I'm so happy you guys like this story so far.

I never would have thought I would get such positive feedback

:') Thank you

-Anii

Chapter 11: "Ever has it been that love knows not its own depth until the hour of separation."
― Kahlil Gibran.

"Yes?" My mother cracked open the door and scanned around for the person who had "knocked".

When her eyes spotted me, she threw open the door, "Chihiro! You're dirty!"

Her hand went to my back as she tried to lead me into the house but I winced. She turned me around and found the source of my pain, "Oh, honey! What happened?!"

"Don't worry about it Mom." I answered, panting heavily. "Can you bandage it though? It really hurts."

Mom hustled me inside and sat me down at the kitchen table. She lifted my shirt off of me as if I were a child and examined my wound. "Oh, dear. You got a nasty cut but it should be fine. Just let me clean it. This will sting."

She dabbed an alcohol soaked cotton ball against my cut and I bit my lip hard. She opened a new bandage and pressed it gently against my skin. I stood up and she looked down disdainfully at my shirt, "I guess we'll have to get rid of this." Her eyes focused on me, "Tell me, Chihiro. What happened." She insisted sternly.

I coughed, "U-uh I saw something that frightened me so I ran but I tripped." Wasn't technically a lie at all, I told myself.

Mom's face froze with horror, "Chihiro! Haven't you heard about all those people being killed late at night? Maybe you shouldn't stay out so late at the Akiyama home."

"No." I blurted. "I'll be fine."

"Chihiro, listen to me. I don't want you staying out that late." Mom put her hands on her hips.

Uh-oh. Hands-on-hips-mom meant there was no way I would win this arguement. Unless..."W-what if I got Takamichi to walk me home?"

"You mean that nice Akiyama boy?" Mom's face changed as she considered the option, "Alright but still, I don't want Takamichi to fall under any harm."

"He won't." Not when he's the one causing it.

••••••••

I carefully slid my backpack onto my shoulder, wincing as the strap scraped against my cut. Tatsunori waltzed into my classroom, his hands stuffed into his pocket and his backpack already on his shoulder. Kana bounced over and nudged me towards him, "I have to go straight home today, have fun alone with your boy."

My face twisted into a pout as I grumbled low. Kana was now more than positive that Tatsunori and I would begin dating. "You already met his family and they love you! It's fate, Chihiro!" She would gush. I tried denying it all before but it was useless and so I gave up. Kana raced out the door, waving over her shoulder at me as she turned down the hallway and took off towards home.

"Whoa, what's wrong with you today?" Tatsunori questioned as we exited the school building.

"I got hurt last night and now my mother wants me to walk home with Takamichi."

Tatsunori busted with laughter, "Seriously?! You klutz, how'd you get hurt?"

"Your brother hates me, doesn't he?" I asked, ignoring his question.

He shrugged, "We don't exactly talk much. Gramps can't get enough of you though and Takamichi never defies the old man."

I sighed miserably as Tatsunori's band of rebels rushed up, "Hey, Tatsu. Ditch the rabbit today and come to the arcade with us."

"Aren't you idiots a little too old for video games?" Tatsunori teased.

"How mean! You used to go with us all the time!" Gou whined.

Tatsunori shrugged, "Sorry, boys."

"Did you know Manji's group called you a gutless punk yesterday?" Gou piped up.

Tatsunori's face froze as his anger wiped off his smile.

"Yeah, he said you weren't worth the effort because you were such a weakling." One boy chipped in.

I groaned as Tatsunori's face scrunched up with anger, "Who the hell does he think he is?! Alright boys! Let's go find this piece of scum!" He faced me, "Can you make it to my house alone? Takamichi will be there."

He handed me his backpack and I watched him take off with his little gang, not even waiting for my reply. I blew a stray strand of hair out of my face and began walking towards the Akiyama house. As I turned onto the path of the shortcut through the forest, a warm sensation touched the flesh around my collar-bone.

My pace remained steady as my eyes surveyed the area. I heard the branches above my head rustle with the wind and I bolted. The break in the trees was just ahead when the warm sensation turned up a few degrees and my run became a panicked race towards safety. If Takamichi could even be considered safety.

He had the power to repel the No-Face but would he? He had made it clear that his bargain with the Reaper wasn't something he was willing to break. Protecting me from the No-Face would probably only upset the Grim Reaper, who acted as if they were his beloved pets. My shoe hooked onto a raised tree root and I went flying. My body crashed hard into the dirt and I struggled to regain my breath. I moved to lift my head when I heard a familiar voice shout, "Stay down!"

I did as told and kept my face pressed down in the dirt. Wind whipped past me and my head shot up. Takamichi landed by my feet, back to me, and he held his hand out to the No-Face. At first, nothing happened. The spirit still charged at us with no intentions of stopping and then it just froze, in mid lunge; Its claw-like fingers still reached out for one of us. Light exploded from Takamichi's hand and along with it came a giant gust of wind. I covered my face with my arms as the wind hit me full force and rocked the tree branches around us violently.

The No-Face screamed with an ear drum shattering pitch and took off in the other direction. Takamichi's hand lowered and he turned, arm out stretched. "It's time that we go and talk to these partners of yours. Please take me to them, Miss Ogino."

I took his hand and pulled myself up, brushing dirt off of my uniform. Mom was going to kill me. I picked up the two school bags I had been carrying as the air shimmered behind Takamichi and Haku appeared, his face darkened with anger. "You!"

Takamichi nearly jumped out of his skin and his body whipped around. Haku stomped towards Takamichi, his face darkening even more with each step. "You're the reason I can't sense her!"

