When Cobalt awoke, he was dimly surprised to find himself lying alone in his futon. He blinked a couple of times and rolled over, wincing as his stomach scar ached. He hadn't slept so deeply in a long time; it felt like the first proper night's sleep he had gotten since the entire Diate debacle began. Yawning, the Incubus eased himself out of bed and began to limp his way into the kitchenette, only to nearly wind up tripping on the sleeping bags on the floor.

"Hm. So I didn't just imagine it..." he murmured, pushing them aside with his foot.

They had really camped out in his room, waiting for him to wake up...

Right as he began to make himself some breakfast, the Incubus was startled by a series of sharp knocks on his dorm room door.

"Um... Hello?" he called.

"Unlock the door, boy," responded the curt voice of Mistress Viola.

His entire body froze as he heard the distinct sound of the Succubus impatiently tapping her foot outside of his door.

"Now," she added.

"Y- Yes! Right away!"

Abandoning his attempt at making breakfast, Cobalt stumbled over to his door and unlocked it, staggering back as Viola swept into the room, already dressed in her full suit and cloak. Arms folded, she looked him up and down, whereupon he realised that he was still dressed in his hospital gown.

"I see you pulled through and discharged yourself," she remarked with a cluck of her tongue.

He fiddled nervously with the hospital band around his wrist.

"I, um... yes. Yes I did," he sighed, looking away.

Taking a deep breath, Viola stepped over to his couch and took a seat.

"Well then. I suppose I misjudged you on multiple counts, then."

"S- Sorry?"

"I didn't think you could defeat Diate, and I didn't think you'd pull through. Your students, on the other hand..."

She looked down at the empty sleeping bags.

"... they kept faith. Sat by your side during the day, and held vigil in here at night. They truly believe in you, boy. Just like... Just like your father's friends believed in him."

A moment of silence passed between them as a few birds passed by outside the window.

"I thought I wasn't anything like him," Cobalt said quietly.

In a surprisingly display of emotion, Mistress Viola suddenly buried her face in her hands and exhaled slowly.

"I know what I said, boy. And in a way, I still stand by what I said. You're nothing like Brass. And yet, you're just like him. I... I don't know what to say, except this; I'm sorry."

The Incubus' eyes widened.

"Wh- What...?"

"Don't make me say it again."

Shaking her head, she got back to her feet and clasped her hands behind her back.

"I thought I could figure you out, boy. But just like your younger self, you're impossible to figure out," she sighed, straightening her jacket.

Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a black and red striped tie, worn and weathered from numerous conflicts.

"But regardless how I feel, the facts remain the same; you killed a Devil and ended a feud twenty-three years in the making, saving this school, its inhabitants and possibly the town at large in the process. On behalf of B.I.D., I thank you for your valiance," she stated in an official tone.

Reaching out, Cobalt gently took the tie in his hands.

"Your father would be proud, I'm sure. Wear it with pride."

Opening the door, she glanced over her shoulder.

"All manner of journalists, doctors and police personnel are set to swarm as soon as you step outside the gates, but as long as you stay within the confines of the campus, I can assure you that they won't get near you. So hurry up and put your suit on; you've got festivities to attend," she explained, nodding to his open wardrobe.

Eyes widening, he turned to see a fine three-piece suit hanging inside. It was the exact set of garments that Karazelle and Whitney had picked out for him, seemingly modified to fit an Incubus' frame. Before he could ask any further questions, Viola stepped out of the room and shut the door behind her.

"R- Right..." Cobalt murmured, stepping over to the suit.

If she was telling him to put this on, then that could only mean one thing; today was the Summer Festival.

He swallowed hard.

"... I slept through my birthday, didn't I...?"

 

-----

 

Holding his hand up to the light, Cobalt stepped out of the dorm building and into the morning sun. Though no-one else was around, he could hear the distant sound of crowds and music.

The Summer Festival... The grandest of Hell's four seasonal festivals, celebrating life and personal growth. Meals were shared, alcohol was drunk by the bottleful, and music was played throughout the entire day. It marked the end of the school year, and the beginning of true adulthood for the third-years as they attended their Aging Ceremony, underwent the Rite of Maturation and finally progressed to the third stage of growth.

He chose a Hell of a day to wake up.

Swallowing hard, he held his hand to his stomach and made to limp his way down the gravel path. Before he could take a single step, he was alerted to the sound of snoring coming from his left. He raised and eyebrow and glanced over at one of the benches in front of the girls dormitories.

There was a woman lying there, dressed in a stylish black dress laden with sequins and rimestones, snoring softly.

"Um... hello?" Cobalt whispered.

He got a closer look at her. Silver hair. Spectacles. Freckles. Prominent bust.

"... Lottie?"

The Golem murmured in her sleep, writhing around on the bench as she tugged at the hem of her dress. Slowly, her teacher reached over and gently shook her shoulder. Immedietely, her eyes snapped open, and after a brief moment blinking the sleep away, she zeroed in on Cobalt's face and broke out into an ecstatic grin.

"MISTA TRAYA~!"

She sprang off the bench and surprised her teacher with a four-limbed hug; wrapping both her arms and her legs around Cobalt as she excitedly squealed his name. As her hooves clacked together behind his back, the Incubus cried out and nearly toppled to the ground.

"A- Agh! L- Lottie! You're... heavy...!" he spluttered, wincing as his midsection throbbed beneath the additional weight.

"I MISSED YOU SO MUCH~!"

Gritting his teeth, he took a deep breath and unceremoniously dumped the Golem back onto the bench, where she hopped up and down like an excited child.

"I, uh... I missed you too, Lottie," he gasped, clutching his stomach.

"We went to the hopsital every day to see you, but you were still sleeping for ever and ever!"

Cobalt nodded shakily.

"Yeah, I'm sorry about that."

"The doctor said you might stay asleep forever because you had a big hole in you! And then whoosh! It fixed!"

He blanched upon hearing that. No matter how many times he heard it, it was terrifying to think just how close to death he had been. Noticing the look on his face, Lottie hugged him again, gentler this time.

"It's okay, Mista Traya. I was scared too," the Golem whispered, patting the back of his head.

"Lottie, I..."

"OI OI, BLOOD BROTHER!"

The wind was once again knocked from Cobalt's lungs as he was violently tackled around the waist, tearing him from Lottie's grasp and almost throwing him onto the gravel. Grinning like a madman, Quinn Redtile pulled back and raised her hand for a high-five. The Imp was dressed in a snazzy suit that matched Lottie's dress, complete with fake gems. She had deigned to keep her battered flat cap on, drawing a strange juxtaposition between the bejewelled cloth of her suit and the worn leather of her headgear.

"Agh, Quinn... I'm only just out of the hospital..." the Incubus spluttered, clutching his stomach.

"Oh I know; threw us all for a loop when you showed up snuggled into Kara's tits last night."

"I was not-!"

"Yeah you were! Tried to wake you, but you were dead to the bloody world! Now quit leaving me hanging!"

Sighing deeply, he reluctantly raised his hand to high-five the Imp, stopping only to look at the scar spanning the length of his palm. He glanced up at the matching wound on Quinn's hand.

Smiling a little, he clapped his palm against his student's. Grinning, the Imp turned on her heel and hoisted Lottie to her feet, whereupon she slipped her arm around the Golem's waist.

"I've never celebrated a Summer Festival, but I'm liking how it's going so far! How do we look?"

Standing side by side, he had to admit that they made quite the odd pair. The Imp had to reach up in order to put her arm around her companion, and Lottie's constant excited juddering caused the stones on her dress to glint quite jarringly. But the pair seemed aware of how strange they both looked, and took great delight in having matched up their outfits. Looking at them both, Cobalt could see the slight burn in Quinn's cheeks grow slightly redder every time Lottie stepped closer to her.

"You two make quite the couple," the Incubus said with a smile.

Their reaction was almost immediate. Lottie laughed ecstatically and began to twirl her dress while Quinn's entire face flushed.

"A coup-?! H- Hold your horses there, Cobalt! I- I'm just going as Lottie's friend, alright?" the Imp stammered, her voice going unusually squeaky.

There was something darkly satisfying about catching Quinn off-guard like that. Perhaps it was Cobalt seeking payback for all the times she left him stuttering for a response.

"You're more than my friend! You're my he~ro~!" the Golem cried suddenly, lifting the diminutive demon into her arms and hugging her very tightly.

"Oh, is that so?" Cobalt asked, cocking his head.

"Yah! She saved me from the bad men!"

Grinning, she planted a kiss on Quinn's cheek, causing her catlike eyes to snap open wider than Cobalt had ever seen them, her pupils massively dilated.

"I- I didn't- that was- I- I-" the Imp guttered, barely able to put a sentence together as she was swung to and fro.

"Lottie, maybe put Quinn down now; she looks about ready to blow a fuse," the Incubus said, supressing the urge to laugh at the spectacle.

Nodding, she opened her arms, plopping the Imp back down on her own two feet. She staggered back and forth for a moment, gasping for breath as her pupils gradually contracted.

"B- Blimey..." she murmured dreamily, holding a hand to her cheek.

Smiling, Cobalt nodded at Lottie.

"It'd be best if you two hurried on your way. I'll be along shortly," he told them, stepping out of the way.

"Okay! Come on!" cried the Golem, grasping Quinn's hand.

Still holding her cheek where Lottie had kissed her, the Imp allowed herself to be dragged behind her excitable companion as they both headed off towards the main school building, leaving Cobalt alone in front of the dormitory buildings. Taking a deep breath, he sat down on the bench and watched as his two students disappeared down the gravel pathway.

"I'm rooting for you, Miss Redtile..." he murmured to himself.

The Incubus sat there for a while, his eyes sliding shut as he took in the world all around him. In the distance, he could hear the crowd growing as people arrived from all over the city-state in order to celebrate the Summer Festival. Scavenger birds winged through the air and jostled for places upon tree branches and telephone wires in anticipation of all the dropped morsels that were soon to come once the food was brought out. He could hear the jingle of ice-cream vans and the hum of candyfloss machines. The whole town was out in force on the B.I.D. campus, united in their plight to have a good time.

Even so shortly after a crisis, people were still willing to celebrate... It was reassuring in a way. That even after witnessing such violence, the students could relax and end their year on a good note. That they could-

"I TOLD YOU I DON'T WANT YOUR FUCKIN' HELP!"

He sighed. Shame on him for thinking he could get a moment's peace.

Looking back, Cobalt watched on as the door to the girl's dorms was booted open rather violently. Izzbelle Suyas, still dressed in her torn school uniform, stormed out into the plaza, her fists balled and the corners of her mouth smoking. Behind her, Whitney Brode stumbled out, trying her best not to trip over the hem of the sea-green ballgown that she was wearing.

"Just, like, hear me out!" the Nymph pleaded, holding up a bundled pile of burned white cloth.

"I'll go like this! Dances are fuckin' stupid anyway!" the Oni retorted.

"It's a formal event! You have to be dressed up!"

"I didn't have to fuckin' dress up last year!"

"You spent last year's festival in a holding cell for attacking Arnn!"

Sensing an incoming eruption on the Oni's part, Cobalt cleared his throat and rose to his feet. Upon noticing him, they both gasped, though Whitney immedietely broke out into a smile while Izzbelle only seemed to grow angrier.

"You...!" Izzbelle hissed, a thick plume of enraged smoke pouring from her mouth.

Oh dear.

Before Cobalt could do anything to save himself, she marched over to him and immedietely hoisted him into the air by his lapels, leaving him to thrash his legs and tail uselessly beneath him as he struggled to break free.

"How many fuckin' times?! Did I not fuckin' tell you that I wasn't gonna sit there and watch you die on me again?! Do you have any idea how fuckin' scared I was?! I stood outside your room for fuckin' days, and you didn't move a fuckin' muscle! Then you show up back home like nothin' fuckin' happened?! Did you even stop to think about how all of us were feelin'?! How I was feelin'?!" she bellowed, sparks flying as she shook the Incubus back and forth.

"Izzbelle! Put him down!" Whitney cried, bundling the scorched cloth beneath one arm as she tried to pull Izzbelle away.

"You dumbass! You stupid, idiotic, dumb, stupid, fuckin' stupid... stupid... s- stupid...!"

Steam rose from the corners of Izzbelle's eyes as she struggled to hold back her tears. Releasing another enraged howl, she suddenly pulled Cobalt into a constrictive hug, almost powderising his skeleton with how hard she was crushing him.

