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Chapter Text

Out of all the families of the Goetia line, the 47th house of the bloodline was considered the family's black sheep. Unlike his fellow nobles, Marquis Phenex was nicknamed "The Saint of Hell" or the "Demon With A Halo" because of his more virtuous actions in trying to help Hell's populace. He was the owner of multiple free health clinics and orphanages that actually took care of children. He was rumored to even support Princess Charlie's concept of redeeming Sinners to help stop the Exterminations. The Marquis even advocated for peace between Heaven and Hell, which saw him as a social outcast among many for his "heresy."

Usually, such actions and talk usually would see one expelled from the Goetia Household if not outright targeted for death by the Royal Family. However, Marquis Phenex was not an idiot. The phoenix demon monopolized Hell's Medical, Pharmaceutical, and Healthcare industries, with almost 80% ownership of it all, and healing was a critical need in Hell for everyone, rich or poor. There was also the fact that, during Princess Charlie's birth, Queen Lilith had some complications due to a rebellious section of Hell poisoning the Queen. Marquis Phenex got the best doctors to ensure she survived and gave birth to a healthy princess. Despite Lucifer disagreeing with Phenex's beliefs and political opinions, the Fallen Angel owed him a debt, so he did nothing to hinder the Phoenix Lord's views. Though he did warn him to not do anything too treasonous. 

Lady Stella didn't care about such things. Lady Helina had been her friend since they were babies, and they had always hung out wherever they could. Though Stella's parents disapproved of the relationship between the two, they didn't care about it in the end. Far as they were concerned, preventing their daughter from being friends with the black sheep's daughter wasn't worth the effort. 

Currently, the two girls were in Helina's room playing video games at night during a quick sleepover the two made in haste to get together before Stella's cruise trip. Ever since winning The Temple with Blitzo about two weeks ago, Stella had spent a lot of time with her Imp friend before realizing that she had also been neglecting her other friend. After promising to meet him for the Cruise trip they had won, Stella decided to focus on her other friend. 

"THIS GAME'S WINNER IS...PIKACHU!"

"Ugh, that's like the sixth time you've won in a row! When did you get so good at video games?" 

Stella sipped her coke and smiled at her friend and fellow noble, Lady Helia. "Let's just say I found a great place to train and can pretty much kick butt in all forms of gaming. Save for shooting. I'm not a great shot despite my efforts."

"Right, that would be your little Imp friend. I take it you've been spending a lot of time at that Sportsworld place?" Lady Helina asked, which made Stella blush nervously. Shaking her head with amusement, "One of these days, I gotta see this Imp that makes you smile like that."

"You know I can't risk that. It's hard enough keeping our relationship a secret from our parents. We only agreed to tell you and his sister because we trust you both," Stella said as she got up and stared at the one demon in Hell she trusted with knowing about her friendship with Blitzo. 

Lady Helina got up to stretch her limbs after sitting down for over two hours playing Super Smash Bros with her friend. Like her father, she was a phoenix, but while those creatures were usually seen more in a Heavenly manner, she was a pure demon. Helina's skin was that of a metallic bird made out of ancient steel with runes carved into her while her sharp, bladed metallic wings stretched. The runes all centered around the chest of her body that held a glowing cosmic orb of fire that was like looking at the sun. According to her friend, the Cosmic Fire Helina and her father shared kept them alive and in control of their physical form, as the metal skin around her was more of a shell to keep her preserved as a concentrated mass of energy. Her face was of the same metallic steel shell, but Helina looked more like a dragon combined with a phoenix, thanks to her mother's side of the family. She was mouthless, and her eyes were similar to the center orb, bursting with Cosmic Fire hidden behind shades of special yellow glass that gave an early glow. One would be scared of a child like her, but Helina was as cute as can be. 

Dusting her orange and yellow flame-styled pj's to get some cookie crumbs off, Helina asked, "So how did you convince your parents to let you go on this cruise again?"

"I told them both that my future husband, Prince Stolas, had invited me upon it to get us to get to know each other," Stella answered, flopping onto her sleeping bag while staring at the ceiling. "Since they wanted me to get to know him, they were happy to learn I was going to finally meet him. I told them he wanted it to be kept a secret so they wouldn't tell anyone. Apparently, some members of our family want me to replace them with one of their own daughters. So it's for my safety and all that."

"How did you convince the servants and guards accompanying you to keep quiet?"

"Told them I would give them a bonus to leave me alone. Triple what Daddy pays them. Besides, they like me more than the rest of my family, so they'll never do anything to get me in trouble. As far as they know, I'm just a little kid trying to have fun. Although I will try to ensure they don't know about me and Blitz." 

Helina shrugged before joining her friend on the ground with her sleeping bag. "Well, I can't say you aren't through. But I'm still unsure about you going on your own."

"No need to worry," Stella said as she turned to her friend with a grin. "Blitz is going to be there, and I will have fun."

"Yes, a single Imp that lives in a circus is going to protect you if something bad happens," Helia said while the movement of the flames in her eyes gave the impression she was rolling them. "You know that there are a lot of enemies out there for us, Stella. Even not just among the nobility and rich, but criminals and the underclass who just hate us in general."

"Relax, Helia," Stella assured her with a smirk. "I'm going to make sure I don't stand out. I've gotten really good at wearing commoner clothing. Plus, if things go bad, I have guards to help me."

Getting up, Stella dragged her friend up and cheerfully cried out, "Now, enough worrying! Let's have fun! We can dance until we're too tired to move!"

"What do you want to dance to?"

"Ever heard of a song called The Macarena? "

***

Despite being from a rich and wealthy family, Stella had to admit she was very excited to go on her first cruise. Her family never really did any "Family Vacations" as other families did since they, quite frankly, couldn't stand each other. If there was one thing she was looking forward to when she finally got married to the Prince, much as Stella was dreading it, she would never have to live in the same house as them. The only things she loved about her home were the gardens she always played in and her own room, but she could always bring her stuff with her to Prince Stolas's palace, and rumor had it the Prince loved plants. It wouldn't be hard to have him plant some of her favorite flowers in his garden. It could even be a wedding present if she wished it to be.

But all thoughts of the Prince soon left Stella's mind as she gazed upon the giant white liner cruise she would be staying for the next few days while traveling on the Sea of Envy. Hell's only actual ocean in its entire realm, the Sea of Envy, was a dark greenish sort of water said to hold terrible demonic sea creatures that could swallow a ship into two. Rumor had it that the Ring Lord Leviathan lived under it in his own underwater manor, and every water creature obeyed his wishes without command. His wrath was so terrible that it could cause tsunamis against the surrounding cities by the coastline.

Her bodyguards and servants were all carrying her belongings or making sure the coast was clear of any danger as Stella walked onboard and was guided by one of the ship's crew members to her top-tier suite where she would be staying. A few other wealthy guests were on board, but it was clear by their glares that Stella was of a higher rank than them, and she didn't mind puffing out her chest a bit. One of the most important things that the nobility had to remember was that there was a pecking order, and if Stella was the highest, then she had to make it known.

They didn't have to walk far to get to the main guest room level, where she was greeted with sparkling pearl hallways with statues of mermaids in armor and tridents while decorated paintings of the sea and various ships were seen on the wall. Pearls and fancy fishes accompanied them, and the servants, all scaled fish-looking people, bowed to her in their bright white sailor uniforms with blue sashes. They opened the double doors for her, where a bright seafoam-decorated bed awaited her with aquamarine curtains and sheets. A huge window with a bright view of the sea was open for her to enjoy, along with a small balcony with a small table and warm tea already prepared for her with biscuits. Two large dressers and closets were made of the finest wood, a big screen TV on display, and a mini-fridge for anything she wished to have, along with a small lounge area, bathroom, and mini-kitchen. A perfect suite for her.

"You sure you guys don't mind the middle-class quarters? I don't mind giving you all better rooms," Stella asked her servants and guards.

"Don't worry, Lady Stella," One of them, a female Imp with long white hair, said as she stepped forward with a smile. "You've already done enough with the increased pay and giving us time to relax on our own when we're not working. Do you need anything else while we are here?"

"No, I'm just going to unwind and unpack. You should all get a feel for the ship and find your rooms. Two guards can stand outside of my doors for now," Stella ordered as they all bowed and left one by one before the last closed the door behind her. Sighing, Stella flopped onto her bed and giggled at the thought of how much fun she would have here on this trip with her best friend and nobody in her family to annoy her.

She decided to take the silver mirror necklace and activate it to see if Blitzo was free to talk, but after a few minutes, there was no answer. "Guess he's not here yet or free to talk. Ah, well. I'll chat with him later. I better get to unpacking."

She was about to start when the doors knocked, and one of her Hellhound bodyguards walked in with a nervous expression. "Um, Princess Stella? Sorry to interrupt you, but someone unexpected is here to see you."

"See me?" Stella asked, confused. Far as she knew, nobody was supposed to come to see her. "Well, I guess you can let them in if they are harmless."

The Hellhound nodded and soon widened the door for someone to talk in. Instead of an adult, it was a fellow bird demon much like herself but was clearly an owl with gray feathers, a pale white face, and four glowing red eyes with two of them in his hair. He was accompanied by a stoic and heavily white-mustached Imp, obviously his servant. It didn't take long for Stella to recognize a fellow royal as he was dressed in a bright red and golden buttoned vest with a puffy white collar around his neck. He had a red cloak billowing behind his back and a small golden crown on his head. He walked poised and nervously at the same time with a timid smile as if he was somewhat intimidated to see Stella.

"Um...hello? Sorry to interrupt you like this, but...um...Mister Butler insisted that I should meet you upon learning you were also aboard," The Owl Noble said while rubbing the back of his neck.

Upon hearing the name of his Imp servant, Stella raised an eyebrow and wondered if that was his actual name or an alias? Then again, many nobles only remembered some of their servants' names, and even Stella would admit she didn't know half of her own.

"I'm sorry, but do I know you?" Stella asked, crossing her arms.

"Well, we did meet in the gardens at King Zagan's party not that long ago," he answered. "Granted, it was just for a moment. I almost didn't recognize you because your hairstyle was different."

It took a moment for Stella to recognize him and nodded. "Oh, right. You were in the gardens. Small world."

"Yes, and I was surprised to learn you were also here. I suppose it's best to get this out of the way since we have delayed this long enough." The Noble Owl child cleared his throat and then bowed. "My name is Prince Stolas Goetia, Heir to the 37th House of the Goetia Bloodline, son of King Paimon, and your future husband. It's an honor to meet you, My Lady."

“....HUH?!”

***

Of all the things to happen on this trip, this was the last thing Stella expected. She had no idea that her lie would somehow become true as it turned out that, by sheer coincidence, Prince Stolas was also taking a trip on the same cruise that Stella was taking. According to him, it was supposed to be a "Father and Son" vacation that he had been trying to do with his father, King Paimon, but he canceled at the last second while telling Stolas to go on his own. Upon learning that Stella was onboard, he figured it would be best to meet his future wife after all this time.

So stunned at this sudden twist of events that Stella didn't realize that she was walking beside the prince not long after the cruise ship had left port. The young owl occasionally asked a few things that Stella nodded to, but for the most part, there was just a simple silence between the two while their guards and Stolas's butler followed from a distance to give them space.

Walking on the ship's deck, passing the passengers already milling about, Stella took a good look at the prince, who was mesmerized by the sight of the sea before them. Prince Stolas looked very much like the portrait that Stella had been given when her betrothal was announced to her. He had so far been polite, if a bit quiet, and Stella didn't know anything else to say about him besides that. The only positive thing he had was that he wasn't acting like his father, who was rather infamous in the family despite his power. Nobody liked King Paimon but was forced to respect him because of his strength.

"So," Prince Stolas said, getting Stella's attention as he turned around and smiled at her. "What brings you on this cruise? Are you with your family?"

"Uh, no. I'm just by myself," Stella replied while her mind quickly thought to that smiling Imp that was one of her best friends. "I just wanted to enjoy a cruise on my own."

"And your parents let you do so without them?" Prince Stolas asked in confusion. No doubt finding it odd that a child like her was so far away from home without her family.

"They really didn't care," Stella answered with a shrug. "My family and I aren't close."

"Oh, I see..." Stolas whispered with disappointment as he lowered his eyes. "Um, so. We're um...to be married when we get older..."

"Yeah," Stella grumbled while folding her arms. Glaring at him, she muttered, "You'll forgive me if I say this, but I'm not exactly pleased by this outcome. The only reason we're getting married is because our family arranged it. If I had my way, we wouldn't get married."

"O-O-Oh! Was that why you were strangling your pet in that photo?" Prince Stolas asked curiously.

"Oh, come on. Did they really use that one? Ugh," Stella grumbled as she facepalmed. Lowering her hand, she asked, "Why is that such a big deal?"

"W-Well, I was under the impression that you...um...I heard stories about your parents and...well..." Prince Stolas whimpered as he put his hands up. "S-Sorry! I didn't mean to assume anything...I just...Well... I'm kinda...s-s-scared?"

"Of me?" Stella asked, blinking curiously.

"Kinda? But more like the whole marriage thing," Stolas whispered as he rubbed his arms. "I mean, I've always wanted to have a fairy tale romance. Like Sleeping Beauty or Snow White, just as I've seen in those Disney movies I have back home. When my Dad told me I was to marry you, a total stranger, and have a baby with you, I got worried that...well...things were going to go bad. Especially since your parents aren't exactly the most liked people." 

Stella couldn't help but blink as the discomforted prince and realize the irony. She was worried and upset about getting married against her will while worrying about how Prince Stolas would be just like King Paimon. And yet here was Stolas, who clearly was scared out of his feathers of Stella being just like her parents while also upset about their forced marriage. Clearly, he was taking it differently than Stella was, but everyone reacted differently to news they didn't like. Also, that whole Disney romance thing he wants? No macho man guy would ever want that. This guy kinda acts like a sissy somewhat.

Still, it was clear that she wasn't the only one upset by all this. Putting a hand on Stolas's shoulder, Stella sighed and got his attention as she said, "Okay, Prince Stolas? Let's get one thing straight. Neither of us doesn't want to get married to each other, but we have no choice in this. Not unless we want to get disowned and left to rot on the streets with nothing. However, that doesn't mean we must make this entire thing unpleasant."

Stolas tilted his head like an owl, which was disturbing, as he asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well, the contract between our parents is clear. We must be married and produce an heir who needs to reach adulthood, right?" Stella pointed out as she began to think of a way to make this as less painful as possible. "So here is my proposal. We're going to try and make this work by first getting to know each other and see if we can at least be friends at the very least so it will be less awkward when we are adults. If we fall in love with each other, then that works out. If not, then we can at least be civil with each other. The last thing either of us wants is to be in a marriage that will end up making us hate each other."

Now she had Stolas's attention as he focused on her and nodded. "T-That's true. I mean, I would like to get to know you regardless. I...I don't have many friends...well, any friends, really. I rarely ever leave my palace."

Okay, sheltered, quiet, and passive to a fault. Very much different than I expected, Stella thought as she felt that she could work with this a lot better than expected. It was clear that Prince Stolas was not used to leading despite being in a higher position than most. Stella could easily lead him along, and if she was a more spiteful and vindictive girl, she would have abused this power very much. But she was wise enough to see that Stolas was just like her.

