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"I don't know what's-weirder anymore, this?
Or being told I am in love with a demon?"

--Yuna--

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I chopped down the onion strips and slide them into the boiling pot on the stove, before turning to the sizzling meat chunks on the wide pan next to the pot. Pinning my knife to a wooden copping board, my left hand picked up a pair of chopsticks from the kitchen drawer; started poking the juicy, meat strips; flipped them into the air, and then moved back to chopping the fresh batch of veggies brought-by Belphegor and Beelzebub.

There was to be a small party at the mansion arranged by Diavolo and Lucifer in a few days just to improve the bonds between the exchange students and RAD students . . . Which I found pushy and pathetic, but when getting begged by Luke to help in cooking some of the main dishes with him in the kitchen. How could I refuse? That is how I ended up here: chopping, boiling, sizzling, and grilling. Though it was a hard to focus with Beelzebub dipping his fingers into the soups, or tasting the meat dishes repeatedly every time he and Blephegor came in with more ingredients than they could hold into the kitchen. "No! Beel!"I could hear Luke yell from behind me as I poured mushroom soup into several small, red bowls."No! You can't taste it!!!"

Splash!!!

I twirled around, only to find Luke drenched from head to toe in chicken soup. "Aw come on!" The short angel whined, and with his cheeks puffed red; stomped out of the room.

An exhausted sigh left my lips as I turned to Beelzebub,"Seriously guys?"

"Beel?" The demon glanced at his twin brother, who was halfway through
slumping a small bowl of soup."You should be more careful!"

Belphegor patted his brother's shoulder, glancing apologetically at me as I tiredly wiped away the steamy liquid covering the marble floor with a kitchen towel.All I could to was reply with a weak smile, before standing up and tossing the towel into a nearby laundry basket.

Last night I did not get any rest, after spending most of the time thinking about a certain demon." . . .Satan," his name left my lips without my conscious.

My brain was so spaced out, until I finally took noticed that the pan was slowly overflowing with cooking oil. I panicked and hurriedly turned off the stove, before emptying the pan into the sink. Today was really not my day. Letting out a yelp, I jumped away-as-a little oil splattered on the back of my hand. "Is it a habit for you to injure yourself?" I sighed, and turned around to face Lucifer. "You don't look delighted to see me."

I ignored him, and turned on the sink's faucet to cool off the burn on my hand. " I wonder, who would be happy to see you," I mockingly commented in a low voice.

"I wish you to know I heard that," his deep voice made me flinch, as I turned around to face the demon.

"Doesn't matter if you did . . . " my sarcastic bickering left only his iconic glare on his face, as I walked over to the fridge, and pulled out two eggs, ". . . It's not like I do this for you or Diavolo,"

My words and tone seemed to amuse him, but I tried ignoring him as I cracked the eggs and plopped them with the strips of meat, steering them together. I could hear him chuckle behind my back, but just pushed passed him, and reached out for the chopped garlic on the table next to the fridge. " Is this attitude, because of what happened with the Kadita?" He asked, as he grabbed my wrist and tilted my chin up to meet his gaze. " That expression you make is really marvelous . It makes you quite . . . Alluring."

I slapped his hand away and broke my wrist free, grabbing him by the collar. "You're cruel and evil . . . And your brothers . . . Are pathetic and troublesome!"

Satan flashed in my mind instantly, and as if the great heavens had-heard my thoughts, I spotted Asmodeus and Satan standing on the kitchen door with boxes filled with decorations. They must have been passing by . . .

Lowering my gaze to avoid their stares, I hurriedly turned off all the stoves in the kitchen, and swiftly rushed out of the room, while accidentally bumping shoulders with both demons at the door step. I did not dare to a glance at neither of them.

For the first time, and unlike at the basilisk's cave . . . I felt small . . . As if I was somehow at fault. My legs felt like jelly, as I stumbled through the corridors, until the only sight before me was back at the balcony Mammon and I had used to sneak out of the mansion. Resting my elbows on its edge I bent over bury my face in my hands. My mind had drifted off while staring at the constant night sky. It made me feel dull and numb of any emotion. A sly hiss rang in my ear, and I bent my neck to the side in response. "Yuna," I lifted my head upon hearing Michael's voice, only to land my eyes on a small letter floating in front of me.

