[ Satan turns so that his back faces Mammon, his tail whipping through the air in irritation as he does so. A moment later, he coils around his leg again as Satan folds his arms. ]
I should rephrase.
[ Satan may be calmer, but his anger is definitely crackling through the air. At the very least, it seems to be contained to this room. ]
They're not anywhere you or I can reach. Someone, or something, plucked them out of the timeline and put them somewhere else. I have... an idea as to where, but unless Barbatos ends up in this place, it's out of our hands.
[ Which, as Mammon probably can figure out, is the most infuriating part of this whole thing for Satan: that no matter what he does, he can't fix things, nor does he know anyone that could really help. ]
I wasn't trying to keep it from you. I assumed you already knew, but I... didn't realize that you were pulled here from an earlier point in time. Sorry.
[ His eyes widen, and the fear in his eyes were probably obvious. His breath hitches a little as he listens to Satan. But with Satan's back to him it was easier for him to try and pull himself together. He had to pull himself together for Satan's sake. (For his own sake.) ]
But.... that can't be all. R-right? There's somethin' else.... weighing on your mind....
[ Because even though they all loved MC, the fact that he just exploded like this... he's not sure MC's departure would cause a full blown burst like this. He'd try to think more logically about the subject...
He swallows dryly, reaching out his shaky hand to rest on Satan's shoulder. ]
What's weighing you down.... suffocatingly so?
[ If he focused on Satan, if he put all of his focus on Satan, he could wipe the fear and pain in his heart building up. ]
[ Satan grabs for Mammon's hand before he can touch him. ]
I made a pact with them. It wasn't for some petty reason. I made a pact with them... because I respected them and cared about them. Because I wanted them to be able to call upon me should they need it.
But now they're somewhere I can't reach. I'm not--I can't--I'm not Barbatos. I can't just just play with reality and timelines as I see fit.
What's worse is that they weren't even the only one I made a pact with. I made a pact with Zelda, too, for the same reasons. But you know what happened? We were gone from this place a year and a half. And for her, decades have passed. I'm surprised she could even remember me. And in that time, she--
[ Even in his anger, he stops himself. It's not his secret to tell. ]
I can't help her either. I can't help either of them. What good am I if I'm unable to do anything for either of the two most important people in my life outside of my family?
[ Well two can play this game. Satan may not want Mammon to touch him, but since he grabbed Mammon's hand like that, Mammon squeezes his hand in return and doesn't let go of it. Staring at Satan as he just vents out his worries and frustrations.
So... Zelda must have went home at some point herself and.... something terrible happened to her there... and now the realization of all these bad things are just flooding Satan's brain. Deep breath Mammon. Deep breath.
He squeezes Satan's hand tighter and then reaches out to cup the other side with his other hand, now holding his one hand with both of his own. ]
She still remembers you. Right? She still remembers all the little things you two have done together. Maybe there isn't something you can think of to help her now, but the fact that you both fully remember each other means that there is an important bond keeping you two together. Whatever it is that happened in her own time... there is still that strong thread. And if parting from one another before didn't break it, surely you'll be able to do something.
It's not... as simple as that. I've been thinking of what to do ever since we came back here. About what to do to help either of them. And I've got nothing.
Without the ability to view and alter timelines, I can't get them back.
And as for Zelda... I could give her everything I have. I could give her the entirety of my lifespan, and all of my magic, and it would still fall short of what she needs. No matter how many ideas I come up with... none are truly solutions....
Ya can't just give up like that, Satan. Of course it seems impossible, but ya think the heros in all those movies ever think they're good enough? Ever think they have the right answer? No, cause thats not what it takes to be a hero or someone who wants to protect. You ain't got the answers right now, but that ain't mean you can't find the answers. ya just gotta keep lookin' Lookin' an Lookin' until you've finally tripped over the right solution!
An' maybe it doesn't seem like enough to you, but I can guarantee ya Zelda prolly thinks the world of ya even carrin' this much about her.
Mammon. I don't want your sappy bullshit. We both know the universe doesn't work that way outside of books and TV shows.
[ He roughly pulls his hand away from Mammon and turns to face him again. He leans in close, but at least this time Mammon has room to step away. ]
It's been over six decades for her. I made a pact with her because I--
[ He cuts himself off. It doesn't matter why at this point. ]
I'm grateful she remembers me and that she cares about me. But that doesn't make me feel any less pissed off that I can't do anything to help her. I never needed...
[ For her to love him back in the first place. He just wanted to be by her side and protect her. And he has failed spectacularly at both. ]
[ Mammon frowns deeply, but he doesn't run. He reaches out to poke Satan's forehead instead. maybe he should pry into that "because I—" but right now it doesn't seem like Satan wants to talk about that.]
All I'm sayin is how can you be sure you've exhausted every single possibility. You look into the dream magic of this place? Read every single book there is here? Ask everyone you can about world hoppin? You ain't Barbatos, you're Satan. An' I have never known Satan to just throw in the towel cause somethin' seemed hopeless.
