What to know before we start:

This is a Sequel to my FF Puppeteer... I recommend reading this one first~ everyone who already knows this, welcome back in my reign and curtain up for the promised encore! ;3

Inspiration: The music album "Kreuzfeuer" (Crossfire) of Subway To Sally! :)

Disclaimer: Everything you already acknowledge from Ao no Exorcist, belongs to the wonderful Kazue Kato! The quoted parts of the lyrics, the title of the story and chapters are the property of Subway To Sally ... I just made up the weird plot around it.

Warning: A glimpse into Amaimon's and Mephisto's not so happy childhood in Gehenna... probably yaoi, not quite sure if explicit or just indicated... we'll see. ^^;

Crossfire

Chapter 1: The Rise

Brotherhood is something completely unfamiliar for demonkind. When demons decided to alliance it was only by vows of loyalty and offering of protection, known as a the bonding-ritual. Though it wasn't an actual rule of demon etiquette per se, it was commonly known in Gehenna that the lower-ranked demon asked for help and offered his own loyalty to the higher-ups... never the other way around.

A green fox sighed and slumped down in a nest of tall reeds growing at the shores of a pond in the garden of the Faustian Mansion and merged perfectly with its surrounding in the brim twilight of the night. The full moon reflected on the rippling surface, looking like a large pearl amidst the deep blackness of the water. Warm summer wind scurried through the grass and carried along the chirping of cicadas and the chorus of tree frogs.

Amaimon had done some thinking the last weeks. Many confusing thoughts that simply could not be fitted together to form an image, but instead fell apart again into their jigsaw pieces. There were too many questions, too few answers and even less real in-depth knowledge.

He wanted to believe that his brother didn't only use him, but... didn't evidence speak against him?

The head of the fox dropped down to rest on its paws as the fox kept on staring into the pond, its pointed ears drooping limply.

If Samael just used him, what worth did Amaimon's childhood memories, he had clung to even as he lost his passion, have? Even as Samael left him behind in Gehenna. Even after decades of being departed from each other...

"King Samael, would thou mind telling me what thou read?" the young Earth King crawled on Samael's lap and stared curiously at the wornout tome, the King of Time was flipping through, while taking notes on parchment now and then... or rather letting take notes; his quill wrote all by itself.

»Amaimon." Samael sighed and wrapped an arm around the slender waist of the young Earth King so that he couldn't slip off his lap again so easily. "We are brothers. Do not talk so formal with me, please. "

"But mother said, you are so much higher-ranked than I, so it doesn't behoo... beho-"

»Behove is the word you are looking for." the King of Time helped, chortling slightly. "And your mother is absolutely right. In public, you have to formally address me by my title, but here in private, you call me "big brother" and won't talk so affectedly, agreed? "

Amaimon thought about it for a moment and then nodded with a small smile. His brother was really kind. "So what do you read, big brother?"

Samael nodded in approval. "Just a book that brings me closer to my destiny." He stated mysteriously, then turned his forefinger in concentric circles around the quill, making it rock and dance on the parchment like an ice princess on a frozen lake, while the ink painted fine winding patterns and lines on the paper.

Mesmerized Amaimon bent forward, his shining azure eyes growing as big as saucers. If it wasn't for Samael's arm around his waistline and his tender but firm grip on his hip, he would have slipped from the older ones lap.

"Can you show me how to do this?" Like every kid, be it human or demon, Amaimon wasn't satisfied by merely looking at its dancing form. Therefore, he reached out his little hand. But as soon as his finger touched the quill, it dropped dead on the parchment. "Oh ..." He quickly pulled his hand back, hoping that the quill may come back to life. "I broke it... I'm so sorry." He almost whined. Things he touched always tended to break.

Behind him he heard an amused chuckle. "Don't worry, dear brother, it's not broken, just a little petrified." Samael gently nuzzled his nose against the younger demons cheek, assuring him that he wasn't angry and making him purr slightly. "But I can't teach you how it works, because it's one of my special skills and the Earth King inherits different forces. Forces, I will never be able to control. "

Amaimon's mood flipped and he grimaced. "Your power is far better than mine." He moped, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "I can only make green stuff grow, it's completely useless. And I'm not even particularly good at doing it."

More chuckling. A rare sound. Samael was one of the sternest demon kings in Gehenna. He hardly ever smiled, he only grinned. Amaimon liked him in private better. "You're too impatient, little one.« Clawed fingers gently combed through the Earth King's green hair. "Practice makes perfect. If you keep on training you will eventually evolve and be able to make the earth quiver underneath our feet~"

"Seriously? Wow! How? Will you show me, brother? Please, please, please!"

