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Darkness Falls on the House of Loud	By : Trillhouse Category: +G through L > The Loud House Views: 2549 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: I do not own The Loud House, nor the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 3
- 4
- 5
IV - Darkness

Lynn fell to her knees, her hand lowering weakly to her side. Below, the darkness surged a few inches higher as it claimed yet another victim.
Because of Lynn.
"LUNA, NO!" She could hear Leni shriek from behind her. Lola made a strangled cry of horror, her high-pitched voice cracking into a squeak. Lynn would have screamed for her sister if she could, but all the air had left her lungs. All she could do was stare in wide-eyed horror as the reality of what she'd done set in.
Lynn could still see the look of shock on Luna's face imprinted into her brain. She could still feel Luna's heat on her fingertips; the lingering sensation of her touch burned like fire. She'd lost her. She'd killed her. Another sister gone, because of her.
Slowly, Lynn turned; first she saw Lola, both hands clasped before her mouth and her blue eyes brimming with tears. Looking away from her, she saw Lincoln standing in her doorway, staring at her with a mixture of disbelief and fear. Lucy lay limp in his arms, looking like a broken doll… one arm hung freely, her pale skin swollen and covered with dark purple bruises, while the other clung desperately to her brother. She was sobbing softly, her face twisted in pain and sorrow. Once again: Lynn's handiwork.
Finally, she turned to Leni. She only caught a brief glimpse of her furious sister reeling back before she felt the sharp impact of a palm against her cheek. She'd been slapped before, but never like this; Leni struck her hard enough to knock her to the ground, and it felt like an explosion of pain across the left side of her face. Leni towered over her, her face contorted in pure rage; she'd never seen Leni look so angry before… she'd never even seen Lori look so angry before. Leni grabbed the front of her shirt and hoisted the athlete roughly to her feet.
"Lynn, why…?!" Leni hissed, the seething fury evident in her tone. "What have you done?!" Lynn could feel Leni's hands shaking against her chest, waiting for an answer that wouldn't come. What could she say? She had no good answer, no excuse… she'd lost control. She'd done the unthinkable, and it had been poor Luna that paid the price for it. All she could do was avert her eyes in shame.
"T-throw her down," Lola suggested with a trembling voice. "Throw her down with Luna!"
"W-wait, hold on…!" Lincoln stammered. "You can't seriously-"
"She… she killed Luna… she tried to kill Lucy…!" Lola pointed at her sister angrily, tears streaming freely down her face. "We can't trust her!" Leni's eyes narrowed slightly, and Lynn felt a lump forming in her throat. But she didn't protest, nor did she struggle; she didn't feel she had the right to.
"N-no…" A weak voice coughed out, sounding so feeble that it made Lynn's stomach turn; it was Lucy. "N-no more… please…" The injured girl whimpered. "I don't want to… to lose anyone else…! Please…" Lucy's tiny frame began rattling with quiet, choked sobs. She sounded like she was in pain, both physically and emotionally; she sounded broken. And yet even now, she was begging to spare her sister's life. Lynn squeezed her eyes shut and hung her head pathetically. What have I done?
Leni frowned, looking from the battered child in Lincoln's arms to the remorseful girl cowering away before her. Of course she wasn't going to throw Lynn to the darkness. She could never do something so cruel, no matter what the person in question had done. But she wasn't going to just let Lynn walk free, either. "…Lincoln…" Leni began, doing her best to calm herself and speak firmly. "T-take Lucy and put her on my bed. I'll be in right after I deal with Lynn."
"I-I…" Lincoln sputtered, still fearing the worst. "Leni, you can't…"
"I won't." Leni assured him. "Now go. Let me handle this." She ordered him, leaving no room to argue. Lincoln hesitated a moment, looking between his two older sisters before biting his lip and giving a reluctant nod. He headed for Leni's room carefully, trying not to jostle Lucy any more than necessary.
"Leni, throw h-"Lola began, but Leni quickly shushed her. The little girl was clearly not in the best emotional state right now, and even Leni knew better than to let things escalate further.
"I will handle it, Lola." Leni repeated sternly. "Stay here. I'll be right back."
"B-but... but Luna…!" Lola whimpered as Leni grabbed Lynn by the wrist and roughly dragged her towards Luan and Luna's room. "I wish you'd gone after Lori!" The little girl shrieked at Lynn as Leni pulled her into the room; Lynn didn't resist her big sister, nor did she cry out when her pinky toe painfully smacked against the doorframe on her way in.
Once the door was closed behind them, Leni turned and glared at her sister. She was still quaking with rage and wanted nothing more than to slap the girl again, to scream at her, to make her pay for what she'd done… but she couldn't. Not when the once-proud athlete stood before her in such a pitiful state.
"…Why?" Leni asked in a low, quiet voice. Somehow, it made Lynn tense up even more than if she had been yelled at.
"I…" Lynn muttered as tears began to collect in her eyes. "I don't know."
Leni's scowl deepened. "You don't know." Lynn simply shook her head, her bleary eyes focused intensely on the ground. She didn't want to be in this room right now; the broken instruments littering the ground served as a grim reminder of what her actions had wrought. This was intentional on Leni's part, though there was a more practical reason for choosing this room.
Leni turned sharply on her heel and strode over to the closet. Luan and Luna were far from the most organized Louds, and Leni had helped them tidy up many times in the past… as such, she had a good idea of where things were. Sitting on the floor in the closet was a chest, one of several belonging to Luan; this one in particular was used for magic tricks and the like. Leni fished through it until she found her prize: a pair of metal handcuffs. Though intended for tricks, the cuffs were real enough, as Leni herself had learned the hard way during one of Luan's pranking frenzies.
