Chapter 1: Taking a Princess

I am a kagaijin. Although knowledge of my kind is widespread in most human circles, I shall assume that you do not know of them yet, and I shall fill you in on some of the details. The name "kagaijin" literally translates to "assault/violence person," and although a great number of my people feel it is an unjust label, it has taken root even in our own tongues. My people are a race of beings deeply rooted in the recent history of this planet, our ancestry dating back to the same origins as those of humanity. We are shape-shifters and fusiloids - creatures capable of mating with other species to create hybrid offspring. Although we are a virile and healthy people, we are unique, in that only males exist in our true specie. Although this might seem odd to most people, it is actually a very advantageous way to exist. Through the merging of other species, our male offspring inherit not only the qualities that make them decidedly kagaijin, but they also acquire the immunities and strengths of their female parents, who could be anything or anyone, as long as they are female. Others of my race have been known to acquire mates from the animal kingdom, ranging from creatures as diminutive as tanuki and foxes, all the way up the chain to grizzly bears and tigers. Others, like me, prefer human partners, and we make up the majority. Our true forms most resemble that of human beings, as we are bipedal, upright beings with high intelligence and a tenacity to survive that rivals all other creatures of this world.

In appearance, our true forms are often very frightening to humans. We typically stand at around eight feet tall, and our dull, slate-gray skin has the pallor of a corpse in popular human opinion. We have ten major digits on our feet, just as you do, and also ten major digits on our hands. These "fingers," however, are slightly more advanced than yours, as each digit sports twenty to thirty spaghetti-thin tentacles, each of which can shrink and elongate at will, and have all the tensile strength of an iron cord. These "fingercles" can stretch to over two feet in length, and they are very handy for ensnaring small prey animals, as well as embracing and pleasuring our lovers, among other functions.

Aside from these notable differences, we appear humanoid in all other respects. Our faces are virtually indistinguishable from those of humans, and they have been called beautiful by many of your kind, as they appear in many ways to be the ideal in human terms of physical symmetry. It is said that some of the Grecian sculptures of the male bust were thought to be modeled off of kagaijin facial structures. A major difference that is not visible on the surface, however, would be our tongues. Longer than our finger tentacles, and much thicker and more powerful, our tongues can taste a far greater range of subtle differences than your primitive human equivalents, and in addition, they are prehensile in nature, being able to grasp and hold onto things with all the tenacity of your own laughably feeble hands.

Our strength is incomparable in human terms, as any single kagaijin could easily defeat a small army of armed human men through sheer brute force within minutes. We are superior to humans in our analytical powers as well, and unbeknown to you, most of your most prized geniuses throughout history have actually been kagaijin in disguise. We are superior to you, as well as other creatures of this world, in virtually every way.

You might think that, as superior beings, we would be at least tolerated by human standards, but in actuality, the opposite is true. Humans see my kind as a threat, not only to the welfare of the young women we take as mates, but also to the purity of the human race, as the female offspring we produce are in every way as human as any other human girl, making them undetectable as the offspring of a kagaijin. Simply the conditions of their births make them outcasts in human society, and so naturally, we do what we can to keep those conditions secret, further fueling the distrust and hatred of the rest of humanity. It is a sad state of affairs, but it is most certainly a common trait in humans to shun any whom they deem different or odd. Because of this, we kagaijin are very protective of our children, and we don't often allow the females to reintegrate into human society without ironclad identity protection.

Despite all our advantages and superiority, we also share a great many traits with humans that make us decidedly similar. We experience the same range of emotions and mental duress that you do, including such intangibles as love, hate, deceit, and depression. We are sensitive creatures with a strong sense of justice, for the most part, but we are far more devoted to the well-being of our own societies and ideals than to those of the other races of the world. Another trait we share is our insatiable drive to nurture our children. Humans and Kagaijin are among a very select few members of the various kindoms of animals that nurture their young throughout their entire lives, and although we may send them off into the world to eke out a living eventually, we never forget them, and we rarely want to.

