“But?” Kitten asked leaning closer.
“You’re not fully to blame for what happened,” Triska admitted, crossing her arms with an annoyed sigh and looking away from the demon. “Like you said you didn’t single me out to be born in. That other succubus is to blame for all this. She infused me with her magic, created you inside of me without either of our consent. And you were just following your nature, just as my friends did before we showed them a better way in life. Even though you did some pretty awful things, you were only doing what you knew how to do.”
“Are you saying… you forgive me for what I did?”
“I haven’t yet,” Triska retorted with a dull glare at her. “You still need to return me to my body and set things right. But you are trying, I can see that, and if you do succeed with correcting all the wrongs you’ve made then maybe I can forgive you in the end.”
“You would really forgive me after everything I did to you and your friends?”
“If you prove to be a kindhearted monster, then yes.”
Kitten lowered her head with a look of wonder on her face as she questioned those words. After a moment she slowly looked to Daniel then around at the other girls, all of them watching her closely as she seemed speechless from her conversation with Triska.
“Kitten? What is it?” Specca asked carefully.
“What did she say to you?” Alyssa said eyeing the demon cautiously.
“That if I prove to be a kindhearted monster… she would let me live within her,” Kitten softly spoke as if trying to comprehend those words. “She would forgive me.”
“She said that?” Falla inquired sharply.
“Why, Triska?” Kitten breathed out as she looked down in awe.
“It’s our philosophy,” Triska explained in her mind. “We don’t condemn monsters who follow their inner nature so blindly, they can’t help but do so as it’s their only way of life. We only do so with those who choose to be evil monsters, ones who have no desire for peace at all and know damn well what they’re doing is malicious. What you’ve done up until now you were doing based on instinct alone. Now you have a choice.”
“A choice?”
“Either rise up over your inner nature and control yourself, show that you have a heart despite what you were born as in this world, or continue on your path with being an evil demon and hurt everyone around you. Now is the time to show us the kind of girl you really are, Kitten.”
“Even though I’m in your body… you would really give me a chance?”
“We both didn’t choose for this to happen, we’re in this together. If you truly are a kindhearted girl, then killing you to take complete control over my body would be wrong in my eyes. I’d rather find a way for us both to survive than kill an innocent girl.”
“I’m not innocent, Triska,” Kitten replied with a dry laugh.
“Maybe not, but there’s a chance you’re not such an evil demon after all. So, what are you going to do now?”
Kitten looked at her hands then down at herself, seeing the body that was once Triska’s before she was born within it. She gazed around at Daniel and the other girls, all of them watching her carefully and awaiting the return of Triska, then stopped on Doku as the harpy continued to smile gently at her.
“You really don’t believe there are those who are absolute evils in this world?” Kitten worriedly asked.
“I don’t,” Doku answered shaking her head. “All life is beautiful and capable of showing heart. You may have been born a demon, but that doesn’t mean you have to be evil.”
“What if I’ve done some very bad things though?”
“What if you could do some very good things still?” Doku replied with a shrug.
Kitten looked around at the others with wonder then down again while her tail slowly waved behind her. After a while she closed her eyes and smiled slightly.
“A kindhearted demon, a half-demon at that,” she mockingly said to herself. “I really would be a joke in this world. What will become of me if I take this path? What will await me?”
“A chance to live and be a good girl,” Cilia answered with a hop between Doku’s breasts.
“A good girl,” Kitten chuckled. “I’m supposed to be a bad girl, and yet that prospect makes me smile for some reason. What have I become indeed?”
With a quiet breath she relaxed her mind, letting her fears and worries drift away as she dropped all her defenses from Triska’s presence in her subconscious.
“Alright, Triska. I’ll trust you this time. Take your body back, I won’t fight you anymore.”
“Thank you, Kitten.”
Everyone watched anxiously as Kitten lowered her head and became perfectly quiet. She appeared to fall into a trance and remain motionless, her wings and even her tail becoming still as she felt Triska’s presence slowly continuing through her. It was as if she was being enveloped in a soft blanket and dropping back into a dark void, like falling asleep yet still being conscious and aware of her surroundings.
“Is it working this time?” Falla asked as the group kept their sights on the cambion.
Slowly Kitten arched her head back with a deep breath, her body tensing up while her wings and tail began to gradually retract into her body. The demonic wings folded and slid into her back, seeming to disappear under her skin as even though they were large in size they didn’t push against or through any of her organs, almost as if they just vanished entirely. Her tail slinked away under her skirt and disappeared into her lower back while her demonic aura gradually subsided.
“What’s happening?” Luna asked as everyone watched Kitten open her eyes which were out of focus. Slowly the glow in them disappeared before she fainted and dropped down onto her side.
“Triska?” Daniel called out as he rushed over and knelt down next to her, lifting the girl into his arms and watching anxiously as she quietly murmured in a daze. The others gathered closer and waited to see if their friend had returned, with Daniel leaning closer as he gently brushed the hair away from her face.
“Triska? Can you hear me?”
“Daniel?” she quietly replied as she slowly opened her eyes, the glow in them having vanished completely and her sights slowly focusing again to reveal everyone looking down at her with wonder.
