The Pariah
Summary: AU After losing his memories, the Earth King is expelled from Gehenna, banished to Assiah for the rest of eternity. Shiemi Moriyama, a nurse in training, stumbles upon the demon buried in the snow and rescues him. When a sinister plot to merge the two worlds is revealed, only Amaimon holds the key to stop the destruction of Assiah. Amaimon/Shiemi
A/N: I promise I haven't forgotten about my other Amaimon/Shiemi fic 'Sleepwalkers!' I'm just having a colossal writer's block w/ it at the moment, and had this plot bunny running rampant in my head for a while. Oh, and in case you guys haven't kept up with the manga, there's a scene in there that I kind of put in this fic. Let's just say we see Amaimon's 'true' heart and that it looks like a really pretty flower XD so no, I didn't make it up (even if it sounds like I did).
I hope you guys enjoy the prologue :3 as usual, reviews as well as critiques/criticisms are appreciated!
Disclaimer: I do not own Blue Exorcist.
Prologue- The Fall
"You have given up your domain, King of Earth. You no longer hold the right to be called a Gehenna Prince. The price to pay for betrayal… is certain death."
The demon bolted forward, a cry of pain slipping from his parched lips. There was only darkness, an uneasy silence that settled in all around him. He swiped blindly at the bandages covering his eyes, a low growl forming from the back of his throat.
A frantic voice called out to him, "W-wait, your wounds haven't healed yet!"
A pair of warm hands grabbed his wrists as he fought against it, senses heightened by his loss of sight. He could smell the faint traces of alyssums and gardenias wafting from the person in front of him, momentarily losing himself in the sickly sweet scent. Underneath the scent of flowers, however, was a bitter, potent scent, like that of death. He immediately recoiled, releasing his sharp nails from the stranger's arms.
The voice was back, gentler, sweeter than before, "Please, calm down…"
Almost in a trance, the demon obeyed, letting his hands fall to his lap. He could feel a warm liquid trailing down his hands, collecting onto the blanket that had bunched up against his waist. Shuffling could be heard as the stranger pulled out a first-aid kit, wrapping bandages around her own arm to stop the bleeding.
"Alright, I'm going to remove the bandages slowly. Nod your head if you understand."
He nodded, allowing for the hands to travel around the back of his head. They slowly unraveled the blood-stained bandages, a small gasp escaping from the woman.
Amaimon blinked against the sudden intrusion of light, squinting as the shapes came into focus, becoming more than simple blots of color. He saw a sea of pure emerald and was immediately taken aback by the intensity of color. His eyes then traveled to the woman's hair, a golden halo like that of a rising sun or a field of rich wheat.
But, he found himself turning back to look at the blonde's eyes. He had felt a sudden impulse to pluck out the green orbs and keep them for himself.
"…Can you see?" She questioned, gazing into his cerulean eyes. She had gasped not only because his wounds had healed, but because his pupils were slits, reminding her of a cat, and most certainly not that of the eyes of a human.
"Yes—" He started, only to feel another wave of pain pressing against his eyelids. The demon clutched at his head, furrowing his brows as the agony slowly dissipated, leaving him with a cold feeling in his chest. In his chest…
He suddenly realized that his heart was in his chest, and not hidden like it should be. The thudding against his ribcage became almost maddening, causing the green-haired demon to bite his nails, to do anything to distract himself from the sound.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
"Are you alright?" The voice broke through his reverie, reminding him that he was not alone. There was another heartbeat, softer, faster than his own. He focused on the sound, allowing himself to slowly become accustomed to the gentle beats.
"I… am fine." He finally responded, a strange lethargic feeling taking over his limbs. The cerulean-eyed demon felt the spindles of sleep press against his consciousness as he fell back onto the beige sheets.
Before he fell asleep he saw a flash of green and gold.
The morning sun peeked through the heavy drapery, a sliver of light bouncing off the windows to land against the demon's cheek. He reflexively turned away from the light, burrowing his head further into the blankets.
The scent of coffee soon filled the room, tickling the demon's nose with its rich scent. Blinking, he rose from the make-shift cot, taking in the humble surroundings. He was in what appeared to be a living room, meagerly furnished with two couches and a coffee table. A small T.V was to his right, the sound of some woman reporter fading into the back of his mind. He now saw that there were potted plants on every available countertop, reminding him of the scent of alyssums and gardenias from the day before. Peering to his left he could see the kitchen, where the blonde was pouring two cups of coffee. She hummed to herself as she took out a container of sugar.