Samael snorted in laughter. »Amaimon, I already told you that I cannot teach you. Don't you listen or do you not believe my words? It is your power alone and it will evolve by itself. You have to be patient,." His eyes sparkled like dancing flames making his irises seem to glow a brighter shade of green whenever he was amused. "I can only teach you the basic rules of demon etiquette and, more importantly, how to use your mind. Everything else you will achieve through hard work and exercising. You will be great, promised."

The fox sighed again.

This kindness, patience, brotherly care, all those precious moments between them... was it just a façade to make him a mindless pawn of Mephisto's chess game? Could his planning and plotting have gone back that far? And if this wasn't the case, if Mephisto didn't have any ulterior motives back then, where did the Aniue of that time go to? Where was he now?

No, it was foolish to hope that Mephisto only spent time with him to enjoy his company and to establish fraternal bonds. It wasn't demon-like at all and, after all, he had seen and experienced several times what Mephisto was capable of and how far his plans usually went.

»Aniue? Why do WE do that? I mean, I'm just the Earth King ... and you don't really need me." He couldn't deny that he was nervous. After all, one wasn't prompted to bond with one of the most powerful demons in Gehenna every day. What if he disappointed Samael? What if he was too weak?

But when the King of Time caressed his cheek, his fears were gone and he felt a shaky tremor passing through his body. Desire. He must not fail his big brother. "Because I want it, even a king who rules over time and space can't fight alone forever and thus needs faithful allies."

"But why not one of the other, stronger kings? Why me? I mean, they'd be much more powerful~" A finger was placed on his lips, silencing him.

»Hush, little one~ because I want you and because you're special." Samael's voice was seductively dark and gentle. The answer sent a warm tingling sensation through his body and soothed his fears of disappointing his big brother. He was special? So he was important?

His train of thoughts ended abruptly when Samael leaned forward and sank his fangs into Amaimon's left shoulder. A pain like hot iron on delicate skin burned through his entire body. The pact began to take shape, and against all expectations, it felt good. He gasped and arched his back slightly. "Be mine, Amaimon. Swear it, vow it."

»Aniue ... hng ... I swear to be faithful to you forever and I vow to loyally serve you. I dedicate my whole existence just to please y-" Again a finger on his lips silenced him. Stern green eyes locked with his, as Samael slowly shook his head.

"Do not promise something as foolish as that. I do not want your existence, I just asked for your loyalty."

Amaimon, felt a bit hurt that Samael considered his oath as foolish, but then he nodded, too mind blown to object. "I swear to you my loyalty, Samael, King of Time," The burning pain got stronger, snaked down his neck and through his spine, stunning him for a few terrifying seconds, before it just merely nudged him, waiting for the pact to be completed. That would happen, when they sealed the pact with carnal lust.

The green fox raised and looked down on the rippling reflection of his shoulder. Greenish fur concealed the mark on his skin, as if it wasn't there at all. Maybe it was better that way. At least it helped Amaimon in convincing himself that he had done the right thing by escaping... even though he had doubts about it.

If it had been important for Mephisto for him to come back, he would have activated the mark and therefore forced him back, but apparently it was not important at all.

As soon as he had realized this, it all made perfectly sense for him. Amaimon was born to be the Earth King, and more importantly, he was born after Samael claimed the title of King of Time. There was no other king he could have had manipulated right from the start, no other king to fool so masterfully with semblance of fraternity. It had already been strange, but the fact that Mephisto was a strange demon in general, somewhat mitigated the truth. Amaimon had been fooled from childhood on.

Mephisto formed his perfect pawn from the beginning with meticulous care to place and move it to his liking. How naïve Amaimon had been. All those years.

And even now that he was aware of the truth, he couldn't simply doubt his Aniue, or leave him or completely turn his back on him for his own sake. He was still loyal. His whole being was usually focused on Mephisto's welfare, but for now his own well-being seemed more important. Just for now, a little break.

He was torn between back and forth, between to and fro.

The fox got up and shuffled back to its hideout. At the spot where it had rested, a water hemlock* started to grow at incredible speed until it stretched its leaves visibly between the reeds.

TBC

*Hemlock: language of flowers: You have poisoned my life.

A/n: Thank the hospital for being so boring and for me to be overly creative to write on like a maniac. x'D I actually wanted to wait longer, give myself a nice break from the plot... but well, I couldn't I'm already plotting and thinking and dreaming about this story.

I know it's pretty short a start and the next two or so upcoming chapters seem to be not much longer, but I think every protagonist has to do some thinking after the events in Puppeteer and there are four of them. ^^;

Some Amaimon thinking about his current situation, while still hiding, and some of his precious childhood memories, which aren't so precious at all, considering Mephisto all planned manipulating his younger brother right from the start... or did he not? ;3 I think Mephisto is acting cute... *gets slapped* -.- He thinks I'm an overly romantic nitwit...

I blame the medication for fatal grammar errors or typos~