Work Text:
Based on the premise that Emily’s outburst in the courtroom was more than an outburst and led to some very serious allegations to the point that she was near the point of rebellion/falling on her own.
“I won’t let you do this, these are innocents!” A lone knight stood before a village, his brothers standing before him.
“Then you are a traitor to your people!” His commander declared, as they readied their swords.
“Run, I’ll hold them off, get your families to safety!” The lone knight yelled to the families behind him as he raised his blade.
“TRAITOR!”
“THIS IS NOT WHAT WE FIGHT FOR!”
Their swords clashed against each other.
Blood spilled on the ground.
Orion blinks.
Crystal blue eyes gaze out in sadness at the endless expanse of the Universe.
Although he had received the Eternal Reward…sometimes regrets from his mortal life would catch up to him every now and then.
Now even more so after the travesty of a Trial that had just occurred.
The angel was dressed in white robes, a single pair of wings from his back.
He had silver hair, not indicative of age, but merely how he came to be in this realm.
And he was greatly troubled.
Emily had been imprisoned. Adam had used the Ancient Laws to accuse her of rebellion, by consorting with a demon and actively protesting against Heaven’s acts.
Sera was a wreck…unable to do anything against the Law.
“But I can…”
Perhaps it would be the last thing he would do…but he wouldn’t let her Fall…
No matter how much she hated him.
“You knew about this?” Emily asked Orion who couldn’t bear to look at her.
“...Yes…” he confirms.
Emily falls back in shock and disbelief.
“H-how could you…all those people…all those souls…”
“Emily, there’s a lot you don’t know-”
“BUT YOU COULD HAVE TOLD ME!” she roared, raising her voice for the first time at him as her seraphim form fully exploded into being. “ALL THESE YEARS YOU’VE KNOWN, AND YOU HAD THE GALL TO LIE TO ME EVERY. SINGLE. DAY!”
“Little Light-”
“NO! YOU DON’T GET TO CALL ME THAT!” Emily screamed.
Orion remains silent, bowing his head.
“...Tell me the truth…how long have you known about the exterminations,” she asks as she forces herself to calm down.
Orion closes his eyes.
“...Since my death…I witnessed an extermination, and joined the Legions…this was before the current generation.”
Emily could barely stand to look at him.
“And…how long were you one of them?”
Orion gazed sadly at the ground.
“I stopped once you were born…” Orion said and Emily began to tremble.
“...800 years…that’s almost 800 years…do you even know how many souls you’ve exterminated!?” she was starting to break down at this point and Orion reached out to comfort her out of habit.
She jerked away and it hurt more than he thought he would.
“...One million, six hundred and seventy four thousand and thirty souls…”
She stared wide eyed at him in horror while he looked back sadly.
“Monster…”
“Emily…you don’t know the full truth-”
“All I know is that the man I looked up to the most is a liar and a destroyer of souls…all the people I looked up to are liars and murderers of souls…”
She was frantic at this point but Orion didn’t know what to do.
“Emily-”
“No…no…”
Orion held his tongue.
“...I relieve you of your duty…” she whispered.
Orion looked at her disheartened.
“What?”
“Orion. Son of Light. The Stargazer. Watcher of the Sea. I relieve you of your duties as my retainer…leave my presence…now,” Emily sternly declared even as tears welled up in her eyes.
For a moment, Orion could only look at her in disbelief and heartbreak.
But he could feel the heavenly order grate against him.
And so he bowed his head.
“As you command, Lady Seraphim,” he whispered before turning away and leaving. “Goodbye…”
With a despondent heart, he left her presence.
Upon not feeling him anywhere near…Emily finally broke down and cried.
‘She might not want anything to do with me anymore…but I won’t let her Fall.’
He charged through the guards as he approached the tower that kept her imprisoned. A remnant of the First War.
He’d knocked out a few guards, they lacked training and discipline after centuries of stagnation.
Something that he refused to let himself succumb to.
Suddenly, he felt it.
An enormous pressure that was crashing down on top of him.
A pressure that he recognized.
He looked to his right, to where an enormous arch taller than any skyscraper on Earth was, and on top of it.
“Sera…”
“Where are you going, Orion?”
“I’m going to save Emily.”
Sera’s eyes momentarily flickered, her pupils becoming slits.
