Eige-Chan: Tehee~! Chapter Four is UPP!!! (I don't own Spirited Away)

Yubaba: Tch... you haven't uploaded for a while... I see you're having alittle writer's block... -evil grin-

Eige-Chan: -glare- I do not!! Besides, who was the one that said 'Like anyone would like you to update your stupid story.... '? Why do YOU care if I don't update?

Yubaba: .... Hmph, you win this time... -walks away-

Eige-Chan: -returns to happy mode- Yes!! Ooh, and I'd really really want to thank all the people who had read/reviewed/favorited my story! It really gives me the drive to keep writing -grins- And, here are the reviewers for the last chapter: Porterz007, Abrel Kaden, White Rosary, and Yep (anonymous reviewer)! Thank you guys so very much~~!

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Chapter Four: Fate Begins

Chihiro stared innocently at the girl before her. Sensing the gaze of Chihiro, Kazusa forced herself not to look at her. She tried her best to avoid her gaze by turning her head to the side. The two girls were seated inside the large and empty temple. The lavender-smelled mats they were sitting on rustled as Kazusa moved her hip uncomfortably.

An awkward silence fell upon the room.

FLASHBACK; A FEW MOMENTS AGO

"Kazusa…?" Chihiro said to the other girl. Kazusa was standing there; an infinitely surprised look plastered on her face. She was wearing a red and white traditional suit and holding a ying-yang fortune telling plate.

"Chi-Chihiro?"

Kazusa stuttered as she spoke. She looked at Chihiro with eyes clouded with devastation and sadness. It was over. Her newly-found friendship with Chihiro was over. It didn't even last for a week! She had tried her best to hide the fact that she was a Miko. She did everything to prevent Chihiro to know that she was such a character. She couldn't believe this happened. No, not again.

Chihiro stared at Kazusa with amazement. She looked beautiful with the red and white traditional suit hanging loosely against her petite figure. As much as she was dazzled by the beauty of Kazusa, Chihiro didn't forget to stop and think. So far, she knew that Kazusa had a secret that she didn't know herself. She looked at the girl before her. Her eyes were clouded and empty at the same time. Chihiro decided that this couldn't be her 'secret', for sure; because she must know it herself that she was a Miko, right? Her secret was something that she herself didn't know about. Not this.

"You… know each other?" the old man asked the girls with a smile hanging across his wrinkled face. His smile faded away as he looked at the girls who didn't reply him. As soon as he sensed the tension between them, he quickly hurried them into the building behind them. "Take your time, girls..." Then he shut the door close.

END FLASHBACK

Chihiro didn't understand why Kazusa was acting that way; spacing off with blank eyes, mouth agape, etc. It didn't feel like her personality. Chihiro frowned slightly as Kazusa turned away to avoid her gaze.

"I'm sorry, Chihiro," Kazusa said out of the blue. It took Chihiro off guard. Why did she need to apologize? She didn't do anything wrong, did she?

"I'm sorry, that I didn't tell you about this; that I am a Miko. I…I couldn't bear to tell you." She stared at the floor as she spoke. Chihiro raised a brow at the saying.

"I've been in this temple since an infant... And was being home-schooled by the priest." said Kazusa, her head still head low. Chihiro nodded slightly, thinking that the old man out there might be the priest that she was talking about.

"And your parents...?" asked Chihiro slowly. Kazusa looked up from the ground and stared at the brunette with unbelievable eyes. Chihiro blinked twice at the look. She wondered if she had triggered some bad memories and so quickly stepped in to cover up.

"You don't have to answer if you can't...!" she quickly said, waving her hands in front of her to express her feelings. The girl before her stayed silent for a few moments.

"...Why... Why aren't you running away?" Kazusa asked afterwards, with the unbelievable look still hanging in her eyes.

"Why... would I be running away?" answered Chihiro, a questioning, confused look forming on her face.

"...Didn't you hear me? I'm a Miko!" Kazusa said, raising her voice slightly as she leaned closer to the brunette.

"...And?"

The black haired girl blinked at the response. She plopped back unto her lavender mat as her unbelievable expression started to wither away. "Don't you think it's strange...or scary?" she asked, "Being a Miko... that is."

"Of course not!" Chihiro grinned as she spoke, "Why would I?"