It is quite remarkable that we have evolved in such a similar fashion, and it intrigues a great many of my people to know that although we descend from a common ancestor, at some point in our history, our paths diverged. Our path received the lion's share of things such as intelligence and strength, but despite that, our most basic driving motives remain the same.

Enough about my heritage, though. I shall now tell you a bit about myself. I am called Tsuyoken, or "Strong Fist" by my people, but among humans, I am known by the more discreet name of Tsu Akayama. In the human world, I am a college professor of archeology, and I teach several classes a day at Tokyo University. Although my job hours are rigorous and the strain on my shape-shifting abilities is great, I am more than capable of maintaining my identity in the human world, as are the rest of my kagaijin brethren. It is laughable to conceive that there might be humans capable of deducing that I am in actuality prince Tsuyoken, crowned ruler of the entire kagaijin race.

My duties as prince are not what you humans might think of when you think of human princes and other members of royalty. There are no grand banquets or balls for me to attend, and no great matters of state for me to discuss with advisors. My role as their leader is undisputed, as from birth, I was declared the most powerful living member of the kagaijin race. Our power is determined by the aura we emit, and mine happens to be particularly potent. This aura is a by-product of the terrific fighting prowess we possess, and in battle, we are fierce enemies indeed. Being what I am, I outclass all others of my race, and it goes without saying that no human could stand up to me either. I am quite arguably the most powerful being on the planet. As such, it falls upon me to ensure the safety and comfort of my people, and I safeguard these principles very diligently. I have had to step in on countless occasions to hide one of my brothers from angry mobs of humans, and likewise prevent unwanted visitors from discovering my peoples' secret cities and towns. We are not all fully integrated into human society, and I respect my peoples' wishes to remain private.

I, however, find humans most intriguing, and indeed, quite admirable in many ways. You are resourceful creatures, with an inherent beauty and wisdom despite all your petty shortcomings. Studying your archeology has led me to believe that your history is a rich one, and as a whole, you are a worthy people that must be protected as well as observed. There are a select few among you who could be considered remarkably wise, and even more who are as kind and reverent as even the most admirable kagaijin. I found just such a creature while teaching one of my classes at Tokyo U. Her name is Yumi Seigawa, and she is without a doubt the most beautiful, remarkable girl I have ever met in my life.

Yumi is the recently orphaned daughter of a salaryman and a receptionist. Her parents died in a freak accident at sea, while celebrating their twentieth wedding anniversary aboard a cruise ship set to visit Tahiti. They were swept overboard in a sudden storm, and were never recovered. Yumi was understandably quite devastated about the sudden loss of her mother and father, but she immediately threw herself into her studies, as she had made a promise to them that she was going to study hard and become an accomplished archaeologist, which was her lifelong dream. She believed that as long as she kept that promise, she would be honoring her parents' wishes, even after their deaths. It was both heartwarming and sad at the same time, and when I learned of her ordeal, it endeared her to me even more.

I had taken notice of Yumi the moment she walked into the classroom on our first day of Egyptology. I was immediately struck by her incomparable beauty and the way she quietly chose her seat and began to study her textbook, rather than talk and gossip along with her classmates. It was easy to see that she was an introvert, which was surprising, as a girl of her caliber could most assuredly gain easy friendships among other girls, as well as ample attention from the opposite sex. Although it's true that the males in class stared at her with obvious interest, she seemed entirely unaware of their attention, and it wasn't until later that I found out about her complete lack of confidence when it came to matters of the heart. She was ridiculously ignorant of her ample positive qualities, and believed that any man who'd give her the time of day must certainly have been either blind or desperate. After spending several troubled years as an underdeveloped, bullied teen, her self-image had taken such a savage beating that, even after she blossomed into the dazzling young woman she was today, she still believed herself to be unappealing and unattractive as she had been during her awkward teenage years.

