A Place to Call Home

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.

PREFACE: Keeping in mind that this is my first attempt at writing in a particular anime setting, please keep in mind that I do attempt to put quite a bit of research into everything that I write, so that I can appeal to both the people who appreciate the original series as well as those who can appreciate the rather unusual way that my stories come out. I would like to mention a review I had from one of my other stories that impressed me, as well as encouraged me, in that the person was mightily impressed with the story I have written so far, and that they were shocked to discover that what they thought was going to be a disappointment turned out to be one hell of a good read.

With that said, I will say that I know that not everyone will appreciate what I write, but for those who do appreciate the spark of creation that I put into my writing I will say that there are a few authors out there who have inspired my creativity, and it is in hopes that my writing will inspire others that I continue.

Just FYI there will be an adult version of this posted elsewhere, since I will be editing out the heavier scenes here on Fanfiction, (i.e. lemons), and posting the story in its entirety on the Harry Potter Fanfic Archive.

Chapter 1: No Rest for the Weary…

Wiping a hand across his sweaty brow, the young man labored as intently as possible to finish carving the runes into the one way portal that he had spent the last ten years designing. He had found the base for this in a vault that he had inherited on his seventeenth birthday, and had thanked whatever deities there were that he had taken Ancient Runes and Arithmancy as well as forcing Dumbledore into allowing it. That, more than anything else that he'd done, had started the fracturing of several friendships with people that he had thought would always be on his side.

It had also driven him towards the Grey, or Neutral, Faction as a whole, as he couldn't abide the Light and the Dark for their overbearing attitudes. Of course it helped that he'd found a Marriage Contract between his family and the Li Family during the summer between second and third years, and his fiancée had helped him to better understand the differences between the different sides.

The Light, led by Albus Dumbledore, was of the opinion that you didn't fight fire with fire; oh no, you must fight to stun or capture, never mind that your opponents were trying to kill you. The Dark, led by the Pureblood Supremacists and Voldemort, would torture, rape, and kill whomever they pleased to accomplish their goals; and if you weren't on their side or at the bare minimum Neutral, you were fair game. Then you had the Neutrals, who were firm in their belief that all who had magic were entitled to use it and learn about it. They were the one side that believed in the rule of law, and that Escalation of Force was a necessary evil, as in if your opponent was aiming to kill, maim, or torture you, the gloves came off.

Finishing the last of the runes that he had, he grinned as he stood and waved a hand towards himself and cast a scourgify spell, cleansing his clothes and body of the dust and grime that had accumulated over the last couple of hours. Stretching his body, and allowing his back to crack, had him smiling just the tiniest bit. After all, he'd had little to no reason to smile or be happy since he'd come back to his future wife's family home, only to find her and her family staked to the ground outside, their bodies desecrated, defiled, and mutilated to the point that magical forensics was necessary to determine who they were. From that day forward, he closed his heart, and didn't smile or show any emotion whatsoever, as that was the day that his one and only had been raped and murdered.

Frowning as he thought about all the good times that they'd had, and would have had, he sighed as he snapped his fingers, summoning the only pair of elves that he had left at the end of the war. Motioning towards the bathroom and giving a few short commands, he headed downstairs to eat and to finalize his Will. As he puts his fountain pen to the parchment, his awareness of everything around him fades as he focuses on who will get what once he is gone…

Hours later, Harry got up and sighed as he blew gently on the drying ink, before stacking the two sheets together and sealing them with his signet ring inside a manila pouch. The smirk that was growing on his face could have only one description and that was malicious, for he had left some pretty nasty surprises for everyone that had tried to screw him over. The only regret that he had was leaving behind his godson, but that was an even bitterer pill to swallow, since his guardian, Nym's mother, had forbidden him any contact since she still believed that it was his fault that her daughter and son-in-law had been killed during the Final Battle. At least Teddy had somebody who loved him, and even that wasn't much comfort to him, as he was the only link Harry had left to Remus who had been like an uncle to him.

Wiping a tear from his eye, the young man, as he had stopped aging at twenty three, went through his trunk and ensured that everything he needed was inside it. All the books that were in the vaults and properties of his family, all the heirlooms, and more than a few five kilogram bars of Gold and Platinum, as well as all the precious gems and jewels that was there. Hell, the value of the gems alone was equal to twice the galleons that each family had combined, so it was worth it to leave most of his fortune to Neville Longbottom, Fred and George Weasley, (the only members of the Weasley family who stood by him and didn't betray him), Teddy Lupin, and finally there were several large donations that he was going to be making to several charities and orphanages.