"... stupid, brave, valiant fuckin' dumbass...! Don't you ever do somethin' like that again! I- I ain't just gonna let you throw your life away, not after all you've made me do!"

"A- Ack...!" Cobalt choked, rapidly slapping her bicep in an effort to tap out.

She didn't notice his attempt at pleading for mercy, and instead tightened her grip.

"I- I know it's fuckin' selfish to get mad at you. I owe my life to you, but you can't just scare me like that! I thought you were dyin'!"

"I- I'm sorry... but please... I c- can't breathe...!"

"Izzbelle, he's just outta the hospital, you're gonna kill him!" Whitney interjected, frantically tugging on her ragged blazer.

Growling irritably, she conceded and dropped her teacher. Gasping for breath, Cobalt stumbled back onto the bench, clutching his stomach as his lingering injuries throbbed.

"Omigosh, sir! Are you okay?!" the Nymph gasped, rushing to his side.

He waved her away.

"I'm fine, I'm fine... I believe I owe Izzbelle as much..." he said, forcing on a smile.

The Oni folded her arms and turned away.

"Tch. Dumbass," she muttered, though the smoke had stopped spilling from her mouth.

Clearing his throat, he gestured to the pile of singed cloth that Whitney was carrying.

"So what are you two arguing about?" he asked.

"Oh yeah, this," she sighed, carefully unfolding it, "Izzbelle doesn't have any, like, suits or dresses, save this."

Once the entire garment was unfurled, Cobalt's eyes widened as the realisation struck him. The snow-white fabric, the blood-red thread, the intricate detailing... Even past all the dirt, burns and tears, he immedietely recognised the still-impressive dress that Izzbelle had worn at their wedding.

"My mommy used to make me practice dressmaking. Not really something I'm all that into, but I got pretty good at it. So I offered to fix this up for Izzbelle, but-"

"I don't need her doin' shit for me!" the Oni interrupted, balling her fists.

Cobalt nodded slowly.

"Do you not want to go to the dance, Izzbelle?" he asked, looking up at her.

"I- I didn't say that! I just don't want this twerp thinkin' she's got somethin' on me!" she blurted in response.

"What? What does that even mean?" Whitney cried.

"Shut up!"

With a sigh, the Incubus massaged his temples.

"Izzbelle. Do you not want to wear this dress again?"

"Of course I wanna!"

Her eyes widened upon realising that she had just said that out loud. Growing a little redder around the cheeks, she gritted her teeth.

"I- I ain't a fuckin' powderpuff princess type, alright?! Nice shit like that is wasted on me! Just look what I did to it!" she argued, pointing to the tattered edges of the wedding dress.

Whitney just rolled her eyes.

"It's all fixable, Izzbelle. And if you want me to make it more 'you', you just have to ask," she sighed.

"The fuck do you mean by more 'me?!'"

"Like, you know... Cool. Badass. But still hot and stylish. I should have enough spare material in my room."

Caught off-guard by the sudden compliments, Cobalt took the opportunity to add his thoughts.

"I always thought that dress suited you wonderfully. And if Whitney is offering to alter it to your tastes, then I'd say you've got nothing to lose from accepting."

He smiled at her.

"I'm sure you'll look even more stunning once it's all fixed up."

Rather than form any kind of verbal response, Izzbelle just went very red in the face before she made an inarticulate noise of anger, snatched the wedding dress out of Whitney's hands and stormed back into the dorms. Eyes wide, the Nymph slowly tracked her gaze back to her teacher.

"You've got quite an effect on her, sir," she remarked, impressed.

"I, um... I wouldn't go quite that far..."

"I never really thought I'd ever get to speak to her, you know."

He raised an eyebrow at her, urging her to continue.

"Like, me and Izzbelle were always in completely different worlds. I was trying to be everyone's idol, and she was determined to push everyone away. If it weren't for you, I don't think I would have ever made friends with her," Whitney explained, sitting down next to him.

A gust of wind blustered by, briefly exposing both of her eyes.

"She was really torn up about you being in the hospital, but she didn't wanna say it out loud. She was scared; we all were. Kinda hard to get over watching a close friend get impaled, you know?"

Cobalt swallowed hard.

"I can't imagine it was pleasant, watching what I did..." he murmured, wringing his hands.

With a sigh, Whitney nodded.

"I'm not gonna lie, sir; it was kinda horrifying. But we're not scared of you."

His eyes widened.

"Diate was saying that Incubi were monsters, and that you're no better. That's bullshit, sir, because I know you. Even with all that, like, weird shit happening to you up there, you still fought for us. You're not a monster... You're a hero."

Sidling next to him, Whitney put an arm around Cobalt's shoulder and pulled him closer. Resting her head on his shoulder, she gave him a smile.

"Our hero. You slayed the monster and saved some princesses. 'Powderpuff types' and otherwise. Just think of yourself like that, yeah?" the Nymph told him in a quiet, gentle voice.

Cobalt didn't know how to respond to that, and before he could even begin to try, the door slammed open again as Izzbelle popped her head out.

"Are we fuckin' doin' this or nah?!" she roared angrily, flapping the dress above her head.

Giggling, Whitney hopped out of her seat and gave Cobalt a friendly wave.

"Seeya once the festival begins for real, sir!"

With that, she turned on her heel and took off for the dorms.

Swallowing hard, the Incubus looked back down at his hands. They could say it all they wished; he didn't feel much like a hero. Heros didn't devour and dismember the monsters they faced.

He shook his head. No. No sense in dwelling on it.

Getting to his feet, Cobalt took a moment to ease the aching sensation in his joints before he began to make his way down the gravel path. Nostalgia once again washed over him as he passed between the ashbirches, their pink leaves in full bloom. The sun shone through them, warming his face, and as he walked the path, he almost didn't notice the figure standing before him, just next to the last pair of trees.

A Fallen, with short white hair and glittering green eyes, bedecked in a simple, seamless dress. The white fabric was spotless, and her wings were folded behind her.

"Elya?" Cobalt called, a little unsure if it was her.

She jumped a little as he called her name, but wasted no time in approaching him. She was nervously wringing her hands, and her gaze constantly shifted from his face to her feet.

"You're okay..." she said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Nodding slowly, Cobalt rested a hand on his stomach, just above his scar.

"For the most part," he responded, smiling humourlessly.

"I was so happy to see you this morning. I- I wanted to wake you, but... I was told to let you sleep..."

"I've never slept so soundly. I- I suppose I have all of you to thank for making me feel so safe," he laughed, scratching the back of his head.

Her eyes glinted as her wings shivered.

"Oh Cobalt... I...

Slowly, she embraced him with both her arms and wings. Her cold, sterile scent was gone; replaced instead by a light perfume that gently tickled his nostrils. He swallowed hard and returned the hug. Elya was cold, but not uncomfortably so. A cool touch on a warm day.

"I did what I could. I- I tried to medicate. I- I tried to do what I was told... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

"It's alright, Elya. I'm here. I'm okay."

Her grip tightened as she sniffled.

"Seeing you up on the rooftop..."

Pulling back, the Fallen looked him right in the eyes.

"... it's happening again, isn't it?" she asked, her voice quiet and terrified.

"What do you mean? What's happening again?"

She shook her head rather violently, wincing in pain as she did so. Letting go of the Incubus, Elya held a hand to her forehead and staggered back.

"I- I'm sorry...! I have to go...!"

With a powerful flap of her wings, Elya took off directly into the air, almost knocking Cobalt to the ground from the backblast. Waving the dust out of his eyes, he peered up and watched as she flew eastwards, towards the woods on the edge of town.

He frowned.

"What was that all about...?" Cobalt mumured, wiping flecks of gravel off the front of his suit.

Shaking his head, he turned back towards the path and resumed his slow journey towards the centre of the campus.

 

-----

 

Despite the overall condition of the school grounds, B.I.D. was certainly prepared for festivities. Colourful banners and bunting had been hung from every building, and the pathways had all been marked with bright tape. The centre of the campus had been set up with a large stage and seating area for the Aging Ceremony later on in the day, and a sizable marquee had been erected outside of the canteen, in which Cobalt could see a number of hired staff setting up tables and chairs, and even a bar. Upon noticing him, some of them whispered and pointed at each other, but the Incubus just ignored them and continued on towards the front end of the campus, where most of the commotion seemed to be coming from.

Sure enough, he found a huge crowd of demons milling about the school's frontal plaza, talking and laughing as they milled from one place to another. Dozens of amusement stalls had been set up around the inside of the school's walls, and numerous food trucks were serving all sorts of things, from ice cream and candyfloss to more esoteric treats, like candied chillis and even things intended only for Glutton consumption made from wood and glass.

Doing his best to remain inconspicuous - a monumental task for an Incubus - Cobalt slowly made his way through the crowd, smiling as he watched the happy demons all around him. Every now and then he'd see one of his students with their friends or family, finally relaxing now that the school year was over. Music was booming from loudspeakers set up here and there, and as he took it all in, he nearly tripped over the tail of a nearby Glutton.

"A- Ah, I'm so sorry!" Cobalt exclaimed, looking back.

"N- No, it's my-!" she responded, turning around.

Jelli, holding an icecream cone in each hand, froze in place upon realising just who she was talking to. The Glutton had gotten dressed up like everyone else for the festival; her frock was a pleasant pink colour, and decorated with frills and little embroidered fruits. As the icecream began to melt all over her hands, her breathing quickened.

"M- Mr. Trayer...! Y- You're...! You're okay!" the Glutton gasped, already halfway to tears.

"That I am, Jelli. That I am."

She frantically looked around for somewhere to put her icecreams down, but only despaired upon realising that there was nowhere available. Sighing sympathetically, Cobalt gently took them both from her, whereupon Jelli shot forward and hugged him tight.

"I was so worried! I- I tried to visit you as much as I could! I thought you were...!"

She abruptly broke down into a fit of sobbing and clung tighter to her teacher, putting a strain on his wounded back.

"I- Ich dachte, du würdest s- sterben!" the Glutton wailed, drawing a few sidelong gazes from passing demons.

Stuck holding two icecream cones, he was unable to do anything to comfort Jelli, so Cobalt just murmured reassurances to her as he silently willed her to let go of him.

"Th- There was blood everywhere, a- and your stomach was just... I- It was horrible!"

"I- I know, Jelli. But I'm okay now, see? I'm here, and I'm okay."

"I... I just wish I could have done more..."

"You did enough. You got people to safety, and you showed Diate that you weren't willing to back down. So please, no more 'sorrys'; you have nothing to apologise for."

She kept the embrace going for another few moments as her sobbing subsided.

"... V- Verzeihung..."

Though he didn't know exactly what she said, he understood her apologetic tone.

"It's okay, don't worry. Now, would you mind taking these back before they melt all over my jacket?"

"O- Oh! Of course!"

Taking a step back, she pulled both cones from her teacher's hands and carefully licked around their edges, stopping them from dripping. Swallowing hard, she looked sheepishly at her feet.

"S- Sorry for being such a, um... a crybaby..." the Glutton murmured.

Cobalt sighed.

"Jelli, what did I just say...?"

"Y- Yes, of course. I'm so-"

He gave her a look. Closing her mouth tightly, a little smile broke across her face as she nodded.

"Th- Thank you, Mr. Trayer," she said in a quiet voice.

The Incubus sighed again and patted her shoulder.

"I think we've been through enough for you to just call me Cobalt, don't you think?"

"I dunno, I still think 'sugar' has you summed up pretty nicely!" cried a jubilant voice from behind the pair.

Flinching as a purple hand suddenly clapped his shoulder, the Incubus staggered back as Karazelle Terna pulled both him and Jelli into a surprise hug, nearly causing the Glutton to drop her icecream. Like everyone else, the Succubus had gotten all dressed up for the occasion in an elegant black dress that hugged her figure quite nicely. Sweet perfume tickled his nose as she pulled them both close.

"K- Karazelle?!" Cobalt cried, trying his best not to trip over himself.

"The one and only!"

Letting go of them both, she took a step back and gave Cobalt a dazzling smile.

"Good to see you up and awake, sugar," she told him, clasping her hands behind her back.

Glancing from one to the other, a very red-faced Jelli swallowed audibly and nodded to herself.

"I- I'll, um... I'll let you guys talk. Um... s- see you later, Cobalt!" she piped before swiftly turning on her heel and scuttling off into the crowd, her tail beating nervously behind her.

