A/N: Hey everyone. This is my very first story. Not sure how good it will be or how you guys will look at it. I will do my best to make it as good as I can. Now a certain gimmick I have rarely seen in the DxD fanfictions is a character who is a descendant/relative of a stray devil (though I'm sure those stories exist somewhere, just haven't seen too many of them). So I decided to write my own. And here we are, the first chapter of my first story. I appreciate any of you who take the time to read this and even leave a review. Critiques as well as compliments are appreciated. If there's something you may not like about the story, feel free to speak your mind. Anyways, hope you enjoy the first chapter!

Chapter 1:

A Dark Beginning

Part 1

Rain. Rain always had a depressing tone to it. And made even more depressing by the kinds of events that happened during days like this one. It was cliché. But for a young boy, it was an annoyance. For one, it made him cold. Second, it made it hard to see. And finally, it reminded him of crying, like he was doing right now. His footsteps were rapid and heavy. His clothes were damp and only added to the chilling sensation from his body. The rain soaked his dark purple hair and somewhat blinded his bright blue eyes.

"Help! Please!" he cried. He was searching for anyone who was willing to help him. Desperation clearly in his voice. A flash of lightning broke through the night, revealing a large red wooden gate, typically found at shrines or villages. He ran through, hope rekindled in his heart. "Someone! Please help me!" Thunder boomed in his eardrums and frightened the young boy. He found a fairly sizable traditional looking home with a somewhat dim light. It called out to him. He threw caution to the wind and hurried to the door. Once he reached the front, he knocked as hard as he could.

"Hello? Can you please help me?!" he shouted at the sliding door, hoping his commotion would draw someone to answer. And after a couple seconds of waiting, someone did answer the door.

"Ara ara, what's a precious little thing like you doing out in the rain?" a smooth, silky, elegant voice asked. The owner of the voice was a beautiful woman who appeared in her 30s. She had long black hair tied up with a blue ribbon and soft hazel eyes. She wore a traditional outfit that was white with red accents and a matching sash circling her waist. On her feet were sandals and she also donned a red hakama. She appeared to be what men would call a "yamato nadeshiko", a picture perfect image of a beautiful Japanese woman.

"Please! My momma! She needs help!" the boy pleaded. The woman dropped her smile and adopted a serious look of concern. This was a child truly in need of aid.

"Please take me to her." For a moment, the boy's eyes sparkled with hope. The boy dragged the older woman to his destination. She struggled to keep up and mud splattered on the bottom of her hakama. But she didn't care. She couldn't stand to see such a young child crying like that. The boy lead her to an abandoned building, what appeared to be a warehouse of some kind.

"Momma! I brought help!" the boy called to the darkness. The woman looked around. Was this really where the boy and his mother stayed? This really made her gaze at the boy with a new sense of sympathy. Her thoughts refocused after she heard the clang of steel pipes banging against the floor.

"Good…bring them…here."

She sounded weak. Whoever this woman was, she needed medical attention desperately. The boy nodded his head and dragged the miko into the darkness. The woman accompanying the boy was a little scared, but what held higher priority was helping this boy's mother. At last, the woman came into view. The miko looked at the woman that lay bloodied and her torso crushed underneath the giant metal pipes. The mother shared her son's hair color, but her eyes were a soft brown. Upon closer inspection, she had a long snake like tail extending from her torso. Her teeth looked sharp enough to bite through flesh easily and her nails were rather long. "She must be a Stray Devi," the miko thought in her mind. "Is this boy really her son?!"

"Momma! Don't worry. This lady here will help you!"

"You are too kind Ms…?"

"Shuri. Himejima, Shuri."

"Himejima-san. Thank you. I know you are somewhat shocked by who I am. But rest assured I won't hurt you. I'm too injured to try anyways," she said reassuringly. Shuri noticed the blood trickling out the devil's mouth. While she was able to save her husband, this woman was in too worse a state to recover. From a mother to another, it was gut wrenching to see the scene developing in front of her.

"Momma! Are you gonna be okay?!"

"Yoake…Kaa-san's really hurt."

Tears welled up once again in the boy's eyes. It made Shuri's heart ache to see the now named Yoake cry. "Yoake…dawn…what a beautiful name," she thought. A small smile crept on her face. But it fell as soon as she heard Yoake's voice.

"No! Momma! I brought help! See?! This kind and pretty lady's gonna help you get better."

"Yoake…come here."

The boy went over to his mother, who pulled him in for a hug.

"You hear that? That's the sound of my heart. Yoake, sweetheart, I want you to know that even if my heart goes quiet, you will still hear it. If you listen carefully, you will hear the sound of my love for you."

"Momma! Don't leave me! I don't want you to die!"

