Author's note: Alright, this chapter is a bit special since I tried to write on a topic I am not used to (you will understand it quickly enough as you read it). It is a bit shorter than last chapter because I was a bit busy today so apologies >

But enough of me babbling! Enjoy :)

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The night of that day, a small boy was sitting by himself inside his large chamber. His white hair, something that most his age should not have, was reflecting the pale moon shimmering moonlight that let itself in through the large window in front of him. The wind was quite strong this evening, pumping a fresh breeze into the room, fluttering the curtains on as it streamed on the boy’s hair. Outside his room, laughter and cheers could be heard from the gathering outside. Currently, the demons were rejoicing their new freedom after being officially accepted and recognized by the Primes, their enemies since anyone could remember. Music from the bards accompanied the graceful dance of the few maidens only added to the merry atmosphere of this place.

And yet, while everyone was celebrating to their fullest, the main figure of the party, the person who contributed the most to this war as he ended it in the most memorable way possible, was not participating. Instead he chose to lock himself in his room. He had his own reasons for this strange behaviour. To him, the people out there were blessed, not because of the peace they just recent acquired but because they knew nothing of what was going on around them. They thought the storm has passed but it didn’t. Not when these things Alastor had in his possession still remained here.

The dark crystals created from the sacrifice of thousands of lives. It only took one to devastate an entire kingdom and poisoned the entire land forever. And that was not even the original intent it was designed for. It made one wonder what Odium has planned for it if she was still alive to this day.

Akroma the Living Metal, a product that initially thought to be for the greater good but ended up almost destroy the entire world. If unleashed, its endless hunger would consume the entire world as all would become a part of it.

Finally, Tartarus, the mysterious relic of the past whose purpose no one really understood why it was created in the first place. At least, Alastor could not understand it. But if there was one thing he knew about Tartarus, it was that the thing was more than capable to annihilate Astora along with everything good or bad in the storm it brought.

And Alastor, out of all people, possessed all three of them. How was it possible? Was fate somehow toying with him? Or was it because of something that would happen in the future and when that time came, Alastor would need them? But even in his wildest imagination, the boy could not think of any reason that might require these….Unless…..

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

“Alastor, may I come in?” a gentle soothing voice called out from outside.

“Go ahead! The door is not locked.” Said Alastor without turning back while continue to stare at the window from his soft bed.

The door opened and a womanly figure walked in. The moment the door spread itself, sounds of music of the party were even louder before appeasing again as the woman shut the door behind her. She wore a long deep blue dress adorned with shimmering glitters spread across it all while showing her alluring shoulders. It was rare to see her in such fancy clothing as it was not her usual self to display such interest in fashion. However, tonight was special and her new position as the herald of the celestials did not allow her to be in humble clothing like before.

Moving toward the boy as she climbed on the bed and embraced him from behind while letting his head resting on her chest, the celestial posed her chin gently without really completely resting on his small head. She would have let him sit between her legs but because of the one-piece dress, the celestial would have to accommodate with it and sat while letting her legs to the sides.

Expecting her to say something, Alastor waited. However, she just sat there without uttering a single sound while caressing his hair occasionally hugging him tightly. Unable to stand the awkward silence, the boy decided to take the first initiative.

“Are you not supposed to be out there?” asked Alastor.

“It’s fine. I have already entertained most of the important guests. And if anyone else wants to see me, then screw them! You don’t think I would let the man I love all by himself in his room, do you?” smiled the celestial.

“…Thank you, Ikarus!” the boy smiled back. “I am sorry…for my childish behaviour. But I just can’t go out there, pretending that everything is fine when they are clearly not. I just can’t.”

“Are you talking about Tartarus and that living metal thing? Do you mind if I ask why couldn’t you tell us what you saw down there?” inquired the celestial.

“…It’s hard to explain, Ikarus. And even if I can, I don’t want you to be dragged into this mess that I am in…I can’t do that to you or anyone.” Alastor confessed.

