***Author's Note***

Hey everyone! Long time, no write! Heh heh.. Anywho, I had a flash of inspiration and wanted to try my hand at the whole Sebby/Soulmate thing! Yeah! I received the MOST inspiration from a handful of other stories on this site, namely Fee Fye Foe Fum. Seriously. Life-changing. My fic is going to follow the first season of the anime mostly with some creative license here and there. This Intro chapter is for you guys to meet my OC, who I already love to death! The story starts at the beginning of the Jack the Ripper arc, if you wanna follow along in the anime. I think that's it for now.

Please follow/favorite/review! Enjoy!

The second-hand of the old grandfather clock resolutely marched forward, ignorant of the importance of the fast-approaching hour. Indifferent to the young soul who quivered with anticipation and uncertainty. Uncaring of the excitement of the friends and family that supported her final preparations.

Thirty minutes 'til midnight struck. She knew as her female relatives dressed and blessed her, the rest of the coven was making preparations in the circular room where she would soon unlock her future.

Fifteen minutes 'til the bells of midnight. The anticipation of meeting her fate was squirming in her midsection. She was beginning to feel an energy swirling around her, just out of her reach. Her mother, grandmother, aunt, and three sisters were chanting an ancient blessing in her ancestors' native tongue while they adjusted her simple emerald green dress and the velvet black cloak tied around her shoulders, the family's heirloom brooch fastened at her throat. She could sense the ancient magick thrumming in that brooch, responding to her family's chanting.

Five minutes 'til she was handed the key to unlocking her fate. She was alone now, facing the thick double doors that were between her and that circular room. The magick was caressing her skin, welcoming her to her destiny. Her pale, porcelain skin glowed in the inky darkness. Her eyes closed and she whispered a prayer for guidance in the strange tongue of her ancestors. The brooch at her throat was humming with power.

One minute 'til midnight. The wooden double doors in front of her were opened. She was granted entrance to the circular room where her future would be handed to her. Her eyes opened, flashing a brilliant emerald green, and she stepped forward.

With her head held high, she slowly and regally walked forward. The candlelight danced on her long, obsidian-colored hair and sparkled on the silver circlet adorning her head. The magick thrummed in the air in time with her coven's chanting. She made her way to the stone dais in the middle of the room, being careful not to step on the various flowers and herbs encircling it. Though there were no clocks in this room, she could feel that it was only seconds to midnight. Her dainty, pale fingers reached out and rested on the dais. It was time.

"O great ancestors, blood of my blood, I answer the call of the magick within me on this, my 18th birthday. Fill me with your power, bless me with your wisdom, protect me with your guidance. Unlock for your descendent their future and show them what their soul searches for. O great ancestors, attend to me now in my coming of age. By the power held in our name, I, Lilliana Syrena Rosenburg, place my body and soul in your hands."

Her voice rang out like a bell, clear and full of power. The foreign language slid from her lips like the smoothest chocolate, invoking the ancient ritual. She lay down on the stone dais, which was warm with the heat of her family's power. Her eyes slid closed and she waited for her ancestors to gift her with the magick of her bloodline and a vision of the one who would complete her: her soulmate.

Within seconds she received her vision. So vivid and strong was the magick that the vision felt incredibly real. The scene before her was that of a forest. Sunshine streamed through the canopy in small patches, illuminating a faint path in the dirt. Glancing behind her, she caught a glimpse of well-kept gardens leading to an impressive mansion she did not recognize. Turning back to the way she was originally facing, the young girl noticed that there was less light further down the faint path. Curious, she decided to follow it. The only sound was the hem of her dress and cloak floating over the grass and leaves on the forest floor.

The path darkened considerably, to the point where Lilliana felt mildly afraid. Where is my soulmate? Her stomach began to twist and she felt uneasy.

CAW!

Lilliana jumped at the loud sound that unexpectedly broke the silence, her hand flying to her mouth as she gasped and her heart hammering in her chest. Wide-eyed, she searched for the source of the noise. Startled, she realized that there was a large black bird perched on a high, bare branch of a dead tree. Her eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion as she realized that suddenly she was no longer in the forest. This bird was perched in the only tree she could see in the gloomy, gray, barren landscape.

Turning back to the bird, she noticed that it had brilliantly red eyes and they were watching her. She tilted her head to the side in confusion. Is this my soulmate? she wondered. Cautiously, she walked closer to the tree. Each step she took she felt warmer and calmer. She smiled up at the bird, which she couldn't decide if it looked more like a crow or a raven. Its glossy black feathers were beautiful and she wondered if they would be soft under her fingers.

