Disclaimer: I am not the owner of Blue Exorcist or Once Upon a Time
Working out a plan B was easier said than done. Ryan and Henry had been sitting at the table for what felt like hours. While it may have irritated a few of the employees, Ryan really didn't care. He was the owner, and if they had an issue with him, they could leave. "So, I think I rather like something similar to what you mentioned before. True love always wins, and it can break any curse. So…if my Mom isn't going to believe, we need to find a way to bring back at least one of the happy endings."
Nodding in agreement, Ryan pulled the book over to him. "Got it. Who do we know for certain in town, then? I mean, you already said you're kinda clueless about me, so I'm out, right?" Henry patted his hand, nodding.
"Yeah, but I'm still working on it. It's weird with you…there's something about you that makes me feel like I should know who you are, but it really isn't clicking." Henry glanced towards the book in Ryan's hands, flipping a few pages. "So, our options…if we find Prince Charming, we can try and get him together with Snow. That would be ideal, but at the moment…I really have no idea who he is. Have you seen him around?" Henry pointed to a picture with the faces of both Snow and her prince. Ryan only shook his head.
"Well, what about the others?" Ryan crossed his arms over his chest, leaning back in his seat. "I figure Ashley is Cinderella, but it's not like her prince is anywhere around. We don't have a sleeping beauty, and getting a happy ending for your mom would just be ridiculous. Who else is there?"
Ryan was beginning to wonder if there was more work to be put into this than he wanted to exert. Really, it was almost sounding like a job, breaking this curse. However, if it could help the people in this town, he would do it. "Well…just because we don't know who you are, doesn't mean we can't try and work with that." Henry pulled the book towards him. "I mean, getting someone else on board to try and fall in love with a stranger? Yeah…might not be the best of plans."
Ryan stiffened, blinking at Henry. "Wait…what?" He couldn't have just said what Ryan thought he heard. "Like…actually fall in love. Me. Kid, have you seen me at all in town? I can barely talk to girls! They're weird, and I never understand what they're trying to tell me. They say one thing, and mean something else…and it's just…ugh. What even makes you think I am some prince in that book anyway?"
"You'll be fine, trust me. I'll be helping you out…kinda like a wingman." Henry smiled, but Ryan was too busy thinking that this kid was way too young to be a wingman. "First, we need to find a single storybook character. There are a few options, some of the more independent ones found happiness all on their own, after all."
"I don't have words for this. A ten year old kid is trying to play matchmaker…for me." Ryan shook his head, grinning at the idea. "Man, I can already imagine what others would say about it."
Pulling the book over towards him, Ryan paused and frowned. It was right in the section with that burning town Henry had shown him, but this was one page earlier. He could see Red Riding Hood, and by her side was someone different. He had dark black hair, kinda like his own, and the same eyes, but there was something a bit different about the way he dressed and how he stood. First of all, he wore a worn-down princely outfit, complete with black slacks and a navy blue button-down shirt decorated with golden stands of string hanging around his shoulders. "Who's this?"
Henry looked at the person Ryan was focused on, frowning for a moment. "Oh right, I forgot about him. He's kinda a weird character…for a while, he isn't even in the book, and then he just randomly pops up at times. Never quite understood what role he had, either." Glancing up towards Ryan, Henry began to smile slightly. "Though…he does look a little bit like you. Do you remember something? Like…talking to Red here, or maybe living in this town?"
He couldn't remember anything like that. However, as Ryan began to pull the book back to move back towards their planning instead, someone else came into the tavern and began making a bit of a spectacle out of the event. "Ah, greetings, fellow people. It has been quite some time since I visited such a fine establishment." He spoke loudly, though there was really only one other table seated other than Henry and Ryan at the moment.
Turning towards them, Ryan frowned. The guy that spoke looked like he was dressed in some kind of pink and white clown suit, complete with a top hat and cape. By his side was a guy that apparently loved hair dye, since his entire head of hair was green. When he began to pick at his nails with a bored expression, Ryan noticed just how long they were; even from where he was sitting he could still make out their shape.
The host moved to begin seating them, but when he was being guided to a table across the tavern, the man shook his head. "No, this will not do. I need a seat over there, by other people. It feels terrible lonely sitting in a dark, isolated corner in a place like this." He was exaggerating, and something in his tone made Ryan doubt this was the case. Regardless, the host began guiding the two towards the table just next to where Ryan and Henry sat.
Leaning closer to Henry, Ryan nudged the kid with a frown. "Who're they?"
Henry's eyes were just as wide. "I don't know. They've never been in town before…but no one ever comes to Storybrooke. The curse doesn't allow it."
"You know of the curse too?" The clown spoke, clapping his hands together with a bright smile. "Marvelous! That makes things much simpler." Henry and Ryan shared a look, uncertain as to what this meant. "My name is Mephisto, and I have come here on a rather important mission from Japan. You wouldn't happen to know where I could find the owner of this fine blade, do you?" From over his shoulder, Mephisto pulled off a red case that had been hanging on his back since he entered. When he uncased the object, Ryan was surprised to see a blue sheath within, clearly a sword.
"You brought a sword into my tavern?" Ryan stood up, glaring down at him. "What kind of a man does something like that? You don't just go walking around armed, waving things like that around like they are toys. Give that to me, you crazy clown." He snatched the sword away from the man, who smiled with mild amusement. Across from him, the green haired man stopped playing with his nails to glance over towards him.
"You really are a lively one. I guess that means the game will be fun, once it actually begins." He glanced towards Mephisto, frowning for a moment. "Are you sure I have to wait, brother? This powerful human you spoke of doesn't appear to be coming after us."
