Beta'd by: RevalisPyross and "Starch"

So we're up to chapter four! Shizuru is a bit OOC in this chapter, but it's necessary as you'll soon read.

... I honestly have nothing else to say in this author's note, so I'll end it with this: read on, dear readers! Read on!


Staring at Shizuru's back, Natsuki had to keep from fidgeting in the awkward silence that had settled between them since they left the Council Building. They were currently standing in Natsuki's bedroom, a few hours after the meeting; it was dark outside, signaling that it was at least seven at night. The persistent quiet was unnerving the demon, so she coughed into her hand and spoke, trying to strike up a conversation, "You can borrow another set of my clothes. They might be a bit small on you, but…" She trailed off uncomfortably.

Earlier that day, Shizuru found out that demons don't only eat humans, that people were just one of their delicacies. They could eat both vegetation and animals, just as the trio had for lunch. Nao complained about not having human for at least a week, but one look from Kuga silenced her.

"Ookini, Natsuki-san," Shizuru's voice was agreeable enough, but there was an obvious a message in her words: 'I do not feel like talking.' The taller of the two continued to face the window, looking outside into the cityscape from Kuga's room.

'-san?' Natsuki inwardly cringed. Shizuru's words and smiles were friendly, but the aura surrounding her body was anything but. Is she angry? The biker took a step forward and lifted her hand toward Shizuru's shoulder. She was stopped by Nao's voice:

"Oi! Kuga! Your favorite show is on! The one with all those hot female gunners!" Yuuki bellowed from the first floor. Kuga didn't move.

"Well? Aren't you going?" Neither Shizuru's tone, nor demeanor had changed, but Natsuki could still sense a hint of malice, "You'll miss your show if you don't."

The elf frowned at Shizuru's words. The hand that was originally going to be used to comfort the brunette tightly curled at Natsuki's side instead, "Yeah, I'm going." She, unlike Shizuru, didn't try to hide the spite in her voice, "I'm sure you can help yourself to whatever you need." She watched as the human's back went rigid and tense.

"I'm quite sure I can, thank you," Fujino's words came out severely, "I wouldn't want to burden you with my presence."

Natsuki glared, her anger flaring up, "Good, because I wouldn't want yet another problem on my hands." She slammed the door shut behind her on the way out. As she stalked away in quiet fury, she didn't hear Shizuru's breath hitch painfully at the word 'problem'.

Natsuki swiftly glided down the steps, her irises giving off a dim green glow in reflection to her sour mood. She quickly rounded into the living room and plopped down onto the couch, silently seething. She leaned back and crossed one leg over the other while glaring at the television screen, unaware of the curious glances her Helper was giving her.

"Hey Kuga, you alright?" The redhead asked cautiously, scooting a bit closer to her armrest. And why shouldn't she be wary? The aura Natsuki was giving off would be enough to frighten any sensible demon away. The only reason Nao wasn't zipping into another room as fast as her tiny wings would take her was because she knew Kuga wouldn't purposely hurt her; they've been together since as far back as she could remember.

"Peachy," Came the hissed reply.

"Seriously, what's up?" The horned demon asked, only just able to keep from flinching when she watched Kuga's ears start to extend back in length. She wasn't this ticked off when we arrived home. Something must've happened upstairs. Yuuki knew that if she didn't calm Natsuki down, the Second Column's power would find a slip in Kuga's concentration and destroy something. Probably this neighborhood, and that would just piss Kuga off even more…

"It's Shizuru. She won't tell me why she's angry!" Natsuki's lips pulled back in a snarl, showing her large canines; her face was slowly contorting into something more menacing, her elven features not as enchanting as the human stories made them out to be. Natsuki's face only contorted when her aura was building in power.

Shit. The younger demon could start to feel the power emanating from her Charge. It wasn't visible yet though, so that was a good sign. "I don't mean to be rude but," Nao was very aware that she was treading on thin ice, "I'm not quite sure I understand why you even care." A look of shock quickly prevailed over Natsuki's anger, appearing as if she was just slapped across the face. The dangerous aura completely dissipated in a flash and Kuga's face went back to normal.

