50

'No wonder your mother used to miss this place,' said Grace, as they ambled from the peaceful beach into a sweet-smelling wood. 'It's so beautiful!'

'It is,' said Lucien dreamily, relishing the lush greenery and dense undergrowth. 'I think this is the nicest plan fail I've ever had – apart from you, of course!'

Grace blushed, and she turned her attention to a nearby flower. 'My gosh!' she exclaimed. 'Roses!'

Lucien whirled around and gazed delightedly at the wild rose plant. 'Yes!! I've always dreamed of this!'

'Roses are a symbol of love,' floated a third voice; wherefrom, they couldn't tell. 'And also of regret. Hence, they are ever-present in this realm, which is based on those two.'

'Who are you? Where are you?' said Grace, but there was no reply.

'Strange...'

They walked further on, until they were enveloped in verdure. Unknown birds chirped overhead, and countless plants grew on the forest floor – leafy ferns, colourful flowers, and rambling creepers and vines that entwined around nearby brambles.

Then, out of the blue—

'Is that what I think it is?' said a bewildered Lucien.

'A... piano?!' exclaimed Grace. 'In the middle of the forest?'

'Let's hope it's tuned,' said Lucien curiously, sitting on a fallen log before it and stretching his fingers.

'As if it makes a difference to you!' laughed Grace.

'Oh, really?' grinned the demon. 'You think I don't play? Challenge accepted!'

He ran his fingers across the keyboard, and stunned Grace as he began to play the most beautiful melody she had ever heard, with a harmony that was so lilting and perfect that she could stay there and listen forever.

At last, he stopped and looked at her. 'My mother used to play. Before my father destroyed her piano with a misfired spell. She taught me.'

'It was... Heavenly. This... everything!' said Grace, awestruck.

'Well played,' said the floating voice, but it sounded different this time – and Lucien got up frantically at once.

'Mother?!'

'I'm not your mother – I only took on her form,' said the voice, and a beautiful woman appeared in front of them.

'Mother...' said Lucien with tears in his eyes. 'You're... just like her! H–how?'

The woman smiled. 'I'm a fairy. I can only take on the form of someone whom you love the most... or regretted leaving.'

'Can... can I hug you?' said Lucien. 'I... I could never say goodbye to her properly... she just died before—' he broke down, and the woman hugged him comfortingly.

'As long as you like,' she smiled.

'Thank you,' said Lucien, letting go at last.

'And who is this lovely girl?' smiled the fairy, patting her head.

'I'm Grace. It's nice to meet Lucien's mother, even if it's like this...'

The fairy vanished, before reappearing again behind her. 'But you want to see someone else, don't you?'

Grace turned around. It couldn't be. That was her mother's voice!

'You blame yourself for our death all the time, sweetie,' said her mother, kissing her forehead. 'But it's not your fault. I need you to know that.'

'Mom,' said Grace bursting into tears. 'I'm sorry... so sorry...'

'Don't be sorry,' said her father beside her. 'We want to see you happy!'

'Not wasting your life away in guilt and regrets,' said her mother.

'I loved you till the very end,' said her father gently. 'Don't make our death go in vain. Won't you smile for me, Grace? Now and forever?'

'Y–yes,' nodded Grace, embracing her father. 'I love you, Dad. I'm sorry. I'm going to smile a lot from now on!'

Her parents faded away, and she cried again – not from grief, but relief.

'This piano reminds you of me, doesn't it?' said Lucien's mother, smiling at him.

The demon nodded slowly.

'Then take it. My parting gift to you. I will always love you; you're never alone.'

'R–really? How...?'

'Like this,' said the floating voice, and a ring of light approached and swept over them.

They closed their eyes in the dazzling brightness, until it slowly dimmed, and they were able to look around again. They were now in...

'Our parlour!?' exclaimed Lucien. 'How did we end up here?!'

'And that too, with a piano?!' exclaimed a shocked Kuro, sitting on top of it. 'I had a feeling something would go wrong, but not in this way!'

'Not wrong,' smiled Grace. 'Right! The peace I felt in that place is still with me. If nothing else, I got the message from my parents I didn't know I needed. I... I've learnt how to live.'

'I feel the same,' said Lucien. 'I'm not one to stand still for long, but that place got me thinking, somehow. And you know what? Going on all these adventures with you, Grace, I've realised if there's one thing I want with me in any realm, it's you. I... I need you, Grace. I don't know why I'm saying all this, but... seriously, why do I still feel the scent of roses?'

'Because they're in the package, too, apparently,' said a bewildered Kuro, jumping off and revealing a pair of rose plants laid out on the instrument.

'Let's plant them! Right away!' said Grace, her eyes shining as she held out her hand to Lucien, who took it at once.

'Okay!'

*  *  *

The smell of earth lingered after the planting was complete, and the two of them stood in the light of the setting sun with a sense of something greater than themselves amongst them.

'I love you, Grace,' said Lucien suddenly. 'Stay with me forever?'

'W–what?' said Grace, going red.

'Look, I'm never going to give up finding new ways to get to Earth, but while I'm doing all that, I need to be grounded somewhere, too. And if it's this old castle, I think you're the only person who could actually make it worthwhile living here. I know it's not where you belong, but...'