Giggling, Karazelle slunk closer to her teacher and looped her arm through his.

"Honestly, I could just eat her up sometimes! Don't you think?"

Arm in arm, the Succubus urged him to walk alongside her as they began to slowly tour the festival grounds.

"Gotta say, it felt good to wake up next to you," Karazelle said aloud, smiling wistfully as she observed the excited demons all around them.

"I... don't know what came over me that night," he answered quietly.

"You really must have missed us, huh?"

He sighed.

"I can't really deny that."

She laughed, but her lurid smile soon softened.

"We'd been staying together in your room ever since the fight, you know. It was tough, to be honest; police and news reporters were absolutely swarming the place, trying to get to us. The whole town was in a tizzy once news broke about Diate's death."

Cobalt stared down at his feet.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to help..."

"What are you apologising for? You saved our lives, sugar!"

"In a most horrifying manner..."

Karazelle stopped in place. Taking his hands in hers, she stepped in front of her teacher and looked him deep in the eyes. The hustle and bustle all around them seemed to die away as their gazes locked.

"Don't be ashamed of what you are, Cobalt," Karazelle suddenly said in a soft, serious tone.

His eyes widened.

"But-"

"But nothing. That's what he wanted to think; that you're just some monster. I can't say I'm some expert on Incubi, but from what I learned up there, you're one of a kind. Whether you have abilities beyond your comprehension or not, what matters is that you used them to save us. And I am so, so thankful that you did," she interrupted.

The Incubus swallowed hard.

"This whole time... I didn't want any of you finding out what an Incubus really was. He wasn't wrong about that; we were born to be population control. To create nothing and devour everything."

She reached up and gently stroked Cobalt's cheek. Her eyes glimmered in the sunlight.

"I know what this Incubus is, and he's nothing like what that Devil prick described. He's kind, gentle and caring. He's always the voice of reason. He's my teacher and my closest friend. And right now, he's my hero," the Succubus breathed.

The Incubus found his words catching in his throat.

"K- Karazelle..."

"You did what you had to do. Like it or not, we're demons. Violence is just another facet of who we are. But Incubus or no, with all the burning blood and extra teeth and whatever..."

She reached up with her other hand and held his face, smiling in a way that made his heart flutter.

"... you will always be Cobalt Atticus Trayer. My sweet, sugary Cobalt."

Without any warning whatsoever, Karazelle leaned forward and kissed him.

It was soft, gentle and lasted for but an instant, but in that moment, Cobalt felt his entire world slow down and fade away all around him. The music, the voices, the engines of the food vans... It all melted away into nothingness as he stood there wide-eyed, his own heartbeat pounding in his head.

Karazelle broke the kiss after a second, leaving the lingering sweet taste of her lips upon his own.

"And don't you ever thing otherwise, alright?"

He couldn't speak, much to her amusement.

"Alright then. Hey, I'd head to the canteen if I were you. Most of the faculty and visitors seem to be gathering there, and I'd say they'd probably want to have words with you," the Succubus said with a cheeky grin.

"Wh- What?"

"Hey, I'd love nothing more than to keep you to myself all day, but I've still got a few errands to run for Momma before the celebrations can really begin. But once we're finished, we should go and hang out before the Aging Ceremony! A lot of places downtown are holding Summer Festival discounts!"

Karazelle held out her hand, her pinky finger extended.

"So, meet back here once everything's out of the way?" she asked, cocking her head.

Swallowing hard, Cobalt shakily looped his pinky aroud hers. Mistress Viola told him not to step off the campus, but...

"S- Sure thing."

"Alright then! It's a date!"

Twirling back around, Karazelle sauntered off into the crowd, leaving Cobalt there to stare at her as she went. Her wings fluttered upon her back, while her tail flicked this way and that in time to the music pumping through the speakers. Swallowing hard, he raised his hand to his lips.

She just...

He shook his head and turned around.

No. He wasn't going to worry himself with overthinking things. Not today.

He turned back in the direction of the canteen.

By the time he got back, the hired hands had all finished arrangig everything within the tent, and had moved onto the plaza outside. A large space had been cleared in the centre, whilst tables and chairs were set up around it. Over by one wall, technicians were plugging in various pieces of audio equipment, and a couple more helpers were moving music instruments into place. Dinner, a live band and an open space to dance in the evening, once the Aging Ceremony was over and done with. Honestly, Cobalt was beginning to feel a little bit excited.

"Ooh, mon héros! Yoohoo!" cried a familiar voice with a familiar forced-accent.

Craning his neck, he saw a trio of familiar demons standing by the open doors to the canteen. Madam Pudon stood there, frantically waving him over as she tried not to slosh a glash of wine everywhere. Beside her, Mr. Hersh looked up from the clipboard in his hands as Mr. Zespire hefted a crate filled with alcohol bottles onto his shoulder.

"Hah, there he is! Still fighting strong, squirt?" the Oni laughed as Cobalt limped over.

"Lay off him, Ethan; he's still recovering," the Glutton chided, lightly jabbing his elbow into his colleague's stomach.

Cobalt gave them all an exhausted smile.

"I'm glad to see you all safe," he sighed, scratching the back of his head.

"Not as glad as we are to see you still breathing, mon cherí!"

"Monique! Have some delicacy!"

The Incubus shook his head.

"No, it's alright. Honestly, I'm a little surprised that I've recovered as well as I have. Not that I'm not still hurting in places..." he informed them, holding a hand to his stomach.

Mr. Hersh gave him a sympathetic smile.

"Well, if it weren't for you, we wouldn't be having this conversation, Cobalt. Thank you. Truly," he said, bowing his head.

"Yeah! It was a good thing you sent them girls down when you did! Heh, it was a Hell of a thing; young Miss Brode disguised herself as a Sulfur Blood and just started unloading bullets into the ceiling out of nowhere! Scared the shit outta all of us!" Mr. Zespire chimed enthusiastically.

Cobalt's eyes widened.

"Sh- She did?!"

"Mm! Didn't hit shit with it, but knocked those assholes off their game enough for the rest of us to put up a fight!"

Monique sighed dramatically as she sipped her wine.

"Oh it was all over in a flash! One moment I'm whipping gangster left and right, and the next I'm escorting students out of the school! Then I hear you've gone and gotten skewered by a Devil!" she cried.

"Monique!" Mr. Hersh hissed.

"What? It's what happened, non?"

"Be that as it may, I'm sure Mr. Trayer doesn't want to be thinking about that particular experience right now! And for the love of- you're supposed to be helping us organise the drinks, not swigging them all yourself!"

"Lighten up, George; it's a party!" the Oni beside him laughed.

"Not yet it's not! Ugh..."

Shaking his head, the Glutton turned back to Cobalt.

"Well, it's good that you're here. Most of the heavy lifting is over and done with, but I think Mistress Viola could do with a hand inside. If you're feeling up to it, that is," he explained, jabbing a thumb over his shoulder at the open doors.

The Incubus nodded.

"Of course; I'll do what I can to help."

"Alright then. Get a move on, Ethan; we've got more things to carry."

As the three AD teachers shuffled off towards the bar within the marquee, Cobalt made his way into the canteen proper.

Most of the tables and chairs had been stacked and pushed aside to the corners of the room, save for those being used by the school staff to stack and organise all of the festival supplies. Crates of food were stacked by the door to the kitchens, from which emenated the sounds of aggressive meal preperation. His fellow teachers bustled this way and that, consulting with hired hands and event organisers as documents, boxes and electrical supplies constantly changed hands. In the middle of it all, Martha Cain stood, directing people this way and that as they rushed to get the Summer Festival up and running properly.

She noticed the Incubus as soon as he stepped inside, prompting them both to scowl.

"I see you've managed to crawl your way out of the hospital," the Fallen remarked, folding her arms.

Cobalt bit his tongue.

"It's nice to see you too, Martha," he responded.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Let's just... dispense with the pointed comments. It's been a rough few weeks on everyone," she sighed, folding her arms.

"Right..."

Though the canteen was clamouring, a moment of silence passed between the two.

"I'm not unthankful, you know."

"What?"

"About what you did? Diate needed putting down. If there's one thing Incubi are good at, it's that."

His brow furrowed, causing the Fallen to cluck her tongue and dip her hand into her pocket.

"Here. I took the liberty of gathering all of these up before the press swarmed the scene," she said, tossing a small plastic bag at him.

Catching it, Cobalt raised and eyebrow and peeked inside, only to blanch at the sight of the dozens of broken teeth that lay within. He quickly shut the bag.

"Um... why?" he asked.

"I was there at the Damned Defense. Saw the Hellhound in action, and the same thing happened to him; a lot of blood, and a lot of teeth. Lots of folks were scrambling to pick up souveniors of the battle once it was over with, and I figured you wouldn't want to see the same thing happen to your, eh..." she said, trailing off as she gestured to the bag.

"Right, well... thanks Martha. I suppose."

"Save it, Trayer. I still don't think you should be here. But you did save our lives, so I suppose I'm obliged to thank you for that at least."

It seemed there wasn't much that could possibly sweeten her vinegary attitude, so Cobalt just pocketed the bag of teeth and looked up at Martha.

"You're welcome. Is there anything I can do to help around here?" he asked.

She pointed to her far left.

"You could tell them to get out for a start. They've been hassling to see the Headmistress all day."

Following her finger, Cobalt looked over to see a group of Succubi clamouring around a very bewildered woman whom he recognised as one of the school's receptionists. She appeared to be trying to explain that only staff were allowed in the canteen, but the look on her face told him that she was nearing the end of her rope.

His face went paler upon realising that the Succubi in question were his sisters.

"Oh boy..." Cobalt breathed, steeling himself as he approached the rowdy quintuplets.

Azul was the first to notice his presense. Almost immedietely, she began to cry as she ran towards him with open arms.

"Cobalt~! You're okay~!" she squealed, fixing to scoop him up into her arms.

Thankfully, Viridi reached over and grasped her sister's shoulder, stopping her in her tracks.

"I wouldn't accost him, were I you," she said in a steely tone, looking over the rims of her spectacles.

"Why not?! He's been in hospital forever and they wouldn't let me hug him!"

"Exactly. He's suffered catastrophic damage to his internals; the last thing he needs is one of your hugs."

"What about one of mine?" Scarlet interjected, grinning as she cracked her knuckles.

"That would kill him for sure," Viridi sighed.

"What'd kill who for what?" Amber yawned, looking around blearily.

"Your brother's alive; at least try to look lively."

"He's your brother too."

"Not my point, Amber."

Clearing his throat, Cobalt waved for their attention.

"Hi everyone. It's good to see you all again, but-"

"You're really leading with that?" Scarlet interjected, raising an eyebrow, "You decapitate a fucking Devil and the first thing you say to us after weeks in hospital is 'hi everyone?'"

Amber's eyes widened at her sister's words.

"Wait, Cobalt killed someone?" she asked in an alarmed tone.

"In self defense. Well, in defense of everyone here, actually. But yes, he killed a Devil and was crippled for it. I can't believe you've forgotten already," Viridi sighed, adjusting her glasses.

"We visited him every day! How could you forget?!" Azul cried.

"Well, you visited him every day."

Cobalt sighed. As glad as he was to see his sisters now that the imminent danger had passed, he had to admit that he was already having a hard time coping with them all. Swallowing hard, he cleared his throat again, drawing their attention back to him.

"I, um... I understand I'm due for a catch-up with you all, but I really think you should all go. This is staff only, you see, and you're kind of disrupting," he said in a sympathetic tone, scratching the back of his head.

"Damn. Grew some balls in that hospital bed, huh? Kicking us out when we just came to say hi," Scarlet joked, grinning as she folded her arms.

"I'm not disrupting anything; I was just following them," Amber added, pointing to the others.

"We came here with Mother. We're just waiting for her," Viridi informed Cobalt, folding her arms.

Beside her, Azul looked around with an uncertain look on her face.

"Um... where's Violet?" she asked.

Sure enough, only four of the five were present. Right as the Incubus was about to second her question, however, he felt a strong pair of hands suddenly grab his shoulders from behind.

"Right here," he heard the voice of his fifth sister hiss.

He tried to turn around, but Violet's heavy grip kept him pinned in place.

"All you ever seem to fucking do is worry Mom, you know that? She was up at that hospital nearly every damn day because of you. She hasn't fucking slept since that shit with Diate."