Leni pulled Lynn to the toppled-over bunk bed and snapped one end of the cuffs to the post, and the other end around Lynn's right wrist. The bulb at the top of the bedpost would prevent the cuffs from slipping off, and even Lynn wasn't strong enough to move something so heavy on her own. Lynn simply expected her punishment without protest.
"You listen to me, Lynn." Leni's voice was harsh and cold, with none of her usual bubbly demeanor. "I do not want to hear a single peep out of you for the rest of the night. When Lisa finishes her thingy, we will come get you. Until then, not. One. Peep. Do you understand me?" Lynn drew her knees in close and gave a small nod. Despite her stern façade, Leni really didn't want to do this; even after everything she'd done, Lynn was still her sister. But Lola was right about one thing: she couldn't be trusted. She'd flown off the handle once, and Leni couldn't afford to let her do any more damage.
Leni took one last look over her shoulder at the tormented girl huddled pathetically on the floor. Part of her still wanted to reassure her, but she knew she had to be tough right now.
She had to be like Lori.
As Leni shut the door behind her, she let out the long sigh she'd been holding in. She really did hate being the one in charge. She glanced down the hallway and saw Lola curled up on the floor, quietly weeping for Luna; perhaps it was her way of repenting for being so callous earlier on, but the rocker had made it her personal mission to care for the girl throughout the night. Now she was gone, as was her twin sister, and Luan, and Lori… the arrogant princess Leni knew was now long gone, and in her place was a distraught little girl who had lost too much. Leni wondered if Lola would ever be the same after this, even if Lisa could rescue the others.
Perhaps none of them would be the same.
Leni fought back the urge to run to the child's side; right now there were more pressing matters to deal with. After a quick stop at the bathroom, Leni entered her room with the medical kit in tow.

All it took was one look at her little sister to make Leni's sympathy for Lynn fade away.
Lucy was an absolute mess. Her entire body was covered in yellow-purple bruises, with her arms obviously the worst off. Her breaths were short and ragged, and she could make out the coppery taste of blood in her mouth; whether it was from her split lip or biting Lynn's hand, she wasn't sure. She couldn't help but find it darkly ironic, considering her lifelong dream of being a vampire… now, however, the taste just made her want to vomit.
"She's really bad, Leni…" Lincoln muttered. He couldn't believe that Lynn had beaten the little girl so savagely… while fights were common among the Loud siblings, there had never been anything like this. The crazed look in Lynn's eyes had chilled him to the bone, as though she were completely lost to her anger.
Leni wasted no time, rushing to Lucy's side and opening the kit. The stale scent of urine filled the air, making Leni wrinkle her nose in disgust. "Lincoln," She began, "I need you to go to Lucy's room and get her a change of clothes." Lincoln nodded. "Like, get a tank top if you can find one." Leni added, taking note of Lucy's badly injured right arm. Lincoln rushed off to do as she asked.
"Leni…" Lucy rasped weakly. "Leni, it hurts..."
"I know, sweetie…" Leni replied in the most motherly tone she could muster, though her voice was noticeably cracking. Still, she had to keep it together. "It's totes going to be okay. First, let's get you out of those clothes."
Lucy's bottoms came off easily enough; her lower body had been untouched for the most part. With experience that could only come from years of caring for her younger siblings, Leni cleaned her off with some moist towelettes from the kit; Lucy was too out of it to feel much embarrassment. Her shirt was another matter… using a pair of scissors, Leni carefully cut the garment off of her. Leni had to stifle a gasp at the sight. Lucy's pale flesh was marred with bruises, and there was a massive one right on her abdomen where she'd been struck by the bat.
Leni may have been an airhead, but she knew fully well what a vulnerable area that was; no matter how much remorse Lynn felt now, there was no doubt that she had been trying to kill her sister. Leni thanked God that Luna had managed to break open the door; there was no telling what may have happened had they been even a few seconds later.
"I-is Lynn okay?" Lucy's question was like a knife through Leni's heart; she swallowed the bitter response she wanted to give and got to work cleaning her sister's wounds.
"…She's fine." Leni said quietly.
"Don't… nngh…" Lucy gasped in pain as Leni dabbed a peroxide-soaked cotton ball against her split lip. "Please don't hate her… she's just scared…"
"We're all scared." Leni replied flatly. "Don't worry about her right now. Worry about you." Lucy frowned, but gave a small nod nonetheless. "Like, can you move your arm?"
"I-I'll try." Lucy mumbled. Slowly, she lifted her right arm; Leni gingerly took hold of it, even her gentle touch sending waves of pain through Lucy's body. It was clearly fractured, but thankfully didn't seem to be broken all the way through.
"I, um…" Leni stammered, chewing her lip. "I don't know what to do about this…" She'd dealt with plenty of cuts and bruises over the years, but broken bones were far outside her area of expertise.
"P-pillow…" Lucy managed to hiss through clenched teeth. Leni immediately understood and grabbed one of the pillows that had fallen to the floor, placing it beneath her sister's arm. Lucy sighed in relief as her arm settled into the soft pillow, its natural coolness soothing her somewhat. "Thank you."
"Alright, got some fresh clothes for ya," Lincoln said as he entered with a pair of clean pajama bottoms and a red tank top. "I had to borrow one of Lynn's- AHH!" Lincoln shrieked, covering his eyes at the sight of Lucy's bare body. Both he and Lucy turned a bright shade of crimson. Leni, however, just gratefully took the clothes.
"Thank you, Linky." Leni set the clothes aside and continued tending to the little girl's injuries. She placed a few cold compresses against Lucy's arm, applied ointment to the various bruises covering her body, and placed bandages over the small cuts and scrapes. As this was happening, Lincoln stood faced away with his hands covering his eyes. "Lincoln?"