"Shh…Hush now. Everything will be okay. Shuri-san here will protect you just as I have. I can tell she will fill your heart with love and keep you in her's. Yoake…always remember…I…" Her voice gave out. And she used her last breath to portray to her son how much she loved him. Yoake was a mess. He was crying so hard and lay there with his mom, her heartbeat no longer thumping. From behind him, he felt a soft sensation on his back and two smooth arms wrap around him. Shuri let her maternal instincts take over and continued to hug and comfort the grieving boy.

"Shhh…" The miko rocked the boy back and forth and hummed a calming tune. She had a huge responsibility on her hands. Taking care of one child was enough work as it is. But two would be an even bigger challenge. But no matter, she would raise this boy as if he were her own. Yoake cried and cried. Shuri beamed at him, he was cute to say the least. "Ara ara, I wonder how my own daughter will feel about our new addition." After Yoake's tears started to dry, Shuri picked him up and continued to cradle him, as if he were still a new born.

"Himejima-san…" the boy began.

"It's alright now Yoake. I'll take good care of you. I don't know how you'll feel about me, but I hope to be called 'Kaa-san' someday. I won't force it on you if you don't however."

"No, no, Himeji—Kaa-san! Momma taught me to be polite. I'll call you my Kaa-san if you'd like."

"Ara ara, then your mother raised you well. I hope to follow in the same footsteps as she did. Now let's go see your new home." The lady carried the boy through the pouring rain and eventually arrived at her house. The rain made her outfit see-through but she didn't care. She managed to bring Yoake into her home safe and sound. "I'll go prep a bath for you. You must be freezing." Shuri left the boy alone to explore the house until she'd fetch him. Yoake gazed at the walls and other features of the house. It appeared to have a mix of modern and traditional furnishings. The walls were painted white but the doors seemed to mostly consist of screens. There was a big kitchen with a sizable fridge, stove, and oven. He eventually came across the living room which held a large leather couch and two arm chairs on either side. There was also a TV and coffee table just in front of it.

"Yoake, the bath is ready!" Yoake stopped his gazing and waited for Shuri to find him. A minute passed and the woman eventually came upon him looking at a family photo.

"Kaa-san, who are the other two in the photo?" The boy asked picking it up and showing her.

"The man to my left is my husband, your new 'Tou-san', Baraquiel and that cute little girl is my daughter, Akeno," she answered examining the photo. This was taken on a rather happy day. Baraquiel had Akeno on his shoulders and both of them were smiling widely. Next to them was Shuri herself, leaning against her husband with an equally happy expression on her face. Looking back, it was when Akeno had her fourth birthday. Not too many people came because many looked at Shuri and her family as if they were outcasts, more specifically her husband. They knew about his true identity as a fallen angel and thought he tricked Shuri into loving him. But the woman genuinely loved her husband. On that day, the two of them threw the best party Akeno could have had.

"Kaa-chan?" a new voice said. The two of them turned around to see a girl wearing a pure white nightgown with images of cherry blossoms on them. The small girl had long black hair and bright violet eyes. Judging from the picture, this was Akeno Himejima, Shuri's daughter.

"Akeno-chan, where were you?"

"I heard knocking on the door, I thought it was either Tou-chan or one of his friends."

"Oh, well, this boy right here is Yoake. He will be under our care from now on. His mother…let him stay with us because she is busy," Shuri lied. She didn't want her daughter to know of Yoake's unfortunate situation. His mother's death would be only between him and her. It would get real messy really quickly. But luckily the girl seemed to buy it.

"Okay Kaa-chan!"

"I'm going to help bathe him. Why don't you start setting the table so I can prepare dinner?" The girl nodded and ran towards the kitchen. Shuri then smiled at her daughter's enthusiasm and took Yoake into the bathroom. It was a very nice bathroom. The tiled walls were very pristine and the bath looked large enough to fit an entire family, probably what it was intended for. The sink had a stainless steel faucet with matching handles. There was a large mirror on the right wall and a medicine cabinet adjacent to it. Shuri helped Yoake out of his damp clothes and threw them near a hamper that was close by. Yoake immediately tried to use his hands to cover his lower half.

"Ara ara, it's okay. I won't bite." The miko then stripped down and let loose her curvaceous figure. She had wide hips, a flat stomach, sizable breasts, and not a blemish on her silky smooth skin. Yoake went a little red in the face.

"Uhhhh…Kaa-san? Should we really bathe together?"

"Ufufufu, of course. It's a mother's duty to look after their child. And since I bathe with Akeno all the time, I won't make any exceptions with you." She giggled a little at that last bit. She enjoyed seeing Yoake red in the face. She turned on the water and filled up the tub. Once she filled it to just about the right height, she climbed in. "Alright," she began as she patted a space in between her legs, "Yoake, it's time we get to know each other a bit better." The young boy complied and took his seat. Shuri turned on the water and grabbed the shower handle and began to douse the boy's head and body with warm water. The sensation was very pleasant to Yoake as it trailed down his body and heated up his skin.