The imp, seeing this, relaxed her posture, "I mean, I still don't get why she's still alive, but whatever. Doesn't matter." She was speaking in a nonchalant manner now that the threat was gone, "She'll be gone tomorrow and we can go back to the way things were, right?" She wouldn't show it, but Nao was worried for her friend.

After a couple seconds, Natsuki noticed her Helper was waiting for a reply and flashed her a quick, forced smile, "Right." Nao slowly raised an eyebrow in response, clearly not convinced with what was obviously a fake grin. "Really, I'm fine," The biker smirked, "What, are you actually concerned for me, Nao?"

Nao smirked right back in response before scoffing, "As if."

They both turned back to the TV program, and while one was content, the other couldn't be farther from it. Try as she might, whenever Natsuki attempted to focus on her favorite television program, her mind drifted back to the human. Why did she whimper before? The black-haired demon questioned, Was she scared? And why is she angry now? Kuga's brow furrowed a little, her stare distant as her mind continued to mull over these thoughts and more.


Shizuru had already changed into a pair of pajamas she found when looking through Natsuki's drawers; she used an extra toothbrush she found in the master bathroom, wincing each time she brushed across her overly sensitive canines. I'm really think I should see a dentist when I get back, The brunette thought, walking back out into Natsuki's bedroom.

"When I get back…" A lonely feeling fell upon the human and covered her like a blanket. No, not this again. Please. She was tired of feeling lonely, of being confused. I just want go home, away from all these demons. Monsters that wouldn't think twice about devouring her flesh or eating her soul.

And yet, Fujino found a large part of herself being pulled toward the door, wanting to run down the steps and envelope the black-haired Column in a tight hug; wanting to tenderly kiss Natsuki's lips and ask her for forgiveness; wanting to feel that smooth, creamy neck in loving, chaste kisses and run her fingers through long, dark locks— Stop it! Where were all these thoughts coming from? She wasn't like this! Why was she acting this way?

Red eyes squeezed shut while Shizuru shook her head, attempting to rid her mind of the inviting images, only to find that they wouldn't leave. Over and under her, pictures of that slender body invaded her thoughts. Her fingertips pulsed, her skin was set aflame, her breathing came harder and her mind reeled, "Stop it!"

What is that?

This scent. It soothed her to her very core. It surrounded her body from all around her, calming her mind. Shizuru lifted her nose a little and sniffed, scenting the air around her, This is Natsuki's scent. How is it that Kuga's smell could comfort her so? Was she not angry at the demon mere minutes ago?

Shizuru sniffed again, her bare feet slowly leading her to Natsuki's bed on their own. She bent down, drawn to the source of the scent, Natsuki's pillow. She hovered her nose over the pillow and lightly sniffed a couple times, shivering pleasantly when Kuga's smell was the only thing she could pick up. It called her closer with its enticing aroma and she obeyed, gently laying her face on the demon's pillow and climbing under the covers.

Natsuki will get angry with me for being in her bed. Still, Shizuru couldn't bring herself to be bothered. She rested her face on top of the pillow and drew it closer with her arms, basking in the fragrance that was distinctly Natsuki's. Shizuru knew without a doubt that she could never get enough of this smell. She felt all her muscles relax as she nuzzled into the pillow, the covers enfolding her in their embrace. It made her recall last night, being hugged in those strong, yet gentle arms when they were done with love making.

Fujino remembered the events from the previous night as she shifted under the covers. The images came back but this time, Shizuru wasn't bothered. She smiled, purring contently as she recalled those soft hands roaming her body, feeling and claiming every inch of skin it could find. That knowledgeable tongue knew exactly where Shizuru wanted it to be and exactly what to do to make her scream out in pleasure.

However, Shizuru's indulging smile soon turned into a playful smirk as remembered her favorite part: all the times she got to pay Natsuki back. Groping every mound of skin she could find, from those soft breasts to Natsuki's tight behind, Shizuru had made sure to explore all there was to explore. Kuga's taste, as intoxicating as her smell, filled her up, making her mind beg for more. Her tongue pumped in and out of Natsuki's core, massaging that firm rear and fondling that sensitive bundle of nerves all the while, indulging in every sweet release Natsuki made.