"Ididn'tlook!"
Leni rolled her eyes. "Not that, silly. In the medicine cabinet there are some pills called n-na…. nu… ne…" Leni furrowed her brow in thought as she tried to remember the name. "Whatever, they're in the green bottle. Bring one for Lucy, please."
"Y-yeah, sure!" Lincoln was more than happy to have a reason to get out of there, and he ran off quickly. Leni carefully helped her little sister get dressed, and had just pulled down Lucy's shirt as Lincoln returned with a glass of water and a round, white tablet.
"Thanks, Linky." Leni took the tablet and offered it to Lucy. "Here… this should totes help with the pain." She said with a kind smile. The pills were Lori's; she sometimes suffered from severe menstrual cramps, and needed something to ease her discomfort. Leni knew that they weren't really meant for children, but she figured Lucy needed something strong right now… besides, it's not like they could go downstairs to get something else.
"O-okay. Thanks…" Lucy took the pill and swallowed it with a mouthful of water. She had to resist the urge to gag; for whatever reason, she always hated taking pills. Still, her throat was raw from screaming and the water soothed it quite a bit. She exhaled deeply as she lay back down, her head nestling comfortably against the pillow.
"How're you feeling, Luce?" Lincoln asked as he apprehensively approached the bed.
"Not good," Lucy admitted. Her pale blue eyes were still wet with tears, due both to her pain and her sorrow. Her closest sister wanted her dead, Luna was gone, and perhaps worst of all... she knew that Lynn had been right. "I deserved this…" The young goth muttered under her breath.
"…What?"
"I deserved this," She repeated as tears began to drip down the sides of her face, seeping into the pillow. "Lynn was right. Everyone's… everyone's dead because of me."
"Lucy," Leni began, kneeling on the floor beside her. "We don't know they're-"
"I do." Lucy sniffled. "I feel it. They're gone… a-and we're next. I just… I know it…" Leni wanted to say something to comfort the poor girl, but she couldn't find the words; instead, she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach as the reality of the situation came back to her.
"Lisa's going to save us, Lucy." To Leni's surprise, Lincoln spoke with complete confidence. He gave her the biggest smile he could muster as he gently took her left hand in his. "She'll fix everything… I know she will."
"L-Lincoln's right," Leni said, giving a half-hearted grin of her own. "And don't say you deserved this. Like… nobody deserves this. Lynn did a very, very bad thing, and there's no excuse for it." She gingerly dabbed at her sister's eyes with a tissue. Lucy turned away slightly; though she appreciated her siblings' efforts, she could only feel that their fate was inevitable.
"I-I swear…" Lucy whimpered softly. "If we make it out of this… I'm giving it all up. No more magic, no more séances… n-no more darkness. I-I just… I want this to stop…"
"Shhh…" Leni gently shushed her and began stroking her hair; Lucy couldn't help but shut her eyes and sigh in comfort. For all her clumsiness, Leni could be amazingly delicate at times, and her slender fingers made for a pleasant sensation as they brushed through her raven locks. With Lincoln's thumb gently caressing the back on her hand, Lucy felt herself growing drowsy. Perhaps it was due to the medicine, or maybe just exhaustion, but within ten minutes she had dozed off.
The two remained by her side for a couple more minutes, until they were satisfied that she was in a deep sleep. Lincoln stood up with a grunt, his rear end sore from sitting on the floor so much. "Guess we'd better let her rest for now. C'mon Leni, let's… Leni?" His sister stood with her back to him, her hand clasped over her mouth; Lincoln could see her shoulders start to tremble as her eyes brimmed with tears. "Leni… are you alright?" He asked, the concern evident in his voice.
"I can't do this anymore, Lincoln." Leni's voice was practically a whisper; Lincoln frowned deeply as he walked to her side.
"Can't do what?"
"This. I… I just can't." Leni bit her lip, trying her best to stop from breaking down right then and there. "I can't keep pretending everything's okay. It's not, Lincoln… I'm not. I'm…" Leni swallowed and wiped at the corner of her eye. "I'm terrified."
"Leni… of course you are. So am I." Lincoln wrapped his sister in a big hug. "But we can't let it get the better of us. We need you-"
"No you don't!" Leni snapped. "You need Lori… I need Lori…! B-but she's… she's…" Leni's knees buckled and Lincoln almost got pulled down along with her; it took all his strength to support the sixteen-year old as she buried her face in her hands and began to cry. "I-I just want her back… I want them all back…!"
"Leni… come here." He held his big sister close and let her cry, taking a glance over his shoulder at Lucy. Thankfully, she was out cold, and it didn't seem that she would wake up easily. With a small sigh he hugged Leni to his chest, feeling her arms wrap around him in response. "You're doing amazing."
"N-no…" Leni sniffed. "You're the amazing one, Linky. Y-you're so much braver than I am… you're my baby brother, you know? I-I'm supposed to be the one that's there for you. Not…" Leni squeezed him tighter, as though she were afraid he might disappear too. "Not the other way around."
"You've been there for me, Leni." Lincoln smiled sadly at the teen in his arms. "If you weren't here… I don't think I'd be able to hold it together like this." Leni sniffled again, but didn't immediately respond. "Now, come on… I think there's a certain little girl that needs you right now."
Leni gasped as the realization hit her. "Lola!" She'd been so caught up with Lucy that she'd nearly forgotten about the girl; she let Lincoln help her to her feet, wiping away the last of her tears with the back of her hand. "T-thank you, Linky." She muttered.
"We're in this together, Leni." Lincoln offered her his hand, which she gladly accepted. Leni gave a small smile and bent over, planting a small kiss on his forehead.
"I know we are."

