Chapter Text
The war with Roo had taken a lot from them, far more than anyone should have to pay. Yet they had paid the price. Then again, there had been no one else who could pay the price. After all, and who better to pay the price than the King of Hell and the angels who were made from the tree of Knowledge?
However, there was a lot more to it than that. Heaven had buried its head in the sand, refusing to admit that Roo had returned, and Hell?
Well, it had fallen under Roo’s grasp; only Zestial and Ozzie had been able to escape her grasp. Lucifer had never once thought that Bee or Belphegor would have fallen to Roo; he had expected Satan and Mammon to fall to Roo, and as for Leviathan?
They had always been a bit of a wild card, having two heads, and while they could agree, Roo would have to get them both under her control at the same time in order for the Sin of Envy to fall under her control. It was not something that would be easy, given how much it took to get one Sin under her control. She had disappeared, and he didn't know if she had returned.
But he had never expected Bee or Belphegor to fall under Roo’s control. But they had, and he had been forced to fight them, Ozzie had been forced to fight them. To say the fight between them and Roo was brutal was an understatement. Hell had been almost completely destroyed leading up to the final days of the war. Lucifer could still see Charlie’s face as she realised what was happening and that they wouldn't be coming back, that there wasn't going to be a happy ending and that they wouldn't be a family. But it had been a price that they had been willing to pay.
For their family.
However, that didn't mean that it didn't hurt; it did, and they doubted that it was going to stop hurting any time soon. Hell would still run without Lucifer; it would be difficult for everyone involved, given that none of them had his powers or his reserves, and it was entirely possible that in a century or two, Hell would collapse. Lucifer had been keeping Hell running on his energies for so long that he had no idea what would happen now that he wasn't there. Still, that was not a problem that he could solve. Not now. Not anymore. All he could do was hope that those who had been left behind were strong enough to continue on.
That they would be able to press forward.
Much like the three of them were doing. It wasn't easy, far from it; adapting to a new world was difficult. For starters, things had evolved differently; rather than humans being the dominant species, it was anthropomorphic animals. Which had taken some time to get used to, not only that, but their forms had changed so that they would blend in better with this new world that they had found themselves in. The world that they had arrived in was in medieval times. If Lucifer was guessing correctly, there was also an empire. Although, who was the ruling party?
None of them could say.
Lucifer had always loved Alastor’s deer features, his soft, fluffy chest fur, his tempting ears and that adorable tail that he had kept hidden from everyone but his closest. Even then, that had been a limited amount. So he had thought that he wouldn’t be tempted by Alastor’s new form.
He was wrong. So very, very wrong.
He was very well aware that he was pushing his luck with Alastor, and if he kept going, he would end up losing a limb or two. Not that he would complain, they would always regrow. It wouldn't be the first time that he had lost a limb and needed to regrow one. Lucifer was of the mindset that his form wasn't as good as his husband’s form. After all, what was attractive about a snake?
His lower half was a giant white tail, and the top half of his body was covered in iridescent white scales; the red circles on his cheeks were missing. Not that he minded. His tongue was forked, and he had fangs that he could retract. His diet was also more meat-based than it had been. That didn't mean that he didn't enjoy a sweet treat here or there; he still did, but it wasn't as often as before. Despite being deer, Alastor and Sarah’s diets didn't change much, which many would find strange given that they were deer and therefore seen as prey.
Lucifer dared anyone to say that to Alastor and Sarah.
He would grab some popcorn and watch the free show.
But still, part of him was hurting; he didn't know if he would see Charlie again, and while he was happy that she was alive and well, Lilith would be a much better parent than he could ever be.
All you ever do is fuck things up.
The words that Charlie had shouted at him years ago had destroyed a part of him that had never recovered; it had left a wound that had never quite healed. But he knew that Charlie would be much better off without him, just as he knew that Hell would be better off without him.
All you ever do is fuck things up.
Lilith had never needed him to rule Hell. So he didn't see why they would need him now. He would miss her and Charlie, but they didn't need him. They hadn't needed him for a long time, and he had been too blind to see it.
All you ever do is fuck things up.
Someone prodded his forehead, and he looked at Alastor, who was staring at him. Sarah was leaning against the wall, her eyes held a glint in them. It had taken him time to learn how to read Sarah’s moods, unlike Alastor, who was all too happy to let others know when they had fucked up, Sarah?
Did not.
