Disclaimer: I don't own Demon Diary, any of the characters, and I'm certainly not making any money from this story.
Warnings: This story contains a guy/guy relationship. There will be YAOI. Or at the very least, shonen-ai. I'm not sure if I'm going to do any actual sexual action, but either way, if you find the implications of homosexual romance squicky, DON'T READ. Just don't torment yourself. Also, there will probably be a lot of violence. Why such a cute manga inspired such a dark idea, I don't know, but this will be semi-long, and it will probably have graphic images in later chapters. So: YAOI, VIOLENCE, GORE. Consider yourself warned.
The fighting had stopped. Raenef moved forward slowly, doing his best to step around the larger pools of blood and body parts. Thousands of clerics had been tossed around like sacks, shaken by the wind sylphs called by Krayon before he finally fell. The more innocent part of Raenef quailed at the sight of his friend now pinned to the ground dead. In his last moments Krayon had been a savage beast. There had been no traces of the striking, surprisingly wise Demon Lord left, just anger and magic.
Eclipse moved up behind him, solid and comforting. He had wiped most traces of the battle off his face, and his face was compassionate. They could afford that kind of emotion now. "My Lord, I am glad to see you are uninjured. Chris is with the rest of his troops. My presence seemed... unwelcome." His violet eyes and even now clean black hair stood out starkly against the chaos of the plains.
"It would be. They've probably seen enough of demons for one day." Raenef's voice was steady, at least. If there hadn't been people around, he might have leaned in and touched Eclipse, but he was too conscious of their position and audience. They might have fought on the winning side of the light today, but they were still dark magic users. "Come on, help me find her."
They moved on silently, looking among the bodies for Erutis. Everywhere he stepped, Raenef felt flesh give way under his feet, but didn't have enough energy to levitate. He couldn't pick her hair out on any of the people scattered about. There were so many bodies, and there was so much red. She wasn't anywhere. He had honestly expected her to be somewhere near Krayon, to have her revenge, but there was no trace of her. Not even her sword. Raenef's breath shuddered in and out of his lungs and for a moment he couldn't keep looking. But no, he wouldn't give up on her now. Not yet, when she could be wounded and fading fast.
The sun was fully set by the time Eclipse delicately put a hand on Raenef's shoulder. He didn't say anything for a while, and simply took Raenef's hand and tried to pull him back, towards the tents. Feeling Raenef's resistance, he tugged again. "I believe that we can at least sleep in the camp without any worries. You need rest." Looking out over the completely black and empty plain, his legs finally unlocked and Raenef leaned his head against Eclipse's. Eclipse ignored the gore that still clung to his master's hair and clothes and held him, burying his face in the blond hair. "Our tent is by Chris. We can continue looking at dawn tomorrow, when the clerics are rested enough to heal her. Right now they don't have enough energy to be good for anyone." Raenef followed Eclipse then, willing to be led by the hand as though he were still a child. When they reached the circle of firelight, they dropped their hands for propriety, but stayed close. Raenef walked straight to Chris' area, ignoring the dull, frightened gazes of the exhausted troops. Eclipse was right behind him, a black and purple shadow to his left. Guarding his weaker side even among allies.
At their approach, Chris stood, wearing a clean set of robes. He smiled in the firelight, looking worn but satisfied. It had been a great victory for Rased today, despite the costs. Even with the white high cleric battle-uniform, he still looked like a rogue when the firelight glinted off his earrings and he had that smile. "Raenef! Eclipse! I've been wondering where you were. You're both okay?" Chris waved his worried attendants away so they could talk privately.
"We're both fine, Chris, don't worry. Are you alright too?" Raenef sat down on a log, some of the tension draining out of him.
"Yeah. Well, I mean, it's hard to get hurt when the god Rased inhabits your body during battle, you know?" Eclipse raised an eyebrow at Chris' bold statement, but remained silent. His opinion of his old enemies during the old human-demon wars hadn't improved over the course of this campaign.
"Chris," Raenef said, interrupting the man's nervous chatter. "Have you seen Erutis?"
Chris swallowed, and shook his head. Raenef eyes felt hot and dry. It was probably too late by now, he knew; nobody could lie out on that battlefield so long without restoration magic or even any water. Maybe though. He would hold onto hope. When Raenef looked up, Chris was staring into the fire, blinking rapidly, face strained.
Eclipse broke the silence, shifting his weight. "Chris, you should get some sleep. There will be petty demons that need taking care of tomorrow. They'll be too weak to go back to their realm, but strong enough to fight back. Most things are more dangerous when cornered, so they need to be killed soon, and carefully." He nodded goodnight, and then moved off to their private tent.
Raenef smiled at Chris, finally, and hugged him. "You do need sleep, Chris. You aren't actually a god, you know. Still incompetent as ever, really."
Chris jumped up energetically. "I resent that! I'll have you know I'm one of the best high clerics ever. Don't make fun of my absolute genius." Chris huffed, and then his face cracked into a grin again. "Stupid demon lord. You're too pretty to be competent yourself." He paused, then continued seriously, "It is good to have you here, Raenef. All teasing aside, it would have hurt, to fight against you. You and Erutis and Eclipse – this wasn't your fight, none of you, not really. And it can't be easy, to fight against your own kind."
Raenef couldn't think of what to say. Joining the side of the light had not really been choice so much as necessity. He couldn't say that to Chris though; they both knew the politics that had forced events to this point anyway. To war, and death. Raenef only smiled at Chris, and waved a little goodbye, moving away from the campfire.
Eclipse was already lying down in the tent when he arrived, breathing evenly but not asleep. Raenef took off his clothes, dried red flakes falling when he moved. Sitting up, Eclipse looked deep into his eyes, kissing him softly. They lay down together, and Eclipse waited for a sign from Raenef indicating his desires. Tired and numbed, Raenef only hugged Eclipse tight and sighed against his chest. They both lay in the completely dark, gathering their magic for tomorrow, too wary to sleep.