The two siblings returned to the hallway to find Lola still huddled against the wall, her eyes red and puffy from crying; she barely seemed to acknowledge them until Leni picked her up.
"Leniiii…" The little princess clung tightly to her big sister, whining softly into her chest. She'd long since run out of tears.
"It's okay, sweetie…" Leni stroked her back softly to reassure her, sitting down with the little girl in her arms. "Leni's here now."
"I want Luna..." Lola mumbled softly. Leni's smile only faltered briefly before returning in full force.
"Don't worry, Lola. Lisa will totes save her~" Leni planted a kiss on the top of her sister's head, which seemed to settle her somewhat. "I may not be as good as Luna, but… would you like me to sing for you?" Lola gave a small nod. Leni cleared her throat before humming softly; Lincoln recognized the tune as You Are My Sunshine, and wondered if Leni had chosen it on purpose. Soon, she began to sing, and Lincoln had to admit… she may not be a singer like Luna, but her light, sweet voice was remarkably soothing. Before long, Lola was fast asleep, and even Lincoln could feel his eyelids growing heavy…
"Brother." A lisping voice snapped him out of his daze. He looked up to see Lisa peering out from her room. She looked exhausted, with the heavy bags under her eyes magnified by her thick glasses. "I require your assistance," She said before darting back into her room. He exchanged a glance with Leni, who gave him an encouraging smile and a nod. He groaned as he got to his feet. He would have liked to hear more of Leni's singing, but in all honesty he was kind of glad for the distraction… he thought it best to stay awake and alert for the time being.
Lincoln entered Lisa's room to find her typing away at a computer with remarkable speed, her fingers flying as incredibly complex character strings flew by before Lincoln could even begin to comprehend what he was looking at. Many of the devices from before were still active, doing God-knows what… it never ceased to amaze him just how far above them Lisa stood, at least in terms of intellect.
"W-what's up, Lisa?"
"Working," The prodigy said flatly. "I need you to move Lily's crib for me, if you would be so kind." Lincoln looked over at the crib, which had been pushed against the back wall to maximize Lisa's floor space, and his blood ran cold; the far corners of the room were unnaturally dim.
The darkness had already reached the second floor.
"Oh, no…" Lincoln gasped as he hurried over to the crib. Lily was still sleeping, blissfully unaware of her situation; she rolled onto her side as Lincoln pushed the crib to the closest corner of the room, behind the door.
"Yes, it would seem that the darkness spreads faster over time." Lisa sounded alarmingly calm, all things considered… but Lincoln knew that she was simply focused. "An unfortunate oversight on my part."
"A-are you going to have enough time?" Lincoln couldn't hide the fear in his voice. He trusted Lisa's abilities, but this was far more of a ticking clock than he felt comfortable with.
"…I don't know." Lisa muttered, making Lincoln's heart sink into his stomach. "I'm getting close, but I'm farther than I'd care to be."
"How close?"
Lisa sighed in thinly-veiled irritation. "I can get us back to our universe."
Lincoln's face lit up. "Then-"
"But," Lisa continued, "There's more to it than that. The prototype U.T.S. was-"
"U.T.S.?"
"Universal Tunnel System. Don't interrupt." Lisa grumbled, and Lincoln bowed his head sheepishly. "Anyway, it essentially opened a doorway between universes. If you were to use it in your room at 3:30 on a Sunday afternoon, you would arrive in your room at 3:30 on a Sunday afternoon in another universe. You understand?"
"Yeah… I guess that makes sense." Lincoln nodded in understanding.
"Yes, well, as I said before… we are outside space-time." Lisa continued, still typing away at her computer; her pupils rapidly flicked across the text as it flew by, apparently having little issue keeping up with it. "Meaning that the entire transport system needed to be overhauled. I could take us back to our universe, yes… but we could wind up anywhere, at any point in time. We could arrive on another planet, or in the prehistoric era, or inside of a brick wall. I'm sure I don't need to explain to you why that would be a bad thing."
"Well, I dunno…" Lincoln mumbled, rubbing his chin in thought. "Getting to see some dinosaurs would be pretty rad." Lisa just rolled her eyes.
"In any case, I've managed to get the when more or less locked down… give or take a few days." Lisa sighed. "The problem is the where. As of right now, it would be a miracle if we even ended up in the right solar system."
"O-oh…" Lincoln frowned. "So do you think-"
"I'm trying my hardest, Lincoln." Lisa huffed. "Now, please go. I'll gather the six of you when-"
"Five."
Lisa froze, the click-clack of her keyboard coming to an abrupt stop. For a moment, she didn't say anything. "…Who?"
"L-Luna." Lincoln said quietly, hanging his head sadly. A dreary silence overtook the room, save for the beeps and whirrs from Lisa's equipment; he thought it best not to explain the circumstances of Luna's fate to the girl.
"…I see." Lisa said quietly as she resumed her work.
Lincoln stared down at the floor, fidgeting awkwardly. "Hey, Lisa…" He began a bit nervously; quite frankly, he was scared to hear the answer. Still, he had to know. "Before… you wouldn't say that the others were dead. Do you…" Lincoln swallowed. "Do you think that-"
"You're asking if I can save them," Lisa finished for him. Lincoln nodded, before realizing she couldn't see him.
"Yeah."
Lisa frowned slightly. She took a deep breath before speaking again. "Before I can think about that, I need to get us home. That is all I will say on the matter."
Lincoln sighed. At least it wasn't a no, he thought. "A-alright. I'll leave you to it, then." With that, he walked to the door.
"Lincoln, wait."