A scared child with no control over their life. 

So she would lead between the two of them but not hurt him. More like to make it all the less painful for them both.

"Then I guess we can use this opportunity to get to know each other and go from there," Stella said while mentally thinking she could use this to prove that she was on the cruise with her future husband. "Let's schedule times to meet up and hang out, okay? We'll have time for ourselves and with each other. After this, we'll exchange contact information and go from there. Hang out and stuff."

"Okay," Stolas said with a nod and a smile. There was a spark of excitement in his eyes at the prospect of having a friend, so Stella couldn't help but feel she was also helping him.

"Now, as for us getting married? We will see if we can still find a way out of it since neither of us wants to get married against our will. Still, if we have no choice, we'll make it as painless as possible if we end up not liking each other enough to be a happy romantic couple," Stella pointed out as she began to list a few proposals. "Here's what I suggest. First, we try to get an heir as quickly as possible and raise them together. Whatever issues we have with each other, we will not be like our parents. We will treat them with love and care even if we don't have that for each other."

"Of course! I would never let my child be raised without such things," Stolas said firmly.

"Second, the moment they are an adult and still both want out of the marriage by that point? We divorce. Split everything fifty-fifty, and go our separate ways," Stella suggested.

"Are we allowed to divorce?" Stolas asked.

"So long as we give the family and heir and maybe a spare just in case, then I'm sure we'll be fine, and they won't raise too much of a fuss," Stella pointed out. "Finally, if one of us falls in love with someone else, we're fine having a relationship on the side."

"Wait, you're okay with us cheating on each other? But that would be wrong to do!" Stolas gasped in shock.

"What's wrong is denying us our own happiness. Look, if we fall in love with each other, then, of course, we'll stay loyal to each other, but if we're not happy as a married couple, I don't want us to wait eighteen to twenty years for us to finally follow our hearts," Stella grumbled as she shook her head. "I will not care at all if you have a mistress on the side, and all I ask is being allowed to do the same if I fall in love. That's it."

"....I guess?" Stolas whispered. Rubbing the back of his head, Stolas whispered, "Just feels odd, is all."

"Well, we're still young, so we have time to find a way out of this while getting to know each other. We can change things as time goes on," Stella pointed out as she held her hand out. "For now, let's agree to get to know each other and see if we can become friends on the cruise. Okay?"

"Okay!" Stolas said happily as he shook her hand. "Do you want to start now?"

Stella was about to answer when she felt her mirror chain starting to glow, and her eyes widened. Stolas also observed it and looked ready to ask about it until Stella interrupted his attempt with a big smile. "How about we have dinner together later tonight? And can we do something in the morning while leaving the afternoon and evening tomorrow free to do our own thing? Sound good?"

"O-Oh? Okay, sure. Sounds delightful," Stolas said with a small smile and nod.

"Great! I gotta go! See you later!" Stella said as she hurried off to find a private place to talk to Blitzo. Prince Stolas watched her go and waved goodbye, but she ignored him to focus on finding privacy. 

It took her only a short time to find a bathroom area, and she quickly checked to ensure she was alone. Once Stella checked all the stalls, she entered the furthest one and activated the chain. "Blitz?"

"There you are!" He said on the other line, " I was trying to contact you for twenty minutes. Are you on the ship?"

"Y-Y-Yeah, I was occupied. I'll tell you when we meet up. Listen, can we meet up tomorrow afternoon? Something unexpected happened, and I might be a bit more caught up than I wished," Stella sighed with disappointment.

"Are you in trouble?"

"No," Stella answered. "Like I said. I'll tell you later. This isn't the best time. Is there any place we can meet tomorrow?"

"How about the pool area? Mama said Barbie and I could go there together. We can meet there, and I can finally introduce you to my sister! She's really excited to meet a real-life princess!"

"I'm not technically a princess yet, Blitz," Stella pointed out with a giggle.

"Eh, I think you are," He said, which made her blush. "Anyway, I'll talk to you later! Mama promised to teach us how to shuffleboard! Can't wait to see you! This is going to be the most amazing vacation ever! Bye!"

The communication between them ended, and Stella couldn't help but sigh. "It's going to be interesting, that's for sure."

Chapter Text

Night time had come quickly for the cruise ship, and Stella put on a proper dress for the evening dinner with Prince Stolas. Initially, she would have dreaded such a thing, particularly since she was marrying him against her will, but having met him earlier and seeing how different he was? Stella honestly could say that there was very little hatred for the boy himself and more at the unfairness of their equally dismayed situation. It was clear that, just like her, Prince Stolas was not interested in getting married against his will, even if he had a more "fantasy" version of romance itself.

Time would tell if their agreement to try and at least be friends (maybe fall in love if fate had its way) would end up helping them out in the long run. At the very least, it would help them be good parents to whatever children they had to have. A process that Lady Stella still had no idea about worked since all she was ever told about the knowledge of where babies come from was that she'd find out when she was older. 

With the promise of having dinner together, Lady Stella put on her finest white and pearl dress with blue shoes and a sunset-colored hair clipping for her feathery hair. Regardless of her feelings, she was having dinner with a demon of higher stature than her in one of the more expensive restaurants on the cruise ship: Duke's Steak House. Her maids assisted in getting her cleaned and primed with some light makeup before her bodyguards guided her to the steak house. It didn't take long for her to talk to the head waiter, who quickly told her that Prince Stolas was already waiting for her.

Is this technically a date or not? Lady Stella thought as she was guided by the waiter to her table. Actually, it's best not to think about that. Blitz will tease me to no end if I tell him that.

Prince Stolas noticed her coming and happily smiled while waving as the head waiter held out her chair. Sitting down, she thanked him before turning to the young prince, who was beaming at her. "You actually came."

"Of course. Did you expect me not to?" Stella asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, well. It's just that I'm not used to people visiting me when I ask them to," Prince Stolas said nervously. "You wouldn't believe the many times my father or half-siblings didn't come to any of the dinners, teas, or lunches I set up. Or my birthdays. Or Hellmas parties. Or New Years. Or...anything really..."

...Okay, wow. And I thought my family had a bunch of jerks, Stella thought as she stared at the saddened Stolas in disbelief. I knew King Paimon and his kids were a bunch of dicks, but holy crap. They take the cake of the biggest dicks in the universe!

"Well, when we get married, you won't have to worry about that," Stella said with a comforting smile. "Actually, we don't even need to wait to get married. Since we're trying to be friends, we can hang out at your place and even on holidays. Hell, I can even come to your birthday next year."

"R-Really?!" Stolas chirped as if he had been told that Krampus had come early. He quickly remembered his composure but grinned happily as he replied, "I would like that very much, Lady Stella."

"Just call me Stella. It's fine," She replied as their waiter came to take their order. "So, what video games do you like?"

"... What's a video game?"

"...Oh boy."

***

Lady Stella was coming to a very dark conclusion about her future husband, which made her feel sympathy for him and rage at the injustice he had suffered. A particular dead father of her best friend was now being joined by a certain King of the Goetia Family who had become part of the "bad fathers club" listing. King Paimon was known to be bad even among their own kind, but hearing the extent to which he went to make his son completely isolated, alone, and emotionally crippled in some ways was downright disgusting. 

From Stella's conversations with Stolas, it is evident that he wasn't just some sheltered child with no idea how the real world worked. He was outright a prisoner in his home, unloved by everyone in his famil y line except for the staff he had in his home. The staff had practically raised him since his mother had died giving birth to him, and his father had only appeared a handful of times in Stolas's short life.

And he even sometimes forgot his own son's name.

"Let me get this straight. When you were crying on your birthday, King Paimon actually slapped you, " Stella took a moment to breathe, "and told you to man up before leaving without even doing anything for you on your birthday?"

"...Well," Prince Stolas nervously fumbled his fork around. "He did say goodbye this time?"

"...Your father is an asshole," Stella said, which made Stolas nearly choke on his water.

"S-S-Stella! You shouldn't say things like that about your father! He's a king! He's higher than us!" Stolas then whimpered and looked around, almost expecting King Paimon to leap out of the shadows. "And...And he's got a very bad temper."

And he physically abuses him, too. Dear Satan, Stella thought, we are a perfect pair for being in such shitty families .

"Okay, Stolas? From now on, you will have as little interaction with your father as possible. If he asks to see you, let me know so I can be there with you," Stella said firmly as she pointed her fork at him. I'm unsure if he'll abuse you less when I'm around, but hopefully, I can do something about it to a certain extent.

"But he's my father and-"

"And he's not being a good father. I think you know that as well but won't admit it," Stella said, making the boy wince and look down with sorrow. Sighing, Stella gave him a comforting smile and said, "Look, my father isn't a good person either. He's like yours, so I know what you are going through. But trust me when I say that fathers like ours rarely ever change and, most of the time, aren't worth it. I've seen good fathers before. My friend Hilda's got one. And I've seen fathers who wouldn't hesitate to hurt their children in the worst ways for selfish reasons.

Like Cash. 

"So if your father is the latter, and we both know he is, then you shouldn't have anything to do with him because you can do better. Isn't there a person who has been a better father figure in your life than him? Someone you trust and have taken care of you your whole life?" Stella hinted.

"...Well, there is Mister Butler," Stolas admitted with a slight smile. "He always reads to me whenever I go to sleep. He makes sure I'm clean and doing my prince lessons right. When I'm sick, he takes care of me, and when I cry, he...well...comforts me and says that everything will be okay."

"Sounds more like a father to me than King Paimon," Stella said with a smirk. 

"But he's an Imp, and I'm a Goetia. Isn't that sort of thing not really allowed?" Prince Stolas asked.

"No, but if there is one thing I've learned, it's that you don't have to always follow the rules so long as you don't get caught," Stella said with a giggle as she thought about her own relationship with a very special Imp in her heart. "Anyway, enough of the sad talk. Let's talk about your favorite hobbies while ordering dessert. You like gardening?"

"Oh, I love gardening! There is an exceptional set of plants I have called..."

***

Stella felt exhausted as she entered her room and collapsed on the bed while still in her dress. I ate too much pie.

She felt ready to sleep in her dress and snore away until morning, but she knew it would be improper for someone of her status. Rubbing her eyes, Stella slowly undressed and switched to purple and white night clothes before going into her covers and shutting the lights. As darkness surrounded her, she thought about her dinner with Prince Stolas, and only one conclusion came to her:

He's just like me.

Well, not entirely like her. For one, she always had access to her family, while Stolas had nobody. It was also clear that the staff were the only ones he had ever talked to, and he treated them like family, which was very different from how the nobility generally treated them. At best, they would be kind to one or two, but most were indifferent or cruel. It was also clear that he knew nothing of politics as anyone with a taste of it, like Stella, could easily make him bend in whatever direction they wanted if they got their claws on him. He wasn't stupid by any means. In fact, she'd rank his intelligence over various subjects much higher than the average demon their age should be. But Stella was able to get him to submit to her points of view on what to do regarding their marriage with such ease that it was almost like telling a pet to do tricks.

If I was crueler or, Satan forbid, like my family, I'd be making his life miserable, Stella thought and once again thanked Blitz for keeping her sane in her darkest moments. He's lucky I'm willing to do what's best for us.

Because deep down, she saw another version of herself. A child from a broken and hurtful family that made you feel all alone in the pentagram despite having access to a great fortune and prestige. Everyone expected you to do what they told you to because they had the power and influence. It was like being in a golden gilded cage with nothing but misery. 

The only difference is that Stella had two friends who kept her sane. Stolas had nobody. Well, I guess I'll have to be that someone now. 

It's funny. Originally, Stella wanted nothing to do with Stolas. Now? She wanted to save him.

I really am too nice for my own good, Stella thought as she closed her eyes and drifted asleep.

***

Although she had technically offered to do something in the morning with Prince Stolas, he declined last night due to needing to continue his studies, which was ordered by his father. While Stella wanted him to tell his old man to shove it, she figured it best to keep her mouth shut about it now. Stolas was clearly too scared or unsure of defiling his father. While it was clear that Stolas knew his father had a lot of faults, he was still trying to earn his respect and love, unlike Stella, who gave up a long time ago regarding her parents.

Regardless, it gave her time to get ready to see Blitzo and his sister, whom Stella would meet for the first time. Blitzo always described her as shy, sweet, and kind, but when you got her angry, she was a force to be reckoned with, saying that he got it from their deceased father. Stella admitted that she was a bit nervous about meeting Barbie Wire. She wanted to make a good first impression, so she wore a simple purple t-shirt with blue jeans to make herself look as commoner as possible. The servants and bodyguards were shocked to find her wearing such "common" clothing, but Stella insisted that she just wanted to blend in and act like a normal kid. It wasn't a lie; she had been dressing like this for some time now, but they all chalked it off to youthful rebellion and let it slide.

Getting them to let her explore on her own was a different story. She was not ready to allow any of her servants or staff to know about her and Blitzo. There were too many risk factors. Ultimately, she agreed to give them all text updates about her situation, and they would come to look after her if she didn't text after three hours. It was a bit annoying, but it was the best Stella would get.

Blitzo agreed to have them meet right outside a gymnasium on the fourth floor that was catered to both kids and adults. It took Stella a while to find it, but she soon did and found her best friend waiting for her while waving his hand and calling his name. Right beside him, holding his other hand, was Barbie Wire, who Stella swore looked like Blitzo, only female with a few noticeable differences. For one, her horns were very different. She had a black majority colored set with small, thin white lines that curved inside of themselves almost in a half-spiral-like form. Her head was also smaller, and she had a flatter forehead, but she had bigger and broader eyes with thicker eyelashes. She wore a pink and white striped shirt with purple pants and looked at Stella with surprise and confusion.

Bltizo practically launched herself into her arms when she was close enough, and the two friends hugged. "Stella! There you are! It's been forever since we last saw each other."

"It wasn't that long," Stella said, rolling her eyes but still smiling. "But I did miss you too, Blitz. How are you enjoying the cruise?"

"It's great! We got to eat a lot of cool things! See stuff we've never seen before! I learned shuffleboard and managed to be all the old guys who taught me! And Mom's been so relaxed that I think she's never smiled so happily in a long time!" Blitzo said enthusiastically, which only made Stella's heart beat faster with joy that her friend was happy. "And it's all thanks to you! If you didn't make it out of The Temple in time, we never would have gotten to experience all this!"

"Well," Stella blushed and rubbed the back of her head, "you really wanted to win, and I didn't want to disappoint you."

Blitzo grinned before grabbing his sister and dragging her forward, which made her blush and look nervously downward while keeping her eyes glancing at Stella. "Oh! And here is my twin sister! Barbie Wire! Say hello, Sis!"

Barbie Wire gulped and slowly bowed, almost so low she nearly touched the ground. "G-G-G-Greetings, your Majesty!"

"Barbie," Blitzo snorted while shaking his head. "I told you. You don't have to act that way around, Stella. She's cool."

"Yeah, you don't need to treat me like I'm a noble," Stella said with a smile and slightly waved her hand. "Just treat me like everyone else, okay?"

"O-O-Okay," Barbie said with a nervous smile.

"Great! Now that that's out of the way! Let's have some fun!" Blitzo said as he grabbed both girls by the hand and dragged them toward the gymnasium. 

