A/N: Thanks for the review Erin and Ookami. You two are my most loyal reviewers. This update is for you two.


-Zapphirra-

I sighed to myself as I almost tripped over another rock. I knew it wouldn't be easy getting to where I wanted to go, but damn. Did it have to be this hard?

I heard something behind me and turned around, but didn't see anything. I narrowed my eyes at the treeline before turning back around only to scream in surprise and backpeddle when I saw a nice, very shiny, very pointy sword being pointed at me.

"State your business human."

I heard someone say and looked up to see a man in his late twenties with black hair to his waist in armor of some kind glaring down at me with green eyes and the sword pointed at me.

"What the hell do you think you're doing ya maniac!? You could have seriously injured me!"

I shouted up at him as I stood my ground, getting over my shock and my anger taking its place. The man blinked in surprise before his eyes narrowed again.

"Answer the question human."

He said and I glared at him. His calling me human was reminding me of a certain red haired bird boy I knew.

"I would if you asked me nicely."

I said as I put my hands on my hips.

"Now human."

He said as he raised the sword and pressed it slightly against my throat. I narrowed my eyes at him, but I wasn't stupid enough to fuck with a guy with a sword.

"I'm trying to get to the Northern Province to see a friend of mine."

I said and he narrowed his green eyes at me even more.

"If that is so, then what are you doing in the Western Province?"

He asked and I stared at him in shock.

"Say what!? The Western Province?"

I asked in shock.

"Oh I'm going to kill Hika the next time I see him, he still can't give good directions."

I said to myself, ignoring the man infront of me for now.

"That matters not, you are tresspassing if you have no business here and I highly doubt you do."

He said and I opened my mouth to say I was only passing through, but he was suddenly behind me and had my hands tied together before I could even blink.

"Oi! Untie me you-"

I started to say, but he shoved a cloth in my mouth making talking impossible.

'Oh just wait til I get out of these. I'll be coming after your ass.'

I thought as he attached a rope to the rope tying my hands together and jerked me after him.

"Come, the Prince will decide what to do with you."

He said and jerked on the rope again, giving me no choice but to follow him.

I glared at the back of the black haired demon's head. I realized after having checked out his aura that he was a demon, and that really didn't surprise me much.

"General Jeng."

One of the demons at the gate of a giant palace said as we got to wrought iron gate.

"Let us in, the Prince needs to decide the fate of this human trespasser."

The demon now known as General Jeng said as he pulled on my rope again and I growled at him. Oh he was so going to get it once I was free. I was going to purify the living shit out of hm.

"Yes General Jeng!"

The demons stationed at the gate said before running around and the gate lifted, allowing us passage into the huge palace.

I looked around as Jeng pulled me along after him like a pet poodle or something. The palace was rather nice. The color scheme was gray and black on the outside, but once inside it was gray, brown, and gold. Surprisingly, they all went rather well together.

Jeng led me down a hall and through a couple of doors before he stopped infront of a huge brown door and knocked. I heard a muffled voice say 'enter' before Jeng pushed open the door and pulled me inside after him. I looked around and realized we were in a throne room of sorts. There were tapestries and paintings and carpets everywhere. I looked at where Jeng was leading me to see a figure sitting in one of the two really big chairs carved out of what seemed to be marble and sighed to myself.

'Wonderful. If this Prince is as annoying and rude as Jeng, then I'm going to be screwed.'

I thought as Jeng stopped and bowed to the Prince.

"M'lord, I caught this human trespassing along the border. What would you have me do with her?"

Jeng asked and I glared at him at the way he'd said human as if it was some disgusting troll sitting in the corner of the room picking it's nose. I looked past him, since he was rude enough to stand right infront of me, to try and get a look at this so called Prince he was talking to only for my eyes to widen when I saw the familiar gray hair, jade green and light brown eyes, and red bandana under a gray and white hat of my favorite Panther demon.

"Maimi!"

I shouted around the cloth in my mouth and both he and Jeng turned to look at me. Jeng glared at me and Daiki looked at me in complete shock.

"C-Celia!?"

He asked in shock, both his eyes widening as he sat straighter in his seat.

'What is with everyone and having that reaction to seeing me?'

I wondered as I nodded my head seeing as I couldn't speak.

"Y-You know her M'lord?"

Jeng asked nervously and I mentally smirked.

'Hell yeah he does ya little fucker. Now you're going to get it.'

I thought as I saw Daiki stand up and walk over to me.

"Yes I know her, she's my best friend."

He said and I saw Jeng pale considerably as Daiki cut the ropes tying my hands together with his claws and pulled the cloth from my mouth. I opened and closed my mouth a few times before glaring at Jeng.

"Ya asshole, you wouldn't even let me explain. Shadow, can I purify his ass, please?"

I asked Daiki, begging him to say yes with my eyes.

"No Celia, you can't purify my General."

He said with a laugh and I pouted. I had really wanted to teach the asshole a lesson.

"Well can you at least yell at him for being an ass to me? He tied my hands, yanked me around like a dog, and wouldn't even let me explain myself."

I said and noticed Daiki's eyes harden as he leveled Jeng with a glare.

"Why wouldn't you let her explain herself?"

He asked and I smirked when I saw Jeng stiffen at Daiki's tone.

"M-My apologies M'lord, but I-I didn't know she was-"

Jeng started, but Daiki held his hand up to stop him.

"Just leave."

He said and Jeng bowed before getting the hell out of dodge. I laughed as I saw him almost trip over his own feet on his way out the door.

