Once a Boy, Now a Man {Walter's Tale}

[Walter Grace]

THE BOY WHO LIFE HATED

The boy had no name for two years. His father wouldn't be bothered to say it.

The boy was beaten daily, his father was a strong demon, but was too lazy to work. He found ways to get money, but much was spent on rent and food. Food for two. Too much to his father. The boy was a waste of life, a waste of money, time. Just a waste. And the boy believed himself to be.

It was a normal day for the boy. Nothing out of the ordinary. He was nothing but a scared boy as he looked up into the eyes of his father. "I should kill ya, ya know! You're useless, completely useless!" the man kicked the boy in the stomach. Hard. The boy dropped to the ground in tears. His father spat at him, grumbling as he shut the boy's small bedroom door. He heard a click, a sure sign his door was now locked. The room had no windows, no lights. It was pitch black.

He was alone.

The boys whimpers could be heard from only inside the room. Quiet. Soft. Scared. His father was a pure demon. A powerful demon. But he used to be kind. And that upset the boy the most.

At this time had golden locks on his head, from his human mother, Grace. A cute face, big eyes. Nothing about him showed a monster. His mother had loved both him and his father with all of her heart. It was a surprise the boy had become a pure demon, her being human. But his father's blood pushed the human blood out of him. But alas, she died when the boy was four, murdered. His father became abusive, and hated him. The boy couldn't even remember his name after years of being treated like dirt.

He couldn't remember his mothers face. Or his own name. All he knew was that he was scared of being alone, of his father. The demon child, only seven, sat in the darkness as he awaited to be let out.

And that he would.

The door was yanked open, and his father grabbed him by the hair. He let out a yell, tears escaping his eyes. "Today's my lucky day...our father of lies is accepting my offer to sell you," he smiled slyly at the boy. His eyes only grew bigger.

He had never seen Satan. But he knew he was cruel. Merciless. Would kill him in an instant. He would take a beating by his father any day, if it were to avoid ever meeting the lord of all the underworld.

The man dragged the boy by his hair, all of the way to Lucifer's castle. Nobody took notice at the crying boy. They didn't care. They knew his father was strong, that his father was cruel. And they did nothing about it.



They entered the palace, and Lucifer sat on his throne at the end of the room. The great lord of demons sat, looking bored as the two entered the room.



At his side stood Damien, his second in command. A very powerful, feared demon.

His father threw him to the floor. The boy landed with a thump, but did not dare get up as he covered his head.

"There's the boy. Now make me human," his father smirked. The boy was shaking, still looking at the floor. The boy was slightly confused. His father had power. Why did he wish to be human? Curious, he glanced up at Satan. And to his surprise, he was watching him. Not with eyes of hate, or distaste. Of pity.

"Alright, alright. But you know your powers must go somewhere, hmm?" Lucifer's voice echoed through the room. It was powerful. Strong. Amazing. The boys heartbeat got faster and faster, wondering what would happen. His father nodded rapidly, "I don't care, change me!" "Very well," Lucifer smirked.

He plugged his ears at the screams of agony his father made. Pure agony. The process of making a demon human...unbearable. It went on for only a few minutes, and the boy was scare to death. But at he same time, he was beginning to feel more energized. More powerful.

More hateful.

His father collapsed onto the ground, smoke coming off of him. His eyes were shut, and there was no demonic power left in him. A mere mortal. The man's breathing was feint, but there. And then the human disappeared.

"He is alive, boy," Lucifer spoke. "Just on the surface now, far away from here. Stand up, and come forward."

The boy was shaking, and shook his head rapidly, in tears. That was it. He was dead. He would be Lucifer's slave, and suffer for as long as he existed. Lucifer sighed, maybe irritated, and was about to speak when he was interrupted. "What is your name, boy?" a slightly softer voice said. He looked up into the eyes of Damien, who pursed his lips. Still shaking, the boy managed to get out, "I don't remember."

"You...don't remember? Why not?" Damien furrowed his eyebrows. The boy swallowed the lump in his throat, his hands on his knees, clutching the fabric for dear life. "I've not heard it in years..." he let out a small sigh.

Lucifer chuckled, as Damien shook his head. "I told you we should have killed that man. Completely abusive, the boy had a name!" the demon waved his hands in the air in frustration. Lucifer shrugged, "We have him now, it does not matter."

Damien, still not satisfied, nodded to agree, looking at the boy once more.

"Boy, you are of interest to us...you are strong. Even stronger now, because your fathers powers are now yours. You are strong. And I wish of you to train under Damien here. When he passes on, you will become my second in command," Lucifer smirked. About to ask why him, Damien answered for the boy.

"My time is growing near. And when a second in command's time grows near, a new one is revealed in the vision of him or her. I saw you in my vision. It is your destiny, young one," Damien smiled softly, crossing his arms.

Before the boy could even agree or disagree, they had already assumed he would say yes. It was his destiny, after all. So, he sat and watched the demon and his lord bicker.