"Yeah…?" Lincoln asked. Lisa hopped down from her chair, walked over to him, and hugged him tight around the midsection. Lincoln's eyes widened a bit in surprise; displays of affection from the little girl were extremely rare. A small smile crossed his face and he returned the embrace. Holding her like this reminded him just how small she really was, and he couldn't help but feel angry at how unfair it was. Someone so young shouldn't have to carry such a huge burden.
Lisa broke the hug, and Lincoln could hear a quiet sniffle as she pulled away from him. "Right, well…" She muttered, clearing her throat. "Back to work." Lisa hurried back to her computer, and Lincoln returned to the hallway.
"Is everything okay?" Leni asked a bit nervously. Lincoln nodded and sat down beside her.
"She's nearly got it figured out," Lincoln said. It wasn't a complete lie, at least.

For some time, things were quiet. Well, mostly quiet… Lola had sprawled out across both their laps, and was snoring loudly; the little girl was drooling onto Leni's nightgown, but she didn't seem to mind. Leni looked down at the girl with a wistful smile on her face as she gently stroked her hair.
"She looks so peaceful," Lincoln stated. Leni nodded before laying her head on Lincoln's shoulder. He wasn't sure how long they'd been there; it could have been minutes, it could have been hours. It felt as though his very perception of time had been warped… he instinctively looked up at the wall clock in some vain hope that it may have changed, but of course it simply remained locked at 1:35. Lincoln sighed and tilted his head to rest against Leni's.
This whole thing was a nightmare. As much as he'd managed to keep it together so far, he couldn't help but wonder how much longer he could keep it up. He loved his sisters above all else, and even if Lisa could bring them back he had, for all intents and purposes, lost several of them. Luna's disappearance weighed on his heart the heaviest, and the image of her shocked expression before she was lost to the darkness was burned into his brain. He could only hope that, whatever happened to them, they weren't in pain.
"Lincoln?" Leni spoke softly.
"Yeah?"
"I'm sorry."
"For what?"
Leni frowned, mulling over her words. "For everything," She said at last. "Every time we've fought, every time I was unfair to you, every time I hurt you… I'm sorry for all of it."
Lincoln's brow furrowed slightly. Out of all his sisters, Leni was probably the one he had squabbled with the least; save for Lily, of course. "You never hurt me, Leni."
"I totes have." Leni sighed softly. "I thought you were bad luck, I've kicked you out of your own room, and… and all the times I forgot your name…" Leni bit her lip slightly. "I never really did, Linky. I just… things get mixed up in my head sometimes…"
"I know." Lincoln assured her, taking her hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "Besides… it's not like I've been a saint either, y'know? I've done a lot of bad things too. Remember when everyone had the flu, and I tried to abandon them?"
"But you changed your mind," Leni retorted. "I kicked you out of the pool you bought with your own money-"
"And I didn't want to share it, remember?" Lincoln interjected. "Besides, you offered to let me join you."
"I made you wear a dress. Like, a bunch of times…"
"I never minded helping you out," Lincoln reminded her. "I posted embarrassing videos of you on the internet without permission."
"I-I…" Leni pouted. "I stole the sandwich you left in the fridge…"
"Wait, that was you?!"
Leni sheepishly looked away as Lincoln glared at her. Then, they both began to snicker quietly. "This is silly, Linky." Leni said.
"Y-yeah… it is." Lincoln muttered between chuckles. "Let's just say that we both forgive each other, okay?"
Leni nodded, snuggling against his side once more. Silence washed over them again, until Leni spoke. "I just… I wish I'd apologized to everyone…"
Lincoln frowned sadly. "Leni… do you remember when great-grandpa passed away?"
"Of course." Leni said softly. "Why?"
"Well… I was pretty upset about it at the time." Lincoln sighed. "He'd been so old that I just… never really gave him the time of day. I never even tried to really get to know him. Heck... I don't think I ever once told him I loved him. So when he died, I felt guilty. But then dad told me something."
"What?"
"He told me I shouldn't worry about that," Lincoln explained. "You never know what the future holds, and you can't blame yourself for the things you never had the chance to do… otherwise you'll end up forgetting the good times you had."
Leni seemed to consider this for a moment. Just as she opened her mouth to say something, the silence was broken by a loud shriek of terror from Leni's room. Both siblings nearly jumped out of their skin, and Lola was roused from her slumber.
"W-wuzzat…?!" The little girl drowsily mumbled.
"Lucy." Lincoln's voice came out as a quiet gasp, and he quickly scrambled to his feet and ran to the door. Just before he could grip the doorknob, the door swung open and Lucy barreled roughly into his chest. Lucy cried out from the sharp pain that coursed through her body, but she was too frightened to care much about it. Thankfully, Lincoln managed to keep from toppling over, and he wrapped his arms around her gently. "L-Lucy, what's wrong?! Are you alright?!"
Lucy managed a small nod, and raised a trembling hand to point into the room. The sight before them chilled him to the bone. "Oh, no…" He rasped out, his eyes wide.
"Linky, what's wro-" Leni gasped as she looked into the room; half of the room was completely gone to the darkness. What more, it was spreading quickly enough to be perceptible to the naked eye, slowly creeping its way along like a thick, viscous ooze.
If Lucy hadn't woken up, she may have been gone in a matter of minutes. Leni swallowed the lump in her throat before embracing the frightened goth as well. "L-Lucy, it's okay… it's okay, you're safe now."
"I hate it," Lucy whimpered into her brother's chest. "T-the darkness… I hate it. I hate it!"
"We know, Lucy…" Lincoln said soothingly. "It's going to be okay. Lisa's almost done with her universe thing… we're gonna make it out of this, I promise." He could feel her heart pounding in her chest, and hear her rapid breathing…
Wait, Lincoln realized. That's not Lucy. He looked over to the source of the noise; Lola was staring with wide-eyed horror into the encroaching darkness, her tiny body heaving with each breath as she began to panic.
