AN: Here is the second chapter. It will probably be a week or two for another update as I do have the other stories to write. This one, Nocturne, needs to be done in a more dedicated manner than a typical rough draft (This is still a rough draft) as I want to do right by the characters involved. They've been languishing since 2007, and it's about time I treated them right.

Chapter 2: Just a Girl

It was in the quiet moments that the mind would seek deeper meaning to life. Freed from the constraints, free of the concerns of simple daily existence, the true mind sought a higher truth. What was the reason for existence? What was the purpose of the life that was currently led? Was there more to everything, or was everything experienced so far the exact and only truth with no hidden subtext?

Sweet pink lips pressed softly against the scorched flesh of a young man's shoulder. Eyes, blue as the azure sky and shining like the most vibrant and alluring sapphire, closed gently. Cerene released a gentle sigh, one of contentment and peace. For the first time in days uncounted she had a found a quiet moment to reflect.

Her savior, a man she had never met before, began to stir. Many of his wounds had been healed by her tender mercies, but it was not enough. The damage was too extensive. His eyes alone were beyond her gentle salvation. His eyebrows had burned away, and the flesh of his face had melted into a macabre caricature of a man. The eyes that had seen her danger and led him to her, they were sealed behind eyelids seared by magical flame. Without proper treatment, he would never see again.

Delicate fingers, long and slender well-tapered digits, slipped between her savior's calloused fingers. She held his hand softly and continued her long vigil. Cerene could have gone, could have run as she had been forced to do so many times in recent days. It seemed she had been born running away.

She would not abandon him. That was the simple truth of it.

A pained gasp escaped Scott's cracked lips, his body shuddered once then he sniffed at the air. A groan, an inarticulate pronouncement was the only thing that he could speak. He had yet to regain coherence.

"Don't hurt yourself further." whispered Cerene, before she kissed him gently between the eyes. Scott slowly settled down as her sweet blessing radiated through his head. The melted ruination of his face regained a slight bit more of its former nature. Her power was rapidly reaching the limits of what she could do for him, but with each sweet kiss he was healed a little more.

The morning wore on, Scott began to move once more. This time, he spoke as well. "What—What happened?"

Cerene smiled softly. "You saved me."

"Who? Where...?" he asked, his voice came as a croaking crackling sound that was as painful to hear as it was to utilize.

"My name is Cerene. We are in the Ancient Forest near the town of Olde." she said in a gentle tone before she stroked his hair in a tender way.

Scott was quiet for a moment. Words were hard to form, and he was incredibly tired. When he spoke again it was with a slightly cleared tone of voice. "What's wrong with me? My body feels numb. I can't open my eyes."

Tears welled up in Cerene's eyes. "You took many severe injuries during your rescue attempt. They are beyond my ability to heal fully."

The quiet returned for a moment. Scott's chest rose and fell as he tried to comprehend her words. The silence was broken when he asked, "Are you alright?"

Her body spasmed once as a sob rose up within her. "You're concerned for me knowing that you have taken such terrible wounds?"

A single labored breath was taken before he asked, "Are you...?"

"I'm fine—" She squeezed his hand gently. "Thanks to you I was not claimed by that man."

The sound of labored breathing echoed softly through the clearing for a moment before Scott said, "Claimed? Who—was he?"

"Yes, he was a demon tamer. He caught sight of me and tried to force his claim on me." said Cerene, anger rising in her voice.

Scott would have blinked had his eyelids worked properly. "Demon—Tamer?"

She granted him a strange and curious look. "Yes, of course."

Scott tried to sit up, but he found that he could not. His body did not respond well to his mental demands.

"Do not strain yourself!" she admonished him gently. "You'll worsen your wounds, and I could not bear to see it."

Quieted by her tender command, Scott stopped struggling to rise up. Instead, he chose to talk to her further. "What happened? Why was he after you?"

"How did I come to be in the woods alone, you mean?" she asked him curiously.

Silent breathing was his only response for a moment. When he did speak it was merely to say, "Yes."

Cerene closed her eyes and took a gentle breath to steady her nerve. "I was in my last year of high school when the awakening began. Everyone thought that it would subside, as it had begun late. As you know, it usually happens during puberty if it happens at all."

