"I hate you," Elly sobbed, clawing at her own hair since she couldn't attack her tormentor. "Stop, okay? I'll tell you, you piece of trash. I'll hurt all over again just because I was stupid enough to ask a simple question and you're cruel enough to force me."
"Fine," he said shortly. The fish smelled done, and he noticed Hizashi nibbling on a tail nearby. Aizawa picked a stick off the fire and proceeded to eat as he listened.
"Look, I'm not going to drag this out. I was given to a rich woman as part of a wedding gift. I - she loved me, and we were inseparable. Or so I thought." Elly curled her arms and tail around herself. "I grew old with her. Lived my life with her - for her, doing all I could. I loved her so much."
Aizawa put the fish he was holding down. "And?"
"Humans are superstitious bastards, that's what happened!" She hissed spitefully at him, turning to stare into his eyes. "My humans took me on a fishing trip on the ocean, something they used to do. I wasn't suspicious; why should I be? I had no idea they had planned it until the master picked me up by my tail and threw me over to drown."
"Let me guess..." Hizashi thought a moment, then snapped, lightning crackling between his fingers. "You were almost eleven."
She nodded bitterly. "And when cats live that old they turn into demons. Except they don't." She bit her lip and held her arms up, ducking down to cover her face. Aizawa made a motion for her to continue, and to his utter shock she started to weep. "Have to hear it all, don't you? Well, as they sailed off I could hear my lady discussing what type of cat she was going to replace me with. Like I was an old accessory she just threw out. She - you humans -- you're more evil than any demon I've ever met." Tears rolled down her cheeks and she refused to wipe them away.
"Your grief did it." Hizashi sighed sadly. "And you took her favorite colors, too. Did you try and go back?"
"No. I hurt too much for that. I stayed on the outskirts for a long time, though."
"That village you ran to... the one by the sea that was burnt down." She miaowed softly and Aizawa slowly realized. "That was the one, wasn't it? You ran back there when threatened."
"If I was going to be hurt by a human again, might as well be there."
"Nah, kiddo." The thunder demon patted her shoulder and handed her a fish. "You went there for comfort. You're not fooling me."
"Or was it destroyed because of you? It was in ruins."
"Get a clue, demon hunter," she grumbled. "I did nothing to that place except outlive it."
He squinted at her. "In that case, you're a yokai. You can be exorcised, but not killed, because you were already dead. That's how you can take on other forms."
"I was afraid of that." She bit halfheartedly into the fish. "They get to die and find peace, or live another life. I'm stuck here. With you."
"For now."
"Oh, yes. Until you hand me over to imbeciles who like to blame demons for everything. Like the last place. 'We can't rescue one of our own, there's a demon in there'. Bah! Just say you're too scared!"
He scratched at his head, pulled the last couple of fish off the fire and stowed them away in his bag. Elly stood, grimacing as she pulled his borrowed robe down over herself. It was really too big on her smaller body.
"We should get you proper clothing."
"Seriously? The place we're going to is just going to burn it off me or something. Doesn't matter."
"Don't argue with me for once."
When they started walking again Hizashi slipped past to speak with her. "Listen. I think this is his way of apologizing for ... I don't know, really, but go with it. Please. I've never seen him make any other demon this offer."
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