Chapter two; Mirrors

Anger had always been the root of his desires, fueling his actions, but the rage he felt now was like no other; he had been betrayed, no, deceived, and the fact that he let it happen angered him more than anything.

Lucifer trudged the room, all the mirrors broken, along with the furniture, and his blood was boiling over rapidly. Rosemary stood in the corner, trembling. The demon stopped, leaning over the broken mirror, sighing. Within the glittering shards, he could see the face of his son, Pepito, the child's outcome of destiny different; sadness replaced his anger, and he lowered his head, balling his clawed hands into fists.

"He had so much potential. He could have ruled the world with an iron fist, by my side. He could have had it all." There was a numbness that altered within his tone, but something laced those words together; fear, perhaps? "Why would he just throw it away, so suddenly? But he chooses to go by thunder, instead."

Rosemary walked forward, dispatching herself from the corner she stood so fearfully in, and placed a hand on the demon's shoulder. There was a silence between them, cold and desperate as she searched for something to say, and the heat of his body grew under her touch.

There was a swift flash of movement, and a pain ached through the top of her scalp as he yanked her hair, holding it up to look at her properly. She let out a cry of pain, clawing at his hand, her eyes leaking tears and she whimpered. After a moment of desperate pleas, she forced herself to open her eyes and look at him; a horrible snarl had contorted his face, sharp teeth blaring, and he growled at her lowly.

"You gave me a false child! Filling him with hopes and dreams, allowing him to make friends—My plans have shattered because of you!" he screeched, throwing her by her hair and into the wall, a sickening crack echoing along the carpet; she dared to look up at him from the floor. "Pepito has no place here; and neither do you. I will find a new wife, and conceive another child, a better one, to take Pepito's place.

"I will alter it, make it stronger, harder to kill, give it a strong mind; and I will have control." he hissed, a forked tongue running over razor sharp teeth. Lucifer let out a low laugh as Rosemary's head dropped, her neck unable to hold the weight, and he walked back over to the mirror, staring at his son. "Besides," he growled, the putrid sound of the demon's voice almost a whisper; "It will be fun to see Pepito again. It's been so long, with business and all.

"I'm sure he'll be very happy to see me."

X

"Amigo, I can't do this."

"Yes you can. Just ask, at least. That's all you have to do."

"But what if she says yes?"

"Then do it."

Pepito looked awkwardly ahead of him, scratching his shoulder with nervous hands. He and Todd had decided to spend the day in the park, working on doing 'good deeds' to allow the half demon to get used to functioning in normal society. Pepito hardly ever went out; the only real person he ever talked to without a threat under his breath was Todd, and even then he had trouble conversing with him normally.

The antichrist looked to an old woman shuffling across the concrete of the parking lot, paper bags in her frail arms, and she seemed to be struggling. With weary eyes, he looked back at his friend, who gestured towards her knowingly. Dread filled him as he walked down the hill that they had decided to view from, and he made it to the parking lot with little effort.

His head was held high, and he walked over to the woman proudly, who had dropped one of her bags on the ground, the contents spilling out across the sizzling pavement. He stopped just before her, rubbing his hands together with aching nerves, and smiled down at her as she attempted to pick up her groceries.

"Excuse me, ma'am, but do you need help?" he said, a friendly ring in his voice, almost as if he was trying too hard. The woman made a sound of relief as he crouched down to pick up the oranges that had rolled out of her reach, and handed them to her.

"Oh, that would be so helpful, young ma—" he voice was caught in her throat as she met his eyes for the first time, seeing his red irises and the horns sprouting from his forehead. With trembling hands, she dropped the paper bags from her arms, the groceries falling to the ground again.

Pepito's eyes went wide as she fumbled for something in her purse; his heart began to race as he searched for something to say. "W-wait, I just want to help, I didn't mean to—"

His eyes closed shut in pain as she sprayed him with pepper spray, the liquid burning his retinas. Frantically he rubbed his eyes, hunching over as a low growl escaped him.

Something hard connected to his arm, smashing his elbow away from his side, and it redirected to his back; he hit the pavement with a thud, opening his eyes despite their horrible burning, and he let out a sound of pain. Standing over him was the woman, continually hitting the half demon with her purse, bruising his body.

He fumbled for something to say, his words coming out in short bursts as he reached forward to stop her blows; she let out a shrill scream- the beating stopped abruptly, and he looked up, seeing four long, claw-like scrapes along her arm. He had scratched her. Fear contorted in her eyes as she ran from him, screaming incoherently, only stopping to look back at her pursuer.

