How long had it been?
Since that day, Kurai had kept her mind closed to everything, not
noticing what surrounded her anymore. She was worried.
Since that day, she hadn't seen the Mad Hatter again... and she longed
for that peculiar presence, more than ever.
She lay awake that night in her bed, the great window to her side
letting in a somewhat delicate glow unto her tan skin. The moonlight was
generous enough, she thought, to still embrace her in times of sorrow,
as a gentle-handed mother cuddling her worried child, mysterious in it's
own way as the one that could randomly appear in her life, and
disappear...
"Why did I do this?" her thoughts wandered once again to the demon she
had seen in tears. Once again, she had chosen to run away rather than
face the glance she knew she could not win to. She had felt powerless,
even as she'd walked away on the creature, leaving her...
"Ooh, why?" she muttered as she buried her head under the sheets. Now
she feared she would never see the jester again. Somehow she could no
longer consider living without the presence of the androgynous demon,
not now, not ever.
An unexpected gust of wind pushed the window open and made it's
way to the princess' bed. It carried the scent of lavender.
"Hatter!"
Kurai jumped out of her sheets, her body barely covered in a pure white
silken nightgown. She ran to the window and gazed into the night but
there were no eyes to meet hers in the lonely sky.
She returned to her bed thinking she must have been dreaming. Quite a
ridiculous dream, she told herself.
"Don't...!" a deep voice said at once.
Kurai recognized the one she had been longing for immediately.
"Belial..."
The red-haired demon stood in a dark corner of the room, gazing at the
young princess, her face mostly kept hidden in the shadow, her outfit
quietly blending into the colors of the night.
"I have something for you." the demon said, as she made her way to the
questionning eyes of the princess she had so admired and desired.
The silver-haired looked up as the jester raised her hand and
started doing one of her tricks. Pale blue rose petals appeared, dancing
above her once wounded palm, and traveled the air swiftly down to the
young princess' silent gaze. Pale blue as her eyes, the jester had told
her, the delicate petals seemed to make the world around them disappear,
Kurai thought, as she herself then wanted to disappear rather than face
the demon standing next to her.
An instant was long enough...Eternity came crashing upon her before she
could escape.
Belial caught the princess' head instantly between her hands and pressed
her lips unto the ones that had stolen a kiss from her the last time
they met.
Kurai, startled at first, did not move away this time. She let the
vicous tongue part her lips, -an unforgivable offense, she tried to
convince herself- as she secretly welcomed the passionate move into her
territory. The taste of memories came back to her at once as she
recalled the way the jester had already stolen a kiss from her a long
time ago, under the form of a male demon; the way she had secretly
longed for such a feeling again, the way she herself had tried to steal
the trickster's kiss...As in a neverending children's game, Kurai let
the jester claim her victory, surrendering only to see the peaceful play
once again light up her days.
She raised her own hands and grasped the Mad Hatter's as if she
would never let go again. The demon's touch loosened and her hands
gently fell into Kurai's as the kiss grew deeper and the princess
shifted her body forward to meet the jester's.
They broke apart slowly, but the silver-haired princess' hands did
not let go of the Mad Hatter's.
"You're not leaving, are you?" she said softly, her youthful eyes
begging for more.
"...there is much I would like to do, my princess, when I see your
midnight figure, so fragile and pure... but tonight is not the night
when I will take advantage of you." her eyes gazed at the princess'
respectfully, a glance Kurai had never seen before in those perverted
eyes. A somewhat satisfied smile assured her the jester did not hold
back any anger.
Kurai stared in astonishment as the Mad Hatter went back to the
window.
"I do hope someday the gorgeous princess I once met in the dark will
come to my chambers again, for there are still many wounds waiting to be
healed..." Belial said with a tender grin, as she disappeared into the
night.
*
"Alexiel is back!"
The rumor quickly made it's way into the palace, as the rebellious
auburn-haired angel stood proudly in front of Kurai. To her side was the
angel of water Gabrielle, her lover on Earth and in the Other World.
Dressed in long white dresses and cloaks, they had both returned from
their earthly lives.
"Alexiel...!" Kurai said, voiceless.
"Long time no see, hey, little one!" the tall woman replied.
"What are you two doing here?"
"Things have been getting pretty bad down on Earth", Gabrielle spoke in
her cristalline voice, "they chased us away as we loved each other under
the form of a brother and sister..."
"And in the end", Alexiel added," they caught us and burnt us alive, so
here we are!"
Kurai was shocked. "That's horrible!" she said.
"Oh, well, they haven't managed to separate us, huh? We're still here
together, right sweetheart?" Alexiel brought her arm over her beloved's
shoulder. Kurai, reluctantly, once again felt the sharp pain of jealousy
digging into her heart.