***

Needless to say, Stella was utterly out of her element when it came to the gymnasium. She had never really been into athletics to the point that badminton was the only sport she played. Hell, The Temple run had been the most exercise she had ever done, and she barely completed it. But when it came to the Imp Twins? Oh boy, there was a difference. Standing in her light blue leotard, Stella watched in awe as Blitzo and Barbie were already doing "light practices" that featured them doing handstands, cartwheels, flips, and a few very impressive jumps on the exercise map while doing the regular stretches for their limbs. They were very flexible, with Barbie more with her arms while Blitzo was with his legs. 

It makes sense. They are a trapeze act, Stella thought as she did a few light stretches herself. 

"Alright, Stella, what do you want to do first?" Blitzo asked with enthusiasm. "Handle bards? Climbing ropes? Balancing beam?"

"Blitz, does she even know how to do this?" Barbie asked with her eyebrow raised.

"No, but that doesn't mean she can't try," Blitzo said with a smile.

"Sure, she can try," Barbie said, rolling her eyes. "And then break her neck, which will lead us to lose ours 'cause we got a royal killed."

"I'm with your sister on this one, Blitz. I'd think I need to learn the basics before I start flipping around like Spiderman," Stella seconded.

"Fine, I guess we can do the baby stuff," Blitzo muttered as he motioned Stella to follow him on the practice mat. Once they found a nice place to be alone, Bltzo held Stella's hand, which made her blush as he spoke. "Okay, let's start with a roll. It's one of the most important moves you'll need to learn because it teaches you not how to tuck yourself in but how to react fast later on when making more advanced moves. It's also good for recovery and avoiding an ax thrown at you by a drunk ax-throwing performer."

"That one was true," Barbie Wire said with a snort. "Mom went ballistic on him, and he was so scared of her wrath he pissed himself."

"Okay, first step. Make sure your feet and knees are together." Stella nodded before proceeding to do so while following all the other instructions. "Keep your chin tucked into your neck. Just like that. Good. Now, I want you to bend your knees and lean forward."

Stella blushed as Blitzo held his hand on the side of her body to keep her steady. Satan, they feel so warm. 

"Now lean forward all the way to the mat. Ensure your shoulders are in contact with the mat and not your head! You don't want to damage it," Blitzo warned.

"I highly doubt this will kill me," Stella said with a snort.

Blitzo then glared at her, which made her eyes widen. "Stella. Listen to me when I say this. All gymnastics, even the basics, are to be treated seriously. Even the slightest mistake can injure you, cripple you, or even kill you. Trust me."

"O-Okay," Stella said with a slight nod. She slowly tipped herself forward and ensured her shoulders and feet were touching the mat as she used all her strength to ensure her head wasn't connecting. It was a lot harder than it looked, and she felt all her weight ready to fall on her. Crud, do I have to lose weight or something?! Ugh.

She fell entirely forward and landed on her back before slowly stepping up. Wincing at the strange feeling, Stella asked, "How did I do?"

"Eh, not bad. Needs improvement, but that's what practice is all about," Barbie Wire said with a smile. "At least you did better than Blitzo did on his first try."

"Oh no, Barbie, please!" Blitzo begged with worry.

"He got his horns stuck in the ground, and his little tush was up in the air," Barbie answered, which made Stella giggle and Blitzo moan in embarrassment. "Mom still has pictures."

"Can I see them?" Stella asked with a grin.

"Only if you have pictures of my brother acting like an idiot."

"Will videos of him dancing to Spice Girls count?"

"Totally."

Stella wrapped her arm around Barbie Wire and grinned. "I think we're going to be great friends."

"Me too!" Barbie said with a big smile.

"...I should have known you'd team up against me," Blitzo muttered with a sour look.

"Your fault! Not ours!" Stella and Barbie said with a grin. 

"I gotta get more guy friends," Blitzo grumbled.

This made Stella remember something, and she soon cleared her throat. "Um, Blitz? You know that Prince that I'm supposed to marry?"

"Yeah?" Blitz asked with his eyebrow raised.

"Um, I kinda met him. He's on the ship right now, actually," Stella said with a nervous chuckle.

"Huh?! He's here?!" Blitzo asked in disbelief. He then narrowed his eyes. "Good! Now I can give him the shovel talk and tell him to treat you right, or he'll get a knuckle sandwich."

"Relax, Blitz. I'm handling it. I don't think I have to worry about Stolas being a jerk or anything," Stella sighed. "If anything, I think he's...kinda like us."

"Us?"

"The Shitty Dad's Club."

"Ah," Blitzo said with a grim look. "How bad?"

"He's up there with your father."

"Fuck," both Blitzo and Barbie Wire muttered. 

"Yeah, he's never had a friend in his life and is so sheltered it's not funny," Stella said before an idea came to her. "Which is why I want to show him a good time. And I'll need your help to do it."

"Us?" The Twins said in confusion.

"Yeah, I mean, I got to have so much fun thanks to becoming friends with Blitz here, and if you're his sister, I bet you're a party animal too," Stella said to Barbie. "Stolas needs a friend, but I can't be the only one. I think the three of us can help him."

"Um, wouldn't he hate us because we're Imps?" Barbie asked.

"Relax, he's good with Imps. He was practically raised by them. So, what do you guys say? Wanna give a prince the time of his life?" Stella asked with a grin.

The twins looked at each other before nodding and grinning back.

"Let's do it!"

Chapter Text

Stolas had to admit he was very nervous about what his future fiance would be like when he learned he would be marrying her. The picture that his father showed him didn’t really portray a very angry-looking girl who was strangling her pet with such a scary face that it made him cry. Not only that, but the idea that he would be married was frightening as well. It wasn’t like he didn’t want to get married one day. His servants used to always read him amazing stories about princes saving princesses and having a happily ever after with them. It made him wish that he was the princess instead of the prince. They were rescued from a lonely tower and carried to salvation so that they could live a happy life. He identified more with them because of his isolated upbringing. 

But meeting Stella herself was...different. The good kind of difference. Instead of some mean, bullish snob of a girl, he met someone he felt a similar kinship towards. She, too, didn’t want to get married against her will, but at least she had a plan to make it less terrible should it not work out between them. She was intelligent, clever, and knew how to take charge. Despite being a high-ranking demon, Stolas never was much for leading and preferred to let others take center stage. 

It did help that she was sympathetic and offered to be his friend. A friend! Something he had never had in his entire life! He practically read about making friends, but all his knowledge and studying had drained from his brain out of worry. Thankfully, whatever he had done seemed to work regardless, as Stella had agreed to hang out with him during their cruise trip. 

“I wonder why she wishes me to meet her here alone?” Stolas wondered as he looked at the nearby arcade section where many kids his age and older were having fun. He had never played a video game before. His servants and father said such things were for barbarians who loved rotting their brains. Yet the way the children were laughing, playing, and competing against each other made him wonder if losing a few brain cells was worth the time to shoot a few digitized angels on a screen. 

“Hey, Stolas!” 

He turned around and smiled upon seeing his new friend, Stella, walking toward him with a smile on her face. Despite not being into her romantically, the prince had to admit that Stella processed some kind of aura around her when she walked. A very positive one with beaming adoration. He then noticed that two Imps were walking behind her. He thought at first they were her servants, but they were dressed way too commonly to be. Even the children of Imp servants dressed nicer than that.

“This is the Prince?” The male Imp of the two said as he folded his arms and looked at him. “He looks scrawny. He’s even shorter than you.”

“Oh, shortness runs in my family at first, but I’ll grow to be very tall over time,” Stolas said with a nervous blush. “Pardon, but I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Prince Stolas of the Goetia Family. You are, sir?”

“Wow, he really was polite in greeting us after all,” The Imp said with wide eyes before turning to Stella. “Guess I owe you five bucks.”

Stella rolled her eyes in amusement before approaching Stolas and presenting the Imp. “Stolas? I’d like you to meet my best friend. This is Blitz. It’s really Blitzo, but he likes the “o” silent.”

“Why?” Stolas asked, tilting his head.

“It sounds cooler,” Blitzo said as he took Stolas’s hand and shook it, much to the owl boy’s surprise as he blushed. “Nice to finally meet the guy who is going to be marrying my best friend.”

“O-Oh, thank-”

He then dragged Stolas closer and glared at him. “If you hurt her, I will kill you and make it look like an accident.”

Stolas’s eyes widened, and he gulped.

“Alright, enough of the shovel talk,” Stella said, pushing them apart. She sighed and knocked on Blitzo’s head before turning to Stolas. “Don’t mind him. He’s just a bit overprotective.”

Blitzo stuck his tongue out before turning back to the Prince with a grin as he pointed his thumb at a frozen Barbie Wire. “Oh, and this is my twin sister. Her name is Barbie Wire.”

“...”

The three stared at Barbie Wire, whose eyes were focused solely on Stolas. The female Imp was blushing so hard she almost looked like a tomato while her eyes were glittering with adoration. Stolas tilted his head before smiling and bowing to her. “Please to meet you too, my lady.”

“...H-H-H-Hi...” Barbie Wire whispered before slowly turning away with a nervous smile.

“Um, sorry I didn’t catch that,” Stolas said as he leaned closer, making her redder and more nervous. 

“I said...hi...” Barbie Wire said a little louder as she held her tail while timidly smiling at him. “I...I like your cape...”

“Oh, thank you! This one is my favorite,” Stolas said as he presented it with a grand flair of “woosh” in his twirl.

For some reason, Stella giggled while Blitzo looked at his sister in disbelief before facepalming. The former soon cleared her throat and said, “Anyway, we were wondering if you wanted to hang out with us at the arcade.”

“Really?!” Stolas asked with glee and nearly “squealed” in excitement. “I’ve never... hanged out with anyone before, and I’ve never been to an arcade!”

“Well, consider your cherry being popped!” Blitzo declared.

“What does that mean?” Stolas asked as he wondered if that was an Imp phrase.

“I don’t know. I just hear it a lot at the circus,” Blitzo answered before he grabbed Stella’s hand. “Anyway! Let’s get to blasting and button-mashing! Charge!”

Stolas watched in fascination as his blushing fiance was dragged into the arcade by the screaming and energetic boy. “My word, he’s quite energized.”

“Um, want to go in together?” Barbie Wire nervously asked with a shy smile.

“Of course,” Stolas said as he held his arm out just like he remembered in his etiquette lesson when it came to escorting ladies. 

Barbie Wire looked almost ready to faint, and he was about to ask if she was alright before she wrapped her arm around his. Figuring she was okay, Stolas happily led them in as Barbie Wire watched him with adoring eyes.

***

"Die, you Angels! Die! Die! Die!" Blitzo shouted with glee as he continued to fire his plastic gun at the screen while Stella was beside him doing the same. Of course, being the better shooter, Blitzo was much faster and more accurate with his shooting. "I'll send you back to Heaven in a coffin! Rest in Piss, you feather fuckers!"

And then that was when a high-level enemy shot them both and gave them a "Game Over."

"Oh, come on!" Blitzo moaned as he glared upward and flipped the sky off. "You did that intentionally, didn't you, Old Man?!"

"I highly doubt God himself is going to force you to lose a game just because you insulted his Angels," Stella said with amusement. She turned around to see Stolas trying out a basketball game by shooting hoops, and he was actually doing well despite his small frame. Barbie Wire was by his side, cheering him along the way. "At least he's having fun."

"Yeah, he's not bad. A bit of a dork, but not bad," Blitzo said while crossing his arms before frowning at his sister's obvious affection for the bird. "I wish my sister wasn't all "Love At First Sight" with him. He's not even that cute."

"I think it's kinda hilarious," Stella chuckled as Stolas finished with a good score and then offered to pay Barbie Wire to have a turn. The female Imp blushed and soon accepted before she started shooting some hoops. "I mean, it's just a silly crush."

"You don't know my sister. When she likes something, she'll never let go," Blitzo said with a snort. "Besides, she's too young to be thinking about boys."

"Someone's overprotective," Stella snorted as Barbie Wire finished and hugged Stolas as thanks for the game. The two soon walked over as Barbie Wire showed her large tickets and grinned.

"Think we got enough to get something at the prize shop?" She asked with excitement. "There was a cool Beelzebub action figure set I wanted to get."

"I still don't understand why we can't buy everything. Stella and I both have enough money," Stolas said in confusion.

"Because that defeats the purpose of earning your victory," Blitzo said as he put his arm around the young prince. "Sure, buying a bunch of stuff with your money can be cool, but there is nothing more satisfying than working for what you want and earning it with hard work."

Stella remembered how she and Blitzo worked hard and pushed themselves to their limits at The Temple to get the trip on the cruise. She had to admit, it felt more rewarding just winning the trip with her best friend than just buying the tickets with ease. It was mainly because she had done it without using her parent's money. 

"In fact, let's have a final contest before we go to the prize store!" Blitzo proclaimed as he put his hands on his side. "We'll have a fighting tournament! Devil Fighter EX 3 ! The winner gets to choose what we do next!"

"Oh! Does getting your nails done at the salon count!" Barbie Wire asked with excitement. "I've always wanted to get a professional manicure!"

"Hmm, I wouldn't mind getting one myself," Stella said as she looked at her nails. It had been a while since she let someone take care of them.

"Eww," Blitzo stuck his tongue out. "Does it have to be something so girly?"

"What's wrong with manicures? I get them, too," Stolas asked in confusion as Blitzo looked at him weirdly.

"Are you sure you're a guy?" Blitzo asked in disbelief.

"Yes, why?" Stolas inquired.

"Never mind," Blitzo groaned. "Fine, it can be that stupid girly stuff if you want, but only if you win."

It was agreed, and the four of them walked over to the arcade machine, where it was decided that Stella and Barbie Wire would go first and then Blitzo and Stolas. After some thought, Stella chose the fast and powerful striker Shinken Asuma, while Barbie Wire went with high-flying and combo master Chi-Li. Having played this game almost religiously ever since she went to Sportsworld, it didn't take long for Stella to cream Barbie Wire in the first round. However, she returned for the second one, leading them to have one final battle before one last combo ended in Stella's victory.

"Darn it," Barbie Wire sighed before shaking Stella's hand. "Good game, girl."

"Same," Stella replied with a smile.

"Alright! Now step aside, ladies!" Blitzo said as he pushed them back. "Time to show you what a real man can do!"

"Blitz, everyone knows that all you do in fighting games is button mash and pray for luck," Barbie Wire replied with a deadpan expression.

"It's a legitimate strategy!"

"Hmm, mind if I check the instructions and moves list first?" Stolas asked as he pointed to his side of the screen.

"Yeah, sure. Whatever," Blitzo said as he picked the big, tough, bulky Bukaka. "Just get ready to get your butt kicked."

After some thinking and decision-making, Stolas decided to go with the average build and jack-of-all-trades Tatsu. Everyone was surprised by Stolas getting two victories in a row and "Flawless Victories" in less than two minutes.

“...W-W-W-What?” Blitzo muttered as Stella and Barbie Wire soon burst into laughter upon seeing the ownaged he had suffered. In disbelief, the Imp turned to Stolas before shouting, "How did you do that?!"

"Do what?" Stolas asked innocently.

"You practically have never played a fighting game before in your entire life, and suddenly you got two perfect victories in a row?! How?!" Blitzo demanded.

"Oh, I just memorized the move list," Stolas said with a smile.

"....you memorized the entire move list of a single character in three minutes?" Blitzo asked with his right eye twitching.

