I thank you all who came by to check this story. This really inspired me to keep on truckin'!

The more I wrote, the more ideas I got, so this one came out a bit longer than the others.

The Incubus, Part 3: Guardian's Green (and Blues)

"One envelope, please."

Makoto bought a simple white envelope in a gift shop across the Fruit Parlor Crown and quickly put a 5000 yen bill inside it. It was a symbolic gesture for the funeral proceedings she would attend later that afternoon. The sudden death of Miyage Shinozaki's father the day before caught everyone by surprise, and she wanted to offer condolences to her lifelong best friend as tradition demands.

After her shift was over, she went back home for a bath, some freshening up, a quick lunch, and putting on the most conservative black dress she could find. She received an update from Usagi and Luna through her communicator about a fight that broke out over at Hikawa Shrine during their meeting. This time, there were no victims other than a small part of Rei's house. I should have fought with them, Makoto thought as she locked the door to her apartment.

Alongside her went her aunt Shizune Kino, her caretaker ever since her parents' untimely death, who lived in the apartment next door. Like the other women in her family, she also had green eyes and dark auburn hair that she let fall to her waist without ties, save for a couple of rose-shaped hair clips to avoid the bangs to blind her. For the occasion, she also wore all-black.

The wake would take place in a special room for ceremonies in the Aoyama Cemetery, where the cremation and the burial of Yuutarou's ashes in the family plot would also take place the next day. They found a contingent of fifty or so people, mostly from the Minato police prefecture where the deceased worked, either silently idling about or engaged in whispers and murmur. Once entering there, Makoto and Shizune went to the elaborate altar with the coffin containing Yuutarou's remains as its centerpiece, with incense urns incessantly burning by its flanks. The only sound was that of the Buddhist priests' constant praying and rubbing of their beads between their hands. Both Makoto and Shizune clasped their hands together and offered a short prayer. Shinozaki himself was sitting by his father's coffin along with his mother Hiroko. His bangs covered his eyes, as he attempted to hold back the tears that kept coming.

"Shinozaki?" she called. He was no longer the meek, frail-looking boy she often saw getting picked on by larger kids. He grew strong in more ways than one, and by the time they reconnected, he had turned into a very confident, headstrong man. Perhaps the kind of man she always wished to be by her side. But at that moment, he had regressed to a vulnerable state. There was nothing more Makoto wanted at that moment than to give him a loving embrace, but funeral protocols impeded such affectionate displays. He quietly got up, and while his expression opened slightly upon seeing her, it was still marred with grief.

"I'm... Sorry for your loss. I really am."

"Thanks..." Shinozaki answered under his breath, still looking down. Makoto understood he was in no condition for further conversation. Silently, she handed him the envelope, which he answered with a soft nod, then quickly sat back beside the coffin. But as soon as she turned away, she saw two of Shinozaki's friends arriving to handle him their own envelopes and offer him their own words of comfort. One of them caught her attention for the wrong reasons.

Senpai! Makoto affirmed in her thoughts. She couldn't believe it, that one boy was there! She had completely forgotten they were all mutual acquaintances and that he was Shinozaki's friend for about as much time as she was. For a few seconds, her blood ran cold, her stomach twisted, and her body trembled in anxiety. It couldn't have happened at a worse time. Makoto waited until Shizune finished talking to the widow to address her.

"We... We must leave."

"But why?" Shizune asked concernedly.

"I'm... I'm just not feeling well, okay? Please..."

Without saying anything else, Shizune followed her niece out. She did not say anything on their way back to their respective homes.

(xx)

The first thing Makoto and Shizune did when arriving home was to open the salt packets they received during the wake and then toss their contents on their shoulder, a symbolic way to purify their households from death. Those are usually given after the end of the ceremonies, but they were distributed freely for newly-arrived people.

Makoto couldn't help but feel misty-eyed and heavy herself. She felt ashamed for asking to leave so suddenly, all because of her unresolved romance with this guy...

"So, how are you feeling now?" asked Shizune.

"Not much better, aunt Shizu. Still kinda dizzy, and my stomach hurts a bit."

"I know exactly what it is. It's those days beginning in the worst possible moment! In that case, I'm gonna prepare some extra oolong tea and get you some heating pads for the night."

"Wow, you really are something, aunt Shizu," she said with a shy smile. "Thanks a lot!"

