AN: I'm not even going to try and explain the cause for the tardiness in posting this chapter, I already feel bad that's it's taken as long as it has, I can only apologise repeatedly and please don't kill me!

In any case, now that DW7 has come out I had lots of inspiration, so hopefully (hopefully.) I will write more. There's a bit of Father/son fluff in this chapter, which just tickles me to no end, but most of it is important stuff for the rest of the story, so at the very least read the speech XD


Chapter 6 – Sun's Demon

Anmaru's eye opened. He was on the floor. A bruise throbbed on the back of his head. He sat up drearily, the sunlight glaring into his eyes. He held up his hand to cover them, only then noticing the book enclosed within his grip. He stared at it curiously for a moment, before images flooded into his mind. Sun Si and her murderous, betraying husband, Sun Tai and his horrific death. He recalled seeing these images before; however, they were usually much more broken and scattered. These were clear; like he himself had witnessed them.

The images stopped, and his mind whirled for a moment before settling. He sat still, allowing himself to calm. Flicking through the pages of the diary he came again to the final entry, scrawled hastily in thick black ink. The page was signed with the maid's name, Mi Lin. He frowned, trying to recall a moment when he may have met with this Mi Lin, or when he may have found this diary, but he drew a blank. Grimly, he threw the diary back into his rusted trunk, where it landed with a soft thud.

With a heavy sigh, Anmaru stood up and went about picking up the books strewn about over the floor. He bent down to pick up a large, dusty tome when it cracked open and a small stream off paper seals dropped out. Anmaru managed to catch one, and examined it. It was intrinsically detailed with many strange, foreign runes, which he had never seen, nor known he had possessed. He held the tome up, opening at the page the seals were encased in, only to find that the tome was completely blank; every single page was. He stared at the pages, wondering if something would eventually appear, but nothing did. He sighed, gathering the seals up and placing them back in the tome.

He had finished collecting all of the books, when he heard the door to the main room shut, only then remembering he had a patient in the next room.

Sun Ce.

His thoughts went back to Sun Tai and Sun Si. Was it possible that this was passed down through families? Neither Si nor Tai had any children, and no more siblings that he knew of; but maybe there parents had had other children afterwards. But their parents had been quite old at the time, a little too old to have any more children. Anmaru shook his head, dismissing the idea; it was impossible, no one else in the Sun family had shown any signs of being a hanyou, it was just a coincidence. A very large coincidence.

The only problem he had now was whether to tell Sun Ce; a prospect he found rather daunting. There was plenty of denial in his mind, telling him that Ce wasn't a hanyou and that he should just ignore it, perhaps move on to another place as he had always done. But other than the desire to help Ce, a selfish urge was keeping him from running. The urge to find out about his past. Ce's illness had unlocked a lot of hidden memories for him, and he yearned to find out more. Steadying his nerves, he turned the ornate handle and opened to door to the next room.

Sun Ce greeted him with a bright grin.

"Doc!"

"Please, stop calling me that." said Anmaru blankly.

"Ha! Yu tells me that sometimes too!"

Anmaru stared for a moment, trying to process the obvious innuendo. "I'm not even going to think about what that implies."

Sun Ce erupted into devilish laughter, making Anmaru smile sadly. Deeply, he hoped that Ce would remain the same person after he told him he was a hanyou; but he doubted it. He would probably become withdrawn and angry. But worst of all he could be killed if anyone else found out, and Anmaru particularly didn't want that. He made his way over to Ce's bed and sat down on the opposite side, as Sun Ce calmed down.

"Sun Ce, can I ask you something?"

Ce had stopped laughing by now and smiled at Anmaru. "Sure."

Anmaru considered his words carefully before asking, "I know this might sound strange, but have you ever experience or done something that you could never explain?"

Sun Ce stared for a moment, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly at Anmaru's question. "Something I couldn't explain?"

"Yes."

"Erm...I suppose."

"Like what?"

