Hajime

"You wanted to tell me something," Sebastian stated as they settled back down in the townhouse that night.

Harry sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. His aunt had left after the fair which was probably for the best considering Sebastian might actually attempt to tear her to shreds if she was still here when he heard.

"Acirema can only hold Lucifer off for so long while I stay in one place. He is becoming more and more agitated and the most time she can stall for is three months. I will have to be captured to avoid harm befalling-"

Harry yelped as his mate shoved him roughly into the wall. His eyes were glowing fuschia, not a good sign right now, and all his fangs were bared in a vicious snarl.

"The King cannot have you," the crow rasped. "I do not care if we have to move to another country-!"

"I do! And Ciel will as well! You still made a deal to help him with his revenge!"

Shadows gathered along the wall and floor and Harry wondered briefly what his trait was since shadows was his Ability. They wrapped around his arms and legs and he frowned as they started to creep further up his limbs.

"As I will not be eating the young master's soul. Our deal is null and void," the demon hissed.

"You know that it's not. You're only changing the terms. Don't play coy," Harry replied baring his own teeth and lashing out at at the shadows with his own energy mixed with some magic. His poison would only needlessly damage the walls and was not quite so easy to fix. They scattered briefly before coming back around but by now there was a shimmering shield keeping the tendrils away. The wizard righted his uniform with a sniff before continuing, "We already discussed this."

By now Sebastian was completely covered in shadow only bits and pieces of his true form showing in the dim light of the hallway. He knew his mate was mightily displeased but there wasn't much he could do about that.

"And don't you dare take this out on my cub! Either of them. You know this has to happen! We cannot move and so Lucifer will continue to get closer and closer until none of us are safe. I will not risk the lives of anyone in this mansion."

A displeased croak left the demon's throat his eyes burning all the brighter in anger.

"It is not your duty to protect-"

Harry hissed viciously, his own teeth sharpening, as he stepped forward and pushed a finger against his mate's chest. "This is a partnership of equals no matter how it was formed. Don't you dare say it's not my duty to do anything. I'm not going to let that dusty has been ruin anything now, not after I've been avoiding him for millenia!"

Sebastian's aura seemed to puff up around him like disgruntled feathers. With a very firm hand he grasped Harry's hand, folding the pointed finger into a fist, and refused to release it despite the smaller male's tugging. With exaggeratedly slow movements he leaned forward bending the captured hand in a way that made the chimera's wrist creak in pain.

"Walking into his Palace to face him head on and avoiding him are two very different things, my dear one. As for equals… you don't even know my name."

"I know this," he bit out trying to get away from the leverage the older demon was using against him. "You think I don't? Lucifer must be absolutely ruthless to have held the throne amongst the demon kind since the beginning of creation. But I have magic and a few other tricks up my sleeve. As for your name… I figured it out a long time ago and I've been willing to give you mine for centuries."

"You-"

"I have to do this."

The shadows abruptly left and the human skin of Sebastian's slid into place silently. His red eyes were cold with rage and it hurt the chimera to know that he couldn't do much to help.

"It is dangerous in Hell. You know this. Why…?"

"You know why. It is either spend my time running as I have for the last few millennia or go down there and face him. I have a few plan options but… I need your help. And perhaps the… ugh shinigamis'."

"My legions will be at your command for the duration of your time in Hell," the crow said solemnly. "You were willing to share your name before we even mated?"

Harry blushed turning his face away to hide it. "I've trusted you for a long time Sebastian. You were my only source of companionship and well- Just yea…"

Sebastian gently touched his cheek bringing Harry's attention back to his mate's beyond perfect human guise. His eyes were half-mast, still glowing, but there was a pleased tilt to the corner of his lips. He leaned forward. His lips gently brushing over his cheek until it reached his ear. The syllables of Sebastian's True Name curled through the air with corrupted power and cruel intent. The very age and power behind it stole the very breath from his lungs. He shuddered, form flickering, relishing the pleasurable tingles that wracked his body as his toes curled.