"Sure am! Don't worry, leave it all to Super Shizu here, okay?" she peppily said while winking and flexing her left arm. She then leaned over and gave a peck on her niece's left cheek. "Good night!"

"Good night," Makoto greeted back. As she closed her apartment door, she thought how lucky she was for her aunt to be there at all. When Makoto's parents died, Shizune took it upon herself to raise her to be a headstrong, independent woman, and made enormous sacrifices to ensure her future would not lie in destitution. After a few bumpy years where she had to make ends meet with minimum wage jobs, she could finally pursue her intended career as a lawyer. She succeeded so well that when Makoto completed 13 years, she could buy her niece her own apartment, so she could have her own space and learn to take care of her own home.

Makoto spent the rest of her day on her own, cleaning whatever nook and cranny looked dirty, preparing meals for the entire week, and writing down the list of groceries and cleaning products that were missing. Eventually, Shizune called in with the tea and the heating pads she promised. She went along with her aunt's assumption due to being ashamed to admit the real reason, but for all she knew, she may as well be starting her cycle too. Coupled with the sudden anxiety outburst, it made her system go haywire in the middle of Shinozaki's father's funeral.

But no matter what she did, her thoughts inevitably darted back and forth with information overload. About her former senpai, the resurgence of enemies in the city, and especially how unfortunate Shinozaki was to share at least part of her fate. Death was always part of life itself, an inevitability that balances it. She knew all too well what it was to die, but she had no memory if she saw anything beyond darkness in the times she was killed and brought back to life. Eventually, she exhausted her mind from too many thoughts and chores, so she sat on the couch just to rest a bit and ended up falling asleep before long.

(xx)

When he awakened as an incubus, Astar was as confident as he could be. He could now fly, become invisible at will, enter people's minds, and seduce them in their own heads with no repercussions. He no longer felt any other need. Those were excellent for a man who spent his years as a drifting nobody.

The confrontation he saw between the Sailor Guardians and the demon Marbas, coupled with him making the park guard disappear, changed that completely.

He became afraid of the extension of his own powers. As far as he was concerned, he was an incubus, nothing more, nothing less. Incubi don't go around making people vanish into thin air. How in all layers of Hell was he able to make a person disappear like that? And worse, make it with several eyewitnesses around him that acted like they didn't see it and it didn't happen.

He then tried to remember who he was before Astar. For all he knew, he was just an orphan who lived on his own for as far as he could remember, and only a day ago became aware he was an incubus all along.

The problem is, almost all his memories as a human seemed to have been wiped out. He couldn't even remember his own 'real' name. Astar is how the inhabitants of Tartarus called him when he lived there, that much he knew, but since then... His memories as a human were now blank as if they were never there. Who was he in reality? Why was he reborn on the surface? Why was that strange tattered creature after him? More and more questions popped into his mind the more he pondered about it all.

The night was just starting out, and all the aggravating thoughts that plagued his mind had turned into his usual craving. The strongest aura he felt came from one of the apartment blocks that were on the other side of the wall where Astar was leaning. He did not think twice to turn invisible and fly towards the source.

From the balcony of an apartment near the top of the block, he saw Makoto emitting a pale green aura from her body as she slept on the couch of her apartment's living room.

Am I lucky or what? Astar thought while admiring Makoto's physical attributes. He wasted no time to lay beside her.

(xx)

He soon incorporated himself into the Guardian's mind, but when he materialized inside her Dreamscape, he found himself on a free fall towards a green mass of land.

For a few moments, he flailed about until he drew out his wings to glide until he felt a solid structure on his feet. Astar saw himself surrounded by an extensive forest, with every kind of tree, vegetation, and flower forming a wonderful natural garden, illuminated by welcoming midday sun. He was awestruck with the diversity and the sheer beauty of the Dreamscape, and the sweet smell of ripe fruits, blooming flowers, fertile soil, and grass all mixed up.

"Beautiful, indeed," he stated to himself while admiring the place, "but I have no time to lose. Gotta look for her inner self."

Whenever he touched one of the trees, a random scene involving Makoto flashed before his eyes. He saw her on mundane tasks like cleaning her house, cooking and training martial arts, talking and having a good time with her friends, and eventually combatting as Sailor Jupiter alongside the ones he had seen battling in the waking world earlier that day. It was the third Sailor Guardian in three invasions since his reawakening. He found the coincidence mildly amusing.

