Disclaimer: So, not making any money off of this story. Don't own Demon Diary, don't own any of the characters.

Five Months Earlier

Energy gathered around his body. Raenef could feel it tingling in the tips of his fingers. He cupped his hands over the desk, wind whipping around the small room, gray clouds gathering around his outstretched arms. A stirring filled the rooms, and the windows whipped open, silk curtains flapping in the violent air. The sky outside was blue and sunny, but in the castle study, the power was palpable. The light gradually seeped out of the room, until the room was saturated with energy. Raenef's blond hair fluttered around his face, framing it perfectly. His pale blue robes practically glowed in the eldritch atmosphere.

Suddenly, there was a small popping sound. "Darn it!" Raenef shouted in frustration. When he roughly pushed away from the desk, papers scattered onto the floor. Eclipse thought he looked rather like a bird, elbows flapping up and down as he stomped and jumped around.

"Remain calm, Raenef. You are close to mastering the technique; you only need practice." Raenef had indeed improved over the past few years. After the merge of the three Raenefs, he was a much better student. Raenef now had a control of magic close to Eclipse's own, and as a demon lord had a great deal more power. He still didn't have the attitude of a true demon lord though, at least not in private. Though Eclipse would never admit it, he actually preferred things that way. The boy was meant to be flighty and naive; it was all just a part of his charm.

Blinking at Eclipse's compliment, Raenef blew a bit of blond hair off his face, nose scrunching up. He picked his notes up from the floor, scrambling them into order. "Eclipse, it's just so frustrating. I want to incorporate this spell into the newest Crusaders. The latest have just been so nasty still."

"Lord Raenef, the Crusaders are best left intimidating. I know you don't like them, but they are imposing guardians. Please, at the least, don't turn them pink again."

"They were a subtle pink!"

"They were pastel." Eclipse covered his face with his hand for a moment. The memory was too painful. His Raenef now had the same gift for enchanting objects as his predecessor, but he was rather more careless with them. Or childlike perhaps. More something. Arching one eyebrow, he went on. "Raenef, you have more raw power than Raenef IV did; I feel, however, that you should perhaps restrain yourself from some of your more personal touches."

At Raenef's blank look, Eclipse twitched. First the breakfast in bed fiasco this morning, which proved that Raenef could not cook; then the lesson, which was three hours of coming close to full-fledged weather magic, but never quite finishing a single spell; and the continued presence of the pink Crusaders patrolling the perimeter was wearing down Eclipse's last bit of patience. "Raenef, I know you find the color pink personally comforting. I have even accepted the white, baby blue, and violet room decorations. But there are certain things, my Lord, which are sacrosanct. I ask that you leave the Crusaders capable of intimidating. Even their dragon-like form can't quite pull that color off."

Raenef mock scowled at Eclipse before nodding in assent. "Fine. But only if I get to redo the kitchen. That thing I talked about earlier, with the gold and the white."

He sighed, eyes narrowed at the young man. "As you wish." Gold and white were acceptable. Not as good as black, purple, and crimson, but they had potential for grandeur, at least. "Are we finished here?" At Raenef's nod, Eclipse rose and teleported to the kitchen.

Fifteen minutes later, Raenef wandered in and made a cup of hot chocolate for himself. Eclipse was still busy slicing up tomatoes for their sandwiches with quick, efficient movements. His hands worked quickly and adeptly, never making a mistake. Everything Eclipse did was smooth and graceful. Even if his long nails tended to catch on things. "Can I help?" Raenef asked hopefully.

Eclipse continued to slice, looking at him out of the corner of his eyes. With a gentle smile, he said "Raenef, do you remember what happened the last time you tried to help out in the kitchen?"

Raenef blinked, setting his #1 Demon Lord! mug down onto the black marble counter. "Of course, Eclipse, I made breakfast just this morning." Remembering the brief fire, he quickly went on. "But that was a fluke! I know with you supervising me, I could do just fine." He tried out his best kicked-puppy expression, but Eclipse only shook his head, amusement in his eyes, and started in on the meat. Annoyed that he couldn't help somehow, Raenef managed to set the table without incident.

When they started to eat, Raenef caught himself looking at the two empty chairs wistfully. "Eclipse, where are Erutis and Chris now?"

