Puppeteer
Chapter 6: Fire Angel

Pure gleaming whiteness, penetrating and painful like a pin in the eyeball. There was no source of light, no shades, no ceiling, no ground, no walls, no sounds. Only empty, silent nothingness all around him. Die 'Kammer des Stillstands', a place where time and space didn't exist and a place he hadn't seen for the first time.

Amaimon didn't know, how long he was already in here or when he would be released again. At first he had started pacing around for a while, but since there was no end and no beginning, he stopped eventually. There were no doors he could enter, no gap, not even the slightest physical legitimacy he could outdare and therefore no escape.

It was unfair and unjustified that he got banned in here. He had done nothing what could have endangered Mephisto's plans and Aniue knew this, despite his well-chosen words that hid lies behind palliations. Excuses remained excuses!

»You may have the potential to be a loyal companion, but you waste this potential every single time you fail me.«

Those words hurt. Was he really nothing more to his brother than a big disappointment...?

»A pact with you? Not interested.«

»I-I'd give you everything, everything I can give to you and whatever you want.«

»Your strength corresponds to your rank, your existence is subordinated from birth to my word. There is nothing you could offer me that I'm interested in.«

»But Aniue... Samael...«

»You want to make a pact with me for your brother's sake?« Finally, Satan got hooked. It did not necessarily have to be a good sign, though. »What do you want from me exactly?«

Amaimon brooded. Should he dare? Satan's sudden interest in this pact was kind of suspicious to him. But, did he have a choice? Maybe the Lord of Darkness knew an adequate price for what the Earth King wanted... »I want Aniu... Samael to be safe. Therefore, I wish that you stay away from him.«

Satan sneered, and that very moment Amaimon acknowledged, he made a mistake. It was too late now, though. Just one glare and Amaimon dropped to his knees, only one flick of Satan's fingers and the Earth King convulsed with pain in every fibre of his body, hot like the fire of the limbo and as sharp and cold as frozen shards of glass. The pain was piercing, pulsatile and gnawing at the same time, it withdraw his air to breathe and the will to cry. Tortures only the God of Gehenna was able to command.

»Hehehehe... d'you feel the pain? Splendid! Don't forget it. And now apologise for your impertinent demand.«

»F-father I'm sorry.« he whimpered.

A content, cruel smile plastered Satan's lips. »Of course I won't fulfil your demand, at least not to the same degree that you wish. However, I can offer you that I'll restrain myself a bit if you are still eager to help your brother. After all, I couldn't bear to be a cruel father, could I?« Mocking laughter dripped from his lips like poison. »And now... the price.«

The pain stopped as suddenly as it had come. Amaimon could hardly stand his ground even though he was on all fours. His view was befogged, his limbs still twitched resembling a post quake shock. Yet he mustered to look up stoically at Satan to demonstrate that he was still determined to support Mephisto whatever it may cost.

The God of Gehenna bent down in front of his son and cupped his chin, not in a gentle way like a lover would, but in a painful manner, forcing him to fix his gaze on Satan's eyes and piercing his cheeks with sharp claws. Satan forcefully tilted Amaimon's head with his fingers left to right, up and down as if he looked for something specific, but his eyes always remained fixed on the azure ones of his son.

»Interesting.« Satan murmured, pondering. »The same passion like Samael, although for other reasons. Enduring pain you could easily avoid for the sake of disposition from dogged stubbornness. I see it in your eyes, too, even though the both of you differ so much from each other..«

Amaimon remained quiet, his eyes never breaking eye-contact with his father's. Yes, he was thick headed, after all this was for Mephisto's sake and thus he wouldn't surrender easily, even though he felt uneasy.

»I want to have it, your passion, this is the price.«

»W-what? Just that... nothing else?!«

Indeed, back then Amaimon agreed light-headed to that pact, having no idea what it meant to lose one's passion... until the moment he lost it completely and everything became dreary and dull. Gehenna, Satan, his existence, Assiah... even Mephisto became dull to him up to a certain degree. Oh, he still obeyed his brother willingly and helped him out if it was necessary... yet, it wasn't the same like before. Sentiment got lost and only routine remained.

