//------------------------------// // Chapter Nine: And the Truth will set you free // Story: Inner Demons // by Spider8ite //------------------------------// It might have been nice to have a bit of preparation for that. Though actually no amount of preparation would have helped. There’s not really any preparation you can do to break the news to your girlfriend that you’re a demon from hell, who came here because she wasn’t bad enough for her father. My father would have told me that I should just have been honest about who I was from the start — been proud of it. Well, now I’d have to be — even if it was with just one person. I looked at my father, then at Vinyl, and gulped. “Vinyl, we… I need to explain something to you — something really important. Let’s go to the kitchen.” Vinyl shrugged. “Yeah, you could also explain what that was and… did I do something wrong? If I did, then it wasn’t me!” Vinyl exclaimed with a nervous smile and I giggled. “No, Vinyl, you didn’t. Now come with me.” We walked to the kitchen and I sat on the chair, staring my hands like they were special, like they could get me out of this mess, but I was just avoiding look at Vinyl eyes. Even hidden by her classic shades, those eyes could intimidate me now. I sighed and finally looked up at her. She had curiosity in her eyes — I could see it. “So, what’s all this about?” Vinyl asked, getting beer in the refrigerator and opening it. She took a sip. I was surprised that she didn’t come home already drunk. “Umm… where should I begin…?” I murmured to myself. “Vinyl, I have a big secret. One I’ve had since we met. Actually, since I arrived here — you’ll understand that ‘arrived here’ later.” She rose an eyebrow. “And I’m sorry if you feel fooled, or get scared and want to run away and never see me again. Maybe that would be better, maybe you—” “Tavi, you can tell me. I won’t run away. I’m weird and you can’t have any weirder secrets than some of the stuff I’ve got in my past. And you already know most of that stuff. C’mon, tell me.” Vinyl approached my chair and stroked my hair with one of her hands, making me smile. I took a deep breath. “Vinyl Scratch, you have been in love with… a demon. I’m a demon. I- I came from Tartarus and no one must know this. My father is actually the King of Hell. My mother the queen of succubi. And I would be a princess right now if I were there. But he exiled me — sent me here to learn to be bad. I wasn’t exactly the best daughter, and our relationship was kind of strained. We’ve never really been the closest.” I sighed and smiled. “But now everything is fine. He doesn’t hate me. But that’s why I’m here; that’s how we met — because I was banned from Tartarus because I didn’t want to be the demon they wanted me to be. I wanted to run away from them, and I chose here.” I looked at the ground not wanting to see the expression I imagined Vinyl would have on her face. “But at least I have you… if you don’t want to run from me now.” Everything was quiet. The kitchen, the house, even outside was quiet. Manehattan city never slept, but tonight it was doing a damn good impression of it. This just made everything worse and even more weird. Then Vinyl finally broke the silence. “Tavi you… are you crazy? Good joke, kinda silly, but still pretty good. You could do a book like that, you know — it would have to be better than that thing with the vampires and that girl!” Vinyl laughed mockingly. “So… who was the guy that was talking to your father and simply vanished in a… kinda magic thing an—” Vinyl’s eyes widened and she looked at me. “Now you see what I’m trying to tell you? Do you believe me now, Scratch?” I asked with a serious face. “I won’t lie to you anymore, because I need to… ‘save the day’ or something like that. Well, at least help my father to.” “Oookay. So… you were really serious there, huh?” Vinyl looked at her beer for a moment. “I’m not drunk yet?” “Vinyl…” I murmured between my teeth. “Okay okay, hold onto your demons there. You are a demon that came from Tartarus for all those reasons and I just fell in love with you?” “Yes, Vinyl, if the last few years have been true, then yes.” Vinyl scratched her chin and then a huge smile appeared on her face. “You know what Buttavia? That’s awesome! Imagine what everyone will say when I tell them that I have a badass hot demon girlfriend!” My eyes flew open, and I jumped up in panic, rushing over to her and covering her mouth with my hand. “No, no, no! You can’t tell anyone about this. People can’t know about the supernatural world. There are demons, angels, lycans, vampires, and sirens out there. They can’t be discovered or people will think them to be monsters and try to kill them.” I let her go and grew quiet for a moment. “And I’m also succubus,” I added. Vinyl smirked