Habits Die Hard

By Katana

 

Disclaimer: Who cares. It’s the same as last time, except Link belongs to my buddy Mark, even though I drew him. ^_^;

 

 

Part II

“Right,” I said as Alexia placed Link on a chair in our hut. “What were you doing out in the forest?”

Link’s eyes rolled, but not in a sarcastic way.

“I…was on a mission.”

Sis raised an eyebrow. “What kind of a mission?”

Link grinned. “Nothing mixed blooded demons would understand.”

Alexia swiftly placed a dagger by his throat. “You are in no position to be keeping secrets from us.”

I nodded. “Go on, Tiger Demon.”

Link’s mouth straightened out. “Fine. I know when I can’t escape.” Sis put back her dagger as he said those words.

“My real name is Yukentiu, but I go by Link, as you know. I…work for a full blooded Dog Demon, Shesshomaru-“

“Inuyasha’s older brother?” I asked.

“The same. Anyway…he wanted me to get the Shikon jewel shards form every single being who held them. I was to kill them, then take the shards. That was my duty and I was to never oppose it.”

“That’s why you walked like that,” said Alexia. “In a militant style. You were trained to never express emotion.”

“Yes.”

“Who were you after this night?” I asked.

He laughed. “You two.”

I pinched my eyebrows together as Sis raised one again.

“Really?” I asked. Link nodded.

“Besides Inuyasha, you were the two with the most jewel shards.”

Alexia banged her fist on the side of the wall. “Damn!” she yelled. “I knew it! He wasn’t using the shards when we fought him last night! That means…”

“That means he’s stronger than you guys, even with the Shikon.”

I gritted my teeth together. “Man! How…can it be?”

Link sighed. “I’m done with my story. Will you let me go now?”

“No,” replied Alexia stoutly. “Not unless you have a good reason.”

“Um…I…can be your ally.”

My eyes flashed. “Really?”

“Yes. I would make a useful partner for you two.”

“Sis,” said Alexia, motioning towards the stove, “Over here.”

I followed her.

“What should we do?” I whispered.
“He would make a good ally. He has info on Shesshomaru. That would be useful.”

“But…what about control? We don’t have one of those necklaces that Inuyasha wears.”

“Oh really?” asked Alexia. She shuffled over to a box, opened it up, and took out something. She shuffled back and showed me.

“This,” she said, “Is a device almost like Inuyasha’s.”

It was a long strip of cloth.

“Yeah,” I said, “What about it?”

“See how he has two swords?”

“Mmm-hmm.”

“Well,” she said, “We just break it in half and wrap the cloths around the handles.”

“Ohhhh…”

“Yes.” She handed them over to me. I extended my nails and easily sliced through the cloth, then recoiled them back in. That was one of my specialties.

“Here Link,” I said, holding up the two pieces, “These are for you.” I wrapped them around his sword handles.

“Wha-what are those?” he asked, stuttering.

“A device that’ll keep you from running away from us.” I extended my nails again and slashed off the ropes tying him to the chair. He got up and rubbed his arms.

“Allies?” I asked, holding out my hand.

“Allies,” he responded shaking it. A smile crept onto his face-one full of warmth and friendship; one that I had only seen once before:

Inuyasha to a human girl named Kagome.

________________________________________________________ 

 

I rubbed my eyes the next evening as I woke up. Link sat on a chair, snoozing, while Alexia was next to me, her mouth wide open.

“Gimme the shards,” I heard her mumble as she waved her arms around, “There mine…” She snuggled up in her blanket.

I sighed, grinned, then got up. I put my hands under my arms as I shuffled over to the stove.

“I see we had a frost last night,” said Link, waking up. That startled me for a sec, but then I just shrugged it off. I threw in five logs with some kindling, then lit a match and threw it in. Immediately, the hut grew warmer.

“What’s on the menu tonight?” Link asked as I looked in the cupboards. I found just what I was looking for and took it out.

“Food,” I replied with my back towards him.

“I knew that.”

“But how do you know you’re gonna get any?”

That shut him up.

“I’ll tell you anyway,” I said, handing him a pot, “But first, go out and get some water, will ya? If you’re gonna eat, sleep, and hunt with us, then you’re gonna clean, cook, and do chores with us.”

He groaned, but then got up and went outside. I could hear the pump creaking and then the sudden splash of water. Link came back in, his front soaked.

“C-cold…” he said, handing me the pot.

