I had been using vspace for quite some many years now, have talked to many people who claimed to be from other worlds, but never truly believed any of it really existed. Anyone can claim to be anything on the vast wide virtual-space network, so of course why not say you are from another world? Though I wanted to believe them, because it was a fascinating idea. So, to see the life of another version of myself, even if but for a brief moment, came as quite the shock to me. This Eve girl was me, or at least an alternate form of me, living a life so completely different from my own. I actually wish I had an opportunity to see what she had looked like, perhaps she was lucky and was born with the body of a girl like I had wished for myself. Regardless, it was, well it was quite a trip. My heart was racing for quite some time after the experience, I honestly did not expect it to ever stop, I thought I would simply be caught in that adrenaline rush forever. The surreal beauty of those lush green woods, the smell of the burning flora, and the sight of those odd looking warriors were all burnt into my mind. I almost wish I had Isabel’s artistic skills so that I could paint a picture of what I saw. And that other girl, that world's version of Isabel, when I thought of her, all those other things I experienced began to dull out, leaving her visage the most powerful image in my mind.

The Isabel of that world was a thing of beauty, not that my own Isabel was not, but there was something so incredibly striking about her. She commanded a regal presence while exuding such a powerful aura. She seemed to be almost a completely different person from my own Isabel, and yet I knew they were in fact one in the same. Well, they were the same but also not, I do not know exactly how it works. The more I thought about her, the more I wished I had been able to stay connected to that world longer, to truly get to observe the other worlds versions of Isabel and myself. Though, I also felt that the brief moment I was connected to them was already a tremendous strain on my psyche, and attempting such a thing again so soon might be more than I could handle.

Still, the memories of that world stuck with me throughout the night, as I snuggled up in bed with Isabel, clinging on to her while my brain replayed the events over and over.

“Hey, you alright Bonbon?” my girlfriend asked me as I clung to her tighter than I even realized.

“Oh, yes, I just had, well,” I thought of how to word it and decided to simply say, “I had quite the experience today.”

“That Vox girl give you trouble?”

“No, not trouble,” despite the way my body trembled even then hours after it happened, I think I was honestly happy to have experienced that, for whatever reason, “hey Isabel, you remember what she said in the cafe right?”

“You mean when she called us boys?”

“No, silly, I mean, about being able to spot a Cupcake and Bonbon no matter what world she was in,” it was such an odd thing to hear at the time, but after seeing it for myself, I think I began to understand what they had meant.

“They’re just a weirdo, don’t pay them any mind,” she laughed, turning over to wrap her arm around me, “we’re one of a kind, ya know?”

“Actually, I don’t think we are,” one of a kind in our own world, maybe, but there were an infinite number of worlds out there, if Vox was to be believed, and an infinite number of Isabels and Bonbons, “what if, we were meant to be together?”

“Huh, what you mean like we’re fated to fall in love or somethin?”

I shook my head, well as much as you could while lying down, “no, I do not think fate is quite the right word for it, but,” I tried to form my words in a way that made sense, but truthfully I was not sure anything about this strange multiverse made sense, “what if we are just always together no matter what world we are in? I think, I think there is something beautiful about that. As if, our very souls are in love with each other.”

“Hmm, I don’t know about souls or other worlds, but I know in this world I love you, and that’s all that matters to me,” she pressed her nose to mine then kissed my cheek, “and hey, if there really is a bunch of other Bonbon’s out there that a bunch of other me’s can love, then good for them, but you’re the only Bonbon I need.”

“The only Bonbon you need?” I repeated it in a whisper. It was a beautiful sentiment, for sure, but there was also something equally beautiful to me about my little multiverse theory. As the night went on, I laid there restless in the arms of my lover, thinking about the infinite possibilities. I began to craft a tale, piecing together strings of a story about two goddesses in love, fated to be with each other in every life. It was a silly thought, perhaps, there was of course no way either of us were actually connected to divinity, but it was the exact kind of story I had always liked reading. What if I enjoyed those stories because deep down they were about me? No, that is silly, too silly even. Isabel and I are just normal girls, well as normal as demon girls born with the bodies of boys could be. That being said, I was incredibly curious about the other worlds and the different Bonbon’s across them, speculating all the possibilities as I drifted to sleep.

