Evolution

Disclaimer: I do not own Disgaea 5. I only own the Golden Land concept (not the name obviously) and those beings from the Golden Land.

Summary: Void has changed. Goldion is aware of that. However, a new problem stems for how he's changing. Seeing traces of his wife only hurts a man especially when history might repeat itself.

Pairing: Goldion/OC, implied Killia/Lieze, Void/Seraphina and Cube (OC)/Void

Genre: Family, Hurt/Comfort

Some headcanons I had for Void, Lieze, Goldion and Azalea. This is only a portion of the headcanon as another story will be more explicit (the one titled Azalea obviously). This fic is mostly from Goldion's observation. There are obvious spoilers for some of the postgame skits.

Goldion was indeed disappointed with his son, Void, when he had lost his way during training. The cause was the death of his wife, Azalea. She had a huge impact on Void while she was alive. When she died, Void felt that power was what he needed to survive in the world. Goldion and his wife both believed that a demon's pure heart was strong enough to protect those around them. Alas, Azalea was killed and that made Void think otherwise.

Since then, his heart had been plagued by darkness. He considered everything that wasn't his family scum of the universe and had no problem hurting others when it best suited him. Demons that came to challenge the Demon Fist often ended up fighting his son and getting destroyed in combat. Goldion made sure that his son wouldn't kill anyone on his watch. He had promised his wife that he would make sure that Void would grow into a demon she could be proud of.

Unfortunately, Azalea spoiled Void as a child so he was unwilling to listen to his father. He then clung to his older sister Liezerota when things didn't go his way. Being the older twin Lieze felt obligated to take care of Void, but Goldion needed to remind his daughter time and time again that Void wasn't going to learn if she kept treating him like how their mother treated him. Overtime, Lieze tried to not act like her mother but her love for her younger twin still won out.

That might have been part of the reason why Goldion decided to take Killia in. The powerful Overlord not only reminded him of someone from his distant past, but Killia displayed extraordinary talent for someone his age. He just needed to control his power. Goldion cared not about what Void felt. He knew that the only way to motivate his son would involve introducing someone new into the family who would threaten to take away the strength he tried to master.

Suffice to say, Goldion was disappointed that his son raged about it and ran off. Void didn't run away until a few years later but he remained stubborn and refused to open his heart. In fact, the situation worsened until Void left for real this time to seek true power. Goldion made the mistake to not look after him. If he did, he would have realized Void went out of his way to get a power he never had before. His wife's fears came to fruition and Goldion was powerless to stop it. Because unknown to his children, Azalea predicted that not only would their kids surpass the in terms of powers but also that it would be their downfall. And everything fell apart once Killia ran away.

His daughter was put down and his son was lost to darkness. His injury that he took from Killia proved to hinder him when Void challenged him with these powers. He recalled arguing with his son before he lost consciousness. From what he learned, Void had taken his mother's spellbook and mastered a few of her spells. Void was always a fast learner of magic even if he didn't understand what it meant to have a pure heart. The spell he cast was a spell Azalea often abused on her husband. It was a spell meant to reduce tension seeing as how Goldion was a serious and dutiful individual. With the spell, Goldion could relax and have a good night sleep. In Void's case, he used it to control Goldion's body and turned him into Bloodis. Under the Bloodis persona, he did Void's dirty work without protest. But the dirty work involved reviving Lieze and it might have been the small reason why Goldion stayed behind.

Killia and Zeroken freed him from the spell. If Void didn't appear shortly after breaking away from the mind control, he would have praised them for their magnificent performance. Instead, he had to pretend that the attack didn't work in order to become a mole. He could help them from the sidelines, watch them get stronger, and keep an eye on Void. Compared to when Void was when he brainwashed him, he was rather sullen. Void Dark…was not his son. He made that clear to Killia during their final encounter. His words came off as disowning his son but that wasn't his intention. He referred to the darkness that Void obtained and overtook him. When he died, he hoped to see his family wherever they were.

However, he didn't die and found himself in the Carnage Dimension. He was saved by a demon there for the sole purpose of being recruited. They also wanted to know about the realm Goldion was from. Goldion spoke little of his realm knowing that the Carnage demons wanted to destroy it.

It turned out that many of the demons in the Carnage Dimension actually knew who Azalea was. Her name actually spread throughout the universe like she wanted but that meant that she and everyone she knew were in danger because of it. Although they could have killed him, Goldion was kept alive because he was her husband. Goldion admitted that she had passed and that her powers have passed on to his son. He didn't want to talk about what had become of his son, but the Carnage Demons were observant. They got the information they needed. They learned of Void and Killia and were going to target them when the time was right. Goldion hoped that Killia would be ready (as he assumed his son had passed on).