Harry gazed at his partner for eternity bringing his claws up to brush away falling feathers as he cupped the others cheeks. He leaned forward his own Name spilling from his lips into the other's very being. It teased the butler lightly playing with his very Self until it settled never to leave again.

"Beautiful," Sebastian whispered, his gloves disappearing and form melting back into shadows, this time in pleasure.

After another round of play Harry marveled at the burning of his mark as it seemed to grow bigger burning a pattern down his back and forearm. As much as he'd like to examine the new mark and the unmitigated feeling of wholeness, there were still plans they needed to go over. The two spent the whole night debating over which strategy would work the best in the short amount of time they had to prepare. In the end they came to a tentative agreement, though Sebastian was still displeased, and Harry could start preparations immediately.

It was still the early hours of the next morning when the wizard found Soma wandering around the manor listlessly. He decided it was the perfect time to speak to the boy.

"Prince."

"Ah. Um… I am not sure how I should address you," Soma replied hesitantly.

"Just Harry is fine. I have a few things I need to speak to you about with these new arrangements."

"Of course. Let me find Agni-"

"No, just you."

"But…"

"You can tell him on your own time if you wish but for now this is for your ears only."

Soma frowned but agreed and Harry led them to one of the parlours by the entrance. He immediately sat upon the couch in front of the window and Soma sat in front of him in the winged armchair.

He sucked in a calming breath and then another. "How do I even start…?"

"Perhaps at the beginning?" Soma offered.

Harry snorted. "Then we would be here all day. Fine. I know you are a very smart child Soma. Perhaps one of the smartest out of your brothers if what your father says is true. So I will skip my history and come right out to say that I am a demon. I met your grandfather more than fifty years ago."

"But that's not… not possi-"

"Just as Agni having his hand blessed by a god is not supposed to be possible. There is much in this world that goes beyond human perception."

Soma gaped for a moment before he was up and off towards the door quicker than a flash. Of course, Harry was much faster and before the child had even gone two steps he was forced back into his chair by gentle but strong hands.

The chimera leaned down so his nose was almost brushing the prince's, his hands on either side of the chair as a steel trap.

"Your grandfather named you after me. You are mine now Prince Soma and you are so very lucky that it was I that he named you after and not the other demon that I know he had met before."

Soma sat shivering in his chair, his pupils dilated in fear while sweat sprung up across his skin.

"As you are now mine, you are also under my protection along with Ciel."

"Does he know?" the prince squeaked pitifully.

Harry frowned. "Of course he knows. Ciel is a very smart child for his age. But that is not what we are here for. Being associated as my cub garners my protection but it also brings many dangers. For one, I have a very high ranking demon out to get me right now. Another, is that roaming uncollared demons may try to steal you to see why I had enough of an interest in you to claim you as my cub. And last, to keep the second from happening I would have to mark you. But that has its own consequences best left for later when you're not about to pass out from hyperventilating."

And it was true. The prince was very close to passing out from lack of oxygen. He hadn't meant to scare the boy so badly but it was best he got as much of the conversation out of the way as possible.

"And don't think to set Agni on me to kill me. He will lose. Especially because if he does succeed my mate will take grave offense and attack as well."

"Mate!"

Soma's head slumped forward almost knocking into the chimeras. Well, that wasn't exactly the reaction he wanted but it wasn't unexpected either as his religion wasn't very fond of demons. He would just have to stay with the boy until he woke again. Maybe have Agni there to console him? Yes… that would probably be a good idea.

A few hours later, around the time that the little lord usually awoke, Soma started to stir. His eyes fluttered before opening and alighting upon Harry who was still sitting directly across from him. The boy let out a strangled shriek that had Agni, who had come hurrying in at Harry's behest, in a tizzy trying to figure out what was wrong. The demon in the room only smirked slightly for a moment before his serious face came back.