"Well, no. I memorized it in eighty seconds before using the rest of the time to create good combinations with those moves," Stolas replied, but that only made the girls laugh harder and Blitzo look more unhinged.

"... I'm going to get a soda before I scream," Blitzo said as he walked away while twitching occasionally.

"Is he going to be okay?" Stolas asked curiously.

"He'll be fine," Stella said at her best friend's place. "Come on, let's have one final round to determine the winner."

The two picked the same characters as last time and had a final duking out to determine who would choose their next activity. It was a close match between the two. Stolas had managed to memorize the moves, which put him at an even match to the talented Stella, who was great with fighting games in general. The Imp Twins were cheering them on as they each won one round before having one final match. Ultimately, Stella won at the last second, with one final move that left Stolas defeated.

"Yes!" Stella cried out in victory as she pumped her fists into the air.

"Good match, Lady Stella," Stolas congratulated his future fiance. "That was a load of fun."

"Thanks, you were outstanding too. When we get married, we gotta get a few games," Stella suggested with a smirk.

"So, what are we going to do next? And please don't say manicures," Blitzo asked with pleading eyes.

"Relax, I won't have you suffer in torture," Stella assured him with a roll of her eyes. "Let's do something that I know we'll all enjoy. Did you all bring clothes for swimming?"

***

"Cannonball!" Barbie Wire shouted as she splashed into the large pool filled with demons having a good time. 

The splash hit all three kids, and they soon started splashing Barbie Wire back, who giggled and took the hits before diving under. Blitzo went after his sister while Stolas laughed and looked around at all the fun stuff around him. Stella couldn't blame him as the pool was bigger than her own house's personal swimming pool (Which nobody used as far as she knew) and it was a lot more livelier. 

Children were swimming around and splashing each other with their parents. Teens were diving off the boards, and some even shooting each other with super soakers. Even the adults were engaged in splash fights with each other as if they were kids themselves. Otherwise, they were at a tiki bar where you could sit in the water, allowing you to enjoy a cool drink and swim. Hot tubs were in small secluded areas to relax your body, and finally, for all ages, there was a giant set of water slides and tubes near the end that caused one to slide into a more extensive and deeper area of the pool. The four of them abused that privilege so much that Stella was sure her butt was sleeker thanks to sliding on the plastic tubing so much.

"This is the best fun I've ever had!" Stolas screamed with joy as he looked at Stella with such happiness it was radiating. "Is this...is this what it's like to really have friends?!"

"Yup! Pretty awesome, huh?" Stella said as she smiled back at him. "Blitz and Barbie Wire are much better friends than those stuffy brats we always see at Goetia family parties."

"Oh, yeah! Even Barbie Wire was interested in my talk about plants!" Stolas said with a squee. 

I think she's just interested in you, Stella thought to herself in amusement. 

"I can't wait to tell Father about all the fun I've had with my new friends," Stolas said, which instantly got Stella to grab him by the shoulder.

"No, no, no! You cannot tell anyone that we're friends with them!" Stella neatly screamed in a panic.

"Why not?" Stolas asked with legit confusion. It made Stella really question just how far his sheltered upbringing went and vowed to get him out of that, or else he was going to get eaten alive in Goetia politics, much less Hell itself.

"Stolas, Goetia nobles like us are not supposed to associate with ourselves as friends to the lower classes. Especially the Imps," Stella explained. "If your father or my parents or anyone in our circles learns of this, they will not only punish us, but they will kill Blitz and Barbie Wire."

This made Stolas gasp in horror. "W-What?! Why?!"

"Because they think it's dishonorable? Improper? Or maybe they are jerks who hate Imps? I don't know," Stella admitted with a sigh. "But Blitz is the most important person in my life. He's my best friend, and I like his sister too. So we have to keep our friendship with them a secret. I'm trusting you with this, Stolas. Please. Nobody else can know."

Stolas was quiet for a moment before nodding with eyes of determination. "I promise, Stella. As your friend and future husband. I will not tell a soul."

"Thank you," Stella said as she smiled at him. "Come on, let's catch up with the twins."

Stolas smiled and followed Stella as they swam back to their friends, feeling their bond growing closer thanks to the promise made between them.

***

"Wow, that sunset is beautiful," Stolas said as he and his new friends ate ice cream on the deck while watching the sunset over the water. It was a fantastic sight for the four of them, who all sat on a bench near the edge while still dressed in their swimwear.

"Yeah, you know what would make this better? Kelpies," Blitzo said with a dreamy sigh.

"Okay, I have to ask this since you are his sister," Stella turned to Barbie Wire. "Was he always this obsessed with horses?"

"We sometimes joke that Blitz came from a horse instead of Mama sometimes because of it," Barbie Wire joked, which made her brother give her a raspberry with his tongue.

"You like horses?" Stolas asked the male Imp, who nodded. "Well, I have a stable at home with some rare breeds. A few are even from Earth. Would you like to visit them and ride one?"

"Really?!" Blitzo's eyes had stars in his eyes before turning to Stella and grinned. "Sorry, Stella, but Stolas became my new best friend."

"And yet he doesn't have access to the latest Princess Pony Wars DVD set for all six seasons, including the Direct to DVD movie," Stella teased as she licked her ice cream.

"Damnit, why do you make a man have to choose between loves," Blitzo asked dramatically, making everyone laugh.

"You know, all of you are welcome to visit my place. I'll make sure nobody knows you're there. Especially my father," Stolas reassured them. 

"Speaking of parents," Blitzo said as he got up and finished his ice cream. "Time for me and Barb to find Mama and let her know we're okay. We promised to have dinner together."

"Yeah, but we can meet up tomorrow afternoon!" Barbie Wire said before staring at Stolas and blushing. "Y-Y-You'll be there, right?"

"Of course!" Stolas chirped. "We can have fun together like today."

"Yeah, perfect," Barbie Wire whispered as a dreamy look came over her face.

"Alright, let's get going, lover girl. See ya, Stella and Stolas!" Blitzo said as he quickly hugged Stella and waved to Stolas before dragging his daydreaming sister away.

"Is she alright? Was it something I said?" Stolas asked curiously as Stella could only just laugh.

***

Meanwhile, as the cruise ship paused in its travel, a group of heavily geared scuba divers were swimming towards its lower area. One of them pulled out a blowtorch and started to carve a big enough hole for them to enter one by one. Once inside, they found themselves in their own lower storage areas. After they all got in, they sealed their hole to prevent more water from coming in and took off their helmets to reveal that they were a set of lower-class demons, including Imps, Hellhounds, Sinners, and more. 

Some of them took off the bags they were carrying and opened them up to reveal guns, explosives, and other high-tech equipment. One of them, an Imp with three scars on his cheek and an eye patch over his head, activated a headset. "This is Bravo-9. We're in."

Chapter Text

It was night on the cruise ship, and everyone was mostly asleep this late at night. Despite having a huge crew, even they needed to rest, and so most of the ship was closed down as it anchored at sea. The night crew was taking care of the duties required on the boat while the few establishments open this late were attending to the needs of those night owls who didn't want to sleep.

But one group of people wasn't resting. They were those who were both staff and intruders at the same time. Ones who had been planning this operation for months. They were all the lowest of the low on the hierarchy that was made up of Hell's Darwinian society. The dregs of society who had been mistreated for all their lives and wanted nothing more than to tear the system down. Some might call them terrorists, others freedom fighters, but in their minds, they were rebels. Rebels of a society that has been too corrupt for too long. And they wanted to make it pay as well as those who benefit from it.

"So we all know what we're doing tomorrow night?" An Imp asked with a Southern accent as he put his hands on the table they were using for the map. His black mustache and snake-like eyes made most shiver upon seeing him. Not wanting to anger him, they all nodded. "Good. Teams A and B will plant the bombs. Team A will then eliminate the helm crew before joining Team B and taking the defense points we picked as instructed. Shoot anyone who isn't one of us who tries to enter unless I give permission. Team C and D will get the nobles and make sure they don't do something stupid. Team E will guard the orb. And Team F will work on communications with me. Understood?"

"Yes, sir," They all said.

"Good. You know the plan and the backup plan. "Let's get to work," The Imp leader said as they all started to leave individually.

One of the Hellhounds, a dark brown-furred retriever, stayed behind to ask, "Say Tracer? Just how much are we asking for anyway?"

"40 Billion. Most of it's going to the organization, but we all get 1% each. Enough for me to leave this damn work," Tracer sighed as he pulled out a cigarette and lit it up.

"You're leaving the cause?" The Hellhound asked in surprise.

"I got a kid to think about now that he's getting older," Trace sighed as he blew out a cloud of smoke. "Got to think about him and his mother. Settle the family down somewhere we can live on our own, away from all this violence.

"How old is Striker now?"

"About twelve years old. He's smart and strong. He'll go places. I  promise."

***

It had been four days since they set sail from the harbor, and Stella had the time of her life. Not only was she enjoying her vacation with her best friend, but Stolas and Barbie Wire quickly joined that friendship circle. Prince Stolas might have been an awkward and sheltered nerd, but he was kind and friendly and didn't look down on people despite his status. Barbie Wire was cute and fun once you got past her shyness, and seeing her mess around with her brother was always fun to watch.

After so long of having Lady Helia as her only friend, it was nice to have someone new to play around with. The four of them always made sure to do something fun and exciting, be it going on the water slides, playing games at the arcade, watching a movie in the theater, getting their faces painted, the gymnasium, eating at various restaurants (including the pizzeria for Stella's craving of the most fantastic food ever), the giant jungle gym, or even just sitting around to chat. Each day was just another exciting moment for the four of them. Of course, there were times when they couldn't hang out. Blitzo and Barbie Wire went to spend time with their mother while Stolas and Stella were sometimes expected to fine dine with the higher class establishment.

But once it was all over, they would quickly get back together and have fun again.

They were back at the pool right now, although Stolas and Barbie Wire were the ones swimming. The two were contesting to see who could hold their breath underwater the longest while making funny faces to get the other to laugh and lose focus. Meanwhile, Stella was lying on a lounge chair near the pool with shades on as she warmed her feathers. The hot sun was doing wonders in making her feel nice and toasty. It was soon interrupted by the shade of an individual holding two ice teas.

"Got the drinks," Blitzo said as Stella sat up more and took one from her best friend. He soon sat down next to her on the chair since it was big enough for the both of them.

After sipping her drink, Stella asked, "So, how do you like living in luxury?"

"Don't I get to experience that with you daily?" Blitzo pointed out before chuckling. "But honestly? I could live like this. You and Stolas have it easy with all the money and power at your talons."

"It's not all easy, though," Stella sighed as she closed her eyes. "Money and power tend to make people act mean or stupid. Sometimes both."

"Speaking about your family?" Blitzo asked with a sympathetic smile.

"I decided to try and call them to let them know how I was doing," Stella grumbled as she narrowed her eyes. "I left voicemails."

"So, did they respond back?"

"Three days have passed."

"Ah," Blitzo looked down at his drink and swirled it slightly. He sipped it and sighed. "Well, I guess, as you said earlier. We're all in the crappy parents club."

"At least you have one parent who loves you," Stella said softly. "At least your mom cares, and your sibling isn't a jerk who thinks the entire world revolves around him."

"Yeah, I guess I'm blessed for that, at least in my life," Blitzo agreed as he looked over at his sister, who was in a splash fight with Stolas. "And I got a best friend. I'm always grateful for that."

Stella did her best to hide her blush before muttering, "Me too."

Things went quiet for the two friends as Stella stared at Blitzo, who was focused on the nearby pool. Stella couldn't help but wonder what her life would be like if she didn't have Blitzo as a best friend. Would Stella be just like the rest of her family in terms of personality or worse? She shuddered to think about it. How would she have reacted with Stolas if they met later in life? Would they get along, or would she hate him and resent him? Maybe even take advantage of his naive state?

"Blitz?" Stella said as she turned to the Imp. "I'm happy we're friends."

"Me too," Blitzo said with a big smile before he got up and put his hands on his hips. "So what are we going to do tonight?"

"Sadly? Nothing," Stella said as she got up. "Stolas and I have to attend a ball that is "expected" of us to attend according to our servants. Most for representing the Goetia family and finding connections that we can use to benefit us in the future."

"So basically, stand around acting like a snob and feeling so bored you wished you were at a funeral instead?" Blitzo asked.

Stella snorted. "Pretty much. Only I'll be the one feeling dead from how lifeless I'm going to be."

"Can I have your horse doll collection if you're buying the farm?" Blitzo asked before getting smacked on the shoulder by his best friend. "Sorry! Kidding! Kidding! Kinda."

After rolling her eyes at her friend's obsession with his favorite animal, Stella just smiled at Blitzo. "You know, I kinda wish we lived in a Hell where our class differences didn't matter."

"Me too, but that's the way things are," Blitzo said with a shrug. "You think it will change when we grow up?'

"I don't know, but I do know one thing," Stella said with a bright smile. "I never want us to stop being friends. Even if we grow old and gray."

"Yeah, me too," Blitzo said with a warm look in his eyes as the two continued to stare at each other with beaming delight. Blitzo then grinned and said, "Race you to the pool!"

"You're on!"

***

Stella had to admit, the cruise went out of its way to make the ballroom look special. It had a velvety and dark blue vibe to go within the way of lighting, while the atmosphere felt regal and pristine. The decorations gave it a classical 1800s British nobility feel while a full-on symphony played backstage. The strings and percussions were like soothing melodies that watered the ears of the rich and powerful, who were all delighted to show off their fancy dresses and jewelry. Stella wore a whitish-pink dress with pearls and diamonds adoring it while her hair and makeup were done exceptionally well for tonight to stand out. Prince Stolas, right beside her, was in a fancy navy blue vest with a red undershirt and black trenchcoat with the Goetia family symbol on the back.

Crowds of those in various circles were either interacting with each other or searching for a means to join in to gain more names to add to their connections list. For the nobility, knowing who was who and having some sort of bond was vital to maintaining your power sphere. Knowing influential people and even being favored by them was a mighty shield and sword to use against your enemies. Even more so, having those who were seeking your favor as they could be helpful pawns in your own games.

Stella, however, had yet to really play such games tonight. Both because she had no care to do so and because she was too busy babysitting her future fiance. It turned out that Stolas was the highest-ranking noble on the ship, making him the one that everyone wanted to talk to. Especially since he was the son of King Paiman, arguably the second most powerful member in the entire Goetia family next to the actual head of the family: King Baal.

The Prince was nervous and intimidated by so many adults wanting to talk to him or try to butter him as a "friend" to exploit later with his influence. Thankfully, Stella was able to take control. As his future wife, she was expected to be present in his company. She was able to guide most of the conversations by having subtle suggestions and wordings that Stolas was able to understand. It allowed him to look like he was in charge and answering on his own terms, but anyone could see that he was clearly being guided by Stella.

Her father would tell her to take advantage of this, worm her way into Prince Stolas's spine, and use his fears against him to control him. But Stella could care less what her father wanted. Stolas was her friend, and she wouldn't let him get used by her, him, or any of these vipers.

"By the stars, I never felt so compressed in all my life," Stolas gasped as Stella handed him water. The two of them had taken a break from the social interaction and made their way to the bar to get a drink. Finishing his cup, Stolas asked, "Am I going to have to do that all the time in these interactions?"

