FSE

Furry search engine

formerly SoFurry search engine

The trip back was fairly uneventful, but a contingent of soldiers ran out to greet them as they arrived back in the parking lot, reporting to Killer the moment he stepped out of the transport that something had gone wrong with the network. Immediately, both Killer and Alexis excused themselves, and a tired Zerrex nodded before limping his way back to the officer's quarters with the others, intent on a good, long rest.

He didn't manage much in the way of sleep, however, with the constant racket and the soldiers running in and out of the barracks... and so instead, he changed his clothes and then wandered out to find out what all the noise and chaos was about.

It didn't take him long to track down the cause: a group of engineers working frantically away at repairing the network as Killer paced nearby, looking as if someone had just run over his kid and muttering under his breath into a comlink. The Drakkaren decided to leave him alone for a moment, instead letting himself into the briefing room nearby, and he glanced over at Alexis, who was standing with her arms crossed near the table, watching as computer technicians typed pointless commands into screens filled with static, strange shapes dancing over the glass screens standing lonely at the end of the room. "Interference?"

"More like an electromagnetic pulse... but it ‘s coming and going in waves." Alexis shook her head slowly, making a face as she nodded to the techies working away at the computers. "I've never seen anything like it... and with the design of the Network, we should still be receiving basic signals. But it's almost like something's gotten into the wires or upset the mainframe... the weird thing is that we can reach the Palace in Kesteven by satellite no problem, but any sort of wired connection that we've laid down refuses to work at all."

"Really..." Zerrex frowned a bit, tilting his head before pausing. "Do you have a satellite connection nearby I could try? I want to see if it can broadcast to a target further away or not."

"No problem." Alexis nodded a bit, leading him to a side door and opening it to reveal a private meeting room with a large monitor dominating one wall and a small uplink pad sitting on the table, waiting for a coded sequence to be entered.

Zerrex grunted a bit as she sat down in one of the chairs, pulling it over to him and tapping in the number for the Hez'Rannan Military Main Office, and then adding the extension to reach Albatross's private line. A moment later, he pressed the dial button, then knitted his hands together as he glanced down at the speakerphone tiredly.

For a few moments, there was nothing, then a gentle ringing before Albatross picked up, asking mildly: "If you're a reporter, I have no comment on the recent events that have taken place."

"Gee, I missed talking to you too." Zerrex grumbled, and for a few moments there was silence on the other end of the line before the Drakkaren asked hesitantly: "Albatross? You there?"

"Dear fuck, I thought you were dead." Albatross said after a moment, sounding tremendously relieved, and Zerrex smiled a bit at this, shaking his head slowly as the Dragokkaren asked quickly: "Is everyone else okay? And have you seen the news?"

"I..." The Drakkaren faltered for a moment, and then he looked down quietly at the speaker as Alexis stepped up behind him, gently rubbing his back. "There was... someone was injured."

Albatross was quiet for the longest time... and then he said finally: "Lord Zerrex... I am so very, truly sorry... I should have sent in a team-"

"A team never would've been able to handle or assess what we came across." Zerrex said dryly, glancing away for a moment. "It's my fault for not observing mission procedure; I was the leader of the unit, the responsibility is on my head." He paused for a few moments, then closed his eyes and said softly: "But Gods... Albatross, it was like nothing I've ever seen... not only was the unit commander some pumped-up Unseen, they tore a rip right into the fabric of reality, and it's like... like a festering sore out there, bleeding bad karma into the air."

There was quiet from the other end of the line, and then Albatross murmured softly: "It's like the end of the world..." A long pause, and a shiver ran down the Drakkaren's spine as he frowned a bit, about to ask why, but his mouth barely opened before the other reptile continued from a million miles away: "Lord Zerrex, that's not the only one in existence. A wormhole opened here, too, and we've already isolated it and are studying it... we'll send a team up to the arctic as well, but I don't know how well we'll be able to hold it down with only one scientific team..."

"We'll help." Alexis said clearly, leaning over Zerrex's shoulder, and then she added: "This is Queen Alexis, of the Kesteven Empire... myself and my husband joined Zer..." A pause and a bit of a smile, and the Drakkaren muttered and dropped his head in his hands as she continued: "Lord Zerrex in the mission after the enemy attacked the military base we were staying in. We'd be happy to help contain the situation, and we guarantee secrecy in this matter from any investigations that might arise."

Zerrex could almost see Albatross shaking his head slowly and considering the matter, and then the Commander-in-Chief of the Hez'Ranna Military said dryly: "Pleased and honored as I am to have your help, nothing is secret anymore, your majesty. The Black Holes aren't just interfering with our hardwired connections and technologies, as I suspect they are there in the northlands, they're emitting some sort of strange radiation that's having other effects on the flora and fauna as well... and Ire has already sent us a very long, very angry message declaring that there are more than fifty Black Holes worldwide and that if this is some post-war trick of Hez'Ranna, it and all nations involved will be wiped off the map."

Alexis frowned, shaking her head quickly and muttering: "That's absurd... we don't even know what the fuck they are. And how the hell did Ire find these so-called ‘Black Holes' so quickly, anyway?"

Zerrex paused, then added mildly: "Furthermore, better question: what the hell created those other Black Holes? Some generator up here created the one up here... but it can't have created some worldwide reaction, can it?"

There was the sound of pages turning on the other end of the line, and then Albatross said softly: "We didn't miss anything big, Lord Zerrex... you've destroyed more than ninety percent of the military operations of the old Hez'Rannan order, and some of these holes were generated in what looks like... barren wasteland now, places of absolutely no importance to Narrius's designs and where even setting off a nuclear explosive would have been pointless and probably actually improved on the landscape. Something big happened... and I don't know if it was from the initial rip in the fabric of reality, as you called it, or if we somehow missed some enormous ‘master generator,' but something big is in motion now.

"As to your question, Alexis, Ire has implemented a ‘secret-'" And Zerrex smiled a bit at the sarcasm dripping from the single world, "-security program, called ‘Deep Space Project 6.' A collection of satellites, probably armed, connecting into some sort of space station. All of it monitors radiation waves and other major energy signatures all over the world, and they sound like they're probably equipped with every type of spy technology on the market to make matters worse. Most of it is inactive still, but the ones that are working picked up on a mass amount of energy signatures and the creation of these Black Holes worldwide. And now the insane Council of the Republic is just begging to resume bombing the crap out of Hez'Ranna for the ‘good of the world,' and to take control of all sites of the Black Holes worldwide."

"Fucking brilliant..." Alexis made a disgusted face, shaking her head slowly and then saying darkly: "Ire can kiss my ass... we've got enough troops to stop any military action Ire can bring against us. They aren't the world superpower anymore, and they should learn their place by force if necessary."

"Much as I admire your eloquence, that would also set us back about twenty years and once more into the warfare." Albatross reminded her gently, and Alexis made a face at the console as he continued softly: "Let Ire tire itself out with its sanctimonious speeches and power plays... the world council won't allow them to take any action, and they'll end up with another sanction against them for trying to send some new secret military unit into Hez'Ranna or towards the nearest out-of-country Black Hole. Besides, we have Lunis to think about as well... the starved city of technology that Ire took control of by force. Any increase in military activity might lead to them completely cutting off trade from the island, and since they produce many of the new technologies we use worldwide..."

"Alright, I get it." Alexis nodded, looking a bit sullen, before she frowned a bit and sat down in a chair beside Zerrex, asking quietly: "So have you been able to discover anything about the Black Holes?"

"Unfortunately, no... there are..." Albatross broke off and laughed a bit, sounding awkward. "Nevermind. It's nothing, really... it just seems so strange that it generated itself at some old, sacred ruins... do you remember, Zerrex, deep in the jungle, where those temples are?"

Zerrex nodded slowly, lowering his head a bit. "Yeah, I do... that's where we gained entrance to Paradise by using the ballista Huck built for us... except the crazy bastard called it a ‘claymore,' right?"

"Yeah... may he rest in peace. We could've used his engineering skills here..." Albatross's voice was solemn, and then he cleared his throat, saying mildly: "Lord Zerrex, I'll debrief you later, when you feel you've had sufficient rest... perhaps you and I could talk business, Queen Alexis, about forming a joint effort to lock down and secure the Black Hole in the arctic regions and any others that may have formed in your empire?"

"I would be glad to, Commander Albatross." Alexis said politely, and then she glanced over at Zerrex and gave him a smile as he nodded to her and stood up shakily. She turned back to the console, and the two began discussing the military situation of both countries and what they could spare as Zerrex limped out into the briefing room, his cane tapping a quiet beat against the floor.

He looked up to see Killer sitting on the table, glancing him over before he said softly: "Zer, you should get some sleep... you really do look like hell." A pause and a wince at the choice of words, and he fumbled: "Hey, look, we could uh... you could get a private bed in the infirmary if you wanted-"

"I'm alright, Killer. I can sleep with the grunts." Zerrex rose a hand, shaking his head quickly and offering a tired smile, and then he walked slowly past the liger, heading for the open doorway and closing his eyes as he wandered out into the hall. Behind him at the table, Killer stood up and smacked his forehead with the palm of his hand, then argued with himself for a moment before sighing and walking over to join Alexis in discussions with Albatross, as Zerrex made his way slowly but surely back towards the barracks.

It was strangely empty, only Marina snoring quietly on one of the bunks in the officer's quarters, and Zerrex shrugged a bit before laying down on a bed opposite and closing his eyes for a moment... and then he sighed and sat up, a hand reaching into his pocket as he fumbled out the heavy locket. His eyes roved over it as he rose it to eye level, tilting it back and forth, but it felt and looked like no metal he had ever touched. Even the chain that hung from a small golden hoop atop the locket seemed strange, like it was made of rock instead of white steel... the opposite of the locket itself, which seemed to move like liquid whenever he tilted it in his hands, yet always managing to retain the same shape and surprising weight.

