Epilogue
Disclaimer: So there's a couple bits and pieces of canon that this'll ignore. Why? Because I'm The Author, And I Say So. Also, this contains massive spoilers for Disgaea 1 & 2.
I'd also like to state that I'm annoyed by FFN's lack of support for strikethrough tags.
0x0x0x0
"Lils, I'm home!" shouted Etna, walking into Lils's quarters with something behind her back. Or someone, since it appeared to be struggling.
"Took you long enough, dood!" said Lils, thumping out to Etna. "How'd it go, dood?"
Etna smiled, glee on her face and murder in her heart, before revealing what she had behind her back.
It was a rather plain purple prinny, its beak tied shut and its flippers waving wildly.
"Guess who this is?" said Etna.
Lily's face echoed Etna's, her eyes going wide with joy as Etna removed the string tying the prinny's beak shut.
"Hello, Tommy," said Lily.
"Avada Kedav–" began the prinny, before it saw stars from being dropped on its head. It clearly heard a voice it recognized from somewhere say "I'm sure that's only happened a few times."
It ignored the pain, and scrambled to its peg legs, quickly balancing on them, before pointing its flipper at Lily again.
"Avada Kedavra!"
Nothing happened.
"Avada Kedavra?" asked the prinny.
"You don't get magic here, Tommy," said Lils, drawing her knives. "You do get pain, though."
Tom Marvolo Riddle whimpered, as he recognized that voice. How could he not? The last time he heard it, she was begging for her child's life. He killed her, and then attempted to kill her child. And now she was a stuffed penguin, grinning while holding a pair of knives.
He turned, screaming his head off and running for his life.
"Keep running, dood!" she shouted, chasing after him. "You'll only die tired, dood!"
Etna shook her head. She'd chase them down later, but she was feeling nauseous again. She sat down, touching her stomach with her hand. She'd hadn't held very high hopes for the plan, but, well, sometimes the simplest ideas were the best.
Well, there was a reason she hadn't mentioned it to Harry. Lils was going to be pissed, though.
0x0x0x0
Dear Diary,
So Lils is pissed. Mostly at the fact I never asked Harry. I didn't... I didn't want to raise his hopes. I didn't want him to try and contain Voldemort, because we both knew it would never work. I know I took a choice away from him, and I know he'd hate that... but I still needed to try. It's selfish of me, but... I needed this. I needed to try.
Still, I'd think Lils would be happy about being a grandmother.
Laharl's his usual petulant self. And now I have to withhold comment whenever he starts pontificating about how much he hates "love." Given how much of a rebellious teenager he is, he naturally does this in front of his dad as much as possible.
I have to wonder what Harry is up to. Is he trying to find me? Is he moving on with his life?
0x0x0x0
Dear Diary,
I don't like this.
The king had me drug his own son. I understand why. Laharl would react badly to me being pregnant, but this isn't the King's usual modus operandi. Maderas provided the potion with his usual leer at my neck, and it was easy to sneak it into Laharl's drink.
That, and the King hasn't stated his plan for after I give birth. A little worrying, but not overly so. Maybe he's still trying to decide what to do?
I know Laharl won't care, although he'll be even more petulant after the fact. Oh, this'll be fun for both me and Lils.
0x0x0x0
Dear Diary
It feels like its been too long since I last wrote, but I know it isn't.
Well, I know now it isn't.
My memories have been stolen.
Maderas has them, the thieving vampire. The King is dead, supposedly choked on a Black Pretzel. The Prince is in a poisoned sleep, and according to both Lils and my own damn diary, I was the one who did it.
Apparently, it was to cover up my pregnancy.
MY PREGNANCY.
The King signed off on this. Nobody died, so that much is obvious. Which means I wasn't supposed to know I was pregnant. Which means... everybody was supposed to be ordered to shut up. Except Lils didn't. Because it was her granddaughter. She's ordered all the castle prinnies to shut up and follow my orders, or else, and she's got another prinny, Tommy, as her personal enforcer.
His name was Harry. No. His name is Harry. I can still feel the warmth of his name, and the ache of him not being here, even without remembering him.
I need my memories.
Step one, then, is waking up the prince. Lils doesn't know what poison I used, and I didn't list it here, either. The King ordered it, though, and that means it won't kill him.