Shizuru moaned quietly at the memory, rolling her tongue over the roof of her mouth; she could almost taste Natsuki's essence right now.

Wait… Crimson eyes opened, Shizuru's eyebrows slanted downward in a bemused frown as she rolled her tongue over the roof of her mouth once more. I… Shizuru's eyes dilated and she shot up into a sitting position, bringing a hand to her lips, I can taste her!

Shizuru sniffed the air and found Natsuki's scent to be much stronger than before, a small amount of arousal could be felt on Shizuru's lips and the human ran her tongue overly them subconsciously. There was also another smell in the air, this one smelling a bit like burning wood, Yuuki-san…? The brunette closed her eyes and poked her tongue out to see what taste she could catch next— What am I doing? Fujino was taken aback by her own actions. Tasting arousal in the air?

"Shizuru-sama…" A voice entered Shizuru's mind that sounded exactly like her own.

Shizuru jumped at the voice and looked around, "Who's there?" She called out, just barely able to mask her alarm. She hastily moved out from under the covers and got up, searching this way and that for the source of the voice, once more ready to run at any time. Her survival instincts were kicking in a lot lately and she was starting to hate feeling like helpless prey.

"You… you can hear me?" Her own accented voice echoed back in her head, quiet and astonished.

"Who are you, and what do you want with me?" Shizuru asked, slowly padding her way toward the door leading into the hallway. She slowly reached for the door-handle, all the while keeping an eye out for anything that might try to eat her. Don't tell me there are demons out there that can read minds.

"Shizuru-sama, you don't know how much I've yearned to talk to you…" The voice trailed off, as if considering something, then seemed to think better of it and started a new train of thought: "As for myself, it is not a question of who, but what I am. I am… your Id, for lack of better word." It wasn't exactly what this voice was, but it was the closest analogy it could come up with for its existence.

"Freudian studies?" Shizuru asked, humoring the voice as she stepped into the hallway. She did not believe a word this… "Id" was saying. "You'll have to excuse me when I say I am not one-hundred percent convinced," She added with a humorless smile.

"I am not offended that you don't believe me. In fact, if I were in your shoes, I would be just as skeptical." The voice chuckled and Shizuru shuddered at how much it sounded like her own, "You see, Shizuru-sama, my purpose is to make you happy. Making you happy is my one joy in life." What unnerved Shizuru the most about that confession was how sincere it sounded.

"Right now, what woul—"

"Shh. There is no need for spoken words. I can hear your thoughts just fine."

Right now, Shizuru started again, her tone one of strained patience, what would make me happiest is if you were to get out of my head.

Instead of the upset response Shizuru was expecting, she was surprised to be met with light-hearted giggling, "Ara ara, so cold," The voice teased. "But no, I know what would make Shizuru-sama happiest, what she really wants. She should be happy that I'm here to speed up the process."

Shizuru suddenly became aware of all there was to smell. That lingering scent of the two demons downstairs suddenly overpowered her nose and she immediately covered it, "?" Her teeth throbbed in excruciating pain, causing her to whimper; her nostrils flared, catching scents and smells she couldn't recognize or associate- it was too much!

The voice broke through, piercing the pain, "Focus on one single scent, Shizuru-sama!"

She did so, shuffling through all the different smells to find the one she's grown to adore, "Natsuki." The aroma was powerful, consuming, and it sent shivers up the human's spine. She whiffed and it traveled through her nose and into her partially opened mouth, landing on her eager tongue. What is this? She thought distantly, already enraptured by the appetizing scent. I-I want…

"Yes?" The voice asked right next to her ear, sultry and full of need. "What is it you want to do?"

What didn't she want to do! "Un…" Her red eyes were dim and her breathing was heavy. Scene after scene appeared in Shizuru's mind, each more tempting than the last. She wanted to have Natsuki over and over until they both collapsed, too exhausted to move. "Natsu…" As she became more aroused, she was finding it harder not fall to her knees and pleasure herself right there; her sex pulsed madly for attention.

