By Her Side

The cat sneered in distaste. He had never been partial to….underwater places. Especially one's crawling with vermin. His only excuse to go down there was, of course, Alice. He watched her from behind a clam, careful to keep away from its lethal jaws. From his position, Chesh couldn't help admiring her deathly pallor, enhanced by the blue tinge of underwater.

She looked to be such a frail thing. Like a porcelain doll just waiting to be broken. But as he watched her eyes target a cannon crab, he was reminded that this mad beauty was a force to be reckoned with. After all, one couldn't just ignore the blood splatters that never seemed to fade from her skin and clothes. Like the stains on her soul, they wouldn't let him forget Alice was far from vulnerable or innocent. He gritted his teeth.

She didn't need him, even though he wished she would sometimes. Just so he could hold her close, just so he could breath in her scent…..well, a cat could dream couldn't he? He purred in pleasure as she felled yet another foe, a satisfied grin gracing her face. How beautiful she was in battle; how deadly…

If only he could join her. She put her blade to use, so why couldn't he put his claws to use? The cat had been in a scuffle or two, as he recalled. He had even died before! Surely that was proof of his ability! A low growl rumbled up from his chest, an eager voice in the back of his head whispering of the joys of fighting. The blood and carnage, the terror in his prey's final moments-

No, stop. You aren't that person anymore; you are here to guide, not slaughter. But…what he wouldn't give to abandon the "proper order of things", and just for once, fight by Alice's side…