A/N: Dedicated to…erg, should I be putting this? Whatever. Dedicated to K-K-Girl, Kagura, red-sakura-wolf, Always Dreaming, Novawings, LadyRainStarDragon, Storm-Maker and Velf, for being great authors who use proper grammar and care to put a lot of detail in their work. Bleh. Keep it up. And UPDATE!!! Pulls hair in frustration . Okay. I'm ranting. But whatever. Oh yes, and this story is inspired by Lin's line, "Two Hakus? I can barely stand one!" and the fact that Lena has a tendency to mention how much Ken looks like her old friend Tomoe from Kyoto who hasn't visited since 5 years ago (he promised, I think). I do believe I'm ranting again. On with the fanfictionish-thing. Cricket cricket
Pity me as you read. Bare in mind this is my first fanfic so please bear with me!!!
Disclaimer: No own. But if you don't recognize the character from the movie, then they're mine. Nod. Unless they're from The Sakura Rider.
Of Deaths and the Dracyuel
Ariami Suyo shook her head as she looked at her watch for the fifth time after they had stopped. Minako, her younger sister, shook her head and peered into the setting sun. "She should be here already." Her friends, Ayumi, Hatsuka and Anasada, all sighed. "I'm telling you, Chihiro isn't going to keep us till 8:00." Ayumi murmured. "I think." "It is a bit late," Anasada eyed a darkening alley. "I'll go-uh-keep Hatsuka company." Hatsuka groaned and slammed the new minivan's door as she rushed in. Ariami shook her head at the group of girls two years younger than her 18. She had promised to pick them all up for their sleepover party. "Look, Mina, you said she'd be here at 7:30, but it's already 7:45 and I can't afford to keep Cheryl and Sakura waiting any longer-" She was interrupted as Hatsuka all but shrieked, "Look up there! Those are headlights!" Sure enough they were, and the maroon car of Yuuko Ogino appeared shortly after. It was clearly seen that Yuuko and her teenaged daughter Chihiro were arguing. As they got closer the bickering was heard:
"Chihiro, dear, don't forget, you have to go to sleep before 8:00-"
"But mom, it's a sleepover…"
"And don't forget to brush your teeth…"
"Sure, mom, I know…"
"Also, don't watch too many scary movies, they give you nightmares, Chihiro-"
"Okay, mom, okay-"
"And-"
"MOM!!! I'M NOT FOUR YEARS OLD!!!"
Minako burst out in laughter as their friend exited the car quickly. Looking flustered. She brightened at the sight of her friends. "I'm sorry I'm late, guys, my mom-" "No need for explanations, we heard it." Chihiro glared at Ayumi and blushed. "Come on, Hatsuka and Anasada are in the car." Ariami said as they piled into her new silver minivan. "I'm late as it is, Dylan, Cheryl, Sakura, Ki and Mike are waiting…" Minako giggled. "Don't want to keep you boyfriend Mike waiting, huh?" Ariami blushed and glared at her sister. "Oh, and speaking of which, I believe I've heard a wild rumor about Chihiro and Hiro…" "WHAT!?!" Ayumi, who was often quiet, suddenly burst out. Everyone laughed as both Ayumi and Chihiro blushed. "Really, Chi, you are the only one who hasn't dated, unlike Minako here…" As the conversation casually drifted off to Minako and her affairs, while Chihiro leant against the window, staring out into the night, her mind flitting off to a certain dragon and river spirit.
"Will we meet again?"
"I'm sure we will."
"Promise?"
"I promise. Now run along and don't look back…"
Chihiro sighed. Six years…she looked down at her hands. It seemed to have been an eternity since she had last seen him, and held his hand…had he forgotten her or his promise? Maybe. Maybe not. It didn't sound like the Haku she knew. Her Haku. A few tears came to her eyes. 'Perhaps I've been replaced…by another girl? Or did Yubaba not let him leave? But if I do see him…only if…will he have aged? Or will he still be the same young boy I've fallen for?' "Hey, Chihiro!" she was abruptly snagged out of her dreamland by the sound of Hatsuka's voice. "Thinking of your long-lost never-been-seen-by-your-best-friends boyfriend?" Chihiro blushed. "I'll take that as a yes?" "Hatsuka, shut up." Ayumi whispered. "Chihiro's hurting. Just shut up." "My, my…someone's snappy today." Anasada commented. Ayumi looked down. "No!" Minako watched her. "Okay, five dollar bet that Ayumi and Hiro had a nasty argument." Nobody went for it. Ayumi glared, and then moved closer to Chihiro. "Ignore them, Chi. I know how you feel. Just…when you see him again, introduce me first, okay?" Chihiro nodded, grateful for her supportive friend. "Thanks, Ayumi. You're my lifesaver." Ayumi smiled. "That made me feel so much better. Thanks, Chi."
..:22 hours, or the next day at about 6:00:..