I'm not giving up. Even though I know it will be fruitless, I'll keep trying on both fronts. I could never live with myself if I just gave up. I just... wish there was something.
[ He sighs, sounding so defeated that with the expulsion of air that his demon form dissipates, leaving the pant leg that his tail had been coiled around so tightly torn. ]
Look, the odds might not be good. But you'll regret everything if it just settles right now.
[ He reaches out now that Satan's demonic form had dissipated and ruffles his hair a little bit. ]
Zelda... she's your important person, ain't she? Important enough that you gave her a huge chunk of yourself already.So keep tryin' but... don't get so wrapped up in it that you forget to give her the happiest now.
[ There's still a flash of irritation in his eyes at the hair ruffle, but he doesn't have the energy to do more than that. ]
I know. That's what I tried to keep telling myself after we talked.
[ But it's hard. The more time passes, the more the dread of what will become of Zelda consumes him. ]
You know what the worst part is? That I understand Lucifer a little bit better. Why he was so determined to keep us together by force if necessary. Because I'd like nothing more than to tell her no, and just... not allow her to be burdened by her responsibilities as the Princess of Hyrule anymore. And if I did that, I'm not sure which one of us would hate me the most.
[ Mammon lets out an annoyed sound and turns his head away from Satan this time. Obviously it wasn't okay. He hasn't even gotten time to process what Satan said about them really. Nor did he want to. he wanted to just focus on Satan, but of course he would turn it around on him like that.]
There's no universe in which I'd ever believe that.
[ Satan frowns, risking pushing him just a bit more. ]
I just dumped basically all of my feelings out over here. I'm not saying you owe me the same, but... do you think I'm going to judge you? You think I'll make fun of you if you don't have all your thoughts in order?
[ Mammon really wishes he had something to throw at Satan right now. Anything. Anything at all. Instead he balls his hand into a fist and swings it backward to hit the wall behind him in frustration.]
And what do you want to hear from me, huh?! That I'm pissed off to know they vanished without a damn trace? That there's nothin' I can do to stop it an now Im just sittin'; with this knowledge knowin' it's gonna happen!? Ya wanna hear be cry out for them???
[ Mammon turns around swiftly to punch the wall again, with more force this time. ]
What am I supposed to do with this information?! What am I supposed to do? I told them the next time they were in danger they better let me save them and what do I do? I let them disappear forever!
[ He feels a little relieved that he did make the right by telling Mammon. He had genuinely been considering if it was better to withhold the information about their human, but he's glad he didn't. ]
It won't be forever. Barbatos can probably find them.
[ The real problem is whether Diavolo will let Barbatos find them. He can't see why he wouldn't, but there's no real guarantee, either. ]
But... like I said, I don't think there's anything we can do about it. Not unless we're lucky enough they get pulled in here, too.
[ Sure. Zelda will just decide to not sacrifice her life for her kingdom. She absolutely won't become the Light Dragon for however many thousands of years it takes to imbue sacred light into a sword. ]
When we return to our own world, we'll have a much better shot at saving them. Time doesn't move in our reality while we're here. So we have time to think of solutions in case... Barbatos isn't able to do it.
[ Satan glances up at the ceiling briefly before returning his gaze to Mammon. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
I should rephrase.
[ Satan may be calmer, but his anger is definitely crackling through the air. At the very least, it seems to be contained to this room. ]
They're not anywhere you or I can reach. Someone, or something, plucked them out of the timeline and put them somewhere else. I have... an idea as to where, but unless Barbatos ends up in this place, it's out of our hands.
[ Which, as Mammon probably can figure out, is the most infuriating part of this whole thing for Satan: that no matter what he does, he can't fix things, nor does he know anyone that could really help. ]
I wasn't trying to keep it from you. I assumed you already knew, but I... didn't realize that you were pulled here from an earlier point in time. Sorry.
no subject
But.... that can't be all. R-right? There's somethin' else.... weighing on your mind....
[ Because even though they all loved MC, the fact that he just exploded like this... he's not sure MC's departure would cause a full blown burst like this. He'd try to think more logically about the subject...
He swallows dryly, reaching out his shaky hand to rest on Satan's shoulder. ]
What's weighing you down.... suffocatingly so?
[ If he focused on Satan, if he put all of his focus on Satan, he could wipe the fear and pain in his heart building up. ]
no subject
I made a pact with them. It wasn't for some petty reason. I made a pact with them... because I respected them and cared about them. Because I wanted them to be able to call upon me should they need it.
But now they're somewhere I can't reach. I'm not--I can't--I'm not Barbatos. I can't just just play with reality and timelines as I see fit.
What's worse is that they weren't even the only one I made a pact with. I made a pact with Zelda, too, for the same reasons. But you know what happened? We were gone from this place a year and a half. And for her, decades have passed. I'm surprised she could even remember me. And in that time, she--
[ Even in his anger, he stops himself. It's not his secret to tell. ]
I can't help her either. I can't help either of them. What good am I if I'm unable to do anything for either of the two most important people in my life outside of my family?
no subject
So... Zelda must have went home at some point herself and.... something terrible happened to her there... and now the realization of all these bad things are just flooding Satan's brain. Deep breath Mammon. Deep breath.
