are you even ok to do one of those?” she asked, smelling the sickness coming from him, taking note how ill he looked.

“Sigh… I’m afraid there’s no choice… That said, I don’t want Octavia anywhere near here for it. I want you to take her out somewhere for the entire day… until its done.” he asked.

“…Does Via know about this?” Loona asked suspiciously.

“No… And I would prefer she doesn’t.”

The hellhound thought for a moment. It must be bad if he doesn’t want his daughter here, but she deserved to know at least.

“Allright, I’ll take her out, but on one condition. You tell her what’s going on.” The owl looked at her in shock.

“…She doesn’t need to know,” he repeated.

“Maybe she doesn’t need to know about the specifics, but she should at least know that it’s happening. What’ll happen if she finds out you performed it and didn’t tell her? How’d you think she’ll feel?” the hell hound explained.

That got the owls’ attention. He wants to protect his daughter, but Loona was right. Via did deserve to know what was going to happen to him. And it would be better coming from him than someone else.

“Sigh…Very well…I’ll tell her. But make sure she stays away from here, at least until nighttime. And please… keep her safe.”

“Don’t worry, I will” Loona promised.

*****

Loona guided Octavia to her dad’s room, saying he wanted to talk to her about something important. “Hey dad, you wanted to see me?” she asked her father.

“Yes, my Starfire, come here,” she went to his bed, where he wrapped her in a hug.

“Dad? Are you ok?” Stolas pulled back, looking his daughter in the eye.

“Via darling… tomorrow I want you to hang out with Loona. Away from the palace.”

“Really, why?” That was a strange request.

“Oh, you know. To have fun, live life and not be cooped up…” he stopped rambling as he looked up. Via turned her head 180 degrees to see Loona glaring daggers at her father.

She turned her head back as he sighed in defeat. “I’m afraid…. tomorrow Vassago and I will … Sigh… do a purification.”

Her eyes widened “What? B-but you’re getting better. Vassago said…”

“I have mana poisoning.” He interrupted “It’s already so low; I will succumb to it if we don’t do this.” He explained.

“…How long have you known about this?” She was upset. She couldn’t believe Vassago lied to her, that her dad was keeping this from her. But then again, he just woke up today. “Was it before or after the movie?”

“We just found out.” Stolas explained, seeing his child’s distress.

(She thinks I was keeping this from her. She’s upset she wasn’t informed right away even though we just found out as well. I guess Loona was right. But now I’ve distressed her. Why is it no matter what I do, I keep hurting my child?)

Tears started forming in her eyes. She remembered his pain filled scream and the bandages that adorned his body the last time it happened.

‘I’m sorry Starfire, but this is the only way. I don’t want you to witness it, like last time. Go have fun, and when you return, I will be back on the path to recovery,” he forced a smile at her.

She pulled him into a hug. “…You really don’t want me here?” she asked.

“I do Starfire. I want you here with me, just… not for this…” He returned the hug, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill over.

“…ok I’ll go, but you better be ok when I get back”

“Of course, darling.” He had to be strong. He had to do this… for her.

*****

Blitz slowly woke up in a bed that he was not familiar with. (Where the f*ck am I?) Sitting up he glanced around, noticing a pile of his clothes and a duffle bag in the corner. He recognized this room now. It was the cozy guest room he was assigned. He usually only came in here to change his clothes, choosing to sleep in that awful chair in Stolas’ bedroom to keep vigil at night.

The last thing he remembered was watching a movie with everyone in the living room, with Stolas sleeping on his lap. (I must have dozed off. There weren’t any horses in that movie anyway, so I probably got bored watching it.)

Judging from the fact that his boots, jacket and gloves were off, laying on a nearby chair, he guessed someone just tucked him in, hoping he would sleep all night in that surprisingly comfy bed. His gun, phone and the Kama Sutra were on the nightstand next to him. His stomach growled. Well time to go food hunting. Grabbing his phone and gun, he left the room.

Making his way to the kitchen, he noticed a pot of spaghetti on some potholders with some forks and plates nearby. There was also a note next to the dishes that said chocolate covered strawberries were in the fridge.

He grabbed himself a plate of pasta for himself and a beer from the fridge. As he sat down at the table, he noticed a cutting board with a knife and a weird looking vegetable, looking like a deformed fetus, sliced into thirds. Its limb like roots were in a bowl nearby. (The hell is that thing? Are M&M making some sort of vegetable art or is that some sort of medicine for Stolas? Whatever it is, it’s ugly.)

Blitz ate his dinner in relative silence, avoiding looking at the creepy vegetable. “Where is everyone?” he asked himself. Surely there should have been at least one person down here, especially since it’s dinnertime. Once he finished his meal, he figured he would look around for everyone. It was too quiet for his liking.

Flipping off Eris, who was surprisingly quiet for some reason, he headed out of the kitchen, deciding he would check Stolas’ room first. As he made his way to the bedroom, he saw Loona standing in the doorway. She turned to the sound of his footsteps before shaking her head. He got the message: ‘Don’t come any closer’. (What’s going on? Did something happen to Stolas?)

“…You really don’t want me here?” he heard Via say. She sounded upset (Wait. Is Stolas sending her away? Why?)

“I do Starfire. I want you here with me, just… not for this…” (What’s he talking about? What’s happening?)

“…ok I’ll go, but you better be ok when I get back.”

“Of course, darling.” He heard Stolas say. (What’s going on?)

"Hey Via, why don’t we check out that party I told you about. I can help you pick out an outfit for tomorrow” Loona called from her spot.

“That’s an excellent idea. Just be wary of creeps. After all, we are rich and we’re hot. They all want us.” He heard the older owl say, as if trying to lighten the mood.

“…alright dad. Are you sure you’ll be ok?”

“I’ll manage. Go have fun. I promise… It’ll be ok.” Blitz heard the older owl reassure his child.

Blitz saw Octavia leave the bedroom with his daughter, heading toward the younger owl’s room. Once they were out of sight, he walked to the doorway, spotting the owl on his bed, his head held in his hands. Even from where he stood at the doorway, he could see Stolas’ beak quivering, like he was about to cry. (What’s wrong? What happened?)

He knocked on the door, to get the owls’ attention. As he looked up, Blitz noticed tears forming in his eyes. (Is it just me or does he look sicker than he did earlier?)

“Oh, Blitz… is there something you need?” the owl asked, quickly wiping his eyes. He didn’t want the imp to see him cry.

“Nah, just thought I’d check in on you. You, ok?” he asked, coming to the bed he noticed a bruise forming on the owl’s head, right above his top left eye. “The hell happened to your head?” (That’s not from my horns, is it? I don’t think he hit them that hard. Or on that side of his head.)

“Hmm?” the owl reached for his head, touching his injury, feeling a bump there. “Oh, I hit it on the nightstand.”

“How?”

“I got up to …”

“You shouldn’t try walking by yourself, dumbass. You’re still too weak for that.” Blitz interrupted annoyed. “Seriously? Am I going to have to tie you down to the bed?” he growled, threateningly, ready to grab the cuffs in the closet.

“It was an emergency” the owl argued.

“What kind of emergency?” he asked. Other than a broken teacup and a green stain, nothing looked out of the ordinary. So probably not another assassin (Maybe he had to go to the bathroom?) until he saw his plush on the floor and the grimoire missing.

“Where the f*ck’s the book?!!” he shouted, looking back at Stolas. He didn’t' notice the brief look of hurt on the owl’s face.

“Vassago has it. I…” he was cut off by a wave of violent coughing. Blitz rubbed his back, as he coughed, taking note of how warm the owl was. He was a lot warmer than he was during the movie.

Once he stopped, Blitz's eyes widened when he saw a black wetness in the owl’s hand. (Is he coughing up blood? sh*t!!!)

“Hang on, I’ll get Vas..." he turned but was stopped when Stolas grabbed his shoulder.

“He knows.” Stolas figured he might as well explain to Blitz what’s happening. Everyone else seems to know.

“Sigh…I have mana poisoning. We just found out.” The imp’s eyes widened. Didn’t Vassago say that you could die from that?

“Where the f*ck’s Vas? Why isn’t he here trying to cure you?” the imp asked angrily. It was the parrots job to make Stolas better, wasn’t it?

“In the observatory…preparing for a… a purification” the owl finished looking like he would burst into tears. (Is that why Via’s leaving?)

He pulled the distressed owl into a tight hug, rubbing his back in comfort, not really knowing what else to do. He felt the trembling owl return it. Whatever, this thing is, it’s clearly upsetting the owl.

“When’s it happening?”

“M-morning” his voice was cracking. (sh*t, He’s gonna cry. It must be bad.)

“Anything I can do?” the imp offered. He didn’t really know what he could do, but he felt he needed to do something for Stolas.

“…cuddles?” He heard the owl ask over his shoulder.

“Sure, Stols whatever you want.” That he can do.

They laid down on the bed. Neither of them said anything as Blitz held the owl, stroking the feathered head that lay on his chest, being mindful of the bruise.

(He’s only doing this because I asked for it. He doesn’t care for me. Afterall, he was more concerned about my grimoire missing. He probably just doesn’t want me to die because he would lose access to it if I’m gone. That’s why he’s still here, isn’t it? For my grimoire.)

Blitz didn’t like how quiet the owl was, nor the face he was making. He had to do something, but what? He didn’t think Stolas would be interested in watching horse videos on his phone and the imp didn’t have the attention span to read a book to the owl, especially if it has big words in it. They could try talking. Maybe that would help?

(What would we even talk about? We don’t do words, we do sex. And right now, that’s off the table… I guess I could just ask him something and we can go from there. Now what to ask him? I could ask about the prophecy, but that might upset him. Make him think of his purification thing. Maybe I should start with something small and work my way up.)

Looking around the room, he spotted the seahorse on the floor. That could work. “So, got any names for your seahorse yet?” Blitz asked.

“Um, no?”

“Well, its gotta have a name. I name all my horses. It’s only fair that you name it. Come on, you can think of something. Otherwise, I’m gonna name it and I doubt you’d like what I’d come up with.” Blitz has already thought of several names for it. His favorites so far were Baby popper and Duct tape.

“I don’t know… Seabiscuit, I guess” the owl replied.

“Seabiscuit the seahorse. Hm…catchy.” The imp heard the owl snort in amusem*nt at that. Ok, off to a good start. What next? There has been something nagging the imp for a few hours. He figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask.

“So, what’s going on with you and that red bastard?”

“…who?” (Is he talking about Moxxie?)

“Vassago. What’s going on between you two?” Blitz clarified.

“Um…he’s my keeper?” Stolas looked up at him confused.

"I know that. But like, are you friends, cousins… something else?”

“He’s my best friend.” Stolas replied, much to the imp’s relief. (Oh, thank Satan! They’re not f*cking. Wait... they are notf*cking…right?)

“So… just friends, right? You guys never f*cked or…?”

“What!... No!” Stolas looked up at the imp in shock. (Where’s this coming from? Is he jealous? Of Vassago???) “You’re the only one I want to f*ck. Especially with your big, red di…” Stolas started mischievously.

“Alright, alright. Enough of that, you horny owl” Blitz interrupted seeing what he was doing. “No dirty talking until I can actually f*ck you, got it?”

“Awe, you’re no fun Blitzy” Stolas fake pouted, causing the two to chuckle.

See, they can communicate with each other…just not very well.

“You hardly call me that anymore… why?” he asked. He really needed to know what he did to make the owl stop calling him that.

“I… you hate it when I call you that. So, I ‘ve been trying to stop… since it bothers you so much. I guess it just slipped out. Sorry, Blitz” the owl answered. That surprised the imp. (That’s why? To spare my feelings? I thought it was because he was upset with me for something.)

“I… don’t hate it. Only when you say it in some perverted, condescending way. Especially in public. You can still call me that… if you want” He responded.

“Alright… Blitzy.” the imp smiled down at the owl with that.

(Hah! This talking thing’s easy! What else can we talk about?)

His thought was cut short when Stolas coughed again. Some of his blood ended up on the imps shirt. Blitz rubbed his back until his coughing stopped, leaving the owl to curl up further into himself, whimpering in pain.

“You ok?” Blitz asked.

“I…I’ll manage... sorry about your shirt” Stolas said as he settled back down.

“Don’t worry about it. I’m used to washing out bloodstains. It comes with the job.” Blitz started stroking his head again. The look on Stolas’ face was coming back.

(Ok, just keep talking. Don’t want him to think about that. What else is there? Wait, we both have daughters! That’s something we can talk about for a while.)

“So, sounds like our girls are going to a party tomorrow? That should be fun” the owl hummed in agreement.

“Don’t worry. Looney will take good care of Via. Plus, it sounds like they’re going to one of Beelzebub’s parties. She and her boyfriend, Vortex, are friends with Loona so they’ll watch out for her as well.”

“Will you and the others be going as well? It sounds like it could be fun.” Stolas asked.

“Nah, I’m good. The girls might think I’m ‘cramping their style’ if a grown up is with them,” Blitz joked with air quotes.

“So… what do you plan to do tomorrow then?”

“Pfft… I dunno. I’ll find something to do here. Maybe I’ll water your plants… except Eris. I don’t care what you say, I know she wants to eat me.” Blitz felt the bird in his arms tense, but figured he offended him with his Eris comment.

“Y-you don’t have to do that, Blitzy. My plants will be fine. Really. Go out... after all you’ve done for me and my daughter, you all could use a break away from here” Blitz looked down at the owl questioningly. Stolas was hoping the dense imp would get the hint.

“You can unclench your birdpuss, Stols. I won’t kill your plants. And Millie will take care of Eris. She likes her, afterall. And I’m sure Mox will…”

“I don’t want any of you here.” Stolas blurted out since the imp was not getting the hint. Blitz’s eyes widened. (What? He… he doesn’t want me anymore? I -I thought…)

“Not for this, please.” The owl interrupted his thoughts. “You can come back after the ritual…only if you want to that is … but please …I don’t want you here for this. Not for this.”

“Is this about the prophecy thing? Cuz I …” Stolas sat up, so he could look the imp in the eye.

“No Blitz” he interrupted. “I don’t want anyone but my keeper for this” seeing the look of hurt on the imp he tried to explain himself before the imp got mad.

‘It’s not anything you did, but… it’s bad…. Very bad.”

“Worse than that thing you did for a month?” the imp asked, getting a nod from the owl.

“Very. Via witnessed a little of it when she was small, and it traumatized her. I know she still has nightmares from it. I had a panic attack earlier just thinking about it. If not for Moxxie, it could have gotten worse” (Wait, Moxxie was here? What the hell was he doing in here?)

“I don’t want you to see me go through it. I don’t want you to hear what’s happening to me. I don’t want you here for any of it. So please... You said you and Fizz are friends again, right? Maybe go visit him or, um, do an assassination. Anything you want. But please be anywhere but here.” the owl pleaded.

Blitz was going to argue until he saw the look in Stolas’ eyes. He wanted to be here for the owl, but if it’s that bad that he doesn’t want him to, then he will respect his wishes… for now.

“Sigh…How long exactly is this thing gonna last?”

“Several hours.” (Well, at least it won’t last a month this time).

“Fine. I’ll go,” he reluctantly agreed, sounding annoyed as he said it. “But this better be the only time you send me away. Got it?”

The owl nodded. He glared at the owl.

“I said got it?” he said threateningly. He wanted a verbal response from the owl.

“Yes, Blitzy.”

“Good.”

He glanced at the clock. It was 11:23pm.

“It’s getting late. You should try to get some sleep.” Removing himself from the owl, he got up to turn off the lights.

“Please stay” Stolas begged. The imp stopped in his tracks, turning to the owl, seeing the pleading look in his eyes. That tone, that request, that look. It was the very same the owl gave to the tiny moon in his vision.

“I ain’t leaving, ya big egg. Just turning off the lights.” He turned them off before returning to bed. He pulled the blanket over them both before pulling the owl closer to him. As Stolas coughed once again, Blitz said a silent prayer that whatever this purification thing was worked and Stolas would finally recover.

Chapter 26: A Keepers Friend

Chapter Text

Vassago had finished etching the floor in the observatory with chalk. The pattern was seven rings, all etched in runes. The outermost ring was the largest and as the rings got closer to the center, they became smaller.

A red ornate box sat off to the side of the observatory. He made sure before the super blue blood moon ritual last month that everything was in place should he need to do purification ritual. After the last assassination attempt, he placed a ward on the box, and has been checking the sealed container at least daily to make sure nothing had been tampered with.

He sighed to himself as he looked at the pattern on the floor. He really did not want to do this again. Not to Stolas. The owl had always been a good friend to the parrot, ever since they first met.

~FLASHBACK~

Seventeen years ago…

“Your argument is preposterous Vassago” the parrot glared over to Andrealphus. “If we allow the imps even the slightest bit of leverage, they will think they are above us.”

“I am not saying we should give them a position on the council, I am simply saying that we should give them some more basic rights. Access to better jobs in the community. As doctors, teachers, businessmen, that sort of thing.” The parrot argued back.

“Puh-lease. Give them a little and they will demand more and more until they try to overthrow us.” Andrealphus argued, getting a few murmurs in agreement from the other Goetia present.

“I for one agree with Vassago.” The Parrot turned to see who spoke. He saw an owl demon, no older than twenty, just a few years younger than himself. Stolas was his name, if he remembered correctly. He just made his debut in court not too long ago.

“If you recall throughout the mortal realm’s history, in some of the greatest civilizations, the lower castes revolted, destroyed the hierarchy and reshaped the world. All because of how they were treated by those of power. We may have kept things the way they are this long, but with the advancement of angelic weaponry, it would only be a matter of time before the lower borne demons revolt against us as well.” That got the attention of some of the council members.

“I say give the imps more rights, access to the mortal world thought legitimate means and let them own legitimate businesses. That sort of thing. It would placate them without disrupting the status quo too much.” Stolas argued gaining murmurs of agreement from the other Goetia and a scowl from Vassago’s rival.

*****

After the meeting…

“Stolas, right? Do you have a moment?” the owl turned his head 180 degrees to see who was calling out to him, spotting a red parrot Goetia. Vassago, if he remembered correctly.

“I was surprised that you would agree with me on this matter. Not many view the lower caste as more than just tools to use.” The parrot said catching up to the owl.

“I have known lower born who are better people than some of the nobles around here. Yet they are treated like scum while we live in luxury. It’s not right. However, that argument would not work with most around here, so you have to word it in a way to get the others to agree with you.” The owl said as they continued their walk. He did not notice the glow of the parrots eyes behind his visor, or if he did, he didn’t say anything.

Vassago had a gift for judging a person’s heart by using his magic to read their aura. And Stolas’s aura showed that he had a heart much larger than any other Goetia he had ever seen. Maybe he was different after all.

“I feel the same way. You know, I’m beginning to like you. I would be honored if you would join me for tea sometime” the parrot offered. Very rarely did he meet another Goetia that shared his perspective on these types of things.

The next day, Stolas came over for a visit. Vassago learned that he was in an arranged marriage to his rival’s sister, although he shared no love for his bride. He had a newly hatched daughter that he showed photos of on his phone. He obviously loved the child judging by the way he was gushing over her (To Vassago, she looked kind of ugly, but he thought that of all newborns). The birds had quite a few common interests and similar hobbies. They had such a wonderful time that they decided to meet the following week at Stolas’ palace.

*****

The following Tuesday…

When Vassago came over, a small imp butler greeted him. While being guided to his destination, the parrot was amazed by the sheer number of carnivorous plants and not just in the greenhouse. Upon entering said greenhouse, he heard a child crying and what could only be described as the shrieking of a banshee.

“You helped make this ugly thing, so you deal with it!” he heard the banshee shriek. Turning the corner he nearly ran into a female Goetia. Stolas’ wife, Stella, from what he could guess. She gave him a surprised look at his presence, before turning it into a look of disgust, before storming out.

Rounding the corner, he found Stolas sitting on a patio chair, gently cooing and bouncing a hatchling, whose crying turned to soft whimpers.

“Is this a bad time?” The parrot asked cautiously, causing the owl to look up. “Oh Vassago! I apologize, I lost track of time. Please join me. I’d like you to meet my little Starfire, Octavia.” The owl greeted him with a smile, holding up his child. She was featherless and her eyes were still closed, but she seemed like a happy baby in her father’s arms.

“Pleased to meet you, little one”, he played along, letting the owlet grab his finger and gently moving it as if they were shaking hands, causing the baby to let out a happy chirp.

“I ran into your wife. She seems like a …” the parrot trailed off, not sure the appropriate way to finish that sentence

“I think the words you are looking for is a screaming bitch with no taste in fashion?” The owl helped his friend. Little Via giggled as if agreeing with her daddy. That caused the parrot to chuckle.

Stolas, with the owlet in his arms, gave a tour of the greenhouse. The parrot was a little worried that a young child was near so many dangerous plants, but the owl demon reassured his friend not to worry. “She’s perfectly safe. She’s got daddy to protect her! Don’t you, my little Starfire?” Via chirped as if saying she agrees.

Vassago liked this owl. He had a feeling they would become good friends.

*****

Fourteen years ago…

It had been a few years since they first met. Stolas soon became his best friend. They would hang out often and have each other’s back whenever they had to appear in council meetings or Goetia gatherings.

So, it was no surprise when the council decided Vassago was to perform a rare super flower blood moon ritual, that he asked Stolas to be his keeper.

Nor was it a surprise to anyone when Stolas agreed with no hesitation.

*****

Two weeks into the super flower blood moon ritual…

Stolas had noticed the wards were breaking when he went to check on them. Unsealing the door to Vassago’s observatory, he rushed in. The feeling of pure raw magic burning his skin. He could see Vassago, in his Eldrich form, crying out in pain, the magic was too much for him to handle alone.

Stolas took out his grimoire, flipping through the pages, until he found the correct spell. Muttering it, the grimoire levitated on its own, releasing a black energy from it. Next, he whipped out a mithril knife with a moonstone hilt and stabbed both hands clean through before turning to his Eldrich form. He held up one claw in the air and the other to Vassago.

Channeling the magic around him, he helped absorb some magic from the room and taking some from Vassago. He could feel the pain burning through him. He was not marked with glyphs to protect himself, nor would he be able to cross the barriers just yet, but he could still help his vessel.

It was just enough though, as Vassago started to return to his normal form. Once the crystal ball was visible, Stolas turned both his hands to the sphere, focusing the rest of the magic into it. He watched the clear quartz fill with galaxies, storing prophecies for deciphering, as Vassago struggled to remove the dagger from his body. Once the magic was sealed, an exhausted, magically burnt Stolas returned to his normal form before gathered his friend taking him to his bedroom to recover from this ordeal.

*****

A day later…

“Ugh… wha… happened?” vassago asked waking up blearily. “You performed the super flower blood moon ritual. I’m afraid I had to intervene. How are you feeling?

Vassago looked to the sound of the voice near him. His eyes widened as he saw his friend. He had bandages covering both hands and arms, a burn was going down from his right cheek down to his neck. “S-stolas wha…”

“The wards were breaking. I didn’t have enough time to cover myself with any glyphs” the parrot felt guilty that his friend got hurt.

“I’m sor…” He tried to apologize but was interrupted.

“Don’t apologize. How are you feeling?” Stolas asked, he was more concerned about his friend than himself.

Thanks to the owl’s knowledge of magic and medicine, they both were able to make a full recovery in a few days’ time.

*****

Ten years ago…

“What the f*ck were you thinking?” Stolas chewed out his friend. He was dangling upside down, arms wrapped around his body by the tendrils of a large, beige plant with large crimson thorns. A Sanguine Vine. Stolas had given it to the parrot for Sinsmas a few months ago while it was still small. Vassago had called him earlier that morning about it acting strangely and needed Stolas’ expertise on carnivorous plants to get it to tame up.

The owl thought maybe there was something wrong with the food or the lighting. Something easily fixable. What he was not expecting was that his friend decided it would be a good idea to mix an aphrodisiac in its water source for a week. So now here they were, trapped in the grip of a deadly, horny plant.

“I thought it would just make it livelier. I didn’t think it would try to vore us.” The parrot defended himself from where he too was restrained by the plant, spread eagle style in the air, wincing as a thorn dug into his upper thigh, releasing a flow of blood. The thing about Sanguine Vine’s is they get their food by bleeding its prey dry.

“Livelier? It’s trying to (HOOT)!” He was interrupted when a vine started to rub on his cloaca through his pants.

“I swear, once we get out of this, I’m never going to let you live this down.” Stolas threatened, a blush forming on his face. Looking around for something they could use, he saw some hedge trimmers about twenty feet away from Vassago.

“Vassago can you…(HOOT) will you cut that out!” he was interrupted by the vine holding him hostage getting a little friskier from its spot between his legs “… grab those trimmers behind you?” he managed to ask his friend.

“I think so.” Vassago squirmed until one of his hands was free from the vine’s grasp, only for it to tighten on the rest of his body, a tendril slipping under his shirt. Using some magic, he conjured the blades and had them cut the tendril holding him up. Once freed, he used them to cut down Stolas.

The now freed owl conjured a spell he used when one of his own plants got way of hand, even for him. With the spell, he was able to destroy the plant from within, giving it a quick, relatively painless death.

“Never do that again.” The owl warned his friend with a stern look.

“Agreed” Vassago said, kneeling as he went to inspect the wound on his thigh. Stolas walked closer to check his friend’s injury, when one of the vines spasmed with a little life, tripping Stolas, causing him to fall on top of his friend…their beaks met.

The pair quickly pulled away, covering their mouths with a blush. Vassago didn’t need to read Stolas’ aura to know what his friend was thinking. He could practically see it in his eyes. It was the look that said: ‘Yep…I’m definitely gay.’

*****

Six years ago…

They were at another one of Andrealphus’ stupid parties. Vassago and Stolas hated them. It was too cold; the alcohol disgusting and their host was a dick.

At this party though, Andrealphus unveiled his newest, most prized possession: a large wine fountain. It was three tiered with a large base. Four busts of the hosts head were on the base and at the top was a statue of Andrealphus, posing like the Statue of David. The entire thing was made of ice. Stolas and Vassago were standing in front of the gaudy fountain, judging it.

“I can’t tell which is uglier. Our host or the fountain” Vassago joked.

“I hear you. At least you’re not related to them by marriage” Stolas muttered glaring at his wife, who was loudly telling nearby Goetia how bad in bed her husband was.

“How much do you want to bet that the wine tastes like swill? I doubt its strong enough to forget this night anyway.” the parrot asked looking at the flowing red wine.

“Actually, I got something that will help us have a better time,” Stolas looked around discreetly before pulling out two vials of a champagne colored, bubbling liquid.

“It’s a concoction I’ve been working on. Just this little amount will be like drinking a full bottle of absinthe. Hopefully… otherwise, it’ll just make us sick enough that we would need to leave. So, either way, it’s a win-win.” he explained, uncorking the vials, about to hand one to his friend.

“Gentlemen” a voice caused them to turn around, Stolas quickly hiding the vials behind his back. turning around, they were greeted by the sight of their host. “I see you admiring my fountain. It is a work of art if I do say so myself. Although it is not nearly as perfect as me, of course.” Andrealphus bragged, causing the other two to roll their eyes. “Such a shame you don’t have anything like this, Stolas. Wouldn’t my sister look great on top of a fountain in your palace?”

