The Huntress and Orion

Beautiful blue, beautiful you:

To love is to receive a glimpse of heaven.


I stared in perplexity at Vergil, addressing me with a taciturn message. Those arctic sapphire eyes seem to bore holes into me and I was neither ashamed nor frightened of what might happen.

His hand was inches away from mine. Whereupon contact, the heat between us intensified, making me jump at the contact; jolts of energy passing between us. Then I knew, I knew when my eyes met his, before I was immediately covered in darkness…………… a flash of light and the welcoming ocean of darkness kissed me awake.

He had deceived me.

My eyes flew wide open and I was sent back to the laboratory. The skylight revealed flashes of light; white hot electrical currents flickered across the ceiling, causing streaks of lightning to crash through. My body felt heavy, drugged and my limbs froze by my sides. Then a jolt went through me as my wordless screams were stark and sharp in my mind; visions of Vergil's presence, his blue visage coming in and out of my consciousness like a gust of wind battering at me, taking swipes at my soul.

The last images I saw before midnight darkness whispered good night was my father's face; distorted and disgusted. His voice taunting, "Who would have thought? Mary, the daughter I sired, a good girl falling for a demons trick? Do opposites really attract? Just like your mother you are. So full of innocence and needful of love. When will you learn, girl? That life isn't like that?" the contorted face came closer to mine, "That life isn't about happy endings?"

You're wrong, I longed to scream, So wrong! My mother never needed to crave your love! She had plenty of her own! You were the one in need, Arkham. But it was too late for you, wasn't it?……….your soul was already tainted.

I never got a chance to form those words as I was being spiralled back, back into the world where I smelled the roses and the stars fell around. Where the world covered Vergil and I in a mirage of ebony desert. But this time, there sat a mirror, distorted as it was from the other side of the world, where I belonged. The long reflection ran along the edge of the horizon, lining up like a flaming blue optical illusion that sharpened my senses. Moving my body, the cold fear in my heart seem to freeze as I saw Vergil from that other side, his eyes flickered over to me.

My palms flat against the mirror, my anger rose in degrees, because I would not, could not be trapped here! He had, in my mind, exchanged me in the bargain. Ensnared in here like prey and my father accomplice to this madness. Trembling violently, I fought the tears that threatened to spill. They were signs of weakness on my part and they did no good. Instead of feeling sorrow and pain, my body shuddered in uncontrollable anger. My fists clenched so tight that I could feel my short nails biting into my palms.

This was nothing to me. I knew from the experience of my father's abuse, that I can take all the ugliness and shove it right back. Vanity had become one of my enemies. I knew that long ago when I stared at the mirror, the scar running across my nose, mocked at me, and I railed at the image before me. Hating my long dark hair and taking the pair of scissors to cut off the crowning beauty poets discussed in verse and bible books.

The effect I felt was grotesque, but decent. Almost to my disgust, I nearly cried with regret as those heavy masses of wavy ebony hair fell from my head onto the floor, creating a sea of black ribbons around my pale ankles. So it was from then, I became more focused in my fighting skills and use of firearms. This amused my father but he usually paid no mind to my silly girlish desires.

My studies grew fervent, taking in so much knowledge from the world and people. Still, I felt illiterate in comparison, especially to the evil brilliance that my father was. If I should come in contact with anyone, I distanced myself from any affection. This was reserved to my dying mother. I think this is what kept her alive and the thought of her alone brought a sense of fear deep inside me.

Get a hold of yourself, Mary. You're no good here to your mother if you're going to start with the waterworks. It's your own fault for trusting. My father was right……you can't trust and there are no happy endings.

I hoped the revulsion brimming from my eyes could sear through as Vergil looked straight at me. Glaring mutinously at him, he had no shame and what would I expect from a demon? The Legendary Sparda ran through his veins……and if he were like his father, he showed no signs of human compassion from that particular ancestor. I stood helpless as the demon turned to my father, their images slowly disappearing and my hands shook. The anger in me was unbearable and I conjured anything that came to mind for imagination was everything, wasn't it?

I waited for something, anything….but my mind went blank. I didn't give up so easily, not really, not when I can with the force of my boot kick at my reflection. The images of Vergil and Arkham disappearing in the distance. Leaping forward again, my leg lifted and using all my strength of my lower body; kicked with a powerful force, slamming the heel into the mirror. Again and again until the sweat from my brow and the pain coursing through my legs came in sharp relief in the center pain of my mind. My fists made contact with the wall, slamming into them until the knuckles bled. Through sheer will power I forced myself to walk through the mirage when the reflection started to crack.