Some of the trees he found were withered, if not outright dead, which Astar assumed were the memories she either no longer remembered or are now long lost. When he touched one such dead tree, he still saw an image. This time, the structures around him looked completely different. They looked like the interior of a palace, with varnished wood structures from the floor to its ceiling, with tall windows covered by green drapes. In this memory, Makoto wore some kind of leather armor and carried a spear, and was accompanied by a man in military clothes, similar to the one he saw in Rei's mind. This man had long wavy locks of auburn hair, albeit in a darker shade in comparison to Makoto's hair, and sported that look that exuded confidence and love for the woman who accompanied him. A lover in another life, perhaps?

Distracted by the vision that did not stop projecting as he walked away, Astar ended stepping into some kind of slope. He tumbled down for a short while, but when he opened his eyes and got up, he noticed he no longer was in the forest. Instead, he was at what looked like the lobby of a modern-day airport. Dozens of faceless people walked around him, oblivious to his existence. The only people with visible faces were a child Makoto, another woman by her side, and an adult couple in front of them.

The airport's speakers blared a call: "Attention all passengers of Flight 123 to Osaka, please board the plane on Gate B."

Drawing closer, Astar managed to hear their voices echoing through the walls of the airport.

"We'll be back in a week, Mako. Be good to aunt Shizune, okay? See you!"

After the couple hugged the girl, they turned away from each other and went their own way, disappearing into the crowd of featureless people.

The incubus wondered what this meant to have an entire section of her mind dedicated to it. His answer came as soon as he left the place through its nearest exit, where he then entered a barely-lit living room of a normal house, and Makoto and her aunt Shizune crying in each other's arms. Their painful weeping was unbearable to listen to, but when Astar turned to leave, he noticed an open newspaper on the coffee table just in front of them, where the picture of a crashed airplane took its top half and a headline read "Flight 123 Crash: List of Victims". Only two names were readable: Masaru Mokudera and Hitomi Kino.

Her parents. Feeling moved, Astar turned away from it, left through the front door, and resumed his search when he saw the forest forming around him again, and the skies clearing.

Another tree, another touch, and this time he saw Makoto sitting in the grass, twitching in anger. But then, a familiar-looking girl appeared. Usagi sat by her side, and immediately her expression and demeanor calmed down. She was now smiling and sharing her bento box with her. "This girl again," he pondered. "There must be something about her."

It didn't take long until he reached another clearing. When he entered, everything around him seemed to change once again. The clear blue sky was covered by dark clouds that started to pour down heavily. The surroundings also changed; it was now a nature park in the city. Near a wooden gazebo, he saw Makoto tagging along with a schoolboy, the only one of them with an umbrella. He approached and heard the voice of the young man echoing all through the place.

"What do you mean? We were never together."

Makoto followed the youngster into the rain, getting herself drenched from head to toe.

"You were never my type anyway. You're just too tall and too fierce."

The rain that poured and ran down her face now mixed itself with her tears.

"I'm going now. Don't bother following me."

Having said that, he left and Makoto stayed there, still getting soaked. No reaction, no callback. Nothing. From between her legs, a stream of blood started to fall and pool beneath her feet. Soon after, the ground beneath her became some sort of crimson-colored quicksand pit, inside of which she sank and made no effort to get herself out of.

But at that moment, another schoolboy came to her rescue. She was able to grasp her using only the pinky finger of his right hand. Upon pushing her back to safety, he put her under his umbrella and walked away with her together. Makoto's face flushed when she met his gaze.

All of a sudden, the scenario changed. It was now some sort of restaurant, with elaborate flower decorations hanging from its golden walls. Every single table was occupied by faceless people and some merry-sounding murmur could be heard. Makoto was near the entrance, still together with the schoolboy that saved her from before.

"Shinozaki, you're the best friend I could possibly have. Would you..."

Before she completed the sentence, Makoto stopped. A little while later, Shinozaki turned around and went away. Astar just blinked, and immediately he saw another man in Shinozaki's place. The same man in military clothes with the long hair he had seen in the dead memory. This time, they shared an embrace.

"Ayawatha... No, Nephrite. On the love you swore for me, promise me you will come back."

He pushed her away gently and went on his way, leaving Makoto visibly upset.

Another blink and yet another man appeared next to the girl. This one had short, sandy blond hair and wore an apron over his casual clothes.