Scott remained silent. He had known no such things.

"My body began to change, to rapidly develop in the way that unfortunate girls must deal with when they become demons." She pressed one hand to her chest and she sighed. "I went from a normal and scrawny girl of common appearance, to the sort of creature that made the boys of my school drool like idiots."

She removed her hand from her breast then shook her head. "I was taken out of school and put under medical surveillance for about a month. The changes stopped after a few days. They thought that I had gone into remission, that I would not change further."

A pained chuckle escaped her lips. "I was allowed to return to school. My body had undergone shocking changes. I was incredibly popular with the boys overnight. After a few days, I even found myself with my first boyfriend ever."

She laughed a little, a sad lonely little laugh. The self-deprecation was obvious in her tone and movements. "Scrawny little Cerene was dating the captain of the wrestling team. I had gone from just some goofy little flake of a girl who ate too much ice cream, and who loved boy bands so much that I believed them to be my secret boyfriends, to a creature that even the most popular boys in school wanted to spend time with."

Her tone of voice caused Scott to instinctively squeeze her hand. Her eyes widened slightly and a more genuine smile arose upon her lips for a brief moment. Slowly, her demeanor returned to one of self-flagellation before she spoke again. "I deluded myself into thinking that he liked me for more than just my ridiculous curves." She laughed once, a painful spiteful laugh aimed at herself. "He made me think that I was somehow special to him."

"Of course, it was not long before I found out that he was speaking all manner of lies about our relationship. I became known as the sort of girl who any boy could get for a meal and a kind word."

"Never mind that we had done nothing more than kiss and cuddle, and even those instances had been quite brief. I was the school slut. No one would believe otherwise except for my closest friends." Her eyes shimmered as tears threatened to fall. "It was not long after that when my remission suddenly ended and I began to awaken once more."

Cerene sniffled a little as her tears fell. They splashed delicately against her savior's shoulder as she remembered her final days as a human being. "After I awakened completely, I was taken out of school. A few days later I overhead my parents speaking about what had to be done about me."

Scott's fingers squeezed hers once more. He was not even certain whether he was awake or dreaming. Such a story was fantastic beyond anything he had ever experienced in real life.

Her lips quivered gently and a soft smile appeared once more. "You attempt to comfort me, even in your condition?"

It took incredible effort on his part, but Scott slightly inclined his head. The effort was not wasted. Her eyes widened slightly and she sniffled once again. "It has been a while since someone cared enough to do that. I never expected to see that day come again."

"I know—" He gasped a little before he could continue. "I know what it is to be alone and unwanted." said Scott with much effort.

Her eyes closed upon hearing it. Her eyebrows trembled slightly and she bit her lip a little. "Why..." Her voice cracked slightly as she finished her question. "Why did you save me?"

"You needed help." said Scott with little effort. Wasn't that enough of a reason?

She laughed a little, both surprised and a little confused. "I'm a demon. Who helps a demon?"

Scott was quiet for a time, he had his own confusion to deal with regarding the situation. He spoke softly when he answered her. "What kind of person –" He had to take a breath before he could continue. "wouldn't help someone who was being attacked like that?"

"Most people." she answered, her words came a little too quickly and with far greater ease than Scott wanted to hear.

"Most people are assholes then." he said roughly.

A warm laugh rose up within her and she could not contain it. The light danced in her eyes once more and a sense of genuine joy filled the entirety of her being. "They are, aren't they?"

Scott's body bucked and heaved a little as he tried to laugh. The action made Cerene become frantic with worry for him. She chided him continuously for well over a minute, and fussed over him.

A semblance of a smile arose on his twisted and ruined face. It was the first time in the whole of his life that someone he had only just met had shown any real concern for his well-being.

They spoke for a time of small things, of the little things that their lives had revolved around. Scott spoke of how he had been raised. Cerene spoke of her childhood as well. They stayed there for quite some time in the shadows of the trees of the ancient forest. It was not until the sun rose high in the sky that the light of day became uncomfortable. His flesh already scarred by fire, it would not do to have him burned further by the sun. Gently, Cerene moved him into the wood.