“What do you mean you don’t want me to be dragged into your mess? I love you with all my heart and by that, I am also prepared to face anything that dares stand in our way. I don’t care if it’s the worst weapon ever created. It won’t stop me from caring about you. I am not afraid of it.” Ikarus spoke firmly.

“But I am, Ikarus. I am afraid of it, of myself. All these things…they…they are simply too dangerous. And I am the only one who can control them. But what if I am not myself? What if I change? What if I use them for evil? Can you imagine how devastating it would be for our world?”

“Alastor….”

“I realize it just now, Ikarus. That peace has not come yet. There is still one final obstacle that stands in its way. A thing that could shatter that peace….It’s me, Ikarus. I am the final obstacle of peace. As long as I control them, there is still a risk of me doing something that I will regret later. And with what I have, I cannot afford to lose my sanity for even the shortest moment. That’s what all it takes. A second and it could be all over.

I am no longer needed. Like Amon said, the longer I stay here, the more danger I will bring to the world.

Those weapons and myself….must be removed from the world in order to acquire true peace!!!” Alastor spoke in a trembling voice.

He has become disillusioned by his own fear of himself. So even someone with so much power could still be vulnerable to fear. Actually, there have already been a few cases like that with the Gods themselves. The most notorious example would be Merkabah. The God of Celestials dreaded something so much that it drove him insane, made him massacre his own children. The same could be said for the other Gods Alastor has met so far. They all seemed to fear something, although none of them resorted to extreme measure like their celestial friend. But the question was how could they get out of that maelstrom made of fear before ending up sucked into it, losing all hope of ever be able to return again? There was no correct answer as it depended on each individual. As for our Alastor, the solution was actually quite nearby and coming at him at light speed.

*SLAP*

“Ikarus?” uttered the boy as he touched his swollen red cheek after having received a slap in the face by her. His heart felt a slight ache, not because of the slap itself but because of the tears coming out from the eyes of his lover.

“Alastor Magnolia, don’t you ever talk like that! Not to me! Not to anybody else! Not even to yourself!” the celestial groaned. “I can’t believe that you are so stupid to even think about such thing.”

“Ikarus, I….”

“Nah!” the celestial put her finger in front of the boy’s mouth, stopping him from uttering anything. “I am not done yet, mister. You are not allowed to talk before I finish.”

Left with no choice, the boy could only reluctantly nod in agreement while letting the love of his life continuing her speech.

“Alastor, I may not be aware of all the things you are telling me but I won’t force you to tell me anything. It’s your choice whether you want to share it with me. However, as your lover, I will not allow you to shoulder all those burdens by yourself. And it’s not just me. Morrigan is also here for you. Do you know how difficult it was for her to wait for your return? Yet, she didn’t say anything in order to avoid upsetting you. She knew there are things that need to be done and only you can do it. Others feel the same too.

We may not be as strong as you but never will we let you alone. Not me!

And your talk about how you are an obstacle to peace is just plain stupid. What kind of logic is that? Peace is only possible because of you and you think now that it has been attained we will just throw you away? You are Alastor, son of the demon lord Asgore and the Hero Lakyus. You have endured a lot, fought through countless challenges. You even slew the Gods of the old like Merkabah and others. You brought what seemed to be impossible to achieve into reality: peace between the demons and the primes.

Just what else do you need? You have done more than enough already. From now on, just let us take over please! You don’t have to take it on all by yourself anymore! That’s what we are here for.” Ikarus gave her speech.

“…..” the boy found himself dumbfounded.

“You are allowed to speak!” said the celestial.

“I don’t know what to say….”

“Then don’t say anything! We will stay like this until you find your words. Take your time, dear!”

…..

It has been an hour since the couple has been snuggling each other in the bed without exchanging a single word. The woman would cuddle the boy while gently brushing his silky hair. The boy would rest his small body onto hers with every so often fondling and caressing the gentle skin of her arms around his neck. There was no need to speak as their bodies themselves were doing the talking, comforting each other to sooth their fear.

Outside, the music has dwindled with only some reticent background melody playing at the end of the party. The fun has ended and it was time for bed for everyone. Though the same could not be said for this couple. Rather than dozing off on the comforting softness of the bed they were on, the two preferred to keep each other company, to make up for the time they lost during the war.