Chuckling mirthlessly, he readied himself for bed, after ensuring that his outfit and gear were laid out and ready to go. Tomorrow was a new day, and a new beginning, literally…

Next Day, Potter Manor

Dismissing his elves had been really hard on him, as they had been his fiancée's, but he had sent them with a final letter to his Godson, along with a few other items that he had compiled from the notes and belongings of his own father and godfather. The first was a complete listing of all the pranks and mayhem the Marauders had gotten up to, their triumphs and failures, all in the form of an unremarkable book that he'd keyed to Teddy through his blood. The other item that he'd given him, was a much improved version of the Marauder's Map, which had an updated key and legend built into the side, with color-coding to let him know different things about the people and creatures that showed up on the page. It also showed him the Room of Requirement and anyone in it, as well as instructions on how to use it to the fullest.

Donning his Basilisk and Ukrainian Ironbelly Dragon hide armor, he then grabbed a few of the weapons that he'd found that would definitely be of use, but one in particular had caught his attention, and as he'd spent a good portion of his youth, (summers only after he had started attending Hogwarts), learning a couple different forms of martial arts, (Aikido and Jujitsu), and sword styles, (Battōjutsu, and basic forms for an English longsword); he had kept up with his katas and had spent many hours practicing with a longer than normal katana that was named Akashio. The full length was fifty inches; the blade alone was four-fifths of the length and was black steel with the hamon as red as blood down to the sharpened edge, and it had blood runes that allowed him to cast spells both on and through the weapon.

It was similar to the Sword of Gryffindor, the only differences being the style of the blades, the decorations of said blades, and the fact that the sword had a far more lethal edge to it as it had drank in the venom of a Basilisk. Being made from Goblin Steel, it had the ability to take in substances that made it stronger, and being exposed to both the venom of the deadliest serpent and the blood of the most lethal of dragons, well it would be the most painful death ever even being scratched by said blade. The burning of the dragons' blood and the venom burning its way through your veins…that thought alone made him shiver.

Re-focusing on the task at hand, he continued to power up the runes in the order that they had been designated, slowly and carefully so as not to overpower them and ruin the gateway, as it would be another six months or so before he could try again. As he filled the runes with his magic, he focused in on the demolition runechains that he had carved into the walls just outside the room, and smirked as he thought of the others that had been linked to the master set of runes here at Potter Manor. Within an hour of his exit the Master Runes would ignite, causing a chain reaction through the houses and homes that he had been left, destroying them all simultaneously; with two exceptions: Grimmauld Place he had left to Andromeda as a thank you for taking care of his godson, regardless of her feelings towards him and he'd left a letter to her outlining just what he had left to her and her grandson. The other was a tiny chateau up in the Alps that he'd left to Neville and his wives Susan and Hannah, along with a letter telling them the reasons behind what he was doing, and why he had never truly felt at home anywhere anymore.

As the last of the runes lit up, causing a bluish-white oval to appear in front of him, Harry patted his pockets and looked around one last time to make sure that he hadn't forgotten anything. With a small sad smile, as he thought about the home he could have had here with his parents and possible younger siblings, it brought tears to his eyes, tears that remained unshed as he had sworn to never let another tear fall. Sighing, the young mage straightened and walked through the portal, not looking back once as he walked forward towards a new dimension, a new life, and a new home…

Chaos' Realm, the Crossroads of the Multiverse, Throne Room

The woman who had given birth to the many different creations in the multiple universes, affectionately known to her as the Multiverse, raised a delicate eyebrow as she saw the portal open up in front of her throne, and calmly placed her chin into the palm of one hand as she watched. From the portal's horizon she patiently waited and soon she saw a rather tall young man step out from the portal as it closed behind him. Amused, she gently cleared her throat as the young mage curiously looked around, only to be somewhat surprised by his reaction. He spun on one heel, getting into what she assumed to be a kenjutsu stance of some sort, as he'd grasped the hilt of the katana at his side as he'd turned.

Having the opportunity to see and experience someplace that no one the he knew had ever done, Harry was somewhat shocked to be caught unaware and immediately spun on the spot and assumed the first stance of his own creation, the Senkai Hakai Kenjutsu, which allowed him to incorporate his magic into and through either his blade or his body. As abrupt as his turn was in his shock, he was even more stunned at what his eyes revealed and he immediately fell to one knee and bowed his head. Despite what his Potions Professor had thought of him, Harry was no idiot and knew that this woman could destroy him without much noticeable effort.