The reptile felt around the edges of the plain locket when he found no design or even a scratch on it, before one of his claws touched a little groove in the side of the ornament, and he pushed down on this. Immediately, the locket clicked open to reveal a deep red inside that seemed to vibrate and pulse, the Drakkaren staring at this and leaning forwards... and then the red circle in the border of liquid steel shifted before the reptile's shocked eyes, turning blue before an image of the quadruplets carved itself in the shifting blue metal, and the voice of one of the beings whispered: "Lord Zerrex... you must be so confused..."

"It's alright. Our sister came back safe and sound, and even the Historians don't seem to have noticed her absence." Another said gently, and then it murmured softly: "But we have little time, Lord Zerrex, so our eldest sister will tell you what you need to know."

A pause, and then another voice rose up, speaking clearly and easily: "My sisters and I are demons from a plane of elemental glory... not the fiery Abyss, or the darkness of the Realm of the Damned. We do not hail from the Eternal Plain, and we do not hail from the Red Sky. In your religions, some revered us as demigods of great power... while others saw us as terrible demons responsible for bringing four terrible sins into the world that have all caused many wars on their own.

"The way you spoke of us was the closest to our true nature... the way you know us and perceive us." She continued softly, the Drakkaren enraptured by the voice of the female. "We are not creatures of good, nor are we based on the precepts of evil... we follow a different path, one that was laid out for us during our birth eras and eons ago, when the universe itself and all the planes and worlds it contains were still young. We have our own laws, rules, and morals: different, perhaps, than the ambiguous morality that surrounds most denizens of the physical plane, but yet nothing so alien it could not be understood in time.

"Many a year ago now, a great evil rose up in the physical plane; we watched as it travelled throughout your world and instrumented war, famine, and destruction. Over the course of more than five thousand years it ran, until it was silenced... and as the Prophecy had once whispered, the Threat rose up anew, reborn by that which explores outward logic instead of inward freedom: science, a concept that was until a short time ago still alien to Hell's traditions and used more by Heaven.

"We watched your struggle, Lord Zerrex, and as technological demons that were mockeries of the true Fallen Nephilim rose up with science's tampering... and when you fell to one of these, we slipped forwards into your mind in the vast broken spaces that Drake had left on his attack inwards, yet were nonetheless surprised when pieces of your mind â€" the Sheep God, and the one you called Ravenlight â€" assaulted us and imprisoned our youngest sister, seeking to grow stronger and thrive off her essence. Never realizing our true nature, you came to us and freed her."

There was a long pause, and then another voice said softly: "What you have to understand is that the Prophecy had never stated anything about the Red Beast rising twice, and never told us anything about you. So we were enraptured with you, and we have watched your exploits, lived with you and enjoyed your successes while feeling the greatest of sorrows at your defeat. We did not lie when we called you the Ruler of Darkness and Light; because only the deepest of darkness can make the light shine the brightest.

"Lord Zerrex, the Prophecy was forged by the Historians, the controllers of the dead and the Scholars of Hell, and now it speaks of Catastrophe. Of terrible beasts striding free along your world and Heaven and Hell's next clash, which will finally end the great debate over which side gets control of the physical plane by reducing the talks to warfare that rips thousands of worlds apart. And your world, Lord Zerrex, is to be the first battleground, and for many hundreds of years, armies have massed for the great calamity ahead.

"But there are whispers in Hell, Lord Zerrex, that not all is as it appears to be... that Heaven is not on the move and that the rip in the fabric of space and time was just an error of science with monumental consequences. Many will not be dissuaded from invasion, however, and we fear that soon Hell itself will begin to pour into a world that doesn't even know of its existence..." A long silence, and then a whisper: "Please, Lord Zerrex. Do not give up hope. Look inside yourself and better harness your strengths and fortify your weaknesses. When we return the Eldest Sister to you... we will tell you more."

A moment later, the blue flickered, and then the engraved image of the quadruplets slowly smoothed back into the metal as it turned from azure back into glowing crimson. Zerrex stared into this for a few moments, and then he slowly closed the amulet and pulled it against his chest, making a face and lowering his head. The implications were enormous, even with the obvious parts out of the way: after all, it didn't just sound like there was going to be a war between places many people these days thought of as "fantasy worlds," but that he himself was going to be involved in a way that was big enough for the demonic plane to have taken an interest in him. Why... Gods, I want to get away from fighting, not... not become some knight in black armor wielding a sword in the name of Hell!

He gritted his teeth, striking his leg with one clenched fist before throwing the locket down on the bed beside him and sighing, gripping the edge of the mattress firmly as he sat back a bit. It was frustrating and stressful, and it was only adding to the load of stress on his body and mind right now, as he lay back and tried to take a few moments to rest.

But he couldn't relax... and after a few hours of aimlessly laying there, he left and let his feet take him where they would. It was only a short time before he found himself on the roof, staring off into the horizon miserably, the chain of the locket cold against his neck but the locket itself radiating a constant heat against his chest, half-hidden under his shirt.

He wasn't surprised when Killer joined him only twenty minutes later, and the liger glanced up into the dark skies, saying softly: "Whatever else, at least the storms have stopped for a little while up here... much as I like snow, the wind and the blizzards can get a bit boring after a while."

"Right..." Zerrex said softly, and then he shook his head slowly before reaching up to grip the crossbars, his eyes roving downwards to the snowy banks outside. "The last while has already been crazy enough by itself... I don't even know what happened today still."

"Yesterday." Killer said mildly, and the Drakkaren blinked as he looked over at the huge feline, who shrugged a bit.

"Seriously?" A nod from the warrior tiger, and Zerrex made a face, slouching a bit against the barrier around the roof and muttering under his breath: "Wonderful. Absolutely wonderful... I forgot how little the difference is between day and night this far up north."

Killer nodded again, then he glanced over to the reptile and said softly: "Whenever you want to leave, there's a helicopter ready and waiting... but why don't you go after you've had a meal with us? The weather doesn't look like it's going to change much, and Alexis and I would be happy to sit and dine with you and your family..." He broke off, then joined Zerrex in looking off towards the cloudy horizon.

The Drakkaren was quiet for the longest time, then he finally shook his head slowly and said quietly: "I can't right now, Killer. I'm sorry, but it's just a mix of everything... I'd much rather like to just pack things up and get out of here. I already feel as if I've stayed too long." The lizard rubbed a hand slowly though hair that was still gritty with dirt and blood, and then he sighed a bit. "Things have gotten complicated."

"I understand. I'll have the helicopter prepped in twenty minutes." Killer said quietly, then he reached over and wrapped an arm around Zerrex's shoulders, giving him a tight squeeze and saying softly: "Take care of yourself, old friend."

"You too, Killer." Zerrex nodded a bit, then he traded a quick hug with the liger before watching him leave, his eyes once more straying to the skyline and his thoughts to Cherry and what might lay beyond the world. I don't want to believe it... I don't want to believe in everything I stupidly used to...

Goodbyes were exchanged again at the heliport â€" although they were a bit more muted than they would've been in other circumstances â€" and then a small transport helicopter carried Zerrex and his family â€" most of my family... â€" back towards the Hez'Ranna Embassy in Northern Ire. From there, the private jet they had arrived in flew them back to Valise City, where their home was and the only place Zerrex wanted to be right now.

Everyone was tired and sore by the end of the trip, all of them looking forwards to nothing more than sleep... but still, even here, Zerrex found himself uncomfortable and unhappy. Changing his clothes, cleaning his weapons, even finally managing a bath to relax his aching body and tired muscles did nothing to relieve his stress... and finally he realized it was because everything here reminded him of Cherry. Art projects she'd helped Marina with, guns she used and took care of, her weights and her uniforms and her clothes and her room and the holes she'd knocked in the walls... it all made him think of her.

Finally, Zerrex retreated to his study and sat quietly in his favorite armchair, wearing nothing more than a pair of pants and the amulet set aside on the table, playing anxiously at where there had once been a golden wedding band upon his finger... but the ring had long been lost, broken in some battle in his past.

Albatross had called once or twice, but he had ignored him... all he wanted to do was sit here, and make the world go away. And soon enough, it did for a little while as he fell asleep in the chair, his cane on the floor beside the chair to make sure he didn't knock it over, head slumped forwards a little as he snored and shifted restlessly every so often. Despite this, though, his exhausted body didn't so much as twitch even when someone quietly opened the door to his study and slid inside.

Feet in heavy black-metal boots moved soundlessly towards the chair, a long cloak fluttering behind the figure as it strode towards him... and then it stopped and a scaled hand gently stroked Zerrex's cheek. The reptile twitched at the touch and the strange heat, and then his eyes slowly opened and he started as he stared stupidly at a grinning female Drakkaren with red scales and a lithe, beautiful body and voluptuous bosom barely clad under black cloth that had been simply wrapped around her bountiful breasts several times and then tied off over one shoulder, next to a choker that went around her neck... and for a moment Zerrex wondered dumbly if he was dreaming, as his eyes roved down to the leather belt with a skull for a buckle and tight cloth pants... before his eyes flicked back up and he noted the thin, long black branched horns extending from her skull, and her eyes gleamed with a rainbow of colors as a forked tongue slid out and licked her own muzzle slowly.

"What the hell!" Zerrex started, blinking stupidly and grasping the arms of his chair, immediately looking back and forth for something to hit the apparent-demon standing in front of him... but he calmed a bit when she stepped back, snorting and flicking a tail that had several large, sharp bone-spikes coming out along the end of it in several directions. He stared at her, shrinking back into the chair, then finally leaned forwards and glanced over her, mumbling: "Why are all the demons I meet chicks?"

