Darkness before the Dawn

AU A war has been raging well over a thousand years between Assiah and Gehenna...this battle will soon be coming to its end as one shall stand above it all and bring harmony to the once conflicting races. Born between the love of a human and demon, Okumura Rin has the power to close the gates for good, but he has to overcome one huge obstacle for peace to finally be realized—the darkness that lays dormant deep inside his heart

Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Exorcist

.prologue.

Moriyama Shiemi remembered the first time she saw the demon, the wet warmth of tears clouded those beautiful red-orange eyes of his.

She felt every muscle in her tiny body start to freeze up as he brushed the back of his knuckles against her left cheek, and stared up right into that heated gaze filled with so much passion that it made her want to reach out to touch him—this creature. I love you, a quiet whisper in the back of her mind...no, these words came from somewhere deep inside of her very being, inside of her very soul.

Is there something wrong with me? Or maybe she was insane for even thinking such ridiculous things, but there was no other explanation she could think of to answer for these strange emotions that threatened to consume her. "Um, have we met somewhere before?" A brief pause, then she lowered her gaze between her feet. "Sorry, I don't mean to be rude or anything by asking such a question, so please don't hate me."

"I could never bring myself to hate you," he wrapped his arms around her waist, "but it should be me asking whether or not you can bring yourself to forgive me."

You should know the answer to that question better than anyone, my love. Shiemi couldn't remember even resting her head against his broad chest, but there she was pressing her body up against his as if her very life depended upon him as the feelings in her heart reached out to him. "I wish more than anything that we could go back to those once peaceful days."

Shiemi blinked once, then twice, as she heard those words fill with such love and care slip past her lips—but the voice that spoke was no longer hers.

The demon placed his chin on top of her head, and the warmth of his embrace almost had her heart bursting right out of her chest. I love you, that same quiet voice again spoke from deep inside of her. She was afraid of this creature, or at least she should've been afraid but something told her that this man would die before he ever allowed any harm to come to her. He will always protect me, no matter what.

"We can never go back to those times," his voice shook with so much emotion. "I want to be able to go back with you, but..."

I know, my love, as long as that bastard holds your leash there is no escape for you—for us. Shiemi clutched her nails into the fabric of his dark kimono as she buried her face into his chest, and felt the tears sting her eyes. "Please, don't leave me," because if he were to leave her again she knew that she wouldn't be able to go on living. "I can't take it anymore!"

She lifted her head to stare up into that beautiful red-orange gaze of his...no, she blinked surprised as she found herself staring up into vibrant silver instead—eyes that held no warmth or light within their depth—and wings of pure white sprouted forth from his back. What the hell is happening to him? "Are you alright, mister?" The voice that spoke this time was hers. "Is something—?"

Run away before it is too late!

But it was far too late for her to start running...the demon lifted his right hand to wrap his fingers around her throat in a tight grip, cutting off her airway, and dug his black claws deep into her pale skin. "Please don't hold this against me," the sound of his voice changed, too rough and cold, as he narrowed those silver eyes on her. This wasn't the same creature from before...no, it was as if someone was controlling him.

But who would be powerful enough to do such a thing—to control something as powerful as this demon?

Kazama!

With a silent scream on her lips, Shiemi jerked upright in bed, her body soaked in sweat and the memories of her nightmare still twisting in her head. Her gaze flew frantically around her bedroom as her heartbeat thundered in her ears, and reached over to turn on her bedside lamp with hands that shook. "Someone please tell me why is this happening to me," because that hadn't just been a dream.

No nightmare to mess with her poor head.

Her hand slid over the faint scar that she had been born with on the side of her neck.

That had been her sickly reality—from her previous life as a young priestess seven hundred years ago.