Tohru's Demons
Chapter Thirty-One: The History Of Ren
CHAPTER ONE: REN BLUESUMMER PTOLEMY appeared on the screen in large, white letters.
"Miss Honda's life starts eighteen years ago, in the year 1982," began a stately, middle-aged voice in English, with a decidedly British accent. Japanese subtitles appeared in yellow at the bottom of the screen for Hiro and Kisa's benefit. "Though the history that led up to her birth plays a major role in this story and in the events that occurred in Ren's 11th year; it begins eight centuries ago, in 1204, when an immortal man first discovered how to separate a human being into his or her Angel and demon components. His name was William Farinata Ptolemy."
"Immortal…" Hiro whispered. "What I wouldn't give for that."
"Wait…" Kisa whispered. "I've heard that name before… we heard them talking about a Farinata when we were riding to the castle, remember?"
Hiro gripped Kisa's arm suddenly. "Kisa!" he gasped. "He said Ptolemy! What was that name in print?"
Kisa stared at Hiro in confusion, and then her eyes widened in revelation.
"Oh my god… Ptolemy! Ren Bluesummer Ptolemy! But… does that mean that Farinata is… her father?"
"I don't know. Ren isn't her real name, right?"
"Yeah… Katsuya's her papa, not this man."
Both of them fell silent and turned their eyes to the TV screen once more.
While they were talking, a yellowed, aged picture of a dark-haired, aristocratic man, obviously Farinata, appeared briefly and faded. The voice, waiting for them to stop talking (it apparently had some magical elements), continued its narrative.
"The First Angel, titled God, was a woman by the name of Marianne Bellucci de Morangias, from the Gevaudan province in France."
Following this statement was a very old picture of a pretty young woman, perhaps around sixteen, smiling laughingly back at the camera. She wore a fancy, elegant dress, and her golden blond locks and curls tumbled neatly over her shoulders and rode atop her head in a fashionable bun. There was something alluring about her large innocuous green eyes, her voluptuous lips, her pearly skin, something almost seductive that pulled Hiro in and for one brief moment he was ready to do anything for her even if it meant his own life… He firmly clamped down on that thought with utter disgust at himself, and perhaps a little bit of shame.
I'm in love with the little tart and I don't even know her! He thought vehemently. I'm definitely not going to be some skirt-chaser like that pathetic Dog!
Unconsciously, Hiro reached over and grasped Kisa's hand.
I love Kisa.
"The Second Angel, titled Metatron, was Madame de Morangias's younger brother, Jagorah Godelieve de Morangias."
The profile of a handsome young man, about fourteen or so, materialized. His dark eyes smiled back at them, and there was definitely a gentle demeanor about him, not quite so over-powering as his sister's. Perhaps that was due to that fact that his clothes, though clean and obviously of rich fabrics, were far more plainer than Marianne's. His short, dirty blond hair was far less showy, and fell into his eyes in a laid back, careless sort of manner. Hiro and Kisa instantly found themselves liking this boy.
"And the Third Angel was a girl by the name of Asrielle Christiane Höllekonnen van Heironymus, from Erding, Germany."
There was a portrait of a thirteen-year-old girl, with long, wavy brown hair, smiling gaily at the camera and waving, wearing a light summer dress. She stood beneath a large cherry blossom tree, whereas the other two had been sitting in a large luxuriantly furnished room. She was laughing and there were cherry blossoms strung around her neck an in her hair.
"Their demons were, respectively, Lucifer Anatole de Morangias, Noctifer 'Malacoda' Lamya de Morangias, and Artemis Wolfwood Höllekonnen van Heironymus. Both Angels and demons are the highest in their rank."
"Wow…" breathed Kisa. "I had no idea he was so powerful…" Hiro scowled, guessing who she was talking about, and not liking how impressed she looked.
"And Lucifer is God's unconsciousness… It figures," he muttered.
"The Angels were originally created to combat other nations, believed to be highly intelligent, and supremely powerful, as they indeed were. But something went terribly wrong when young Asrielle became an Angel, or, in more technical terms, focused. As the familiars Lucifer and Noctifer were focused and became demons, they were able to escape their cages, inadvertently releasing the familiar Artemis from his cage as well. Artemis promptly made his way to Asrielle, seizing her just at the moment of focus and, whether by accident or intent, stole her soul."
Kisa's hands flew to her mouth as she gasped and Hiro stiffened.
"He stole her soul?!" Hiro cried, appalled.
