☆ bunbun! ☆

"Eggs, if you must."

A curt nod comes from you. "I'll do that, Goodnight."

You force your brain to think of enough eggs for the seven lords tomorrow. Judging by the ingredients, prep will take at least half an hour. The climb to the next floor begins, the stairs creaking omniously. And Beel would keep swiping in between meals while Asmo ties a hairclip to you, apron tucked neatly on your clothes by Mammon—

There's the sound of glass breaking coming from above.

Lucifer would be sighing right now.

You muse whether the chandelier is still retaining its structural integrity. Your thighs burned earlier from climbing the ungodly number of stairs—you've grown used to it now. It does not make you out of breath anymore. Feet make their way towards the source in the dark.

A cacophony of noises already graces your ears as you reach for the door handle.

"What is it now?" You say, and glance over the mess. The chandelier? Broken. Mammon and Leviathan are squabbling again, Belpheghor and Beelzebub are in a corner: the former half-asleep and goading his elder brothers, the later content on chewing the deviled sandwiches sent by Simeon. Asmodeus is nowhere to be found. And Satan must be at the library right now.

You set to work with a clap of your hands. The chandelier is repaired by your magic (Bless Solomon) and Mammon and Leviathan separated from each other.

"Off to sleep, you two." You say with practiced firmness. "I'm leaving right now, see you all at breakfast. Goodnight."

You make your words as curt as you can, because interacting with them hurts. They're still your demons, yet so distant. And the ones you left behind--you don't even know whether they are okay.

Please be okay.

You don't spare them a glance when you leave, already headed for the left corridor, where the fourth-born is usually.

Satan isn't in the library.

You forgot.

Right, he does not have access granted to him yet. Not until he manages to control the anger simmering in his veins, claw it down to make a presentable, proper demon. Uncivilised demon, Lucifer had told him once. Who will ever take you seriously if wrath is all you have to give? Muttered exasperatedly as he chained down the brother carved from his own anger and flesh and blood, ignored the outburst until he learnt how to behave. A storm of green had locked with your own when you stumbled upon them both.

His claws were red with dried blood, worn down from clawing at the cobblestone. Canines bared and face of fury.

You made a reminder to bring some antiseptic later.

The morning starts off uneventfully, thankfully. Mammon digs into his soup first, as always, while the day's events are glossed over. You bite into your eggs and wonder how much more before another event occurs.

Solomon had said that he would be at the Demon Lord's Castle due to some pending affairs to settle. It always sounded ominous coming out of his mouth. A kiss to your temple, and he was off.

He fits in anywhere he goes.

Cutlery clanking acts as background noise as you let your mind drift. Strengthen the pacts again, go back to your timeline. Your goal here.

Testament stamped into your very bones.

Lilith's divinity still runs in your blood, seeps into your soul. Immunity from the corruption embedded in the Devildom, temptation turned into strength.

He had seen you take down inhumane creatures with your power: a flick of your wrist, a spell on the tip of your tongue, seven demons at your beck and call. Ready to destroy and tear out flesh, maws dripping with blood. Going back to sit at the feet of their Master after, waiting for the next command. A shepherd and seven ravenous wolves in sheep's clothing who discard their disguise when needed.

Tamer of beasts, truly, you are.

Anyone else in your position would have been caught in rapture, mind drunk with the power in their veins. Solomon the Great, Solomon the Wise, Solomon the King has been only able to attempt to form a pact with the other six beings.

Protecting humanity is his goal, but what is yours?

He had asked you once, when you decided to wander off from the Palace to the lake, content in petting a dove. The ornaments on his body clinked as he bent down to admire the creature. What it is that you desire, human? Seven Avatars at your beck and call, yet you make no conquests. What is your motive?

Michael has never been able to gauge your intentions, hidden motives in your latest achievments. Maybe it is riches, or beauty, or power that you would have sought. Maybe even the ability to manipulate Time.

A nonchalant shrug of your shoulders, you let the dove fly away.

So he settled for observing.

