Tohru's Demons
Chapter Thirty-One: The Monster Under The Bed
Kisa lay stiff in her bed, her covers pulled all the way up to her chin, staring fearfully at the dark floor. She could swear there was something moving there. It wasn't a mouse because it was huge, and it had come from under her bed.
It was early morning, though, so Kisa was a little confused, besides being scared out of her mind. It was a law of nature that the Monster-Under-The-Bed only came out late at night, not at eight o'clock A.M. Maybe he's lost... Kisa thought. But she wasn't about to ask. Better not to draw any attention to herself.
Meanwhile, the Monster-Under-The-Bed was making its way towards the window. It reached out a twisted, clawed hand and griped the curtain and with quick shuffling steps, pulled it back. Light shafted into the room and fell softly onto the strange furniture and accessories adorning Kisa's room, which to her had been grotesquely frightening apparitions just mere moments ago in the dark.
The-Monster-Under-The-Bed was a strange, tiny man with hair growing out of his obscenely large bat-like ears. He blinked at Kisa blearily through beady little eyes, then pointed a finger at Kisa, shouted "BBBAAAAAAAHHH!" and then ran back under her bed. For a second she heard the sound of squeaking hamsters and the clink of cogs, and then all was silent once more.
Kisa lay speechless for a few seconds, then very slowly eased out from under the covers, scooted over the edge of the bed closest to the door, then leapt out away as far as she could jump and sprinted out into the hall as fast as her little legs could go.
Artemis was making his way towards his rooms when Kisa came barreling around the corner. He had been lost in thought, not to mention being exhausted, both mentally and physically, so when he heard the distant pitter patter of feet, he at first ignored it and then dismissed it to be some servant or other. He had only just realized it was a human, and a Sohma at that, when Kisa crashed smack into his stomach. Kisa fell back on her behind while Artemis reeled back a few steps with a grunt.
"Watch where you're going!" he snarled furiously in outrage.
"I... I'm sorry..." Kisa gasped barely above a whisper. Artemis blinked, looking down at her for the first time. She stared back up at him with a look of extreme apprehension, which made Artemis's stomach lurch for some reason. A look like that, especially in his presence, would most certainly lead to tears, and that was something he absolutely could not handle.
"Uhh... look, I didn't mean it like that..." he said hurriedly. "So... don't start crying or anything, got it?" he ordered, perhaps a little too forcefully because Kisa shrank back in fear and nodded mutely, her eyes shining. Oh, god dammit... Artemis thought ruefully, putting a hand over his eyes. What am I supposed to do now?
"Look..." he started, then sighed regretfully, thinking of his nice, soft bed, and said, "What are you doing up so early? And why were you running?"
"I..." Kisa said softly, and that was about as far as she got before her voice gave out.
"Well? I'm still waiting."
"There... there's something... u-under my bed." Kisa said in a very small voice.
"Really? What did it look like?" Artemis asked, curious.
"It... had big ears and... was small... and old..."
"Oh, you're talking about Sparky. Don't worry about him. He's one of the servants here. They use a tunnel system beneath the castle floorboards, and come out through the trapdoors underneath the beds. He's certainly nothing to be afraid about."
"Is... is he a demon...?" Kisa asked. And why is he named Sparky
"What else would he be?" Artemis asked, as if this were obvious, and immediately regretted it when Kisa cringed slightly at his tone. Artemis let out a growl, and ran an irritated hand through his hair.
"Well... he's technically a cross between and kobold and a gnome... Anyway, what's your name, kid?"
"K-Kisa..."
"Do you want to go back to your room, Kisa?" When Kisa shook her head no, he continued. "Well, you can't wander around the castle alone. Something could happen, or you could get lost. So we'll head down to the kitchen, and you can have a glass of milk or something and wait for someone else to wake up. Okay?"
"...Okay."
"Right. Come on." Artemis said and turned on his heel and swept back up the hallway, his coat billowing out behind him. "I said, come on!" he called back over his shoulder. "Or are you just going to sit there all day?"
"C-coming...!" answered Kisa, scrambling to her feet and hurrying to catch up with the demon. They didn't speak the entire way to the kitchen. Kisa's mind was in a frenzy as she sat gingerly on a chair and quietly accepted the offered glass of milk. Then Artemis poured himself a glass and sat down with her. At her look of surprise, his mouth quirked.
