AN: My muse seems to be taking a day off, so it's up to me to do the disclaimer for once. I don't own Demon Diary, and I'm not making any money out of it. Now, without further ado I finally present to you Chapter Two.

Chapter Two: Spring

Spring am I, too soft of heart.

Much to speak ere I depart.

Ask the summertide to prove,

The abundance of my love.

From a poem by William Morris.


Erutis moaned and wiped the sweat off her brow. The morning had started out all right, but at the moment the temperature in the Raenef castle was hot enough that even just standing there in a singlet top and hot pants was making her sweat, and it only seemed to be getting hotter.

"Good one Raenef," Chris muttered sarcastically from his position on the floor. Even Chris had reluctantly given up his clerical robes in favour of a t-shirt and baggy pants. "Now the saga of Chris the super-genius is going to end with the hero melting into a puddle on the floor."

"I didn't mean it," Raenef sniffed, tears forming in the corners of his eyes. As soon as Eclipse saw the look on Raenef's face he sent a stare that contained daggers (and several other types of blades and a pitchfork) hurling towards the cleric.

"Woah!" Erutis exclaimed, grabbing hold of Eclipse' arm before he could hurl a fireball at Chris. If there was one thing Erutis had learnt from her stay in the castle, it was never to insult or upset Raenef, especially when Eclipse was nearby. Apparently Chris had yet to learn this lesson.

"We're all feeling a little on edge because of Rae's screw-u…" she hesitated as Eclipse sent his death stare at her instead. "Because of Rae's accident," she quickly amended, taking her arms away from Eclipse. "But we should be concentrating on trying to fix it, not killing Chris, even though the idea is awfully tempting."

"I would have already," Eclipse commenting, ignoring the stream of protest coming from Chris's mouth. "But to be honest I'm not exactly sure what the spell did. Taking a guess at the solution could cause more problems then it solves."

"Bet I could fix it…" Chris mumbled.

"Why haven't you then, super-genius?" Erutis replied.

"That's a good point," Eclipse said. Chris shuddered as the demon's attention turned to him once more.

"In fact," Eclipse continued, an almost manic grin settling on his face. "I would suggest you sit down and try and find a way to fix this or I'll find a way to melt you a lot quicker than this heat wave will."

"What!" Chris screamed. "But it was Raenef who…"

A fireball appeared in Eclipse's hand.

"All right," Chris groaned, picking himself up off the floor and heading into the depths of the castle. "But it's not fair."


Raenef sighed as he looked through his large wardrobe full of suitably demonic clothes, all of which had been chosen for him by Eclipse. It was too hot to wear any of these, nearly all of which flowed, billowed or hugged his figure more than would be comfortable in boiling hot weather. He was going to be so uncomfortable, and there was no-one to blame but himself.

Personally, he couldn't really care how much his clothing inspired awe and terror in the hearts of those who saw him, but Eclipse did insist.

Maybe just this once Eclipse wouldn't mind, Raenef thought, pulling out a long flowing garment he knew he would never wear and wondering if there was something as simple as a pair of scissors and a needle and thread somewhere in the castle.


Eclipse stared at his reflection in mild disgust. Usually he wouldn't be seen dead in anything but a rather large, flowing and preferably black robe. Getting around in anything else simply wasn't demonic enough, but when the temperature was this extreme, certain allowances had to be made.

He had settled on a sleeveless top with a high neck, which was fine enough, but the pants…

Eclipse hated wearing short pants. His legs just didn't look any good in them, but he knew that if they were any longer he might, as Chris had suggested, melt into a puddle on the ground. It was just as well there was no-one around to see him, Eclipse realised.

"Eclipse!" a voice that managed to sound both happy and nervous at the same time called from the corridor behind him.

Eclipse turned around, glad that it was only Raenef, but still wondering at the uncertainty in his master's voice.

It was then that his breath stopped. He tried to keep his attraction to Raenef hidden as much as possible, but when his lord came towards him dressed as he was, it was all he could do to stop himself from pouncing on the demon lord and ravishing him.

Raenef's skin tone was much more suited to summertime than Eclipse's was. His bronze chest and tanned legs just ached to be touched.

From somewhere (Eclipse was far too distracted to figure out where) Raenef had found a pair of knee length maroon board shorts and loose sandals. He was wearing nothing on the top half of his body, unless you counted the chain of oversized maroon and black beads that decorated his neck.

"Umm, Eclipse?" Raenef asked, approaching his tutor.


This was not going to go well; Raenef thought as he noticed the way Eclipse was staring at him. He knew his outfit wasn't demonic enough.

This probably wasn't the best time to be asking him, Raenef realised. Then his brain caught up with his eyes, realised how tight Eclipse's shirt was and all rational thoughts fled his mind.

"Eclipse, I was wondering if I could ask you for something?"

"Hmm?" Eclipse answered dreamily. "What is it?"

"Well, with the heat and everything I realised something that I don't have, which would be really good, only I don't know whether it would be demonic or not to have one," Raenef blurted out.

"Hmm?" Eclipse said again, causing Raenef to wonder whether his tutor was all right. Eclipse's eyes didn't seem to be focusing properly.

"I was hoping," Raenef said. "That we could get a pool put into the castle."

Raenef winced in expectation, waiting for Eclipse to say 'no' or chastise him about how undemonic it was to want something like a pool, but the chastising never came. Looking at the demon once more, Raenef was surprised to find a mild look of disappointment on Eclipse's face.


Oh, Eclipse thought. A pool? That's all? Damn.

The completely unfocused and unrealistic dream world Raenef's appearance had thrown him into had allowed Eclipse to imagine, just for a second, that Raenef might ask Eclipse to be his lover, or at least for a kiss, and at that moment, Eclipse, despite all of his common sense, would probably have given him whatever he asked for.

So what? It had fit with what Raenef was saying about whether or not it would be demonic. Well, not really, but it had still been a nice thought.

"A pool?" Eclipse found his voice in time to say.

Looking at Raenef's face he couldn't help but notice the adorable expression, complete with puppy-dog eyes that came when Raenef was really excited or emotional. How could he say no to those eyes?

"Of course Raenef," Eclipse smiled, accidentally forgetting any formalities. "I'll send for some of the villagers. It shouldn't take them any longer than a couple of days."

"Oh." It was now Raenef's turn to be disappointed. "Couldn't we just use an incantation to make one ourselves?"

"We probably could, but if there is an incantation for making a pool, then I don't know of it. Trust me, it will be quicker and easier if we get someone else to do it."

Oh no, Eclipse thought, taking in the crushed look on Raenef's face.

"Master Raenef?" Eclipse said softly, placing a hand on Raenef's shoulder.

"I just felt like going for a swim, that's all," Raenef shrugged.

Eclipse's brain and heart went off immediately, working in tandem to create what was probably one of the most illogical and emotion-driven ideas in Eclipse's life.

Swim… Eclipse thought. Yes. Just me and Raenef wearing only board shorts. He restrained himself from moaning out loud. Maybe…

"Raenef," Eclipse smiled once more. "Have you ever been to the seaside?"