"Wait, lady, I didn't mean—"

"DEMON!" she screeched, as she dived into her car, driving away with fury in her speed.

Pepito huffed, standing up and brushing the dust particles off of his jeans as he watched her car dart out of the parking lot, his eyes lowering to her forgotten groceries. With a grunt, he kicked one of the oranges as hard as he could, watching it roll across the pavement until it came to a stop.

Todd appeared behind the half demon with eyes as heavy as bricks in disappointment. "Pep…"

"She was right. I am a demon." he spat, brushing past his friend in a hurry.

"Pepito, it was a stupid judgement, don't let her get you down." he said, struggling to keep up with the antichrist's pace.

"Todd, I have horns and red eyes. Of course people are going to judge. I look like…" he stopped in his tracks, sighing as he lowered his head. "I look like the devil."

"Pepito, just because people judge doesn't mean you should allow yourself to not care. You can contribute to society in other ways," he started, his voice stumbling as he searched for answers to tack on the end. There was a silence as they started to walk again, Todd following the half demon like a lost puppy.

"This is stupid. I look… scary." he said, a sadness in his voice that trailed off into nothing as his pace slowed. They had made it into the park again, walking next to the creek that separated the two sides of the park.

"Look, Pep… maybe we should take a break and try again tomorrow. Maybe today just isn't your day." he said hopelessly, though his words didn't seem to match his tone.

"Yeah, whatever," the antichrist spat, the words almost growled through his whole being as they came to a stop by a small bridge; Pepito leaned up against the railing, watching the water sparkle as it passed under him, and he sighed. Todd let out a nervous laugh as he spotted the pavilion filled with people; it was a public place that people could go to for water, breaks, and other purposes.

"Pep, wait here. I'm going to use the bathroom, and then we'll head home." he said, but Pepito hadn't bothered to even turn around. Todd shuffled away hurriedly, sighing in disappointment to his friend's horrible attitude.

The water trickled below him as he watched the sun set, the rays dancing across the surface as he began to visibly pout, a perfect frown etched into his face. He listened to the birds chirping, trying to focus on anything but the harsh words that had been thrown at him before, and he heard… whispering. There were people talking about him. Mentioning his horns, his red eyes, his sickly pale skin.

Rage was beginning to settle within him, but he froze, refusing to look at them. Sharp claws dug into the steel of the bridge railing, the sound echoing around him, startling a few that passed him by. There was… crying.

Crying? he sat up slightly, his pointed ears pricked forward in alert, his eyes widening as he concentrated on the sound. It was a little girl. She was crying. Pepito scanned the area for the source, and found a little girl hunched over by the edge of the creek, her pale dress splattered with mud, her hands wiping frantically at her eyes. The half demon took in a deep breath, searching for a possible parent, but found none. With a knot in his stomach, he stepped off the bridge and approached the sobbing child, kneeling down to her level.

"Are you alright?" he asked, and she opened her eyes for a moment, staring at him, her cheeks stained with tears.

"I lost my Lucy in the river, but I can't get to her!" she babbled, pointing a tiny hand towards a small lump in the creek; a beautiful china doll covered in algae and mud floated next to a far off branch that was submerged partly, blank eyes staring up at the sky.

Pepito felt a pang of guilt in his stomach as he stared at the glass face of the doll; he knew that he could reach it with his telepathy, but the child… he sighed, looking down at her as she began to cry again, almost as if she knew. He smiled weakly, something in the back of his mind springing into play.

"Close your eyes, and you have to wish really hard for her," he said, and she looked at the doll uncertainly, a tear dropping off of her chin. She placed her tiny hands over her eyes, whimpering, and Pepito stood, holding at his hand towards the doll.

A surge of power rushed through him, channeling through his hand and towards the doll; the glass face struggled to break free from the mud, but did so in a burst of water and algae. He pulled the doll towards him, his eyes narrowing in concentration, the power pulsing from his fingertips in an assortment of transparent purples and blues.

The doll made it safely to his hand in a matter of minutes, and he smiled at it, brushing it off in an attempt to make it presentable. He looked down at the little girl and nudged her arm, holding out the china doll to her. She opened her eyes, and a smile lit up her face, green eyes going wide. With a squeal she took the figurine and hugged it tightly, her sadness completely gone.

