Aiko didn't know where she was, but if she had to guess, she would say that she was in a bed. A soft blanket was thrown on top of her, and her head lay against a large pile of pillows. She briefly wondered what happened, until she remembered everything.
She quickly sat up, snapping open her eyes. The blanket that was laying on top of her fell to her waist. She looked around the room, puzzled slightly. 'Where am I?' She thought to herself. 'Where's Demigra?'
Aiko threw her legs over the side of the bed, and then realized that her clothes had changed. Her tank top and jeans were now replaced with a blue, gold, and red long-sleeved shirt, and a long deep red skirt.
She yelped when Demigra appeared in the doorway across from her. "So...you're awake." He said, his tone bored. "I honestly didn't expect you to pass out when we teleported. What a bundle of surprises you are, my kitten." He smiled as he finished his sentence, but Aiko felt something off about the way he was looking at her.
She silently glared at him, but said nothing as she shakily stood. "Where am I?" She asked, her stance weak and her face flushed. "My place." Demigra stated, as if the answer was obvious.
Aiko took a step forwards, and collapsed. She managed to catch herself from falling by grabbing onto the nightstand next to the bed. "Your place?" She asked, skeptical to say the least. Demigra nodded. "Yes. I guess you could call this my own plane of existence, as the only way to get here is by inter-dimensional travel."
Aiko paled visibly. She turned to the large glass doors behind her, and looked out beyond the balcony. There was nothing but a swirling mass of purple and red. Aiko felt faint, and would have fallen backwards, if Demigra hadn't been there to catch her.
"Mayhaps you should rest a bit more, kitten." He purred into her ear. Aiko turned bright red and pushed herself off of him and into the air. She was now at eye level with Demigra. "Don't you kitten me, you dick! Why am I here!?" She yelled, throwing her arms around as emphasis.
Demigra sighed, and grabbed Aiko's forearms, stopping her mid motion. "Be more careful, kitten. You might break something, flailing around like that." Aiko tried to pry her arms away from his hold, but failed.
"Now, why don't we go downstairs so that we can discuss the conditions of our...deal." Aiko didn't like the glint in Demigra's eyes, but sighed, and nodded all the same. Demigra let go of one of her forearms, and pulled her out the door.
Aiko took note that the house around her was very modestly decorated, witha few painting here and there, nothing too fancy. Demigra let go of her once he reached what she assumed to be the dining room. He sat down on one side of a small table, and motion for her to take the seat across from him.
When Aiko shook her head, Demigra flicked his wrist, and she was pushed by some invisible force into the chair. Aiko scowled at him, and he smiled back sweetly. "Would you like something to drink, kitten? Some wine perhaps?"
Two wine glasses appeared on the table in front of them, along with a rather old bottle of wine. Aiko looked down at the glasses, and contemplated asking for one, before she shook her head, instead tearing her gaze back to Demigra's eyes.
"Why am I here?" She muttered, her fists clenched in her lap. Demigra's smile faded, and the wine and glasses disappeared. "You are here, kitten, because this is what you agreed to. I said that I only wanted to bring you somewhere, and here is there." Demigra smirked, and Aiko's glare hardened.
"Why are my clothes different?" She asked, her voice low and threatening. Demigra leaned back in his chair. "I decided that what you were wearing wasn't befitting of you, kitten. So I changed it." He leaned forwards, smirking. "What do you think?"
Aiko closed her eyes for a moment, before glaring hard at Demigra. "Where are my other clothes?" She asked through clenched teeth. Demigra rolled his eyes. "If you'd rather change into something else, kitten, I was able to procure your other clothes." Aiko relaxed a bit. "They are in a wardrobe in your room, you can go and check to see if I'm lying after we have a little chat about our deal."
Aiko shivered, unnerved by how Demigra drew out his last word. "W-what is there to talk about?" She asked, wanting to get as far away from him as possible. Demigra's playfulness fled, and was replaced by a cold, hard, serious exterior. "Everything." He replied.
"Firstly, we must talk about my terms and conditions." Aiko didn't like the way that Demigra smirked at her. "You are not allowed to leave this place, but you are ,however, allowed to do almost anything that you heart desires, kitten. Here is an art room connected to yours, along with your own private bathroom." Aiko sighed under her breath.
"My room however," Demigra began, a threatening look in his eyes. "Is not to ever be entered. You can knock, but I cannot guarantee that I will answer." Demigra looked over at her, and smiled seductively. "Of course, if you're good enough, I might just invite you in." Aiko paled and opened her mouth to speak, but Demigra cut her off.