The Ring Of Light went missing from his room soon, and Judgement was delivered to Simeon in due time. Back to the Devildom, this time with greying feathers. Sacrilege, he had muttered, but let him take it all the same. Never let him know that he knew what the former seraphim was attempting.

Maybe angels were never meant to be too carefree.

Or maybe He was too rigid.

Your power had grown in due time, surpassing everyone else's. Sent to the past now, when the Devildom was still adapting and unfiltered. A House of Lords watching the brothers every move, deadly trials awaiting the Prince. A nascent realm, ready to pounce and strike upon those deemed weak amongst beasts.

And you stuck in the midst of it all.

Newborn demons, brutal and cruel. Still adapting to the horns sprouting from their heads, the itch in their bones maddening as they accommodated to the wings and tails. Painful metamorphism. And you emerged from it victorious—having gained the trust—and admiration of the rulers of Hell.

What is it that you want, Lilith's descendent?

Lucifer's hand ruffles your hair when he sees you at the dining table, Mammon grabs your hand while leading you through the streets, Leviathan's and your knees touch while you play games on his console. Satan strokes your knuckles as he reads out loud to you, and Asmodeus oils your hair while telling you about his day. Beelzebub and Belpheghor keep you up at night with chatter that deviates from one topic to another.

The Ring of Light sits pretty on your finger, pacts used to neutralise threats and command the siblings to halt.

He never would have envisioned it to be love.

And yet that is all he sees.

just a moment ago, your phone was in hand, text thread with a friend staring back at you. now, you lay haphazardly on some kind of uncomfortable wooden ground as vague and distant voices reach your ears.

as you blink away blurry hues of sleep, lord diavolo stands over your form. it takes a moment to adjust to your surroundings, quickly taking note that the lord is in his demon form. something must have happened- this is not an every day sight. shuffling to pull your tired body off the ground, you meet his gaze. "thank goodness," he speaks with a small smile. "you're awake."

as you open your mouth to speak, the lord cuts you off. 'you've been out cold this entire time. we were really beginning to worry." his words send a strange feeling up your spine, head turning past his wings to notice the brothers also in full demon form are here as well. lucifer looks displeased with whatever this situation is, mammon and leviathan both look you up and down, asmodeus just looks like…well, asmodeus, and the twins are stood together seeming uninterested. it does not go unmissed that satan appears to be not present. words are falling from mammon's lips, but you do not hear. your eyes continuously scan the room, scrambling to remember anything about how you got here and were knocked out.

"wait, mammon. they don't seem to know where they are." a gloved hand is placed against mammons tanned chest, stopping his approach. you know that's lucifer speaking, so why doesn't it sound like him? something is laced within his words that you don't think has ever made an appearance. the group seems to fall into rapidfire questions and concerns, belphegor asking if you're lost.

"lost?" you finally find your voice, though it is smaller than ever. "they smell good for a lost demon, i wonder if they are hiding some good food." beelzebub's voice is deeper. the look in his eyes as you meet them with your own hungrier than you've known.

"i-" "this facility is currently under construction, and under the direct authority of the demon king. what are your intentions of being here?" the lord has an authoritative twinge to his voice. this must be some kind of fucked up dream- or maybe solomon managed to poison you all once more with some stupid enchanted muffins. regardless, you struggle to find words as the seven demons all stare down at you. a beat of silence passes before your phone dings in your pocket, the sound nearly causing you to jump. instinctively it is pulled out, and an unregistered contact pops up to greet you.

'pleased to see you. shall i take you someplace you will be happy? somewhere that will bring you more joy than any other. a world you desire and where you will be desired.'

a short text is typed in response, demanding to know who they are. and as quickly as you had replied, more texts fly onto your screen.

'i clearly have you worried, don't i? well, there's no need to be. nothing remains hidden from me. i see everything. nevertheless, we shouldn't keep them waiting. you have received a second chance at a fated meeting. do you understand?'

a picture is sent at the end of the influx of messages, your beloved seven staring at you from the screen. your eyes look up from the image to them standing in front of you, then back down. 'i don't understand.'

