The Breakup of a Millennia

The ball had considerably calmed down on the 4th day. Several versai were gone and many of the guests were returning home at this point. That wasn't to say that the facilities were empty in any capacity, rather that one could finally move around without constantly stumbling into other people.

Yet, Lucifer still found himself idly following Isti around, disassociating to various networking conversations in which he had no interest. As one did, when one's spouse was this obsessed with political and social relations.
Usually he wouldn't mind all too much either, but this year was different. Not so much the ball, but how he felt towards Isti. How he felt after finally getting to properly interact with Zirvis, after learning what Isti had done with zhem.
Suffice to say, he wasn't exactly keen to be around her right now. Still, he felt like he was obligated to.
One week, that should be doable, correct?
It was one singular topic that she just had to avoid, that neither of them had to mention, for him to keep all of this under wraps.

The first days had gone fine, so did the next. In fact, it lasted all the way to the 6th day of the event before it all blew up.

"I hear your current eldest is excelling in all of her tasks. Not that it is an oddity for someone such as yourself, but it must still be exhilarating to see your child succeed to such a degree", one of their conversational partners at the time commented.
It successfully pulled Lucifer out of his own dissociative bubble and back to the conversation. Quite a common compliment, yet it always caught his attention.
"Quite so, I am very pleased with her progress and enthusiasm. She will make for an excellent head of defence", Isti answered with a slight, humbling bow of her head.
What a load of bullshit.
"I am sure she will!", the person answered with a bright smile.
"How about the other? Zirvis, I believe was zhes name?", another asked curiously, a question that made the hairs on the back of Lucifer's neck rise.
"Zirvis, yes", Isti started by confirming. "Zhe is doing well, however there is much to be desired from zhem. Naught does there seem an interest from zhem to pursue zhes true potential. Nudging zhem in the right direction has proven to be quite the challenge".
Lucifer's eyes darted onto Isti, seeking to glare holes into her. A challenge? Nudging zhem in the 'right direction'?
The other two noticed Lucifer's clear dismay as one continued in a more careful manner, "is that so? But isn't Zirvis a star child? Don't they become astounding regardless?".
"I suppose you can see it as such. However, many of them could have been-", Isti continued in a peeving, nonchalant answer. Lucifer couldn't stand it.
"Choose those words carefully", he interrupted her in a hiss, in no way trying to hide his obvious dismay.
It made Isti pause for a moment, before she continued. "Darling, your star children have always been impressive, naught has there been a time where you haven't put your utmost attention and love into them", she decided on continuing with sweet-talk before delivering the first blow. "However, most of them could have become so much more. Larger, brighter, more. They are bundles of endless potential, and yet-"
In a swift movement Lucifer turned his full body to face her and in rage reached out to take hold of her clothing, pulling her head down to his own level. "Excuse you?!", his tone was pissed and his voice raised almost to a shout.
"Darling, let go", Isti, as calm as ever, told him.
"No, hah! No! You will explain yourself right here and now! My star children could have been better?! Brighter?!? For what? For what purpose? They have all become exactly what they wanted, what they strived for! Do you really claim that they should have been anything but what they wished to be?", Lucifer now shouted at her, yet let his very last sentence turn into a low, threatening growl, "is that what you claim?".
"Lucifer, this is unbecoming. Collect yourself and we-"
"NO. You will TALK", he insisted and pushed her away from himself so that she could stand back upright.
"I will do no such thing", she denied in turn, the push barely affecting her at all.
Their company looked awkwardly at each other and slowly began taking a bit of distance.
"Oh? No? You claim that they can be everything, that they're endless bundles of potential. You claim that my star children could have been more, and yet you drive my Zirvis to the state zhe is in now?! I'VE SEEN ZHEM! Zhe has finally sought me out - zhe is miserable!", Lucifer continued his shouting at her. She had opened up a box, a box that no longer could be closed by just any means; he was furious. Furious, hurt, enraged.
Isti had taken his star child, had claimed she'd do them justice, that Zirvis technically was hers to raise since zhe was their biological child, and then she had driven zhem to doubt and misery.
"Zhe is not miserable, zhe is simply in a difficult stage that zhe needs to overcome. Zhe will come around and realise zhes worth and place soon enough", Isti finally budged and entertained Lucifer's wrath, yet it did nothing to dull it.
"ZHE'LL COME AROUND?! ZHE'LL REALISE ZHES PLACE? I ENTRUSTED ZHEM TO YOU! I ENTRUSTED ZHES ENTIRE UPBRINGING TO YOU EVEN THOUGH ZHE IS MY RESPONSIBILITY, MY DESTINY, MY EXISTENCE, AND THIS IS THE RESULT?!", his shouting turned into screaming his lungs out at the mere idea that Isti presented, and yet his voice ended up cracking at the end of it.
Something about her words not just stung, they hurt. A lot.