"Correct, Mr. Sohma," said the voice, making Hiro and Kisa jump unpleasantly. "Now, if you please, I would like to continue without anymore interruptions, thank you."
"Uh… sh-sure…" Hiro stuttered feeling terribly unsettled.
"My most sincerest gratitude. Ahem… Asrielle, without her soul, became known as the Angel of Death, who, without feeling killed everyone she was ordered to, demon or otherwise.
"As no one knew at first what had really happened to Lucifer and Noctifer, it was assumed they had evaporated somehow. So more Angels soon followed. By the time people figured out the demons were not disintegrating the moment of focus, it was too late, and the demons by that time were rapidly multiplying, not only with each other, but with humans as well, breeding such monstrosities as werewolves, vampires, harpies, and other such ilk.
"The only way to combat the growing populace of demons was to create more Angels, and hope to destroy the demons the moment after focus. The Dogma War, commonly referred to as the Great War, had begun, reining in centuries of bloodshed and fighting that still rages to this day, though it abated somewhat in 1704 when Artemis was executed at Asrielle's hands. When he died, the other two demons, Lucifer and Noctifer retreated back into the shadows. He had been one of the strongest driving forces in the war, and Asrielle's most dire enemy, equal to her in body and mind."
"Then how did he die?" Hiro snorted.
"Not everyone is as perfect as you," the voice replied icily, and somewhat sarcastically, restraining, Hiro suspected, an annoyed sigh. Apparently a narrator of his caliber was too noble for such things as sighs.
"Eighteen years ago is when Tohru Honda came into this story, though at the time she did not go by that name. Her real name was, and is, Ren Bluesummer Ptolemy, daughter of William Farinata Ptolemy III and Marianne Bellucci Ptolemy de Morangias."
"Oh my god…" Kisa whispered. "Marianne… God… is her mother?"
"And Lucifer was Marianne's unconsciousness…" Hiro muttered. "Does that mean he's like her… father…?"
"I thought Farinata was."
"You could say he's like God, too, since he created the Angels."
"Ummm… let's not go there, it makes my head spin just thinking about it."
"So then… does this mean that other lady… what's her name…?"
"Kyoko-san?"
"Yeah. That means Kyoko wasn't her real mother."
Both children fell silent at this.
"Does… does Tohru know?" Kisa asked the voice quietly.
"No. She does not. Those memories of Marianne are locked away, and no copies were made. The only one that holds those memories is Lucifer. For all Ren knows, she is Tohru Honda, daughter of Katsuya and Kyoko Honda."
"How did Tohru end up with them?" Hiro asked. "In another universe, no less?"
"That will take some explaining. Note that Farinata was madly in love with Marianne, was all but consumed by that love, so naturally they had several other children before Ren, though Marianne would never have more than one at a time. All of Ren's siblings have long since been dead, though rarely of old age. It is common for Ptolemy children to die young."
When Kisa let out a horrified cry, the voice quickly amended itself.
"For political reasons, of course, or as a result of fighting in the Dogma War, not because of some hereditary illness."
Kisa was not sure she liked that answer, but she fell silent and nodded.
"But most of those children's untimely deaths were due to covert operations of Jagorah Godelieve de Morangias."
"Jagorah?" Kisa gasped. "That nice looking boy? He… killed his own family…?"
"Yes. He was conspiring to take over the throne, and did not want a child to take what he thought to be his rightful place. He was resentful towards Marianne for being the First, and thus being revered as God. He believed that duty rightfully belonged to him, the male of the family. By the time Ren was born, he had secretly amassed an army and would soon attack the crown. Farinata found out about it, and informed Marianne, and then fled into your universe with Ren through a door the Angels had opened. There, he took the name Katsuya Honda, and changed Ren's name to Tohru Honda. Not long after, he met Kyoko. But after a year, and still no word from Hirofuriae, Farinata feared the worst. By then, he had fallen in love with Kyoko, so he proposed to her and settled down."
"Wait, what about Onee-chan's grandfather on her father's side?" Kisa asked.
"They are the Ptolemy family's agents, not Farinata's real family."
"Oh…"
"Then, two years later, Farinata was unexpectedly called back to Hirofuriae and left without a word. Kyoko, rather than tell Ren the truth, told her Katsuya had died of a disease. Eight years later, after Jagorah had disappeared and was presumed dead, Farinata returned for Ren when she was eleven. He renounced his love for Kyoko, divorced her, and took Ren back to Hirofuriae."
"Just like that…? But he… he loved her, didn't he?" Kisa asked quietly.
