Alyson wasn't unconscious for very long, Rick wouldn't let her be. Within ten minutes she was back on her feet, and he was pulling them all forward. The power she had used to keep him at a distance had now worn off, and when she proved unable to walk, she was also very unwilling, he picked her up and began carrying her.

Heavier air seemed to descend upon them. The men's walking slowed, their even breaths turned to panting, and soon the complaints started.

"Come on man!"

"We need to stop!"

"We need to rest! I'm so tired"

For five minutes, the complaints came one after the other before Rick finally grunted and stopped. He threw Alyson down and glared at her furiously. "What did that damn rabbit mean!?"

She shrugged and gave no answer, sitting back against the tree that was behind her. She wasn't going to explain anything to him. She didn't want to know what he would do to her or the baby. It was through what little power she was able to grasp she knew that the baby was alright. Otherwise she would have worried that the fall hurt her baby.

Rick dropped to his knee's and grabbed her shoulders and proceeded to shake her. "Tell me damn it! You god damn bitch! You tell me what you know this instant!"

Once again she said nothing, but this time she did glare at him. Hoping like hell there was a promise of death in her eyes and he could see it. She didn't know if he did, but he saw something in them that had him sitting back on his hunches. Almost as if he was afraid to get closer and touch her again.

Good! He needs to stay the fuck away from and my baby! Her thoughts screamed.

"HELP!!!"

Everyone jumped and looked towards the source of the scream. Several people came running up towards them. They stopped before Rick and the others.

"Please! You have to help us! We have no idea where we are!" One said.

"Our friend! Please! He's in trouble! We can't do it by ourselves!" Another said.

Alyson detected the lies immediately. These people were residents. She knew this was a trap in the making, while the men who surrounded her, seemed to be oblivious of their fate.

Rick turned and glared down at her. "It would seem as if the Divine you keep defending has a sick fetish of abducting innocent people and holding them hostage to play his twisted games."

Alyson said nothing. There was nothing she could say to him that he would listen to, and the less she delayed the inevitable, the faster she could make her escape.

"We'll help, but first I need to make sure my fiance is safe." He quickly turned to Ivan. "Give me your shoe laces, you won't need to worry about running, as you're going to stay here and make sure nothing happens to her."

Ivan nodded, looking very serious. He was going to be a bit of a problem, Alyson realized, she hoped whatever Alekzandor had planned would allow her to get out of here without much of a battle. With the shoe laces tied in place, Rick leaned in for a kiss, but she turned her head and he got her cheek instead, since time was of the essence and the others were eager to go 'rescue their friend', Rick didn't try again for a real kiss.

"I'll be back for you." He said softly. "I love you Alyson."

Alyson looked down at the little shoe laces that held her. Weak as she was, she couldn't break them so easily. Rick took off with Maxy and Gavin, leaving Ivan to stand guard over her and watch as his friends ran off toward some unknown danger. Glory of being a hero was now lost to him, and he didn't look all too happy about it when she glanced up at him. Her main concern at the moment was the shoe laces. She could try picking the knots apart, but Ivan would likely notice the movements and swat her hands if she tried.

She stared down at the laces. As much as she hated them, if the laces turned to snakes, they could slither away and not be any problem anymore. She could picture them so perfectly in her mind, she saw it so clearly, that after a blink, the image in her head, happened before her very eyes. The black laces turned into thin little black garden snakes and slithered somewhere else.

Free now, she looked up to see how best to make her escape, but once she saw the creature running toward them, she realized, she didn't have to. A huge furry creature, dark gray, with fangs and the trunk of an elephant, a long bushy tail like a fox gave a roar and caught Ivan's attention. At the sight of it, Ivan proceeded to scream like a little girl. Alyson could see the desire to run in his eyes, but the creature, didn't give him that chance. Instead, the long trunk extended, wrapped around Ivan's ankle, flung up into the air, and the creature swallowed Ivan whole.

The movement all happened so fast, Alyson had to blink a few times to make sure that it was all actually real. With the guard now gone, the creature knelt down before her. She knew the moment she saw it, the creature had been sent by Alekzandor, it was her ride home. She got up, and climbed onto it's back, only to realize, she could lay down comfortably on it's back, the sides rising up to provide a natural barrier so didn't fall off during the journey, and if it had already started moving, she didn't feel any of it. Comfortable, warm, and utterly exhausted, Alyson fell fast asleep on the strange creature's back.