Cobalt swallowed hard.

"I- I'm sorry," he breathed.

"Hey Violet, lay off him for once. He's just come back from getting skewered," Scarlet said sternly.

"I'm sick of giving him free fucking passes! First the Everlast, then that damn wedding, and now this! I'm sick of Mom killing herself over your petty bullshit!"

She shoved Cobalt hard, knocking the Incubus to the floor and drawing the attention of everyone in the canteen. Struggling to get back to his feet, he turned around to see his sister standing there, fists balled with rage.

"You're a selfish prick, Cobalt! Did you ever stop to think about that?!" she yelled, baring her teeth.

"Violet!" gasped Azul, hunkering down to assist her brother.

But Cobalt just waved her off, climbing back to his feet by himself. Holding a hand to his injured stomach, the Incubus took a deep breath and looked up into Violet's eyes.

"I... used to wonder why you were always so mean to me. But I get it now," he said calmly.

"What?"

"I'm sorry about Brass. I know you cared about him, and I know on the day you lost him, you got me in his place. I get that I'm no substitute, but..."

He exhaled deeply.

"What I did to Diate... I did to follow his legacy. It was horrible, but it needed to be done. To keep the people I care about safe. And that includes my family," he said, straightening up.

His words seeemed to strike a chord with Violet, completely shattering her enraged facade for a split second. She looked hurt, shocked and saddened, but it soon quickly devolved into anger again as she bore her fists and leaped at her brother, screaming with rage.

Before she could make contact, Scarlet stepped in, grabbing her quintuplet around the waist and hoisting her up onto her shoulder.

"Calm the fuck down, Violet!" she chided, holding the struggling Succubus aloft.

"How can you just fucking let him say that?! He didn't know Dad! He doesn't know shit about anything!"

Shaking her head, Scarlet looked back at her siblings.

"I'm gonna go take her for a drink, get her to cool off. Failing that, I'll just throw her ass in the lake," she quipped, giving them all a thumbs-up.

With her sister squirming and screaming on her shoulder, she marched out of the canteen, leaving the rest of her family to watch as they left.

Viridi took a deep breath.

"Mother said she told you about Fa- erm, Dad," she sighed, watching the others leave over the rims of her spectacles.

"She did. It was a lot to take in."

"I can imagine. We all looked up to him, Violet most of all. I believe part of her blames you for taking him from us, but that's just irrationality brought on by grief."

Cobalt looked down at his feet sadly.

"I don't blame her. I've put this family through a lot of stress," he murmured.

Viridi shook her head and put a hand on her brother's shoulder.

"I suppose you have. But that's what families are for; to shoulder each other's burdens. Violet still cares about you as much as the rest of us do. She lashes out because she doesn't want to lose anyone else, especially not the legacy child Dad so direly wished for."

His eyes widened as he felt Azul hug him from behind.

"Sorry we didn't tell you before, Cobalt. But Mom didn't wanna dump it all on you. Also, sorry for lying about being your sisters. W- Well, we're still your half-sisters, so that counts, right?"

Amber reached over and tousled his hair.

"Eh, half-sisters is too long a word. Let's just stick with sisters," she yawned.

As he felt the warm compassion of his siblings all around him, Cobalt smiled.

"Yeah... let's."

He always felt a little different from them; being an Incubus didn't help that. But now it made sense, considering he had a different father to the quintuplets. But they still accepted Brass as their Dad and took his name, and he raised them as his own, even for what little time he spent with them.

Scarlet, Amber, Viridi, Azul and Violet were his sisters, and always have been. Quirks aside, he felt loved by them, and he loved them in return.

"Well, with all that out of the way, I think we ought to head after them. I don't think Scarlet was joking about throwing Violet in the lake," Viridi said after a moment, stepping away.

Amber nodded.

"Pretty sure she's done that to one of us before."

Behind Cobalt, Azul reluctantly let go of her brother.

"Wasn't that you, Amber?" she asked.

"Was it?"

"Yeah, we lost track of you once you went under the water. Scared us all until we found you an hour later with all those ducks."

Viridi smiled.

"Ah yes, the ducks that then proceeded to imprint upon you. That was quite a lark. Anyway, shall we go; we wouldn't wish to disrupt proceedings any further now, would we?"

"R- Right!"

After giving a brief farewell to their brother, the rest of the quintuplets filed out of the canteen, much to the relief of all the event staff that they had been hassling. Shaking his head with a smile, he looked back at Martha, who just raised an unimpressed eyebrow before she jabbed a finger at the stairwell leading to the canteen's second floor. Cobalt cocked his head questioningly, only for her to roll her eyes and make a shooing gesture. Confused, he just headed towards the stairs and began making his way up.

The second level of the canteen, unlike the first, hadn't been touched. All of the tables and chairs remained as they were, and there wasn't an event planner or box of equipment in sight. Only two other demons were up there; a pair of Succubi, both sharing a glass of wine.

Cobalt felt himself going a little pale at the sight of both Mistress Viola and his own mother. His employer gestured for him to sit, whilst Jezebel nearly knocked the table over with how fast she rose from her seat. Before either could intervene, she raced over to her son and wrapped him up in a tight, slightly-painful hug.

"Snookums, you're okay!" she cried, spinning her son around in a loving embrace.

"Y- Yeah, I- I'm okay...!" Cobalt choked, wincing as she put pressure on his midsection.

"I got so scared when you disappeared from the hospital! Then I got a call from Viola saying you were here, and I raced down as quickly as possible with the girls and- oh hellfire, I was so scared!"

"M- Mom, please put me down!"

Surprisingly, she obliged, only for her to start unbuttoning his suit jacket.

"Oh that Devil bastard... He didn't hurt you too bad, did he? Let Mommy see," Jezebel babbled, opening the jacket before making a start on his shirt.

"Mom!"

"Jezzy, please stop stripping the boy. I only just got him to put the suit on," Viola sighed from the table, burying her face in her palm.

"They wouldn't let me see at the hospital! I want to know what the damage is!"

"Jezzy. Give him some room to breathe. He's a grown man."

Eyes widening at her words, Cobalt's mother gingerly rebuttoned her son's shirt and took a step back.

"That he is... sorry, snookums," she sighed, gently cupping his cheek.

Smiling, he reached up and touched her hand. Normally, he felt overwhelmingly negative feelings towards his mother's affectionate outbursts, but this time... it felt nice to know that she was looking out for him.

"It's alright Mom. Um, miss, Martha told me to head up here. Did you need something?" he asked, looking over Jezebel's shoulder.

Surprisingly, the headmistress just shook her head and kicked a chair out from the other side of the table.

"Not particularly. Come. Sit," she instructed.

Nodding, the Incubus took a seat opposite his employer whilst Jezebel sat back down next to her. Taking a long drink from her wine, Viola swirled the glass for a moment before looking up at Cobalt.

"So. It's finally setting in," she said, looking over the glass.

"Sorry?"

"The physical changes. Ones that are reported to only happen after Incupsychosis sets in."

Jezebel, wide eyed, looked over at her friend in shock as Cobalt swallowed hard and shuffled about uncomfortably on his seat. Taking a deep breath, he reaching into his pocket and pulled out the bag of teeth.

"... Yes. They are," he said quietly.

"Oh snookums..." his mother breathed, gingerly picking it up and staring at the contents.

"Aside from your students, Nurse Elya, Martha Cain and all present here, nobody else knows this. I'm not willing to give the tabloids any more material to work with; they're already having a field day with this whole sordid affair."

"That's good. I- I think."

He frowned.

"Wait, if the changes are only supposed to happen after... you know... then why are they happening to me?" he asked.

"Strictly speaking, the symptoms are supposed to show in the days and weeks before an Incubus' twenty-first birthday. Increased body temperature, spontaneous growth of sharpened teeth, the ability to grow teeth in strange places... It differs from case to case, but that's generally how it goes. Same thing happened to your father, before his time came," Viola explained coolly.

Jezebel nodded and took a deep swig of her wine.

"Y- Yes, that's right. His skin would light up as his blood got really, really hot... The teeth thing only happend in the last few days, though..."

"Right. You, on the other hand, are undergoing the full changes, even though your body is still that of an adolescent. It seems Everlast can't stop everything."

"Please don't say that, Viola..." Cobalt's mother said quietly.

She shook her head.

"I'm not saying he's going to end up like the rest of them. I'm just saying that we're in completely unfamiliar territory now; there's no recorded case of an Incubus with Everlast in all of Hell."

Swallowing hard, Cobalt looked down at his hands as he nervously toyed with his tie.

"R- Right..."

"Truth be told, boy, I'm worried about you. Your mind may be safe, but your body currently isn't. The doctors said you managed to survive because of unforseen circumstances, but if you get seriously wounded again, then..."

He cocked his head.

"What are you trying to say?" he asked.

Viola made a face and stared into her wine, only for Jezebel to interject.

"Snookums... Viola was wondering whether you'd maybe... want to step down?" she said, wincing as she spoke the words.

His eyes widened.

"What?!" Cobalt cried, nearly standing straight up out of his chair.

"Let me explain, before you get twisted up!" Viola snapped, raising a hand.

Feeling a lump form in his throat, he nodded and sat back down, prompting her to sigh.

"Tertiary level teaching is one of the most dangerous levels in our profession. Primary deals with children, unable to perform dangerous magic. Secondary deals with newly-transitioned teens, still figuring themselves out. But tertiary... you're working with second stage adults. Adults that fight and bicker and scrap all the time. Violence breaks out often, and it's up to the teachers to put out those proverbial fires before they even begin," she explained, steepling her fingers.

Viola took a deep breath.

"I had my doubts, but I can see it now; you've inherited your father's strength, even if you're not willing to admit it. Just look at your hands."

At her command, he looked down at the scars spanning his knuckles, left from the sharpened ice edifice back at the Brimstone Bathes.

"He had the same wounds, left from years of brawling. You shattered ice stronger than steel. You went toe to toe with Parracidio. You survived a fatal blow and behead a Devil," she continued, speaking words that frightened both mother and son.

Viola sipped her wine.

"But you're not a fighter, Cobalt. I know this, and your mother knows this. Which is why I'm saying this; step down as a teacher. I'm not forcing you, but it's within your best interests. I don't want to see you getting hospitalised again, and besides..."

She sighed again, but this one was heavier. Almost regretful.

"... was teaching ever really your passion? Is there not something else you'd rather do?"

Cobalt stared at the floor.

Was there anything else he'd rather do? Looking back, he struggled to think of anything other than teaching. He had no hobbies. He had no aspirations beyond being a teacher. He rooted through his muddled memories of his younger years, but could only remember one thing about the days after he graduated, once he had returned from the Phrodival Undercroft.

He felt like he had nothing ahead of him. Nothing to strive for. He found a list of colleges and universities that he qualified for, but couldn't find a single course that piqued his interest.

It was only passing mention. Someone that wasn't even talking to him.

"Hey, did you know they're doing tertiary teaching courses in Oxford? I knew the education labour deficit was bad, but damn... Must be trying to get Earthbornes back Hellside."

And it was then he decided to go to Oxford to become a qualified demonic teacher. Just to help out, like it was the right thing to do.

Cobalt shook his head.

"I... wouldn't know what to do," he said aloud after much consideration.

Jezebel reached over and gently took her son's hand.

"That's okay, snookums. You can come live back home. Rediscover the things you used to love."

What...?

He pulled his hand away and shook his head.

"I- I'm sorry, but... I must decline your offer. I want to stay here," he said aloud, his voice sounding firmer than before.

Viola sighed as Jezebel's face fell.

"Well, as I said, I won't force you. You've earned a place here through valour, if nothing else. But just answer me this, boy; why?" the headmistress asked, leaning back as she folded her arms.

Why? It was a good question. His students had a long way to go before they started to respect him. He had a long way to go to become halfway competant.

But if he wasn't teaching here, how else would he help Jelli overcome her anxieties? How would he acclimate Quinn to life in Hell? How would he make sure Lottie got the learning assistance she needed? How would he assist Whitney in being true to herself? How would he ensure Elya ensure the student body's health? How would he keep Izzbelle's temper under wraps?

And Karazelle. How would he...

Well. She didn't really need him for anything. But he still wouldn't wish to leave her, not when she was showing so much promise in her studies.

And especially not when they were so close.

