See The Light

Chapter 22

A/N: Sorry it took so long to write this chapter, the other Ghouls and I had a wild weekend and needed to recover haha. Thank you Dewdrop for proofreading and helping me write this chapter. - Cumulus <3

Chapter 22

Papa Emeritus IV POV

Aether said he'd wait outside to give Celestial and I a chance to get decent. We put our clothes on in silence but the fear was overwhelming. Either this is a really horrible prank or Terzo is back. Either way, I had to protect the ministry and I had to protect Celestial. If anything were to happen to her I don't think I could survive it.

"Copia...What are we going to do?" Celestial asks, sitting at the end of our bed, eyes furrowed with concern riddling her body. I didn't have an answer for her which frustrated me more, I ran my fingers through her hair and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Amore, I don't have a plan right now apart from keeping you safe. I will go with Aether and you will stay with Sunshine. We will check the lower levels of the ministry and Sunshine will check the upper floors. If anything occurs we will send the Ghouls to fetch one another." I respond doing up the final button on my shirt and she nods, standing and walking to the door. "Let's go then." She says and she walks out to find Sunshine had joined Aether outside. I follow through after her and update the Ghouls on the basic plan I had.

I kiss Celestial slowly and deeply before she turns and walks towards the stairs with Sunshine to investigate the upper floors. A pit of worry fills me but Aether pats my arm and we make our way down to the lower levels.

We reach the mausoleum and the door is ajar. Aether enters first before signalling it's safe for me to follow. All of the Papa's coffins are displayed including the more recent Papa Nihil. I look to the right and see that, indeed, Terzo's was empty, the lid on the floor scratch marks still evident and he was nowhere to be found.

"Did you find any clues when you first saw this earlier?" I ask Aether while continuing to explore Terzo's coffin. "Apart from more scratch marks on his lid, there is nothing." He responds by guarding the door. I don't understand how this was possible. He was dead. I watched his autopsy. I saw him beheaded. I took pictures with it. How was this possible?

The door Aether was guarding slammed open, a fiery portal materializing, breaking my thoughts. "PAPA COME QUICK HE HAS CELESTIAL!" Sunshine growls eyes enraged through the portal, Aether's eyes turn the same red dangerous colour. "SHIT!" I scream scrambling to my feet and running through the door with the Ghouls following behind me.

Celestial's POV

"Sunshine, shall we check the offices first?" I ask as we walk down the hallway on the upper levels of the ministry. "Could do? But just be careful ok? I'll enter first and you stay behind me just in case." she responds by placing a reassuring hand on my shoulder. We reached Terzo's office first and the door was open slightly. Since the Papa's had died the offices were being cleared out to make space for new members of the ministry.

Sunshine enters first and I follow everything seems normal, a bit messy but nothing extraordinary. There were boxes piled up and labelled in the corner and a few reports scattered along the floor. I was looking for any clue that Terzo could have been here but I couldn't find anything.

Sunshine turns towards me and I see her eyes under her mask widen in panic. "Sunshine what's hap..." I was cut off by a gloved hand covering my mouth. I panic, thrashing my body trying to get myself away but then another arm wrapped around me keeping me secure and still. "Ahh, Piccola Ratto, I knew I would find you..." my heart sank. It was Terzo.

My eyes fill with fear and I begin to cry, breathing heavily as I try once more to escape his grasp but being unable to. "Let her go, Terzo," Sunshine growls out her once blue eyes turning a fiery red. "No no, I have business to discuss with her and the new Papa, Ghoul. Why don't you run along and get the new 'Papa'" he says mockingly. Sunshine looks at me quickly and I nod lightly and she vanishes in a portal of flames.

What felt like a lifetime, but was only a few minutes, footsteps quickly approached along with angry predatory growls. The door swings open and the Ghouls enter standing in an offensive attack position. They don't look like the Ghouls I know. They look like rabid savage animals as they stalk Terzo who just laughs. Copia enters swiftly standing beside them looking just as savage. "Let her go, Stronzo" Copia says, eyeing Terzo viciously.

Papa Emeritus IV POV

"How about...no? You see, Uomo Topo, I made a deal. With the devil. There is no other to fulfil the bloodline. I am the last. I asked him to return my soul to my body. To be Papa once more. You will never be Papa, you are not one of us. Perhaps I'll take Piccola Ratto as my prime mover hmm? Make her bare my children? Continue the bloodline? And get this...he agreed '' he smiles evilly pulling Celestial's head to the side and licking up her neck and she cries in disgust and tries to pull away once more.

I watch silently. The fire and rage in me consume my entirety. The Ghouls beside me growl, the vibrations were travelling through the room making it shake and the window rattle. "I knew Sister Imperator and my father had something to do with my death. Dealing with Imperator would be too difficult so I poisoned the old man. For weeks. And weeks. Until finally, he was dead. I knew he was her weakness. By taking him out I could take her out too. No one to stop me. Not anymore. Not them and definitely not you." he goes on his hand travelling from Celestial's mouth down to her throat and squeezing slightly and she struggles to breathe.

"We can do this willingly and she won't get hurt or decline and I will make your lives hell" he growls out growing impatient. I go to respond but Celestial chokes out before I have the chance. "Let... let me talk to him...and I'll do what you want Terzo...". My eyes widen. No, I can't lose her this cant happen my body freezes and panic takes over. He takes a moment to think about her offer before he throws her harshly towards me. I run forward in time to catch her before she falls to the ground her arms reaching around my neck and pulling me close. "You...have to... convince Imperator...tell the church you are her son...you are the rightful Papa..." she whispers before passing out.

I look to Aether and Sunshine silently asking if they had heard and they nod lightly I hand Celestial back to Terzo who gives a smug smirk. "I'll gather the clergy in the chapel and inform them of your return you can tell them your plans to take your prime mover," I say through gritted teeth. "Aether, Sunshine, stay with Celestial." they nod not taking their eyes off Celestial who still lies unconscious in Terzo's arms. It breaks me shattering my heart as I turn to leave. I had to find Sister Imperator.