"Shizuru?" Natsuki was standing in the downstairs hallway, looking up the steps to where she could hear the human just out of sight. She had heard the human's voice before due to her acute hearing and had become concerned, causing her to get up and head for the stairs. She stopped dead in her tracks, however, when she heard the brunette moan wantonly, jumpstarting her libido. Natsuki started up the steps, albeit hesitantly.

"Shizuru-sama, you're doing wonderfully," The voice praised. "Now, when Kuga-san reaches the second floor, take her right there. With this, you can finally change into what body is fully prepared to become: a demon, a succubus!"

That snapped Shizuru back to reality. "'Demon'?" She watched as Natsuki made it to the final step, looking both confused and alarmed, "I don't want to become a demon!"

Shizuru ran. She ran past Natsuki, ran up to the door and ran outside. I don't want to become a demon! Her legs continued to carry her along the sidewalk's path, her strides long and powerful, as if she had springs in her legs. She sailed farther than she ever had before in a single sprint, her limbs pumping faster than a human's legs should ever be able to go. She didn't care though. She thought that maybe, just maybe, if she ran far enough, the voice in her head would go away.

Soon enough, Shizuru collapsed in a dark alleyway, mentally and physically exhausted. The brunette didn't know where she was or how many blocks flew by as she ran, but she was away from that overwhelming scent and hopefully that voice along with it. She slowly moved her body to lean up against one of the walls that made up the alley, pulling her legs to her torso and hugging them close with her arms.

"…" Shizuru felt warmth surrounded her fatigued body, but was too tired to do anything about it. Before she could contemplate it, however, soft humming played near her ear, slowly lulling the human into sleep. All was silent for a while before the Id spoke up once again, her voice falling on deaf ears, "Kannin na, Shizuru-sama…"

~*X*~

"Shizuru!" Natsuki tried to grab the human's forearm as she zoomed past, but Fujino was just too quick. Without thinking about it, Kuga took off after her, running as fast as her legs would allow, but quickly lost sight of the brunette outside. After coming to a full stop, she closed her eyes and tried to focus her hearing on Shizuru's rhythmic steps, but to no avail; the streets were littered with people at this time of night, all the nocturnal demons enjoying what they called their morning. There were just too many sounds surrounding her to be able to pinpoint just one, "Dammit!"

"Kuga! There you are!" Nao flew into view, hovering next to her Charge. She took in Kuga's tense form, "What happened?"

"Shizuru yelled something about demons and ran off. Now I can't find her," Natsuki's bright green eyes hurriedly darted this way and that, her feet itching to take off once more.

Yuuki raised a red brow, "What, did the culture shock finally kick in?" She quipped with a smirk. Kuga sent her another one of her infamous glares and the winged demon flinched, "H-hey, I was just kidding…" Nao's expression quickly turned into a scowl as Kuga's changed to neutral, "You've been acting weird ever since that human showed up."

"…" Upon reflection, Natsuki realized she was indeed acting weird, over a human no less. But to me, she's not 'just a human.' What is Shizuru then?— There's no time for that right now. She pushed those thoughts aside for now and forced herself to relax, going back to the topic at hand. Kuga turned back to the imp, "You're right, I'm sorry. I don't know what came over me." A small smile formed on her face, "Forgive me?"

The Helper studied Natsuki for a few moments before relaxing, replying with a grin of her own, "Yeah yeah, whatever." She said, waving her off. Natsuki and Nao were like family to each other, so one little confrontation like this meant nothing. "I get it, you're worried about your lady friend," The tailed demon turned around and started to flutter back toward their residence.

Lady frie… Natsuki blinked, "She's not my girlf—"

"I'll be at the house. Be sure to lock up when you two get back." Nao, not hearing Natsuki, flew out of sight.

"Girlfriend…?" Natsuki blushed before shaking her head, Now's not the time to think about that. She took off down the sidewalk once again, looking for the runaway human.