Kazusa's expression softened up as she heard those words. She took a deep breath and let out the exact same amount before speaking again.

"You were asking about my parents?" She asked Chihiro. The brunette perked up and nodded slightly.

"Both my mother and father passed away when I was born. The priest of this temple was a friend of theirs, so he took me in," said Kazusa slowly, "I grew up as a Miko... so this year is the first time that I've been to a school." The girl smiled as she finished, "I don't really know my parents well anyway, so it's not that hard on me."

Chihiro looked at Kazusa with guilt as she listened. She didn't know that Kazusa had an... abnormal... family. She shouldn't have asked... She couldn't even imagine what would life be like without her parents, or what would she feel like if she would spent her whole life in a temple... But then again when she looked at Kazusa, it didn't seem like that she disliked the fact in any way.

"Being a Miko isn't that bad, really. But... it's much more difficult to get to know people," Kazusa whispered the second sentence softly as she fiddled with the mat under her hips. Chihiro blinked at the statement.

"What do you mean?" she asked without thinking.

Kazusa showed a sad little smile as she realized that she would have to explain the whole thing to Chihiro. Well, sooner or later she would have to make it known to her anyway, since they were best friends and secrets will get through somehow. So she might as well let her know now. The Miko stepped up from her mat as she walked towards one of the few cabinets of the room. Reaching out for the last and smallest drawer in the wooden structure, she pulled out a small, white piece of something. She handed it to Chihiro.

"..Huh..?" Chihiro murmured as she flipped the white thing over. Behind the white surface were infinite amounts of colors and shapes. She found out that it was a photo-shot.

She blinked at what was shown on it. A young girl and a young boy were present. The girl was... the girl looked exactly like Kazusa, except younger. And the boy... the boy had a head of honey-blonde hair, which was fairly long for a boy's hair length. His gem-like eyes filled the essence of the whole picture. But, unlike the girl beside him, he wasn't smiling. At least, not very much.

"I was seven years old back then," Kazusa started, "He appeared out of nowhere one day, and I approached him." She took the picture back from Chihiro's hands and stared at it for an amount of seconds before speaking again.

"He didn't know anything about me and neither do I, but we became the best of friends in a week's time," she said, "People of my age... usually avoid me a lot, since I wasn't exactly... normal to be with. But not him. He wasn't like that... His elder sister was very nice towards me too, but I had only talked to her for a couple of times."

Chihiro listened carefully at every single word. Up to now there didn't seem to be anything wrong with what Kazusa had said, and she couldn't find anything that related to the topic, but she kept listening anyway.

"And then... there was one day," said Kazusa, her voice starting to get slightly shaky, "He walked into this temple, like you did. And naturally, at the temple I was in a position of a Miko. I was performing fortunes for a ceremony that time, so I didn't see him at first. But when I did... he already had his back turned towards me and soon walked away without saying anything..."

"I did chased after him," she continued, "But he was gone when I went out... and I never saw him again." She made a short pause after that, "That's why I couldn't tell you…." Kazusa said as she looked at Chihiro with her watery eyes, "I couldn't afford to loose another friend."

Chihiro could feel tears in her eyes after she heard Kazusa finished the sentence. She couldn't tell if she was about to cry because she was touched by how much she means to Kazusa, or because she was mad at her to think that she would actually care if she was a Miko or not. Either way, Chihiro tried to hold back her tears with the best she could.

"…Baka…" Chihiro murmured softly under her breath as she lifted her face to meet Kazusa's. "You really think I would care about you being a Miko or not?" Chihiro's voice was close to a shout by now. She felt really bad for Kazusa, having an incomplete family and prejudiced friend. She wanted to be her friend; her true friend, and it was not out of sympathy. Kazusa was such a nice girl, and Chihiro couldn't find a reason for anyone not to like her. She thought about Kazusa's so-called 'friend' from the past who walked out on her and cursed him mentally. What kind of a friend are you?

"I became your friend because you're you. It wouldn't make a difference if you're a Miko or not." Chihiro said with a smile, "I'll always be your friend, so don't worry."

Kazusa bit her lower lip to prevent her tears from spilling. She never had such a friend who persists on being her friend no matter what kind of character she is. Well, she had only two friends until now, but that's not the point. She had a sudden urge to jump up and hug Chihiro until she suffocates, but decided against it since then she'd loose her only friend again.