"I think I might be able to stand up if you help me." said Scott. Some strength had returned to him over time.

"Don't force yourself." she said with a frown.

"It's alright. We can't stay here forever." said Scott.

Cerene closed her eyes. "We can't, huh?" A sigh rose up from deep within. "I suppose not."

She helped him to his feet. He wobbled a little, but he did manage to stand. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Sorry to be such a burden."

Cerene made a scoffing sound, a harsh little gasp that bespoke her sincere disbelief that he had said such a thing. "You are far from a burden."

Scott attempted a smile, but the flesh of his lips pulled back oddly and revealed his teeth in a disturbing manner. Cerene flinched slightly at the effect, but gathered her nerve. He had received such horrible wounds because he had come to her aid.

She helped him to move forward at a slow, but steady pace. They had to stop frequently, and he was forced to rely on her entirely. After the third quick rest stop he asked, "I wonder why my injuries don't hurt much. You'd think I would be screaming in pain or something."

Cerene laughed softly. "That's the effect of our bond, silly."

"Our bond?" asked Scott.

She pouted at him. "Don't tease me... I know you can feel our connection."

"I'm not from around here, remember? I still don't know about a lot of these things." During their previous conversation about their childhood, it had been revealed that they really were from two different worlds.

"Right." she said, a slight tremor in her tone. He had literally crossed over from another world to help her. It was a miracle plain and simple. Her cries for help had reached across the great divide between realities and brought him to her in her time of need. Such a thing, it was unbelievable and yet it was true.

"When we forged a bond it unlocked one of my true powers, Angel's Sweet Blessing. It allows me to utilize my healing abilities, and when I am close to you it will soothe both of our wounds and cause us to be free of pain. Even if we are separated over a distance, the effect will still remain to some extent. The stronger our bond, the more powerful my blessing."

"That's wonderful." said Scott, his creepy smile that showed too much of his blackened gums returned. "How do we strengthen that bond?"

Cerene's eyes widened a little and her nostrils flared slightly. She looked away and a slight tinge of pink appeared on her cheeks. "We get to know each other better..."

"Oh, so like when we were talking earlier?" he asked softly.

The angel laughed nervously and her face reddened further. "Well, that's part of it..."

"Are you alright? You sound a little odd."

Cerene laughed again, a small halting little laugh. "Yes, I'm fine. Just, fine. No need to worry."

"Come on, tell me..." said Scott.

She bit her lower lip then glanced at him before looking away once more. "I, uh, well that is we..."

"Hey, if it's too much to talk about then it's alright." Scott had a slight inkling of what she was getting at, and wanted to take some of the burden from her. If he was right, then he was in no condition to strength the bond anyway. He was barely in a condition that qualified as being alive. Without her healing power, he would no doubt have died from the pain of his wounds alone, or at least have been driven mad.

"We, uhm... Can we discuss it once we get you fixed up at the hospital?" asked Cerene quickly. She had found an easy way out of the discussion.

"Sure." said Scott. He did not want to pressure her in any way, besides that she was his only hope of survival. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her.

The angel smiled softly then slipped a little closer against him. "I'm so glad that I met someone like you."

Scott froze up for a moment then slowly relaxed. "I– that might have been the first time anyone ever said something like that to me."

That admission was a heart breaking thing for Cerene to hear. "Well, it's true. I'm still trying to accept that you did so much for me."

He was quiet for a time, but when he spoke it was with sincerity in his tone. "I've spent my life trying to find a place where I belong. That never happened, so I settled for trying to finding something, anything, that made me feel like my life had meaning." He tilted his head toward where he thought she was. "You know, sort of like I wanted to do one good thing in life."

Cerene suddenly gripped his hand tight and cried out, "I am so glad that the good thing you did was me!"

They both froze for a moment as her words echoed through the forest. A gentle breeze blew through the area and carried a single leaf past them. It fluttered and rolled gently before descending to the earth.

"Uh..." began Cerene, her eyes wide and her face bright red. "That is..."

"Yeah, and... Uhm..." said Scott uncomfortably. Her admission had been both awkward and sweet. It was no doubt a slip of the tongue, but it held certain implications that sounded both wonderful and impossible in his current condition. There was also the fact that she had been brutally beaten in a bid to capture and claim her as property only a few hours before.