"He needs a name. His mothers name was Grace, how about that?" Lucifer turned to Damien. The demon scowled, "He is a boy! A name like Grace would make others laugh!"

"Fine, Grace can be his last name. You're picky, you know that?"

"I just don't want the boy to be bullied! Now, what about a first name?"

Lucifer thought for a moment, before standing up and walking over to the boy. The boy slowly stood up, shaking, but raised his head high. Lucifer laughed loudly, and Damien looked on in interest. The boy was afraid, and never once was brave. But now that he stood before the man who could destroy him in less than a second, the world became less scary. And having his father gone just made his courage go up. If not just a bit.

Lucifer looked the boy up and down, before snapping his fingers together, smirking. "I've got it! Simple, but it suits him," the demon lord looked at Damien, before staring into the eyes of the boy.

"From hereon out, your name shall be Walter. Walter Grace."

(( This is part 1 of I'm not sure how many, so stay tuned :D ))

[Walter Grace]

THE BOY WHO KILLED

He trained. And trained. And trained. For years, Walter Grace, the boy who was the next leader of the demons, worked his ass off. His new powers had strengthened him, but at a cost. The once loving, kind boy was now hateful. He didn't care. He was his fathers boy, after all.

When him and the other boys sparred, he didn't care if he hurt them. He had been bullied by his father, and now he was the bully. It felt good to him. It made him feel strong, powerful. He was scowled by those that taught him, especially Damien, who would often wonder to himself out loud whether it was truly Walter who was the right one to take his place.

It did not matter to him. He was chosen of course. It was his destiny. And although it would be a very long time before he earned the title, Walter was determined.

You see, a demon doesn't die by natural cause. They either die fighting, which is the most common, or they just pass on when their time is up. This allows them to live for as long as four-hundred years. Rarely they make it past hundred, half make it past fifty. You might believe it grand to live for a long time, but not to demons. They rather the death of battle and glory, not to just disappear. And that was what Damien would do. Eventually.

Until then Walter remained his apprentice. On his twelfth birthday, Damien had decided that it would be his job to 'take care' of an enemy of their lord. A noble in a small village, one in which owed his status to death. And death wanted his payment. Now.

It wasn't too cruel, in the sense that the noble had an heir. Old enough to leave. It was appropriate that death take the man's soul now, as they had promised. The noble said that once his son was old enough to lead, and ready to, then he would hand over his soul and life to Death.

Damien warned Walter that normally, they did not want to pay up, and they would have to take the lives themselves.

"I'll not be disguised, will I?" the boy asked as they emerged out of Cresthunt, and into the land above. It was very far away, an unimportant place.

Damien looked normal as he did years ago. It was the perks of being a demon, once you reached a certain age you stopped growing old.



But as for Walter, the worst parts of him truly surfaced. His wings black as a dark dragon, nearing to be larger than him when put together. The feathers were sort, yet had a harsh look to them. His hair was shaggy, and a dark brown colour. His horns had grown, and begun bending slightly back. His claws were the length of his long fingers, growing larger and sharper by each passing day. And the biggest change- his eyes. A blood red filled them.

Overall, most would say he was developing like an average demon boy. A drastic change from what he first looked like, but his father had taken over.

The nights air was cool and crisp, and for Walter is was too cold. Too bright. But as he looked at Damien, his mentor seemed unaffected by the discomfort. He merely chuckled.

"No, as long as you do not try and switch into a human form. But, you don't know how to do that yet. So no worries," Damien shrugged. Walter pursed his lips, "Why won't you tell me how?"

"Because you gain a part of the personality and appearance of the closest person to you dieing. And quite frankly I find it disgusting."

Walter looked up at his mentor. The demon was looking off in the distance distastefully, as if there was a bad taste in his mouth. The boy opened his mouth to ask what was wrong, but Damien beat him to the punch.

"Lets be off then, Grace. You shall capture the soul by the hour. Remember, I am here to observe only. I can not interfere, or his soul will not be ours," Damien warned. Walter nodded. In the contract, only one could collect the soul. And if two did, they wouldn't be able to get it. Kill him, yes, but not have his soul.

The two marched on, Walter in discomfort. This was new to him entirely. He had only been to the cities and towns under the earth. They were usually warmer, and darker. His eyes could not adjust right, and his skin trembled from the cold air. But one thing he did like, was the air in his lungs. He could breath easy, and it was cool enough for comfort. Most of all it was fresh, and as Damien might say but Walter did not understand, 'Like a Spring Day'.

They soon reached the tiny village, and tiny it was. No more than twenty houses, and a few small plots of farmland. Clearly the noble did not ask for much when he wished to be a noble.

"Remember what I have taught you. Use force ONLY if necessary," Damien warned. The elder demon was clearly worried about his younger counterpart. Walter shrugged, clutching his fists together.

"Yes, Damien," he spoke with a nod, flexing his claws with a smirk on his face. Damien could do nothing but smirk.

"I shall be here. Be warned, I shall hear everything. See everything. Know everything. Don't mess up," Damien stated, giving Walter a slight push towards the village. The boy caught his feet, and began to walk. Anticipating the interaction between the noble and him.