"He could not very well have two wives. That… would have instigated complications. Kyoko, of course, was devastated. For a time she somehow even became involved with the Yakuza gang because of it, in an attempt to locate her "daughter" when the police could do nothing. Yet that, as Ren was located in another universe, also proved ineffective.
"But, not long after she returned to her own world, Ren found out something about Jagorah. She heard two men, names unknown, talking about his return. They caught her, and as they could not kill Marianne's daughter, they released her. First of all, it is imperative that whoever is being released must want to be. If they fight, it could damage their minds or their familiars. Secondly, as the entirety of the subconscious mind is being relocated into a physical body through the use of a science called 'alchemy', it results in extensive amnesia, wiping out all previous memories of the self. In other words, Ren forgot who, and where she was, and all memories of the people she knew. That took care of her knowledge of Jagorah.
"But Ren fought, and that is where the real story starts…"
Hiro and Kisa sat forward as the black screen rose away to reveal a white, sanitized room brightly lit with florescent lights. A camera panned from side to side and the quiet whir of electronics reverberated softly along the walls. The image was grainy, bars of snow traveled up the screen, and it skipped through patches of noise.
On one side of the room a giant apparatus of wires, keys, and screens covered one wall, murmuring incessantly to itself. Data scrolled up the screens and monitors blinked. Next to it sat two men and long white lab coats, masks, and gloves. On the wall adjacent to this conglomeration of machinery, and directly before the camera through which the two children watched, was another, even stranger, device. Two columns of cables and wires, about fifteen feet apart, stood anchored to the floor like a pair of petrified, steel trees; their roots spreading and digging into the floor like worms, mirrored by their canopies. Between them, suspended above the air by various cables and wires sprouting from the "trees", was a large, light green-yellow glass sphere.
Beneath the sphere was a vast circular geometrical design etched into the floor, and in the middle of it was set a steel and glass cage. Within the cage could be seen gases, a small pile of what looked to be multi-colored sand, and water.
Held within the sphere was a body. The arms were stretched out, the wrists entwined with the wires that grew from the sides of sphere, as if in crucifixion.
Hiro and Kisa recognized Tohru at once.
"Oxygen, 65 ounces," said one of the men. "Carbon, 18 ounces; hydrogen, 10 ounces; nitrogen, 3 ounces; calcium, 1.5 ounces; phosphorous, 1 ounce; potassium, .35 ounces; sulfur, .25 ounces; sodium, .15 ounces; magnesium, .05 ounces, and traces of fifteen other elements. Yes, we have everything."
"That's all the elements that make up the human body. Are the burners ready?"
"Yes. All four elements, fire, water, earth, and air, will be present at the moment of release. Component elements from birds, insects, mammals, and fish have also been added."
"Alright." The man who had spoken flipped several switches on the computer and typed something on one of the keyboards. The screens flashed.
"Beginning transmutation of the familiar Rahallion's body… now."
The man struck a key and the steel trees sparked to life, electricity already traveling down their trunks into the glass cage, and there it writhed and twisted, turning purple from contact with the different elements. In the same instant the burners at the bottom of the cage flared up and everything ignited. From the flames a shape began to form in the midst of the light and fire, rising up slowly from what would seem the depths of hell, and electricity and light danced around sphere.
And then a scream tore through the air. The white light turned an angry shade of red and thrashed violently. Tohru's back was arched and her mouth was open, but no one could hear her screaming over the noise of the machines and the thunder rolling through the room.
The two men were yelling, and then their cries turned to shrill shrieks of panicked agony as their bodies ripped themselves apart from the inside out. Something dark was forming in side the sphere with Tohru, and then the camera exploded into a barrage of static and white noise.
A few seconds later the image returned. The light was gone. All that was left of the two men was a splatter of blood of the walls and floor. The whole front of the sphere was gone, as if something had blasted out of it, and lay in pieces on the floor.
In the middle of that red pool stood a young Artemis, his back turned slightly, his face tilted towards the ceiling...
Laughing.
Suddenly Raha let out a cry and Hiro and Kisa jumped, whipping around to see him rise, stiff-legged. The faint sound of running footsteps was growing louder and Hiro hit the Stop button just as the door burst open and Artemis strode into the room.
"An Angel has made its appearance," he announced. "Tohru requested that I take you to the front courtyard so you could see us off."
Hiro and Kisa sat frozen in their seats, staring at Artemis in shocked bewilderment.
"A… an Angel…?" Kisa said.
"Yes, now come on! We have to go!"
