Chapter 35: Neera and Dracus
Yuki was busy in the kitchen, humming merrily to herself. She was sporting black shorts and a light blue tee, ankle socks on her feet.
"This has got to be the best cake I've ever made." She smiled as she pulled out her creation.
It was just a pair of circular chocolate cakes, but Yuki soon had them layered, Bavarian cream in the center. She then decorated it with Butter Cream frosting she dyed red, singing a little tune to pass the time.
"Just another day, feeling happy and gay. Going to make you smile, one that goes a mile…"
Hiro and Eira peeked into the kitchen as their cousin worked, the boy drooling as he smelled the cake.
"I really want a bite." Hiro whined softly, his stomach giving off a small growl.
"But Cousin Yuki isn't done with it yet." Eira stated, looking longingly at the treat.
Hiro watched as Yuki started decorating it with mini bats, dragons, and bicorns, the horned beasts resembling Hild's mount, Bloodied Lance.
"We can just sneak a taste when she isn't looking."
"But that's bad."
"She won't know."
As Yuki prepared a bag of frosting to write on the cake, Hiro stealthily went to the counter, intending to swipe some frosting.
"Don't even think about it Hiro." Yuki said, not even turning around.
"Huh? How'd you know it was me?"
"I know you Hiro…as soon as I start baking, you and Eira are always watching me."
Eira went over to Yuki, hugging her around her legs.
"We just wanted a taste."
"I know…but your mom's told you, cake isn't for breakfast."
"But you're making one." Hiro huffed.
"I'm not going to eat it Silly…it's for my grandmother." Yuki smiled, writing "World's Best Grandmother" on the cake in a deep purple.
"You mean Lady Hild right?" Eira inquired as Yuki packed the cake in a carrier.
"Yup! My intuition is telling me that Grandma really needs this right now." Yuki smiled as she went outside.
"But what about breakfast?"
"Just tell the others I went to visit my grandmother Eira. Bye!" Yuki laughed as she slipped on her sneakers, flying off without another word.
In a matter of minutes, Yuki was at the abandoned building Mara called home.
"Aunt Mara, are you in here?" Yuki called out, wandering inside.
As soon as she set down her cake, she felt a sharp electric shock hit her in the back.
"Ow! What the…!" Yuki shouted before she was tackled to the ground.
"Who are you? What does a goddess runt like you want with my teacher?"
Yuki looked over her shoulder spotting her assailant. It was a demoness, no older than herself, light brown hair in her hazel eyes as she held Yuki down. The demon was wearing a miniature outfit like Mara's, fangs bared viciously at Yuki. Our little goddess used vines to throw off the demon on her back, leaping to her feet as she got into a battle stance.
"I may be in training, but I can still beat your butt!" Yuki shouted as she made a flying kick at the demoness.
"I'm in training too, but even I can hold my own against a pipsqueak goddess!" The demoness replied as she dodged Yuki's kick, sending another depth charge at Yuki.
"What'd you call me?" Yuki demanded as she rolled away, sending a vine whip at her enemy.
The demoness said nothing as she avoided the attack before wrestling Yuki to the ground, straddling her as she kept a firm hold on Yuki's throat.
"Why did you come here? Answer me before I really get angry."
"Let me up! I just came to ask Aunt Mara a favor!" Yuki exclaimed as she tried to force the demoness off, prying the hand off of her throat.
"Aunt Mara? Wait…what's your name?" Inquired the demon.
"It's Yuki, and I'm the granddaughter to the daimakaicho I'll have you know!" Yuki snarled.
"Yuki? Oh my…I'm so sorry!" Cried the girl as she flew off Yuki.
Yuki coughed briefly as the demoness got off, rubbing at her throat.
"Geez! Ever heard of restraint?" Yuki complained as she sat up.
"Please forgive me!"
Yuki blinked as the girl bowed before her, shivering in fear.
"Uh…what are you doing?" Yuki inquired, getting back on her feet and wiping off the dirt from her clothes.
"I'm so sorry! If I knew who you were, I never would have…!"
"Calm down…it was just a case of misunderstanding." Yuki laughed as she pulled the other girl up.
"But I…"
"It's fine, no real harm done. Since you know who I am, how about you tell me who you are?"
"My name is Neera, and I'm apprentice to demon first-class Mara." Neera said, shaking hands with Yuki.
"Nice to meet you Neera." Yuki smiled.
"So…why did you need Mistress Mara?"
"I was hoping she could give me a chance to nip down to Niflheim for a bit, something's telling me my grandmother could do with a little sweet." Yuki pointed to the carrier.
