Chapter Text
Song untraveled road - thousand foot crutch
Shiro Fujimoto glared down at his now deceased lover, she looked peaceful laying on her side where the source of his ire and hatred hid. Azure flames encased a small newborn in her protective hold, it wiggled for a moment growling. Perhaps sensing his presence.
a demon. "His name...is Rin." She had told him weakly, it was all she could get out before...before.
The paladin stood straight flicking his cigarette away, he readied his shotgun. Satan took Yuri away, he wouldn't let his spawn be free.
He aimed his weapon as the demon wiggled free it's blue flames warping around it, crawling over its dead mother its closed eyes opened just enough for it's eerie blue and red eyes to be visible. A tiny blue heart pulsed near its chest.
It hissed a long slender white tail rising above it, Shiro knew what had to be done. Yet, his arm trembled, why couldn't he pull the trigger?
"What is the problem, mein freund?"
Shiro startled then inwardly groaned, he turned around to find sameal, king of time. Better known as,
"Mephisto...why the hell are you here?"
The demon king, was smirking as he twirled his pink umbrella around he lifted the tip of his shotgun up enough to aim at the demon who sniffed at the cold air, tail still raised.
"This demon took your dear one, yes? A child of Satan, a clear threat to assiah. So why I wonder?" He wondered as he took a few steps toward the newborn who snarled at his approach, the elder demon smiled down at the spawn sharp teeth showing before turned back to the paladin with wondering eyes.
"Do you hesitate?"
Shiro frowned, the demon annoyed him but he was right. Yuri's heated voice about understanding Satan invaded his thoughts, his eyes began to burn.
Fresh pain about his lost loved one, about Yukio losing his mother to this demon filled him. He gripped the gun tighter, it shook in his hold.
The newborn unable to comprehend it's danger curled up over its mother's hip and gave a few whines, mephisto hummed at the sight before tapping the end of the gun barrel with his umbrella.
"We could turn the demon over if you'd like? I'm sure this demon would be a useful resource for the order"
Shiro tensed looking mephisto in the eye, the elder kept his smile.
The order could learn alot about Satan's flames maybe...he lowered his weapon again. It was an idea at least, and since he for some reason couldn't bring himself to shoot the damn thing.
"Fine, take the little bastard. I never want to see it again." He ground out pulling his gun over his back before with an annoyed tick began grabbing a cigarette from his chest pocket, mephisto stayed quiet for a moment a glint the paladin didn't like in his green eyes.
" Hmm perhaps a wager, mein freund?"
Shiro did his best to convey his distrust at the idea, glaring at the king of entropy who smiled unfazed.
"I don't have a choice do I." He took a puff from his bad habit and watched as mephisto said nothing choosing instead to turn around and lower himself to the infant, Shiro watched as the elder demon gently picked the spawn up. It became distressed tail whipping around for a moment before with a wave of mephisto's hand it fell asleep in the crook on his arm.
"I shall turn the demon to the order, however-" he paused for theatrics and Shiro felt his annoyance rising, " what?"
" In exactly ten years time, I shall give you the choice to see the spawn once more."
The paladin raised a eyebrow, pulling his cigarette out between his fingers.
" What? Why the hell would I? The hell are you up to sameal?"
He expected the demon to smile again, but he became blank for a moment eyes traveling down to the demon infant.
" I do wonder, Shiro Fujimoto. The human conscience is a curious thing, you can of course refuse."
The paladin felt an annoyance bubbling up but chose to ignore the demons machinations for now, mephisto gave him no more of his attention disappearing in a puff of smoke with the demon.
Shiro let out a slow breath looking at Yuri's still form, he would bury her here. She would have been mad at him, no doubt.
"It's for the good of assiah," he told himself. But even as he said it aloud it felt hollow.
.................
Telling Yukio that His mother had passed away was the hardest thing he'd ever done, he wished the boy had reacted differently.
He had looked startled at first before he quietly went to his room, it took several days for him to come out. The priests that helped raise the young boy all trying to coax him out.
He had entered Shiro's study late one night after staying away, asking for answers. Why did Yuri die? He had asked with pain, why did his mother get taken from him?
The six year old demanded answers he couldn't provide, the boy had received a mashou at a young age due to an attack on the monastery. But he was just starting to learn of the demon world.
Shiro could see the fire in his young sons eyes, he took a deep breath and shut his eyes in thought. There was no easy way. He just had to be honest.