“I really can’t find anything to say….except for one thing….” Alastor uttered first.

“Really? What is it?” asked Ikarus.

“You already knew that already so there is really nothing surprising about it…Well I hope you knew anyway.”

“And that’s…?”

Embracing her even tighter as he buried his face between her bosom, the boy spoke softly. “I love you!” Though the sound was difficult to hear because his mouth was directly touching her chest, Ikarus could still make out the lovely thing he just said. One look at her face showed it all. The bright red warm cheeks heated by the comment and the heavy breathing she expired indicated how happy and shy she was. But in addition to those feelings, it has awoken something else that Ikarus has long kept under control, until now.

Noticing her odd expiration and the heat coming from her, Alastor looked up to her face, unconsciously making a puppy face with his big round eyes out of concern for his beloved angel. “Are you alright, Ikarus?”

“I…I can’t hold it anymore.” She uttered excitedly.

“Hold what?”

“Alastor, please give me your baby!” Without warning, Ikarus held the boy’s head as she bended down and kissed him in an erotic manner, putting her tongue in his mouth. It lasted for five minutes before she decided it was enough to satiate her lust, for now.

“…Ik..Ikarus…” Shocked and stunned by what just happened, Alastor was left speechless. For a moment, the heart of the person who did not even faze in front of a God just stopped for a second from a simple kiss. His mind went blank from the sheer amount of ecstasy. It just showed no matter how much Alastor might seem mature, he was still an innocent boy in this aspect of life.

“…Do you wish to continue?” asked the celestial.

“…..I…..I….” It was cute to see the mighty Alastor blushing, unable to resist the temptation of the flesh all while fidgeting unlike his usual self. But this was only because this came from the person he loved the most. Else, Alastor would have probably run away with all his might by now. As for his answer, it was simply too embarrassing to say it in words so he replied with a simple quick nod, much to the amusement of the celestial.

Descending to the floor from the bed as she held his hand lovingly, Ikarus dragged him to the opening window. Under the pale moonlight, her turquoise dress seemed so perfect with the natural colour of her delicate short hair. Alastor has known this for a very long time and every time he looked at her, he knew. This woman was the lover of his life. And this moment could only confirm that, just as it has been echoed in his mind many times before.

Slowly reaching to her laces resting on both sides of her shoulders, Ikarus pulled them and let the only clothing she was wearing fall down to the floor, to the dropping jaws of Alastor.

“Touch me!” said Ikarus in a seductive manner.

Swallowing his thirst and coming closer to the woman as he fidgeted like a squirrel in front of a huntress, Alastor could not deny the carnal desire swelling inside him, not after this.

The celestial took up his arms and put them around her naked waist with his hands following his male instinct to grab her behind firmly.

“I won’t let you sleep tonight, my love. You can count on that!” grinned Ikarus as she licked her lips erotically.

* * *

“That was…bloody amazing!” uttered the boy as he let himself fall down onto the silky bed sheets while exhaling heavily.

“Yes *heavy breathing*…it was! Hi hi hi!” Ikarus uttered tiredly, still clutching on the small boy with whom she just shared her first time with.

“How come *heavy breathing* you seemed so…experienced in this?” asked Alastor.

“Are you jealous that you might not be my first?” teased the celestial.

“……” the young demon lord looked at his beloved with surprised eyes, fearing what it might imply.

“Don’t make that face! You are…were my first, and my last. No one will ever be allowed to touch me the same way you just did.” Smiled Ikarus.

“Please don’t tease me like that!” grunted Alastor in an annoyed voice.

“I am sorry, honey!” the celestial gave a gentle kiss on his cheek. “I won’t do it again. And to answer your question, the reason I know a lot about this is because I have done a lot of research on this…theme we just experienced. Though I have to say, things are quite different between theories and the actual process.

While the pleasure of the flesh is what people seeks when doing it, to be able to do it with the person you love can be called the ultimate pleasure of all. And I have had the chance to experience it tonight with you. I love you, Alastor!” She kissed him on his forehead before cuddling her head on his small chest.