Giggling silently at his reaction, she quietly approached him and laid a soft porcelain white hand on his shoulder before speaking to him, "Raise your head and stand before me, young Harry, as you have much to be proud of. I would know what your heart's desire is though, before I send you to wherever it is you had originally intended to go…"

Nodding as he exhaled a silent breath in relief, the young immortal mage stood and bowed to the woman. "You have my name, Milady, might I have the honor of knowing yours?"

Smiling with the faintest of pink on her cheeks, she sat down on her throne; before waving her hand to a chair that was off to her right. "Please have a seat Harry, I am the Creator of all, otherwise known as Chaos, but you may call me Yukihana."

Taking the proffered seat, Harry smiled ever so slightly, saddened that this woman reminded him of his fiancée, since she had so many of the same mannerisms as Li Su. It occurred to him then what he truly desired, and he turned to Lady Chaos in anticipation. "My Lady, I have but one desire, and that is to make a home with a woman who will love only me and raise a family. To me, the things that are what make a place or a building a home is a spouse and children to love and raise."

As she gained an even larger smile, she thought about everything that this young man had already accomplished and also wondered if he could be encouraged to take on one or more jobs for her. Nodding her head as she agreed with him, Yuki once more placed her chin in her hand and looked at him thoughtfully. "Harry, would you agree to do a couple of things for me? In return, not only would you have the favor of the Creator of everything, namely me, Lady Chaos, but I would grant you a few new powers and the ability to create a type of peerage."

Here she waved a hand and granted him the knowledge of what a peerage was, and how one went about creating one, from both the Angel and Devil point of view. Waiting and watching as he went through the information, she hoped that he would be willing to save more than a few races from extinction in this new world, as well as prevent the utter destruction of that universe. If he agreed she would be ever so close to breaking her own self-imposed rules, but she was tired of seeing the same results every time she looked at the future of that world, and in the end she knew that if she didn't do something soon, it would start a chain reaction that would end in the annihilation of everything in the multiverse.

Harry was stunned by the offer, and couldn't help but wonder what the catch would be since he knew that such powers came with similar drawbacks as well as stiff responsibilities. On one hand, the ability to have a group of like-minded people around him as his peerage that he could grow close to, more like a family that was enticing. On the other hand, there was the possibility of losing more people that he cared about, as well as even more conflict and battle. Spending what had to be a good half hour considering this offer from all angles, he turned his gaze back on the Goddess in front of him.

Knowing what little he did about her, he could only guess as to her intentions and felt that it couldn't hurt anything to find out if his hunches were correct because there really weren't any downsides to it whether he was right or wrong. If he was right, he could pick up some fairly powerful and useful pieces from various other universes; as well as it benefiting the universe that he was going to be going to and the Goddess also. However, if he was wrong, it would be a little more difficult, but ultimately no skin off his back.

Clearing his throat, he got her attention and began to slowly outline his thoughts, questions and concerns. "Yukihana, I have a couple of questions that I would need to have asked at this point in time, before I would be able to accept or reject your request," pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts, he continued with caution. "If I am correct, you have ways of looking in on each individual universe, and I wanted to know if I could pick and choose some of my peerage from among some of these alternate realities."

Thinking about what he had asked, she knew that she couldn't allow him access to just any realm, as that was forbidden except for certain deities, and even then there were certain circumstances that would allow for that. However, she could give him a few realms to choose from, as long as he didn't pick individuals who were critical to the running of the realm he was currently viewing. Turning the issue sideways, inside out, even upside down, she could see no problems with that. Plus, she could always impose a few conditions of her own in order to mitigate any minor damage to the existence of the realms that he chose from. Returning her amethyst gaze to the young mage, she smiled and nodded.

Chuckling gently, Yukihana smiled as she shook her head before responding. "I will admit that your Sorting Hat was correct as you have shown me here, however, I will only allow you to search through a limited number of realms. There are two conditions I will impose on you, and that is you are only allowed to choose someone who isn't crucial to the timeline of the realm, and even then they must choose to accept. I will think on the realms that you will be allowed to choose from, while you ask any other questions that you may have."

Smiling broadly as he nodded in acceptance, Harry thought about his next question, tilting his head to one side as he asked, "So if I am going to be granted a 'peerage' of sorts, will I be made into a Devil or Angel or something else? Also, will I have some time to work with them either here or in the realm that you are sending me to before we are needed?"

