Purely Prideful Parenting

David lied there in total darkness. He vaguely remembered what had happened, and he would have been hitting himself for his stupidity. That is, if he could move his body. At the moment, even breathing felt like a painful labor.

“Real smooth move, boyo…”

David’s eyes looked up, spotting the unmistakable visage of Sensei Skinner. He tried to speak, but all that came out was a weak groan. “S… Sen…”

Skinner held out a hand. “Save your energy, kid. You’ve gotta heal. I’m just here to tell you what an idiot you are.” He crossed his arms. “I taught you better than that. What was my rule? No drugs. No booze. You failed both of those.”

David blinked slowly as Skinner sighed. “Your body is a temple, David. I didn’t want you to fall into the trap your dad and I had gone down. Maybe I should have been more clear on that…” He looked to his side then back at David. “Nevertheless, I understand why you did it. That bitch was putting you in a spot you might not have won.”

“I’m…” David groaned, his breathing more labored. “I’m sorry…”

“Hey, not my life you’re wasting…” Sensei shrugged. He sat down right behind David’s head. “That being said… There’s no reason that you should end your journey right now. So I’m going to help you.” He held out a hand towards his head. “You better thank me for this kid.

Before David could say anything, he was met with a flash right in his eyes. Then, as quickly as he collapsed, he awoke on the bed within his and Morgan’s private train car. His body still felt like it was in pain, but this pain dulled the longer he stayed awake. He looked down at his body to see a vertical scar on his chest and Morgana’s half-infuriated, half-relieved gaze.

“You idiot!!” She shouted loudly. She quickly grabbed hold of him and squeezed him to her chest. “How could you do something so reckless and stupid??”

“I-I…” David weakly muttered. “I was an idiot… I’m sorry. I panicked when I felt I couldn’t handle those guys…”

Morgan closed her eyes, squeezing David tighter. “Never… Never take those pills again… You’re so lucky that you survived. Those things kill humans…”

David stayed quiet, looking up at the ceiling. He remembered the visions of his sensei and wondered if that was what saved him. He wasn’t even sure if it was real. Sitting up, he rubbed his forehead. Sebastian slowly held out his shirt and jacket.

“Apologies, Master Moreno. We had to remove your clothes in order to operate.”

“It’s fine…” David took back his clothes. “How long was I out?”

“65 days as of this moment. You missed the sights of the Malobolge, but fortunately, nothing needed to be done there.” Sebastian sighed. “It is nearly time to reach the final ring. And since you passed the other trials, it should be a simple formality to meet with Master Lucifer.”

Nodding, the human sat up with a grunt, touching his own chest. “Hey… What happened after I was knocked out?”

“Oh, Megara tried to claim a technicality against your victory, but I… Dealt with her properly.” Morgan smirked a bit as she helped David stand. “Let’s say, she was given an extensive hair wash with toilet water.”

“Heh. Nice…” David smiled a little as he put on his shirt and coat.

~~~

The Ring of Pride was many things, but two words summed it up best: regal and purple. The sheer shades of royal violet were intense, like stepping into a pimp’s suit. David tried his best to adjust his eyes after being asleep for so long.

Welcome to the Ring of Pride, the end of the line.

As the doors opened, they revealed purple demons of extravagant royal clothing, along with tails and horns which matched Morgan’s. However, their tails weren’t as detailed and their tails were not as long as hers. David admitted in his head that even with these beautiful men and women, Morgan stood out the most.

Sebastian guided them to another limo, which he drove straight to the palace in the center. If Envy’s manors were nice, the castle that stood above everything was beyond his expectations. He relaxed his body with some breathing exercises, smiling to himself. He was so close to victory. All he needed to do was present his prize to Lucifer himself.

~~~

“No.”

The duo stared at the white-haired fallen angel in shock. The bored expression as he sat in his chair showed that he had no interest in changing his answer.

David tried to make an argument. “I’m sorry, but-”

Lucifer held up a hand. “I said, no. I know your wiley tricks, human. The answer will always be no, and you can’t stop me. And if you go through with the wedding, I can remove Morgan’s status as Devil and take it back.”

Morgan began to huff, purple energy glowing from her body. “M-Mom! Say something!”

Morgan’s mother, another white-haired demon who shared more demonic features with the Lust Ring than the Pride Ring, simply shrugged. “This is how your father is, dear. There are very few… Jobs I can do to fix this.”

Morgan twitched. She had gotten so far, watched her husband-to-be risk so much and nearly destroy his body, only to have this denial thrown in her face. Her hair burst into a torrent of purple flames and she let out a primal roar of combat. Lucifer barely had any time to react as his daughter rushed him. They both crashed through the wall and made a quick drop. This would have been less concerning to David, had the wall not been shielding a drop several stories tall.