Step two, having him take out Maderas.
Step three depends on my memories. It also depends on the– Well, that's good security. A Fidelius Charm, and I'm not the secret keeper. Anyways, the problem, though, is if I want to get back to Harry, how do I do it? There's a way to open inter-dimensional gates, that much is obvious. Summons can't be the only way.
On a weirder note, my tits are a little bigger due to giving birth.
0x0x0x0
Dear Diary,
Finally woke up the prince. Only took two years and the temptation to put a bullet in his brain. I successfully held out at Lily's request. Instead, I worked my anger out on Tommy, for obvious reasons.
Apparently, Lily's training him to be her new minion/whipping boy.
0x0x0x0
Dear Diary,
I've given up.
I can understand some angel getting off their ass and sending someone to assassinate the Overlord. It should be obvious that they'd want to assassinate Krichevskoy, rather than face him in open combat.
What I can't comprehend, is the assassin being Flonne. Apparently, she was sent by the grand pooh-bah of Celestia, the Seraph, to kill Krichevskoy.
When she learned that Krichevskoy was dead, and that he was Laharl's father, she actually felt sad for him.
She talks about power of love and friendship so much that I want to smash my head against a wall until I start believing her. Who expected Flonne to handle actually killing someone?
This can't be right. The more I think about it, the more obvious it is that it's a setup. A setup for what though? And for who?
...
I don't need this headache right now.
0x0x0x0
Dear Diary,
I've been staring at that empty vial of memories for the better part of an hour.
My daughter's name is Lilith. Lilith Marie Potter.
Maderas was an idiot. He was supposed to destroy the vial, not use it as blackmail. I was never supposed to have the chance to retrieve my memories. Still, those memories are back where they belong.
Harry did kill Krichevskoy. Madreas gave me a memory from after I retrieved mine. I could clearly see the massive bite of Harry's blood wolf. It obviously got Krichevskoy from behind, the fangs sinking into either side of him. Probably because Krichevskoy was gloating or pontificating while underestimating Harry.
As to the rest of the memories... I'd hoped the vial would prove Flonne wrong. That there was something in there that would make me hate him. That a second glance over getting to know him would make it all go away. Hell, anything that would convince me I was being an idiot. That I didn't have his child, just as an attempt to stay there with him.
It only proved Flonne right.
...
I want my daughter back. I'm going to kill whoever is behind this bullshit, and then I am going to find Harry and my daughter.
0x0x0x0
Dear Diary,
Laharl's finally calling himself Overlord of the Netherworld.
His plan for dealing with everybody who wanted to overthrow him was pretty dumb, but dumb works with demons. Claiming to be carrying the Deed to the Title of Overlord and then traveling through a dark and empty forest doesn't seem like the smartest of ideas, but then again, the Prince is Krichevskoy's son.
The demon from the alternate Netherworld definitely gave us some trouble, though. If it hadn't been for Krichevskoy's old vassals...
I asked Laharl about it, and got him ranting on the subject.
Apparently, there's a lot of Alternate Netherworlds out there, not just the one of super-strong demons. Likewise, there's a lot of human worlds as well. One of the perks of being an Overlord, is getting the Dark Senate to open dimensional gates to different dimensions, including human worlds.
So I either need to trust Laharl (doubtful) or become an Overlord. And if I want to become an Overlord, do I dispose of Laharl and take over here? Or do I go to a different Netherworld and dispose of their Overlord? This is going to take some thought.
0x0x0x0
Dear Diary,
I lied to Flonne today. I told her I was a commoner when I started in the King's service.
She's an idiot, she's annoying, and she's naïve... but she's also innocent.
I don't like her, but I can't help but protect her from the more horrible aspects of the world. And if she doesn't need to know about slavery... then she doesn't need to know about slavery.
…
I don't need her condolences, either.
0x0x0x0
Dear Diary,
The prinnies reincarnated recently. The Red Moon comes along every so often, and wipes away their remaining sin. One of the prinnies
...
Etna stared at the diary for a long time, before closing it and putting it away. She left the secret room, and found Lils cleaning up the Prince's room.
"You need to tell Flonne to convince the Prince to be less of a slob," said Lils.
