Kain was concerned that Azrael would suffer the same debilitations that he had gained from Elizavere's lack of sewing skills. There was no way to force him into his true form, and Azrael could not manage the transformation on his own. He still doubted that he really was a doll.

Finally, Brightflame gazed at Azrael and declared, "I can see through his illusion. He'll last for a very long time."

Azrael finally found that his hunger had faded through the day. He wasn't completely glad. He did enjoy the hunt, but he had also felt a slight revulsion at the need that drove him to it. Now, there wasn't any reason for killing.

Some offhand insult sparked another argument between Raziel and Azrael. The two grappled briefly.

"Hey!" Jennifer yelled. The pair turned towards her. She was holding a pitcher of water, fully prepared to fling its contents at them. They reluctantly let go of each other, and Jennifer set down the jug with enough force to make the water jump.

"She was going to burn us both," Azrael muttered in astonishment.

Raziel plunged one arm into the jug and then showed it to his twin. "I'm not affected by water." He paused to consider their natures as stuffed toys. "You shouldn't be, either." Raziel wiped his dripping hand against Azrael's arm.

The other hissed in anger and drew his arm away. He wiped the water away quickly, but there was no damage. "How dare you try something like that?" Azrael yelled, not caring that he had just learned that water was no longer a limitation.

"Take it outside," Jennifer shouted, now knowing that it was pointless to try and stop them from fighting. They both vaulted over the balcony railing.

"Princess of Apostates has agreed to take care of him if I grant her a favor," Kain wearily muttered to Jennifer as he watched his two sons wrestle.

"This place is just to small to keep them both, especially if they insist on fighting like that," Jennifer said. She knew just what sort of 'favor' this particular fan girl would want from Kain. She trusted the wisdom of his choice. With his many wanderings, he would know best who could take care of Azrael. The princess favored Kain, but Azrael was in no condition to be subject to the advances of his own fans. Hopefully that could change in time.

"I suppose it is the least I can do for them," Kain said in disappointment.

"Is it really that bad?" Jennifer asked curiously.

"I find such distractions a waste of time, especially with a human." Kain spoke as if it were debase, an act of bestiality.

"What don't you want to be distracted from?" Jennifer asked.

The former emperor bared his fangs in warning as he sneered, "Nothing."

Jennifer decided to change the subject. "I also require a favor of you, Kain," she said formally.

"What make you think you have the right?" Kain asked.

"I saved your life," Jennifer said. At Kain's acknowledgment, she continued. "I could've watched you die, but I didn't. I'm now partly responsible for what you do in this world. Don't make me regret my choice."

Kain chuckled softly, "I suppose I could try to grant your request."

Jennifer was a bit confused by Kain's gracious attitude. Was he really as 'heartless' as she had believed, or was this change something else entirely? She briefly wondered if this was because he was now cleansed of his corruption.

Kain and Azrael left that evening. Raziel made some standard threats to Kain about Azrael's well-being. Kain gave up on reassuring Raziel that such threats were useless.

Several hours later, Raziel was still pensive. "I see now what you meant about taking me when my personality was at it's best, but that says nothing about my body."

"Don't torture yourself like this, Raziel," Jennifer said sadly.

"I would not blame you if you need to seek your comforts elsewhere," Raziel said.

"It's not as much fun when it's meaningless," Jennifer answered.

"Still, it must be hard that I can't…" he couldn't continue. It would be easier to accept if he was the only one suffering from his inabilities.

"No harder than it must be for you," Jennifer insisted. She became lost in thought for a few moments; then asked, "How much do you trust me, Raziel?"

Raziel did not answer. The silence hung in the air as he searched Jennifer's attitude for the reason behind her question.

"How much do you trust me?" Jennifer asked again as she caressed his face. She had not dared to try this before, fearful of how Raziel would react. Again, she found herself at that precarious point where she risked losing him.

Raziel felt Jennifer's mind resting against the surface of his own. He did not know what she was trying to do. He did not allow Jennifer into his mind, but he found he could let part of his awareness slip into hers. Raziel could see that Jennifer genuinely wanted nothing more than for him to be happy.

Raziel was consumed by an overwhelming sadness. When Jennifer had first shown him that she didn't feel revulsion for his form, he did not truly understand. Her mind did contain fluttering doubts buried deep beneath the surface, but Raziel could see these only as proof that she did recognize that he was once a revenge-crazed murderer. He felt ashamed that he could not possess the trust necessary to let her behind his own defenses, only into the surface.

Raziel withdrew into himself and found that Jennifer was crying. He gently wiped away a tear. "I'm sorry that I hurt you."

"I cry for your sadness," Jennifer said as she gently kissed his lingering fingers; they were still damp from her tears.

Raziel finally understood what she was trying to do. He kissed Jennifer gently at first, and then more passionately. He felt her sensations reflected back to him. Raziel spent some time simply kissing Jennifer and stroking his hands over her body; he found some spots that were very ticklish.

When he finally became earnest in his manipulations, Raziel quickly lost control of his form. That didn't matter anymore; he had found a use for his claws that had nothing to do with destruction. This was good enough for both of them.

A/N: I really should write the more detailed versions of these encounters. I don't want to up my rating level any more, so I'm not being graphic here.

I do need a feedback at this point. Who is still eager to see this thing end? I've got another twist in mind, but it will take a couple of chapters to get to and a ton of chapters to unravel. Even if I cut that twist, it's still going to take a while to wrap this up.