All right... I played Nier and finished it... and was pissed the fuck off. The game made me SOOOOO depressed, especially when my baby Emil died. No... I won't accept that... he sounded so scared and lonely and just... no. So, here's my solution and vengeance to having to finish the final battle while crying my eyes out.

Warnings: Some mild language, slash, totally AU, and Harry badassery

Disclaimer: I don't own Nier or Harry Potter... trust me... things would be A LOT different if I did.

Falls Apart

HP/Nier X-Over

By:

Kiyoshi Michi

I don't want to die… I want to see everyone again. One last time, I just want to see them… I want to live normally. I want to see and look normal.

I guess… those were normal thoughts considering I was surrounded in darkness. I was going to die to save my friends, Kainé and Nier. That was all right, I guess, since I was also saving people I had never met before and I hoped it made up for what I had done at The Aerie.

My bony hands were stained with blood. I was too young to deal with this. I still felt like a boy, but somewhere along this journey, I had unwillingly become a man. I had no clue how Nier could deal with these feelings on a day-to-day basis.

I let out a surprised sound when a pale hand shot towards me in the darkness. The fingers were outstretched and the entire forearm had come through. I stared at it, curious, until I heard a strong, but kind voice, calling out to me.

"Come on! If you want to live, I need you to grab my hand."

I was… confused, to say the least. How was someone reaching through the blackness to me? This was the interior of a ball of destruction. Besides, I didn't recognize the voice. The tone reminded me of Nier, but it was too soft, too high-pitched. It was a man and though he was much younger than Nier, he had seen just as much.

I suppose I kept my auditory observations from when I was blind.

"Please! I hate watching people die! Just grab on!"

Whoever it was, he sounded so heartbroken. How many people had he seen die? I grabbed the staff tighter and stared at the hand, knowing that if I looked normal I would be biting my lip. I could see the blue cracks forming around me, and just knew my time to decide was slowly growing shorter.

"HURRY!"

I panicked and grabbed the hand, making my vision go black in a semblance of shutting my eyelids. I was aware of a distinct tugging feeling, and suddenly, I heard air rushing past my face as I landed heavily on the ground. I slid a few feet, but sat up quickly and looked around until I found the dark mass I had just been saved from.

But it was the sight at the bottom that stopped my breathing.

It was my savior.

I was right – it was a man. He was as tall as Nier, but much thinner and smaller in muscle. I was also right in that he was younger. I couldn't see much else at the time since he was pushing against the mass with something made of very bright light. I could, however, make out his mouth curled in concentration, his teeth practically cracking at the strain he was putting them through.

He let out some primal scream and reared back his right hand before punching the dark mass. The strange thing was… it worked. Not only did he send it flying into the air, but it exploded at a safe distance from us. I held up my hands to protect me from the aftershock, but could still him just standing there, letting the wind rush past him.

Finally, everything calmed down and I lowered my arms, jumping when I was a few inches from his face. I guess I was staring.

He had a very kind face, and his eyes held only mirth, not fear of me. I was left wondering just how long his hair was though, since I could see most of it was held up, but the rest still trailed to his knees. At that moment though, I hated how deep a black it was. It only reminded me of where I had just come from.

"Hey, you're still alive. Looks like I got to you just in time, huh? I have a knack for that."

He chuckled, like he hadn't just saved my life and destroyed something that would have taken a great deal of the castle. Who was this man? Oh wait! I have to help Kainé and Nier! Or… I could have already been too late. I couldn't help myself – I started crying. I vaguely noticed the poor man jump and reach out for me.

"Woah, woah! Why're you crying? What's wrong?"

"M-My friends… went on ahead… and they're fighting, and I want to help, but I may too late!"

"Oh… why didn't you just say so? Let's go find 'em!"

I found myself highly confused as he wrapped one arm around me and stood up, carrying me like a sack of potatoes. He used his other hand to punch the air in victory before sliding one foot forward. A smirk stretched his lips and then I blinked, and missed everything.

No, I'm serious.

I blinked… and missed it.

I just knew that after I blinked, we were diving through a stained glass window with the man letting out an amused shout. When he landed though, even I felt the shockwave and was slightly less shocked to see he had put an indent in the floor. This man was… amazing.