Kazusa tilted her head to the left and smiled as a single drop of tear rolled down her face.

"Thank you, Chihiro…"

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"The boy… he regained his name?"

"Yes, Rikuto-sama."

"…That pathetic dragon… how is his condition now?"

"He had left the bathhouse and is in search of a way to enter the human world."

"Oh? And why is that?"

"He wants to reach the human girl who gave him his name back."

"A human girl, huh…. Interesting…"

"Yes indeed, Rikuto-sama."

"Do some research on the girl and every person who has contact with her."

"Yes, Rikuto-sama."

"Now, go find the boy… and give him a little 'congratulations' for getting his name back."

"..."

"What are you waiting for? Go!"

"…Yes, Rikuto-sama."

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"..aku… Haku!" Kohaku heard a familiar sound calling his name. No wait. He heard a familiar sound calling his former name. He slowly opened his emerald green eyes and tried to look at the person, but his blurred vision was not helping him. All he saw were colors; blue, white, brown, peach…. And a giant blob of black beside those colors. He winced at the sudden streak of pain brought by his nerves.

"Uh-huh-uhuh! (Translation: He's awake!)" Kohaku turned to the giant black-colored blob at his left. Kaonashi…? That means he's in Zeniba's place. But how did he get here? No, it's not like he didn't want to be here. He did intend to arrive at this place to ask Zeniba for help; to ask her of ways to get to the human world. But, the only thing he remembered is running down the train tracks and arriving at the Swamp Bottom Forests. Then, everything just went black. Kohaku squeezed his eyes shut as he squirmed on the sofa he was lying on. The pain was unbearable. He could feel his heart throbbing at an unbelievable pace.

"Oh dear… Kaonashi, go get some hot water please. Haku, do not move. If you move, your injuries will get much worse." Kohaku gradually settled down at the comment, but he knew that his calmness wouldn't last for long. As much as he could endure pain, this kind of pain was a kind that he had never felt before. It streaked from his chest to every part of this body. The pain was like a virus replicating in his blood stream, and destroying everything in their way.

"Hold on there, Haku. Kaonashi is getting the pills for you." Kohaku had regained his vision slowly. The blurred visions of colors were molding itself into a more solid, shaped figure. He saw Zeniba, with her gigantic eye-balls staring at him worriedly. Next to her was Kaonashi, holding some pills and a mug of hot water with the tiny hands popping out from his translucent, black body. Kaonashi was also wearing a… pink apron with flowers all over it? Kohaku slowly rubbed his eyes with the tiny bit of strength left in his arm. Yep, he wasn't wrong. Kaonashi is indeed wearing a pink apron with flowers all over it.

But it wasn't really the best time to notice what a no-faced spirit was wearing. Kohaku's deadly pain was back again. A sudden outburst of the unbearable feeling sent his heart pumping like crazy. Kohaku gripped his ripped-opened shirt hardly and groaned softly as shut his eyes close. He was trying his best not to squirm, for Zeniba told him it would hurt much more if he did. Kaonashi quickly brought the pills and the mug of hot water to him.

But Kohaku couldn't eat the medicine. Well, at least not by himself. He couldn't sit up, due to the place he was injured, which is his chest. If he sits up, the wound would probably crack open and blood would be pouring out nonstop again. Kaonashi happily obliged to stick both the pill and water in his mouth. Kohaku had a hard time swallowing the bitter mixture, but he succeeded in a matter of seconds later. Loosening his grip on his shirt, Kohaku felt a slight bit of ease from the gradually lessened pain and let out a small sigh.

"Tsk, Tsk, Tsk… poor boy…" Zeniba said as she grabbed a chair and sat herself next to the sofa Kohaku was lying on. Kohaku turned his eyes to Zeniba as if to say 'What had happened to me?' Zeniba, getting the message the dragon was sending through his eyes (his throat is probably… muted for the time being, due to overly painful outbursts of his injuries), explained everything she knew to him.

"I was peacefully making dinner with Kaonashi helping me." Zeniba started. That explains the pink, frilly, flowered apron Kaonashi was wearing.

