Author's note: I'm so sorry for not updating sooner, but this whole weekend I was at my grandparents' house and they don't have a computer :P Here's chapter six and I hope this makes up for my tardiness. hehe Another thing that has bugged me about my story, is that the past three chapters have ended the same! They always just go to sleep, but I'm going to try and stop that because I want this to be fresh and un-repetitive:P

Chapter Six

It is a very strange sight to see three people sleeping parallel to each other suddenly open each of their eyes at the exact same time, then site up at the same speed, look left, look right, rub the sleep from their eyes, then have them all jump when they realized what was going on. For that is what happened to Haku, Chihiro and Lin that very morning. It was Chihiro who cracked first and burst into a melody of laughter. Lin followed soon after, but Haku only gave a slight smile and half-hearted chuckle. Lin stood up, and so did Haku, and they both helped the still very tired, Chihiro to her feet.

None of them were surprised to see that Zeniba was wide awake, but none of them, with the exception of Haku, expected to see her rushing around packing things into a pair of brown backpacks. They were both very similar, but one was noticeably smaller than the other.

"Good, good you are all awake. I'm sorry to have to do this, but you and Haku have to leave now." She said solemnly to Chihiro. "I'm very, truly sorry, but there is no time for me to explain. Haku, you will have to explain it to her once you get going. Lin, you are going to stay here for a few more days, I think you would be comfortable doing that." She paused looking over the two sad faces of the girls, and the determined face of the not so young boy. "I have your bags packed. Haku, you must remain in your human form. You will be walking on foot over plains and light forest, I don't want you to attract attention, because if you're in the open, you would be vulnerable and I will not risk anything. Haku, you will take the larger bag, and here Chihiro, just put it one your back like this." she demonstrated by slipping the straps on her back, and tying some fancy knots around everywhere that Chihiro didn't even try to understand. "you see this rope?" she showed an end about four inches coming form her shoulder and hanging past her chest. "If you give that a hard tug, you don't really have to pull that hard, it will make the pack remove itself instantly from your back. It comes in handy if say someone was chasing you and they grabbed your bag, or you were stuck on something, or things like that. Same for you Haku, but I can assume you know the knots right?"

"Yes Mam!" He said giving a mock salute, this little piece of humor coming form his seemed so strange, but they couldn't help smiling anyways. Then Zaniba went over the list of things she had packed; Chihiro's spare clothes, water, food, a length of rope, two small knives, either for protection, or hunting, blankets and the usual, pots, pans, hygienic supplies...etc. Then once they were all ready to finally leave, the hardest part came. The goodbyes.

Lin ran over and squeezed Chihiro with all her might, while she returned the favor. They did not shed any tears this time, but their sorrow was evident. After everyone gave a large farewell hug to Chihiro and gave their wishes for their safety, Zeniba finally got up the strength to usher them out of the door. They stood waving until the two were completely out of sight behind a hill, they went inside and could only hope for the best.

XxXxXxXxXxXxX

The cool morning air brushed their faces, and Chihiro couldn't help to not suppress a shiver. It didn't go unnoticed by Haku.

"Are you sure you don't need a coat?" he asked kindly.

"Yeah, it's only my face. I can handle it." she said with a forced sweet smile. Of course she loved just being close to him, but the task of this voyage was not a happy one, and she could not help but feel a little frightened. They reached the top of the first hill and looked down over the swamp lands and Zaniba's house. It took all of Chihiro's might to look away from the warm lights and her friends still waving, but with a little reassuring clasp on her elbow, Haku guided her to the other direction.

Thankfully they were walking towards the rising sun, and soon they were feeling its warmth. Haku was still at unease about being in the open. There wasn't a tree or stone to hide behind if anything were to come, there was only the fields of grass and the beds of wild flowers. But it did calm him a little when he saw that Chihiro seemed to be fairing up nicely. She liked the peaceful surrounding.

Then she opened up an unexpected conversation. "What was it like being a river spirit?" she said lightly.

At fist Haku paused because the question caught him by surprise, but he continued to stay in silence because he tried formulating the right words. "Well, I guess I could say it was peaceful. At least it was in the start of my river's time. But over years, it was abused and the filth of people doing whatever they pleased, I got a little tiresome. But oh how I wish for those days in the early years. One way to describe it would be like saying, it was like a peaceful daytime nap, when you know what is happening, you can wake any second, but it is the most comfortable thing you ever feel, your eyelids just shut, and you lose your cares about everything. You're floating around in a sea of time, and you are nothingness, yet you are everything. Do you get what I am saying?" he said wit ha dreamy look in his eyes.

"Not really, but it sounds nice."

He gave an amused little chuckle and whispered more to himself than to her, "It does, doesn't it." They were once again in that comfortable silence. Until once again, it was broken by the curious girl.

"You can fly," she said in a tone that meant she was going to continue weather he answered or not, but she politely waited for his nod, and she continued, "so couldn't that mean that could easily get to the human world?" He turned to study her closely, thinking that this might be a trick question, and that he might fall into a trap. She just continued to look at him with her light hearted expression.

"I could..." he started slowly and cautiously, "But I would not be in my physical form as you see me now, I would not be able to communicate, and if I stayed past the length of time, my body would disintegrate an I would remain their a deaf, dumb mute for the rest of eternity." he said a little sadly. "Please don't think I wouldn't have come if I could have."

"I never doubted you for a second." she said, and linked her fingers through his. "Next question!" she said humorously, and she saw him fake wince and groan so she laughed out loud. "You have no say in this! Okay, question number three. I heard Granny and you talking about some place called the Water Castle, and she said that that's were you and I are headed...So what's so special about this place? No one has told me."

"Well basically it's..." And he spent a whole three hours giving the history about the place, all the names of the Gods and Goddesses, the structures, his old friends, and by the time he finished, they decided to stop for a little lunch.

TBC

Author's note: There we have it! I hope you liked this one, I think it might be one of my longest yet...I do have a question, would you all like me to leave the ending to this chapter like that, or would you like me to actually explain some of the things he was saying? The choice is all up to you, so please review, because you have a chance to make me do something:) Please review! Thanks!