My hands hesitatingly took the handed out glowing parchment. I took off the wax seal and hurriedly pulled out the letter . . . But it was blank. Shivering, I fell to my knees, until I heard his voice again, "Yuna . . . "

" . . . It's okay to be scared."

" It's okay Yuna . . . Your pain will go away soon . . ."

His voice faded, and the crippled letter in my hands withered into ash; slipping between my fingers; to rest on the carpeted floor. Never had I heard that voice before, yet it somehow seemed somehow able to open up the scars of fear that had been piling inside me since the past events with the basilisk." I messed up," a dry chuckle left my lips, at the image of a certain blonde flashing in my head.

I pulled myself together, staring at the star tainted sky with a tired smile and bad kind of butterflies playing in my chest. My heart beat as unsteady as I walked, and for a moment-my thoughts shifted unsteadily . . . Probably wondering-what things would have been if I never died in the Human Realm from the start. A tear ran down my cheek at the thought. Death . . . That was where everything for me changed. Death is never the end of a creature such as myself or any at all. . . It was on that path I met Luke, Simeon, Michael . . . Satan . . . The demon brothers . . . Alvad.

I learned against a nearby pillar and bit hard on my lower lip. This mansion. . . All of this. It was tearing my mind apart. "Uh, Yuna?" I glanced at the unexpected intruder, only to come face to face with Yuki. " Did something happen? I thought you were working in the kitchen with Luke "

She stared at me with her curious-chestnut-eyes. I opened my mouth slightly to reply, but no words came out of my lips. " Why don't we talk in my room?" she probably noticed my pathetic tears. Not waiting for an answer, she forcefully grabbed me, by my hand, and started hurrying down the halls and corridors.

* * *

Turns out, I was going to spend the complete afternoon sitting on a large bed orientated with roses of several colors, and listening to a not so simple human talk about the most random of things, like what Mammon that been up to lately . . . Even though I had not spoken a word to him ever since coming back from my visit to Human Realm. Other conversations were about her asking me what the Celestial Realm is like, but I could sense her holding back something else.

" Yuki, there is something important you want to ask me or tell?" I finally questioned trying to muffle my giggles upon her awkwardly chuckling with an uneasy expression, before focusing her attention back to our conversation.

"Actually, Asmo told me what happened with Lucifer . . . Gotta say you have Luke's stubbornness," she awkwardly laughed, trying to cover up the tension rising in the air," but I wouldn't really blame you for having a strong grudge against them. . . but they're ll that badif you give them a chance. . . "

" . . . They are demons for a reason," I cut her off with a sudden wave of confidence dominating my mind." Demons are demons . . . Their darker side istingushies their light."

The girl's expression shifted into slight fear at the unexpected change in mood. " . . . But for some reason . . . " I paused, and stared at my hands as a small flames ignited on the tips of my fingers, causing Yuki to stare in shock at what was unfolding I in front of her. " There is this strange feeling in my stomach and chest when I talk to. . . Satan. Is this some type of spell?"

The human bursted into laughter as I ignored her and focused my thoughts on sculpturing the flames I my hands into dancing, human figures. She took notice of my silence and inched closer to me; patting my on the shoulder,"Yuna, did it ever cross your mind that you might have gained just a tincy wincy bit of affection?"

No . . .

Maybe . . . Yes?

I don't know?

I took a deep breath, and instantly turned to her with my eyes wide, and my ears twitching. Her mouth opened into an 'O,' as she reached out for a mirror from one of her drawers next to the bed, pulling out a hand mirror and lifting it to my face. . . My two calico-cat ears were no longer faded like a phantom's, but real, solid, and visible. Something from behind tugged me, and I only glanced behind to spot my tail there with it's small bell dangling at its end . . . No longer just a faint ghost of my previous life.

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"I honestly don't know what's-weirder anymore this,
or being told I am in love in a demon?"