"Now that you are awake I would like to ask if you have any questions."

"You-I-Oh Shiva," the boy muttered clutching at his servant like he was a lifeline.

"I will take that as a no for now." Harry stood and made his way to the door but before he left he turned back around briefly to say, "I will give you time to let all this information sink in. Feel free to tell your khansama but no one else. Because I believe you cannot handle an information overload we will be having more discussions like this in the future. Have a good morning."

It was only an hour later that Soma ran from the parlour in his usual cheer. Harry had to hand it to him. The boy was very good at at least looking like everything was fine when he wanted to. The whole household was roaring loud within minutes and the servants were given their orders to prepare for Lord Randall's arrival later in the day.

Harry still had one more person to talk to though and he headed to the lord's study where Ciel would most likely be all day. It was, in fact, where the thirteen year old was, so the chimera quietly closed the door and stepped closer to the desk waiting to be acknowledged.

"Harry?" Ciel lifted his head to stare at the green eyed man curiously. "What did you need?"

"There are three things that need to be discussed."

"Such as?" A blue eyebrow raised.

"One is your blooding. Another is Lucifer and the last is Soma."

"Carry on then. What did you need to say?"

"Sebastian and I have both decided to wait until I get back to do your marking."

"Until you get back?" The little lord's brow furrowed and his normal frown grew a bit deeper. "Where in the world would you be going!"

"That leads to the second subject actually," Harry sighed. "Lucifer is getting much too close for comfort and Acirema can only stall him for another three months at most. I have decided to go to Hell instead of letting him find me here."

"And just what does Sebastian think of this?"

Harry hesitated noticing the clear displeasure in Ciel's voice. But there was also something else… fear maybe? "Well, he was quite angry in fact, but he knows there is nothing he can do. We have already decided on a tenuous plan of action when I'm down there."

"Tenuous?" Now the lord's voice just sounded strained. "You have a tenuous plan of action? What happens if you are stuck down there!? What happens if Satan finds out about Sebastian and I!?"

"I will not let him," the half demon said forcefully, cutting into what could have been a whole rant. "I cannot promise that I will not be down there for a while but I will not let him find out about anyone here."

"Harry," Ciel practically whimpered. "You're going to leave again. Last time you- I did not deal so well with that."

"I have to go, Little Lord," he replied softly. "It is either fight him on his home ground with the element of surprise or fight him here where there is danger of someone getting fatally injured in the crossfire…"

"I suppose then you shall do what you must," Ciel stated harshly bending his head back down to his paperwork.

"Please do not be angry at me for protecting my family, cub."

But Ciel said nothing and Harry left the study with an aching heart.

Even if it was very rude for him not to be there when Lord Randall arrived, Harry didn't really care. The people in the manor were either very angry or terrified of him right now (servants excluded). He didn't really need to deal with that on top of worrying about the future.

In fact, he decided, he didn't need to deal with any of them right now. With a huff and grunt, he shoved off the bed and meandered over to the writing desk. Writing a quick note that he went on 'vacation' for Sebastian to find, Harry left the mansion. It was probably something he would regret as they would only be even more upset with him… but he had to get away. He could cut the tension in there with a dull spoon.

With a sigh he stopped to rub his forehead briefly and glanced around the London streets. Perhaps a meal would be best to settle his mind. And so he set out searching for a suitable soul to consume quickly. In the end he wandered into the outskirts of East End near a run down abandoned factory.

A small teen was rooting through debris and he startled when Harry allowed his steps to be heard.

"Hello, child," the chimera cooed. As much as he disliked harming children this soul was just too good to pass up; purity and determination wrapped in a shell of desperation and despair.

But as he gazed upon the boys features he couldn't help but think how perfect this could be. He didn't know where they came from but half formed theories and thoughts swirled quicker than the speed of light. Vengeance and a cage… Oh yes.

"Whachu want," he squeaked, stumbling backwards. "I ain't gonna be used for ma bones! I won' letcha!"