The weekend passed by far too fast. The two days we went out and Isabel showed me another little shop or restaurant that she loved to visit. Though mainly we found ourselves returning to that cute little Cafe. While enjoying some crepes, Isabel explained that many of her favorite attractions were closed for the winter, so she promised that come spring she would take me on a date to the fair and then the beach in summer.

“The fair sounds lovely, though,” I paused a moment as I imagined myself having to wear a swimsuit publicly, “I am unsure about the beach.”

“Don’t like swimming?” I shook my head in response as my cheeks turned red, “oh, I get it, don’t want strangers seein ya in a bikini?”

My face turned even redder and my eyes grew wide, “a... a bikini?” I had not even thought to have the audacity to wear such an inarguably feminine piece of swimwear as that, something so obscenely revealing and cute. “No,” I shook my head furiously, “I could never wear a bi...bikini!”

“That’s a shame, you’d probs look really cute in one,” she clicked her tongue, “but like, what about one of those skirt bikinis? Think something like that would work?”

I honestly did not know that skirt bikinis wear even a thing, though thinking about it that did sound cute, but still, “I just, I do not think it would be a good idea to be... to... it is just that something like that in public seems...”

“Oh not a public beach of course,” Isabel patted me on the back, “silly girl I’d never go to a place with like a crap ton of people or anythin like that, nah my mah know’s someone who’s got a nice big stretch of ocean front property.”

“Ocean front property?”

“Yeah, he’s got a private beach all to himself and he’s totally cool with us usin it when he’s off on business,” she said, eating the last few bites of her crepe.

“How is it that I am the royal and yet it sounds as though you have lived the richer life than I?”

“Kinda funny how that works out right?” Isabel stuck her tongue out, “to be fair, I spent most my life in and out of an orphanage, often just runnin away and livin on the streets because the folks at Saint Alberius home for boys weren’t exactly kind to demons.”

“So then, how long ago did you get adopted?”

She pursed her lips as she thought, a little tiny bit of custard from her crepe stuck to her lower lip, “it’s been like a few years, kinda lost count. I don’t know, less than half my life I guess?”

As much as I wanted to pay attention to what she was saying, I was fixated on the remnants of her dessert that had clung to the corner of her mouth. Without even thinking, I took my finger and wiped the custard off before licking it off my finger. Though once I realized what I had done I buried my face in her chest as I screamed internally.

“Gawd you’re so cute,” she teased me, wrapping her arms around me.

Before we even knew it the day came to an end, and with it our weekend. Vox had already left for her job, but I still spent the last night sharing a bed with Isabel. I very much wished to enjoy it before returning to that dreadful school. Though perhaps it was not all bad, after all, if it was not for the school then we would not have become so close. Even still, now that we were both there in her home, I dreaded the thought of resuming classes. My mind was restless yet again as we snuggled in her bed, a mixture of excitement and worry for the future ahead of us. Once more I was reminded of my duel, how I would have to fight in front of a group of spectators to defend my girlfriend's honor, all while hiding the fact that we were lovers to begin with. I convinced myself it was a normal thing for a noble to do, fight for their friend, that no one would read any further into it. Just how obvious was it that Isabel and I were in love? How much did the other students know? Does the faculty suspect as well? Then of course came the other burning question. Are there any who know we are demons? Silver hair is uncommon, if not rare, and for us to both have one eye covered must raise alarm bells in at least a few peoples minds.

I did not truly know anything about demons, but I was a rather sheltered child growing up. The Shepherds however, well surely they know enough about the existence of demons to know what signs to look for. Perhaps we were already under a high level of scrutiny, the ever present gaze of the order burning on us like the eyes of the Eternal Shepherd Yezua himself. Was it safe for us to return to the school? Was it ever safe for us in the first place? Why did Notalie send her demon daughter to an all boys school anyway? Why did they not take more precautions, such as dying her hair? Well, I suppose that question was already answered for me. Hair dying is illegal, for whatever reason, so that was not really an option anyway. Still, a wig would have worked, right? Notalie wore a wig, and I am certain Asta does too, then why not Isabel?

These questions and worries all buzzed in my mind like a hungry swarm of insects coming to suck my blood, till I felt Isabel turn and wrap her arm around me. The sweet comfort of her embrace relaxed my thoughts, lulling me to sleep as she pulled me in closer.