“She would look better, standing in one, in my opinion.” Stolas muttered. Vassago forced himself to hold back a chuckle at the thought of Stella, standing soaked in a fountain, makeup smeared, and expensive dress ruined.

“Andrealphus!” Someone called the host away, causing Stolas to sigh in relief.

“I think I…uh oh!” His eyes widened, pupils dilating as he pulled the now empty vials from behind his back. Looking down, the pair did not see any of the liquid on the floor or on fountain. That meant it could only be in one location…the wine.

Hiding the vials back in Stolas' pocket, the pair decided to walk over to a nearby wall pretending to be looking at the awful décor for a while before the host got everyone’s attention. They pretended to listen to his speech, watching as the servants collected wine from the fountain before handing it out to the guests. The pair made the toast and pretended to take a sip of that tainted wine, noticing with some enjoyment that other Goetia had a disgusted face at the flavor. Andrealphus and Stella did not have good taste in alcohol.

While no one was looking, Vassago and Stolas dumped their drink in one of the many fake plants that decorated the room before opening a very small portal to the owl’s home to toss the vials back in Stolas’ office. Had to hide the evidence, of course.

The pair watched in amusem*nt as Stella and her brother, along with a several other nobles they did not like, went back for more wine, quickly becoming drunk and making fools of themselves.

Stella tried flirting with the ice statue on top of the fountain before berating it for not flirting back. Meanwhile Anrealphus decided it would be a good idea to take off his clothes and go for a swim in the wine.

Everyone thought that maybe the wine was just too strong, and since they saw both Stolas and Vassago ‘drink’ the wine during the toast, no one suspected foul play. Needless to say, that was probably the best party they ever went to.

*****

Fifteen months ago...

Last night was Stella’s ‘Still Not Divorced’ party. Apparently, Stolas didn’t know about it until the day of either. Vassago felt bad he couldn’t attend, not because he wanted to go to one of Stella’s drab parties, but because Stolas had to endure it by himself. Well, at least today should be fun.

He and Stolas had made plans to go to the mortal world (in human disguises, of course) and go to The Millenium Planetarium, (a new planetarium said to be the largest, most scientifically accurate planetarium in the world) to make fun of the astrological inaccuracies shown, and then try a new restaurant that sells fusion food (neither one had any idea what that is)

Vassago portaled himself outside of Stolas’ greenhouse. After nearly twenty years of friendship, he didn’t need permission to enter the premises. Stolas should be here any moment.

Suddenly he heard a crash nearby. He feather traveled near the noise, hoping Stella wasn’t throwing things at Stolas again.

“Sorry, I f*cked your husband.” He heard a male voice say. Hidden behind a topiary, he spotted Stella and her ‘friends’ splattered with what looked like cake. Running away from the table appeared to be a tall imp holding a thick book.

“WHAT THE f*ck WAS THAT, STOLAS!!!” Uh oh. The banshee’s angry.

“That… was the sound… of a f*ckING DIVORCE!!” Vassago heard Stolas yell before laughing maniacally.

So, from what he gathered... Stolas got laid, Stella got humiliated, and they were finally getting a divorce. Sounds like the start to a great day for his friend.

*****

Nine months ago…

In the next few months, Vassago learned a little bit about Stolas’ mysterious paramour. The imp, named Blitz, is an assassin and owns his own business. Apparently, he was Stolas’ first friend and they reunited at the ‘Still Not Divorced’ party. They had a night of ‘passionate fornication’, where Stolas revealed way too much information (not that Vassago has not done the same before about his sex club nights). After that night, they continued to meet at least once a month for a night of ‘passionate fornication’ (it must be good if Stolas can’t just say sex).

He didn’t need to read his aura to know that the love this owl felt for the imp was great. Any time he heard the owl talk of Blitz (or Blitzy as the owl called), he could almost see his pupils turning into hearts.

“This is by far the best picture of us together.” Stolas practically shoved his phone into the parrots face. In it, he saw Stolas look so happy posing for the camera while the imp looked disinterested. Strange. For someone who is in love he didn’t seem happy. In fact, he seemed rather annoyed.

“Does he normally pose like this?” the parrot asked suspiciously.

“Oh, well… Blitzy doesn’t really like his picture taken. I had to practically beg him to be in one with me”. the owl explained before prattling on and on about his lover. (Ah. So, he’s just not photogenic, that’s all. Good… I was worried that maybe he didn’t like Stolas)

He was happy for his friend. It was about time he got to experience true romantic love.

*****

6 months ago…

“Vassago it’s happening! Blitzy asked me out on a date! A real date! I’m meeting him in a few minutes. I am so excited! I’ll tell you all about it when it’s all over. Oohhh should I wear the purple outfit or the blue one? Or maybe the black one? What about a cape? I’m thinking about putting a grey streak in my head feathers. Wouldn’t that look amazing? Or is that too much.”

Vassago had to process what Stolas was saying. His friend had called him just a moment ago. He sounded so excited.

From what Stolas has been telling him, he would be the one to reach out to the imp if he wanted to do something. Stolas always made excuses saying the imp is busy with his business or something. Vassago really wanted to believe that. Afterall, it’s still hard for imps to run their own business. It was nice that the imp finally made the first move.

“Go with that purple outfit. And wear the red cape, it brings out your eyes. If you want, you can borrow one of my glasses to go with your outfit. I’m thinking the red sunglasses I showed you last week would be stunning on you.” He gave his fashion advice. Stolas went with his outfit opinion, save for the offered glasses.

The parrot eagerly awaited to hear how his romantic date went. He was so excited for his friend. The only other romantic relationship he’s ever had was with Stella and there wasn’t much romance to begin with. When he and Stolas ‘kissed’ all those years ago, they decided it’s best to just remain friends rather than pursue anything romantic. They didn’t want to ruin what they had.

He hoped that this Blitz fellow would be the one to finally give his friend the romcom romance he always wanted. If anyone deserved it, it was Stolas.

*****

Four months ago…

Somethings changed. He noticed it when he heard Stolas talk about his failed date at Ozzie’s.

Stolas revealed not long after that what he and the imp had was something transactional, though he would not divulge what the terms of the deal were, only that the owl was the one who initiated their agreement. However, he was so confident that after all this time, Blitz really did love him.

It was only after he went to visit Stolas at the hospital after his assassination attempt did he read his aura. He just had to. His friend looked so upset whenever he glanced at his phone, looking at a text from Blitz. After reading his aura, he understood why.

His heart was breaking.

“Stolas what happened?” the parrot asked his injured friend. He wasn’t necessarily asking about his injuries, but the owl didn’t pick up on that.

“Stella… hired an assassin on me, wanting me to die a slow, painful death. She called it off last minute, for whatever reason…Striker, he…he was going to continue torturing me. He was about to cut out my eyes… if it weren’t for Moxxie and Millie, Blitz’s employees… I would be much worse off than this.” He said sadly.

Vassago’s eyes widened in shock. Not because of what Stella did (He knew full well what she could do after the black moon ritual) nor about the assassin torturing his friend, but what he said about his rescuers.

“His employees? Not Blitz??” The owl shook his head.

“He… he was busy… he told me so when I called him for help.” The parrot couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Stolas was in danger and called for help? And was told by his lover that he was ‘too busy’ to save him?

“H-he sent me a get-well text though” the owl said with a sad smile, showing his friend the text.

<Blitzy to Stolas> 5/ 23 17:49 pm :Git bevver swoon :( :

The spelling was atrocious, and it seemed he only texted once, several days ago, not even replying when Stolas asked him to visit. He couldn’t help but look up at the previous texts. Where Stolas would leave long, meaningful texts, the imp would only leave short dismissive replies.

“Has he visited yet?”

Vassago could see tears forming in Stolas’ eyes. That was all the answer he needed. He pulled Stolas into a hug, letting his friend cry his heart out.

It was obvious Stolas was in pain, and not just from his wounds. His friend had been in a dark place for years (Vassago was well aware of his depression, since the first time he became Stolas’ keeper) and he hated seeing him fall deeper into that into that pit of despair.

As Stolas cried from his broken heart, Vassago started hating the imp with all of his.

*****

Three weeks before the super blue blood moon ritual…

“I’ve come to a decision Vassago. About Blitz” he told the parrot before taking a drink of absinthe.

“Oh?” Vassago asked.

They were on the balcony of Vassago’s home, drinking absinthe together. After the council’s decision tonight, Stolas could use a drink. And since the palace is empty since its Stella’s week, Vassago thought it best to invite his friend here so he wouldn’t be alone.

The council had chosen Stolas as the one to perform the very rare and highly dangerous super blue blood moon ritual, despite the fact that he hasn’t fully recovered from his injuries yet.

“I have decided to end our arrangement. I have been working on how to end it on good terms. I hope that with both of us free, he will want me for me and not my…well I hope I will be enough and if I’m not… I wish him the best” the owl said sadly, his mascara running as he struggled to hold the tears.

Vassago hated that. He wanted his friend to be happy and it was clear that although his friend’s heart was broken, he was still clinging to the slim hope that Blitz would return his feelings. He put a comforting hand on his shoulder, receiving an appreciative smile from the owl.

“When are you going to do it?”

“After the ritual… I still can’t believe that the council chose me for this.” The owl replied, taking a drink from his bottle. They both knew the reason why he was chosen.

Andrealphus had swayed the council to choose Stolas for the ritual. Not only was the owl one of, if not the best, prophet born in millennia, but after the rumors, divorce and failed assassination attempt, this was to prove that he was still worthy of his title and rank. “I trust you to be my keeper for this?” He turned to his friend.

“Of course, my friend, always” they clanked their bottles together before taking another drink.

*****

A few nights ago…

Vassago just finished cleaning the observatory. He didn’t want Octavia to see anything. Besides, on the chance he would need to do a purification ritual, he wanted the room to be cleared so he would have enough time to set it up.

As he was heading back to the bedroom, he heard a noise from the living room, turning he saw Octavia and a hellhound watching a movie, eating pizza. He recognized the hellhound from the photo of I.M.P. Stolas showed him.

“Oh, hi Vassago, this is Loona, Blitz’s daughter. Blitz is with dad now. He wanted me to take a break. Also, they brought pizza for dinner. It’s in the kitchen.” Via spoke up as she saw him. The hellhound gave him a smile and a wave from her position on the couch next to her. Vassago checked her aura as he gave a smile and a kind acknowledgement to the hellhound.

She seemed fine. In fact, she seemed to care for the owl the same protective way he cared for Stolas. Speaking of Stolas…

“Nice to meet you, Loona. If you’ll excuse me, I need to check on Stolas.” he said before heading up to the bedroom. It was true, he needed to check on Stolas’ mana and wounds. But, to be honest, he wasn’t sure if he should trust the imp. Not after the way he’s treated Stolas. The only reason he gave permission for him to visit was because Octavia believed Stolas would want that. As he was about to open the door, he heard the imp’s voice.

“I visited you… At the hospital. Well, kinda… They wouldn’t let me in your room, so I climbed up to your window at night. It was easier that way. You were asleep. Or at least I think you were. I could have unlocked the window and come in. But I just… couldn’t. I couldn’t face you after I failed you.” (He visited Stolas? Why didn’t say anything?)

“You must understand, Loona needed her shot, and I thought you could handle it…I’m sorry… I should have been there for you. I screwed up, I know. I always do. But please… Wake up already dammit. Come on Stols. Don’t make me say it. I...” He heard enough and entered the room.

He would check how the imp behaved as he checked Stolas, noticing his expressions of concern (and jealousy?). When he was offered a night to rest, he checked the imp’s aura first. To his surprise, the imps aura was almost like Stolas, full of love for the other, but also full of heartbreak.

He really does care for the owl! So why was he pushing him away?

When Blitz asked his final question that night, he figured that the imp deserved to know how Stolas felt. At least some of it, anyway.

“Stolas cares for and trusts you. He told me himself. There are very few he can truly trust and care about. You and your employees are amongst those few. But you, in particular, are very important to him. He’s always thought very highly of you, you know.”

~FLASHBACK ENDS~

Vassago finished drawing the final ward on the wall. He turned around and looked back at his work. The rings on the floor were undisturbed. Only now there were other things in and outside of the rings as well.

On each ring, there were four unlit candles on stands made of brimstone. Outside each ring were seven, large chakra crystals. Outside the outermost ring were red jasper crystals, then between the outermost and the next ring were orange calcite. Following that were citrine, aventurine, turquoise, sodalite, and finally, clear quartz. Inside the inner ring was empty. That will be for Stolas and the grimoires.

The parrot went around the room, making sure that everything was ready and prepared. Looking up to the sky through the glass ceiling, he could see the stars fading, the sky lighting with a sunrise. It was nearly morning. Soon, he will need to collect Stolas to do the dreaded ritual. Vassago felt guilty for having to go through with it.

His friend was nearly assassinated under his care, and now he’s suffering from mana poisoning. He knew none of those were his fault but still, he felt like a failure of a keeper for not being able to protect his friend from all the misfortune that had befallen him.

At least I.M.P. was here to help. They’ve been great friends and allies to the Goetia and have helped take care of Octavia and Stolas when he couldn’t.

And Blitz…he wouldn’t lie when he said he was happy with the level of devotion he held for the owl, even if he couldn’t really see whatever Stolas saw in him. He hoped the couple could work out their differences, but he couldn’t forgive Blitz for the way he treated Stolas just yet.

And if that imp broke his friend’s heart one more time, then he would make sure Blitz never hurt Stolas ever again.

Chapter 27: The Night Before

Chapter Text

Blitz opened his eyes as he heard another cough next to him. Stolas had rolled on his side, away from the imp hacking up more blood. Blitz glanced at the time on the clock. 1:47 am. It was about seven minutes since his last coughing fit.

“You ok there?” He tiredly asked after Stolas finally stopped coughing. It was getting worse.

“Ugh… I feel… worse than the time…. we did shots of... arsenic.” He replied in a hoarse, quiet voice between ragged breaths. He shakenly wiped the blood from his beak.

“Um… I’ve never done that with you, Stols.” the imp replied, confused as to why the owl would be taking shots of poison.

“You didn’t? Oh… who was that with?” the owl asked confused before convulsing in pain.

The imp reached over to rub his back, taking note of his temperature.

“Damn, you’re hot.”

“You…’re not s-so b-bad looking y-yourself… B-blitzy” the sick owl joked between convulsions.

“You know what I mean, smartass.” He grumbled as he ripped the blanket off the sick owl, causing him to shiver from the sudden cold, then went to untie his robe.

“Blitzy… I don’t wanna do sex.” Stolas whined. The imp never thought he would hear those words come out of Stolas’ mouth.

“I’m not…we’re not doing that, you perv! You’re burning up. Gonna try to cool you down.” He explained as he removed the robe, trying to avoid hurting the owl’s left arm. Soon, Stolas was laying on his side, naked, curled up into a ball, shivering.

Stolas felt a sudden dip of the bed and the sound of hooves running away. Blitz was leaving. Stolas closed his eyes at the sudden realization that he was alone now.

(He left. I figured he’d do that sooner or later.)

His thoughts were disrupted as he heard what sounded like hooves coming back to him before feeling someone shake his shoulder. Looking up with dim eyes, he was surprised what he saw.

Blitz was there right in front of him. He came back.

“You’re back?”

“I said I wasn’t leaving, ya big egg. Drink this.” He helped the owl sit up before bringing a glass of water up to the owl’s beak. It was just regular water. No herbs or crystals in it. Blitz didn’t know what (or if anything) would work for the owl at this point.

“Thank you.”

Stolas laid back down, closing his eyes in exhaustion, when he felt something cold and wet on his forehead. He went to touch whatever was on his head before the imp grabbed his hand, pulling it back down.

“Leave it. We need to bring your fever down. I may need to give you an ice bath if it doesn’t get better.” the imp warned.

“Won’t work…groan... Not sick” Stolas managed to get out before being racked by another coughing fit.

“Your brain must be fried. You are sick.” The imp retorted.

“Won’t cough, cough…work” Stolas reiterated between coughs.

“Quit arguing. It will work. Cold baths bring down fevers.” Why was the bird being so difficult?

“M-mana poison… magic malady…not, ngh, physical. Cold won’t…cough, cough” he was interrupted by more coughing, his breathing becoming more ragged after each coughing fit.

Blitz sighed as he replaced the rag on the owl’s head with another damp one he brought.

“Well don’t worry. After tomorrow, you’re gonna get better. That’s what this whole purification thing is for, right?” the imp asked, forgetting he told himself he wouldn’t remind Stolas of it.

“I…I can’t…”

“Huh? The hell you mean you can’t? Satan Stols, quit being such a puss*. You’re doing it whether you like it or not, so you can get better.” He said irritatingly. It was too early, and he was too sleep deprived for this sh*t.

“I can’t, ngh not again… whimper please not again.”

“Stols? You ok?” His irritation dissipated as he noticed the owl’s body starting to tremble, in a way that wasn’t from his fever. He was starting to hyperventilate. (sh*t, is he having a panic attack? Ok stay calm, Blitz, you’ve done this before. You know what to do.)

“Stolas, listen to me, tell me five things you see.”

“I can’t… I can’t” the panicking bird managed to get out.

Blitz turned the lamp next to him on, wincing at the sudden bright light.

“Focus birdbrain. Five things you see.” He said a little more forcefully, facing the sick owl.

“Y-you… g-glass… b-bed, ngh…robe… b-blanket” Stolas managed to get out.

“Four things you feel?”

“F-feathers… bed, whimper… c-cold… p-pillow” Blitz wasn’t sure cold counted, but he was going for it.

“Ok. Three things you hear?”

“… you… my ...cough cough…’ he broke off in another coughing fit.

“What else do you hear. Com'n, tell me two more things” he said after the coughing fit ended. He wanted to finish this.

Before he could answer, Stolas convulsed again, tears fell from his eyes as a small cry of pain came out. He closed his eyes, his breathing ragged.

“Stols, can you hear me?” No answer. Only ragged breathing. At least he wasn’t hyperventilating.

“Stolas?” Blitz asked again. No answer. He tried shaking the owl’s shoulder, no response. It seems that he passed out. Blitz sighed. He hoped against hope that Stolas wouldn’t get worse than this.

*****

Several hours later...

It was early in the morning when there was a knock on the door. Blitz opened his bloodshot eyes, neither of them getting much sleep from the previous night. He covered Stolas with his blanket, to cover the owl’s nakedness, before getting up to answer the door. He was greeted to the sight of Octavia and Loona, all dressed for the party.

Loona was in a black top with a blue, purple and pink checkered skirt while Via was wearing a purple, grey and white shirt with tan pants and a purple cardigan with a matching beanie. Her locket hanging from her neck.

“We’re gonna head out soon, Tex is picking us up to take us to Bee’s”. Loona explained as Octavia made her way to Stolas’ bed to tell him goodbye.

“How is he?” She whispered to her adopted father. From her spot in the doorway, she could hear his ragged breathing, smell the sickness rolling off him from under the thin blanket covering his shivering body.

“Not good. He’s getting worse. He didn’t sleep much last night either. He’s really scared of whatever they’re doing today. It’s supposed to help him get better, but it must be bad.”

He watched Octavia lean down to give her sick dad a hug. He could almost hear the younger owl say “You’ll be ok dad. I love you”, before she pulled away, leaving the room with Loona.

“I’ll be right back. You won’t miss me.” he told the sick owl before stepping out. “Call me if either of you need anything and I’ll come get you, ok?” he told the girls “And don’t worry. Vassago knows what he’s doing. Your dad will be back to his old cooky, pervy self before you know it” he reassured the younger owl with what he hoped to be a reassuring smile. She nodded to him appreciatively before he watched them leave.

Once they were out of sight, he was about to enter the room again when he spotted Moxxie and Millie, neither looked like they got much sleep last night (both worried about Stolas), heading to the kitchen for coffee and breakfast.

“Boy, you guys look tired. Did Mil’s peg you good last night, Mox?” the boss asked, receiving a glare from the other make imp.

“No, she did not peg me, sir.” Blitz smirked before he remembered what Stolas told him last night.

“Stols says you helped him with a panic attack last night, Mox… so thanks for that.”

“Uh, yeah no worries” he was surprised his boss was thanking him.

“That being said, there is something that you guys should know.” The taller imp told his employees.

“Stolas and Vassago need to do some sort of ritual today. And they don’t want us here for it. At all. So, we’re being kicked out for the day.” He looked at his employes surprised looks.

“Is that wise sir? What if another assassin comes?” Moxxie argued back. He did have a valid point.

“This is what Stolas wants. And besides, Vassago says no one can enter the barrier except those that were in it when it was cast. So, they should be safe for a couple hours. So, the plan is we’ll go to the office, get some work done, then head back here. Alright?” the imps reluctantly nodded.

“Alright so get ready, cuz we’re leaving as soon as Vas decides to show his feathered ass.” He said before going back to the bedroom.

He went over to the bed. Stolas was breathing raggedly; his feathers were so dull that his face somehow looked even paler in the morning light. Blitz petted his burning, feathered head, causing the owl to crack open his top, dim eyes slightly.

“…Blzy?” he slurred out in barely a whisper.

“Yea, I’m here. Need some water?”

“M sry, Blzy” he quietly slurred out.

“You’re sorry? The f*ck you sorry for? Ain’t your fault you’re sick” the imp was confused.

‘M…Sry” he muttered again before closing his eyes again, convulsing in pain, causing him to chitter. Blitz has only heard him chitter twice before. Both times were when one of their full moon nights got way too intense, and the bird had to safe word out.

“Vassago, hurry the f*ck up…” the imp muttered as he looked to the door, hoping the parrot would show up. Stolas said that whatever Vassago gave him last night was supposed to help until the purification, but he could see that the owl was just getting worse. He didn’t know how much longer the owl would last.

Just as he was debating if he should leave Stolas to go look for the red bastard, Vassago entered the room. Finally!

“Bout time you showed up. I don’t know how much longer he can handle this.” The imp scolded. “Is everything ready?”

“Everything’s ready. I just need to remove his bandage and take him to the observatory.” Vassago said as he gently lifted the owl’s left arm to cut away the bandage so it would not get in the way during the ritual.

He heard the owl whimpering behind him, seeing him curl into himself. Taking hold of Stolas’ right hand, he stroked his head with the other. “It’s ok, it’ll be done and over with before you even know it. Then you can have all the cuddles you want. Yea?” he tried reassuring the owl.

Stolas’ dim, pleading upper eyes looked at him, as if begging for him to not let whatever’s going to happen, happen.

“Stolas, its time.” Vassago said solemnly. With a final apologetic look, the imp stepped back, reluctantly letting go of his hand. Vassago gathered his friend in his arms, holding him bridal style. The thin blanket draped over his friend.

“Stolas wants us out until you’re done. What time should we come back?”

“After dark” the parrot said, before turning to the door. (Well, that’s specific)

“Do not go near the observatory for this and please do not portal into his room when you come back. He may not be well enough for a sudden intrusion.” He informed the mottled imp, before walking out with the sick owl. Blitz just watched them go, hoping that whatever this purification thing is will work.

Blitz went to his room to change into some clean clothes, discarding the bloodstained ones he was wearing in the corner. Once dressed, and packed with his phone and weapons, he left the room. He trudged his way to the kitchen, not bothering to scold or threaten a quiet, somehow sad looking Eris, only pushing her away as she leaned a little too close to him.

Downing a cup of coffee and grabbing an apple from a fruit bowl on the counter for breakfast later, he turned to the other two imps. “Alright bitches, we leave in ten minutes. Let’s do a quick sweep to make sure no one else is here though, then meet in the van ok?” Both nodded in agreement to that.

The imps spread out, looking through the rooms and greenhouse (save for the restricted area, of course), finding no trace of intruders.

“Alright I just need to check one other place and then we're good to go. I’ll meet you two out there, ok?’ he said as he snuck his way to the observatory. He wasn’t going inside it, just figured he would check outside it…you know, for security reasons and not to snoop.

After climbing all the stairs, (Why are there so many f*cking stairs?) He finally made his way to the top, The door was glowing, so sealed with a magic ward. (Guess I can’t enter anyway). He tried looking through the keyhole, but the magic of the ward was preventing him from seeing anything other than the glow of the door.

There wasn’t anything nearby that an assassin could use for hiding, just the door. So, the Goetia won’t have to worry about someone sneaking out and attacking them when they come out.

(Guess there’s no reason for me to stay. Afterall, Stolas doesn’t want me here. I should just go.) He was just about to head down all those stairs (Seriously, there are way too many stairs here. Just put in a f*cking elevator, Stols. You can afford it.) when he heard a bloodcurdling scream.

Stolas…

It was nothing like the muffled screams he heard yesterday when they had to heal his arm. It was sharper, louder, filled with such pain and despair. No one should be making that kind of sound. Especially not Stolas. Not his Stolas. He had to get to him. Had to stop whatever was making him scream like that.

Blitz tried pulling the handles. Nothing. He tried ramming the door with his shoulder, trying to break it down... still nothing. He even tried portaling through, but it wouldn't let him crossover or even see beyond the magic threshold. (Damn that’s one strong ward.) The screams got louder, more bloodcurdling.

With one last ditch effort, he took out his gun and fired at the ward on the door.

BANG

The bullet ricocheted and grazed his right arm. Clutching his wounded arm, he could only listen to the horrible cries. The imp forced himself to remember what Stolas told him last night.

I don’t want you to see me go through it. I don’t want you to hear what’s happening to me. I don’t want you here for any of it.

(Is this why he doesn’t want me here? Is this what traumatized his kid? Oh, Stols…) With a heavy heart and tears forming in his eyes, he turned toward the stairs and ran from the sealed door. Away from the observatory. Away from the heart wrenching screams.

…Away from Stolas.

Chapter 28: The Taxidermists

Chapter Text

Blitz ran out to the van where Moxxie and Millie were waiting in the back seat.

“You ok Blitz?” Millie asked as he tried, with shaky hands, to get the keys in the ignition. “Just peachy Mils, never better” he said with a panicked grin.

“What happened to your arm?” Millie asked, seeing his jacket sleeve torn and a little blood coming from the cut underneath it.

“Uh, nothing…. Just, um… a plant got me. Yeah… that’s it.” He lied. He didn’t want them to know he got hurt trying shoot a ward. Finally, he got the keys in and started the vehicle.

“Buckle up gang, its go time” he said, trying to sound calm and collected before flooring the gas pedal…causing him to crash into a nearby lamppost.

“Groan… sir, maybe someone else should drive?” Moxxie suggested as he rubbed his forehead where he hit it on Blitz’ seat.

“No, no… I can drive…the gas pedal just got stuck. We just haven’t driven it for a few days, is all” The taller imp reassured, before shifting the van in reverse.

"Alright, it’s go time… for reals this time.” Once again, Blitz floored the gas pedal… only to hit another lamppost behind them.

“Uh… it got stuck again?” He lied, looking back at the other imps, hoping they would believe his obvious lie. Moxxie glared at him while rubbing the back of his neck from the whiplash he received from the dual crashes.

"Umm… I’ll drive.” Millie voluntold her boss.

*****

Once they arrived at headquarters, they immediately got to work. Blitz and Moxxie did paperwork while Millie made sure their weapons were ready for their next assassination. Within the hour, they got their only client for the day.

This sinner wanted to kill a woman living in the bayou near his hometown. Apparently, she was a ‘taxidermist of sorts’. One lady, simple enough. Until it was revealed that she was part of a set of identical triplets… that happened to share the same name, but with different spelling.