"Used for your bones?" The demon rumbled pleasantly, "No, I do not want your bones. I want your soul."

"Yer a Devil!"

"That's right. But I can help you," he purred. "I can grant your deepest desire. Make your body whole again."

The filthy child trembled and clutched his infected stump of an arm closer. There was a few moments of silence before the boy asked if he really could. Harry agreed quite pleasantly.

"So I agree and after ya do wha' I wan, I die?"

"Very smart, child," Harry grinned.

"Okay."

"Name your terms, little one."

"I-I wanchu ta tell… tell Joker that the no good baron ain't helpin' us no more. It… Itsa message we street kidsa been passin' down for years now hopin' it would get ta Joker so he would stop bein' with tha' evil rich man."

"Is that all?"

"Nah… no… I want… I want ma arm back please. And I want you ta fix all the otha kids too." Harry smiled in sympathy and agreed. "And… and… help Joker please. Don't let tha' Baron kill 'im…or let anyone else kill 'im!"

Harry's brow twitched at that. To protect someone so indefinitely was pushing how much the soul was worth. Actually...

"I see. Child, I am not an angel. I am, in fact, the very opposite. The worth of your soul is not quite that high."

"Wah?"

"I am telling you that you are not worth the terms you have laid for your soul."

The teen cringed and the chimera could understand. It was very harsh to say to a street kid but they heard it all the time so Harry felt nothing saying it. The boy was only trying to get as much out of their deal as he could. He was a smart little rat.

"F-fine. Then… if ya can try ta protect 'im whenever ya can?"

"Hm, no."

The boy looked rather close to crying now.

"Perhaps we should start over, hm? Let's start with your first condition. Playing messenger. This I can do easily." He smiled, teeth sharp and features flickering between human and monster. "Replacing your arm, this I can also do. But the other children-"

"I wan' 'em to have… If I give up ma own? Can ya 'elp 'em?"

"Your already missing limb in return for theirs? What an unfair trade. One for many."

Harry was stalking around the boy now taking delight in the frantic way the boy was trying to follow his movements.

"I-I-!"

"Come now. I'm sure you can think of something better. You're a smart boy aren't you?"

His lips trembled, his knees near knocking together as tears built up in his eyes.

"I can't," he gasped weakly. "I don' know."

"Let me offer a different revision. In return for your body after your death I will heal the disabled children in London who will certainly die without it. Does that sound fair enough?"

"Ma body!?"

His smile got wider nearing bisecting his face. "You certainly won't be needing it after death don't you think so? Flesh for flesh. Your body for the other children."

"Yeah… yeah."

"Fantastic! As for your last wish… hm. I will not protect anyone indefinitely. No soul is worth that and you're already having me play messenger," he drawled as if contemplating stopping the deal. His steps were light and fluid as continued to circle his prey, almost looking as if he were gliding. Street Rat whimpered again, his fingers digging into the rotting pus of his stump. He looked absolutely desperate. Beautiful.

"Perhaps I can be persuaded to deal for something else?"

"Whachu wan else tha' I got?"

"Your Identity."

The child was confused, for good reason. A demon could not deal for what he was right now. Souls were food but the Identity of someone was their very Self, their mark on history. Harry was playing with fire messing with the universe like this; erasing an entire thread in the woven tapestry. For his new half-baked plan to work -and Sebastian might not be happy with the meddling but this could work so much better!- the kid could absolutely not exist.

Normally only gods could mess with these powers but with his magic and a contract it should work. Maybe the Master of Death would be able to help as well?

"Nothing you need to worry about. You won't be missed child. In fact your Identity is worth less than protecting anyone but I am generous. I can offer your one fail safe for your Joker. I will save his life once in return for You."

"A-ah… I- you will? You'll protect 'im?"

Harry's mouth filled with fangs, his grin stretching and cracking his human skin until it split the cheeks to his ears. Poison leaked from between his lips dripping to the ground and sizzling away.