"Er...well...when I was four, we were coming to dock in at the port in Jiang Ye and Wei archers ambushed our boat and shot at my father...I caught the arrow though," Ce said with a proud grin on his face. "I also survived a 50ft drop out of one of the castle window once, with no broken bones!"

Anmaru was silent. Both those events were odd. "Anything -?"

"I remember...during one battle, I think we were at Hu Lao...and something weird happened there..."

"What? What happened?" asked Anmaru a little too eagerly.

"...I...I can't remember. I know I was fighting someone, and I got hurt...but, I don't...I don't, completely remember. I just know I felt weird...like I did those other times." Ce trailed off.

"What do you mean? What types of feelings did you have?"

"Like...I knew things were going to happen, before they happened. I feel like...like there's something inside of me, I don't know what, but it's trying to tell me something; and every time I just get this uncomfortable rush, as if it wants to get out of me." Anmaru's eyes widened, as Ce uttered the last words with fear in his voice.

"IT'S TRYING TO GET OUT OF ME!" She screamed and trashed about, tearing her white dress from her chest; clawing at her skin, making it bleed furiously. He tried to pull her hands away, but she was stronger than him and lashed out at him too, all the while screaming, "HELP ME! HELP ME! HELP ME!"

"ANMARU!"

He snapped out of his daze, his head swimming. Pressing a hand to his brow, he wiped off the sweat. Sun Ce was looking at him worryingly, before a realisation dawned on him.

"You remembered something, didn't you?" he asked plainly.

Anmaru looked up at him. "Yes."

"What was it?"

"I don't know. I don't know. Fragments of broken memories. An event which I know is mine, but I don't know when, or where, or who the people in it are. I might as well have not remembered."

"It's probably important, that's why you've remembered it."

He tried to recall the little girl's face or name, but nothing came to mind. Instead he thought of what Ce had said. Many things Ce had done and said had caused him to recall memories, he just hoped that the memory he just saw was never repeated with others in the girl's position.

"You're right." Sun Ce smiled. "Things I'm remembering in my past...they're all because of you."

...

"Me?" Ce looked confused.

"Yeah."

"I...don't understand...what do you mean?" His voice had escalated slightly, and his body had tensed.

Anmaru looked down at his hands for as long as possible before gazing regretfully at Ce. "You...never had a fever, Ce...I made it up."

Sun Ce just stared blankly, his green eyes swimming with confusion.

"I...didn't want to tell you anything, until I was absolutely sure about what I thought."

"And what do you think?"

...

"You're a hanyou, a half-demon."

The room was silent. Even the wind outside had died. Something made a risky creak in the vicinity, but it could not break the atmosphere that was created when those words were said. Sun Ce stared blankly at Anmaru, but Anmaru could see the emotions swimming in Ce's eyes. There was confusion, pain...and anger. The raw emotion that Anmaru really hoped he wouldn't encounter, but knew would surface.

Ce's eyebrows furrowed further, and this time his expression was unreadable. He couldn't quite understand what Anmaru was saying. A demon? Him? Was that what that feeling was that welled up inside of him when he was in danger or when he was angry? It was the demon trying to get out of him. Ce grasped his head and tugged at his hair, groaning in confusion.

Anmaru watched Ce bury his face in his knees, his knuckles turning white as he grasped the bed linen. He edged closer to Ce, who was shaking uncontrollably, reaching out with his own shaking hand to touch his shoulder.

The moment they made contact he knew it was the wrong decision.

Ce shot up in the bed, his eyes glaring at Anmaru. A fierce, fiery red. Dark shadows had appeared around his eyes, and his nails on his hands had sharpened. The aura emanating from him was incredibly, it took all of Anmaru's to keep standing. He backed away as Ce stood from the bed, eyes never leaving him. His feet stumbled over books as he pressed his body against the wall. Ce stood before him, silver markings drawing themselves over his arms, legs and face. Anmaru knew what was going to happen...