To his surprise, both of his children were alive. Void succeeded in reviving his sister and he had survived the final battle against the Rebel Army. Still, Goldion was suspicious of his son. Void Dark indeed died during the final battle leaving the true personality of his son. The Rebel Army couldn't believe it but the reality was that in the past, Void was all talk and no action. He had power that he couldn't control and often avoided conflict despite the trash talking. The first thing Goldion noticed was how his son referred to him as "Father" instead of "Pops". Just this small change showed Goldion that his son had changed. He insisted that his son wait until they dealt with the Carnage Dimension before he apologized.

And after chasing away those pathetic grunts, Goldion joined the Rebel Army. The Rebel Army had two goals now. Stop the Carnage Dimension from invading and rebuild what was lost during the war.

Goldion finally got time alone with his son. Because everyone wanted to speak to Goldion after he joined, he found it increasingly difficult to be with Void. It was easier to be alone with Killia than his own son. Talking with Killia proved easier as well. It was like Void was avoiding him despite the conversation needing to happen. Lieze had to be the one to get Void to confront his father. The Demon Fist chuckled to himself. Void acted like he did in his youth. When he got in trouble, he hid behind his sister. Only when the situation was severe In this case, she dragged Void with her to confront his father. Killia tagged along just in case the apology didn't go too well.

"Now, Void, don't you have something to say to Father?"

Void remained hesitant in confronting his father. For all he wanted to say, when it finally came down to it, he was scared of how his father would react. Goldion could see it in his movement.

"…I've committed sins that can never be forgiven. I have no excuses," Void said this but still didn't look his father in the eye as if not to see the disappointed look thrown his way. "Do whatever you want. Whether it's disowning me or slicing me to bits, I'll accept it."

Lieze probably didn't expect her brother to be overdramatic with his apology. Hell, she assumed he would just bow his head and apologize. The last thing she wanted was to be separated from her brother again.

"Void! Why would you say such a thing?!"

"Lieze, this is between them. We should stay out of it," Killia quickly interrupted.

He was right but the problem stemmed from the dragonewt wanting to see what his mentor would say or do to Void's response. When Void asked Killia to hit him, Killia had no problem doing that.

"But…"

Goldion took the time to answer his son. "…Void, do you still remember the Ultimate Demon Technique that I taught you?"

Void nodded his head slowly. "Yes, I do… Honestly, I don't deserve to use the Ultimate Demon Technique…"

"Alright, then I have nothing else to say. You're not Void Dark anymore. That's why you're here. Am I wrong?"

Lieze gasped. "Then, Father…"

It's not like Lieze needed to finish that sentence. Goldion had given his answer.

"Lieze, prepare dinner. I'm hungry."

Lieze caught on immediately to what her father wanted her to do. Cooking was just an excuse.

"Yes!"

"I'll help too."

Killia and Lieze left the room, leaving Goldion and Void alone. The tension in the room was still suffocating but not as bad as when the trio originally came in. Void still refused to look at his father even when he had the demon's full attention at this point.

"…The sins we carry are too enormous…The least we can do is work as a family and help others for the future of the Netherworld, for the rest of our lives."

Goldion had some pride too. After all his son had done, he had forgiven him for his crimes. Then again, if there was anyone to blame for his son falling into darkness, it was himself. Goldion swore to protect his children. He promised Azalea nothing terrible would befall them like she had feared time and time again due to her powers and reputation. Alas, he failed to protect both of his children. Had it not been for Killia, he would have lost them both and because of that, Goldion had to carry the sins as well. Even if Void saw himself as the sole perpetuator of the Netherworld's destruction, it was only half the story…something that Void would never understand.

"Father…" Void spoke. He flinched feeling his father's hand on his shoulder. Void still struggled to look at his father in the eyes and for good reason.

"…It's okay, Void," Goldion finally said.

"…I'm sorry…"

"Lieze and I are here for you."

"I'm really…really sorry…"

"You won't have to do this alone."

No matter how old Void got, Goldion knew how emotional his son could be. His mother had expressed how Void needed to be more open with his emotions. Her death meant he closed himself off, but he felt more than just anger and hatred. He felt sorrow and guilt as well. Goldion allowed his son to come closer. Even if Void wouldn't extend his hand out to his dad, Goldion had no problem embracing his son.

"I'm so sorry, Father…I failed you…I failed Mother and Lieze too…"

Goldion said nothing. His actions spoke louder than words. His son tried his very best to keep his composure but it was all for naught. Void eventually buried his head into his father's armor and quietly sob into his chest. Goldion closed his eyes and allowed him to do that. No matter what people said, this was the real Void. An insecure child that needed reassurance from his parental figures. He had lost them before but Goldion wasn't going to let his son go down that path again.

Void might have returned to "normal" but that didn't mean his obsession with his sister disappeared. His fondness for his sister was always a part of his character. Now that the evil heart he had was removed, that obsession was brought to the full front. Goldion could have intervened at a young age but failed to. Azalea's death prevented Goldion from even thinking about his kids until he had been able to put his mind at ease. Lieze took charge of the house and took care of Void when Azalea no longer could. That was why Void clung to his sister.