She was just as devastated as he was about this entire debacle.
“You will not,” she declared, her heavenly aura imposing itself on him.
“I’m going, Sera,” Orion stated sternly as he flared his own might.
She narrowed her eyes at him.
“I won’t ask twice.”
And disappeared.
Orion’s eyes widened as he felt her blur into existence behind him, angelic sword at the ready.
CLANG
Her blow was stopped by a mighty shield, silver in color and adorned with a golden cross.
Orion was now dressed in the armor of a Templar Knight of old, adorned with holy symbols while his eyes, now hidden in the shadow of his helmet, glowed white with power.
Wings radiated light as they flared with power.
Sera’s eyes widened in disbelief as her blow was stopped and even more so upon seeing the facsimile of two other pairs of wings on Orion’s back.
“What have you done?”
“Come on, Sera,” Orion said with a hidden grin. “You know me, I don’t like sitting around…and I’ve worked constantly so that I could fight at the level of the Seraphim!”
Sera met his gaze.
“You were preparing for another uprising…you thought you could face Lucifer?”
“I can certainly try, but the way I see it…I can definitely get some practice in!”
With a roar of exertion, he swiped his sword forward, Sera’s blade coming in time to block but still pushing her away.
Sera stopped her motion, remaining floating above the ground.
“...How is this possible?”
“...We drifted apart…and unfortunately, we’ve both been so busy that we haven’t even had time to talk with each other, Sera…” Orion said sadly. “But this is the work of centuries of training…”
Sera gazed at him sadly.
“I am sorry, Orion…” she said in regards to their estrangement.
“...So am I…” he then lowered his sword. “I can feel the conflict within you, Sera…please, let me pass.”
Sera sighed deeply.
“The Law is Absolute and Eternal. You’ve made an admirable effort, Orion…but you wouldn’t even be able to make me touch the ground.”
Orion cracked his neck.
“Let’s put that to the test then.”
With another war cry, Orion blitzed forward with his sword, Sera raising hers to counter.
They crashed together with celestial fury, the very landscape around them becoming decimated by the force used.
Sera went on the offensive, bringing her sword down onto him, but Orion was quick to counter with his shield and push her back.
He stabbed forward again, only for her to grab his wrist and toss him into the sky at blinding speeds.
Orion grunted as he crashed through the arch before flaring out his wings to create drag.
He then flipped himself and charged his sword with energy before swiping and launching the energy.
Only it was pointed behind him.
‘What?’ Sera thought in confusion before quickly bringing up her sword to block Orion’s crushing blow.
‘So fast!’
The sheer force however, made her feet impact the ground and crater it.
“What was that about me not being able to make you touch the ground, Sera?” Orion asked amusedly.
“Cocky brat,” Sera grunted as they struggled against each other.
“A long time ago, you would have called me something else,” Orion said with a grin.
Sera would refuse to admit that she blushed but she still grimaced.
“...We don’t need to do this, Sera…we can save Emily together…and we can tell her the truth, too…”
Sera’s face tightened as unwanted emotions were swelling up, tears pricking the corners of her eyes.
“I’m sorry, Orion…but you know why we can’t…”
Their eyes met each other, lifetimes’ worth of memories flowing between them.
Of happier times, simpler times…
“I’m sorry too, Sera…”
Orion’s sword glowed.
The explosion took out the entire courtyard and the two combatants found themselves on opposite ends again.
Sera heaved in exertion, an unfamiliar sensation.
Along with pain.
She raised her hand up to her shoulder and looked at the golden ichor now staining it.
‘He was able to draw my blood? Seraphim blood?’
She looked over at Orion…and could see the resolve in his eyes as the wounds on his body from the explosion absorbed her blood.
‘So…that was your plan…’
She bowed her head in grief for what she was about to do.
‘And we cannot say anything, for the Heavenly Court will demand proof…and it will have to be presented as my idea. From me taking advantage of the opportunity given.’
She closed her eyes.
‘After all…parents will do whatever they can for their children…won’t they, Orion?’
She opened her eyes.
With a flick of her finger, rods of golden light pierced his body around his waist, paralyzing him.
Orion grunted as he tightened his grip on his arms.
“You should withdraw. Or will you still try and defeat me?”
He merely met her gaze.