The fiery aura burst from Sun Ce, enveloping everything in the room. Flames dominated the room, wrapping themselves around Ce; Anmaru covered his eyes. The scarlet fires burned into him. He should have expected this from the beginning.

"THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" Two voices rang out amongst the flames. Anmaru lowered his arms and saw a small girl in Ce's place. She was surrounded by a vortex of blue energy, creating a wind which whipped her already torn dress around her. "WHY? WHY ME? WHY NOT YOU?" Anmaru stared dumbstruck, even more so when an apparition of himself flew through him, holding up a set of intricately designed seals in front of the girl. Anmaru studied the seals and watched as the blue fire began to disperse; along with the vision.

Sun Ce was in her place, but the fire had begun to flare out around the room, picking up all manner of items, carrying them in the fierce wind. A large red translucent tail swayed dangerously behind him; two sharp wolfen ears protruded from his head; his hands and feet now held even sharper claws; and Anmaru could clearly see layers of thick bone beginning to break through on his forearms and shins.

The vision passed through his mind again, and the ghostly image (though faded) was again holding the seals up in front of him.

The seals. From the book in his trunk.

But he didn't have the seals. He was going to die. And he could do nothing to prevent it. It would be either him. Or Sun Ce.

And against a hanyou he didn't stand a chance alone.

"I'm burning..."

Anmaru's eyes shot up. Ce was holding his head in his hands, the scarlet aura receding slightly. He was fighting it.

"CE! COME ON! YOU HAVE TO FIGHT THIS! DON'T LET IT CONTROL YOU!"

Sun Ce moaned in agony, collapsing to his knees. "I...can't. It burns...inside."

Anmaru took a step forward. "YOU CAN! IT WILL STOP, IF YOU FIGHT IT!"

But apparently to will to fight it had left. The fire burst out of Ce again, pushing Anmaru back.

"NO IT WON'T! YOU LIAR!"

Anmaru didn't even blink as Sun Ce launched himself at him, clawed hands aiming for his throat.

He was going to die...

The claws stopped. Millimetres from him. Hands braced to enclose his throat. Anmaru stared a Ce, and noticed his gaze was not on him. Anmaru turned his head to look in the same direction and his eyes widened.

'Oh no!'

Zhou Yu was standing rigid in the doorway; his eyes fixed firmly on Sun Ce. The fiery aura disappeared almost immediately, with books and furniture dropping from the air with a resounding crash. Anmaru watched as the claws receded, and the tail and ears dispersed. Ce's hands dropped limply to his side, as he fell to his knees, a look of utter horror on his face. Yu had yet to move, but he was shaking. Anmaru wasn't really sure what to do. He knew whatever Yu decided to do could change how Ce reacted...

...and if he lived.

Anmaru watched as Zhou Yu took a steady step towards them before rushing over to Sun Ce and enveloping him in an embrace. This action seemed to wake Ce from his stupor and he buried his face in Yu's shoulder, his body racked with sobs. Anmaru could do nothing but stare as the couple comforted each other. To say he was relieved was an understatement. Zhou Yu had seen what Ce was and yet not rejected him.

There was hope.


Ce and Yu sat on the ruined bed, grasping each other's hands firmly. Sun Ce hadn't said anything since Zhou Yu had appeared and just sat silently, staring at the floor. Anmaru emerged from his room with several books in his arms, which he dropped on his desk, before turning to the couple.

"I know this is a very sensitive time, but, we must talk about this and what you wish to do." He spoke bluntly, his hardened expression conveying the seriousness of the situation.

Zhou Yu went to say something but Sun Ce spoke up first. "There's nothing to do," he said in a whispered, broken voice. "I'm evil, why would -."

"You're not evil!" said Zhou Yu with a fierceness in his voice. Ce looked at him with a weak smile.

"He's right, Ce. You're not evil. And we must do something about this, we cannot sit idly by."

"Then what do you suggest?" said Zhou Yu, gently caressing Ce's hands. "You seem to know a lot about this for a mere doctor."