"Like you're complaining, douchebag." The demoness muttered, and then immediately covered her mouth, coughing and flushing deeply. Zerrex blinked at the sound of her voice and the familiarity of it... and then he leaned forwards a bit more, frowning deeply and narrowing his eyes down to slits.

"Cherry?" He asked finally, and the female coughed again and tried to look away, blushing deeply before wincing as Zerrex sat back, glaring at her. "You bitch! What the hell have you gone and done to yourself?" A pause, and then he asked mildly: "By the way, it's good to see you. I take it you're feeling better."

"I fucking hate you." Cherry said sourly, and then she crossed her arms as her musculature filled out, her scales flickering back to their usual beryl and her eyes going from rainbow to brilliant blue... but then she smiled a bit as Zerrex looked visibly relieved at the look on her face, adding: "Besides, look, I can cure most of it."

"Except those..." Zerrex glanced up at her horns, as unlike the rest of her body, they filled in a bit, curling slightly near the tips, and he frowned a bit as she reached up and grasped them dumbly as he shrugged a bit, trying not to show any worry as he added distantly: "But I guess that's okay..."

A long pause, and then he grinned and sat up, pointing at her as she pointed back, and they said unanimously: "Because after all, they're great for grabbing!" They collapsed into laughter, and Cherry fell back into Zerrex's lap before spinning around, smiling seductively down to him instead now as she straddled the chair with her legs and grasped his shoulders, the lizard's laughter dying in his throat as she leaned down and kissed him slowly and passionately, and he couldn't help but respond, his hands immediately grasping her hips, squeezing into her with surprising strength as he felt their tongues dancing hungrily.

He didn't think even Cherry had planned it to happen, but a moment later he was fumbling at the fly of his pants as she tore the knot loose from the wrapping around her breasts and let them fall free from the constraints that had been wrapped around them, before her hands reached down to tear off her belt and toss it aside, the skull thunking hollowly against the floor as Zerrex's beginning-to-thicken penis sprung loose of his pants, Cherry letting out a moan as she shoved her own pants down just far enough for Zerrex to see with a surprised look that the hermaphrodite was no longer a hermaphrodite.

"Cherry, did they cut off your dick or something?" He asked stupidly, but all he got in response was a breathy: ‘later,' and then he heard the sound of her pants simply tearing in half as she refused to fumble them down any further, the fully-fledged female shoving herself forwards and rocking the chair as Zerrex grunted and then grinned widely, looking up as she pushed herself up on her knees in a feat of balance on the arms of the chairs, one of her hands reaching down and grasping the black flesh of the Drakkaren's shaft, stroking it rapidly as it grew towards its full thirty-two inch erection and guiding his engorged head already towards her sex...

She dropped herself down with a moan, and he arched his back as he pierced her body with his thick cock, feeling himself instantly reach full size as one of his hands moved from her hip to a breast, but before he could even begin to thrust upwards, she began doing all the work, groaning and throwing her head back as one of his hands worked her bust firmly, the fingers of the other digging into her hip with enough force to draw blood. She howled like a wild thing meanwhile, the male grunting hungrily as he barely managed to find time with her already rapid and hard rhythm.

She was milking him fast, but now his own wants and hungers were rising, and other memories and sensations â€" she was here, she was home, and he had missed her... and now he went about showing that by yanking her down to the hilt, making her shriek in surprise, her eyes widening as she found herself almost at eye-level with the Drakkaren despite her impressive height, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders to prevent her from moving, his muscular body flexing and dragging her forwards into another kiss, grinding his teeth against hers and her gums, his tongue twisting and pinning hers, his mouth moving hungrily as she cried out at the near-bites of his teeth... and then she was pushing hard back, twisting her hips powerfully and gyrating her passage against his huge cock as she thrust her breasts forwards against him, her hard nipples scratching over his palms as her blood rolled down both their tongues.

Zerrex released her after a moment, and she dropped her head forwards as she began to buck her body up and down again, moving fast and hard as she grinned at him hungrily... and as he growled hungrily back, his hands dropping to her hips as he began to thrust in return, she started to change her own rhythm, playing games with him, not letting him move again as she whispered raggedly: "What's the fuckin' matter with you, bitch? Since when can I make you my toy, Zerrex?"

"Don't talk to me that way, you whore." Zerrex growled, his eyes sparking as his own grin widened, and then he held her tightly as he slammed his shaft hard up into her, and Cherry's eyes bulged as her back arched, crying out in short bursts as he hammered his shaft up into her as hard and quickly as he could manage while holding her steady at the same time, not letting her move at all before drawing down and forcing her body down until the lips of her sex kissed her waist, her legs and waist twitching as she tried to move in any way she could, but the male not letting her as he said hungrily: "You need me, isn't that right? You're the one who's under my control, right?"

"Yes... oh fuck, yes..." Cherry whispered in return, and she began to pant harder, moaning as she pressed her body forwards against him, her hands reaching up to dig into his shoulders as she looked into his eyes, letting her jaws stretch open and her breath wash over him with another groan of need and bliss. "Please, fuck me... I need it, I need you... fuck me..."

Zerrex grinned at her, then he loosened his grip on her hips to give a slow, long push upwards with his hips, grinding his shaft inside of her before drawing back just as slowly, inch after inch of black flesh pulling free as she cried out in pleasure, shivers rolling through her body visibly as her own huge musculature flexed powerfully, and he said teasingly: "No problem... but tell me what a worthless bitch you are without me, huh?"

"Shit..." Cherry groaned as Zerrex thrusted slowly into her again, more than a foot of black flesh disappearing slowly into her as she moved in time, her hips twitching ever-so-slightly as she tried to control herself. "Like I need to tell you that... like I have any right, slut that I am..." A look into his eyes of unquestioning servitude and hot desire, and Zerrex thrusted a bit faster, Cherry eagerly bouncing harder and panting hungrily as she moaned in lust. "A whore, a bitch, a fucktoy, nothing without her Master, useless without you, Zerrex... I need you Zerrex, God, how I fucking need you, how I need this!"

She threw her head back, letting out another loud cry of pleasure as Zerrex moved into an appreciable rate, watching her huge breasts bounce as the darker side of him reveled in her obvious submission, and then her hands clenched down on his shoulders as his own tightened a bit on her waist, his eyes widening in surprise as she screamed: "Oh fuck, I can't hold back! Fuck, yes, yes, yes, that's it, Zerrex, fuck yes!"

She began to almost savagely bounce on him again, her body flexing as Zerrex felt her shaft tightening, to the point where it was almost painful... but he was unable to stop himself from thrusting in return, growling hungrily and panting hard at the ecstasy her movements were bringing him, shocked by not only her aggressiveness but her speed at reaching orgasm... and then she cried out again in absolute joy, clutching into him and throwing herself forwards against him, her breasts bouncing against and over his muzzle as he groaned hungrily into the hot, sumptuous flesh, loving the heat emanating off her and the intensely erotic bliss burning in his loins as her sex clenched against his massive black penis again and again, squeezing his member to the point where he almost felt she was going to gobble him up from down there before her liquid burst free in a flood.

It felt like bliss, pure bliss, as her fluids poured over him â€" hotter and wetter and better than he'd ever remembered it being, driving his own ecstasy and needs skywards... but before he could even begin to speed up his thrusts, Cherry raised her body and leapt off him, her own fluids splattering down her legs and over the Drakkaren's chest as she grinned widely, pointing at her own head and growling hungrily at Zerrex as she seized his shaft with the other hand. "Grab on tight!"

Zerrex blinked, and then he groaned, his head rolling back and his hands automatically snapping down on her horns, his eyes rolling back in absolute pleasure as she simply buried his gargantuan shaft down her muzzle in one quick movement and crouched at the same time, almost diving into his crotch. Her tongue slithered around his cock as she bobbed her head quickly up and down the long obsidian member, one of her hands rubbing slowly over his chest and the other grasping the base of his cock for a moment before she pushed forwards, the Drakkaren male fidgeting in the chair and grunting hungrily as she felt his penis pushing even further forwards, and then he gasped and opened his eyes, staring down as Cherry's muzzle pushed snugly against his crotch.

She began to move quickly back and forth, and he grunted hungrily as he looked down at her, panting hotly and a grin rising to his muzzle as a growl rose in the back of his throat. "Oh Cherry... just couldn't resist the taste of yourself and my cock together, huh?" A lick of his own muzzle, his hands tightening around her horns as her eyes opened and a grin spread around his shaft... and he knew with just that look that she was inviting him to do what he wanted; more than that, she wanted him to be as rough with her as he pleased. "But that's fine bitch... I like it best when you clean all your whore juice off my big... meaty... cock!"

The last few words he accented by yanking her forwards once, twice, and then thrice, the final jerk bringing her nose shoving back into his waist, and he groaned hungrily as Cherry made slow, quick bobs, her tongue slithering out to lap at his testicles even as the rest of it massaged at his shaft, before he pushed her slowly backwards, and she drew back as he watched inch by inch of his almost three-foot shaft reveal itself like some sort of erotic magic trick from her muzzle. He growled hungrily as her mouth settled finally around only the thick head of his penis, and then his head rolled back, the pleasure rising rapidly inside his body until he felt it rapidly going over the edge as Cherry began to piston herself forwards eagerly.

Her mouth raced back and forth over his slick cock, her movements letting her take in somehow more than she should be able to even as he stiffened rapidly up... and before he could even say anything, she suddenly drew back, reaching up to grasp his slick shaft with both hands and stroking it rapidly as she suckled hungrily on the head of his massive penis for a few more moments, Zerrex's eyes bulging in pleasure before she grinned widely and leaned suddenly back just as he felt himself tip over the final barrier and his seed come bursting free, and his penis pulsed thickly in her hands as a thick spray of his juices blasted over her muzzle, some of it landing on her breasts and a bit going over her head, but most of it splattering over her face. A moment later, another string did the same, and another and another after that, the reptile saturating her in his liquids as Cherry moaned and begged for more... but by now she was mostly inarticulate, and Zerrex was in too much ecstasy to hear, his back arched and his eyes rolled up on his head as his hands threatened to crack her horns, they were gripping her so tightly.

