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“Sera– Sera, please don’t do this!”
Emily shakes, tears streaming down her face from the cold look in Sera’s eyes. She didn’t do anything wrong! Why was she being punished for doing the right thing? Sera’s words from months earlier ring hollow in her ears.
I wanted to save you the anguish it takes to do what was required.
Like killing souls was a necessary evil for the betterment of Heaven. Emily knew that wasn’t right. Sera must know it too, somewhere in there. Emily doesn’t believe any soul can be truly evil, not even those deemed “irredeemable.”
Even Lucifer himself wasn’t that bad of a guy, at least… from what Charlie told her he wasn’t. What did he do to deserve his Fall? In Emily’s eyes… not really anything. He dreamt and was curious and asked questions and when he was shunned he lashed out and made a mistake.
(Mistakes aren’t anything to be cast out for.)
She remembers what Sera said to her after Charlie and Vaggie were thrown out of the courtroom.
Please… if you start to question... you could end up like Lucifer. Fallen. I couldn't bear to see you suffer that fate, so please, let me worry about this, okay? I'm sorry.
I couldn’t bear to see you suffer that fate.
I’m sorry.
If she was so sorry, then why was she doing this? Why be punished for questioning something that was clearly wrong? Charlie had the right idea. That spider demon… he obviously improved from her Hotel project. And so did that snake demon! He showed up here, clearly having redeemed himself. So why couldn’t Sera see that? Why was she turning a blind eye to the clear evidence that redemption works? That’s a better answer to their problems than murdering human souls.
“I’m sorry, Emily. This is how it has to be.”
Emily’s voice breaks as she cries out, those two words buzzing around in her head as they were said to her yet again.
I’m sorry.
–
Her body feels like it’s on fire.
Emily hunches in on herself, crying out in pain from the various changes her body undergoes as it adjusts to Hell. She can feel the blood, can smell its sickly sweet scent as it drips into the dirt below her.
She’s never felt so betrayed, so hurt by someone she trusted more than anything. Sera was supposed to be protecting her. Sera had said how she wanted to save Emily. Those were her words.
Honestly, Emily wasn’t feeling very “saved” right now.
After a moment of struggling, she’s able to heave herself to her feet. Her legs shake as she takes one step, then another, and another. Her shaky legs are barely able to support her weight as they take her down the streets of Hell, sinners staring as she passes by.
How out of place does she look?
Probably very.
She doesn’t look at any of them, focusing all her energy and motivation to keep herself moving forward on the building in the distance with a large sign that reads Hazbin Hotel.
Charlie would help her.
–
Lucifer watches as sobs rack the frame of the small girl.
Golden blood matts her hair to her head from where two small horns had sprouted upon her arrival to Hell, and even more runs down her front from the now-permanent presence of a third eye in her chest. She hugs herself tightly, shoulders shaking from the force of her sobs, near-featherless wings twitching pathetically behind her.
He wants to reach out, to tell her everything will be fine, but he feels frozen in place. The girl in front of him reminded him so much of himself all those millennia ago. It’s like he can still feel the blood leaking from his head, like he can still feel the pain in his back from his wings sputtering and twitching as they flap feebly, missing most of their feathers. Like he can still feel flames licking at his skin as he crash lands with his love wrapped feebly in his arms. The realization that he had been cast out, unloved, abandoned by his brothers in Heaven a wound that had been reopened countless times.
He had truly flown too close to the sun, but who was to blame him for flying so high when the view had been so beautiful?
He doesn't even realize he’s crying until Charlie’s voice cuts through his thoughts.
“Dad…?”
He clears his throat, wiping at his eyes. “Sorry, sorry. I, uh, fuck, sorry.” He inhales sharply, turning his gaze to Emily. Emily, who had been so small when he last saw her. So youthful and starry eyed, not unlike Charlie. Except now, those youthful eyes were filled with a sadness beyond their years. The kind of sadness that runs deeper than anyone else could ever understand. The kind of sadness that seems to age you fifty years from the weight of it alone.
The kind of sadness that Lucifer was all too familiar with.
Mercifully, his limbs seem to be working again, and he takes a tentative step forward, and then another, and then another until he’s right in front of her. He raises his hand and brushes her matted hair away from her face, and she sniffles and looks at him with so much pain in her eyes it breaks Lucifer's long-broken heart all over again.
“S-Sir, I–” She’s cut off by Lucifer’s wings unfurling and wrapping around her, his arms following suit as he envelopes the girl in an embrace. An embrace she sorely needed, going off his own experience. He feels her stiffen for a moment, before she sags and buries her face in his shoulder, trembling from the force of her sobs.
“It’s okay. You’re safe here, young one. I promise.” His voice was soft, his tone conveying what his words alone could not. I’ll protect you. You’ll heal. We welcome you with open arms. You’ll be okay.
Emily doesn’t respond right away, merely clings onto him like his life depends on it. Eventually, after who knows how long of them just standing there, the younger Seraphim pulls away. She blinks away the tears, and Lucifer brings a hand to ruffle her hair, only to cringe at the amount of blood dried into it.
