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Honouko's Story
Written by Sailor Yavin IV
I have only learned part of my mother's story. Most was from the man who saved me as an infant. The rest I've pieced together since his death--since I've been on the run.
You see, about 17 years ago, a forbidden "love" came about. My mother, an angel, and my father, a "born-again" demon, met, and began an affair that resulted in me: a half-angel-half-demon misfit with no real home or purpose in life.
However, after my actual birth, it became quite apparent what my father truly wanted out of the relationship: me. As a half-breed, I'm supposed to have insane powers (which I have yet to find) that father could use to gain some sort of ultimate power.
What happened?
As I clutched my mother's necklace in an infant fist, my father slit her throat with one swipe. Her arms went limp as she died, and I fell, taking an angel-bloodstained necklace with me.
Lucky for me, father didn't catch me as I fell through the ethereal planes and into normal, living world sky--but goodness knows he tried. I guess bat wings don't move fast enough to catch a falling baby.
I was caught in the waiting arms of a demon hunter in his thirties by the name of Gage. With me in one arm, he fended off and wounded my father enough so that we could escape to where I've lived most of my life--Yavin IV.
Even though he was the only person I knew for 17 years, I must say he did a good job of raising me, for a human. I threw some nasty tempers in my younger years--which were accompanied by bouts of fire and lightning; a little gift of elemental control from father and mother.
I grew up from that, and learned how to control both those powers and some of my telekinetic ones as well. I even have a light sword made of compressed fire and electricity. The hilt of the thing is the only part actually made out of real materials.
Practicing with this weapon in the deep jungle one day, I heard a deep scream and the flutter of scared birds. I turned my head towards the sound--I could feel his surprise--his pain--
Something had happened to Gage.
I ran through the jungle swiftly, but quietly as well. I found Gage laying on the dirt and grass, his face and chest bloodied.
"Gage--"
"Run, hide!" he croaked. I didn't listen (I never really do) and instead jogged to his side.
Leaning over him, I asked, "What happened?"
He coughed up blood. "Your... father found us..." Gage took a labored breath, closing his eyes. "He came back for you. He--" More blood. I wiped his face clean with the corner of my long sleeve. "He knows what the fate is..."
"Fate?"
Gage's eyes opened. "You are the key to his power--and his destruction. If he can't turn you..."
There was a rustle in the leaves. Neither of us turned, but Gage became more panicked.
"--he will kill you." Gage's head and shoulders began to sink even deeper into the dirt and foliage. He was getting weaker.
In my innocence--and ignorance--I began packing up necessities. "We can run--your ship still works. We'll leave and--"
Even in so much pain, he laughed, his gray-tinged long hair falling into his eyes.
"I'm as good as dead, Honouko. Leave me and run." He closed his eyes once more. "Take my ship and flee. Take your mother's necklace. It will come... in handy..."
My hand traveled to the inch-large electric gem around my neck. It always sparked, day and night, but ever hurt either me or Gage.
"How?" I asked quietly.
Gage smiled softly, then all of his features became still. Tears finally fell from my eyes, but I didn't say a word. I had lost the only father I had ever known.
I grabbed bags and tools and threw them into Gage's ship--my ship. I tossed on some small bags of food as well when I heard more rustling, and felt the ground shake.
It was a horrible sight. A... man... with pale skin and blood red eyes and hair had appeared near Gage's bloody body. His hair fell loose to his waist, with small portions here and there braided tightly. His gray outfit was stained with Gage's blood. The...creature also had leathery wings and two small growths from the top of his head.
He smiled when he saw me, pointed cat-fangs gleaming in the daylight.
"My daughter," he said in a low voice. "Daughter of flame and light..." I couldn't bring myself to say anything, so he - my... father - went on, smiling. "Your mother would be proud of how you've grown."
"You've no right..."
He interrupted, one hand up. "I'm sure Gage told you the slightly edited version of events. However, you and I--" He stepped closer, and I backed further up the ramp into the ship. "--You and I, if we worked together, could do wonders. We were meant to--"
"Never."
The smile finally disappeared from his pale face. "You know what I will do otherwise."
I held my blade of flame and electricity closely to my side and nodded once. My father let out a small sigh.
"Then I must. Nio takes another life," he said quietly. Flames rose up behind him. I grasped my sword tightly as he flew forward at full speed. I used his speed and flight against him, swinging him around by an arm and hitting a wing and neatly slicing it with my sword's blade in my other hand. He screeched like a chorus of wild birds afraid of a predator. I took that second to run back up into the ship and managed to close the ramp and take-off.
I sat in the pilot's seat and sobbed as the auto-pilot kicked in. My sword clattered to the floor and I leaned on the console, depressing a few particularly noisy and apparently useless buttons.
It turned out that they did indeed have a use. A holographic figure of Gage appeared just in front of me on the console. My jaw fell open a little bit.
"Gage..."
The figure shifted. It looked like it had been recorded only a few days earlier.
"Hi, Honouko. If you're in this ship and watching this, then I guess my hunch was right. Nio, your father, came back for you, and you..." He laughed, and the holograph sook. "You obviously didn't accept his offer. I guess I did an okay job of raising you after all."
"Of course you did, Gage." I reached out and my fingertips grazed the figure, which was now shaking a finger at me.
"Now, Honouko, touching the holograph screws it up. Best not to do that." I managed a smile. He knew me way too well. "Where was I? Ah, yes. Here comes the bad news: now that you didn't accept, your father will chase you until either your death or his. You're the key to power or death for him. So stay strong, Honouko. I think I know how this will end." He smiled and leaned forward to switch off the message. Suddenly, he leaned back and smiled at me again. "By the way, if my hunch was dead on... happy seventeenth birthday, Honouko." The message clicked off.
I sighed, and the tears began to fall again.
"Yeah," I agreed bitterly. "Happy birthday."
...Oni no musume, tenshi no musume, ganbatte...
(demon's daughter, angel's daughter, you can do it)