“I admit it…to wound me, you truly have reached the level of the Seraphim.”
She held her sword out.
“Of course, you did not forget, did you?”
And began to glow in power.
“That I am the High Seraphim.”
Her center eye opened as her halo and body transformed.
Multiple other eyes appeared on her body and wings as they flared out, angelic power emanating off of her and causing all of Heaven to look in their general direction.
Angelic spears, made of pure holy light appeared by the hundreds.
“Fall.”
Orion raised his shield as the spears rushed him.
For a moment.
Everything was silent.
Then the bonds of light, alongside Orion’s armor and weapons, even the great arch was obliterated.
Orion stayed standing, gasping for breath, for only a few moments as a single trail of golden blood traveled down his face.
Then another, and another.
Until rivers of blood fell down.
Then his blood erupted from his entire body like a fountain as he slowly collapsed.
“...Orion, Son of Light. The Stargazer and Watcher of the Sea…you have shed seraphim blood, absorbing it with your own to reach the status of Seraphim. And by the shedding of your blood, I will use your sacrifice to protect Emily, the Joybringer,” Sera walked forward, unheeding to the tears that were falling down her face.
Orion weakly looked at her, even now, stern in his conviction.
She could see it in his gaze.
Nothing but love and absolution.
There was nothing to forgive.
Parents do anything to protect their children.
“Her punishment is now yours,” she shakily said. “Banishment from Heaven.”
The holy sigil appeared under his body and she trembled as she saw him mouth a few words at her.
‘I love you.’
She shook as his body disappeared under the sigil before he disappeared forever from her sight.
“Goodbye, my love…” she whispered before falling to her knees in despair.
All that was left was the hilt of his sword.
Emily was shaking as she stood before trial, though none of the Judges were happy to be there either.
“Emily, The Joybringer. By the Law, you have been accused of rebellion against Heaven, the punishment for such if found guilty is banishment-”
“ENOUGH!”
Sera teleported into the courtroom with a flash of light, making all those present gasp at the interruption.
“This Trial is over. Emily is to be absolved of all punishment!”
“Sera…I know how much you care about her…but the Law-”
“ORION, SON OF LIGHT. THE STARGAZER AND WATCHER OF THE SEA, HAS SHED SERAPHIM AND ANGELIC BLOOD, THROUGH HIS SACRIFICE, HE HAS TAKEN THE PUNISHMENT FOR EMILY AND AS SUCH, SHE IS TO REMAIN IN HEAVEN.”
‘What?’ Emily couldn’t believe what she’d just heard.
“...Do you have evidence of such?” Adam asked first. Not coldly but…with a measure of understanding.
Truth be told, he didn’t mind either way as to the outcome of this trial, and he was going to advocate for Emily to remain in Heaven, she just needed a lesson since Sera had coddled her too much but in the end…it was moot, and he could understand.
Parents will do anything for their children.
Sera grimaced and tossed the hilt of Orion’s blade before presenting her memories of the recent fight and demonstrating her injuries.
It landed with a clatter at Emily’s feet who could only stare in horror as she watched the fight between the two most important people in her life.
‘What have I done? WHAT HAVE I DONE!?’
Falling to her knees, she clutched the hilt to her chest.
“...This Trial is annulled, by the Ancient Law of Sacrifice, the Punishment has been taken by Orion, Son of Light. The Stargazer and Watcher of the Sea who is now Banished from Heaven.”
Sera gently floated over to Emily, wrapping her in her wings and the two disappeared.
Emily was…catatonic, Sera holding her tightly.
It’d been hours since the Trial, and Emily had exhausted her tears, holding onto Orion’s hilt.
Sera knew that it was her fault.
‘I should have explained everything earlier…told her the truth of all things…help her understand the why but now…’
“You asked me why…”
Sera’s voice caught her attention.
“Why would I allow such horrors to exist? Why would I allow the exterminations to happen?” Sera said as she made hot chocolate, Emily’s favorite.
“I am ashamed to say that this entire situation is my fault…if I had not hidden things from you in a misguided attempt to protect you…you would have had the knowledge and wisdom to understand everything…I suppose that now…is a good time as any to explain everything,” Sera said as she sat down with a huff.
Emily noticed that she now seemed…millennia older than what she appeared, a tiredness falling upon her shoulders.