at me. “Don’t you even think about it, Vinyl! I could hurt you!” “In what way? Well, I would love it if it’s bon—” “Octavia, we need to talk.” My father entered the kitchen, interrupting Vinyl with an even more worried look. “Did you?” He looked at Vinyl. “Yes, my Tavi here just did, old man. Or I mean eternally ageless man, or something like that?” Vinyl laughed. “And she said my jokes are silly,” I murmured. She looked at me with a frown and then hugged me from behind. “Vinyl, what are you doing?” “Look old man and see how bad she is. To me at least. I can’t even hug her and she is already asking why.” My father rose an eyebrow and shook his head. “Sorry, but we can’t stay here joking and playing around.” Dante sat and put his hands on his head and closed his eyes. “I don’t even know what we will do…” he murmured. “Fenrir will trick us — I know that — he always does.” “Fenrir? Isn’t that that big bad wolf?” Vinyl asked. “Oh, oh, the man was Fenrir?! Of course! I didn’t know he could be a human! That’s super badass.” “Vinyl…” I pointed at my father, showing her the state of him without my mother around. “My mother is gone. Fenrir and Nosferatu — and yes, before you ask, the vampire — have her. He wants my father’s powers.” “But Fenrir is a disgrace. A total disgrace!” my father exclaimed, thumping his hand against the wooden table in anger. “If he lays one claw on her I will find a way to kill him… slowly, with my own hands…” he murmured. Once again he had fire in his eyes. I could see how he was devastated, but at same time wanting to put an end to Fenrir. Suddenly he rose up with a smile. “Amaka!” “So is he an African demon or something? What is ‘amaka’ old man?” Vinyl asked, holding her laugh. “Amaka is a powerful Lycan enchantress. But she lives far away, in the Sand Mountains. She betrayed her pack and they banished her there. But she is the only lycan that knows how to put an end to Fenrir — or any long lived or immortal creature.” He smiled with happiness. “So you mean you’re gonna kill the badass wolf?” Vinyl asked and he looked at her irritatedly. “Sorry, I mean the totally not cool wolf. She can give you something to kill him?” “Yes. I only know that this will need an exorcist.” “An exorcist? But isn’t that… bad for demons?” Vinyl asked once again. “A supernatural exorcist I mean, and I know only one who can do it.” Dante smiled. “She actually knows you two.” “I’ll go with you. I need to help you find mom; I don’t want to see her hurt, nor you. And if it needs me to use my demon powers, then I will.” He gave me a huge smile, which made me happy. He was finally truly proud of me. “And me? I’m not going to stay here twiddling my thumbs while you two get to have all the fun! Supernatural fun must be awesome, I can only imagine who that exorcist is. If it’s Twilight, I’ll just die.” Vinyl started laughing once again, but my father didn’t find anything funny in that. “Well, no. It isn’t her. It’s someone even more unexpected. But that can wait.” My father walked to the window and looked at the full moon. We all heard a distant howl, something unusual in the city. “Fenrir…” Dante murmured. “We will be going tomorrow. First thing in the morning.” He walked to Vinyl. “And don’t you wake up late or we will go without you, DJ. Got it?” “Yeah, yeah, old man, I can do the thing. Don’t ya’ worry. I’m a professional at waking up in the morning, you need just to look at my face to know that!” Vinyl mocked with a smirk. “Vinyl I think you shouldn’t be—” “Have you GOT IT?” My father asked, this time louder. Vinyl widened her eyes and gulped, nodding. “Okay. I’ll sleep now.” With that he walked upstairs and we hear a door thud shut loudly. We looked at each other. “He really doesn’t like me. See?” “Vinyl, you need to grow up. This is a serious situation here — my mom can die if we can’t save her. All you can do is joke around. What do you expect? We’re supposed to find this enjoyable like you?” I put my hands on my hip and tapped my foot on the floor. “Nah. You know what I want? To sleep. With you, Buttavia. Even more now I know all this! I’m badass too, for having you. And to be able to see your cuteness!” Vinyl looked at me and I made a mad face. “And that’s one mad face I love, lil’ demon.” She yawned. “Well, I’ll hit the hay now. Why don’t you come with me?” she asked me with a seductive smile. “I told you — don’t even think about it.” I bit my lip. This could be good, but… still she would get hurt. In the bad way. “Okay. So could you just come here and keep me warm?” she said from the living room. I smiled and shook my head walking over to her. I finally had a good night’s sleep, but dreamt of a smiling shadowy figure visiting me. I really didn’t know who it was or what it meant, but maybe I didn’t want to know.