AN: Backtracking, with Mammon as the main character. I think this is my favorite chapter, despite rewriting half of it because I forgot to save...
Interlude 1- Flames of Rebirth
Mammon watched as Harry apparated with a sharp crack.
Impulsive girl.
He watched on, amused, as Squalo began to rant.
"VOI! Doesn't know the name of fucking teamwork, hell if she doesn't return, and if that overgrown tigress inconveniences either Boss or the Varia..."
Fretting, Mammon thought, amused. Despite what it looked like on the outside, Squalo was the one who cared most about Harry, not Lussaria. It amused him that he was more of the mother hen than the energetic sun.
Levi opened the door for Xanxus with all his channeled fanboy-ism, his priority as always being the Boss. He probably couldn't care less, as long as Boss was with him. Meanwhile, Lussaria's gaze flickered to Squalo. Seeing that the second-in-command was otherwise distracted, the flamboyant man grabbed the chance to take the driver's seat for himself. Mammon was pulled inside by Bel, who dragged him to his lap. Bel had actually gotten clingier with Harry's presence. Well, that possessiveness had eased sometime before the plane ride, but Mammon found that he didn't mind- couldn't when it came to Bel.
Finally noticing who took the driver's seat, Squalo began cursing, but instead of kicking Lussaria out, squeezed himself next to Bel. With a loud thud, he hit his head against the cushion of the seats, gritting his teeth with a grimace as he anticipated the would-be long drive.
"Buckled in, sweethearts?" crowed Lussaria, swinging his head back and smiling widely.
The car jolted forward, rushing outside of the airport. "Let's get going." Lussaria laughed, almost hysterically as he stomped down on the pedal.
"Fucking lucky Potter," hissed someone vehemently.
That sound came from Squalo.
Mammon merely smirked. Being quite used to magical transportation: portkeys, floos, the Knight Bus (not that anyone knew Regulus Black even heard of that transportation), and apparition, most Muggle transportations were all on the side of 'quality' in his transportation scale.
Mammon found his mind drifting to his life as Regulus. Again, because with Harry in the picture, he couldn't help but think of his life as a wizard. He had been ignoring that part of himself for so long, especially after becoming the Mist Acrobaleno. But with Harry entering the picture, everything had returned and struck him, full force.
Regulus had quite the exciting life, with many pivotal moments, especially for a supposedly sheltered second heir. Sirius's total abandonment of all things Black including his younger brother Regulus himself, joining the Death Eaters at the tender age, realizing that the Dark Lord had to be killed and that the man had a Horcrux...
But what took the cake in Regulus's most life changing event was definitely wrought from the result of his last orders to Kreacher in that fateful day.
The day he first awakened his flames- by activating his Dying Will.
"You have to do everything you can so that I drink the entire potion, Kreacher. No matter what I do or say- force me to drink it. Once the potion is drained, take the locket you saw Voldemort hide, and destroy it. And most importantly; you cannot tell anyone, especially Mother of what happened. Tell her that you don't know where I went." Regulus said intently to his oldest friend.
"Do you understand, Kreacher? Can you promise me this?" His eyes bore into those of his house elf's.
"But... But Master Regulus..." the elf fretted, ringing his dirty clothes as he looked around anxiously. "Master Regulus..."
Regulus's eye softened at his elf's nervous expression. "I trust you, Kreacher."
Out of everything in the world, this was what he could say without hesitation, without doubt. He wasn't sure if he trusted his parents, or Sirius. But Kreacher?
This, he knew. This, he could say with full confidence.
Tears appeared in the corner of the elf's eyes, making the large orbs shine and his thin, wrinkled ears drooped. Kreacher still gave Regulus a small nod.
Regulus turned to the potion, and breathed in deeply once, steeling himself. Using both hands, he lifted the basin and determinedly brought it up to his trembling lips.
He drank.
'Like a reckless Gryffindor,' thought Regulus as he ordered Kreacher away along with the last of his sanity.
He knew he was going to die. He had set up his own death, to kill the Dark Lord.
This wasn't ambition.
Was this bravery, then? Stupid Sirius. He must have infected him with some awful Gryffindor mindset before leaving.
Cave. Inferi. And his magic, completely drained.
I am about to die.
Regulus did not want to die. He wanted to live. He was not even past twenty, he had not yet lived.
His life was full of regrets as well. Being a Death Eater at sixteen, for one. For letting go of Sirius without a fight. For being the obedient, second-best son. For never being able to stand up, for always being weak, for Kreacher almost dying because of his thoughtless mistake of mentioning his most trusted friend as the most trustworthy elf to the insane Dark Lord...