“Okay, Em. Let’s get you cleaned up. Charlie will take you to the shower, and I’m sure she has some clothes you can borrow for now. Does that sound good?” She nods, and Lucifer pulls back, allowing Charlie to gently take her arm and lead her to the bathroom.
In the meantime, Lucifer should get a room ready for her.
–
Emily was all settled, Lucifer made sure of that.
He groans, sinking into his mattress as he lays down. Today was… a lot. To say the least. Emily Falling was bringing up all sorts of memories that Lucifer would rather leave buried in the recesses of his mind, thank you very much. It wasn’t the younger Seraphim’s fault, of course. No. The fault lies with Sera, as it always does.
He scrubs a hand over his face as he curls up under the covers, wings itching at the memories dancing behind his eyelids as he tries to sleep. He should probably turn on the radio. Music always helped him sleep when things like this kept him awake.
With a flick of his wrist, soft music filled the room. Lucifer quickly identified the song as Dream a Little Dream of Me. Rather fitting for the time.
He’s quick to drift into a, thankfully (strangely), dreamless sleep.
–
Emily stands just outside the door, wings and newfound tail dragging feebly behind her.
Does she knock? Does she just walk in? That seems rude… it was so late in the night, too. Maybe she should just go back to bed and tough it out.
Yet just the thought of what she’d seen in her dreams is enough to make her reach up and pound her fist against the door. She shuffles awkwardly as she waits, fiddling with the hem of the night gown Charlie had lent her. It was red, a color Emily wasn’t used to wearing at all. She felt even more out of place, seeing the color on herself.
She had apologized profusely when, upon slipping the garment on, the third eye in her chest immediately burned a hole through the front of it and her tail cut a hole through the back. Charlie had merely waved it away, she could always get another. Then she smiled as she brushed out Emily’s hair, humming softly.
It reminded her of when Sera used to do that.
She shakes her head, tail lashing in discomfort at the memory. She releases the hem of the garment, hugging herself tightly instead.
There’s some shuffling behind the door and then, finally, it opens to reveal an obviously very sleepy Lucifer.
“Wha- oh. Emily. Hi.” He yawns, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “Did ya need something, kiddo?”
Emily worries her lip between her teeth, clutching tighter onto her own arms. “Sorry, I-I didn’t want to wake you but. Uhm. Did- did you ever have nightmares? A-About your Fall?” She mentally facepalms at the way she asks it–honestly, she should’ve phrased it better. It wouldn't do any good to remind the King of Hell of his trauma.
Much to her relief, Lucifer just smiles sadly at her.
“Yeah. All the time. You wanna come in?” He stands to the side, and she nods and steps hesitantly into the room.
“I didn’t wanna wake you,” She repeats lamely, “I just… I didn’t know who else to go to. No one else would really understand, except for maybe Vaggie. But I didn’t wanna bother Charlie so I guess I just…” She trails off as Lucifer places a hand on her shoulder.
“It’s okay. I understand. You don’t have to apologize.” He pulls her gently over to the bed, sitting her down on it and conjuring a cup of tea for her with a snap of his fingers. “So, nightmares, huh? Fun.” He deadpans the last part, laughing bitterly as his face falls into a more serious expression. “Do you wanna talk about it?”
Emily shakes her head, sipping the tea that was given to her. She wasn’t sure she could stop herself from crying if she did, and she felt she’d cried enough already.
(Even though the memory of Sera’s cold eyes lingers behind her eyelids.
Even though her entire body still hurts. Even though her wings aren’t as glorious as they once were, what little feathers remain permanently stained black.
Even though she glances up at the red sky and sees the gateway to Heaven and wants nothing more than to reach out and be taken back up once again.
Even though she feels betrayed and hurt by her sister.)
“That’s okay. Take your time. It’s…” Lucifer trails off, evidently trying to find the right words. “An adjustment.” He settles on, voice soft.
“Yeah. An adjustment.” She agrees, mumbling into her cup as she takes another sip of tea. The warmth of it soothes her aching bones, if only for a moment. “...Does it get easier?” She asks after a moment, staring intently at the carpeted floor.
“Truthfully? A little. It’s still hard sometimes, and some days you get memories when you don’t want them, and some days the memories are so bad that you want nothing more than to curl up until they go away.” Emily visibly wilts, curling in on herself slightly. Lucifer places his hand on her shoulder again, expression soft and nothing like the Lucifer she had grown to know through stories told to her by Sera.
“Even so, you have a good support system here. Shocking, right? A support system in Hell.” Lucifer chuckles, “This Hotel is like its own weird little family. We’ve got your back, kiddo. Promise.”
Emily finished her tea while he’s talking, the cup disappearing out of her hands as soon as she’s done. She’s grateful for this, because it allows her to throw herself at Lucifer and wrap him in a hug without spilling anything. The older Angel seems stunned for a moment before he wraps his arms around her in return.
“Can…” She pauses. “Can I sleep in here tonight? I don’t want to be alone.”
“Of course, kiddo.” And with a snap of his fingers, blankets, pillows, and other various plush items arrange themselves into a nest. Lucifer crawls into it first, unfurling his wings and motioning for Emily to join him.
She does, situating herself into his side as his wings wrap around the both of them.
She was safe.
“Goodnight…” She mumbles.
“Good night, Em.”