Ever since that fateful day, he wasn't close to anyone or anything at all any longer... not even to himself.

Amaimon sat on his haunches, sighing and brooding. His hand traced his chest for a second, the spot Satan chose to put his mark on to seal the pact, the spot he chose to snatch his passion from.

As of recently he felt fragments of passion returning again, assuming the shape of rage and jealousy... and insatiable desire for Mephisto's attention. The restless demon king sighed again. This confusing mix of emotions inside was worrysome... if things stayed the way they were he might lose his sanity sooner or later.

The days passed by without another incident. Neither Rin nor Yukio discussed the matter, mostly due to the fact that they hardly ever saw each other. The younger twin seemed to be swamped with work out of a sudden. He left the house before Rin woke up and came back again when Rin was already fast asleep. The only indication for him to return at all to the dorm was that his laundry piled up in the corner of their room and his cupboard got emptier day by day.

If Rin wanted to confront his brother after lessons, he was quickly declined. No time for chatting, Yukio always said, or there's a mission...

But seven days after their trip into Mephisto's past, Rin refused to be ignored any longer.

BANG!

The plastering crumbled like snowflakes from the classroom's ceiling as the door hit the wall, after every attendant of cram school left - well, except for two.

»Yukio, we need to talk!«

The younger brother sighed irritated and rolled his eyes in annoyance. »I have no time, there's a mission in Yokohama. I'll be back in a few da-«

BANG!

Rins hands crashed down on the tabletop of the classroom's desk, causing the wood to splinter and the table to groan. »Fuck that damn mission! We talk now! No goddamn excuses!«

With stoic calmness Yukio readjusted his glasses and crossed his arms in front his chest, one eyebrow darting upwards. »Well then... talk.«

»Shura told me, you had a nervous breakdown in the staff room last week!«

»No, I hadn't.« Yukio answered, his voice calm and controlled. »It was merely dizziness. However, I fail to see your problem with that, Nii-san.«

»You are my brother, damnit! I'm getting concerned about you if I hear such things!« Spontaneously Rin grabbed his brother by the shoulders and shook him softly. »Talk with me about stuff that bothers you. I know how you feel, damn! I feel the same, you know!«

As quiet and composed as the younger twin had been seconds ago, as effervescent and choleric he became the very next moment. He pulled away from Rin's clutch, slapped his hands from his shoulders and glared at him.

»You understand nothing! Talking does not extinguish the pictures from my mind. Talking does not turn back time to the moment when you had a choice! I don't talk about things, I don't want to to talk about, let alone remember! Deal with that and leave me alone!«

Blue flames licked on Yukio's skin. Not once had he dedicated himself to them, ever since the Gehenna Gate incident. Not once had he made use of the flames during a mission. He'd always kept his demonical inheritance shut down deep inside, always mastered to control it, when Rin failed to do so ever and ever again. And now it broke lose like a rogue firestorm in a parched forest.

Rin took a step backwards, surprised at the sudden rage he was confronted with. It was so easy to forget that Yukio was a son of Satan, too, even though he had those slightly pointed ears.

»Yukio... calm down, okay?« He tried to reason... in vain, though.

Mephisto was about to prepare the upcoming parent conference day and worked through his concept he needed to discuss with the staff members during their next staff meeting, when Shura Kirigakure thundered into his office, pinch clutching Yukio's and Rin's heads with each of her arms like two felons. She pushed both boys into the middle of the room and then turned towards the principal.

»Mephisto, yer fosterlings, yer responsibility. Those guys smashed the classroom, fightin' with thar frickin' blue flames against one another. Had ter activate thar sealin' rings. Vatican won't be pleased, I bet.« she announced casting a concerned side glance towards the twins before looking at Mephisto again.

The demon principal stored his flamboyant, pink fountain pen away, moved the folder containing the meeting preparation sheets aside and leant back in his chair, observing the scenario with a sly grin.

»My gratitude for your operational awareness, Kirigakure-sensei. Let Vatican and both opponents be mine to worry about. You may leave.« he stated before he turned his full attention towards the boys who, each on his own accord, looked utterly ashamed.

The upper second class exorcist narrowed her eyes at him warningly before she nodded and turned to leave the office.