"What? Didn't think demons drank milk?"
Kisa shook her head and looked down.
"Neither did I," Artemis said and gulped it down, while Kisa blushed and smiled into her cup. She couldn't help it. Yes, he was certainly scary, but there was something... enduring about Artemis, something that appealed to her.
She wasn't quite sure what it was, perhaps the look of... misery... buried in those angry golden eyes. He was hurting like crazy beneath his tough exterior, and the more she looked at him, really looked at him, slantwise, through the corners of her eyes, the more she was sure of it. And that pain was not unfamiliar to her, she realized.
That look... It's like Grandpa Hatori's... she thought. Like he's lost something precious to him... and he can't get it back.
"Artemis-san...?" Kisa said without thinking. Artemis glanced up at her over the rim of his glass, and Kisa blushed profoundly, surprised at her own bravery. "I... well... I was wondering, um... uh, that is... you look sort of upset about something... Is anything wrong?" she stammered in a breathless rush, her heart pounding, afraid he would for some reason be angry with her.
"Wrong...?" Artemis repeated, blinking in startled perplexity.
"Well, uh... you look kinda... kinda sad, and I was... wondering why?"
Artemis stared at her in bewildered silence, completely caught off guard, for several seconds before looking down to contemplate his milk.
"I'm-I'm sorry...!" Kisa gasped. "You don't have to tell me! Please don't be mad...!"
"I'm not mad..." Artemis interjected quietly. "It's just that..." He stopped and looked up, his ears pushing forward and twitching, as he listened for something. Kisa had the sudden, almost irresistible urge to reach over and touch those ears...
"Hey," said a familiar voice. Kisa looked up, and was startled to see Hiro standing in the doorway, glaring at Artemis suspiciously. Artemis leaned back in his chair, slinging one arm over the back, and appraised Hiro with a smirk.
"Did you follow us?" he asked in amusement.
"Yes," Hiro replied defiantly. "What have you been doing to Kisa?"
"He got me a glass of milk," Kisa said quickly, holding up her half emptied cup as proof. Hiro did not look reassured.
"I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep, so I... decided to take a walk, and then bumped into Artemis," Kisa explained. Artemis hardly glanced at her over the rim of his cup at this slightly different version of what happened, though he thought "bumped" was rather an understatement.
"Kisa, I trust you can manage now?" he said, setting down his glass.
"Yes... thank you..."
"Good. I was up late last night, so I'm going to bed. In reference to your question..." Artemis hesitated for a moment, then said, "Go find Raha. Tell him I sent you and that you would like to be taken to my private study. You'll find your answers there."
Kisa nodded, her eyes wide, wondering this had in store for her.
"Oh, and Kisa? There's a guard, and he'll... ask you some questions. You shouldn't have any problems if you are truthful." With that message, he rose and strode out of the room. Kisa stared after him in surprise, then slowly rose from her seat, her face burning, and smiled sheepishly at Hiro.
"What was that all about?"
"I'm not really sure..." Kisa said in confusion. "Come on, let's go find Raha-san!" she said, taking his hand and tugging him out of the room.
"Do you know where he is?" Hiro asked.
"Hm, I don't know... But he's usually with Onee-chan, right? And Onee-chan is probably still sleeping, so we should find Raha-san in her room somewhere, right?"
"Yeah, I suppose..." Hiro said grudgingly, reluctant to go willingly to Tohru's room. But Kisa was already on her way, so Hiro felt himself obliged to follow her. Upon reaching Tohru's chambers, Kisa timidly nudged the door open and poked her head inside, her eyes scanning the gray interior. She spotted Tohru's bed, and the vague figure of Tohru herself breathing deeply beneath the covers.
It was a surprisingly plain room, considering she was the King of Hell's adoptive daughter, as Shigure had recently informed Kisa and Hiro. There was only a bed, a desk littered with open books and sheaths of parchments, a chair, and a wardrobe. The colors, they were surprised to see, were moderate blues, greens, and browns, with a few rich reds thrown in here and there. They had been expecting bright, cheerful colors, but instead the room exuded a sense of composure and comfort.