He squeezes Satan's hand tighter and then reaches out to cup the other side with his other hand, now holding his one hand with both of his own. ]
She still remembers you. Right? She still remembers all the little things you two have done together. Maybe there isn't something you can think of to help her now, but the fact that you both fully remember each other means that there is an important bond keeping you two together. Whatever it is that happened in her own time... there is still that strong thread. And if parting from one another before didn't break it, surely you'll be able to do something.
no subject
It's not... as simple as that. I've been thinking of what to do ever since we came back here. About what to do to help either of them. And I've got nothing.
Without the ability to view and alter timelines, I can't get them back.
And as for Zelda... I could give her everything I have. I could give her the entirety of my lifespan, and all of my magic, and it would still fall short of what she needs. No matter how many ideas I come up with... none are truly solutions....
no subject
An' maybe it doesn't seem like enough to you, but I can guarantee ya Zelda prolly thinks the world of ya even carrin' this much about her.
no subject
[ He roughly pulls his hand away from Mammon and turns to face him again. He leans in close, but at least this time Mammon has room to step away. ]
It's been over six decades for her. I made a pact with her because I--
[ He cuts himself off. It doesn't matter why at this point. ]
I'm grateful she remembers me and that she cares about me. But that doesn't make me feel any less pissed off that I can't do anything to help her. I never needed...
[ For her to love him back in the first place. He just wanted to be by her side and protect her. And he has failed spectacularly at both. ]
no subject
All I'm sayin is how can you be sure you've exhausted every single possibility. You look into the dream magic of this place? Read every single book there is here? Ask everyone you can about world hoppin? You ain't Barbatos, you're Satan. An' I have never known Satan to just throw in the towel cause somethin' seemed hopeless.
no subject
[ He sighs, sounding so defeated that with the expulsion of air that his demon form dissipates, leaving the pant leg that his tail had been coiled around so tightly torn. ]
I hate this.
no subject
[ He reaches out now that Satan's demonic form had dissipated and ruffles his hair a little bit. ]
Zelda... she's your important person, ain't she? Important enough that you gave her a huge chunk of yourself already.So keep tryin' but... don't get so wrapped up in it that you forget to give her the happiest now.
no subject
I know. That's what I tried to keep telling myself after we talked.
[ But it's hard. The more time passes, the more the dread of what will become of Zelda consumes him. ]
You know what the worst part is? That I understand Lucifer a little bit better. Why he was so determined to keep us together by force if necessary. Because I'd like nothing more than to tell her no, and just... not allow her to be burdened by her responsibilities as the Princess of Hyrule anymore. And if I did that, I'm not sure which one of us would hate me the most.
no subject
Yeah, knowing the type of girl she is, she'd probably be furious with you. Like punch ya in the lower regions an' leave ya writhin' in pain furious.
It ain't easy... an even if you think it ain't enough... even the littest bit of help would mean the world to her.
no subject
[ Satan reaches up to remove Mammon's hand from his head. ]
Don't think I haven't noticed you haven't said much about the one we do share a pact with.
no subject
We ain't talkin' about me here. We're talkin' about you an' your feelin's.
no subject
no subject
[ Yep. That's all. Nothing else is going on here. Just a kind and caring older brother helping out his younger brother. ]
no subject
no subject
So what if I am?
no subject
[ Satan frowns, risking pushing him just a bit more. ]
I just dumped basically all of my feelings out over here. I'm not saying you owe me the same, but... do you think I'm going to judge you? You think I'll make fun of you if you don't have all your thoughts in order?
no subject
And what do you want to hear from me, huh?! That I'm pissed off to know they vanished without a damn trace? That there's nothin' I can do to stop it an now Im just sittin'; with this knowledge knowin' it's gonna happen!? Ya wanna hear be cry out for them???
no subject
[ But he can't quite tell if Mammon believes him or not. ]
Would you rather I kept it from you? I know I can't take it back, but...
[ But if he did make the wrong decision, at least he'll know what Mammon would prefer him to do next time. ]
no subject
[ Mammon turns around swiftly to punch the wall again, with more force this time. ]
What am I supposed to do with this information?! What am I supposed to do? I told them the next time they were in danger they better let me save them and what do I do? I let them disappear forever!
no subject
It won't be forever. Barbatos can probably find them.
[ The real problem is whether Diavolo will let Barbatos find them. He can't see why he wouldn't, but there's no real guarantee, either. ]
But... like I said, I don't think there's anything we can do about it. Not unless we're lucky enough they get pulled in here, too.
no subject
[ Mammon punches the wall again, this time the ceiling above him starts to rattle. ]
no subject
When we return to our own world, we'll have a much better shot at saving them. Time doesn't move in our reality while we're here. So we have time to think of solutions in case... Barbatos isn't able to do it.
[ Satan glances up at the ceiling briefly before returning his gaze to Mammon. ]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)