Walter crept through the village, of no notice to the sleeping souls around him. He reached the nobles house, and entered with a simple twist of the doorknob. He hadn't even bothered to lock it.

Walter chuckled when he walked through the door, but stopped instantly. Right across the room from him sat a man, facing the gleaming fireplace.

"This day would come, I know," he had a husky voice, no doubt Frederick, the noble of the tiny village. Walter smiled coolly, bowing slightly, "Hello, sir, my name is Walter, and I am here to escort you to my lord, where-"

He stopped mid-sentence as a dagger twirled towards his head. He managed to move his head ever so slightly so that it did not hit his head. Wide eyed, he scowled and turned to face the man who now did so as well.

Frederick was a tall, lanky man, with long scars right across his face. In his hands he held multiple small daggers, clearly not there for decoration. "Damn you to hell, demon, I'll not leave this world without a fight!" he yelled out, throwing all of the daggers before lunging at Walter with his sword drawn.

Walter raised his hands and blocked the daggers with a small magic circle shield of sorts. But he stumbled through the doors as the man slashed at him. The demon fell to his behind, but quickly scurried up, narrowly missing the sword once more. It sliced the top of his hand open, sending a jolt of pain to him.

"F-Fuck off! Your soul belongs to my lord, and he shall have it!" the boy barked, getting into a defensive stance as the two stood in front of the noble house. Frederick just smirked, a sort of wild smirk that would send chills down ones spine. Walter could not help but be intimidated. The man had clearly gone mad in his last few days of life, knowing he would face his inevitable doom soon.

Walter tensed up, but got lower to the ground, knees bent more. He extended his claws and ran forward, dashing to the man and swiping as quick as he could at him. But, the man, whom was all the more trained in his life, was able to block each blow with his sword. Walter grew angry, very quickly.

Demons in his mind were the higher beings. A mere human shouldn't, and wouldn't, surpass him.

The clashing of the sword and claws had, apparently, brought attention. The few guards in the town ran out of their homes, wielding weapons of their own. Nothing fancy, just swords. One or two axes and spears. And not just guards- members of the village had heard the cummotion as well. Villagers set on defending the noble, and their home, walked out of their houses yelling.

"This is my battle, everyone, not yours!" Frederick said, lashing out at Walter. The boy backed up, but got nicked in the shoulder a bit. He hadn't been able to hit the man, not even once! "My lord, let us help you rid this foul demon from our lands!" a man barked out, stepping forward. Frederick only laughed as he blocked yet another attack from Walter.

"Now now, you see I have it under control," he reassured the villagers. Walter could only scowl as some men chuckled. These were humans! Weak, weak humans! They could do nary a thing to stop Walter!

But Walter slipped up. Bad. He tripped over a small rock, and by fate landed straight through the man's sword. Everything in Walter's head went blank. His eyes went wide, blood began trickling down his lips. Frederick removed the blade from his chest, and the boy fell to the ground.

"And that, my people, is how you kill a demon!" Frederick yelled out. Everyone cheered. But Walter was far from dead, as a black aura began emitting from him. Soon, the villagers had to back up. The darkness grew bigger and bigger, and stopped. Staying like this. The villagers assumed it was how a demon died.

Walter lay on the ground in pain. He rolled onto his back, clenching his eyes tight and clutching his wound. This was it. He way dieing. But as a few moments passed, Walter realized his pain was slipping away. And heavy breathing was on his face.

He nearly screamed when he opened his eyes. A beast, taller than the average human male, loomed over him. It had long fur, mixed with black and grey shades. It stood on four legs. It was long, and its body was larger at the head and torso. It had black eyes, and a blank expression.

"I am your guardian, and you are my master. A pleasure to meet you, master Grace," it boomed out. Or seemed to. Was it just thinking it to him? "You have many questions I know, but your own master shall explain it to you. Let us become one, and destroy these miserable humans."

Walter couldn't help but smirk. Unable to speak, the boy nodded slightly. The beast nodded back, and placed its nose upon Walter's forehead. They both glowed for a moment, before the beast disappeared entirely. The black mist around him was gone. And the people around him gasped.

The boy now stood up, the wound non-existent. His hair was mixed with black and grey, and had more volume to it. His claws were not as long, but they were thicker like the beasts. His teeth now as sharp as a dragon's claws, and his eyes pitch-black.

Walter, smirking on the inside, showed no emotion. This was a form he would not see for years, though the next time he would not use the beasts power as well. The beast he would not see for years either, and yet their bond would grow by every passing year. One thing that never changed after this moment- Walter's blood lust.

And then he began the slaughter.

[Walter Grace]

THE BOY WHOM DID NOT DIE

The boys eyes went wide as he sat up, panting heavily and gripping his chest, the light of fire from near and far dancing upon his skin and clothes. He furrowed his eyebrows as he looked down- the hole from the blade was still there, and so was the blood. But in place of the wound was an ugly scar that seemed to have healed long ago.