As morning came I found myself lying my head across Isabel’s chest while she laid on her back. The same as most mornings whenever I found myself sharing a bed with her, I was not ready to get up, I clung to her and she wrapped her arm around me. The sensation of our bodies so close and intertwined had felt so natural and right, like we belonged in eachothers arms, I was not going to let that feeling go any time soon. Of course nothing good lasts forever, eventually Isabel was stirred awake by the gleaming sunlight peaking through the cracks in her window’s blinds.

“Heya cutie, good monrin,” she kissed my head then let out a long yawn, “want something to eat?”

“No, I want to cuddle,” I gripped her shirt and puffed my cheeks.

She chuckled and kissed my head again, “okay silly, we can cuddle a little longer,” she said, only for us to be interrupted by her mother knocking at the door.

“Izzy love, are you awake?”

With a groan Izzy called back to her, “yeah mah, we’re awake.” I had wished she would just ignore her so we could continue to snuggle.

“You two should be sure to eat some breakfast before you leave.”

“Okay, thanks for the reminder mah,” Isabel groaned, rolling out of bed, then turned back to face me, “well, guess we should get up now.”

“Hmph, I do not want to,” I grabbed her arm and tugged, beckoning her to return to bed.

“We gotta cutie,” she leaned back in and whispered in my ear, “if you be a good girl and get up, I’ll give you a kiss.”

She knew how to motivate me. I rose from bed, looking up at her with eager expectant eyes, awaiting my reward.

“Cutie,” she kissed my cheek, then my head, then my nose, “I’ll give you three for bein so damn adorable.”

I giggled, happy for my kisses, though perhaps just a little bit disappointed she still had not kissed my lips again since the night I realized who she was. Although to be perfectly honest, that kiss had come so sudden, I was absolutely not ready for it, though I enjoyed it all the same. Accepting the three kisses on my face, I happily followed her out to the kitchen for breakfast.

Shortly after we said our goodbyes, Notalie giving the both of us suffocatingly tight hugs before sending us on our way, “be safe, loves, take care of eachother and make sure to listen to your new professor.” It was a very normal goodbye, except for that last bit. New professor? I had absolutely no idea what she could have meant by that, so I put it out of my mind as we went to catch our bus.  

As if I was not already disappointed enough about the return to school, I was extra disappointed by the presence of other students on our bus ride back. During the ride into the city we were alone and free to snuggle with each other, but now we could not even hold hands, let alone cuddle. So instead I sat mopping with my arms crossed as Isabel napped in the seat next to me. I mumbled and grumbled internally, as doing so aloud was not very prince-like, all while the bus drove over up that bumpy mountain path. As we hit the fourth big bump in a row, my sleeping Isabel fell over into my lap, somehow remaining asleep despite the rather jarring jump of the bus' wheels. Not wanting to wake her, more out of my own enjoyment of having her lay across me than out of politeness, I allowed her to sleep across my lap. The other students be damned, I desired this intimacy. 

Continuing its path up the mountain, I sat there with my girlfriend sprawled across me, and for a brief moment believed the return to school would not be so terrible.

"Little lewd to be doing that in public, don't you think?" My head sprang around to see a student leaning over from the seat behind us with a big toothy grin on his face.

"She… I mean he fell over, I am just…" I panicked while trying to explain the situation away.

"Hehe, don't worry, I'm not telling anyone. Nobody's business what a couple of cuties do behind closed doors."

Cuties? While I certainly appreciated their promise to remain silent on the matter, I was of course skeptical, and perhaps a bit thrown off.

"So, you going to the academy?" He leaned over the seat a little more, bringing his bright beaming face closer. I simply nodded, not particularly being in the mood to hold a conversation with this stranger, "cool me too," he chirped, his body now nearly half over the back of Isabel's seat. 

I had been shying away from eye contact, but with his presence becoming increasingly impossible to ignore, I could avoid it no longer. "Ah… you, you should be covering your eyes!" I nearly yelped, but managed to keep my voice low as I reminded him to hide his mismatched eyes.

He blinked a few times, then chuckled, "oh, I almost forgot," standing up, he fished a bandage from his pocket, "there, all better, see?" It was wrapped completely around his head, completely blindfolding him.

"I see, but how can you see?"