Anmaru knew what he was implying. "Yes, you're right. I do, or that is, I did know a lot about this, from what I can gather. So far books have provided a small amount of aid, but I'm afraid the answers may lie far afield from here."

"Meaning what?" mumbled Ce.

"Meaning...we have to leave?"

Ce's head shot up, and he glared at Anmaru.

"Why?" asked Zhou Yu. "Is there nothing that can be done about it here?"

"No." said Anmaru bluntly. "This is not something a priest can exorcise, or that you can pray away. You were born a hanyou, you don't just become one."

Sun Ce looked physically sick. "Born with it?"

"Yes. In fact, from what I found out, there were two others in your family that were also hanyou's, but...they died before they could have any children."

"My...family? Who?"

"A brother and sister called Sun Tai and Sun Si." Anmaru passed the small diary over to Ce, who began flicking through it. "Though I do believe that it is just a coincidence. I highly doubt that your Father, Brother or Sister are hanyou's."

Zhou Yu turned from reading the small diary. "They died? ...Or were they killed?"

Anmaru sighed sadly. "I will not lie. They were killed. Not many are as understanding as you. However, Ce..." Sun Ce looked up, his face ashen. "Both Si and Tai were wonderful people, and never sought to hurt people, and even tried to prevent the harming of their people through negotiations rather than battle. It was said that Sun Si was made from the earth itself, because of her undying love for it and her will to see the earth returned to its true state. Whereas Sun Tai was a man of the people, he only wished for everyone to live in peace, and to see an end to all wars. If they were hanyou's because they were evil then they must have put on a serious facade in order to fool everyone, because it would never have been suspected of them. Even...even she was good..." Anmaru's voice drifted to silence, as his eyes glazed over.

Both Ce and Yu looked up at Anmaru in confusion. "Who was?" asked Ce.

Anmaru's brow furrowed, and he placed a hand to his head. "I...I don't know. I can see her...in my head; but I don't know who she is."

"Another hanyou?"

"Yeah. And it's seeing the vision of her that makes me worry of what is to come."

"What do you mean?"

"She was powerful. More powerful than you were when you changed. But she had more than one tail, and she couldn't control what she was doing at all."

"Tail?"

Anmaru looked at Ce as he posed the ultimate question. What really was a hanyou? Anmaru walked over and sat on the bed on the opposite side of Ce. "Let me tell you how a hanyou develops. Normally people who are hanyou's go through experiences such as yourself, by surviving impossible things, and finding inhuman strength during battle; but also as you said, by being able to foresee events, and other things. The way a hanyou can be discovered, normally, before they change, is by looking at their blood. This is how I discovered you were; the blood usually has black streaks in it, which can only be seen in a certain light. However, most only discover they are hanyou's when they change for the first time. The number of tails they have donates at what stage in hanyou development they are. Every time you change you will gain a new tail; so if you change again you will have two. With every tail your power will increase, but so will any control over yourself decrease. Your body will also change as it goes through the stages and you will develop characteristics that are similar to the animal that you embody. This is the animal that best suits your soul."

Sun Ce sat silent for a moment, trying to process everything he had heard. "So...what will happen when I completely lose control of myself?"

Anmaru was pretty sure that Ce had used his hanyou perception to pick up on that aspect. Images of the girl flashed through his mind as she writhed around as her body deformed and four tails flew from the base of her spine.

"Er...Well, I don't know, completely. I have only ever seen up to the fourth stage, beyond that I don't understand or know what would happen."

"Who did you see with four tails? That girl?"

Anmaru's mouth went dry as he tried to speak, and Ce had his answer.

"So, if we have to leave, where're we going, what do we do?"

"I...I think it is very possible that all of the answers lie in my past. With you I have remembered more than I ever have, and I know there are ways to defend against hanyou, but there must be something to perhaps suppress it as well. Either way, it's unlikely we're going to find answers just sitting here."

"So where do we go?" asked Ce.

"To where I first lost my memories."


