Wow. I got more positive feedback from this fic in the first 24 hours than Blood Ties did in the first week. Well, guess that means I'm doing something right. On with the next chapter!

Starting Over

Chapter Two: "This New World Of Mine"

Stellaris woke to the sound of water hammering against the walls outside, and the feeling of something soft and cold patting her forehead. She opened her eyes, the ceiling above her looking like nothing more than a red and porcelain blur. After a few moments, that blur took on the shape of a face that stared at her with big red eyes.

"Opera?" She said, her voice quiet and ragged. "Is that you?" She asked.

Opera's cat ears perked up straight, their eyes widening a fraction at hearing the new lady of the house's voice. "Yes, it is. How are you feeling, My Lady?" They asked, watching Stellaris try to raise herself up using one elbow, her body turned over to the side that was facing Opera.

Stellaris took a deep breath before managing to sit up the rest of the way herself. "Numb, but mostly confused," she said, her voice cracking as she turned her head to face them fully.

Their ears lowered slightly. "Would you like me to fetch you something to drink, Ma'am? Or perhaps a broth?" They asked. "I would be happy to answer any of your questions that I can after you're served," they added.

Stellaris didn't respond immediately. She first closed her eyes, allowing her body to lean back against the headboard of the bed. There was a dull roar in her back now, and her throat was bone dry. She felt light twinges where she recalled being attacked, and her eyes were starting to hurt.

"Yes, please," she said after a few moments.

Opera nooded, took a moment to adjust the pillows, then excused themself, bowing before they left. Once outside the room, their cat ears flattened and their eyes narrowed. It wasn't their place to question Lord Sullivan's actions, but they felt perplexed by them. Especially after the ritual.

Everything had been performed correctly. Her old features were taken, and her body was open to her new father's mana. However, what happened after was not normal, if Sullivan's own reaction was anything to go by. Neither of them had expected her new features to just grow in at that very moment. The bleeding from the ordeal was so much that neither could believe that her injuries just started healing without any attention. And the mana...

Opera paused for a moment, standing still for several moments before heading into the kitchen to fetch their lady some food. They weren't surprised that Stellaris's mana seemed strong. Considering she had become Sullivan's daughter and participated in an ancient kinship ritual, Opera would have been more surprised if she didn't. However, that did not explain how much of it she seemed to possess. Her mana levels were even beyond what Sullivan expected of her.

Opera let out a light sigh before returning to the task at hand. For the time being, it would be better to not worry about it. After all, the lady needed to recuperate from the ritual, then begin learning how to survive in the Netherworld. That all took priority. They decided to address it with the Chairdemon later.

When Opera returned with a tray, they weren't surprised that their new lady of the house hadn't moved much. However, the scene that met them was still unexpected. Stellaris had managed to grab a few more pillows, two placed at her lower and mid-back, while one barely rested behind her head. However, draped over her shoulders were her new wings, which rested in a way that blanketed her.

Their ears twitched straight up, a small smile coming to their face. Barely awake, and Lady Stellaris was already starting to act like a child of a demon would. It was a cute little sight. So cute in fact, that Opera placed the bed tray on the floor so they could take a picture of her.

Once done, they picked the tray up and returned to the mistress's bedside. After they placed the tray in front of her, they said: "Here you are, Ma'am."

Bleary eyes fluttered open only to squeeze shut again, a groan following. Opera responded by turning off some of the lights in the room. "Dammit. Was replacing my eyes necessary?" Stellaris asked, blinking until her eyes adjusted.

She wasn't expecting an answer, but Opera nodded anyway. "You did want to look more like your father, Ma'am. Replacing your old eyes was almost as necessary as giving you wings," they said.

The reply made Stellaris snap her head in their direction, her shoulders tensing and her back straightening. "What?" She asked.

Opera leaned forward. "You didn't notice? You used them to cover yourself," they said.

The lady blinked before looking down at her new body parts for several moments before trying to move them. The feeling of them tucking inside her back made her shudder, not used to the sensation. However, the feeling was soon replaced with curiosity as Stellaris asked: "Opera, can you grab me a mirror, please?"

The hell cat nodded, opening a drawer to Stellaris's bedside table before taking out a gold hand mirror and holding it up for their mistress. Stellaris really couldn't believe her eyes at first.

Her body was no longer ghostly white. Though still pale, it looked much more natural, and was simply a lighter tone of Sullivan's. Her eyes were now sharp and somewhat narrow, but they were both a different color. One was gold, and the other was blue. She had no horns on her head, but her blue hair now had streaks of white, and waved down to her waist, with short messy bangs resting just above her blue eyebrows. Her ears were now pointed and she grew fangs where some of her teeth had been pulled. Finally were her hands, which now had bright purple claws.

Stellaris felt different parts of her body, just to confirm to herself that she was no longer a skeleton. She was skinny in a healthy way. Through her red sleep clothes, she felt the curves she used to have before getting pregnant, the only difference being her chest size. The observation made her smile a little. She had always wanted an hourglass figure.