She didn't know how long she's been asleep, didn't feel like very long when she had woken, there was a murmur of a familiar voice, and a pair of strong arms lifting her. She smiled against Alekzandor's chest and curled into him when he laid them both down on the bed.

He kissed her cheek and whispered in her ear. "Welcome home."

She kissed his in return and drifted back to sleep.

- - - - - -

Rick followed his fellow victims across a plateau then down a hill. When he got to the destination, he realized he'd been tricked. The people who had led him down here, suddenly vanish, as if they had never been there at all. Before him, was a dragon. Huge, vicious, with a hungry look in it's eyes. Knowing what it wanted, he quickly pushed his two friends down, sacrificing them to save himself. They would have done the same to him if given the chance really. He ran back the way he came, rocks tripping him as he went up. The hill became steeper, and the rocks were everywhere, when there had been none before. Still he got up, stumbled, and climbed till he reached the flat grown. He looked over to where Alyson and Ivan should have been.

Ivan was gone. No doubt lost to the mammoth of a monster he now saw there with his woman. She didn't seem to fear the beast, and despite his shouts for her to run, she didn't. Alyson approached the creature, even climbed onto it's back which seemed to enclose around her. The creature took off running, faster than a creature that size should have been capable of. She was gone, his precious Alyson, his only love, was gone. There was no telling where she was now, or what horror was being done to her if she was still alive. He doubted she was, after all, she had been absorbed by that monster, she was probably a part of it now.

He felt a moist heat on his back, knowing what it was, he didn't dare look. He wouldn't give the mad Divine the pleasure of knowing he was afraid. Instead he closed his eyes and waited for his death. He felt the wet hot mouth close around him, then he felt cool air, almost cold. He opened his eyes and looked around. Briefly noticing that all of his friends were with him. All of them. Jameson, Ivan, Gavin, and Maxy where all huddled together in a corner on the opposite side, glaring at him.

They appeared to be in some kind of holding cell, able to look out into . . . . what was that place? A temple? A tower? Rick didn't care. He saw a man sitting on a bed, his blue hair falling over his eyes as he was hunched forward, his elbows resting on his knees and his mouth resting against his hands which were clasped together.

This was face he'd seen when he'd been sucked into that vortex. That vortex had caused him a great deal of pain. He couldn't accurately describe or even compare it to anything. This was the mad Divine, an evil God, and the reason for all of the recent pain and suffering. He was the reason that Alyson was now gone forever. He was the reason. He was at fault here! Rick would see him pay if it was the last thing he did!

The doors that Rick didn't seem to notice before, slammed open and mammoth monster from before came running inside, shrinking as it did, revealing a sleeping Alyson. The enemy rushed forward, scooping Alyson up into his arms. As he laid them both gently down on the bed, Rick began shouting, beating against the glass that had encased them. He shouted and screamed till he had no voice, he pounded on the glass that didn't seem to budge let alone crack and shatter. Soon he could make no sound, and his hands were broken and bleeding from all of his punching and pounding against the impenetrable glass.

- - - - - -

Alyson woke up to the familiar feeling of being held. She stretched and rolled over to face the man behind her and was met with a warm kiss. Willingly, she kissed him back. He pushed her onto her back, kissing her neck and lifting the nightgown as he did.

"I missed you." Alekzandor said in a husky tone.

She wrapped her arms around him kissed his face. "I missed you too."

Their lips met, and she parted her legs for him, offering no resistance or protest as he plunged himself deep inside of her. Alyson held him tightly, and he in turn didn't let her go, even after they had both finished. He laid there with her in his arms. Holding her against him as he traced kisses over her face.

"I never thought I would have any of this." He finally said, smiling softly. He laid a hand over her stomach. "I never thought I would get so lucky."

"Well believe it my love because you have it, and you're not getting rid of me so easily this time." Alyson said with a smile.

Alekzandor chuckled. "No, no I don't think I'll ever be rid of you now."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. "Nope!"

He laughed and hugged her close. "I love you Alyson, so much."

She smiled and rested her head against the pillows so she could look up at him. "I know."