Akira was pressed onto a wall in an alleyway parallel to the one Shizuru collapsed in. Her werefrog hands made it possible to stick to any surface, something that came in handy for stealth missions. She kept a vigilant eye on Fujino's figure, watching her every move for anything suspicious. This whole night has been one huge suspicion, She thought dourly, recalling what she saw in the Kuga-Yuuki household.

When Shizuru dashed down the street, Akira had only just been able to keep up, jumping from building to building with her powerful hops. She should have easily been able to keep up with something as slow as a human, but found herself struggling to maintain her view on Fujino as she pursued her target. Definitely 'out of the ordinary.' Keeping one hand and her bare feet on the wall, she brought her right hand to her ear, opening a channel to Chie and Aoi, "This is Shadow Frog."

"Copy that, Shadow Frog, we read you." There was a pause. "Do we really need these silly code names? I know for a fact that this channel is secure." Chie Harada's voice came from the other end. She was the first of two members in Haruka's intelligence team. Of course, there were plenty of more members, but Chie and Aoi were the ones 'on call.'

Chie Harada was a brown-eyed werefox with charcoal-gray ears, to match her hair, and a white-tipped fox tail. Her clothes would be described, but Akira guessed the werefox currently wasn't wearing anything besides glasses and a headset. Both Chie and Aoi worked from their house, and that in itself explained Okuzaki's reasoning. (Everyone knew how sexually active the intelligence pairing was.)

"I think the Boss would rather we kept to the codenames, 'Foxfire,'" Aoi Senou's voice was slightly distant, suggesting that she wasn't wearing a headset but instead was working at her research computer. She had long brown hair and bright blue eyes; the only thing setting her apart from a normal human being were the small, glossy purple/blue fins she had instead of ears, a tell tale sign that she was a mermaid.

"Alright then, 'Aqua Fin,'" Chie responded, earning an amused giggle from her girlfriend.

"…" Akira carried on, not commenting on the couple's playful banter, "The Demon Lord was right, something is definitely off about that human. Her behavior is abnormal, as is her physical ability. She was also yelling about not wanting to become a demon."

A heavy silence came from the other side before Chie buzzed in a minute or so later, "I sent Suzushiro-sama your report." Okuzaki noted how taut the werefox's voice had become. "She says you are to eliminate the human."

"Understood," Akira dropped her finger from her headset and moved her hand into a small satchel she kept on her belt, all the while keeping her eye on the slumbering human. She narrowed her gaze as she took out a single kunai, judging the distance whilst aiming.

Before the werefrog could throw her weapon, however, a figure walked into view, causing her to freeze. As quietly as she could, she maneuvered farther into her own alleyway, praying Natsuki's elven ears wouldn't pick up on any sounds. Further inside, she watched the scene from across the street, a frown marring her usually neutral expression. She brought her hand to the headset once again, still holding the kunai just in case, and spoke quietly, "Aborting mission."

"What's wrong, Shadow Frog?" Harada's alarmed voice came through Akira's earpiece.

"Kuga Natsuki of the Demonic Council has entered the scene. Chance of success has dropped into the thousandths decimal."

A small pause, "Alright. Abort mission. I'll inform the Boss."

"Copy that." The ninja dropped her hand from her ear and brought it to the wall, focusing on silently getting out of there. The young assassin turned and made her escape unharmed.

While Akira may have gotten away unharmed, she was definitely seen. Natsuki watched the werefrog vanish around the corner, taking in the young girl's form before she disappeared from sight. That was Akira Okuzaki, Kuga observed, narrowing her eyes in concern, The Okuzakis are one of the clans directly under the Demon Lord's hire! Natsuki's fists clenched tightly at her side, That bitch lied to me!

But why would they want to kill Shizuru? It makes no sense! Natsuki racked her brain for an answer. Are they worried Shizuru will go around telling people what she saw here? That's stupid- even if she does, none of the humans would honestly believe it. So why? Natsuki's eyes turned to look at the source of the conflict, Doesn't matter. I'll get Shizuru back to the Human Realm tomorrow no matter what stands in my way.