“Emily…I only ask that you listen, because I will now tell you the truth of everything…Creation, the Garden, the Fall…Lucifer’s Rebellion, the Wars of Heaven and Hell, Overlords, Archfiends…the beginning of the Exterminations…and…”
Sera swallowed heavily.
“Your parentage…”
Emily gasped in shock.
Above the Hazbin Hotel, everyone noticed how the skies seemed to rumble with energy.
Charlie’s father was the first to realize what was happening.
“That’s not good.”
“What is it, are they coming already?” Charlie asked in horror.
“No…for the heavens to be in turmoil like that, that means that something’s gone wrong in heaven itself. I haven’t seen something like this since…” he turned to the side with a grimace.
“What is it, Dad?”
“That’s the sign of a Fallen Angel, cast down from heaven itself.”
The sky then cracked with golden light that was quickly turning gray. A sigil appeared before shattering as a fireball burst through and soared through the air, quickly coming towards the hotel.
“Everyone brace, that amount of power will cause an earthquake that will be felt throughout all of Pride.”
KABOOM
The courtyard now had an enormous trench and crater, smoke and fire billowing out from where the angel landed.
Charlie, Vaggie and Lucifer were the first to approach.
“That’s…odd, it feels like a seraphim, yet also a human soul…”
“A Seraphim…EMILY!”
It was the only logical conclusion for Charlie who skidded into the crater.
But what she found was…someone different.
A male with two primary wings and four…well, secondary wings.
He was also in dark robes, black with red lines that glowed softly.
His face was ashen with silvered hair that was tainted red.
“Impossible…”
Charlie turned to see Vaggie holding a hand to her mouth.
“Do you…know him?”
“That’s…Orion, the Son of Light. He was one of the trainers of my generation of Exorcists…he was also the personal retainer for Emily.”
“Why would they cast out Emily’s personal retainer?” Charlie asked in horror.
“Hmm…judging from what I’m sensing…he sacrificed himself,” Lucifer said with a raised brow.
“What?”
“This…Emily must be a seraphim after my time, but if she did what you said she did during your hearing, then it could- would have been grounds to accuse her of rebellion, they would have cast her out like me…he must have invoked the ancient laws to take her place,” Lucifer shrugged, admittedly uncaring but intrigued.
“That’s…that’s…horrible…”
“Charlie…” Vaggie reached out.
“It was necessary,” a voice growled.
Charlie backed away as Orion groaned, getting up.
“What?”
With a grunt, he got up, his new claws going into the walls of the crater and actually making him slip.
“I recognize you now…” Lucifer said with a twitch of his eye. “You’re the brat that burnt my duck collection!”
Orion snorted as he walked forward.
“If you also recall, I also shoved a spear up Leviathan’s ass,” Orion coughed as he fell to his knees again.
“Oh right…you did do that.”
“Orion…” Vaggie said as she tried to help him.
“Why are you helping me, you who Betrayed Light?” Orion grunted with a mild glare.
He’d push her off, but at the moment, he was too weak to do anything.
“I know that…look, you were one of the closest things I had to a dad back in Heaven,” Vaggie softly whispered.
“And yet…here you are…” Orion muttered in disdain. “Years of training, your battle sisters, your family, Paradise…thrown away to spare a sinner masquerading as a child.”
Vaggie looked away but still helped him hobble over.
“Right well, I’m going to let you handle this, duckling…judging from his power, you should be able to handle him well enough…” Lucifer smirked much to Orion’s irritation.
“Dad…”
“Thousands of years, still the same pissant…” Orion muttered as Charlie winced.
“Look, Mr. Orion, maybe we started off on the wrong foot here, my name is-”
“I know very well who you are, Child of Fallen Morning. You’re the entire reason why all this started.”
Charlie winced again.
“Look, I don’t know what went on in Heaven, but I’m just trying to save my people, I believe that redemption is possible-”
“And don’t you think we did, too?” Orion cut her off.
“...What?” Charlie whispered.
“Ten thousand years since the Fall. Ten thousand years since the first Hellborn breached the pits and walked the Earth. Almost ten thousand years since the first human soul was damned. You forget Princess, that none of this was supposed to exist…so do you not think, that before your birth, before your measly existence of 200 years, that not a single soul, not a single angel, not one single being in all of Creation, asked if it was possible, that we could somehow retrieve the souls in the Pit?”
