3rd Lie: Black

He leaned onto the stone wall for support, slowly sliding into a sitting position, his body jerking violently, his breathing erratic, his hands clawing at his chest. He needed time to calm down, let his body adjust. Become used to having a body again. A real, human body, not an unstable mass of darkness molded into the shape of a hedgehog. He carefully picked up the now empty scepter of darkness and eyed it distrustfully. How could such a small and mundane artifact manage to render a great Demon Lord like him powerless for so long? Twice he had been locked away inside of it, forgotten by all. How long had passed since he had last roamed the worlds, free to use his power as he pleased? How long had he remained sealed within this object? A decade, a century, a thousand years? His hands shook with barely contained rage, and he fought hard to control himself once more, calm down and think clearly.

The first time they had been taken off-guard. They had been arguing – Or was it fighting? Kissing? Fucking? It was all the same to him. They clashed whenever they could, fire against ice, heat against cold, light against darkness, their whole being craving yet rejecting the other at the same time. Neither could ignore the high that came with it. It was like a drug. – when they had felt the pull of energy that came with being summoned by the mortals. They hadn't caught on the sheer improbability of them being summoned at the same time, in the same place. The humans knew better than to summon Lucifer, the Devil, the Lord of Fire and Destruction, and Mephistopheles, the Master of Death, Lord of Darkness and Cold simultaneously. The discharge of opposing demonic magic was enough to destroy a small village. So they had answered the summon, and only when the trap had closed in on them had they understood what was happening. But it was too late, human mages were already forcing his soul into a prepared contained, condensing and melting his essence, the magic circles around him preventing him from fighting back. The humans had been prepared, they hadn't. The last thing he saw before he was sucked into the artifact was Lucifer raging in a similar circle while several humans chanted an obscure incantation, stealing his energy and his soul away from him.

The next time he was able to see the light of day again was when the scepter was stolen, and damaged enough to allow a part of him to escape. He had been angry beyond logic, his mind foggy and his powers diminished, he had acted on his worst instincts instead of planning things out as he usually would, and the result had been a complete failure. He had acted rashly, antagonizing every mortal he met, forcefully extracting Lucifer's soul from its current host, leaving him a wild destructive beast governed by anger, something the humans had called the Iblis (probably a corruption of the word 'Hybris' which meant Pride, for Lucifer was after all the Lord of Pride). He had clumsily tried to make them stronger by fusing together, which had only resulted in weakening them further, allowing his enemies to raise against them, defeat them and seal them once again. It had been all for naught.

Acting rashly once again would only bring forth another failure, and he would not make a fool of himself another time. He had learned his lesson. He had been given another chance, and he would definitely not waste it! He slowly got up, testing the motor skills and senses of his new body, and placed the scepter back on the velvet cushion before picking up the discarded crystal case and putting it back where it belonged. He allowed himself a few minutes to impregnate himself with the memories and knowledge of the body's previous master, absorbing his soul little by little as he slowly traced the lines of his reflection on the crystal.

He chuckled. He had been lucky. He had found a good host, and the physical and magical compatibility was quite high, making the takeover much less noticeable. Only someone who had known the man really well would be able to tell the differences. His skin was probably a bit lighter, and his black hair now had a light purple hue. The only thing that could be really bothersome were his eyes: the color had changed from emerald green to a glowing lemon green, the most striking change being his pupils, which were now slitted like a snake's. "Snake eyes" as Lucifer enjoyed calling them...

This thought erased all trace of a smile on his face.

He had failed.

Miserably.

But it wouldn't happen again.

He'd make sure to get rid of every liability.

He would make sure not to attract attention.

He'd give them time to grow strong again.

To get used to this world.

Then they'd strike.

And the mortals would fall, bowing and cowering in fear at their feet.

They would lay waste to this world.

They would turn it into a raging Inferno, a wasteland of lost souls and misery.

They'd get their revenge, in blood and despair, ashes and destruction.

The mortals would pay.

Oh, yes, they would pay...

He broke out in an evil, insane laugh, his whole body shaking from the strength of it. With this body, those insufferable anthropomorphic animals would not get in his way. He would be subtle, bid his time, replenish his powers and allow Lucifer to take over his host. This time, they would hide among the unsuspecting humans and have their backing against the animals, then they would rise to the top and no one would be able to oppose them. Especially not that blue hedgehog and his friends. He'd had enough of them meddling in his business.

He quickly walked toward the exit, turning back around once he reached the door to make sure the room was exactly the way it was when the human had entered, and, a satisfied smile on his lips, made his way back toward the party. He had a lady to seduce.

AN:

Comments and reviews, and any kind of feedback, are welcome, whether they be good or bad.

That story dates from a year ago but I'll continue writing it (i have most of the plot planned out, I "just" have to write it now) if you people are interested, so feel free to give me your opinion on this!