a/n: the music for this chap is a little intense, but it's from my fav movie and i just had to put it in. also i suggest that you all watch moulin rouge (especially u, dean) bc it's absolutely beautiful <3 welcome to the angst peak, my dears. love u all!

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Keith

"Congratulations, you two. I'm so proud of you."

I blinked, staring up at the ceiling of some room. It was made of rough rock, so I assumed that I was still in the Underworld, but it was not a room I recognized.

"We'll make sure to visit, Father."

I tried to sit up so that I could hear the people who were talking, but I couldn't move. I felt frozen, like my body had been put on pause. After a few moments, though, I discovered that I could move my head.

I slowly turned to the left, where I saw Father and the Twins talking in the doorway. The Twins looked radiantly happy and even Father was wearing a smile.

"I expect no less."

Shiro turned to look at me, his eyes kind. "What about Keith?"

Father turned too, pity in his eyes. "It's too bad he didn't pass," he dismissed airily. "But you two will have plenty of fun up in the Midworld."

What? What was going on? I didn't pass? There was no way- I couldn't even remember the trials!

The Twins passed and I didn't? I watched in horror as the Twins shook Dad's hand in turn and then vanished. I felt anger bubbling up in my chest. I wanted to go up too! What the hell was going on?

Dad sighed and walked towards me, sorrowful pity in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Keith. You just didn't make it," he said apologetically. "You can't always get what you want."

Suddenly, he froze. He blinked once and his eyes were yellow- shining brightly like Kuron's. "Identify it, your highness," my father rasped in a voice that wasn't his own.

Identify what? I tried to think of the seven deadly sins, tried to think of what this trial was. "You can't always get what you want," my father hissed again, eyes narrowing.

What I want? Wanting? It struck me. Covetousness.

"Very good, your highness." My father vanished.

And with it, the room that I was in. In an instant, I was standing. I stumbled back a bit, off-kilter, as I regained my senses. Now, I was standing in front of a large, oak door. From the looks of the rest of the hallway, I was still in the Underworld, but I'd never seen this door before.

Hesitantly, I pushed it open. Inside, my eyes were met with a gorgeous room. The lighting was magenta, bathing everything in its dark pink glow but I couldn't see any light sources. The walls and ceiling were draped in fine, silk fabrics that hung down around me.

Slowly, I began walking forward, pushing through the silks. It was then that I noticed that I was shirtless. That was immediately a warning sign, but also a bit strange. As I pushed past another sheet of pink silk, I caught a glimpse of something. A... bedpost?

With shaking hands, I pushed back the last sheet.

My eyes were met with something that I'm would have stopped my heart. A mahogany king-sized bed, surrounded by a canopy of thin, sheer fabric. The magenta lighting cast shadows over the bed, but I could make out a figure on the mattress, sitting up. I felt their eyes on me.

Slowly, I walked forward, pushing aside the silk that hung down from the canopy. There, like the fucking angel he was, sat Lance. He was sitting up, kneeling with a dark pink sheet drawn around his shoulders like a cape, though it barely covered his-

"Keith!" Lance cried out, springing from his position and throwing himself into my arms. His skin was as warm and soft as I remembered it being and all I wanted to do was kiss him. I felt his arms around my neck and our chests together. I heard his light breath in my ear and felt myself lose a bit of sanity.

"Hello, gorgeous," I rumbled, running my hands down Lance's shoulders. He shivered at my touch and arched his back, leaning back with a devilish look in his eyes. It was an expression I'd never seen before from him and it made my stomach churn with an odd feeling.

"I missed you," Lance said with a pout, his blue eyes captivating.

"I know," I replied, kissing him gently. But somehow, it all felt wrong. Lance wasn't actually here, was he? Or had I finished the Trials? I couldn't remember anything with Lance like this, in my arms, finally.

Lance looked down over his shoulder, a small, hopeful look on his face. "We have this bed all to ourselves," he whispered. He looked at me with that same expression and I almost thought he'd sprout horns right then and there.

"Oh," I said, my throat tight. I felt my cheeks heat up. "You want to...?"

