{/Author's Note: Nobody loves Ginta and Hakkaku. They are so underappreciated, it's not funny. Therefore, I decided to write a silly little story about Ginta and Hakkaku. It gets a little serious at the end, but it's cute just the same. What happens when one day, Hakkaku falls asleep on watch, and when he wakes up, Kouga is missing? It's huntin' time for the Youkai-Wolf Tribe!
Also, I haven't the slightest inkling of a clue who is older out of Hakkaku and Ginta, but in appearance, Hakkaku seems to be younger. So, I opted to have him be mentioned as the "younger" wolf demon out of he and Ginta. If anyone actually has found official information that informs us of how old the two are... I'd much appreciate it if you sent it along! ^_^ /}
~=~Nowhere to Run~=~
"Ginta! Ginta, wake up! Ginta~!"
A sleepy mumble came from the curled up wolf youkai beneath the heavy pelt. It had been Hakkaku's night for watch, hadn't it? He didn't have to get up just yet. "Mmfff... Hakkaku, it's not dawn yet... let me sleep..."
Hakkaku let out a soft snort of annoyance and stood up, giving his older companion a light kick to the side. "Ginta, now!"
Finally, the pelt rustled, and Ginta peeked past the heavy dark brown fur. His eyes were still dark and heavy from sleep, and he stared at his friend with a little bit of a grumpy pout. "What IS it? If you haven't woken up the whole cave by now--..."
"I HAVE woken up the whole cave," Hakkaku explained with a disheartened sigh, dropping to sit next to Ginta as the other sat up. "I fell asleep on watch again."
Ginta blinked, then reached over and whapped Hakkaku upside the head, frowning scoldingly at him. "Maaaa, Hakkaku~! What has Kouga told you about that? You're always--..."
The instant that Hakkaku's expression darkened further, Ginta knew the news that followed wasn't going to be pretty. "That's just it, Ginta! Kouga! He's not here! He's gone! Vanished!"
A moment or so passed. Ginta opened his mouth to say something... then closed it again. Another silent few moments passed as the information processed in Ginta's mind before he finally spoke again. "Kouga is... gone? Did you check the woods?"
"Yes!"
"The field?"
"Yes!"
"The str--..."
"YES, Ginta, I checked the stream, the lake, the hills... I even checked the surrounding roads! I can't find him anywhere!"
The finality of the statement left both of the wolf youkai totally speechless for a moment. After a few moments of quiet sulking and contemplation, Ginta lifted his hand, poking Hakkaku's forehead between the eyes. "Don't be like that, Hakkaku. Look, we've found him before, so all we gotta do is follow him, right? Did you catch his scent?"
Hakkaku couldn't believe himself for a moment. He'd been so busy trying to figure out which way Kouga had went, he hadn't thought to just take a good strong wiff of the air. "I, ah... I didn't check."
Rolling his eyes, Ginta stood, tossing the pelt aside as a few of the wolves standing about gathered to he and Hakkaku. "Come on, Hakkaku, he's run off before. He moves fast, but he stops often, so he can't have gotten far. C'mon. If we hurry, we might catch him."
*****
The trail was picked up as the sun finally rose over the hills to the east, and Ginta and Hakkaku were hot on the scent, running in-stride along the stream heading north... the direction their pack leader had headed.
"Why is he always running off like this?!" Hakkaku wasn't happy to begin with about this change of events. After all... he felt that if he hadn't fallen asleep on watch, they wouldn't be chasing after Kouga to begin with. Self-blaming, in a way. "He never tells us where he's going!"
Ginta shrugged, although he did not drop his pace. One hand pressed against a rock as he paused long enough to hop atop it and down to the other side before starting to run again. "That's Kouga for you. You know how he is."
Sighing, Hakkaku nodded his agreement. They continued on silently, but after several moments of the same, they both came to a complete halt, the wolves around them doing the same as their fur bristled and they bared their fangs. "Ginta... do you smell that?"
The other youkai sniffed the air carefully, then frowned. "Some youkai... that's a dead smell, though. But... it's different."
"Then we'd best get the hell out of this area. If whatever it is has a taste for wolf, we're in trouble."
The pair nodded in unison and started to run again, the rest of the wolves following at their heels. They had no more than gotten thirty feet more when a long, slender figure barrelled out of nowhere, slamming into Ginta as it skidded past. Hakkaku spun on his heel. "Ginta!"