"Thank you so much mister!" she giggled, slamming into Pepito's legs and hugging his knees tightly. She stepped back after a moment and smiled, the doll clutched tightly in her arms. "I promise that I won't let her play in the water again!"

With her dress blowing in the wind, the child ran off towards the trees, headed for the play ground. Pepito smiled, sharp teeth glinting in the setting sun, and he felt a warmth in his chest like never before. With a content grin on his lips, he walked back to the bridge, finding Todd smiling at him gleefully.

"Pepito, that was amazing!" he exclaimed, almost too loudly, and the half demon looked down at his shoes, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I made her smile." he said, a dorky smirk making it's way to his lips.

"You made her incredibly happy. You did a good deed, Pep." Todd took his wrist as they began to walk in the direction of home, his grip warm on Pepito's arm. Silence passed between them, until the antichrist laughed to himself softly.

"You know what, amigo? I think I'm going to like kids."

X

They made it home after the sun had settled under the horizon, the sky dim enough for the street lamps to flicker on automatically. Todd unlocked the door with the house key he carried around in his pocket, and they stepped inside the house quietly, knowing full well that his mother was out; Todd stepped into the living room, looking for any sign of his father, but there was none.

Pepito yawned, his sharp teeth glistening in the lamp light, a slightly forked tongue slithering out into view. Todd had grown used to his demon qualities when they were children, accepting it into his daily life with the antichrist. He had gotten over his horns and forked tongue rather quickly, but his sharp teeth and claws bothered him until third grade.

Todd threw his house key onto the kitchen counter, turning on the living room lights and fan; the summer heat had risen alarmingly that day, but Todd noticed that his friend seemed to be unaffected by it. The antichrist's body temperature was frighteningly high compared to that of a normal human's, and it was hard top discourage that heat.

The teen looked down at the soft mewling by his feet, and saw a small cat rubbing against his legs. With slow respect, he picked the feline up by the midsection, cradling it in his arms.

He rubbed it's ears, remembering the day that he had claimed the cat as his own; Todd had brought her home when he was in middle school, finding the tiny kitten under in the rain gutters of his front yard. He had taken it in, groomed away the mud streaks and grime, and called the little white beast Snow, the name reflecting its coat.

The cat's ears pricked forward in alert attention, shoulder blades tensing visibly; Todd loosened his grip, watching as the feline stared at something on the wall. Pepito stood next to his friend, leaning against the counter. "What do you wanna do? Watch a movie?" he asked, rubbing his hands together nonchalantly, the sound of calloused palms echoing the room silently.

Todd managed to tear his gaze away from the wall, staring at his friend, eyes widening as he was snapped out of his daze. He shook his head, blinking, and smiled. "Sure. I have a few that you might like. We could go look; they're under the—" he gasped as a pain filled his thumb, the cat lunging from his arms and onto the floor. He looked down at his hand, eyebrows furrowing with concern as he saw the blood trickling down his wrist.

Almost as if on command, Pepito and Todd looked down at the cat, who had curled before them defensively, her tail flicking back and forth furiously; a low growl came from her, deep within, her blue eyes wide.

Todd huffed, looking down at his hand. "She's never done that before…" he said, almost breathlessly as he walked into the kitchen, opening up the medical cabinet, searching for bandages. Pepito watched as he did so, his eyes turning back towards Snow. She hissed as he took a step towards her, and he held his hands up in defense as she darted across the living room, ducking past the cracked door of the basement.

The half demon sighed, walking over to his friend, eyes staring at the newly applied bandage on his thumb. "Maybe you held her wrong." he shrugged, eyebrows crawling up his forehead in assumption.

"I don't think so. She's never bitten me before. You, maybe, but not me." he said, eyes wide with concern. "Where did she go?" Todd asked, examining the living room briefly, seeing as there was no cat to be found. Pepito pointed to the slightly open door of the basement, sliding his other hand within his jean pocket.

"She ran into that door, amigo." he sighed, leaning against the counter, resuming his former position. "I think your cat hates me." he said, red eyes held in concentration. Todd looked over at him, an eyebrow cocked, and shook his head with disapproval.

"She doesn't hate you, Pep. She didn't hate you this morning; why should that change?" he asked, perplexed. Pepito bit his lower lip and shrugged, a slight twinge of thin shoulders, and rubbed his hands together again. "Maybe you smell weird. Why don't you wash your hands and I'll go get her out of the basement?" he said, giving Pepito no time to answer as he walked toward the door.