"Pretty much," Stella snorted before smiling. "Relax. I'll teach you how to handle yourself. And you got me in your corner."

"Personally, I'd rather you deal with this swarm of boot lickers," Stolas hissed as he stuck his tongue out. "I can't even believe the nerve of that one lady offering her daughter's dog as a pet for me!"

"Welcome to the insane life of being a noble in public," Stella chuckled. "Wish you were back home, isolated from the world and just your servants as companions?"

"Well, not that badly," Stolas laughed. "I wouldn't have gotten to meet you, Blitz, and Barbie Wire if I had. I'm glad I made this trip and finally found friends. That's worth this unfortunate situation we find ourselves in."

Nodding in agreement, Stella looked at the rest of the setting before them. There was a huge buffet table, but neither of them felt hungry. There was a smoking room, but they couldn't go there. And the center of the room held the dance floor where couples were happily twirling around. While Stella did like the concept of dancing, she felt like she would be embarrassed if she went out there and danced with Stolas. Not because she assumed he was a lousy dancer but because she was sure neither of them wanted to be the center of attention. The last thing she wanted was someone taking videos and posting them online.

"Think anyone will notice if we leave early?" Stella asked since she was itching to abandon ship and head back to her room.

"Unfortunately, my butler told me I need to be here for at least three hours," Stolas sighed in disappointment. "You don't have to stay here and get tortured with me."

"Nah, what kind of friend and fiance would I be if I left you here with these sharks," Stella said before noticing the shark demon couple nearby glaring at her for that comment. "Figure of speech."

They huffed and walked away with their noses held high, making the kids snort.

"Well, I'm going to go pee. At least that's more entertaining than sitting here watching these people drink piss water," Stella said as she prepared to head to the bathroom.

"Piss water?" Stolas asked curiously.

"That's what Blitz calls the fancy wine grown-ups drink," Stella answered, which made Stolas laugh.

***

After relieving and refreshing herself, Stella left the bathroom and was going to make her way back to the ballroom when she heard someone whisper her name. She turned around and saw a familiar figure around the corner. “Blitz?”

“Hey, Stella,” Blitzo said, motioning her to come over. She walked over and saw him in what had to be the ugliest outfit she ever saw. He was dressed in a pink suit with a red and white polka dot bowtie and overalls and was wearing red shoes that were too big for him. “Ta-da! How do I look?!”

“...Like you’re ready to go perform in your circus?” Stella asked. “Why are you here?”

“Well, I wanted to come and keep you company,” Blitzo said as he rubbed his arm. “I know how boring these things are, so I figured I could join the dance.”

“...You do realize there are no Imp royals, right?” Stella pointed out with a smirk.

“Oh, come on, like every noble knows everyone who is and isn’t one. I can go as Baron Blitz Buckzo!” Blitzo said with a bright smile. “Come on! It’s not a nice ring to it!”

Stella couldn’t help but laugh at the name. “Alright, Baron Blitz. I think you had fun, but you can’t just come in and act like you are one of us. Besides, if someone spots you with me or Stolas, they might make a connection. My family would...not be nice if they learned I was with an Imp at a ball.”

“But I hate that!” Blitzo said as he stomped his foot on the ground, much to her surprise. “I hate that we have to hide being friends! I want to go out in public more often with you! I don’t care that you’re rich, noble, or prettier than most girls your age!”

P-P-P-Prettier than most girls?! Stella blushed as she felt her heart beating uncomfortably. 

“I want us to be friends in public! It sucks that we cannot,” Blitzo scowled as she folded his arms. He looked ready to punch something until his eyes lit up in realization. “Wait, I got it!”

“Got what?” Stella asked, tilting her head.

“What if I become rich and famous?! Someone so important that me being an Imp won’t even matter in the long run?! I’ll be so important that I’ll be able to hang out with you whenever I want!” Blitzo declared with an extensive and determined smile.

“How are you going to do that?” Stella asked curiously.

“...No idea!” Blitzo chirped. “But I’ll figure something out.”

Stella wanted to say it was impossible, but seeing the joyful smile on his lips and the fire in his eyes, she could only just sigh and nod. “Alright, I’ll hold you to it.”

A thought then came to her as she grabbed his hand. “Come on, I want to show you something.”

Blitzo was confused as Stella, holding his hand, dragged him towards a staircase. While most of the ballroom was in use, there was a second floor that was not used at all. It was closed off, but what blocked it was just a simple line of tape that they could easily pass under. The two friends headed up the stairs until they were on the second floor, where they saw the rest of the ball happening below. 

“Why are we here?” Blitzo asked in confusion.

“Well, you are here and dressed for the part. The least I could do is dance with you,” Stella said with a smile and a light blush on her cheeks. 

“Wait, as in one of those fancy slow dances?” Blitzo asked in surprise before a dark red appeared on his cheeks. “I...I don’t know how to do that.”

“Just follow me,” Stella said as she found a large enough area for them to dance. Stella had Blitzo hold her hand up and place the other around her waist as she looked into his yellow and red eyes. She waited for the right moment from the music below and slowly moved them. 

Blitzo was silent but obeyed her direction as they moved from side to side, slowly spinning around while gazing into each other’s faces. Stella couldn’t help but blush upon seeing him give a warm smile of his own as they danced. It wasn’t a perfect dance, but for some reason, it felt flawless. While dancing with her best friend, Stella couldn’t help but be grateful that they were indeed best friends. So much had changed because of Blitzo that she couldn’t now imagine a world without him. It made her wonder if they would be best friends as they grew up. She recalled his promise and vowed she would help him make it real. 

A world where she and Blitzo could be together without any repercussions? That would be amazing.

The music ended as the two friends stopped dancing but never let go of their hands. They continued to stare at each other. Hearts beating as one as they slowly got closer...

BOOM!

A loud explosion followed by the ship rocking ended whatever was developing and caused the two to fall on their backs. They wondered what just happened when more explosions were heard and more rumbling. Down on the first floor, the crowd was picnicking as some tried to use magic to do something but their powers only fizzled when they tried which puzzled them even more. 

“What was that?!” Blitzo shouted as he got up and helped Stella to her feet.

“I don’t know?!” Stella cried out in fear. Did the ship hit something? Did something go wrong with the engines? 

Their wonders were interrupted by the sound of gunfire as the two took cover while screaming was heard from below. The two looked down and gasped upon seeing armed figures rush into the ballroom with guns and firing into the air. 

“EVERYONE GET DOWN! AS OF THIS MOMENT, YOUR ASSES NOW BELONG TO THE HELLSPAWN LIBERATION ARMY!”

Chapter Text

One of the first things you learn as a noble is that you must always keep those lower than you in check so they do not rebel against you. There was a reason why Envy was one of the Deadly Sins in the realm of Hell. The poor and middle class always envied the rich, powerful, and famous. They were the ones who didn't have to worry about putting food on the table, having a roof over their heads, or making sure their kids had a future. Whether it was old money inherited from ancestors or new money gained from entrepreneurship, everyone who wasn't rich hated the rich. Even the rich hated those better off than them despite their wealth. But what happens when those too poor and middle class become rich themselves? They start the chain all over again. 

The truth was it was an endless Envy cycle that would never be broken. No matter how many times "noble" demons and "idealistic" revolutionaries claimed that they could create a world where there was no need for rich people, they never did. They always failed or became the same power they hated so much, which caused new revolutions. For most of the rich and nobles, it's why they just mistreated the poor to keep them in place. "For their own good," as they often said, because, in the end, the powerful existed to keep everything in order. 

But mostly, it was to keep themselves from ending up dead from incidents such as this.

Stella looked down at the first floor of the ballroom where nobles were being heard to the center and forced to sit down. Some were even smacked or shot in the leg for complaining. She had never heard of the Hellspawn Liberation Army before, but she assumed it was the same as many other groups she learned from her lessons: lower-class workers who hated the system and wanted to change it. 

"Who are these guys?" Blitzo asked nervously.

"They're terrorists," Stella whispered as she and Blitzo ducked their heads down. 

"Terrorists? Like those you hear on the news?" Blitzo asked in shock before holding his tail. "W-W-What do they want?"

"I don't know, but we gotta get out of here," Stella said as she looked around before noticing an exit leading down. "Come on! This way!" 

"Wait," Blitzo grabbed her by the shoulder. "What about Stolas?"

The two looked down and tried to find their friend among the gathered nobles, but they couldn't see him. Even if he was a child, he should have been noticeable. However, there was no sign of the Prince. "Maybe he's hiding? Or maybe he got away before the others noticed? Either way, there isn't much we can do. We need to get out of here and hope to find someone who can help."

The chances of that were low. If what Stella suspected was happening, the entire ship was now either under the control of the terrorists or parts that allowed them to maintain some degree of power. Holding the nobles hostage was one thing, but she could bet that engineering, the helm, and other locations were either being taken over or were already in the terrorist's hands. Honestly, the best thing they could do was keep their heads low and wait for help to come. With these many nobles on the ship, there were bound to be forces making their way to handle the situation.

They made it to the exit door and slowly opened it to reveal a staircase leading downstairs and into a different hall that led away from the ballroom. The two kids quickly made their way down while Stella cursed herself for being in a dress and wearing heels. Thankfully, the entire hallway was empty, and they were able to keep running until they stopped to catch their breath.

"Okay, what now?" Blitzo asked. 

"I'm thinking," Stella said as she rubbed her forehead in concentration. Where was the safest place that they could be at the moment? Her room? No, they would sweep the area for any nobles they might have missed. Security? Doubtful. They would be striking that area to neutralize any threat to them. Maybe hide in one of the lifeboats? If they haven't cut them off already.

It didn't help that a pounding noise in her head made it harder to think. She then paused and looked around. Wait, that's not coming from my head. That sounds like it's coming from...

SNAP!

"Aaaaah!" 

"Wah-OOF!" 

Blitzo winced as Stolas fell from the above vent and landed on top of Stella. The two bird nobles moaned as he looked at their position and said, "Um, are you two supposed to do that on the honeymoon?"

"Blitz?"

"Yeah?"

"Shut up and get Stolas off me."

"Right."

He helped Prince Stolas up, who shook his head before seeing who he had found, and hugged Blitzo and Stella. "Oh, thank the stars! You two are okay!"

"We should be saying that!" Blitzo said as he hugged their friend. "How did you escape?"

"After Stella went to use the restroom, I soon felt the need to use one, so I went to the boys room," Stolas explained before shivering. "That's when I heard the gunfire and saw the scary bad guys with the guns. I tried to use magic to teleport myself away, but I couldn't! Something was blocking it! So I remembered that Die Hard movie we saw two nights ago and started crawling through the vents."

"Ha! I knew you could learn something from Die Hard ! My sis owes me ten bucks," Blitzo said with an air pump before his eyes widened. "Oh no! Barbie! Mama! They might be in trouble, too!"

Blitzo looked ready to head out and run, but Stella caught him by the tail. "Hold up there, Blitz. Rushing around like an idiot will only get you killed. We need a plan if we're going to find them and get to safety."

"How?! Stolas just said his magic wasn't working, and I'm guessing that's why those nobles aren't tearing apart those terrorists, right?" Blitzo said, which raised a point that Stella had just now considered.

Even the lowest of the nobility has access to powerful magic that could vaporize an Imp in a flash. Stella was the exception as she never bothered to learn it, nor was she taught since her father believed only the heir should master magic. Her annoying little brother was already showing particular skill in ice magic and was doing everything from freezing the floor's surface for servants to slide on to making himself ice cream. In truth, the nobles might have had bodyguards, but they were far from defenseless. But if you took away their ability to use said magic, they were as weak as kittens. 

"Okay, I don't exactly have a plan, but for now, let's just get as far away from the terrorists as we possibly can and go from there," Stella said with neither of her friends objecting to her, so they ran alongside her. However, she then paused. "Wait."

She started tearing her dress apart at the bottom to make it easier to move around in before removing her shoes. "Much better. Onward!"

***

Trace looked around the ballroom and sneered at the cowering nobles before him. Pathetic. Absolutely pathetic. Take away their magic, and they were nothing. It only proved that these nobles were just lucky-born silver spoon brats who never knew how to work hard or fight for what was necessary. Some even offered them money or riches if they let them go or even work for them in exchange for their safety, but Trace knew that none of his boys would give in to such temptation. Lesser-willed demons might have, but Trace and his comrades had pride. It was the one thing you had to have while under the boot of these pigs who thought they were better than everyone simply because they came out between the legs of some rich whore. 

Regardless, everything seemed to be going smoothly so far. The nobles were under their control. Engineering was as well. The other areas' residents were told to head to their rooms, and nobody would be hurt. Lifeboats were cut off. Communications was theirs, and they were just waiting for Trace's order to contact the shore to alert all of the Envy Ring that they had taken control of the ship. The only problem was the helm. It was sealed shut and had its own protective design, making it almost a bucker. The Captain of the ship not only locked it down but set up perimeters with his armed men to shoot anyone who came near them. Trace heard they lost eleven guys trying to get it, so he called off the attack. No point wasting men trying to get something impossible.

Besides, they had the engines and shut them off. The boat was dead in the water. What could the helm do to steer a ship that wasn't moving? There were still pockets of resistance from the noble guards and security forces, but they were disorganized and confused. It would take them too long to mount a sizable resistance. Besides, if worst comes to worst, they could blow the ship up and escape, leaving everyone to rot.

"Sir, we have a problem," An Imp said with a mechanical eye as he walked over, holding his modified AK. 

"What's wrong?" Trace asked.

"Two nobles are missing from our count," he said as he showed them the list, which marked all the known nobles on this ship. Each of them had a talley except for two: "Prince Stolas and Princess Stella. Both of whom are high targets, with the former being the highest one here."

That was a problem. Prince Stolas was the son of King Paimon. One of the worst nobles of the Goetia Family. The bastard was known for being powerful and ruthless against anyone who even gave him the slightest bit of trouble or insult. There was even a tale that he had a Imp servant torn limb from limb just for spilling one drop of tea on his carpet. He was everything that Trace hated about the nobility, and the idea of having one of his children under his control as a hostage was too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Which is why he strict private orders to bring him alive to their superiors. While most of their comrades believed that they were doing a typical ransom job and then kill the hostages with the explosives as their cover, Trace had a second objective. The leaders wanted the brat for their own purposes. Maybe to make an example of him? Personally ransom him to his father? Who knows?

Trace didn't care. The bonus money they offered and a safe passage out of this life was too good to pass up. He wouldn't fail just because some snot-nosed brat was missing.

"Put an order to all our men. Find the brats and return them to me. Alive but unspoiled," Trace told the Imp, who saluted and went to report his orders. He took out a cigarette and started lighting it up. While a part of him wanted to feel bad for holding kids hostage, he didn't. Not when a future with his own kid was at stake. 

Besides, he was a demon. Doing shit like this was normal for guys like him.

It's the only way to get ahead in this fucking realm...

***

The three kids continued to travel silently while ensuring they weren't being followed. It felt like a giant game of hide and seek, only the stakes were much higher. Stella didn't even want to think about what would happen if they got caught. Other than the fact that they would be held against their will, there was the possibility of torture or death. 