"I... believe in my students. And I want to see this through to the end with them. I won't give up; not on them, not on my job, and not on myself. I don't know why I set out to be a teacher, but I've grown to love the path I've taken. I know you're worried for my safety, but as you said, I'm a grown man. I can handle it."

He bowed his head.

"I promise."

Hearing a sniffle, he looked up to see that Jezebel was beginning to tear up.

"You're... the spit of your father, snookums. I- I'm sorry," she stammered, wiping her eyes on the table cloth.

Patting Jezebel's pack, Viola gave Cobalt a stern look, but he could sense no ill will behind her eyes.

"Well then... I suppose I'll ensure all arrangements are made for your tenure next year," she said.

Feeling a smile creep across his face, the Incubus got to his feet and bowed, thanking her profusely.

"Get your head up, boy; today's a day of celebration. Go. Drink, eat and be merry," Viola said with a wave.

"I'll see you later, snookums!" Jezebel added.

Buzzing with excitement, Cobalt limped down the stairs and headed out of the canteen, back towards the festival grounds. Sure enough, Karazelle was already standing at their meeting point, but she wasn't alone. Lottie was next to her, idly playing with Quinn's hat while the Imp flicked bits of gravel at Whitney, who was angrily flicking them back. Jelli nervously rocked back and forth on her heels, occasionally glancing over at Elya, who was staring out into the middle distance.

"You're all coming?" asked Cobalt, stepping into the circle.

"Oh, didn't I mention? This isn't a monogamous date," Karazelle said with a cheeky grin.

Whitney scoffed at her words.

"It isn't any kind of date!" the Nymph cried.

"I'd hope not. Would be a bit awkward if I were here, then," Quinn added, taking advantage of her opponent's distraction to ping a piece of gravel right at Whitney's forehead.

"Ooh ooh, everyone shut up; she's here!" Karazelle suddenly cried, unceremoniously clamping her hand over the Nymph's mouth.

They all turned around to see the looming figure of an Oni making her way down the path.

Cobalt's eyes widened. It was Izzbelle.

She was wearing the wedding dress, but it was nothing like he remembered it. The scorched fabric and tattered ends had been cut away, and some of the embroidery had been restitched. The dress ended at just above her knees, and the neck had been deepened, drawing the eye down to the Oni's chest. Not only that, but Whitney had provided some silver bangles and a light shawl to complete the look.

"Holy shit... strike us a pose, tiger!" Karazelle whooped, clapping excitedly.

"Sh- Shut the fuck up!" Izzbelle retorted, stumbling a little in the shoes she was provided.

"Y- You look very pretty, Izzbelle!" Jelli piped, going red in the face at the sight of her.

This time, the Oni very nearly did toppled over, threatening to crush a pair of nearby Imps.

"No I fuckin' don't...!"

"C'mon Izzbelle, I put the work in; at least wear it with pride!" Whitney called.

"I fuckin' am, alright?!"

Once she finally teetered her way over to the group, the Oni shuffled her feet and folded her arms.

"This is fuckin' stupid..." she grumbled, adjusting the shawl around her arms.

Cobalt stared, completely wide-eyed.

"I was right," he said aloud.

She cocked an eyebrow.

"About what?"

"You do look completely stunning."

Cheeks burning, Izzbelle turned away for a moment, before she suddenly grabbed Jelli's wrist and began marching towards the school gates.

"Aagh! Let's just get this fuckin' over and done with!" she cried, dragging the Glutton behind her.

Karazelle giggled.

"Oh this is gonna be so much fun...!"

As the rest of them followed, Cobalt began to head after them, only to stop in his tracks upon noticing Elya. She hadn't moved an inch, and was still staring in the middle distance.

"Elya?" he called.

She didn't responded. He walked back and gently took the Fallen's hand, snapping her out of her reverie.

"Yes, my love?" she asked, turning her violet gaze onto him.

"Are you coming?"

She blinked a couple of times before looking down at her hand in his. Her gaze softened.

"I would follow you anywhere, my love."

"Alright then. Let's go catch up!"

 

-----

 

The entire town was already abuzz with excitement following the news of a Devil attack upon the local tertiary school, and now that the Summer Festival had arrived, Brimstone had exploded into wild festivities. Flags, bunting and other such decorations had been hung from everywhere imaginable, and demons all around were loudly singing disjointed songs about the invincibility of their kind, declaring themselves to bow to no Devil, not now or ever. It was almost impossible to know where to go first.

Thankfully, Karazelle had something of a rough itenerary sketched out for them, filled with things to do before they had to return for the Aging Ceremony.

First was the park, which had been kitted out with all manner of carnival rides and stalls, set up for those unwilling or unable to attend the festivities on the B.I.D. campus. Though Elya and Whitney were unwilling, the Succubus managed to convince the rest of the group to get on rather frightening-looking rollercoaster. Lottie, Quinn and Karazelle sat in one car, whilst Cobalt sat up front, squeezed between Izzbelle and Jelli. It was exhilarating, yes, but such things were difficult to appreciate when one was crammed between a bulky Oni and a Glutton that started to cry before the ride even began. By the time it was over, Jelli was shivering from her head to her tail, and refused to let go of him as they disembarked.

Next, Karazelle brought them to a much calmer end of the park, where games stalls operated alongside street performers. Cobalt enjoyed it much more than the rides; it was nice to spend time just watching his students as they played the various games on offer. Izzbelle in particular got quite attached to an air gun shooting gallery, though not in a good way. The Oni was convinced that her poor aim was somehow the stall owner's fault, and at one point Cobalt had to step in to prevent her from physically assaulting the poor man. By the time he convinced her not to get arrested before evening dinner, the others had already returned, each carrying a fair amount of tokens they had won at each of the stalls.

Upon pooling them together, the group found that they had enough to afford a single plush doll of a holstein cow. They gave it to Lottie, who immedietely fell in love with the toy and called it 'Bedda'.

Once they had their fill of fun and games, Karazelle dragged them all across town to Bloody Hell, though they had to stop for a break once Cobalt's legs threatened to give out when they were halfway there. Izzbelle offered to carry him the rest of the way, but her words prompted a rather violent reaction from Elya, who then declared that she'd carry him there by himself, which forced the rest of them to restrain the Fallen right as she tried to grab Cobalt and jet off into the sky. Once they stopped arguing, he found that his leg pains probably wouldn't be as much of a hassle as listening to them bicker, so he bit his tongue and kept on his way.

By the time they arrived, it was far past noon, and the club was surprisingly quiet. The heavy music that Cobalt had come to expect was instead replaced by some softer, more jovial tunes to reflect the town's festive mood, and most of the patrons were sticking to lighter drinks, likely whetting their appetites in anticipation of the night, when things were set to really explode.

The Summer Festival was an event universally looked forward to by every demon in Hell; it was a time when everyone could really let loose.

Sitting at the bar of Bloody Hell, Cobalt drummed his fingers against it's wooden surface as he watched his students with a smile. Despite the calm music, Karazelle had forced Whitney out onto the dancefloor, and the two were locked in a strange set of movements that toed the line between a waltz and a fistfight. Quinn and Lottie had gotten a booth for themselves, though for some reason, the Imp decided to squash Elya between the pair of them, much to her own amusement, no doubt. Izzbelle and Jelli were sitting at the other end of the bar, both looking very red-faced as they shared a drink that they had sworn they ordered seperately.

"Hell of a crowd you've brought me, kid," spoke a familiar voice behind the bar.

Cobalt looked over to see the one-eyed bartender, Dassie Dals, standing near him, cleaning a mug with a rag as she grinned.

"Well, it was Karazelle's idea to bring us all here," he replied.

"Heh. Karazelle. That her macking on the Nymph over there?" she asked, pointing at the dancefloor.

Sure enough, Karazelle had somehow gotten a leg up on Whitney, and was leaning her over with her lips pursed, ready to kiss her like she was in a romance movie. The Nymph was still putting up a fight, however, and was pushing her face away with one hand as she struggled to keep balance with the other.

"It certainly is," he laughed.

"Colourful bunch. All of them yours?" Dassie pressed.

"M- My students, yes. Well, except Elya, she's a colleague."

"That's the older Fallen giving me a death stare, yeah?"

Cobalt glanced over his shoulder. Sure enough, Elya was glaring daggers at the barkeep.

"Don't take it personally. She does that with everyone."

This caused her to laugh.

"Hah, you keep strange company, kid! Just like your pops, eh?"

Cobalt's eyes widened.

"Like Brass?"

Nodding, the Succubus scratched behind her eyepatch and leaned against the bar, displaying the impressive amount of scars on her forearms.

"Yup. Once that whole hooha with Diate - may he finally fucking rot - went public, the Rowdy Boys dropped by for a drink. We caught up, spoke of old times, and had a drink to your recovery. Gotta say, kid; you're shaping up to be a Hellhound in your own right!" Dassie said with a grin.

The Incubus nodded slowly.

"I must thank Caeneus next time I see him. If it weren't for him, I probably never would have found out about Brass."

"Aye well, I'm sorry I couldn't be more help to you at the time. Hey, now that Diate's dead and the whole damn world's gonna know about it, maybe we'll finally be able to give him the veneration he deserves!"

His eyes widened. She raised an excellent point; the Brimstone government wouldn't be able to contain news of Diate's reappearance, not with it happening in an age of internet and instant messaging. The news would get out, but once it did, there would be no reason to try and conceal what happened in 1994. The town wouldn't have to pretend that Brass never existed anymore! Which meant...!

"... He can finally be known as a hero..." Cobalt breathed, looking up at Dassie.

She grinned a toothy grinned and began reaching for some bottles beneath the bar. Her hand blurred from how fast she worked, she quickly whipped up a drink for Cobalt and slammed it on the bar in front of him.

"Here; a Dustop Divekick, your father's own recipe. Minus the snake venom, of course," she said with a laugh, quickly making one for herself.

Raising the glass, she turned to Cobalt.

"To praising your dad for the hero he was."

Picking up his own glass, he clinked it against hers.

"Cheers, Dassie."

He tipped it down his throat, and immedietely regretted it as the potent spirits began to burn a hole through his stomach. Laughing uproariously, Dassie cleared the glasses away and slapped Cobalt on the back.

"Hah! You certainly didn't inherit his alcohol tolerance, that's for sure!" the Succubus roared over the music.

"A- Agh... thanks..."

"Don't mention it! Just go enjoy yourself with your girls, you hear me? Make your pops proud, kid!"

"W- Will do...!"

Stumbling off the barstool, Cobalt limped over to Quinn's booth, who was currently in the middle of stacking coasters on top of Elya's head. The Fallen had once again gone completely still, staring into the middle distance with her eyes glazed over.

"Is she okay?" asked the Incubus, sitting down next to Lottie.

"Dunno. She started going for her knife when she saw the barmaid hitting on you, then went dead," Quinn responded, going for another coaster.

"She wasn't hitting on me."

"Missed your chance there, then; she's got that battleworn MILF look going for her."

Lottie looked up from her drink, which Cobalt realised - with some alarm - was actually a White Russian.

"What's baddlewor milk? Is it nice?" she asked, cocking her head.

"Uh... yes?" Quinn answered, glancing over at her teacher.

"I like milk," Lottie said simply, returning to sipping her drink through a straw.

Cobalt watched her with a furrowed brow.

"So I can see... Quinn, should she be drinking that?" he asked.

The Imp shrugged and took a sip from her own cider.

"Why not? She's an adult," she responded.

"Right... Lottie, do you know what you're drinking?"

The straw popped out of the Golem's mouth as she looked up at the Incubus.

"Funny milk," she answered, before returning her attention to the straw.

"... Quinn, if she gets drunk, you're responsible for taking care of her."

"Oh I knew that before we even walked into the bar."

Cobalt took a deep breath. He supposed he just had to hope that Lottie had a surprisingly high alcohol tolerance.

 

-----

 

Unsurprisingly, Lottie had no resistance to alcohol whatsoever. By the time evening rolled around and Karazelle informed the group that it was time to return to the campus, the Golem had completely passed out on the table, spilling the remains of her drink everywhere as she used Bedda as a pillow. Unable to just leave her there, Izzbelle wound up having to carry the slumbering Golem all the way back to B.I.D., whereupon Quinn decided she'd take her up to her room to sleep it off, stating that she'd rather miss out on the ceremony than leave Lottie by herself.