"I am surprised, Grace," Walter whipped his head to across the fire, where Damien sat staring into the blaze. Walter did not know what he meant, and only waited for his master to continue.
After a moment, Damien chuckled ever so slightly.
"I was not expecting you to meet your companion so soon. But congratulations- you obtained Frederic's soul by killing him. And so much more."

Walter's eyebrows furrowed as he sat up more straight and crossed his legs. His chest was unbelievably sore- he just couldn't believe he was alive right now. But, he knew that the answer to his questions would be answered by Damien. If not now, in time.

"What do you mean, I've done so much more?" he asked.

Damien looked up into the eyes of his apprentice, staring for a moment. He then slowly turned his head, and nodded. Walter turned his head, and went wide eyed.

They were on a hill, quite the distance of the village. But to Walter's surprise, and slight excitement, the village was up in flames. Buildings destroyed, blood on the roads and walls. The dead laying silent. A building fell apart before them, causing a puff of smoke to go up quickly.

"You killed every last one of them. And because it was while your companion and yourself were joined as one, you collected all of their souls. Every single one of them."

Walter whipped his head back to look at Damien. It was clear the boy was confused. What was a companion? Why didn't everyone use them to collect souls? It seemed like such a better plan.
The demon decided to ask the first question before the second.

"What is a companion?" his head tilted ever so slightly to the side, as he stretched up. Walter winced from the pain- it was quite unpleasant, and hurt a great deal. But hey- he wasn't dead yet.

Damien picked up a bowl and drank from it- perhaps some sort of soup- before putting it down and crossing his own legs, folding his hands into his lap.

"A companion," Damien began, staring into Walter's eyes. "Is a demon, just like you or I. But our lord, many many years ago, long before even my own master was born, enslaved them. They had begun to rise up against him, and when they lost, they were sentenced to be the slaves of all the other pure blood demons. Only our Lord knows where they reside- if they are not by their masters side, they are in their own home. But these demons, they are much more like beasts. And because of that, it seems natural when they kill a being. Therefore, when we join together with our companion to become one, we may capture the souls of beings with no worry at all"

Walter pursed his lips, slowly nodding. "How come we don't just stay in that form then? We'd get a lot more souls that way, wouldn't we?"

Damien smiled- it was clear he was holding in a laugh. Walter held his tongue. He felt like an idiot asking these questions, especially when Damien was trying so hard not to laugh. But, Walter knew that he was a very inexperienced demon. Damien was only doing his job as his master.

"We have never been able to call upon them at will, Grace. We must either be dying, or feel a very extreme, bad emotion. Anger, fear, sadness. You were going to die- and your companion saved you. It's why you are no longer wounded with the fatal blow- all of your other wounds are intact, though."

Walter quickly touched his cheek, and realized that it was true. And he realized quickly that he had many other wounds as well.
"Why didn't I remember killing them?"

"You are too young, I would think. Not to mention it was your first time. I don't remember mine. But I remember the others. Also, Grace, understand this- you are not immortal. Your companion will not help you each time you earn a fatal blow. It can only happen again after a few years. It takes your companion too much energy to get to you, heal you, and fight for or with you. So if by chance a year from now you are in battle and you take a fatal blow- you will die. Do you understand?"

Walter gulped down the lump in his throat, but nodded all the same.

Damien looked the boy up and down, searching for any trace of lying. It was not rare of Walter to not pay attention to his master- but it seemed that at that moment he was. Satisfied, Damien took another sip out of his bowl, resting it in his lap this time.

"One more thing about the companions. You do not always join with them- sometimes you may fight side by side with them. But you still change. Become more strong, beast like. You do not notice the pain, or the hits. All you focus on is killing your opponent. And that is why this form can be so dangerous. Because if you take too many hits in either of those forms, because you do not notice the pain, after you change back you might die."

This companion was seeming more and more dangerous, and useless to Walter. Sure he was alive- but what if he had died right after, due to being so beast-like that he let a sword go through his head?

"But you shouldn't worry too much about it. You won't meet your companion again for a long while," Damien chuckled, a smile escaping his lips.

Walter could do nothing but nod.

Another sip of his soup, and Damien stood up, moving his hand over the campfire in front of them. It blew out, and Damien looked Walter over.
"Well then Grace, shall we be off to tell our Lord of your success?"

Walter nodded, standing up and brushing himself off. Damien was already making his way towards where they came, and Walter soon began to follow. With one last look at the burning village that he created, Walter gave out a devilish smirk, before rushing towards his master, ready to go home.

[Walter Grace]

THE BOY WHO DIDN'T KNOW

A simple task, really. Walter Grace, a few months older than fifteen, was ordered by his master Damien and his Lord Lucifer to secretly kill a noble in the city of Paineston. There was no effort to it at all really- a lesser noble, whom most hated. He certainly would not be missed. But his Lord and Master had decided that, after he was done his duty, he would be allowed out and about the city. There would be a festival that day, with the royal family going down the streets, and they thought it would do Walter good.