"O-Okay! Deal!"

"Good good," he cackled swooping forward to tap the boy's forehead. His faustian symbol appeared sealing the deal. The kid barely had time to squeak before his soul was in Harry's hands. He turned it over a few times to get a feel for it. It pulsed warmly in his hand, quite the contrast from the cool tasteful feeling it would have when he ate it. If he ate it. He had no idea what unraveling the Identity from it would do.

He bit his lip and turned it over a few more times. He didn't actually know how to do this and messing with cosmic and godly powers probably wasn't the smartest thing to do but he was going to be up against an absolute monster on its own turf.

He sighed, reaching for the empty desolate feeling in the back of his mind. He unlocked the door of the Chambers. Wincing, he allowed the enormity of Death to settle around his shoulders like the world's heaviest burden.

Master of Mine what would thou have Me do?

"You-!"

He was startled by the sudden appearance of Death itself. He'd thought he was pulling on his own powers not actually summoning the blasted Being. What he had thought to be the cloak wrapping around him was instead the sleeves of Its own cloak as it wrapped him in a cold embrace. Harry would never admit that he practically squeaked and hugged the soul closer to himself to protect it. (It was his dammit. He'd made a deal for it and everything!)

"What are you doing here?"

I am always near Mine Beloved Ones. When thee removed thine own restriction I could henceforth appear at Mine own leisure.

He spluttered, "Whoah-no uh uh! I do not need you hanging around! Go away!"

His entire being flickered and drowned under Its fury. It lasted only a moment but to the half demon it felt like an eternity. He gasped in great gulps of air, his legs barely keeping him standing.

Am I not generous? Have I not let thee live thy life in thine own pleasures? Even as thou flee from Me and Mine servants? If Mine Beloved will not come to Me then I must go to Them.

"What is your problem," he gasped still shivering enough that he was having trouble even speaking.

Mine own issue is thy rejection. Thou came to Me arms spread and welcome, yet when I gift thee Second Life thou reject my very Being. It paused, the steel in its embrace loosening, becoming more liquid and soft. Yet thou still do not fear. So as thee will not be coming to Me I will stay with Them.

That was a particularly bad idea. Last time he'd been in Hell and Death was hanging around, It had gone passed fury and straight into apoplectic. Not to mention he didn't want Sebastian anywhere near It. He had a feeling telling It that would get him nowhere.

"There's a reason I don't want you around, you know. Not only do your reapers keep trying to hunt me, I'm a demon. I mess with the balance of the universe. Cause chaos, sow destruction."

A thousand voices laughed at him from young to old, loud to soft, cackling to chuckling as Its amusement rolled through his entire being, uplifting his spirit while he tried to shake it off.

Mine own servants were to bring thee to Me. Now that is superfluous. Balance. The voices rumbled again pleasantly. I am not Balance. I am Death. Collector of Souls. The End. Nothing else matters to Me. Only my Beloved Ones, My Chosen, that shall follow Me to the End.

"Um, right. Okay. So you're going to stalk me for eternity. That's nice. Totally. Uh… Well. See I need to go to Hell-" He winced as the hold tightened again. Oh man this is so not what he'd had in mind when he went to clear his head and his amazing find was not enough to deal with this, "Which I know you most definitely did not like, so hanging around is a bad idea."

Thou whilst cease attempting to return to that plane.

"Yea. Can't. You weren't the only one hunting me."

Petulant Child he is. Possessive. Greedy. He covets possessions not his own.

Harry's lips twitched in amusement, his hold loosening on the soul though he still kept it tightly to his chest. "That he is. But you're letting me live out my pleasures or something right? Well, Lucifer is aiming to take them away and, well, I can't have that... so I need to go."

I am Death. Eternal. Mine own power would devour this universe. But thou would not. Thou have but a shard, an infinitesimal piece. Learn it. Use it.