"Eh, my masters always had me wrap my eyes up whenever we'd leave the manor. You kinda just get used to it, ya know? Besides, the fabric isn’t that hard to see through."

"Your master?" 

He nodded, "yeah, I'm a concierge, my master's works for the school." He moved to the seat in front of me, allowing me to get a better look at him. He was tall and lanky, perhaps even taller than Isabel, and had half his head shaved, swooping a part of his silver hair over the other half of his head. Peculiarly, he had pink and purple streaks in his hair, implying he had dyed it at some point. 

"So then, you are not a student yourself?" 

"A demon student, that'd be crazy," he laughed, "what about you? Is your master a student here?"

I shook my head, "I have no master, I am a prince."

Immediately he shouted, sending a shock down my spine as his voice trumpeted across the bus, "a demon prince? No way!"

"Please, be quiet," I hushed him, "the fact I am a demon is a secret, and I would very much like to keep it that way."

"You're not doing a good job at hiding it," he laughed, "sorry but like, I was able to spot you the moment you stepped on the bus."

"I… am I really that noticeable? Is my demon nature truly that visible?" I began to feel incredibly self conscious, as though I was standing in front of the entire student body, naked for all to see. While I was always sure I looked different from everyone around me, I had tried to convince myself it was simply in my head. Realizing I was so identifiable as a demon gave me a not-so-small amount of panic, causing me to dread our return even more. Suddenly the question came to mind of how many others knew? I was almost entirely unaware of demons before Isabel, but that was in part because of my lack of exposure to the outside world. Surely other students knew about demons, and the faculty, the Shepherds? How many saw me for what I truly was?

"Hey, to be fair I'm just always looking for other demons, so like, I'm probably more aware than your average person is," he reassured me, "but uhh, crap… sorry. I'm not supposed to be talking to you like this, you're a prince," he bowed his head, "forgive my insolence, your highness, I will bother you no more."

"No," I gently touched his shoulder as he began to turn away from me, "it is okay, you do not have to treat me any special way."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely positive, I would rather you be yourself around me and treat me as an equal, than put on some mask of formality," I chuckled and added, "because honestly it seems like formalness just does not suit you."

"Are you demeaning me because I’m a servant?"

"What, no!" Not this misunderstanding again, I did not want a repeat of my first week with Isabel, "I am being sincere with you, I preferred how you were before I revealed myself as a prince."

"Oh, okay," slowly his face gave way to a small smile and he nodded, "that's actually a relief, I'd been hoping I'd be able to make friends with another demon, but of course I didn't really expect to meet one at a Shepherd's Academy," he offered his hand out and his smile grew wider, "my name is Candice, though you could call me Candy if you like."

"Candy? That is really cute actually," I shook his hand, "then you may call me Bonbon, though in front of others Oden is preferable."

"Awww Bonbon, that's adorable," his compliment made my cheeks flush, "what about your cute sleeping friend there? What's their name and pronouns?"

"Oh, she's Isabel, but at school you should refer to her as… hmmm, perhaps Issy?"

"So then, demon girls? Demon boys? Or are you something in-between?"

"I would like to be a girl, but…"

"So both girls, nice. I'm a boy myself, but like in the girliest way possible."

"So, then you are a… I am sorry, what does that mean?"

"I was born a boy, I'm cool with being a boy, but like, I want to be cute and girly. I think that's pretty simple," he shrugged, "I'm not really hung up on what label someone uses for me, as long as they acknowledge I'm cute."

"I see," to some extent, I understood exactly what he meant, I had always seen myself as a boy but desired to be cute. However, I think that in my case, it was more that I did not know that being a girl was an option. It was less that I was comfortable being a boy, and more so that I believed I had no other choice. I wanted to be a girl, and of course still do, but never believed anyone would acknowledge me as such. 

“So what country you from?”

“I am the prince of Francetta, so that is to say, this country,” I answered, the word prince burning my tongue like an unpleasantly hot pepper. 

“Whao, so like you’re gonna be the king here some day? Or I guess, Queen,” He marveled, “that’s pretty cool. Makes me wish I was still a citizen here, I’m from Klishae, though I was born here.”

“Then you serve a noble of Klishae?”

He shook his head, “not exactly, they’re also from another country, but they’ve been living in Klishae until recently. I wanna say they came from Eishareal.” 