One to read her expressions, look into her eyes and watch as the emotions danced across her face before they disappeared. It wasn't something that someone could learn overnight. It had taken him a decade before he was able to tell the difference between emotions, annoyance and anger, which had looked the same to him for the longest time. It had taken him another two years before he had been able to tell the difference between all of the emotions. Lucifer knew that there were those who found Sarah’s coldness off-putting; it made her difficult to get close to. There were those who were close to her, Stolas and his daughter Octavia, and even Vassago was able to call her a friend. Then there were those that worked in the Network; Lucifer had met them several times; they were fanatical, loyal and dangerous.
It wasn't that shocking that they had gotten on so well with Sarah.
But what had gotten under Lucifer's skin was the fact that those in the hotel, those who had claimed that they were family. Hadn't bothered to learn, they had taken Sarah’s coldness as a sign that she wasn't one of them. Alastor had long since been left out of the group. The fight between him, Charlie and Vaggi had been something that none of them would forget. The only reason why Alastor had stayed at the hotel?
Was Lucifer.
“Lost in thought, were you, my dear?” Alastor prodded him in the forehead again; he had once again gotten lost in his thought. A smile tugged at Lucifer's lips as he wrapped his arms around Alsator and snuggled into the soft, fluffy chest. The fact that Alastor’s chest fluff increased in the winter was something that Lucifer had taken advantage of many times.
“Not anymore, love, not anymore.” He couldn't think about the past, not when his family needed him here and now; otherwise, he would ruin yet another family.
He didn't want to do that. He refused to do that.
He had already ruined one.
At some point, he wanted to see if he could shapeshift back into his original form, and he knew that he wasn't the only one who wanted to do so. While it was all very well and good blending into their new world, Lucifer wanted to know if any of them could still access their angelic powers. There was no telling what kind of trouble there was in this world, and while he had faith in their combat abilities, there was nothing quite like some angelic power as backup. But that was for later, much later. For now, he was going to explore his new home with his husband and daughter; he knew that things were going to be different now. It wasn't the first time that he had been cast out of a home, and it wasn't the first time that he had needed to start again. To rebuild. Silently, Lucifer hoped that this time?
This time would be better than the previous attempt.
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Fin dragged the four bodies onto his small boat. The capital was burning, and all he could smell was smoke and blood. He gagged several times as the smell became too much for his sensitive nose. Once he was sure that the four of them were safe on his boat, he quickly began to get the motor of the boat going. It was going to be a long ride back to the village, and he wanted to get there as quickly as possible. The female goat did not look to be in good condition, and he only knew how to do basic first aid; he was no Hazel, that was for certain.
His small boat chugged through the night, the engine protesting loudly at the speed at which it was going. But he didn't dare stop.
There was no telling what would happen should he stop. Fin did not want to find out.
His paws ached, and his eyes stung; a thick fog had descended at some point, and it made things more difficult. It wasn't the first time he had sailed through such thick fog. He didn't like to do it, but he knew how to do it. Fin had no idea how long he sailed through the fog; his fur was sweaty and becoming itchy in certain places, but he kept pushing forward.
Then he saw it.
The light from Wilfred’s shop. The beaver would be awake at this time. Fin hoped that the rest of the residents in the town would forgive him for using his foghorn so early in the morning. The sound of the foghorn screeched through the air, and more lights flicked on. Fin was aware that he was going to get quite the lecture over this. He didn't care. Not when the situation was so dire.
“What is all this noise about? Fin?” Fin tossed the docking rope towards Wilfred, and the beaver caught it without a second thought.
“I need someone to get Hazel. Now!” Fin had no idea if any of his passengers were going to survive. What if one of them had died and he hadn't noticed?
Fin shook his head. Now was not the time to be thinking like that.
Being pessimistic would not help anyone. Not when there was so much that they didn't know, there could be others still alive in the capital. Fin needed to try to stay positive.
“I need to get them to my house and quickly; there is still a chance that we could lose them all.” Fin watched as everyone scrambled to do what Hazel had told them. Despite only being a hedgehog, Hazel had the ability to command everyone in the village. But given that she was the healer?
Fin wasn't all that shocked.
He watched as everyone listened to what Hazel was saying, and soon, the bodies were being carried to Hazel’s home. Fin watched as Wilfred grabbed a mop and bucket and began to clean the deck of his boat. Fin had planned to do it. But he suddenly felt drained in a way that he had never experienced before. Fin was used to feeling tired; it was part of being a travelling merchant. But not like this, never like this. It felt soul-deep.
