Charming Irony

[Acerina "Ace" Lamielle]

It was an amount of exhaustion Acerina had never felt before. The transformation had not hurt... much. However it had taken it's fair toll on Acerina in other ways. She had been missing from the demonic realm for over a week now... almost two. She had been sleeping in an inn in the center the whole time. The spell she had performed ripped her demonic soul from her body and replaced it with a human one.

It was an adventure for sure. Now Ace was back in the demonic palace after a very ... scary... journey through the realm. She had to be very careful now, she didn't have abnormal strength or speed. Thankfully she did have her elemental power still. Finally inside the palace she was locked in her room safely and prayed none of the servants had seen her. She wanted to grab some clothes, find out where Dante was and leave with him.

Hopefully he was still around. If Nolwenn had done anything to him, killed or maimed or what have you, Ace would never forgive her. Suddenly she felt very bad for having left her pet alone in the palace for so long without protection. What if he had gotten hurt? Ace would never forgive herself either. She ran into her closet and grabbed a few changes of clothes before scrambling through draws looking for anything else she might need or have use for. Money, for example.

((umm... yeah... crap. I know.))

[Dante "Pet" Leo]

He had felt so tired. But that suddenly was all gone. He felt a new strength that he never could have fathomed before his...change, or whatever it had been. Shouldn't such a thing really take a piece out of you? He was suprised at how...good it felt, how good he felt. It was almost too good.

He had been told not to strike a deal, and he hadn't. He kept his eyes to the goal -being with the demon princess who had seemed so far from reach. But now it was possible, wasn't it? For them to be together? The idea almost made him forget the atrocities he had seen during the change, but not quite. She hadn't exagerated when she said it would be a painful experience. But through the pain, he saw hope, and when that pain suddenly went away, it was as though he had a new life. Anything was possible.

He walked decisively to her room. She had been gone for so long now, and she was greatly missed. No one had questioned where she was except for him, it seemed, although he didn't dare to voice his questions. Only Elisa had been of company to him and he had talked to her a great deal. She had prooved to be a very kind person, and he felt sorry that she had to be a servant in a castle full of creatures that could kill her at any moment.

He opened the door and immediately caught sight of a figure bending down over Ace's drawers. He frowned slightly, but felt so relieved and happy to realize that she had returned. The demon princess had returned. What would she think of his new form? Would she hate him for accepting Nolwenn's offer? He shivered at the idea, but he was just so glad to see her after such a long time without her, he wouldn't let that stop him from walking right up to her.

His arms wrapped around her from behind as he pulled her against him. She smelled different. Was that because his new form allowed him to smell things he couldn't while he was a human? He couldn't really tell, although he was sure she didn't smell like a demon. He didn't care. He simply held her close.

"Where have you been?" he finally asked. He spun her around and held her face between his hands. He was a demon. She would see that now. But she looked different too. His eyes widened with the possible realization. Was she...human? He pulled her face toward him and looked her in the eyes. "What happened? You're...human?" he gulped down furiously. He was a demon now...and she was human....now was that ironic or what?

"I'm so sorry" he closed his eyes with regret. He shouldn't have accepted the Queen's offer...but how could he have known? How...
Oh great...