Finally, it was over... and Cherry grinned slowly as Zerrex looked down at her with a stupid grin before his jaw dropped a bit as she went to licking his still-hard shaft free of seed, his tongue sending a shiver through his body with every drag over his hard flesh... and she drew the cleaning out, the eroticism fading from sexuality into sensuality even with the roles of their strange relationship still easily apparent and continuous oral teasing... but finally, she stepped back for a moment, if only to clean herself up a bit with the remains of her torn pants.

After a few minutes, Cherry sat quietly on his lap, and for the moment, both of them were naked, the Drakkaren's own clothes discarded and Cherry's boots kicked off... and then they traded a gentle kiss, and she leaned against him, considerably calmer and softer now as she whispered: "I loved you. And you know, I honestly meant to show off my changes differently..." A pause and a bit of a grin as she leaned back and winked at him. "Well, even if at first I thought it'd be fun to see if I could get you to fuck a stranger."

"This should've been a giveaway." Zerrex said quietly, then he gently touched the choker Cherry still wore, with the silver plate and the faintly-engraved ‘II,' upon it, and she flushed a bit before he looked into her eyes quietly, hugging her tightly and then smiling faintly. "But you're acting like it's been a thousand years since we last saw each other... making me treat you like a common whore and then asking to cuddle up close and nude... I don't think you've ever asked for the latter before."

"Time is... different in..." A pause, and then she finished quietly. "Hell."

For a moment, they sat together, Cherry clinging to him gently and closing her eyes as she lowered her head to his chest, her horns slowly shrinking until they faded away completely, and Zerrex watched this for a few moments before asking finally with a half-smile: "So tell me what my future home is going to look like."

"Oh, fuck you." Cherry snorted, grinning a bit up at him as she struck his chest firmly with a fist, and then her expression toned down to a thoughtful smile. "But it wasn't at all what I expected, to be honest... there were... nice places there. But some of it was even worse than I imagined..." Cherry shook her head slowly, then returned to quietly holding the male who'd become her father around the neck, rocking gently with him and laughing faintly. "The Sisters were good to me, though, and they talked about you a lot... and they told me about me a lot, too."

Zerrex looked at her curiously as she glanced down, and then he quietly kissed her forehead and said softly: "I'm here to listen, Cherry. I want to know everything that happened... you know how much I love and care for you."

"I love you too." Cherry replied immediately, almost stepping on the end of his sentence, and Zerrex blinked at the reaction as she flushed and smiled embarrassedly, shrinking a bit against him and then trying to laugh it off stupidly. But she had never been much into saying those words... and moreover, had never, ever said it back before looking embarrassed, as if it was some major tactical weakness for the enemy to be exploited or something to be secretly ashamed of in the darkest, deepest night. "I mean... you know, you're okay." Another long pause, and then she cleared her throat, smiling a bit up at him. "But... I wasn't really surprised. My mother... Beatrice Blossom... was born of a Drakkaren and an Incubus." A long pause as Zerrex tried to take that in for a moment, before she added mildly: "Maybe that's why I love being such a butch whore."

"You suck all the seriousness out of every situation." Zerrex said dourly, then he shook his head quickly as she rolled her eyes, but what surprised him was that he didn't exactly have to process that bit of information â€" with the wide array of talents, abilities, and strange phenomenon that occurred around her, it made perfect sense. At least in our world... which has never made much sense at all to begin with. "But well... an Incubus?"

"Yeah, ‘cept they aren't just male sexual demons like you always said." Cherry stuck her tongue out at him, and now the male Drakkaren rose his eyes. "They have a lot of different tasks in Hell... but it seems that not only was my grandfather a demon, he was a Baron in one of Hell's northern provinces..." A pause and a faint smile. "Gods, Zerrex, I hope one day that... we really can go to Hell together, to be entirely honest. The place is scary at first, but... after you get used to it, it's really a beautiful world. Immense and connected into all sorts of other insane planes and places... and the demons there can truly be welcoming, and the stuff they can do..." Now a wide grin spread over her muzzle, the female licking her muzzle slowly, and Zerrex stared as he felt a thrill run through his body at just the sight of that predatory look.

A pause, and then he coughed a bit before asking mildly: "So uh... I take it you had your fill of sex and violence down there in just a day's time, huh? But... I heard from one of the Sisters that time moves differently."

"Way differently..." Cherry grinned a bit, wrapping her arms around Zerrex's neck as she shifted in his lap, leaning back and looking into his eyes with wry amusement. "Even though it's been a day here... in Hell, it was two thousand and seven hundred years."

The Drakkaren blinked slowly, thinking he'd misheard, but Cherry shook her head slowly, her smile toning down a bit as she spoke in a soft, serious voice: "In Hell, you don't age, any more than the demons or the other creatures that call that place its home do, or the lost and tortured souls who they punish and control. I still don't understand how the whole place works even after all the time I spent there, but...

"Well, the Sisters took care of me, and they were extremely careful to make sure I didn't die..." Another look of amusement, as Zerrex slowly rubbed along Cherry's back. "They said if I did, I'd become a permanent resident of Hell... and that I wouldn't be able to move freely back and forth between the physical plane and there. Even when the Sisters came here, you know, they put themselves in dire risk... anyone caught going against Hell's laws is severely punished by one of the four High Princes, who sit on the Compass Thrones. And I bet you're just eatin' this up, ain't you, Zer?" A wide grin as Zerrex made a face. "You're such a fucking nerd for shit like this."

"I hate you." Zerrex said sulkily, and for a moment they glared at each other before he slid his hands down to grasp her buttocks and squeeze them teasingly, and immediately Cherry brightened again as she slid closer to his body. "Talk."

Cherry brightened even more at the authoritative command, looking almost dreamily at Zerrex... which made him feel awkward, to say the least. Cherry hadn't gazed at him with such affection or shown such a love of him dominating her since they had been young and stupid and in the Goth Legion... but he pushed those feelings aside as she cleared her throat and then shook her head, looking embarrassed as she continued: "The Princes â€" and Princess â€" are the masters of Hell. North, South, East, and West, and all that lay in that stretch of domain... the High Princes are above the rest of Hell's monarchy, which includes a plethora of kings, queens, emperors, and all that other bullshit. Demons have a very strict caste system, based upon power, birthright and age... and thankfully, the Sisters are all treated as sort of... high order priestess bitches. You know, they get a right to privacy and stuff of their own and like, this really great temple. That's where they healed me, in some... magic shit. I mean, dude, this was like... crazy ass roleplaying game with the dice sort of shit, but like, real.

"They kept me there for... fuck, had to be six hundred years or more. I lapsed into a coma, see, because first I got really sick from when they had to take the pipe out..." A pause as she glanced down quietly at her unscarred stomach, touching where the pipe had been. "And then I started to be affected by Hell's corruption, they called it. But it's not so much corruption as like... purification? Fuck, I'm no poet like you."

"I'm not a poet." Zerrex muttered, then he reached up and gently tapped Cherry's temple as he ground his crotch forwards gently at the same time, making her breathe a bit harder and grind slowly back as she buried her head against his neck. "But is that why you had the horns, then?"

"More than that..." Cherry paused, then shook her head slowly. "It's amazing, Zerrex... I mean, I started helping out around the temple, and that became my daily life... and I ain't never prayed before, but fuck. Their gods â€" you get to see all of their gods, except for the ones who have been locked away or died â€" and the angels? Shit. I mean, it ain't like the holy books right... some demons worship angels, and fuck, I saw angels. Real live angels." Cherry sat back, once more gazing into Zerrex's eyes with almost childlike excitement. "It was amazing! I never fucked one though." A sly grin as she leaned forwards, pushing their noses together. "But you are so fucking me hard on some fake altar we make up with your angel wings out when we get a chance. And I'll go all super-demonic looking and shit, and we just roleplay like fuck as we... well... fuck all night and-"

Zerrex cleared his throat and looked at her mildly for a few moments, and Cherry coughed, rubbing the back of her head slowly as a blush rose in her cheeks, mumbling under her breath: "Spoilsport." A few moments later, however, she continued to speak in calmer tones, turning around to lay back against him and idly guiding one of Zerrex's hands to her breasts. "Look. It became my daily life... I learned rituals, exorcisms, even magical spells... and they talked a lot about the physical world, how excited everyone was even though most of the rifts had been sealed trapped in special magical barriers by the demon lords while they discussed what to do.

"Something's going on down there... something big, that's all I can say for sure." Cherry shook her head slowly, murmuring softly: "And see... as I found out, demons will sometimes sleep for days, and sometimes time passes funny, as well. You might think to yourself, ‘Well, I'll go down to the market and see what they're offering,' and you do that, but when you get back home, a year has gone by. And the High Royalty will have long discussions that literally last a thousand or so years over what to do in Hell, and some say that these scary motherfuckers called Scribes have the power to alter the course of time and space in the entire plane if they so feel like it... it's just... scary the power you see." She shook her head again, pressing closer to Zerrex and saying quietly: "I... Zerrex, I thought I was tough, but some of those demons can do terrible and amazing things.

"But what was I talking about?" Cherry paused, then nodded a bit as she smiled a bit, lowering her head and breathing softly as one of Zerrex's hands gently rubbed a breast. "That's nice... and well... you see me now." Cherry shrugged a bit against him, smiling faintly again and hesitating for a few long moments, until she finally turned around and took Zerrex's hands in both her own, lowering her head and speaking softly: "After... I dunno how long. The Sisters say you get used to it, and that the clocks that keep track of the days and the years are always right, but... come on. It was scary. After... I dunno, a thousand years after I woke up from being so sick for so long, brought back again and again from the edge of death by magic and potions and shit... I woke up one day and realized the extent of these changes over my body. And they took me to the back of the courtyard of the monastery â€" all I had known for all that time â€" and the Sisters began to train me...