As for the advances of men, she had received surprisingly few. Most men were put off by what was misinterpreted as disinterest, and those that might have ignored it were put off by the fact that she was so dreadfully stunning that they doubted the chances of receiving so much as a sideways glance from her. It was an ironic and tragic position for her to be in, but it was, funnily enough, ideal for me. I had immediately taken a liking to her, and the less attention she received from other men, the better, as far as I was concerned.

I have mentioned that Yumi was beautiful, and I am not overstating it. Her dark, straight hair came down past her shoulders, but underneath was a face that could have been carved by Michelangelo himself out of the purest marble, with hazel eyes that glinted when she laughed, and a petite mouth that was rarely turned up in a smile, but kept your attention when it was. Her body was slim and willowy, but not so thin that she looked underfed. She had a petite build that just barely topped five feet, and the way she lowered her gaze when you spoke to her made her seem even shorter.

She wore slacks and button-down shirts for the most part, and although they did a remarkable job of hiding her figure, it was obvious to anyone who paid attention long enough that she was built beautifully. Her breasts were supple, but not large, and they matched her slender figure well, even if they were barely noticeable underneath her ridiculously baggy shirts. She swayed gracefully as she walked, and at times it felt as though her very body conducted orchestras of sweet music as it moved. She was the very image of feminine loveliness, and if I said that I admired her, I would be underplaying my opinion considerably. The truth was that, within the span of but a few short weeks, I had quite begun to worship her.

At first, I was content to observe her from a distance, watching the way she spent free periods and intervals between classes alone, and

I did what I could to get close to her, but she did not make it easy. Although she participated actively in class and made a conscious effort to absorb as much of the material as possible, when it came to casual conversation, she was at a loss for words, and tended to avoid such situations with a passion. It was very difficult to get her to speak with me on a person to person level, but I tried relentlessly. She was extremely shy around me, even more so than she was with her classmates, and it was all I could do to get more than a hasty greeting or class-related question out of her. Despite all my best efforts, she made little progress, and as the term eventually began drawing to a close, I realized that I needed to try some more drastic measures. By that time I had already decided that I wanted her for my mate. I had never in my life met a more gentle, caring, and understanding soul than she was, and neither had I seen a woman more physically appealing, either. She had to be mine. I decided that I would make my move sometime before the final exam, and that she would have to face her reality head-on, without the option to run away from it. It was a harsh way to introduce her to my intentions, but I knew that no other methods would be as effective on a girl as slow to form ties as my sweet, timid Yumi.

One day after class, I asked her to help me carry some of my visual aids to my office, and although she blushed a little in embarrassment - an act she performed nearly every time I spoke to her - she agreed. We made our way through the labyrinthine halls of the campus without speaking, which might have seemed awkward and uncomfortable to most people, but to me was nothing short of a Zen-like calm and peace. Simply knowing that she was following me filled me with the most fervent joy and hope. I couldn't wait to set my plans in motion.

When we arrived at my office, I held the door open for Yumi and allowed her to enter first, using my free hand to silently lock the door as I followed behind. We returned my things to their proper places on the shelves in my office, and afterward, I hastily invited her to join me for tea, before she could get the chance to shy away and try to escape through the locked door. She hesitated, visibly quite unsure of herself in such a unique situation, but after looking at my warm, inviting smile, the most remarkable thing happened. The shell of doubt that nearly always surrounded her seemed to melt ever so slightly, and she offered me the most timid of smiles in return, and shyly accepted my invitation. Celebrating inwardly, I prepared some tea for us at the miniature stove I had installed in my office, and chatted casually with her - with my doing the majority of the speaking - about archeology, the weather, and other pleasantries in which I thought she might take an interest. Although she spoke little, she never once appeared unhappy to be where she was, and I took it as a sign of triumph. I felt so elated by her apparent progress that at first, I began to reconsider my previous plan of action. My instincts told me, however, that to rely on her fleeting improvement would only lead me into another lengthy period of longing, and with the semester nearing its end, there was no telling how accessible she would be to me in the coming months. I had to make my move now, while she was here, in my office.