“But Eishareal is not a country anymore, are they not just a part of Ensertanam?”

“Yeah I know, but like he insists on their independence, and like he’s kinda a big deal with the Shepherds, but I’m not really supposed to talk about it.” To be a big deal with the Shepherds could have meant a variety of things that I personally would have no comprehension of. I myself could have been considered a ‘big deal’ among the Shepherds considering my heritage, but contrary to how many saw it, my grandfather was little more than a mediator who reached out to them, than anything else. Some small amount of intrigue grew in me, wondering just who this man he served was, though at the moment I felt no reason to inquire further.

"Hey, might want to wake her up, looks like we're almost there.”

Looking out the window, we could see the school off in the distance, the bus stop being not too far away. Reluctantly I nudged Isabel ever so slightly, her beautiful eyes fluttering open before she stretched and gave a big yawn. Groggy, yet adorable, she sat up and took a moment to allow her brain to fully resume all its functions.

"There already?" She asked through a second yawn.

"About to be," Candy chuckled, "wow even a slothful groggy mess you still look cute."

Isabel glanced over at him, then back at me, paused, then did a double take back to Candy, "whoa, wait, Candice?"

"Ah, wait, Isaiah as in that Isa… ooooh!" For a moment, the two of them looked as though they were either going to embrace each other in a big warm hug, or tear each other to shreds, "you're still alive? That's great!" Luckily it was the former, albeit an awkward hug with a bus seat in their way.

"I'm still alive? You're the one who went missin," Isabel chortled.

"Huh, no you went missing when you ran away, and I just went after you!" 

Isabel sighed and bowed her head, "shit, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you went lookin for me, but like… I ended up back at the orphanage and after that I got adopted."

Candy crossed his arms and snorted, "adopted, gee I bet that was real nice."

"Well then what happened to you?"

"I got caught by some traffickers and was tossed around the hidden market for a few years before my current master bought me," he answered bluntly, a sneer on his face, "all cause I was afraid the same thing was going to happen to you."

"Gawd, I… I don't know what to say to that," Isabel held her head down low, "I'm sorry, I'm really fricken sorry."

"Saying sorry isn't going to do anything about it now," he sighed, placing his hand on her head, "hey, I'm just glad to see you're alive," his voice carried a sorrowful tune to it as he spoke, a complete contrast to the cute chipper tone he had before, "I didn't mean to blame you." Before Isabel could respond, we reached our destination and left the bus, "hey, hopefully I'll be seeing you around the campus," Candy gave a weak smile.

"Hey," Isabel grabbed his hand before he could walk away and pulled him into a more proper hug, "I'm glad you're alive."

Candy laughed and returned the sentiments, “yeah, it’s really good to see you’re still kicking Isai… Isabel,” he stepped back and smiled, then began to walk away.

“Wait, the dorms are the other way!” I called out to him.

“Oh, I’m not meeting my master at the dorms,” he laughed and continued ony, waving back at us as he disappeared into the distance.

Meeting yet another demon our very first day back brought me the smallest amount of hope that the rest of the semester to come would be good. Isabel perhaps shared that sentiment, her visible eye shining with a bright cheery glow as she looked at me wearing her signature adorable smile across her face. She tugged on my hand and urged me to come along, the two of us now hurrying back to our dorms to escape the cold outside air. 

“So, you two knew each other from the orphanage?” I had gleaned as much information from their little exchange, and what I had really wished to ask was what their relationship was, but I could not find it in me to pry too deep into her past. 

She nodded and smiled, “he was the only other demon in the orphanage, so of course we got pretty close while we were both there,” she chuckled, “who’da guess I’d be startin the new semester with a blast from my past like that?” Her voice carried a mixture of emotions in it, a cocktail of complicated feelings that hid behind her positive words. I wished to inquire more, but I also did not want to strike a nerve, especially after our wonderful weekend we had just shared. So I left it at that, remaining silent till we reached our room as I put it all out of my mind for the time being.. 

As we passed the threshold of our door, I felt a funny little fuzzy warmth inside me. I had last left this room a boy, confused and unsure of myself, but now I returned a girl, eager to discover more about who I truly was. I giggled softly as we shut the door behind us and thought to myself, I should show Isabel how I look in that dress.