His only rules were to not kill anyone, to not draw attention to himself, and to disguise himself. Damien did not want Walter to take on the persona of a dead man- so he put a spell on the boy. It would get rid of his wings, his horns and his claws. Even the darkness in his eyes, all for that day, until twelve at night when he would have to return to Cresthunt.

It was fine by Walter- he was actually excited. He had never seen a festival before.

So the demon left the noble's house unnoticed, walking down the streets with his hands in his pockets and a smirk on his face. Walter was growing to be a rather good looking demon, if he were to say so himself. His hair was now a bit shorter, growing lighter with the sun on his head. He was nearly six feet tall, with a toned structure due to all of the fighting he did. Most of his peers were bigger than him- of course, Walter still often won with dirty tricks that Damien scolded him for.

But Walter was so care-free he did not care. He just walked along down the street to the main brick road, where he could already see the end of his street packed with people. He could hear the music, and the cheering. He walked a bit more quickly the rest of the way, and pushed himself into the middle of the crowd to see the commotion.

With delight, he watched as a band passed by, along with flags, guards, even the head knights of the place. Truly this was entertaining for him, seeing the joy that other people brought to themselves with festivals. He did not even know what they were celebrating.

Soon, the royals were passing by on their carriage. He did not know their names at all. There was the king, and queen. Their two sons, and daughter. Walter felt like he recognized the middle child, one of the boys, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Excuse me!"

He heard a voice from behind him. With an eyebrow raised, he looked behind him, and a little down, to see a girl about his age with her hands on her hips and an annoyed look on her face.

"You're sort of taller than me, you know. Could I maybe stand in front of you?" she asked- no, Walter realized with a smirk that she was demanding him. Not asking. He placed his hand on the small of her back, making her blush slightly, as he moved her ahead, and moved back himself. Now his back, instead of hers, was pressed up against the side of a building, and the view of the festival was clearly in her vision.

He bent his head down slightly so that his mouth was to her ear and spoke, "I hope that is better for you then, ms?"

She turned her head to look at him, and it was her time to raise an eyebrow. Glancing over her, Walter knew that she had to be upper-class. Perhaps the daughter of a noble or something. Her dress was elegant, but not too eccentric. And she had quite the pretty face- for a human. Her hair fell in ringlets across her shoulders, and the lightest bit of makeup brightened her face.

"Yes, it is... I'm Scarlett Winchester. And you are?"

"Walter Grace, at your service ms Winchester," he bowed ever so slightly, a small smile on his lips as he peeked at her through the hair in front of his eyes. She seemed to be blushing- but grinned.

"At my service, hmm? You an escort or something?" the way she said escort made Walter laugh- of course, she wasn't talking about a bodyguard, or someone that took someone from place to place. No, no, she was talking about a hooker.

"Sorry ms, I am not," he grinned. Then, Walter leaned forward and murmured in her ear once more. "But I can be something along those lines if you truly wish me to be, ms Winchester." Her cheeks flared up, and she snickered. Walter grinned along beside her. This was a woman who truly was entertaining to him. And he felt himself more and more wanting to lay in bed with her- even if they had only just met. She was quite the beauty- and she was entertaining to talk to. After all, if he had said that to most of the ladies in that crowd, he would have gotten a slap across the face.

"Perhaps I will take you up on that offer," she winked.

Walter raised both eyebrows, his lips curving up in entertainment. And excitement.
"I would assume a woman like you would be married off soon, though. I wouldn't want to disappoint your husband."

She rolled her eyes, and groaned, folding her hands across her chest. "Lord Hammond? Oh please. The man's an idiot, doesn't know the difference between a pear and an apple. Trust me- he fucks whores like there's no tomorrow. He wouldn't notice the difference."

Walter pondered this thought for a moment, remembering the rules set before him- do not draw attention to yourself. Talking to her was fine, he felt. But surely there would be more attention on him if they were caught doing something together.

Still, Walter was a teenage boy. He didn't really think it through.

"Perhaps I will visit your bedroom tonight then, my dear," Walter spoke, bowing as he took her hand and kissed it politely. She smiled, and curtsied to him.

"I hope you do... if you do, I wouldn't suggest going through any of the doors. Here's my address," she handed Walter a piece of paper that she had scribbled on. He placed it in his pocket.

Scarlett looked him over, before smiling. "Come at dark. I hope to see you, Walter Grace."

Walter looked her over once more, before smiling. "You will."
With that he walked away, out of the crowd and onto the street where he came from.


He stared at the house. It was already very dark out, nine at night. Walter Grace stood staring at the house, out of sight to any guards or passerby's. He watched, and waited, until he confirmed what room was hers. She was standing on the balcony, dressed like before, seeming to be humming to herself. With a smirk, Walter ran towards the area. Stopping by the wall, it had seemed no one had seen him.

He backed away from the wall and looked up at Scarlett, waving like a frantic man. She soon noticed, looking down and smiling, before motioning for him to come up. With a smirk on his face Walter began to climb up the wall with the help of the plants growing up the side of it. It was difficult, and hard work, but he finally got on top of the balcony with Scarlett. She smiled, taking his hand and entering her room.