Lieze wasn't helping matters. She apparently scolded Void for following behind her when they were younger. However, the way she worded her sentence allowed Void to continue without having to give up his old ways. It annoyed Killia for obvious reasons but there wasn't much he could do. This Void wasn't the same one that Killia met when he was still Overlord Killidia. This Void was more fragile in Killia's mind. Not the one that would break down in tears if you were mean to him. Void was "fragile" in how his world view was now. He lived for the sole purpose of making his sister happy. If he could not make her happy, he had no purpose. Even if he wanted to atone for his crimes, his sister's happiness came first. This also meant that he needed to be by her side no matter what. Lieze couldn't just tell Void to stop. She felt responsible for him many years ago. She shouldn't feel that way but she could never reject her brother's love for her.

When Void wasn't working on the construction or training in secret, he would always be around Lieze. You couldn't talk to Lieze without Void being right next to her whether it was for shopping or just walking around in general. Demons had no chance of wooing her. Yes, she had Killia but it wasn't obvious when Void hovered over his sister. His presence scared every demon that looked at Lieze the wrong way. Fortunately, Void wasn't in love with his sister. His infatuation with her came off that way to everyone around him. Unless someone brought it up, he would continue worshipping the ground his sister was on.

And of course Void struggled interacting with other demons that weren't his sister. He and Killia were on talking terms at least. It made sense mainly because Killia wasn't afraid of him. Christo was the next candidate who Void could speak to. If Killia wasn't afraid, Christo didn't need to be. Besides, he was a unique member in that he was an angel that stayed in the Netherworld despite that. Being in the Rebel Army changed his views on demons. Void continued to break the stereotype. Someone who was supposed to be so evil had family values. Christo also caught on rather quickly that Void had a hard time talking to others. The only thing Christo feared at this point was being introduced to "the real Void" as Lieze put it. Killia had some idea but he didn't talk too much about it. Void wasn't too thrilled by the idea that his past self was his "true" side either.

There was one member in the Rebel Army who would gladly take advantage of Void's love if it meant being alone with Killia. Seraphina was an odd girl. As a succubus, it was normal for her to be delusional about the men around her. Killia in particular was her object of desire. It did not seem to matter if Killia was not interested in her or was in a relationship. Seraphina wanted the dragonewt for herself. She had a hard time accepting Lieze in her Pocket Netherworld because of her relationship with Killia. She succumbed to Killia's wishes but it didn't change all the things she tried to do to win him over. Goldion should have known that Seraphina was just messing with Killia when she said they were in love but Goldion didn't take to cheaters well. If his kids were going to have someone, it would be with one who was faithful to them. If the other person was going to cheat, they would be introduced to his fists.

Seraphina had another failed attempt at getting Killia's attention. Lieze was in Killia's presence again and the pink haired succubus was left alone again. She should have just accepted it. Her pride refused to do so and that was the reason she was stalking the two. She wasn't alone however because Void was hiding in the shadows too. He stalked them to make sure that Killia wouldn't try anything funny. His snake like eyes never left Killia's back. Even if he and Killia were getting along, Void could never approve of the younger male with his sister. The bond that twins had went a long way.

"Sir Killia, why don't you spend time with me?!" She whined.

"Sister…"

Seraphina heard the grumbling despite her voice being louder than his.

"Void, what are you doing in the shadows? It's creepy."

Void flinched at being called out on his stalking. He didn't want to move away and he certainly didn't want to talk to her.

"Couldn't you get your sister's attention?" Seraphina asked in an annoyed voice. "Why would you need to hide?"

"…Sister told me to keep my distance today…"

"And you just let her order you around?"

"...This is the appropriate distance."

He was right about that. He was far enough to where he didn't meddle with his sister but close enough to where he could observe them. Seraphina assumed Void's hearing when it concerned his sister was top-notch. Anything concerning his sister was flawless…

"…Sister wants to try a new recipe for curry," Void continued. "She hasn't told Killia that she's making it nutritious specifically for him."

That caught the succubus' attention. "Does Sir Killia even like that sort of thing?"

"He won't notice but even if he did, he won't say anything," Void just remembered something and smirked. "He puts too much meat in his curry. When she buys that ingredient, it will remove the amount of calories that Killia puts."

"…So he doesn't like fat free curry?"

"You've been in proximity of Killia for how long and you didn't pick that up?"

She hadn't. She had tried to watch him make curry but Killia chased her out of the kitchen. He only allowed Usalia in because she was dead serious about learning how to make curry. Only Usalia would know about something like this.

"Ohohoho~. Of course I knew!" Seraphina declared. Void probably caught her lie but didn't call her out. "Now, I can warn Sir Killia before he gets tainted by that curry!"