Opera's upright ears twitched a little. "Are you pleased with your new appearance, Lady Stellaris?" They asked her.

Stellaris turned her warm gaze in Opera's direction before she nodded. Opera lowered the mirror. "I'm happy to hear that, My Lady. Lord Sullivan will be overjoyed," they said.

For a moment, Stellaris's smile grew. However, the smile morphed into a frown as she blinked, eventually averting her gaze. "Um...where is Lor-I mean... Father?" She asked, her cheeks dusted pink.

Again, Opera's ears twitched. "Lord Sullivan is at work, Ma'am. He's been absent ever since the day you were brought home, so he had to go address the staff at Babyls, as well as take care of any matters that can't be settled at home," they said, resisting the urge to smile. No matter how they felt about Sullivan's choice, they were happy to see Stellaris warming up to her new parent.

Her eyes made contact with theirs. "Babyls? What is that?" She asked them.

Opera smiled this time. "It's the most renowned demon school in the Netherworld. Lord Sullivan, as a Thirteen Crown, was given the position of Chairdemon of the school," they said to her.

"Thirteen Crown?" She asked. "Also, what kind of school is it? Is it a university, or-?"

"It's a high school, Ma'am, with six grade levels. The Thirteen Crowns oversee and govern the Netherworld. Their positions are only second to the Demon King, but we unfortunately don't have one at the moment," they explained.

Stellaris's eyebrows furrowed together. "Okay, I can understand that. But if that's the case, why is he a high school principal? I mean no offense, but humans don't care near as much about school. It's taken for granted, actually," she said.

Opera's ears lowered slightly, and they stopped smiling. "I'm not sure what your human schools are like, but demon schools have to prepare younger devils for the harsh circumstances of the Netherworld," they said, turning to the broth they got. Opera began feeding their new mistress before continuing. "The conditions in the Netherworld are brutal, and our society is quite competitive. As a result, training and education are essential to any demon's survival here," they explained.

Again, Stellaris looked away, this time staring off into nothing. "...I suppose." She said after a while. Then she turned back to them. "How long have I been here?" She asked.

"Seven days, Ma'am," Opera said, feeding her more broth.

The way Opera had answered was rather dry, so at first, Stellaris thought nothing of their response. Their words only registered in her brain after sipping on some of her soup. At that point, she turned her head and spat it out.

"Seven days?!" She yelled. "I've been out cold for a whole week?!"

Before Opera could speak, the doors to Stellaris's room slid open, revealing a smiling, cheery old demon. "HELLO, MY SWEET DAUGHTER! ARE YOU FEELING BETTER?" He said, cooing as if he were speaking to a baby.

His sudden entrance startled her slightly, and Opera greeted Sullivan with a bow. After a few moments of catching her breath, she said: "Um, hello...Father."

"Oh! I just love how that sounds!" He said.

Stellaris had to resist the urge to cringe. It wasn't that she minded her new parent being this way, it just wasn't what she was used to. "So, what brings you home? Opera said you had stuff to take care of at Babyls," she said, trying to get her facial muscles to relax.

Sullivan began waving his hand before saying: "Oh, all that paperwork took me no time at all." He then crossed his arms. "I would have only been there an hour, but I needed to stay and listen to a security briefing from the school's guard dog," he added.

Stellaris's eyebrow rose. "You had to talk to...a dog?"

Sullivan chuckled a little, but it was Opera who responded. "No. That's just Professor Kalego's title."

The hellspawn's lips pressed together. "You call one of your teachers a dog," she said more than asked.

Her new father laughed a little. "I'll explain it a little later," he said before walking towards her. Once he was at the other side of her bed, he placed the back of his hand on her forehead.

The motion made his daughter freeze, a small tint of pink rising to her cheeks. "Hm? Is everything alright? Are you too warm?" Sullivan asked, moving his hand to her cheeks. He would have pulled the blankets right off if Stellaris hadn't grabbed his hands.

"It's...not that..." She said, her voice trailing off. A part of her wanted to tell him everything, but her voice caught in her throat. Even after being freed from them and given a new home, she couldn't find it in herself to fully trust her father.

Opera and Sullivan stared at her but said nothing. Instead, Sullivan pulled Stellaris into a gentle embrace, again making her freeze. "It's all right, Child," he said, his voice soft. "You don't have to explain yourself. Nor do you need to tell me everything. You tell me when you're ready to. Your daddy will always be here to listen."

His words made her start to shake. It had been so long since anyone was willing to listen to her feelings, even less since anyone had been patient with her. The flood of emotions it stirred in her felt impossible to describe, causing a pain to come from her chest. Within seconds it became all too much for her, and for the first time in years, she cried in the presence of others.

Well, this one took me a minute. I should re-iterate that I don't fully know which way this fic is going, so bear with me on it. I hope you've enjoyed the second chapter, and I will see you in the next one!