The Demon and The Witch

~ Counter-Contract ~

"-and then the demon asked her to sign the contract to help him." Hinata finished catching up her big brother on the story as he ate his soup. "There, now you are all caught up, Seiji!" She then turned her eyes on her grandmother pleadingly, "Will you continue the story, grandmother? Please?"

"Yes, of course."

"Grandmother." Seiji gave his grandmother a meaningful look. "She's a little young to hear this story."

The middle aged woman waved her hands, saying, "She's more ready than you were when you learned it. She'd have found out by other means if I hadn't given in to her request. The clever little girl."

Hinata giggled, sticking her tongue out at her brother as she sat on her grandmother's lap. "So did the witch, Okuda, sign it or not?"

"Well.."

"I refuse." Okuda said, backing away. "You're a demon, I.. I can't help you. I apologize."

"Hah?" the demon tilted his head to the side, the contract in his hand turned to ash at his feet. He stepped over the ashes and advanced towards the witch. "Wellll, you are timid, but you've got some intelligence. I guess you would have to, to have earned your reputation."

"Stay back!" the witch warned him, reaching into a pouch on her side, she removed a vial and waved it around, water spraying around her.

But it was no use.

"Purified water?" the demon laughed, drawing closer. "A good attempt. But that only works to purify a soul that's been possessed by darkness, to shoo it away. But you see, I am the darkness. I cannot be purified if there is nothing pure to begin with."

Now the witch started to tremble in fear, for the only thing that she had been taught could keep demons away, was useless. Perhaps a spell could have worked against him - but the chances of that were quite slim. Running wouldn't do much good, because as everyone knows, demons are quick on their feet, and the witch was unfortunately not a good runner.

With few options left, Okuda chose to make a counter-contract with the demon. One that was fair, and straightforward - no double meanings, no expiration date or double standards.

"If you want my help... Then you have to go by the rules of my contract!"

"Ahh, what a crafty little witch." the demon chuckled, "Making me destroy that contract made by Satan himself. I'm curious, what are the terms of your contract?"

She took a deep breath, and thought carefully over her words. "We - we have to be completely honest with each other. That means if I ask you... a question, you have to give a true answer, not a lie. And I'll.. I'll answer honest as well."

"Is that all?" he asked, grinning at her. "That won't be a problem."

"No, um.. there's more. You can't.. p-possess me, ok? Like, um, take over my body, or mind." Okuda shivered, scared by the thought of being possessed.

"Fine fine, I didn't want to try being a girl anyway." the demon said, looking away. "Geez, you're really paranoid aren't you?"

"Well... You're a demon, and you'd try to.. um, find loopholes in the contract."

"I already have." he smirked at her, eyes gleaming mischievously.

"E-eh?!" she cried out in alarm. Her mind scrambled to find any mistake she might have made, any words that could be twisted. She didn't get very far, because then the demon was talking again.

"To save us some time, I'm going to list off a couple of rules I've thought of that you have most likely thought up: No devouring your soul, taking you to hell, killing you, sex with you,"

"Eh?"

"Making you do indecent things on the journey, setting fire to churches, playing the fiddle... have I missed any?"

"Um... how many contracts have you made with people?" the witch asked, worry in her tone.

"Thirty-five. You're lucky number thirty-six." the demon grinned. Somehow, the witch felt rather unlucky.

"Uh.."

"So, shall we shake hands for this contract, or do you want to do something like trade hearts, or-"

"Shaking hands works!" Okuda interrupted the demon, worried about what other suggestions he might have.

"Great then," The two of them shook hands, and the demon laughed. "Well, Okuda The Witch of The Glen, you've just made a contract with Karma, the Demon of Jokes."

"The.. the what?" the witch gave him a skeptical look. "I, I don't mean to be rude, but, I think that your title is really lame."

"Hey, I was not the one who came up with the title." Karma deadpanned. "Us demons are given our names by others. If you want to change it, please be my guest."

"Hmm," the witch looked at him for a long moment. "What.. if I just call you Karma? Y-your name is unique on its own."

"Karma.. Karma..." the demon tested it, saying it a few times thoughtfully. "Well it doesn't really put fear in people's hearts."

"B-because calling yourself a demon of jokes does?!"

"Hey, I wasn't finished," Karma pouted at her childishly. "Once our quest is done, my name will put fear in people's hearts. And so will yours."

"Eh? But, but! I just want..."

"Hm?"

"I want to be, accepted." the witch whispered, looking down at the ground.

"Well, you will be. If that's what you really want, I can make it happen after we kill a monster." the demon said, lifting her chin up. "You and I, we're going to kill the Unkillable Monster."

"And that is where we will stop the story for tonight."

"Aww, no~" Hinata pouted, looking up at her grandmother. "But they're just going to start their quest!"

"Hinata, it's getting late, and we're going to be travelling all day tomorrow." Seiji said, picking up his little sister. "We need to get some rest."

"Oh, ok." Hinata sighed, looking at the embers of the fire, rubbing her eyes. "Good night grandmother. Will you please continue the story tomorrow?" she asked with a yawn.

"Of course," her grandmother smiled, and gave the two of them a hug, mumbling a few words before letting go of them. "Now don't dawdle on the way home you two." She smiled, seeing the two of them set out of the house.

Hinata had fallen asleep on her brother's back - if she hadn't, she might have caught a few words he recited, as he faced the glass cottage at the end of the tree line. Might have even felt the magic flowing around them, seen it surround the cottage...

"Protect thy home, thy dwellers, from the ones that roam, searching for this shelter..."