The half demon rolled his eyes, looking towards the metallic sink, and followed Todd to the basement.

They stood at the doorway for a moment, Todd fumbling for a light switch, and let out a long held breath when he found it. The light was dim, and almost a sickly yellow, and he walked down the steps slowly, Pepito in tow.

The antichrist crinkled his nose to the scent; it was sour and cold, an unappreciated mixture, and he swallowed. They made to the bottom, the concrete floor littered with dead cockroaches and distasteful looking puddles, and Pepito did his best to avoid them both. Todd scanned the enviroment by the dim yellow lighting that radiated from a single lightbulb that hung from the ceiling, and spotted the white cat in the far corner, next to the door that led to Nny's house.

Without hesitation he swiped the cat into his arms, ignoring the carcasses of forgotten insects, and ran a hand through its white fur. "You know you're not allowed down here," he said, and Pepito faintly wondered why any living creature would want to reside in such a morbid room.

The lightbulb above them flickered for a moment, the electric buzz of it ringing in their ears, and it darkened slightly. Pepito froze as a chill crawled up his spine, dragging out the time, and he swallowed the thickness that settled in his throat.

The cat hissed again, and jumped from Todd's arms, despite his futile attempt to hold onto the feline; they both watched as it scampered up the stairs, the sound dying away as the room became cold. Pepito knew that icy sting anywhere. His eyes went wide as a sickening crack filled the room, and his eyes dropped to his feet, looking at the puddles of filth infested water; they were beginning to freeze over.

His head shot up as he looked to Todd, who had his back against the wall defensively, and the half demon could see his breath in cloudy puffs. The lightbulb above them popped loudly, and Pepito jumped, skittering over next to his friend, his eyes going wide as Todd latched onto his arm for dear life.

It was dark, the room falling silent, and Todd was shaking. Pepito could feel it. The evil that had ruled over him, the presence that never seemed to leave, that ran within his very veins.

Todd had managed to wedge himself behind his friend, completely backed up against the corner, almost as if he were trying to go through the dusty bricks. Pepito watched the room in front of him, unable to move, his skin pricking against the severe cold that had filtered through the air. The darkness seemed to have a power of it's own; he couldn't see into it, or past the deep shades of black, and he swallowed, his own fear skyrocketing.

There was a sinister blue glow in the center of the floor, illuminating the shadows, and something seemed to boil out of it. Pepito watched as the tall and slender figure of his father emerged from the blue ring, his eyes going wide.

Lucifer towered over them both, and Todd let out a whimper as the demon snarled, green eyes latched onto his own. "Pepito. What have you done?" he hissed, the stench of his breath filling the half demon's nostrils; he had never seen his father so angry. With hesitation, he stepped forward, his stance bold and challenging; his father let out a low growl as the antichrist stared up at him with demanding eyes.

"I do what I want now. I'm not going to be your fucking slave anymore. If you want the world to end, you do it. I'm not." he spat, his voice strong and hard, yet Todd could hear the fear within his tone. Lucifer snarled, his face contorting in pure rage as sharp teeth glittered against the blue luminescence of his magic.

"You know precisely why you were born, and what you were born to do. Do not think you can cast aside your destiny so lightly." He hissed, his face inches from his son's.

Todd watched as Pepito seemed to shrink, his head ducking as he whimpered, the fear visibly sending tremors through his skin and bones; he had never seen his friend so undoubtedly afraid, it was almost unnerving in itself to see.

Long, bony fingers curled into fists as Pepito rose in defiance, his eyes shifting up to meet his father's. Lucifer snarled, the blue waves of magic shifting to a putrid green, the color dancing across the walls.

"You will learn respect, and suffering will be your teacher." he spat, clawed and misshapen hands rose from his sides slightly, threatening to kill. "Now do as I command!"

Pepito let out a low growl of his own, meek and subtle compared to his father's, but still enough to take the demon aback. "No." he hissed, lips withdrawing slightly as his sharp teeth shimmered in the sickened light. The demon watched with green eyes, baring his fangs, closing in on the antichrist; a long tail slithered from behind elegant robes, making its way to Pepito's side, wrapping around his right leg tightly.

Todd let out a small squeak as he watched it tighten around his friend, the pain evident in Pepito's stance; he was curling in on himself, but he did not speak.

"Do as I say…" Lucifer growled, his tail making it around Pepito's midsection, slicing his clothes, blood staining the floor under his shoes. The half demon cried out, his features contorting in agony as the spiked appendage made its way around his neck, pinning his arms to his side.

