Habits Die Hard

By Katana

 

Disclaimer: Do I have to put one again? I don’t own Inuyasha. I own Katana. My sis owns Alexia. There. Ya happy? Good. *laughs*

 

 

Part III

 Everything was mixed together.

My bangs, which were longer than my hair, whipped the side of my head as I ran. People – humans – ran inside of their houses, screaming, while others were too afraid to speak. I saw Sis, about 20 feet away from me, running towards the back of this little town, just like I was doing. Link was a small blur, about 40 feet away from me. Not stopping, I rubbed my eyes, then looked straight again.

Finally, me, Alexia, and Link stopped. We were here.

The place where the demon was.

“Get ready,” said Sis, doing her poison routine. Spit, shake, dip, for all eight of her daggers. The fit into the crevices of her fingers.

“Get set,” said Link, unsheathing his two swords.

“Go!” I cried, running forward. My blade slashed through the doors of the house, while Link cut two wide openings for him and Alexia to get through.

There was a scream. I felt my head being hit with something.

“Uhhhh…” I moaned (Imagine Kenshin with the spinney eyes - yeah.) Sis threw her daggers at the figure. Suddenly, an immense forcefield sprouted up, lavender in color. They reflected her daggers, making them fall and clink on the ground. Link pursued Alexia, swinging his swords with all his strength. The demon created another forcefield, but this one was weak.

Very weak.

Link cut through the light, and stopped, both of his swords tips pointing at the demon’s throat.

“That’s not a demon,” I croaked, standing up.

“What?” asked Sis, walking over towards Link. I did the same, and I was right. The so-called demon was not a demon. It was a normal human.

Or at least I thought so.

“She’s not a human,” said Link, “She’s not a demon either. Neither is she a hanyou.”

I saw the pointed ears on the side of her head.

“She’s an elf,” said Alexia, grinning.

“Yes, I am an elf,” said the girl stoutly. She stood up, stretched, then retrieved her staff. “My name is Eowyn (pronounced A-oh-win).”

Eowyn had dark brown hair that went down to her waist. She wore something that resembled a robe, with the arms being tightly stitched above the elbow, then expanding out to a wide opening for the hands. (We’re talking wide – as in about a foot wide) She had a short skirt that was cut down the center on a diagonal, with pants underneath. Around her neck was a small lavender orb tied to a thin strip of leather.

“I came here because I heard of a duo of demons,” she continued, “Their names were Katana and Alexia, I think. I also heard they were sisters.”

Me and Sis looked at each other, Sis raising an eyebrow. Then we looked back at Eowyn.

“That’s us,” we said in unison.

Eowyn was shocked. “Really? Dear Lord…I would’ve never guessed.”

“Yeah,” muttered Link into my ear, “’cause her brain couldn’t take the strain.”

I tightened my lips to muffle me giggles.

“What’s so funny?” asked Eowyn.

“N-nothing,” I said, smiling.

“Anyways,” said Alexia, “How come you were looking for us? Any particular reason?”

Eowyn looked down at the floor. “Well…you see, I come from a long line of priests. For as long as I can remember, my family have been slaves to the demon Naraku.”

“Naraku...” I said, “That name sounds familiar…”

“He works for Shesshomaru,” said Link grimly. “I’ve met him before.”

“He put this curse on us,” continued Eowyn, tugging at her ears. “We were normally humans. I don’t really mind it, I mean, it gave us these special powers. But there is one downside. People call us freaks.”

“Well,” I said, at least it only interferes into your social life. No wait…that would damage you mental and physical huh? Aw man, that sucks.”

“We are even more outsiders than you demons are. Speaking of demons…” she said, looking at me and Sis, “Are you guys hanyous?”

I gritted my teeth. “No,” said Sis; “No we’re not. We are just mixed-blooded demons. I guess you could call us mixed-full blooded demons. Ugh…it’s hard to explain.”

“Don’t worry.” Eowyn came up to me and held up her right arm, muttering the words “Mind Read”.

I stared at her.

“I see,” she said, putting her arm down. “Your parents were both full-blooded demons, your father being Tiger and your mother being Dog. They died from a fever when Katana was three and Alexia was five. You two have lived together to find the Shikon no Tama and bring your parents back from the dead.”

I was utterly shocked. “How – how’d you know that much?”

“I read minds. I can peer into your hearts to see your deepest desires.”

“What are mine?” asked Link eagerly.

“That’s obvious,” said Eowyn, “You live to see the day a girl falls for you.”

Link pouted.

 

 *                                   *                                   *

 

That night, we camped out on the outskirts of the town. I was thinking really hard while Link flopped onto the ground, sleeping. Eowyn was straining to keep her eyes open. She was doing guard duty while Alexia leapt from tree to tree.

“Why,” I thought, “Why did Link and Eowyn join us? And so easily, as I see it. They are both very strange…I’m not sure if I can trust Eowyn like this…humans can never be trusted…”

As you can tell, I hated humans. I’ve always wanted to slay them with my sword and lick their blood off the blade, but Sis had always been there, holding my shoulder and telling me not too.

“…how can a human turn into an elf?” I wondered, continuing my train of thought, “It’s one of the weirdest things I’ve ever heard of…yet, I’ve seen it with my two eyes. Well, at least I’ve seen someone who tells me they were once human…and Eowyn appears to be one. She’s of normal height…well, she’s taller than me, at least.” I scowled. Everyone who seemed my age was taller than me, “And true elves are short. So really, all Naraku did was re-design Eowyn’s genetic makeup. Argh…I’ve always hated thinking problems…” I felt my eyes screw up as I thought harder. Eowyn nudged me. I looked at her, my eyes back to normal. She shrugged, then went back to dozing. I closed my eyes. Sleep overcame me as I drifted off, thinking about the events that had happened today…

 

“Hey…hey…HEY! WAKE UP YOU LAZY DEMON!”