They got up, Alyson created a dip in the floor, and created a round about couch with a lovely coffee table in the center, the bed she moved to another room. There wasn't one originally, but now, there was the South facing doors, which led out of the realm, or to other parts depending on the openers desire, and the North facing doors which was now the bedroom. She sat down admiring her work when Alekzandor returned with the food.

"You don't mind?" She asked point around.

He shook his head smiling. "Not at all, do whatever makes you comfortable, I'll be happy as long as you are."

With the food justly consumed, she curled up in his arms again. "I don't think I'll ever get used to being so tired."

He kissed her head and rubbed his hand up and down her arm. "It's because you're turning from a mortal into a Divine, it also doesn't help that you're pregnant. Perhaps Serenity can give you some help. She went through this process while pregnant as well."

Before she could say anything the south doors burst open and gleeful looking man came stomping inside. The smell coming off of him was so strong Alyson could smell it clear across the room. She took off running for the bathroom.

Alekzandor looked at his uncle who had thrown his head back in laughter.

"Serenity had a similar reaction when I went home." He said when he finally stopped laughing. "I am supposed to clean up then go home. I've been barred from my own realm till I am clean again. But that was worth it! I haven't had so much fun in years!"

Alekzandor chuckled. "Glad I could be of service to you uncle."

Alyson walked slowly out of the bathroom, holding her breath and motioning Balor hurry inside. Balor hurried in and even through held breath, the rancid state he was in still made it into her senses.

"That's not good for the baby you know." Alekzandor said.

Alyson started breathing again and noticed the sweet smell to the air and smiled and him. "You got rid of the smell."

"I don't want you getting sick anymore than you have to." He said holding out his arm for her to come to him.

She laid down in his arms rather dizzy. "I have a feeling that's going to happen a lot. At least it did before."

"Well part of the reason you were so sick before was because you had already started the process of becoming a Divine. Had you stayed here longer, your body would have disappeared from the mortal realm. You can't regress and become a mortal again, and if you're on the mortal realm after starting the process, your body starts to reject everything to do with that realm."

"Make sense." She whispered.

"You were the one who opened the portal. Some part of you knew it was the only way to get better."

She looked up at him confused. "I thought it was the baby. I felt a tugging, and I knew it was the baby guiding me."

He looked at her shocked then down at the baby. "I hope not, that means the baby will be born with it's powers. I got mine really early in life, I'm hoping ours don't."

"Well, we'll find out won't we?"

He sighed and rested his head against her own. "I guess we will."

"Now that! Is a bathroom!" Balor said coming out of the bathroom and grinned at Alyson. "You have some amazing powers my dear."

She smiled at him. "Thank you sir."

"Don't call me." He said with a playful wince and holding up his hand. "We're family now, so there's no need for the formalities."

She smiled and said nothing. A lush arm chair appeared, and Balor sat in it and relaxed back with a contented sigh. "That's nice too."

"Glad you approve." She said sitting up slowly.

Balor looked to Alekzandor. "Has she pledged yet?"

Alyson looked between the men confused. "Pledged?"

Alekzandor began to look uncomfortable. "We say the process of becoming a Divine is irreversible, but . . ."

"But." She prompted him in to continue in a firm voice that even had Balor sitting back hoping she wouldn't turn her wrath onto him.

Alekzandor had stopped talking, he wasn't sure he wanted to continue to explain this, but he knew there would be hell to pay if he didn't. "But there is a way. Hektor has never explained how it's done, mostly because he's never had to do it before, no one has ever wanted to. It's been tradition that we offer it. If you decide you want to go back, and forget all of this, you can. Just because we're meant, doesn't mean you have to stay with me."

Alyson rose to her knees, took his face in her hands and looked him right in the eyes. "Alekzandor, Divine of Insanity and love of my life, I will only say this once, so you had better clean all of that bull shit out of your ears. I'm Staying Here!"

He pulled her to him and kissed her deeply. When they broke apart he held her tightly against him, laughing happily.

Balor watched the scene, and smiled fondly at the couple. After a few minutes he stood and tapped Alekzandor's shoulder. "Let's go make this thing official then. I'll go ahead and tell everyone."

They stood, Alekzandor changed his clothes for something more formal, and she did the same. The dress she was wearing changed, wrapping around her neck, hugging at her chest, and flowing loosely from her waist down to her ankles. The dress was a pale lavender with blue roses dotting the whole thing. Alekzandor smiled his approval, took her hand, and they began to walk toward the south doors.