The crack was what did it. I awoke in a painful clarity of everything around me. The open skylight blinked at me with the power of the night sky. Time must have passed by so quickly because the laboratory lights were switched off and everything that lit the corners of the room were emanating from the ceiling window. A sheet was laid over me and the humming of Arkham's computer revealed the blinking cursor of doom; starkly white against a blue wide screen. Everything was clothed in a hazy blue atmosphere and the jars that lay upon the tables appeared dusty with a bluish sheen. I heard the ponderous ticking of the grandfather clock. Where is everyone?

I had a moment of amazement as I lifted my leg over the side of the bed. The smell of roses faint in the air.

As I made my way out of the laboratory, the hall was dark and shooed away the indecision that crept in my head. The hall was full of lifeless stuffed beasts; their eyes black and empty, swords, and old artefacts. Seeing the halberds arranged in panoplies along the wall, I could thank my father for displaying swords for they made it easy to acquire. I crept into the next room, listening for any sound of voices.

It was unmistakably quiet. So quiet that it made me tense. The blue surroundings of my vision eyed the fireplace in the middle of the next room, and there, lighting up every shadow away blazed a fire. The large leather chair that partially blocked my view turned and Vergil lounged there, his icy blue eyes held mine as his elbows were set upon the sides of the chair. The beautiful silver head nodded slightly while his hands held together,

"Had a nice dream?"

My sword wavered by my side and his light eyes flicked over to them, "Took your time getting here. You going to use that?"

"Where's Arkham?" was all I could say. Though I wanted to strike him, common sense told me to stay my hand for awhile…

"You mean good ole' dad?" he languidly drawled, "I thought maybe you'd use that on me and afterward, we'll resume our chat." I watched him as he lowered his hand to relax easily on the armchair whilst his other placed over his temple, putting weight upon the arm of the chair. He taunted playfully, "Have a good hard look at me?" Lowering his lids, his eyes strayed to my weapon, "I don't think I've ever seen you use a sword properly, but you can shoot pretty straight. Your sword skills may need honing. Would you like me to help?"

I looked to where he was referring to and hoping there was enough venom in my voice, I spat out, "You may brag as you wish but you should do so only have you claim victory."

"I love the fire in you. It reminds me of someone I loved……..he's so much like you." He sighed, "There is so little in life I really love…." I saw his hand stray slowly to his chest and his fingers seem to trace something beneath the midnight shirt. A necklace? He lazily stood up, "Would you care to resume the battle here or outside on your lovely front lawn?"

"I'm so confused…." I whispered as he started to walk towards the open door. He turned to me with such intensity that I stepped back.

"What did you do to my father? Where is he? If you had killed him, damn you, I will gut your miserable demon hide."

He clucked his tongue, "Tetchy aren't you? I was going to but I thought maybe you'd enjoy that far better than I" then his eyes narrowed to slits, "But killing someone like him gives me pleasure."

"Just like the centaurs?" I launched back, "Looks like you're pretty blood thirsty, demon."

"You've found me out. Now I can't keep any secrets from you."

Silence greeted us. Tension seemed to reach a high that you could cut it with a knife. He bowed slightly, stemming the yawning hush around us, "You could at least say thank you for the courtesy."

"You bastard!" I stepped forward swiftly, closing the distance and slashed with the blade. He parried the attack easily, "So soon?" the corner of his lip lifted.

He launched a counter attack and I hopped back a bit to deflect the attack. The sword he had at his side came out so quickly that the surprise answer made me stumble. My jump was several meters high as I hopped onto furniture, turning them over. My jumps carried me around the great open room and I easily managed to defend myself as he came after me with another blow, his sword came crashing down atop me, hauling away the weapon in my hand. It went flying and crashed against the wall, just managing to roll away quickly. My memory of where the furniture lay clear though stumbled over a small table. Vases and small items fell over, crashing unto the carpeted floors.

My gun! I didn't want to use it for the noise it would cause. I had a gun tied to the strap of my thigh at all times and upon retrieving it, held it firmly in my hands but he was faster, so much stronger than I that I only managed to defend and deflect, and perhaps he would have killed me easily. My own breathing thrummed in my ears as the demon backed away. The cold blue eyes narrowed into dangerous slits, "Time to dream again, Mary. I'll come back for you……."