"And they called me their Eldest Sister..." She looked quietly into the Drakkaren's eyes, speaking in softer tones, and Zerrex could tell she was still edging around some subject she was scared to bring up, and that terrified him because Cherry had always told him everything all her life... even when they broke off their marriage. "And... and..."

"You can tell me." The Drakkaren said softly, and he let go of one hand to wrap his arm tightly around her body, pulling her against him as the other stayed tightly interlocked with her fingers. "What is it, Cherry?"

Cherry pressed tight against him for a few moments, breathing quietly and trembling a bit... and then she finally said meekly: "They told me I'd fallen asleep for a long time after work one day... and then the change had begun, and all I could do was accept it. They taught me my abilities, my powers, and made me look in a mirror at my new body, my new true body, until I accepted it. This form... female instead of hermaphrodite, but still lookin' like the old me... isn't me, Zerrex."

Zerrex looked down at Cherry quietly, stricken deep by the tone of her voice: shame, as if she had done some unforgiveable sin. He looked at her quietly, and then she glanced up and a tear ran down her cheek as she whispered: "For the next thousand years, I roamed Hell almost freely in my new body... because I looked, acted, spoke just like a demon, as if I was some royal shit who didn't have to do the rest of the tasks that the others set down. I sat in the taverns, I fucked when I felt like it, and I even did a few punishments... but oh, Zerrex... I wanted to come home, but the barriers were still up and the Sisters spoke of some... fuckin'... magic security system that they had to wait to turn off first. For a thousand and some years, all I could think of was seeing you, my father... the one person I love..." A quiet look down. "And for the first time I felt like any other girl, because of the fact I've changed. I'm more demon than person, and I know how much you loved this body, dick or not... and I don't want to be ugly to your eyes in any way, Zerrex.

"The way the girls talked about you made me realize something, Boss." A look up, and Cherry quietly took Zerrex's hands as she shivered, visibly fighting back tears that came anyway. "Without you around, I only feel like a war machine and a fucktoy that tends to bite its user's dick off... but with you around, even the darkness and hate inside me suddenly feels like it's under control. You're my prison and my palace, Boss... and I love you for that, and for being the only male to not only dominate me... but at the same time, respect me."

The Drakkaren opened his mouth to reply, to at least say it was alright... and then Cherry's body shifted as she slid backwards to stand in front of him, her horns sprouting and branching out to become almost black antlers but for their thinness, long and sleek as her musculature compacted and decreased, her breasts jiggling a bit as her body straightened out and long, leathery wings sprouted from her back. Her feet became like talons, with two large claws and a hook on the heel, and her tail thickened and lengthened, a double-row of bone spikes lining it and ending in a long, barbed hook now. She grunted, leaning forwards a bit as her golden fins sprouted from her skull and turned into a line of gold spikes leading down her spine to her tail. She straightened and flexed a stomach that was now smooth and toned instead of chiseled muscle, her body shining with crimson, lustrous scales, her breasts firm, huge and attractive, and she quietly clutched her small hands in front of Zerrex as her red eyes looked down pleadingly into his from her ten feet of height, whispering quietly: "You know, I've never been concerned about my body, but... look at me. I'm completely different... generic, thin and female. I look like a fucking supermodel, and I don't even understand how I'm supposed to function when-"

Zerrex stood up, grabbed her by the collar that was still firmly around her neck, and yanked her down into a hungry kiss, drawing it out for a few moments before leaning back with a surprised pant, a bit of blood dribbling from his muzzle as he stared at her dumbly, and she flushed deeply as he wiped it away, saying dumbly: "Do god sharp teeth."

"You fuckin' idiot." Cherry said softly, and then she smiled faintly, and she embraced him tightly as she murmured: "Whether I was in Hell or not, being away from you has softened me up a lot, Boss..."

"What a pleasant surprise then." Zerrex responded softly, and then he glanced over her as he sat back in his chair, tilting his head as he gazed over her, rubbing idly at his mouth, before he shook his head and let his smile turn into a dumb grin as he said mildly: "What the hell are you though, Cherry? I've never seen anyone change shapes the way you are."

Cherry shrugged a bit, rubbing the back of her head slowly and seeming to ponder the question, then she glanced up and gave him a teasing smile as her body changed again, and Zerrex's jaw dropped as he found himself staring at... It's me. But with boobs.

Cherry grinned widely, flexing her arms and looking across at him with entertainment, now-emerald eyes sparkling as she gave her head a quick shake to clear the white hair from her face, her body more effeminate than his own and lacking his scars, but very obviously a female replica of Zerrex... or rather, mostly female, with the huge, bulging member dangling down between her legs and almost to her knees. Zerrex found himself staring at this as Cherry gave him a look of amusement, before grabbing her own breasts and pouting a bit. "What, are these not good enough? I can make them bigger."

"No, it's just that..." A long pause as Zerrex's eyes travelled slowly up to her teasing grin, saying dumbly: "Make them bigger."

"Maybe later." Cherry snorted, and then her body shifted again, and this time Zerrex narrowed his eyes to watch the change; how her eyes turned first, and then the way her musculature subtly twitched as her scales seemed to slither over her body and broke apart to make way for bone and flesh alike to push through and form into something else... it was scintillating, and it was beautiful in its weirdness. And once more, he was looking at the female, plain body of Cherry... and she smiled teasingly as she poked her large breasts. "About the same size, and no penis, which I think is a real drag, but I feel comfortable like this."

"I'm comfortable with however you look." Zerrex said gently, and Cherry snorted and muttered something, but he saw the faint blush rise in her cheeks too. And there's no way she can hide the look in her eyes... Cherry might be tough, but I know better than ever now she's still got her soft spots. "But come here, sit in Daddy's lap."

"Dude, but it's hot when you say that." Cherry leered at him, then pranced over and dropped firmly in his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck and then simply licking his cheek, and Zerrex flailed a bit and groaned as the female laughed... but it was a real laugh, and it was Cherry being Cherry â€" and that, more than anything, comforted the Drakkaren, whether it came with slobber or not. "But what were you asking before? Right. What I am. See... it's weird. There's that caste system in Hell, right? And the kind of demon you are does have an effect on that, even if it's perfectly possible for some sort of demon soldier class to be born of say... a demon king who's some... giant fucking demon thing and a duchess who's like... a succubus." She looked lame for a few long moments, then snapped as Zerrex gave her a mild look: "I'm fucking tired! So what if I can't think of the proper names for demons other than the kiddy ones that everyone knows."

She pouted for a few moments, then muttered under her breath: "Anyway. Whereas Incubi often hold medium and higher stations, succubi are in the middle â€" they're pretty vanilla, for the most part. There's a higher class of the same sorta sexual predator female demon too, but I forget their name... anyway, I fit more into that class, I guess." She looked lame for a few long moments. "Like the Sisters. They aren't succubi, but those... same sorta demon."

"That's fine. Either way, you're still Cherry and my daughter and slave and everything else." Zerrex said, keeping his tone almost absent, and the demonic female grinned widely at this, looking more pleased than she had the day he'd given her a custom leather bondage outfit... and then instantly regretted it when she'd worn it all day around the house. "But like I said before, that shapeshifting..."

"You wanna know my tricks and treats, huh?" Cherry squeezed Zerrex teasing around the neck, looking at him with amusement as she nodded slowly, then she brightened. "Want me to show you? I promise I won't burn down the house, but I got some real cool moves-"

"No." Zerrex said firmly, and the now fully-fledged demoness pouted a bit before he asked mildly: "So, in words, not in actions... what kind of ‘tricks and treats' can you do?"

Cherry sniffed a bit at this, then crossed her arms and lay back against him for a few moments, apparently pondering how to describe her newfound â€" or perhaps for her, long-honed â€" abilities. "Well, I'm like... I dunno. I can take on the form of pretty much any sorta reptile and hide my demon traits â€" the horns and wings are sorta a big fuckin' giveaway, yes. And there's the rituals and shit I've learned, but I have no clue if they work so well out here... and the Sisters tell me that with my nature, I should be able to play a lot of sexual tricks and really lure someone in, or even suck their life force dry or enslave them..." A pause, and then she tented her fingers and grinned widely up at Zerrex. "Let's go to the gym later."

"Ugh. No mind control, Cherry." The Drakkaren rolled his eyes, shoving her off his lap, and she cackled a bit as she fell over on the floor, simply leering up at him as he looked back down at her sourly. "So you can assume male, androgynous, or female form, I take it?"

"Ooh, look at me, I can say fancy words like ‘android-genus.'" Cherry stuck out her tongue at him, and the Drakkaren made a face at her as she stood up, brushing herself off and saying pompously: "You know, I'm way cooler than you, especially now, and-"

Before she could finish, Zerrex flicked a marble-sized sphere of energy at her, and it struck her crotch with a loud popping sound, making her eyes bulge as she gripped herself. She coughed a bit, then mumbled: "I think you broke my clitoris." A pause, and then she added stupidly: "I used the word ‘clitoris' in a sentence."

"Yes. Yes you did." The scarred lizard rose his eyes, then he crossed his arms, asking once more in a careful, slow voice: "So. You can change shapes, and take on any form?"

"As long as it's reptilian or demonic in origin, I can take on any form, any sex." Cherry immediately straightened and nodded, and Zerrex blinked a bit at her answer: serious, concise, and without her usual vulgarities. Almost like this is debriefing after a mission... "But I can't take on the form of mammals or grow much in the way of fur. Small patches and whatever, is fine... and I can utilize fully anything I grow, even if it isn't part of my usual body. At the same time, though, even if I can shift easily back and forth between anything relatively close to my size, it's hard for me to grow larger than ten feet in any form except my real one..." A bit of a smile as she rubbed her head and added softly: "But otherwise I've retained my ability to increase in size and shit and... all that other stuff."