“So did I, Ikarus! And thanks…for being so patient with me earlier. Unlike you, I was not very…knowledgeable about this topic so it might not have been very satisfying for you.” Conveyed the boy.

“And now you just went full stupid again! I told you, you were quite …proficient for your first time. But that is not important. It’s you being here that is already enough for me.” Ikarus hugged him tightly. “But we may need to do some preparations just in case…”

“In case of what?” asked Alastor.

“Today is not my safe day….”

“…..”

“…..”

“Then I will take responsibility if it happens!” Alastor spoke resolutely.

“I know you will.” Smiled Ikarus. “Then how about we think of the names first? You know, I have consulted with a few others before about this and…”

“Already?” Alastor almost shouted out loud.

“Yeah….Sorry…I was a bit excited after the war….We will finally have more time together from now on so I want to be prepared…when the inevitable thing comes…which actually came sooner than I thought it would.” Ikarus fidgeted shyly.

Hearing her sweet confession, Alastor could not do anything else but deepen his love for this woman even more.

“You are so thoughtful! So what are the suggestions I have?” asked the boy.

“Well there is Aldfric and Andren if it is a boy. Though, I think Aldfric sounds cooler, especially if he grows up to be a wonderful man just like his father.” Ikarus chuckled.

“Hum…both are good to me…But what if it is a girl?” questioned Alastor.

“I already have a list but I think since I have practically chosen the name for our son, you should be the one who will name our child if it is a girl. It’s only fair right?”

“I guess so. Hum let me think! How about ….. Astora?” proposed Alastor.

“Astora? The name of our world? It’s indeed a good name but why did you choose it?” inquired the woman.

“Because our child will inherit the world we leave behind. This is just something I heard from mother but the other leaders are thinking of giving a new name to our world and the convention in a few days will be the perfect opportunity for it. While I can understand the reasoning behind that decision, starting things fresh and such, I think we still need to remind ourselves of the past to avoid making the same mistakes we committed. If the name Astora is to be erased from the books of history, then our child will take on that name and remind people of that.

Or so I thought….” Spoke Alastor. “What do you think? Is this too much of babbling on my part?”

“Not at all! I think it’s a noble thought you have there. Besides, Astora is a good name for a girl and since my lovely husband thinks it’s the best, of course I would agree with you.” Smiled Ikarus.

Yawning tiredly after the somewhat intense intercourse he just had, Alastor said. “Do you mind if we sleep now? I am exhausted from the….you know. Both physically and mentally. I need some sleep to process all of that.”

“Of course, my dear! We shall continue in the morning.” Said Ikarus as she laid her head on the same pillow as Alastor all while keeping her limbs tangling around him.

“Continue what?”

“I heard doing it in the morning after a nice sleep is the best.”

“….Is this just me or are you getting addicted to this?” inquired the young demon lord.

“I can’t help it. It’s what my body is screaming at me right now…. Do you not feel the same way? Was it not that good for you?” Ikarus questioned with a fearful face. She assumed that perhaps she was so focused on herself and neglected his feelings in their act.

“It was…though I would prefer to take the lead next time. After all, I am still a man.” Replied Alastor.

“Then it’s perfect. You will have plenty of chances to practice. From now on, it’s going to be rabbits mating season. Starting from tomorrow, it will be a special menu to keep your virility in check!”

“….I look forward for it….I think.”

“Alright, I am a bit tired too. Good night, dear!” That was it. She fell asleep as soon as she finished. But unlike Alastor, it was all the excitements and feelings she has kept all these time in fear of being rejected from him, now all released at the same time.

Kissing on the sleeping head of his beloved, Alastor soon joined her in the sweet dreams he hoped to have after this wonderful experience. But as expected, it shall not be the case. For everything connected to Alastor was never simple and turmoil was waiting right around the corner of his mind, in the form of a familiar figure he has not seen for a very long time.