While thinking about one of the more definite realms that she would be allowing him to choose from, she smirked as she processed his next couple of questions. "Yes I will be altering your body and genetics somewhat, as you will become the first True Nephilim; Half Angel, Half Devil. You will gain the positives of each race, with neither the weakness of the Devils to Light or Holy Magic as well as being incapable of becoming a Fallen Angel due to succumbing to your urges. Each of your pieces will have the ability to reincarnate that person as a member of your race, while keeping their old abilities and gaining the new racial abilities of each race. As for your other request, I will be inserting you and your group into the timeline about five years before you are needed, so that you can build the relationships that you will need to with your peerage and train with them. I will also give you a few weeks' time here in the Crossroads to select the bulk of your peerage and to give me some time with all of you so that I can give you all the information that you will need to make this work."

Humming as he nodded and considered what he had learned so far, he stopped for a moment and then smirked internally. "Two more questions for you and then I should have an answer for you Yukihana. The first one is based off of something that you just mentioned, and that is I am guessing that there will be a few members of my peerage that will only be found in the realm that I will end up in, yes?"

A smirk and a nod was his only answer.

Chuckling aloud, he stood and paced for a moment. "The other question I have, is if this truly is the Crossroads, then time has no true meaning here, and if need be, I can wait for the timeline to advance far enough for certain individuals who might be key to the destiny of that realm to pass on or die, yes?" Getting another nod, Harry started to continue before he was cut off by the Goddess.

"Keep in mind that there are certain realms where that may not be a possibility, just so you are aware…"

Waving his hand in acknowledgement of her warning, he paced as he continued where he'd left off, "So if there is someone that I am able to wait on, will they be raised at the same age that they died or passed on, or in their prime?"

Wrinkling her dainty nose as she considered the question, Lady Chaos shifted her head back and forth for a few minutes as she thought about whether this would be a wise idea. Giving Harry a faux glare, she stood and paced for a few minutes as this was a tough call. It was out of the corner of her eye that she caught his slight frown, but she filed that away to figure out later, as there was a much more important issue at hand and that was the question that he had just asked. Suddenly she turned and looked him in the eyes, "I take it that these questions mean that you will accept my request and proposal?"

Taking a few moments to mull it over, he slowly nodded before responding. "Yes, I will accept your request, Yukihana."

Walking over to Harry, she smiled gently at him. "In order for me to answer your question, I need to see how powerful your pieces will be, and in order for me to do that I need to change you now. Only then can I create your pieces, which will be slightly more powerful than the Evil Pieces, but slightly weaker than the Brave Saints, as the system we will be using is the Fairy Chess Pieces."

Having read about the unusual pieces before his friendship with Ron had been broken, he was fairly certain that he knew what she was talking about, and so he nodded and lay down on the ground and waited for her to begin. There was a brief, fleeting sensation of intense pain, on par with a Crucio. Then his whole body was infused with a sensation of warmth like none other he had ever felt before in his life, the feeling started in his core and slowly spread throughout his body, through his limbs, and finally sank into his back and head at the same time.

It was then that the real pain struck, and it was strong enough to bring his upper body up off the floor, causing him to get to his feet and crouch over the chair. Then his shoulder blades were the focus of his body's agony, as he could feel the bone structure changing and then twin lances of near soul-rending suffering as he felt what seemed to be something piercing his skin in six different places and from the inside out! As the pain started to lessen, he drew several deep, slow breaths in and let them out even more slowly, before standing and turning to face Yukihana.

Slowly coming out of her astonishment, she waved a hand and a mirror appeared and as Harry stared stunned at his new appearance, she couldn't help the chuckle that escaped her lips as she looked him over.

His appearance had only changed slightly, as the young mage had gained a couple of inches, a few more pounds, and much better definition of his muscles. His eyes had stayed mostly the same with only the addition of a ring of amethyst around the outer edges of his iris. His hair had grown out a touch, and had grown darker, with red and blue strands that started at the tips and faded to a black so dark that it seemingly sucked in the light nearby.

The most extreme change that had occurred though, was the three massive pairs of wings that were shaped like a dragon's, more than an angel's or devil's wings, only they were covered in gold and silver feathers. Whistling under her breath, she nodded once and then looked him in the eyes. "I have given you two more gifts, both of them with powerful abilities that you will need to discover for yourself as you unlock them. The first is sealed within you, and her name is Shōmetsu, the Mokujirokunoryū. Or as you would say it in English, the Dragon of the Apocalypse; she prefers to be known as the Black Dragon Empress, or Kokuryū Kōgō."