It was an elegant room, just like her. Really what you would expect to see in a teenage noble girl's room. Walter looked around as Scarlett shut the curtains, and turned to look at him.

She slowly walked towards him, stopping a few feet away. He turned to look at her, a small smirk on his lips as he slipped his hands into his pockets. "I didn't think you would actually come," she stated, having her own smirk on her face as she folded her arms. He moved a little bit closer to her, as she did the same.

"It would not be polite to keep a young lady like yourself waiting," he replied, with another step forward. "Are you disappointed that I came?"

"Quite the opposite, in fact," she closed the gap between them, pressing herself up against him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

They stared at each other for a moment, Walter's heart skipping a beat. It couldn't be, was he actually feeling something for this woman? Impossible, he decided. It was the rush of the moment, it had to be.

"Are you sure you want to do this, dove?" Walter asked, wrapping his own arms around her body.
"I am a stranger. A strange man in your room. I would think you would want to do something like this out of love."

Scarlett stared at him for a moment, before replying. "Have you ever heard of love at first sight, Walter Grace?"
She did not wait for him to answer, as she got up on her tippy-toes, getting closer to his face. Their noses were touching before she finally continued speaking.

"I'm very much attracted to you Walter. Very much so. And I would think that sharing a bed with you tonight will make me very happy."

Walter gulped down a lump in his throat, looking over her face. She wasn't lying- or at least, he couldn't really tell.
"...As you with, ms Winchester," he smiled. She held a smile of her own, as she pressed her lips to his. They seemed to mold perfectly, as they embraced themselves as they kissed passionately.


Walter stared at Scarlett's face as they lay together naked under the sheets. Her eyes were shut, her breathing slow but peaceful as she slept. He couldn't help but stare- after all, it was his first time being with someone. And to his surprise, he had enjoyed it more than he thought he would. He brushed a stray hair out of Scarlett's face, and rested his hand on her cheek.

Sadly, he knew it was growing late outside. It would soon turn twelve- he had to leave. Gently, he rested a kiss on her forehead, and slid out of bed as quietly as he possibly could. He began wrapping himself in his clothes, thinking about the events that happened. Would his master, or lord be mad? Perhaps. But not too mad. Which relaxed Walter a great deal.

He slid on his shirt, and was about to make was to the balcony, when a voice called out behind him, "I didn't really expect you to stay much longer. I suppose it was stupid of me to hope."

He slowly turned around, looking at the face of Scarlett as she sat up from bed. Her face seemed calm and secure- but it also showed disappointment that she was clearly trying to hide. Walter bit the inner side of his cheek, wondering what to say.

"I suppose this is goodbye then, Walter Grace. It was a pleasure," she smiled a half smile as she looked him in the eyes.

With a sigh, he began to speak, "I'll be honest when I say I wasn't expecting to stay. But I want to stay- I really do. To lay in bed with you for the night resting would be an honor to me, but I must get back. I do have a curfew of sorts."

Scarlett stared Walter in the eyes for a moment, before frowning.

"Will you come back and visit me?"

Without a moment's hesitation Walter replied, "Yes."

His eyes went wide, and he cursed to himself as he began to glow black- his deadline was up, the magic was wearing off. Scarlett stared in awe as his demon appearance appeared in front of her. They stared at each other for a moment before Scarlett asked, "So you're a demon."

Hesitantly, Walter nodded. But, a smile crept up onto Scarlett's lips- a real one- and she stood up from the bed.
"Are you any bit important?"

Walter stared at the ground before nodding, looking up at her. "I'm next to be Lucifer's right hand man."

She grinned even larger, "How exciting. Really. I knew there was something interesting about you. More than you already were, of course."
Scarlett made her way over to Walter again, wrapping her hands around his neck as she did before, and planted a light kiss on his lips.

He wished for more, but then she backed up again, a playful grin on her face.

"Remember you promised that you would come back and visit."

Walter slowly grinned, as he turned around and headed for the balcony. "I'll remember."
With that, the demon lifted off and flew over the city, heading towards home.


"This is an absolute OUTRAGE!" Lucifer boomed as he stomped around his throne room. Walter could do nothing but hang his head, wince, and hope that his lord would not do too much damage to him.
Of course he knew when Walter had gotten back. And right away, he had begun yelling.

"We give you a few simple rules, and boom! You disobey them! I should have your head for this!"

Damien pursed his lips as he looked Walter over, before moving to Lucifer and muttering in the god's ear. Lucifer listened, before scowling.

"You will never see that woman again. GOT IT?" Walter was about to protest, then thought against it- he wanted to see her again, so much. But to give up his own life in doing so? He just couldn't. So he just nodded his head. Lucifer breathed for another moment, before yelling out once more.
"If you ever disobey me again I will kill you. UNDERSTAND?"

Walter nodded vigorously, and was sent out to his home. Of course, the demon did as he was told.