With the pair headed off for the dorms, the rest of the group made for the central stage, where it seemed most of the town had gathered in anticipation of the Aging Ceremony. Third-year students stood upon the stage, arranged by class and all wearing loose robes as they whispered excitedly to one another. A minister stood nearby, flipping through his Book of Aneop for the correct passages to recite once the Rite of Maturation began. All around them, hundreds of folding chairs had been setup to accomodate the rest of the students, family members and other onlookers, with the school staff sitting up front. Once they were ready, Cobalt bid a brief farewell to his students as he and Elya made their way to the front row.

"It seems an age since I last witnessed this," the Fallen commented, sitting down next to Madam Pudon, who appeared to be already drunk.

Cobalt smiled weakly as he took his place next to her.

"I know it wasn't my time yet, but I wish I could have been there, back when you graduated," he said sympathetically.

"As do I. But alas, you were hospitalised, and there was nothing that could be done."

"Indeed..."

He watched for a moment as Mistress Viola took to the stage, microphone in hand. The musci died down as she began to speak, but Cobalt wasn't listening.

"Elya... Do you know why I was in hospital back then?" he asked, glancing over at the Fallen.

She didn't answer for a while, instead staring into the middle distance once more as the lights flashed in her purple hued eyes.

"... I cannot say."

"You can't remember?"

"I just... cannot say."

Feeling uneasy, Cobalt shook his head and instead decided to drop the issue. Returning his attention to the stage, the headmistress pulled out a ledger and began to list off the names of all the third-year students, shaking the hands of each as they stepped over to her and shook her hand.

He never got that handshake. He couldn't fathom why, but he felt a little envious.

Once that was out of the way, Mistress Viola stepped off the stage and made way for the minister, who dusted down his grey robes and opened his book. Clearing his throat, he leaned into the microphon and began to chant.

"Suut seid tinevda. Mureup da metnecseloda, metnecseloda da sutluda. Amrifnoc. Ouca. Erarudbo," he spoke in a slow, clear voice.

Gradually, each and every one of the third-years began to glow; softly at first, then growing stronger as the Rite was spoken.

Cobalt swallowed hard, feeling a shiver run down his spine upon hearing those words. The last time he heard them, he was deep underground, bound from head to toe in restraints. He could still feel his body try and fail to react to the incantation.

"Nomead se. Mulet. Snetop ni eruj out. Tse supmet."

The glow of the students grew dazzling bright, lighting up the darkening sky and forcing several members of the audience to shield their eyes. The Incubus just watched on, feeling his heart fall as the minister raised his hand.

"IRIRO!" he cried, slamming his hand against the book.

There was a concussive blast of force as a gust of wind suddenly shot forth from the brightly-shining students. The light grew blinding for a split second before gradually dying away. Looking up, Cobalt saw that each and every one of the students had successfully reached their third stage, filling out their robes as they grew taller, broader and more fully grown.

No Everlast Syndrome in this year's graduates, then.

The audience erupted into applause.

The next half-hour was something of a blur for the Incubus, but he didn't really mind much. It was nice to have the attention taken off him as parents and family members rushed to welcome the newly-matured students, who in turn were checking out their new appearance in hand mirrors and phone cameras. With the ceremony concluded, Viola made the announcement for everyone to head to the marquee; now that night had fallen and the Summer Festival was drawing to a close, it was time to feast.

Moving along with the crowd, Cobalt eventually managed to meet back up with his students, who quickly guided him to a table just outside the marquee, close to the stage where the band was ready to start performing.

"Hell of a show, eh sugar?" Karazelle piped, scootching her chair close to his as the first course was carried out of the canteen by event staff.

"Hm? O- Oh yes, of course."

"Went smoother than last year's, anyway. Poor Evie Gorga's robe was the wrong size, and she kinda 'popped out' once the Rite was said."

At the other side of the table, Whitney hissed through her teeth.

"Oof, I remember that. Kinda felt bad for her," the Nymph commented, playing with her cutlery.

"Well, I wouldn't. She was an exhibitionist, so I'm almost certain she got the wrong size on purpose."

Whitney gave her a look.

"How the Hell do you know that?"

"I pride myself in knowing everyone's fetishes. You, Butterskin, like having your ears-"

"Gaagh! Shut the fuck up, Whoretits!" she cried, flinging a spoon at Karazelle.

Dodging the oncoming projectile, the Succubus turned her lurid grin onto Cobalt.

"Well sugar? You just gotta ask and I can lay everyone's deepest desires bare~"

"U- Um... I don't think that's terribly appropriate, Karazelle," he murmured, watching as bowls of soup were brought to each table.

"Oh c'mon, we're all friends here! We'll start with Izzbelle!"

"No the fuck you will not!" the Oni roared, slamming her fist agains the table and rattling everything upon it.

"Okay, Jelli then."

"YOU REALLY WANNA FUCKIN' DIE TONIGHT, HUH?!"

Rolling her eyes, Karazelle slumped back in her chair as their food arrived.

"Really, you're all a bunch of prudes," she sighed, sticking her lower lip out.

"How about we just enjoy our dinner?"

"Heh, alright then."

With that, they each dug into their starters.

Between the soothing music from the live performers, the pleasantly cool night breeze and the warm atmosphere of the outdoor dining experience, Cobalt found himself relaxing as the courses passed him by. The catering staff cut no corners with their preparation; replacing empty plates with new dishes almost as quickly as they were being consumed. At first, Jelli tried to restrain herself, but before long, she - along with nearly every other Glutton at the dinner - were tearing into their sixth and seventh servings. Izzbelle mainly went for meat dishes, while Whitney stuck to the vegetarian options. Only Elya seemed not to be in the mood for eating; disinterestedly picking at her food with a single chopstick almost the whole meal.

By the time the main course was almost over with, Quinn and a still-buzzed Lottie made a reappearance, joining the group just in time for dessert.

"Sorry we're late; Lottie had to introduce Bedda to the rest of her plushes," the Imp informed them, pulling over a pair of chairs from another table while their previous occupants were off getting drinks at the bar.

"She's my new friend~!" Lottie giggled, her cheeks flushed with drunken joy.

"No worries. You joined us just in time for pudding," Cobalt told them, nodding at the canteen entrance as a whole cadre of caterers carried plates upon plates of desserts out.

"Yaaay!"

With the whole gang back together, the group gathered a sizable selection of pastries, baked goods and frozen treats at their table, laid out like a veritable buffet of sweetness, much to Jelli's excitement. As soon as a magnificent pavlova was introduced to the table, she succumbed to her sweet tooth and tore into it, much to everyone's amusement.

As the drinks flowed and the night drew on, people began to leave their tables in order to dance before the stage, shaking and twirling in the moonlight as the music rang out through the night. Cobalt just sat and watched for a moment before glancing over at Karazelle, who was watching the dancers with a look of longing in her eyes.

Should he...?

He swallowed hard. It probably wasn't his place to ask.

But...

"Karazelle?" he asked quietly.

"Hm?" responded the Succubus, turning her eyes onto him.

Shaking a little, Cobalt offered his hand.

"Would you... like to dance?"

Her eyes lit up with excitement as a great big smile broke out across her face.

"Oh sugar, I thought you'd never ask...!"

Taking him by the hands, she gently pulled the Incubus out of his seat and onto the dancefloor. Their sudden appearance attracted whoops and laughs from the various students all around them, but at that moment in time, Cobalt didn't care. Part of him told him that it wasn't right for a teacher and a student to be dancing, but for probably the first time since he arrived at B.I.D., Cobalt shushed himself and went with the moment.

He was a clumsy dancer, and she was perfect, but Karazelle didn't seem to mind. She would lightly tap her feet against his ankles, guiding his movements in time to the steady music. They were waltzing together beneath the glittering moonlight, and she looked...

"... breathtaking..." Cobalt murmured absentmindedly.

"Something on your mind, sugar?" Karazelle asked, cocking her head as they slowly spun around.

"Y- Your dancing! I never knew you were so well-practiced!"

"I'll let you in on a little secret, then; I like to practice alone in my room sometimes."

She stuck out a cheeky tongue.

"But I wouldn't mind an audience, if you felt so inclined," she added, winking.

Strangely enough, he could feel no underlying canality to her words. As they danced, Cobalt kept expecting some kind of flirty advance or lewd joke from his student, but all Karazelle did was smile at him, humming softly to the music as she held him close.

"I had no-one to dance with last year."

"R- Really?"

"Mm. I didn't feel close enough to anyone. But now I've got you; my favourite teacher. And a whole bunch of friends to share you with besides," she said with a grin, letting go of Cobalt's hands.

Abandoning him in the middle of the dancefloor for a moment, the Succubus dashed over to their table and grabbed Jelli's wrists, who made a surprised cheeping noise as she was dragged out towards her teacher.

"You're up, sweetie!" Karazelle laughed, pushing the Glutton towards him.

Eyes widening, Cobalt jumped forward just in time to catch her before she feel. Tail wagging and cheeks burning, Jelli clung to her teacher as she looked around nervously.

"A- Ah... i- ich kann nicht tanzen...!" she murmured to herself in a jilted, frightened tone.

Swallowing hard, the Incubus held her hands and steadied her.

"Are you alright?" he asked, looking deep into Jelli's gooey hazel eyes.

Her face grew redder as she met his gaze.

"Um... I- I can't dance, and I don't want to embarrass you. I- I'm sure you wouldn't want to be seen with me anyway, and um..." she stammered nervously, looking away.

Cobalt shook his head.

"It's alright, Jelli; I can't dance either," he said with a smile.

Holding her hands in the same way Karazelle held his, he began to guide Jelli's uncertain movements.

"But we don't need to be good at it. Just do what feels natural, okay?"

She nodded shakily.

"O- Okay!"

Dancing with Jelli was difficult, to say the least. The Glutton was uncertain on her feet, constantly stumbling or tripping as her tail rapidly wagged behind her, disrupting the poor girl's balance. But Cobalt did his best to keep her steady, smiling encouragingly at her whenever she looked up into her eyes.

From start to finish, Jelli was always there for him, doing her best for his sake. She was emotional and constantly down on herself, but he knew for a fact that the Glutton was as kind-hearted as they came. Just being around her set him at ease.

He felt his own cheeks blushing. The only thing about her that tied his stomach up were the feelings she confessed to him that night in the hospital. He couldn't forget a single detail; her pleading voice, her sweet breath, her soft lips...

"C- Cobalt?"

Shaking those thoughts away, he looked down in the the Glutton's eyes.

"Yes?"

"Th- Thank you. Again. For saving me, I mean. I, um... I know you didn't have to... I- I know it was hard being brave for everyone, least of all me..." she said, looking down at her feet.

Shaking his head, Cobalt cupped the Glutton's cheek and gave her a warm smile.

"You were brave too. You helped get people to safety, and even got a hit in on Diate."

"B- But I wasn't! I- I was so scared!"

"And yet you did it anyway. That's true bravery, Jelli. Be proud of yourself for that, okay?"

She stared at him for a moment with glistening eyes as a tear leaked out and rolled down one chubby green cheek.

"Ich, um...Ich... liebe dich wirklich..." she suddenly breathed, confusing the Incubus with her sudden shift in language.

Before he could ask her what she just said, he heard a commotion arising to her left.

"Let go of me, Whoretits!" Whitney whined as she was forced out onto the dancefloor.

"Hey Jelli; tag out!" Karazelle cried gleefully as she shoved her companion towards them.

With a startled cry, Jelli jumped backwards just in time as the Nymph toppled into Cobalt's arms, nearly bowling both of them to the floor.

"U- Um... h- have fun...!" the Glutton piped before scuttled back to the safety of the table.

"Whitney! Are you okay?" Cobalt asked, steadying the Nymph.

"Agh... I'm fine. It's just that someone can't seem to understand what the words 'I don't dance' mean," she scowled, glaring daggers at Karazelle.

He smiled sympathetically.

"Here, I'll walk you back."

But Whitney just shook her head.

"No, it's fine; I'm already here. C'mon sir, let's give everyone a show."

Taking their positions as the band started another song, the two began to dance, though this time much faster than everyone else. Whitney seemed to enjoy timing her movements to both the beats and offbeats, almost tripping Cobalt a few times with her blurred feet.

"Ugh, she really pisses me off sometimes, sir. It's like she gets a kick out of antagonising me!" the Nymph complained, seemingly ignorant of her teacher's fumbling movements.