Kisa ventured hesitantly further in, looking around for Rahallion. "Raha-san..." she called softly. "Raha-san, I need to speak with you."
Raha's eyes snapped open and glowed faintly in the dark as he looked down at a boy and a girl from his den in the rafters. The girl, he remembered her name to be Kisa, was calling for him. Why, he did not know, and did not care to know. He closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep. But Kisa, to his annoyance, did not go away. She stayed, standing uncertainly in the doorway, every so often whispering his name aloud and looking about.
This bothered him for three reasons. First, her incessant persistence was keeping him awake, a state he would much rather avoid at the moment. Secondly, she had encroached on his territory without his permission. And thirdly, though he hated to admit it to himself, he was beginning to wonder why she was there. None of these things were tolerable, and he decided he would go down to do nothing short of biting the little whelp's head off.
Kisa was about to give up and look somewhere else, having lingered in the doorway for the past five minutes, when a movement up by the ceiling caught her eye. She looked up to see a fire-eyed demon bearing silently down on her on soft wings, teeth and claws outstretched. Kisa let out a frightened gasp, and Hiro jerked her back before the demon's talons raked her face. Raha landed gently on the floor and leered up at her, baring his teeth in a mocking grin. Kisa stared back at him wide-eyed, her face pale, while the boy glared angrily.
"Is that any way to treat a guest?" the boy asked with scornful impudence.
Guests? I see nothing but beasts. Raha replied contemptuously. None but Ren could understand what he said, which came in handy when he took it to his fancy to sit on her shoulder and say lewd or violent things concerning whomever she was speaking to at the time. He could change into his human form, but he hated it with a vehement passion more than any other form in the universes, and he always found a sort of self-satisfaction in insulting people to their face without them having a clue.
Kisa stepped towards him nervously. "Uhh, R-Raha-san... Artemis-san... Artemis-san said that I should come and get you so that you could maybe show us where his private office is so that we can find out why Artemis-san is so sad, so could you maybe take us there, please?" Kisa said in one breath, very fast, and waited tremulously for some sort of reply.
Raha sat down and leveled his gaze at the two children. The first thing he thought was that the brat was lying. Artemis would drop dead rather than give two kids permission to go poking around in his private office. Of course, the logical refute was that the girl really had no reason to lie, nor did he think she was capable of it. The boy perhaps, but he doubted Kisa would have the nerve.
This led to the question of what the hell Artemis thought he was doing, giving two kids permission to go poking around in his private office. Not only did he like to keep that room private, hence the name, almost to the point of obsession, but there were things in there that should be kept away from children at all costs. In fact, most of the things in there should be kept away from all mortals, period. They weren't necessarily dangerous, per say, but if one went in that room they would certainly come out changed for better or worse, but more the latter.
Of course, Raha could have cared less if she and the boy were scared for life and ended up having to go to an institute. If they were so bent on going into Artemis's office, then it wasn't any of his concern.
But Artemis, though he pretended he didn't, would care because, if a certain funny bunny was any indication, Artemis had a soft spot for kids. Well, Millie had that sort of effect on all of their gang, Raha included, but Artemis more so than any of them. Perhaps by sending Kisa to his study he thought it would accomplish something. It was this notion that piqued Raha's interest, so, after the few seconds of deliberation, he rose and trotted silently past them out of Tohru's room.
"Are you taking us to Artemis-san's study?" Kisa asked. Raha gave her a disdainful look that said 'There's no other reason I'd be wasting my time with you pathetic things' and kept going. Kisa hurried to follow, her cheeks reddening at the implied, or even imagined insult, but Hiro pulled her back.
"Wait. How do you know Artemis is trustworthy?" he asked shrewdly. "How do you know he's not just leading you on?"
"I... just know, Hiro," Kisa replied.
"But how? And what were you talking about with him? And what do you mean he's sad?" Hiro sneered the last word with nothing short of disdain.
"He... reminded me of Grandpa Hatori. His expression, anyway."
"And that makes him trust-worthy?" Hiro demanded.
"I'm not sure... there was just something about him. He seems... torn about something, and if I can figure out what it is, maybe I can help him."
Oh, that. Raha snorted. You're wasting your time.