Before Void could say anything else, Seraphina stormed off. Knowing her, she would be stalking the two until the time came to warn the dragonewt. Void chose not to follow the two afterwards seeing that the succubus would deal with the issue. He chuckled to himself as he turned to leave. At this point, Goldion made his presence known.

"You know, it's not like you to throw your sister under the bus," Goldion stated.

"…I don't like the new curry," Void said rather quickly. "Even if I were to complain, Killia comes first for Sister."

So you only told Seraphina because you didn't want to eat that fat free curry. How childish of you.

Truth be told, if Goldion had to choose between what Lieze wanted and what they normally had, he would pick the latter. Most demons avoided a non-fat diet. For all the talk Goldion had in the past with his family about eating healthy, curry was one of the few things he was not going to allow to change. So, for this once, he wouldn't rat his son out to his daughter about the leafy ingredient that would have been added if not for Seraphina's meddlesome personality.

It was funny how every demon thought Goldion was incapable of being irritated with someone. Sure, he was hard on Void but he was far from the judgmental type. It only took one new recruit to realize how much he actually tolerated before he ended up being rough on them for no reason.

Killia was too nice for his own good. The Rebel Army had gotten an SOS from an odd male fairy. He begged them to save his master, Cube, as demons were attacking and threatening to kill him. Killia could never turn down someone in need of help. The Rebel Army had no issues but some of the members wondered if it was either a stray demon from the Carnage Dimension or whatever was left of the Lost. It could have even been one of those demons fighting back against the Rebel Army due to their recent actions of allowing former enemies into their rankings.

To their surprise, the demon was a young man accompanied by not one but two fairies. His physical appearance and personality were not of a demon. His appearance matched that of a human but had a personality identical to an angel. Hell, the only way you could tell Cube was most likely a demon was because of the golden butterflies hovering around him. However, Goldion had never encountered a demon beloved by insects. Mothmen were bug demons that flew in swarms but a humanoid demon having butterflies around him for more than just decoration was just unheard of. Not to mention the beautiful gold coloring of the butterflies was uncommon.

The group didn't waste saving him not only because they were asked to but because the demons attacking him claimed to be against the Rebel Army. The "Anti" Rebel Army or whatnot. It did not concern Goldion or the others at that moment of time simply because these demons had the audacity to attack a demon orphanage that the mysterious male was defending with his magic. He had cast a spell around the orphanage so it wouldn't get burned down by the flames. Only his death would cause the spell to be broken. If the group hadn't arrive on time, it would be more than just this mysterious demon that died in the flames.

Because Killia chose to help the youthful male, the demons had fled when given the opportunity. Seraphina shot them a few more times but failed to finish them off. This incident would be seen as a one-time thing but Christo warned the group they got to do some investigating afterwards just to be certain. Taking care of and interrogating the mysterious man and his two fairies were more important.

This man's stories were inconsistent. Cube probably noticed that and tried to word it in ways where his stories sounded okay but when the dots connected, the story was full of holes. Cube lied about his race. At first he said he was a Papillion. Then he said he was a Sorcerer. Cube finally settled for a combination of both seeing as how he did have a butterfly connection and he specialized in magic. However, the fact that sorcerers were a female demon race in the Netherworld raised some eyebrows. Cube should have known that if he had been a resident of the Netherworld for so long. Alas, he clearly wasn't from their realm with how he interacted with the Rebel Army.

It was Goldion who suggested that the group tried different methods on getting him to tell the truth. If he was from the Carnage Realm, it would be dangerous to keep him around. Then again, he knew better than anyone that this demon could not have possibly survived in that realm if he nearly gave his life to help others in need. Lieze must have caught on seeing as how she wasn't that hard on Cube.

The male fairy had declared he and his two fairy friends were from the Golden Land to get the group off his master's back. The golden butterflies, the foreign aura that surrounded Cube and how he treated his fairy companions lean toward that answer. Problem was that it was hard to believe. Furniture was a rather offensive term to refer to your friends. The female fairy insisted it was normal given they were sent to watch over the "young master". This information gave the implication that Cube was someone important from wherever he was from. He still refused to talk about his past but Cube swore he wasn't anyone that would be considered dangerous. He said this as he revealed to have odd hammerspace powers.

Goldion didn't get that information from Cube. It was Void who found this out. Compared to the others, Cube was laidback around Void. That was a problem given how Void was. Yet, he casually admitted to a lot of answers that his fairies were frantically giving out when cornered. The Golden Land was another realm in the center of the universe that could not be reached by normal means. Cube was a rather important figure in that realm. His powers were rather unique but also useless in most cases. Useless referred to the fact that he took his belongings from his home, stashed it into a pocket dimension and then was able to pull it out whenever needed. When Seraphina gave him a room, he quickly made it into what his room was in the other realm. Nothing dangerous came out of the pocket dimension. He had a few books, a chess table and a large collection of musical instruments such as an ivory piano and a violin. The only odd thing Cube had that would raise eyebrows was the bug catching net and a jar of magical butterflies (they weren't real, and Cube confirmed that it was all for decoration).