Mephisto rose and snapped his fingers to summon a pot of tea, as well as three teacups and a plate with biscuits, which were manifesting on the small table in front of his sofa. Both his half-brothers pinned their eyes on the ground firmly, obviously not daring to look him into his eyes. When he placed his hands on either one's back to gently conduct them to their seating-acommodation, both of them winced like beaten dogs. My my, a bit jumpy, aren't we?

The twins quickly withdrew from his gentle touch and seated themselves but none of them seemed to feel the necessity to explain what had happened. Guilty as charged, one might say, such a cumbrous situation.

Hiding his chortled laughter with a theatrical sigh Mephisto settled on his upholstered sofa and treated himself a cup of tea - the legendary ‚Dà Hóng Páo', an Oolong tea more expensive than gold, but so worth its price. Its bright orange colour, its mellow, rich aroma and its enduring aftertaste aspected in its favour and superior quality. The very first sip matched an orgasm for his taste buds, making the principal close his eyes in appreciative delight.

Both his half-brothers should consider themselves honoured that he offered them the opportunity to taste this rare, exceedingly precious tea. By mischance, though, they had the impertinence to ignore it completely and still remaining silent to top it all.

He narrowed his eyes at his protégés over the rim of his teacup, before he finally accepted his ungrateful duty to break the silence between them first.

»Very well, one of you should start initiating me into that hapless incident, meaning, before we sit here for the rest of the evening in utter silence and twirl our thumbs, right? If I might suggest, let's hear the voice of reason first, Okumura-sensei.«

The addressed winced... again. »Sir, I... I lost control over my flames and Rin tried to stop me. It kind of got out of hand, though... well, at least until Shura-san appeared and repressed our powers with those sealing rings... that's about it.«

Mephisto sighed. This would be a tiresome night at this rate. »Basically, this is just a slightly different summary of what Kirigakure-sensei reported about five minutes ago and therefore no detailed information. My interest is pinpointed to the question on how such an unfortunate outbreak on your part could have happened. Be aware, that I wouldn't be so very curious if it were Rin running amok once again, knowing he is hot-tempered and negligent - oh, don't look at me like this, Rin, you know it's true - but, you, Okumura-sensei... I have to admit, that it surprises me to a certain degree that it seems to be your fault, judging you by your typical cautious and efficient ways of dealing with problems.« Mephisto noted, scrutinising Yukio thoughtfully, while spotting the younger twins shoulder's slump with every word he spoke. Quiet unusual for him, who would always appear straightened up and correct, no matter what.

»Sir, I..I-.«

»Fuck it!« Rin swore and rose from his seat, daring to throw a challenging glance at Mephisto with a weird mixed-up expression of wild determination and sheepish embarrassment.

Inwardly the demon grinned, outwardly he held his moderately impressed façade straight and added an extra portion of affronted dismay to it. »I stole your damned diary, flipped through the pages and then my blue flames went cracking your crazy seal on it. We both got absorbed into that bloody thing and saw... well, we saw things... about your past... in Gehenna.« Rin's choleric passion subsided in his voice, so that even Mephisto, with his distinctive sense of hearing, had to concentrate hard to catch the words.

When the principal reassembled the words in his mind, though, honest astonishment joined into his expression. Forest green eyes traced back to the miserable looking younger twin who made the impression that he wished to crawl under a rock and die. Yukio Okumura got a glimpse into his past as well? Indeed, this explained quite a lot... apart from that it was most entertaining.

»Such a charming choice of words, Rin-kun, especially if one considers your offending tone. It sounds like you wish to accuse me for you stealing my diary and snooping around in my past... or rather the both of you, as it seems.«

The teenager murmured a more or less adequate apology, but Mephisto did no longer listen, his mind had other fish to fry. It wasn't quite clear yet, why both twins got absorbed by his diary, even if they were together during the time Rin broke his seal.

The trips into Mephisto's past proved to be a rather complicated process in itself. The chairman constructed his seal that way that it only reacted to the matrix of Rin's blue flames and solely used those as an identification mark to transport the person's mind they belonged to for the short duration of carefully chosen memory sequences to Gehenna. If Yukio participated as well, there was only one logical explanation left: Their blue flames were practically identical, or, better said, they were two parts of a whole.