It didn't take long for Ginta to get away from the attacking creature. They may not have been as fast as Kouga, but they could still hold their own well enough. He looked somewhat injured, but he took it in stride, moving back beside Hakkaku with the wolves behind them. The creature before them lifted its form, foot by hideous foot... it appeared to be a snake, but it had arms... arms with crooked fingers and long, sharp claws. It hissed, showing sharp fangs lining its gaping maw. Ginta wrinkled up his nose. "It's... it's a snake demon!"
"Ginta, are you okay?" His eyes shifted over his companion, locking on the flesh around his knee. "...You're bleeding!"
Ginta shook his head quickly. "I'll be okay. Hakkaku, take the wolves and get out of here."
The snake demon hissed again. Its gaze was fixed on Ginta. "More..."
Shocked and appalled at the thought, Hakkaku scowled, staring at Ginta as if he had just suggested eating one of the pack. "Are you nuts?! Ginta, you'll--...!"
"Don't argue, Hakkaku, just go! It managed to get its teeth into me, so it'll be after me! You've gotta find Kouga!" Ginta's expression was very serious... more serious than Hakkaku had seen it in a while. "Go!"
Though he frowned, the younger wolf demon knew better than to protest further. He took off in the other direction, into the woods, calling to the wolves to follow him. The snake would have followed, but Ginta caught its attention once more, flinging a rock that nailed it in the back of the head. "Hey! I'm the one you want, right?! Come on!"
With that, Ginta turned on his heel, heading the other way down the path, the snake demon hot on his heels.
*****
Hakkaku had no idea how far he had run before he finally sunk to his knees, panting as the wolves circled to sit and lay about him. How did Ginta expect to outrun that thing? Did he hope Kouga would hear the commotion?
Sighing, he lifted his hand, running his fingers through the spikey white mohawk he prided himself in. "He's probably gotten away by now--... eh?" He lifted his head, the sound of a whirlwind catching his pointed ears. "Kouga? No... Ayame-chan!"
"Hakkaku! What are you doing this far north?" The girl had come to a stop just in front of him, within the circle of wolves. Following her were the light-furred wolves of the elder's tribe, and several other human form wolf demons. "And where's Ginta? I've never seen you without him!"
A frown crossed Hakkaku's face and he lowered his head a little. "We were ambushed by a snake demon. He ran the other way... it bit him, he was trying to--..."
Ayame's hands caught his shoulder's instantly, shaking him to bring his eyes to meet hers. "Tell me you didn't just say it bit him, Hakkaku!"
For a moment, Hakkaku said nothing. He simply stared at Ayame silently, words processing in his mind. "He... yes... he was bitten..."
The female wolf demon opened her mouth for a moment, then sighed, lowering her head. "...Hakkaku... we have to find him. Immediately."
Hakkaku, of course, didn't necessarily understand the urgency of the situation. Ginta had been in brawls before... he could handle himself fairly well. "Eh...? Why's that?"
"The snake demon's bite... the venom... even to demons like us... the bite of a snake demon... is fatal..."
*****
/Did I lose it?/ Ginta dropped to his knees near the stream. He had crossed it not long ago, and made for the woods. The sudden turn had thrown off the snake, which had been pushing all of its weight into speed... and it could not make the sharp turns a wolf could. /It's been a while... hopefully Hakkaku found Kouga by now.../ He coughed, lurching foreward. /I feel awful... like something's paralyzing me... and it hurts, too.../
"Ginta! Ginta, answer me! Ginta!" Ayame's voice rang clear through the trees, and Ginta could hear the swirling wind from her movement. "Ginta~!"
Ginta shifted, fighting to stand up, but he only crumpled to his knees again. He tried to yell, but his voice was hoarse and quiet. "Ayame-chan..." He coughed, then lifted his head, trying again. "Ayame-chan...!" /What is wrong with me?! Why do I feel so weak...?/
Ayame stopped running just next to Ginta as he fell to his side, curling up tightly. "Ginta! Oh, no... Ginta, hang on!"
Those following the girl arrived soon after, Hakkaku among the lot. He dropped to his knees beside his friend, one hand reaching for the older demon's shoulder. "Ginta--...!" His hand jerked back sharply, face a mask of silent panic. "He's burning hot..."
Frowning, Ayame turned to one of the bulkier demons, her eyes fixing on him. "Sebu! Quick, pick him up... the others are still waiting in the cave nearby. Jii-sama might be able to help him still..."
The dark-haired demon nodded, moving foreward a little to lift Ginta carefully in his arms. He was a few times Ginta's size, so it was not much of a problem for him. Hakkaku only watched in silence, getting to his feet as one of Kouga's wolves nudged his calf with its muzzle. "...Kouga's not gonna be happy..." He sighed, starting to run after the elder's tribe, the wolves with him running just behind. "Ginta... please be okay..."