Little did he know the real reason they were so angry- Lucifer already knew of the child that was created that night under Walter and Scarlett. A child, that would probably do no harm. But Walter was a child himself, as was the girl. She would be kicked out of house and home, and live in extreme poverty because of Walter. Lucifer and Damien decided that it would be best for Walter to never be involved, to live a life of ignorance and bliss towards them. So that only the girl and her child would suffer.

Walter, unaware of the real reason, was upset that he would not see Scarlett again. As he lay in bed, a thought drifted to his mind- the thought of sleeping next to her, instead of there alone. It made him sad, really.

His thoughts and dreams were still of Scarlett as he drifted off to sleep, hoping for a better day to come.

[Walter Grace]

THE BOY WHO BECAME A MAN

Twenty year old Walter grace walked through the city of Cresthunt, the cold, dark city he had lived his entire life in. The beings in the streets looked to him and nodded in respect, but Walter just ignored them. They were doing it because they had to- because time was up, and Walter was soon to be Lucifer's right hand man.

But everyone thought he was not ready- usually, the position was obtained after many years of training. Usually the demon was past the age of sixty. But Damien had seen Walter's face in that dream so many years ago. Walter was the one chosen to become his replacement- even if that time would come much too soon before he was supposed to take it.

Walter knew he was not ready. Not ready in the slightest. And he knew that only bad things could come of it.

He stepped into the lot of a rather fancy looking house, a nice house. He pulled out a key, unlocked the door and went inside. He had been inside this house only a few times in his life- but recently he had been inside it many more times to see Damien. He removed his coat and put it onto the coat rack, and made his way upstairs after closing the door behind him.

With one quick tap on a door he entered a room. It was filled with fancy objects- Damien loved to collect things from around the world when he traveled. There was no space on any surface to rest anything on- much of his things were even on the floor.

Walter closed the bedroom door behind him and smiled, nodding to the man sitting up in his bed.

"Morning, Damien."

The older demon gave a weak smile to his apprentice as he spoke back, "Good morning, Grace. I hope the trip here was not filled with any trouble?"

Damien looked much more different than when Walter had first met him- the young body that would stay with a demon until his dying days was gone, and there lay a rapidly dying man. His skin was pale, hair going grey. His body was constantly shaking. And it was getting worse with each passing day.

Walter carefully walked over to the bed and sat near the end, folding his hands into his lap.
"Not really. Though, you might want to yell out your window that you're not dead yet. The bastards are already treating me as if I'm the right hand man," Walter had a look of disgust on his face- he felt that it was so disrespectful of them to act as if Damien did not exist. As if on his death bed he had never existed.

The blood in his veins boiled.

Damien looked at Walter, as if he were thinking to himself, before resting his hand on the young demon's knee.
"It's alright, Walter," he tried to soothe, a smile growing on his face once more. "Everything has its time. And you know that a demon dying like this is not the best. After all, look at me- many would rather die fighting in their youthful bodies than laying in bed, rotting away. So everyone else is just trying to ignore that someone so high up as me could even think of doing so. But I'll tell you a little secret- I've always wanted to go out like this."

Walter went wide eyed, and looked up at his mentor again, his mouth slightly open. "What? But...but why? Why not want to die fighting in a large battle, and go out as a hero? Why not die with a sword in your hand and a smirk on your face?"

Damien chuckled once more, removing his hand and folding them in his lap as Walter did.

"I had always wanted to be human...to age like a human, to die like a human. To start a family, have a loving wife, and adoring children. To have a normal job, to hunt, to fight to survive. I couldn't have that life like this. In my human form it just felt so fake. Your father tried to live a life of a human- and nothing really went right for him. The only thing that could have been human for him was you- but you see how well that went. That is why he decided to become human, and turn his life around."

Walter didn't really know what to say, as he stared at Damien with curiosity. He had never thought about it like that... but it made sense. Not everyone was happy with their species- Damien and his father just happened to be two of those beings.

After a moment's hesitation, the old demon continued, "The only thing I could have that was human, was to die like this. And here I am, Walter. So please- do not pity me. Be happy for me- I know I am. I'm happy, Walter. I've been happy before, but this? This is close to the happiest I have ever been."

Walter pursed his lips in thought. He was upset- he had come to care for Damien very much. He did not want the demon to pass on in such a painful and horrible way. But at the same time...Damien was happy. How could he bring down this man's happiness with his own sadness?

"Then I suppose I must be happy for you, master," Walter smiled a rather fake smile, "I hope that the afterlife is kind to you."

Damien stared at Walter once more, studying his face. Walter knew instantly the old man knew what he was thinking. What he was feeling.
Suddenly, Damien gripped one of Walter's shoulders lightly.

"This is not the only time I have felt human. Walter...for many, many years...you have been a son to me. And I am so very proud of you. Thank you."

Walter's eyes went wide again, and suddenly he had a lump in his throat. He attempted to swallow it, but it would not go away. He could not hold back the tears that began to fall down his face. His lip trembled a bit as he stared at the man whom he realized was more of a father to him than anyone had ever been.