I'll have to pick up some more ammo later, The Second Column noted as she walked over and picked up the snoozing woman, carrying her out of the alleyway bridal style. Natsuki paused when she noticed something and looked down to Shizuru's form, Was she always this light? The brunette felt feather-light in her arms. I could have sworn she was a little heavier earlier…

Her gaze lingered on the body, trailing down Fujino's frame as if taking it in for the first time. Her green stare slowly ascended back up until it fell on Shizuru's face; Kuga felt a sense of tranquility flow through her as she watched the woman in her arms sleep. However, she quickly caught herself staring and looked away, What the hell, Kuga? Are you some sort of creep who watches people sleep now?

'I get it, you're worried about your lady friend.'

Kuga blushed deeply at the memory of Nao's words, her pace brisk as she set off for her house, "Stupid Nao."


"Mm…" Red eyes fluttered open, dazed as Shizuru started to wake up. Where am I? She thought drowsily.

"Evenin', sunshine," Natsuki's calm voice pierced through Shizuru's hazy mind.

"Natsuki?" Shizuru looked up to find a pair of intense emeralds staring down at her, accompanied by a small, easy-going smile. She looked around, "Where are—" She noticed she was off the ground and frowned, bewildered, "Why am I being carried?"

"You ran, sprinting until you were seventeen blocks away from the house." Seventeen whole blocks… Natsuki's voice turned neutral, her smile gone, "Shizuru, what happened?" The black-haired demon asked as she continued to walk.

The human parted her lips and was about to speak, but stopped. What do I say? 'Oh, it's nothing Natsuki. A little voice just appeared in my head, telling me have sex with you because my body wants to become a demon, that's all.' Ara, I don't think so. She settled for closing her mouth and turning her stare to the street ahead of them.

Natsuki gave the woman in her arms a searching look, but finally gave up after a minute or so of silence. She looked back to the path so she wouldn't bump into anything as she walked.

Shizuru's inner battle carried on, It shouldn't matter what she thinks. Fujino furrowed her brows a little, It shouldn't matter because I'm going back tomorrow anyway, but I have to ask. She looked up to the biker's face, "Natsuki," She started.

"Hm?"

"Do you…" Shizuru paused, suddenly doubting her decision to go through with this.

"Do I…?"

It's now or never. "Do you really think of me as a 'problem?'" She asked quietly, her hands lightly grabbing the hem of the nightshirt she wore. Shizuru dreaded the answer, but she just had to know.

Kuga lowered her gaze to the taller woman once more, a puzzled expression on her features, "'Problem?'" Where did she get that idea?

"You said earlier, with the Demon Lord, that you would find a way to get rid of the problem." Crimsons steeled, her stare deeply penetrating Natsuki's, "Am I that problem?"

The Second Column held Shizuru's stare as her mind shuffled through memories of earlier in that day, With Suzushiro? What is she talking about?...

Oh! Her eyes widened a fraction as she recalled her conversation with the blonde demon. Did Shizuru really think I was talking about her? "Of course not," The Second Column felt the woman in her arms relax as she continued. "I was talking about the issue of humans entering the Demonic Realm, not you specifically." She then smirked, catching Shizuru off guard, "Sure, you might be annoying at times, but you're not a problem." The smirk eased into a grin, "Tomorrow I'll get you back to the Human Realm, I promise."

A slow smile spread across Fujino's face as the words set in. She leaned up and wrapped her arms around the demon's neck, "Ookini, Natsuki," Shizuru whispered into Kuga's neck, feeling all the tension release from her body. "Ookini."

To Be Continued.


Shizuru's hearing a voice and if anyone can guess what it is… you have incredible insight. o_O (You much really want that tiramisu...) But I hope you were able to survive the OOC-ness- it wasn't too bad, right? ^^;

If you like what you've read, or see something I can improve on, please leave a review with any questions or comments you might have. =)


Ogre (Haruka)

Group: Monster

Type: Physical

Features: Large ram-like horns, one on either side of their head; A slight, unnoticeable under-bite; Their bottom canine teeth are slightly larger than their top; Muscled appearance

Characteristics: Prone to hot tempers; Immense physical strength; Can easily withstand a physical attack