"He seems like an insufferable, egotistical idiot to me..." Hiro muttered, and Kisa giggled. They were silent the rest of the way to Artemis's private study, but Hiro's thoughts had suddenly turned chaotic, straying from Artemis to another that caused him great displeasure.
Tohru, the cause of his turmoil, had suddenly become far more complicated and confusing. She was no longer the stupid, sickeningly polite, and obsessively obedient girl he had first met. He had scorned her for those traits, and resented her for her closeness with Kisa, the object of his affections, and those certain qualities that had drawn in so many of his cousins.
But now Tohru was different. She was smarter, almost bordering on intelligence, and perhaps because of that, her range of emotions seemed to have broadened as she was quicker to anger nowadays, and was certainly by no means as naïve. Or it could be that she was not intelligent, just more sarcastic, which was easily mistaken for wit, because of her anger. Either way.
But regardless of how it had happened, Hiro had begun to catch glimpses of something in Tohru he had never seen before, or thought to never see at all. There was something in Tohru that, whenever Hiro stopped to think on it, took him down a road he'd thought he'd never wanted to travel, and still did not.
Raha had come to a halt outside a mahogany door with a bronze knob and sat down, ruffling his feathers as he settled his wings.
"Is this it?" Kisa asked, walking up to tentatively touch the door.
Obviously. Raha said dryly. Are you just going to stand there and stare at it, or are you going inside?
Kisa must have sensed his question on some unconscious level, an unusual feat for a mortal, released or not, because she started with a gasp, grasped and twisted the knob, and pushed into the room. There was a gaping blackness waiting for them inside, and the temperature seemed to drop a degree or two.
"Who's there?" called a voice out of the dark. Kisa and Hiro jumped, the hairs on the backs of their necks prickling.
"Hiro and Kisa Sohma," Hiro said, keeping the quaver out of his voice, his eyes searching the deep shadows. "Who are you?"
"We are they who eat themselves and live forever. We are the guardians of the gates beyond the Styx, the three-headed dog that devours all who do not belong, we—"
Shut up, Strangelove. Just get to the point—without the melodrama. Raha snapped impatiently, and flipped on the light. There before them, entirely blocking the way into the room, squatting regally and self-righteously in a shallow clay pot, was a very large Venus flytrap. It was about four feet high, its serrated jaws ringed with a mane of purple petals, and was staring right at them, or something just as well as it did not have eyes.
"Impertinent little monster..." it growled at Raha, who smirked. "This one is called Strangelove. What do you want with us?" The question was directed at Hiro and Kisa.
"Strangelove?" Hiro choked under his breath. The plant ignored him.
"Artemis told me to come here...uh... sir." Kisa said.
"Did he now?" the plant said, leaning in towards her, and baring its green teeth in what Kisa supposed was a smile.
"That's what she just told you," Hiro retorted. "And we're tired of waiting, so move out of the way."
Strangelove's jaws snapped at Hiro's face, its teeth just short of the boy's nose. Hiro jerked back in surprise, and glared.
"You can afford to learn some manners, or next time you will not be so lucky, mutton," the plant hissed.
Mutton? Raha snorted. That's the best insult you can come up with?
"Oh, was that a threat? What are you going to do, Strangelove? Hop after me?" Hiro taunted, dancing just out of reach.
Heh.
"Come closer, little lamb, and we'll bet you will not be so cheeky."
Will you please stop with the sheep jokes?
"No, I like my face, and I'd much rather keep it, thanks," Hiro replied. "But I can understand how you might want it, seeing how your own has something to be desired."
My, that was almost clever. You certainly like to twist what people say, don't you?
"Hiro... I don't think teasing it right now is a very good idea..." Kisa said.
"You'd best take your girlfriend's advice, kid." Strangelove goaded.
Oh, Strangelove that was such a bad pun... Even if he were a goat, it would still be horrible...
"If you want to enter, you must first get past us," Strangelove went on, oblivious.
"Well, that's obvious," Hiro snorted. "Though it'll be difficult, as your bulk blocks the way completely."
"Brazen bastard!" Strangelove screamed, finally losing its cool. "That is not what we meant!"