Without skipping a beat in my discussion, I expertly inserted the sleeping draft I'd earlier prepared for this occasion into her tea, and stirred it in with the cream and sugar she requested. I was pleased by my success so far, and was equally pleased when, after handing her the cup and saucer, she drank a liberal amount of the tea with a contented sigh. Everything was falling into place.

Feeling much more relaxed now that I knew the medicine was about to begin its work, I shifted the conversation to a more relevant topic. "Yumi," I began, walking out in front of my desk and casually leaning back onto it while I sipped my tea and gazed down at her. "I must be candid with you. Having you here with me, in my office, I find myself happier than I have been in a long time. You are a delight to have in class, and you make each day's work more enjoyable and memorable than the last. I would be honored if you would be willing to grant me more of your time and attention. I know that it is not exactly ethical of me to make advances upon one of my students, but nevertheless, I can deny my feelings for you no longer. The question I have for you now is, what do you think of me?" As I finished my confession, I set my saucer and teacup onto the desk and stood upright, staring expectantly at her and watching the shock of my revelation effect a reaction out of her.

"P-professor Akayama!" she squeaked, jumping up from her chair and nearly upsetting her tea in the process. "I had no idea you felt this way! I ... I don't know what to say!"

"Are you repulsed? Do you find me unbearable now that you know what I think of you?"

"No, it's nothing like that!" she gasped, swaying slightly as she shook her head. I noted with satisfaction the telltale signs that the sleeping draft was beginning to take effect. "The truth is professor, that I ... I think I also ... I ... oh dear ... Why is the room spinning so?"

"Yumi?" I asked with concern in my voice. "Are you ill? Do you need to lie down?"

"I ... feel..." she was unable to complete her sentence, however, because she had finally succumbed to the powerful properties of the anesthetic. She teetered unsteadily on her feet for a few moments before her knees buckled and she dropped her tea, spilling it on the floor in front of her. Having prepared for this, I caught her as she fell, side-stepping to avoid the hot tea and expertly sweeping my unconscious prize into my arms before she could reach the ground. I promptly transformed myself into a nondescript, dumpy woman wearing the uniform of a member of the cleaning staff, complete with cleaning cart. I gently placed Yumi in the large, hidden compartment that made up the largest part of my fabricated cart, and I securely fastened the false lid, completely hiding her from view. I then unlocked the office door and made my way out of the school entirely, as cool as you please, having utterly succeeded in my plan. Yumi was mine, and I intended to keep it that way!

After making several perilous excursions through human-congested areas amid interested glances and whispers, I at last made it to one of the safe houses set up by my people within Tokyo. This particular house was a frequent stop for me before and after work, and I was good friends with the owners. They were all too happy to help me secure transportation for me and my charge, and they wished me much marital bliss, which I accepted with thanks. Within the hour, I was on a kagaijin-owned plane bound for Hokkaido, home to Henkyuu, one of the largest colonies of my people in the world. I thought it best to acclimate Yumi to kagaijin society in the safety of my place of birth, as it was less likely that she could escape from me there, where there were sure to be many sets of eyes on her. My people had been waiting long for me to take a bride, and they would be very interested indeed in the one whom I had chosen.

Yumi slept soundly all the way to Henkyuu. I carried her openly when I arrived, allowing my people to stare at her as they pleased. Given that she was to be their new queen, it was only right that they see her and learn her identity as soon as possible. Also, it was important to alert other bachelors to the fact that I had claimed her for myself, and that she was off-limits to them. Any male who tries to steal another male's prospective mate would have to fight to the death to achieve his goal, and it was unlikely indeed that any of the males among my people were so foolhardy.