Zerrex glanced over her, then he shook his head a bit and said softly: "I'm getting the feeling Hell wasn't exactly all sunshine and daisies for you, Cherry... or in your case, guns and ammo." A pause as Cherry tried to laugh was he was saying off, looking embarrassed, and the Drakkaren said softly: "Tell me what happened down there."

Cherry paused for the longest time, then she shook her head slowly, sitting quietly down on the floor in front of him and glancing down at the floor, murmuring softly: "The Sisters told me it would look strange if... at least every now and then, there wasn't some kind of... ‘redemptive action' taken for me. They said they'd ease into it, but there ain't no easing into shit like that, like they and some others did.

"You see, in Hell, it's almost like... almost like communism in some ways, ‘cause even with the monarchy in place, everyone does still have duties here and there... and like, one of them happens to be torture." She wrapped her arms quietly around herself now. "The higher-ups and heroes and big-shots and all those other types of special people, they don't get tortured like the lost souls and the damned do, but every few days or so a year in Hell, they fall under the blade and the torch and the tools just like everyone else.

"For the most part, it's run on some massive rotational system run by the Historians and the Scribes â€" the people who run Hell itself, behind the curtains of the monarchy. But the special people, the really high ups, they get judged and... and ‘punished' by others of their rank or higher, or one of the Inquisitors, the really scary fuckers who do nothing but punish all day long." Cherry shook her head slowly, murmuring softly: "Even with my precog, I could never have fought against some of them... just the very sense of malignant power radiating off of them was enough to make even me quiver in my boots, and you're the only person who ever used to do that to me, Boss.

"But yeah. So they punished me." she finished dumbly, and then she flushed under Zerrex's quiet gaze, glancing back and forth before lowering her head and adding quietly: "I don't want to talk about it, Boss. It's not like it was a bad place, like everyone says: I don't want to remember it as a bad place."

Zerrex hesitated for a long time, and then he nodded finally and said softly: "I... alright, Cherry. For now." He measured her reaction as she gave the smallest of nods in return, her eyes a bit too bright with tears that hadn't fallen, and then he slid out of his chair to a kneel and gently wiped her cheeks free of those that had before hugging her tightly, saying softly: "It's just good to see you home, Cherry."

"Yeah, I am too, Zerrex..." she responded quietly, embracing him firmly in return, and then she coughed and drew away, rubbing the back of her head and mumbling: "Okay, okay, okay. Enough of this... let's put our clothes on. Getting... too fucking lovey-dovey in here now. I can't take off my game face, after all."

"You're a bitch." The Drakkaren said mildly, and she grinned stupidly before coughing a bit as Zerrex slid on his boxers, blushing once more as he tilted his head. "What?"

"You know, since it's late and we should be in bed and stuff... how about I just stay naked and we go off to bed together like this?" She asked dumbly, and the Drakkaren rolled his eyes before nodding a bit, Cherry clapping her hands together with a grin as her body shifted back to her demonic form. "Great!" Another pause, and then she asked in a hesitant voice: "You don't mind, right? It's just a lot better if I rest in my real body than something I've changed into."

"Like a squid." Zerrex nodded seriously, looking across at Cherry as she looked dumbfounded for a few moments, and then she glared at him as his face twitched.

"That's not true! That makes no fucking sense!" she stormed, and Zerrex grinned as he picked up his cane... then he stared as Cherry grinned and crossed her arms, a circle of fire slowly tracing its way around Zerrex as she added teasingly: "Pyrokinesis, bitch. Common in Hell but cool as fuck up here."

Zerrex looked at Cherry dryly for a few moments, and Cherry's grin faltered before she coughed and glanced down at the crackling flames, and they puffed out of existence, smoke filtering up around him before he rolled his eyes. "I am not looking forwards to what you're going to do with this new plethora of powers you have."

"Plethora of powers." Cherry tasted the phrase, and then she began to grin again, but Zerrex grabbed her wrist and dragged her out of the room with a groan before she could speak, figuring he could at least figure out something to do with her in bed if she wouldn't shut up.

Cherry's reception in the morning started jaggedly, but eventually wound its way back towards the normal crazed and busy atmosphere of the household. At first, of course, she didn't really want to be seen in any form except the one that she had been known to everyone else by: but that idea was quickly quashed when Zerrex pointed out Marina would take one look at her and know everything that had happened.

So instead she wandered out to breakfast with a yawn, rubbing the back of her head, naked as usual... and the others stared before Cindy looked over to Marina and asked mildly: "So is that Cherry or just some other skank that Daddy ordered over the mail?"

"You..." A long yawn as she stretched, Mahihko gaping dumbly from where he sat at the breakfast table and looking horribly intimidated as Cindy simply went back to work on her eggs and Marina poured coffee for herself and her father as the male slid around Cherry and made his way towards the table. "Stupid-head."

"That should answer your question." Marina said disinterestedly, then she sat down to her own plate of eggs, pushing Zerrex a cup of coffee and offering him a sunny smile. "Good morning, Daddy!"

"Morning everyone." Zerrex said tiredly, sipping at his cup of coffee as Cherry glared at the group at the table, Mahihko still the only one staring at her. "Cindy, do you want to do the groceries today? We're running low on milk and food."

Cindy nodded a bit, then Marina glanced over at Cherry and said meditatively: "Only because we live with a gluttonous cow."

Mahihko blinked stupidly, looking back and forth, and then Cherry flailed her arms and shouted: "Hey! Does no one note the fact that I'm all spiky and ugly and weird-looking and not-muscly anymore, or what?"

Cindy and Marina exchanged a look, then Cindy said contritely: "Cherry, you were always ugly."

"Oh, you're fuckin' dead, bitch." Cherry grumbled, then she walked over to the table and shoved Mahihko out of his chair, and he scampered away with a squeak as she sat down to his half-gone eggs and began to quickly eat, shoving toast into her mouth at the same time and speaking between forkfuls, crumbs flying across the table: "Ugh, shit! I forgot how good food up here tastes... but seriously, why the hell are you all like-"

"If you wanted a freakout, I think Mahihko's doing enough for all of us." Cindy said mildly, pointing down at the wolf, who was pressed against a counter and shivering as he stared in horror from Cherry to the others at the table. "For everyone else who doesn't sleep like a log, you squeal ridiculously loud and I'd like to please ask you to keep your volume down in the future."

Zerrex snorted, then he covered his nostrils with one hand and dropped his mug onto the table, hot coffee sloshing over the rim as the same substance leaked from his nose. Cindy looked at him mildly for a few moments as Marina leaned over with a napkin, dotting at the coffee and then wiping at her father's face as he tried to lean away. "And you too, Father. You have a dirty mouth and your snarling carries through the whole house sometimes."

"Like you're such a princess." Cherry muttered, poking the fork against her now empty plate as she glared over at the female. "Remember that time I caught you masturbating with the-"

"You said you'd never talk about that!" Cindy interrupted, jumping up and looking both embarrassed and furious, and now Mahihko quickly scampered under the table and over to sit beside Zerrex on the floor, tugging at his pants leg childishly. "Look, I did that one time, only one time, and you better shut your mouth or I'll kick the crap out of you!"

"You're... ugly!" Cherry said triumphantly, pointing at her... and then she squawked as Cindy tackled her to the floor, the two immediately beginning to wrestle as Zerrex sighed and Marina took the opportunity to edge closer to him, Mahihko continuing to pull at his leg insistently.

As his two daughters wrestled like children, poking and shoving at each other's faces, one naked and the other dressed in a military uniform, Zerrex finally looked down at Mahihko and said mildly: "Yes, that's Cherry, Mahihko... she's a bit different but as you can see..." A glum look at the two. "It's still her." One night's sleep and she's already back to being a troublemaking bitch. Maybe next time I'll convince her she's either still in Hell or that she needs to prove to me that it's really her by performing a series of tasks for me... "And yes, wolf, you can go to the bathroom."

"Thanks, Zerrex!" Mahihko said embarrassedly, and then he dashed off, holding his crotch, before the Drakkaren made a face and then looked over at Marina as she took his hands gently into both of hers.

There was a thud as someone hit the cupboards, but Zerrex ignored it for a moment as he looked over at Marina, who was gazing into his eyes dreamily. "Why is this happening to me?"

"Because you're special, Daddy... in fact, we're a special family. And the special things go through all the hardships because of the way they fit." Marina responded easily, then she smiled and stood up, winking as he realized stupidly she was wearing a schoolgirl's uniform, from miniskirt to white blouse tied at the front, her black bra easily visible beneath... and ugh, was that a flash of black panties I saw? Now I want to look.

It didn't take her much effort to pull Zerrex to his feet, and she leaned forwards, giving him a kiss on the cheek as she said warmly: "Come on, Daddy. Let's go for a walk, we can buy ourselves a nice little treat and spend some time alone together... I know you miss that."

"Yeah... okay." Zerrex said dumbly, then he glanced down at himself and coughed a bit, working hard to extract himself from Marina and heading for his room, leaning idly on his cane as he added: "I'm going to just uh... get my wallet and put something other than pants on."

"Like you even need those." Marina mumbled, then she glared at her two sisters the moment Zerrex's door closed and snapped: "Knock it off!"

Cherry and Cindy both immediately ceased fighting, staring at Marina stupidly, and then she flicked her head to the side, the furniture and other things they'd knocked over in their wrestling righting themselves immediately before she ordered: "Clean this place up and stop acting like little kids! Daddy and I are going out for a little while, and you're going to behave yourselves. Yes Cherry, it's all well and nice that you're back from Hell, but that doesn't excuse you from any of your usual duties or jobs.

