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ivorys-back · 11 months

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The Birth of Aku

Quick disclaimer, this is based off of a mini-comic by @demonangelgirl134 who came up with the story, I just decided to write it out. Luzbel belongs to me, Jeretik and Hagenti belong to her (although I did helped out with the names).

Timeline-wise, this takes place before Lucifer's fall in Roxy's AU. Luzbel tried to make a mindless demon to wreak havoc upon Heaven and the mortal realm, but miscommunicated the conjuring spell and thus came out Aku...as a baby. So then he goes to Jeretik, the Scroll-Keeper, and demands that he gets rid of it somehow. But even though Jeretik works for Luzbel, he still has a heart and refused to kill an helpless baby who was less than a day old, and by some miracle he managed to convince Luzbel that the baby wasn't a complete failure and that they could still teach him their ways, and that's how Jeretik and Hagenti became dads.

Hope you all like it!

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It was a typical day in Hell. Demons moved about their tasks; hunting and gathering, torturing sinners, the usual. And in the center of it all was Kokytos, the darkest and deepest part of Hell. Built skillfully into the giant frozen lake was a tall, dark, menacing castle. A deep moat of lava circled it, with hellhounds and guards positioned at every gate to keep people out, and its residents in.

But every day was never the same in this realm of chaos and fire.

Deep within the bowels of the Devil's palace, all was quiet in the Great Library. Through winding stretches of shelves littered with tomes, some dating back millions of years, a serene silence; a sense of calm flowed like a lazy river. The labyrinthian maze twisted and turned and looped; it was easy to get lost in if you didn't remember your steps.

Despite it’s design, the library was by far the only welcoming part of the castle: well-lit for easy reading with large plush chairs tucked into nearly every available corner. The shelves had long ago grown overcrowded with a nearly uncountable number of books, scrolls, and journals leading the newer additions to be stacked on the ground in haphazard patterns—leaning towers, piles, and even pyramids. The air was dusty, but warm.

Jeretik, the Scroll-Keeper, had already caught himself dozing off a few times before a set of hurried footsteps snatched his attention.

"Jeretik!"

He jumped in his seat and swiftly turned around to see his master, Luzbel, looming in front of him, his hands behind his back and his sulfurous breath coming out in what seemed like heavy pants. Had he ran all the way through the library to find him? And for what reason?

"Y-yes, my Lord?" Jeretik asked, standing up as straight as he could.

"I have a task for you. Do you have a minute?" Luzbel asked.

Jeretik cast a glance at his littered desk. "Y-yes, sire. How may I be of help?"

"Good." Suddenly, Luzbel pulled out a wriggling black bundle and shoved it into Jeretik's arms. The Scroll-Keeper was so surprised that he stumbled back and nearly fell on top of his desk.

Once he got his bearings, Jeretik looked down to see that peeking out of the bundle was a little green face with a white nose. Getting a better look at it, he saw that it was a baby, less than a month old, from the looks of it. It had black skin, tiny spikes all over its arms, and flames that flickered from its eyelids.

Jeretik was so stunned that for a minute, he couldn't move. "…Wha—?" He looked at Luzbel, who was standing with his arms folded, waiting patiently for a response. "Where did this little thing come from?"

"I made it," Luzbel said matter-of-factly, though not without a hint of resentment in his tone. "By accident."

(Earlier that day…)

"Arise, my new minion! Bring darkness and despair across the land and Heavens!" Luzbel roared, the room around him alight with flames as he slammed his trident down into the center of the pentagram, and suddenly a wave of black inky matter spashed up and out from it, slowly forming as the flames died down.

Luzbel watched and waited in anticipation. He had done the ritual perfectly; soon, he would have a brand-new servant to do his dirty work and destroy the Heavens once and for all—

"Aba!"

A childish giggle caught him off-guard. Looking down, his eyes widened and his wing-ears drooped in disappointment as a little black demon sitting on its bottom looked up at him, reaching for him with its tiny claws.

"What the—?! This is impossible! I recited the chant perfectly! Why is it a baby?!" he growled, stomping around while the little thing babbled to himself and patted the ground.

Luzbel looked over his shoulder at the baby. It just laughed at him and got on its hands and knees, crawling steadily towards him. He hissed under his breath; now he'd have to erase this whining inconvenience and start all over again. He turned around just as the baby was less than three feet in front of him and raised his trident high above him, ready to strike a fatal blow.

The baby stopped crawling and its green face fell, sitting down as it looked up at the weapon and the one who held it—the one who made him. It looked at his face, the fury and resentment in his eyes, and its lip started to tremble. Its eyes became misty and a whine started to build up in its throat.

Luzbel heard the start of its cries, and his angry expression faltered. There was no way he could kill a baby that he made and get away with it—not without Jehova finding out. He'd have to find someone who could get rid of it. Someone who hadn't killed before and could use a few body counts.

'Make Jeretik do it,' a voice in his head prompted. 'That weakling couldn't even kill a fly. Tell him to make it suffer for its miserable existence.'

'Tell him to get rid of your mistake.'

(Present time)

Jeretik stood in stunned silence after he processed everything he'd been told.

"So…what do you want me to do with it now?" he asked.

Luzbel looked at him over his shoulder. "Get rid of it," he instructed, pulling out a dagger from his cloak and tossing it to Jeretik.

The Scroll-Keeper looked down at the blade in his hand, which had started to tremble. He swallowed hard, then put on a polite smile.

