Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction ❯ Angel of Death ❯ Ebony's Homespun Yarn ( Chapter 5 )

Chapter 5

Ebony's Homespun Yarn

"You're quite right young lady," said Enki. "I see you two are well-acquainted. I'm sorry. I didn't quite catch your name."

"My name is Ebony, sir," she replied, shaking the huge hands warmly. Then, she curtsied, as she was taught in the high court of Lethe. "You are Enki, sir, correct? Pray, don't mind Koenma. He has always been a wet blanket."

"Ebony," countered Koenma. "In your case, humor is much too much. And this is hardly a time for formalities. Would you mind going straight to the point and none of that diplomacy etiquette?"

"Fine. You better sit down. This tale can talk the hind leg off a donkey."

"You can talk a hind leg off a donkey."

"How come you're still motile?"

"Are you implying that I'm a donkey?" Koenma pouted.

"Come now, Koenma. This is hardly a favorable time to squabble," she shook her head. She seemed to have shaken of all the frolic and play about her. Ebony no longer looked like a gay little schoolgirl. Now, you can well believe that she is indeed a princess. "You do know what is at stake?"

"Yes but we don't know to what extent these dangers may reach."

"Listen well. We already know who the leader is: Azrael."

"Azrael? Isn't he dead? You're parents defeated him years ago."

"No. Quit interrupting."

Ah! But there will be other interruptions. It will only lengthen Miss Ebony's explanation. Not to mention a few people's disrespectful remarks. So here it is minus the questions and ejaculations from the members of the assembly.

"Wake me up when she's done." Hiei ordered Mukuro.

"SHHHH!"

Azrael. It means angel of death. And he is. Genocide will not be fit an accusation. In the court of nature where in the whole of the universe versus Azrael, he will most probably convicted of all the crimes ever committed.

Angel. Like Lucifer, he had not always been like he is now. Perhaps, he had once been human as rumored. But since then, he had been and is composed of many things. Stolen ki's, stolen moves, stolen bodies, stolen soul, stolen life. He had been everything; warlock, youkai, fairy, human, vampire.

Nobody knows his real roots. No one except perhaps himself. But he had been known to prowl the darkness and shadows of the earth for five millennia. Some say he is a vampire. But I think not. He does have eternal life but not eternal youth and his body does shrivel up and die. Of course, he had long before thought of some remedy: possessing bodies.

During those five thousand years and until now, Azrael has burned one body after the other. At first, a normal body can last him a normal lifetime of an ordinary mortal. But then, in the long run, as his powers grew in strength the more specialized his preference of hosts became. He wanted or rather needed a body strong enough to support him. And the job of finding the right victim is given to his finest followers, his blinded, spellbound slaves.

His bewitched servants is one of the main reasons why Lethe is currently having trouble keeping the forces of Azrael at bay. He somehow altered his curse over his minions making them quite immune from our magic. And my people won't take innocent lives. Their honor and dignity won't allow them.

That's it. That's another fact that makes Azrael so formidable. The fact that brought him to the threshold of god-hood: his wisdom and his true intuition. Mankind was still naive during those times, innocent and ignorant perhaps. But Azrael has more knowledge than any human, youkai, Lethian or even spirit. He seems to just absorb every piece of information lying around nature naturally. That's how he became so powerful. He somehow obtained, by some dark evil method, the formula to make himself immortal. And he knows just about every existing spell, charm, potion, talisman you name it and how to counteract each.

Apparently, Azrael's powers weren't that strong yet. During those times there was no barrier whatsoever between the three worlds and its inhabitants were free to mingle with each other. But even so, Kentrona itself was generally an unreachable, uncharted region where only lost people manage to blunder in. But of course, it was a piece of cake for him, he being able to suck in knowledge like air. And that was the beginning of his rise to power.

That was his major ace. He is relatively young, having lived for only five millennia. Others have lived for tens of thousands. But then again he acquired enough knowledge and power to defeat the oldest most powerful beings. And there's only a few who managed to evade his interests.

Even then, Azrael knew of Lethe's and Kentrona's true nature. He knew how much power it holds and apparently how to obtain it. And that was his main reason in going to Lethe.

Azrael dreamed of world domination. Even more, he sought to gain control on the whole universe. He was, despite his unlimited capability for knowledge, foolish enough to dream of being a god.

Still, he knew his power wasn't enough to conquer Lethe. He searched the worlds of the most powerful beings and sucked out their powers. Many a powerful mother lost her new-born babe for Azrael took possession of their bodies and burned them by his tremendous strength. And he, too, enchanted many warriors that though didn't pass his requirements as a host or power source are still dangerous forces to reckon with. Finally, a time came when his slaves number the stars and his armies spread as far as the eyes can see. And soon, he was able to control the whole of Ningenkai.

But even he must succumb to the laws of nature, and physics, for that matter. Azrael was unable to take Makai. The beings here are more powerful than he, some even more savage. A great number were resistant to his enslaving spell and a few were totally immune.

Azrael lost the battle in the survival of the fittest. And as another law says: the bigger they are, the harder they fall. This defeat took a great toll on his powers. He was driven from Makai in shame and so took refuge in the oblivious dimension Lethe.