"Lola…?" Leni said quietly, the concern evident in her eyes as she knelt beside her sister, placing a hand on the little girl's back. "Lola, it's going to be-"
"NO!" Lola screamed at the top of her lungs, batting away Leni's hand.
"Lola, please, calm down!" Leni pleaded, grabbing the girl's shoulders. Lola was hyperventilating so hard that Leni thought she may pass out; however, Lola simply broke free from her big sister's grip and pushed past her, running down the hall to Lisa's room.
"Lola, wait!" Lincoln called after her, to no avail. As she disappeared into the prodigy's room, Lincoln cursed under his breath and ran after her, Lucy and Leni in tow.

"Lisa!" Lola cried as she burst into her younger sister's room.
"I know!" Lisa was furiously pounding away at her keyboard. The far side of the room was already gone to the darkness, though it had yet to spread as far as it had in Leni's room. "I'm nearly there, I just need a bit more time!"
"No… NO!" Lola screeched. "We have to leave now!"
"Ten minutes!" Lisa snapped back. "I can have this done in ten minutes!" Lola's heart was racing; her eyes frantically darted between her sister and the darkness. Ten minutes?! She thought, as sweat began to drip down her forehead. We don't HAVE ten minutes! With each passing moment, the darkness loomed closer and closer.
"Lola!" Lincoln appeared in the doorway, but she paid him no mind. Her eyes flicked towards Lisa's computer, then followed the cables leading to a large device nearby. It looked cobbled-together, as if it had been assembled in a hurry, and atop it sat something that looked almost like a radar dish pointed straight up. There was a panel lit up with a large red button off to the side, and a key already turned to the 'ON' position; it was clearly powered up and ready to go.
Lola bolted for the device, but Lisa immediately sprung from her chair and blocked her. "Stop! Do not touch that button, Lola!"
"Move!" Lola tried to force her way past her sister, and soon the two were grappling on the ground. Lincoln ran forward and pulled Lola off of her little sister, barely able to restrain her as she screamed and thrashed with all with all her might. Her shrill voice was loud enough to even pierce through Lily's earmuffs, and the infant began to cry in her crib.
"Lola, that's enough!" Lincoln shouted at the flailing girl in his arms. Lisa got up and dusted herself off, readjusting her glasses.
"Thank you, brother." Lisa grumbled, the irritation clear in her voice. "Please hold on to her. We have precious little time as it is, and the last thing we need right now is an irrational child throwing a fit!" With an aggravated huff, Lisa climbed back into her chair and resumed her work.
"L-listen to her, Lola!" Leni begged her sister in a gentle voice. "Lisa totes knows what she's doing. You need to calm down… we're going to be okay!" Lola turned her head to look at her sister; she took several deep breaths, and it seemed she was beginning to relax a bit.
But then she looked back at the darkness.
In the brief time since she'd entered the room, the darkness had only grown closer… now it was touching the very end of Lisa's desk. It was only moving a few centimeters every minute, but to the terrified princess it may as well have been a hundred miles an hour. "N-no…" She whined, hot tears beginning to flow from her eyes. "No, no no no no no NO! Let me go!" Lola began to struggle again, kicking and screaming in her brother's arms. "I don't want to die!" She sobbed, in complete hysterics.
"D-damn it, Lola, you need to…" Lincoln winced as her heel struck his knee. "Leni, help m- OW!" Lincoln cried out in pain as Lola bit deep into his arm, forcing him to loosen his grip. She broke free and made a dash for the device. "Lola, NO!"
Lisa turned from her computer, only to see Lola mere feet away; a look of horror crossed her face as she dove for her sister, desperate to stop her. Leni and Lucy watched from the doorway in shock, and Lincoln knew there was nothing he could do. He wanted to sprint after the little girl, he wanted to save her from what she was about to do, but there would be no time. Gritting his teeth, he spun around and tackled Leni and Lucy out of the room just as the princess's hand slammed down on the button.
A blinding flash filled the room in an instant, accompanied by a thundering BOOM that made the entire house shake. Lincoln could feel a rush of air shoot past him before he even touched the ground. The three landed in a heap, Lucy screaming in pain as her broken arm struck the ground hard. Then, just as quickly as it had began, it was over… the silence was deafening. All three of the siblings lay sprawled out on the ground, panting heavily with racing hearts.
"A-are you two alright…?" Lincoln asked.
"I… I think so…" Lucy hissed, clutching her aching forearm.
"Like… what happened?" Leni groaned as she rubbed the back of her head.
"I…" Lincoln swallowed as he looked back at the room; the door had been blown completely off its hinges. "I don't know." Lincoln struggled unsteadily to his feet, still wobbly from the explosion. As he staggered towards the room, he realized something that chilled him to the bone:
He couldn't hear Lily crying.
Peering into the room, he saw… nobody. No Lisa. No Lola. Lily's crib had caved in from the door crashing into it, but he could see enough to determine that it was empty. In the corner of the room, the device stood smoldering, small wisps of smoke escaping through its destroyed frame.
Lincoln felt as though he was going to vomit. He stumbled back, falling onto his rear end; that had been their only chance. There was nothing else they could do.
"Linky…?" He felt Leni's gentle hand on his shoulder. "W-what happened…?!" Slowly, he turned to look at her, and Leni's blood ran cold. The look of utter despair on his face told her everything she needed to know.
"W-we were so close, Leni…" Lincoln whispered, his eyes beginning to brim with tears. "We were so close…!" His big sister searched his eyes for something, any shred of hope that things would be okay… but there were none.
Lincoln had given up.