Right.

He had entrusted Zirvis to her. After all of her insisting, all of her reasonings, he had caved.
She had promised to make zhem justice. To listen to zhes needs and wants.
She had promised to honor Lucifer's purpose for existing.

And she had failed.

She had failed Zirvis.
She had failed Lucifer.
After all of these years, after everything which he had tolerated for her.

She had failed him in what was most important to him.

"DO YOU CARE FOR THE PEOPLE AROUND YOU AT ALL?", he screamed with a clear, hurt shift in tone.
"... Of course I care, Lucifer. That is why I do all of this", Isti claimed. Her demeanor and tone was stoic, and yet the hesitation betrayed bafflement.
"HAH! DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH! IF YOU CARED THEN YOU WOULD NOT HAVE FAILED ZIRVIS THE WAY YOU DID!", he denied her claim outright. "YOU WOULD NOT-"
"I raised zhem, Lucifer", Isti was now the one to interrupt him instead.

What?

"I raised zhem, I have done everything I could to listen to zhem and to nudge zhem into the right direction, to make zhem into something great. My effort will yet stand true, but it needs time", she continued her claim, continued what Lucifer could only describe as horrible noise.
"Raised?", he slowly repeated with a much calmer tone, even if it didn’t last for long. "Raised zhem?", he began softly laughing, then let it turn louder and louder.
Raised. Raised! She claimed to have raised zhem!
Lucifer barely noticed as people in earshot gave them more and more space, yet at the same time curiously watched.
"You didn't raise zhem! You molded zhem! You have tried to make zhem into what YOU want! Into what YOU think is best for zhem! Not ONCE have you properly listened to what Zirvis wants!", Lucifer geared back up after abruptly stopping his laugh and stepped back up close to her. "You didn't raise zhem".
"You are acting like a child, Lucifer", Isti told him without hesitation as her tone finally shifted as well, even if it was a slight and subtle one.
She, too, was starting to be peeved.
"Even if my methods do not stand to your 'standards', people can raise children in many ways. Get over yourself", she retorted.

Get over himself? That was rich!

"Get over myself? Have you looked at yourself lately?! Your people are getting more and more dissatisfied, your children are distancing themselves from you, people are dreading to be judged by your gaze! For what? For WHAT Isti?!", he growled at her. The hurt, the fury, the sheer audacity of Isti mixed together in an uncomfortable and nausea inducing knot in his stomach. "Because they need to reach 'their true potential'? Because they lose their worth otherwise? People need freedom! People need choice! You're the one who can't look past her own ideals!", he returned to shouting. He’d have none of her bullshit. None whatsoever.
"Lucifer!", she exclaimed strictly.
"No! You are leading everyone around you to RUIN! You are-",
"I am leading everyone to a better future! I am creating a better tomorrow for everyone else, if it so kills me! I am doing all of this for you and everyone else! Don't you dare claim otherwise", Isti, finally, failed to keep her cool as she answered him as if she was lecturing a child.
"O-ohoho! You think so? You truly do? Then you're more delus-", Lucifer was so ready for a complete shouting match clouded by emotions. No reason, just sheer emotions being slung around.

Yet, the organizers would not quite have that.