Something seemed a bit more tense about the smile Mephisto gave his brother. "Such an impatient one. Really, Amaimon, if you're going to ruin things this early on in the game, I might as well just tell you to go back home. I'm certain Father would enjoy hearing your reasons for coming to Earth after so much time back home."
Amaimon looked only mildly surprised at his comment. "Of course he would. Father has been looking for this one for ages. He'd be pleased to know that I've found him."
"Wha—aren't you worried about your sword or something? What the hell are you guys even talking about?" Ryan didn't understand. Most people would try and fight back if someone took something from them. These guys were acting like Ryan and Henry had disappeared.
Turning towards him, Mephisto smiled. "Oh, not at all. That sword is rightfully yours, Rin." Rin? Ryan frowned at the name, glaring at the clown.
"The name's Ryan, you bastard! And besides, I don't own any kind of weapons, let alone some medieval piece of crap like this." He was getting irritated with these two rather quickly. They were talking down to him, like he was an idiot or something.
Henry blinked at them, rising to his feet with his book. "Wait, Rin? Are you sure that's who he is?" The imaginative kid was far more concerned about proving his fantasy world real than he was about the two guys wielding weapons in a restaurant.
Nodding, Mephisto smiled and pulled his hat down further. "Of course. I wouldn't have given him the koma sword if I wasn't certain, child." Leaning his head back, Mephisto clasped his hands together in front of him, tempting his arms so that his hands rested just below his chin. "Though, I should warn you. That blade was never meant to be pulled from its sheath. I wouldn't remove it unless you planned on becoming something…a bit less human."
Less human? Was this guy nuts? Ryan glared at him, still keeping the sword tightly gripped by his side. "Listen, you stupid clown. I don't care who you are, or what you think this sword is, but I'm not going to stand around and let you try and tell me what I can and can't do. You think I'm not human? Get in line, I've heard that crap my entire life."
"My my, this one has such a temper." Mephisto glanced out of the corner of his eyes towards Amaimon, who nodded in agreement.
"Indeed. At least I know how to keep myself under control when I'm angry. This one seems to be different. Do you feel it too?" Amaimon was focused on Mephisto, who nodded with a slight smile.
"Feel what? What the hell is wrong with you two?" Ryan was on the verge of telling them to just get out. This was his tavern and he didn't have to take this from strangers.
Rising to his feet, Mephisto focused on Ryan, making Ryan realize that this guy was actually a bit taller than him. "Lesson on etiquette number one, young man. Never raise your voice, especially not when dealing with your clientele." Lessons on manners only made Ryan grit his teeth. This man was about to get a fist in his face, if that was what it took to shut up his arrogant mouth. "Lesson number two, the guest is always right, no matter what he claims. So, if I say that sword is yours, and I am a customer in your fine establishment, then you agree with me…that sword is yours."
"Ryan…you know you can just take it. Think of it like a gift…" Henry tried easing the tension, but it really wasn't helping.
Still, Ryan tried for the kid. He swallowed, taking a deep breath and nodding. "Yeah. A gift. Some creepy, weird sword…exactly what I wanted." Looking down at the blade, he wondered if there was some other reason for this. Still, he didn't want to start a fight in his own restaurant. That wouldn't be good for business.
Offering the case, Mephisto smiled. "Yes, a gift if you like. Just keep my warning in mind! You wouldn't believe what that sword could unleash. See, while this curse may keep your memories at bay…there are some things that even it cannot stop." Again, these strangers seemed to know far too much for people outside of town. Henry's eyes had widened slightly at those words, though.
"Wait…if you know so much about the curse, then you must know how to break it." The clown stopped, glancing down at the kid with raised eyebrows. "Everyone is suffering because of it…they can't get their happy endings back so long as it exists. Please, Ryan and I are trying to break it. You've gotta help us too."
Ryan didn't want to work with these people. In fact, he didn't want to deal with them again at all. "As intriguing as it sounds, I am going to have to pass. People suffer all the time, child, it isn't my business if one town has more suffering than another." That was going too far. He was turning his back on people in help, on Henry. He knew how to help, Ryan could hear it in the arrogant tone of his voice, but he was refusing to do a thing.
"You…you know how to break it." Ryan spoke with his hands shaking by his sides. "But you won't do a thing?"
"Of course not. The only person we're concerned with…is you, little brother." Amaimon spoke, smiling towards Ryan. "But, best of luck with your curse breaking! After all, if you manage to do that before we bring back your memories…well, it just means I get to start having fun a little bit sooner."
He sounded far too pleased with that plan, especially with the way Ryan glared at both of them and charged forward. "Shut up, you selfish jerk!" Ryan had been planning on just hitting them with the hilt of the sword, but his eyes widened as something else happened instead. Somehow, his vision was tinged with blue, and that made him slow down. Amaimon blinked, jumping back and perching himself on a table in a low crouch.
"Amazing…just like Father's." He smiled widely, standing straight after a moment.
"Amaimon, you know what I've said." Mephisto was watching the green haired man with narrowed eyes. "While it is impressive, considering his powers are still sealed, he is not yet ready for your test."
As they spoke, Ryan glanced down at his arms. Covering his skin were blue flames, dancing along his arms and his legs. Somehow, they weren't burning away at him, and they didn't even touch his clothes. "No…I'm not…I'm not a monster."
There wasn't even a slight amount of pity in Mephisto's gaze when he glanced towards Ryan. "Of course you aren't. You, my dear boy, are a demon." With that, the clown grabbed Amaimon and began dragging his brother out of the tavern. They hadn't even ordered a single thing, but Ryan could only think of that man's words before he left. So many people had called him a demon's child before. This time, however, was the first time he even considered that they might be right.
Happy Easter everyone! I hope you enjoyed another chapter. Feel free to review and tell me what you think!