"Oh…Mistress Mara is at work right now, sorry."
"It's okay…I just have to find another way to get down there."
Yuki wracked her brain a few moments before turning to Neera.
"You could take me…couldn't you?"
"I suppose I could, you are the only known holy deity allowed in Hell anyhow. No way we'd get in trouble." Neera grinned.
"That's what I wanted to hear!"
In moments the two were in Niflheim, Yuki breathing in deeply.
"I know this place is full of demons and all, but I always feel so at home here."
"Maybe it's because the other demons love you so much; many of them admire you since you've helped Lady Hild mellow out, not to mention what you did to that Rin guy,"
"Yeah, that's probably it." Yuki smirked.
As soon as they got in, they noticed many of the demons seemed on edge.
"Oh thank the heavens, can't believe I said that, Yuki…Lady Hild is in a foul mood." One lesser demon said, falling to his knees.
"I knew it…just what is the problem?"
"There's a bothersome virus in the system; Lady Hild's been trying to get rid of it for the last three days, but no luck, and she's about ready to fry anyone who comes near."
"I see…well, I'll see what I can do."
"Oh thank you."
As soon as Yuki and Neera were in front of the door that led to Hild's office, Neera hid behind the goddess's back.
"I can't believe we're going to visit Lady Hild at such a bad time…are you sure she won't fry us?"
"I doubt she'd do that to me, and anyone with me for that matter." Yuki grinned as she knocked on the door.
"Whoever's out there better have a good reason to be disturbing me, or else they're being turned into food for the hellhounds!"
Yuki was a little startled by the outburst, but she just shook her head.
"Okay Grandma, I'll just be on my way…you're busy so I should just leave you to…" Yuki sing-songed as she turned to leave.
The door flew open, Hild smiling broadly as she spotted her granddaughter.
"Yuki! How wonderful to see you…and I see you brought a friend."
"Hello Grandma…I heard you're having a bit of trouble with the system right now." Yuki smiled as she went in, setting the cake down on a small table.
"Oh yes…I can't understand how something as insignificant as a virus could cause me, the daimakaicho, such a headache." Hild sighed.
"Then it's a good thing I brought you this." Yuki smirked as she opened the carrier, using her magic to produce plates and cutlery.
"Oh how thoughtful of you dear." Hild grinned as Yuki sliced her a piece, "And it looks absolutely delicious!"
"It should be…I put a lot of love into this, just so you could cheer up." Yuki said as she watched Hild take a bite.
"Oh yes…I must say you're a very skilled girl, and I do agree this has definitely put me in a better mood."
"Glad to hear it." Yuki smiled as she made her way over to the computer her mother had been working on.
Hild observed as Yuki took her seat, typing speedily as Neera gawked at the little goddess.
"What are you doing?" Neera questioned as Yuki continued to type.
"I'm trying to see if I can get rid of the problem; since my mother works in Heaven's administration, I've learned a few things." Yuki replied, not even looking at the demoness.
"Oh Yuki…I doubt a child like you could…" Hild started.
"Done! You shouldn't have anymore problems for a while now Grandma." Yuki smiled as she pushed her bangs out of her eyes.
"Well…I guess I was wrong." Hild chuckled as she patted Yuki's head.
"It should run smoothly now…I better get going; Mom's probably already having a fit about me leaving without notice." Yuki sighed, already imagining her mother scolding her for her actions.
"Shall I lend you Bloodied Lance again, it'll be faster." Hild offered, but Yuki shook her head.
"No Grandma; after the first visit, Mom made me promise I'd never bring a bicorn into the temple again."
"Understandable enough. Thank you for visiting, and the cake…"
"And fixing Niflheim's system?" Yuki offered with a smirk.
"And yes, that. Be good now."
"When have I not been?"
Hild just smiled as she patted Yuki's head, placing a kiss on her temple.
"I'll see if I can visit again soon."
"Great…but then Mom won't be happy about that."
"When has she ever been happy to see me?"
"Good point Grandma."
Neera and Yuki soon left, waving good-bye to the leader of demons.
"Lady Hild sure acts different with you."
"I'm her granddaughter, of course she'd treat me differently."
Just as they were about to leave, someone tripped Yuki, causing her to fall on her face.
"Ouch! What the heck tripped me?" Yuki demanded as Neera helped her up.
"You're the granddaughter of Lady Hild? Pathetic."
Yuki and Neera turned to see a demon boy their age, who was smirking at Yuki arrogantly. He had a head of short red hair and cruel black eyes, a fang sticking out of his mouth.