She stopped and looked to her right, she couldn't see it, but she knew the glass prison was there, and who was inside of it. She looked back at Alekzandor. "Let them go. I don't want them here. I know they deserved to be punished, but the four were only following Rick's example. It would be a worse punishment for the world to know what he did."

He looked to the prison, he could see the five of them. Rick was furious, his hands all bloody and broke, but no sound came from him. The four huddled in the corner to keep warm and to stay away from Rick, all looked at him in hope. They were sorry for what they had done, and they never intended to do anything like that ever again. They did only do it because Rick had started it. Now they realized what idiots they had been, and wanted nothing to do with Rick anymore. He could see the air of innocence around them. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, the prison and it's inhabitants were gone. He looked back at Alyson, nodding that it was done.

She smiled and looked back toward the room. "Come on Bass."

"Bass?"

She nodded smiling up at him. "As in Bassinet. He can care for the baby and protect it at the same time. Why would we need a crib when we have a perfectly capable creature right here?"

He laughs and they leave their realm. There was no long walk to another's realm. There was simply step put the door and they were standing in a lush garden with a quaint little cottage tucked into the mass of flowers and trees. Alyson thought it was just adorable. She would have admired the place a bit more if the group of people there didn't all look up at their approach. All but two smiled at her, welcoming her, and beckoned them closer.

"Welcome to the Divine realm Alyson." Hektor said. "Are you ready to get married."

Her response was a nervous laugh. A woman, not much older than her physically, with long black hair and gray eyes rushed forward and hugged her tightly. "Welcome, my new daughter. Welcome."

Alyson released Alekzandor's hand and hugged her back. "Thanks for having me, mother."

Thalia pulled back and wiped tears from her eyes smiling warmly at her, then the smile fell a bit and she looked down at Alyson's stomach. "You're . . . !"

Thalia prompted turned angry and smacked Alekzandor. "How dare you get a girl pregnant before being married!"

"Ow! Mom!" Alekzandor whined trying to block her attacks.

"I raised you better than that you heathen!" Thalia yelled at him.

"Excuse me." Alyson said interrupting. "But I'm just as fault for being knocked up as he is. I didn't exactly stop him, and I did want any excuse to come back again."

Thalia stopped and took deep breaths. "I was not ready to be a grandmother so soon."

Alyson laughed and rubbed her stomach. "Well you have some time."

Thalia put her hand over Alyson's. "Yes, yes I do."

"Can we get on with this already?" Balor asked. "I'm ready to make this thing official and get to eating."

"Perhaps you shouldn't have used up all of your energy with battle." Serenity said narrowing her eyes at him.

Balor laughed. "It was worth every glare you're giving me."

She ended up smiling and shaking her head.

"I agree with Balor." Hektor said looking at Alyson. "Alyson, do you swear to stay with Alekzandor for all eternity? To uphold our traditions and the tasks that I give you as a Divine?"

She nodded. "I swear."

Hektor looked to Alekzandor, but no words were said on his part because Alekzandor immediately said, "I swear."

Hektor smiled. "Then I pronounce you husband and wife, for all eternity."

Alekzandor pulled Alyson to him, and kissed her deeply, when they finally parted, she noticed that Balor's two sons, Kane and Kale, had left. She didn't have time to think about that as Olivia rushed forward and hugged her tightly before pushing back again, kneeling down and nuzzling Alyson's stomach.

"Oh my sweet great granddaughter! You will be so loved!"

Alyson smiled. "A girl? It's a girl!?"

"Well," Olivia said slowly as she stood before smiling at Alyson. "This one will be."

"We're going to have more than one?" Alekzandor asked amazed.

Olivia nodded eagerly. "Oh yes, you two are going to have a lot of children."

"Say what now?" Alyson asked.

Hektor nodded. "Alyson's base power as a Divine is imagination, which goes quite handy with insanity, but if you've noticed, she'd got a few more leaking out all over the place."

Alekzandor nodded. "I had thought it would be creativity."

"I thought it would be love." Thalia said looking over at her father. "Since she was able to look past everything negative and accept him anyway."

"I thought acceptance myself." Graeson said.

"I thought life." Balor said. "Since he works so closely with death, and she got pregnant rather quickly."