"My God, that was sick." Minako laughed as they ran off down the street. "Hatsuka, I hate you. Those ghost stories were so ridiculous they were scary. "We should be getting home, it's darkening…" Chihiro said, with a spark of nervousness in her voice. They turned a corner, and then stopped abruptly. "Umm…" Ayumi's eyes widened. "Umm…hey, I think we're bothering him. Why…why don't we just leave now…?" Watching them was a boy, a tall boy, with flaming hair and red eyes. He bared his teeth, showing fangs as black, bat wings exploded from his back. "WHO…WHICH ONE OF YOU…IS CHIHIRO OGINO?" he panted. Ayumi spoke up. "Listen, you, who are you? And how do you know Chihiro?" Hatsuka looked at her in surprise. Minako shivered. "I WAS SENT…SENT TO RETRIEVE…THE ONE NAMED SEN…CHIHIRO OGINO…" he hissed. "SURRENDER…HER TO ME…STINKING HUMANS…" Chihiro's eyes widened. "Sen? There's no Sen here. Nor-nor a Chihiro Ogino." Anasada was not a regular liar, but she felt the need to protect her friend. "WHAT…? YOU STINKING HUMAN…YOU DARE TO LIE TO ME???" Anasada didn't flinch. "Did…did you say Sen?" Chihiro managed to splutter. "Do…do you know the Aburaya?" the demon-spirit thing glared at her. "THE ABURAYA? I'VE GONE…WHAT DO YOU, PUNY HUMAN, KNOW OF SUCH A GRAND SPIRITUAL PLACE? NO HUMAN BUT CHIHIRO OGINO-" the thing looked her up and down. "YOU? YOU, A PUNY HUMAN? MY MISTRESS WISHES FOR YOU? ALIVE!?! BAH!" he turned on her. Anasada blinked. "Chihiro, you know something…something we don't…" before Chihiro could reply the thing lunged at Hatsuka and Minako. They shrieked. Dashing off, a fireball chased after them. "AHHHHHHH!!!!!" was heard. "Hatsuka! Minako! No! Oh. No, no, no, no, no!!!" Chihiro turned to the now fully transformed. Black, dinosaur-like dragon-boy. "Wait…wait! Don't. Stop. I'll come with you…willingly…if you let my friends-my remaining, alive friends- leave unharmed." Anasada and Ayumi's eyes widened. "Okay, now she definitely knows something." "You have not answered my questions, sir," Ayumi managed to force between her bared teeth. "I? WHY SHOULD I, THE GREAT DRACOS THE DRACYUEL OF THE MOUNTAINS, ANSWER TO YOU, A PUNY, LAZY, WOTHLESS, STINKING HUMAN CHILD?" "Well, that answered it…" Anasada commented. The dracyuel growled. "COME WITH ME, CHIHIRO SEN OGINO…I WILL SPARE…THESE WOTHLESS LIVES…" "NO! You are not touching a HAIR on Chihiro!" Ayumi all but screamed at the dracyuel. The girls turned on their heels, grabbed the startled and teary Chihiro (A/N: she's sobbing at the sacrifice her friends are making for her) and ran tearing down the barren, dark streets. With a roar/shriek, the dracyuel sped off like mad after the girls (who were, actually, running very fast), shooting mouthfuls of fire at where the girls nanoseconds before. Anasada screamed as fire caught on her. Chihiro gasped, choking back sobs. "Go on, Chihiro! For me! Please…!" those were the last words Chihiro ever heard from Anasada. "No…" Ayumi grabbed her. "You have to hurry. Chihiro!" Ayumi stopped, facing the dracyuel in a battle stance. Suddenly, water, tons and tons of it, smashed the creature to the ground. "What?" Chihiro looked at Ayumi. "I'm sorry, Chihiro…but…none of us were human. Oh Chihiro, I'm so sorry…" Ayumi grabbed her and ran for it. "What? Not human? Then you're-" "Yes, Chihiro, Minako and Ariami were one, a sky spirit, and now Ariami's dead cause Minako is…Hatsuka was a life goddess, Anasada's the daughter of the Shadow Lord…" Ayumi fumbled as Chihiro tripped and fell in surprise. The dracyuel was fast approaching, but slightly weakened. "And you, Ayumi? What of you? Why did you come?" "Master Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi sent us to look after you, but we befriended you because you were a wonderful person…" Ayumi suddenly turned around. Her skin paled, into a pale blue, her golden hair a dark midnight. Her jeans and t-shirt became a formal haori and she stood in front of Chihiro. "Run, Chihiro, please, for Hatsuka and Minako, for Anasada, for their faithful deaths, and for mine, soon…" The dracyuel was right before them now, and it shot down a mouthful of fire. Water repelled it, and it became a battle of strength. "Run, Chihiro!" Chihiro didn't move. "I said RUN!!!" Chihiro cast a worried glance at the water spirit's face, about to die because of her. But she turned and ran on as Ayumi began to weaken. Suddenly she fell again, and watched with horror as Ayumi, her best friend, perished in a frenzy of fire as a final, mass amount of water nestled itself into her attacker's throat. Draco choked, but made his way to Chihiro. "No…" 'They sacrificed themselves for me…yet I am still going to die…I'm sorry, Ayumi…Anasada…Minako, Hatsuka, Ariami…' She passed out from the burn on her lower calf. The last thing she saw before blackness was a dark figure standing in front of her, muttering something, and the last thing she heard was the defeated shirk of the attacking dracyuel.
A/N: So? How was that?
I'm planning to have Haku in there by Chapter 3 at the most. But I need votes to tell me if a) when Chihiro returns to the Spirit World, Haku will still be young and she would become 10 again or b) Haku would age like her
Remember, this is my first fic so if it's horrible, please bear with me. I'm not demanding reviews but having them would be handy. Also if you don't like it in some parts, you can tell me what I can change to make it better. And I also hinted towards Minako and Hatsuka's deaths…well, actually, I guess I implanted it, but all they heard was "AHHHHHHH!!!!!" and I didn't say they were actually dead. Nope. Ariami and Minako have rejoined (Ariakio) and Hatsuka has reported back to Haku while Ariakio keeps a vigil eye on Chihiro. Anyways, I'll update soon!
Asami