"Emil!"

I looked up in time to see Kainé running over, leaving behind Nier. The man set me on my feet as she launched herself and pulled me into a hug. I never thought she would, but it was nice that I finally got a hug from her. I kind of felt like we had to stick together, because we both grew up as freaks.

She pulled away and looked to the man who saved me, who was standing there like there was no strange Shade standing nearby, and like he hadn't just jumped in through a window. He gave her a two-finger wave and smiled brightly. "Yo! Do you guys need any help? I'm willing to help however you need me to."

"Yeah. You can help us destroy the Shadowlord."

The man looked behind him at the Shade and raised a brow. Suddenly, his face transformed into that of fury. He held out his hand and the strangest sword I had ever seen materialized there. It was bigger than he was, the only part that even resembled a sword being the hilt. Other than that, it looked like some monster that just happened to be sharp.

"I knew you once."

The Shadowlord's eyes widened before he glared, saying something that was lost on all of us… or, so we assumed. "Yeah, yeah, you bitch. Get pissy with me all you want. Fact of the matter is I never finished what we started and had to follow your pasty ass all the way here! You know I can't fucking stand time travel. It puts me on edge. So c'mon, Tom. Let's dance, just like we used to. I still remember it all."

He smirked as he goaded the Shade, laughing whimsically when it rushed him and he twirled out of the way, like a dancer. He chuckled and rested the blade on his shoulders, sending us a look. "Hey, I think I can handle this guy. Old grudges and what not. Nier, you should probably go make sure Yonah is all right." Everyone's face betrayed the shock I felt just as strongly.

He knew my name, sure, because I had told him. But no one else had been introduced. He smiled charmingly and suddenly swung his sword around his head, barely missing knicking his neck, and sliced down the Shadowlord's chest. I was so awed – he had never even taken his eyes off us.

"Oh come now Tom, you'll have to try harder than that."

His smile turned deranged as he turned just in time to stop the Shade's attack, their faces stopping mere fractions of an inch from each other's. I was enthralled by the display. Kainé and Nier left me sitting there as they ran over to Yonah, but I was simply too awed by this fight. The man who saved me was moving so fluidly, pushing the Shadowlord back.

It was like they were dancing.

I wasn't the only one who gasped when the man's sword was knocked from his hands and the Shade came charging. But, I was the only one who gasped again as the man pulled something from inside his polished leather jacket and pointed it straight at the Shade's forehead when he got close enough. He smirked again and moved his finger, and suddenly, the loudest sound I'd ever heard filled the room and the Shade slowly fell over.

"Poetic justice, Tom. Done in by old Muggle technology – a gun, of all things. Even in this form, you are nothing. Die, and leave those still alive to their peace. Fade from existence so those who have died can move on. Go on, and meet my parents. Meet Siri, and his lover Remus and their child Teddy. Meet the giant, Hagrid, and one of the twins, Fred."

We watched him grab the head of the Shade and start pounding away with his fist, eyes scrunched shut in obvious pain. "Meet Hermione. Meet Neville and his wife Luna. Meet my brother Draco, his father Lucius, and our guardian, Severus. Meet my husband, Bill, and our daughter, Estella. Meet them all, listen to them and their pain, suffer their punishment, and feel agony for eternity!"

He used the one hand still holding the Shade's head to physically lift him off the floor and throw him across the room. As it slammed into the wall, we saw the form flicker briefly to that of a man who was bald, had no nose, and was glaring at the man with blood-red eyes. The Shadowlord turned back into a Shade before disappearing into the air.

I knew my eyes weren't the only ones that moved to see the man standing there, huffing and slumped over. He was staring at the floor, eyes wide in disbelief. He slowly stood straight again, looking at his hands that were shaking almost violently. "I… I finally did it… thirteen hundred years… and now I have nothing. I have… nothing…"

There was that primal scream again as the poor man fell to his knees, covering his head as if to protect himself from the world. I felt so sorry for him, but it was Nier who moved forward, the only who came closest to understanding the loss of spouse and child. That man, the one that Nier pulled in his arms while he sobbed, looked so much smaller right then.