The three of them didn't know where they were going; they just needed to find someplace to be safe and sound. So far, they hadn't run into any terrorists yet, but at the same time, they hadn't seen anyone yet. No crew members and no passengers. Nobody. It was like a ghost ship all of a sudden. Meaning either everyone was in hiding or were herded off somewhere. None of them wanted to think of other sinister possibilities, especially Blitzo, who had no idea where his family was.

Seeing how worried her best friend was, Stella decided to try to steer the conversation in a direction that would help avoid such negative thinking. "So, Stolas? How is it possible that all magic has been cut off?"

"There are several ways, but most involve magic, like the Ritual of Arcanic Sealing or the Silence of the Void Spell. But it's unlikely that's what is happening to us since that's far more advanced magic than any lower-class citizen of Hell could hope to have access to or even use," Stolas said before turning to Bltizo. "No offense."

"Non-taken."

"So, going by that logic, they need to use some kind of magical artifact that cancels magic in a wide radius. One powerful enough to affect the whole ship," Stolas continued. "Such things are possible to get but expensive."

"Unless they stole it," Blitzo said with a shrug. "I mean, that's what I would do."

"Right, so these guys are either well-funded or daring," Stella said as she rubbed her chin. "What do they ultimately want? Ransom?"

"Kinda overboard for ransom," Blitzo said.

"Well, it's not assassination. This isn't subtle enough. If it was just trying to kill all the nobles, they wouldn't be sparing them," Stella continued in deep thought. If anything, this was a means to help her keep her mind off the situation. "There must be another reason."

"Yeah? Well, I'm more interested in ensuring I don't have a burial at sea," Blitzo said as they continued.

Stolas then stopped and looked down a hall across from them. The others were about to ask what he was doing when he pointed to a fancy red velvet door with two golden Ace cards in the center as decoration. "I think we can find some adults there," he said.

"What makes you say that?" Stella asked.

"I remember passing by it and smelling a horrible smoke in there," Stolas said as he walked forward with the others following. "I asked Mister Butler if there was a fire, and he said it was a place for adults to smoke, drink, and do cards. He said it was like a gentleman's club in a way. A place for men to get away from their wives when they annoy them too much."

"Sounds like a place you'll need to visit when you're married to Stella," Blitzo joked, which earned him a punch in the shoulder.

"Well, if it's a place where we might find adults, we might as well look into it," Stella said, glaring at a grinning Blitzo.

The three kids touched the door and slowly opened it...only to freeze in place upon what they saw. The first thing that went through Stella's head was how could so much blood come out of a person? She had bled before, but she had never seen so much. The second was the horrible smell. Stella heard dead bodies started to stink when they died, but this was beyond terrible. It was even worse than the time one of the toilets got clogged due to a fat giant demon at a party her parents hosted. Third was how lifeless the eyes of the dead look. Wide-eyed, horrified, glassed and cold. Stella had been to funerals before, and the dead looked so peaceful and relaxed in their coffins that it was as if they had taken a nap. This was far from that.

It wasn't just one body. There were a number of  them . All various demons  with  holes in their chests or heads (what was left of some of them) as their blood and organs were splayed out over the floor and walls. A wolf-looking demon's tongue was lopped out, and his back was covered in red and what appeared to be knives. A sinner in rich clothing whose lower half of their jaws was blown open, allowing their neck to be seen from the outside. An Imp servant was lying straight on their back, one eye missing from a perfect headshot and a shocked look on his face.

It took Stella hearing Stolas throwing up to finally get her mind to work and shut the door with her shaking hands. She pressed her back against the wall and began to heave heavily while holding a hand to her chest to calm her heart. Stolas was sobbing and shaking his head while hitting it to get the images out. A pile of puke right next to him lay there from his wet mouth.

She turned to Blitzo,  who was  frozen solid, his eye twitching in horror as he slowly stepped back. The two friends looked at each other  and  both saw the same thing.  Something had just broken inside  of  them, and they  had a feeling  it was childhood innocence.  Stella knew that at some point in her life, she would see such horrible things due to the nature of Hell itself, but she never expected it to be this early in her life.

Without saying anything, the two friends hugged each other and silently sobbed. So many dead bodies. So much blood. The smell. The overall feeling. It was like a nightmare, only real. It was just hitting them right now how much danger they were in. This wasn't like those Saturday morning cartoons where the kid heroes managed to find a way to outwit the bad guys without having anything terrible happen. Especially when there was a chance that what happened there could happen to them.

This was life or death.

"I wanna go home..." Blitzo whimpered.

Stella thought the same. She didn't care if she had to go back to her horrible family. Anything was better than this. She was about to say something when she heard a voice shouting at the other end of the hall. 

"Hey! I found them! The brats are right here!" 

The three of them instantly turned their heads to see a small group of Imps on the far end of the hall making their way towards them. Without saying anything, Blitzo grabbed Stella's hand and started running down the opposite end with her as Stolas joined them soon after. 

Stella didn't know where they were going. She was still trying to get her brain to function again after what she had just seen. All she did was let Blitzo guide her and follow him alongside Stolas. The ones after them were not shooting at them, so that meant that they wanted them alive.  Stella was  unsure  if that was a good or bad thing.

"In here!" Blitzo shouted as he made for a large area with glass doors. They automatically opened, and Stella only had a second to see where Blitzo had taken them.

Playcare Adventures and Fun.

Chapter Text

Tracer was watching as his men dragged away the captain's dead body to throw it overseas somewhere. The bridge was theirs, and so far, they managed to take all the critical areas of the ship that were requested, including the hostages, prime engine area, armory, communications, bridge, and escape route. So far, the operation was going very well. With their magic and special abilities halted thanks to their secret weapon, the rich bastards and their security were on the same leveling field as Tracer and his men. They had a few firefights with security, but their training saw them thrown, and they were able to rig and barricade all the areas they had access to, thanks to the blueprints they got last month of the cruise. The rich folks, powerless, were now in their hands save for a few, and most of the senior officers of the ship were captured or dead with a scant few out of their hands.

Obviously, despite their success, they couldn't hold onto all of the ship since it was so fucking big. But the goal wasn't to keep it forever, just long enough to get the payment and maybe grab a hostage or two. The real main one was Prince Stolas, but according to Teams C and D, they couldn't find him. He had been there, but now he wasn't, which frustrated Tracer. Prince Stolas was the highest-ranking demon noble on this ship, and his father was fucking King Paimon himself. 

Normally, Tracer wouldn't fuck with a Goetia, but Stolas was a child, so that made him easier to deal with now. He ordered all his teams to look out for the kid. Lighting up a smoke, he puffed and then looked outside, where he could see demons heading to the lifeboats. No doubt fleeing the situation. Personally, he didn't care. By the time real help came, they would be long gone.

"Sir?" One of his Lieutenants came over with a nod. "One of our groups found Prince Stolas. He was running away with some other Goetia and an Imp. Maybe one of their servants?"

"Where are they headed?" Tracer asked as he raised an eyebrow. 

" Playcare Adventures and Fun," he answered while shrugging. "It's some kind of kids' fun zone or something."

"I doubt our men can screw up catching three brats in a playground. Just tell them to report back when they get Stolas. We don't need the other two," Tracer said as he returned to the window. "Get the communications up and tell them to start contacting the mainland. It's time to make our actions known to the world."

"Yes, sir!" His Lieutenant said as he hurried off.

Tracer sighed as he rubbed his forehead. Something told him he might need to send more men, but he pushed it aside. It was just three kids. How much trouble could they be?

***

At first glance, the idea of hiding in some kind of play area with a bunch of fun kids' stuff didn't seem like the best place to hide from a bunch of terrorists who want to capture or kill you. However, Stella quickly changed her mind when she saw just how big the place was. You could fit almost half her backyard in this place in terms of space. It was like a castle of fun and adventure, but now, it was a hiding spot for their dear lives.

There were no adults or children in the area. In fact, it was completely empty. Either because it wasn't open yet or because of the situation at hand, Stella didn't know, nor did she care. Right now, any place to hide is better than nothing. 

Blitzo led them as they rushed through the welcome center and headed toward the turnstiles. Running behind him, Stolas shouted, "Wait, don't we need a ticket or something at the booths?!"

"Seriously?! Fuck that!" Blitzo shouted as he jumped and flipped over one with ease. "We'll send an I.O.U.!" 

Stolas didn't complain as he and Stella jumped up and crawled over the turnstiles before following Blitzo. They came to the center and saw three major areas available: Palace Fun , Crazy Circus , and House of Bounce. The first led to a large, obviously fake palace that was something you'd see in Luu Luu Land with medieval-style decor. A large gate was seen at the entrance to the palace, and there was a real moat of all things, along with animatronic knights holding halberds that welcomed guests. The circus one was just as it was depicted: an oversized tent top with balloons, sounds of animals, and clown noises. Bright lights shined around it with the smell of popcorn and cotton candy. Finally, the last one was a giant multi-colored house that looked like a rainbow unicorn farted on it with cardboard cutouts of cuddly looking demonic mini-demons like foxes, sheep, and dogs, all with tiny devil horns and wings. It looked like something you'd see more in an advertisement of Heaven than Hell, but appearances could be devising. 

"Which way do we go?!" Stolas asked before they looked behind them and saw that the Imps were about to make their way through the turnstiles. They didn't have any weapons out, so that meant they weren't trying to kill them, but that didn't mean that they were in any less danger at the moment. 

"Just split up!" Blitzo shouted as he made for Fun Circus. Stolas hesitated for a moment but then headed towards the House of Bounce. 

"Damnit," Stella shouted as she made for Palace Fun, hoping it would be her means of escape, not her tomb. 

The terrorists paused upon seeing the three kids split up before one of them ordered them to split up as well. Each group of three went after them and soon followed into the various play areas, hoping to capture their target.

***

Stella had to admit that they did go all out for a kid's intended fun house meant to cosplay as a royal palace from the Middle Ages. Running through the white stone hallways with fancy paintings and marble statues of noble-looking demons, Stella tried to find a way to get away from the group chasing her. She noticed several arrows pointing in a few directions and saw that the first and closest game was "Red Scale, Green Scale."

Stella entered it and found herself in a large open garden courtyard that reminded her of the one back home. Numerous real-looking plants, statues, and two large rook-shaped castles, one behind her and one across the courtyard acted as entrances. A throne was in the middle of the second rook-shaped castle, just a few feet ahead of the door. Sitting on it was a kingly dressed-looking dragon demon robot with green scales and a golden crown.

The lights turned on as Stella entered and heard an automated voice cry out.

"Welcome to Red Scale, Green Scale. Your goal is to reach King Draconis the Third without getting caught. If his scales turn green, you may move. If they turn red, you will be sent back and must try again. The first person to reach the king wins! Good luck."

Seriously, it's just Red Light, Green Light. Stella rolled her eyes as if she were going to play some kind of stupid game to escape for her life.

"There she is!" 

"Shit!" She cursed as she ran, and the Imp terrorists were right behind her. Suddenly, the scales of the robot dragon turned red.

"Red Scale!"

Without knowing it, Stella froze up and cursed herself for getting caught up in the game. 

However, what happened next made her not move. 

"MOVEMENT!"

She heard yelping and turned her head to see the Imps chasing her being hit with large plungers with strings attached, which dragged them back to the starting line. Looking up, she saw robotic archers with automatic crossbows and plungers watching the area with their sharp scanning eyes.

"The fuck was that?!" One Imp shouted as he got up from the finish line and growled. "Grr, I'll get that little-"

He rushed ahead only to get shit in the ass with a plunger and dragged back. "Son of a bitch!"

"Ugh, just shoot her!" One of them said as he took out his pistol. Stella froze, but the third one knocked his hand away. 

"Idiot! Look at her! She's obviously a noble. And if she's with the Prince, she must be worth something. We're taking her alive," The third one growled as Stella sighed in relief but made sure not to move. The third Imp looked around. "Guess we gotta play this game and get the brat."

"Or she screws up and comes to us," The first one said while rubbing his hands.

Oh, you have to be kidding me, Stella thought as she faced forward. I gotta play this game to survive?! What kind of bullshit is this?!

Still, what choice did she have? Stella prepared herself. "Okay, just focus, Stella. No screw-ups, or they catch you. You can do this."

The scales on the dragon king turned green again.

"Green Scales!"

With as much haste as she could muster, Stella ran forward as did the Imps who chased after her. She put as much force as she could while watching the dragon robot. Suddenly, she saw the scales changing and froze just as she finished a step and pressed her weight downward to keep her from moving.

"Red Scales!"

The three Imps froze, one in mid-step and struggling to stay still.

"Green Scales!"

Stella moved five steps and-

"Red Scales!" 

-nearly lost her balance from the sudden change but kept herself still at the last second. The sudden surprise move almost caused her to get caught.

One of the Imps, however, wasn't so lucky, so they took an extra step. "Wait, I-"

Another roped plunger smacked him in the back of the head and dragged him back to the starting line, cursing all the way. The other two Imps looked at each other and gulped before gritting their teeth to focus. Stella could feel their angry eyes and prayed that she could escape in time. 

"Green Scales!"

Once the scales were green again, she rushed as fast as she could with her chasers not far. She had made it halfway through the courtyard when she saw the scales turn red again. 

"Red Scales!" 

She stood in place and-

"Green Scales!" 

"Crap!" Stella shouted as she stumbled and hesitated before running. She turned around and gasped. The Imps were getting closer. One of them was caught in the distance of the swan princess. He was about to leap at her and-

"Red Scales!" 

Stella froze and watched as the Imp stumbled in, trying to grab her before having his back hit by a roped plunger and dragged back. "Damnit, I was close!" 

She watched as he was dragged to the start again, pounding his feet into the dirt before getting up. Her closest threat was just about a few feet from here, while the other one, who had been caught early on, was just getting to the halfway point. She looked at the position of the throne. If she could sprint with everything into her legs, there was a chance that she could get to it in time. She didn't know what would happen when she did, but anything was better than letting the terrorists take her.

"Green Scales!" 

"Rraaaahhh!" Stella screamed as she ran as fast as her little feet could carry. Sweat dripped down her forehead, and her heart was beating like crazy as the sound of the Terrorist's feet closing the distance rang in her head. The statue stood there, waiting to turn red again from its programming. 

Knowing she had no other choice but this one, Stella put it all into her legs, and when she was close to the finish line, she dived just as the first scale was about to turn red. Time seemed to slow down. She reached out, and by the tips of her feathers, she managed to touch the scales of the robotic dragon king before landing on the ground.

"WINNER!"

"Yes!" She shouted before gasping and remembering she was being chased. However, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of gears as the finishing line opened up and a large speared gate rose up. Both Stella and the Imp were surprised to find the barrier set up between them, but Stella only collapsed on her rear in relief. 

"Congratulations, Winner! You have won the game! Please see the attendant to take you to the Prize Room so you can claim your reward!" 

"Ah, screw this," The leading Imp shouted as he prepared to get his pistol.

"As for the losers, you must escape the Loser's Dungeon if you wish to continue your fun Place Fun experience! Good luck!" 

"Wait, Loser's Dungeon? What's a loser's— GAAHHHH! " Suddenly, the courtyard folded and revealed a giant slide that sent the three Imps down below to a lower level of the establishment, much to their shock. 

Stella watched them slide down into the abyss before the courtyard refolded itself, and everything went back to normal as the barrier was lowered. Stella blinked a few times before collapsing on her back and sighing. "I think I'm gonna stick to video games..."