Really, Cube didn't seem all that dangerous. Yet, he was too calm in the presence of powerful demons, especially Void. He didn't take things too seriously. He was more concerned about how he would be seen by female demons in the Netherworld. And that got on Goldion's nerves more than anything. He wanted nothing to do with a male who shamelessly threw himself at other individuals and refused to commit. It would not have been a problem if Cube didn't act like that around his son. At first, Void was offended as a normal individual would. His advances were awkward and uncalled for. Lieze might have found it amusing but it might have been because she hadn't seen her brother worked up in this manner. Void was far from pleased and had threatened to kill Cube on multiple occasions if he didn't stop.

Cube didn't stop. He kept on going albeit a different approach. It wasn't forceful like the first time. It came naturally to where his intentions weren't obvious. Even if Goldion wanted to deny that Cube wanted to be friends with Void, he didn't trust him.

The worst part about Cube was how despite all of these red flags pointing to a not so trustworthy individual, he got Void to open to him anyway. And Goldion had no right to interfere. Void didn't have any friends in his childhood and he was partially to blame for that. Perhaps his worries for his children caused him to be overprotective. He did prevent them from leaving until way past adulthood. Goldion imagined his wife crying in her grave seeing as how his kids didn't exactly have an independent streak. Once they found someone they liked, they were going to cling to them indefinitely. For Lieze, it was Killia. For Void, he would have been attached to his sister for a very long time had Cube not waltzed into his life and took his attention. Void didn't realize his sudden shift in the slightest. That should have been fine, but Cube was the most suspicious person around.

The most telling thing about Cube was how he wasn't scared of Void. He didn't even know that Void was the former Demon Emperor who became the biggest enemy in all the Netherworlds. Void should have kept his guard up but this revelation did the opposite. The mysterious demon was too kind and too patient. Goldion made a mental note that Cube having a similar personality to his daughter made things worse.

Patience plus flirting equaled a recipe for disaster. Void got his personality from his late mother. She didn't take to flirting well even though she bathed in the praise of others. He tried everything to ignore Cube's flirting and when that didn't work, he threatened the older male. When the best strategy he had failed, then he was forced to accept the compliments. By accepting Cube, Void was able to be himself more so than when he tried to interact with Seraphina normally.

If Goldion's wife was still alive, she would have told him to watch from the sidelines and only interfere if that person was trying to hurt her child. Naturally, he did want to interfere. He was Void's father after all. He came close one time and that was when he spied on what would be considered a sacred moment.

Cube had stayed over at Flowerful along with Killia. Void insisted that Cube tagged along but he did ask the older male to come home with him. Void never had the courage to do that in his youth. It should have made Goldion proud that Void was trying to change himself in terms of opening himself to others. But it had to be with this flirtatious mess. He just couldn't deal with playboys who were more than likely to cheat with their partners. Demons in general were capable of having more than one partner and be open-minded with their sexuality but in Goldion's house, there would be no cheaters. The demon promised his late wife that if anybody cheated on their children, he would personally deal with them. Granted, Void was the type of demon that wasn't interested in a romantic relationship so he was already out of the question. But of course the one time Void pines for someone, it was someone with the potential of cheating.

It was later in the evening when the food was put away, the table was cleaned up, and everyone had settled down. It angered Goldion how Cube fit in rather nicely with this odd family. Cube's charisma was nothing to scoff at. He chose his words carefully around the Demon Fist even if he was casual with the others. Cube must have noticed white eyes glaring at him from afar and acted in a way to not embarrass Void.

Goldion pretended that he was retiring for the night and used his age as an excuse. His children took it seriously but there was no need for them to worry. He just wanted to watch from the shadows how Killia and Cube acted around his kids. Naturally, Goldion could trust Killia to take care of his daughter. He wasn't that sort of demon to take advantage of her. It was just Cube.

The four demons continued chatting without Goldion. Cube controlled the conversation with his rather obnoxious voice. Lieze asked for the Papillion to keep his voice down (which he did but he still needed to tell stories in a certain tone of voice). He was a good storyteller at the very least but Goldion questioned if these events were real or not. Cube was too mysterious and anything that came out of his mouth lead to more questions than answers.

Eventually, Killia and Lieze headed to bed. They were allowed to sleep together but Killia wouldn't touch his daughter…especially when Goldion was in the other room. There was no need to worry about the dragonewt again. Cube however…

"Void, mind if I talk to you outside?"

Void groaned as a response. "Why can't it be right here?"

"Come on, it will be quick. You wouldn't want Killia finding another way to tease you, right?"