Lance's perfect pink lips split into a sly smile. He was coy and flirty and it was weird, seeing this from him, but I couldn't possibly bring myself to say no.

"It'd be a shame to waste a bed like this," he said absently, rearranging his sheet-cape on his shoulders. I swallowed hard as I watched the fabric slip down his skin. I could count the freckles on his mocha skin- we were so close, too close, closer than ever.

"Honey, I want to, but..." I looked around. Wasn't I still in the Trials? I had to be- it couldn't have been that short.

Lance's face fell and I almost changed my mind. But I knew that this couldn't be real. I realized what this test was. Lust, I thought, feeling the atmosphere shift. I'd passed it, I knew. Five more to go, though.

But, unlike the last test, I stayed in the same room, Lance still staring at me with hurt eyes that swam with tears.

"What?" Lance asked thickly, frowning. "Am I not good enough, Keith? What's wrong with me? Why don't you want me?"

I stepped back, holding my hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry, my love, but this isn't real."

Lance's face was pure heartbreak from the rejection. "What's wrong with me, Keith? Why don't you want me?" he cried again, but the sadness was quickly overcome by anger. "I guess I'm just some toy for you, then, right? I'm just some ugly angel who you wanted to play with?"

"Lance, you know that's not true," I said helplessly.

Lance scowled, the magenta sheets pulled around him like armor. "Well, if you won't have me," he said darkly, "then someone else will."

Suddenly, I felt hands around my shoulders, dragging me back, away from the bed. I struggled, trying to tear away, but as I looked over my shoulder, no one was there. I was held in place several meters away from the bed, writhing desperately but unable to get away.

I saw Lance's eyes snap up and watched in disgust as Lotor emerged from the strips of fabric that I'd previously entered through. I hadn't noticed before how stunningly attractive he was. Even now, as he slinked towards Lance with a smirk, I felt my eyes wander up his torso. I knew it was just the Trials messing with me, though.

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Lotor approached Lance with intent and I had to watch helplessly as my angel smiled invitingly, pulling Lotor closer to him. When their lips met, I felt anger course through my veins. Lotor's hands traveled down Lance's waist, hips, and all I could do was stand there.

Lance looked at Lotor with admiration and lust that I'd never seen before and, without being prompted, jealousy began to dig its way into my head, my heart, my bones. I felt pure spite as Lotor caressed Lance's shoulders, both of them shooting me pitying glances every so often.

Consumed by jealousy, I struggled to pull myself from the hole I was digging myself into. Lotor bent down to place a kiss directly over Lance's heart, but before he could, the word struck me, and I screamed, "Envy!" with such force, it felt like my whole body was exploding.

Promptly, the magenta lights, silks, and bed disappeared, leaving the three of us falling to the hard, rock floor. Lance floundered for a moment, his cheeks pink as he looked between Lotor and I, then stood, gathering the magenta sheet around himself, and walked off into the darkness.

"Lance!" I called halfheartedly.

But then I looked at Lotor, who had a cool smirk on his face. This time, there was no one holding me back now.

I lunged, fists balled with pent-up fury, and let out a battle cry that even startled myself. "How dare you touch him like that?" I screamed, eyes wild. Lotor took one punch in the face before fighting back, fast and arrogant.

Fists were thrown, legs kicking, and we fell to the ground, tussling on the hard rock. His knee found my stomach and I doubled over, heaving food that I hadn't eaten, barely able to catch my breath before he was on top of me, his white hair as crazy as his eyes.

I knew that I could stop it. I knew what this sin was. But, even if he was just a figment of the Trials, an imaginary man in an imaginary room, I felt the need to teach him a lesson. No one was there to stop us like there were in the training room when the Blades got too feisty- no one was going to stop me if I went too far.

Lotor was a weasel- fast and slick and slippery, but I'd been training for longer. The last real injury he caused me was a kick to my ribs, the result a muffled crack. I had him pinned after that but, even then, as I hissed, "Wrath," into his face, his lips remained in a cool smirk.