"Right. Good idea. Probably. You wouldn't happen to know how to erase an Identity would you?"

The soul shivered in it's hand dimming briefly as if it could understand what he was saying.

We judge, Mine own servants and I. We watch but We cannot touch.

"And, uh, how do you watch?"

Death shifted flowing away, around, through him until the Being, opaque and black and white and every color on the spectrum and no taller, but infinitely larger, than Harry, was in front of him. It held It's scythe, a large simple one you'd see being used in a harvest field, in front of It across Its chest. Did It even have a chest? It had a vaguely human form but It wasn't actually taking a shape. Almost like when Sebastian hid in his shadows except possibly more and less amorphous at the same time.

Thou have thy own. The scythe gleamed ominously. Call it. Use it.

"Uh." He was saying that a lot annoyingly enough. "Okay so probably the wand," he guessed.

A picture formed in his mind; the pockmarked black wand with five lumps that got increasingly smaller until the tip. Small veins that couldn't be seen, only felt, running along the length of the surprisingly smooth wood. The feel of frigid burn in his core when he tried to snap it.

He let out a breath of fog in the wintry back streets as a familiar form settled in his hands. As the soul was still clutched in it there was an immediate reaction. Harry yelped as reels upon reels burst out for viewing, circling through the air and showing each and every moment of the streets rat's pitiful life. Cast out at birth for being a bastard child of a whore, made his own living in the streets losing people left and right to the winters and hunger. His hand was bitten by a dog and got infected and started growing gangrenous, rotting through the last year or so. The kid lasted surprisingly long with such an infection.

Snorting, the half demon looked carefully at the reels and then at Death that was passively watching. He licked his lips nervously.

"Uh, is there any repercussions to failing this?"

Thou wilt erase thyself. I whilst not allow that to befall Mine Chosen. Instead, thou wilt erase this Universe. Slowly.

"Oh."

So get it right or risk erasing his mate and cub and the almost comfortable life he'd made for himself. Great options. Okay he probably shouldn't be doing this then.

His mind flashed to the weak plan he'd settled on with Sebastian. Having a body would negate the need for a construct and the high risk that golems had of falling apart. Having the empty impressionable soul (or he hoped that's what it would be) would hold his power much more easily than anything they could craft. But he could also…

He sighed wearily. High risk high gain, right? But did he want to risk the bonds that he'd only just managed to form? Would he be able to forgive himself if he failed?

...

Sebastian was going to be so beyond upset with him.

Harry shot his claws out reaching with his magic and Deathly Aura, unconsciously combining them, as he grasped the reels. Burning and freezing was perhaps not enough to describe the feeling that shot up his arms. Words would never be able to construe the continuous disassembling and reassembling of the atoms that made up his arms. Screams caught in his throat as he lurched back, the soul never moving from where it was hovering. Reel upon reel followed as they scattered upon the ground making a mess almost like that VHS tape Dudley had destroyed once upon a time. He yanked again, grabbing another fistful, trying to close his eyes against the blinding light that was starting to glow around the soul.

Death held His Chosen as They seized and shivered. It had never seen anyone succeed in such an endeavor without pulling the tapestry of the universe apart. He still hadn't technically achieved the task without repercussion. His Beloved was falling apart at the seams, shattering and repairing from one moment to the next. Cosmic energy was trying to take its retribution for the disruption of Balance. Death wrapped His entire Being around his most recent Chosen refusing to lose any of His Beloved. Magic, light and airy, formed a second malicious shield lashing out and protecting It's Host and Child. The world shook, twisting and bending against the very laws of nature that were set. Screams and blood, Reapers and Living ran through the streets. Away and to, collecting and dying.

Red eyes stared at Him. Then at His Beloved. They imploded, twisting into shadows.

Everything fell apart.

AN: Wow… A little bit of Demon Harry resurfaces at the end. Don't worry you'll be seeing him coming up more and more! And then the Universe collapsing! Le Gasp!