“Triska? Is that you?” Specca worriedly asked.
“It’s me,” Triska said with a weak smile forming, her eyes watering up before she quickly held onto Daniel’s chest dearly. “I’m really back. I’m back.”
“Triska!” Alyssa cheered as Daniel held his recovered mate close with a wave of relief washing over him. Specca, Squeak, and Alyssa quickly hugged the girl as well while Kroanette and the butterfly sisters smiled brightly at seeing the return of their friend.
“Triska,” Daniel shakily said as he felt overcome with emotion. “I was worried I would have lost you.”
Triska quickly leaned up and pulled Daniel into a kiss, the two embracing each other while their co-mates smiled in relief. Clover watched Triska carefully while beside her Doku and Cilia were smiling with a few tears of joy running down their cheeks.
“That’s so beautiful,” Doku said wiping a tear off her cheek with her wing.
“I like happy endings,” Cilia agreed.
“No way, she really did it?” Clover questioned with a raised eyebrow.
Daniel and Triska continued to kiss for a while before finally breaking for air, the two gazing into each other’s’ eyes as Daniel saw the same caring smile and warmth coming from his mate that he knew were hers.
“Don’t ever leave me again,” Daniel softly urged her while nudging her nose with his.
“Nothing will keep me away from you, I promise,” she vowed before kissing him again.
“It’s a miracle,” Specca praised. “You really came back to us.”
“Are you feeling okay?” Alyssa quickly asked while eyeing over Triska. “Do you feel any different? What happened to Kitten?”
Triska blinked then slowly
looked around at all the girls, seeing them watching her curiously before her sights stopped on Kitten who was standing beside Doku. The demon had a blank expression on her face and her arms crossed as she was wearing her outfit still, her wings arched up and tail swaying side to side while her eyes had a soft glow to them as they always did.
“Thank you, Kitten,” Triska softly said, with the group looking over to where she was talking towards then to her curiously.
“You see her still?” Falla questioned carefully.
“You see her in your mind, don’t you?” Doku mused.
“Yeah, I still see her,” Triska answered as she and Daniel slowly stood up together, her eyes locked onto the demon who sighed and glanced away from her. “What’s wrong? I thought you were okay with this.”
“I’m okay with giving you back your body,” Kitten replied with a shrug. “I chose to, didn’t I?”
“Then why do you seem upset?”
“Not upset,” Kitten corrected looking back to her with a small smile. “Just impatient to have my turn in control again. But you can’t really blame me, I hardly had it for even a day, I just can’t help but be excited to play outside some more.”
“Wait, what do you mean by that?” Triska cautiously asked.
“What’s she saying?” Clover said as the group saw Triska seeming to be hearing something that she didn’t quite care for.
“Just what I said,” Kitten giggled. “Looks like I’m alive and well inside your mind, but surely you can’t expect me to live the rest of my days in here, can you? We need to discuss how we’re going to share our-”
“Hold on here,” Triska snapped with annoyance. “I never agreed to let you take control of my body again. We’re not sharing my body like that.”
“She wants to take control again?” Kroanette asked worriedly.
“Yes we are,” Kitten huffed at Triska with a dull glare. “You can’t keep me prisoner in here after all. I was a good girl and returned you to my master and your friends-”
“Daniel is not your master, quit calling him that!” Triska yelled out with clenched fists.
“He is my master, and I want to spend more time with him. I deserve to, he did make me his personal slave after all. My place is by his side.”
“You’re not his slave, he doesn’t even want you at all!”
“What’s she saying? We can’t hear her,” Luna asked while looking around as if in search of the invisible demon.
“Wait a minute, are you seriously saying you’re going to keep me locked away inside your head for the rest of our lives?” Kitten demanded with discontent. “If that was your plan from the start then you should have just killed me instead, it would have been much more merciful rather than imprisoning me in your mind for the rest of time.”
Triska stammered something in response as she was taken aback by the demon’s words then growled and shook her head with frustration while grabbing her hair.
“Um, Triska?” Kroanette asked with a weak smile. “Everything okay there?”
“What is she saying?” Pip said while fluttering over the centaur’s shoulder.
“She wants to come out again and be with Daniel,” Triska replied through gritted teeth. “You have some nerve to demand that after all you did, you’re lucky I even let you live inside me at all.”
“How is being trapped in your mind forever lucky?” Kitten snapped with her hands set at her hips. “Seriously, what’s going to happen here? Are you going to keep me in your head, letting me only see and hear what you do? I deserve a chance to live my own life too.”
“Just shut up already!” Triska yelled with a stomp of her foot, the ground shattering from the incredible force instantly while a large crack etched outward from the hard impact. Everyone jumped and backed up as Triska looked down with surprise at seeing her foot crushing in the ground below her.
“Um…” she softly said, slowly lifting her foot out of the newly formed crevice and backing up a step. “How did I do that?”
“Wow, you’re strong,” Cilia mentioned with wonder.
“Easy now, Triska,” Doku nervously pleaded. “Just… take a slow breath.”