"He wouldn't…whatever. If I say no, you'll keep nagging me anyway."

Void sounded annoyed when in actuality, he was interested in what the older male had to say. It wasn't what Cube was going to say though…it was the action he wanted to do outside out or hearing range of the family. Cube knew exactly what he was doing. Goldion made a mental note that he should have taught Void how to read people romantically interested in him (because he was missing every single sign).

Goldion was a master of stealth and ever since Void had lost some of his powers, it was easier to hide himself in the darkness. Even if Void's senses have dimmed, he still felt uneasy. Perhaps he had a feeling someone was watching them…or perhaps he was distracted by his own thoughts concerning Cube. This was probably Void's chance to tell the older male off, but Goldion knew better.

Cube wasn't as much as a smooth talker as he liked to make himself out to be. Once the two were out, he became tongue-tied. He played with his fingers and kicked dirt off the ground. Not like Void was any better. The white haired demon tuned Cube out even though the older male was not speaking to him. Goldion wondered which was worse: Killia and his daughter fighting all the time at the beginning or Cube and his son not interacting at all.

"It's quite nice outside…" Cube started. He needed a conversation but the weather was the most basic thing anyone could come up with.

"Flowerful is always calm during the evening," Void answered. "I never appreciated this calmness until recently."

"Ehhhh…reminds me of the Golden Land…" Cube lamented. "While there's no weather in my realm, the sky always changes to reflect the time of day the universe follows. No matter if the sky is purple or black, the golden butterflies always flutter in swarms. They're a really pretty sight…"

Normally, someone would say "take me there one day" or something along the lines but Void didn't get the hint. He simply acknowledged Cube's statement and left it as such.

"…Void, why aren't you ever in the kitchen?" Cube asked casually.

"Sister is in charge of the kitchen," Void answered quickly. "B-Besides, if Killia is there, then there is no reason for me to be there."

"Really? I thought it had to do with your cooking."

Cube was right on the mark for that one. While Goldion wasn't exactly a good chef, his food was tolerable at best. Void got his cooking skills (or lack of) from his mother. Once it became obvious that Void didn't have what it took, Lieze banned him from the kitchen. It was the only reason she would ask Goldion over Void to look after the food.

"You know I'll try your cooking until you get good," Cube reassured him but Void scoffed at his statement. "What? It's true!"

"I would believe you if you didn't collapse that one time…"

"Oh, I was already sick. The curry was just the last straw. B-Besides, I don't like hot food-."

"If you're going to faint the next time it happens, just ask Sister to make you a non-spicy one."

"But it has to be you-."

"Cube, what is the real reason you called me out here?"

Straight to the point. Goldion noticed Cube tense up. Where was his lady-killing personality now?

"I came here to tell you something important…" Cube said. "B-But…I don't think you'll appreciate it."

Void eyed the older male suspiciously. "Hmm? You're implying I appreciate anything you do."

"Hey! That's not funny! Besides, I'm serious…"

"If you don't tell me now, I'm going back inside."

This was Void's way of getting Cube to do what he wanted without much effort. Cube caved in to Void's demands rather easily. However, he was still reluctant to answer. Taking a deep breath, he approached Void. The white haired demon didn't react until the sorcerer gently placed his hand on his shoulder.

"You'll probably kill me for this but I can't really hide it anymore…"

Void restrained himself from asking what he meant. Then again, Cube decided to show Void what he was going to do rather than tell him. Goldion had to stop himself from moving once he saw Cube make a move on his son like he expected him to. Void Dark would have reacted horribly and retaliated. His son stood there in complete confusion, unsure of what was transpiring in front of him. And to his father's horror, Void shyly moved his hands on top of Cube's shoulder and closed his eyes. He was kissing him back!

If Goldion had a short temper like his wife, he would have cut them off right then and there. But he didn't. Fortunately, the kiss didn't last long because Cube noticed the tense atmosphere.

"Don't tell me that was your first kiss…" Cube teased gently.

Void had no answer to his actions. He didn't understand why his body reacted like this but he didn't want to keep going. Void pushed Cube away almost immediately once his brain started functioning.

"Don't fuck with me!" Void hissed. "Who do you think you are?"

Cube tilted his head in confusion. "Void?"

"Who the hell gave you permission to do such a thing? Have you realized what you've done?"

"…No need to be overdramatic."

Cube could have said something that wouldn't flare Void's temper. However, the former Demon Emperor wasn't angry with the kiss as much as the implication.

"D-Don't give me any reason to rethink about my purpose in life!"

"What?"

"…Please save that for someone who deserves it…" Void mumbled to himself. His eyes looked down at the grass.

"But you do deserve it," Cube hummed.