'let me rephrase then. the people you meet here, you are fated to form a deep bond with. i shant tell you my name. just know that you will be entering your own past. or the time of someone you don't know. but never fear, they will always be there waiting for you.'

no more messages come in. as you look up from your phone once more, you meet the lord's eyes and feel yourself freeze up. "i apologize my lord, my friend sent me an address to meet them but it appears i got it wrong." as strongly as you try to mask your fear in a bold face lie, it wafts off you in every direction. the lord seems to ponder your words before nodding slowly, his arms falling to his sides. "i don't believe we have ever met before, which is strange as i know every demon in the devildom- nevertheless, i am diavolo, the next in line to rule the devildom…" he goes off into an all too familiar tangent of each demon brother and their respective sin. "there is one more brother, but he isn't-" a loud noise cuts his speech off, startling you. it seems to have come from the halls leading to this room, which you are now beginning to recognize as the council room of RAD. "speak of the devil…" as bewildering as this whole exchange is, you have to stifle a laugh at belphegor's joke.

satan himself bursts forward into the bones of a room, a look of true rage on his face. a heavy sigh falls from lucifers lips at this. "asmodeus, you did make sure those chains were tight enough, didn't you?" at his words a scowl crosses your features. "why would he be chained up?" its a quiet comment to yourself more than anything else, but diavolo hears.

"that demon is satan, child. the avatar of wrath himself. when i stated that lucifer had another brother, he is who i was referencing." he pauses, turning to glance at satan as if waiting for him to pounce before turning back. "they have all just arrived to the devildom." you nod as if any of his words even make sense. it really is starting to feel like some fucked up nightmare of being thrown into the past, right when the brothers lost the great celestial war and fell. something about this dream just feels so real. "avatar of wrath. i understand." your head is still nodding, eyes trained on satan behind diavolo as lucifer and mammon attempt to wrangle him into submission. this moment is so personal, so raw, that you consider looking away. as if this isn't something satan would want you to see.

with you lost in thought, satan manages to escape his older brothers grips and launches at belphegor. beelzebub is body blocking him in an instant, shielding the youngest. "thanks, beel." belphegor grunts out a praise to his twin while catching his breath. the force had nearly knocked you to the ground just from the sheer mass right next to you, beelzebub turning to you now. "are you okay too? sorry about that." rapidly your head nods with wide eyes. the tall demon sighs in relief, a smile on his face. "i'm glad. can't have a random demon pulled into our mess of a family."

his words were out of kindness- yet the effect was opposite. 'random demon' pulls at your heart. after all, you are anything but random to this group. you'll wake up eventually though, that thought comforting you. maybe you and the brothers will all laugh about this when you tell them.

"i've just about had it with all of you, this world, everything." satans low growl of a voice bounces off all the scaffolding. his hands raise from his sides as he thrashes free from lucifer's hold, eyes glowing a bright emerald. "i, avatar of wrath, will obliterate every last one of you." a breath hitches in your throat. you've seen satans outbursts, his daily battle with containing the wrath that lives in him. you know he is more than his anger, and that at the end of the day- he didn't ask for any of this. subconsciously you step forward, at the same time that he does. "oh man, we're all dead now!"

your chest suddenly heaves forward, a warm and bright feeling overtaking your entire body. the view from your eyes begins to sharpen, getting clearer and clearer as your eyes meet those dark emerald ones. a single word falls from your lips like instinct. "stay."

the hairs on your neck stand on edge, skin tingling and bubbling with something trying to break out. as if someone inside of you were thrashing about, throwing themselves at your bones to break free. until this moment, you have never felt controlled by your power rather than the other way around. in one single blink, not only is satan dropped from your view and against the floor, but so are all six other brothers. a soft whimper falls into the air as you come down, the faint taste of iron on your tongue. "sorry, so sorry." you stumble over an apology looking at the sight in front of you, mammon beginning to go off on what you've done.

the lord laughing silences him immediately.