Leni's arms dropped to her sides. Lincoln turned away as her face contorted in agony. He wouldn't look at her as she let out her first choked sob, nor when he began openly wailing. Soon, she was simply screaming at the top of her lungs, finally letting out every bit of emotion she'd been holding back: her fear, her anger, and her sorrow. Even as she threw herself to the ground, tugging furiously at her own hair in despair, Lincoln couldn't think of anything to say to her. There was no point.
As he heard Lucy's quiet, dry sobs from behind him, Lincoln could only pray that the other three had made it somewhere safe.

The first thing to hit Lisa was the unpleasant sensation of her lungs collapsing in on themselves as all the air was forced from her body.
One second.
She could feel her skin rapidly swelling. Her entire body felt unusual… as if it were both hot and cold, and as though she were being both stretched outward and sucked inward at the same time.
Two seconds.
At first, Lisa thought she had been overtaken by the darkness; all she could see was an endless black void before her.
Three seconds.
Then, she noticed them: tiny pinpricks of white light dotting the blackness. She also became aware that she was weightless.
Four seconds.
Lisa noticed the white dots appeared to be moving… correction, she was moving, slowly rotating in place.
Five seconds.
Something enters the corner of her vision. It couldn't be...
Six seconds.
There it was.
The most beautiful sight Lisa had ever seen… the planet Earth, both so close and yet so far away, like a brilliant blue-and-green marble.
She'd taken them home.
Seven seconds.
She took in every detail… every landmass, every ocean, every cloud. Lisa had always wanted to see this for herself, and though she wished the circumstances were different, she was nonetheless awestruck. A single tear instantly turned to vapor on her cheek.
Eight seconds.
Lisa found herself turning away. Her glasses began to drift away from her face, and she regretted not opting to wear goggles tonight.
Nine seconds.
Without her glasses, Lisa could only faintly make out a pink shape floating away from her, and a smaller peach-colored blur not far behind. Despite what had happened, she felt no malice towards her sister… she could only take small solace in the knowledge that they wouldn't suffer long. If nothing else, Lisa at least preferred that this was a fate she could understand.
Ten seconds.
Even as little more than blurs in the distance, she couldn't bear to see them any longer. Lisa squeezed her eyes shut and waited for the inevitable.
Eleven seconds.
Twelve seconds.
Thirteen seconds.
Lisa felt a warmth across the front of her body… correction, a searing heat. Lisa was grateful that the shock had numbed her sensations… she could only imagine that under different circumstances, this would be highly painful. She knew she shouldn't look at it directly, but she supposed it hardly mattered at this point. Lisa opened her eyes.
Fourteen seconds.
In the distance was a brilliant, blinding spot of light; like a great ball of flame suspended in midair. Its heat burned Lisa's skin, but she didn't care… as her eyes closed one last time, she could only think one thing:
The sun is nice today.
Fifteen seconds.

Lincoln looked on as the ends of the hallway began to darken. The darkness was closing in, and fast; Leni and Lucy were huddled against him, tearfully awaiting their demise.
Lincoln couldn't bear it.
"The attic." Lincoln's voice had been so quiet that his sisters barely heard it. "We… we have to get to the attic." Lincoln clarified.
Leni sniffled. "What would that do?" Her voice was incredibly hoarse; she sounded broken. Lincoln frowned.
"I don't know. But… it's all we've got." He knew it wouldn't really make a difference… their fates were sealed either way.
But he wouldn't go down without a fight, either.
"Come on," He said, pulling Lucy to her feet, followed by Leni. "This isn't over yet." The two girls gave half-hearted nods. Even if it was hopeless, they had to at least try… if nothing else, they'd at least be buying themselves a few extra minutes together.
"T-thank you, Linky…" Leni muttered, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. Lincoln forced a smile for her, and she couldn't help but give a small one in return.
As Leni pulled open the attic door, they were relieved to find that it was still untouched by the darkness. But before they could head up, the silence was broken by a scream of terror from Luna and Luan's room, a scream that chilled their blood:
They had completely forgotten about Lynn.
"Lynn!" Lucy gasped, grabbing Lincoln's arm. "W-we have to go back for her…!"
"W-we'd never made it back in time…" Lincoln muttered.
Leni stood trembling, biting her lip as she turned towards the end of the hall. The darkness was closing in, but it wasn't quite there yet… she could still see the bathroom door faintly, and if Lynn was still able to scream, there was still time. "I'll…" Leni stammered. "I'll go."
Lincoln's brow furrowed. "L-Leni-"
"I'm going!" She said again, with more determination in her voice. "Get to the attic… I'll be back in a minute!"
"Leni!"
"GO!" Leni ordered as she sprinted down the hallway. Lincoln clenched his teeth and helped Lucy up the ladder. There was nothing else he could do.
Lynn cried out in fear as the darkness inched closer and closer. "No, noooo…!" She sobbed as she desperately pulled at her handcuffs, even as the metal painfully dug into her wrist. The darkness was within six feet of her when Leni finally ran into the room. "L-Leniiii!" Lynn whimpered as she saw her older sister. "The cuffs…"
"Lynn!" Leni cried as she rushed to her sister's aid. "H-hang on, I'll get you… oh, no…" Leni clasped a hand over her mouth as she realized she had never grabbed the key. It was still in the closet… lost to the darkness. "T-the key… oh God, Lynn…"
Lynn's breath hitched in her throat. "Y-you… you have it, right…?" Leni looked down at her sister with tears in her eyes. "Please… please tell me you have it…!" Lynn pleaded, her voice cracking as she futilely strained against her bonds. Leni looked over at the door. She had no time… there was nothing she could do for Lynn. If she were to have a chance, she'd have to leave… now.
She only considered it for a brief moment.
