• It was a cool fall day. It was cloudy but he knew it wouldn’t rain. Leaves crackled and crunched beneath his feat as he walked down the forest path. A cool breeze blew against his face. “It was on a day like this…” he stopped and sat down under a nearby tree to rest. “It was on a day like this that I lost control wasn’t it…” he said to no one in particular. He looked up at the sky, “Hmph... lost control of my own damn powers… on a day like this...”
    11 years earlier
    The village was home to a large amount of animal demons. All those who didn’t want to bother with human city life lived there. Though it was small it still had a king and all the modern necessities of any other town. The king was said to be one of the oldest demons in the world having lived countless generations.
    A small canine demon came running down the hall crying his eyes out “Granmama! Granmama!! “
    “Yes sweetie what is it... O what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
    “The other kids….they made fun of me they called me a half breed…A mutt...Because I’m fox and wolf…” He buried his face in his grandmothers dress.
    “O don’t pay attention to them. They just don’t know how special you are. Now wipe away those tears, remember your father has a special surprise for you.”
    With that his ears quickly perked up. He remembered his father had promised to show him a big family secret that only his family and the king knew about. He had been told it was a once in a thousand generations that such a thing even happened. WHAT happened though he still had not been told. He wiped away his tears and ran off to find his father.

    “Sir isn’t he a bit young for this?”
    “Nonsense” responded the king “Reaper, you know it has to be done. I’m running out of time after all.”
    “Yes” responded DEZ’s father “I know.”
    Many years ago when the king was still young, a demon of immense power came, wherever it went destruction followed. Some rumors said it had come from the stars and was punishment on the people of that time. The King only a knight by the name of Amenos was the only warrior skilled enough to stand against it. The battle raged for 13 days till finally Amenos used a spirit seal and sealed the beast away in a gate. Unfortunately it managed to chain him to the same seal thus he was chained to the gate as well. To conceal such a powerful demon from those who would want to release it, Amenos buried the gate and built a town over the seal.
    One day Reaper showed up on the edge of town. He was put to work as a jester and the King, Amenos, soon to a liking to him. Amenos shared all of his secrets with Reaper and had hoped for Reaper to take his place as ruler of the village when he passed away. Reaper tried to accept the burden of the demon but demon seal had to be implanted at birth. Reaper suggested putting the demon inside his soon to be born son. The demon seal had to be implanted in two parts, once at birth for the seal to grow attached to its new host and once again to transfer the demon to the new host. The first seal was so physically taxing on the young child that the town doctors believed there was no chance of the boy surviving birth. When the boy did survive birth they named him Zero in honor of that fact.
    “I think it is about time you made your appearance at Zero’s party, by now they must all be waiting on you.”
    Reaper turned to the king and laughed “Yes, I still haven’t lost it since those days.”
    “No what you have lost is your mind, all those positions I have offered you and you still reside yourself to being my jester.”
    “What can I say I’m a man of the arts” Laughed Reaper “Besides I love to see em laugh” Reaper left to go find his old costume.