"I have too much blood on my hands," Void reminded him quietly. "I ruined families and scarred many demons in the universe…I can't…"

Find happiness. Void would continue beating himself about this until the end of time. Yet, Cube didn't seem to care about the past. Perhaps, not knowing about the war benefited Cube greatly to see the positive traits of his son that others could not see.

"You're atoning now," Cube began, "but it will never end."

"And that's why I…"

"And that's why it's okay to be happy while atoning," Cube purred. "Are you just going to let this handsome guy here walk out of your life because of the past?"

Void looked up. The look in his eyes was difficult to read in the dark. However, his tone spoke wonders.

"Keep your narcissism to yourself."

It had been a long time since Goldion heard his son expressing positive emotions (when it didn't concern Lieze). In fact, it was odd for Void to express a variety of emotions Goldion thought he lost. Void had insecurities about his future. He desired to atone for his sins but he was being given hope that allowed him to think better of himself. Cube…was too dangerous for Void but the former Demon Emperor could care less.

"Oh, come on! Can I have another kiss for trying?"

Void, for a moment, considered the option. After seeing the puppy-dog eyes that Cube gave him, he chose against it.

"You have to earn it instead of trying to steal it like the crook you are."

"Crook? I'm the crook?! Come on, Voidie!"

Too loud. Goldion could make his appearance and bring up how noisy the two were being. However, he caught a glimpse of Void smiling. Cube couldn't see it, so of course the older male would think he failed in trying to cheer his son up. The sorcerer's presence was all Void needed. Goldion snuck back into the house when the two weren't looking. He didn't need to look out for Void. Even if Goldion was at odds with Cube, he could trust Cube with his son like he trusted Killia being with his daughter.

Despite all of this, Goldion grumbled how he was going to end up alone in a few more years. No way were his kids going to stay with him once they took the next step in their relationship.

Void wasn't immune to getting sick. It surprised the Rebel Army that someone as powerful as Void could fall ill. Goldion kept a close eye on Majorita who wanted to take full advantage of Void's weakened state. However, it wasn't a "common cold" as a human would put it.

Azalea was the cause for Void's sickness. When she gave birth to him and Lieze, her powers ran rampart during their time inside of her. Like a parasite, the power would have killed one of the twins and there was nothing Azalea could do about it. Azalea's family line always passed the cursed powers down to a female descendant. It was unheard of to have twins in her family so Void would have died had Lieze not transferred her powers. It happened in the womb so neither Goldion or Azalea understood what truly happened. All the lioness could tell her husband was that Void now had her incredible powers and Lieze was left with nothing. Lieze was still a healthy baby despite that so she would avoid the problems the girls in the family had with said curse.

Unfortunately, Void was the recipient of the powers. During his pubescent stage, Void often fell ill. Flowerful might have been one of the cleaner Netherworlds but the curse still took effect. Void would often cry at the immense pain he felt when the dark power attempted to take control. The curse attacked the poor child's immune system. The boy was stuck in bed more times than not and it caused him to not have a lot of friends he could turn to. Azalea always did her best to lessen the pain but the curse always persisted.

When Azalea died, the curse weakened. Goldion had suspected his wife struck another deal with the malicious power in order to help Void live without fear of the powers taking control. She succeeded…to an extent. As he reached his teenage years, Void grew out of the "sickness" but replacing that was darkness in his heart that yearned for power. Goldion wondered if Void not dying to the curse meant he would become a wicked demon. At first, his fears were proven correct but looking back on it, the curse never went away even after Killia purified his son. The curse was otherworldly. If the curse originated from the Carnage Dimension, then Goldion would have been able to find a way to break the curse. Alas, that was not the case and where the curse came from was still unknown.

Lieze became paranoid for her brother and for good reasons. Void's sickness lasted for weeks, and it usually meant he would be feeling miserable until his curse decided to lay off him. Right now, Void demonstrated his willpower being able to function despite being sick. However, the curse pertained to his powers and that meant his magic was leaking out like crazy. His already pale face was paler and his movement was more sluggish than usual.

"Sister…I'm fine…" Void tried to reassure her. However, even his voice was raspy.

"No. Void, you're going home," Lieze ordered. "You're not going out when you're sick."

Void shook his head weakly. He insisted on wanting to help with the reconstruction. Normally, it would be called dedication for Void to want to help but his magic would only make the situation worse. Goldion recalled Azalea's effect on others whenever she fell ill. It wasn't pleasant. Unlike Azalea, Void was the enemy of the universe even if he was trying to atone for what he's done. He would be more vulnerable now than ever if he was allowed to go out like he was currently.

"But…"

"Please, Void. We both know that when you're like this, it's better to rest up."

Void hoped that Lieze would understand where he was coming from. Her desire to take care of her brother was stronger than Void's need to show the universe that he had changed.

"Is there something the matter, you two?"

Cube's voice perked Lieze up. In comparison, Void kept his head down as if trying to ignore the older male.

"Void is sick," Lieze answered. "He needs to go back to Flowerful and rest but he's being stubborn."