"Sorry... I swear I'm not like that..." she said softly. "I mean at school they... I ..."

Scott squeezed her hand softly then slowly shook his head. "You're a sweet and warm hearted person, Cerene."

She sniffled a little then leaned against him. "Thank you..." she said, her eyes softly shimmering with her unspent emotions.

A random thought crossed Scott's mind after his scarred flesh felt a certain undeniably sweet pressure pressing against it. "So... Just how old are you, Cerene?"

Her lips quirked into a smile of wry amusement. "Old enough to know what you're really asking."

"Oh, what lovely weather we are having." said Scott while he pretended to look up at the sky.

She laughed warmly then unleashed a sweet giggle. "If it really matters that much to you, I just turned eighteen last month."

A relieved sigh parted his lips, and she laughed once more. "My master is a naughty boy, huh?"

He could not help but laugh as well. "I don't know about that master thing, but I'll own up to being naughty. I just wanted to know where we stood since I feel something amazing pressing against me."

Her nostrils flared once more and her lips parted gently. A silly thought insisted upon itself. "Amazing, huh?" She tilted her head to the side then gently pressed herself against him a little further.

"Well... I'm certainly amazed." he admitted.

A dulcet laugh slipped from her lips then she kissed him warmly on the shoulder. "Thank you for your kindness."

"It's kindness to ask you your age and comment on your tits?" asked Scott curiously.

Cerene smiled. "Yes. Yes, it is."

Her sweet voice made him attempt to smile as well, but halfway to completion he remembered what had happened the night before. His expression, what was left of it, darkened. "I can't believe those two assholes hurt you like that."

"It's just how things are for stray demons. We can become a danger to the public so tamers are given license to subdue us by any means necessary."

"That's just sick, though. He could have just treated you with a little kindness and none of this would have happened." said Scott.

"I'm not really a stray, so it's probably hard for you to understand. A real stray is –" She took a moment to collect her thoughts then slowly began to speak once more. "a real stray is a girl who has become a monster in both mind and body. She may still be able to hold a conversation sometimes, but she'll see a human as nothing more than meat or mate."

"Wait, so a stray is likely to attack people?" asked Scott.

"Yes. A stray demon may either attempt to eat or mate with a human, sometimes both." She winced then said, "Sometimes both at once."

"I see." said Scott.

Cerene nodded. "When a demon is outside too long, alone and has no human connection... she becomes changed, twisted. It started to happen to me, that's why I act the way that I do."

"You don't seem twisted." said Scott. If anything she seemed more human than the guy who attacked her.

"But I am. Normally I am a goofy little thing. I am clumsy and make weird jokes that no one seems to get. I become excited by the silliest things. As I am now, I am more calm and composed. In another few weeks I might have changed altogether and become a stray angel."

"What would you be like as a stray?" asked Scott in an almost morbid sense of fascination.

"Cold, aloof. I would be like a marble statue. I would see the suffering of human beings as a natural thing and only intervene if it seemed absolutely necessary. I might take vengeance on the wicked, and try to help the sick or feeble, but most of the time I would just watch and silently judge humanity for their actions."

Scott took a moment to reflect on that. "As a stray, you would become judgmental and distant?"

Cerene nodded her head then said, "Yes. Other demons might become raving beasts, or vicious sex crazed maniacs. I would become coldly logical and have trouble relating to the suffering of others due to my false sense of personal perfection. At least, that's what the doctors told me after my awakening."

A sudden thought occurred to him. "Would you have attacked people you perceived as wicked, even if they were not that bad?"

"Possibly. Angels have occasionally attacked and killed people for all manner of perceived arbitrary ills. A while back, one killed a man and woman because they were having sex in a corn field and they were as yet unwed. They lived miles away from any town or city, but such lewdness could not be tolerated by a stray angel."

The strange laws regarding the capture of stray demons began to make more sense to Scott. Super powered women with aberrant thought processes roaming the countryside might make for the adoption of altogether different societal views on how to treat such beings. It did not excuse what the bastard had done the night before, but it did put his disgusting actions into perspective.