I took Yumi to the royal palace, where my own parents were currently residing. Although I was the undisputed leader of my people, it was my father who handled most of my affairs for me, as he had been king prior to my birth. We shared a pleasant relationship with one another, and there was no bad blood between us about the shift in our roles. The laws of my people are absolute, and not even the current king can dispute them if a new leader is born. It is the old king's job to defend and help raise the new prince, and my own father did an admirable job, if I say so myself.

When I arrived at my home away from Tokyo, I was received with much anticipation from my father and mother. They had not seen me for several years, and were elated that I would be gracing their presence on such a joyous occasion as my union with a mate. My mother had been the daughter of a wealthy kagaijin and an unwilling human wife, but she was well in tune with the ways of my people. She openly embraced all of kagaijin culture, and she was just as pleased as my father about my newly acquired fiancée. They assured me that I could spend the next few days alone with Yumi in the east wing of the palace and we would be wholly and utterly undisturbed by everyone. It was common practice to consummate the union of a kagaijin and his mate in such a way, so that she could be allowed time to adjust to the shock of her new surroundings. I was eager to begin, but out of the tenderness I felt for my bride to be, I forced myself to remain calm and passive. I would have to allow her to wake up in comfort, and deal with her as kindly as possible.

After excusing myself from the company of my parents, I retired to the east wing with my precious partner, and I quickly chose one of the larger bedrooms to keep her in - one with a large, comfortable bed, and an adjoining bathing chamber, complete with self-heating mineral bath. I made her as comfortable as possible on the bed, and I waited patiently for her to awaken.

When Yumi did wake up, she was at first quite groggy and confused. This being natural, I stayed off out of sight behind the bed until she had collected her senses enough to sit up and stare in wonder at her surroundings.

"Where am I?" she asked aloud, holding the side of her head as though it pained her. "How did I get here?"

"You are in the royal palace at Henkyuu," I replied, stepping around the bed and revealing myself to her at last. I retained my human form so as not to frighten her immediately. It was important to keep my identity a secret for as long as possible, and besides, I wanted to be sure she would not try to flee while she was yet woozy from the anesthetic. I couldn't have her risking injury to herself like that.

"Wha ... where? Professor Akayama? Where exactly is this? Why are we here?"

"In due time, Yumi, in due time. First, I need you to tell me how much you remember before you fell asleep."

"I ... I remember going to your office, and talking to you..." her eyes widened a bit as she remembered the conversation, and immediately her cheeks reddened and she stared at me with a confused, bewildered gaze. "It, it was all a dream, I'm sure of it. Please, professor. Tell me how I got here."

"My dear Yumi," I sighed affectionately, sitting on the bed beside her and resting a hand on hers, causing her to jump slightly. "I brought you here. I wanted to bring you to a place where I knew we would be safe - safe from those who might try to harm us, and from those who might not approve. You see, I love you, Yumi. I wanted to tell you that so many times, but I could never find the proper time or place. Now that you're here, I feel more able to share this with you. Do you understand?"

"I ... no. No, I don't," she moaned, covering her face with her hands and shaking it weakly. "It doesn't make any sense! None of this does! Why would a beautiful, kind, wonderful man like you say such an unlikely thing to me? It can't be real!"

I was taken quite aback by her words. Unbeknown to me, it seemed that Yumi herself had developed feelings for me, and perhaps that was part of the reason why she was always so shy and flighty around me. Her inadvertent confession excited me so much that my face broke out into a smile of pure pleasure, and I seized her hand in mine and grasped it firmly.

"But it IS real, Yumi. It's as real as it can be. I love you, and I want you to love me. I brought you to this place so that you could marry me. I've waited a long time for a girl like you to find me, and now that you have, I have no intention of letting you out of my grasp."

"You're ... you're not joking?" she said incredulously, staring at me with large, wonder-filled eyes. "You really mean what you're saying?"

