Chapter Thirty: Violets and Fireflies:

January 10th, 1962.

Emiko spent two years in the great open nothing between Heaven and Hell. No one bothered her. Nice and quiet all around her. Plus, she had her beautiful lady to feed and visit her every day. She liked it here.

The butch demon sat waiting near the pond. The noon sun dimly shone through the dense fog. Time never really moved in this place. Must be nice�

"Sorry to keep you waiting," a voice said. Emiko quickly looked up. Sumire stood behind her, smiling. The butch demon smiled back.

"No," she said. "In fact, you're just in time." She patted the moss next to her. Sumire sat down.

"So," Emiko said. "What do we have today?"

"Apan!" her friend cheered. "Nice and fresh from the oven." The butch demon's eyes lit up.

"Yummy!" she said. Emiko took a piece. "Wow! This is so good! God, I can't remember the last time I had apan this good!" Sumire sat there with a nervous smile. Emiko noticed her face.

"What is it?" she asked. Her friend swallowed as she shifted in her spot.

"You're a demon, aren't you?" she asked.

"Yes," Emiko answered. "Why?"

"You escaped from Hell?"

"Yes�"

Sumire swallowed hard. Emiko reached down to her jeans to draw out her knife. The other woman quickly bowed her head.

"I won't turn you in!" she blurted. The butch demon froze.

"Huh?" she asked. Sumire lifted her head.

"I won't turn you in!"

"What do you mean?"

The woman pushed herself to keep talking. "You see, I'm an angel."

Her friend blinked at her. "Say what?"

"I am an angel who patrols this area for escaped demons. My unit and I are supposed to send them back to Hell. But� But�"

The butch demon raised an eyebrow at her. "But what?"

Sumire rushed forward and kissed Emiko on the lips. The butch demon's eyes widened in shock and delight. Sumire climbed into her lap. Her knees came on either side of her. Emiko almost unconsciously took the angel into her arms. Sumire pushed her tongue into her mouth. She grabbed her own white shirt and began to slide it off. She got it up to her full breasts when Emiko pushed her off.

"What are you doing?" she asked. Sumire blinked at her.

"I'm sorry. I just�" she said. The butch demon held up her hand to her angel.

"Look," she said. "I love you too, but we can't be together."

"Why not?" Sumire asked. "You're a free woman now!"

"That's not the point!" Emiko cried. Her hands began to tremble. "I just don't want you to become fallen!" Sumire watched her with big eyes.

"Emiko�" she mumbled. The butch demon lowered her head.

"Dirty as fuck!" she cursed softly. "Dirty as fuck! They all are!" Sumire lowered her head on her lover's lap.

February 1st, 2010.

Emiko awoke to heavy chatter early in the morning. She fluttered her eyes open and sat up. Huh? The butch demon wandered down the hall. She found her way to the living room.

"Hoto-chan," Emiko mumbled half-awake. "Could you keep it down? I'm trying to sle�?" The woman stopped mid-sentence as she looked. Her girlfriend and housemates sat with the seven leaders of the revolution. Emiko blinked a few times.

"What� is this?" she asked. Hotaru sat up with a grin.

"There you are," she said. "I was about to go up and fetch you. The meeting's about to start."

"But�" the butch demon let out. She looked at all of the men waiting for her. Emiko blinked again.

"How?" she asked. Hotaru grinned.

"Guess!" Hotaru replied, grinning. It didn't take the butch leader long to get it.

"Oh�" Emiko mumbled. The leader gave her sheepish look.

"Your Hoto-chan is so persuasive," Sam admitted.

"That she is," Emiko mumbled. Hotaru clapped her hands together.

"Right," she said. "Shall we begin?"

"Yes," the crew replied.

"Okay," the loli demon spoke. She nudged her head over at Emiko.

"Take a seat," Hotaru said. "Give us your plans, commander." Emiko felt like flying in that moment.

"Yeah!" the butch demon said. She took her seat at the head of the table.

"Good," Emiko said at last. Hotaru handed her the folder. The demons began their meeting to overthrow Hell. As she spoke, Emiko smiled the whole time. Sumire-chan, Hotaru-chan, I will bring freedom to love through this war! You can bank on that!

Yet another wave of blood came crashing violently close to Tokyo.