Hektor shook his head. "She has all of those things in her yes, but they are not her powers to control, in truth, she's going to give birth to the Divines who will have those powers. Her power, is imagination."

"So, I'm going to have four children?" Alyson asked.

"Oh heavens no." Hektor said shaking his head before smiling. "You two are going to have ten."

"Ten!?" Alyson and Alekzandor repeated shocked.

Hektor looked at Alekzandor. "Can you honestly tell me you'll be able to keep your hands off of her?"

Alekzandor gave a nod of his head in agreement. "I think I need to sit down."

"You need to sit down?" Alyson said. "I'm the one carrying and birthing ten babies."

"You're right." Alekzandor said sitting on a cushioned bench and pulled her down with him. "You should sit too, and stay down for awhile. Conserve the energy."

"Ten babies." She said resting her head against his shoulder.

"Mine for eternity." He said kissing her head.

- - - - - -

Rick stared furiously at the couple before him. Alyson wasn't a victim after all, she had willingly played along. Let him and his friends be captured, tortured, even hurt, and did nothing. In fact, she had even helped. Now, to top it all off, she was marrying the evil Divine? She was pregnant!? He had been played for a fool. She was pregnant before all of this, meaning they had been together more than once, more than just this crazy day. They had planned this from the get go to destroy him. And to add insult to injury, the Divines were playing along and were making her a Divine. She was not worthy of Divinity. She was a cheating bitch, the scum of the earth and deserved nothing!

He blinked, and found he was laying on his bed in his bedroom. He sat up slowly, unsure if he should even believe any of this. Could this really be real? Was he really home? Had it all just been a really horrible night mare? That had to be it, yes. It had all been just a bad bad dream. One where his worse fears and jealousy had taken hold and showed him a twisted fucked up scenario. That couldn't have happened. Sweet, innocent, obedient little Alyson would never ever do anything to hurt him so much. It was just a bad dream. It had to be. Right?

As if in answer, the pain in his hands returned. Yes, he was home, and no, it wasn't a dream. It had all been real. The proof was his hands. broken, mangled, and bloody. The only reason he hadn't felt the pain or lost enough blood to kill him before was because of where he had been, and Alekzandor had wanted Rick to suffer.

His parents came through the door, screamed that the sight of his hands and rushed him to the hospital. They kept asking, how did he get his hands in such a state, he didn't give an answer, he didn't want anyone to know the truth. But that desire was for not. Within a matter of hours, the whole world knew the truth.

- - - - -

It was all over the news, the internet, and was soon made public knowledge world wide. The whole world went positively crazy with the news. Not only had those who bad mouthed and insulted Alekzandor been punished, but they were released by it as well. A show of mercy, and a warning.

Rick's former friends told the truth to everyone, repeating the story for several days after they returned. They had broken Alekzandor's candles, Rick had started it, and they had continued it. Thinking nothing would happen, and they wouldn't suffer for the crime they had just committed. They had been wrong. They had all been sucked into the Realm of Insanity by Alekzandor himself. They tried to describe the pain they felt traveling to the realm, but they didn't do the experience justice with their words.

They explained how they suffered in the realm it's self. Going into detail about the many punishments they saw, and what stories they were told by those who suffered there. They told how they were 'killed' then reappeared in a prison on the Divine's home. Unable to be heard, unable to be seen. Not knowing if they would ever go home. They explained how they found Alyson along the way, and how she was the one who had Alekzandor release them.

Alyson, another reason the world went into a uproar. There was another Divine. Appearing in every home on the alters of the mortals was a brand new candle. Silver with black and sky blue designs on it. The temple officials each received a message. Who the new Divine was, what her power was, and to whom she was now married.

Ethan and Angel were so proud of their daughter, but they chose to remain out of the spot light, they gave one story. One where they explained everything that happened with Magdalena, and how they believed Alekzandor started his punishment for her in life, gave them back sanity, and then fell in love with Alyson. Ethan went on to say that he had seen Alekzandor when they were at the hospital, and how he had a feeling that something like this was going to happen. He was glad that it did, because Alyson had loved Alekzandor since childhood. She never believed he was evil, and she would have conversations with him, play with him all the time. They had feared it at the time, but they realized now it was wrong to. She knew all along, he was not evil. He was one of their Divines, and he deserved their respect.