“Alright gang let’s get this show on the road. Remember, we are after Emily, not Emmalee or Emilie. Got it?” Blitz told his employees holding up pictures of all three women. Their target (hopefully, he dropped the photos earlier) in one hand and her sisters in the other.

When the client said they were identical triplets he wasn’t kidding. They were in their thirties, obese with shaggy, poorly dyed blond hair and way too much makeup. In the photos, all three were wearing red polka dot midriffs and daisy duke shorts. Honestly, none of them could tell which one was which.

Blitz opened a portal to the human world, all but throwing the other two imps in before jumping in without looking where he portaled. Instead of landing on solid ground, the imps landed in murky bog water.

“Blech… you couldn’t portal us to somewhere dry, sir?” Moxxie complained as he tried to spit out the nasty water. “It’s… to camouflage ourselves. You know how these hillbilly taxidermists can be. They could probably smell your cheap ass cologne a mile away.” Blitz tried to argue back.

“You said you liked my cologne,” Moxxie said, obviously hurt his boss lied to him about that.

“It’s ok sweetie. I like it. It makes you smell sexy,” his wife comforted. Moxxie smiled at Millie. Her opinion was more important than Blitz’s anyway. The taller imp rolled his eyes at the couple.

“Ugh, enough of that, you lovebirds. We got a job to do, and I’d like to get back to the palace as soon as possible.”

“But… aren’t we not allowed back til tonight?” Millie asked.

Oh, right…

“Well… I’d still like to get this thing done sometime this year. So, quit your bitching and let’s get killing.” He said before making his way to land. The married pair gave each other a concerned look, before they waddled their way to land. Within a few minutes the group came across their target’s home.

It was a rundown, two story house that looked like it should be condemned. All the dirty windows were either cracked or broken. The wooden sidings were rotten, the floorboards on the stairs and deck were broken and the roof had large holes in it. There was an equally run down shed off to the side. A rusty motorboat was tied to a rickety wooden dock near the shore. There was no sign of their target or her sisters.

“Alright, you two head into the house. I’m going to check the shed first and meet up with you shortly” Blitz told them before scampering over to the shed.

M&M headed to the house, carefully making their way up the broken steps and opening the unlocked, rotten door. Moxxie took one step inside and fell right through the floorboards.

“Moxxie!!” Millie yelled as her husband suddenly disappeared in front of her.

“Moxxie? Honey?” groaning, the male imp sat up, rubbing his head. Hearing his wife, he called up to her.

“I’m fine. You go on ahead and look for Emily. I’ll catch up to you.” He shouted. He turned around to look for some sort of exit, only to come face to face with an alligator. Shouting in surprise, he fired one of his pistols.

BANG

The gator fell. Moxxie got a better look at it. It wasn’t an alligator, or at least an entire one. Just its head. It was attached to the body of what looked to be a bear and had the arms of a human. Judging from the human remains, the imp had a bad feeling about what happened to their client after they died.

“Honey? Are you ok?” He heard Millie ask from above him. She grew worried when she heard her husband yell and the sound of a gunshot.

“I’m fine… but be careful. Looks like our target is a fan of Frankenstein.” He warned looking around. He was in some sort of cellar. The ground was a dirt floor, the walls were covered in black mold and a single lightbulb dangling from the ceiling was the only source of light. With that light, Moxxie was able to see why the client referred to the target as a ‘taxidermist of sorts’.

There were several other disturbing creations in the cellar. A beaver’s body with three duck heads attached to its neck, a deer body with a human torso and a cow head looking like a demented centaur, and on the table, was a human head (probably the client) with snakes going through their eye sockets and mouth. There were other monstrous creations, but these were what stood out to the imp.

“This is creepy as fuuucckkk.” he muttered to himself, taking out of his phone to take pictures of the disturbing stuffed corpses. Via liked taxidermy, so maybe she would like them. He pulled up her cell phone number she gave to the I.M.P. employees earlier this week.

<Moxxie to Princess Octavia> 9/19 10:47 am: (image of a beaver body with three duck heads attached to its neck)

<Moxxie to Princess Octavia> 9/19 10:47 am: (an image of a deer body with a human torso and a cow head looking like a demented centaur)

<Moxxie to Princess Octavia> 9/19 10:47 am: (an image of a human head with snakes going through their eye sockets and mouth)

<Moxxie to Princess Octavia> 9/19 10:48 am: On job. Target has these. Thot u might like them.

As Moxxie hit the final send, a shadow descended on him.

“Well, lookie here. A possum” A female voice with a heavy southern accent said from behind. He spun around coming face to face with his target (or at least he hoped it was) holding a large mallet. “Now come here darlin’… I’m just gonna make ya go night, night.” She said sweetly holding the mallet above the imp’s head.

Moxxie barely managed to dodge. He slid between her legs, getting to a safe distance before firing his pistols at her.

BANG BANG

The crazy lady somehow managed dodged his bullets. (How can someone that fat be so fast?)

“Ooohh, yer a feisty one ain’t ya” with a wicked grin, the blonde woman threw her mallet at the imp. Moxxie barely dodged, jumping onto the table, he threw the head with snakes at her. It hit her square on her forehead. While she was clutching injury, Moxxie ran up some rotting stairs behind her, making his way back to the main floor.

There were more of those grotesque creations around the house. There was a small raccoon with a chicken head, a horse head with deer antlers and a pig shout mounted on the wall (good thing Blitz wasn’t there to see that) and a porcupine with gator eyes and bird legs to name a few.

“Now where’d ya go?” He heard his pursuer’s southern twang. He hid between two possums with rabbit ears on a dirty fireplace. The woman with the mallet almost walked past him before noticing him in his hiding spot.

“There ya are” she said happily. The woman raised her mallet, ready to bash his head in, when, suddenly, she was sliced in half. As her body fell, the imp saw his rescuer was none other than the love of his life.

“Millie!!” Moxxie shouted, happy that his wife saved him from the lunatic. He reached for her, ready to give her a big hug when….

BANG

A shotgun went off, narrowly missing the pair.

“Aw, them possums gone and killed Emmy.” Another heavily accented female voice came. On top of the staircase leading to the second floor, stood another of the triplets, holding a smoking, old shotgun. “Oh well, guess we can stuff her too.” She replied casually as she descended the stairs, her gun still aiming at the imps.

Moxxie and Millies scattered. She couldn’t shoot them both if they weren’t near each other. Millie lunged up at her with battleax in hand. As she was about to land a killing blow, the lady swung her gun at the imp, hitting her hard enough to send her flying.

“Millie!” her husband yelled as she crashed into the wall with enough force to create a hole.

“Aw, such pretty possums. Ya’ll look good on some gator bodies. Or better yet, goose wings. N’ I’ll have ya danglin on the ceiling. How bout that? Angel possums ya’ll be.” She took aim at the female imp.

Moxxie looked up above the crazy woman as she spoke. The wood above it was rotten, he aimed his pistols and fired.

BANG BANG BANG

The ceiling broke, collapsing on the woman. The force was enough that the spot under her collapsed as well, causing her to fall into the basem*nt. Moxxie ran to his wife, helping her sit up.

“You ok honey?” He asked her, worriedly.

“I’m fine.” They heard frustrated yelling from the hole in the floor. Looking down, they saw the fat blonde woman struggling to get out of the debris trapping her.

Moxxie took aim. “We are not possums” and fired.

BANG

A clean shot through the head. It was over. Two of the three triplets were dead (hopefully one of them was their target.)

“Do you think that was Emily or maybe her?” Millie asked pointing to the bisected woman on the other end of the room.

“Not sure. They could have been Emmalee and Emilie. Ok, seriously. Who gives their kids the exact same name but with different spelling? That’s just tacky” the male imp ranted. Either way, there was still one sister left. They went up the stairs to go look for her. Hopefully there was a way to tell if she is their target.

*****

Meanwhile…

Blitz entered the shed. There were a lot of rusty tools in there. Chainsaw, bolt cutters, and mallets to name a few. In the corner he saw a stained tarp that seemed to be out of place and a strange pulley system above them. Weird. He pulled the tarp off revealing a wooden trapdoor. (Bingo).

He tried to lift it, but it was locked. “Grrr… What’s a guy gotta do around here to kill someone?” he asked himself. The wood on the door looked rotten enough to break.

Blitz could have used the chainsaw or a mallet to break it, but in his attempt to hurry up with the mission, he decided to jump up and down on top of the trapdoor until it gave in. The imp fell through the broken door, landing on his front, his left leg somehow getting stuck on his horn.

After untangling himself, he looked around the room. There were several rusted cages of all sizes around him. Some were empty while others had emaciated or mutilated animals in them.

He saw a pig that was all skin and bones, a raccoon missing its front paws and one thing that’s been dead for so long that he couldn’t tell what it was. He wasn’t sure if anything in here was still alive or not.

“Ok… I’m getting serious horror movie vibes.” He whipped out his gun and quietly made his way through the strange room. He spotted a door with a cracked window at the end of the cage room. When he looked through, he saw his target. Or at least he thought it was her.

Her back was to the door, a table in front of her with her various instruments of torture lined the walls. A small cage was off to the side, and he heard something give a pained screech.

Blitz kicked the door down, pointing the gun at her. Emily (or one of her sisters) turned to look at him, a large, bloody knife in one hand and her other holding down her victim. He caught a glimpse of what she was torturing.

A barn owl.

“Let the bird go, bitch!” Blitz ordered menacingly. The woman threw her knife at the imp. He dodged it right before it him in the eye and fired.

BANG

She somehow dodged before lunging at him. The imp dodged before retreating into the cage room, hiding behind one of the top cages. “Here possum, possum, possum” she called for him, brandishing her knife.

“Don’t worry, I aint gonna hurt ya… I just wanna make ya pretty, is all. Wanna be part owl?” she asked in a sickeningly sweet voice.

From his hiding spot, Blitz took out the apple he snagged from the palace earlier, throwing it to the cage on the opposite side of the room, the one with the mysterious dead thing in it. It hit the cage.

CLANG

The woman threw her knife at the mystery animal’s cage, thinking she hit her target. She was distracted enough that she didn’t see or hear Blitz push the cage he was hiding behind until it fell over.

The owl torturer turned as she heard a cage fall from above her. She rolled out of the way before it hit her, only to come face to face with the barrel of Blitz’s gun.

BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG click… click… click

Blitz kept firing until he ran out of bullets. Panting, he stepped away from the bloodied, bullet filled corpse and walked back to the owl on the table. It was badly hurt, but still alive.

Both wings looked broken, and its left leg had just been cut off. Looking in its heart-shaped face, into its eyes, he couldn’t help thinking of another certain owl that’s suffering right now.

“Easy, little guy. I’m not gonna hurt you. I’m here to help.” He said gently, petting the poor bird in a way he knew Stolas liked to be petted. The owl seemed to understand that the imp wasn’t going to hurt it.

Blitz took off his jacket, carefully wrapping it around the injured bird so as not to startle or hurt it further. He might not be able to help his owl right now, but maybe he could do something for this one.

“Good bird, such a pretty bird. I’m gonna call you Lemonade, since you’re so sweet and life gave you a crap ton of lemons.” He spoke quietly to the owl.

Carefully he picked up Lemonade and walked out of the room. He checked the other cages first for any other survivors (unfortunately, there were none.) Kicking the fat woman’s corpse as hard as he could, he made his way out of the caged room and back outside.

Moxxie and Millie were waiting for him near the dock with the boat. They couldn’t find anyone else in the house so they figured either the mottled imp found her, or she would show up sooner or later. “Hey, I got the target…I think.” he told the other imps.

“We got her sisters, sir. What’s that?” Moxxie pointed to the injured owl bundled in his jacket.

“Found him in the shed, along with some of their other victims. Poor little guy was the sole survivor. His name’s Lemonade.” He looked down at the owl wrapped in his arms, screeching in pain.

“You do know we can’t take it back home with us, right sir? It wouldn’t survive in hell.” Moxxie asked gently. Blitz rarely cared about the wellbeing of another animal that wasn’t a horse.

Blitz glared at the imp. “I’m well aware of that Mox, which is why we’re gonna make a quick stop before we head back.”

*****

They took a yellow minidress, a sheet, and a straw hat they found in the house before portaling to a wildlife rescue center many miles away from their target’s location. Blitz reluctantly moved the injured bird from his jacket to the sheet, gently wrapping it up so it wouldn’t be hurt further.

It took a lot of convincing and a written promise that there would be no photos this time for Moxxie to don the dress and hat. Soon it looked like he was a short, human woman. They could have Millie disguise herself, but Blitz believed Moxxie would be better suited to handle Lemonade and get information on the owl’s condition.

(Damn, too bad I swore I wouldn’t take pictures. He looks hot in that dress. If we’re ever low on cash, we’re definitely doing a pinup calendar of just Moxxie in dresses.) Reluctantly, Blitz handed the owl over to the other male imp.

Millie put a hand on Blitz shoulder from their hiding spot as they watched the crossdressing imp take the injured owl inside the building. “It’ll be ok B. He’s in good hands now.”

They waited for a little while before the imp came out. “Well?” Blitz asked. He wanted to know what they said about Lemonade.

“I told them I found some teenagers torturing it when I…”

“Yeah, yeah, I don’t care about the backstory, Mox. Just tell me what they said about Lemonade!” he demanded impatiently. The smaller imp glared at being interrupted before continuing.

“They say that they will do what they can. Unfortunately, because of its leg, it won’t survive on its own, so there’s no chance it’ll be released back into the wild."

“So what? They’re just gonna let Lemonade die?” Blitz asked worriedly.

“No, sir it just means that Lemonade will live out the rest of its life in a sanctuary or a zoo.” Blitz looked away frowning at that. Maybe if he got there sooner instead of gawking at the corpses in the cages, Lemonade would still have both legs, make a full recovery and be free again.

“Look on the bright side B, you saved Lemonade from a horrible death and now it’ll be taken care of for the rest of its life.” Millie comforted.

“I guess your right…whelp, that’s our good deed for the day. What do you say we go back home now?” He asked.

He opened a portal back to their headquarters, hoping that it would be dark enough that they could return to the palace. There was another owl that needed him.

Chapter 29: A Shoulder to Cry On

Chapter Text

The client paid them for their service but was very unhappy that they killed all three sisters and not just Emily like he asked. (I don’t know what he’s bitching about. Not our fault they were practically clones. Besides it was self-defense, and we got the job done.)

Blitz checked his phone. It was 2:46 pm. Two hours and Fourteen minutes til they closed for the day. (Surely, it’s dark enough that we can go back now, right?) Blitz looked out the dirty window. The sun was still out, mocking him. (Satan dammit! Hurry the f*ck up and go down already!)

‘Hey B?” Blitz turned to look at his employees from his spot at his desk. “Moxxie and I are thinking we should all go to Hellmart. It’ll pass the time and we can get some grocery shopping done. That ok with you?” she asked.

‘Yea, sure Mil’s, you guys go on ahead. I’ll just portal back when I’m done here” he said absentmindedly, tossing the keys to her.

“Sir, I know you’re worried, we are too, but he’ll be ok. Vassago knows what he’s doing.” Moxxie reassured him.

“Pfft… I’m not worried… they’re probably just… reading some spells or something” he lied, trying to reassure them. They had no reason to be as worried as he was. They didn’t hear Stolas scream like that. “Anyway… you guys better get going before you’re trapped in Hellmart all night” he told them with a forced smile.

“Text us if you need anything.” Moxxie offered as the couple left the office, flipping the ‘we’re closed’ sign as they left.

Left alone in the office, with nothing to do other than paperwork (he was definitely not in the right headspace for that), Blitz figured he would play a game of ‘Shoot or Pass’. That usually makes him feel better whenever he’s stressed.

He grabbed the shotgun and put a tv on the table. Grabbing the remote, he flipped through the channels. But it seems the universe didn’t want him to be distracted this time.

An anime where a samurai was performing seppuku, a Hella-Novella episode where Gabriella is in a coma, a music video of a p*rn star singing a song with poison in the lyrics, a medical show where a succubus is coughing up blood, a horror movie with a woman screaming, a documentary about barn owls. (Seriously what the f*ck's with all these channels?) He fired on the next channel, not bothering to look to see what was playing.

He felt his phone vibrate from his pocket. As he went to grab it, he touched something soft. Pulling the soft thing out, he found a tan feather with dark spots on it. One of Lemonade’s feathers. He held it close briefly, thinking of the owl he just saved, before putting it on the table. He grabbed his phone. It was a text from Fizz.

< Fizz to Blitzo> 9/19 2:57 pm : Hey, hws Stolas. He wke yet?:

Blitz had told Fizz a few days ago that the bird was asleep after the ritual and that he would keep him updated when he woke up. Guess he forgot. Tears formed in his eyes. He couldn’t hold it anymore, he couldn’t be alone with his thoughts anymore. He didn’t want to bother M&M or the girls with his baggage, he had to be strong for them. But Fizz? He could tell Fizz anything. He dialed the other imp’s number.

“Burrr…” The jester picked up after the first ring. “Blitz?”

“Fizz, can I come over?” His voice was breaking but he didn’t care.

“Uh, yea sure… you ok buddy?”

“I… I just need to talk to you, like right now”

“Ok yea, I’ll see you soon.”

That was all he needed. The imp opened a portal to the lust ring and hopped on through.

*****

Once Fizz saw the look in his eyes, he guided his friend up to his and Ozzie’s penthouse through a backdoor. Seating him at the kitchen table, he made his friend some store-bought tea.

“What happened?” Fizz asked as he handed him the black tea. Blitz took a shaky sip, (A million times better than that crap Via made yesterday) before speaking.

“Sigh… Stolas. He… he woke up yesterday”

“Hey, that’s great!” the jester said cheerfully.

“Yeah, well… not really…”

“What did you do?” Fizz asked suspiciously.

“Nothing!” he defended himself. The jester raised an eyebrow like he didn’t believe him.

“I swear, nothing, well… we …did something to wake him up… it …wasn’t pretty.” Blitz said as he looked down in his black tea. He didn’t want to tell his friend about how they woke Stolas or that he had to ignore his safe word in order to help him.

“But he’s awake now? What’s the problem? You guys have a fight or something?” Fizz was confused. Blitz had been so worried about the owl, so why wasn’t he happy that he was awake? What was he doing here instead of being with his lover?

Blitz looked back up at the jester at the accusation. “No… I swear on the strap-on Millie pegs Moxxie with! It’s nothing like that… sigh…anyway, he woke up. But… last night he… got sick… really sick… and not like the flu. His mana… you know what that is right?” He looked at Fizz who nodded. Ozzie told him a little bit about it before, how it’s basically a person’s magic. Blitz looked back down at his tea.

“A-anyway, his mana was so low… a-and not recovering right… it poisoned him.” Fizz’s eyes widened in horror. “He… he was coughing up blood a-and was in so much pain all night. H-he was suffering, Fizz, a-and I couldn’t help him.” Blitz’s voice was breaking, he was willing himself not to cry.

“Oh, Blitz… Is he…?” Fizz trailed off, as he put a comforting hand on his friend’s shoulder. Blitz knew what Fizz was asking.

“I-I don’t know… Vassago, he…he had to do this thing called a purification on him today. I-I guess it’s the only way to cure him… Stolas, he… he didn’t want us there during it, so we’ve been kicked out until tonight” he looked back to his friend, who opened his mouth to speak.

“I swear we didn’t do anything; he didn’t want anyone there, not even his kid.” He defended himself before the jester could accuse him of something.

“Sigh…but Stolas… h-he was so scared of whatever they’re doing. He had at least two panic attacks that I know of just thinking about it.” His voice was beginning to break as tears formed in his eyes.

“A-and b-before I left I... I decided to do a p-perimeter check …. I-I went near w-where they were d-doing it and…and I heard him scream. I-I’ve never heard him scream like that, Fizz. I’ve never heard anyone scream like that. N-not s-since-m-mom…” he couldn’t force himself to finish. Tears were flowing now. The events of the last few days are finally taking their toll.

“Come here bud.” Fizz said gently as he wrapped his robotic arms around his friend in a tight hug, letting him cry on his shoulder. “Hey, its ok, just let it out”. He let his friend cry his heart out. After several minutes Blitz pulled away.

“Sigh…thanks, Fizz” he said shakily, wiping the tears from his eyes.

“Don’t worry about it. I get it. It’s tough watching someone you love suffer and not being able to help them.”

“I…I don’t love Stolas, Fizz” he lied. “We have a transactional thing going. That’s it.”

“Blitz… you were blowing up his phone for a month, stayed with him while he was in a coma, and literally just cried because you’re worried about him. You wouldn’t do that for something ‘transactional’” Fizz said deadpanned with air quotes. “Admit it. You love him.”

“It’s transactional” the mottled imp reiterated.

“I swear, Blitzo, if you say transactional one more time…” he left the threat hanging.

“Sigh…even if I did, which I don’t, he’s a f*cking prince. And I’m just an imp, it would never work. Besides I doubt he even loves me. How could anyone love me?” Blitz retorted dejectedly.

(Afterall, Stolas sounded happier when he was with Vassago… then again, he did say they were best friends. But… he only wanted cuddles last night because it’s the closest thing to sex he can do right now… yet we were having a good time just talking… I think. Well, he didn’t even want me at the palace today. Then again… he didn’t even want Via there, and after what I heard, I could see why…)

“Blitz… I’m an imp and I’m in a relationship with the sexiest sin ever. If it works for us, it can work for you. And I know for a fact that Stolas loves you.” Fizz tried to get him to see reason.

“Pfft… yea right” Blitz responded with an eyeroll.

“I swear to all that is unholy… you are so f*cking dense!” The jester got up, grabbing his friend by the shoulders, forcing him to make eye contact.

“He laughs at your jokes, and no offense, but your jokes are a very acquired taste. He chats with you just to chat. When you guys were at Ozzie’s, I could practically see little hearts floating above his head whenever he looked at you… trust me,” Fizz started shaking him so it would get through his friends’ thick skull.

“He! Loves! You!” Fizz enunciated, with each firm shake. “And if you still don’t believe me just f*cking talk to him!” he said as he continued to shake the mottled imp.

“Ok, ok! I get it! … Stop shaking me dammit! You’re giving me whiplash!”

Fizz stopped, letting go of Blitz. “And… if you need further proof that he loves you, you’re wearing it” the jester said with a smirk, seeing the crystal.

“What, my jacket? I’ve had it…”

“No, dumbass. Your crystal... the one Stolas gave you? Ozzie doesn’t just hand those out, you know.” Fizz said with an eyeroll. Seriously, how did Blitz survive this long being so dense?

“He didn’t give it to me. He’s lending it to me. Since he couldn’t help us go to the human world while he was doing his moon thing? Once he’s all better, things are going back to the way they were.” Blitz told his friend, while rubbing his neck. Fizz shakes hard. He’s surprised his neck didn’t snap.

Blitz looked at the other imp, who had a confused look on his face.

“What? What’s with the face?” Blitz asked.

“Ozzie told me that Stolas came to him personally to request a crystal for you. He told Ozzie it was because he has feelings for you.”

“What? You sure?” That can’t be right.

“Yeah, Oz was gonna say no because of our history, but I convinced him to give it to him… Blitz, you, ok?” Fizz asked concerned at the face his friend was making as he looked down at the crystal on his glove.

“Uh, yea just thinking” he replied absentmindedly.

(The crystal from the prophecy… it’s definitely this one. Does this mean he’s ending our arrangement after all? I really need to talk to him about this)

“Froggie, I’m home.” The imps turned as they heard Asmodeus enter the penthouse.

“Ozzie!” Fizz used his robotic limbs to launch himself at his lover, who dutifully caught him, bringing him into a loving embrace.

“Hey Babe, you would not believe the day I’ve had. But guess what? I got the Dragon Driller 5000 approved. What do you say I make dinner first, then we go try it out.” The sin of lust said seductively.

“Ugh… get a room you two” Blitz joked with an eyeroll.

“We are in a room, you prude’ Fizz joked back as he hoped down from Ozzie.

“Oh, hey Blitz. How’s Stolas? He doing any better?” He greeted his guest as he walked by to start making dinner. As much as he loved his imp, there was no way he would trust Fizz with cooking. Not after he set the stove on fire boiling pasta.

“Um, well… not really, I’m afraid.” Blitz said. He didn’t want to start crying again.

“Sorry to hear that. Hope he gets better soon”

“Same… say, you do magic right?” the mottled imp asked. Maybe Ozzie knows what’s happening to Stolas.

“If you’re asking for a healing spell, I’m afraid you’re asking the wrong guy. Those aren’t really my forte” the sin of lust said as he turned his back to the imp, pulling out a frying pan from a cupboard.

“No, I’m not (well good to know that I can’t anyway). Stolas is doing a purification today. Do you know what that is?” he asks. The king of lust tenses at his question, gripping the pan he was holding tightly.

“Ozzie?” Fizz asked, worried at his lovers’ reaction.

“Poor bird...” they heard Ozzie mutter before he turned to the mottled imp. “Yeah, I know what it is. I’m guessing he got mana poisoning?” he asked. Blitz nodded.

“Yeah, it was really bad when Vassago took him to do it this morning… so can you tell me what’s happening to him?” he asked. He was starting to get worried with how the sin acted.

Asmodeus internally debated for a moment whether or not he should explain what happens during purifications to the imp. “Its best you don’t know.”

“But I…” Blitz was interrupted when the Sin of lust was suddenly at face level with him gripping his shoulders.

“Trust me. You don’t.” Asmodeus said seriously.

“It’s that bad?” Blitz watched as the sin of lust nodded his heads seriously. Ok, now he was really worried about Stolas.

“I’ve had to go through that ritual only once, after I got mana poisoning after a very powerful lust ritual, and once was way too many. It hurts… real bad…both in body and soul. That’s all I’m gonna say.” The sin told him.

(Guess that explains the panic attacks he had last night. As soon as I get back, Stolas is getting all the cuddles.) “But fair warning, once he’s done, he might not want you anywhere near him right away.” Ozzie added, as if reading his mind.

“What? Why? The f*ck I do?” Blitz asked, looking at Fizz as if he had answers. The jester just returned a confused and worried look. Why wouldn’t the owl want him near him? Especially if what Fizz said was true.

“I’ve been a keeper and had to perform one on three of my vessels. They didn’t want anyone, including me, near them afterwords. When I went through it, I didn’t want anyone near me either. He might be the opposite, but I’m just talking from my personal experience. Like I said, it really, really hurts.” The sin told the imp.

“Ok I get it. It’s bad. But… it will cure him, and he’ll get better, right?” Ozzie didn’t answer right away. He didn’t want to give him false hope, but he also didn’t want to distress the imp.

“Right??” he asked a little more desperately. Ok, the king of lust was scaring him now. And, judging by the look on Fizz’s face, he was scaring him too.

“Yeah… if everything goes accordingly.” he finally answered, rubbing the back of his neck, looking away from the mottled imp. Trying to figure out the best way to explain the risks without scaring either of the imps.

“The hells that supposed to mean? You mean it might not work? Then what, they do something else?”

“No, unfortunately, purifications are the only way to cure mana poisoning” Ozzie said gently.

“So, then what? He’ll be sick forever? They do it again? What???”