My dream self opened my eyes. In front of me was a ticked-off…

“…Dad?” I whispered, horrified. I wasn’t dead. I wasn’t dead.

Was I?

“Yes, you guessed right, Katana.” 

My dad was a very handsome demon, come to think of it. He had white hair that went down to his ankles. He had short bangs resting on his forehead, centering around the Tiger demon symbol painted on his skin. His ears were like mine: floppy, and his eyes were like Shesshomaru’s, except the eyeliner was blue, not bright purple. His clothes were like Inuyasha’s: bright red with a slash across the arms, revealing the other robe beneath. On his left shoulder was a string of spikes, again like Shesshomaru. Across his waist was a string of cloth, while tucked in the back was a cape-like thing with the Tiger demon symbol on it.

“I am here to tell you something,” he said, looking me straight in the eyes. I nodded, my throat choked up.

“You will hate me for this. You…must join forces with Inuyasha.”

“WHAT?!” I yelled. I felt myself grew furious at my father.

“You must, Katana.”

“Dad?” I asked suddenly. This was the question I had been meaning to ask him when I died, but it seemed I would get my wish much sooner. “Why did you name me Katana?”

He smiled. “Katana means sword. A katana is a Japanese sword. Your personality was sharp; you were strong and bold. You are like a sword. A Katana. That is why, my daughter.”

“Ciya Dad,” I said, feeling myself waking up.

“Good–bye, Katana. Oh, don’t worry about Alexia. Your mother has visited her as well.”

 

I woke up. The sun was just beginning to rise. I yawned and rubbed my eyes.

“Good thing you’re up,” said Eowyn, looking at me. By the way she looked, she had just woken up too.

“Me too,” I said truthfully, “I just had a dream where –“

“You thought you had died,” finished Alexia, walking up towards me and Eowyn. “Me too. Did Dad visit you?”
“Yup. Mom?”

“Yup.”

“Inuyasha?”

“Yeah,” she said, groaning. “She said it was for the best.”

“Ah,” I said, recalling what Dad had told me. “He said I would hate him for saying it.”

“What are you guys talking about?” came a groggily voice from my right. Link was up, rubbing his eyes.

“Dreams,” said Eowyn, “Visions, actually. I’ve heard of their parents. Powerful demons, oh yes, overcome with a deadly fever…my parents went the same way.”

I felt myself blushing in sympathy. Here I was, not trusting Eowyn one bit, when in fact her parents died like mine. It was almost like we had grown closer in just those six words.

“I’ve already read your mind, Alexia,” she said. “And we must find Inuyasha.”

“Oh great,” said Link, sighing. “He’ll see me, then Shesshomaru’ll come, and then I’ll become a murderer again!” He bawled in tears. “I DON’T WANNA!”

“Shut up you big baby,” said Sis, bopping Link on the head. He fell to the ground with a large bump on his head.

“You didn’t have to do that,” said Link, gushing out tears as he rubbed the bump.

“Yes I did. Otherwise you wouldn’t stop crying like a dork.”

“I thought he was a dork,” I said.
“Oh yeah…”

Eowyn, Sis, and I laughed as Link huddled next to the village wall.

 

 *                                   *                                   *

 

That afternoon, the four of us traveled a large, dusty road we had found. Link was next me in the back, while Eowyn and Alexia were up front, talking.

“What was your dad’s name?” asked Link quietly.

“Lemme think…” I said, searching my brain. What was Dad’s name? It was right on the tip of my mind.

“Was his name, by any chance, Shikoteai?”

That was it! “How’d you know?!” I asked, almost putting my hands on Link’s shoulders and shaking him.

“He was my dad’s friend. Heh, funny, huh? I remember my his name, but…not…my…dad’s…”

He slowed down as he led to his dad. I knew what he meant, but I didn’t want to say anything.

“HEY SIS!” I said instead, shaking her shoulder, “Guess what? Link knew our dad!”

She stopped, turned around, and looked at me.
“You serious?”
“Yeah! His dad’s friend’s name was Shikoteai! That’s the name of our father! Can you believe it?!”
Eowyn turned around. She was the only one in our group that wasn’t a demon. “I know from my grandfather that demons stay within their own kind. I’m not surprised Shikoteai knew your father, Link. It isn’t like Tiger demons are common, you know.”

“It must’ve been different for Dad to marry Mom, huh?” I said, “I mean, she was a Dog demon.”

“No doubt it was,” said Eowyn, scratching the ground with her staff.

“We gotta get moving,” said Alexia suddenly, walking off. I ran to catch up as Eowyn and Link followed me.

 

For the first time in my life, I had two friends. Never before did I imagine that me and Sis would actually find beings who would help us.

But we still haven’t found all of those who want to join our side.

 

 

Hmm…interesting…Katana and Alexia’s parents have visited them in dreams…Link knew Shikoteai…and Eowyn seems to know a little too much about demons, wouldn’t you say so? Or maybe she just knows her stuff. Anyways, what will happen in the next chapter? You don’t know but I do! *laughs evilly* *coughs* Um…e-mail me at Scat91a@aol.com. I’m a friendly person who likes to talk to people, so don’t be shy, ‘kay? *winks*

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