“Go and grab some kip, you look like a strong breeze will knock you over.” Part of him wanted to protest, but his body felt heavy, like iron ore that had just been dug up out of the mine.
“Go.” Fin didn't remember the walk to the tavern, nor did he remember Rusty guiding him towards a bed or collapsing in the bed.
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Sarah awoke in bits and pieces. She could hear someone talking; her head hurt, and it felt as if she had gone ten rounds with her parents naked, handicapped and drunk. It was not a pleasant feeling.
“Easy, easy.” Something cool and soft was pressed against her head, and she sighed in relief. She opened her eyes and hissed as the bright sunlight made her eyes hurt and water.
“Wait, one moment.” There was a rustling sound, and then the room was plunged into darkness. When she next opened her eyes, there was a candle gently burning next to her. She looked around the room, and the room reeked of herbs; her nose twitched. The urge to sneeze was something that took far too much effort to squash.
“How are you feeling?” She turned and looked at the rabbit that was sitting next to her. There was a tub of water on the bedside table, with a cloth hanging off the side. Idly, she wondered how long she had been out for.
Her eyes scanned the room looking for her parents, a bolt of panic shot through her when she realised that she couldn't see them. She pushed herself up and ignored the way that her body was screaming at her. It wasn't the first time that she had ignored the pain that she was feeling, nor was it the first time that she had forced her body to move despite being so injured. She threw the covers off her and went to get out of the bed, only for a set of paws to push her back into the bed. The urge to reach out and attack the rabbit and make an escape was something that she had felt before. Logically, she knew that the rabbit was only doing her job as a healer.
But it didn't change the fact that she was being kept from her family.
“Where?” Before she had a chance to attempt a second escape, she was pushed back onto the bed by soft paws. The rabbit was looking at her with worry and concern, but that wasn't going to stop her. She needed to make sure that they were alright.
“They are in the other room, resting the awoke yesterday and have been trying to come and see you.” She turned her gaze from the rabbit and looked at the doorway. Standing in the doorway with a tray in their hands was a hedgehog. Sarah relaxed the moment the words registered.
Her eyes closed, and she slipped back into the darkness. She had used what little energy her body had, which hadn't been alot, even with her impressive healing, there were a lot of wounds that needed healing. Broken and fractured bones, damage from inhaling smoke, nerve damage, bruises, and even damaged internal organs. She needed to rest and heal, which was going to take time.
Hazel checked the doe over; some of the wounds had partly healed, and the small cuts had healed completely, which was good. There was no sign of infection either. But that wasn't what concerned Hazel. There were a lot of old wounds, wounds that hadn't been treated properly. Hazel had counted at least six or seven that wouldn't have scarred with the proper treatment. The stag was the same, the snake had some severe burns on his arms, and Hazel was worried that he had nerve damage in his hands and arms. It was clear to her and Rose that whatever they had gone through?
Was not pleasant in the slightest, even then that was being polite about it.
Still, they were in her care now, and she was going to do what she could to ease the scarring; she wouldn't be able to remove all of it, but perhaps she could make it less visible. She knew that it would take months, if not longer, for the scarring to fade somewhat, but she was going to do it. No one should have to live with such scarring, not when she had the ability to make it better. While she wouldn't be able to help with the wounds of the mind that they would have, she could at least help them in another way.
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Eventually, they had all been released from Hazel’s home, barring the goat woman, who was still unconscious; both Alastor and Sarah had wanted to kill her. Not out of mercy, but rather, she could be infected. But they hadn't seen any signs of a bite. But Lucifer had convinced them to leave her, if there had been a bite?
Then he wouldn't have stopped them, to be bitten was to become infected ajnd it only took one before the whole town was infected. Still, it wouldn't look good if Alastor and Sarah were caught killing someone, and it wasn't as if the town had knowledge of what an infected bite did. Lucifer had no idea if they could be infected; he also needed to find out what type of disease it was. It might be possible that there was a cure of some kind. They followed Percy, someone whom they had been introduced to while they were being checked over by Hazel and Theo, the town’s mayor. Theo was a raccoon, and as for Percy?
Lucifer suspected that Percy was a Lemming.
He followed after Alastor, who was still limping, and Lucifer knew that it was going to be some time before Alastor’s leg healed completely, even then?
