Lilith hummed to herself as she walked down from her room, Coronis perched on her shoulder. She joined King in the hallway as she carried her notebooks and documents in hand. The previous night, she'd promised (or more like King pestered her until she promised) to spend this morning helping him figure out more about his two fathers, Sparda and the mysterious skull-headed warrior. Despite her complaints of doing it so early, Lilith went along, having just as much a vested interest in discovering more, given that Sparda was her son's grandfather.
Besides, much like how King believed them to still be out there somewhere, Lilith hoped it to be true as well. Perhaps reuniting a father and son would help make up, in however a small capacity, for the harm she'd wrought on the poor child. Perhaps it would even give Nero a chance to finally meet at least one of his grandparents. Something he'd never get the chance to know because she was too much of a complete and utterfucking coward to just walk up to where her parents lived and tell them-
Biting back, she froze for the briefest second, so much so that King thankfully never noticed as they stopped by the kitchen for a quick breakfast, noticing Luz sitting there. The human teenager was snoring damn near as loudly as Eda, surrounded by books and energy drinks. Clearly, she'd pulled one Hell of an all-nighter, and based on the books she'd been reading, it seemed she was back to figuring out portals to the human realm.
Hearing a whine, she looked over and saw Selki poke at Luz's dangling leg, food bowl in hand. The little Selkidomus noticed Lilith and scooted over to her, eyes pleading for food. Smiling and petting her, Lilith quietly walked around Luz and opened the fridge, finding Selki's food before pouring it into her bowl. As the Selkidomus ate up, Lilith looked back at the snoring human, feeling a guilt pang in both her heart and Valknut.
She's so desperate to find a way back home, and who's fault is it that she's trapped here? Lilith looked to the floor in shame. She was the one who captured Luz to draw Edalyn out. By her actions, she'd forced the human to take drastic measures in saving her mentor. And by her carelessness, she got herself captured, forcing the human and her son to do battle against the Emperor, leaving Luz trapped in a position where she had no choice but to destroy her only way home.
It was all because of her, all because she was so obsessed with undoing the mistake of her teenage years, yet she didn't dare voice it. Not now, at least. If she did, this… this rot that was festering inside her, it would all come burning out with no way to stop it.
She'd felt it for a long time, yet today of all days, for some unfathomable reason, it felt like it was getting worse.
Noticing that one of the books Luz was studying had fallen to the wayside, Lilith picked it up and saw the title: "Human World for Idiots".
"Hmm," Lilith stared at the book before getting an idea and turning to King, "King, perhaps we could try helping Luz with her own research before we begin our own?"
"What? But you promised-"
"SHSH!" Lilith knelt down and quickly placed a finger to King's lips, waiting a few seconds as Luz snored before she continued, "I know, and we will, but the huma-I mean, Luz, seems to be struggling, so I think we should help her. We're more awake than she is, so perhaps we'll find something that she missed?"
Besides, she needed some distraction from the building negativity. Adding this onto her current workload seemed like a good way to keep busy.
"Fine, but after that, we get right to figuring out my dads, okay?" King huffed, accepting the book Lilith handed him as she took a few more from the pile Luz was currently using as a pillow. Carrying those, plus her Sparda notes in hand, she felt something nibble at her leg and looked down to see Selki, who'd just finished her breakfast.
"Would you like to join us?" Lilith asked, getting an affirmative, but quiet, clap from the Selkidomus. With that positive answer, the three of them made their way for the living room, Lilith taking her seat on the couch while King sat on the floor in front of her and began reading. Selki decided to take a seat next to King, who gave her some affectionate head pats without looking away from the book.
"Not seeing how this is gonna help Luz," King flipped a page, "This all looks like public library stuff. I don't think they have anything about human door portals like what Eda had."
"We might as well try, but I don't disagree," Lilith read through her own books in search of something noteworthy, admiring all the notes and details Luz had written down on the pages. It still astounded her how well Edalyn had taught the human. She didn't seem like the type to ever in a million years mentor anyone, yet here a student was, flourishing under her and learning a lost art that Lilith delighted in learning herself. Perhaps Edalyn just needed to find the right student to come into her own?
Or perhaps she's a far better teacher than you'll ever-
Lilith shook her head again and kept reading through the book and all the notes Luz had taken. There were several theories on how to get between the realms, but they were all either impossible to get towards – finding a portal in a lower circle of Hell – or just flat out one-way trips like Trash Slugs. She at least knew that Trash Slugs came to and from the human realm through portals created by Titan's Blood, but the only known reservoirs of such were found near the bottom of the Boiling Sea, which no human or witch could ever hope to survive.