"I- I'm sure she means you no ill-will. Karazelle's just a little... heavy-handed, I suppose."

"That's one word for it. I just wish she'd, like, lay off you already."

Without warning him, she spinned underneath his arm, almost causing him to lose his balance. Stumbling back into place, Cobalt laughed a little.

"Well, I suppose that's what you're for; to keep her in check," he joked.

"Someone's gotta do it, I guess."

"There's a word a term for someone like that; a best friend."

Whitney's one visible eye went wide as she fumbled her movements, almost dragging them both to the ground as she recoiled.

"I- I am not her best friend, sir! I can barely stand to be in the same room as her!" she cried, her voice raising in pitch as she spoke.

With a laugh, Cobalt shook his head.

"Alright, alright, if you say so!"

Narrowing her eyes at him, the Nymph puffed out her cheeks and looked down to focus on the dance, much to his amusement.

There was a certain sense of reliability with her, one he could always find comfort in. Unfettered by the social standards that she once adhered to, Whitney was always able to jump to her teacher's defense, no matter the opinions of others. He appreciated that about her, and hoped that someday he could do something just as meaningful for her.

"Sir?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks for the wake-up call."

He blinked a few times, unsure of what she meant.

"Sorry?"

"At the start of the year. You gave me a kick in the ass like no other. I... guess I really needed it."

Twirling around, the Nymph took a moment to take in her surroundings, smiling at the sight of everyone watching them from their tables.

"This isn't so bad, dancing in front of everyone. I wouldn't have been able to do it last year. It wouldn't have been, like, 'proper' for me, or something. I don't know. Looking back, I was acting pretty stupid, huh?"

"I, um... I wouldn't go quite that far," Cobalt replied, taking the moment to tug at his shirt collar.

Whitney shook her head and rejoined her hands with his.

"Daddy's still pissed with you, and Mommy's getting all up in arms about me dressing how I want to. But back home, I've got Gulliver to remind me who I am. And when I'm here, I've got you."

She poked him in the chest before looking up at him with a brilliant smile.

"So thanks. For setting me straight."

As the song concluded and their dance came to a close, Cobalt opened his mouth to speak. Before he could get a single word out, however, he suddenly felt a frigid gust of wind against his back. Two hands grasped him beneath his arms, and before the Incubus knew it, he was being dragged high into the air, wind screaming in his ears as he rose. He himself cried out in fear as the world just dropped away from beneath him, his voice growing hoarse as he reached the apex of the sudden ascension.

But he did not fall. Though his eyes were screw shut, Cobalt could feel someone supporting him from behind; a pair of arms tightly holding him, and a pair of wings softly beating as they kept them both aloft.

"Alone. As we should be," he heard a voice whisper behind him.

Swallowing hard, the Incubus nervously patted his front, feeling the Fallen's cold hands digging into his jacket.

"E- Elya...?" he breathed, keeping his eyes shut.

"I cannot sit and watch you with them any longer, my love. You belong to me, and me alone."

"Elya, they're just-"

"Harlots and deceivers, one and all. I despise them with every ounce of hate my body can give."

Despite her vitriolic words, Cobalt could hear her voice wavering.

"... You don't mean that, do you?" he asked, placing his hands over hers.

She didn't answer.

"Because if you really did hate them, you wouldn't have kept them safe while I was in hospital, would you?"

Behind him, the Incubus heard the smallest hint of a surprised gasp.

"I saw when I got home that night. You slept alongside them in my room, like a vigil. Am I right?"

Elya pulled him closer to him. He could hear her heart hammering.

"I... can not yet end them. Not yet. I must first pull you away from them, let you learn to hate them as I do. Then... Then I can let Immoderata feed..." she hissed.

Sighing, Cobalt leaned his head back into the crook of Elya's shoulder.

He couldn't deny that she was unstable. Anyone that knew the Fallen close enough was aware of that fact. But behind her insane ramblings and unpredictable actions, Cobalt knew that she was a caring woman. Elya still tended to the wounds of everyone in the school with all the grace and care that a nurse ought to, and even though she cursed the names of all his students, she still deigned to defend them when Diate attacked.

She was kind, deep down. She just had to be gotten through to.

Though his heart was pounding, Cobalt slowly opened his eyes.

He and the Fallen were suspended in the air, high above the campus. Beneath them, he could see the entireity of Brimstone laid out before him like a map, illuminated by streetlights and fireworks. At the edges of his vision, he could see Elya's wings beaten, both glowing silver in the moonlight.

"I will admit, though... It's nice up here," he said, holding on to the Fallen's arms.

"How my surroundings appear matters not; I only have eyes for you, my love."

He smiled wistfully.

"I don't believe you. You used to love watching the moon rise, remember? Back in school, when we'd sneak up to the rooftops? I'll confess that I don't remember much about my schooldays... but I do remember doing that with you," Cobalt said aloud, gently swaying his feet beneath him.

This time, Elya's gasp was more audible.

"I... did...?"

"Yeah. We'd sit there forever, talking about all sorts of stuff. I remember you mentioning your mother a lot, though."

He heard her audibly swallow.

"Mother..."

"Yes, that's what I sai-"

"... rotting out back..."

Cobalt raised an eyebrow.

"S- Sorry?"

He felt Elya shake her head.

"I'll... put you back down now..."

With that, Elya kicked both of her legs forward, flipping the pair of them upside down. Before Cobalt could even begin to scream, the Fallen tucked her wings in, wrapping them tight around him as they plummeted into a headfirst terminal dive. The terrifying sensation of falling only lasted a few seconds, however, as Elya quickly opened her wings and corkscrewed through the air, swooping over the school's central plaza and letting go of Cobalt.

He toppled back onto the dancefloor, which incited applause from some of the audience as the Incubus struggled to right himself. A hand came into view, which he accepted without much thought.

"Blimey, I really thought she was gonna kill you there for a second," Quinn Redtile commented, wiping the dust off Cobalt's jacket.

"You were all like whoosh! Again!" Lottie laughed, pointing directly upwards as she teetered back and forth.

As the Imp set about picking bits of gravel off her teacher's clothes, Cobalt took a deep breath and thanked the pair of them for their help.

Quinn and Lottie. They made such an odd pair; an Earthborne demon with a head for causing chaos, and a Hellborne child of a monk sect that just seemed to cause disasters everywhere she went. But somehow, the pair complimented each other's failings, and - somehow - brought out the best in one another.

Whether that was something to be admired or feared was best left up to interpretation.

"Thanks Quinn. Elya's been acting a little strange all night," Cobalt murmured, watching as the Fallen touched down and quietly returned to her seat.

"She always acts strange. Best leave her to it, I say," Quinn responded, patting his shoulder.

"You sure?"

"I mean, from my experience, birds sometimes need time to be weird by themselves."

"I- I see."

"Hey, Mr. Traya~!" Lottie suddenly called over the music and the clamour of the crowd.

The two demons whipped around to see Lottie barrelling towards them, having previously slipped off whilst they were talking. The Golem was waving frantically as she dragged Izzbelle by the hand behind her. By the redness of her cheeks, he could tell that she was still fairly intoxicated.

"Let go of me, you fuckin' moron!" the Oni growled, trying and failing to prise Lottie's hand open.

"It's Izza's turn!"

Grabbing Cobalt's wrist, she joined their hands together and started pushing the pair of them out into the middle of the dance floor.

"C'mon! Dance! Dance!" Lottie cried excitedly.

Though Izzbelle looked back at her with a face like she was about to tackle the Golem right there and then, Cobalt seized the moment and took both of her hands, causing the Oni to flinch.

"The fuck are you doin', dumbass?" she hissed, narrowing her eyes.

As the band started up another waltz, Cobalt began to move his feet, urging her to do the same.

"I'm dancing. At least, I hope I am."

"Why?"

"Why not? Try it!"

She clucked her tongue and scowled.

"This is fuckin' stupid..."

Despite her rolled eyes and rutting lip, Izzbelle conceded and began to dance with Cobalt. She gripped his hands with bone-crushing strength and flung him around with every little movement, even lifting him clean off the ground at certain points.

But he didn't mind.

There was something about being held by Izzbelle that made Cobalt feel so safe, and yet he couldn't fathom why. At any given moment, the Oni could snap his fingers by accident or dislocate one of his arms on a whim, and yet he enjoyed every moment of being tossed around like a ragdoll, no matter how much it made his wounds ache. Even Izzbelle seemed to enjoy it, though she always made sure to wipe her smile off her face whenever she though he was looking at her.

And yet, when the music grew softer and he was pulled closer to her, Cobalt's elation gave way to intense nervousness. He remembered the tender, passionate words she shared with him that night before it all went down, about how she loved him and pledged to keep him safe. She said much the same at their wedding, but he wanted her to be lying. Just like with Jelli, Cobalt could fathom the idea of someone holding affection for him like that, least of all a student.

She deserved love; they all did. But the Incubus was no match for Izzbelle. She deserved someone just as powerful and charming as she was.

But... an Oni's horn doesn't lie, does it...?

"You suck at this," Izzbelle growled, lifting Cobalt off his feet as the pair spun around.

"S- Sorry," he apologised, growing a little dizzy.

She sighed.

"Well, I ain't exactly good at it either. Maybe we should stop; we're just makin' fuckin' fools of ourselves up here."

She made to let go of him, but Cobalt vehemently shook his head and tightened his grip.

"So what if we look like fools? We're having fun, aren't we?" he said with a smile.

She looked back at him, cheeks flushing before she returned the expression.

"You fuckin' dumbass..."

Perhaps it was the wrong thing to say, as she immediately began flinging Cobalt around with reckless abandon, startling onlookers and nearly crashing him into the other dancers. He panicked as his legs flailed uselessly beneath him, but once the Incubus looked up, that fear gave way to a warmer, fuzzier sensation.

Izzbelle... She always wore a stony, irritated face. An impressive facade of power, strength and intimidation. But when she smiled without worry, with gleaming eyes and shining teeth... It made Cobalt feel indescribably happy.

Once the song ended, Izzbelle stepped back and wiped her brow, having winded herself with how much she was moving.

"Fuck... might have overdone it there," she exhaled, rolling her shoulder.

Cobalt grabbed his knees and coughed, but kept smiling.

"W- Well, it's a night of celebration; now's as good a time as any to let loose."

"Heh. Y'know, for a fuckin' dumbass, you speak good sense sometimes."

With that, she jabbed a thumb over her shoulder at the table, indicating that she was going to take a break. Cobalt waved her off as he caught his breath in the middle of the dancefloor.

So much had happened this year. And yet here he was, celebrating it all with a smile. Viola and Jezebel weren't in the wrong to be worried about him, but there was no way he was giving up his job. Not when it made him feel like this.

As the band tuned up for the final song, Cobalt turned and made to sit back down, only to be stopped by Karazelle. She cocked her head and fluttered her wings as she offered a hand.

"Got one more left in you, sugar?" she asked, eyes glinting in the stage lighting.

His body demanded he refuse. Everything was aching, from his head to his toes.

But Cobalt still accepted her hand. She pulled him close as the music started up; a slow, gentle waltz to finish off the night.

Karazelle's hands were soft, and he could feel her heart beating through her wrists. Her breaths were gentle and sweet, and as the pair syncronised their movements.

"Karazelle-" Cobalt began, only to be silenced by a shake of her head.

Her tail slowly coiled around his as she pressed her finger to his lips.

"No more speaking, sugar. Just feel the moment," she whispered.

He nodded and shut his eyes as they began to sway.

Everything else ebbed away. The onlookers, the students, the staff, the caterers. The sky above and the ground below. All that he felt in that moment was her.

And if he was being honest to him, Cobalt wouldn't have had it any other way.

 

-----

 

Cobalt winced as he limped up the stairs. As it turned out, the final song gave way to series of encores that lasted long into the night, whereupon the celebrations only intensified. Glasses upon glasses of booze were served and drained, and before long, the Incubus found himself losing track of the night. It was all laughter, singing, dancing and drinking, some of which was his, and most of which were his students'. He lost himself to the ecstasy of the Summer Festival, and he enjoyed every second of it.

But now - three hours into the morning and still buzzed - he found himself paying the price. His head was throbbing, and every step he took was agony on his poor feet.

"Augh... Get it together, Trayer..." he murmured to himself, holding a hand to his forehead as he reached his floor.