"Come," she called gently, holding out her arm for the bird to fly down and perch on. After a moment's hesitation, the bird flew down to a lower branch. Again, Lilliana smiled. "Come, my soulmate."

As soon as the words left her mouth, the crow screeched again and launched itself at her, talons bared. She gasped, frightened, and her previously outstretched arm lifted to protect her face. The bird continued screeching and she saw black feathers floating all around her. The instant she felt the talons pierce her skin, her whole body suddenly felt as if it was burning. She screamed and fell to the ground, writhing in agony.

In the circular room, the coven stirred restlessly as Lilliana's body began to writhe on the stone platform. Their chanting never ceased, strengthening the magick and lending guidance. They watched and waited for their young witch to complete the ritual.

Suddenly the burning pain left, as quickly as it had come, and Lilliana's eyes shot open. She was panting and there was a light sheen of sweat on her body. One minute had passed and where her body once burned, she now felt the rushing warmth of ancient magick filling her being. Sitting up on the dais, she spoke the ancient words to complete the ritual, thanking her ancestors, and her family rushed to her. She unclasped the brooch and let the cloak fall back on the stone dais. Instantly the room quieted. Lilliana looked up in confusion, slightly disoriented after that vivid vision, and was met with her coven's shocked faces. She looked down at herself and gasped.

Her mate markings.

Every witch in her family that comes of age is granted a vision where they will meet their soulmate. At the conclusion of the ritual, a mate marking will appear on the body of the witch, similar to a tattoo but gifted by the magick in their blood. Typical mate markings are small symbols that represent who their soulmate is and are unique to each person. It is rare for witches to be granted a soulmate outside of their own species, but not unheard of. The mate marking will vary according to the species, therefore granting some clues as to their identity. They will never fade from the body and any attempts to conceal them will only last for a few hours, so powerful is the fated bond between soulmates.

Suddenly, Lilliana realized that the raven/crow from her vision made sense. It was the animal form, she should have known, of a demon. The rarest of soulmate pairings. Demons are possessive of their mates and almost never is that mate a being from outside their species. When they are paired with a non-demon, the demon's mate will have larger mate markings as a way of showcasing the demon's claim of them. The more powerful the demon, the more extensive the mate markings.

Lilliana had mate markings from her head to her toes.

Just who exactly is my soulmate?! she thought with mild alarm as she succumbed to unconsciousness from the toll of the night's ritual. Her mother caught her slumped form and exchanged a tearful, worried look with her father. His eyes were sad as he whispered, "Ancestors, protect her."

Across the sea in London, there was a large stone manor shrouded in the early morning darkness. A tall figure silently walked the halls without a candle to guide him as he made his way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for his young master. His eyes glowed a faint crimson as they fell upon the clock that read 5:00 in the morning. He would have an hour to complete his tasks before he needed to wake his master. Walking to the cabinet, he carefully selected a tea set that was suited for his master's breakfast and went to place it on the trolley.

Before he could, though, the minute-hand of the clock ticked to 5:01 and he jolted in shock at the sudden burning pain he felt on his ribcage. The teapot shattered on the floor with a twinkling crash and the butler's eyes were wide in disbelief. In a flash, he was back up in his room and ripping off his bowtie, vest, and crisp white dress shirt. Moving in front of the mirror on his dresser, the butler's eyes were drawn to the side of his ribcage where he felt the burning. It was his signature mark, a demonic tattoo unique to every demon that symbolized their animal form, for it was truest to who they were at their core.

It was glowing. On top of that, it was no longer the familiar inky black feather he was born with. No.

The obsidian blackness now shimmered with an opalescent emerald green.

It was hardly noticeable except, of course, to its demonic owner. Sebastian stumbled backwards and collapsed ungracefully on the bed, his chaotic state of undress no match for the wild and desperate look in his wide, crimson eyes.

He had a mate. After centuries without any sign of having one, he had deluded himself into thinking that he was not gifted with one, that destiny and fate had simply passed over him. He had been fine with that, convinced himself he did not want or need a mate, that being bound to another being for all eternity would only be a nuisance. Now, staring at the shimmering emerald coloring on his mark and fighting down his most basic instinct, he only had one loud, wildly desperate thought.

Where is my mate?!