"I…s-sire, forgive me for voicing my opinion…but…I cannot possibly do this! After all, it's just a baby! The poor thing's less than a day old—"

"JUST DO IT!" Luzbel yelled, his back alight with flames. His sharp tone and loud voice made the baby in Jeretik's arms start to cry. It gripped the Scroll-Keeper's shirt tightly and tucked its face into his chest in an attempt to hide from Luzbel.

Luzbel looked at the baby, then grabbed Jeretik by the collar and tugged him close. "I don't care how you do it. Just. Get it. Done." Then he disappeared in a puff of smoke without another word, causing Jeretik to be dropped, the child still clinging to him.

Jeretik was frozen as the child squirmed in his arms. He could hardly believe what his master was telling him to do. He knew he didn't have the guts to kill anyone. But he also knew that Luzbel wasn't a very understanding being, that was for sure, so they all had to do whatever it took to please him.

Even if it meant killing an innocent baby.

Steeling his nerves, Jeretik let the baby sit on the ground in front of him while he was on his knees and held the dagger above his head, closing his eyes tight. He'd make it quick; it wouldn't even be painful.

So why couldn't he stop his hands from shaking?

A whine made him open one to see the poor thing sniffling in fear, on the brink of tears. It made his heart melt.

He couldn't do it.

The Scroll-Keeper lowered his hand and tossed the dagger away, a clattering sound echoing throughout the library. His eyes became teary with shame and guilt as he buried his face into his hands, his wings curled around him and his tail limp.

"I can't," he sobbed quietly. "I can't do it."

A tiny tug at his sleeve made him look up with damp cheeks to see that the baby had crawled next to him and was pawing at him. It made little cooing sounds that made him feel a bit better.

Smiling gently, Jeretik wiped away his tears and picked up the baby. It weighed no more than a stone, staring up at him with those big, adorable eyes. Innocent and unburdened by any knowledge beyond that of its soft blankets and the arms that cradled it. He had never held such a young creature in all his years, and in that moment, he believed this child was the only being in all of Hell who did not fear him.

The little thing was not dissuaded by Jeretik's claws and horns as it reached a tiny hand up to pull his spectacles off of his face. This child was indeed a bold one. Jeretik experimentally poked it with a claw; the baby shrieked and giggled.

"Now then…" Jeretik mused as he stood back up, taking a seat in his chair once again. "What shall I name you, little one?"

"Aba wa!" the baby cooed, pawing at his ears.

Jeretik chuckled, smiling warmly. He figured he should at least know the child's gender before deciding on a name. So just to be safe, he pulled the waistband of its diaper away to peek down at the fork of its legs. It was a boy.

'You don't know the first thing about taking care of a child,' a voice in Jeretik's head whispered. 'You need help. Big help.'

He'd be lying if he said the voice was wrong. While he was good with youngsters, he didn't know how to raise a child, especially if he had to do it alone. He needed someone to assist him, to help him take care of this little creature.

Thankfully, Jeretik knew just the one.

***

"Hey, Jere," Hagenti greeted as he entered his and his mate's private chambers. "Sorry I took so long, I came as soon as I cou—" He stopped dead in his tracks once he laid eyes on Jeretik sitting next to a basket, and something sleeping in the blankets lining it.

"Jeretik…" he said, his tail flicking gently. "What is that…?"

Jeretik looked up at him, then at the bundle in the basket. "Luzbel…gave me a child that he made by accident…and he wanted me to get rid of him," he explained.

The Scientist's mechanical eye clicked and whirred as he walked up next to his mate to peer into the basket and saw the baby; he was curled up snugly into the blankets, sleeping soundly.

Hagenti was so surprised, he didn't move for a long moment. "Why… why did Luzbel want you to get rid of a baby?" he asked, sitting beside his mate.

Jeretik's hands clenched, and he looked at Hagenti . "I-I don't know…but when I tried to convince him that he wasn't a complete failure and that we could still teach him our ways, he…" He took in a shaky breath before continuing. "To say the least, he…wasn't too happy. He demanded that somehow I kill him." His voice trembled. "But I couldn't. It didn't feel right to me. So I decided to raise him…as my own."

Hagenti's face softened and he reached out to hold his hand. His expression was enough to tell Jeretik that he understood. He shifted himself closer so that they looked like they were joined at the hip. "Well…you have always said you'd like one," he mused.

"Yes…I have," Jeretik said, leaning his head on his mate's shoulder. "I just wish it was under better circumstances."

The Scientist smiled at him and wrapped an arm around his waist, holding him close. "Me too. But I promise that no matter what, we'll take care of him." He tilted Jeretik's head up so that he could look at him. "And I'll be right there with you."

Hagenti leaned in and kissed him tenderly. Jeretik melted into it, and a few moments later they broke away, pressing their foreheads together affectionately as the Scroll-Keeper purred.

The sound of cloth rustling and little cooing sounds made the two look down at the baby, who had woken up from his nap. He squealed and reached for Jeretik, who picked him up and set him on his knee. The infant looked at Hagenti, babbling at him and pawing his coat. The Scientist gently took him from his mate and held him, sticking his tongue out at the little demon. The baby cooed at his mechanical eye and tried to grab it.

"N-no, no! That's not for playing with!" Hagenti said, leaning away from the baby's hands. He just giggled and leaned his head on his chest. Hagenti smiled and held the tiny creature. "So…have you decided on a name for him yet?" he asked.

Jeretik thought about it for a moment, then nodded. "Yes, I have."

"Well, let's hear it then."

Jeretik looked down at the baby in his and his mate's arms with a tender smile. "His name is Aku."

#just text #writing #gift for friend #my oc #luzbel #jeretik the scroll-keeper #hagenti the scientist #aku #friend's ocs #maybe i'll make a part 2 of this

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