"I love you, Motoki..."

This time, the man smiled and answered. "I love you too, Mako."

"MOTOKI!" another woman screamed just as they were about to share a kiss. The lovely scene ended then and there, with the man breaking the embrace. "I'm sorry, Mako... You're a lovely girl, but my heart is already hers. Goodbye."

Instead of going away on his own, Motoki got pushed towards the exit, where the other girl called. "Reika, you bitch!" Makoto shouted in her discontent. "Why do you have to exist!?"

Astar turned away as well, and outside, he saw Makoto once again. But this time, she looked far different than before. She was as tall as a kaiju from a cheap monster movie, and the curves she had were straightened out. "I am unloveable, am I not?" she lamented.

What a strange conclusion, Astar thought. She had the love of her aunt and her friends, so that's hardly being 'unloveable.' Unless she meant the desire of sharing her being with a man. Based on it, he knew what he had to do. He flew towards the giant Makoto to work his magic on her.

"What is that?" the girl asked.

"Why are you so large? Is that how you see yourself? Have you ever considered some men like large girls like you?"

Having said this, Astar grew to match Makoto's size. However, as soon as they could see each other in equal terms, a large pit opened between them.

"But look at the distance. Look at the chasm between us."

"Indeed," Astar affirmed as he opened his arms. "But if you truly wish the company of the one you want, you should not concern yourself with such small obstacles. I came to you, now you must do the same. Fly over here to my side. I trust you can do it."

One single leap was all it took for the girl to reach out to the incubus.

"Am I... attractive to you? Could you really love a woman like me?"

"Yes to both," he answered in earnest. "A woman like you, as you put, has her own qualities that no one in their right mind should overlook, lest they put their silly pride as a male before their own feelings. And if you truly wish so, don't stand around like you were helpless, for you are not so."

His words made Makoto shed off her uncanny appearance, which was just a self-imposed illusion of strangeness and inadequacy in front of the others. "I won't run away anymore."

"Good," he answered with a wide smile. "I am yours, and you are mine. That's all that matters now."

"Yes... I am yours. All yours!"

As they embraced, kissed, and rolled in the endless greens, Makoto felt that finally, someone was there to love her unconditionally, and it was not despite herself. It was because she was who she was. A short pang of sadness hit her as she realized her pleasure was finite. It was only natural to feel so since the moment is bound to end. But that was the beauty of it - to be able to feel, see, hear and taste it all within a moment. It was all there for her taking, and she would not waste any single second of it.

(xx)

It was just eight o'clock in the night when Makoto woke up in an almost feverish state, feeling varying degrees of stickiness throughout her body, especially between her legs. She checked her couch, and there was no sign of blood. Somehow, she felt some kind of lightness all over her body, and for that, she remained immobile.

Still, she doesn't remember feeling so light, so well with herself, ever before. Nothing could possibly bother her.

Except for the doorbell. What a time for that damned doorbell to ring, and yet it rang repeatedly in a pattern of sorts. Makoto had no other choice but to get up and address the nuisance. When she opened the door, she was so startled, she almost fell on her back. It was some kind of humanoid bird of prey, with a thick protruding beak that formed some kind of wry smile, long locks of hair that went all the way to its waist, and a musclebound body covered in black feathers.

"Greetings, young fighter. I'm Malphas, Dark Terror of the Skies, and I'll be your opponent."

At first, Makoto wanted to close the door and pinch herself to know if she wasn't dreaming. Then it occurred to her she's seen weirder things in her times as a Sailor Guardian. Chances are, that thing outside her apartment's door is a demon just like the one Usagi and Luna described as having attacked the Hikawa Temple that morning. "You're what?" she then asked. "And why would I fight you?"

"I sense the presence of an incubus inside your mind. If I defeat you, it comes out."

There it is, the incubus talk again.

"And... what if I refuse to fight?"

"The matter is simple. I kill your aunt next door."

Now that truly frightened Makoto. "Fine," she accepted without thinking twice. "Say, why didn't you attack me when you saw me?" Makoto asked as they left the apartment and she locked the front door.

"I want this to be a clean fight," it answered on their way to the block entrance. "Say, what martial arts do you have experience in?"

"Uh... Kyokushin karate, judo, and a bit of takedown wrestling, why do you ask?"

"To have an idea of what you can do against me, of course. Though I seriously doubt you could even reach me and toss me over for an ippon."