With his remaining forces, Azrael lived in secret in the darkest mice holes of Lethe. His followers provided him with the necessary hosts. So there stayed Azrael and his cult, preparing for a siege: a siege that will grip Lethe by its throat and throttle it to squeeze every last drop of energy it contains.

2,000 years later, Azrael did attack Kentrona. But even so, he still underestimated the powers of the ruling clan of sorcerers. The motherland protected her children and he lost nearly all his followers. But he was still able to unlock the powers of Lethe.

The angel of death was unable to properly wield the powers of Lethe. The very energy he sought consumed him, at least, his physical self. His spirit was flung off to uncharted abyss. They knew not where. The energy he unleashed was sealed again by my ancestors back to where it belongs.

Lethe was not left unscathed. The power unleashed caused the spirits to merge with the animals, plants and inanimate things. Makai and Reikai were more or less able to shield themselves but its effects in Ningenkai was much harsher. Chains of natural disaster struck the human world, causing a lot of fatalities. In case you're interested, that happened some 1332 BC. So that's where the Ningen superstition of the devil's number 666 originated. Or is it the other way around? Did it happen because of the date?

Until a few years ago, Azrael disappeared from the memory of Lethe and the rest of the world except of course from the archives of Reikai perhaps. It all started again when a little girl of four, princess of Lethe, found a doll; a mannequin of such magnificent beauty but one that harbors such unintelligible secrets of vengeance. And it has some thing to do with the fact that the Queen Psyche is expecting a child.

So Azrael was trapped into a doll like many other stray spirits during the holocaust. Somehow, his minions found the doll in which he was imprisoned. They kept it safe until they found a perfect vessel. Now that they had, they sent the doll itself into Cair Tara through the Princess Iantha.

Iantha wasn't the real target. Nor was it Audric nor Adrian. It was the unborn child. The powerful child destined to make Azrael a god.

Azrael was released by my sister unwittingly. My parents did their best to protect me. They used their powers to keep Azrael away. They succeeded and I was born without the spirit of Azrael attached to me. They had a hard time and were only victorious for once again the motherland has helped her children. Azrael has not spent the past three thousand years idly. His forces had prepared him for this. They had fed him every available energy they could find and he was now very, very powerful. And I doubt Makai would be able to stand against him as they did years ago.

My grandfather Arawn took me away from Lethe together with my siblings. He didn't want to leave his son alone with his wife to embattle the raging poltergeist. But he had to. For the sake of Lethe. For the sake of Reikai, of Makai, of Ningenkai, of the whole creation. For Aldrich and Psyche themselves.

At last, my parents were able to imprison Azrael again. He returned to the doll into which he was banished. Lethe paid a terrible price for that. My grandfather took over the throne again from which he had retired years ago when his own son came to age. Now he had to wait again till the new heir becomes ready.

That was eighteen years ago. Now someone has stolen the doll. I have no idea why on earth Reikai had not destroyed that doll when it had the chance. But it is not the question of blame. This someone is bound to just throw away all the hardships and sacrifices my parents gave that the nation might live. Someone who's wasting the blood they shed. Someone we once thought of as a friend. A close friend. (EDITING:102500)

Ixion. Iantha's fiancé. It wasn't his fault. Who could resist the powerful spell of Azrael? And Azrael took him. He is now one of the enchanted; a dummy; a puppet; a marionette; Azrael's tool for universal domination.

That fact that he was personally important to some of us is not the only problem. Ixion knows how to manipulate the portals as well as any of us, which is why Lethe has shut down the portals. Not a doorway can opened unless you tear it down using a special device. It is interesting to note that Ixion designed the latest version of this device. The rift closes by itself but Ixion has an invention that lengthens the healing time and he'll surely use it.

Azrael's recent vessel is quickly being consumed by his tremendous powers. Soon he will need a new host, probably an unborn infant like I was before. A child born of powerful parents capable of supporting his soul as well as giving him more power and mayhaps even invincibility.

We do not know yet who his target is nor the location of his hiding place. Until Azrael has obtained his vessel, he will not attack Kentrona. However, his troops are scattered throughout Lethe and they will surely attack Makai and Ningenkai.

"What about Reikai?" asked a voice from behind Ebony.

"In order to reach it, one has to pass through Lethe." she answered.

"Ah," said Enki. "Allow me to introduce one of my best generals. This is Hiei."

Ebony bowed solemnly. Hiei merely nodded. He continued to interrogate her. "How will we know if Azrael has already obtained the mother of his host?"

"There will be a sign."

"If this Azrael person is so wise and powerful, how do we beat him?"

"I don't know." There was no hesitation there. "But somehow we must. That will be my responsibility. Your duty is to protect your land from attacks and obtain as much information as you can."

"Won't he be able to predict every move we make against him and be able to block them?"

"Yes, most probably he will. And he'll appear to be able to read your minds, too. But he's just actually reading your aura and countenance. I'm sure as a warrior you've learned to defend yourself from the enemies' ways of reading your actions."

"And the Ningens?"

"I already took care of that." said Koenma.