Both children rose quickly, but suddenly Kisa stopped, her eyes looking back at the black screen.
"Artemis…" she said quietly. Artemis stopped in the doorway, his back towards the girl.
"I know what you're going to say," he said quietly. "There are things in my past that I... deeply regret. Things I would give anything to change. Things I deserved to die for, and still do, and that I can never repent for. All I can tell you now is that, before I met Tohru..." He turned to look at Kisa over his shoulder. "...I wouldn't be caught dead with rubber bullets."
Kisa blinked in surprise, her mind racing back to that day she first met Artemis Wolfwood Höllekonnen van Heironymus, when he threatened to blow Akito's head off with a barrel of useless bullets...
"Alright," said Kisa
"Alright," said Artemis. "Let's go."
Hiro and Kisa nodded and hurried to follow Artemis out of the room, Rahallion at their heels.
"See you later!" Strangelove called after them before the door shut.
"Where's the Angel?" Hiro asked, catching up with the demon.
"In a demonic universe," Artemis replied.
"A what?" Hiro asked.
"It's a world where demons are numerous and roam freely. They aren't demons like me or Malacoda or Lucifer; they're lower ranking demons by our standards. Multiplied from other demons mostly, and some from humans, but most of the demons there seem to look down upon their half-human brethren. Actually, in most universes that's the case. These don't come directly from the human mind like we do, but they do seem to originate from human emotions."
"But if they're created by human emotions, why do they hate us so much then?" Hiro asked.
"I have no clue. Most of the demons in this universe are complete idiots anyway, if you ask me."
"What's this universe called?" Kisa asked.
"We've named it Sengoku. It's a weird little world, because there's a time rift in it."
"A time rift?"
"Yes, I went through it once before, with Tohru."
By now they had reached the landing to find Tohru, the Sohmas, Valery, Millie, Lucifer, and Malacoda waiting for them.
"Kisa! Hiro!" Tohru called in greeting, waving up at them. Kisa flew down the stairs and into Tohru's arms. Hiro followed at a more dignified pace. Artemis chose to bypass the stairs completely, just leapt over the railing, and landed lightly next to Mille.
"What's wrong?" he asked quietly, noticing at once that she was not her usual cheery self. Millie peeked over at Momiji for a moment. He caught her eye, and then looked away, reddening.
"It's nothing, really…" she said quietly.
Artemis studied her for a second, and his eyes flicked to Momiji.
"Alright then," he said finally. Turning away, he spotted Tohru. She was saying her goodbyes and adjusting the two giant axes on her back, worn so that they almost looked like steel wings. She glanced up and caught his eye, and smiled. Artemis almost smiled back, but he looked away and pretended he hadn't noticed.
Kyo and Yuki stood nearby, with Haru, Kagura, and Hatori. Akito stood a little bit away from the others, somewhat in the shade of the castle, and didn't seem interested in what the others were doing. Ayame and Shigure were near Hatori, looking a bit unsettled, but they still somehow managed to make light of the situation.
"Oh, Ha'ri, it's awful, you going off and leaving me like this!" Ayame cried dramatically.
"Just come back soon, alright?" Shigure said. "Otherwise I'll drive myself crazy with worry. And if you manage to get yourself hurt, I'll never forgive you."
"Will you just stop?" Hatori sighed.
"Hey, Hatori!"
Hatori looked up to see Val making her way towards him.
"Yes?"
"Lucy asked me to give this you," Val said, smiling, and pushed a leather satchel into his arms. "I don't expect you'll be needing it, what with Ren and two demons along, but you never know, you know?"
Hatori blinked slowly at her. Lucy…? Oh.
He looked up and spotted Lucifer several paces away, talking quietly with Malacoda. Though the Demon King seemed quite serious, Malacoda had his hands behind his head and was grinning like a fool, which reminded Hatori strongly of a certain someone.
"Oh, Ha'ri, you old dog!" Shigure cried.
Speak of the devil… Hatori thought ruefully.
"What's this? A gift? What's in it, candy, flowers, lo-ove letters?"
"What are you talking about…?" Hatori said, taking a look inside. "It's a medical kit."
"What a lovely present! It befits you perfectly! So… how long has your little relationship been going on, and behind my back no less?"
"Stop it, Shigure." Hatori said with irritable flatness.
"Aw, don't worry Hatori, I get that kind of stuff from perverted, lust-starved old men all the time," Val said nonchalantly.
"Oh, that hurt…" Shigure sighed. "I'm not an old man. I'm only twenty-eight, you know."