Lucifer was worried that Alastor might end up with a permanent limp. But for now, he was going to keep an eye on Alastor and make sure that Alastor looked after himself. He did not want his husband to make things worse. Percy and Theo led them to a farm. Percy had mentioned that originally it had been just him who showed them to the farm, but Theo had woken up, and so Percy had dragged Theo along with him. Lucifer felt sorry for Theo; it was very clear that Theo was falling asleep where he was. The farm was beyond run-down, and there was a plot of land that was filled with dead crops, the house looked like it had seen better days, the fence was completely rotten and the majority of the farm?
Was overgrown with trees.
It was going to take a lot of work to get it in working order. Lucifer looked around and wondered how much work it was all going to take. He was grateful that they were being given a home and that they didn't need to pay for it, but he couldn't help but worry. It was going to take a lot of work, and they were all injured, their angelic powers were drained to the point that all it was doig was healing them. It had been a very long time since Lucifer had been this drained, not since he had been cast out of Heaven and landed in the abyss, which would later be known as Hell.
It was not a feeling that he liked. It was a feeling that brought up many painful memories.
“The original owner moved here, and they ah, well, they weren't very good at farming.” Sarah snorted and walked forward. She moved towards the dead crops and shook her head. There was a furrow between her eyebrows as she examined the dead crops more closely.
“The only thing that is even in the right season is the radish. Who the fuck plants corn this early in spring?” Her visible disbelief had Alastor snorting amusement, and Lucifer turned his head away and tried to smother his laughter.
“Sarah knows her way around a plant or two.” There was no missing the pride in Alastor’s voice as he spoke. Lucifer did not miss the way that Theo and Percy looked at each other, and while he wanted to know what it meant, he knew that now was not the time to start asking such questions. But he did put it to the back of his mind for later.
Lucifer and Alastor watched as Theo and Percy took their leave. Sarah had been crouched down with her fingers in the dirt, muttering to herself. Lucifer knew what it was like to lose oneself in a project, so he didn't hold it against her. He looked at their new home and wondered what was going to be in store for them. The capital had been loud, too loud for his tastes, but it had provided them with a lot of opportunities to gather the information that they needed. But Lucifer?
He had always been a bit of a homebody. There was nothing quite like curling up with someone he loved and doing something together, reading a book or making a meal together. In the later years of his marriage to Lilith, it was something that she had grown to hate. She had enjoyed the balls, the fancy parties, the bright lights, the glitz, the glamour. But he hadn't, he had become disillusioned with it all and when he had seen the corruption that lay behind the polite smiles and mocking laughter?
He stopped pretending that he enjoyed himself at the parties; he stopped pretending to care.
Lilith had greatly disliked the fact that he wouldn't go with her anymore, and it had led to more than one fight between them. It had led to him sleeping by himself more than once as Lilith went out and spent the night partying until dawn. When his marriage with Lilith began to deteriorate, it wasn't an overnight thing; it wasn't one huge fight, and then everything came crashing down like a house of cards.
It had been a series of things over a long, long period of time.
Part of him would always love Lilith; he had been cast out of Heaven for her, and he had created hell for her so that she would have somewhere to call her own. They had a child together. But he didn't love her like that, not anymore. With Alastor?
Things were different; Alastor didn't care if Lucifer didn't want to go to a party or a ball. Oh, he would grumble and complain, but he didn't care if Lucifer went or not. If Lucifer wanted to stay home and make a new duck, then that was fine with Alastor; he would come back, complain about what had happened, and then tell Lucifer the gossip that he had heard. Or some nights it would just be the pair of them sipping some rye as they read a book, or listened to the radio. Yes, Alastor loved to dance, and he loved a good party. But he also enjoyed spending time with Lucifer, and he wanted to make sure that Lucifer was also enjoying himself.
Otherwise? What was the point?
Lilith and Alastor were similar in a lot of ways, but they were also different in a lot of ways.
“The ground is a mess, and not in a hot way either.” Sarah’s fur was covered in dirt, and there was dirt on her face as well. Alastor clicked his tongue and began to scrub at the dirt on her face. Lucifer was glad for the distraction; his mind was wandering down a dark path. One that he did not want to go down.
“For now, I think we should all get settled and then introduce ourselves to everyone, Percy mentioned that the residents of the village are eager to meet us now that we are in no danger of dying.” Sarah hummed, and Lucifer wasn't quite sure how he felt about introducing himself to the rest of the village. But still, Grimshire was going to be their new home, so it would be a good idea to get to know everyone.
“This is going to be a new start for all of us, I can feel it.”