“Thank you,” I said. He huddled next to the stove. I didn’t mind. I mean, I didn’t want him dead. I placed the water on the top and laid back down in my cot. Link shuffled to the front of the stove, just where I had been a second ago. I grinned.

 

“The water’s boiling,” Link said. I got up and grabbed the food from the cupboard.

“We,” I said, “Are having shrimp tonight.”

Link looked like he could’ve started to drool at any second.

I dumped in the dead little fish. The water sizzled when they landed in, but then calmed down. Little bubbles sprouted to the surfaces in the area the shrimp were. (If that made any sense, then good for you. At least I make sense to some people.)

“I can help you…” said Link, moving his hand towards the pot.

“Like hell you are!” I yelled, hitting his hand with the spoon I held. It had just been in the water. Little droplets of it burned his skin.

“AHHHHHHH!!!!!!” he yelled, running outside. I heard the faucet go again.

“What was all that about?” asked Alexia. She had just gotten up.

“Oh nothing,” I said sheepishly. “And by the way. It’s your day to make the cots.”

Sis grumbled, then went to work.

________________________________________________________ 

 

“We hafta make a plan,” said Alexia. We were outside in the woods again, this time with Link and a little campfire. Sis rolled out a large piece of parchment. It turned out to be a map.

“See here?” she asked, pointing to a dot with the name “Dailah” next to it, “This is where some humans said they had seen a demon that looked like a human.”

“How do you know its Inuyasha? It could be Shesshomaru or somebody else,” said Link, resting his head on his left fist.

“That’s the only problem. I don’t.”

“How good is this information?” I asked.

“A few days ago, before we captured Link. The men said that the demon looked like it was staying for quite awhile.”

“And Shikon jewel shards? There’s no point in going after this –thing-if it doesn’t have anything valuable to us.”

“Which reminds me,” said Link suddenly. “What are you guys planning to do once you get the whole jewel?”

Me and Sis looked at each other. “Um…” I said, not knowing what to say.

“We aren’t exactly sure. We have a long list,” said Alexia.

“Nice save,” I thought.

“What’s on that list?”

“That’s for us to know.”

“And you to find out,” I finished.

Link shrugged. “Don’t I get any say in what the wish is?”

“No,” we said in unison.

“Aw man,” he said, sighing.

“Anyways, back to this. Well, here’s the plan. We will surround the town and attack from three angles. The town is built on a mountain, and there’s only one path to the bottom.”

“But what if this demon dude can jump like you do?” I asked.

“Nobody can do what I do.”

“Yeah,” said Link, picking his teeth, “Nobody can get themselves 98% killed like you do.”

“Shuddap,” said Alexia, sticking her tongue out at him.

I grinned. This was great. The three of us, with Link to pick on.

 

I sighed. This was it. My legs went numb. I was about to run into a village with just my sword, which was, maybe, two feet long. Sis was at the entrance of the town, while Link was on the right side of the doors.

Which meant I got the left side of the doors.

Great.

I heard a rustle in the branches. I turned around, my sword unsheathed.

“It’s just me,” said Alexia. I sighed, wiping my brow.

“We’re going in now.”

“’kay.”

“I’ve already told Link. Now, get ready.”

She disappeared.

I breathed in. I breathed out.

“GO!!!”

I jumped over the log fence, which just barely missed grazing the bottoms of my legs. I landed on the hard dirt of the village and ran. People screamed as I ran past them. My tail curled around my waist with the points behind me. As much as I hated humans, I didn’t want to hurt any little kids.

And this village was chock full of little kids.

“Be gone, Demon!” yelled a man with a pitchfork.

“Go ta hell,” I said, slashing his arm. He half yelled, half croaked, as his body fell to the ground.

All of a sudden, a child walked in front of me. His mother screamed.

“Hirachu! No! Stay away from my son, you awful demon!”

I stopped, then crouched down. The boy, Hirachu, looked at me and laughed.

“What’s so funny, squirt?” I asked, ruffling his hair. He giggled, holding his stomach. I smiled, then stood up.

“Ciya kid,” I said, running.

Hirachu called out. “Bye-bye kitty!”

I clenched my teeth. “KITTY?!” I thought in rage.

_______________________________________________________________

Yup, that’s it. Hahaha, I don’t like hanging endings either, but live with it, ‘kay?

Like last time…me, Katana, that’s Scat91a@aol.com, and Alexia is kdbarrelracer@bellsouth.net. Ciya later!

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