Not only was it oddly gregarious, but it could also be cheeky when it wanted. Makoto felt like he pushed some button on her. They eventually reached the condominium's patio where they could duke it out without attracting too much attention, or at least that's what the heroine hoped.

"Ready when you are," the demon said while warming up.

"You asked for it," said Makoto with confidence. She drew forth her Transformation Pen and rose it to the air. "Jupiter Planet Power, Make-Up!"

Nothing happened.

"Wait a minute... what's going on?"

The monster, however, remained in its place, waiting patiently with its arms crossed.

"Jupiter Star Power, Make-Up!" Nothing again.

"JUPITER POWER, MAKE-UP!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. Nothing once again.

Malphas then unfurled its wings and tried to take flight. "So, you are one of the Sailor Guardians, but it seems you are in no condition of fighting. Sorry, lady, but I do not fight those in no condition of fighting back."

Makoto herself intervened. "Wait a minute, where are you going?"

"I like my fights fair and square, and in the state you are, you wouldn't stand a chance against me, so I'll take my leave and-"

"You're not going anywhere, Malphas," a curt voice from the shadows. It was none other than Dis Pater who came in to observe how the battle would unravel.

"Come on, sir, you look at that girl and tell me she can put up a fight."

"She can put up a fight alright," the strange figure interjected. "Remember what I told you."

"Well, guess I have no choice then," muttered Malphas while scratching its beak. "Burn, baby! BURN!"

The creature then started spitting a full stream of fire towards Makoto, who managed to roll away from it. He released his fiery strike a few more times, only for the Guardian to evade it with relative ease. But that wasn't the only trick in the demon's repertoire: a swing from its arms released razor feathers. One such projectile grazed Makoto's left cheek, spilling some blood. Enraged, Makoto speared towards Malphas, taking him down.

"See? I told you she could put up a fight," said Dis Pater.

"Hey, whoever is there, show yourself!" shouted Makoto while covering her wound.

"You are in no position for demands, young lady," the strange man said while shifting his position through the shadows. "Malphas yearns for a fair fight, and I shall respect his wish. Besides, I am not here to fight. I am not stupid."

"You may not be stupid, but you're a coward!"

"Say what you will. Words cannot hurt me."

The conversation gave enough leeway for Malphas to take the advantage and catch Makoto in a full-nelson hold.

"Maybe in your next life, you will learn to never let outside disruptions break your concentration. Now, Malphas, you may do away with her."

"Fair fight my ass!" Makoto complained before the demon pressed his hold on her to the point of pain.

"Evil spirit, BEGONE!" bellowed a familiar voice, and with it, an ofuda that got planted on the demon's back, effectively paralyzing it. From atop a toolshed, Rei appeared. Makoto was glad to see her friend and sister-in-arms, but then it sank in: "Wait a minute, why aren't you transformed?"

"Why aren't you transformed?" Rei asked back as she got down to her level. As they quipped back and forth, Dis Pater approached Malphas from behind and took off the paper talisman with a wind swipe, freeing the demon to go after them. But as soon as Malphas reached the heroines, Makoto managed to grab the demon and throw it on its back.

"How's that for an ippon?" Makoto proudly quipped.

"Two against one is no fair fight," moaned the creature.

"Well, the creep in the shadows could always show up," affirmed Rei.

"And you still have your little tricks, you freaking hypocrite," Makoto stated.

"Good reminder!" Malphas snapped as he blasted another fiery attack, which the heroines barely dodged. But as the demon got up, it got hit on the nape of its neck by a speeding object.

"What is it now?" it asked in an annoyed tone. Malphas and the Guardians turned around and saw Eternal Sailor Moon as she retrieved the Moon Tiara she had just tossed.

"How dare you interrupt our day like that? Aren't two monster attacks a day a bit overkill? And I was just talking to Mamoru over the phone and-"

"ENOUGH!" shouted Rei. "What took you so long?"

"Eh, sorry, girls," Sailor Moon said as she sweatdropped. "But it's quite the walk between Mako's home and mine, give me a break here."

"Say, where are Mercury and Venus?" asked Rei.

"Neither answered our calls for some reason," stated Luna, who appeared behind Sailor Moon's legs. "But you three can best it as it is. Don't be afraid to use your skills!"