"Of course I do! I want to make you my mate for life! There is no greater fidelity or commitment my kind can give a woman, is there not? I would do anything to have you want the same thing!" I was so caught up in the moment that I did not realize my own mistake until it was too late. As soon as the words escaped my lips, I saw the unmistakable signs of puzzlement adorn her lovely face, then all at once they melted into horror as the full realization of what I had said hit her.

"Your kind..." she repeated, the color draining from her face almost instantly. "You're ... you're not human?"

"I ... Well, damn. I suppose I shouldn't have said that just yet," I laughed apologetically. "I'm afraid I've let the cat out of the bag a little prematurely, haven't I?"

"I should have known," she said shakily, tugging her hand away from me and edging away, eying me fearfully. "What man in his right mind would want anything to do with someone like me? I suppose the kagaijin must not have very high standards."

"Now Yumi, don't say such things," I said soothingly, standing up and making a move to walk around the bed to where she was. She let out a frightened yelp and leaped to her feet.

"Please don't come any closer!" she begged, the terror clear in her words. "I ... I know what you do to women when you have them trapped in your lairs! You're the very thing parents warn their daughters about!" She backed away until she had reached the wall at the far end of the room, and she glanced helplessly from one side of the room to the other, trying to find an exit.

"I understand that you're afraid, Yumi, but you must understand something. I did not bring you here to hurt you. I love you. The last thing I would ever dream of doing is making you unhappy. You must try to calm down; I won't have you stressing yourself like this."

"Stressed? Me?" she cried wildly, her breathing quickening and her eyes searching desperately for a means of escape. "Why shouldn't I be? The man I thought I was falling in love with turned out to be a monster! You've kidnapped me and taken me God knows where, and I have no idea how to keep from being assaulted by you. Doesn't that sound to you like it warrants just a little stress?" Her voice had a much higher pitch than normal, and it was easy to see that she was on the verge of hysterics. Seeing her so repulsed by me fairly well destroyed the elation I'd felt only moments before when I'd learned that she loved my alter ego. What a mess I'd made of things!

I knew that there was going to be no easy way of winning Yumi over. She had discovered my true self long before I had been able to woo her properly, and unfortunately, history has shown my kind that there is only one way to deal with a bride to be who is in such a state. I was going to have to skip the normal process of courtship and proceed right to the mating ritual. Once she experienced the intense pleasures of the flesh, she would have no more objections to becoming my bride. I only wished I didn't have to feel so guilty about frightening her so.

"Forgive me for misleading you," I sighed, walking toward her and ignoring her cries of protest. "I knew that you, like all other humans, were certain to harbor ill will and prejudice against my race, and I both understand and accept that. However, you will not feel that way forever. I shall have to show you - by any means necessary - that becoming the bride of a kagaijin is by far not the terrible thing your people would lead you to believe."

I easily trapped her in a corner and gently but firmly seized her by her arms, which had been flung out in front of her as if to ward off some kind of violent attack. She began to tremble violently as she cringed and turned away from me, obviously certain of an impending blow or other unpleasantness. I sighed and shook my head. "You are the most beautiful, wonderful woman I have ever met, Yumi, and I know more than anything that I want you to be my mate. You are not at all as ugly or pathetic as you may think yourself to be. I shall help you to understand that, and I shall do all that I can to give you all the pleasure and contentment you so richly deserve. Today, I shall mate with you, and together, we will consummate our union with the conception of our first child."

I then swept her up into my arms, and carried her back to the bed. I had fully expected her to scream and fight, but she had become stiff as though frozen, her eyes filled with tears and her pale face the very image of horror. She seemed incapable of speech for the moment, and as I gently laid her trembling, beautiful body onto the bed, she began to weep silently, her tears trickling down the sides of her face like two tragic streams of bitterness. Looking down at her unbearably terror-stricken face, I felt for the first time in my life that I truly was the monster she believed me to be. Was I really prepared to rape my beloved Yumi, just so that I could definitively claim that she was mine?