Castle of Demons

The Pink

 "Prince Flapjack, I have your lunch!" Knatalie knocked on his door lightly. 

"No thank you, I'm busy at the moment," Flapjack called to her through the door, turning away from his son for a New York second. The servant nodded to herself, going back downstairs to return the lunch the prince declined. He put his head in his hands. "I'm terrified, Gavriel. Bløød is right, that's probably why I can't see any further than that date." 

"Dad, It's okay. I'll be dead with you, and we can enjoy the afterlife together, peacefully in Heaven," Gavri said optimistically, trying to soothe his worried father.

"We're demons, Gavri, we're not going to Heaven. My past actions also work hand in hand with the prevention of me making it to the pearly gates. I'm only 18,000, I'm not ready to die yet."

Gavri scratched his head. "I guess you're right."

Flapjack looked up at Gavri with narrowed eyes then returned his head to its resting spot in his tiny hands. 

"What? You said it yourself, you're gonna die and all is hopeless," His son said, throwing his hands up dramatically "We better say our prayers if we don't want to rot in Hell for all eternity.

"You know, you're not helping." He stood up and walked over to his bed, pushing his husband over and rolling under the covers. Spike groaned and snatched the covers from Flapjack, then he snatched it back and it became a game of tug-of-war until Flapjack just decided to lay on top of him.

"I'm just agreeing with you."

"Well stop it, I don't need that right now."

Gavriel sighed and looked at the ground. He was really looking forward to the Carnival of the Lands, but it didn't look like that was going to happen soon with all the time travel, fights and deaths. COTL is a celebration that happens every other year of all the lands coming to peace and ending all the dislike and hatred, but with the Cacti always brewing fights it gets called off almost every time. "We're doomed," He whined softly, looking at the ceiling "Please don't judge me based on my species, dear Lord."

"He's not going to let you in," Flapjack grumbled.

"Let me believe that He will."

The king walked in, swaying lazily. He looked tired and sickly. "Hey, where's my sister?" He plopped down on a papasan chair, hearing it creak and pop under his sudden weight hitting it. It was pretty old, so it wasn't surprising.

Flapjack rolled off of Spike and sat up straight, facing his brother- who was obviously ill. "What did you do?" 

"I uh-" He thought for a moment "Well I sat in my throne, and Knatalie brought me some lunch, which was oddly plain and lamely presented," he continued "Then I felt sick and went to the bathroom... then coughed up some black blood, then came up here asking for my sister."

Flapjack looked at Gavriel then at Bløød. "That was poisoned, and was probably Pøisøn's doing, if I remember his murder style properly."

"But he was squashed under the rubble," Bløød said, confused. "He can't possibly still be alive after the ceiling fell on him. Did you see him after the ceiling fell?"

"Obviously not, you were with him and I was with Seth after he pushed me out of the way to protect me," His brother explained to him, saying it like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "I couldn't have possibly seen him after that."

"Wait- who's Pøisøn?" Gavri asked curiously.

"He's your Dads' enemy- if you'd use that word- who tried to... I actually don't know what he tried to do to Spike-" the King tried to explain.

"He tried to keep me there, 'n begged me to take him back," Spike explained sitting up, combing his fingers through his hair to try to tame his monstrous bedhead. "But of course, that didn't happen. There wasn't even a sliver of a chance."

Flapjack smiled, feeling guilty about betraying him on the trip while he stayed faithful. He thought to himself I'm such an idiot, I should've just resisted the temptation. Now I'm gonna die and he's gonna die and he'll just remember what I did.

"And then Flapjack cheated on him while trying to find him, while Spike didn't," Bløød recited from Flapjack's thoughts. "Oh! With Spike's brother, might I add."

His brother sent him eye daggers from across the room, to which sick Bløød just smiled and laughed. This was pretty much their relationship. If they weren't doing something they shouldn't, they were teasing each other or trying to kill each other. It was basically routine. Flapjack sat in Spike's lap, who comforted him in a low voice.

"I've already forgiven you," He said calmly. "You don't need to worry."

"I just can't help but feel bad. You pretty much do everything and did everything for me and as soon as you're gone I do something I shouldn't. What kind of thanks am I doing to you by betraying you when you're in danger?"

"Star, you protected my brother and made him feel loved, which is a thanks enough for me." Spike said, kissing his husband.

Gavriel groaned. "Gross!"

"What he said," Bløød agreed.

"Shush. Be mature," Flapjack hushed Gavri then looked at his brother. "Don't encourage him."

There was a knock on the door and then it was opened, Seth smiling gleefully. "Flapjack, I brought you a snack," he said, extending his hand which held a brown sack.

"No, we're not going to eat anything until I say so. We're on food lockdown." Bløød narrowed his eyes at Spike, who's yellow eyes were watered down in hue. "I don't trust you."

Seth looked around quickly and then at Bløød. "Why?"

There was deafening silence as everyone looked at each other, exchanging questions through quick glances. Finally, the prince quickly explained, ignoring his brothers shushes and death glares. Seth chuckled and looked around at the fearful-eyed group.

"I can guarantee you, I'm not P... however you pronounce his name," Seth assured them calmly, handing his lover the paper bag. Flapjack took the bag cautiously and watched him as he sat on a white plastic chair. Nobody bothered to tell him the correct way to say Pøisøns name, but instead just watched him fearfully.

Bløød coughed up blood, which he carelessly watched stain the carpet ink black, his eyes feeling gross and sticky. 

"I assure you guys I'm not the guy you think I am. If you think he's me, that means he can shapeshift; furthermore, he can be anyone in here." 

Gavriel's eyes darted around nervously, pulling his legs up to his chest. "I don't want to die this young," He whined. "I haven't even had a girlfriend yet!"

"You're not gonna die while if your parents have anything to say about it," Seth told Gavriel comfortingly. "They're strong individuals who love you dearly, and won't let you get hurt under any circumstances."

"Luci hasn't been speaking the entire time. Why?" The child said, looking at his sister. Luci was looking at her fingers with wide eyes while they've been speaking, sitting on the ground in the shadow of her parents bed.

"Luci are you okay?!" He screeched, not breaking her out of her concentrated stare-down with her fingerprints.

Moments passed before she wheezed and fell backwards, coughing up blood which is curiously neon pink. 

In a flash, Seth had called Egan. Him and the doctor rushed in, Egan's blonde hair- his oh-so-shiny and luxurious hair- dripping with water. KC took Luci's left side and Egan took her right and they picked her up and dragged her to the infirmary. All under 5.6 seconds. Almost beat their previous time of 4.1 seconds.

Everyone looked at Seth. "How did you call him so fast?" Gavri asked curiously.

"Somethin' wasn't right, so I was on edge already. I'm going to go check on her, you all are welcome to join me," He offered standing up and leaving the room, Spike reluctantly following.