“Blitz, not trying to scare you, but purifications are very powerful, very precise rituals. You have to do them correctly, without any complications in order for them to work. If everything goes right, then, yes, Stolas will be cured of mana poisoning.” He tried explaining to the imp.

“And if it doesn’t? Will they have to keep doing it until they get it right?” he asked. If it was bad enough that it scared the sin of lust, he didn’t think Stolas could handle it again.

Ozzie shook his head.

“Sigh… if his keeper makes even the smallest mistake or Stolas isn’t strong enough, then… he won’t survive the ritual.” Blitz’s eyes widened in horror.

He knew Vassago would make sure everything was correct. He’s known what to do for everything so far, right? But Stolas?

He was so weak when he left. He could barely speak, barely even open his eyes. Blitz thought about the prophecy, specifically the end where Stolas was drowning, fading into oblivion. (I read it wrong. It’s not him ending our arrangement… It’s him dying!)

“Blitz?” He vaguely heard Fizz say his name, but he sounded too far away.

(No…no he can’t be dead! He can’t be!)

“I gotta go.” He said as he opened a portal to the palace before jumping through, landing in the foyer near the observatory, vaguely remembering Vassago’s request to not portal in the bedroom. Besides they might still be doing the ritual, Stolas might still be up there. He needed to know.

As he ran up the spiral staircase, his panic grew. He couldn’t hear any screams. In fact, he couldn’t hear anything.

Finally, he got to the top. The ward was gone, and the door was slightly ajar. Blitz barged into the room. Through the red glow of the sun cascading from the glass ceiling, he saw melted candles, crystals, the several rings etched onto the floor, inactive wards on the walls, and, off to the side, a red, ornate box. Sitting in a small pile next to the box was a round, empty glass bottle and three blood-stained knives.

In the center of the room, inside the innermost ring, he could spot two thick books (the Goetia’s grimoires) and some familiar grey feathers on the blood-stained floor (not enough blood to completely cover the floor like the lunar ritual, but enough to be concerning).

Neither of the Goetia were in the observatory.

Blitz ran out of the room and down the winding staircase, tripping halfway down and falling hard on his ass. He got up quickly and bolted down the foyer. He could worry about his bruised tail later. Right now, he had to get to Stolas’ room. He had to be in there. He just had to be.

He was running past the kitchen, toward the bedroom, when he spotted someone in there. He paused to see who it was.

It was Vassago, sitting alone on a chair near the table. His glasses were in one hand while the other was cradling his head, covering his eyes.

“Vassago” the imp called to get the parrots attention.

The parrot looked up at him to the sound of his name. His face was tear stained.

(No… please no)

“Stolas… i-is he? … Where is he???”

Chapter 30: The Purification

Chapter Text

Earlier that day…

Vassago entered the observatory with Stolas in his arms. He turned to seal the door with a ward before tossing aside the blanket covering his friend, causing the owl to let out a small shiver.

The etchings and crystals were all in place, the candles lit with green hellfire, just as he left them when he went to collect Stolas.

For this ritual, Vassago will be using all three types of magic to call on the pure, raw dark magic of Hell to enter into Stolas. The magic would rip apart his mana, his essence, his very being, in order to remove any magical impurities within his body and mana. It was painful, violating and, unfortunately, the only cure for mana poisoning.

Carefully, the parrot made his way to the center of the room, gently placing the owl inside the inner ring, between both of their grimoires. Vassago’s grimoire was on his right and Stolas’ on his left. Both books were opened to very specific pages.

Leaving his friend for a moment, he went to the box where he left it off to the side of the room. Opening it, he took out a round bottle of pure black liquid (Damned essence), a rune engraved orichalcum dagger with a hilt of black tourmaline (about five inches and less ornate than the one used during the lunar ritual) and two rune engraved, seven-inch knives made of mithril, the hilts decorated with moonstone.

The essence helps weaken magic impurities within the vessels’ mana and body, making it easier for the pure magic to destroy it. The magic within the metal of the orichalcum would help guide the magic toward the vessel while mithril will help manipulate the magic to the keepers will.

Returning to his friend’s side, he uncorked the damned essence and lifted Stolas’ head to force him to drink the thick, foul liquid. Once he choked all the essence down, he was laid flat on the ground.

Then, taking the orichalcum knife, Vassago began carving glyphs into Stolas body. He rotated his body to get his back and sides once his front was covered. The owl whimpered as the knife cut sensitive areas but did not try to get away from the blade, whether from resignation or from weakness of his condition it was hard to say at this point. The only place that was not touched by the knife was his chest and head.

Once that was done, Vassago carved a ring of Solomon into the owl’s chest with one of the mithril knives. Stolas dug his fingers into the floor as he tried to hold still for this, chittering as the blade cut deeper than the orichalcum blade had. Soon, Stolas was black with blood, fighting for breath from the pain and mana poison. The parrot cut his own finger, before he traced another seal on the owl’s head, between his four eyes with his own blood, before he dipped his fingers in Stolas’ blood, drawing the same seal on his own forehead, linking the two.

Vassago looked at his friend one last time before collecting the blades and empty bottle, walking to the outermost circle until he was completely outside of all the rings he put the supplies by the box, only keeping the mithril knife he used on himself for the owl’s head marking, then walked to his designated area.

Taking the mithril knife, he stabbed both his hands clean through before discarding the knife, throwing it toward the others, and turning into his eldritch form. Raising his bleeding claws in the direction of the grimoires, he muttered an incantation, the seal on the parrots forehead began glowing red as the spell begun. The grimoires levitated from the ground, giving off an ominous black glow.

The hellfire of the candles grew larger as magic permeated the observatory. The magic of the crystals started drawing toward their respective rings, giving them the magic they need. The outermost ring started to glow, then the one next to it started glowing. Slowly, the glow made its way to the carved owl.

Once the inner ring was glowing, the owl was raised in the air. A dome of magic appeared around him, holding the vessel in place. Once he was levitated, Vassago moved his claws to Stolas’ direction, focusing on the magic toward him before the dark magic of the grimoires suddenly rushed into the owl.

Stolas screamed in absolute pain as the pure, raw magic entered him through the carved glyphs. Red began glowing from the seal of Solomon on his chest and the mark on his forehead.

He could feel the damned essence burned his body from within, the carved glyphs bleeding out, what little mana he had being shredded. He could feel the darkness of the magic just tearing his very being asunder. It was pure, unadulterated agony.

He couldn’t move even if he wanted to, the magic holding him as it was tearing him from within. He could barely even think, it hurt so much.

Vassago concentrated on his task at hand. Watching as the darkness poured into his friend, willing himself to ignore the screams of pain and distress. Stolas had to do one on him once before years ago. He knew exactly what his friend was enduring. But this was the only chance they had to cleanse the owl’s mana. He had to do this. He couldn’t make any mistakes. If this didn’t work, Stolas will die.

As the first hour passed, the outer ring gradually lost its glow. Once the ring lost its glow completely, Vassago clenched his claws and crossed his arms, cutting off the flow of magic briefly. The magic within Stolas pulsed out through the red seal on his chest, putting out the candles within the outer ring. One down, six to go. Vassago willed himself to focus, as he moved his hands back into the direction of his vessel.

“…n-no m-mor… AAAHHHHH!!!” Stolas begged, before another scream escaped as another wave of dark magic forced into his carved body.

Tears fell from Vassago’s eyes as he heard his friend beg. (I’m so sorry, Stolas). He forced himself to continue, to focus, as Stolas screamed from the pain of his body and the torture of his very being.

*****

Six hours later…

It was almost over. They were in the last ring. The dark magic still entered the owl who was bleeding out, screaming and crying in pain. The inner ring was losing its glow. Soon, the grimoires will rip out the magic they’ve been pouring into him. (Hold on Stolas, just a little longer)

Finally, the ring’s glow faded, Vassago clenched his claws and crossed them as a final pulse of magic put out the flames. The eldritch parrot then spread his arms wide open before bringing them together. The dark magic of the grimoires stopped entering the owl, their dark glow changed to a bright white before the magic was suddenly ripped out of Stolas through his seals. The pain was too much. As the magic that was forced into him, ripping apart his very essence, was suddenly torn out of him, he gave one final blood curdling scream before he knew no more.

Once the grimoires absorbed all the magic, they lost their glow, closed themselves and fell to the floor with a dull thud. With no magic left holding him, the owls body dropped lifelessly to the floor as well.

It was over. Vassago quickly changed back into his normal form before he ran over to friends still body.

*****

Two hours later…

Vassago had taken Stolas to his room immediately to get him clean and treat his wounds. While he was cleaning the owl in his bathtub, he conjured clean bedding to replace the bloodstained ones from the previous night.

He just finished cleaning his wounds with various potions and salves before dressing them. Stolas didn’t stir for any of it. Good. After the nightmare he went through, he could use some rest.

The parrot decided that now would be a good time to measure his mana. Placing the stones and tracing the path, he read 4%.

His mana was once again really low, but this was a good sign. After purifications, a vessels mana was so torn there was nothing left, essentially depleting it. This way they can restart recovering it correctly. Stolas has regained more mana in the first few hours after this ritual than he had the first twenty-four hours after the lunar one. Hopefully, this time around he will actually make a full recovery.

Vassago was just about to give the owl some water with herbs and crystals when Stolas’ dialated eyes suddenly flew open, startling the parrot.

“N-no m-more... P-please…. N-no m-more” he whimpered, his voice quiet and hoarse. (How’s he awake? He shouldn’t be awake yet with his mana this low).

“Stolas… are you…?” he stopped as Stolas tried getting up only to collapse with a whimper. Vassago reached for his friend, only to have him let out a small cry of fear. It hurt the parrot to see his friend this way, but he understood. Purifications were pure torture and could mess with the vessels head once they came out of it.

He watched Stolas close his eyes and muster enough strength to curl up into a ball facing away from the parrot, chittering as he did so. Not able to do anything more, he placed a new blanket over Stolas’ body. The owl clutched the blanket tightly, as if it was the only thing protecting him.

After watching for a few minutes, Vassago finally spoke. “I’m gonna make you some tea. It will help.” He tried placing a comforting hand on his shoulder, only for him to flinch away. Sighing, Vassago left the bedroom. Hopefully the owl would calm down a bit if he was alone for a few minutes.

Making his way into the kitchen, he put the herbs he thought would be best in a bowl. Chicory, yarrow, st johns wort, moly, stinging nettle, poppy, bitterroot and a tiny bit of mandrake. Those should be enough. He figured once it was finished, he would add a little bit of raw honey to it as well. Hopefully, it’ll be easier to entice the owl to drink it if it had a bit of sweetness.

As the water was heating in the kettle, he shakily sat down on a nearby chair. Removing his glasses, he put his hand over his tired eyes. The day’s events took its toll on him as well.

“Vassago” the parrot looked up at the sound of his name. Only to be met with a distressed looking Blitz.

“Stolas…i-is he? … Where is he???”

Chapter 31: The Parrot and the Imp

Chapter Text

Vassago was silent, looking at the imp, not really understanding why he was in the kitchen. Didn’t he say to come back after dark? It wasn’t even sunset yet.

“Where is he???” the imp repeated a little more forcefully. He felt tears forming in his eyes (He can’t be dead. He just can’t be).

"He’s recovering in his room” Vassago finally answered.

“So…he’s alive? He’s ok?” he asked hopefully.

“The purification was a success, if that’s what you mean.”

Blitz sighed in relief, before turning to go to the bedroom. He had an owl that he promised cuddles to.

“If you’re thinking of going to see him, then stop. He’s in no condition for company at the moment” that got the imp to stop.

“The hell you mean I can’t see him? You said he’s ok!” he said irritatingly. After all the stress he went through today, he wanted to spend time with his owl.

“I said he’s recovering. Right now, he’s… not in the best headspace.” The parrot said vaguely.

HIGH PITCHED WHISTLING

Blitz jumped at the sound behind him, only to turn around to see a tea kettle on the stove. Vassago, started to rise to remove the kettle. Blitz couldn’t help but notice the bandages on both the parrots hands nor how he shakily tried to stand.

“You ok?” Blitz asked. The parrot might not be his favorite person at the moment, but he could still be concerned. Especially since he just cured Stolas.

“I’ll manage. Purifications require all three magics. Luckily the ritual doesn’t take too long, so I’m in no danger of mana depletion. But it does take a toll.” the parrot explained.

“Here I got it,” the imp offered as he went to the stove.

“Thanks. The herbs are in the bowl next to you. A handful should be plenty”. The parrot told him as he sat down again.

“So why were you crying? If you don’t want to talk about it that’s fine, just curious” the imp asked the tearstained parrot as he threw a handful of the herbs in the kettle, letting it steep.

“Sigh…imagine you had to subject someone you care about to the worst thing imaginable in order to save their life. How would you react?” the parrot asked. Blitz hadn’t thought about it like that. He heard Stolas’ horrible screams, but Vassago was the cause of it.

“Sorry. I get it”

“…Where is everyone?” the parrot asked, noticing the lack of demons.

“Loona and Via are probably still in Gluttony at a party. M&M are at Hellmart, getting groceries. By the way, you need them to pick up anything?” the imp offered.

“Some more bandages if it’s no trouble. I want to make sure that there is enough for Stolas.”

“Uh… sure” he said as he took out his phone, a little worried by that statement. He saw a text message from Loona. He decided to pull it up first. He needed to make sure the girls were ok.

<Looney to Blitzo> 9/19 3:02pm: Wtf. y r u in human wrld?:

He forgot to let his daughter know that they were kicked out for the day. Oops.

<Blitzo to Looney> 9/19 4:38pm: He dnt wnt us hre 4 ths. Did wrk til don. Jst got bk. Hws prty? Do u nd me 2 pck u up?:

He then pulled up Millie’s contact.

<Blitzo to Millie> 9/19 4:39pm: cn u pck up mr bndges 4 stls? Vas almst out:

<Millie to Blitzo> 9/19 4:41pm: k:

<Blitzo to Millie> 9/19 4:41pm: thnx. Btw thy don. U cn cum bak:

“Alright they said they’ll pick up some.”

“Thanks… tea should be ready. Add a spoonful of that honey to Stolas’ if you could. And help yourself to some as well. You look like you need some” Vassago said, gesturing to the mentioned honey.

“Funny, I was about to say the exact same to you” the imp retorted.

Blitz grabbed three teacups, one for both Goetia and one for himself. The parrot was right. After all the stress he went through today, he could use something to calm his nerves. After adding the honey, he handed a cup to Vassago, who downed his piping hot tea in one go. Blitz took a sip of his own and forced himself to swallow the awful brew, so not to seem rude to the guy that saved Stolas. The owl wasn’t kidding when he said Vassago sucked at making tea.

(Sweet Titty f*cker!!! I thought Via’s tea was sh*t, but this is even worse!)

He hoped Vassago didn’t tell Stolas he made it. He could just imagine the owl scolding him before giving a lecture on how to make tea. Although this was probably the worst thing he’s ever tasted, he had to admit he felt a lot better with that single sip of it. Guess whatever herbs Vassago prepared were working.

“Why are you here?” that caught the imp off guard.

“Um, I thought you guys were done? So, I came early.” He hoped that lie worked. He didn’t want to admit that the king of lust scared him, making him think Stolas died.

“I mean why are you here in general? Is it for Stolas or your arrangement?” Blitz’s eyes widened at the question.

“You know about that?” How much did Stolas tell? There were certain things that they did in the bedroom that he would like to keep private, thank you very much.

“I don’t know the specifics of whatever your deal entails, but I do know that it’s the basis of your relationship.”

“It… why does it matter? It has nothing to do with you” the imp argued.

“It matters to me because my friend has been suffering because of it. He really cares about you, you know. But he believes you only care about your arrangement. I know you care about him, to some extent at least. But I want to know which you care more about. Him or your deal?” the parrot reiterated with a serious look on his face.

(Stolas has been suffering because of me? Of course he has. I ruin everything I touch.)

“You know, for several months I’ve hated you.”

(We just met a few days ago. How the f*ck can he hate me before he even met me?)

“It was when he was hospitalized. He was hurting and not from his wounds. It was because he believed you didn’t care for him. You should have told him that you visited him outside his window.” Vassago continued as if reading his mind.

“Wait… how’d you…”

“I heard you tell him while he was still asleep, a few nights back.” the parrot explained, interrupting the confused imp.

(Great, so now the red bastard’s spying on us?)

“I’m not just here because of our arrangement, believe me” Blitz defended himself, before looking toward the direction of the bedroom where a certain owl was residing. “But…maybe I shouldn’t even be here. You said I hurt him and… I believe it. Afterall, I always hurt everyone I’ve ever cared about... But I don’t want to be like this. Not forever. Not to him.” He didn’t notice the glow of Vassago’s eyes as he read the imps aura. The parrot was pleased with what he saw. Blitz was being genuine.

“…I’m beginning to understand. You’ve been pushing him away so you wouldn’t hurt him, but in doing so, it’s hurting you both.” The imp turned to the parrot. He never really thought about it like that. “Instead of trying to push him away, let him in.” Vassago suggested.

“Even if I did, I highly doubt it would work out well for either of us. I mean, come on. He’s a f*cking prince and I’m just... I don’t even know why he’d want to be with an imp…with me” Blitz said looking down at his murky green tea.

“Stolas doesn’t care about rank or species. Did you know he has always been fighting in favor of more rights for lower born?” Blitz looked up at that. He didn’t know that. Then again, they never really talked about politics.

“To be honest, I don’t even know what he sees in you, but he sees something. You both have issues that you need to work on together. But I have a feeling that if you make an attempt, it will work out for the two of you” the parrot encouraged. The imp might not be his favorite person, but he could see it in his aura that he did love Stolas, and that was all that mattered.

“I’ll… try. Thanks Vas…” he said with a grateful smile

The parrot scowled at the nickname “Blitz, I respect you enough not to call you Blitzo, please show me the same courtesy and not call me Vas.”

“Fine… Vassago” he replied with sarcasm. (Maybe I should start calling him Viagra again)

“I should get back to Stolas, make sure he’s alright… if he’s well enough, you can see him later tonight, otherwise perhaps in the morning. Like I said, it’s not personal, but he really isn’t in the best headspace right now.” The parrot stood up, grabbing the tea on the counter for Stolas before heading back to the room, leaving the imp alone.

(Well, I guess that’s something.) Blitz was disappointed he couldn’t see the owl right now, but at least he could see him later… hopefully. He took a sip of his tea, forgetting that it had such an awful flavor, before spitting out the disgusting brew.

“Blech!!! ... How the f*ck did he just down this without barfing?” he asked himself. Maybe the parrot doesn’t have any tastebuds? There can be no other reason.

There was no way in hell Blitz was gonna drink the rest of this crap. He decided to just dump it out, now that Vassago wasn’t in the kitchen to see it. But instead of dumping it in the sink, like any reasonable person would, he went to Eris and poured his tea in her pot. She gurgled at him as he came near her, only to let out a low, pained shriek as the tea touched her roots.

“I… probably shouldn’t have done that….” He decided to run out of there before she could try to eat him.

*****

< Blitzo to Fizz> 9/19 5:07 pm : Sry I lft lk tht. Bt gd nws. Stls don he b ok :) :

Blitz figured it would be a good idea to at least apologize to Fizz and Asmodeus about his rude departure and let them know that Stolas was alive. Since he couldn’t go see the owl, he figured he’d find something to do while he waited for the others to get back.

He was planning on watering Stolas’ plants, until he realized just how many there are, and not just in the greenhouse. Maybe he’ll do that tomorrow. Instead, maybe there was something else he could do. Something more productive. And by productive, he decided to go through the Kama Sutra.

So, here he was, in his guest room, looking through the erotic sex manual, dogearing several pages that he thought would be fun to try with Stolas (almost every page), trying not to get hard at some of the more risqué pictures. He was almost halfway through the book when he got a text from Millie.

<Millie to Blitzo> 9/19 6:09pm : can u help brng in bags?:

Blitz left the room, briefly pausing as he passed Stolas’ bedroom door. The door was not warded so that was something. He peeped through the keyhole, only to see Vassago. His back facing the door as he stood over the bed. He was blocking the view of the one he really wanted to see. Sighing, he continued his journey out of the palace and toward the van to help the other imps bring in the supplies.

He was shocked at their disheveled appearance. Their clothes were torn and covered with what he hoped was food. Millie had white powder in her hair, and Moxxie had a black eye that wasn’t there earlier.

“The f*ck happened to you?’ the taller imp asked.

“Hellmart” was all the irritable white-haired imp said as he walked into the palace with a handful of bags. (Yea, sounds about right)

Grabbing some bags himself, he took them to the kitchen. They got quite a selection of food and supplies, seven packages of the requested bandages and a new toaster to replace the one Loona somehow blew up (I still don’t know how she did that. It wasn’t even plugged in). As Blitz and Millie unloaded the groceries, Moxxie started making dinner. He was making a chicken and vegetable casserole.

“Um, is it ok to cook chicken here?” Blitz asked suspiciously, considering that half the people in the house were avians.

“Yes sir. I asked Vassago and Via when we first arrived here for food allergies and dietary restrictions. They’re ok with most poultry, just not owl or parrot.” Moxxie reassured as he cut the chicken for the recipe. (So, the Goetia are essentially cannibals… good to know.)

Moxxie handed a few pieces of chicken to Millie who turned to feed Eris. “Hey, is it me, or is Eris a little purple?” Millie asked.

Blitz cautiously walked up to the plant. She did look a little purple. In fact, she was more of a lavender hue than her usual white. (Crap! Did I poison her? Stolas is gonna kill me) Millie tossed a piece of chicken to Eris, who caught it before slowly swallowing. She made a gagging motion before vomiting up a weird, sweet smelling, purple goo all over the taller imp. Whatever she threw up must have been making her feel sick, as she was now back to her healthy white self.

“Huh…maybe it was something she ate?” Millie asked, tossing her another piece of chicken, which the now healthy plant gulped down easily. Then she tossed another piece and another until all the chicken was gone. Eris no longer threw up her goo, instead gurgled happily now that she was feeling better.

Meanwhile Blitz was just standing there, shellshocked, as the goo he was covered in started to soak through his clothes, going into places where mystery goo should not go. (Eww… eww… eww…eww).

“Snort…um, sir…maybe you should… giggle… take a shower.” Moxxie suggested, trying not to laugh at his boss’s predicament. Millie, wrapping her hand in a cloth, took her still shellshocked boss’s hand in her cloth covered one as she guided him to the nearest bathroom with a shower.

*****

Blitz returned about an hour later, clean and dressed in his Spirit hoodie and shorts. He grabbed a plate of casserole before joining his employees at the table, shocking the couple.

“What?” he asked looking at the other imps confused look. Did whatever Eris vomit on him give him extra horns or something?

"Um, not to be rude sir, but why are you here? I thought they were done with their ritual.” Moxxie asked. He thought that his boss would rather want to spend time with the prince than them, especially since he’s been fretting about him all day.

“No, they’re done, but Vassago says that he’s not well for visitors yet, whatever that means. I’m gonna bring some food and the bandages up for them soon. Hopefully I can see him then” he explained.

The married imps gave each other a look before returning to their meal. “By the way, Loona somehow knew we were on a mission. Anyone care to explain?” he asked suspiciously. He still didn’t get a reply back from his daughter, so hopefully the girls were ok.

“Um…well sir, that would be me. During the mission, I sent Via some pictures of… things in the house. She does taxidermy so I thought she would like them.” Moxxie explained, pulling out his phone so he could show him the photos. They were…creepy to say the least, but the taller imp supposed the younger owl would like them.

“Alright, I guess I could let that pass… this time.” he said. “So…how was Hellmart?” he asked, before the couple went on a tangent about the supermarket.

Apparently, Moxxie got his black eye from a small imp with a loaf of stale bread when he went to grab some butter (apparently, there was a whole shelf of it, so they were not sure why he was attacked). Millie was covered in talcum powder after crashing into a shelf while fighting a succubus and hellhound for the bandages. The couple had killed or maimed at least six sinners for the toaster due to a flash sale. The tears and stains on their clothes were from the rest of the grocery shopping, but that was Hellmart for you.

After they finished eating, they made two plates of the casserole and some glasses of water for the Goetia before Blitz took the meal and bandages to Stolas’ bedroom. Instead of barging in like he would normally do, he knocked. Afterall, he didn’t want to disturb Stolas if he was sleeping or something. He waited for a minute before Vassago opened the door.

“Brought you guys some dinner and the bandages you requested.” He held up the tray. The parrot took the tray from the imp.

“Thanks…” Vassago thanked him as he gave a confused look to the imp “What are you wearing?” he asked.

It’s my favorite hoodie” he defended himself. “Eris kinda threw up on me so I had to change…by the way, should I be worried about that?” he asked.

“Was it yellow?” the parrot asked.

“No, purple.”

“Then you’ll be fine” the parrot reassured.

Blitz glanced past him, to the figure on the bed. Stolas was laying there, facing away from the door. He was curled up in a fetal position, a blanket wrapped tightly around his trembling body. From where he was standing, Blitz could hear a chitter coming from the owl. (What the f*ck did he do to you, Stols?)

He wanted to demand that he be allowed in to comfort the owl when he remembered what Asmodeus and Vassago said earlier. Stolas probably didn’t want anyone, including the mottled imp, near him right now. The only reason Vassago was with him was because he’s his keeper, trying to take care of him. And even then, he doubted the owl wanted the parrot demon in there either.

“Um, so listen, I know you said he’s not well for visitors right now, but if you want to take a break, I can stay with him.” the imp offered.

“I appreciate the offer. I’ll consider it once he’s calmed down a bit more. Thank you” and with that, Vassago closed the door. Leaving the imp on the other side.

BUZZ…BUZZ…

He was about to head back to his room when he felt his phone vibrating. It was Loona.

“Blitz, I need you to get us… Via, no!” His daughter growled before he heard the owl give a distressed whine in the background.

“Uh, everything ok sweetie?” he asked, with a little concern. His daughter sounded a little stressed and worried.

“We need a portal to the palace… now.”

Chapter 32: The Party

Chapter Text

Earlier that day...

“Alright ladies, we’re here” Vortex announced as they pulled up to a mansion on the beach of Gluttony. Via liked the male hellhound. He was really nice and welcoming to the owl. She even thought it was cool that he worked for the Verosika Mayday, whom he offered to get her front row seats and backstage passes to her next concert.

Stepping out of the vehicle, she saw some hellhounds and succubi chatting with drinks in their hands near the building. A few demons were playing beach volleyball on the beach while others were swimming in the ocean. Too bad they didn’t bring swimsuits; it was such a beautiful day.

They made their way inside the house where loud music was blaring the ending to one of one of Verosika’s songs.

Pack your bags
Sun's out
Take a vacay, babe
Take it straight to Bonetown

Everyone seemed like they were genuinely having a good time. This was definitely different from the parties her mom made her go to.

“Hey ya’ll! Meet the new face” Tex shouts before howling in excitement. Several hellhounds, and some other demons, howled in welcome to the newest arrival. Octavia had been here less than two minutes, and it was already the best party she ever went to.

“I’m gonna go find Bee. Ya’ll have fun now.” Tex said as he left.

“So, what do you want to do first?” Loona asked.

“Oh, um… I’m not sure. I’ve never been to one of these before.” Via admitted.

