Work Text:
Pride and Punishment
There was a certain irony that Pride’s Hall of Justice was rarely ever used to accomplish acts of… well, justice.
Much like the grandest and most lavish of wonders in the Seven Rings of Hell, it was a place for spectacle—no matter how much the attendees of the trial believed otherwise. The judge, the jury, and the executioner were all part of the show, all entertainers to amuse and intrigue the masses, and among them, there was one above all who was the most amused and intrigued by the most recent display of entertainment. While it was certainly not the first time that such an event has happened, especially in Hell, not a single one has ever failed to put a smile on his face. All the blubbering and screaming and bargaining, and of course, there was also the yelling, the roaring, the cursing, along with the furious and despairing cries of “injustice” and “unfairness.”
Back then it was mostly Sinners put on trial, always quite the mutinous backstabbing bunch, the lot of them. Not all of them, of course, as he’s begrudgingly come to accept, but still. He was never as welcoming of their presence as his wife and daughter, and while he has told the latter that he would try to have a change in perspective, that didn’t mean he would be treating them the same way his daughter does any time soon.
Fortunately this time, it wasn’t a Sinner put on trial, but a Hellborn. A Child of Wrath with a Heart of Pride.
He softly chuckled, remembering one of his many names over the eons and how fitting it was due to his habit of collecting certain souls that were very much after his own heart.
Father of Pride.
Who knows? As he gazed at the bold, defiant imp before him, perhaps he’ll end up keeping this one as well.
He thought about appearing in the courtroom right after one of his precious Sins declared the four demons guilty and ordering their execution to be broadcasted live across the Seven Rings. Why, pride swelled within his own cold dead heart. Satan was truly following in his footsteps. How sweet.
It seemed like the perfect moment to make his presence known, but then he found something in the corner of the courtroom that told him to wait. He knew that kind of smile in the Goetic demon’s lips—Andrew something was his name—the kind of smile that revealed long-planned schemes and machinations about to unfold. So he folded his arms and leaned back against his seat in the comforts of his own castle, patiently watching as the events unraveled before his eyes. Distantly, he could hear the voice of his daughter excitedly chattering with the Sinners she had taken under her wing, likely discussing new plans and activities for the Hotel now that they were finally receiving new guests who wanted to give redemption a chance.
A genuine smile faintly crossed his features, disappearing just as quickly as it appeared once he turned his attention back to the would-be spectacle before him—and oh what a spectacle it turned out to be.
A member of the Ars Goetia, a child of one of the most ancient and powerful bloodlines among the demon nobility, had come to the rescue of this seemingly insignificant little imp and his friends.
However, what he found more interesting than anything wasn’t the Goetic demon’s sudden presence, but how he tried to disguise his true intentions. And quite desperately at that. Of course, many of the demons in the courtroom, as well as those watching from their screen, believed him, and why wouldn’t they? The idea that a royal demon, a Prince nonetheless, would risk their very life and reputation for a lowborn that spat in the face of Hell’s ancient laws and god-like leaders was simply… unfathomable.
But for him, it was not.
Ah, love. He mused. You truly are the death of duty.
He turned his gaze towards the window of his study, seeing nothing but the bloodred skies of the Pentagram and the distant silhouette of his Ring’s cities, both Hellborn and Sinners alike. He remembered how he used to visit those places on a near daily basis, accompanied by what might as well be the personification of the very little love left in his heart. Strange how a few years could already feel like an eternity.
“Only death can rend our love apart.”
His eyes returned to the television screen. To no one’s surprise, the Sins remained unmoved, or at least most of them were. Even from here, he could already see the conflict warring inside Asmodeus and Beelzebub. If he remembered correctly, they were the most favored and adored by the common people, and though they may not ever admit it to his face in fear of how he might use it to his advantage, he knew that they very much loved them as well.
His gaze momentarily lingered on Asmodeus. An unreadable emotion flickered in his eyes before he turned his attention elsewhere.
Oh well. He raised himself from his seat, cane in hand and hat on the other. He snapped his fingers, the television turning off as a note manifested on the desk with the words “Be right back in 5 minutes” written in red ink. He straightened his sleeves and arranged his hat, huffing out a quiet sigh as he was about to venture into the outside world for the third time this year. A new record to be sure.