Unfortunately, Mephisto didn't calculate this possibility. It made the whole endeavour a little more difficult. More difficult, yes, but not impossible and he wouldn't be the grand Mephisto Pheles if he were unable to cope with such a challenge.

Two parties he'd have to persuade, twice as much salesmanship, but also twice as much fun. It was an easy equation.

Mephisto rose with the elegance of a predator about to take down its prey. He strolled to Rin who seemed less affected by the current events and pushed him down on his seat again with gentle force.

»We will have to postpone our little discussion until later. Wait here and don't touch anything apart from biscuits and tea. Okumura-sensei, follow me into the study room. I want to talk to you in private first.« The younger winced once again, before he nodded and rose to follow Mephisto with the air of an elite soldier around him into the aforesaid room.

All that pretending to appear strong, Yukio Okumura, it will be your downfall if you keep it up like this.

The demon politely offered him to step in first and followed, closing the door shut, making sure that the other wouldn't hear the clinck of the key as he locked them silently in. The young exorcist looked tense: his body trembling, his hands clenched to fists and standing there lost in space not daring to face him.

Officially Mephisto knew Yukio longer than Rin. Since his 7th year of age, being a frail and anxious boy, he had witnessed him grow up and studied his development and he did surely become a capable, courageous exorcist.

Up to a certain degree he even resembled his foster father very much. He was determined, brave and intelligent, however, he lacked that impressive mixture of recklessness and daredevil attitude, Shiro Fujimoto owned. The latter had learned to accept his weaknesses and had managed to convert them into strengths. However, Yukio was too sincere and tried too hard to suppress whatever he chose to be a weakness. A tragedy which searches its equals. At such rate he wouldn't ever be able to outgrow himself or develop further if he stubbornly refused to face his inner demons.

Quietly the Mephisto moved up to the boy, infiltrated his personal bubble intentionally and faced him. He didn't expect, though, that Yukio's shoulders trembled because the teenager started to cry, silently on his own and ashamed for it, just like that little helpless kid he once used to be...

»Oh, dear!« Mephisto reached for a handkerchief, a polka-dotted pink linen cloth, in his suit pocket and started to dry Yukio's tears away. To his disgrace he absolutely lacked the right, comforting words at the moment. He could charm and flirt away tears of a woman, but tears from a man were such a different playground.

»Sir Pheles... please. This is quite embarrassing enough for me.« The young exorcist, turned his face sideways, removed his glasses and stubbornly wiped the tears off his face with the sleeve of his trench coat. He closed his eyes for a moment, inhaled deeply twice or thrice to calm himself and put the glasses back onto the ridge of his nose. »Well, you wanted to speak with me... I excuse my little emotional breakdown, I'm prepared to talk now.«

Let the game begin.

»A Swiss clockwork, mind you, is a masterpiece of mechanical systems. However, just a disarranged gearwheel in the whole structure will cause the watch to stop and thereby lose its functionality.«

»Watches can be repaired.«

Mephisto quirked an eyebrow knowingly, before he poked his forefinger against Yukio's chest. »Only up to a certain degree, I fear. A small, disarranged gearwheel can harm the whole construct severely if not treated immediately and with utmost care. No watchmaker in the world will be able to repair that sort of damage.« Finally, Yukio looked up at Mephisto, thoughtfully, almost desperately. Good, the boy got the metaphor. »It is a peculiar thing, a clockwork. Useful, indeed, yet, oh-so-delicate, don't you agree, Yukio?«

"Sir... What can I do?" Barely more than a whisper, but a cry for help nonetheless.

The demon principal grinned wolfishly. Veni, Vidi, Vici.

TBC

A/n: Okay, another quick upload... my my, I'm really on a roll lately. xD Am not quite that pleased with the outcome of that chapter, especially the metaphor part... or Amaimon's pact... though. :\ And it's kinda hard to write Mephisto's point of view... hope he's not OOC. ._.;

Thanks to my reviewers, followers, readers. You are encouraging me to give it my best. :) Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Mata ne~ Zeitdieb