Ugh, what I wouldn't give for some sort of key to the human realm to just magically appear in front of me, Lilith stared down at King, who seemed to be impassively reading through his own book, telling her that he wasn't finding anything. Either that or he was bored. Honestly, the skull mask made him hard for her to read at points.
"Hey, mom. You busy?"
Lilith looked up from her book, Coronis fluttering around before landing on her head, as she turned to see her son walk into the living room.
"Sup cos!" King greeted his older… cousin. Lilith wasn't sure if she'd get used to that. Though she supposed since King was adopted by Edalyn, he and Nero would be cousins regardless.
"Do you need anything, my little raven?" Lilith put the books to her side as Nero took a deep breath and sat down on the floor next to King and Selki.
"Something I'm wondering on," He began, "Since you used to run the Emperor's Coven, I was wondering if you've heard anything about groups that went against His Royal High Ass."
Lilith looked at her son with worry, "Why do you want to know?"
Nero shrugged and looked down at the floor, "Because it feels like I'm doing jack shit to actually fight against that fucker. And I get it, we're trying to make money for living and figure out the portal back to Earth, but…" He clenched his fist, "Belos is gonna come for us eventually. I just want to be able to do more to stop him." Nero turned his gaze to her, seeming almost pleading, "I figured maybe finding some rebels would be a good place to start and figured you'd know someone." He tried his best to smile, which became somewhat genuine as he affectionately pet Selki, who leaned into it, "Hell, maybe we could all join? Make it a… y'know, family thing?"
"Ooooooh! I so want in on that!" King jumped for joy, "And if there isn't one, we can start our own and fuck Belos up!"
"Looks like I'm a bad influence," Nero smirked at King cursing.
"Dude, I lived with Eda for eight years. You really think I wouldn't have used any big curses by now?"
"Point," Nero conceded before looking back at his mother, "So, anything you can tell me, Mom?"
Lilith wanted to nod, and was at least glad her son wanted to include her in this, but she wasn't sure if Nero should've been asking her these kinds of questions.
After all, you'll just give your son all the wrong answers.
Choosing to ignore that voice of doubt in her head, she answered, "I don't know if that's a good idea, Nero. My experience with rebel groups hasn't exactly been pleasant. Even knowing that they had every right to go against the Emperor, the ones I've encountered often went too far. By any chance, have you encountered a group of rogues who summon Demon Lords from the lower circles?"
"Those same guys who summoned the Leviathan?" King asked, comforting Selki at the reminder of her mother's killers. Lilith could only nod, remembering what her sister told her of their encounter on the Simmering Shoals.
It terrified her to know the gargantuan monstrosity her son had fought, and angered her that both it and the Golden Guard dared to hurt him. Yet it made her so proud to know that he gave as good as he got. It made her proud to know how strong her son had become.
A strength you've done nothing but hamper by being a coddling old-
Lilith breathed in deep, suppressing that line of thought once more.
"I actually ran into them before that. Snuck out one time and saw them summoning a frog fuuuuuuu…" Nero froze and quickly course corrected, "I mean, I ran into them when-" Only to pause and sigh in reluctance, "Okay, yeah, it was when I was sneaking out behind your back."
"… putting that aside for now," Lilith sighed in kind, understanding why her son did that, even if she was still adjusting to being accepting of it, "I've encountered those rogues a few times, and they're nothing but bad news. They sacrifice dozens upon dozens of innocent people to summon those Demon Lords in the name of their so-called 'greater good'."
You're one to talk, you sychophantic Coven Crony.
Stop it! Lilith pinched between her eyes, I-I'm not that person anymore.
Are you?
"Mom?"
"Huh?" Lilith blinked and looked to her son, King, and Selki. Seeing the worry in their eyes, she quickly put on a smile and tried her best to seem okay, "Sorry, just a sudden dizzy spell is all." Before any of them could say anything, she continued, "In any case, as far as other potential rebellion organizations against the Emperor's Coven that didn't stoop to such lows, there have been… a few…" Lilith buried her face into her hands, "A few that I might have helped put down."
She refused to look at anyone in the room. She just couldn't feel good, knowing that all those people suffered because of her. How she helped gather and arrest the dissenters when their hideouts were found, how she helped cart them away to the Conformatorium when they couldn't even fight back, and how one by one, they were all petrified over the years. Some of them were still statues standing outside the very prison once housing them, and others? Smashed to rubble, just so they could make room for more.