With a tap of his cane, he disappeared from his study, and reappeared in the courtroom, in the throne where he last sat seven years ago.
The entire hall darkened, the fires dying as if a gust of wind had smothered them into nothingness, a murmur of alarm and confusion spread amongst the audience. The Sins, on the other hand, weren’t confused nor particularly alarmed.
They couldn’t breathe.
Limbs locked frozen, mouths hanging open as they had been about to speak, an unknown cold sending shivers down their spine as they felt their hearts being held by an entity that had shaped and crafted the stars. It was only for a moment, a handful of seconds even, but it nevertheless felt like an eternity. His mere presence, after all, had always had the tendency to cause such a reaction.
What followed the darkness was a gentle flap of wings, yet it might as well be the sound of thunder clashing in the sky as it silenced and everything and everyone. The light returned, the cold vanished, and the once empty throne sitting above the rest of the six Sins was no longer so.
“Why isn’t this just quite the sight.”
In contrast to the mighty and colossal voice of the Sin of Wrath, Pride’s was soft and gentle, even with the faintest hint of amusement that the Sins heard immediately despite his decade-long absence, like children recognizing the tiniest hint of disappointment in their parent’s voice.
Satan imperceptibly stiffened. The action was unnoticed by everyone except for him. Asmodeus and Beelzebub shared an immediate look akin to alarm, Belphegor finally seemed awake for the first time since the trial began, the expression on Leviathan’s two heads was a mix between a snarl and of awe, while Mammon… Mammon somehow decided it was the best time to loosen some of his ever-present gas.
Everyone stared to look at him, many in horror, some in incredulity, and a select few in pure fury. Namely, the red dragon that growled deeply from his throat.
“I, uh… I thought it’d be funny.”
“Oh, it was.” The newcomer’s voice reassured. “Someday people will look back at this moment and laugh, so don’t worry, little one.”
Mammon stared at him in shock along with everyone else. It didn’t last, however, as Satan spat the accursed name that created the corporal forms of him and his fellow Sins, who might as well be the one who brought them to life, the name, the accursed name that he once respected and worshipped, and while deep down, he still does—though never in the Seven Rings of Hell would he dare to admit it out loud—it was also the name that never failed to set a spark in the inferno raging in his soul.
“Lucifer.”
Lucifer smiled. “Hello there, old friend.” He swept his gaze around the courtroom, looking at the familiar and not so familiar faces that more or less bore similar expressions of surprise and fear. “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
Asmodeus huffed with a smile, breathing out an air of nonchalance that masked the tremble in his voice. “A while might be an understatement, Sire.”
“Oh, none of that sire nonsense now. We’re practically kin.” Lucifer said, uncharacteristically calm compared to the Lucifer of many years ago, where the slightest error in addressing him would result in the demon’s immediate disintegration. “For you, my family, my name will suffice from now on, and—oh, Charlie would like me to tell you congratulations on your most recent engagement by the way. That and she says hi.”
The eyes of Asmodeus’ three faces widened in surprise, before a hesitant nod smoothed down the rest of his features. Under the desk, Beelzebub discreetly laid a hand over his in an attempt to ease his nerves and perhaps her own as well, the worry for both of their lovers’ safety rapidly increasing with the beat of their hearts.
In the long, long years of his reign, Lucifer has never outright forbidden relationships between the lowborn and highborn demons, but there have been instances where he made his thoughts on the matter very clear—such as his apathy towards the centuries-old genocide of his own people. If anything, he might as well be the one who had given the order, as there was nothing Heaven did in Hell that had not been permitted by its ruler. Rumors say that it initially began as punishment for a Sinner who had fallen in love with a living human, and while the King didn’t seem to care about the news, it was the unnamed Sinner’s assassination attempt on the then pregnant Queen that resulted in the centuries-long genocide.
Or so they say, anyway. Who truly knows? Perhaps the genocide had been caused by something so much more important than an insignificant Sinner. Rumors, after all, were still rumors.
Except for that one fateful night several months ago, when the angels returned half a year later, and as punishment for failing to uphold the ancient contract between Heaven and the King of Hell—slaying a Hellborn and harming a member of the Royal Family—they faced the might of the creature who had once been the most favored by God.
Adam’s carcass still hangs by the center of Heaven’s tower.
“Anyhow, might I join you on today’s trial? I promise to let you decide the punishment and truly mean it this time.”