“What? You’ve never been to a party? I thought royalty has them all the time.” Loona asked, shocked at the owl’s admission

“They do, but they’re stuffy, by the book meetings where you judge others and wear very uncomfortable outfits” Via explained. “They’re nothing like this” she said gesturing to her surroundings. Loona thought for a moment as to what they should do first. If this really is Via’s first party, then she wanted to make it memorable.

“Well, we could…”

“OMG! Lunatic Loona? You’re here?” a snooty voice came from behind the girls, causing the hellhound to scowl in annoyance. (Great).

“What do you want Vikki?” She growled out to a poodle hellhound wearing gaudy glasses and a ‘classy’ outfit. She was walking up to the pair with three female hellhounds tailing behind her.

“I thought this would be a nice party for once, but I guess they’ll just let any trash in here. Did you bring daddy here to crash the party again?” Vikki asked snootily, crossing her arms and looking down at the other hellhound.

“f*ck off,” Loona said as she flipped off the other hellhound. She didn’t want to cause a scene and get kicked out when they just got here. “Come on Via, let’s go” She grabbed Via’s hand, guiding her to somewhere else, hopefully near booze. Barely 10 am and she could use a drink.

“Hey! You’re new. And a Goetia?” Vikki said as she pulled Via’s arm to her and her posse, always ready to rub elbows with anyone with influence. And who would be more influential here, (other than the queen bee herself, that is) than royalty?

“You don’t want to hang around Lunatic Loona. Trust me. Her family is full of losers, see?” Vikki pulled the owl closer to her, wrapping an arm tightly around her, (Blech… she smells like sandalwood and queef pee) before pulling out her phone.

The poodle practically shoved the phone in the owl’s face as she showed a picture of Loona projectile vomiting before swiping to a picture of Blitz chugging a whole keg of Beezlejuice.

“Why the f*ck do you still have those?” Loona growled threateningly as she saw the photos Vikki was showing to the owl.

“They bring me joy. You know, you should keep things that bring you joy, Lunatic Loona” Vikki answered, not bothering to look up to the other hellhound, as she swiped to a picture of Blitz somehow french kissing four demons at once. (Was this before or after he met dad?) Loona growled at the nickname before Vikki pulled the uncomfortable Goetia closer.

“You really shouldn’t hang out with such a loser. Stick with me, kid, you’ll see. Things are way better when you stay away from scum.” Via didn’t like this poodle. She reminded her of some certain nobles’ daughters her mom made her hang out with.

“You’re absolutely right. I shouldn’t hang out with scum.” Vikki smirked in victory before frowning in confusion as Via peeled herself away from the poodle demon.

“That’s why I won’t hang out with you. Come on, Loona,” Via said, shocking the poodle and her friends. They couldn’t believe that someone with rank said no to Vikki. They didn’t notice they were gaining an audience, some of the partygoers eating popcorn as they watched the drama unfold.

“Ugh, excuse me??? You’d rather hang out with trash than with class? You must be a loser. Afterall, what noble in the right mind would dress like that?” Vikki retorted, gesturing to the owl’s outfit. There were a few collective oooohhhh’s from the onlookers.

(Oh, she did not just insult my outfit) “You’re judging my looks? I’m not the one dressed like a middle age public school teacher from the 50’s” she retorted. Gaining an approving smirk from Loona and a louder collection of OOOOOHHH’s from the onlookers.

“Burn!” someone shouted from the background.

“It's retro, bitch!” Vikki retorted back, getting a bunch of disapproving howls from around her, before she could insult the owl further.

“You can’t say that here” someone shouted from the background. Vikki turned to glare at whoever said that before turning to the retreating owl, Loona walking by her side.

“Go ahead, run away with your feathers between your legs, you bitch!” Vikki shouted back, getting another wave of disapproving howls her way. Her posse decided now would be a good time to walk away from her as well. Afterall, they didn’t want people to think they were friends with someone who kept using the forbidden b- word.

So now Vikki was standing there, alone. At least she still had her phone. She would wait until the owl did something embarrassing and add it to her collection. Maybe she would put it up on Sinstagram to teach her a lesson. No one embarrasses Vikki and gets away with it. She tried turning on her phone, ready to pull out her camera, but it just wouldn’t start.

“What the f*ck? What’d you do to my phone, you bitch?” She looked around, but there was no sign of the owl or Loona “Oh shut the f*ck up!” Vikki yelled as she heard another wave of disapproving howls. (You don’t use the b-word at one of Beelzebub’s parties.)

Via and Loona just kept walking until they were in the kitchen. There were several fruit baskets, breakfast sandwiches and pastries on the counter along with several drinks, in nearby coolers, both alcoholic and nonalcoholic.

“So… friend of yours?” Via asked sarcastically as she grabbed a chocolate muffin. They didn’t eat breakfast before they came here, and she was a little peckish.

“That’s a bit of a stretch. Sorry you had to see those. Not our best moments” Loona said as she made herself a mimosa. She always needed a drink after dealing with the poodle.

“I do have to ask … that picture of Blitz with those other demons… was it before or after he met dad?” she asked. She didn’t want to think Blitz was cheating on her dad.

“Well, technically, they met when they were kids, so after…” she tried saying lightly, but seeing the look on the owl’s face, she knew she’d have to come clean. “Sigh… it happened about six months ago.” (So, he is cheating on dad. Do I tell him? I don’t think he could handle it.)

Loona saw the look she was making. “He came to pick me up from a party and got into a drinking contest with Bee. He actually beat her!... but he was so wasted afterwords. And when you’re that drunk, you do stupid things. Things you normally wouldn’t do. He didn’t f*ck anyone, just made out with a lot of people… so I don’t think he cheated, or at least intended to” Loona explained, even though she knew that technically the prince and her dad weren’t really in a relationship to begin with.

“I guess that’s true… my mom once got so wasted from my uncles wine fountain that she started flirting with a statue before yelling at it.” Via explained as she took a bite from her muffin. She wasn’t at the party herself, as her uncle tended to host childfree parties, but she heard all about it and saw the video online. At least her family didn’t go to or host a party for a year after that.

Loona snorted in laughter at that, her mimosa nearly came out of her nose. They made their way outside, where some of the partygoers were drinking on the deck and while others were playing a game of beach volleyball.

“Heads up!” someone shouted as a volleyball narrowly missed the owl’s head, Via ducking just in time. Loona picked up the ball and threw it over to the players who lost their ball.

“Wanna play a game?” Loona asked the owl, seeing an open court with a ball nearby. Via nodded, before Loona went looking for more players.

*****

The girls found some players for a two-on-two game: a tall imp named Dennis and a shark demon in a jester cap named Lydia. Dennis served, and Loona passed it to Via who spiked it. Lydia narrowly saved the ball from hitting their side of the court as Dennis hit the ball. Via wasn’t able to save it.

One point for team Denia. Via served, spiking the ball with such force, that it knocked Dennis out of the court a few feet away.

‘Sorry!” she called out, only for Dennis to shakily raise his arm from where he was laying, giving a thumbs up. She tried serving again after Dennis recollected himself, gentler this time. As it came to him, he jumped out of the way, letting the ball hit the ground. Point for team Loovi.

“Nice going Dennis” Lydia said sarcastically, causing the imp to look away in embarrassment. They group played for a while longer before calling it quits, with team Denia winning by one point. “Good game” Via said, raising her hand in a high five to her opponents. “And sorry I hit you a couple of times” she apologized to Dennis, who was probably going to have a very bruised torso after getting plummeted by the ball.

“It’s ok, I’m used to it” he said. As both teams decided to head back near the mansion where someone was grilling hamburgers and hotdogs. There was a nearby table that had small bags of different favored chips, several types of salads, and other foods that would be great for a barbeque. At the end there were coolers of alcoholic and nonalcoholic drinks. Filling up their plates, they found a spot to eat on the beach, under a blue and white striped parasol.

“And then, Asmodeus said he loved him, right on stage!” Lydia said as she told the group about the last performance of her favorite performer, Fizzarolli. Dennis was looking at her with stars in his eyes.

“Awe! That’s so romantic!” Dennis gushed. He was a major shipper of the king of lust and the jester. Meanwhile, Loona and Via exchanged a look. Their dads were friends with the couple in question, they knew all about the romance.

‘Hey, there you are!” The group turned to the sound of Tex, waving to them before joining them with Beelzebub. Bee liked meeting her first time guests personally and the hellhound had a feeling his girlfriend would like the princess.

“It’s an honor to meet you, your sinfulness” Via stood up to do the courtesy bow and greeting that her mom taught her how to do in the face of sins.

“Well, aren’t you just the sweetest. but no need to be so formal. You can just call me Bee.” The sin of gluttony said bringing the girl in for a hug, before pinching at her cheeks. “Oh my gosh you are just so adorable. Loona, where have you been hiding her?” Bee asked the hellhound, as she let go of the owl, who went to rub her sore cheeks.

“Bee, this is Octavia Goetia” her boyfriend mentioned.

“Please. Just Via” the owl said.

"Alright ‘Just Via’." Bee joked. “How are you liking my party? You need anything? Drink, music, cotton candy?” the sin asked as she pulled cotton candy from nowhere before practically shoving it in the owls’ mouth. Via swallowed the sweet treat before answering.

“Oh, no I’m good, thank you. I’ve never been to something like this before. It’s amazing.” She admitted, causing the sin to smile.

“Oh, I like her” Bee said as she turned to Tex. He knew she would.

“Can I have some cotton candy?” Dennis asked from behind Via. Bee was only too happy to dump a large pile on top of him.

“Well, if you need anything, just let me know. We've got plenty of food, booze and I was able to snag some of the good stuff from Belphegor.”

‘Oh, she give it to you this time?” Loona asked, making a mental note to make sure Via didn’t take any drugs.

“Uh, hell no, I just ‘borrowed’ some from her. Don’t worry, I repaid her in Beezlejuice.” She replied casually as she studied her nails. “Speaking of which, who wants some?” She asked as she pulled out a keg of her famous brew. Almost everyone raised their hand except Via.

“You don’t want any?” Dennis asked, surprised someone would say no to Beezlejuice, especially in front of Beelzebub.

“I would, if I could, but…I’m not old enough to drink” She replied ruefully.

“How old are you?” Bee asked.

“Seventeen”

“Meh. Close enough.” she said as she handed the owl a drink. Via looked around; everyone was staring at her eagerly as she took her first sip of alcohol. She liked it. She chugged the whole thing down, giving her a slightly warm and fuzzy feeling. She really liked it. She got a small round of cheers from the group. “There we go, knew you could handle it” the sin said proudly.

“This calls for a celebratory pic” Lydia exclaimed. The group got close together as Bee grabbed four of their phones while the people on the outside of the huddle took out theirs. They posed with the mansion in the background. Bee looked at the pics, before handing them back to their owners once she deemed that they were good.

“I gotta go check my other guests. Enjoy yourselves”. Bee said before she flew back into the mansion. Via looked at her photo. It really was a good one of her and her new friends. She was about to post it on Sinstagram, when she noticed she got several texts from Moxxie. (Is dad ok?) She opened them, not expecting really cool photos of taxidermy creations.

<Moxxie to Via> 9/19 10:47 am: (image of a beaver body with three duck heads attached to its neck)

<Moxxie to Via> 9/19 10:47 am: (an image of a deer body with a human torso and a cow head looking like a demented centaur)

<Moxxie to Via> 9/19 10:47 am: (an image of a human head with snakes going through their eye sockets and mouth)

<Moxxie to Via> 9/19 10:48 am: On job. Target has these. Thot u might like them.

“You ok Via?” Loona asked, seeing the confused owl’s face.

“Moxxie sent me these earlier. Aren’t they supposed to be at the palace with dad?”

Loona looked at the photos and the timestamp of the messages. Blitz has some explaining to do. “Oh, I’m sure that he and Millie just went to the office to get some work done. There’s no way Blitz would leave Stolas” she reassured her.

As Via turned to the ocean, lost in thought thinking about her dad, Loona gave Tex a look, as if asking for help. She told him earlier that Via’s dad was really sick (without going into details as to what’s wrong with him) and that she invited her to Bee’s party to get her mind off that.

“Hey ya’ll, why don’t we head back inside and do some dancing?” Tex asked, getting a murmur of agreements from the group.

While making their way in, Loona pulled up her phone. She needed to know why the rest of I.M.P weren’t at the palace.

<Loona to Blitz> 9/19 3:02pm: Wtf. y r u in human wrld?:

He didn’t answer her right away. Maybe he is still on an assassination? He better have a damn good reason to leave Stolas alone, especially since they were hired to protect him.

As the group went inside, they made their way to the main room. The lights were dim, the disco ball reflecting all around them as upbeat music was playing. Everyone was dancing in a way Via had only seen in movies, way different from those stupid balls. She danced with her friends, with Dennis dipping her once. Tex and Bee danced with them for a bit, before leaving for some private fun in one of the upstairs bedrooms. Everyone was having such a good time.

“There you are, trash owl.” the sound of snooty voice came from behind them as the music died down. A drugged-up Vikki stood there, a red glint in her eyes that was not caused by anything she consumed. She zoomed in on the owl. Dennis and Lydia stood in front of their friend, trying to protect her from the poodle, before the hellhound practically threw them out of the way, knocking Dennis into a rather handsome, white-haired succubus and Lydia into a bar, to get to her target.

The music stopped playing, but neither the owl nor the poodle seemed to notice as the partygoers were now watching the beginnings of a fight.

“You owe me a new phone!” she demanded, shoving her phone into the owl’s face, hitting her beak.

“I don’t owe you jack squat” she said as she turned away from the annoying poodle, trying to see if her friends were ok, especially Lydia, who was clutching her side in pain as a small imp, who looked just like her family’s butler, helped her sit up. Vikki pulled her back by her head feathers, causing Via to yelp in pain.

“Oh yes you do. It was working fine before you showed up. I know you did something to it, and you better make it up to me or else” the poodle growled, pulling the owl’s head backwards further, getting in her face. Via could smell her awful perfume, wanting to gag at the awful stench.

“Let go!” Via demanded as Vikki gave her head another yank, feeling some of her feathers coming loose. She could turn her head backwards, but not that way.

“Let her go Vikki! She didn’t touch your Satan damned phone!” Loona growled at Vikki, ready to attack the poodle.

“Yea, it looks fine. You probably just forgot to charge it.” Dennis said from his position sprawled on top of the succubus he crashed into. He couldn’t see any cracks or anything from where he was. Vikki loosened her grip on the owl, allowing her to escape with a few feathers still in the poodle’s hand, before turning to the imp.

“Shut up Dennis. This is between me and trash bird here. Satan, you’re such a loser.” Vikki growled at him, causing him to look hurt as he tried helping the guy he crashed into up.

“Don’t talk to him like...” Via was interrupted as Vikki punched her, scratching the owl’s right cheek with her claws hard enough to draw blood, causing Via to stumble back. There was a collection of gasps and a few low growls from the crowd at the sudden attack.

Vikki spotted the owl’s locket, making a grab for it. “Mine” she growled as she ripped it from her neck. It looked expensive. She could easily sell it and buy at least twenty phones.

“Give that back, you c*nt!” Via shouted. Her eyes and hands were starting to glow pink as she concentrated on her magic. She was ready to petrify this bitch and smash her to pieces. She didn’t care about the consequences. That locket’s her most prized possession and no way in hell is this bitch taking it away from her.

“What’s going on here?” An authoritative voice came from above. Looking up, everyone saw Bee floating down, her arms crossed, and a stern expression etched on her face. Everyone knew when Bee used this voice, someone was in big trouble. Tex went over to Loona, putting a hand on her shoulder as a silent command to not get involved.

“This bird bitch broke my phone and stole my necklace, see?” Vikki lied, ignoring the howls of disgust as she, once again, used the forbidden b-word. Even in her drugged state, she knew she had to play the victim, or she would be in deep sh*t.

The hellhound handed her phone over to the sin, who gave it a look over. It wouldn’t turn on, but she didn’t see any cracks or anything out of the ordinary. She handed the dead phone back to its owner before raising an eyebrow at the owl in question.

“She’s lying. I never touched her phone, and that locket is mine. My dad gave it to me.” Via defended herself.

“Who are you going to believe your highness? Me, someone whose loyally been to your parties for years, or the royal trash who’s never been to a single one?” Vikki tried to defend herself.

The sin was confused, she could sense that both were lying about something. Ignoring the phone issue, she decided to focus on the necklace. Bee had seen Octavia wear that necklace when they met, but that didn’t mean she took it from Vikki earlier.

“… let me see the necklace.” She held her hand out to the poodle, who reluctantly handed the locket over.

Bee looked at the purple and silver locket. She didn’t see anything on the outside that would say who the owner was. She opened it, seeing the magic hologram of two Goetia owls.

It always seems more quiet in the da…

She closed it as the lullaby started playing. She recognized the figures in the hologram and the melodic voice singing the lullaby. She had all the answers she needed.

“This belongs to Octavia”. She said, handing the locket back to the owl, who took it back gratefully, holding it close to her, before turning her attention to the hellhound. “I’m gonna have to ask you to leave, Vikki.” the queen bee told the poodle in a serious voice, pointing to the door.

“What??? You’re joking.” Vikki growled, forgetting who she was talking to. “You’re seriously kicking me out? This is the thanks I get for all my years wasted at your trash parties?” She ignored the way Bee scowled at her for the insult.

“She’s a f*cking Goetia. Her stupid, ugly daddy can just buy her another tacky necklace.” She saw the image and heard the lullaby, and judging by the look the owl was giving her, she could tell she struck a nerve on the owl when her father was mentioned.

“Shut up…” Via growled, clutching her locket. Tears were forming in her eyes as her anger rose (How dare she).

“Awe, is baby gonna cry to her pathetic daddy?” Vikki mocked, laughing at her own joke. If she was going down, then she was gonna make the owl hurt as much as possible.

“I said shut up.” Via said more forcefully, her hands were glowing pink again.

“I bet he’s a f*cking loser too, just like…”

“Shut the f*ck UP!!!” Via shouted, interrupting the poodle.

FWOOSH… CRASH

She blasted her pink magic at Vikki, causing the hellhound to fly into a dessert table.

“Don’t you dare bring my dad into this, bitch!” Octavia growled out, having to be restrained by Loona and Tex, both glaring daggers at the poodle. Vikki sat up, her hair and outfit were ruined by the desserts, her glasses strewn and cracked. She noticed how quiet it was.

“Are you serious? I can’t say that, but she can?” Vikki growled around her as the owl didn’t get any disapproving howls.

“That’s cuz you are a bitch” Dennis said, glaring at the cake covered hellhound. He did get howls, but unlike Vikki, they were in agreement. She was declared a bitch by the whole party.

“Shut the f*ck up Dennis!” she growled, throwing a cake knife at the imp. Just before it hit him in the face, the knife was caught by the sin of gluttony.

“That’s enough!” Bee dropped the knife to the floor before she started transforming into her eldritch form. “You’ve continuously harassed and assaulted my guests, stole from one, and lied to my face… I will not tolerate this deplorable behavior any longer!” Beelzebub was now in her full eldritch form, growling down at the party crasher. “Get. Out. Now!” She growled.

“Fine. Verosika’s parties are way better anyway. At least she doesn’t let trash in.” The disheveled poodle said snootily as she stood up from the cart, trying to dust off some frosting on her outfit, but just smearing it instead. The poodle was too out of it to realize who she was insulting.

“See you at Verosika’s Anti Blitzo party. Oh, that’s right, trash isn’t invited… too bad, huh, Lunatic Loona?” she said, smirking as the hellhound in question growled at her, her eyes glowing red with fury.

Vikki turned, starting to walk out with what little dignity she had left, before a table lamp crashed into the back of her head. She turned to a furious Loona, who was baring her fangs, trying to lunge at the poodle, only to be held back by Tex and Via, who were both glaring at the poodle.

Vikki grabbed the nearest thing to her, Dennis. He covered his face with his arms, bracing himself for impact as Vikki held him above her head, ready to throw the imp at the hellhound. Bee had enough. Still in her eldritch form, she picked the poodle up, causing her to drop Dennis, as she was carried to the door by her scruff.

Bee stepped outside, dangling the now scared, and quickly sobering up, hellhound several feet in the air. Beelzebub brought the scared poodle to her face.

“You. Are. Banned.” Bee growled before she tossed Vikki miles away into Gluttony’s ocean, receiving cheers from the partygoers as the crasher was literally thrown out.

Bee turned back into her normal form “Ugh I hate doing that. Really puts a sour taste in the vibe. Alright people, nothing to see here, enjoy yourselves.” she said, as she made her way to the owl.

“I’d like to have a word with you. Alone.” She said seriously, guiding the owl to one of the private rooms. Loona was about to protest, when Tex put a hand on her shoulder, shaking his head.

“Don’t worry, I know Bee. She won’t be too harsh on Via, especially since this is her first time.” Tex reassured her. She trusted Tex, so hopefully he was right.

“What did Vikki mean? Verosika’s Anti-Blitzo party? She’s just spewing sh*t, right?” she asked her friend, who looked away. “Right?” she asked again.

“Sigh… every Halloween, Verosika has a party dedicated to hating Blitz” the hellhound explained “If it makes you feel better, I can get Verosika to ban Vikki from it.”

“Seriously? You’re not going to it, right?” Loona asked suspiciously. “I… kinda have to. It’s nothing personal, it’s my job. Plus, she’s paying me triple for this party” he tried to defend himself.

“Are you going to this Anti- Blitzo party too?” She walked up to Dennis from his spot on the floor. She knew Blitz had hurt him in the past, but she thought he would have been over it by now.

“Um… maybe?” he said confusedly, not sure why he was being questioned about a party by an angry hellhound.

“Oh, f*ck you Dennis”. She growled at the imp, causing him to look like he was about to cry.

“You ok?” Tex asked, seeing Loona getting upset.

“Finding out there’s a party dedicated to hating my dad? Just peachy… sigh…I need a smoke” she said turning to leave. She was so upset, she didn't notice she walked past the bar where Lydia was surrounded by a group of demons, being picked up by a large, male baphomet.

*****

Bee took Via into an empty bedroom, locking the door. There was a king-sized bed, a lamp that gave the room a dim red hue, an end table with a slightly opened drawer with lube and condoms, and a box with sex toys with a note that says, ‘please clean after use’. There was also an unoccupied bathroom attached to the room, with a large shower in it.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have blasted her, but I…” The owl tried to defend herself before Bee held up her hand to silence her.

“You’re not in trouble for that. She deserved it. But I want to know why you lied to me.” the sin demanded.

“I didn’t.”

“You did.” she said seriously. Via knew she should be honest now.

“Sigh… ok, ok…. I technically wasn’t lying when I said I didn’t touch her phone, but… I may have used a little magic to destroy the SD card and battery.” she admitted. Bee raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms, unimpressed.

“Why?” she asked.

“She was showing me these horrible pictures of Loona and Blitz, and she was proud of it. So, when she wasn’t looking, I made it so she wouldn’t show them to anyone else. Loona’s like a sister to me and Blitz he’s, well…my dad loves him” she admitted looking away. Bee could sense there was more, she could taste the vibe the owl was giving, especially when the girls dad was mentioned. It was bitter.

Bee gestured to the bed, causing the owl to blush. “Oh… I’m flattered, really, I am… but I’m ace.”

“Oh! … Hahahaha!” Bee laughed as she understood what the owl thought she was implying. “No sweetheart, I was offering you a seat. I really should put some chairs in here. May spice things up a bit.” She said, looking around the room. Via took a seat on the large bed before Bee sat next to her.

“So, I’m guessing there’s some sort of daddy issue? I can taste your vibe. You are worried about something and I’m guessing it’s something the bitch said. Speaking of which…” She pulled out a golden scroll from seemingly nowhere. The top of the scroll said Banned. There were several names listed on the scroll. (Trevor, Sailor, Glam, Muffy, and Chazwick, to name a few) she added Vikki to the list.

“Ok, now that that’s out of the way, what’s up?” she said as she conjured the scroll away. Via looked away, not sure if she could tell the sin of gluttony what’s worrying her, especially since they just met.

“Hey, if you don’t want to talk about it, that's fine, but nothing will leave this room if you do” Bee said gently.

“Sigh… my dad…he’s really, really sick. When I left this morning…he barely looked alive.” She said, remembering his ragged breathing, his dull feathers, the way he barely opened his top eyes before giving her a weak smile when she hugged him before leaving.

“The only reason I’m here and not with him is because he thought it would be a great idea if I came here with Loona.” she explained. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m having fun, but… I’m really worried about him.” she admitted, not wanting to offend the sin, trying not to tear up thinking of how she was having the time of her life while he was suffering right now.

“Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry … I may be able to snag some meds from Belphegor for him. What’s he got? Bird flu, chickenpox, aids, cancer?” Bee offered sympathetically.

“Mana poisoning” Via admitted.

Bee’s eyes widened. She knew what that entailed. All the sins had it at one point that she knew about. And unfortunately, there was no medicine she could steal to help the poor bird.

“Oh, hun… I’m guessing he’s doing a purification today?” she asked sympathetically. It was the only cure, and she wouldn’t wish it on anyone.

“Yea…he didn’t want me around for it”, she said. Bee could see why. If she had kids, she wouldn’t want them anywhere near the ritual either.

“You’re Stolas’ kid, right?” she asked, recognizing the image and the voice from the locket. Via looked up at her before nodding.

“I’ve met him a few times at some of those boring as f*ck council meetings. Such a nice guy. Got one hell of a liver as well. I haven’t met many who can handle as much absinthe like he can.” Via wasn’t sure how to respond to the sin’s admiration for her dad’s drinking.

“I’ve heard that he’s the best prophet in millennia, so that means he’s strong. He’ll bounce back before you know it. I can almost guarantee it. And once he’s all better, you bring him to one of my parties and I’ll make sure you both have the time of your lives.” Bee said reassuringly.

“Thanks” she said with a grateful smile, happy for the support as Bee pulled her into a hug.

“And don’t worry. Like I said, what was said in this room stays in this room. Ready to go back out?” she asked. The owl nodded as they headed out of the dim room. The music was blaring as the partiers continued their dancing. Looking down from her spot at the stairs, she couldn’t see her friends, but she did see a familiar imp holding a green jester’s hat. She made her way to the bar, toward the imp.

“Impington?” she asked, shocking the imp.

“Ah… your highness… I was just… it’s my day off and I … well…” he trailed off in a nervous sweat. She is his boss’ kid after all.

“Hey, I don’t care what you do in your free time. But…. Have you seen my friend, Lydia? That’s her hat.” she said pointing her to the jester cap.

“Yes… my friends Tim and Kiki portaled her to a hospital. She may have broken some ribs when she crashed” Via’s eyes widened. If she saw Vikki again, she would petrify her before smashing her statue for hurting her friend. “I can let you know what they find out if you would like.” the imp offered.

“Thank you” she smiled at him.

“By the way, your highness, if I may ask, is prince Stolas almost finished with his ritual? No offense to your mother, but many of us prefer working under him than her” the butler inquired. Via understood. Her father was always kinder to the staff than her mother was.

“He should be done soon.” She said, not wanting to tell him that her dad’s been finished or about his condition.

“Sigh… that’s good.” The imp sighed in relief at her answer. The others will be thrilled to know they will be coming back to work for the prince soon. They were not happy they were sent away to work for Stella for this long. Some believed it was due to the divorce settlement while others believed it was a safety precaution with how dangerous the ritual was, but no one could figure out why the young princess stayed with her dad, instead of coming with them to her mom’s.