“Triska?” Daniel asked, with the girl looking to him with a stunned expression then down to the ground that she had ruptured with a single stomp of her foot.
“What’s going on? How did I do that?” she questioned while holding her hands up defensively.
“Careful, Triska,” Kitten warned. Triska turned to her with wonder as the demon watched her with an amused smile. “You’re not human anymore, remember?”
Triska jumped then looked to her hands before down at her body. Although she felt perfectly normal it was apparent she was not the same as when she was the day before.
“Wait, but,” Triska said looking behind her. She spun around a few times chasing a tail that she no longer had then looked to Kitten with confusion. “But, I thought…”
“Thought what? You were human again?” Kitten laughed before shaking her head. “No, no. You’re still a monster. That cannot be changed.”
“Triska? Are you alright?” Specca worriedly asked.
“Hmm, I wonder what this means,” Kitten playfully mused with a curious expression. “Your wings and tail have withdrawn with me giving you control, yet my strength is still yours to use. I do wonder if you have control of my magic as well.”
“Of your what?” Triska repeated with a startle.
“Oh dear,” Kitten said while feigning distress. “If you do have control of my power you’d best be very careful, Triska. Why, one wrong move or slipup and you could annihilate my master and all your little friends in the blink of an eye.”
“What?” Triska yelped while holding her hands close to her chest. “I could do what now?”
“Don’t move!” Kitten urgently ordered her, with Triska freezing with a squeak while everyone watched her curiously. “This isn’t good, this isn’t good at all. You have no idea how to control my magic, do you? Have you any idea how to wield such powers of a demon?”
“Of course I don’t, how the hell would I?” Triska cried out.
“What’s wrong?” Daniel asked, taking a step closer only for Triska to squeak and quickly stumble away from him. “Triska? What is it? What is Kitten saying to you?”
“I said don’t move!” Kitten yelled out at Triska. “Are you insane? You have no idea the power that flows through our body, do you? If you’re not careful even a simple wave of the hand could blow up everyone around you.”
“This isn’t funny! You’d better be pulling my leg or something!” Triska whined while quickly looking down and around at herself.
“What’s gotten into you?” Clover asked with confusion.
“Triska?” Daniel worriedly said while stepping closer again. “Why are you so afraid now? What is she telling you?”
“She’s saying if I have her strength I might also have her magic,” Triska explained nervously. “You know, a demon’s power that I have no idea how to control that could blow you all up if I’m not careful with it.”
“What?” Falla exclaimed with a jump. She and Luna screamed and quickly darted behind Squeak for protection while the group watched Triska with growing concern.
“Oh great,” Clover grunted as she kept an arrow set in her bow and a sharp eye on Triska. “As if having a fairy nearby who could kill us all with her magic at any given moment wasn’t bad enough, now we have you to worry about.”
“Please tell us Kitten is just teasing you,” Specca nervously requested. “You wouldn’t actually do anything like that now, would you?”
“I don’t know, I mean I feel fine,” Triska replied holding out a hand and looking at it carefully.
“Don’t!” Kitten cried out, with Triska quickly yanking her hand back and holding it close to her chest. “What are you thinking? You almost launched a deadly spell that would have melted everybody into puddles!”
Triska let out a frightful squeal while freezing complet
ely, her face turning pale as everyone watched her struggling not to even shake out of fear. Kitten slowly eyed her over while her lips flinched from hiding an amused smirk and holding in her laughter. She then forced a stern expression and held a finger out towards Triska with an accusing stare.
“Don’t move, dammit. My master’s safety is seriously endangered with you waving your hands around this way and that without a clue to what you’re capable of. Fuck, you’re going to kill everyone before nightfall at this rate.”
“And just what am I supposed to do about it?” Triska barked out at her. “I have no idea how magic works, I don’t know what to do.”
“Which is why it’s a good thing I’m still here,” Kitten reasoned with a reassuring smile. “Seriously, you are so lucky to have me with you. I know how to control it like I know the back of my hand. Well, the back of our hand if you want to be specific.”
“Then what do I do here?” Triska yelled out.
“You really do yell everything you say, don’t you?” Kitten asked curiously. She giggled then held up a finger towards the teen with a smirk on her face. “Anyway, I can teach you how to control yourself with your new body and power. After all I am the best and only teacher you’re going to find who knows how our own magic and strength works. I can clearly explain everything to you and help you get a real feel for the kind of power you now possess without any trouble.”
“You could?”
“Of course. I have to, Triska. I mean my master’s safety is at risk here, it’s his slave’s duty to teach you to control yourself before you hurt him. I simply must help you get a hold of your new power as soon as possible, if not for your sake but also his.”
Triska slowly smiled at the girl before showing a dull expression as she lowered her hands to her sides.
“Wait a minute, you’re being too nice here.”
“What’s she saying?” Cilia spoke up while snuggling in between Doku’s breasts.
“She’s offering to teach me how to control myself and my magic,” Triska relayed. “Though I have a sneaking suspicion she’s going to want something in return, and I have a good idea what that is.”
Chronicles of Eden - Act VII Page 18