As I watched his shoulders shake and his body tremble, I couldn't help but feel like I had been so selfish. I was so concerned about what others saw in me. I was set on my new appearance. However, here was a man who had crossed Time itself to find this one man for taking everything from him.

I looked at Kainé, who seemed to be trying not to cry herself. The one who seemed so strong to me was on the verge of tears, and I decided it was all right if I mourned a little too.

Soon, only Nier wasn't crying.

"Are you sure you're all right carrying him?"

Nier looked at me and nodded his head, pausing momentarily to adjust the now unconscious male to a better position on his back. "He's surprisingly light. I've got a feeling that if we look under his clothes, we would see more than a few ribs."

I stared at the now suddenly so fragile man, who was deep in a restless sleep. I thought he was going to be my rock, but I knew now that he was going to need a rock. "Nier, what are we going to do with him?"

"… We're all going home…"

"Home?"

"Just outside mine and Yonah's village. I'm going to have her stay in the old house while I build a new one, big enough for all of us."

All? He was planning on me being there? I made sure not to cry, since this was a happy occasion and not one to be crying over. Kainé huffed, but I could see the small smile on her lips when she looked away.

"Emil…"

We all stopped and looked at the man on Nier's shoulder, who still had his face hidden in said man's shoulder. He reached out to me and beckoned, so I came closer, wondering what he could want. Suddenly, his hands were one the sides of my face and he was staring intently at my eyes.

There was something strange about his expression.

"Being a weapon… it's horrible, isn't it? One made and developed for reasons we don't learn of until we are older… I know this feeling. Your strings were cut early though… I couldn't cut mine until I arrived here. However, you have traces of those strings still left in the fabric. Would you like me to remove them for you?"

"I… I don't get it…"

"Just answer."

"U-Um… yes?"

He nodded and closed his eyes, his hands on my face suddenly growing warm. I noticed that I suddenly fell slightly, but I felt no different as his hands pulled back. He gave me a weak smile before his head dropped back onto Nier's shoulder. He was out again, apparently. I shrugged and turned to see Kainé and Nier staring with wide-eyes.

"W-What?"

"Emil… you…"

I started to panic. I saw Kainé fishing around for something at the side of the room before coming back with some reflective glass. I took it, and I think I noticed my hands were different, but it didn't register. It did register, however, when I looked into the glass and saw a normal teenage boy gazing back.

It was me.

I was normal again.

"I… I'm normal! He made me… look like a human again…"

We all stared at the resting man, wondering just what was he.

The man had been out for three days, and we still didn't even know his name. I was currently the one sitting with him while the others were out getting some food. My hands were in front of my face as I got used to looking normal again. We had met the King of Façade on the road, happy to see him alive and well, and he seemed shocked to know I was Emil.

I guess I wasn't the only one getting used to it still.

"Liberation feels good, doesn't it?"

I jumped and turned to see the man was staring at me, a small smile on his face. I nodded once and he groaned, sitting up. I moved to help him, but he waved me off, making himself comfortable using the wall as a rest for his back.

"Trust me, I know what it feels like. I was so happy to get free."

"What did…"

"What did I look like when I was a tool?" I nodded. "I looked like one of the demons of lore. I was hulking, with horns and a tail. I hated myself, like you hated yourself. When I was told to kill, I did. There was no hesitation. I just did it. My hands aren't stained in innocent blood… my whole body is. I'm covered in nothing but. It is my burden and I will keep it always. You killed innocents once, but you won't again. I had to continue. That was life then."

"That doesn't sound like a very good life."

"It wasn't."

I played with my hands, getting used to having skin again, and was aware that the man was staring at me. I blushed. My mind chose that moment to remind me he had a husband once, which meant he liked men. He had to be quite a bit older than me though, even if he didn't look it. Oh, that is not what I should be telling myself!

I was just suffering from some sort of worship of the man who saved me. I had watched him fight, knew him to be strong, and I was confusing worship with a crush. That was all. Besides that, I had only known him three days and still didn't know his name.

"My name's Harry by the way."

Oh no. I guess I showed my discomfort on my face because he blinked a few times and smiled dazzlingly. Now I was describing him in a rather attractive light… how does this happen in three days!