"Good luck with that," said Etna. She glanced at the door. "That, and I don't think they're that close... yet."
Lils chuckled.
"Laharl really doesn't get it, does he?"
"Not in the slightest... listen... did you know of any other prinnys that are like yourself?"
"Like myself?" asked Lils. "You mean that sacrificed themselves?"
"Yeah."
Lils tidied the room for a moment, folding Laharl's laundry before speaking.
"Big Sis," said Lils. "She never struck me as the usual sort of prinny. I never learned her name, but... well, you can ask the other prinnys. She always had a kind word for everybody."
Etna leaned back against the wall, deep in thought.
"She was part of the red moon, wasn't she?" asked Lils.
"Yep. She was also the Queen."
"She was... the Queen? Laharl's mother?"
"Yeah."
Lils put down the laundry, ignoring it while she walked over to Etna.
"That... that makes a lot of sense, now that I think about it."
"Why?"
"She... she always cared about everyone. She kept track of all the other prinnys. Made sure all of them were welcomed, got their food, everything. A lot of the vassals still talk about the Queen with... with reverence, I guess. And... well..."
Etna was silent, waiting for Lily to continue.
"She'd always ask me how the Prince was," said Lily. "Never interacted with him herself. But she asked me how he was. And she talked with me about meeting Harry, too. She asked me if I talked to him. Asked me how I could stand to talk to him, to know that I'd be leaving so soon afterwards." Lily sighed. "I should have realized something was up with that conversation, but I was busy being so happy to see Harry..."
0x0x0x0
Dear Diary
Of course we found humans. And, of course, they're from a DIFFERENT EARTH.
Gordon, Defender of Earth, and his sidekicks Jennifer Carter and Thursday the Super Robot.
They are all idiots.
Subtle questioning of Jennifer reveals that they're from a different Earth. There's a few hundred years of difference between the two, and I know I would have heard Hermione talk about robots and giant monsters if they existed. That, and they all know about magic. In fact, they've known about magic the entire damn time.
So going there is a no go. Although, Gordon seems intent on returning to Earth, while Jennifer will probably help them. If I help them as well, maybe I can hitch a ride to a slightly different Earth?
We'll see.
0x0x0x0
Dear Diary,
Who is Vyers? I'm not going to call him the prince's idiotic nickname for him in my diary. He seems familiar, somehow. But I'm not sure how.
That grandiose, pompous arrogance could be from anywhere. Let's face it, nearly every Demon has an ego, and per the usual, his was on display. Why is he so familiar, though? Why?
AND WHY DOES HE KEEP SHOWING UP?
0x0x0x0
Dear Diary,
The human military from Gordon's Earth invaded the Netherworld. The invasion was led by Jennifer's adopted father and backed by another Defender of Earth. Apparently, the Earth Defense Force decided they were running out of resources, and that invading the Netherworld would fix everything.
…
I don't understand this reasoning, either.
Then again, this was all a plot hatched by Angels to kill Laharl. This plot makes far more sense than sending Flonne... so I don't think this was orchestrated by the Seraph. I tried to be the sensible one, but of course Miss "I have IQ points equal to my cup size" immediately leapt to the conclusion that the Seraph was behind it once Laharl mentioned that the Seraph sent Flonne of all people to kill Krichevskoy. Sure, this means I'm agreeing with Flonne, but even a stopped clock is right twice a day. Then again, it could all be a double-blind to throw off someone who can put two and two together, but given the average intelligence in this room, they failed miserably.
Flonne is going to Celestia to meet the Seraph, and ask him what is going on.
Laharl, of course, is going along with this because "It's a good opportunity for me to check out this so-called Seraph."
Lily and I have both agreed he's oblivious. Then again, he's a boy.
I'll have to keep an eye out for whoever is behind this.
0x0x0x0
Dear Diary,
So Flonne's a Fallen Angel, now.
One of the Seraph's flunkies was behind the EDF invading the Netherworld. He planned on killing the Seraph, taking over, and setting himself up as a god while stripping everyone of their free will in the name of Eternal Peace.
Krichevskoy didn't die. The Seraph was keeping him alive with angelic magic, and their entire goal was to get Laharl's head out of his ass via Flonne. And likely myself, as well. Bastard. This is why you stole Lilith?