"Gotcha!" said Makoto as she engaged in a catch-as-catch-can match with Malphas. Rei leaped towards the demon and planted another ofuda on its back before it could realize she was there.

"Your cue, Sailor Moon!" the raven-haired girl ordered.

"Honeymoon Therapy Kiss!"

One purifying attack later, and Malphas was gone. This time, a slovenly guy wearing a greasy t-shirt, a worn-down pair of jeans, and flip-flops appeared in his place.

"Oh, man, I'm screwed! I'm majorly screwed!" he snapped as he picked himself up and ran away.

"Hey, wait up!" Sailor Moon addressed him. "Who did this to you?"

No answer. The strange man ran as fast as he could and was out of sight in a matter of seconds. An impressive feat for someone who didn't look like they exercised since at least Galaxia's attack.

"Shouldn't we go after him?" Sailor Moon asked.

"No, leave him be," Luna commented. "He's not going to say anything we don't already know."

"You did great for the hardest part," a familiar male voice called from between one of the apartment blocks. Only then did Tuxedo Mask appear, if only to help out with the aftermath of the battle. "Now comes the part where I give out some help with Makoto's wounds."

"It's alright, guys, really," Makoto tried to reassure them.

"Let me work on that cheek," the hero said. His right hand's fingertips shone on as he touched Makoto's cut, which closed and left behind no scar.

"Wow, it's healed!" Makoto celebrated as she touched her face around the healed area. "How did you do that?"

"Gotta develop some useful skills once in a while," said Tuxedo Mask with a proud smirk, and it all made the girls giggle. He then worked on her arm, which had a bruise due to Malphas pressing too hard over it, with the same miraculous results. Usagi expected to feel something as she approached him, but for some reason, she felt nothing unusual, nothing that could denote a special bond to him.

"Tuxedo Mask, wait!" Usagi called.

"Yes? What is it?" he asked. He was somewhat afraid of what the Guardian had to say.

"I know you're not Mamo-chan. I spoke to him over the phone, and he's still in America. Who are you exactly?"

It was the exact question he didn't want to hear, but the one he would be asked eventually. "Listen... I cannot tell you just yet. All that matters is that I'm on your side and I'm here to help you, alright? I'll be on my way now. Be seeing you!"

The girls said nothing more as the new Tuxedo Mask resumed his hasty stride.

"I think we can trust him, whoever this is," Makoto affirmed.

"Well, the worst is gone, I guess. I better go back home, or else my parents will miss me. Bye-bye!" After one last greeting, both Sailor Moon and Luna left the block.

"Hey, Mako," called Rei. "I bet you must be upset over not being able to transform."

"Well, sort of," Makoto answered with a relieved expression.

"Listen, I understand it perfectly. Earlier in the morning, I found out I couldn't transform either. I spent the rest of the day in the dumps. But guess what, we still gave a good fight, didn't we? Even if it was just to hold the monster of the day enough for Sailor Moon to arrive and finish it off."

"Sounds like what we usually do anyway," Makoto replied, to which both laughed out loud.

"Well, the monster mentioned an incubus, remember?" Rei retook the conversation.

"What the hell is an incubus?"

"I don't know either, but we could always ask Ami. Tomorrow in the morning, of course. I gotta go home now. See ya!"

After waving Rei goodbye, she returned home just as Shizune was outside the corridor to their apartments. "Makoto? What were you doing outside at this hour?"

"Sorry, auntie," she meekly answered as if she were still a child. "A friend of mine passed by, and I went down to say hello."

"Well, okay. Anyway, are you feeling better now?"

"Yes!" The Guardian immediately answered. "The tea was great, and I have yet to put on the pads, but I'm sure they'll help. Thank you so much for them!"

Shizune smiled and yawned. "All right then, see you in the morning. Good night again!"

With the day hopefully done, Makoto took a shower, put on her pajamas, and went to bed, putting the heating pads on her lower stomach area. The adrenalin surge from the battle was still in her system for a while, so sleep took a while to hit in. In the meantime, she thought of what just happened and what the Guardians told her. Really... what the hell is an incubus? Was that thing inside me and Rei? Is that why we can't transform?

(xx)

"Fear not, my dear Kenzou. This was all according to plan."

In a dark alley not too far away from where he had fought against the Sailor Guardians, the strange man that Dis Pater had chosen for the night's battle stood in front of his unlikely boss. He was too startled to react further, other than by wetting his pants at any moment.