"How does what happen in three days?"

"… I said that out loud?"

He nodded and I just knew, right then, that in the words of Kainé, I was fucked. I rubbed the back of my head and chewed on my lip, happy I could actually do that now. He smiled in such a way that… I just knew that he knew.

Oh no…

"Nier, I think I have a problem…"

He paused in his wood chopping to look at me. It had been about four months since he had built the home, which meant it had been eight since we saved Yonah. He had several people help him, so it got done fairly quickly and I was surprised.

"What is it, Emil?"

"Um… I think… I have a bit of a crush…"

His face twisted some and I was quick to wave my hands. "N-No, not Yonah! We're the same age, yeah… but no, not Yonah." His face twisted a bit more. "Not Kainé either!" My voice cracked.

He just chuckled and set the axe down, leaning on the handle. "So… since you don't go into town very often, Harry?"

I nodded and he only laughed and ruffled my hair. I kind of enjoyed the fact he acted like my dad too. "Nothing to worry about. He had a husband once, so I can't imagine he would entirely spurn your advances." I blushed and Nier just laughed again. "This really is your first time dealing with this?"

"Yeah."

"All right. Then I'll make this simple on you – tell him straight out."

"… WHAT!"

My voice squeaked again.

"I know it seems difficult, but it's actually the easiest. Especially since you're not exactly… privy to the mechanics of wooing someone."

"Uh… well…"

"Just tell him, all right? The worst he's going to do is turn you down. That is the worst. He'll probably still even be your friend. He seems like the kind who would."

I nodded and turned to walk back into the house, tugging on the hem of my shirt. I passed Yonah, who smiled at me and nodded, and I knew she heard so I blushed. The only one who didn't know was Harry himself.

Well, maybe he did. He was an enigma when it came to that.

I poked my head into the house just as Kainé was leaving, so she stopped and ruffled my hair too. "Good luck, kid." I blushed once more and nodded, slipping past the door as she walked out. Well, it seems they were all on my side at least.

I made my way upstairs, somehow still quiet as if I was still used to floating. I looked around, finding his bedroom door slightly ajar at the end of the hall. Swallowing thickly, I shuffled forward, still quiet, until I got close enough to knock timidly on his door.

Please be asleep, please be asleep, ple-

"Come in!"

Oh dear.

I made my way into his room, wary of the door. He was sitting on the bed, reading something that looked so strange to me. Harry looked at me and smiled, marking his place before setting the book down. "What do you need, Emil?"

"Um… well… I talked to Nier and… uh… just that… uh… I rather… um… like you."

Harry raised a brow, but I could tell it was not to mock me so that made me feel a little better. He nodded and rested his chin on his fingers, smiling at me. So… was that the smile to pacify me when he lets me down? I couldn't quite discern what it was.

"Crush, huh?"

He sounded amused anyway. I still didn't know if that was a good thing or not, but I still nodded. He gestured for me to come closer, so I did, moving until he stopped gesturing. So, I had to just stand there, completely confused and apprehensive, while he just stared at me. It was a little intimidating.

Harry gestured again, this time for me to lean down, so I did. Maybe he wanted to tell me quietly so I wouldn't be emba… oh, never mind. While I was busy thinking he was going to turn me down, he was moved forward to press a light kiss to my lips. I was so glad I had those back at that moment.

I still blinked dumbly at him and he just smiled and pulled me down into a hug. I guess I still looked confused because he rolled his eyes, in an amused sort of way, and kissed my cheek. "Emil, I'm saying I'm willing to give this relationship a serious shot. But if I'm going to be serious, you are too… all right?"

"But I am."

"I know. I mean you're going to have to be a little less shy about it."

"Oh…"

He snorted. "That means… when I kiss you, it would be very nice if you would reciprocate."

"OH! Sorry… you caught me off guard."

"Well, I'm about to do it again, so… pay attention this time."

I nodded and smiled, returning the kiss he pressed to my lips this time around. He seemed much happier, so I made sure to pay closer attention to the third kiss, and the fourth, and so on.

If you see 'Retter' in place of 'Nier', any that I missed, please let me know~

Anyway, there you go... R & R.