'I felt like I belonged the first time you smiled at me,' said Grace softly. 'And if you're with me, even Hell can feel like Heaven. I need nothing more.'

A gentle breeze blew on their faces as they smiled knowingly at each other, hand in hand, happier than they had been in a long, long time.

And her cross glowed radiently.

*  *  * 

There are some days so beautiful they fill up your senses the moment they begin – like waking from a dream into another dream. Grace hadn’t expected to wake up to one… until she opened her eyes and saw Lucien’s chaotically charming smile above her.

'Wake up, human!' he said excitedly. 'It's the first day of autumn!'

'Autumn...?' she said sleepily, until she remembered what it meant in Hell. 'Oh!' she beamed at him. 'Happy Autumn!'

Lucien smiled at her – a few seconds longer than usual. He absentmindedly brushed her cheek with his finger before jumping off the bed and running off. 'Race you to the garden!'

'Huh? I just woke up, you silly demon!' protested Grace, but she couldn't help but grin and chase after him.

They went together out of the castle doors and into the yard, laughing hard – but when they looked ahead, they gasped in awe.

The garden had bloomed. Gentle white moonbells waved in the morning breeze as if to greet them. The red flower Azel had shown them was blossoming in dozens all over the ground. The unruly plant had large yellow buds that looked ready to burst open any time – as were the countless other flowers and plants they had planted.

'It's... it's like the Secret Garden!' said Lucien, so awestruck that he could hardly speak. 'Just like I used to read...'

The sun rose as he spoke. As its first ray touched the ground, the plants seemed to yield to the light, unfurling and blooming all around them before their very eyes. The roses bloomed last of all; two of them, with a sweet scent that permeated the morning air.

'Could this be real?' said Grace, almost in tears. 'Or is it a dream?'

'I'm awake – I think,' said Lucien dreamily. 'You planted this, Grace. You did it!'

'And you too,' said a soft voice – Azel, more beautiful and ethereal than ever. 'Good morning. You must be wondering how this Heavenly garden bloomed in the barren soil of Hell?'

'Y–yeah?'

'I told you before. Light energy. But it's not always visible. Sometimes, it matches our more subtle hopes and dreams, and stays discreet; until a major burst of goodness or joy unlocks it and makes it show. Do you know what the best way to unlock light energy is, though?'

'What?' said Grace in wonder.

'Love,' smiled Azel. 'Love in all its forms – recognition, warmth, sincerity. And you have loved, Grace and Lucien. This garden is the proof. And so are the townspeople you have awakened their hidden light in. Sheltered Hell can be almost as beautiful as Heaven if you all keep this up; for even Heaven is built with nothing but light energy.'

*  *  *

'An autumn picnic is in order,' said Grace cheerily, as she prepared an array of special dishes in the kitchen. 'In the garden!'

'Ahhhh!' said Lucien gleefully. 'I'm so happy!'

'Food, garden, good company...' said Kuro lazily. 'I'm the happiest cat in the world!'

'Which world?' giggled Grace, stirring a pot.

'Any world!'

'Card game, I challenge you!' said Lucien suddenly, throwing a deck towards the cat. 'Until the food is ready!'

'Ha! I can defeat you in five minutes! Maybe it's better if we have a piano duel instead,' grinned Kuro, pressing his paw against the keys, creating a cacophonous noise that made Lucien look at him in horror.

'I think your music is worse than my drawing and card skills combined,' he said, playing a few sweet notes deftly to mend the damage done.

'Oh, why don't you play something faster?' suggested Kuro. 'We can pretend it's a casino, haha.'

Lucien rolled his eyes. 'Casino? You're the reason we're still in Hell, probably. Well, I suppose it wouldn't hurt... Grace, join Kuro for a game in Las Vegas?'

He played a fast, smooth tune that made that them all laugh, especially as Kuro began to shuffle his deck expertly like an old-time gambler.

'Well, I wouldn't – wait, was that a knock?'

'It's only me,' said a squeaky voice. 'I was wondering if I could get some of the treats you're preparing... I can smell them all the way in the garden, you know... I'd take them myself, but after that careless mistake of my youth, perhaps it's better to ask first – oh, thanks for opening the door! OH! So much food!? Is this all for me!?'

'It's for a brave, loyal and funny rat,' smiled Grace, laying out a large dish for him. 'Wait, is that a book?'

'Not mine!' said Squeaks through a nibble of cheese. 'It's for the Assistant. He asked me to get him this book from the library about cursed melodies or something. I got hungry lugging it around!'

'Cursed melodies?' said Lucien, picking up the book. 'Now I've got to check it out!'

'Oh, no, it's probably not a good idea...'

'Eat, Squeaks. Let me handle this.'

'Is that music notation?' said Kuro, peering over him.

'Yep,' said Lucien, flipping through the pages. 'Let's see, 'Tune for Ladies Swoon'. Seriously? 'Tune to kill'. Yikes. Tune for portal – portal?!'

'Portal? What portal?'

'Anywhere you want to go!' said Lucien with rising excitement. 'Oh, but wait, you can only play them with a magical piano!'

'Oh,' said Grace disappointedly.

'Play the notes C, A, and G simultaneously to find out if you have a magical piano,' read Lucien, 'Let's try it for kicks, haha!'

He pressed his fingers on the keyboard – and to everyone's surprise...

The keys lit up!