“I-I mean…you see…”
Orion raised his brow before looking at Vaggie who stared at him resolutely.
“I can’t believe it, either you’re so arrogant that you think you’re the only one who can do this, or you’ve been so sheltered that you think you’re the first one to bring up the idea.”
Charlie blushed and glared at him.
“I’m not sheltered!”
Orion blinked.
“Sheltered it is then…sigh, no wonder Emily took such a shine to you, you’re both practically the same…” Orion groaned as he sat down of his own accord, finally regaining some strength.
Orion sighed again.
“Alright, I have nothing else better to do until the angels come and I face oblivion,” Orion muttered much to their surprise as he stretched his arms and wings. “Princess…do you even have an idea as to how to achieve a soul’s redemption? Any clue or plan at all, other than this…hotel?”
Charlie couldn’t answer.
Orion honestly felt pity for her.
“I just…wanted to help…” Charlie whispered brokenly.
Seeing those eyes…Orion was reminded of Emily.
He sighed again…he seemed to be doing a lot of that lately.
“Alright…if you really want to help…then it’s time that you understand some things.”
Emily had remained in her room for hours now, reeling from all the information that Sera had imparted to her.
But…she still wanted to believe…
That something could be changed, that souls could be redeemed…
However, all of that paled compared to the most recent revelation.
Emily had not been born of the Empyrean…she was the product of a celestial marriage.
And her origins had to be hidden, to prevent her becoming a target, should Hell ever breach the Heavenly Gates once more and use her as one of the two Seraphimic Nephilim.
Apparently Charlie was the other, the two being born on the same day.
Apparently that was supposed to mean something in the grand scheme of things but she didn’t really care at the moment.
“I relieve you of your duty.”
She was numb.
Orion, her retainer, her friend and mentor…was…
Her father.
And Sera was…her mother…
‘I…I can’t think…I can’t…’
She was…panicking? Is that what was happening? She knew of the phenomenon that afflicted human souls but her? An angel?
She could feel herself spiral and at the same time was cognizant of it.
She was clutching her face…why can’t she feel her fingers?
What was that pounding noise?
Was she breathing too quickly? Or even breathing at all?
‘I can’t…I can’t!’
Heavenly light surrounded her, calming her as she finally took a breath.
“Easy, Emily…” Sera whispered as she rocked her. “Breathe…breathe…”
“I’m sorry…I’m sorry…I’m sorry…”
“No, my Dearlight…I’m sorry, if I had simply told you the truth, I could have spared you the pain you are feeling right now…” Sera whispered.
“He…he thinks I hate him…he died thinking I hated him!” Emily gasped out.
“No, Emily…if there’s two things I know, is that Orion is a survivor, and despite what happened, everything he did for you was out of love,” Sera said as she cradled her face.
“I-I miss him…I didn’t get to say sorry…I…I’m sorry, Sera…I just wanted to help…” Emily wept.
“I miss him, too…and I know, my Dearlight.”
“What are you doing, Orion?” Vaggie asked as she and Charlie approached the kneeling Fallen.
“Waiting.”
“...For what?” Charlie asked.
“My oblivion. Better to die at the next extermination, than to live as a slave of sin.”
“Orion…there, there has to be a way, maybe we can get you back to Heaven-!”
“I have been banished from Heaven, Princess, by the Laws that are immutable…perhaps a sinner may be able to return, but a Fallen has no chance, is that not right, Vaggie?” Orion asked.
Charlie looked at Vaggie, but she couldn’t even look her in the eye.
“Vaggie…?”
“He’s right…in our case, it wouldn’t be a matter of redemption, Charlie…” Vaggie whispered.
“And I would rather die than let myself be bound by Hell’s Yoke,” Orion declared. “So I will wait until the Extermination, and face my oblivion with dignity.”
“Orion…”
“So that’s it? You’re just giving up?” Charlie asked, her frustration boiling over. “It’s not right! And it’s not fair! You can’t just give up! You need to fight for yourself! If not for you, then for your chi-”
Charlie backed away as Orion glared at her in fury, his wings flared.
Vaggie protectively stood in front of her but she understood.