As he watched the two plummet with a shocked expression, Morgan’s mother sipped her tea. “David, correct? Would you like some tea while we wait for them to finish?”

“Huh?” He turned back to face the woman. “O-Oh, I’m fine. Really.”

“Very well.” She looked at Sebastian. “Sebby, dear. Fill my pot. I’m low.”

“Yes, Mistress Lilith.” With a bow, Sebastian took the pot and left the room. As he did so, Lilith offered a seat across from her. David took the spot, wishing to be a good guest.

“Should we… Be worried about what just happened?”

“Oh, that? No worries, dear. Someone will repair the wall.”

“Uhhhh… I was more referring to your husband and my fiancé plummeting to their deaths.”

“Oh, please. This is hardly the first time these two have fought. It won’t be long before we can go down and you can inspire her enough to take the win.”

David blinked. “Wait… You want her to win?”

“Oh, of course, dear.” She sipped the remaining tea in her cup. “I’ve been awaiting her ascension for a long time. I’ve done everything I could to raise her correctly and make sure to delay it all as much as possible.”

“Delay? Wait, I-”

“Of course, my husband insisted on raising her with his ideals as well, and of course, that led to a massive wrench in everything. She was seriously debating on starting that damned apocalypse…”

“I’m sorry, what are you-?”

“But then you came along and made everything worth it!” Lilith clapped her hands together with a big smile. “I know for a fact that you’ll be carrying along my job wonderfully!”

“Your… Job?”

“Well, of course!” Lilith maintained that same cheery smile as she spoke. The way it never wavered even as her tone of voice changed reminded him too much of one person…

“I mean, when Lucifer wished to counter-attack with a much larger force in the beginning times, why do you think suddenly, a beautiful demon would confess her love for him? True, everything became delayed, but it did its job…”

David stared at Lilith. The maniacal tone hidden in her sweet voice was eerie. “And now, I can retire properly knowing that it won’t happen here. You can keep watch and protect everyone… Won’t you?”

Her eyes slowly opened for the first time in the whole conversation, revealing not the dark demonic eyes, but a glint of holy gold. David froze in place, saying nothing as Sebastian knocked on the door before entering. Lilith’s eye closed as she called out. “Come on in, Sebby!”

Sebastian entered, setting the tea set on the table. He looked at David, whose face was still deathly pale. “Master Moreno, are you alright?”

“Oh, he’s fine, Sebby. He’s just nervous.” Lilith interjected calmly as she poured herself some tea. After a few sips, they both heard the sound of a distant explosion. This was enough to snap David out of it. With a smile, Lilith set the tea down and stood up.

“Let us go and give my daughter some encouragement, shall we? I believe I know what I’m going to say.” She picked David up and spread her gray wings, flying off towards the site of the explosion.

~~~

When the duo arrived, they found a site neither expected. There, lying in a crater and utterly defeated, was Lucifer. Morgan stood over him, huffing in rage as she clutched her flaming fists. As she spotted David on the crater’s edge, she slowly breathed in and out. Every breath caused the flames to die more and more until she was back to her old self.

“Well, it looks like coming here was unnecessary. I suppose it’s all for the best.” Lilith uttered, nodding to no one in particular.

Morgan slowly approached David and hugged him tight, but David was quiet. He simply hugged her back as he continued to process everything.

“We have his blessing now…” Morgan uttered as she started walking back towards the palace. “Let’s go home.”

“Huh?” David shook his head to snap awake. “You mean… We’re done?”

“Yeah…” She nodded. “I wagered that I could beat him for our marriage… I beat him. Now let’s go. I’m tired of Hell for the moment.”

David simply nodded and followed his fiancé. He looked back at Lilith, who simply waved goodbye with a smile. Goddammit, is every nice mom secretly an evil mastermind?? He thought to himself as the group became a blip in the distance.

~~~

As Lucifer lied back in a hospital bed, recovering from his injuries, his rage built. This was not supposed to happen. He was not supposed to lose to his DAUGHTER! Demons grew more powerful with age, so how did he manage to lose? All these thoughts swam in his mind as he clenched his teeth. He was sick of delaying the end of it all. Hell was ready to take over, and he knew his daughter wouldn’t start it. Someone else would have to.

“Sebastian!!”

The imp appeared at his bedside, bowing low. “Yes, Master Lucifer. How may I assist you?”

“I need you to write a letter and have it delivered for me.”

“Of course sir.” He summoned a quill and a piece of paper, ready to write.

Lucifer looked over. “Sebastian, what we write and what happens next must not leave this room. You must not say a word and you must not be caught. If you do, your family and you will meet their end.”

Sebastian maintained his stoic expression and nodded. He was ready to write down the letter.

“Alright, here’s what it is…”