“There you are!” The owl turned her head 180 degrees to see Loona coming up to her. “Who’s this?” she asked, looking at the small imp.

“This is our family’s butler, Impington” Via introduced as the imp gave a slight bow. Loona raised a questioning eyebrow (I thought Blitz said his name’s Pringles). “Impington, this is Loona, Blitz’s daughter” she introduced.

“Pleasure to meet you” the imp greeted. He met the prince’s paramour a few times. He’s an … interesting fellow.

“Likewise,” she said politely enough. “I don’t know about you, but I could use a drink,” she said as she turned to the bar.

“Did something happen?” Via asked.

“Don’t worry about it. Just stupid sh*t is all” she said eyeing the alcohol along the wall, trying to find something she wanted. “What do you want?” she asked Via.

“Um… I think I’d like to try absinthe.” If Bee said her dad liked it, then maybe she would as well. The imp and the hellhound gave her a shocked look. “What?”

“Via, that stuff is strong… like really strong” Loona said.

“It’s alright, I think I could handle it” she said before turning to the imp. “I won’t tell if you don’t” the imp could only nod. He couldn’t dissuade the owl from drinking his boss’s favorite drink, but if prince didn’t know his butler saw her drinking, then he wouldn’t feel his wrath.

“… alright then” Loona hopped over the bar to grab some shot glasses and a bottle of the green alcohol. She poured three shot glasses before handing one to the owl and the imp, before downing hers.

The owl downed her shot, forcing herself to swallow the strong alcohol. “ich” she said, before she filled up another shot, giving the same result. “ick” she said again as she poured herself another shot. She wasn’t sure she liked the taste, but she liked how the strong booze made her feel.

“If you don’t like it, then don’t drink it.” Loona said with a smirk.

“It’s weird, I don’t like it, but I do. Does that make sense?” she asked.

“Yeah, I guess it does” she laughed.

‘Hey Loona, Via. Sup Impington?” They turned to Dennis walking to the group. Via saw the hellhound scowl at him.

“What do you want Dennis?” she growled. (What’d he do to make her angry?)

“Look… I’m sorry I upset you. It’s nothing personal, believe me. I’m over what Blitz did to me” Dennis apologized. “There are only two reasons I might go to the party. One: I’m a big fan of Verosika’s and two: well…. I hope I can meet Mr. right.” he said, looking away, blushing as he spotted the succubus he crashed into, who winked at him as their eyes met.

Loona looked at the tall imp. She could tell he was being genuine. “Alright…I guess I can forgive you this time. But you better not be sh*tting on Blitz. Got it” she growled, pointing a clawed finger at the imp, who only nodded.

Ping

Impington took out his phone. “That’s Tim. Looks like your friend just has some bruising, but nothing broken.” The smaller imp said, causing Via to sigh in relief just as a portal opened to reveal the baphomet, a succubus and Lydia.

“Lydia you’re ok!” Via hugged her only for the shark to hiss in pain. “Sorry” she apologized.

“It’s ok. I’m just sore, is all. I wanted to make sure you guys were ok before they take me home” the shark said as she took her hat back from the imp butler with a thankful smile.

“You really have to go?” Via asked sadly.

“Afraid so, the doctor said I need rest, and to be honest I’m really sore right now.’ she explained.

“Well, before you go, how about a drink” Loona said, pulling up a few more shot glasses for the rest of the demons.

“A toast to Vikki! May none of that bitch’s phones ever work.” Dennis announced as they all toasted to the poodle’s misery.

*****

Four hours later…

“Via? Via?” Loona called around, frantically, on the dance floor, looking for the owl. She stepped away for a few minutes to use the bathroom, telling the slightly intoxicated owl to sit on a couch, eat a taco and drink some water while she waited for the hellhound before leaving.

That was almost an hour ago. When she got back, the half-eaten taco and the barely drunk water bottle were on the couch, but the owl was not.

Vortex and Bee (who are now helping look for the missing teen) hadn’t seen her in a while. Tex went outside to see if he could find the owl out there, while Bee checked upstairs, hoping no one took the intoxicated teen into one of the bedrooms for some ‘fun’. Impington left with his friends when they took Lydia home hours ago, so they probably haven’t seen her. She couldn’t find Dennis, so hopefully the owl was with him.

She was getting worried. If something horrible happened to the owl, she’d never forgive herself (if Stolas didn’t kill her first, that is). She spotted Dennis, leaning against a pillar off the side of the dancefloor, making out with the handsome succubus Vikki threw him at earlier. The guy had a tattoo that reminded her of a Goetia symbol, on his left arm.

“Dennis, you seen Via?” she asked urgently.

He didn’t bother looking up from his make out session as he pointed to the Goetia in question.

The owl was sitting at a table, a half empty bottle of rum in hand, laughing at a succubus, a fish demon and two hellhounds. Loona hurried over to the owl. She knew this group’s reputation and hoped Via didn’t do what she thought she did. “Via” she called, making the owl turn her head to the hellhound.

“Heeyyy! Loooooona!” the owl slurred with a dopey smile on her face. “Guess what? They gave me brownies! They taste funny, but they’re awesome!” she explained excitedly. Loona looked at the ‘brownies’ in her hand, sniffing them. Yep…those are definitely not brownies. She glared at the group who were all too out of it to notice.

“How many did you eat?” she asked warily, only for Via to giggle.

“I can taste colors! Yellow tastes like Beezlejuice!” she giggled. Sighing, the hellhound took the ‘brownies’ out of the owl’s hand, throwing them at the fish demon with enough force to knock him backwards, before guiding her away.

As she maneuvered around some partygoers, hoping to take the owl to somewhere less crowded, she spotted Via chugging her drink like water. (Ok, time to adult).

“I think you’ve had enough for one night.” Loona said, trying to pry the nearly empty bottle from the owl, who hissed at her, trying to protect it with her life.

“You ok Via?” a concerned voice came from behind her. It was Dennis, his make out buddy close by.

“Heeeeyyyy! My good friend…um… it’s, um….” Via put one hand over her forehead, trying to think of her friend’s name.

“Dennis” he responded helpfully.

“No… no. That’s not it,” she said while trying to think of his name, leaving the imp confused. He couldn’t tell if she was drunk or high, or both. The imp turned to Loona, only to see her glaring at his paramour’s shirt. It read ‘Better than Blitzo’.

“Really?” She glared at Dennis.

“…What? He’s hot!” He defended himself sheepishly. The Better than Blitzo guy smiled at him.

“The f*ck did Blitz do to you?” she asked the succubus. Her adoptive father must have done something bad enough for the guy to wear that shirt.

“Nothing. Don’t even know who that is.” He admitted, watching in amusem*nt as Via dropped her bottle before snatching another demon’s cup of alcohol from their hand as they walked past, before drinking it.

“Then why the f*ck are you wearing that?” she growled.

“I got it from a shirt cannon at Verosika’s last concert. It’s the name of her newest album.” he defended, not sure why this hellhound was getting mad at his shirt. She huffed, hoping he wasn’t lying to her.

“Whatever. You guys seen Tex? I think it’s time for Via to go home.” she said, glancing briefly at the owl who was staring up at the giant disco ball with wonder. It was so shiny.

“Really? Why? The nights still young and she’s having fun.” Dennis said.

“She’s doped up, drunk and… crap! Where’d she go?” The group looked around for the, once again, missing owl. She was just standing there, she couldn’t have gotten far, right?

“Um…found her.” The succubus pointed. Loona’s eyes widened as she saw where he was pointing. (How the f*ck did she get up there???)

Octavia was sitting on top of the disco ball, a bottle of whiskey in her hand. She was laughing, enjoying being on the giant, shiny ball. “Via get down from there!” Loona shouted.

She watched in horror as Via chugged the bottle before tossing it over her shoulder, luckily not hitting anyone. Then, she wobbly stood up and, with a backflip that would put an Olympic diver to shame, dove right into a vat of Beezlejuice. Loona heard cheering all around her at the perfect dive.

“Wow… for someone who’s doped up and drunk, she’s a pretty good diver.” 'Better than Blitzo' said, getting a glare from the hellhound. Loona watched as Bee dove in to collect the owl still submerged in her booze.

She emerged with the owl in her arms, sticky and wet, but otherwise unharmed. Spotting Loona, she gestured to the kitchen. The hellhound, tall imp and the sexy succubus followed in pursuit. Luckily there was no one in the kitchen, everyone either in the main area, outside or upstairs in the bedrooms.

“Giggle… Beeeeee! There’s B’s in Beezlejuice! ...Giggle!” Via slurred. Bee looked at the owl with a questioning look.

“She ate some drugs thinking they were brownies. Plus, I think she had a little too much to drink. But don’t worry, I’m taking her home.” the hellhound explained as the sin set the owl down. She was hoping for a ride, but it seemed like a portal would be a better option.

“Here,” Bee tossed Loona Via’s locket. “It fell off when she went swimming. Maybe you should hold onto it, so she doesn’t lose it.”

“Thanks… no you stay put. We’re going home” the hellhound scolded as the owl tried to walk toward the DJ playing nearby. She wanted to spin on the record player and press all the buttons on the music system. “Guys, watch her while I call Blitz” Loona ordered, pocketing the owl’s locket as she tried to find her phone.

“Nnoooooo ... I don’t wanna.” Via whined, trying to get to her target, only to be stopped as Dennis’ paramour grabbed the back of her cardigan. The owl didn’t notice she wasn’t moving as she continued to walk in place toward her destination.

“Hey! Ya found her!” Tex entered the kitchen from the door leading to the deck, glad that they finally found the owl. Via turned her head 180 degrees, startling the succubus into letting her go. She forgot the DJ system and focused on the newest arrival.

“Vvvooooorrrrtteexxxx!” Via shouted as she flung herself at him, happy to see her second favorite hellhound, before giving him a big hug. He was so tough and scary looking but was as sweet as cotton candy. He deserves all the hugs!

“Umm… good to see you too... why is she wet and sticky?” He asked, concerned as he felt whatever she was covered in start to stick on his fur.

“She dove into the Beezlejuice” Loona explained as she finally pulled up her phone. Seeing she got a message from her adoptive father, she opened it.

<Blitz to Loona> 9/19 4:38pm: He dnt wnt us hre 4 ths. Did wrk til don. Jst got bk. Hws prty? Do u nd me 2 pck u up?:

Guess that explains why they weren’t there. She dialed his number. Better he gets here now before Via does something else.

Burrr…Burrr…

Blitz picked up, but Loona answered before he could speak.

“Blitz, I need you to get us… Via, no!” Loona growled, scolding the owl, who somehow came into possession of a bottle of vodka. She grabbed the bottle, causing the owl to give a distressed whine, before handing it to Dennis, who hid it behind him, out of sight of the owl. (Seriously, where is she getting all these bottles? Is she stealing them from other partygoers or is Bee giving them to her when we’re not looking?)

The imp's lover gave the owl a water bottle from a nearby cooler, hoping it would be enough to trick her into drinking it. She took a few gulps from her bottle before she saw something outside that caught her eye.

“Uh, everything ok sweetie?” he asked, with concern.

“We need a portal to the palace…now.” she said urgently as she watched as Via feather travel to the deck outside, before stumble running to a bonfire on the beach (she wanted to magic it into pretty colors).

Luckily, Tex, who was closest to the door, caught up to her before she got too close to the fire, picked her up and carried her back in one arm. He didn't notice the owl grab a flask and an unopened beer bottle from the deck, hiding them in her cardigan. Once inside, the male hellhound placed her on a chair before blocking the door. If she got out again, then who knows what she would do.

“Ok, ok… I’ll be right there.”

“Loona!!!” She heard her adoptive father yell, almost immediately after she hung up. She stepped out of the kitchen, spotting him. He was dressed in his favorite Spirit hoodie, gun whipped out in case of danger, an ‘I’m gonna go psycho if you hurt my girls’ look on his face. Loona never thought she'd be happy to see the mottled imp like this.

“Blitz!!!” she shouted as she spotted him. Getting his attention, she gestured to the kitchen. He ran to his destination.

“What happened” You girls, ok?” he asked, taking in his surroundings, not seeing any danger. He put his gun away cautiously, ready to whip it out if he needed to.

“Heeeyyyyy… Blllliiitttzzzyyyy with a silent Ooooo…ssshhhhh” Octavia slurred with a smile as she stumbled to the imp, only to frown down at him a moment later.

“You don’t kiss dad at parties” she whined mournfully, laying her cheek on his horn with a pout. “… you smell pretty.” she said, a pout still on her face, smelling the remains of Eris’ mishap earlier. He washed it off as best as he could, but he still smelled sweet.

“Uh… what?” he asked confused.

“She’s wasted.” Was all his daughter said as he gently removed her from his horn.

“How much did she drink?” he asked, as she pulled out her stolen flask, whining as Dennis plucked it out of her hands, before handing it to Tex.

“Way too much” Tex said, putting the flask on a shelf, way above the intoxicated owl’s reach.

“Good thing she has her dad’s liver” Bee said watching with amusem*nt as the female hellhound tried to entice her to drink from her forgotten water bottle.

Blitz wondered if he should be worried about that statement.

“Gasp… Blitz! Guess what?” Via faced Blitz with wide eyes, getting his attention. She remembered something important. Something he really needed to know. “Absinthe tastes like green.” she said seriously, confusing the imp even further.

“She’s also high” Dennis said. Blitz was starting to understand the problem now. There was one last question he had.

“What happened to her face?” he asked, noticing the scratches and bruise on her cheek. (Did one of these motherf*ckers attack her?)

“Vikki” the group said in unison. He didn’t know what that meant but he could ask Loona later. Right now, he needed to get Via home.

“OK birdy, let’s go. It’s bedtime” he told her gently.

“Giggle…. You say that to dad” she slurred. Blitz blushed.

“No… not… like that” he tried to explain, looking away for a brief moment, (He really has said the exact same thing to Stolas before, just with different context) before looking back up to the owl, watching as she opened her stolen beer bottle.

“Stop giving her booze, moron!” He glared accusingly at Dennis.

“I-I didn’t …I don’t know where she’s getting them from.” He defended himself. No one seemed to notice the owl was hiding booze in her cardigan.

Sighing in exasperation, the mottled imp turned to the owl. Looks like he has to be the responsible one here.

“… ok, honey, here’s what’s happening.” he said, snatching the beer away from the owl, spilling some on her outfit. “We’re going home. You’ll drink some water, then go to bed.” he said a little more sternly.

“Mmmiiiinnnneee” she whined flinging herself at the imp, trying to reach for the bottle. Blitz had placed one foot and arm on the owl while trying to keep the bottle out of her reach with his other arm. She was going to make them both fall over to get her beer at this rate.

“Octavia, enough! We’re going home right now!” He said in his best ‘I’m your parent’ voice.

“Nnnoooo…. don’t wanna!” she whined, as she continued to reach for her booze.

“I’m gonna count to three!” Blitz threatened, not knowing what else to do. She stopped, looking at him with wide eyes at his threat, neither one knowing what’ll happen when he gets to three. “One…”

“Groan… you’re mean” she said sadly, getting off of the imp, before he opened a portal.

“Let’s go. Bedtime. Now.” he said sternly, pointing to the portal, before watching in confusion as she pouted, turning to the stairs to the bedrooms on the next floor.

“Not those beds, sweetheart.” Bee said as she turned the owl around to Loona’s waiting arms, before the hellhound flung the owl over her shoulder.

“Gasp… I made everything upside down!” the owl exclaimed, forgetting her upset.

“Ok, kid, say bye to your friends” Blitz said, somewhat amused (and very proud of himself) now that he got the situation under control.

The sound of his voice caused the owl to turn her head 180 degrees to look up at him. She looked at his face for a moment before grinning, pointing to his head brand. “You have a dick on your head” she said, causing Loona to snort in amusem*nt. Now that she thought about it, his brand did look somewhat phallic.

Blitz facepalmed. “Just get her outta here” he told his daughter, before she crossed the magic threshold. Once she was gone, he downed the last of Via’s beer. (Ahhh… I really needed that)

“Sorry about that, guys, she’s never done this before… thanks for watching out for her” Blitz thanked the group, before he turned to the taller imp. Dennis was standing in front of his paramour so the mottled imp wouldn’t see his shirt. Didn’t want the imp to start killing the guy he was interested in.

“It’s Dennis, right?” the taller imp nodded. “Look… sorry for what I did at the last party.” Truth be told, he didn’t remember what he did, just that he did something to him and that the poor guy was unfortunately named Dennis. And after he watched out for Via, the least he could do was apologize.

“Uh, thanks no worries” the taller imp blushed, happy the mottled imp was being nice to him. Maybe he won’t go to the Anti-Blitzo party afterall.

“But just for the record, you really should change your name to something else… like Edward, or Bosco. Anything but Dennis” the imp said with disdain turning to the portal.

Or maybe he will.

“Hey Blitz.” He heard someone call him before he could crossover the magic threshold. He turned to see the sin of gluttony, carrying two kegs of Beezlejuice.

“If you’re wanting a rematch, I’m gonna have to pass this time” the imp said. As much as he would like to drown himself in a keg of Beezlejuice and forget the day’s events, now was not the time for that.

“Nah, these are some party favors. Look out for her, you here” the sin said. She liked Octavia and hoped to see the owl again soon. Hopefully with Stolas in tow next time.

“Don’t worry, I plan on it” he agreed before throwing the kegs into the portal.

“Later bitches!” he shouted, not caring that he got disapproving howls as he jumped through the portal as well, closing it as he made it to the other side.

Chapter 33: Time For Bed, Via

Chapter Text

When Blitz entered the palace from the portal, he was greeted with the sight of Moxxie and Millie trapped under the kegs of Beezlejuice he just tossed through the portal with Loona struggling to hold Via back as she tried to get ahold of the alcohol.

“Did you seriously just steal those?” Loona asked irritatingly as she struggled to hold the owl, dragging her to the table, away from the booze.

“What? No! These’re party favors.” the mottled imp defended himself as he closed the portal behind him. From the look his daughter was giving him, he could tell she didn’t believe him.

“Um… a little help here” Millie begged as the heavy kegs were crushing her and her husband.

“Via, sit. Here, uh… play with this.” The hellhound put the owl on a chair, giving her the now empty box that contained the new toaster, before going over to the trapped imps. Via looked at her box as if it were the most amazing thing in hell.

“Thanks” Moxxie thanked the hellhound as she freed him from the heavy keg, rubbing his back as he stood up. His wife doing the same thing as she was freed.

“Looney, put them in here for now. We’ll deal with it tomorrow” Blitz ordered as he opened the pantry door. The hellhound stacked the kegs carelessly. The top one looked like it would topple over before Blitz slammed the door. Whoever opened the pantry next would have to be careful they don’t get crushed by the falling keg.

“Uh, Via? You ok?” Millie asked the owl, who was wearing the box over her head. The imp removed the box, causing the owl to look at the female imp confusedly, before a big smile appeared on her face.

“Molly!” she cheered, wrapping her in a big hug. (Why’s she wet and sticky?)

“Millie, sweetie.” she corrected as she gently removed herself from the owl. “… she’s wasted, ain’t she?” the female imp guessed out loud, judging from the teen’s behavior and stench of alcohol.

“I’m not wasted, silly. I’m Via… giggle” Via corrected Millie, who gave her an ‘I knew it’ look. Moxxie walked up to them, a glass of water in hand.

“Here. Drink this. It’ll help” he handed the glass to Via.

“Moxxie! You are veeeerrryyy pretty.” she said causing the imp to blush as she took the cup, downing it in one go.

“Uh… thanks?” he said, not sure what to say to that.

“You should wear dresses. Makes you pretty.” the owl said matter-of-factly, causing the white-haired imp to studder in embarrassment. Blitz smirked at that, happy someone agrees with him, even if they are drunk and doped up.

“How much did she drink?” Millie turned as she asked the hellhound suspiciously.

click

Everyone turned to see the owl opening a can of beer.

“Seriously? Where are you getting these?” Loona asked the drunk owl, amazed as the alcohol seemingly came from nowhere. They had beer in the fridge, sure, but the owl was nowhere near that.

“No!” Blitz scolded as he snatched the beer before she could take a sip. Millie and Moxxie held the owl back as she let out a pained whine, reaching for her stolen drink. She started crying, as she watched in dismay as the mottled imp dumped the beer down the sink.

“Y-you’re m-m-mean!!!” she wailed as tears ran down her face. She couldn’t understand why the mottled imp was being so mean to her. First, he took her beer, then he counted, then made her go to bed (still in progress) and now, he took her beer!

Blitz was not prepared for the tears. He hated seeing her cry, hated it more that he was the cause of it, even if it was for her own good. He ran up to her, trying to get her to stop crying.

“No, no, no. Don’t cry. It’s ok, don’t cry… ssshhhh” the owl continued to cry as he tried thinking of a way to get her to stop. “… hey… want some chocolate?” he offered, not really knowing how to stop a kid from crying other than offer sweets.

“Whimper… sniff… yeah,” she said woefully as she wiped her tears away with her sleeve.

“Ok…ok, I’ll get you some chocolate. Just… enough with the crying, ok?” He said, watching her nod as she stopped crying with the promise of sweets. He didn’t know where any chocolate was around here, but he knew someone who did. “Moxxie! Chocolate! Stat!” Blitz yelled in his employee’s ear.

“Sir, you don’t have to yell. I’m right here!” the smaller imp, who was standing right next to his boss, yelled back.

“Quit yelling, you’ll wake up the whole palace!!” Blitz yelled louder.

“We’re the only ones here!!” The smaller imp reminded his boss as he matched his volume.

“Both of you Shut up!” Loona yelled, grabbing both of their heads before knocking them together. While Loona was dealing with the two men, Millie went to the fridge and got out the chocolate covered strawberries from the previous night. They were still good and there were quite a lot still. She grabbed some and handed them to the owl, who happily ate them all in her hands messily, leaves and all.

“Mmmm… These are better than brownies! Gasp! … brown tastes like brownies!” she realized as she continued to eat, smearing chocolate all over her face. Once she was done eating her treats, she looked up to Millie expectantly, as if asking for more.

Millie noticed her strange behavior. Her sister, Sallie May, acted like this after she ate some ‘magic mushrooms’ during a Harvest Moon Festival when they were teens. “Loona… please tell me she’s not…” Millie trailed off.

“She…may also be a little high.” Loona said embarrassingly pinching her fingers real close for emphasize.

“High?!!” Moxxie yelled in shock as stopped he rubbing his sore head to look at the hellhound in disbelief.

“Hi!!” Via waved a greeting to him from her spot on her chair.

“Why’d you give her drugs?” Moxxie asked glaring accusingly at the hellhound. It was bad enough the owl was drunk, but if the prince or Vassago found out she let Via take drugs? … well, it was nice knowing her.

“I didn’t. I went to the bathroom for like two minutes and found her like this.” she defended. She felt it was important not to tell the group that she’d lost the owl for almost an hour.

“Ok, sweetie, let’s get you cleaned up,” Millie said, as she held up a cloth to wipe her face, taking note of her wounds. “What happened to your face?” she asked.

“Vikki happened. She was causing us trouble, but Bee took care of it” Loona explained. Blitz looked up from rubbing his sore head from where he got head bashed by Moxxie, ready to find this Vikki and introduce her to the barrel of his gun.

“She’s a bitch. But you can’t say that word… Ssshhhh” Via explained, shushing at the bad word.

“Uh huh,” was all Millie said as she wiped the owl’s face. Via tried to turn her head away from the cloth as it wiped away the chocolate. Once her face was cleaned, the imp stepped back.

“Alright, sweetie, let’s get you to bed, k?” Millie said, ready to take the owl to bed.

“Noooooo!!!” the owl whined.

“Yeeessss.” Blitz mock whined back, rolling his eyes. He was over this day and the sooner she was in bed, the better. “Let’s go,” he picked her up and started to carry her bridal style to her room, only for her to flail around, trying to escape his clutches.

“Ah, sh*t” Blitz swore as her flailing caused him to drop her near the entryway, only for her to feather travel back to the chair she sat on moments ago. She brought her knees up and grabbed the seat of her chair tightly. She was not going to bed. Blitz went back to the chair and with a determined look on his face, decided to pull her chair, dragging it and the owl toward her bedroom, causing a horrible sound as the legs of the chair dragged along the floor.

SCREEEEECH

If this was how he was going to get her to her room, then so be it. The others in the kitchen did what any good employee would do… just stand there and watch their boss do all the work. Somehow, in her drunk and drugged brain, Via registered the chair would not stop the imp, so once he dragged her near the fridge, leading to the bedrooms, she let go of her grip on the chair to grab the fridge’s door handle.

Releasing his hold on the chair, kicking it away, he grabbed her waist, trying to pull her away from the fridge as she held on for dear life. “Dammit, Via! Let go!” He demanded.

“Nnnooooo!!” She whined. Blitz pulled as hard as he could without hurting her, causing the fridge to open, revealing a fully stocked fridge. The owl saw a light coming from the fridge and all the food. She decided she would go into the fridge, hide from the mean imp and eat all the yummy food inside.

With this plan, she suddenly let go as Blitz gave a hard yank, causing them to fall back. Via landed on her stomach in the middle of the kitchen, while Blitz landed upside down right in Eris’ pot. He opened his eyes as he felt something moist and tight around his lower half, before he was lifted in the air. (Crap! She’s trying to eat me again!)

“Giggle…. Eris loves you!” Via giggled from her spot on the floor, pointing at the distressed imp, forgetting about the fridge behind her.

“Someone, get me the f*ck outta here!” He yelled as Loona rushed up to him, trying to pull him out by his arms.

Eris only gurgled, tightening her grip. He could feel something sharp digging into his sides as his daughter pulled harder. (Never thought I’d die like this. Eaten by Stolas’ favorite plant... seriously though, I should’ve seen it coming!)

“Your doin it wrong. You gotta be real gentle like,” Millie explained as she went to Eris, rubbing a spot on her bulb, just like Via showed her on their first day at the palace. Blitz felt the grip loosen as Millie continued to rub, only for Loona to yank him out a little too hard, causing him to go flying.

CRASH

He crashed into a wall rack that contained pot and pans, knocking several of the cookware off and onto the floor, burying him.

‘Are you alright, Sir?” Moxxie asked, as he helped his boss sit up, removing some of the cookware off his body.

“Groan…I hate that weed” he said rubbing his head as he sat up.

“What’s going on in here?” an irritated voice came from behind them. They all turned to the voice, looking like deer caught in a headlight. “There better be a good reason as to why I can hear you all the way from Stolas’ room.”Vassago demanded, glaring at the demons in the kitchen.

“Vvvaaassaaagggoooo!!!” Via all but lunged at the parrot, startling him, not expecting the sudden hug. Loona had a huge ‘oh crap’ look on her face. She could have gotten away with Via’s current condition with the imps, but with one of the Goetia? Not likely.

“…Octavia, what’s gotten into you? And onto you?” taking note of how she felt damp and sticky. He sniffed her. “Is that Beezlejuice?" he asked, recognizing the smell.