And it only took your sister's arrest and the threat on your son's life to finally get it through your head just how awful you truly were. Because you don't care about anything unless it suddenly affects you.
SHUT. THE FUCK. UP! Lilith once more tried to silence that voice and took deep breathes, trying to keep as composed as possible when she faced her son, "I do know of at least one rebel group that's still active."
"Who are they?" Nero, despite continuing the discussion, still looked upon her with worry.
"They call themselves the Bards Against the Throne. Or the BATs, for short."
Nero looked over to King, who shrugged, "Don't look at me, I've never heard of them. Eda never really went out to join or hear about any rebel groups. She was honestly way more focused on her personal life." He started counting off with his claws, "Making enough to get by, figuring out how to live with her curse-"
Lilith flinched at that last one. Only Coronis noticed, if him fluttering back down to her shoulder and pecking her was anything to go by.
"-and taking care of me and Hooty. I don't think she ever gave herself time for anything else."
Huh, that's… Lilith's eyes went wide for a bit, realizing that she and Edalyn had something else in common. Outside the Emperor's Coven and making sure to provide for her son, she never truly allowed herself to have much of a social life at all, though even before then, she'd never been much of a social butterfly. It was… almost reassuring to know that they were more alike than she first assumed.
And whose fault is it that she couldn't have a social-
"So! The BATs," Lilith cut off that train of thought with a rebellion of her own, "They primarily specialize in freeing any wild witches that the Emperor's Coven captures. As the name implies, they employ Bardic Magic, both to disrupt the coven's own and restrain them. Personally, I've never encountered them, but I've kept up with all their appearances, and they've shown up in almost every town on the Boiling Isles, though they've yet to make any major appearances Bonesborough."
"Any idea where we could find them?" Nero asked, sounding eager to join.
"Maybe you don't have to," King suggested, "We know Belos's been increasing coven activity in Bonesborough lately, so that means they'll probably be arresting a lot of wild witches. Wild Witch arrests will draw the BATs attention, so we can let them come to us!"
"Huh, good idea, cos," Nero smiled and high-fived the little demon, though the very thought of her son doing so filled Lilith with a deep worry.
"I'm… not so sure that's wise."
"What? Why not?" Nero asked as he, King, and Selki all looked to her, forcing Lilith to swallow and explain what she feared most.
"Nero, it's just that, well…" She stood up and gestured towards herself, "Most rebel movements on the Boiling Isles aren't going to have a high opinion of Emperor's Coven members, former or otherwise."
Her son could only shrug, "I mean, the BATs don't really sound like "most" from what you've said. Hell, even if they hold a grudge, I don't see why it's not a good idea to try and find them." Nero pointed to himself and reminded her, "I like to fight, and their focus is on freeing people, so I can do all the asskicking. Y'know, a distraction while they're saving wild witches."
Lilith sighed again, "We don't know that, my little raven. Everything I've heard paints them well, yet I don't know if we can go off rumors alone." Without realizing it, she began to pace, "And if they want to take their anger out on former coven members, who's to say that their rage wouldn't extend to the family of those same former members? If we try to seek them out, you'd be putting yourself right in the cross-hairs. They'd trap you and they… they'd hurt you. Or worse."
And it would all be because you threw your lot in with the Emperor. It doesn't matter what you do, Lilith. Your choices will always damn your family.
"Mom, if it comes to that, I think I can handle it," Nero replied, sounding more than a bit annoyed.
"I know you can handle yourself! But if something happens, it would be because of me and-" Lilith cut herself off and pinched between the eyes again, trying to stave off the stress and headache as her brain kept spiraling to the worst possible outcomes for her son. She just couldn't not think about them because… because…
Because you can't let him grow beyond you.
"Uh… mom?"
Because the minute he does, there won't be a need for you anymore.
Lilith's breathing grew more erratic. Her skin became itchy.
"L-Lilith?"
Because you don't care about your son. Only how me makes you feel.
Selki's chirping whined between the voices. A sharp pain ran through Lilith's spine.
Because he's a prop to you. A means to ease the guilt in that shriveled husk of a heart. All because you're a burden. All because you don't deserveto be happy.
"MOM!"
"WHAT!?" Lilith shrieked, her voice echoing with a deep reverb. She looked upon her son and his companions, her vision sharper and clearer than ever before, as all three looked back on her with terror. The sight filled Lilith with regret as she reached out to make amends, "N-No, Nero, I'm sorry. I didn't-"
Until she saw her hand, gasping at the black feathers erupting from her arm, nails sharpened to dark claws that grew sharper by the second.