"is this- this is funny to you, lord?" lucifer pushes up off the ground, turning to glare at you with his arms crossed roughly. "you. what the hell have you done?" your mouth opens and closes like a fish out of water. because truly, you don't know what just happened. maybe the dream version of you has incredulous power in this way? diavolo's laughter dies down as he speaks. "well (your name), i sure have never met a demon like you. honestly, that was quite the riot."

"yo, what was so funny about that?" mammon grunts through his words as he rises too, one hand rubbing at his cheek from the impact. an apologetic smile is sent in his direction, but he does not seem to accept it.

"something about this meeting feels fated. after all, i myself can't personally watch over you lot." diavolo turns in a circle, surveying the battered up bunch standing around. his eyes turn back to you. "do you think you can handle them the way you just did, for a longer period of time?"

your head tilts to the side. "you mean, babysit them for you…?" the room fills with diavolo's laughter once more. he is nearly folded over into himself, amused greatly at your words. "these demons are new, as you know already. they fought in the great celestial war, and ended up here. things have become very…chaotic, because of this, and i need eyes on them at all times."

the lords speech ends, as if you are supposed to understand what he is insinuating. you don't.

"let me try that again," his arms cross against his chest with a smile. "until things settle down in the devildom, i'd like to ask you to attend to them. become their servant, show them around, the works." belphegor makes some offhanded comment in the back about how they don't need a 'babysitter with freakish powers', which the lord ignores as he bores holes into you with his gaze. waiting for your reply, knowing the answer is already yes. after all, he is the lord of the devildom at the moment. "diavolo, we not need for an attendant. just because we used to be angels doesn't mean you must treat us like children." lucifer all but pleads with him, to no avail. he doesn't break his gaze from you for even a second, not even blinking as he waits.

"i accept."

that would be how you find yourself holding up satan's feet as beelzebub carries him, the rest of the brothers and the lord all in tow behind. after all the commotion and complaints had died down, diavolo insisted you walk with them to the brother's new living situation. you'll need to be familiar with it of course for the job, but you also already know it like the back of your hand. these weird dream versions of the demons don't need to know that. the group makes it back in due time, satan still absolutely out cold from whatever insane magic burst from you earlier. the lord has all of you exchange contact information at the gates of the house of lamentation, giving you all the proper applications and such to reach him directly.

mammon falters at the gates, an expression you know as fear on his face. "hey, its not that bad." you give him a small shrug, his head turning to look at you. diavolo also turns to look at you, confusion on his features before you realize your mistake and rush to correct it. " i mean, looking at it from here, it doesn't look all too bad." he seems to take this answer and move on, you two standing as mammon finally makes his way inside and up towards the house. "you won't be staying with them, (your name)." you stand up a bit straighter at this, mind filling with worry on where the hell to go if not here. 'i, um. don't really have anywhere…"

the lord clasps a hand on your shoulder, leaning down closer to your height with his head tilted. "you don't have a place? no friends you stay with?" he sighs, shaking his head. "i won't pry. you seem young, and when i was younger i used to find myself in runaway situations too. but either way, the house of lamentation is the one place they will have all to themselves so i apologize."

your head nods as he speaks softly, feeling comfortable finally in his presence. "i arranged accommodations for you already, so you musn't worry child."

before you can reply, an all too familiar voice calls out from behind you two. "my goodness. there you are, (your name). i was wondering where you disappeared off to. i was worried, you know!" in tandem, you and the lord both whip around to see solomon walking up with a pained smile on his lips. there also appears to be sweat on his brow- as if he had been running around like crazy. "that was fast, solomon. i wasn't expecting you here yet." the lord's warm hand slides off your shoulder, as he extends it to the sorcerer with a shake. "and you mean to tell me you already know (your name)?"

seeing solomon sends a wave of relief over your entire body. sometime over a year ago now, you two had fiddled around with some dream spells to be able to link up and dream together. so any time you see his face in your dreams- he actually is there. it reassures you in this instance to know he is experiencing this nightmare too, but also that out of anyone in the world he is the one who can force wake you.

"i know them very well, actually. it just so happens that they are my apprentice." the tall sorcerer speaks with a smile, one hand to his chin. your eyes haven't left him since he appeared, though in contrast he has yet to look at you. "isn't that right?" he speaks to you. while still looking at diavolo.