"I'm merely joking, kitten. I would never do anything to you. My study, is, however, always open to you." Demigra winked at her, but Aiko only glared back. "Now, you are allowed to go anywhere on the grounds, including outside. You can do anything that your heart desires, including destroy." Aiko glare hardened as Demigra paused.
"That about wraps it up from my side, kitten. So, what are your terms?" Demigra leaned forward, resting his head on his hand. Aiko was caught off guard. "What terms?" She asked. Demigra sighed softly.
"Your terms and conditions for staying here, of course. What, did you think that I was the only one who could make demands?" Aiko nodded slightly, before putting a finger to her chin in thought. "Um..." She said, trying to think of anything.
Her thoughts were swirling too fast to think of anything that could be useful. "I...don't know." She said slowly, turning to look at Demigra. He sighed, and pinched the bridge of his nose. He took a deep breath, and released his hand. "Just...think about it kitten. I'll see you tonight for your answer."
And with that, Demigra disappeared. Aiko sat completely still for a moment, afraid that he would come back, but after half a minute, she sighed, and relaxed. She leaned forwards, and hit her head onto the table in front of her. "Oh, god. I'm so stupid."
Aiko spent the next hour walking around the house. She discovered the kitchen, the back door, the foyer, and the living room. She was slowly making her way upstairs, when she tripped over her own feet, and fell backwards. Aiko clawed frantically at the air, trying to regain her balance, but it was too late.
In that moment of weightlessness, Aiko cried out in shock, something she hadn't done since she was brought to Tokitoki city. Then, suddenly, she stopped falling. "You must be more careful, kitten. I can't always be around to save you when you fall." Demigra's voice rang through the house, and Aiko scowled. She pulled herself away from his grasp, and glared at him.
"Don't touch me, Demigra." She said, her voice dripping with poison. "Why not, kitten? Everything on this plane of existence belongs to me. And that includes you. I legitimately have no reason not to just take you right now."
Aiko flushed slightly at his comment, and growled at him. "You want my terms and conditions? Fine! Stay away from me!" With that, she flew up the stairs and rushed to the room she awoke in. She slammed the door, and leaned against it.
She curled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on her knees. "I hate myself." She muttered, as she looked around the room. She hadn't been paying attention when she had awoken, but she now got a better look at it.
The wardrobe was across from the foot of the bed, and had a vanity stationed to it's left, and a door to it's right. A door that led to what looked like a bathroom was on the corner farthest from her, across from the vanity. The bed was stationed in the middle of the wall, and had a canopy over it.
Aiko stood slowly, and walked towards the wardrobe. She was hesitant to open it, she didn't want to learn that Demigra had lied to her. She took a deep breath, and threw the doors open. She gasped at what she saw. All of her clothes were there, from her old Gi that she had worn when she had first joined the Time Patrol, to her blue tank top and jeans she had been wearing when she struck up the deal with Demigra.
"Oh...my...Kami." She whispered breathlessly, her eyes searching over everything. She even saw the small chest at the bottom of the wardrobe that she knew held all of her underwear and such. She blushed slightly, and shook her head.
She closed the wardrobe, and moved to the closed door she saw. She opened it slowly, and gasped at what she saw. On one side of the room, there were shelves upon shelves of different colors of paints, on the opposite, a variety of brushes and canvases. Aiko's mouth was open as she walked into the middle of the room. The only other wall was made entirely of glass, and standing in the very middle, was here an easel and stool.
Her paint stained palette sat on the stool, exactly as she had left it yesterday. She smiled softly, amazed to see it. She drew her fingers across it's surface for a moment, before pulling her hand back as if she had been burned.
'This is all a trick by Demigra...don't believe it for a moment.' She thought to herself, looking out the window. Outside, there was a small flower garden, and a large yard. Taking up a quarter of the yard, was what looked to be an arena of sorts. Aiko shivered, remembering the day she almost died at the hands of Cell.
Aiko turned her gaze to the small orchard next to the arena. It had many different trees, some she hadn't seen since she was a little girl on her home planet. She smiled again, but shook her head. She walked back to her main room, and opened the balcony doors. She stood up on the ledge, and lightly jumped off, into the air.
She floated down to the orchard, and sat down underneath a small apple tree. She fondly remembered the time that Jeice and Burter helped her collect the fruit off the tree in her front yard, and then turned it into jam back in Tokitoki city.
All of her emotions surged forwards, and she let out sob after sob. She curled up underneath the apple tree, and cried for hours. As the foreign sky turned dark, Aiko flew up in to the tree, and lay down on a branch, just like she used to do when she was home. This brought new tears to add tot he old tracks that ran down her face.
She buried her face in her hands, and cried for a little while longer, until exhaustion overtook her, and she fell asleep.