"No. Nononono!" Lilith backed away and tore the feathers from her skin as quickly as they appeared, not giving a single thought to how her efforts tore away at her flesh in the process. But try as she might, the feathers (and her skin) kept growing back faster than she could tear at it.
Lilith screamed as she felt her bones shatter apart and pull back together, over and over and over again. She keeled over, her skin spasmed and expanded beneath her clothes, voices echoing out from everywhere. She could hear her son crying Edalyn's name, yelling something about potions. She could hear Edalyn yelling something about cushions. She could hear Luz saying something about deep breathes. She could hear King panicking and running. But beyond all those sounds, she heard a deeper, uglier voice overtake them all, reducing everything else to a whisper.
Feel this agony, Lilith. This is what you put her through for decades. This is the price for your sins. This is what you deserve.
"Please, m-make it stop," Lilith choked a sob out, feeling something sit her up as a glass was brought to her lips. Slowly, she felt that same voice fade into a quiet ringing, her bones putting themselves back together, her skin less itchy, and the pounding in her head coming down. With blurred vision, Lilith blinked and slowly opened her eyes, seeing her son and sister holding her with looks of worry. Nero looked so close to tears that it threatened to break her heart all over again.
"Mom, it's okay!" Nero blinked his tears away and pulled her into a hug, "You're… you're okay."
"Don't worry sis. The first time's always the worst. Trust me," Edalyn managed a smile, despite what had just happened. Lilith looked around, seeing that everyone was still here. Selki was rolling up to try and comfort her, Luz seemed glad that she was okay, and King was hiding behind Luz's leg. Everyone was still here. She was still here.
She was… okay.
"Sis, say something to help reassure me," Edalyn got her attention and she snapped out of it.
"You… you've had to live like this for the past thirty years?" Lilith managed, her voice so hoarse it hurt, "How have you managed something so horrible?" And how could I have done this to you?
Edalyn held her hand out to help her up, "Well, it ain't easy. Especially when you're stressed. Makes the curse go haywire like you were doing." Lilith finally took her hand and let her sister and son help her up, "But since you split the curse with me, the potions seem to be working again at least. By the way, you may want to pick up your left hand."
"My left hand?" Lilith lifted her left ha- "WHAT THE FUCK!?" She screamed alongside everyone else (barring Edalyn) and stared at where the bone stuck out of the stump, "What-where-HOW-WHY!?"
"In order: Side effect of the curse. It fell to the floor," Edalyn picked the hand up and helped reattach it with a snap, "Don't care how, and as for why?" She shrugged, "I don't know, but it's hilarious. Fucked up, but hilarious."
"Got anymore potions just in case?" Nero asked, still hovering near his mother and giving her worried glances. In a way, it reminded Lilith of how she did it whenever he got sick. Or how her own mother would do so for her as a child. It was probably the only time she could recall as a child when she held her mother's attention more than Edalyn. How it often made her long for getting sick just so it could happen again.
Safe to say I got my wish, Lilith bitterly thought, watching as Edalyn showed her and Nero all her potion stashes for managing the curse. Her sister handed one to Nero, who in turn held it out to her. Taking it, Lilith sighed and stared her reflection in the glowing, orange elixir. "Edalyn, I'm sorry," She barely managed without croaking, "It's because of me you're stuck like this. Had I known what the scroll would've done, I-" Lilith froze and closed her eyes, "No, that's no excuse. Even without knowing, I shouldn't have done it, and you've paid the price for my selfishness. I-"
"Mom," Nero rubbed at her back, "It's okay, remember?"
"He's right Lily. Now enough of the self-pity," Edalyn touched at Lilith's shoulder, "Sure, my life's been a shit show, but it's had plenty of ups. Honestly, I'm just glad I ain't alone with this anymore. I got you, and you got me." She smiled, and for a moment, Lilith thought she saw the bright-eyed, orange-haired girl she used to grow up with, "We'll figure this whole curse thing out together. Like sisters, okay?"
Lilith nodded, Nero helping her move to the couch as she heard Edalyn and Luz exit the house, master and student discussing the portal door. Lilith laid down, staring at the potion again before she heard the pitter patter of tiny footsteps, turning her head to see King cautiously walk up with Coronis hiding in his hands.
"You kinda scared him off. N-Not me though!" King held Coronis out while trying to puff his chest and seem tough. The act did draw a chuckle from her, so it helped a bit.