"Chris of course is preparing to to become the high cleric of Rased." Eclipse stopped a bit, chewing, before continuing with a malicious smirk. "And I can only assume that Erutis is still being followed by Krayon. What he sees in her, I have no idea. I doubt she's still running that mercenary company however. I doubt she is good at being in one place for a long time."

"But she was with us for a long time!"

"A few months. And you are a rather special character, Raenef. People do things around you they would not normally do." Eclipse looked at him sidelong. "I for instance, am eating a turkey sandwich on rye. Not exactly my usual blood of innocents."

"What?!?!"

"Relax, my lord, I was only toying with you. Before you came I ate food like everyone else. There aren't enough innocents around anymore to survive on blood alone."

Raenef couldn't figure out if Eclipse was joking or not, so he spent the rest of his meal sneaking suspicious glances at Eclipse out of the corner of his eye. He was almost certain he was being teased, but with Eclipse it was so hard to tell.

When Raenef finished, Eclipse started cleaning up. This was why, when the message appeared, Raenef was the first to see it; unthinkingly, he simply grabbed it and started reading. "Council of war? What? Eclipse, come look at this. This note is from the Demon Council, inviting us to a council of war in two days. What are they talking about?"

Eclipse took the letter, reading at it with a blank expression. "It is as expected. The demons are getting anxious."

"But why?" At Eclipse's expectant look, Raenef stopped to think. "It's not because of Chris, is it? But he won't try to attack you and me, will he?"

Eclipse carefully folded the summons before answering. "The fact of the matter is that none of the other demon lords will feel comfortable with the vessel of Rased running the largest church of the known lands."

"Chris wouldn't attack us, I know it."

"But not all demons are so immune. Indeed. I believe this meeting is taking place because they're afraid."

Raenef turned away, looking out of the window. "Surely it can't be certain? War can't be inevitable. Not yet."

"Not yet," Eclipse acknowledged. "No doubt this meeting will address how to prevent such a conflict. Demons are not immortal; we want this war no more than the humans do. "

"Chris wants it though." Raenef looked out of the windows overlooking the main lawn. He and Chris had fought there, and had faced Raenef IV, along with Erutis and Eclipse. "He hates demons."

"But he doesn't hate you." Eclipse's voice was soft. " He knows you. Remember, you are a demon lord, and you have power, but you are not like them. You don't have to change and become like them."

I only have to change my public behavior. Only the way I speak to others, the way I comport myself, the way I decorate and dress. Out loud, Raenef only said, "But I am still a demon. And so are you. We still use dark magic, both of us. And that's not something either of us can change." Eclipse squeezed Raenef's shoulder softly, not knowing what to say, then left.

Raenef went out onto one of the many balconies of the castle, and leaned against the white marble. From here, he could see the palace grounds, raised on a plateau separate from the rest of the realm, which stretched out for as far as Raenef could see. All of it was his to rule, or at least to intimidate. The lawn was green and beautiful, but the land around it was parched and barren. For the first time, Raenef was discontent. It was all well and good to be a demon lord, but Raenef didn't want to be a demon lord alone, disconnected from all other people. He didn't want to be a green plateau, alone in a desert. He loved Eclipse, would do anything for him, even study, but Eclipse was so remote sometimes. Raenef wanted an old woman to putter around and make him cocoa, or for someone to joke around with, like Chris. Though maybe they would never fool around like that again. Raenef wanted to make people happy, and have friends like back in Puhel.

Raenef stood there, thinking about weather magic, and the desert, and rain. Controlling spells was always easier for him when there was purpose behind an action. The thing he had never liked about the other demon lords was how mean they were. They never helped anyone, only hurt others. No wonder Chris didn't like them. Maybe there wouldn't even have to be a war if the demon lords just started being nicer.

His mind made up, Raenef went back in to talk to Eclipse. He would attend the meeting in two days, and he would act regal and intimidating, but he would be himself. And he would try his own prevention efforts, whether the other demon lords liked it or not.

Author's Note: Eh, so I've mapped out the next 5 chapters, and there will be smut. Which, I've found out, is actually really fun to write. That will probably be appearing in the chapter after next, so we have a little ways to go.