His throat was burning. He had to get water. Water... He rushed to the banks, crouching down. It did not matter to him that the water was filled with inferi. Or maybe he forgot. Nothing was important, but the desire to quench his burning thirst.
Regulus threw away all of his decorum, the honed poise of the son of the Ancient House of Black, and dunked his head in. Cold water rushed into his throat. He sipped ravenously, but it did nothing to cool his burning throat.
So, so thirsty.
He needed more.
He dunked his head in further. More, more, more... Cold, dead hands touched him. His mind clawed itself, desperately trying to remind him that this water was not safe. If he was of the right mind, he would never touch the filthy water, nonetheless drink it. But right now, Regulus was far from sane.
The fetid smell of rotten flesh burned his nose.
Before he could even react to the touch, the inferi grew fiercer. They grabbed him, and wrapped around him in a deadly embrace.
For beings with rotted flesh and bones, they were strong.
The Dark Lord's magic fed their otherwise weak bodies. Regulus had enough sense despite the deep thirst to struggle, to try shaking the corpses off.
It was futile.
He sank deeper in. It now reached his knees, his chest, his neck, and now he sank completely, hands and eyes all useless as he struggled in vain. The surface was now so far away, and everything was dark. All his magic had been used to come inside the cave safely, and whatever magic that was left was drained due to both the potion and in his struggles against the inferi. Regulus had also ordered what could have been his last resort- Kreacher- away.
And so, what was the point of keeping his eyes open?
Nothing mattered. Regulus had not come here to live.
...
But then again, Regulus had not come here to die.
His eyes snapped open.
Regulus refused to die.
That was when he felt it.
There was a stirring inside of him, something that was familiar and yet not. It was something he never actually paid attention too, just assumed to be a part of his magic. But with his magic completely drained, and with a will to live, Regulus could feel the small spark lighting in a way it never had before. It was power, pure and simple; a type of power Regulus had never felt before in his life, burning inside of him.
It felt different. It was different.
It was a different energy, potent and powerful and it coursed through his body. Regulus welcomed it with open arms. Like flames, he though, watching his body light up like indigo bonfire. His mind cleared. The bold-colored flames did not harm him, but it certainly harmed the inferi.
Of course. Inferi were weak to fire.
He burst out of their wretched grasps, and took in large gulps of air as he shot out to the surface. Air never tasted sweeter.
Panting, he sat next to the edge of the small island. His feet touched the cold water. Regulus couldn't find it in himself to care anymore. The flames danced around him, illuminating the entire cave.
Everything was bathed in indigo fire.
Beautiful.
When Regulus finally came to his senses and out of whatever drunken haze he fell into with his near-death event, he left the cave. He used the little wooden boat, even though he could have swum across. Inferi were that weak against his newfound flames. But instead of apparating away immediately once he was outside, like any smart, self-preserving snake would have done, Regulus couldn't help but linger.
He stood atop the cliffs which had the perfect view of the cave that changed everything of his life, irrevocably, and stared contemplatively.
Voldemort was still at large.
...But it was no longer his problem. The Dark Lord's horcrux was gone, and Regulus had done all that he could do. The Dark Lord would be mortal once more. For a long time, Regulus had had no real desire to return to his home, and he certainly had no excuses ready enough to fool the Dark Lord. His family was safer, and he was happier, with him out of the picture.
The rest would be up to the other witches and wizards, more capable then an eighteen year old teenager like him. Pulling the cowl of his robe even further, Regulus left the cave, and Britain. It was time for a new beginning.
His beginning.
Regulus wondered faintly if Sirius would approve.
It didn't matter what Sirius thought now, though. This was Regulus' story.
And his alone.
Only he had the right to control it.
The car arrived at its destination. Bel laughed his creepy laughter when Mammon did not get off right away. He jabbed Mammon viciously on the side. "The prince thinks Mammon was sleeping," Bel accused.
Mammon slid off, and once Bel was out floated to his head and settled in his hair. "Five million euros if you want a true answer."
"Shi-shi-shi," cackled Bel, as he followed the rest of the Varia to the hotel- their destination.
AN: Why are all my chapters getting longer? I'm pretty sure I planned for all my chapters to be under 500 words in the beginning... lol. Also, I fixed some of my mistakes on my first chapter. Ring Battles? What Ring Battles? XD Oops. That, plus some tenses.
Big thanks to everyone who reviewed/followed/favorited! Thank you!