"So wh-"

I started, but stopped when Daiki suddenly wrapped his arms around me and picked me up in a bear hug.

"S-Shadow, can't...breathe!"

I said and he instantly set me back on my feet.

"Sorry, but what are you doing here?"

He asked as I tried to get air back into my lungs from his hug.

"I came to see Raiden, I need to tell him something. I was on my way to the Northern Province via Hikaru's directions, but I can see now that that was a bad idea since I am currently standing in the middle of the Western Prince's throne room."

I said and he laughed and smiled down at me.

"Yeah. Hika has never been very good at giving directions or following them."

He said and I sighed.

"Why do you want to see Rai?"

He asked and I blushed and started playing with a piece of my hair.

"Well...I kinda realized I might possibly..."

I said and trailed off uncomfortably.

"Might possibly what Celia?"

He asked and I took a deep breath before looking up at him.

"I realized I'm in love with him, and the way he left wasn't right."

I said and he blinked in surprise before looking at me confused.

"What-"

He started to ask, but I cut him off.

"Right after you jumped into the portal I came through the woods and stopped him before he could go. Then, he said you were all glad to have met me, kissed me, then just left. Who the fuck does that!?"

I asked, letting some of my frustration at Raiden come out in my question.

"He did that? Wow."

Daiki said and I shook my head at him.

"I've been meaning to ask."

I said, getting his attention.

"What the hell were you all thinking leaving without saying goodbye to me? Do you know how that made me feel when I saw you guys weren't in the crowd and I followed your auras to find only you and Raiden still here."

I said as I put my hands on my hips and glared up at him. He shifted uncomfortably under my gaze, but I didn't let up any.

"Look Celia, we're sorry about that, but we just thought it would have been easier on you not to have any long goodbyes."

He said and I sighed at him before looking away from him and running a hand through my hair.

"Well you fuckers thought wrong. It hurt having you all leave me without so much as a goodbye. I thought we were friends."

I said and he frowned at me.

"We are Celia."

He said and I looked up to see him looking rather upset about the whole thing. I sighed again before smiling up at him.

"Well, it's done an over with and I'm here now."

I said and his eyebrows drew together in confusion.

"Speaking of that, how exactly did you get here?"

He asked and I smiled at him.

"Well..."

I started as we walked over to the two chairs in the room and sat down.


-Daiki-

Celia explained everything. I felt really bad when she told me that she never really wanted us to go, we didn't want to leave either, but we all had responsiblities here to take care of. Hikaru was the Alpha of the Southern wolf pack, Katsume and I were the Princes of the Northern and Western Provinces, Kouhai and Kenta worked with Gale on their farm to produce all the food for the Demonic Republic along with a few other farms, and Raiden made sure we were well protected from any possible threats, made potions to cure the sick, heal the injured, and anything else people asked of him. We all may have really wanted to stay in the human dimension with Celia, but we had to come back.

Hearing that Celia's friend Tami was actually a Sorceress and she was how Celia got here was kind of mind blowing, but something I was really glad for. I had really missed her.

"So what are you going to do now?"

I asked and she frowned in thought. She'd told me of how she realized she'd fallen in love with Raiden and that had made it that much harder to see us go on the night of the Harvest Moon and how she'd gotten full control over her abilities and how she'd run into Hikaru and the others before Jeng had captured her near the border and brought her to me.

"I'm not sure Shadow. I know I want to go see Raiden, but I'm not sure what to do once I get there. I know I love him, but I'm not sure if he feels the same. I mean, sure he kissed me, but he didn't stay."

She said and I sighed.

"Celia, you've got to understand. We all had responsibilites back in our dimension that we couldn't avoid forever. If Raiden hadn't come back then all the people who called on him for healing potions, and tonics, and blessings would have gone without. He's the only Wizard within the Demonic Republic powerful enough to do what we ask for. He's the reason we're so well protected from our enemies and why when we're sick or injured we heal so quickly."

I explained and her frowned deepened.

"I know, and that makes me feel so bad for keeping you guys in my dimension for as long as I did."

She said.

"You didn't keep us there, we couldn't get back til the veil thinned out."

I said and she shook her head and I looked at her confused.

"No, Tami told me that if you had just gone to the right place you could have gone back the same day Raiden and the others showed up. It was because of me that you guys stayed so long."

She said and I was going to argue, but stopped knowing I wouldn't win.

"We were glad we stayed as long as we did Celia. None of us regret it."

I said and she smiled at me.

"Thanks Daiki."

She said and I smiled at her.

"Come on, it's getting late and if you want to reach the Northern Province sometime tomorrow you'll need your rest."

I said as I got to my feet and held my hand out to help her up. She took it and I pulled her to her feet.

"You can stay in the room next to mine."

I said as I led her out of the throne room and down the hall towards the royal wing. I pushed open the double doors of the room next to mine and heard her gasp in shock.

"You like?"

I asked as I watched her look around in awe and I couldn't help but smile at her reaction.

"It's huge!"

She shouted and I laughed at her.

"Get some rest Celia."

I said and she turned to look at me.

"Thanks for everything Daiki."

She said to me and I paused in the doorway.

"You're welcome Celia. It's really good to see you again."

I said as I started to close the doors behind me.

"It's good to see you again too Shadow."

She said and I told her goodnight before shutting the doors behind me. I smiled when I heard her say goodnight from the other side of the door before turning and heading to my own room. I saw the moons outside and smiled at the possible change in the future to come.


A/N: Slightly longer than my others. Hope you guys enjoyed. Review and I'll update when i can.