"yes," the words finally find you. "its true, my lord." diavolo is shocked at this revelation, but accepts it as fact with a nod of his head before turning back to solomon. his hands wave in the air for a moment.

"i know you are quite accustomed to outlandish things but…a demon as an apprentice, that is a new for even you." solomon gives a soft laugh at this, slender pale hands moving to rest on his hips. "they're my top student, actually…" you tune out the conversation as they go on and on. staring straight holes through solomon, trying to will him to look at you. to acknowledge how crazy all of this is. to tell you to wake up. you're brought back down into your body when diavolo touches your shoulder once more, bidding you a farewell so he may return to the castle. "i'll be seeing you soon, and i cannot thank you enough for taking on the task at hand." with that, he is gone. you and the tall sorcerer are left in a heavy silence.

he breaks the tension first. "...i'm guessing you have quite the list of questions?"

"you're solomon." you state it as a fact, and his body finally turns so he can meet your eyes. a nod, and then, "yes, i am. and you're (your name), my human friend. not my demon apprentice." he pauses, a hand coming up to reach for your own. though you take a step back out of his grasp before he can touch you, a strange emotion flashing on his face. "i don't like this dream. can you wake me up?"

his hand hangs in the air for a moment, before falling along with his expression.

"no, no i can't." the smile on his face is full of pity, and a deep sense of dread builds up in your core. "this one isn't a dream, i'm afraid. can i walk you home…? and then explain it all, of course." you feet feel as if they were floating above the ground, your body just a ghost stood here. this has to be a dream, but...you know that if solomon is here and can't wake you…

no words come out of your mouth. instead you nod robotically, making no move to walk. solomon sighs and drops his head, hiding his face before reaching forward to grab your arm. the sorcerer practically walks you like a child all the way through the devildom to the housing arrangements, your form rigid and silent. a single puff of wind from his lips could knock you over.

"we're here," his voice is soft and careful as he leads you up and into the building. your eyes gloss over a plaque stating it as 'cocytus hall', but you show no emotion at this. he all but sets you down onto an awkwardly large bed before his hands are off of you. standing back now, he sighs again and shakes his head. "i'm so…sorry, (your name). let me explain." he kneels down in front of you on the bed edge, gently taking your hands in his.

there wasn't really an explanation you had thought of that matched any of what he tells you. not even in your wildest dreams had you ever imagined a scenario like this, yet here you are. the beloved human jewel of the devildom, sent back hundreds of years in the past for God knows why. you learn how solomon followed you here, chasing you through time to cushion the fall and see you make it out alive. there is a pause hanging in the air as he dares to ask how you feel. truthfully, you don't know how you feel. its difficult enough to wrap your head around your time in the devildom as is- but this? this...absolute nightmare hand crafted specifically for you? a warm slice of anger burns your chest, but that feeling begins to evolve into pure rage as he keeps careful watch of your trembling form. "i'm angry," you tell him. "i'm quite angry."

solomon tells you how barbatos helped him dive head first into this concrete slab of a past. "it wasn't easy," he notes with a tut, "though i knew more than anyone that it could only be me following you." the lord of time, essentially father time himself, sent solomon into a potential death trap after you. instead of maybe…pulling you from the past? doing anything at all to get you back? "i don't think i understand, there was nothing more to be done?" your empty eyes look up to his, a matching look in them. the gentle hold of your hands tightens slightly as solomon holds himself at bay.

"any of the brothers from your time coming here would spell trouble, paradoxically so. believe me, all of them would have jumped to follow you if it weren't there own past." his voice is soft, though his words are firm. this is fact to him, and you are to be convinced. you still have yet to be as a retort quickly flies from your lips. "is this not your past as well?"

the sorcerer chooses silence. you take that as answer enough.