"See, I was given your name and your address purely because you were assumed as an easy subject for this experiment of mine. You fell for it out of your own free will. All you had to do was to refuse, and you could return to your self-made mother's womb. But you didn't. You chose to have the power of a Prince of Hell within you. Don't you think this speaks a lot about you? Therein lies the problem. In the few moments you had Malphas within you, you must felt powerful as you could be. But yet, you still felt submitted to my authority. A total stranger that just knocked on your front door and promised power beyond your reach. That is not how a man who holds the reins of his own life would act, is it not?"

Kenzou remained silent.

"IS IT NOT?"

"No, sir! No, it's not! Please forgive me, oh, Dis Pater! I-"

Before he could complete his groveling, the man felt like his entire neck was being constricted. He could no longer breathe, and his nervous shaking became violent twitching. Slowly, he was also being lifted by an invisible force.

"Do you wish to die now and spare the rest of your existence the shame of being who you are now?"

Kenzou answered the only way he could at that moment, with a negative shake of his head.

"Do you really wish to live in servile chains? Do you think you can find your freedom and your happiness in slavery? Will you still put your trust in anything that promises you instant joy?"

Another negative shake, this time even more desperate. As he floated about five feet above the ground, Kenzou could feel his life sip away. No air entered his lungs, and there was nothing more in that very moment than to breathe and to live.

And then, suddenly, Kenzou fell on his knees, panting heavily and grasping his throat.

"Listen now. You must have noticed that in these moments you gasped for breath, you fought to live with all the might you could muster. That fight for your life is your real fight. Do not waste away your life in frivolities. Do not spend your days as a slave to your passing desires or to despots with fake promises of power and abundance. Seek the dreams and hopes that lie deep within your core, with the same intensity and will as when you fought for your own breath just now. Or else... You will spend all of the eternity regretting once you step in the Hades."

As often before, he meshed himself into the shadows, never to be seen by the odd man again. Kenzo then resumed his nervous steps towards his apartment, the only place he ever felt safe until the strange figure appeared to him. Once he arrived did it break into him that he was never truly safe. Locking himself in that apartment while consuming all kinds of visual junk and things devoid of nutritional value was no substitute for life. He may as well undo everything and start over, starting with breaking every object that reminded him that Kenzou Bunkamura, hikikomori at 25 years old, failed at life. At least, he thought so, which is why he secluded himself from the world. On the ruins of his old life and over the stain of his blood upon which he drew the sigil to invoke a demon from Hell itself he would build himself anew.

Away from his old servant's sight, on the other side of the deserted street, Dis Pater appeared again to look at himself in the reflection of a window. The mask on his face acquired a distasteful expression as if he didn't like the way he was and what he had done. He reached out to take off his mask, only to put it back again quickly and then leave the place in hurried steps.

(xx)

As the night went on, Astar sat on the sidewalk outside a school, far from danger but looking dejected with his arms hugging his knees. He was satisfied for the moment, and yet the questions he had when the night began had come back to haunt his mind.

Suddenly, he saw somebody by his side. "Down on your luck, it seems."

"Yes," Astar answered with a bitter smile without taking his eyes from the pavement. "I mean, have you ever felt like you suddenly... You no longer knew yourself?"

"I'm in a predicament like that," the other answered. "But it comes with my job. My lot in life is to help people despite my own problems, and I've made peace with that long ago. You must be undergoing one hell of an identity crisis at the moment, and that is completely understandable."

For some reason, Astar felt he could trust this person with some confidence. As long as he didn't say he was a demon from Hell, that is. He slowly turned his head and his gaze to the tall, handsome man with pitch-black hair and deep blue eyes that stood by his side. "Do you think you can help me? With my identity crisis, that is."

"Sure," he answered with a smile as he sat down to his side. "Even if it's just to listen to you unwind. Let's begin by introducing ourselves, okay?"

The incubus' mind finally felt some relief with these words, and he could draw a sly but earnest smile. "My name is Astar. Pleased to meet you."

"So am I," the man answered as he extended his hand to his new friend, which he shook. "My name is Fengari."

To be continued in Part 4

Once again, thank you for making it thus far!

Do not be afraid of leaving me some reviews, even if it is to bash the story or my lack of tact and grasp of the English language. I can take it, I swear. :P

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Best regards from The Hospitaller Knight.