"Isti and Lucifer Hiihfwenn!", the booming voice of Hibiki interrupted them both, made them both focus onto the much, much smaller figure who was making her way towards them with guards in tow. "What is the meaning of this?".
"My apologies it seems I got caught up in-" Isti was the first to attempt to answer.
"Got caught up in? Oh, no, ohoho no, you STARTED this mess!", Lucifer snapped back at her.
"Lucifer Starmaker Hiihfwenn, step back", Hibiki ordered to separate the two a tad.
Begrudgingly, he did just that.
"Now then, for this display alone I will have to issue a warning. You can either calm down and resolve this privately, or you can leave the premises of this ball. If anything like this happens again, then I will call on disciplinary action", Hibiki told them how this would go down. "Have I made myself clear?".

Huh? For this display? They had shouted, how bad could that possibly be? Yet-
Lucifer concentrated on tuning into his own body beyond his emotions. That was when he realised what Hibiki meant.
He was currently charging his celestial powers, something that could easily lead to havoc and destruction if he were to release it.
Ah. Shit.

"Of course, we will resolve this privately. I apologize for the disturbance and unease we have caused. We will be retreating for now", Isti answered Hibiki with a bow of her entire upper body to show her sincere apologies.

Yet it all sat wrong with Lucifer.

This was how upset he was about it?
This much?

"No. No we will not", he denied.
"Lucifer-", Isti called and did her best to keep her tone polite.
"No. No we will not 'resolve this privately'. This will be resolved right here, right now", he reached up to his neck and fished forth his precious necklace, his unity gift from Isti. He could see Hibiki motioning all the guards to surround them, a security measure in case he was going to escalate this.
He wouldn't.

Not by much at least.

With his sharp nails and a tad of magic he tore the delicate chain in two before throwing it onto the floor in front of Isti.
The action left everyone around him dumbfounded, stunned.

Good.

"Have me escorted out, Hibiki", he asked of Hibiki who blinked and focused back onto him specifically.
"Right, sure, yes", she agreed without much hesitation. She gestured to two of the guards to come forward, two Fhushhjaeh angels.
"No, not by them. I will not stand the presence of her kind right now", Lucifer in turn snarled, eyeing the two innocent guards.
"Lucifer-", Hibiki furrowed her brow but didn't come further as the second organizer arrived and tapped her on her shoulder; Kornelious.
"Escort him out and make sure that he is well. I will do the same here", Kornelious told Hibiki as he stepped around her and to Lucifer, gently gesturing over at her. "Off you two go", he smiled.
With a singular nod, Hibiki waved Lucifer with her as well, to which he obliged.

The walk outside was done in silence. People made space, yet Lucifer could still hear their curious whispers and their intense stares. Rumours didn't spread that fast, but the sheer display alone had to wake curiosity even all the way to the entrance of the estate. It was an oddity for Lucifer to follow Hibiki without Isti around, especially since he had to look pissed. He wasn't hiding it at least.

"Will you be fine?", Hibiki finally broke the silence as they stood at the estate's main entrance, atop the stairs.
"I will", Lucifer claimed confidently. One way or another. Right now, he needed guidance.
"Can I do anything for you?", she instead asked.
"... You can", he nodded and looked down onto the full plaza in front of the stairs. "Keep people at a safe distance from me until I have left", he said as he began descending them.
With a single nod more did Hibiki reach up over her head to take down her halo and with a swing she threw it over Lucifer's head. It enlarged in the process until it laid itself to hover above the ground around him. It acted as a shield of the highest calibre, an unbreakable force and the most welcome blessing she could give him right now.
As he came to the bottom of the stairs, the halo pushed people around it so that they kept away from Lucifer. While surely rather annoying for those around, it was for their own safety.

Lucifer turned his head in a manner so that his horns pointed directly towards his very first star child. "Oh, second sun of Heviolae, first star child of the Starmaker, Faderias. Your troubled Starmaker calls upon you. Please, grant this lost and hurt soul an audience, grant him a place by your side for but a moment", the words were not spoken very loudly nor with much determination or force. It was a plea for a child to listen to their old parent, and listen they did.

In a display of great light, the entire inside of Hibiki's halo was swallowed by celestial light for but a few seconds, before the light and Lucifer disappeared.
Hibiki watched from atop the staircase, and even as it was done she gazed at the spot for a while more before calling her halo back and heading inside once more.