"What do you want us to do?" Kisa asked hurriedly, before the argument could escalate further (A little late, aren't you?). A silken smile twisted Strangelove's gaping jaws. A vine, unseen, slithered and wrapped itself around Kisa's waist and pulled her closer into the vicinity of that all consuming mouth before Hiro even knew what was happening.
"Kisa!" he cried frantically.
"Hiro...!" Kisa gasped in fear.
"Let her go!" Hiro started forward furiously, but the vines wrapped themselves firmly around Kisa's waist and crept towards her throat.
"One more step, and we're afraid the little tiger may come to some harm. We wouldn't want that, now would we?" Strangelove asked quietly, and Hiro stopped in his tracks.
Hiro wondered briefly at how Strangelove knew about the Curse, but found that he should not be all that surprised. The weed had been hinting at his knowledge, but Hiro had never taken it to be what it was until now. But none of that was important. The only thing that mattered, that would ever matter, was Kisa.
"What do you want?" Hiro asked carefully, angry with himself that he had not seen this coming.
"We want to ask you some questions. If you answer them correctly, we will release her and you will be free to pass. If you answer wrong, we will snap her neck, and you may not pass."
"Wh-what?" Hiro gasped in horror. What do I do?
"If you so choose, you may back down, I will release Kisa, and you will both leave immediately." Strangelove said. "Of course... that is the cowards way."
Hiro winced at that word.
Coward.
How he hated that word.
Even when I found out the other kids were picking on her I couldn't do anything...
Hiro shut his eyes as his words crashed into his skull.
So I ran away... I ignored her... And the whole time I was still telling myself that I loved Kisa...
I am a coward.
"So my first question is... How far are you willing to go, and what will you do to get there?"
Hiro clenched his fists and bit his lip. Then he swallowed, and said with quiet fury, "Maybe I'm a coward, then. But I won't risk Kisa's life. Let her go, please, and we'll leave."
"Hiro..." Kisa murmured.
Strangelove paused, and then, to Hiro's surprise, bowed nobly.
"Now that... is the correct answer," he said, and the vines gently disentangled themselves. "You may pass, Hiro Sohma."
Well, well. The brat has some brains, after all. How surprising. I would never have guessed.
"What?" Hiro asked.
But then again...
"The most hardest thing is to swallow one's pride and step down. That is what bravery is." Strangelove said. Hiro hesitated, thinking that over, then nodded once, and slipped past the plant, Kisa following close behind.
"What you're searching for," Strangelove said. "Can be found on the bottom shelf to your left over there."
"Uh, thank you..." Kisa replied, and Strangelove grunted. Hiro crouched down, eyeing the contents of the shelf, and then grinned crookedly.
"How convenient," he said, and pulled off a DVD. Kisa came over to look at the cover.
"The Chronicled Adventures of Ren Bluesummer Ptolemy and Artemis Wolfwood Höllekonnen: Volume One." She read. "This... is about Onee-chan. But... how is it a DVD...?"
They're Ren's memories, you dolt. Raha snorted. They were copied, and stored on a CD for, as the brat said, convenience.
Hiro shrugged and looked around the room for a DVD player. Spotting it, he walked over, pushed a few buttons, inserted the disk, pressed play and sat down next to Kisa on the couch to watch.
"All we need now is some popcorn," Hiro muttered, and Kisa giggled. Raha groaned and almost stalked out of the room in disgust.
To be continued...
Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket (sobs), or anything I alluded to, such as Dr. Strangelove Or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb, nor do I own Sparky (sadly). He is a character created by a friend of mine in my Dungeons and Dragons group.
Well, FruitsBasketcase, there's your evil plant. I hope you're happy. But seriously, I liked writing Strangelove it was so fun! I hope you like my take on him. And about Raha, how he can speak in Tohru's mind, I only recently came up with that and liked it a lot, which is why I utilized here. I didn't want to go back and write him into everything, and I doubt anyone would want to reread it all again anyway. And this way, it's easier to give him a more active role, so I expect you'll be seeing him more. And I'm really, really sorry that the Angels are taking so long, but they're coming, I promise! Either next chapter, or the one after that, I swear on my honor. No, wait, I have no honor... Ummm... I swear by my reviews! There, much better.
Later!
-Raha-