"...regardless," you begin again with a sigh, "can't i just get myself out of here? i still have the ring of light." one hand snakes out of solomons hold to reach into your pant pocket, producing the small heirloom item. it is twirled between your fingers for a moment. "this has got to be helpful in some way, right?" your hand extends to hold the ring infront of solomons face. he ponders this for a while, seemingly deep in thought. his head quirks to the side, brow furrowed. "if you remember, you were given this ring to better control and contain your power." his fingers reach up, plucking the ring from you to examine it for damage. "as we are in the long gone past now, your power...well, lets just say it is a lot weaker. your pacts don't exist here, at least not for hundreds of years." these words are what finally knock the harsh truth of it all into you. this isn't just the past, it is someone elses past. you do not exist, not even the concept of you. you are a mere speck of dust floating by in the wind.

you have never felt so small. so insignificant and worth absolutely nothing. your mind begins to buzz and jump from thought to thought of how your beloved demons don't care for you. you're nothing but an afterthought for them to send solomon after when you get too out of control.

"no," you speak outloud to yourself, shaking the thoughts away physically. a painful chill runs up your neck. "explain the power thing to me."

without missing a beat, solomon gives you a slow and thorough explanation of your power. reminding you of how it was in your actual time, and explaining why it is lesser here. there is obviously still a very fine line connecting you to them, shown earlier when you were able to command all seven brothers with one word. thinking back on it, a grimace crosses your face as you realize it could've been avoided had you only added the name 'satan' in front.

"so...do i understand correctly that i have to reforge- is that even the right word? since this is the past-" you stop yourself with a sigh, head dropping. "i have to reforge all of my pacts to even have a sliver of a chance at getting home?" his face is mostly blank as you scan it, trying to get a read on how he really feels about all of this. then, he nods and his lips part to speak.

"great." your own voice cuts him off. before solomon has a chance to react, you're crying. there is a strange empty look on your face, yet tears run harsh trails down your cheeks.

"hey, hey- i'm sorry," solomon slides the ring back into your pocket, snaking his hands up your arms to rub soft circles on the exposed skin. "i'm so sorry." pulling you closer, one hand rubs soothingly at your hair whilst the other keeps you firm against his chest. it scares solomon how emotionless you look, how dull your usually sparkling eyes seem. especially with the added contrast of tears and reddened skin.

there was of course a lot of talk before he was sent here about how you might react to all of this. lucifer was beside himself imagining how vulnerable you would be without their care. mammon felt like his world was ending thinking about you being alone, and unable to call him for help. there was simply no protecting you with this. leviathan and asmodeus had actually shared similar mindsets, just hoping you wouldn't be so frightened or worse- hurt, by their past selves. beelzebub for once in his entire existence wasn't hungry. his stomach hurt too bad thinking about you never returning. and the youngest, belphegor, hadn't expressed concerns at least outwardly. he waited until the moment him and solomon were alone, all but threatening the sorcerer to bring you back unharmed. promising a war against humanity that could rival the great celestial one if anything irreversible happened to you.

solomon had just not expected the strong and brave human he grew so fond of to cry.

still he holds you, even long after you calm down. your face is against his chest, one of his hands soothing your hair as the other holds you around your waist tightly. "i' want to go home." your voice is barely a whisper, muffled against his cape. he hears it anyways, hushing you softly. "i know, (your name). but," he unravels from around you, the loss of warmth causing a sadness in you as he tilts your chin up to meet his eyes. "i'm in this, too. and i wouldn't have come unprepared."

"i don't know how i can face them everyday and not falter. i mean, they just fell." he frowns lightly as you talk, thumb absentmindedly rubbing against your chin. "you will falter, i can't lie and say you will be fine. but as i said, i'm right here with you. okay?"

his words should be comforting, yet they rather make you more angry and emotional. solomon shouldn't have been dragged into this, given the role of saving you. there had to have been other things to do before it got to this point. but nevertheless, he is here now and it has already happened. you tell yourself that you should be thankful even a single person cared enough to break time just for the idea of your safety. with a small forced smile, you nod at him. "thank you for following me, solomon. if anyone can get out of this shit, its you." it doesn't go unnoticed the way his own smile falters for a moment.

next piece, 1-17 through 1-18