"Dear Kurai", Gabrielle broke the gentle embrace and stepped
forward to the princess. "you've been so good to us in the past, would
you not mind letting us stay in your kingdom for a little while?"
"S-sure" the princess answered, uneasy. "Why don't you stay here in my
palace then? We have plenty of room for guests."
"Thanks, little one, you're the best!" Alexiel kissed the young princess
on the cheek.
"H-Hey! Please Alexiel, stop that! I'm a full-grown woman now, I'm not
the child you used to know!" Kurai retorted, she later noticed, in quite
an angry tone.
"Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to offend you."
Kurai shivered as she could read in the auburn-haired's eyes all the
sorrow she had conveyed with such words, but she didn't apreciate such
compassion: it was not so bad that she needed her once most beloved to
lend her a shoulder to cry on.
*
The evening breeze refreshed the polluted air usually flowing
through the castle in midday, Kurai thought, as she roamed the empty
hallways, in search of the great angel. All she wanted was to talk with
her, tell her things had changed, though she couldn't help but secretly
long for her again, even after all these years.
The sound of whispers brought her attention to a secluded balcony.
Alexiel sat there in the moonlight, the pale blue haired angel facing
her.
"I think I shouldn't have...", the great one told the other, burying her
head into the soft shoulder she loved to rest upon, her hands laying on
the delicate waist that cuddled her evening thoughts.
"Don't be too harsh on yourself, Alexiel", her love replied, "you're not
responsible for the little one's feelings for you." she said, gently
stroking the luxurious auburn hair that fell neglectedly onto her chest.
Kurai watched the scene from a distance, knowing this was the display of
the true love she had so longed for. A love she would never have, as no
one had or would ever give to her.
Alexiel slowly moved her long fingers up the water angel's thin
figure, stroking the fine long hair in a friendly but somewhat erotic
gesture, as she let herself fall to her knees in front of her lover.
Gabrielle knodded to her demanding eyes, and let the auburn-haired part
her silken dress knee-high. Alexiel's hands slid under the folds of the
delicate garment, moving up to her thighs in a slow caressing motion.
Gabrielle turned her gaze to the sky above them and let out a soft sigh
as the one kneeling in front of her childishly buried her face in her
belly. She wrapped her hands around the unresolved head, welcoming more
if she would please. Alexiel turned her craving gaze up to meet the
beautiful eyes of the one she knew she would love forever.
Kurai felt herself trembling, maybe with anger, or jealousy...
She quietly ran back into the hallway, her eyes filled with tears.
She did not stay long enough to see a shadow appear before the two
lovers, coming like a brutal and mindless gust of wind in the night...
"You again?!" Alexiel stood defiantly, facing the demon that had just
landed out of nowhere.
*
Kurai ran back to her room where she fell crying onto her bed.
"I've been waiting for you." a deep unfamiliar demon's voice spoke
loudly in a corner.
"W-Who are you?!" Kurai stood hastily, wiping away any tears that could
remain on her tan cheek.
The man came out of the shadows.
"Lucifer?!" she whispered, astounded.
"I have come to abduct you, princess. Show no resistance and your life
shall be spared."
"What?!" she said, as the tall raven-haired man put an arm around her
waist, spread out his dark wings and carried her away through the open
window into the night.
*
"It has been a pleasure meeting you again, Salvation Angel. I
shall now leave and follow my master. Tonight we are stealing a very
important subject from this country."
"Wait! What are you talking about?!" Alexiel shouted as the demon
disappeared into the night, leaving only the scent of lavender in it's
place...
*
"So... who has my master chosen to help free us from that angel?"
the deep androgynous voice asked from a shadow.
Kurai slowly awakened to the voices speaking.
"I brought over your little friend the demon princess. She will
make a good enough bait to bring me back my Alexiel." the deep voice
muttered from a distance in the dimly lit room. Kurai opened her eyes
wide in surprise. Though she looked around her, she couldn't see a
thing. She recalled a tall male demon taking her away and throwing some
kind of powder into her eyes before she was knocked out and woke up
here. She felt herself surrounded by metal bars...a cage maybe.
"My *friend*?" the androgynous voice replied, seemingly amused.
"Belial...! Is that you?!" Kurai desperately cried out, hoping she had
not been dreaming this time, that the mysterious one would be there to
save her from... Lucifer! It was Lucifer who had abducted her, she
remembered... then, the Mad Hatter would...
"Oh, I see our little princess has awakened. Welcome to my humble
place, bride." the dark-haired man's voice resounded louder.
"Bride? ...hmph! My Lord, may I remind you the wedding ceremony was
interrupted and the crossdressing prince sacrificed himself as the
bride?" the jester retorted coyly.
"I couldn't care less about in-betweeners like you guys!" the voice came
storming, "I'd rather have a real woman as my bride."
The Mad Hatter remained silent at first, then answered ironically.
"Such as Alexiel, I assume."