"Who do you think you are?"
"I think I be Dracus, demon in-training." He said conceitedly, brushing his long bangs out of his eyes.
"And what was the point of tripping me?" Yuki growled, rubbing a bit of soot off her face.
"I wanted to see if you're as great as they say…now I see that everyone was exaggerating."
"You watch your mouth, I was just caught off-guard."
"Whatever…either way, I can't believe you're the one who managed to stop Rin from ruling the world."
"I am, and right now I'm heading back home. I think I'm being suffocated by your ego." Yuki taunted as she faked being unable to breathe.
Neera laughed at Yuki's actions as Dracus growled.
"Know your place goddess…I for one agree that Rin had the right idea."
"Then that makes you an idiot too if you're following that pathetic piece of a so-called demon." Yuki scoffed as she took Neera's hand.
Dracus just glowered at them as they turned to leave.
"Mark my words goddess…one day soon, you'll be begging for mercy from me." Dracus snarled as Yuki huffed at him.
"Whatever…let's get going Neera, I need some fresh air." Yuki said as she tugged Neera along.
Unknown to them, Hild was watching the whole thing through a sphere.
"I see Yuki certainly doesn't like her doublet partner…but I can agree he's a bit full of himself." Hild chuckled.
As Yuki and Neera reappeared in the abandoned building, Yuki turned to the demoness.
"Neera…do you want to be friends?"
"Friends? But…you're a goddess, I'm a demon."
"I don't see why not, you seem a bit more…benign than most demons. I hope we can hang out, get to know each other better." Yuki smiled as she shook hands with Neera.
"Well…maybe we could…"
"Great! I really want you to meet the rest of my family, maybe you can ask Mara to bring you over some time."
"Are you sure your…mother won't mind?"
"Mom's been saying to make friends my own age…she just didn't specify if they couldn't be demons." Yuki smirked.
Neera smiled as Yuki started for the door.
"Thanks Yuki…you're my first friend you know."
"Same to you…see you this weekend?"
"I'll see if Mistress Mara can make it happen."
Yuki gave Neera the thumbs up before flying off. Meanwhile…down in the stables of Niflheim…
"Curse that Yuki…thanks to her, I'm stuck mucking out the stalls of the bicorns." Rin snarled, dumping out a wheelbarrow filled with the droppings of the wicked equine beasts.
As he sat down, patting down his sweaty face with a cloth, Dracus rounded the corner, a basket in hand. Rin smiled broadly as he gestured the young demon closer.
"Hello Dracus…has your training been going well?" Rin inquired as Dracus offered him a drumstick.
"Well enough…I spotted that goddess Yuki today too." Dracus replied, sitting next to the elder demon.
"Yuki? And what did you do?"
"I tripped her, just to see if she's as great as everyone said. But honestly, she seems like she's just a stupid girl."
"I see…and what of that virus you planted in the system?"
"I think I heard that Yuki fixed it, believe it or not."
Rin nodded in understanding as Dracus poured him a glass of wine. As the elder demon took a long drag from his goblet, Dracus peered at him curiously.
"Have you thought of what we're going to do to Yuki? To pay her back for your punishment?"
"I've been thinking…I did hear something about a goddess in Heaven who seems to despise Yuki and her mother. I think her name was Saria."
Dracus smirked as he tore off a piece of bread for himself.
"And what were you thinking exactly?"
"I've been thinking she could be useful in my plan for revenge…I doubt anyone would suspect a goddess of her standing of harming a goddess trainee." Rin chuckled darkly.
Dracus leaned closer to the other demon, eyes lighting up in devilish glee.
"When shall we do it? I want to crush that little bug for what she did to you!" Dracus cackled.
"Patience Dracus…good things to those who wait." Rin sang, patting the boy on the head, "I swear, you're as energetic as your mother Dara."
Dracus frowned a moment before hugging the elder demon.
"Just be patient my little Dracus…soon enough that little excuse of a goddess shall pay for what she did."
Dracus smiled at Rin toothily, not removing himself from Rin's waist.
"I'll do whatever it takes to avenge you…Father."
Rin smoothed his fingers through the boy's hair.
"I'm glad to hear it…my son."
Up on the surface, Yuki felt a shiver run down her spine.
'Either I'm getting a chill…or something bad is coming our way.'
Dragonlover71491: So…what did you guys think? Hope you like it! Just wait…and next chapter will have a time skip, just to forewarn you. Not too long, just three years. See you all there!