"Feels good huh?"

"The water feels so good Kaa-san."

"Did you ever experience this kind of water before?"

"No. Momma and I never stayed too long at anywhere we went. We smelled pretty bad because we took a bath only if we had the chance."

"What was your mother like?" Shuri questioned as she lathered her hands and started to wash the boy's hair.

"She was very pretty. And sweet too. She would always sing to me because she told me that singing comes from the heart and it can show the love you have for a person. My momma loved me very much."

"What about your father? Did your mother ever talk about him?"

"Momma never mentioned anything about Papa. It was just me and her." This saddened the priestess a great deal. Having to fend for yourself with no father to take care of you or support you. It was daunting. Clearly she must've had Yoake after something happened between the two. She was a stray devil. But that lead to more questions than answers. Who was her husband? Why did she leave? Did it have anything to do with Yoake? Shuri pondered this as she finished washing the young boy's hair.

"Kaa-san, what about your husband?"

"He's a kind man who loves Akeno about as much as I do. It's a shame he's not around much, but I can say he will take a liking to you."

Yoake smiled brightly at the comment. He never knew what it was like to have a father. But from what Shuri told him, her husband sounded like he was going to be the best dad ever. Shuri wrapped her arms around her now adopted son. Yoake's face matched the color of a lobster at the gesture.

"K-K-K-Kaa-san!"

"Ufufufu, just trying to get closer to my new cute son," she replied as she pressed her mounds against his back, emphasizing her words. She loved making her new son embarrassed. After all, teasing was so much fun to her being a sadist. "I wonder what he'll look like when he grows up, maybe Akeno might fall for him." But after spending 7 more minutes in the tub, the two exited the bathroom. Yoake lacked any spare clothes, so he once again donned his already damp clothes. They managed to dry a bit and felt warmer because of the steam from the shower. But Shuri promised to go shopping for some new clothes for him. Shuri changed to a more casual attire with a white shirt that had a little purple tie in the center with a black skirt. The two then walked to the kitchen to see Akeno sitting at a more traditional dining table with the plates, cups and silverware all set up.

"Well done Akeno. Kaa-chan's gonna prepare dinner now. Why don't you and Yoake chat a bit? I'll call you when the food's ready."

The girl nodded and the two children went to the living room to get to know one another better.

"I really like your name! So pretty!" Akeno began.

"Thanks. I like your name too."

"So how old are you?"

"I think I'm nine."

"Hey, I'm nine as well. When is your birthday?"

"I'm not sure…My momma forgot the exact day I was born, but she kept track."

"What? Did you have any birthday's?"

"No. I never had a birthday party. My momma and I moved constantly and didn't have the time to celebrate. Momma did sing Happy Birthday to me once a year though. It would mostly be random, but she remembered to always sing to me as I got older."

"Your Kaa-san sounds nice. What is she like?"

That brought up tears in the young boy's eyes as he tried to respond.

"Momma is kind and always has a really good sense of humor. She…she always sings because it makes her happy and me happy too. Her smile is so pretty and she teaches me many things."

"Where did your Kaa-san go?"

More tears.

"She…she…went away. She's gonna be gone a while. I…I…" The tears just fell and soon Yoake was on the floor bawling. He struggled to say anything else. His mother just died right in front of him not too long ago. And here he was trying to hide the fact that she was truly dead. Then he felt something. Two appendages wrapped around him as he cried. It was Akeno. She gently rubbed his back as tears rolled down his cheeks.

"My Tou-chan's also leaves for a long time. I never know when he comes back, but he tells me that he'll always come back because he loves me and Kaa-chan. Your Kaa-san, where ever she went to, will come back eventually because she loves you." How wrong she was. Yoake knew his mother was never coming back, but hearing Akeno's words comforted him a bit. He returned the hug and dampened her shoulder a bit.

"Thank you Akeno-san."

"I'd prefer it if you replaced it with –chan. We are going to spend a lot more time together," the girl replied.

"Okay then, Akeno-chan."

The two of them released from their embrace and Shuri called them for dinner. She prepared some shrimp tempura with rice and a bowl of miso soup to warm them up.

"So the two of you starting to get along?"

"Yup! Me and Yoake-kun started talking and he said he doesn't know when his birthday is."

"Ara, is this true Yoake?"

"My momma could never remember when my exact birthday was. So she just sang Happy Birthday when we had downtime and she felt it was right."

"Can we celebrate our birthday's together Kaa-chan? Mine is in three months."

"Of course, do you mind at all Yoake?"

"I think that's a great idea Kaa-san. I never really had a birthday party before."

"Then it's settled, Akeno, you and Yoake will celebrate on the same day."

