Hell Is My World (Hazbin Hotel x Eddsworld)

13 - True Smiles

(Strap in, folks, this'll be a long one)

The day pressed on, the afternoon flying by, and Matt couldn't understand why he was feeling like this. His mind couldn't help feeling like he had a right to feel guilty. Maybe he had been a bit harsh, since the reaction was something that never would happen normally. This feeling tormented him for the rest of the day, until finally, he plucked up the courage and asked:

"Does anyone know where Alastor is?"
"How am I supposed to know?" Tom replied. The two were helping to rearrange the lobby, and they were both carrying a rather heavy sofa. "And why do you care anyway? The guy's a manipulative jerk!"
"I feel like I went a bit far." Matt explained. "Like, normally, Alastor would keep smiling if people lashed out at him. So, why did he stop smiling and run away when I lashed out at him?"

"I asked the other demons." Angel chipped in. "They don't know either, though Niffty said he was headed to the lounge."
"You overheard?" Matt questioned.
"Yeah, you did ask it kinda loud. Also I was right behind you." Angel answered.
Suddenly, music started to fill the lobby. Sweet piano music, soft yet tender, with the notes trickling into the air. Matt immediately knew who it was.
"Alastor." he whispered, before dropping the sofa and dashing along the hallway.
"Ow, fuck!" Tom shouted. "Matt, these things are heavy! Let me know next time you dash off like that!"

Matt slid to a halt at the entrance of the lounge. His red eyes scanned the room and they fixed on Alastor, who was sat at the piano, a slight smile on his face. There was nobody else in the room, not even Husk, who was often seen drinking at a table. It was darkly lit, with candles that were dotted around the room being the only source of light. As for Alastor, his eyes half-closed, stayed at the piano playing an assortment of music, his long fingers barely pressing down on the keys.

"Alastor?" Matt called out into the mellow darkness. At his voice, Alastor's smile grew, somehow not looking foreboding.
"Ah, I didn't see you there!" Alastor beamed. "Don't be shy, make yourself comfortable."
After he said this, Alastor made a spot for Matt next to him on the piano seat, to which Matt promptly sat down. Matt didn't know jack about pianos, though he could recall Edd being really good at playing it.
"Surprised? I've been known to tickle the ivories time to time." Alastor stated. Matt chuckled at this statement - for some reason, that phrase always made him laugh.
"Ah, there's few things more entertaining than a good song, don't you think?" Alastor pressed on. "I'm rather fond of this one. It's a little bit after my time, but it is such a...thoughtful melody."
He cleared his throat, gently laid his fingers on the keys, and started to sing.

(credits to PARANOID DJ for the music)

You know how most people have their lives flash before their eyes moments before they die? Well, sometimes, something sentimental that a demon finds can set off the flashbacks. This was the case for Matt. As this song swirled around the room, Matt was hit by a torrent of memories. He remembered when he was just a little kid, when it was just him, Edd, Tom and Tord against the world, and when their only worry was if it was going to rain or not.

He remembered his teenage memories , and these were memories he quickly moved on from, since not many teenage memories were worth noting. The only important things was that Tom was a nerd and Tord was going through a punk phase. He remembered the first time he moved into the house, when he was finally an adult, and the world was at his feet.

He remembered his adventures - oh, the adventures! They were no doubt the best moments of his life. Travelling across time and space, getting into all kinds of wacky scenarios, experiencing what it was like to become different kinds of monster, you name it. It didn't matter how dire the situation was, Matt enjoyed every second of it.

He remembered the deaths of all his friends. As much as he hated these memories, he had to see them. He remembered the explosion as the harpoon hit the core. He remembered seeing his body on top of a hill, not breathing, and, although their relationship was rocky to say the least, a pang of guilt slashed across him.

He remember sitting in the hospital when a nurse told him and Edd the bad news that Tom died on the operating table. He remembered Edd bursting into tears and Matt shortly following. Though he never really reciprocated those feelings, Tom was Edd and Matt's best friend, and now that he was gone, it tore them both apart. In the last few days that he was alive, Matt was tormented with grief.

And then...it happened. Matt stared into his mirror, wondering what to do. Though he looked do damn fine, he certainly didn't feel it. All of a sudden, as he was meandering down the stairs, his foot slipped, and he went crashing down. Time slowed down. His mirror slipped out his hand. This was it. He closed his eyes and braced for impact. He woke up...dead.

As the song drew to a close, Matt slowly started to return to reality. He looked to his side to see all his friends, both the ones he made on Earth and the ones he made in Hell. He had done so much in his life, and, although it had come to an abrupt, premature, tragic end, Matt thought, Damn, I've had a great ride.

"Matt, are you alright?" Alastor asked. In his trip down memory lane, Matt failed to notice his eyes glistening with tears.
"I'm fine, thanks." Matt replied, using his sleeve to wipe the tears away. "Just couldn't help but think about my life and how great it was."
Alastor smiled and looked up at Charlie. She was sat on a table with Vaggie's arm around her.
"You know, Charlie, maybe this redemption idea isn't that bad." he mentioned.

Charlie gasped, her eyes lighting up like stars, "You really think so?"
"Mm-hmm." Alastor nodded. "When Matt gave me what for, something resonated within me. Now, I no longer have a desire to manipulate. This must be redemption. Sure, I've got millions of other flaws, so I'm going to stay a demon, but, by golly, it's a start!"
A smile of pure joy creeped up Charlie's face as Vaggie gripped her tighter.

"Matt, you have such wonderful friends, and I suspect that you don't want anything to do with me now." Alastor said, his voice growing quiet.
"Actually, since you've changed, maybe we could be good friends." Matt stated.
"You wha-?" Alastor exclaimed in shock.
"Yeah, but I know you won't do anything like this anymore, so I now feel like I can trust you." Matt explained. "Everybody's got flaws, even me. It just takes a little time and realisation and you can truly be yourself."

The End

(Hi, it's Neve here. Thanks for reading this book! First, a quick shout-out to EddsworldfanHelena! You have been the main inspiration behind this, and I am beyond grateful. Thank you so very much! For now, I'll see you later!)