Even with the ache pulsing through his flesh and bones, Pepito looked up at his father, the muscles in his face drawing back slightly to reveal his demonic side; his brow was furrowed, wrinkles hardening in anger, his forked tongue revealing itself behind a perfect set of sharp teeth. Red eyes burned into his father's, staring at him with determination like no other. "I am not so little anymore! You cannot tell me what to do! I have free will!"

Todd held his hands over his mouth, trembling, his heart beating so hard that it was no more than a fluttering hum within his chest. He stared at his friend, the pool of blood growing from the cuts around his arms and midsection, and he watched in horror as Pepito let out another shrill cry, despite the demonic look on his face.

Lucifer let out a low sigh and shook his head, his look softening a bit. "This is your last chance, Pepito; Listen to me, do as I say, and this occurrence can be forgotten. If you continue down this path, you will suffer the consequences."

There was a moment of silence as Pepito's face seemed to go back to normal, his eyes widening, as if he had come to a realization. Todd watched in fear, knowing the outcome, and clutched the brick, his feet almost slipping on the ice below him.

The half demon growled, the rumble of it vibrating through Lucifer's tail, and he looked his father in the eyes, his neck extending forward, despite the pain of his skin tearing.

"I am my own master." he hissed deeply within his throat, threatening to lung forward like a serpent as his father's tail loosened, shrugging off his body and retreating back under his robes.

"Very well, child. You leave me no choice." he whispered, his eyes colder than Todd had ever witnessed. Silence fell between them, the cold air stiffening and becoming thick, and Pepito's eyes never left his father's figure.

There as a flash of deep violet, electricity buzzing through the air in the form of a high pitched noise, and Todd watched as Pepito fell to the ground, his knees cracking the ice below him. His ears popped as the half demon let out a scream, black magic swallowing him, killing him, electrocuting the pathways of his veins. The sharp, thrashing bolts of magic encircled the antichrist, illuminating Todd's face with a bright and unnatural lilac, blinding him for a split second like a camera flash.

Todd let out a whimper as Pepito screamed, his jaw wide, his bones stretching to their limits as he curled against the floor, his back arching abnormally. He had to do something, anything, before Pepito died from the pain alone.

With all the courage that he could muster, he bolted past Lucifer, running up the stairs, slipping on the ice; he caught himself on the rail, skittering up the stairs as fast as he could before the demon could latch onto his legs.

He stood in the living room, searching for anything that could defeat the evil within his basement, anything to save Pepito, and froze as the idea struck him. Todd bolted into the kitchen, glimpsing the walls as fast as he could, listening as Pepito's screams increased in pitch, and his vision locked onto the item he was searching for. A small crucifix hung on the wall next to the stove, and he snatched it with trembling fingers, leaping towards the basement door.

He ran down the stairs, his heart stopping in his throat as the screams ceased to ring, but the purplish glow continued. Oh God if he dies I don't know what I'll do. he thought frantically, making his way down the icy steps as fast as he could, despite the fear that raced through his mind.

He stopped dead in his tracks as he saw Satan withdrawing the black magic from the limp form of Pepito, who lay lifeless on the icy ground. Todd's face hardened, tears stinging his eyes as he clutched the cross, holding it up towards the demon. "His light shines in this house, and you have no place here!" he said, his voice meek, but the words having a power of their own.

Lucifer turned to the teen with a look of fear in his eyes, the cold diminishing from the room somewhat, and he hissed, waving a hand away as he burned away into nothing. Silence filled the house once again, the water liquifying into puddles on the concrete floor, and the sickening sense of evil gone.

Todd dropped the cross in his hand, tears streaming down his face as he ran over to Pepito, hoping that he wasn't…

"Pep!" he yelled, taking the antichrist's limp form in his arms, eyes widening to the cuts all over his body. "No, no! Pep, Please! This isn't funny!" he cried, shaking the half demon frantically, his whole body heaving with fear, leaving him in shrill gasps.

If he doesn't make it, I'll…

He gritted his teeth, staring down at his friend, his eyes overflowing with tears. God, please…

-A/N- Yahoo! next chapter done! weren't expecting the angst, were you? heh heh… I'm so devious…. anyway, please leave a review and tell how you liked it! Find out what happens next in yet another angst-filled chapter!

Oh, and my Squee book that I ordered still hasn't come in… it's been a week… -_-