Satan clenched his jaw. No matter how old they get, he still seemed to treat them as nothing more than children that could be bribed with the tiniest amounts of joy and pleasure. His amber eyes glared daggers at the little angel who remained composed under his hateful gaze. Unbeknownst to him, Lucifer was glad to know that the ever-present embers of his Sin’s wrath still burned deep within his soul. Though it was certainly much more controlled this time around, he knew that a single spark was more than enough to completely ignite it, especially if it came from him, and thus reverting all the arduous progress he’s made with his anger.
Perhaps another time.
Satan’s throne cracked with the weight of his clenched fists, but other than that, he remained seated. He closed eyes—a second longer than a normal blink—and then answered his King.
“It has always been yours to decide, my lord.” He said. “You never needed permission.”
“I never did, dint I?” Lucifer asked aloud, seemingly to no one but himself. “Nevertheless, the offer’s still there. Consider it as the beginning of my ways to show appreciation, after all, the Seven Rings have maintained their peace and harmony throughout the tumultuous eons thanks to your efforts. Unfortunately, I had been quite a fool to ignore that very fact.”
Now, it was Satan’s turn to shoot him a look of shock. And he wasn’t the only one. The crowd whispered and murmured amongst themselves, not quite believing that they actually heard the King speak something that was not so pleasant about himself.
If this were any other day, Satan would have immediately perceived his words as mockery. Fallen he may be, but Lucifer has always maintained his angelic pride of being infinitely more above than any other creature in his own kingdom.
This time, however, it was different. Dare he even consider the idea, but Lucifer actually sounded genuine.
“Prince Stolas of the Ars Goetia.”
And he got someone’s name right too on the first try.
“Blitzo of the Pride Ring.”
Blitz opened his mouth almost instinctively before he immediately shut it when Satan turned his wrathful gaze towards the wretched demon.
“You two have been brought here to face judgement for your crimes and receive punishment should you be found guilty, is that correct?” Lucifer met each of their gazes with eyes that spoke of ancient evils that they could not turn their own eyes away, an almost ridiculous thought planted in their heads that if they turn their attention elsewhere, they will very much die on the spot. No trial needed.
Wordlessly, they nodded their heads.
“Just now, you claimed that the exploitation of the grimoire has all been part of some grand design in order to breach and cause ruin to mankind, is that correct?”
It took a second for Stolas to realize that he was being spoken to. He hurriedly wiped away the shock in his face and masked his true emotions once more. “Y-Yes. The imps are nothing but—”
“—pawns in your schemes, yes, yes.” Lucifer dismissively waved. “Normally, the punishment for challenging the authority and power of my Sins has always been death—or other things that aren’t so pleasant.” He smiled at his own joke. “However, I can’t help but be curious about your line of thought. If you wanted to cause destruction and tragedy on Earth, whyever did you think that it would be a crime for you to do so in the first place?”
Stolas froze. “I… it’s not?”
“No, of course not.” Lucifer chuckled. “Your duties and responsibilities as a noble demon allow you to visit almost any world without repercussion, humanity’s included. Besides, your father and your countless other relatives have already been causing strife and ruin in that world for millenniums until it got, well, boring.”
He met the boy’s eyes once again. “So, no. You are not in trouble for your role as the ‘mastermind’ to blemish the world of man. I mean, the law has always been my Wrath’s handle of expertise for the last handful of centuries, but I think I can already see what the true ‘crime’ really is here.”
The young demon took a step forward, just one step, before he thought better of himself and forced his voice to be calm and composed. He didn’t really quite succeed. Had it been Satan, he would have kept the mask for as long as he could, but this was Lucifer. An unknowable factor that threw not a wrench into his plans, but a humungous wrecking ball that could turn this entire trial into something so much worse than an execution.
“The imps are not to blame for my own ignorance.” He said. “Whatever punishment and consequences they will have, I will take it.”
Blitzo slammed his chains against the executioner’s block. “No! I was the one who used the book, I wouldn’t even have cared if he wanted us to fuck up the human world or some shit, I would have still used it—and I did! All of it was m—”
“Silence!” Stolas struck his palm across the imp’s face. An immeasurable pain twisted his heart until it broke into a million more pieces. He had done something only Stella would do. Yet he didn’t allow his mask to further waver, he steeled himself, the reminder that this was for Blitz’s own good kept him from spilling out apologies. For the good of not only him, but for the ones he knew the imp held very close to his heart as well. “You dare address our King without permission?!”