*****
"That's about all we can do for him right now, Ayame... the herbs will ease his suffering, but unless we get the poison out of his system..." Sebu didn't finish his sentence, as Ayame had lifted her hand with a frown. Hakkaku sat nearby, watching with baited breath for the verdict on Ginta's condition. So, in response, Sebu sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he watched Ginta's fitful sleeping. "We can only hope, for now. There's no sweetening the sting of that reality. If he survives the night, he has a fighting chance. ...He's young still, Hakkaku, don't look so disheartened yet."
Hakkaku shifted uncomfortably, his gaze lowering to the floor. Sebu had done what he could, that was true. No one could have done more save for an herbalist's healing skills. They - like Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku - only knew what herbs were necessary for survival. He let his eyes shift towards Ginta. He was laying on his back upon a pelt, another heavier fur laid over him to protect from the chill the poison had inflicted. "...Ginta..."
The silence in the air could have been cut with a knife, and Ayame felt it just as badly as any. Sighing softly, she stood, walking over to crouch and rest her hand on Hakkaku's shoulder. "Hakkaku... you've been through a lot. Why don't you go outside and sit by the stream? The fresh air would be good for you."
Though sluggish, Hakkaku did as he was suggested, the movements seeming to just be a slow reaction. He stepped outside quietly, and hardly anyone breathed until he was heard no more. Ayame's eyes turned to one of Kouga's wolves that had insisted on laying next to Ginta, watching quietly. The elder frowned as well as a wolf could from beside Sebu, shaking his head slightly. "He is dying, Ayame. There is no way to veil the truth. Miracles are rare in these dangerous times..."
Instantly, Ayame shook her head, one fist clenched in sheer determination. "I won't give up that easily, Jii-sama. There has to be some way... If Kouga returns, he'll know what to do. And he won't leave his pack to suffer! He'll be here, Jii-sama..."
"Knowing Kouga, he'll go off half-cocked after that snake demon," Sebu muttered lowly, reaching for a dampened fur to press against Ginta's fevered forehead.
Another of the elder's tribe scoffed slightly. "For the better. If Kouga kills it, we won't have to worry about it killing anyone else."
Ayame said nothing to anyone's comments. She just reached out and picked up Ginta's hand in her own, watching his face. /Kouga... they need you... that thing will surely come here after Ginta... We can hold it off, but I've seen it before... My tribe is no match for that... that THING... Kouga... help.../
~=~To Be Continued~=~
Also, I haven't the slightest inkling of a clue who is older out of Hakkaku and Ginta, but in appearance, Hakkaku seems to be younger. So, I opted to have him be mentioned as the "younger" wolf demon out of he and Ginta. If anyone actually has found official information that informs us of how old the two are... I'd much appreciate it if you sent it along! ^_^ /}
~=~Nowhere to Run~=~
"Ginta! Ginta, wake up! Ginta~!"
A sleepy mumble came from the curled up wolf youkai beneath the heavy pelt. It had been Hakkaku's night for watch, hadn't it? He didn't have to get up just yet. "Mmfff... Hakkaku, it's not dawn yet... let me sleep..."
Hakkaku let out a soft snort of annoyance and stood up, giving his older companion a light kick to the side. "Ginta, now!"
Finally, the pelt rustled, and Ginta peeked past the heavy dark brown fur. His eyes were still dark and heavy from sleep, and he stared at his friend with a little bit of a grumpy pout. "What IS it? If you haven't woken up the whole cave by now--..."
"I HAVE woken up the whole cave," Hakkaku explained with a disheartened sigh, dropping to sit next to Ginta as the other sat up. "I fell asleep on watch again."
Ginta blinked, then reached over and whapped Hakkaku upside the head, frowning scoldingly at him. "Maaaa, Hakkaku~! What has Kouga told you about that? You're always--..."
The instant that Hakkaku's expression darkened further, Ginta knew the news that followed wasn't going to be pretty. "That's just it, Ginta! Kouga! He's not here! He's gone! Vanished!"
A moment or so passed. Ginta opened his mouth to say something... then closed it again. Another silent few moments passed as the information processed in Ginta's mind before he finally spoke again. "Kouga is... gone? Did you check the woods?"
"Yes!"
"The field?"
"Yes!"
"The str--..."
"YES, Ginta, I checked the stream, the lake, the hills... I even checked the surrounding roads! I can't find him anywhere!"
The finality of the statement left both of the wolf youkai totally speechless for a moment. After a few moments of quiet sulking and contemplation, Ginta lifted his hand, poking Hakkaku's forehead between the eyes. "Don't be like that, Hakkaku. Look, we've found him before, so all we gotta do is follow him, right? Did you catch his scent?"