Any thoughts of abandoning the girl were immediately overpowered by the athlete's pathetic sobbing; when Leni looked at Lynn, she didn't see the violent thug that had attacked Lucy. She didn't see the stubborn brat that had cruelly insulted her. Leni saw only a terrified child.
Her baby sister.
Leni immediately dropped to her knees and scooped Lynn up into her arms. "It's okay, sweetie," She cooed softly. "Big sis is here… big sis is with you."
"L-Leni…" Lynn bawled against her sister's chest. "I-I'm sorry, I-" Lynn's words came out in choked bursts between hysterical sobs. "I never… meant… a-any of it…! I-I love you, and I-I-I…"
"Ssshhh… I know, baby. I know." Leni wore a motherly smile as she cradled her sister close in her arms. "I forgive you. We all do…"
"I-I'm scared…"
"Don't be." Leni planted a kiss on the girl's head. "Because… because this is all just a bad dream. Tomorrow you'll wake up, and everything will be fine."
Lynn sniffled. "Really…?" She knew Leni was lying… perhaps trying to convince herself just as much as her. And yet, Lynn could only feel slightly reassured by her big sister's words.
"Totes," Leni giggled. The darkness was barely a foot away now, but she paid it no mind… Lynn needed her. "Now, no more tears… how about I sing you a song?"
Lynn sniffed again, wiping her eyes against her sleeve. "I'd… I'd like that." She said, forcing a small, sad smile.

As the darkness overtook the hallway, Lincoln sadly pulled the attic door shut and joined Lucy in the center. "I guess it's, uh… I guess it's just us." Lincoln muttered quietly. Lucy gave a small nod of understanding. Lincoln slumped to the ground beside her, and for some time neither said anything.
"…Lincoln," Lucy began in a hoarse whisper. "You don't need to pretend anymore."
Lincoln nodded, biting his lip hard enough to draw blood. "I know," He choked out as tears began to stream down his face. Lincoln buried his face in his knees and let everything out; Lucy simply held her brother as he cried.
The corners of the room began to darken, and Lucy clutched him tighter. It was a small comfort to have him there with her… at least they wouldn't die alone. She could feel Lincoln lean into her and pull her tightly against him. There was so much she could say… so much she wanted to say. But right now, she couldn't find the words. She and her brother simply squeezed their eyes shut and waited for the end.
The first thing Lucy noticed was the sudden silence that overtook her. It was as though all sound was simply sucked out of the room… she couldn't even hear her brother's breaths.
She couldn't hear her own breaths.
Lucy opened her eyes a crack, seeing nothing but darkness surrounding her. She couldn't even see Lincoln mere inches in front of her… but she could feel him, thankfully.
The next thing Lucy noticed was just how empty everything felt. There was no wind, no air flow of any kind… she couldn't even feel her breath escaping her lips.
Wait… was she breathing?
Lucy's heart rate increased… or at least, she thought it did. In truth, she couldn't feel it, nor could she hear it. The subtle sounds and sensations from within her body were gone. No faint creaking of bone in her neck as she turned her head, no flexing tendons when she curled her fingers; in fact, she couldn't feel anything at all.
She couldn't feel Lincoln in her arms.
"Lincoln?!" Lucy cried out, or at least tried to… there was no sound, no sensation of her facial muscles flexing. There was just… nothing. No sound, no sight, no smell, no feeling. Lucy couldn't even feel the ground beneath her. She began to panic, and thought for sure she must be dying; but then why was she still alive?
Was she alive?
She was aware, at least, but her sense of being was non-existent. She could perceive nothing beyond her own consciousness. She couldn't even hear her own thoughts… it was as though she were simply aware of them. She felt nothing. She saw nothing. She heard nothing. She smelled nothing. She tasted nothing. She was alone.
Finally, she began to understand. This was true darkness… not the absence of light, but the absence of all.
True darkness was nothingness.
Lucy wanted to scream, but she couldn't. She wanted to cry, but she couldn't. She could do nothing but despair; all around her was a pitch-black, endless void. She had, quite literally, condemned her family to death… for nothing.
And yet, there was something. A presence among the void… something she couldn't quite feel, yet was distinctly aware of. It surrounded her, endless and unyielding, as vast as the darkness itself; perhaps it was the darkness. All she knew is that whatever it was, it had always been… and would always continue to be.
"Please…" She tried to ask. "Please… I want this to end…" For a moment, there was nothing. And then, she felt the darkness respond; she didn't hear it, nor see it, nor even think it. It was simply as if the words were being etched into her very core.
You sought this, did you not?
"I-I didn't know… please, I never meant for any of this to happen… I just want everything to go back to normal! I just want my family!"
You will never see them again.
The certainty of the being's words sent another wave of despair through Lucy's mind. "They had nothing to do with this! They're innocent! This is all my fault, so please…!"
You have what you wanted. You paid the price. You will never see them again.
"This isn't what I wanted! A-all I want… all I've ever wanted is my family! I-I don't care what happens to me, but please…" Lucy pleaded with the entity. "Please bring them back... I'll do anything…" For some time, the darkness did not respond. Finally, she felt it again, burning its way into her mind.
Anything?
"Y-yes. Anything." Again, there was no response. Lucy waited with bated breath, or at least the closest thing to it that she could manage; and then, it struck her all at once. Pain. Pure, searing, torturous pain. But this pain was not physical… rather, it felt as though her entire essence was being stripped away from her. It was more agonizing than anything she had ever experienced. Even if she had a body, she wouldn't have been able to scream.
You will never see them again.
Lucy could barely perceive the darkness' words. She could barely perceive anything at all. There was only the excruciating torment of her soul being ripped apart.
And then, nothing.
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Darkness Falls on the House of Loud