The little girl cheered at the news. She was overjoyed that her newly made friend was able to celebrate his birthday with her. Judging from the way he looked, he appeared to be her age. So the celebration would be perfect as both of them would be able to enjoy the festivities together. Yoake smiled brightly too. Finally, he had a day to now celebrate his birthday. He only wished his mother could celebrate with him. His smile turned from a happy one to a saddened one until a voice broke his thoughts.

"We'll sing for you Yoake-kun! I know your Kaa-san always did it for you, so me and Kaa-Chan will try extra hard to sound really good too!"

"I guess we'll have to take some lessons then, won't we?" Shuri joked. In the end, the dinner ended well and the two children thanked the priestess for the meal. Shuri reminded them that it was time for bed. Akeno gave a pouty face at her mother but complied in the end. She lead Akeno to her room while Yoake tailed behind. Once the screen door opened, Yoake saw what appeared to be a standard girl's room. The walls were a shade of pinkish-red and had posters of various cartoon and anime characters (mostly girl characters) on them. There was a bookshelf on the left wall with various children's books as well as some novels as well. Akeno was also a fan of plushies and had a collection of them in the corner of her room next to her bed. The bed had sheets and pillows matching the color of the walls while the blanket was a silky white. On the right wall was a desk that had various brushes and hair products as well as a jewelry box. There was also a mirror just above the desk. Overall, it seemed like a nice room. Very comfy.

"Can Yoake-kun sleep with me tonight Kaa-chan?"

"That is up to him," she replied as she looked down at the boy. "Yoake, would you like to sleep with Akeno? I would prepare a guest room for you, but if you feel more comfortable sleeping with Akeno…"

"I'd like to sleep with her," he replied.

"Ara ara, well in that case, I'll get you a pillow, blanket, and futon for you to sleep on tonight. Tomorrow I'll go clothes shopping for you and prep your room."

"Okay Kaa-san."

Shuri left to get the things necessary for Yoake to sleep. While she was away, the two children immediately struck up another conversation.

"So do you watch any good cartoons?" Akeno asked.

"I'm sorry, my momma and I never had the luxury of a TV," Yoake admitted.

"What?! How?! You and I are gonna start watching what I watch. Do you know Sailor Moon?" The boy shook his head. "Doraemon?" Another head shake. "Anything?" No was his answer. "Then we'll have to go shopping with Kaa-chan tomorrow to get you some DVDs and light novels," Akeno finally stated. Yoake appreciated the girl's determination to make him happy. He thought she was gonna be a little shy and to be honest, he was a bit too. But just talking with her made him feel at ease. And her smile made him want to smile just as brightly too.

"Ara ara, what are you two lovebirds talking about?" Shuri teased. The two kids looked to see Shuri standing in the doorway with a futon, blanket, and pillow in her arms while a mischievous smile was etched on her face. It made the two go red immediately.

"Kaa-chan!" Akeno whined, extremely embarrassed.

"K-Kaa-san…" Yoake added, equally as flustered.

"I'm just kidding you two. Let me set up the futon for Yoake to sleep on." The woman got to work and laid the futon and pillow down on the carpet floor. Yoake lied down on it and Shuri tucked him in. Just like any good mother would, she kissed the two good on their foreheads and wished them goodnight.

"Goodnight Kaa-chan!"

"Goodnight Kaa-san. Thank you for everything."

"Goodnight you two. Sweet dreams!"

Shuri turned off the lights, leaving the two children in the dark. Yoake was still thinking about his mom. Despite how friendly he'd been towards the Himejimas, it still bothered him. Yoake and his mother were on the run constantly and he had no idea what he was running away from. But now, he was all alone with no family members he could think of other than his father, who his mother barely spoke of. Thinking about his mother again made him start to tear up. Akeno must've heard him because soon enough, he felt two arms wrap around his chest.

"It's okay. We're gonna be a family now. Both my Kaa-chan and Tou-chan are really nice. Kaa-chan already likes you and I like you too Yoake-kun. So let's be one happy family now. We'll take care of each other and be there whenever one of us is feeling sad. Because that's what being a family is."

Once again, Akeno knew just what to say. Yoake couldn't help but gain even more fondness for the girl. It hasn't even been a full day and the Himejimas were the nicest people he had ever met besides his own mother.

"Akeno-chan…"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you. You've been so kind to me. I've only met you two hours ago and you're making me feel welcome here. I haven't known too many people as kind as you."

"You're welcome Yoake-kun," she replied. She nuzzled next to him and got under the blanket. While her own bed was comfortable, she couldn't help but feel how…safe she felt next to the boy. It was odd, but she liked it. His body heat gave an extra sensation of comfort. After the thought lingered for another several minutes, the two children finally drifted off to sleep.

A/N (2): And done! Again, thanks for reading! Favorite and follow if you enjoyed. I'll try to update as much as I can. School can be quite the time consumer... See ya!