“How do you know about that?” Orion demanded of her.
Charlie gulped.
“She has your eyes…when she was in her seraphim form…and, I can recognize the magical signature…the both of you are too similar…it was the only logical conclusion.”
Orion seethed and Charlie gulped in slight fear at the amount of fury in his eyes.
She blinked as Orion fell to his knees and bowed his head.
“Very well then, Princess of Hell, I suppose you have another defender. Will the terms of such a deal suffice enough that you keep that secret?”
Charlie was stupefied before understanding what he was saying.
“W-what, no! Dammit, I’m not mentioning that just to have you fight for the hotel!” Charlie screamed in frustration as she stomped away, clutching her hair. “...I just…if I was in her place…I’d want my dad to fight for the chance to see me again, too…”
Orion jerked back in surprise before solemnly nodding.
“I know…that I’m Hellborn, and that I’m a Morningstar…but all I want is for my people to be safe and to get a chance to be redeemed, I want my people to be happy…for everyone to be happy.”
Orion gazed into her eyes and saw the sincerity in them. He looked at her extended hand. No magic, no malevolent aura.
‘How ironic…’
“You are nothing like your parents…”
Charlie was taken aback by the comparison.
“That’s good.”
Orion stood before the hotel, as the exorcists flew through the portal, Adam leading the charge.
With a great bellow, his voice carried across the soon to be battlefield.
“ADAM! FIRST OF MANKIND! BY ANCIENT LAW, I WISH TO CHALLENGE YOU!”
The world was silent.
“ORION! FALLEN SON OF LIGHT! I ACCEPT YOUR CHALLENGE!”
The exorcists fell back as Adam slammed to the ground in front of the hotel.
“What are you doing, Orion?” Adam asked.
“...Doing what I can, so that I can see her again…and…doing what she would want me to do,” Orion replied.
Adam stared into Orion’s eyes.
Were it any other person, any other fallen angel, Adam would have rejected the challenge and simply decimated his opponents.
But Orion had fought by his side, had bled with him during the last era of Archfiends, had helped train his girls…and was a victim of circumstance.
Circumstances that he had brought about.
“What are your terms?”
“Protection of the Hotel and its denizens from this and future Exterminations,” Orion declared as he readied his sword and shield.
“And if you lose?”
“I ask the same…but conditioned on my life,” Orion said with a bow of his head.
“ORION, NO! WE DIDN’T AGREE TO THIS!” Charlie cried out, only for Vaggie to hold her back.
“You would risk your life for these sinners, Orion?” Adam asked, confused and even worried that his friend had fallen for the Morningstar’s tricks.
“They are foolish…and she is naive, but I have been privy to her ideals, I have borne witness to her soul…I do not believe that redemption is possible, but I believe in her efforts, for she is nothing like her parents.”
Adam remained silent, contemplating.
“Nothing you say…” Adam sighed in regret before bowing his head.
“I’m sorry…” he whispered. “I only wanted to teach Emily a lesson, to make sure she understood just how close to Falling she was…”
“I know…were things different, she would have Fallen regardless of the Trial…we both saw that her soul was at stake had she continued so recklessly.”
“You weren’t supposed to pay this price…” Adam muttered.
“You and I both know that we would do anything for those we care about. Were you in my position, would you not have done the same?”
Adam ruefully smiled and nodded.
Out of respect for his former comrade, Adam removed his mask and readied his ax. The Exorcists behind him landed on the ground, ready for battle but honoring the challenge.
“Orion, Fallen Son of Light. I agree to your terms. Unto death or surrender.”
“Unto death or surrender.”
With challenging roars, the two leaped forward, their weapons crashing against each other with glorious might.
Cool so, let me know what you think.
I’ll try and add a second chapter with artwork for him.
And no, before you ask, he’s not Lucifer’s kid, the titles are just his duties.
Background: He was a templar knight who died defending innocents from being pillaged (cause them wars had innocents on both sides and war crimes being committed on both ends).
Upon reaching Heaven, he changed his name to Orion which translated means Heaven's Light, ergo Son of Light
Son of Light - Helps manage light across Creation
Watcher of the Sea - Helps keep sailors and soldiers safe at sea.
The Stargazer - A personal epithet for him as one who constantly loves to watch the stars.