I was tempted to raise him just to kill him again, but he's spent the last year and a half dying of basilisk venom. Also, the Queen was looking mighty pissed about something. Given she's been friends with Lils for the past fourteen years... I think Krichevskoy will be punished enough. For now.
The best part of all of this, though? Watching Laharl do everything in his power not to hug Flonne after nearly giving up his own life for her. It took everything I have not to laugh at the pair of them.
I suppose that's why the King did it. Laharl lost his mother to Love. She gave her life for him, and he hated it. He hated that he lost his mother to Love. And if he lost me as well? That I fell in love, and left him for Harry?
Krichevskoy would have lost his son. Laharl would have turned into a monster. Maybe, somewhere deep down, there'd be a heart, but to dig that deep into him? To try and find it?
I guess I can understand. That still doesn't make it right.
0x0x0x0
Dear Diary,
So Gordon and Jennifer are back on their Earth. I think Laharl couldn't stand Jennifer's constant teasing. That, and it made Flonne happy.
Jennifer has demanded, however, that she be invited to the wedding.
I promised her that I'd get her there... whenever it happens. Granted, it might not happen in her lifetime, but Flonne's doing a good job of working on the prince.
Maybe I can just ask Flonne to ask Laharl to send me to an alternate Earth?
No. Then I'd have to deal with a gushing Flonne. No thanks, I'd rather spend the rest of eternity vomiting. It might come to that, though. Laharl did push through a bill for dimensional travel to Jennifer and Gordon's Earth, though.
0x0x0x0
Dear Diary,
This is going to be the last entry for a while. Maybe even years.
I've found a lead Zenon, God of All Overlords, and Laharl is spoiling for a fight. Flonne isn't disagreeable to this since Zenon wiped out 99 other Overlords. I'm recommending caution, however, since Zenon wiped out those 99 Overlords in a 99-on-1 battle.
Still, I've volunteered myself to go scouting.
Flonne has an ulterior motive to this, as well, judging from the triumphant smirk she has. Her and Laharl? Alone in the castle? Hmm... I wonder what she could be up to?
That was sarcasm.
Here's an important fact: If I defeat Zenon, that means I'm an Overlord. And that means I can open an inter-dimensional travel bill in my Dark Senate.
Which means I'm off. Not sure when I'll write again. Hopefully it'll be soon, though.
0x0x0x0
The best description Etna could think of was "clusterfuck."
Oh, she'd found Overlord Zenon, alright. She'd even almost killed Zenon.
She just didn't know it was Zenon she was fighting, because there was a brash, annoying idiot with her spoiling for a fight. And that brash idiot reminded her of a certain someone, in their determination to win. So she let him live, and by extension, Zenon.
This, she later learned, was a mistake.
A second mistake was giving them a fake fingernail to summon another demon. Because a good summoner can make up for very bad ingredients.
It'd been a very long time since she was last this weak. She didn't like it. And when she learned that the real Zenon was powerful enough to go against Laharl one-on-one and win?
She sighed.
They'd gone off and defeated the fake Zenon, saved the people of Veldime from being turned into mindless monsters by said fake Zenon, and now she was stuck on Veldime until she could convince Rozalin nee Zenon that she needed to be somewhere else.
Rozalin and Adell, of course, both disappeared on a "journey." She suspected the journey stopped at a luxury hotel with very good room service.
Adell's parents were celebrating their somewhat slightly restored sanity and humanity in much the same way.
Everyone around her was getting some, and all she had to show for it was a single lousy minion.
A minion who was currently hiding from her parents while they were having sex.
She rolled her eyes, before jumping off the roof of Adell's parents place, and walked away from the house (and the sounds) towards the abandoned house she'd taken over. It wasn't stealing, since the previous owner had become a lot closer to nature. Specifically, they were more plant than human, and found indoors confining.
"Oh, hey!" shouted a girl. She was a short red-head. Not like Adell's brick red, but that real fiery red, pulled back into a long braid. "Me and my dad heard there was a good demon summoner in this town. Do you know where they are?"
"Big house with the cauldron out front. Can't miss it. You'll have to wait a few hours, kid," groused Etna as she reached the front stoop. "They're working on having a fourth kid at the moment."