"When we get back, I want a nice lunch on the table, and I want you two on your best behavior... and you better be on your best behavior too, wolf!" she added, turning her dark gaze on Mahihko as he walked down the hall and causing him to freeze up, his eyes growing to the size of saucers. "We are going to have a nice day today, and nothing is going to stand in the way of that... and if any of you three fuck it up, I'm going to rip your lungs out."

Marina breathed hard, half-snarling around at them all as Mahihko nodded rapidly, Cherry striking a rigid military salute and Cindy wincing as she lowered her head a bit, thinking dumbly: I'm her mother and Zerrex is her father... but she's scarier than Daddy and there's no way in Hell I could control her. Gods, I wonder sometimes if- She cut the thought out, but Marina's mental radar had already somehow picked up on her, and her head was slowly turning towards her... before she smiled radiantly and said in a cheerful voice: "Anyway, that sounds like a great plan, then. Everyone have a good day today, right?"

She pranced off just as Zerrex came down the hall, looking back and forth curiously at the others, but Marina quickly dragged him off towards the front door, and a moment later Mahihko walked over and said plainly: "She scares me. A lot."

"Dude, she fucking scares me." Cherry muttered, then she shifted her form, returning to the one she had spent most of the night in and idly checking herself over, tapping at her fins and breasts as Cindy and Mahihko stared. "What?"

"You just... you just went from being..." Cindy spluttered, shaking her head and staring dumbly, but before she could find her words, Mahihko squeaked loudly.

"Your tattoos and piercings are gone!" he whined, then added, pointing at Cherry's crotch. "And perhaps just as serious, your-"

"I know, I know." Cherry said tiredly, rolling her eyes and crossing her arms. "My dick is gone, as are my balls. You little faggot." She reached a hand out and ruffled the fur on his head, and Mahihko flushed deeply, but gazed at her with affection once more, and she smiled back before winking. "Tell you what. Behave yourself, and maybe I'll grow them things back... but you're right about that other shit. I never even realized it." A glance down at herself, and then the familiar black tattoos slowly filled into place on her body, and she looked down at herself cheerfully before strutting off down the hallway.

Cindy and Mahihko exchanged a look, then the small wolf said mildly, adjusting the short skirt he was wearing: "She's also weird."

The Drakkaren looked at him for a few moments, then she grinned widely and laughed a bit, shaking her head slowly. "Look who's talking." What a messed-up group we are... one day Daddy's going to up and run away from us, I swear...

Marina held Zerrex's hand tightly as they walked through the park together, the older male's cane gently tapping against the plain stone walk as he strode peacefully beside her. Birds sang in the trees, and although the day was cloudy, it was still pretty outside: almost all the leaves had changed colors, and many of them had fallen onto the short grass.

Of course, maybe it was helping that Marina was walking with her hips switching, her tail flicking back and forth as if she was swaying to music only she could hear, looking upbeat and happy for the first time in the longest time as she swung a plastic bag back and forth in her free hand. She'd bought some books at the store, two on artistic modeling and a massive tome on some ancient roleplaying game... but Zerrex wasn't about to say anything bad about that. After all, even if they were on the electrical grid, power was iffy... and as he looked around slowly, he could see beauty in everything where they were: from the grey benches to the plain fencing, to the road beyond and the old, tall brick buildings beyond that.

Maybe he was always like that after a long, hard battle, though: after all, he was glad to be alive and reveling in everything around him. But at the same time, he thought this was the calm before the real storm hit, and perhaps that was why he was seeing so much beauty everywhere â€" because perhaps soon, all the lives of these people might be destroyed by an enemy he didn't even know existed yet.

Marina paused, glancing up at her father curiously, then she stood up on her toes and kissed his cheek firmly, saying in a happy voice: "So what if we're going to war, Daddy? I have you and you have me... and that's all that matters."

"You're intensely self-focused, aren't you?" Zerrex asked teasingly, smiling warmly, and she laughed: the sound was delighted and happy, but at the same time, her words brought a chill to his heart. Because Marina is always serious when she speaks, even if it's a joke... "But I'm serious-"

"And you know I am, too." Marina replied in a cool tone, even though her face remained happy and her eyes burned brightly, then she let go of his hand and spun around a few times, laughing and coming to a stop in front of him with a grin that was both exhilarated and callous. "Gods, Daddy! Don't you realize the implications of discovering there really is a Hell and a Heaven? It means that as long as we stay together, act together, be together... we'll always be together!"

She dropped her bag between them, reaching out and taking both his hands, then pushing their locked fingers back against his chest as he looked down at her with surprise as his cane fell to the ground. Her eyes locked with his, and there was a certain madness in her sapphire irises as they locked with his own emerald. "We can be together forever... and I don't care about anyone, anything else, and I never have. Even mother: Cindy, Cherry, Mahihko, I could lose all of them and not shed a tear, but I never want to lose you, father...

"I remember when we were young, how you stood up for me with power..." She drew their hands down now, leaning forwards and her breath hot against his neck, sending a chill down his spine as images of her being pushed over by a gang of miscreants floated through his head... and then him picking up one of the older punks' children and whispering words of both wisdom and cruelty... and then another image flickered into mind, and this time it was a memory, a memory not of Marina's but between himself and Cindy, their first time... "And I was born of your daughter, making for a very strange genetic line... but there was power there, too. There has always been power, you over another... and even more, I remember you standing up against your father with that same power for me... going through hell for me and saving my life..."

She pushed against him now, her hands sliding loose of his to rub over his chest, her hips grinding sensually forwards and teasing him here in public as she licked at his throat slowly. Zerrex quivered, gripping her sides as he tilted his head upwards automatically, shocked at her behavior and the passion burning off her in waves, her very emotions leaking into his mind by means of her strange mental abilities, and he caught images of raw fucking, sex and lovemaking all together as her hands moved down to grip the waistband of his pants... and he lowered his head slowly as she pulled him forwards, an invisible hand pushing his muzzle down to hers so she could kiss his lips teasingly for a bare moment. "How can I ever forsake you or forget you, Daddy? I'll always be there for you... to be your daughter and lover, your slave and your equal, your slut and your little girl... I know how turned on you are, I know what gets you off, Daddy, and I'd fuck you right here in front of the whole wide world if you so much as mentioned that it might be fun..."

"Marina..." Zerrex breathed, and he tried to push her back, but she laughed and easily ground forwards, and his masculine form quaked against her as he looked down at her, feeling both terrible lust and sadness mixing into one. "Marina, I'm not the whole world."

"You are, yes you are!" she said forcefully, and the leaves stirred around them, even though there was no trace of wind. "More than that, you are like my god, Daddy... whatever you desire, I will do... killing, fucking, raping, loving, it doesn't matter." A glance back and forth, and then a terrible, cruel smile as she caught sight of someone else, pulling away from him as she whispered: "I'll show you..."

Before she could step away, though, Zerrex caught her by the wrist, and she looked up at him in surprise as he said clearly: "No."

Marina continued to look at him for a few moments... and then she nodded quietly, and the energy in the air seemed to fade away as she picked up her plastic bag and held it in both hands, nodding to him a bit and looking sorrowful. Zerrex looked at her with the same kind of despair, and then he sighed and picked up his cane with a grunt, before giving a faint smile and asking weakly: "Why don't we get some ice cream?"

It was childish and stupid... but Marina immediately brightened like a child, beaming at him lovingly... and Zerrex had learned long ago that it didn't take much to make Marina happy again, as he offered his free hand. She gladly took it, squeezing him almost painfully tightly, and then they strode to the left, cutting over the short grass towards an open gate leading out of the park. I really need to figure out how to better connect with her... or just stop her from getting all crazy too often.

It wasn't the first time that Marina had gotten too obsessive over him, after all... every now and then she seemed to go into a phase where all she wanted to do was spend time with him, and she'd literally fight Cherry and Cindy just to keep her monopoly on his time. But as long as he gave her a firm talking to â€" and the winner for most retarded phrase ever goes to... â€" or if they waited it out, she would go back into her quasi-obsessive state, still spending far too much time doting on him to be healthy, but at least not interfering with the others.

As they walked out of the park and onto the street, a small gang of punks roved out of the alley â€" a pair of dumb-looking Dragokkaren clones in ripped clothes who probably couldn't find work anywhere, and the three mammals who had likely easily manipulated the pair behind them into working for them. Zerrex's eyes roved over them as they effectively blocked the street, one of them playing with a butterfly knife and grinning cruelly, wearing an eyepatch and a long black tie, as well as a leather vest and baggy pants that completely covered his feet. His light fur was streaked here and there with swirls of blonde and smudges of black, and he cocked his red-dyed head, saying loudly to the rest of the group: "Look at this, boys and girls, an old guy and his whore."

Zerrex narrowed his eyes, but he controlled the rage already lit inside of him, before a smile twitched at his muzzle as he realized for the hundredth he could be just as overprotective of Marina as she was of him. Instead, however, he took a few moments to look over the other members of the gang â€" some biker dog chick with enough piercings to make Mahihko jealous, and a bear in what had once probably been a cheap suit, but had been mutilated into some freakshow made of patches of different colors. On his head was a pair of black goggles â€" yeah, real original â€" and he wielded a steel pipe; biker chick was only smoking, but Zerrex wasn't yet ready to discount the idea she might have a gun or knife on her.

He paused as his eyes returned to the leader, and he said mildly: "You know, unless you have my stature, wearing a leather vest like that means you're likely gay." A long pause as the wolf blinked stupidly, and then he added mildly: "And I'd like to point out I'm about double your size and weight category, and your Dragokkaren friends back there don't look so bright, Carpet Burn."