Hakkaku couldn't believe himself for a moment. He'd been so busy trying to figure out which way Kouga had went, he hadn't thought to just take a good strong wiff of the air. "I, ah... I didn't check."
Rolling his eyes, Ginta stood, tossing the pelt aside as a few of the wolves standing about gathered to he and Hakkaku. "Come on, Hakkaku, he's run off before. He moves fast, but he stops often, so he can't have gotten far. C'mon. If we hurry, we might catch him."
*****
The trail was picked up as the sun finally rose over the hills to the east, and Ginta and Hakkaku were hot on the scent, running in-stride along the stream heading north... the direction their pack leader had headed.
"Why is he always running off like this?!" Hakkaku wasn't happy to begin with about this change of events. After all... he felt that if he hadn't fallen asleep on watch, they wouldn't be chasing after Kouga to begin with. Self-blaming, in a way. "He never tells us where he's going!"
Ginta shrugged, although he did not drop his pace. One hand pressed against a rock as he paused long enough to hop atop it and down to the other side before starting to run again. "That's Kouga for you. You know how he is."
Sighing, Hakkaku nodded his agreement. They continued on silently, but after several moments of the same, they both came to a complete halt, the wolves around them doing the same as their fur bristled and they bared their fangs. "Ginta... do you smell that?"
The other youkai sniffed the air carefully, then frowned. "Some youkai... that's a dead smell, though. But... it's different."
"Then we'd best get the hell out of this area. If whatever it is has a taste for wolf, we're in trouble."
The pair nodded in unison and started to run again, the rest of the wolves following at their heels. They had no more than gotten thirty feet more when a long, slender figure barrelled out of nowhere, slamming into Ginta as it skidded past. Hakkaku spun on his heel. "Ginta!"
It didn't take long for Ginta to get away from the attacking creature. They may not have been as fast as Kouga, but they could still hold their own well enough. He looked somewhat injured, but he took it in stride, moving back beside Hakkaku with the wolves behind them. The creature before them lifted its form, foot by hideous foot... it appeared to be a snake, but it had arms... arms with crooked fingers and long, sharp claws. It hissed, showing sharp fangs lining its gaping maw. Ginta wrinkled up his nose. "It's... it's a snake demon!"
"Ginta, are you okay?" His eyes shifted over his companion, locking on the flesh around his knee. "...You're bleeding!"
Ginta shook his head quickly. "I'll be okay. Hakkaku, take the wolves and get out of here."
The snake demon hissed again. Its gaze was fixed on Ginta. "More..."
Shocked and appalled at the thought, Hakkaku scowled, staring at Ginta as if he had just suggested eating one of the pack. "Are you nuts?! Ginta, you'll--...!"
"Don't argue, Hakkaku, just go! It managed to get its teeth into me, so it'll be after me! You've gotta find Kouga!" Ginta's expression was very serious... more serious than Hakkaku had seen it in a while. "Go!"
Though he frowned, the younger wolf demon knew better than to protest further. He took off in the other direction, into the woods, calling to the wolves to follow him. The snake would have followed, but Ginta caught its attention once more, flinging a rock that nailed it in the back of the head. "Hey! I'm the one you want, right?! Come on!"
With that, Ginta turned on his heel, heading the other way down the path, the snake demon hot on his heels.
*****
Hakkaku had no idea how far he had run before he finally sunk to his knees, panting as the wolves circled to sit and lay about him. How did Ginta expect to outrun that thing? Did he hope Kouga would hear the commotion?
Sighing, he lifted his hand, running his fingers through the spikey white mohawk he prided himself in. "He's probably gotten away by now--... eh?" He lifted his head, the sound of a whirlwind catching his pointed ears. "Kouga? No... Ayame-chan!"
"Hakkaku! What are you doing this far north?" The girl had come to a stop just in front of him, within the circle of wolves. Following her were the light-furred wolves of the elder's tribe, and several other human form wolf demons. "And where's Ginta? I've never seen you without him!"
A frown crossed Hakkaku's face and he lowered his head a little. "We were ambushed by a snake demon. He ran the other way... it bit him, he was trying to--..."
Ayame's hands caught his shoulder's instantly, shaking him to bring his eyes to meet hers. "Tell me you didn't just say it bit him, Hakkaku!"
For a moment, Hakkaku said nothing. He simply stared at Ayame silently, words processing in his mind. "He... yes... he was bitten..."
The female wolf demon opened her mouth for a moment, then sighed, lowering her head. "...Hakkaku... we have to find him. Immediately."