“Beezlejuice tastes like yellow” she said, causing him to raise an eyebrow. “And absinthe tastes like green. I love absinthe. Let’s be absinthe buddies!” she said excitedly, remembering he liked the green drink. Speaking of which, she pulled out a quarter full bottle of absinthe from her hiding spot in her cardigan. She wanted some now and she was sure the parrot wouldn’t let that mean old Blitz take it from her.

“How does she keep doing that?” Loona asked quietly, shrinking back with a whimper as the parrot glared at her, knowing she was in trouble. She started preparing a will in her head (I’ll leave my bedroom to Blitz. Fatty can have my dresses. I’ll leave Millie my hairdryer…)

“Via, will you share that with me.” Vassago asked gently as he held out his hand. Via was only too glad to hand over her booze to her new drinking buddy. “Thank you. Did you have a lot to drink, sweetie?” he asked her gently.

She nodded enthusiastically, spreading her arms out wide. “I drank this much!” she said proudly.

“My, that is a lot” he continued talking to her like she was little again. “Via? Do you wanna see your daddy?”

Her eyes widened as she nodded. She does want to see him. He loves absinthe too; they could all be absinthe buddies!

Blitz looked at the parrot in disbelief (Are you f*cking kidding me??? I can’t see him, but she can? I’m the one that’s f*cking sober!!)

“Well, if you wanna see him, you have to go night night first, ok? Can you do that?” he asked her gently. She nodded. She could do that.

“Good,” he told her with a smile. He opened a portal to her bedroom before turning to the hellhound with a stern look. “I trust you’ll help her.” he told her. From the look he was giving her, she could tell there was no room for argument

“Uh, y-yeah sure.” She agreed, not wanting to piss him off further. As she walked by, he put a hand on her shoulder and leaned down to her ear.

“We will discuss this in the morning. But for now, you may want to check her pockets before you put her to bed” was all he said as he let her go. She gave him a questioning look before taking the owl by the shoulders and guiding her to her room. Once they crossed over the threshold, the parrot closed the portal.

“How’d you do that?” Blitz asked in amazement. He was literally dragging the princess to her room, but the parrot made it look so easy.

“I’ve had years of practice with Stolas. Luckily, she behaves similarly to him” the parrot said as he uncorked the bottle in his hand and chugged the remaining absinthe before tossing the bottle in the trash. After the day he had, he really needed that.

(First Bee, now Vas? Does Stolas have a drinking problem or something?) “Should you be chugging that stuff?” Blitz asked. He didn’t want the parrot to get too drunk if Stolas wasn’t well.

“Please. This much absinthe? It’s not even enough to get me tipsy.” He said as a matter of factly. “Now care to explain why you all were making a ruckus?” the parrot asked, still unhappy with their noise level.

When he first heard the loud thuds from the kegs being tossed through the portal, he thought nothing of it. Blitz did say that Moxxie and Millie went shopping, so maybe they accidentally dropped something heavy nearby. Then he heard yelling but could distinguish I.M.P. from intruders. Probably a disagreement, but he hoped it would end soon. It was when he heard the crash that he had enough.

“We were trying to get Via to bed, then Eris tried to eat me.” Blitz explained, causing Vassago to give him a questioning look.

“Really? Odd... She likes you.” he said, confusing the imp. (Why does everyone keep saying that?) The parrot looked at the imp more closely. “Yeah, thought so. She wasn’t trying to eat you.” he said before turning.

“Y-yes she was! I was literally in her mouth! Loona had to pull me out and Millie did… whatever she did, to get her to let go!” he argued, angry at the parrots lack of concern for his wellbeing.

“Are you bleeding out or missing any body parts” the parrot asked as he went to the where he had his herbs.

“Uh…no?” the mottled imp answered, confusedly.

“Then she wasn’t trying to eat you. If she was, you wouldn’t be intact.”

“Yeah? Then what the f*ck’s she doing?” Blitz demanded. What else could Eris be doing to him if not trying to eat him?

“Cuddling” Vassago said, not looking up as he grabbed some moly, milk thistle, ginger and skullcap.

Blitz glared at his employees as they heard them giggle, (That’s bullsh*t. I know she wants to eat me. I felt her f*cking teeth around me) before he watched as the parrot crushed the herbs and put them in a Tupperware, setting it off to the side.

“Are those for the prince, your highness?” Moxxie asked.

“No, Via. If she’s drank as much as she claims, she’ll have one hell of a hangover tomorrow. This should help with that. But she can have it in the afternoon. Hopefully it will teach her not to overindulge” he said.

“That's how my dad taught me. Granted I had to do farm chores too. That was not fun” Millie said remembering, the pounding in her head as she had to listen to loud animals and willing herself not to vomit from their horrible stench. The family lost several animals to their hungover daughter that morning.

"A very efficient way of handling it” the parrot agreed with her parents’ method. Maybe he will do something like that for the teen owl and the hellhound tomorrow, to deter this kind of behavior in the future. “Now if there’ nothing else I’ll take my leave. Good night and try to keep it down.” The parrot said as he left. Blitz followed after him.

“Don’t even think about it,” he threatened as Eris leaned closer to him, gurgling. Maybe he should start carrying a spray bottle of acid or something to keep her away.

“Vassago, got a sec?” The parrot turned to the imp just before he entered the owl’s room.

“Is he any better?” he asked.

“There’s not much progress I’m afraid. He’s still not well enough for visitors.” he said. He understood Blitz wanted to see him, but Stolas was still not well enough for the company.

“Just let me see him, for a few minutes?” he asked.

“Blitz, he’s…”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you before. But I just need to see him…please.” He begged. After what happened with Lemonade, his talk with Fizz and Ozzie and now a drunk Via, he needed to see Stolas.

Vassago gave him a look over before pinching the bridge of his beak. He knew the imp would not let it go until he let him see his friend.

“Sigh… fine. You’ve got ten minutes.” He reluctantly said. Blitz wasn’t happy with the amount of time, but he supposed it was better than nothing. “But there are rules.”

“…what?” Blitz asked in disbelief. He couldn’t believe this. He had to follow rules now to see the owl? For a measly ten minutes?

“First, no yelling or loud noises. Second, no mentioning the purification” Ok… those are reasonable. He could do that. “And finally, unless he gives you explicit permission to do so, don’t touch him”

“You serious?” How was he supposed to comfort the owl if he can’t touch him?

“Do you want to see him or not?” The parrot asked impatiently.

Blitz weighed his options. Either he follows these dumb rules, or he might not see the owl until at least tomorrow.

“… ok, ok fine. I won't touch him” he said annoyed. Maybe there was a good reason for the last rule. Maybe he had traces of magic still on him like last time? He could do without another prophecy, thank you very much.

The parrot opened the door, letting the mottled imp inside. “Remember, ten minutes” and with that he closed the door letting the two have some privacy.

He looked ahead. The tray he brough up earlier was on the nightstand, one plate of the casserole looked like it was half eaten, while the other was left untouched. There was a cup of Vassago’s awful tea sitting there as well. There was some sort of dropper in the cup, but otherwise, the tea was barely touched. There were empty glass bottles and vials on the vanity, a cloth underneath it, like they were drying after being washed. There was a lot of the glassware. The bandages he brought up were stacked on the left most trunk. Seabiscuit the seahorse was still on the floor from last night. And lying on the bed, was the one the imp was looking for.

Blitz made his way over to the bed, walking around it so he was facing the owl. Stolas was in the same position he was in earlier when he brought up the food. Huddled in a fetal position, trembling, a blanket wrapped tightly around his body. His eyes were screwed shut with pain and fear etched on his tear-stained face. The only sounds he was making were whimpers.

"Stols?” the imp said quietly, trying to get the owl to look up at him. His only response was a whimper. “Hey pretty bird. You ok?” he asked gently, only to get another whimper in response. The owl refused to open his eyes to see who was calling out to him.

Forgetting Vassago’s rule, he reached out to the owl’s head. He barely touched one of his gray head feathers, one above the bruise on his head from where he hit it on the nightstand the previous night, when the owl flinched away, curling into himself further and tightening his hold on the blanket. He let out a chitter as if the imp just stabbed him with a thousand holy knives

“N-no m-more…n-no m-more” he begged, his voice hoarse and quiet. It broke the imp’s heart to see the owl like this. Stolas should be all bubbly, happy and spewing useless knowledge and dirty talk, not…this. Blitz suddenly had an idea. When he was little, momma did something that would help calm him down whenever he had a bad dream or got hurt. He didn’t know if it would work on the owl, but it couldn’t hurt to try, right?

He got as close to Stolas as possible without touching him, before he started purring. It was low and gentle, a major contrast from his normal loud self. If anyone saw him doing this, he would deny it and probably shoot them for even implying he did this. But for the owl, he would gladly do it if it helped.

He stayed like that, just allowing the owl to listen to the, hopefully, calming sounds. After a few minutes he saw the owl’s trembling body and pain-etched face start to relax, and whimpers dying down. As he continued his purring, he watched Stolas fall into an uneasy sleep.

“He’s finally asleep? Good. He needs it” the quiet voice made Blitz jump, he had to stop himself from yelling out in surprise as Vassago stood there from the other side of the bed. He was so focused on Stolas that he hadn’t noticed him come in. His ten minutes were up.

“What the f*ck’s wrong with him?” he asked quietly as they made their way to the door, looking back at the figure in the bed.

“Purifications are very intense and excruciatingly painful. It’s not uncommon for vessels to act like this after going through them,” the parrot explained as he followed the imp’s gaze.

“Can’t you give him something? A potion or pills or… anything?” the imp asked, not liking how the owl was suffering.

“I have. I’ve already given him pain killing tonics and calming potions. I’ve also given him a bit of tea, which has some of the best medicinal herbs for his condition. Believe it or not, he was way worse than this hours ago.” the parrot explained. The mottled imp didn’t feel very reassured at that. If Stolas is acting like this now, after taking whatever the parrot gave him, he couldn’t imagine how he was hours ago.

“And…he doesn’t have mana poisoning anymore…right? You don’t have to do this again?” he asked warily.

“No, the ritual was successful. He had regained more mana in the first few hours of the ritual than he has the first day after the previous one. He should make a full recovery now” The parrot reassured. Well at least that’s something.

“Well, a deal’s a deal. Thanks for letting me see him. The offer still stands if you need a break.” The imp turned to leave before the parrot stopped him.

“You can stay with him tonight if you’d like.” The parrot offered. The imp was able to get Stolas to calm down enough to sleep after all, plus after performing the ritual, he could use some rest himself. “Just remember the rules. If he wakes up, try giving him some tea” he said gesturing to the teacup with the dropper in it. “And if he’s still in pain, come get me. I’ll know what’s best for him to have.”

The imp nodded, hoping he didn’t seem too eager. “Yeah, I can do that. Thanks Vas…sago” he briefly remembered the parrot didn’t want to be called Vas.

The parrot smiled down at him before leaving. “Goodnight, Blitz.”

Once the door closed, Blitz went over to the bed, turning off the lamp on the nightstand as he passed by. He lay on the bed on the opposite side of the owl, staring at the owl facing away from him as he slept. He let Stolas keep the blanket that was tightly wrapped around himself, he was fine without one. After a few minutes of watching the bird, his eyelids felt heavy. Closing his eyes, he joined the owl in the blissfulness of sleep.

*****

Meanwhile…

Well, the mystery of where Via was getting her booze has been solved. Loona couldn’t believe she didn’t think to check the owls’ pockets. She found three full beer cans, two wine coolers, a half bottle of tequila and a decanter of Beezlejuice. (Her pockets must be magic. There’s no way she could have fit all those in them without magic.)

Loona helped the owl get dressed in a ‘f*ck You Dad’ band t-shirt and some gym shorts. The hellhound went to her bathroom, grabbed a glass of water and set it on the owls’ nightstand next to her locket, before plugging in her phone to charge (thankfully not damaged from her dive in the Beezlejuice). Once the owl fell onto her bed, she realized she was tired now.

“Alright Via, night,” the hellhound said as she turned off her lights, turning to the door.

“I’ve always wanted a sister. I’m glad it’s you.” Loona turned to look at the owl, who was starting to drift off.

“Yeah, I am too,” she said with a smile.

“I hope our dads stay together.” Loona smiled at that, somewhat surprised that the owl was coherent enough to think that. But she smiled, she hoped for the same thing as well. She could see how her adoptive father felt about the prince and vice versa.

“And if they get married, they can make all the babies. We’ll be big sister princesses and rule hell with our baby army!” Via shouted excitedly, causing the hellhound to facepalm, before chuckling at that thought of them sitting on thrones made of skulls and bones, commanding armies of baby owl/imp hybrids.

“Yeah, yeah sure” she humored the owl, watching as she fell asleep. “Night, sis.” Loona said as she left her room, closing the door behind her.

Chapter 34: Dreams

Chapter Text

It was about 8am when Loona, dressed in her sleepwear, got up to get her morning coffee and breakfast. As she made her way to the kitchen, she saw Vassago, in his orange bathrobe, sitting at the table drinking tea while reading his book.

“Morning,” he greeted the hellhound, not bothering to look up from his reading.

“Uh, hey” she greeted nervously. She hoped he wasn’t still mad for what happened to Via. The hellhound went to the coffee maker and started making a pot of coffee, trying to avoid looking at the parrot.

“So, about last night.” he said finally, putting his book down to give the hellhound a stern look. Yep, he’s still mad.

“Look, I swear I wasn’t trying to get her drunk or anything. Sure, I let her have a few drinks, but Beelzebub gave her some first and I…” he raised a hand to get her to stop.

“I understand you are not entirely to blame for her condition. She is old enough to know she shouldn’t be drinking until she’s older. However, she was under your care, and you let her get into such a state.’ He scolded.

‘I’m sorry” she apologized, looking away in shame.

“It’s alright. I understand when you go to one of those types of parties, it’s easy to get carried away, especially if you’re used to the rather boring affairs nobles must attend.” She looked up at him smiling at her, happy she was forgiven.

“I must ask though, how she became injured.” he asked, remembering her scratched and bruised face.

“There’s this hellhound, Vikki. She was causing trouble for us since we arrived. She accused Via of breaking her phone and attacked her and our friends. Via never touched the phone by the way.” She explained as she poured herself a cup of coffee, seeing the parrot frown.

“I see. And what became of this hellhound?”

“Bee got involved and dealt with her, after I threw a lamp at that bitch.” she explained before taking a sip of her coffee, thinking how the poodle deserved it after what she said and did.

“I see. Were there any other times she was attacked? Did anyone try taking advantage of her?” he asked.

“No,” she said. She hoped he didn’t ask about the drugs. She wasn’t sure she could get away from that.

“Good. You kept her relatively safe and that’s all that matters,” Loona smiled at that. “However, don’t think you are getting off lightly for allowing her to get that intoxicated” he said sternly.

She shrank a bit. Fearing whatever punishment he had in mind, she started thinking of funeral arrangements. (I want a Viking funeral and ‘my world is burning down around me’ playing as my corpse is set on fire).

“So today, you and Octavia will be tending to all the plants within the palace and greenhouse, save the restricted area of course. Without magic. Is that understood?” he said, giving her a stern look. She nodded nervously. It wasn’t a death sentence, so that was something.

“Excellent, why don’t you go get Via so you can get ready and start your day” he said with a smile, glad that the hellhound agreed.

“Yawn…morning,” Moxxie, still in his striped pajamas, greeted them as he went to the pantry to grab some cereal. He opened the door, only to let out a yelp as a keg of Beezlejuice fell on top of him.

THUD

The hellhound and parrot turned to see not one, but two kegs of Beezlejuice in the pantry. (Crap! I forgot those were in there!) The hellhound nervously turned to the parrot glaring accusingly at her.

“…Blitz did it.” she said as she hurried to the owl’s room before she got scolded again.

“Um… a little help…please” Moxxie begged as the keg crushed him.

*****

Meanwhile…

It was sunset on their property in Wrath. Loona and Via were racing on hell horses, laughing as they were neck in neck in their race, passing Moxxie and Millie. The married pair were sitting under a tree near a pond. Moxxie wearing a flowing pink sundress as Millie lovingly rubbed his very pregnant belly.

Looking right, Vassago was leaning against a windmill, with Lemonade on his arm, the two seemed to be arguing about the parrot’s tea making skills. Pastures of hell horses were behind the arguing birds. Turing left, there was a large field of carnivorous plants, with a scarecrow made of Striker’s corpse being attacked by queeves. Fizz was sitting on Ozzie’s shoulder, both laughing in amusem*nt as the imps white, special needs queef somehow jumped up to clamp down on the bounty hunter’s nose.

Blitz was sitting on the porch of their two story, rustic farmhouse, watching his family and friends. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. Well almost everyone. There was one demon that he didn’t see with the others.

“Oh, Blitzy” he heard the sweet singsong voice behind him. (Speak of the devil…) The imp turned and there, leaning against the doorframe, was his favorite owl. Stolas was smiling at him with four adoring red eyes. Happy, healthy and dressed in his favorite bathrobe.

“Well, hey there gorgeous. Enjoying the view? Cuz I sure am.” he greeted, looking the owl up and down seductively.

“Very much so, darling.” Stolas said with a smile as he looked up, seeing their friends and family, before turning back to the imp with a seductive grin of his own. “Everyone seems like they’re having a good time. Why don’t we go upstairs and have a little fun ourselves?”

“Aw, hell yeah” the imp agreed, slapping his owl’s ass as they entered the house.

The walls of their home were filled with photos of the pair with all their friends and family, no one scribbled out. There was a large, framed wedding photo above their couch. Blitz was wearing a tuxedo, holding Stolas, who was wearing a sparkling wedding dress, veil and all. Their daughters and M&M were behind them, wearing long, lilac bridesmaid dresses and holding bouquets of red lilies, yellow dahlias and oakleaf hydrangeas. Everyone had a big smile on their faces. The rest of the house was filled with bookshelves, horse decorations and a few carnivorous plants, no Eris in sight.

The couple went upstairs to the master bedroom. It looked just like Stolas’ palace bedroom, but with a horse blanket on the bed, Seabiscuit on the pillows, a large chest labeled ‘Our Sex Stuff’ and glow in the dark stars all over the walls and ceiling.

“Hey. Ya’ll gonna do some passionate fornicating?” the plush eagerly asked in a very deep, masculine voice. Blitz threw the pervy seahorse in the chest before closing it, causing the plush to whine in disappointment that it couldn’t watch.

“Blitzy, aren’t you gonna ravish me?” he turned around to see his husband shed his robe, revealing his sexy body harness and a ball gag hanging from his neck.

“Mine!"Blitz growled in lust as he lunged at the owl, pushing him down onto their bed, causing them both to laugh.

“I love you, Blitzy.” Stolas looked up at him adoringly. The imp returned the look, leaning down to kiss that lovely beak…

THUD

*****

Blitz woke up to the sudden noise. Looking around, he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. He looked at the clock. 8:12 am. He had to admit that was probably the best night’s sleep he’d had in a while.

With a stretch and yawn, the mottled imp got up to use the bathroom, glancing at the plush seahorse still on the floor as he went by. (Guess it was all just a dream. I should’ve guessed. There’s no way that thing can have such a deep voice). Once he was finished doing his business, he walked to the bed to his still sleeping partner. Stolas was in the same position he was in last night, a frown etched on his face. Blitz hoped he didn’t wake up in the middle of the night only for the imp to sleep through it.

Through the morning light, he saw the owl’s feathers were not as dull as yesterday, the bruise on his head seemed to be fading a bit as well. His breathing was a lot less ragged. The imp smiled at that; it looked like he was a lot better than yesterday. Once again, he forgot the parrots no touching rule as he placed a hand on the owl’s forehead, frowning at his temperature. (At least he’s breathing easier, but he still has a pretty high fever. I’ll have to ask Vas if he’s got something to break it.)

Maybe it was his dream or because he was happy that the owl was finally getting better, but something inside him decided to give the owl a kiss on his forehead, causing Stolas to give a small smile in his sleep. Happy about the reaction, he started caressing Stolas’ face, causing the owl to stir a bit. He stopped and moved his hand away as the owl rolled over onto his other side with a pained moan before settling down and drifting back to sleep.

“Alright, Stols, I’ll be nice and let you sleep.” He told the sleeping owl with a fond smile before he noticed the owl’s blanket fell a bit, revealing his bandaged right shoulder. (I wonder if his arm’s bet… wait. His left arm’s hurt, not the right one. And definitely not that high up).

Blitz got curious, wondering why the parrot bandaged the wrong limb. He pulled the blanket back a bit, revealing more bandages, not just on his arm, but his torso. His eyes widened in horror as he continued to pull the blanket down until it was completely off the owl. Stolas was completely covered in them, almost like a mummy. Blitz was finally awake enough to remember the parrots no touching rule.

“This why he didn’t want me touching you? The f*ck that bastard do?” Blitz asked the sleeping owl quietly, not getting a response. He noticed the owl starting to shiver now that he didn’t have his blanket keeping him warm. Blitz covered Stolas back up, careful not to wake him or touch his injured body. He stepped back as he heard a knock on the door, going over and opening it to reveal the red bastard himself.

“Morning” the parrot greeted him as he entered the room, a hot cup of tea in hand.

“Morning” the imp greeted back.

“Did he wake up at all last night?" he asked as he set the hot tea down before picking up the cold one, noticing the owl had shifted in his sleep.

“No, he’s been asleep this whole time” the imp said, hoping it was true.

“Good. I can take it from here. Thanks for staying with him” Vassago said as he placed the cold tea from last night on the tray with the uneaten food.

“No worries. Uh, need help with anything? More herbs or help changing his bandages. I mean, since he’s covered in them, you…” the parrot looked at him when he mentioned the bandages, giving him an accusing look. (Right. No touching rule.)

“He…knocked off his blanket and I saw he has a lot on him. Plus, you did ask for more last night, so I thought…” he trailed off, hoping the parrot believed his lied. The parrot gave him a questioning look before turning.

“No, I can manage, but thanks. If you can take the tray with you that would be appreciated. Also please do something about the Beezlejuice in the kitchen. They’ve already crushed Moxxie” he said as he went to the trunks.

“Uh, sure…right. Ok.” he said as he grabbed the tray with last night’s dinner and tea. He turned to give the sleeping owl one last look before leaving. He went to his room first to change before taking the tray to the kitchen.

“Morning bitches” he greeted M&M. Moxxie was still rubbing his sore back from where he was crushed while Millie fed some meat to Eris. Looks like the plant was feeling better, but he still tried his best to avoid her lest she try to ‘cuddle’ him again. He threw the food in the trash and poured the tea in the sink, learning not to give it to Eris anymore. He put the dishes in the dishwasher before going over to the kegs. He opened a portal to the office and threw one in.

“What’re you doing sir? Moxxie asked suspiciously, seeing where the portal was located.

“I’m keeping one for us, the birds can have the other one. You can unclench your puss*es, I’m taking it to the cellar, so Via won’t drink it.” he said as he saw the alarmed looks of his employees, before he closed the portal and rolled the other keg to where he knew the cellar was.

Carefully, he carried the keg down the steps, before depositing it on the floor near a wine rack. The imp glanced around, seeing many bottles of wine, absinthe, and other types of alcohol. He always assumed they had these for noble parties or status symbols or something like that. But now, after seeing Via intoxicated and the mention of Stolas’ drinking, he couldn’t help but wonder how much the older owl drank on a regular basis.

“What’s he got to drink about? He’s a f*cking prince.” Blitz asked himself as he walked back up to the main floor.

*****

Meanwhile…

Via was lounging on a throne of skulls and bones, a goblet of absinthe in one hand. She was sitting in a ruined castle, the wall destroyed revealing rivers of Beezlejuice flowing around the ruins and an army of her baby siblings standing at attention.

There were thousands of hybrid babies. Some were in diapers, other onesies, all sporting various toy weapons (water guns, wooden swords and giant balloon hammers to name a few). A few held up toy banners that had poorly drawn stick figures of a Stolas and Blitz holding hands in a big pink heart.

Loona was sitting next to her, lounging in her own throne, twirling a large bone lazily as they listened to their general give his report. He was a baby imp/owl hybrid that looked like a tiny, fluffy red Stolas with imp horns, spade tail, and two golden eyes. He was wearing a diaper along with a too big iron war helmet and too long purple cape. A wooden toy sword at his side and several gold star stickers were on his chest, showing his rank.

“Youw big sissyness’s, we defeated da bwitch Vikki and bwought you hew head.” He said in a cute, but serious baby voice. Behind him a few baby hybrids were struggling to hold up a pike with the poodle’s head. “Shaw we mawch fowawd and cwaim aw da booze and bwownies in gwuttany?” their general, asked.

“Excellent work, general Fluffnugget! You may proceed.” Via said as she took a sip of her absinthe. With a bow that caused his helmet to tilt forward, causing him to adjust it, general Fluffnugget turned to the army, pulling out his toy sword in the direction of where they would march.

‘Awmy! We mawch! Fow ouw sissies and daddies!!!” he shouted, leading to a bunch of excited cheers and chirps from the baby army as they turned to march in the opposite direction. Via turned to Loona, who tossed her bone at Vikki’s severed head, knocking it off the pike, before pulling out a beer bottle.

“It’s good to be in charge” she said turning to the owl with a smile as they clanked their drinks.

THUD

*****

A loud noise suddenly woke Via up from her strange dream, making her wish she hadn’t. Her head felt like it would explode, and she felt nauseous. Groaning, she put her hand to her head, willing the pain to go away.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

She groaned again as knocked on the door. It was so damn loud.

“Hey” She groaned again at the too loud voice.

“Time to get up, we’ve got work to do.”

She looked up and there was Loona with a look of sympathy on her face.

“Groan… not so loud. My head feels like your dad ran over it.” Via said woefully.

“Yeah, that’s what happens when you drink an ass load of booze and take drugs thinking they’re brownies. Here, drink this” she tried handing the owl the glass of water on her nightstand. Via sat up before projectile vomiting onto the floor. Loona managed to step back before she got splattered, amazed with the amount the owl just threw up. Via collapsed back on her bed, bringing her hands to her pounding head again.

“Groan…I’m never drinking again.” she groaned.

“Yeah, that’s what I told myself the first time too.” Loona said sympathetically.

“…Why are my feathers sticky?” Via asked.

“Oh, you dived into a vat of Beezlejuice.” Loona said matter-of-factly, causing the owl to look at her questioningly. “Why don’t you take a shower and I’ll clean this up then we’ll get coffee. That usually helps me when I’m hungover.” Loona said as she handed the owl her glass of water, which she took a small sip of.

“By the way, Vassago says we need to take care of all the plants today. Without magic.” Via groaned as she heard that. If magic was involved, it wouldn’t take long to care for all the plants here, maybe an hour or two. But now, it could take the whole day.

“Groan… I was wrong. Blitz isn’t the mean one…it's Vassago.”

Chapter 35: Brownies

Chapter Text

The girls walked into the kitchen, Via coming at a slower rate, still hungover. Taking a shower was torture for her. The lights in her bathroom were too bright and the water droplets too loud. She threw up in the toilet at some point, but at least she wasn’t sticky anymore.

“Wweeeeellllll, goooood morning, sunshine!” Blitz greeted cheerfully, taking sad*stic pleasure in her misery. After all the trouble she gave him last night, it was her turn to suffer. Via groaned in response, sitting across from the mottled imp, placing her head down on the cool table. She wrapped her arms around her pounding head to try to relieve the pain.

‘So, how we feeling?” the imp continued to tease her.