As a child, Damien would scald the young boy if he caught him crying. But at that moment, Damien seemed to just look at Walter with sympathy. Lightly, Damien pulled the man into a hug, and held the Walter as he wept. Walter could do nothing but hug the man back tightly.


Walter picked up his coat from the coat rack and slid it on, putting on the hood. He figured his face was red- and the hood, plus looking down as he walked, would hopefully draw no attention to it. He stood in the house for another moment, looking around.

Damien's parting words to him echoed in his brain, a painful sadness spreading through Walter as he thought of them- Do not come back here, Walter. Please let this be the last time you see me alive. I don't want you to see me die like this.

Walter would accept the elder demon's wishes. He did not have much of a choice, if he wished to be respectful to his mentor.

Another sigh escaped his lips as he opened the door and walked out, locking it behind him.

Walter was back on the streets, on his way to his old home. Awaiting to be ordered a job, or to sit at home and relax. He kept his head down as he walked, thinking about Damien. His mentor, his friend, his father.


It was the funeral. Many people attended, of course. And not just demons- angels and gods also came. It was only respectful after all, despite being on exact opposite ends of the spectrum.
It was outside, at the very edge of Cresthunt. A podium was beside a bed of fancy cloths, and jewels, things that people brought to pay their respects. In the center lay Damien. Beneath it, out of view, was a bed of hay, ready to be lit.

Many people spoke. Demons, and gods that had fought alongside him. People who knew him quite personally. Walter went up second to last- he spoke of how Damien was an excellent demon, and an excellent mentor. How he was loved by all except his enemies- and even they could not hate him for very long. He ended his speech on how, to respect Damien and his memory, Walter would be the best right hand man he could be.

Walter didn't pay much attention to it all- even when his Lord spoke. And once everything was said and done, Lucifer turned to Damien's dead body and lit up the hay. The entire thing began to burn immediately- and Walter could only stare at his mentor's face as Damien slowly burned away into nothingness.


Two years passed by. Walter was practically drowning in work- he had never realized that Damien had done all that work. And quite frankly, Walter was sick of it. He wished that he had never become the right hand man.

The demon made his way to Lucifer's castle, one of many in the underworld, but the one in Cresthunt. He approached the god, bowing as he asked, "You commanded me to come, my Lord?"

The god looked Walter over carefully, before slowly nodding.

"I have a task for you. One that will prove to take up quite some time. Years, perhaps."

Walter stood up straight, a calm expression on his face. One of a great amount of interest.

Lucifer stood up, and began walking around the throne room carefully, seeming to think to himself. He seemed to decide on what to say, as he began to speak as he walked.
"Your task," he began, "Is a city. Avaleur. It is one of the closest cities to Cresthunt. I want you to go there and do multiple things for me. Number one- convert as many people as possible. Dark times are ahead in Avaleur, and the sooner you are able to convert them, the more souls I shall have. So speak to them- gain their trust. Look like them, talk like them. I don't care if they know you're a demon. Ease the passing of those that you have not converted yet- it might just sway their decision."

"Also...I have a list. A list of people I want you to kill. Some owe their souls to me, others I shall only own if they die. And I want those souls sooner than later. Is what I say to you understood?"

Walter nodded, pondering this for a moment. So he would take on some of the appearance, and personality of the one closest to him dyeing, then. Oh, how that would be a bother. He would prefer to stay as a demon- but it seemed he had no choice.

"Well then, best be off soon. I trust you know how to take on the form of a human?"

Walter nodded once more. With that, the demon was dismissed, and he made his way off towards home to collect his things.

It didn't take long to pack the essentials, and make his way to the outside of Cresthunt. He went town the many stairs, the many sets that went out to the surface. This one was the shortest, however- it opened on the meadow of Avaleur.

Walter placed his hand on the opening, thinking for a moment. Trying to remember how to take on the human form. Then, he remembered, and shut his eyes. Darkness flowed through him, and he opened his eyes. It was pitch black- and suddenly, a boy stood in front of him. A few years younger than himself, Walter thought.

"...I'm dead, then?" the boy asked. Walter nodded. The boy seemed to think for a moment, before grinning, and nodding.
"Right then! I assume that I'm going to hell, then? I did use a bad spell to kill myself."

Walter raised an eyebrow- was this boy an idiot?
"I suppose you are."

Walter took one step forward, and rested his hand on the boy's shoulder. He could feel himself copying some of the boys soul.
"Have a good one, bud," Walter said.

The boy nodded, a grin on his face.
"Nice meeting ya!"

Walter closed, and opened his eyes once more. Now he was back in front of the entrance. Looking at himself, he was rather surprised- no claws, no wings, no horns. It made him rather happy.

Walter was no longer himself. He was the calm, collected, happy man that now represented his human form. He pushed on the door and stepped outside, squinting at the sun that was high in the sky. He closed the door behind him, and looked around. In the distance, he saw the walls of a city- Avaleur, a voice told him.

For a moment he just stared, before putting a smile on his face, his hands into his pockets, and walking on towards the city that he would spend many years in.