* * *

Opening his eyes, Alastor found himself back at a place he has not visited for a while: the depths of the Abyss where a giant gate was located in the middle of this barren land. But unlike the many times he has visited before, the keeper of the gate was actually present for once, standing firmly in front of it as he looked at Alastor intensively.

“Finally I manage to get hold of you, Alastor!” the Abyssal Knight spoke in an inhuman yet majestic voice.

“You are….” Alastor recognized the knight.

“There is not much time, Alastor.” Said the knight. “You must ascend to Celestia right now!”

“What? What are you saying?” asked Alastor.

“I don’t have anytime to explain it to you. Go there before it is too late! They are coming for you!”

Suddenly, a sudden overwhelming shockwave echoed throughout the area, blasting everything caught inside it. Crouching down as he closed his eyes to avoid the flying dust thrown at him, Alastor tried to avoid being blown away. But the moment the storm has passed and things seemed to return to normal again, Alastor opened his eyes, only to find himself back on the his bed again. By his side was a sleeping Ikarus with such a peaceful expression on her face, unlike him who was sweating like crazy, clearly visible on his naked body.

“What was that? A dream? No…more like a nightmare…But it seemed so real…And that knight, I know him. What was he warning me about?” Alastor asked himself.

Everything passed so quickly, giving the boy no time to even discern what just transpired was just a dream or what actually happened in reality. Unable to do anything, he decided to go back to sleep, holding on tightly to the body of his beloved, hoping it was just a bad dream and it would pass away.

Only, unknown to him, it wasn’t. The ghosts of the past were once again emerging from the soil. The smoke of war thought to be extinguished was rising. And Alastor and his companies would be caught in the middle of the incoming storm that would be remembered as the Fourth Calamity of the world.

* * *

Whispering Forest

In this ancient forest where the spirits resided, outside the hamlet of the Beast King Zen, a mysterious group of strangers was gathering, surrounding the place. Wearing black outfits and masks to hide their faces, one look at them could spell troubles. Indeed, they were the trouble itself as they were assassins, sent by a certain someone to take care of Zen and his council.

“Is everyone here?” asked the leader of the assassins.

“Yes! Everyone is ready! Please give the orders!” said an assassin with his dangling knife.

“Very well! Remember that there is no room for failure. Else Lord Diablo will have our heads. Even if you die, make sure that you will bring at least Zen down with you!”

“Roger!”

“On my mark! One…two….!!!!” At the last second, the leader of assassins stopped and shut up in silence. It was not because he had a change of heart. No! It was because of the blade impaling his chest from behind: a black obsidian blade with a curve shape that was not actually a sword at all but a scythe, a favourite weapon used by the most enigmatic creatures that recently appeared in Astora.

“What do you have here? A bunch of rats who got lost? Then allow me to show you the way!” A voice from a dark shadowy figure with two shimmering red eyes spoke before holding its weapon in a horizontal position and cut down all the assassins at once in a single slash. “Weaklings…they fell like flies. Who are these guys anyway?”

“You done?” another shadow appeared. Looking at the corpses on the ground, he had his answer. “Good job! But why did you kill them?” His question was a bit late.

“They used the Gate to teleport themselves here. Seeing them as a suspicious bunch, I decide to follow them here. Turn out they intend to assassinate the Beast King.” Reported the first Reaper.

“I don’t remember our Lord telling us to protect Zen.”

“No but they look like the kinds of person whom no one would remember even if they are gone...Besides we still need a lot of souls to reach the quota anyway. Because of Alastor’s action, the war was not so devastating as it would be so I have to compensate that lack with this.”

“Fair enough! But who are they?” asked the second Reaper.

“No idea! Let’s just check their soul!” The first Reaper crouched down to the corpse of an assassin and used his shadowy hand to pull out a blue flame from the corpse. Holding it in his hand, the shadow scanned the memories stored inside the soul, a technique much similar to the one Morrigan once showed to Alastor. “….This is interesting.”

“What is?”

“This is only one group. The second group is currently on their way to their own target.”

“Who is the target?”

“The High Empress of Valhalla: Morrigan Magnolia!”