He reached out and blue electricity came out of him. I tried to cover myself from the assault, my finger pulled the trigger, heard the shots ringing out and tried to raise my arms to deflect the blow. I awoke back to where I was, before the blue haze, before my fight with the devil. The sky light revealed Orion in the northern sky; the archer-goddess discharged a shaft with fatal aim.

For some reason, my hands shook as I raise them up to cover my eyes, tears coursed down my pale cheeks.

No, I told myself, no. If I am the huntress, have I placed him among the stars? Or in my nightmares? Oh my god, what has my father done to me? So that he could get his attainment of power? Has he made the bargain with the devil through me?

The thoughts that churned through my head spun me dizzily as I realized that being exemplified as the huntress with human blood seemed ironic. I, a mere human girl against a demon?

My father came into the laboratory at that moment, his eyes sparkled with menace, "Ah, Mary, you've managed to come to. I think that dream invention I've created has gotten into you. I see that you've also gotten yourself out of there and you did a good job. Getting the young Sparda boy to comply to my wishes. I was prepared you know, if he were to try and kill me."

Raising my body up, I looked to him, "Where is that Sparda demon?"

He went about to work around his little chemistry set and didn't bother to look at me, "The son, Mary, the son. Be precise. Truly, if that were really the Sparda I would have no need to go through all this nonsense. Your human blood was most satisfactory."

"Why? And I saw you with him. You had trapped me in there! Left me there to rot!" I tried to control my rising hysteria.

"You ask too many questions." His back was towards me, "By the way, your mother was in dire condition, I had to send her away."

"What!" I took off, running towards my mother's bedroom to find emptiness greeting me. The yawning vacancy left my heart aching. My mother was gone. Arkham's voice below the steps called out to me, "I put her away to a proper institution. Don't you agree, Mary that that is where she belongs?"

Should I feel relieved? Angry? I didn't feel any of that. I was so numb but at the same time, it brought me one step closer to freedom.

It was then that I decided to take flight tonight. Would my father care? I was always his favorite tool to use, so yes, he would care. Not out of love but by necessity for his needs. That somehow, my blood or my purity was the final step. Using my mother was the first step towards that goal. So I made the decision this night to take care of things my own way. The manor was kept in top condition; with security guards that allowed no one in and at the same time, no one out. So how did that demon get away undetected? There were so many things I didn't know about his kind.

When the moon had lifted away and the clock downstairs struck at a late hour, the sound of thunder rumbled from a distance. I cursed silently, great, just great. Rain. How much more can my little getaway be easier? I stood in front of the open window. The sleet of rain softly hitting the panes of the window sill and as I allowed the wind to whip at my face; dew drops kissed at my skin and with a silent prayer, decided to make my escape.

As I slid downward, down the pipe and unto the wet grass, avoiding the hard gravel and cobblestone, he was waiting for me.

That's when I shot out; bullets had to have hit him in the chest. My eyes closed from the impact and frankly, I didn't know how many shots were fired. All I knew in that instance, he had pried the gun away from my cold trembling fingers. My mind screamed: He's a demon! He's a demon! He can't die!

Being hauled up against his chest, I heard his snarl by my ear, "You're more trouble than you're worth. Just announce it to the whole world that you've escaped."

The wind whipped around us as rain came down and sent his combed back silver hair in a ribbon blanket around his eyes; wet rain drops melded his thick silver lashes. His derisive remarks didn't end there, "Now look at what you've done."

Glancing towards his chest, there were bullet holes that ripped and damaged his once beautiful immaculate blue satiny trench coat. It was not that that I was awed at, but at the way his flesh inside had healed remarkably fast before my eyes.

"I knew it," I told myself without realizing I voiced them out, "I knew you wouldn't die."

"It's a good thing too," he drawled, "Dating anyone fully human would be out of the question for you. Since you've got a trigger happy itch. But," he paused, "Don't think I am invincible. Too much of your gun firing tactics would end up killing any demon."

Everything was real this time, his presence, the rain pelting on us, and the awkwardness of the scene. I quickly replied, avoiding the discomfort of the situation, "As if I would……date you.."

"Or shoot me some more?"

"You're in league with my father aren't you?" I kept my gun at his chest. Giving me that information that I could take him down just a little at a time made me powerful but somehow, empty.

"Should we not leave here? Instead of standing in the middle of the pouring rain? We have much to discuss, Lady."

The hazy atmosphere brought a blue blanket around us. Despite myself, I liked the sound of that; the way he called me Lady.

He slightly smiled and for the first time, they made his masculine features extremely boyish that they lit his face up, "You're awake…"

Yes, I am. Everything was so beautiful, all this beautiful blue……