I woke up feeling much better than I'd felt in ages.
Strong, healthy, and relaxed. What a nice change from pain and suff—Ouch!
When I actually moved, the agony decided to strike. It had dulled considerably, but still left me feeling like an overused—and, possibly, busted—punching bag. My nose twitched at the now-familiar scent of rotten eggs. The horrible experiences from before—still fresh—flooded my mind and I did a fast track to Wakesville.
My eyes snapped open and I scrambled to my feet, my white hair...fur moving gently in the...wind? Wait...why did I have four feet...or paws? And a tail? My ears twitched atop my head at a familiar chuckle. Before I could pinpoint the source, a pair of lavender gloves picked up my tiny body. A hiss escaped my mouth at the pain in my ribs and internal organs. Soon enough, I came face to face with the man I'd literally thought about as I died.
'Mephisto!' I cried out in joy, pouncing on his chest after squirming out of his hold.
"Eins, zwei, drei," he uttered the spell in a gentle voice, lightly tapping my small feline body. A poof of smoke and I was in human form once again. "My little Kitten..." he purred, burying his face in my neck and breathing in my scent. I stayed cuddled up against him, simply content to be in his arms. "I am so sorry, my love. Had I known they'd planned on taking you, I'd never have left you," his words were strained, his body even beginning to shake with raw emotion. I froze, wondering just how much he knew. He must have been the one to find me...
"How... How am I here?" I asked, unable to specify what I meant. The last thing I remembered was Satan burning me after I'd died in the Vatican's cell. Now, here I was, in Mephisto's lap as he floated in his chair high above his school where Rin was being bled dry by a bunch of priests. Seeing my friend in such pain about killed me again, but Mephisto had such a tight grip and I doubted I would be able to be of much help anyway in such a pitifully-weak state...
"Amaimon's hobgoblins told him about what happened. They heard from their brethren in Gehenna," his voice was taut and wavering. "I'd thought your awareness was returning, but I had no idea how quickly and strongly it was coming. You definitely are a special case." I pulled on his beard—lightly—to encourage him to continue as he went off into dreamland about whatever "specialty" he believed me to possess. He took a moment to swat my hand away with a disapproving frown before continuing. "Amaimon and I found you...dead...in that cell; and then our father's flames consumed you..." he trailed off, covering his face with his hand.
I shifted uncomfortably in his lap. Remembering the "deaths" made bile rise in the back of my throat and I, subconsciously, pressed closer to the demon I'd grown quite fond of. "So I came back to life?" I managed to squeeze out in a voice that couldn't even qualify as a whisper.
"Yes. With certain...attributes," he added, grabbing onto something flicking behind me.
I yelped when I felt his touch, a blush rising into my cheeks. A white, tufted tail twitched in his gloved hand. My eyes went wide and I explored other parts of my body. My wandering hands found the complete set—fangs, ears, tail, and claws.
"And those pretty brown eyes are a beautiful gold now," Mephisto praised, his own green eyes staring into my face. "I shifted you into the form of a cat to get us out without trouble." He glanced off to the side then, a sadistic grin pulling on his lips. "Well, after I took care of a loose end."
I tilted my head at his words but couldn't help but ask. "That guard..."
I received my answer at the flash of anger in his gaze and a sinister chuckle. Not wanting to nurse mental scars as well as physical, I let the matter drop.
I pushed myself up and kissed him of my own volition. No succubus influencing me. No need for him to start it. Nothing of the sort. It just felt right.
The hourglass mark on my neck gave a pleasant burn when he kissed back.
"Since Father made her a demon, does that make her our sister, Brother?" a familiar voice squeaked above our heads.
Mephisto growled against my lips at the interruption. I giggled at the innocent inquiry before reaching up to gather the green-furred hamster in my hands.
"Hello, Amai-kun," I greeted with a smile, ignoring the dull ache in my body every time I moved. The cuts, punctures, and bruises from my ordeal had all healed thanks to the demon blood now coursing through my veins, but it would take more time for my human mind and heart to disregard the ghost sensations they left behind. "I'm pretty sure I'm your sister now, in other regards." My eyes gazed questioningly at the purple-haired demon who was grinning widely at my words.
"That depends. You never gave me an answer," he teased, one hand—ungloved—lightly touching the mark he'd branded me with on my collarbone. I shuddered against him, settling Amaimon on Mephisto's shoulder where he'd be more comfortable.
"On one condition," I raised a finger to emphasize my point, golden eyes determined. "Tell me: why did you choose me?" It was a question that had been bothering me for a while, especially after Amaimon had first muttered his understanding of the situation. Not only had Mephisto actively-hunted me down—picking me out of an entire world full of people—he'd gone to another dimension to do so. Apparently, I had a few "talents"--seeing the other side and interacting with it—but there were hundreds of people who did the same in this realm! Not to mention, they could do more. They could fight, chant, exorcise demons, and some could use magic spells! I had to learn kanji when I first got here...
Mephisto gave me an unreadable look; Amaimon even lapsing into silence. The only sounds were from below when the old man's "Jacob's Ladder" plan backfired terribly.
"You really don't remember, do you?" the King of Time wondered aloud, his green eyes soft but mysterious. He raised my chin to better meet his gaze, leaning close enough for our noses to touch. I blushed at the spark that rushed through me at the simple contact.
"I--I remember...parts..." I tried to explain, cheeks burning with embarrassment at my lack of knowledge on the subject. I did recall Gehenna, thanks to Satan's influence, and most of my time there. As a child, I had no control of my abilities then, either; and, when I'd sleep, I'd actually end up there, somehow. How my soul could cross over dimensions and into what I thought was only an anime would forever escape me, but it had happened. I finally remembered that black palace with the blue flames...
"I've been in Satan's home before, haven't I?" I asked, still unsure of my jumbled memories. One look at his smirk and I had my answer. "And you found me wandering around?" A faint memory of fancy clothes and bright-green eyes resurfaced in my head.
"Hn. You were a handful as a little girl," Mephisto chuckled, propping his head up with a gloved hand. "Even so young, your presence drew all manner of demons trying to take you as their future mate. Mark you for their own selfish conquest. My brothers and I had quite a bit of fun fending those pathetic creatures off in those days." His eyes took on a reminiscent gleam before continuing. "And then, one day, you vanished. Never came back. But not before leaving your mark," he spoke with a meaningful stare.
Swallowing my pride, I decided to risk a guess. I didn't remember it quite yet, but I had a feeling that I was the one responsible considering the shape.
"The pentagram on your back?" I questioned, nerves making my voice small and wavering. Ducking my head at his nod, I gave a sheepish apology. "Sorry..."
"Don't be. It's what led me to you when your true self began to awaken," Mephisto chastised, tilting my head back up. "If I had wanted to, it would have been a simple case to remove it. I chose you, my dear."
I was not expecting to hear such admission come from the ever-mysterious persona known for his mischief and trickery. Sincerity coated his words and voice like sugar; and just as sweet.
But that still left one last pressing matter...
Bolstering my courage—probably thanks to the overbearing presence of Satan entering Assiah through the Gehenna Gate—I rushed out one final question.
"What's so special about being Lilith's daughter?"