The dormitory buildings were unusually quiet. Most, if not all, of the students had already moved out for the summer, with the third-years vacating their rooms for good. As he passed through the hallway, he saw that some of the nameplates by the doors had been removed, ready to be replaced with those belonging to fresh-faced first-years in a few months time.

It was a bittersweet sight, but Cobalt just ran his hand along the wall and wished his best to all the graduates.

Noticing something amiss, he looked down.

Rose petals. All over the hallway carpet.

The Incubus' blood ran cold as his heart began to palpitate. He staggered back, staring wide-eyed at the red petals carpetting the floor, his breaths coming in short and sharp gasps.

"N- No..." he breathed, slowly reaching down.

Terrified, he touched one.

It was real.

Swiftly, the Incubus' fear was replaced by confusion as he picked a handful of the soft flower petals up.

"What the...?" he said aloud, looking up.

Squinting, he could see a dim light at the end of the dark hallway. As he approached, he saw that it was shining from beneath his own door; a dim, pink glow that shifted and moved as figures within his dorm room shuffled around.

"Oh no..."

Biting the bullet, Cobalt opened the door.

His room had been completely changed. Dozens of pink LEDs had been criss-crossed along his ceiling, bathing the entire dorm in a soft glow. A sizable diffuser had been set up on one of his cabinets, dispelling mist into the air that smelled like sweet fruits. His futon had been covered in dozens upon dozens of pillows, and soft jazz was playing from a portable speaker.

"What are you lot doing?" he asked with a sigh, turning his gaze onto the room's occupants.

Jelli was sitting cross-legged on the couch, dressed in her pajamas as she quietly nursed a cup of what appeared to be sparkling wine. Izzbelle was leaning next to her, chugging from a bottle of whiskey. Lottie and Quinn were in the kitchenette, fiddling with the innards of his fridge whilst they shared a bottle of some unidentifiable cocktail, and Whitney was sitting in her bedclothes on the coffee table, looking incredibly ashamed of herself as she nervously palmed the alcopop in her hands. Even Elya was there; dressed in naught but a dressing gown as she clutched a glass of vodka, staring at Cobalt as he entered the room.

And to top it all off, Karazelle stood proudly in the centre of the room, looking very proud of herself. She was dressed in a nightdress; the very one she wore when she first broke into his room, all those months ago.

"Happy birthday, sugar!" the Succubus said, cheeks burning with inebriation.

"Karazelle, what's going on?" Cobalt asked, shutting the door behind him.

"What's it look like? I'm bringing the party back home!"

Behind her, Whitney sighed.

"I tried to stop her, sir. But she really insisted that everyone was present for this," she informed him.

"Present for what?"

Giggling drunkenly, Karazelle plopped herself down on the Nymph's lap and rocked back and forth, much to her annoyance.

"Why, your birthday gift of course!"

"Why must we all be present for this farce?" Elya hissed, narrowing her eyes as she took a swig of her drink.

"Because it's - potentially -a collaborative present!"

Tossing her drained bottle to the floor, Izzbelle tugged at her tank top uncomfortably. She was sweating. In fact, everyone was.

"What the fuck's in that thing? Smells weird," she asked aloud, pointing at the diffuser.

"Oh, you know. Strawberries. Apples. Fesser's Passion. Just different fruit smells I like."

Cobalt blanched.

Fesser's Passion. A small, pinkish bulb often grown by Succubi for it's alchemical properties. Often used in burn salves, alkahests, antidepressent broths...

... and aphrodisiacs.

"Huh. Smells fuckin' weird," the Oni grumbled, fishing for another bottle of whiskey.

"I- I think it's nice..." Jelli piped, blinking slowly as she struggled to keep a grip on her drink.

Whitney buried her face in her hands.

"Just get it over with, Whoretits. We're all hot and tired and hor-"

She spluttered as something got caught in her throat.

"- ack! Ugh... Just hurry up and give him the present."

Grinning like a madwoman, Karazelle leaped to her feet and clasped her hands behind her back.

"Oh, my sweet little Butterskin... I already have!" she cried triumphantly.

Whitney glanced around the room, confused.

"Well... what is it, then?"

"Me!"

With a dramatic cry and a flourish, Karazelle grabbed the hem of her nightdress and tore it off, exposing herself for all to see. The Succubus was completely naked underneath, and as Cobalt - and the rest of them - stared at her, she planted her hands on her hips and gazed upon him with predatory eyes.

"It's been a long year for dear Mr. Trayer here, and I think he's well deserved a reward, don't you think~?"

"What do you think you're doing, you harlot?!" Elya cried in an outraged tone.

"If you're so angry, Elya, then why aren't you stopping me, hm~?"

The Fallen's mouth dropped open, but she couldn't seem to find an answer. Alarmed by this, Cobalt turned to the others, but was disturbed to see that both Izzbelle and Jelli were staring on with glazed, intoxicated eyes.

"In fact, does anyone want to join me? I said this was collaborative, didn't I?" Karazelle announced, looking around.

Fearing for his safety, Cobalt tried to scramble away, only to wind up toppling back onto the mountain of pillows behind him. Grinning, Karazelle took a step towards him. He had almost forgotten about the Succubus' other side; that teasing minx that took no small amount of pleasure from tempting both him and everyone else.

"Karazelle, no!" the Incubus cheeped.

With an echoing laugh, the Succubus flicked her tail and pounced.

"Karazelle yes~!"

Cobalt screwed his eyes shut, terrified that he could do nothing more to prevent whatever unholy machinations his student had in store for him.  However, much to his surprise, all he heard was a dull thunk and the sound of the wind getting knocked from Karazelle's lungs.  Confused and bleary-eyed, he rolled out of the way and back to his feet, teetering back and forth as he struggled to steady himself.

The Succubus - half-cut with alcohol and sweet inhalants - had completely misjudged the distance of her leap, and had wound up lodging both of her horns in the peeling wall behind her teacher's futon.  Her body slumped miserably against the floor.

"Um..." Cobalt began, unsure of how to even begin resolving this.

Before he could utter a single word, the Incubus was deafened by a howl of uproarious laughter from the kitchenette as Quinn burst out laughing.  Too preoccupied with doubling over to notice, the Imp then tripped backwards into Cobalt's fridge, breaking all of the shelves and sending its contents flying.  Lottie gave a cry of alarm and attempted to help, but all she managed to do was trip on a loose packet of sliced ham and crush Quinn beneath her.  Startled by the sudden noise, Jelli screamed and dropped her wine glass, which shattered loudly, sending her into a fit of hysterics.  Izzbelle leaped to her aid, slipped on the spilled wine, and send them both crashing down onto the couch, snapping it in two beneath them.

"Omigosh!  Sir, help them!" Whitney cried.

"B- But-!" Cobalt stammered, wildly gesturing to the naked Succubus stuck in his wall.

"I'll deal with the bimbo!"

Nodding, the Incubus navigated the sea of broken glass beneath him and attempted to help Izzbelle and Jelli back to their feet, only to find that they had both passed out.  Raising an eyebrow, he peered over into the kitchenette.  Quinn and Lottie were sleeping soundly too.

"What...?"

He jumped as something thumped loudly behind him.  Wheeling around, he saw Elya lying face-first on the floor, out cold.

"... the Hell...?"

"Nggh!"

Grabbing her peer around her waist, Whitney managed to wrench Karazelle free, at the expense of a series of massive cracks suddenly spidering across his poor wall.  Dropping the Succubus to the floor, the Nymph turned around and gave her teacher an exhausted thumbs-up.

"There we go sih... err... hunh..."

Face going red, her eyes rolled back in her head and she toppled forward, splitting Cobalt's coffee table in two as she brought all her weight down upon it.

Cobalt Trayer stood in the middle of his destroyed dorm room, guttering for breath as he surveyed the carnage all around him.  He swallowed hard and opened the window, wafting the pinkish haze out before making a dive for Karazelle's diffuser.  Opening it up, he gave it an experimental sniff.

The fluid within was so sweet it stung his nostrils.

In heavy doses, Fesser's Passion also acted as a relaxant, but too much could cause those that ingest it to pass out, feel nauseous or even-

He winced as Whitney unceremoniously threw up in her sleep.

- induce vomiting.  Clearly Karazelle needed to brush up on her alchemical theory...

Too tired to lament his predicament, the Incubus rolled up his sleeves and got to work. 

Kicking the ruined table aside, the Incubus wasted no time in pulling Whitney away from the puddle of vomit on the floor.  Thankfully her head was suspended above it, so she didn't seem to be at risk of choking.  Darting into his bathroom, Cobalt grabbed some wipes and cleaned the mess off his floor and her face before laying the Nymph down in the pile of pillows.

"Sir..." she whispered in her sleep, yawning as her ears twitched.

Next, the delinquents in his kitchen.  Extricating Lottie and Quinn from the fridge, he arranged some of the pillows and one of his spare duvets out on the floor and laid them both next to each other.

"Ta... blood brother..." the Imp murmured as she nuzzled her face into Lottie's chest.

"Mm... moo..." was all Lottie managed to reply with.

Shaking his head, he pulled Quinn's hat off and placed it somewhere safe.  Turning his attention to Izzbelle and Jelli, he planted his hands on his hips and cocked his head.  The couch was damaged, but still seemed to support their combined weight.  Unable as he was to lift them, he just threw a blanket over the pair of them.

"Ngh... fuckin'... dumbass..." Izzbelle grumbled, clinging protectively to Jelli.

"So... müde..." the Glutton responded, returning the Oni's hug.

Turning around, Cobalt lifted the surprisingly-light Elya into his arms, whereupon she began to shudder and jerk.

"No... my love... please..." she breathed, eyes screwed shut.

A nightmare, no doubt.

"I'm here, Elya," he whispered, carrying her over to the pillow pile.

Letting her wings go limp, the Fallen's frown was replaced by a serene smile.

"You are..."

Bundling her coat around her, he gently laid her down atop the cushions.

Finally, Cobalt grabbed his dressing gown from his wardrobe and wrapped it around Karazelle, for his own sake if not her own.

"Hellfire preserve me... I don't think I can do another year of this..." he gasped, ambling back over to the diffuser.

He switched it off before dumping the contents out the window.  Once the lights were put out and the music turned down, Cobalt was left alone with the soft snores of Elya and his students.

Looking at them all, slumbering so peacefully, he took a deep breath and shook his head.  No, he had to keep going.  Because if not for him, who would be here to clean up after these walking disasters?

With that thought, the Incubus put his hand on the doorhandle and made to open it.

"Ah-ah.  Not so fast, sugar," whispered a voice in his ear.

He froze.  Upon his back, he felt a soft, warm sensation as two arms embraced him from behind.

"Karazelle...?" he whispered back, unwilling to wake the others.

"Sorry for jumping the gun, sugar.  I guess I got my dosages all wrong."

"Just... don't do it again, okay?"

"Mmhm."

"O- Okay... Well, I'll leave you all to sleep it off."

"No you won't~"

With that, she pulled him down onto his futon, nearly drowning him amidst all the soft pillows and warm cloth.  Too exhausted to move, he could only give in to his fate as Karazelle latched onto him, hugging him close as her tail coiled around his leg.

"This is nice too," she sighed, resting her head against his chest.

"Karazelle...?"

"Shh... let's just stay like this a little while."

"But-"

"Just relax, sugar.  You've earned a rest, don't you think?"

"I..."

He took a deep breath.

"... I think I do."

Cobalt shut his eyes and relaxed his body, just as instructed.  He could feel his heartbeat syncing with Karazelle's, slowing from a quick, panicked pace to a regular, steady rhythm.  As a teacher, was it right to share a bed with his student?  Was it right to fall asleep with his students and one of his colleagues?  Was it right to finally find peace after the nightmare they had all survived together?  It felt almost wrong to admit that this felt nice; wrapped up amidst blankets, duvets and cushions, held by the soft form of a Succubus and surrounded by the reassuring presenses of those he would - and had - trust his life with.

But he was too tired to begin questioning himself, so instead, Cobalt just went to sleep.  Karazelle slumbered next to him, and in that room in the boy's dorms of the Brimstone Institute of Demonics, some semblance of tranquility had finally found purchase.  All that was heard that night was the gentle snores of exhausted demons, the occasional sleep-talking of Lottie, and the warm summer wind blowing in through the window.

And the cracking of plaster from the damaged wall.

But that was a problem for tomorrow.

 

-----

THE END

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