Eyes open wider than they had been in years; the young man laid a hand at the base of his sternum, only to look down in shock as a full length obsidian black gauntlet formed over his right forearm and hand. As he examined it, Harry was stunned to find that the segmented gauntlet was extremely light, very complex, and yet aesthetically pleasing; and yet the only thing that was kinda out of place was that he found a deep purple and green gem centered over his palm on the back of the gauntlet. Looking back up at the Goddess of Chaos, he couldn't help but wonder why she would give him such an amazingly powerful gift, not to mention a sentient being inside it to boot!

Gently smiling at his confusion, she shook her head and spoke again. "The other gift I have for you is a weapon that will help you in the long run, as it has a couple of very different, yet vital abilities that you will discover as you train with it and meditate on what you learn." She held out her hands palm up, and a beautiful sword appeared in her hands. "This sword has the capacity to change into one other form that has its own separate abilities, which you will learn as you train with it. Its name is Shadowrend…"

The two-handed twelve inch long hilt was made of obsidian, with a massive black opal as the pommel, and a black leather wrapped grip. There wasn't much of a cross-guard to speak of, but the blade that extended from the guard was nothing short of magnificent. The blade itself seemed to gleam like a brightly lit night sky, and seemed to be made of some blend of metals that Harry knew nothing about. There was a gap in the middle of the blade of about a half inch that ran from the guard upwards into the sword about eight inches into the forty-five inch long blade, which in turn became a fuller that ran most of the rest of the blade itself. Taking it in his hands, Harry gave the greatsword a few test swings, and found it to be delightful to wield, as it turned out to be much, much lighter than he'd been expecting.

Turning expectantly to the woman, he chuckled as she handed him the sheath, which he gratefully grasped and took care of putting the blade inside of its home with a slight click. It was at this point that she began to chant under her breath, and as he watched, there was a slight flash of light and once the flash had cleared, there in her hands lay a shallow wooden box that had sixteen very unique, not to mention fairly unusual, chess pieces.

He recognized all of them from his research into the different versions of the game, but of the pieces, that looked to have been made from hematite, there were approximately half of them that glowed with an intense blood red light and streaks of red and green running through the pieces themselves. As he examined them, he found that the glowing pieces were Mutation Pieces and those pieces were the Amazon, both Princess Pieces, both Empress Pieces and four of his eight Superpawns. Gazing back at the Goddess, he quietly asked her, "What is the benefit of Mutation Pieces?"

Sighing as she thought about the best way to answer him, she was struck by inspiration. "The most obvious benefit to them is the fact that they will enable you to use fewer of them for the revival process. For example, say that you find someone who would normally require eight pawns to bring into your peerage, and you have already used your four normal pieces. The Mutation Pieces would not only revive the person, but would give the same level of power to the person as eight normal pawns. I trust that you understand the differences inherent between Bishops and Princesses as well as Empress' and Rooks, yes?"

Taking a moment to gather his knowledge about the pieces, Harry hesitantly nodded before speaking. "The differences are that the Princess gets the benefits of both the Knight and the Bishop; while the Empress is the same only with the Knight and the Rook, is that correct?"

Nodding, Yukihana smiled at him, quite pleased with her Champion's intelligence and insight. "Yes that is indeed correct, my Champion. The Princess gains the speed of the Knight and the magical power granted to the Bishop; while the Empress gains the same bonus from the Knight and strength from the Rook. Your Amazon, like all queens, gains the abilities of the Rook, Knight and Bishop, but unlike the normal Queen, she gains an additional boost to her speed and durability. Now the question that I had originally anticipated to have an answer for is quite clear, and yes your pieces will revive them to their prime; keep in mind though, that much the same as your new origins, the Angels and Devils, you will most likely live for at least a thousand years, if not longer. The decision to pass on, unlike before, will be yours to decide as it will be for any of your peerage."

Nodding absently, Harry put the sheath across his back diagonally, sticking it in place with a quick spell, before grinning at the Goddess. "Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's get busy searching for the right people!"

AN: I would ask that for future reference that if you leave a review, please put some thought into it! If you liked it, please tell me what you like. If you thought something was awesome and you'd like to see more of it, tell me about it! The same goes for any complaints or issues, please tell me about them in a polite fashion and I will more than likely be receptive to addressing the issues than I will if you flame me about it.

Akashio – Red Tide

Senkai Hakai Kenjutsu – Whirling Destruction Sword Art