"Ah, fuck."
"Exactly. So what do you need a demon summoner for?" said Etna, wanting some sort of conversation.
"To summon a demon?" replied the girl.
"Really? Is that what they're for? I never knew that! I mean, I've only been summoned twice and all, and I never figured that out!"
The girl rolled her eyes. Etna realized they were the second greenest eyes she'd ever seen.
"No, really. What are you summoning?" asked Etna.
"Why should we trust you, demon?"
"Good reasoning, young miss demon."
"You can see that?" asked the girl, touching her ears.
Etna glared at the girl. She was young, a teenager, looking around 14 or 15. Hell, she might actually even be 14 or 15, given the petulant glare and eye-rolling.
"I'm about a hundred times your age," said Etna. "Hell, I've taught people that glamor spell." Her ears were replaced with plain human ones, and her wings and tail disappeared as well. "See? Not hard."
"Oh. Huh. Sorry."
"Meh. So who are you and your dad summoning?"
"My mother," said the girl, and Etna wanted to sigh. It couldn't actually be this easy, could it?
"Your mother?"
"Yep! Well... except she might not remember who we are," said the girl.
"Your mother," repeated Etna. "Who might not remember who you are." This had to be the first time in her entire lifetime it had been this simple. This sort of bullshit only ever happened to heroes... and she'd done some stupid heroic things, recently. She held back an internal groan.
"Yeah, that's what I said. I did say that, right?"
"No, you did." Etna kneeled down, realizing just how short she was. "Lilith, go get Harry."
"Sure... wait, what? How did – Mum?" asked Lilith.
Etna smiled and wrapped Lilith up in a hug.
"Really? It's really you?"
"Yeah, and I maimed the guy who stole my memories until he gave them back. Now come on, let's go see Harry."
0x0x0x0
A boy and a girl were hiding behind a stone wall under a tree, well away from their parent's house in the center of the village. The boy was taller and older, with two bullhorns growing out of his head, and he was dressed in a black and white shirt with blue shorts. The girl was younger and smaller, dressed in a white tube-top, red shorts that matched her hair, and sandals, with small wings on her back.
"Are they done yet?" asked the boy.
"I checked last time," replied the girl. "I'm not checking this time."
"But... I don't want to check."
"Then we'll have to wait," said the girl.
"Hey!" said a fiery-haired girl walking down the path. "Your parents are the demon summoner and her husband, right? Got room for one more?"
"Umm... yes?" said the boy.
"Awesome. My parents just started, and they've got fifteen years of pent up frustration to get through. I'm gonna hide with you guys for a while. I'm Lilith."
"Taro," said the boy.
"Hanako," said the girl. "Really? Fifteen years? What was your mother, a nun?"
"Nah. She was a demon summoned to the human world. Her seal sent her back when she was done, but mom and dad got together while she was there. It took my aunts a while to build a gate to a Netherworld... except we had no way to find her, so we were looking for your mom to summon her."
"I don't think my mother will summon anyone anytime soon..." trailed off Hanako.
"Nah, we ran into her. Apparently she was hunting for some Overlord named Zenon?"
"Your mom is Etna?" asked Hanako.
"Yep! Apparently we've got to meet her old boss, too."
"Wait, wait, wait," continued Hanako. "Your mom is Etna? As in Demon Lord Etna?"
"Well, I don't know about the Demon Lord part, but yeah."
"Aww... I was hoping to be the top minion..."
0x0x0x0
Harry and Etna lay on a broken bed, blankets tossed on the ground and clothing strewn around Etna's house.
"So what took you so long?" asked Etna, snuggling into Harry.
"Krichevskoy broke my vial when I fought him."
Etna nodded.
"I figured it went about that well. What happened?"
"He showed up at Malfoy Manor with Lilith. He handed her off to me, and then expected me to not look for you, saying he stole your memories."
"Seriously?"
"Yeah."
"So your wolf bite him then and there?"
"No, he backhanded me through a few walls."
Etna winced.
"I got up, spat out some teeth and blood, and transfigured some willie pete and thermite as he stepped through the hole in the wall, but, well..."
"It just pissed him off."
"Right. That's also when he decided to just strangle me."
Etna nodded.