“Groan… f*ck off.” she mumbled. Loona said coffee helps with her hangovers, so she hoped it would help her too. She moaned in pain as she heard the toaster go off as Millie grabbed the toast for herself. Even the imp spreading jam on it was too loud to the owl.

“Here, this should help” the hellhound said as she returned with the owl’s coffee. As Via took a sip, she glared at the smiling mottled imp in front of her.

“What?” She snapped.

“Oh, nothing. Just happy to see your pleasant face. Want some orange juice? Tastes like orange” he teased the teen, holding up a carton of juice. Via glared at him, not understanding what he was talking about.

“Oh, piss off dickhe*d. My head hurts too much for your lame ass jokes” she said causing him to scowl, covering up his brand in embarrassment at the memory of what she said last night about it. Millie and Moxxie watched the exchange, confused as to why their boss was covering up his brand, but knowing she crossed a line by insulting his jokes. He was just gonna tease her for a bit, but now, he was really gonna make her suffer.

“All right, you win. I won’t talk to you anymore,” he said with a sad*stic smirk. “Hey! Who’s up for popcorn?!!” he shouted to the others, as he ran to the pantry as loudly as possible to grab a bag of microwaveable popcorn, causing the owl to close her eyes and cover her ears in pain.

“Be nice, it’s her first time.” Loona said, slapping the back of his head as she stole the popcorn from him.

“I was right…. you are mean.” the owl said glaring at him. He rolled his eyes before noticing watering cans, gardening tools, gloves, and a large bucket of meat on the counter.

“Who’s gardening today?” he asked curiously.

“We are. Vassago is making me and Via take care of all the plants here. Without magic.” Loona grumbled.

“Why?” the mottled imp asked. It could take all day without magic.

“Cuz of what happened last night.” Blitz frowned at that. It was one thing to punish Via, he was technically acting as her guardian while Stolas wasn’t well, but Loona? She was his kid, even though she was technically an adult.

“Sounds fair” the three glared as Moxxie spoke, causing him to shrink back with a wince. He was still sore from the keg falling on him earlier.

“You girls go ahead and get started, I’m gonna have a word with that red bastard.” He said, getting up to give the bird a piece of his mind. How dare he punish his daughter when it wasn’t entirely her fault what happened to Via last night.

*****

“Hey Vas!” He yelled as he barged into the bedroom.

“Keep it down, you’ll wake him.” the parrot whisper yelled as he turned to glare at the imp. A bottle of mint colored salve in his hand. He had maneuvered Stolas onto his back and just finished removing his bandages, so he could treat his wounds.

“What’s the big idea? What gives you the right to punish my kid? I mean, it’s not entirely her fault Via got drunk, ate those ‘brownies’ and…” he started to whisper yell, air quoting brownies.

“What brownies?” the parrot interrupted, glaring at him suspiciously. Blitz belatedly realized the parrot didn’t know about the drugs. (Oh, crap)

“The… brownies that Moxxie was making for dessert today? She ate the whole pan last night when we were trying to get her to bed. He said he’s gonna make more today” he lied, hoping the parrot would believe him.

Vassago glared at him suspiciously. “She better not have taken drugs” the parrot told the imp sternly. “If your daughter let her and you all knew about it…” he trailed off, holding up a fist threateningly and manifesting enough magic to make it look like it was on fire. By the look in his eyes, Blitz knew he was serious.

“Nope. Uh, definitely normal, everyday brownies. No drugs or anything in them” he said nervously. With one last glare, the parrot turned back to his task at hand. (Note to self, have Moxxie make brownies.)

“Loona was responsible for Octavia and allowed her to get into that state. If their roles were reversed, wouldn’t you want the one responsible for making your child like that be held accountable? Be thankful I’m only having them tend to Stolas’ plants unaided by magic.” he said as he opened the bottle in his hands.

“Sigh… ok, yeah I guess I can see where you’re coming from” Blitz reluctantly agreed with him, especially since he didn’t want his sweet Looney to get into more trouble for the drugs. He watched the parrot put a bit of the salve on his hands before noticing two packages of bandages with several vials and bottles of different potions, tonics and powders on the vanity chair and the bathroom wastebin filled with bloody bandages next to the parrot.

The imp walked over to the bed. He wanted to see how bad the owls’ wounds were behind all those bandages. Stolas’ left arm still had a deep cut but didn’t look infected anymore, so that was something. As for the rest of him?

Blitz could see dark glyphs on his feathered body, knowing that the darker areas meant he had wounds underneath his feathers. They were everywhere. The ring of Solomon on his chest looked the most concerning. Even through the feathers, it looked deeper than the other wounds and was still bleeding a bit. He was beginning to see why he was covered with all those bandages.

“Are… are these from the ritual?” he asked dumbly. (Of course they are dumbass. Where else could he have gotten them from?) “Is that why he was hurting so much yesterday?”

“It’s a small part of it” the parrot said, not looking up as he smeared the salve on his chest. (A small part??? What’s the big part?) Blitz waited for the parrot to continue, but he didn’t and to be honest, he wasn’t sure he wanted him to.

“Is there something else you need?” The parrot asked as the imp continued to stare at Stolas.

“No, uh, no that’s it. Uh, need help?” he offered, looking at the owl’s face, he was still somehow asleep. Maybe Vassago gave him something so he wouldn’t wake up?

“No, I’ve got it.” the parrot said as he closed the bottle, wiped his hands and grabbed a vial of a red potion. He poured some of the red fluid over the chest wound.

HIIIISSSS

Blitz paled as he watched steam rising as the concoction turned purple and bubbled from the wound, the horrible stench of burning flesh coming from it. He looked at Stolas’ face again. He was still asleep. Now he was definitely sure Vassago gave the owl something while he treated his wounds.

“Uh, right, so… I’m just … gonna go then. Holler if you need anything.” he said, slowly backing away as he watched the parrot sprinkle a white powder on the owl’s chest, causing the concoction to turn bubblegum pink before he grabbed a bottle of water and a cloth.

Blitz closed the door before he could see what else the parrot was doing to the owl. He shakily leaned against it, trying not to throw up thinking of the owl’s wounds. (First that moon ritual and now this? Are all his rituals like this? How has he not gone insane with how much he has to hurt himself?) Once he calmed down a bit, he got up from his spot on the door.

He decided he’d help the girls with their punishment. It would help them get the job done quicker and, hopefully, help get his mind off what he just saw. As he was looking for the girls, he spotted M&M.

Millie was carrying the meat bucket, tossing meat to the plants as Moxxie watered them with a watering can as they were eating. He remembered what he told the parrot. “Hey Mox, I need you to make some brownies. Stat!” Blitz ordered his employee as he walked over to them.

“Brownies sir? Really?” he questioned unimpressed, thinking it was another way to taunt Via.

“Look, Vassago thinks Loona might have let Via take drugs last night” he explained.

“She did.” Millie said, not seeing where the taller imp was going with this.

“I know that, but he doesn’t. At least, not for sure. I convinced him that you made brownies, and she ate them. So now you gotta make brownies” Blitz explained.

“OK…why?” Moxxie still didn’t understand why he needed to get involved in Blitz’s lie. Suddenly, his boss got in his face, forcing him to lean back.

“Look, if that bird finds out the truth, Loona’s going down. And you can bet your pegged ass that if she goes down, we’re all going down with her. Capeesh?” he said threateningly, slowly extracting himself from his employee’s personal bubble.

“Sigh… fine. What kind? Fudge? Caramel swirl? Triple choc…”

“I don’t care. Just make some damn brownies. And make it snappy.” Blitz interrupted Moxxie’s listing. The glare the smaller imp was giving told him he understood the assignment. “Now that that’s settled, you seen the girls? Might as well give them a hand.” He asked.

“In the greenhouse. We said we’d feed the ones in here for them.” Millie explained as she threw a raw pork chop to a vase with three orange venus flytraps. Blitz watched as they fought over their breakfast while Moxxie watered them.

“Alrighty then, Keep up the good work, Mils. And don’t forget, Mox. Brownies.” He warned the white-haired imp before he turned to the greenhouse.

The white-haired imp rolled his eyes before handing the watering can to his wife.

“Maybe I should make a laxative brownie specially for Blitz, since he’s full of crap.” Moxxie mused as he made his way to the kitchen to make the dessert.

Chapter 36: Hugs From My Girls

Chapter Text

It always amazes Blitz how vast the greenhouse is. All the colorful trees, vibrant flowers and the questionable carnivorous plant here and there, he could see why Stolas loved it so much. It didn’t take him long to find Loona near the entrance, watering can in hand as she watered a bush of purple roses.

“Hey, sweetie. Need some help?” He offered, causing her to throw her watering can and some gloves at him. She threw them with such force, it knocked him down onto the ground, spilling water all over himself. He took that as a yes.

Pocketing the gloves for now, the mottled imp went to a nearby pond with water lilies to fill the can. As he did so, he looked around for the hungover owl. “Where’d Via go?” he asked his daughter, not spotting the teen.

“She went to water the plants in the water biome.” the hellhound said matter-of-factly as she bent down to do some weeding. Thanks to the guidebook Via lent her and her keen sense of smell, it wasn’t hard to distinguish herbs and sprouts from weeds.

Blitz looked at her with a questioning look (Why do you need to water plants that live in water?) Feeling his gaze on her, she turned to him. “Yeah, I don’t know either.” she said as if reading his mind, before turning back to her work. He shrugged and went to work watering the bed of flowers nearby.

“So, are we allowed magic or is he punishing you too?” she asked as she opened the guidebook to see if what she was seeing in a bed of lilies were sprouts or weeds. Yep, those are weeds.

“No, I couldn’t convince him to let you use magic and no, I’m not being punished. Just figure I’d give you a hand is all” he said, not wanting to let her know he didn’t really fight that hard for her in fear that he would make things worse with the ‘brownie’ slipup. (Ok, these flowers are all watered) He turned to water the next flowerbed.

“By the way, how’s Stolas?” Loona asked, as she pulled out the weeds and put them in a nearby basket to dispose of later. Blitz lowered his watering can at the question. He couldn’t get the wounds littering the owl’s body out of his head.

“Well, he doesn’t have mana poisoning anymore, so that’s good, but he’s hurting. Vas is with him now, so hopefully he’ll help with that.” He didn’t notice Loona looking up at him as he went back to watering the flowers. From the look on his face, she could tell there was more, but she chose to drop it. With a sigh, she got up and walked over to him. The imp looked up as he saw her approaching.

“Need someth…” he was cut off as she pulled him into a tight hug, leaving him stunned. Usually, he was the one who hugged her (and got hurt in the process) never the other way around. He hugged her back appreciatively, savoring his daughter’s comforting embrace.

After a few minutes, she tried to let go, only for Blitz to continue to cling onto her. “Ok, that’s enough” she tried pushing him off gently, but he wouldn’t let got. “You can let go now” she told him a little firmer, trying to push him off her with more force, only for him to continue to cling to her. She grabbed a nearby gardening hoe and slid it between them.

“Get off!” she growled as she had to literally pry him off with the hoe. “If you tell anyone about this, I'll tear you to shreds” she threatened, before going back to her weeding. He still had a big happy look on his face. This was one of the greatest moments of his life.

*****

Forty minutes later...

“Ok, let’s split up. I’ll go to the tundra area. You go… somewhere else.” Loona told him. She would stay warm in there with her fur.

“Aw, you sure you don’t need help, Looney?” Blitz asked disappointedly. He was enjoying their father-daughter time.

“No! You’ll freeze in there and then bitch about it the whole day. Besides, if we split up, we’ll cover more ground and be done sooner” she said. She did make some valid points. (And if I have to deal with anymore of your sappiness, I’m gonna tear your head off. Then I’ll have more work to do.) “Why don’t you go to the um… I don’t know, the bioluminescent area?” she suggested.

“The… wha? Isn’t that the building with all the hazard signs?” the mottled imp asked, not recognizing the big word.

“No, that’s the restricted area. By the way, we’re not allowed in there. And trust me, you don’t wanna go in there.” she explained, hoping her dad wouldn't take that as a challenge. She didn’t want him to get killed in there, nor get in trouble because he was dumb enough to ignore the warnings. “It’s the area where everything glows.” (And the area farthest away from me.)

“Oh, alright” Blitz agreed dejectedly. “You be careful in there, sweetie.” he said, pulling her head close to give her a big kiss on the cheek. She growled in embarrassment and punched him, sending him sprawling into a nearby tree, before she went into the freezing tundra. (Totally worth it)

He entered the bioluminescent area, taking in the beauty all around him. Even though it was morning, he could see stars above the canopies. The glowing trees had yet to release their glowing spores while the flowers on the ground bloomed as he walked near them. It was all so calming, so magical. Maybe he should have a romantic date here with Stolas. Or they could do some sort of fantasy sex roleplay in here, whichever comes first. He started to water some glowing purple shrubs when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned, expecting his daughter, only to see a still hungover, completely soaked, Octavia.

“What’re you doing here?” she asked, not expecting to see the mottled imp watering her dad’s plants.

“Watering.” he answered as if it wasn’t obvious. “You finished with the water area?” he asked.

“Nah, I just needed to get out of there for a while. Too bright and loud.” she said, going over to a tree with yellow glowing leaves, picking at some of its bark.

Stolas gave him a tour of the entire greenhouse before, except the restricted area, so he understood what she was talking about with the brightness. Most of the plants in there were so brightly colored, they looked like they belonged in a coral reef. He wasn’t sure how it was loud though. There are waterfalls at the very top of the biome, providing both fresh and salt water to the plants. That was the only loud thing he could think of, but he didn’t think she could hear them unless she was near the top.

“How do you water plants in water by the way?” he asked, still not understanding how that worked. He could understand pruning the plants in there, but watering?

“Very carefully” Via said as she popped a piece of the bark in her mouth and started chewing it.

“Why are you eating a tree?” the imp asked confused. He didn’t think she was still high enough to want to eat a tree.

“Bark from certain trees is medicinal. Chewing them can relieve headaches, nausea, that sort of thing… but this is not one of them” she said as she spat out the bark she was chewing. Maybe it’s the tree with the glowing pink leaves she was looking for?

“Don’t just put it back! That’s disgusting!” Blitz yelled as the owl put the chewed bark back on the tree as if she was sticking gum to a wall.

“Gah! Not so loud!” she said, covering her ears at his yelling.

“First times always the worst kid, trust me.” He said amused, remembering the first time he got drunk and hungover.

~Flashback~

Twenty-three years ago…

Pay close attention while you get a look at... this
Yeah, look at this
Then, look at that
Hehey, here's a hat

Twelve-year-old FizzaRolli sang as he pulled out a rubber duck before discarding it. Then he pulled out three balls and started juggling before pointing to one of the circus’ cannons. Then he got Cash Buckzo’s attention again as he put on a pirate hat.

When Fizz told the older imp he wanted to show him a new act he was working on, of course he agreed to watch. Afterall, who wouldn’t want to see their favorite child star’s newest act? Granted, he didn’t understand what was happening.

He was so distracted, he didn’t notice his two biological kids, eleven-year-old Barbie Wire and Blitzo, sneaking behind him. All three kids were on a mission… to steal their ringmaster’s beer. They felt they were old enough to try the forbidden drink and now, they were finally gonna find out why the older imp drank it all the time. So, the plan was Fizz would distract the ringmaster while the twins stole the booze.

Barbie went first, sneaking along the crates, before gesturing to her brother to follow her path. He snuck behind the crates filled with supplies for the show, accidentally knocking over a box of bowling pins. He quickly hid behind a barrel as his dad turned around at the sudden noise.

Okay, the thing I'm trying to say
I will say if you look this way...

Fizz sang as he grabbed the ringmaster’s beard, forcing him to once again pay attention to the child.

“Psst… Blitzo, hurry up! I don’t know how much longer he can do this” his twin whispered, scolding him. Jumping up, Blitzo caught some rope above him and swung across to where his sister was. He did a flip and made a perfect landing on a bag of flour near her. (Too bad dad wasn’t watching, maybe that would have made him proud of me) Carefully, the twins pushed the keg of beer they were after over.

THUD

The twins froze at the loud noise, turning to their dad, only for him to be enthralled at their friend’s performance.

Puzza lasagna
Contorni, limoncello

Fizz was now singing the few Italian words he knew. They had to hurry up, he looked like he was running out of material. The twins jumped up onto the keg and rolled it to the tent's exit. Once they got it outside and out of sight of the ringmaster, Blitzo returned to the entrance, giving Fizz the ‘all clear’ gesture. Mission successful.

Bye-Bye

Fizz suddenly finished his song and ran out of the tent, leaving Cash Buckzo both amazed and confused at the strange performance.

*****

“Nice going Blitzo, you nearly got us caught!” Barbie scolded her brother as she punched his arm. They took their stolen prize behind where they keep the hell horses. If anyone saw the keg, they would assume one of the adults brought it for after tonight’s performance.

“Ow! ... Hey, we got the beer, didn’t we? Besides, did you see how I stook that landing!” he asked, proud of himself.

“It wasn’t that great.” his sister scoffed, causing the imp to look down sadly. He thought that he did a good job.

“I thought you did great!” Fizz said, putting a hand on his shoulder, causing young Blitzo to smile at the other imp.

“You were really great too, Fizz. Good thinking bringing out the Italian” Blitz complimented his friend, who beamed at the compliment.

“Ok, enough flirting, you two. Let’s get drinking!” Barbie said as she held up three mugs, handing one to the boys. Once all their mugs were filled, they clanked their drinks together in a toast before taking a sip.

“Blech… this tastes awful. How can dad drink this stuff?” the female imp asked after spitting out her beer.

“I don’t know, I kinda like it.” Blitzo said, taking another sip.

“Yeah, it’s giving me a warm, fuzzy feeling” Fizz said taking another sip of his.

Barbie hesitantly took another sip, this time swallowing her drink. “Hey, you’re right.” she agreed as she took another sip. Once you got over the initial flavor, it wasn’t so bad.

“I think I like beer!” Blitzo said before downing his mug. The other two imp children agreed as they downed theirs as well.

*****

Several drinks later….

“Fffiiizzzz… this was, the best idea you’ve ever had” Blitzo slurred, putting an arm over his best friend. “I loooovvvveeee you bud.”

“Nnnnooo… it was your idea.” His friend slurred back, trying to put an arm on the other imp, but failing. “You… you know what would be cool? If I was a robot…hic…. I could stretch everywhere and shoot fireworks at people!” Fizz said excitedly, finally getting his arm around his friend. Blitzo thought it would be cool to work with his robot best friend. Speaking of friend, he really needed to tell Fizz something important.

“You… you know, you’re my bbbbeeeesssstttt friend. And Barbie’s my friend” Blitz pointed to his sister, who was sprawled on the ground near the keg. “… and this other guy, he’s my friend. He’s a bird and has books. He would be my best friend if he was a horse with books.” Blitzo slurred, hoping Fizz would understand his logic. Fizz didn’t know any birds with books, but he sounded like a cool guy.

“Kids, where are you? The show’s about to start!” They heard the ringmaster call for them.

“I thought…I thought the show was at night? Hey… where’d the sun go?” Barbie slurred from her spot on the ground. “We should… hide the beer, so dad don’t see it.” she suggested, swaying as she got up from her spot near the nearly empty keg, trying to push it away. She pushed the keg from where the spigot was instead of the side so it would roll, causing her to be confused that she wasn’t moving the keg. “Uh, oh. It’s stuck.”

“Maybe we should have one more drink… if its empty, he won’t know we drank it.” Blitzo suggested making his way to the keg. The other two agreed with his logic as they all drank half a mug each, finishing up the keg.

*****

The next morning…

“Blitzo, Barbie. Time to wake up.” The sound of their mother’s soft voice pulled Blitzo, out of his sleep. His head hurt, and for some reason his tail as well. He felt like he was going to be sick. He opened his eyes; it was so bright. With a groan, he rolled over only to throw up. From the sound of it, his sister was dealing with the same problem.

“Here sweetie, this will help.” His mother gave him a glass of water, which he drank, only to throw it back up.

“Momma, I don’t feel so good. Can I stay in bed?” he begged, closing his eyes.

“Yeah, me too?” his sister whined from her bed.

“Now children, you’re not sick. You’re hungover is all. This is what happens when you drink a lot of beer.” their mother gently scolded. Blitzo cracked open his eyes, to look at her knowing face. How did she know? Of course she knows. Momma always knows.

“Now hurry and get up. Your father wants you in the ring” she said as she left.

Their dad wants to see them? ... Uh oh.

The kids slowly got dressed, with Barbie wearing her dress inside out and Blitzo missing one of the straps on his overalls. They slowly made their way to the tent seeing Fizz there looking as miserable as they felt. “I feel like a cannon fell on my head” Fizz whined.

“I feel worse than Blitzo’s jokes” Barbie grumbled loud enough for her brother to hear.

“Oh, yea? Well, I feel worse than you look.” her brother shot back at the insult.

‘We’re twins, dumbass. You look like me.” she fired back.

“There you are!” their dad interrupted the arguing kids before Blitzo could retort. “I am very disappointed in you. Barbie, you’re usually good at juggling, yet you couldn’t even catch a single pin last night.” he scolded before turning to his star. “Fizz, my boy, what happened? That was the worst performance I have ever seen. Did your new act sike you out?” Cash Buckzo asked with a glare. He couldn’t understand why his star did so bad.

“And as for you…” Blitz waited for his turn to get scolded, only to be surprised with a rare smile from his dad “That was the best performance you’ve ever done! What made you think to do that stunt with your tail?” He didn’t know what he did, but that explained why his tail hurt “You’ve impressed me, boy. Keep up the good work and one day you might be better than Fizz” his dad said before glaring at the other hungover boy. If he wasn’t so hungover, he would have beamed at his father’s rare praise.

“Now to make sure you three are in tip top shape and don’t ruin another night’s performance, you’ll be practicing the trapeze.” He said, as he played circus music on the tent’s speakers, causing the children to cover their ears with a groan.

~End Flashback~

That morning, they learned why you shouldn’t do acrobatics while hungover, especially with loud music. Surprisingly, Cash Buckzo never did learn the kids stole his beer and got drunk. He just assumed with all the puking they did at practice, they all caught the flu or something. (Yeah, first time being hungover sucks.)

The mottled imp turned looked at the owl, now sitting under the yellow tree, clenching her head, whimpering as she tried not to throw up. Feeling sympathy now, he pulled up his phone. He got a message from Fizz last night but chose to ignore it for now. Instead, he pulled up his daughter’s number, remembering she had the guidebook with her.

<Blitzo to Looney > 9/20 10:02am: Wat flwr gd 4 sck in glowy plas? 4 via:

He waited for a few minutes before his daughter texted back. Hopefully, she understood what he meant; he didn’t know how to spell. Biolum…whatever.

<Looney to Blitzo > 9/20 10:10am: (image of a blue flower with four petals and red thorns)

<Looney to Blitzo > 9/20 10:10am: chew flower not thorns. They poison:

<Blitzo to Looney > 9/20 10:02am: thnx huny:

He looked around until he spotted the flower Loona showed him. Picking a few, careful not to prick his fingers on the thorns, he brought it over to the owl, shaking her shoulder gently until she looked up. “Here, Looney says chew the flower.” He said, looking away with an annoyed look as the owl took the flowers from him. He looked down at her and had to fight back a laugh. He thought she would rip off the flower part and chew that, but she just stuck them into her mouth, having the stems hang out like a cow eating grass.

After a few minutes, she spat them out, throwing them somewhere behind her. “Better?” he asked.

“Meh” she said. She felt a little better, but not by much. “…Thanks for helping me last night. Sorry I said you were mean.” She thanked him, shocking the mottled imp. She didn’t really remember much of last night after Loona left her to use the bathroom, but she remembered thinking the imp was being mean when he took her home.

“Uh, yeah, sure. No problem” he said as he turned to water the plants nearby. “You know, it’s interesting you tolerate me. Usually, kids hate the guy that causes their parents to break up” he said.

“Sigh… I did for a while. I know dad’s gay, and their marriage was arranged, but still. It’s hard to like the guy that broke your parents’ marriage.” She explained. Since his back was turned to her, she couldn’t see his frown. “But… I see how much happier he is with you than he ever was with mom. You don’t treat us like mom does, so that’s something. And you haven’t tried to make him leave me either.” Blitz turned to the teen now.

“Via, your dad loves you more than anything in the universe. He won’t abandon you and I promise I would never try to make him do that, believe me.” he said, hoping she would. The owl looked at him and nodded like she understood.

“…Is he ok?” she asked him. She hadn’t had a chance to see him since before she went to the party.

Blitz thought for a moment about how to answer her. “He’s sleeping right now, but he was in a lot of pain last night.” he said. He didn’t want to tell her about the way he behaved last night or all the wounds he saw this morning. He saw her frown with worry. “B-but he’s a lot better than he was yesterday” he tried to reassure her.

“He went through a purification when I was little. It was horrible.” she said, remembering what happened last time he had to do the ritual.

“Did… you see what happened?” Blitz asked as he walked over to a small, glowing waterfall to refill his can. Vassago and Stolas said she witnessed a little bit of it before, maybe she knew what happened? Part of him still wanted to know what Stolas went through. Via shook her head.

“I didn’t see, but I heard. I made my mom mad, she put me on timeout next to the door. I heard him screaming. She made me stay there until they were done. That’s when I saw Vassago carry him out. He was so hurt… I thought he killed him.” she said, remembering seeing her dad’s bloody arm falling from the sheet.

Blitz saw red. It was bad enough that he heard Stolas’ screams and saw his injuries, and he’s an adult. But for Via? When she was little??? (That f*cking bitch! What psychopath would do that to their own kid? Once I get my hands on a blessed rifle, I’m gonna blow her brains out) he forced himself to calm down, before finally turning back to her.

“Speaking of your mom, why are you here? No offense, but shouldn’t you be with her for all this?” With all the things Stolas had to do, he was surprised he allowed his kid here for this.

“She didn’t want me to be with her while dad did the ritual, and to be honest, the feelings mutual.” The owl said. She cared for her mom, Stella is her mom after all, But Via didn’t love her like she loved Stolas. At least he treated her like a person whereas Stella treated her like an accessory and was only nice to her when in public or if it was convenient for her.

“Well, if you ever want her gone, kid, just say the word. It’s on the house.” he offered with an award-winning smile, receiving a questioning glare from the owl. “…What? I’m trying to be nice” he defended himself causing her to smile.

“Thanks… I think.” She said. He smiled at that. “But please, just promise me two things.”

“Um, ok?” He wasn’t sure what she could want from him.

“First, if you stay with him, please don’t treat us like mom does.” That’s something he didn’t need to promise her, he had no intention of ever doing that to either of the owls.

“Don’t worry. That won’t ever happen.” he said causing her to get up from her spot on the ground and walk over to him. Once she got close enough, she pulled him into a hug, shocking him before he returned it. He was happy. To him, this meant that Octavia gave him her blessing to be with her dad, to be a part of both their lives. Now, he had not one, but two daughters.

“You mentioned two things. What’s the second?” he asked as she pulled away. She looked at him with a smirk.

“If you two ever have a baby, don’t name it Fluffnugget.” With that, she picked up her watering can and left to go back to the water biome, feeling she could handle it in there now.

The imp watched her go, confused at her bizarre request. He never planned on naming any future offspring of his that … but now he wanted to.