“Well, fuck you too, asshole!” Blitz seethed, but to Stolas’ horror, the anger in his voice wasn’t as acute as he wanted it to be. No, there was something else underneath his tone that revealed he knew what Stolas was trying to do. He knew he was trying to protect him—and he wasn’t going to let it happen.
“Your highness—my King, you know above anyone else that my life doesn’t have any worth compared to one of your royal demons. I know my words are jack shit, and this is probably all useless and there’s nothing I can really do but fuck it, I’m going to do it anyway.”
Blitz did the unthinkable. He knelt.
“I’m begging you to allow me to face all of the punishment. Moxxie, Milly, Loona, and Sto—Prince Stolas’ only crime here is that they happened to know me in their lives. Nothing else.”
Even with the muzzle wrapped around her nose and mouth, muffling whatever it was she wanted to say, Blitz could somehow still hear the faint whisper of his daughter speaking. She wasn’t saying his name, but…
“Dad…?”
He squeezed his eyes shut. He wasn’t going to let the tears fall. Not this time. He opened them, about to reaffirm his words, but froze upon the sight of Lucifer Morningstar’s crimson eyes already staring at his own, a smile neither kind nor unkind slightly curving his handsome angelic features.
“So,” He spoke to Blitz with a gentleness he never heard from anyone except his mother, “you would give your life for these imps and the hellhound, for the goetic demon that used you for his own personal agendas, even when he knew that you could very well end up being blamed for his… ‘ignorance’.”
Unhesitatingly, Blitz nodded. “Yes.”
“Why?”
He faltered. Why? Was he ready to let the entire world know when he himself was still reeling from the fact that there was someone who actually wanted him? He looked at Stolas from the corner of his eye, he looked as if the life had been drained out of him, standing almost dazedly as he stared at the floor, seeing something only he could see. From the other corner of perception, he saw Millie and Moxxie holding each other’s arms, and Loona, his sweet, feisty, full of so much spark that he once could only dream of her having, Loona. I hope one day you’ll forgive me.
“Ah, never mind. It probably doesn’t even matter in the grand scheme of things, does it? Very well.” Lucifer clasped his hands, unaware, or perhaps and most likely, ignoring the turmoil of the demons literally beneath him.
“Choose.”
Blitz stared at him in confusion, warning bells distantly echoing in his brain like the instincts of an animal screaming when a predator is approaching. “Choose?”
“This is your punishment.” Lucifer continued to say with the unchanging serenity in his voice. He gestured to the demons on Blitz’s left, and to the one on his right. “Choose.”
No.
No.
No. No. No—
Terror and rage engulfed Blitzo’s heart like an inferno. “They’re not—"
“—to be blamed for your crimes.” Lucifer calmly finished. “However, they have been your accomplices, aren’t they? Especially these three. You four have been coming in and out of the human world for quite some time, and not only did you repeatedly disrupt the barrier between our world and theirs, you’ve also repeatedly left ruin and destruction in your wake—”
“Now that’s just your double standards showin—mmfh!” The chains wrapped around his mouth before he could continue. Blitz gestured furiously but was, once again, ignored.
Lucifer chuckled. “On the contrary, I’m quite entertained by your numerous adventures beyond the confines of our realm, yet what’s no longer amusing is that your carelessness has left humans discovering key knowledge of our existence and how they can access our world.”
Cries of outrage filled the courtroom.
“Now, I’m sure you and everyone else are rather curious as to why I only allow certain demons to venture the human world.” Lucifer snapped the gag away but didn’t let Blitz to interrupt him just yet. “It’s because they have the knowledge and capacity to do what should be done and what shouldn’t be done. Simple as that. Nothing to do with your kind, your species, or whatever it is they call it nowadays, but because you are simply not as clever as you think you are.
Blitz seethed, his chains shaking with his fury. He didn’t get the opportunity to retort, however, as Lucifer’s eyes pinned him on the spot. “I have known you for quite some time now, Blitz.” He said, slightly tilting his head as he held the imp’s gaze. “And why wouldn’t I? Such pride in your heart, so much desire to prove that you’re more than what other people expect you to be, and for what it’s worth, I do understand you… which is why I will be returning to the throne.”
