Reborn As An Evolving Monster



"How is it the same?"

"Well, he had legs. And a heart. And lungs. As far as you told me..."

"Yeah."

"Wonder if he got to run after all..." Elisa whispered as she stroked Mark's head. She was surprised at how pleasant to the touch scales could be.

"It's just a story. You're thinking about it too deeply."

"Still, I hope he got to run. Just like I hope this land will be covered by beautiful grass and flowers one day."

Her words didn't leave him indifferent, but he did his best to make it seem that way.

"Why do you even care about that?" 

"I don't know, haha! It just... It'd be nice, I guess? I hope he got to run as much as he wanted, to get as far as he wanted, until his legs and heart gave out!" Elisa declared with a large grin on her face.

"Wasn't uh..." Mark chuckled. "Wasn't his legs and heart giving out the problem?"

"Oh. Yes, I guess so. Haha!" Elisa scratched her head. "Still, I'm talking about a different kind of -giving out-, you know? A different kind of fatigue. The kind that makes you smile despite you falling to the ground. The kind-"

"That makes you laugh out loud, uncontrollably... Despite how tired you feel?"

"Mm! You know what I mean?"

"Yeah..." Mark nodded before closing his eyes. "It's a nice feeling."

About a minute later, Elisa brought her hands to her face, massaging her tired eyes.

'If they're sleeping, then I guess I should-'

Mark slowly pushed himself off the ground.

"You're up?" 

"I'm up." He chuckled. "Let's keep going for a bit, then the two of you can sleep."

Elisa stared with her lips pressed for a bit before nodding.

Mark extended a hand.

It took a bit of work, but Elisa managed to wake the Moonlit Feline up.

The latter hopped onto the extended hand and climbed up Mark's body before curling up on his shoulder.

Unlike what Elisa had expected, or was used to, the extended hand wasn't retracted.

She took his hand and stood up.

The two walked through the darkness, hand in hand.

"..."

"..."

Neither talked.

And both had trouble looking at the other.

"It's pretty cold here. Colder than in Sloth."

"Better than how it was outside the Dungeon though."

"True, haha."

The more they walked, the clearer it became how they appreciated each other's presence.

Even if though weren't talking. Even though they were silent.

A lot of time had passed since their meeting, and both found themselves reminiscing.

As much as he disliked that fact about himself, Mark hated being alone.

Grip-

Elisa thought it felt nice to hold someone's hand.

When was the last time she had walked with someone's hand holding hers?

She couldn't tell.

Whose hand was it?

Her mother? Her father's? Had she ever held a hand that wasn't theirs? She couldn't tell.

Slowly but surely, Elisa found herself getting closer and closer to him. Shaving off the distance that separated them inch by inch.

Being with someone was nice.

Being close to someone was nice.

Having a hand holding yours when surrounded by darkness was nice. 

Even when that hand was a Monster's? Even when that hand was a Monster's.

Elisa had come to dislike thinking about Mark as a Monster.

But as much as she tried not to, it was impossible. Because that's what he was.

Accepting him without thinking about him as a Monster? She couldn't do so.

Accepting him as a Monster, she still had trouble doing.

Why? 

Because he's a Monster.

But what does that mean? What does that entail? 

He is one, looks like one, and acts like one.

Does he act like a Monster?

Only at times.

Have you seen others act like Monsters despite not looking like Monsters?

Yes, those are the worst.

If those are the worst, then how he -acts- is more important than how he -looks-, isn't it?

It is. But how they look indicates what they are. How they are.

Is that true all the time?

Grip-

The sudden increase in pressure Mark felt around his hand startled him slightly.

'Not all the time, I guess...' Elisa thought to herself. She was about half a step behind him.

Mark had tried matching her pace, but every time he slowed down, she would slow down even further.

He figured that she simply wanted to stay half a step behind.

'Not all the time... But I'm still scared. Scared or nervous? I can't tell anymore... He's not a Monster with me. Perhaps that should be enough. It should be enough. In the first place, I'm an Elf. Appearances... We learn to doubt them. Appearances aren't everything. Appearances... Do matter though. But he said he might be willing to change. Isn't that enough? He got rid of those horns for me. Isn't that enough?'

The pressure around Mark's hand increased further.

'Why do I have trouble...? Why? Why? WHY? I want to be with him. I want him to stay with me. I don't want him to leave me. I don't want to be alone. I want him with me. Close to me. So why...'

Elisa stopped walking, and Mark turned around.

'Why do I still get startled when I see his face suddenly? Why do I still... Why do I have so much trouble accepting him? Accepting him as he is??'

"Elisa? Are you-" 

Before Mark could finish his sentence, she buried her weeping face in his chest.

He held her tightly.

And she held him even more tightly.

"Are you okay?" Mark asked as he chuckled.

He bent his neck from right to left, trying to get a look at the face she was hiding.

A couple of seconds passed. Elisa raised her head, her chin remained on his chest.

"I'm okay." She answered.

With a finger, he wiped a tear away and she chuckled.

A couple of steps away, the Moonlit Feline was stretching its back on the ground.

The next second, it started rolling on the ground.

The two laughed as they turned towards Krista for a bit, without widening the distance between them by an inch.

The Moonlit Feline was the first to feel its influence.

For Krista, it was a much simpler process after all.

The constant purring, moving around, and rolling on the ground.

The two didn't know that, but the Moonlit Feline was in heat.

And it wouldn't take much longer for the Demon Lord Of Lust's influence to become more apparent.