"You know what? Fuck you and hand over the cash." Carpet Burn said disgustedly, holding out a hand and snarling, the other hand flicking the small knife up and the bear stepping forwards as well, but the two Dragokkaren continued to linger in the background. "If you don't, I'm going to have to ask the kind gents behind me to fuck you over."

Zerrex glanced to Marina, and then he made a bit of a face: her eyes were narrowed, her features tight as she gazed slowly over them, then she locked irises with Carpet Burn, and he grinned at her, stepping forwards and tilting his head to the side as he asked hungrily: "Hey, bitch, what's that shine in your pretty blue eyes? You wanna ditch this asshole and latch your pretty self onto a real guy with a real big dick instead of some tiny-"

"You still live with your parents." Marina said quietly, but Carpet Burn immediately fell silent, his eyes widening as she continued in her cold, cruel voice, a sadistic expression of joy spreading over her face. "Sometimes you have nightmares about when you were younger and you got scared walking in on Mommy and Daddy having sex. You act tough but you're not only a coward, you're a failure: you flunked out of school on purpose because you had no friends, and now you hang with Bimbo and Idiot there because neither of them know you like to dress up in girl's clothing when no one's around. You have homoerotic fantasies about being taken by an authority figure, which is why you tote those two big lizards around and take care of them, despite the objections of your cronies... so how about this? Why don't you drop your pants, turn around, and let the big guy here fuck your bitch ass, and I won't kill you all?"

The one Marina had called Bimbo stepped backwards, her cigarette falling from her lips as she looked back and forth in horror from Marina to Carpet Burn, and then she turned tail and ran, shoving past the two Dragokkaren, who looked at each other anxiously, apparently not understanding what was happening. Idiot, meanwhile, stepped up beside Carpet Burn, who had gone pale beneath his tinted fur and was stuttering weakly... and then he stepped backwards, trembling violently before waving his hands and shouting hoarsely: "Get... get them! Go on, go get them! Beat them, get them!"

Marina grinned coldly as the Dragokkaren stepped hesitantly forwards, Idiot glaring and trying to look intimidating despite the fact that he was visibly shaken, and then she tilted her head and spoke something in Hez'Rannan. Both of the Dragokkaren started, and said something in return... and then Marina said a single, cold phrase that Zerrex understood easily: Kill them.

"Marina." Zerrex said urgently, but the damage was already done: before anyone could react, one of the Dragokkaren picked up the bear and flung him with a roar into the side of a nearby building, while the other struck Carpet Burn hard to the ground and then dropped to one knee overtop him, simply laying in with vicious, brutal punches, the screams of the wolf rising in the air as Marina smiled contently to herself, then gently pulled Zerrex through the slaughter. The Drakkaren could only look back and forth, unsurprised but feeling a faint tinge of sadness as he said softly: "You didn't have to do that..."

"Of course I did." Marina looked surprised, swinging the bag at her side idly as she smiled up at her father, apparently misinterpreting his tone. "It wasn't a problem, don't worry about it, Daddy... and I know you wanted it." She shrugged a bit, laughing quietly and meeting his eyes as they continued down the road. "I could feel the anger coming off you, after all... so don't say it isn't what you wanted."

Zerrex was quiet for a few moments at this, thinking on how to phrase his words, before saying softly: "Just because we want something, Marina, doesn't mean it's the right thing to do... doesn't mean it's good. Our deepest wants and desires are often cruel and hurtful to others... so it's better to control them and instead... do something else, try a different approach."

Marina nodded slowly, then she leaned up and kissed her father's cheek, responding gently: "Daddy deserves to get whatever he wants... and even if it means a bad thing, a wrong thing, or just something completely off the radar, I want to give you it, because I love you, Zerrex. So if it's within my power, I'll do it without you asking... so don't feel guilty." A smile up at him as she pressed close to him, nuzzling his neck lightly as he swallowed a bit. "It's on my plate, not yours."

Zerrex simply nodded at this mutely, realizing he wasn't going to get anywhere with Marina today... and she gave a happy sigh, her fingers flicking through his mind and a soothing sensation rolling through him, and the Drakkaren did his best to fall back into calm happiness, despite whatever misgivings he might have. The past is where it belongs, after all... in the past.

The ice cream store, thankfully, was only a few blocks away... and Zerrex was relatively sure that they wouldn't have any more troubles getting there, but his hope was that Marina wouldn't either A: go ballistic on some poor soul, or B: cause chaos in the store. Marina, however, seemed to pick up on these thoughts, shooting him an amused look and saying playfully: "Bite me, Daddy. I'll do whatever I have to to make sure we get what we want."

Well, that is one major point for her... Zerrex mused to himself, as Marina pranced cheerfully along beside him, half-pulling him towards the store as he limped along the road. I could say to her that I wish she'd been aborted because she was a stuck-up little bitch and she'd still smile and worship me. I don't think I could ever even hurt her feelings.

"Sure you could." Marina said absently, then she turned around and looked at him seriously, leaning up close to him and making him blink. "You could start loving your little wolf bitch more than me."

A laugh and a sunny smile, and then she kissed the end of his muzzle, looking at him tenderly as she said in a gentle voice: "No, Daddy... I don't think that you could ever hurt me, even if you tried." A pause, and then she stepped closer, apparently not caring about the people staring as Zerrex blushed a bit, feeling her body push against his as she whispered: "I can feel your thoughts... your emotions... your tone... and most of all, your reasoning, so I can always understand why you say the things you do, why you feel the way you do... so never have a worry, Father."

She slipped forwards again, and they kissed softly, Zerrex's eyes sliding closed as he responded to her mouthing, pushing forwards automatically against her, one of her arms wrapping around his neck and pulling him tighter down as she ground her body forwards against him. With her body, she made it clear what she wanted, what she would do for him... and Zerrex barely managed to tear himself away with a grunt, blushing deeply and looking around at a few people staring in shock at what they had just witnessed.

Marina, on the other hand, was flushed with excitement instead of embarrassment, and she grinned widely as she took Zerrex's hand again in one of her own, leading him towards the entrance to the store and saying cheerfully: "Oh, Daddy, if you weren't so shy then I'd be down on the pavement with you right now..."

"That's disgusting," someone said from nearby, and instantly Marina's gaze was upon them, a rotund female raccoon who had her head high, her thinner husband nodding a bit beside her, but looking more interested in his sundae than anything else, almost visibly quivering at the sight of the gigantic male Drakkaren.

Marina looked over her for a few moments, then she smiled sincerely, causing the raccoon to blink before she toppled backwards off the bench and her large dress tore off, andshe shrieked in terror and humiliation as she leapt up and looked back and forth, her husband staring in shock with the other passersby. She tried to sit up a moment later, and Zerrex couldn't help but snort in amusement himself as Marina pushed open the doors to the store, muttering under her breath: "Next person who says that gets their head blown up."

"This hurts for longer." Zerrex responded mildly, and Marina looked thoughtfully at the people lined up at the windows, watching as the raccoon wife and husband made quickly for their car, the chubby wife trying to cover herself with the remnants on her dress as she continued to shriek and yell. "I hate temper tantrums."

"I could still make her head explode." Marina said musingly, but then she shrugged and turned instead towards the counter, and the thin pony working there paled at the sight of her, shrinking a bit as he automatically touched the bandage still on the end of his nose: a week or so ago, Marina had torn a piercing out of there when he'd shown some attitude towards her father at the sight of the swastika tattoo on his arm. "Hello there, miniature douchebag. Daddy and I-"

"Marina, manners." Zerrex reminded her calmly, and then he glanced over to the pony, who cowered a bit behind the counter at those emerald eyes settling upon him. Ugh. Well, she's better than Cherry, at least... she can't even enter most of the restaurants in town anymore with how badly she behaves herself.

The female muttered something under her breath, then she held a hand out, and Zerrex's wallet flew out of his pocket and up into her fingers, causing the pony to gape stupidly as the Drakkaren exchanged a flat look with his daughter. "Please and thank you." she said glibly, then she dug out a twenty and some change, tossing it down on the counter. "Give us two extra-large cookie dough cup things and a box of those vanilla bars, there."

Marina pointed over the counter at the large freezer unit in the back, at one of the various ice cream treats on display, and the pony nodded rapidly, tapping in the price on the register and then looking dumbly at the money on the table, his voice dying in his throat as Marina said smoothly: "It's the right amount, yes."

"You're such a showoff." Zerrex said mildly, and Marina grinned up at her father before turning her gaze back on the poor equine.

"I'm sure it'll be no problem to bring the stuff over to our table, isn't that right?" she asked cheerfully, and then she smiled when he nodded. "Good. Because your nose might be almost healed, but I can still tear your other piercing out."

When the pony's eyes widened in terror at this, Zerrex got the idea that Marina wasn't talking about his earrings, and he stared for a moment at him before Marina pulled him over to a side table and sat down beside him, comfortably squeezing in against his side and looking up at him dreamily. Zerrex blushed a bit again, but then he gave in to her when she dropped her head against his chest, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and sighing inwardly. And I think public displays of affection like quick kisses on the lips are gross...

A pause, and then Marina tilted her head upwards, before a strange smile spread over her muzzle... and Zerrex frowned as she looked at him softly, with terrible adoration in her eyes as she whispered: "It's time for war, Daddy... the players are all set, the pawns are in motion. And it's time for you to once more reveal your true power... oh, how I look forwards to it, Daddy..."

"Marina, what are you talking about?" The Drakkaren asked, drawing back a bit from her... and then a moment later, the power flickered out and a thunderous boom filled the air before all the glass in the store shattered.

Zerrex winced, immediately leaning away... but a moment later, the shards of glass were hurled backwards by a telekinetic blast from Marina, and then she smiled coldly as the cloudy sky darkened above them, the Drakkaren turning to her in shock as she said softly: "Well, did you think they were going to wait more than three millennia before staging their invasion into our world?"