He vanished beneath me, and suddenly, I was kneeling on the floor of the throne room. Cool, smooth slate was beneath my knees and the ever-present fire cackled happily in the hearth.

I looked up to Father's throne- empty. I stood shakily, my injuries from the fight making it hard to even move. I was just about to call out for anyone when the door burst open. In came father, a dark, black cloak flying out behind him as he strode towards me, an uncharacteristically genuine smile on his lips.

"Keith! My boy! You did so well!" He leaned forward and clasped me on the shoulder, eyes shining.

"What?" I asked dumbly.

Father rolled his eyes. "The fight, son. I saw it and you were amazing. Exactly what I would have done."

I felt a smile coming to my lips at my father's praise. "You're happy for me?" I asked hesitantly. I knew how he felt about the Trials.

He grinned down at me. "I'm ecstatic. You should be proud of yourself, son. Lotor is no easy match."

I scratched the back of my neck. "I could have done better..." I started, modesty tugging at my heart.

"You did amazingly well, my boy. Have some pride!"

I nodded slowly, a smile coming over my face. He was right- I'd won the fight. I deserved to be proud of myself. I deserved to shout it from the mountaintops- I won!

I wore a smirk just as Lotor had and pumped my fist in the air, reveling in the victory. But, of course, something was nagging me in the back of my mind. A memory. Dad.

"Get up, son! Come on, is that all you have?"

Facing against a Blade two times larger and twice my age. My small fists and pathetic stance.

Losing a tooth from the first punch. My father glaring down at me. "I'm not going to raise a weakling. Get back in there." Over and over, I'd fight. Over and over, I'd get knocked down. Over and over, it was never good enough for him.

He was never proud of me.

Proud.

"Pride," I whispered aloud. I felt the atmosphere shift, but again, I stayed in the same place. My father turned to look at me. He looked old, weary. Older and wearier than I'd ever seen him. He smiled at me and I noticed in grim disgust that several of his teeth were missing, the rest yellowing.

"Come sit with me, son. Let's have a meal together."

He hobbled over to a small, flat table next to his throne and conjured up a chair for me. Immediately, an array of food was laid out on the table. And suddenly, I was starving. My mouth began to water as I looked over the table. Meat. Bread still steaming, pats of butter beside it. Twice baked potatoes. French onion soup. Cake and delicate pastries. The food was stacked and packed to the table and Father was practically salivating over it.

I knew with a twinge of guilt what this was. Slowly, my eyes drifted to my seat. Upon my chair sat a bowl of round, red fruit.

Pomegranates with ruby-like seeds.

I almost wanted to laugh. How classic, witch.

I walked up to my seat but did not sit. Father didn't look at me. With shaking fingers, I picked up three small pomegranate seeds. One by one, I dropped them into my mouth.

One. Shiro.

Two. Kuron.

Three. Father.

As my father began to tear into the meal, ravaging like a wild animal, I looked over him with pity. "Gluttony," I said sadly before turning away from him and walking out the door.

I found myself in my room. As perfect and neat as it had been when I'd left it. Sighing gratefully, I stumbled over to my bed. It looked invitingly soft and I couldn't help but sink into it, feeling myself drift as I closed my eyes.

I deserve a rest. It's been a hard day.

Slowly, I began drifting into sleep. I sunk deeper and deeper into the mattress, my breath evening out as the blankets soothed my aching body.

I don't care. I don't care about the Trials. I need to sleep. I'm tired.

My head tilted back and I felt my body begin to fade away. I wasn't alarmed. Just tired.

What had the last sin been? I had done all seven, right? Everything was... okay?

I sighed dreamily. Probably. Maybe I did it.

I edged my hand up through the blankets and didn't realize that I was searching for something until I couldn't find it. What was I looking for?

Blue eyes. Warm skin. Kind smile.

Golden halo. Soft wings. Lithe fingers.

Pretty laugh. Pillowy lips. Small freckles.

Who...? I searched. Why did I take the Trials?

The name came to me in a flash of lightning. Lance.

And the sin came to me in the same instant. Sloth.

My eyes flashed open.