Everyone was allowed a moment to give their reactions, the Sins—namely Beelzebub and Asmodeus only exchanging another wordless look—while Satan remained as still as a statue in his own seat, before Lucifer lifted a finger to let silence fall once more. “Yet over the years, I’ve also realized that you’re not the sort of demon to quickly learn their lesson, are you? Blaming, always blaming, nearly everyone you meet for your actions. And even then, you try to justify that you’re not really to blame, but the people who have hurt you as well, that it was they who turned you into the person that you are. All the while, refusing to acknowledge the pain that you’ve caused—until recently I’ve heard, but by that point, it was already too late, wasn’t it?”
Blitz remembered the painful night of his ‘apology tour’. He bit his tongue so hard that he tasted metal, but when he was finally able to speak, the anger was nearly drained out of him. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because you don’t learn. Unless…” Lucifer’s gaze lingered on the demons behind the imp, “someone else finally gets hurt because of your actions. If I remember correctly, that time has only ever occurred once.”
The fire. The circus. Fitz helpless on the ground, melting, crying, armless, legless, burning, still burning, why did it feel like he was burning, mom, mom, mom—
“Choose.”
Unbidden, a shudder escaped Blitz’s throat. It took everything for him not to kneel again. “Please.” He whispered so quietly that no one else could hear except him. “Please, don’t make me do this.”
The only response he received was Lucifer’s unchanging smile.
He didn’t know how long he stood there, how long the audience waited for his answer, if there was even going to be one. They would have probably voiced their impatience if it was anyone else in the room, so they staunchly remained silent, others not even daring to breathe.
Choose. Who would he choose? Could you even choose? Between the people you would have spent the rest of his life with, doing even the most normal and stupidest of things, no ounce of bloodshed or violence, just them being… being something that you never dared to dream of since the fire.
And what of the man that had become another victim of your ‘schemes’, another victim tainted by your poisonous existence, and yet in spite of all that, still kissed and adored and made love to you without any malice and disgust, a fact that you only realized until it was too late, until you’ve hurt him one too many times, who loved you from the moment you became a part of his lonely life.
Choose. Who would you choose? Could you even choose?
The chains rattled. The first sound heard in the last half-hour since the defendant stood still and silent. But it wasn’t his chains that broke the eerie quietness, it was—
“Stolas…?”
Stolas wordlessly dragged his body to the front, shielding Blitz from Lucifer’s gaze. Not even an hour ago, he had stood in the same spot, had done the same thing, he was protecting Blitz, even if he could no longer do so.
Could he?
He glanced at Blitz, and for a moment, their eyes met. His breath stopped, realizing what the royal demon was about to.
Blitz couldn’t choose, so Stolas made the choice for him.
“Wait…” He walked towards the edge, appearing as confident as the first time he tried to fool the crowd that he was to blame for Blitz’s crimes. “Wait…”
He smiled back at him, and the expression in his face almost looked like akin to peace.
Lucifer snapped his fingers and the chains around Blitz instantly vanished. Before he could even utter a word, arms as freezing and hard as stone grabbed his own and began to pull him away.
“No, no, no—Stolas, you can’t do this! Please don’t do this! He didn’t do anything! Damn it, get the fuck off me—” He fought tooth and nail even when his claws broke and bled, a tail humiliatingly wrapped around his neck as he was dragged away, even when his voice became hoarse and dry, Blitz fought and fought, for Stolas to use his powers, for Lucifer to change his mind, for the Sins to step in, for anyone to stop, stop, don’t do this—why are you doing this? Don’t do this. STOLAS—
The door slammed with a foreboding echo, and silence fell upon the Hall of Justice once more.
Andrealphus couldn’t believe it. Everything was working out so much better than he could have ever anticipated, especially with the King of Hell on his side, he felt as if he could do anything in the world and nothing could stop him.
Of course, not literally. He wasn’t deluded, after all. A certain delicateness was still required to finally seal the deal, to guarantee the power and respect he and his family very much deserved unlike that traitorous failure of a noble demon.
Speaking of which, Andrealphus had expected that the King would only strip him of possessions and power, perhaps even force him to live among the peasants, but much to his pleasant surprise, he was going to take his soul.
Oh this day could truly not go any better!