"So you don't deny that you're perverted?" Val asked, her brow quirking, and a crooked grin tugging at the corner of her mouth.
"Well…" Shigure laughed. "I wouldn't go that far…"
Val stepped close to him and slipped her hand into his pocket.
"Really?" she asked. "I would…"
Shigure froze, his eyes widening and his jaw dropping open in utter surprise.
Artemis grabbed the back of Val's shirt and dragged her away.
"Perverted little girl, stop playing around," he snorted.
"Awww, Arty you're so boring! I was only having a bit of fun…!"
"The only problem is your type of fun isn't exactly socially acceptable, now is it?"
"Oh my…" Shigure murmured, rooted to the spot with shock. "I think… I think I'm in love…"
"I wouldn't try it, if I were you," said a voice just behind him. Shigure yelped and jumped in the air, then whipped around to find Malacoda, smiling jovially.
"She'll break your heart. I'd stay away, if you know what's good for you," Malacoda advised. "She's gone through more guys than you can imagine." With that he winked and was gone. Shigure began to smile.
"Aaya... I believe I've found another game."
"So, where exactly are we going now?" Kyo asked Tohru.
"To Sengoku," she replied. "We've been there before, and have powerful friends there, so we shouldn't have any problems with the Angel if they help us as well."
"Sengoku? What's it like?" Yuki asked.
"See for yourself," Tohru said stretching forth her hand and opening a door to another universe. Through the door was a very green world with sweeping hills, misty mountains in the distance, lush forests, grasses as far as the eye could see, flora and fauna everywhere, and the bluest sky Yuki had ever seen. It looked like a regular paradise.
Except for the giant, fifty-foot bear-demon wreaking havoc on the village below them.
"Oh no…" Tohru whispered. "Artemis, that's Kaede's village!" she cried.
"Come on!" he called, and sprang into action, dashing at full speed towards the demon. Tohru hurried after him, calling last minute goodbyes over her shoulder, Malacoda and Millie hot on her heels.
Kyo, Yuki, Kagura, Haru, and Hatori stood rooted to the spot, staring at the gargantuan beast that roared with thunderous fury as it ripped into another house. People ran screaming from the monster, their spears and arrows forgotten.
"Are you just going to stand there all day, or are you planning on doing something useful for a change?" asked a cold voice behind them. Kyo and Yuki whirled around to come face to face with Akito, who stared calmly back at them with cool derision.
"Just watch me!" Kyo snarled and took off towards the demon.
"Wait for me, Kyo-kun!" Kagura called, running after him.
"Come on," Haru said, and he and Yuki followed them.
"I guess that medical kit will come in handy after all, huh?" Valery said to Hatori before she broke into a run, Hatori not far behind. Akito made his leisurely way down the path, enjoying the scenery, a smile crawling into his mouth as he watched the demon demolish another house.
This may prove interesting after all…
Artemis landed before the demon, his hand flashing towards his side, and the muzzle flew up, firing two shots straight into the demon's skull through its eyes, the mercurial bullets exploding on impact. The bear swayed, and the expression on its face might have been one of surprise if its head weren't missing, its claws raised to strike as it tilted forward and fell, its body disintegrating before it even hit the ground.
Artemis holstered his musket, smirking smugly. A glimpse of red and white caught his eye and he looked up to see a very surprised looking boy standing about twenty feet away, his clawed hand on the hilt of his katana, his body in a fighting stance, just about to attack what Artemis assumed to be the now very dead demon.
"Artemis?" the boy asked.
"Yeah," Artemis responded with a cocky grin. The boy released his sword and made his way towards the demon, his long white hair swaying behind him.
"What the hell are you doing here?" he asked. Artemis's grin widened.
"Hello to you, too, Inu-Yasha."
To be continued...
Disclaimer: Of course I don't own Inu-Yasha, and I wouldn't have used the alchemy stuff if I hadn't been watching Fullmetal Alchemist, which I don't own either. Course, alchemy and transmutation existed before Fullmetal, but I got the idea from that.
Alright, the plot thickens! Again! I decided to visit some of my favorite animes, mangas, and books. It should be pretty fun for a while now. You really don't have to know any of them (though I doubt anyone doesn't know about Inu-Yasha), so no worries.
And, uh… sorry for making you wait for eternity. My boyfriend loaned me like tons of anime and manga so I've… sorta been watching it for the past decade or so and kinda forgot about everything else. So sorry! Please forgive me! But I'll make it up to you I promise!
Well, that's all I've got to say.
-Raha-