The horses were packed and ready. Sun Ce fixed his cloak around him, fastening the golden buckles. Ever since he had found out about the hanyou inside of him it was like he could feel its presence beneath his skin, getting ready to burst forth. He shuddered. A cold breeze swept through the stables, tussling his now redder hair; according to Anmaru it had been stained like that because he had a red aura. Ce fingered a lock f his bright hair before brushing it behind his ears. He picked up his tonfa and swung them around, stopping when the light caught his hands, highlighting the silvery markings. Ce withdrew quickly, covering his hands with his long sleeves. He turned back to the horse, sliding his tonfa into the holders on the saddle.

A click of the handle alerted him to someone entering the stable. He turned around, expecting to see Zhou Yu or Anmaru, instead it was Sun Jian.

His Father.

His mind whirled back to a conversation they had had that night

"What do I say to my family? To my Father? He'll want to know where we're going." said Ce with apprehension.

"You may tell him what you wish. If you wish to tell him the truth, that you are a hanyou, then by all means do it, but..."

"But, you wouldn't advise it would you?" said Ce. "You think he will turn on me. Maybe kill me?"

Zhou Yu's grip on his hand tightened. "You're Father wouldn't do that."

Anmaru looked unsure. "I'm not saying that he will turn on you, he may even side with you on this; however, you should be cautious, if nothing else. Your Father he may be, but that didn't stop the people Sun Si and Sun Tai loved from turning on them the moment they saw they were demons. Sometimes it's best to leave well enough alone; I would hate for the last memory of your Father to be one of contempt."

Ce had thought about little else since. He was sure that his Father would still love him no matter what; but there was always that doubt inside of him.

"Father."

Sun Jian gave him a warm smile. "I was told that my son was in the stables, packing for some great adventure. And I wouldn't mind, if I knew where you were going."

Ce had never felt more on the spot. If there was any time to come up with a good excuse, it would be now. But his mind was blank. Did he tell his Father the reason he was leaving. The reason he might be leaving for months, even years, and if the worst came to the worst, he Father might receive news of his death.

"Well, Ce?"

Whilst his head told him to be logical and make something up; his heart willed him to tell the truth. And Sun Ce always listened to his heart, no matter what.

"Father...there's...there's something I have to tell you; something important." He'd made up his mind, and there was no going back, he just hoped his Father understood, because he was about to be sick from shaking.

Sun Jian seemed to realise the seriousness of the conversation immediately and motioned for Ce to sit down on with him on a bench. "What's wrong, Ce?"

Ce took several deep breaths trying to calm his nerves. "Father, I...You remember when I was little, right, and we were sailing back to Jian Ye - Sun Jian nodded - well, you must remember when I caught that arrow?"

"It's not something I could easily forget." said Sun Jian with a small smile. "You saved my life."

"Yeah, and that time at Hu Lao, when I fought Lu Bu."

Sun Jian outwardly grimaced. "Yes...You defeated Lu Bu, but you were gravely injured, I had never been so worried for your life than I was then."

Sun Ce was taken back; he had never realised his Father had been so worried. Ce put a hand to the side of his head, where Lu Bu's attack had taken out quite a chunk. The wound had healed perfectly, with no scar; he remembered that all of the doctors had been amazed.

"Er..Well, what I have to tell is kind of related to those things, and other things I've done. You see...I..."

Sun Ce breathed heavily.

"...I'm not human."

It was a similar silence to the one when he had found out. He didn't look at his Father as he said it; he didn't want to be able to see the look of disgust on his face.

"I know."

Ce looked up slowly, meeting his Father's saddened eyes. "W-What?"

Sun Jian sighed heavily. "I know that you are different, Ce. I've known for a long time. How could you not be? The things you can do, no human could possibly. Yes, I knew; but more so since Hu Lao."


The great doors of Hu Lao swung on their hinges. Sun Jian had just watched as his eldest son was thrown about the battlefield and then sent crashing through the iron doors. He ran forward with Zhou Yu, his heart wrenching as he eyed the large streaks of blood staining the white snow.