The world didn't punish Rick or his friends. His friends were accepted back into society, and were able to get on with their lives. Rick however, was not. He was shunned, abandoned, even disowned by his very parents. The world did it's very best to punish him more. He had committed a heinous crime after all. His hands, could not be saved. Or rather, they refused to put in the time and effort it would take to save them. It would require the rebreaking of bones, of several surgeries to fix the damage that had been done. Even then, he wouldn't get the full use of his hands back. Maybe 50% of it back, if they had the best surgeons and doctors doing the work, but all of the best refused. Instead, his hands were removed, and he was left alone. The world ignored his very existence. If that was the punishment that Alekzandor was going to bestow on them for their crime, well then the world would do that to Rick in life.

- - - - - -

A month after his return, Rick laid in his bed, and refused to open his eyes. He couldn't, wouldn't, accept anything that was happening to him. Reality was lying. It had to be.

His parents had upped and left. They had dropped him off at the hospital. While there, his traitorous former friends told the falsehood of the story the Divines wanted them to tell. He had hoped he could get a hold of them and tell him not to tell that story. They had been the victims. Play things of an evil Divines and concubine. The traitorous wench that was his former fiance. But no, now the whole world believed that Alekzandor was not evil, that he was just another Divine, and Alyson was had joined their ranks and the whole thing was to celebrated. It was shortly after that his parents disappeared, and his whole life started to go to hell.

As if that traitorous wench and that fucking evil twisted son of a bitch Divine didn't do enough to him, the hospital took his hands. He couldn't even have the pleasure of jacking off anymore. People avoided him, even ignored him, and as soon as they were able to discharge him, they did. His parents didn't take his calls, none of his friends did. Ethan and Angel eventually gave him a ride home. The only, and last, act of charity they were ever going to give, they said. When he walked into his home, he saw most of it had been cleaned out. At first he thought they had been robbed. Then, they found a note from his parents.

Rick,

You have sinned far greater than any we could ever forgive. We had hoped that we could turn things around for you, and you would become the man we always thought you'd grow up to be. But now we realize thats not going to happen.

We're sorry son, maybe someday we can reconcile this and be a family again, but right now, we just can't.

We love you, but we can't.

It was written in his mothers hand writing, he knew his mother would want to leave some kind of explanation, but his father wouldn't. He knew he would never see his father again. Once his father wrote someone off, that was it. There was no going back again for him.

Rick had little to no human contact after that. People avoided him, and that was fine by him, most of the time. If they were going side with quack pot of a Divine and his whore, then he wanted nothing to do with any of them. Only when he needed food, did he contact people. But not even that was with an actual person, he was given a system to help him since had no hands, and the devices he now had weren't very good. He pressed a button, spoke what he wanted, and someone would drop it off at the door. He didn't know how he was able to pay for all of it, but he didn't care. He got food when he wanted, clean clothes when he needed, and somehow his house was kept clean. But he never saw a single person.

When he ventured out into town, not even the diseased ridden prostitutes, or the ones desperate for their next meal would blow him. All of his former side bitches pretended like they didn't know him. He was blue balling worse now than he had since he was a teenager. Even that hadn't been this bad.

So he laid in bed. Eyes closed, and pretending that all of this was just another nightmare, but knowing that it was no use. It was his reality. However much he hated that fact. There had to be something he could do, something to regain who he used to be. Something to get revenge against the Devil and his slut. Something. . . .

He opened his eyes now, and smiled a bit. Perhaps there was something he could do after all. It would be awhile before he did it though. Despite the fact that he was ignored, he knew he was being watched like a hawk. People just waiting for him to make another move and they could punish him more than they already were. But, it would be worth it in the end. Soon, he would Alyson back, and he would make that little bitch pay for what she did to him before he killed her. If she was still pregnant, well then that devil's spawn wouldn't survive the night. He would see Alekzandor demoted to a mortal, and he would kill the Devil.

Yes. Soon. All would be the way it was, and all would be right in the world.

- - - - - - -

A/N

well, hope you enjoyed this chapter! I'm working on the next one now.

in case you weren't already aware, yes, book one is coming to an end, but no worries, plans for book two are coming to mind, so there may not be too long to wait for book two.

In the mean time, I've got another chapter to start, and after that, a day full of plans that I need to get to.

WD