He padded towards her, stomach rumbling.
She turned to him, smiling brightly. "Oh—I'm glad to see you're awake! We didn't have a proper introduction; I am Shiemi Moriyama, you are…?"
"I am Amaimon, King of Earth." He responded, taking a quizzical look at the jar of sugar. He rudely stuck his finger into the container, licking the white powder from his fingers. It tasted… good. He was about to take the whole jar until the girl swiped it away from him.
"D-don't you want something to eat? I mean, besides just straight sugar?"
He shook his head. "The 'sugar' will suffice." Amaimon took the jar back, eyeing the cup of coffee. Perhaps if he poured it into the drink…
"Uh, Amaimon was it? Could you tell me more about yourself? You were really hurt. Do you remember what happened to you? Why you were left buried in the snow?"
"I cannot remember much. I assume I have been transported to Assiah, however as it would be strange for there to be a lone human in Gehenna." He said as he dropped a spoon of sugar into the cup, taking a sip. He winced. It was still too bitter. The demon took another spoonful before deciding to drop nearly the entire jar into the coffee.
"Assiah? This is Japan." Shiemi questioned, very much confused.
"The human world is Assiah. The demon world is Gehenna." He supplied casually, taking a sip of his now sugar-filled coffee. Ah, now it was perfect…
"What are you talking about? Are you saying you're a demon?"
"Yes, of course. I am the Gehenna prince of Earth, after all."
He paused to look into her pantry. After rummaging around (against her protests) he took out a tin of cookies.
"S-so why are you here? In Assiah, I mean."
He took a large bite of a chocolate chip cookie, mumbling with a full mouth, "I dunno… I can't really remember. I think I was banished from Gehenna or somethin'."
He swallowed, licking the crumbs from his long nails. His eyes turned to the bandages on the girl's arms and a foreign feeling erupted in the pit of his stomach. It twisted his insides and was none too pleasant. He assumed it was probably the stirrings of guilt, not that demons felt it very often. Even after killing hundreds of his kin, he never even batted an eye. So, why with this human? It was almost as confusing as his lost memories.
"…Sorry." He said offhandedly, motioning to the bandages.
"I-it's alright! They were just a scratch, anyway!" She played with a lock of her hair in embarrassment, cheeks flushed pink.
The demon raised an eyebrow. What a strange human, indeed…
A buzzer went off on her phone suddenly, causing the girl to run in a panic. "Sorry, Amaimon! I have to go to class! I'll be back in the afternoon! You can stay here, if you like."
He tipped his head to the side. "I am a demon, you know."
"I-I know, but you don't seem all that bad! You haven't taken my soul or anything!" She laughed, picking up her school bag.
Amaimon took another cookie, biting it thoughtfully. "I will stay until my memories return. I can promise no harm will come to you, for the time being, in exchange for your hospitality."
Shiemi laughed again, giving the demon a final parting wave before stepping out of the house. He watched as the door closed, feeling the stirrings of pain is his skull yet again. He needed to know for sure.
"Behemoth." He spoke, trying to pinpoint the whereabouts of his familiar. The hobgoblin appeared shortly after, lying at the feet of its master.
"I need you to follow after that woman. Keep her safe. It may not be a coincidence that she found me." He ordered, sending the familiar on its way.
He closed his eyes again, listening for the usual sounds of those under his domain. He could not hear the trees or flowers, and none of the hobgoblins would stop for him. Only Behemoth had rose at his call. He felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. The pain, why he felt a barrier in his mind, the loss of memories—it all made sense now.
He had been stripped of his title as King of Earth.
"Is Amaimon in Assiah?" A deep voice rumbled.
"Yes, father. Everything is going according to plan. Soon, Assiah and Gehenna will become one, and you will rule as our leader."
The voice chuckled darkly. "As it should be. Humanity will be destroyed, forever."
A/N: They're just so cute that I can't help writing about them XD Sorry, about the shortness of this chap; this was only really a prologue, so… anyway, please let me know your thoughts on the chapter, if you get the chance! Thanks! Oh, and of course their personalities may not be 100% canon due to this being an AU, but I'll try to keep them as close to the source material as well as factoring in the current situation :3 Also, this story will still have its comedic bits (I mean it's Amaimon, after all) but the tone will be much more serious than that of 'Sleepwalkers.'
-Isis