A cry from inside the gates took his attention, he rushed inside with his soldiers in time to see Sun Ce grab Lu Bu and throw him with such force that he went crashing through the side wall. Zhou Yu had slid to the ground and was clutching his chest, trying to regain his breath. Sun Ce, meanwhile, had followed Lu Bu through the wall. Sun Jian ordered his troops to get Zhou Yu out, while he went after his son.

The sight that greeted him was like none he had ever seen. Ce had Lu Bu lifted into the air, grasping his throat with a single clawed hand. With one movement, Lu Bu was smashed into the pavement; his face and armour bloodied. Ce stood over him, completely ignoring his wounds, a red misty aura surrounding him.

"So...it appears...there is a demon...even more terrifying than I. But...to fight such power...this is a glorious end!"

As Lu Bu spoke these words, Sun Ce brought his fist down, sending it straight through Lu Bu's chest. Sun Jian watched in shock as his son stood, hands bloodied, and eyes feral. Ce swayed on the spot, and Sun Jian rushed forward, catching his son before he hit the ground.

Sun Jian stayed crouched for a moment, observing how Ce's features began to soften as the red aura disappeared. The moment it did, blood began to pour from his wounds. Quickly, Sun Jian lifted Ce off the ground, taking one last glance at the defeated Lu Bu, before carrying his son away from the battle.


Sun Ce just stared at his Father. "But...why didn't you say anything?"

"I wasn't sure how you would react, or if you would even remember anything. And you didn't, you only remembered the beginning of your fight with Lu Bu, you told everyone the rest was a blur."

"It...was. But...you-you don't hate me..."

Sun Jian raised an eyebrow. "Why on earth would I hate you?"

The shaking had returned, and tears were swimming in his eyes. "B-because, I'm a m-monster."

Ce held his head in his hands as his Father's arms wrapped around him and held him in a strong embrace. Ce grasped his Father's shirt, clinging to the material like a lifeline. Sun Jian ran his hands gently through Ce's hair, in an attempt to calm him.

"Ce...of all the things in this world that you are...you are not a monster. You are not evil. And you are not a demon. I have known you since you were born, you are my son, and you are a kind and caring person. You might get in trouble now and then, but then again that's just who you are."

Ce gave a wet laugh, wiping his eyes on his sleeves. Sun Jian smiled affectionately at his son.

"That's better. Now - Sun Ce pushed himself up - I assume that you're leaving because of this; you don't need to, no one here will shun you."

Ce shook his head. "I have to. Anmaru has met people like me, and knows a lot about this; he's going to try and help me control it, and maybe...maybe get rid of this thing inside of me."

Sun Jian looked like he was about to protest, but Sun Ce stopped him. "Please, I...I don't want to ever lose control of this power while I'm here. It...It takes over my mind, and I'm terrified I'll hurt someone I love. Please, Father, I'm doing this to try and find out more about myself."

Sun Jian sighed sadly, pulling his son back into the embrace. "Very well. But you must return home - Ce's eyes softened with regret - I will not lose my son to something like this. You must come back."


Sun Jian watched as his son, Zhou Yu, and Anmaru rode away from Jian Ye. Their forms casting a dark silhouette on the land. He had no idea when or if he would see any of them again.

"I hope you find the answers you're looking for, Ce."

He turned and without looking back, returned to the castle.


AN: You don't know how much this has got off my chest; I spent ages deliberating whether or not Ce should tell his Dad, but I'm glad I chose to do it.

As far as the poll goes I believe we are at:

Zhao Yun/Jiang Wei – 2

Gan Ning/ Lu Xun – 1

Oh...and before I forget, the next chapter has kind of has a bit of...well, sex XD ...in the hot spring...*fangirl s'plosion*

Next Chapter: The steam from the water was making him dizzy, and he was pretty sure Yu wasn't sitting in his lap a moment ago...

:D Till next time!