Hakkaku, of course, didn't necessarily understand the urgency of the situation. Ginta had been in brawls before... he could handle himself fairly well. "Eh...? Why's that?"
"The snake demon's bite... the venom... even to demons like us... the bite of a snake demon... is fatal..."
*****
/Did I lose it?/ Ginta dropped to his knees near the stream. He had crossed it not long ago, and made for the woods. The sudden turn had thrown off the snake, which had been pushing all of its weight into speed... and it could not make the sharp turns a wolf could. /It's been a while... hopefully Hakkaku found Kouga by now.../ He coughed, lurching foreward. /I feel awful... like something's paralyzing me... and it hurts, too.../
"Ginta! Ginta, answer me! Ginta!" Ayame's voice rang clear through the trees, and Ginta could hear the swirling wind from her movement. "Ginta~!"
Ginta shifted, fighting to stand up, but he only crumpled to his knees again. He tried to yell, but his voice was hoarse and quiet. "Ayame-chan..." He coughed, then lifted his head, trying again. "Ayame-chan...!" /What is wrong with me?! Why do I feel so weak...?/
Ayame stopped running just next to Ginta as he fell to his side, curling up tightly. "Ginta! Oh, no... Ginta, hang on!"
Those following the girl arrived soon after, Hakkaku among the lot. He dropped to his knees beside his friend, one hand reaching for the older demon's shoulder. "Ginta--...!" His hand jerked back sharply, face a mask of silent panic. "He's burning hot..."
Frowning, Ayame turned to one of the bulkier demons, her eyes fixing on him. "Sebu! Quick, pick him up... the others are still waiting in the cave nearby. Jii-sama might be able to help him still..."
The dark-haired demon nodded, moving foreward a little to lift Ginta carefully in his arms. He was a few times Ginta's size, so it was not much of a problem for him. Hakkaku only watched in silence, getting to his feet as one of Kouga's wolves nudged his calf with its muzzle. "...Kouga's not gonna be happy..." He sighed, starting to run after the elder's tribe, the wolves with him running just behind. "Ginta... please be okay..."
*****
"That's about all we can do for him right now, Ayame... the herbs will ease his suffering, but unless we get the poison out of his system..." Sebu didn't finish his sentence, as Ayame had lifted her hand with a frown. Hakkaku sat nearby, watching with baited breath for the verdict on Ginta's condition. So, in response, Sebu sighed, rubbing the back of his head as he watched Ginta's fitful sleeping. "We can only hope, for now. There's no sweetening the sting of that reality. If he survives the night, he has a fighting chance. ...He's young still, Hakkaku, don't look so disheartened yet."
Hakkaku shifted uncomfortably, his gaze lowering to the floor. Sebu had done what he could, that was true. No one could have done more save for an herbalist's healing skills. They - like Kouga, Ginta, and Hakkaku - only knew what herbs were necessary for survival. He let his eyes shift towards Ginta. He was laying on his back upon a pelt, another heavier fur laid over him to protect from the chill the poison had inflicted. "...Ginta..."
The silence in the air could have been cut with a knife, and Ayame felt it just as badly as any. Sighing softly, she stood, walking over to crouch and rest her hand on Hakkaku's shoulder. "Hakkaku... you've been through a lot. Why don't you go outside and sit by the stream? The fresh air would be good for you."
Though sluggish, Hakkaku did as he was suggested, the movements seeming to just be a slow reaction. He stepped outside quietly, and hardly anyone breathed until he was heard no more. Ayame's eyes turned to one of Kouga's wolves that had insisted on laying next to Ginta, watching quietly. The elder frowned as well as a wolf could from beside Sebu, shaking his head slightly. "He is dying, Ayame. There is no way to veil the truth. Miracles are rare in these dangerous times..."
Instantly, Ayame shook her head, one fist clenched in sheer determination. "I won't give up that easily, Jii-sama. There has to be some way... If Kouga returns, he'll know what to do. And he won't leave his pack to suffer! He'll be here, Jii-sama..."
"Knowing Kouga, he'll go off half-cocked after that snake demon," Sebu muttered lowly, reaching for a dampened fur to press against Ginta's fevered forehead.
Another of the elder's tribe scoffed slightly. "For the better. If Kouga kills it, we won't have to worry about it killing anyone else."
Ayame said nothing to anyone's comments. She just reached out and picked up Ginta's hand in her own, watching his face. /Kouga... they need you... that thing will surely come here after Ginta... We can hold it off, but I've seen it before... My tribe is no match for that... that THING... Kouga... help.../
~=~To Be Continued~=~