***

"Get back you brat!" 

"Screw you, old man!" Blitzo shouted as he ran deeper into the big top as his three chasers started to catch up

"I'm thirty-six!"

Blitzo wanted to reply but was already starting to run out of breath. It was a good thing he lived in a circus since the navigation for this place was very similar to the one he lived in. He had passed by numerous snack stands, a photo booth, a face painting area, and was now heading to the center of the ring. The empty stands were eerily creepy, but the rest of the area was familiar. Three rings, clown equipment, hoops, and platforms for the animals, all locked in nearby cages, and ladders to the acrobatic platforms above. 

"There he is!" 

"Crap," Blitzo said as he rushed over to the nearby clown equipment. He spotted a red "X" on the ground, looked up, and grinned before getting an idea. Rushing over, he waited until the three terrorists were right where he wanted them to be. Blitzo grabbed a fizzle bottle and aimed it at the three. "Alright! Nobody moves, or you guys are gonna get it!"

The three Imp Terrorists looked at each other with raised eyebrows before the center one snorted, "Kid, what are you going to do? Spray water at us? That's not going to do anything."

"Oh, this? This was to make you stop so I can do this," Blitzo said with a grin as he used the sharp edge of his tail to snap a nearby rope. 

The sound of a pulley being used alerted the three to look up and gasped as a grand piano started falling towards them. The ones on the side were quick enough to dodge, but the center one screamed and covered his face before it landed right on top of him. Blitzo winced at the sound. "Uh, wait. Did it have the trick hollow bottom that makes it harmless?"

Blood was seeping out of the piano.

"Ah, it's one of those intended to be a close call during the performance...yeah..." Blitzo said before tossing the bottle and running for the nearby tiny clown car. 

Thankfully, he was small enough to fit perfectly inside of it. He turned on the button and started driving it, but he remembered one crucial detail. Blitzo didn't know how to drive. He yelped and yipped as the car swerved in multiple directions all over the place. Blitzo struggled to keep his balance and his hands on the steering wheel. He tried to remember what his instructor had said about controlling it, but he was coming up blank due to being half-asleep at the time. 

Damnit of all the times not to pay attention to that lesson during practice! I blame Fizz for making me stay up late watching cartoons! Blitzo cursed as she struggled to keep himself from losing control.

The other two Imps were already drawing their pistols and taking shots at Blitzo, but due to his crazy driving, they could not get a solid hit. The shooting didn't help Blitzo feel even calm once as it only made him panic more at the idea of being shot and made him lose more control. 

The car soon made its way towards one of the terrorists as they began to reload, only to gasp as it hit him and dragged him from the front. Screaming in a panic, the Terrorist shouted, "Get me off this thing!"

"Well, move your body so I can see!" Blitzo shouted back.

The Terrorist was going to curse more before he looked back and gasped. "We're gonna crash!"

"Into wha-" 

Blitzo was cut off when the car smashed into one of the acrobat poles. The Imp on the vehicle lurched forward and found himself crushed between both the car and the pole, which ended up making the windshield turn red from the blood that came out of him. Blitzo moaned as he got up from his seat, only to see the messy gore on the car and covered his mouth with tears in his eyes. He slowly stumbled out of the car and let out his breakfast as he rubbed his eyes. Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't think about it.

He then looked up and saw the last Imp Terrorist heading towards him and suddenly found the strength to climb the pole's ladder. The terrorists, out of ammo, had no choice but to follow as they got higher and higher in their climb. The Terrorist looked down and gulped but continued regardless, while Blitzo, who had been doing this since he was six, pushed himself faster until he got to the top. He saw one of the trapeze bars standing stationary nearby. Grabbing it, Blitzo prepared himself and swung across the air before flipping and landing on the other platform just as the other Terrorist had arrived on the first one.

The Terrorist gulped upon seeing Blitzo on the other end but slowly grabbed a nearby second bar and took a deep breath before swinging. He screamed as he sailed through the air and continued onward until he jumped. With his limbs fully out, he managed to reach the other side, much to Blitzo's shock. The Imp Terrorist looked at his body and said a loud "Ha!" as he prepared to grab Blitzo, who reacted in the only way possible.

He shoved his foot into his pelvis.

The Imp Terrorist let out a loud, girlish yelp as he held his balls and looked at Blitzo as he struggled to stand. "...Cheap...shot..." 

He then fell off the platform as he lost control of his feet. Blitzo looked down briefly before wincing and looking away as a loud "thump" sound was heard. Hissing, Blitzo shook his head. "Yeah, I'll tell Barbie we're not ready for the non-net performance..."

***

When Stolas entered the House of Bounce, he found out they weren't kidding. The moment he stepped foot in the rubber rounding hallway, he was lifted off his feet and into the air. He squawked for a moment before landing on the ground on his rear, which caused him to bounce higher and forward. His pursuers also found themselves in a particular predicament as they lost their balance and began to bounce around like popcorn in a microwave. 

Thankfully, Stolas got his bearings first and bounced towards a giant staircase with piano keys that made musical sounds when you jumped on them. The entire place was built like a strange funhouse, similar to the one in the show that Mr. Butler showed him once about a happy-go-lucky human living in a home full of talking objects with eyes and mouths. In this one, there were funny-looking paintings, objects that were shaped like regular furniture, like a baseball glove for a couch, a cow's butt for a T.V., and an octopus for a chandelier. If it wasn't for the fact that he was bouncing for his life, Stolas would have found it all funny.

He managed to reach the top of the stairs just as the Imp Terrorists finally found their bouncing legs and started their chase again. Stolas found that the ground on the next floor was solid, and he started running again. There were a large number of doors for him to choose from, so he opened the closest one.

"AAAHHHH!" A female human screamed in the shower while covering her naked, soap-covered body with a shower curtain. 

"Sorry!" Stolas shouted as he shut the door but then paused. "Wait. What's a human doing here?"

He opened the door again and saw a train heading towards him. That made him scream and shut the door before rushing down the hall. Opening another one, he saw a monkey playing "chopsticks" on a piano in the middle of an empty room with a white light above his head. Now very confused, Stolas closed the door and scratched his head while trying to figure out if these were optical illusions or if he was going mad from seasickness.

"There you are!" 

"Oh no," Stolas said, pushing his thoughts away to run again from the Imp Terrorists. 

He opened one door on the left and went through it before closing it. The Imp Terrorists went in after him as soon as they rushed through it. Stolas appeared after opening the door to the left of that door and ran across the hall to open another door and enter that one. Two of the Imp Terrorists then appeared from different doors on other ends of the hallway, looked confused, and then rushed across to try a different door. 

Moments later, Stolas and the third Imp Terrorist came through two other doors, crossed the hall, and entered the one across from them. This continued on for some time until other things started crossing the hallways with them. A clown, a giraffe, a banana with legs, a car, a bicycle, a horde of dogs, the Denver Broncos Football Team, Dick Chaney, an Exorcist, and a baked potato. 

After so much of the insanity of going back and forth, Stolas and the Imp Terrorists collapsed on the ground, panting with sweat dripping down their faces. 

"What the fuck is up with this place!" One shouted as he rubbed his forehead. "Can it get any more weirder?!"

The answer was the sound of gears moving, and the floor itself started to move, which made the four look alerted at the fact they were being sent forward. They tried to run in the opposite direction while getting up, but it was like competing with a treadmill at full speed. Eventually, Stolas, who was ahead of them, slipped and fell, causing him to scream as he was sent back by the moving floor. He knocked into each Imp Terrorist, who soon followed suit as they were scuffled down the hall towards what appeared to be the start of a water slide.

Holding onto each other and screaming, they went down the slide, water splashing all over them as they swerved left and right in the water ride. They went down, up, loop-de-looped, and corkscrewed. 

"I'm gonna be sick!" One Terrorist shouted.

The ride seemed to be coming to an end, which had a giant banana cream pie the size of three beds waiting for them. Stolas gasped and closed his eyes. Come on! Come on! Focus! Focus! I can summon them! Mr. Butler taught you how to do it! You didn't train for nothing! It's not magic; it's genetic, so you should be able to summon them! Come on!"

Suddenly, two tiny feathered wings appeared on Stolas's back and he gasped with joy just as they were shot out of the waterslide. Flapping as hard as he could, Stolas flew through the air as the Imp Terrorists screamed in shock before they landed on the giant banana cream pie with a "Splat." 

"Woohoo!" Stolas shouted as he made for a window and found himself free.

Moaning and covered in pie, one of the Imp Terrorists saw him leave and pointed it out. "He's getting away!"

"...Ugh, I can't even move..." One moaned as he flopped into the pie.

"Just give us a minute," The third one said as he wiped his face. "We'll catch up in a second."

However, just as he said, a glass bowl suddenly slammed down and trapped them in the pie as a large platform unlocked below them and began to lower them.

"...Or not." The Third Imp said as it looked like the house of madness was not done with them yet.

***

Stolas flapped his wings and landed in the center of the Playhouse, where he looked around for his friends. Thankfully, he saw Blitzo and Stella emerge from the entrances, where they ran and walked up to them with a beaming smile. "You guys are okay!"

"Yeah, just out of breath," Stella said as she gasped and held her chest. "You?"

"Other than being a little winded and confused? I'm good," Stolas said before turning to a quiet Blitzo. "Are you okay?"

"Uh, yeah. Just... let's move on," Blitzo said as he shook his head. "We need to get out of here."

"But where are we going to go?" Stella asked.

"The only place I can think of is where my family is settled. We can hide out there. I doubt they'll be looking for you two with a bunch of Imps," Blitzo said with a smile. "Mama will be there! And Barbie Wire, too! I'm sure we'll stay safe if we're all together!"

"I have no other ideas, so let's do that," Stella told her best friend. "I just hope they don't realize they failed to get us before then."

***

"What do you mean they failed to get them?!" Tracer shouted at his Lieutenant, who winced.

"Sir, the kids were craftier and-"

"They were brats! Not even old enough for puberty!" Tracer growled as he rubbed his head. "We just established contact with the authorities, and they'll be here along with the Royal Guard of Ars Goetia! If we don't have our main target under our control..."

He took a deep breath and shook his head. "Forget it. I'll handle this personally. Tell my men to prepare to move. We're going hunting."

Chapter Text

Stella had practically been in every part of the ship save for the commoner quarters. She found no need to go there until now. It was quite what she expected. Simple hallways with simple doors and passages. But there was no sign of anyone around them. They tried some of the doors, but they were locked. The rooms they passed had whimpers and sniffs as a few tried to shush everyone. No doubt they were passengers hiding to avoid the terrorists.

"No point in bothering them," Stella said after Blitzo's failed attempt to get one family to open their door. "We have to look after ourselves."

"Guess we're going to Mom and Barbie Wire then," Blitzo said as he motioned the others to follow. "Our room isn't far from here. I'm sure we'll be safe there."

The three traveled down the passageways, keeping a sharp eye on any of the terrorists. Stella, next to Blitzo, sighed. "I'm sorry."

"What for?" Blitzo asked in confusion.

"For getting you and your family in danger. If we hadn't-"

"Oh, come on! Don't do that stupid cliche, " Blitzo rolled his eyes and pointed to her. "You and I never would have thought that terrorists would have attacked the cruise ship we were on. I mean, we won this at the Temple. None of us saw it coming. This isn't your fault. It's bad luck. Plain and simple. So don't feel guilty about anything."

Stella blinked and chuckled. "Alright. Alright. I get it."

"Um, can I at least apologize? " Stolas said as they turned around to face him. "I mean, I'm the real target that they want. Becau-"

"You don't get to apologize either, Bird Boy, " Blitzo waved his hand in the Prince's face. "Again. You didn't know. Bad luck. We're your friends. We stick together. End of the sentence. Let's go."

Blitzo marched forward without any hesitation as the two nobles looked at each other before Stolas chuckled. "Well, he's quite simple, isn't he?"

"Yeah, " Stella sighed but soon smiled. "It's just part of his charm."

They soon arrived at the room Blitzo said his family was staying. He knocked on the door in a hurry. "Mama! Barbie! It's me!"

"Blitzo?! "  

A second later, locks were heard being opened, and soon Barbie Wire opened the door and dived into her twin's embrace. "Oh, thank Satan! I was so worried! Is Mom with you?!"

"Wait, she's not here?! " Blitzo asked while looking inside their doorway.

Barbie Wire shook her head. " No, she went out, and when I heard all the explosions and that announcement, I locked the doors and hid under the bed. I've been hoping you two would come back. What's going on?"

"Terrorists have seized control of the ship. They're holding it random, mostly the nobility, " Stella explained as she stepped forward. "They're after Stolas since he's the highest-ranking noble here on the ship."

"Are they going to hurt you? " Barbie asked in concern.

"I don't know, but they've already tried to capture us, but we made it out okay so far, " Stolas explained as he shook his head. "But we don't know if they'll find us again."

"Well, you can stay here with us, " Barbie Wire blushed and gave a nervous smile. "I mean, I don't think they'll look for you here."

"But what about your mother? " Stolas whispered in concern. "Should we not look for her?"

The twins looked at each other; both clearly were torn on the idea. Blitzo rubbed the back of his head. "Well, Mom...Mom would want us to be safe..."

Stella didn't need to be a mind reader to tell that he really wanted to look for his mother. She glanced over at Stolas and nodded to him before walking over to Blitzo and smiling. "Well, how about we look for her for a time? Maybe thirty minutes? If we don't find her, we'll come back here."

That got Blitzo to instantly smile at her and nod in thanks. "Right. Let's go then. I'm sure we'll find her!"

The others nodded, and soon they were off.

***

The group of four continued to check the area until they came to one of the dining areas that was practically a mall's food court. A wide variety of cuisines were available, ranging from fast food burgers to Chinese, tacos, and salads. Malls were something that Stella had heard about but had never been to one before. It was on her list of things to do with Blitzo in their free time.

The place had three levels, all circular, arranged around each other, with the center featuring a central dining area. The four of them were coming from the entrances on the third floor, but as they did so, Stolas froze and began to shiver. 

"Something wrong? " Stella asked him as he looked at her in disbelief. 

"You can't feel it? Something in the air is blocking my demonic magic senses. Like completely! It was bad before, but now it feels like being dunked in ice-cold water with your eyes blinded by ink! " He told them while starting to pale.

" I don't sense anything, " Blitzo said, looking at his sister, who shook her head.

"Must be only affecting magically strong demons, like the Goetia, " Stella said in realization before hearing things below. She motioned the others to crawl with her as they went to the railing and looked down. 

There are more terrorists down on the bottom floor, armed and surrounding some kind of obelisk. It was black and had glowing blue runes on it; on top of it was a purple orb that glowed and blinked every five seconds. Stolas all but gagged upon seeing it.

"Looks like we found what's keeping Goetia from burning all the terrorists alive, " Stella whispered as they noticed someone coming in from the bottom floor. They were a group of four, with three of them armed, but one of them was being dragged forward with a bag over their head.

***

Nearly half an hour looking for the brats and so far nothing. They had an hour before the negotiations were set to begin, and if they didn't have the royal brats, they would be in a weaker position. He should have figured it wouldn't have been so easy. No plan survives contact with the enemy. Still, this was salvageable. As long as they could make it appear that they had the Prince and Princess, they could delay things until they found them.