"I summoned my blood wolf and bit him from behind. He threw me out of the public bit of the manor, and then leveled the building. I warned him he'd best leave you alone, or I'd kill his kid, and that was the end of it."
"Really? Well, that was anticlimatic."
Harry shrugged.
"So how's everybody else doing?"
"Hermione's learned to be a politician under Albus. He retried about ten years back. She's been repealing laws in the Wizengamot with regularity. Luna's... Luna, I guess? They're planning their wedding now that it's legal in muggle Britain, and they're waiting on me dragging you back. Elizabeth and Ron are married, and Ron's turned into a stay-at-home dad. Draco and Lucretia have three kids, and Susan just had her third, as well."
"Who did Susan marry?"
"Draco."
"Lucky bastard."
"Meh. It's mostly a political marriage, so that she can continue her family name. All of Lucretia's kids are Malfoys."
"Yes, yes they are," commented Etna. "Neville and Ginny?"
"They dated off and on before going their separate ways. Ginny's playing for the Harpies. Neville's going for his mastery in Herbology, although he's been spending a lot of time working in the Malfoy family garden."
"Really? Narcissa and Neville?"
"Narcissa says it's purely professional."
"And just how long has this purely professional relationship been going on?"
"Four years, maybe? Five? Then again, I don't think Narcissa can remarry until Lucius is actually dead, though."
"Hmm... point. I'd have thought his grandmother would make him marry someone at least."
"I think he's marrying one of the Slytherin Greengrass sisters?"
"Who, Daphne?"
"Astoria?" wondered Harry. "I didn't pay attention. It's one of those polite marriages where she's spending her time with someone else once she gives him a kid."
"Huh. I take it you haven't picked up any purely professional relationships?"
"No."
"How about purely unprofessional relationships?"
"Not a single one," said Harry.
"Good, because I'm going to need you to help me with something."
"What's that?"
"My boobs got bigger after I had Lilith. I need to find out if they'll get even bigger with our next kid."
"We're going to need to do something first, though," said Harry without skipping a beat.
"Oh? What's that?" asked Etna.
A small black velvet box launched from beneath a pile of parchment and research notes and into Harry's hand.
"Potter?"
"Yes?"
"Are you attempting to make an honest woman out of me?"
"Yes."
"You're insane. And the answer's yes."
0x0x0x0
His eyes gave off wisps of green fire, wafting between the black strands of messy hair. A plain tunic covered his chest and scars criss-crossed his arms, although only one on his forearm, as though a massive fang stabbed through it, stood out anymore. A thin white zig-zag was hidden by the bangs over his forehead. His hands and knuckles were calloused, and his muscles were thin and wiry. He didn't bother with gloves or footwear any longer, having long since stopped caring. Occasionally his fingers played with a thin stick, the wood petrified with age. It would appear and disappear not by thought, but by habit alone.
With him was a woman whose maroon hair matched her maroon eyes. Black leather supported and covered a bust of impressive size, while allowing massive bat wings to unfurl as necessary. Clipped to the leather was a simple purple pen. A long, thin spaded tail whipped back and forth from under her leather skirt when she was agitated, which she rarely was anymore. In her hands was a well-worn spear.
Around them was a cold, empty, inhospitable darkness. Before them was a door.
He reached out, and pushed it open. Inside, was warmth and light and wonder.
"Further up and further in?" he asked, holding her hand and stepping across the threshold.
She paused for but a moment, before stepping through as well. She flexed her wings, watching the leather as though it would sprout feathers, or perhaps ready to jump if a lightning bolt would smite her. She then glanced up to check for a halo. There wasn't one.
"Further up and further in," she replied, smirking.
The End
Author's Note: When you want to end something, you end it.
In order to get the ending, you need to read the Chronicles of Narnia, beginning to end. Even if you don't care about the ending of this story, you need to read the Chronicles of Narnia, beginning to end. And that means the Right and Proper Order, starting with The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. And don't worry if you cry like a whiny little emo bitch at the end of The Last Battle. You're supposed to.
Beta's Note: Yes, that's the correct order. Every time someone reads The Magician's Nephew first, Aslan curb-stomps a puppy.
Author's Continued Note: There was an explanation for Silent Hill here. It's gone now. It would have been helpful.