" Yukio, your mother was a very strong women. One of the best exorcists I knew." He began, his sons lip wobbled, rubbing at his eyes with his forearm.
"Then why, dad?" He asked again, sniffling. Shiro stood from his desk and walked to his grieving son, wishing he could bring her back.
He wished he could go back and stop her, but that wasn't possible now.
He chose to fall to one knee infront of his teary eyed boy, he placed a hand on his small shoulder.
" I'm so sorry, Yukio..."
"Was it ... A demon?" He asked timidly, Shiro's grip tightened gently, " it was."
He nodded perhaps at the honesty, perhaps at his inner thoughts he looked up at his father and cried.
Yukio had always been skittish, a shy gentle child. But at this time, looking up with an anger his father didn't know he had in his turquoise eyes.
"Dad, I want to be like you and mom."
Shiro felt himself smile sadly at this much to young child, his back straightened and he looked more sure.
" Dad, I wanna be an exorcist."
.............
Over time Shiro began to numb to the pain of Satan taking Yuri from him, he and the other priests began working with his son to teach him the basics.
He was a quick learner, far too smart for one so young.
He had chosen to keep Satan's spawn to himself, the memory of the little beast flooded his mind from time to time. But he chose to ignore it.
No need to think about it, the bastard of Satan was Mephisto's problem.
..........
On Yukio's tenth birthday, Shiro brought the young prodigy exorcist to his mother's gravestone deep in the forest she loved to explore.
Yukio was quiet as the two looked down at the small stone, Shiro smiled sadly placing a hand on his sons shoulder.
Looking around the snowy forest the paladin felt a familiar tug at his thoughts, he shook his head as soon as he remembered the damn things white tail waving around that eerie flame at the tip.
For some reason he'd been having a harder time recently ignoring the memory, and the nightmares. They started a month or so ago, he had drifted to sleep at his desk.
He remembered a soundless void, like he was floating in water. And a cold that seeped into his bones not unlike the winter wind, he couldn't see anything no matter where he looked.
Like he was blind.
A scream desperate and feral broke the silence, he flinched as it invaded his mind. It was like a wild animal trapped in a cage.
"Father?" Shiro jumped looking toward a confused and concerned Yukio who seems to have been calling him for a bit.
"Father, are you okay? Your minds been wandering alot lately." He mentioned with a hint of worry watching with sharp eyes, his father chuckled lightly. The boy was young but far to observant.
"Sorry kid, let's get out of this forest I think I've had enough of memory lane today."
His son frowned at the dodge but nodded following after the paladin.
........
" Why hello, Paladin Fujimoto!" Mephisto pheles began from behind his desk, the paladin glared daggers at the demon shutting the doors behind him.
" Okay what's going on, sameal?" He hissed at the manipulator, said demon hummed in question eyeing his human friend with a smirk.
" Why whatever do you mean? You look a tad paranoid, paladin. Perhaps, you should get better sleep?"
Shiro slammed the desk pointing an accusing finger at mephisto," so you do know, bastard. Tell me what the hell is happening to me."
Mephisto snapped his fingers and a pink armchair appeared behind his friend, the exorcist kept his angry gaze with the nonchalant demon before pouting collapsing in the oversized furniture. He glared miserably at the smiling demon, a cup of tea was offered by his Butler but he wasn't in the mood.
" Now tell me, what has you so distraught?"
The paladin shut his eyes, the image of blue flames sparked behind his lids before fading away just as quickly.
" The nightmares. The memories? I don't know, I just cant get this thing out of my head. Like it's cursed me." Then he paused in alarm, " it- I'm not cursed, right?"
Mephisto laughed out loud taking a sip of a floating teacup, "I quite doubt the spawn of Satan has such an influence outside his space."
Shiro frowned, " so it's alive then?"
Mephistos eyes looked into Shiros then and sent a wave of uncomfortable nausea through the elder priest. Then he threw both hands up and shrug with a smile that split his face.
" Perhaps, perhaps not. You have three years to decide if you truly wish to know."
Shiro groaned letting himself slide deeper into the armchair with a tick of annoyance, he hated this bastard at and his times.
............
One month, one more month and he could get this stupid wager off his tired mind. The nightmares seemed to be getting fewer, and he was thankful. Yet he couldn't shake the horrible feeling in the pit of his stomach, and feeling he recognized as anxiety. He shook it off, Yukio had been catching his agitation more these days.
Darn kid made him proud, he smiled but it quickly fell.
One more month.