"Shut your mouth, you worthless piece of trash! I've had just about
enough of your sly remarks for the day!"
Kurai tried to close her ears. She didn't want to hear the one that had
betrayed her once again... for Lucifer...
"Please excuse me, my King. I do speak too much on certain occasions.
What shall we do with the bride in the time being?" the Mad Hatter spoke
as if she were not affected.
"You can play with her if you wish, as long as you don't kill her. We
need her alive to get the other one back."
"Thank you, my master, I apreciate the gesture."
*
Hours had passed, it seemed, since Kurai had been left alone,
blinded, locked in a cage in the dark room. The Mad Hatter had betrayed
her once again, and how dared she, how dared they both speak like that
of her dead brother?!
All she could do was cry.
All of a sudden, quiet footsteps came closer to her and someone
swiftly sat down beside the cage. Kurai knew who it was.
"What do you think will happen? Do you really think Alexiel will come to
save me? What fools you guys are! She's way too busy making out with
Gabrielle!" she shouted at the shadow.
"I see. Then what do you think your favorite jester should have in mind,
when she sees her princess still crying over that woman?" the
androgynous voice coldly retorted.
Kurai remained silent to such an unexpected question.
"Do you... hate me?" Kurai whispered.
"Should I?"
"I don't know. I think I was only crying because of the way Alexiel
treated me. And I was envious. I wanted the kind of love she shares with
Gabrielle. But only Gabrielle can be loved by Alexiel, and I wouldn't
change a thing even if I could... I thought I knew what I wanted... but
you betrayed me once again." she sobbed, hopeless.
"You were never betrayed, my princess. That is all you need to know.
Come with me." the red-haired spoke softly as she took the princess'
hand and guided her out of the cage, whose door had been left unlocked.
"It wasn't... locked?" Kurai asked, astounded.
"Locks and keys are nothing to me. I am a trickster." Belial aswered as
she gently pulled the princess out into the corridor. Kurai still
couldn't see a thing, but the jester's hand held her firmly enough that
she felt reassured. The hand was warm and friendly, as it had been only
once before, wounded on that night...
The trickster guided her to a great room in which, it seemed,
people were quarrelling.
"Shall we make our entry, my Lord?" Belial asked.
"Kurai!"
The princess recognized the familiar voice of Alexiel.
There were sounds of fighting, though Kurai couldn't really tell
what was going on. Someone grabbed her firmly and threw her up in the
air in a powerful electric field, ready to burn her alive.
"No!" Alexiel's voice cried out.
"Surrender now, Alexiel, or your little friend shall die!" Lucifer's
voice came storming through the air.
The pain from the electric shock opened Kurai's eyes and she started
recovering her vision.
"You monster, how could you do this?" the great angel cried in despair.
"My love for you is absolute, my dear, and I cannot stand not having you
to myself! I will gladly kill anyone you are attached to until you come
back to me!"
"No! I'll never let you! Gabrielle is my only love, from now and
forever, and I won't let anyone die to your filthy hands!" the woman
shrieked as she raised her sword before the fallen angel.
Suddenly, the electric barrier was broken and Kurai fell to the
ground, unharmed but shaken. She saw Lucifer, standing there, a crystal
sword through his chest. But the hands that held the weapon were not
Alexiel's...
"Belial?!" Alexiel was astonished.
"Goodbye Lucifer, you are no longer my master!" the demon said as she
pulled out the sword and let her once beloved fall to the gound.
"Y-You...fool! How could you...?!" he said, choking on his own blood.
"Why, master, I could not stand not having you to myself...nor would I
ever let you lay a finger on my beautiful princess." she said, in her
usual cold voice.
"Besides... I shall have you know that it is a deadly mistake to insult
us transvestites. We're better off than a pitiful character like you."
she said triumphantly, as she walked away to the demon princess.
Alexiel could not believe the scene.
"Hey, you! Don't you dare touch Kurai!" she shouted as the jester picked
up the weakened princess in her arms.
"I do not take orders from you, Alexiel." the demon retorted.
"Why, you...!" Alexiel was getting ready to raise her sword once again
when the voice of the little one stopped her.
"No, Alexiel. I'm not going back with you." Kurai said, turning her
saddened gaze to the angel.
"Are you kidding? Belial! It's you again! You've used one of your spells
on her to control her mind!" the auburn haired shouted ferociously.
"Stop it! Alexiel! I'm fine, and I tell you I'm not going back with
you!" Kurai replied, getting angry.
"But...why?" Alexiel obviously couldn't understand.
"I am happy just like this, in the arms of my love. Please go back to
the one that is waiting for you." Kurai let out in a soft but assured
whisper.
She could feel the arms of the jester tighten their embrace.
Alexiel lowered her head and knodded.
The Demon's Heart –chapter 2 complete
continued in chapter 3
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