"I'm sorry, Coronis," Lilith took her Palisman in hand and nuzzled him against her cheek, "I didn't mean to scare you."
Coronis chirped, telling her it was okay. Okay. That word was being repeated by everyone ad nauseam. Her son was okay, her sister was okay, everyone here was okay.
… So why didn't things feel okay?
"Mom, what was all that about?" Nero asked, on his knee and at eye level with her. Lilith wanted to say it was nothing, but not even she would've believed a lie that blatant, so she tried as best she could to answer.
"There's… it's a lot going on and I don't know what's wrong with me. I don't even know if it has anything to do with the curse, or if that's just making it worse than usual."
"Usual?" Nero blinked, "How long's this been going on?"
Lilith opened her mouth to answer, but closed it and looked away, not sure if she could give an honest answer here. She wanted to, but there was the worry that trying to let it all out would just lead to the curse acting up again. Only this time her son would be hurt by her own hand. Lilith didn't deserve forgiveness for what she'd done already. Harming her son would be far, FAR worse.
"Hello little witchlet! Come here!"
"Wait, was that-" Blinking, Lilith recognized the voice, but thought she'd misheard. She stood up and slowly walked to the door, pressing her ear against it. Her son and King joined her in quiet confusion.
"I'm your mother, call me mom!"
Almost immediately, Lilith slammed the door open and immediately went wide eyes at the woman in front of her sister and the human.
"MOM!?" Lilith yelled, as did Nero, Luz, and King. Watching Mother check up on an impassive, downright annoyed Edalyn as she rambled on about the Petrification Ceremony, leaving Lilith to look and see how many years had gone by.
All of her brown hair had faded, giving way fully to an upward pointing gray. It felt like she'd gotten just a bit shorter in her old age, or Lilith failed to account for how she'd gotten so tall over the years. She also seemed to have gotten a new necklace with a large, odd looking rune on it. Perhaps she joined a club? Either that or it was a new fashion statement.
Yet despite those differences, she was still recognizably Mother. She still wore purple, ankle-length dresses, she still adorned herself with white fur around the collar, she still had Hawksley by her side in staff form, and she still wore those half-crescent glasses over her olive-green eyes.
The more Lilith looked, the more overwhelmed she became. Without even thinking, her legs moved forward, rushing past Eda before remembering herself and gently pushing her aside to greet their mom, "Mother! It's uh… it's good to see you again! And uh, speaking of the ceremony, I was there too!"
"Oh! Hello to you two, Sweet Flea!" Mother greeted back, happily brushing a strand of Lilith's hair aside, "Still dyeing your hair, I see. How cute! Now-"
"Hold up! Wait, wait, wait!" Nero ran forward, still wide-eyed as he stared Mother up and down. He looked at Lilith, pointed to mother, and asked, "Is she really your mom?"
"Yup. Meet Smother 1.0, kid," Edalyn groaned, still unhappy that Mother was here for some reason.
"Indeed my dear," She held out her hand, "Gwendolyn Clawthorne, at your service. But please call me Gwen. Now, if you'll excuse me-" Mother stopped and stared at Nero before she began blinking, wiping away at her eyes and even cleaning off her glasses. It was like she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Slowly, she reached out and cupped Nero's cheeks, almost whispering, "You look just like Sweet Flea."
"I… do?"
Everyone could only watch in silence as Lilith realized that in her surprise to see Mother again, she'd forgotten her son's presence. It was something she'd always wanted, but never knew could've happened, and yet now here it was when no one was prepared.
I'd best just rip off the band-aid now. "M-Mother," Lilith walked behind Nero, hands gently on his shoulders, "I… I know this is going to be a lot for you to take in, but there's someone important I'd like you to meet."
She took a deep breath, and smiled proudly.
"This is Nero. He's my son."
Once more, silence filled the air, all focus on the three generations of Clawthornes as grandmother and grandson met for the first time. But the longer it went on, the more Lilith worried, especially with how unreadable Mother's expression was. Even more worrying was that her son shared the exact same face. Were they angry for the absence? Scared to finally meet? Confused and ready to bombard Lilith with questions she didn't know how to answer just yet?
Lilith wanted to do something to break the silence, but suddenly, a clatter filled the air. Looking down, she saw that Mother had let go of her staff and let it fall to the ground. Her entire body was rigid with shock, eyes slowly becoming glossy as tears formed in their corners. She covered her mouth, not a whispered word was said.
Until finally, they were.
"I've missed… so much."