He should have known it would be hard to find a bunch of brats on a large cruise ship. He remembered all the times he played hide and seek with his son, Striker. The boy was as sneaky as a snake and as clever as a fox. A part of his heart yearned to feel his boy inside his embrace, but he had to push that aside for the mission. It was for him and all of their kind, after all.

That wasn't to say they didn't find anyone sneaking around. He and the boys found some female Imp who was doing her best not to appear noticeable but one quick move, and he dragged her out, pistol in her mouth to keep her from screaming. She said she was looking for her kids, but with her so close to the orb, he didn't want to take any chances. Plenty of bitches sold themselves out to the nobility. To Trace, any Imp who bowed before their "masters " was dead in his eyes.

"Any sign of trouble? " Trace asked the captain, who was put in charge of defending the key to their success. 

"No, sir."

"Then explain this, " He said as he pushed the bagged Imp forward. 

"Please! I'm just looking for my children! That's all! " She begged.

"We'll see, " Trace said as he pulled the bag off of her. She was about his height. Standard red skin color with long black hair with small black horns. There were subtle signs that she carried Succubus blood, but probably only a few generations back. She wore a long, blue, long-sleeve dress shirt and had a red skull choker. 

Trace was about to ask questions when two voices above screamed.

"MOM!"

Instantly, everyone looked up, and Trace's eyes widened upon seeing two Imp children along with his two missing royal kids.

The Imp female gasped and screamed, "KIDS! RUN!"

He smacked her so hard she fell to the floor. 

"GET THEM! KEEP THE ROYALS ALIVE! FUCK THE BRATS!"

***

Stella wanted to scream at the twins for giving them away, but instead, she yelled at them to follow her. They rushed towards one of the fast food places, Burger Lord , and went into the kitchen as Stella paced around. "Not good. Not good. Not good."

"What do we do?! " Barbie Wire asked, looking nearly teary-eyed. "We have to save Mama!"

Much as Stella wanted to, the problem was that they were a bunch of kids up against armed killers. It turned out to be Stolas who had the solution. 

"We have to destroy the orb, " Stolas said seriously as everyone looked at him. "If we destroy the orb, all magic will return to every demon on the ship, including the Goetia. They'll be easily able to destroy the terrorists with their powers back. I can even help us get out of here with a teleportation spell once I have access again."

"You can use a teleportation spell? That's really advanced stuff, " Stella said in surprise.

"Well, " Stolas rubbed the back of his head. "I've only managed to complete half my training on it."

"Better than nothing. We need to make it to the bottom level and knock that stupid orb into pieces, grab Mom, and hope Stolas is as big of a nerd as he says he is, " Blitzo said as they heard voices coming. He looked around and noticed a number of bottles of oil, and he grabbed them. "Look for a match!"

The three did so, opening cabinets and drawers until Barbie Wire found one. Blitzo dumped as much oil on the floor as possible before motioning for everyone to gather as close to the back exit door as possible and stay quiet.

They didn't have to wait long as four armed Imps with machine guns walked inside, looking around for the four. The splash of their shoes hitting the oil echoed around, with one of them slipping on the mess and falling on their ass. One of them went to pick them up as Blitzo took a match, swiped it on his horn, and threw it into the pile.

"Dinner time!"

In an instant, the flame engulfed the oil, and the four Imps screamed as the flames danced around them. The one who fell was dosed in the oil and was completely set on fire. In a panic, he ran around, knocking into his friend, who also soon ignited with flames. The kids ran as fast as they could out as the fire continued to spread, and the four terrorists burned and screamed.

Thankfully for them, there was a staircase that led to the second floor, so that was halfway there. The problem was that as they landed on the last stair, they saw that four more of the armed imps on the other side of the circle had just gotten up. They took aim and fired as the group split into opposite directions. Stolas and Barbie Wire went left, while Stella and Blitzo went right. Stella was surprised she hadn't pissed herself from nearly getting shredded by bullets, but she chalked it up to adrenaline.

Focused on running for her life, Stella kept the focus on moving as fast as possible to the nearest cover spot, which was a Chinese fast food venue. The two of them jumped onto the counter and took cover as the bullets hit but then stopped. The two looked at each other with worry before Blitzo peeked out to see two of the armed Imps coming towards them. He got back down and looked at Stella. "What do we do?"

She looked around and saw a few things that gave her an idea.

The two Imps, annoyed by having to chase after kids, took their time to reach the counter and stopped. "Alright, you little shits. Come out and-"

He was cut off by a spray of soda in his face by Stella, who had a soda gun in one hand, while Blitzo was firing at the other Imp with his own soda gun. The two were unprepared for the sudden sugary assault and got soda in their eyes, causing them to back up and try to get it out of their faces. That allowed Stella and Blitzo to both get up on the counters, jump, and slam them as hard as possible with the frying pans they found. The two yelled in pain as they clutched their heads as the kids kept hitting them with it. 

Stella pounded the frying pan into the first Imp's face, knocking him back, and kept swinging as hard as possible. Blitzo, meanwhile, had decided to aim low and smash his opponent's testicles with the frying pan. He screamed like a girl and held his pelvis, falling to his knees as Blitzo continued to hammer at him. Eventually, the two stopped moving too much and moaned in pain, which was enough for Stella and Blitzo to hightail it out of there.

They got to the stairs leading downward, but Blitzo paused. "Wait! What about Stolas and Barbie Wire?!"

"We're right here! "  

They turned around and sighed in relief upon seeing their friends unharmed. Blitzo quickly hugged his sister before asking, "How did you get away?"

"We went into the ice cream takeout place and tricked them into thinking we were in the freeze before locking it, " Stolas said before turning to Barbie Wire with an impressed look. "I've never seen anyone throw their voice like that."

"T-T-T-Thanks, " Barbie said with a deep red blush on her cheeks. "It's at trick I learned from our circus's magician."

Blitzo rolled his eyes at his sister's blush. "Right, now we just need to-"

A gunshot made them freeze up, and for a second, each of them feared the worst, only to realize it came from below. 

"Unless you want Mama here to get her brains blown out, get down here now!"

The four of them looked at each other with grim expressions before slowly making for the stairs that led downward.

***

A bunch of fucking kids.

That's what caused him so much annoying bullshit.

Fucking kids.

Trace was this close to just saying screw it and kill the brats, but he kept himself from losing his cool. Once heard his men all get taken out, embarrassingly, by a bunch of brats who weren't even in middle school, he decided enough was enough. With his pistol out, Trace picked up the kid's mother and held her up while pressing the gun against her temple.

If it wasn't for the situation right now, Trace would question himself for resorting to this, but at this point, he didn't care.

Thankfully, the four children all started coming down the stairs and made their way towards him. He figured the bird-looking ones were Stolas and Stella. As for the twin Imp kids, he could care less about them. 

"That's far enough. " They stopped as Trace gripped the gun and pointed at the brats. "You two royal pain in the asses have had your fun. Now you're going to follow me back to where the rest of your damn kind so we can get this show on the road."

"Please, don't hurt our Mom! " The male Imp kid said, his tone filled with fear.

"So long as you all come quietly? I won't shoot her. But make no mistake. The only ones I need are the Goetia kids. You three are expendable, " Trace growled. 

"Why are you doing this?! What did we ever do to you?! " Stolas shouted in both frustration and fear.

"It's not you, kid. It's your damn kind. All the noble pricks who push us Imps around, " Trace snorted. "All we've seen is a labor force that has no rights like the rest of the sinners and demons of Hell. So this is our way of helping even things out."

"By what? Holding us hostage?! That won't solve anything! If anything, the royal families will just treat your kind worse! " Stella argued.

"Let them. It will only push more towards the cause, " Trace said as he moved him and his hostage closer. "Now get go-"

Suddenly, he felt a sudden swiftness to his balls, and he yelled in pain, a voice higher than usual, as his hostage removed her foot, turned around, and tackled him to the ground. It took a few moments for Trace to get his bearings, but he soon headbutted the bitch and got on top of her.

"You fucking cunt! " He shouted as he forced her down and wrapped his hands around her. She struggled as he began to choke her. 

Suddenly, he was grabbed from behind by someone who tried to drag him off. A second little figure tackled his face and started slashing it while two more tried dragging him off. The brats were not content to stand down, it seems.

Roaring, he smacked the female Imp away before throwing the male one off his back. He kicked the two royals, only for them to land near the orb. The female Goetia, Stella, seemed to notice before looking at Trace once before rushing for it.

A pit formed in his stomach as he ran forward. "No! "  

But it was too late. 

The Princess knocked over the obelisk, and the rob fell on the ground, cracking. Taking her foot, she leaned it back and kicked it as hard as she could, just as Trace tackled her. He watched in horror as their secret weapon to keep the nobility from using their magic to fight back sailed in the air and shattered upon contact with the ground.

In an instant, the anti-magic field was gone. It didn't take long for him to hear spells being cast in significant effect. Explosions and sounds of veils being torn open, followed by agonizing screams, indicated that his worst fears came true before he could process them.

The nobles and other demons had their magic back. Already, his coms were going off as squads reported being torn apart by the stronger and more powerful demons who were now free to exact their revenge. Many were already calling for retreats as others vowed to fight to the end in a futile gesture. 

Trace knelt in disbelief. His plan. His careful plan. Ruined. Everything was ruined. He failed.

Rage filled his face as he turned his eyes to a moaning Stella who was rubbing her bleeding forehead. Screaming, he punched her in the face and got on top of her. He was prepared to beat her to death until he heard the sound of a gun's hammer being cocked.

"Get off her!"

He looked up and saw the male Imp holding his pistol and pointing it at him. His eyes were wide open, and his hands were shaking. Snarling, Trace got up and shouted, "You don't have the-"

BAM!

Trace only a split second to realize that the gun fired and something entered his brain, followed by a wet noise. There was a slight brief moment of ring-sized headache, but then he felt nothing at all. Falling down, his vision soon faded as he realized in his final moments what had just happened.

He got shot and killed by a fucking kid.

***

Stella rubbed her bruised and lightly breathing face as she stared at the glazed open eyes of the Imp who attacked her, now sporting a perfect hole in his head that was leaking out pink and red. Turning away in disgust, she soon found herself being helped by Blitzo, who was looking concerned.

"You okay? " He asked.

"Yeah...but can you put the gun away? " Stella asked as she pointed to it still in his hand. "It's making me nervous."

"Oh, right. Sorry, " Blitzo said as he gently put it down. The two saw Barbie Wire and Stolas helping the former's mother to sit up as she shook her head to clear her mind. They soon joined the group as Tilla looked up and saw her children before her. With a great sigh of relief, she hugged them both. 

"Oh, Barbie Wire. Blitzo. I'm so glad you're safe, " She whispered while hugging them.

"We're glad you're okay too, Mom, " Blitzo said with a nuzzle. 

Stella smiled warmly as she and Stolas looked at each other before staring at the scene before them. A scene that neither of them had to experience for all their wealth and knowledge. 

Blitzo soon ended the hug and turned to face the royals before addressing them to his mother. "Mom? These are my friends, Stella and Stolas. Guys? This is my Mom, Tilla."

"It's nice to meet you, " Tilla said with a warm smile and gentle eyes. "Despite the circumstances."

Stella couldn't help but smile back. "It's nice to meet you. "  

. 

Chapter Text

"So let me guess this straight. You met your fiancé on the same cruise you and Blitz were both taking. You find out he's a complete naive dork. You meet his twin sister, who has a crush on your future husband. Had fun, but then the ship got taken over by Imp terrorists who used a magical orb to nullify all magic. Escaped them with Stolas and Blitz. Met up with Barbie Wire. Foiled the terrorists and saved the twins' mother. And now the four of you are planning to meet at Stolas's manor going forward every week?"

"Pretty much sums it all up," Stella said to Lady Helia as she sipped her tea. It had been a few days since their high-seas adventure, and everything that followed was a blur. Once the anti-magic orb was destroyed, all the Goetia regained their power and made mincemeat of the terrorists, who were no match for them. The Royal Armies of Hell took control of the ship and quickly separated the Goetia, getting them off the boat first. "If it wasn't for the magic mirrors that Blitz and I use, we wouldn't have been able to touch base afterwards."

While all the Imps had been questioned, Stolas was able to use his influence to make sure that Blitzo and his family were safe by stating that they saved his life. It also allowed him to give them a generous reward that would ensure they were taken care of for quite some time.

"That has to be the craziest thing I've ever heard," Lady Helia laughed. The phoenix demon then tilted her head. "So what did his mother say?"

"That so long as her kids are happy and safe, she has no problems with us hanging out," Stella said as she ate a cookie. "Blitz keeps insisting we should come visit his circus. I think I'm gonna hold off going to other places that don't have two hundred protective guards."

"This is why I prefer vacations in the human world. Practically nothing is a threat there save for bad traffic and air pollution," Lady Helia chuckled. "What did your parents do when they learned what happened?"

Stella sighed and looked down. "All Father said was it was a good thing I was alive, so they didn't need to hold a funeral for me."

"...Fuck," Lady Helia whispered as she took one of her wings and stroked Stella's side. "I'm so sorry."

Stella wasn't because it was the last proof she needed to know her family didn't care about her. If they couldn't even express gratitude or care that she was alive after such an ordeal, then it was pointless to care about them in turn. Even her little brother made jokes about his planned speech at her presumed wake, now that it was a waste. 

"Sometimes I wish I weren't born into the Goetia family," Stella whispered as she closed her eyes. "Or at least been into a good one like you."

"Sure, if you don't mind being the daughter of the black sheep of the family," Lady Helia said before shrugging. "But I get it, only you're not alone. You got me and those friends of yours. I think that's in itself a family."

"Yeah," Stella smiled as she nodded. "I'm glad I do."

Lady Heila got up to get them more snacks as Stella sipped her tea until she felt her mirror necklace ring. Smiling, she answered it. "Hey, Blitz."

"Hey, Stella. So are we all good for that sleepover at Stolas this weekend?"

"Yeah, Stolas said his servants will keep everything secret, even from his Dad. They practically raised him, so they treat him like family," Stella answered. "How's your Mom?"

"She's doing great. She's really gotten over the whole 'Terrorist Almost Killing Us All' thing," Blitzo said at his end. "Barbie Wire's still a bit nervous at times, a bit jumpy, but she's doing better."

"That's good," Stella said with a big smile. "You know, besides all that crazy stuff, that was an enjoyable cruise."

"Yeah, but next time let's just go skiing," Blitz joked.

"I'll hold you to that. So what do you want to do for our sleepover?" Stella asked as Blitzo went off on his ideas.

***

Striker stared at the coffin that held the remains of his Pa.

Not a complete corpse. Just ashes laid inside. The nobles had his body desecrated for his "crime".

Around him were some members of his family and a few members from the organization his father had been a part of. Words were said, but Striker didn't care about them. All he was focused on was the wooden coffin being lowered into the grave. 

He had been born motherless, and now he was made fatherless.

By the nobles who ruined everything. 

Their home. Their lifestyle. And now their family.

His father's friends told him that they would take care of him. Train him. Make him someone that his father would be proud to call a son.

Striker had no intention of being a son.

He was going to be an avenger.

A killer with only one target.

The nobility.

They were going to pay.

All of them were going to pay.

And he would see Hell freeze over when he was done.