Once that happy ordeal was over, Stolas being turned into a rubber duck was a memory he would absolutely cherish with all his heart, Andrealphus made his way towards his King and bowed low to the ground. “Your majesty, let me be the first to welcome you back to your throne and eternal reign. If it’s not too much of a bother, may I speak about certain matters involving the criminal’s… possessions?”
Lucifer tilted his head. From Andrealphus’ position, he couldn’t see the faint amusement in the angel’s eyes. “You may.”
“If I may be so bold, I would like to volunteer in looking after his legions, and considering his heir is not yet of age, I’d be happy to groom and mentor the child until she’s ready to take over—”
“Oh, that won’t be necessary.” Lucifer said, checking the interesting dirt stuck under his nails. “The girl will stay with me.”
“Uh… um, what?” Andrealphus could only dumbly stare. “I-I mean, may I ask what you mean by that, my lord?”
“It means—” Lucifer turned around to address the rest of the demons still listening and watching from their seats, many of them were still in shock of everything that had occurred, and they were about to be even more so once Lucifer continued his words. “—that the legions, the artifacts required in his duty and responsibilities, and the heir will all be under my care—and my tutelage and guidance.”
He turned to meet Andrealphus’ gaze, his eyes that had once been brimming with near manic glee was now burning with horror and incredulity.
“I know that many of you loathe the imp for challenging our power, but earlier, he made a very crucial point that’s seemed to have flown right over the heads of the likes of you.”
“The… likes of me?”
Lucifer simply smiled. It sent an iciness down Andrealphus body that he had never felt before. “A rebellion is brewing at our doorstep.” He remarked with a tone usually reserved for finding something pleasant in an unexpected place, like a coin hidden in the couch or the last piece of chocolate bar in the fridge when you thought there was no more. “Not now, perhaps not ever, it can be even crushed with a single snap of a finger, but nowadays, I’ve decided to take a… somewhat of a pacifist route.” He chuckled. Some uneasily joined.
“Hence why, instead of doing what others would have done many years ago—what others believe that I should still do, I will not be punishing children for the crime of simply being born into an unfortunate family.” Lucifer spread his arms towards the demons around him as he further spoke. “After all, my dearest people, the children are our future, and it’s high time that we set an example they ought to follow. An example that will guarantee the well-being of their future and prevent them from repeating the sins of their mothers and fathers—and if there’s no one else willing to start teaching them those lessons, then I will gladly be the first, starting with the children of the Ars Goetia bloodline.”
Children.
The word repeatedly echoed in their minds. The King didn’t say the daughter of the Prince Stolas, he said “children”, which could only mean that the girl was simply the beginning of this new, strange, and foreboding project.
And there was nothing that they could do stop it.
“The common people will always be below our power, but what they are capable of is never something to be underestimated. Many of you had not been born yet at the time, but we too had once been in their positions, until we rose from the ashes and conquered worlds in my name.” Lucifer’s wings unfurled from his back, flying lightly over to his throne. “Unfortunately, even though my absence has only been a mere fraction of my time, I’ve heard of countless accounts regarding many members of the nobility that bring shame upon mine and my family’s name, members of the nobility that have been fanning the flames of the public’s anger, simply because they can or simply because it’s fun.”
Lucifer’s voice was still light and gentle, and yet, out of nowhere, his next words felt as if he was speaking close to the ears of anyone listening. “Let it be known that our ancient laws” He said, “have no one as an exception.”
When the silence lasted to the amount of time he wanted it to be, Lucifer clasped his hands, startling many out of their skin, before he tipped his hat with a joyful smile. “That will be all for today. Have a wonderful afternoon.”
He left as quietly as the first time he appeared in the last seven years. The trial was finally over, it didn’t even reached lunch, and yet not even Mammon could feel like eating.
Outside, the public scratched their heads in confusion when the live broadcast had suddenly transformed into darkness, the signal lost and never found again. The last they saw was the Sin of Wrath looking unimpressed and unaffected by the Goetic demon prince’s hubris, but other than that, all they could speak of was the bravery and courage of Blitzo of the Pride Ring spitting in the face of the cruel and unfair system they were born into. He didn’t change their minds no, but it was a start, and who knows? Perhaps their plights will finally reach the King of Hell’s attention, and he will change everything for the better once and for all.