"I'm fine, Sister…" Void repeated despite his voice sounding worse than when he said this the first time. "I'll manage…"

Cube observed Void immediately and figured out what Lieze was talking about.

"Void, you do realize your mana is leaking out of you…right?"

Void said nothing.

"…That's really bad."

"As long as he's in Flowerful, he should be able to recover," Lieze started. "Flowerful's atmosphere counters whatever sickness Void has had in the past."

"I can imagine…"

Void flinched seeing how worried his sister was for him. "Sister…"

"Will you be okay going back to Flowerful alone? I'm worried…"

"Need me to take him back?" Cube asked with a cheeky grin. Void's eyes widened for a quick second before acting like he didn't just hear him. "What? Kitten is worried about you, Voidie. Can't let you leave on your own."

"I can handle myself…" Void growled. "Sister-."

"Cube, you have my permission," Lieze interrupted. "Don't try anything funny while my brother is sick, okay?"

Cube pretended to be insulted. Lieze was an observant girl. She must have caught on what Cube's relationship with her brother was. Not like Void noticed. His sickness prevented him from realizing the implication of Lieze's dialogue.

"Sister…I told you I can manage…"

"I bet you would drop the pot on your foot if you were left alone," Cube hummed. "Don't worry~. I can cook for you, Voidie."

"I can handle myself…"

"And then I can tuck you in, read you a bedtime story, and-."

Void turned tail and tried to leave Cube before he finished his sentence. The older male gasped at Void's reaction and chased after him.

"Hey! Don't walk off! I'm still talking!"

The Dimension Guide would take the two back to Flowerful. Lieze sighed, hearing Cube's loud voice get progressively smaller. She could trust him to be alone with her brother…right?

Footsteps approached Lieze from behind. She already knew who it was from the clanking.

"…Will Void be okay…" Lieze asked out loud.

"He will."

"…I know it's odd to have someone else watch him but…Father…should we really leave them alone?"

Goldion didn't want to leave his son with someone like Cube either. That man had made his intentions obvious. Void was aware of them at this point but seeing as how Void gave up and allowed the older male to accompany him, he either returned the gesture or didn't care. If only Goldion didn't see that scene before him a few weeks ago, he would have thought otherwise.

"Cube is someone that Void is willing to open himself up to. We have no right to interfere," Goldion responded. "We will only step in if we feel like Cube has ill intentions."

"He doesn't," Lieze told her father. "He has a pure heart."

"…I know."

It wasn't just a pure heart that Cube had. His powers allowed him to stand on par with Void. He had no reason to cower in fear of the former Demon Emperor. Someone who could not only tolerate but appreciate Void for the demon he actually was would be the demon that Goldion would entrust his son to. Alas, it was still going to be a while before Goldion accepted Cube and his lecherous ways…

Me: Done with 8759 words. Notes!

1. I firmly believe that when Zeroken told the group about the scene where Void brainwashed Goldion that more happened than just what he said. Zeroken did bring up how he ran away so he might not have seen or heard everything. It wouldn't be too out of character to believe that Goldion scolded his son despite his situation. Also, postgame brings up how Goldion is immune to mind control via Seraphina's Balor Gaze and the Carnage Dimension influence. Void doesn't say anything when Goldion said "most things don't affect me". This is why I brought up that Void used a spell that his mother had used on Goldion to get him under his control. I do want to make a joke about why Azalea would have a spell controlling her husband. Trust me, it's not a noncom thing and Goldion has a good reason for not outing Void on the type of spell it is or the implication of said spell.

2. I actually think that if Void were capable of a romantic relationship it would be the first person to show him kindness similar to his sister. He has a sister complex but it's not romance. Void wouldn't be the type of guy to care about the gender of the person. Cube is the perfect type of friend but as Goldion observed, Cube ain't for that friendship thing if he really likes the person.

3. While there aren't that many skits in the game concerning Void, I do think that Lieze being a good cook implies that Void can't cook. Lieze does handle everything in the house but Goldion still seems to know how to do basic things. Void gets stuck with the heavy lifting. Plus, Lieze taught Killia how to cook. It's a funny headcanon that Void can't cook like his mom so it's best to keep him out of the kitchen if no one wants to die from poison.

4. I'll get to a fic explaining Void's enormous amount of powers. The implication as pointed in this story is that Azalea's side of the family is cursed by a deity where they are granted a huge amount of mana but in exchange, it will kill them down the line. Void is not subjected to the "will kill him eventually" in the slightest but something else was taken instead (combine this with the Azalea fic and it's kind of obvious what exactly happened). But because Void does not die from his powers, he's more likely to get sick and the only reason he didn't get sick as Void Dark was because the malice in his heart was stronger than the curse itself (which is crazy to think about).

That's it. Reviews are appreciated. Ja ne!