    “AND now presenting the keeper of laughs and all magic things Reaper!” The announcer’s voice said cackling in over the old stereo system. The curtains lifted and their stood reaper in stitched up colorful clown clothing. The show went as most shows go at a 6 year olds birthday, pulling a long string of handkerchiefs out of his wrist and a comical routine with puppets were just a few of his beginning tricks. Later he performed more amazing tricks like juggling fire and even making the fire float in mid air. It flickered and changed colors as he gave it commands. “You. Yes you young boy tell me what is your favorite color.” “Blue” “Well then magic fire I command you for this boy to now turn blue!” “No no no not pink BLUE.” The crowd laughed and giggled as Reaper argued with the fire.
    “Zero I think it’s about time for that surprise we promised your” said the king
    “Really!? All right lets go..”
    “Wait zero. I’m sorry but your friends can’t come along.”
    Zero followed his father and the king to the throne room of the palace. Reaper went behind the throne a pulled on a lever in the back. The floor split open revealing a stair case. The staircase seemed to go on forever dimly lit by torches hanging on the walls. After what seemed to Zero like an eternity they reached a giant open chamber. A giant symbol was etched into the floor with words Zero didn’t recognize. In front of him was a large gate decorated with the same symbols as the floor.
    The King turned and faced Zero; his face looked much older than he had remembered. “Now Zero this might hurt a bit but I need you to be a big boy and tough it out ok.”
    Reaper saw the beginnings of fear in his son’s eyes and grabbed him by his shoulders “Now don’t worry this is your big day remember. This is a big honor and I will be right here the whole time.”
    Zero nodded and walked to the center of the circle. The king stood in front of the gate and began chanting something. He began to speak faster and faster till his words blended together. Zero began to feel a sharp pain over his heart. He grasped at his chest, he couldn’t breathe. “Come on boy stay with me, stay with me” The room began to spin around him.
    “He’s not ready! Stop now before it’s to late!” Reaper yelled.
    “I can’t the gates already been opened. We have to continue now!”
    Zero could no longer take the pain he collapsed onto his knees. He wanted to scream but nothing would come out, he wanted to breathe but could not inhale. He looked up to see the gate opening up behind the king. The creature looked nothing like anything the boy had ever seen. It was humanoid with dragon like features. It had fur and angel like wings which glowed with a black flame. It slowly stepped out of the gate. It had no facial features just a wide maniacal grin and two glowing gold eyes. Its entire body was covered in markings and etheral chains wrapped around each part of its body. All of them were attached to the gate and king except one which went straight into Zero’s chest.
    The demon creped out of the gate. Each step brought it closer and closer to zero. “Don’t look in its eyes” yelled Reaper, but it was too late Zero stared straight into the abyss that was the beast’s eyes and froze. All the pain he was in, all the terror he had known before this moment was forgotten, his mind was lost in agony and terror. The demons eyes twisted and played with Zero’s mind as it searched through his deepest secrets and fears. Tears streamed down as face as he sat before the beast. His eyes now blank, and starring off into space.
    The king starred wide eyed at the beast, had it really been this powerful before? The black energy around it seemed more twisted and distorted than it had all those years ago.
    “Amenos finish it NOW!” screamed reaper. The King was snapped out of his trance and began chanting the final parts of the ritual. The chains attached to the gate started to fall away and attach to zero’s body. They slithered across the floor and then wrapped around the boy’s neck, arms, legs and torso. The chains on the king slowly started to dissipate and dissolve into the air. The king appeared to become older and older each second. Finally the last chain began to dissolve the king now frail and old began to chant one last spell. A dagger marked with the same symbols as the gate appeared. The hilt looked normal but the blade was made of glowing crystal. The king walked over to the beast and cut it in a cross design on its chest. He then knelt beside Zero.
    “Zero this is the last part of the ritual, so you have to look at me. I must drive this into your heart, now it won’t hurt and it will make that demon disappear.”
    Zero’s head slowly turned to face his king and than his father.
    “It’s all right son it won’t hurt.”
    Zero’s eyes began to well up with tears. He couldn’t believe it, won’t hurt they were asking him to stab himself. “They just want to get rid of you.” He was broken from his trance. He looked around and saw the black demon was now staring at him. Its lips didn’t move but he could hear it in his head. “Just give in and everything will be all right.” The world began to spin he felt tired. “If you want to live just give in…come on you can do it…just give me control now” The voice made him feel more and more dizzy. His head was spinning, he couldn’t think. He began to lose consciousness “…I…give…..”
    The King saw that he was losing him, he began to plunge the dagger into his heart but Zero’s had suddenly stopped him. The king looked up to see the black demon standing behind Zero. “You were so close old man. What were you ganna do? Use that to seal me to his heart? Give him more control? Ha none can control me. He slapped the dagger out of the king’s hand. “I’ve grown since we last fought; my other sides can’t hold me back like last time.” The demon used zero’s hand to summon a black ball of energy and shot the king across the room. He then used the same blast to shoot through the ceiling of the room to the surface.
    Reaper ran over to the king. The king was coughing up blood and growing older and older. “What’s happening Amenos, and what did he mean by “Other Side.”
    “Without his magic I’m fading away. I have lived many years off his magic and it’s all catching up to me. His other sides are the two other personalities trapped inside him. When we first saw him back than he appeared in that form he was now but not nearly as strong. In our battle he kept complaining about how he was being held back, and until the end of our battle I just thought he was making excuses. Then I saw them, two shadows on either side of him they looked alike except for their color, one a white light and one a crimson one. I made that seal to bind together the three so that they would become controllable. Hurry you must seal him inside Zero before he becomes too strong for that seal.” The king began coughing and spitting up blood. “GO!”
    Reaper took one last look at his king than grabbed the dagger and ran towards the surface.
    When Reaper reached the surface, he couldn’t believe his eyes. He was surrounded by burning houses and the dead and dying. In the distance he saw some of the warriors of the town trying to fight the demon. The demon just floated behind Zero using him like a puppet. Reaper grit his teeth and charged toward his own son.

    When Zero awoke he looked down to see a dagger disappearing into his chest. It left a strange mark but caused him no pain. He looked around to see a waste land of dying trees and burning buildings. What had happened? He turned to see his father lying on the ground, beaten and covered in blood. He ran over to him and knelt beside him. “Father what happened? Where is everyone, why are you covered in blood?”
    Reaper looked up at his son and raised a hand to his cheek, “O, my poor boy, I’m so sorry.” His hand fell to the ground.
    “Father…Father!” Zero tried to wake his father up. “Wake up! Wake….up…father….please…wake up…” He began to cry. He slowly started to walk through the village, looking for someone, anyone, to help him. After a while of searching he fell to his knees, and began to weep. “Please just let me die here, please…” He eventually looked up to see a tall demon standing before him. It had three tails, an old English suit and top hat, and a mask on its face. The tails where black, white and crimson and the white mask was in a gentle smile. It reached a hand down to the boy to help him up.
    A calming sensation washed through him as he grasped the hand in front of him. All his problems seemed to wash away. He felt he could move again, he felt he could go on. Once he made it to his feet he slowly walked off into the forest.

    DEZ looked up at the sky, “It was you wasn’t it.” He said as he turned his head to see the same demon standing in front of the tree opposite to him. The top hat demon simply nodded. “You are the one who gave me the strength to go on, to forget about that day.” The demon nodded again. “So you are the trapped inside me huh? My own imaginary friend?” The smile on the mask seemed to grow larger. DEZ looked down and smiled. “Then where have you been the past 11 years?” The demon motioned to his shadow. “Huh so who’s in control now?” DEZ said as he looked back at the demon. The top hat demon seemed to laugh but made no sound. “I think I got a name for you now…Mime.” Mime grinned again then moved a finger to its lips, “SSsshhh” and disappeared into the light. It slowly began to rain. DEZ looked up at the sky again, “Guess I was wrong too.”