"However, my lamp-post, who was out wandering in the forests for a walk, suddenly bursts in, squealing violently. It then leaded me out to the farthest end of the forest, to the part of the forest that was closest to the train station." Kohaku gave a small nod attentively. So far it was where he last remembered himself; the part of the forest closest to the train station.

"Then I saw a boy, who doesn't look much older than you; around twelve to thirteen years old." Kohaku stared into space as Zeniba told him he was with another person. He didn't remember being with another person. Well, he didn't really remember anything, so he continued to listen to Zeniba.

"The boy was covered in a sort of black suit, from head to toe. The only part that wasn't covered was his eyes. His eyes were a dark shade of purple, or violet to be more exact. It was a pair of cold, stone-like eyes with no emotion whatsoever…" Zeniba stared at Kohaku for a second to see if he recalls any of this. Judging from his blank expression, he obviously does not. Zeniba continued.

"He was holding a knife, a dagger, actually. It had a glistening shade of cyan-silver, but despises its shining beauty; it was covered with a blob of crimson blood. When the boy saw me and Kaonashi there, he immediately jumped off to somewhere in the forest and disappeared. And behind the spot he stood on, was you, Haku, sprawled across the ground and drowned in a pool of your own blood."

Kohaku tried to ignore the fact that Zeniba was still calling him with his former name. He'll tell her later when his voice gets back. But now, what bugs him the most is that how did he get defeated so easily? He was a class A magic apprentice and is top skilled in almost every element; water was still his most skilled one, though. How did he not notice a person creeping behind him and knocking him unconscious? Well, he didn't really have proof that the person was creeping behind, but it was a theory for now. Either way, Kohaku was sure that that must be a very, very powerful person.

Another thing that he couldn't understand is why did the person attack him? He really didn't remember having a sworn enemy or something like that. Yubaba might be an exception; she might be still mad about him leaving the bathhouse. But still, Yubaba wasn't that persistent of him to send some ninja-boy to go and kill him. Besides, staying with Yubaba for that many years, he was pretty sure that Yubaba didn't know any other 'skilled and powerful' boy of his age. So, Yubaba could be crossed off the list, leaving no other suspect Kohaku could think of.

"Kaonashi and I helped carry you back here, but your wound was really cut in dept. The blood wouldn't stop flowing for fifteen minutes. We thought you were going to die out of blood loss, but thankfully, and weirdly, the blood stopped automatically a little while later. Kaonashi then helped you smudge some medicine on and wrapped you up with some white cloth, since I don't own and gigantic band-aid, and then you've been unconscious until now." Zeniba stared at Kohaku blankly, waiting for a reaction, but there was none. She figured that he didn't remember a single thing apart from arriving at the Swamp Bottom. And for the reason why he'd come to the Swamp Bottom, Zeniba decided to ask him tomorrow. The boy needs some rest now. She stood up from her chair and put a blanket over Kohaku.

"You need some rest now, dear. We'll continue tomorrow." The boy replied with a small nod. Zeniba and Kaonashi then slowly walked to their bedrooms, closing the lighting in the living room as they did so.

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"Ah, you're back. How did it go?"

"My sincere apologies, Rikuto-sama, Yubaba's sister caught me. So I had to stop."

"Tch… the old hag, Zeniba… Well, it doesn't matter. The cut you gave him was deadly, he would feel painful enough. Heh… I like to torture my prey before I kill it…."

"…Yes, Rikuto-sama…"

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Eige-Chan: -pants- -pants- AHHH, that was a loooong chapter....

Rikuto-sama: Yes indeed...

Eige-Chan: -freaks out- WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?! You're supposed to be a secret! Get out, now, now! Shoo-shoo!

Rikuto-sama: -death glare- What are you to command me, the almightly RIKUTO-SAMA!?!? -dramatical thunder-

Eige-chan: -death glare- Well, for your information, I AM YOUR CREATOR!!! -dramatical thunder-

Person who was talking to Rikuto-sama in the story: Rikuto-sama, the Ramen you ordered has arrived.

Rikuto-sama: Ooh! Really?! -hyper- I LOOOVE RAMEN! -skips off-

Eige-Chan: -sweatdrops- Uhh.. okay? -returns to happy mode- A-N-Y-WAYS~! Since I'm starting my summer vacation, I would be uploading at about... at least a chapter per week! PLEEEASE read and review~~~~! -super 1000 megawatts grin-