I slid my body between the two, facing Haku. I put my hands on his chest and shoved him gently, "Haku." He ignored me, "Haku, listen to me. Haku! He wants to see Yubaba. Can we visit her?"

Haku's eyes never left Takamichi's face, "Fine. Close your eyes."

I closed mine but I guess Takamichi didn't because Haku barked, "Close them!"

I felt one of Haku's arms snake around my waist and relished in the feeling of being held tightly against his warm chest. A slight breeze brushed softly against my cheek and Haku mumbled for us to open our eyes. We were in front of Yubaba's innermost door. I moved my arm out to knock, still pressed against Haku, but the door flew open and Yubaba stood in the gasped softtly at the appearance of the old woman but said nothing. Yubaba eyed us carefully before moving to allow us entrance.

"Come in. Tell me all that you know. You better have a good reason for bringing in this human boy, Haku. With these two humans in my office, it'll stink for weeks!" Yubaba complained.

She sat down heavily at her desk and waited. I spoke up first. Haku's anger and Takaimichi's shock made them both mute. "This is Takamichi Akiyama. He entered an agreement with the Grim Reaper."

Yubaba's mouth split open in a smile and she cackled, "Not a very smart boy now, is he?!"

Zeniba appeared next to her sister and I heard Takamichi mutter, "There's two of them?"

"Granny!" I cried, rushing forward to throw my arms around Zeniba's neck.

She hugged me back tightly and crooned, "Chihiro! Oh, how I've missed you!"

"Ahem! Enough with the reunion! We have important matters to discuss!" Yubaba snapped.

I begrudgingly left Zeniba's side and returned to stand before Yubaba, "He asked if he could come here and speak with all of us."

Yubaba's sharp eyes turned to Takamichi, "Well?"

Takamichi swallowed hard and his eyes were still wide with shock.

"Speak up!" Yubaba slammed her fist on her desk, making the papers (and Takamichi) jump.

"A few months ago, I met the Grim Reaper. He offered me a deal and...I took it." Takamichi's voice quivered.

"Yes, we know that already." Yubaba rolled her eyes. "Why did you wish to speak with us?"

Takamichi's head lowered, "I've realized how wrong that agreement was and I've decided I don't want to be a part of it anymore. The Grim Reaper doesn't tell me much, he rarely ever even shows himself to me. It didn't make sense. I've seen him turn a helpless fox spirit into one of those shadow demons once; in a dream he showed me how he did it. The creature was dirtied and looked weak. He whispered to it of being safe and no longer having to worry. He took the creatures name- I don't know how, but he did it- and it just transformed into this wispy black shadow, a mask on its face and an ugly grin on its belly. He says that spirits who have their homes destroyed can't return to the Human World. I had no idea what he meant. One time, when I asked him why he cared for the spirits with the masks- these 'No-Face Spirits'- he told me that it was all for her."

"Her who?" Yubaba's eyes narrowed.

Takamichi shifted, "He said she was…" He took a deep breath, "He claimed she was 'the Mother of all Misguided Spirits.' I don't know what he meant by that but- What?" He stopped and stared at the two open-mouthed women before him.

"What's wrong?" I glanced between the twin sisters and Haku, whose face had also froze in shock. "What is it?"

"'The Mother of all Misguided Spirits'." Yubaba repeated, "She is the one who…"

Zeniba took over. "She was the first No-Face Spirit. She was a lovely cherry blossom tree spirit that resided in the human world. She committed the Sacred Crime."

Haku's face grew darker than I had ever seen it and his hands balled into fists at his sides as he listened to Zeniba speak. I tore my gaze from him and asked, "Sacred crime?"

Zeniba's eyes softened with sorrow, "Loving a human."

A lump formed in my throat. Zeniba continued, however, "Back then it wasn't a crime; that's how far back our story goes. She loved that human more than anything and he loved her just as much. But when the humans found out, they slaughtered her lover before her eyes as they burned down her tree into nothing but ash. She didn't even try to stop the flames, she just watched in horror as her loved lay dying at her feet, her home aflame to her back. She roamed the Human World for years, killing any human who crossed her path with uncontrolled rage, before the Spirit Council summoned her. She was miserable and they all agreed that something like this could never happen again to another spirit so they set up the Sacred Crime. Then they banned her to the Spirit World, deciding that her grief was making her mad and that she could no longer be allowed to torment the Human World."

"My favorite part is coming up." Yubaba whispered.

Zeniba glanced at her grinning sister and then shrugged. "At first, her punishment was only to protect, not to actually punish; not until her act of cannibalism, at least. She would devour any spirit at random without warning. Finally, the court had had enough of it and they stripped her of her name. They thought her memories being erased would help her start a new life but the grief had already tainted her soul. She was a happy content little spirit in the forest but once but once she was removed from a forrested area, she would attack, eating every last spirit within a mile radius of her with pure glee."

Zeniba rubbed her temples, "She was despised by all spirits but the Spirit Council still pitied her. She was the product of human evil and she was still one of them. So they banished her to a remote area of the Spirit World. Unfortunately, because of what they had done to her, she cursed all spirits. The Council could do nothing, they had opened this door of chaos. Spirits everywhere began turning into No-Face spirits centuries after they had lost their homes in disasters and names in contracts and such. It was a disaster."

"To think, a human! She should have known! Humans are frail creatures, they die so easily." Yubaba gripped.

"Yubaba!" Zeniba snapped.

Zeniba tried to disguise it but I saw her glance at me. I pretended to look at the carpet at my feet. "But…the No-Face I know-"

Zeniba shook her head, "Your No-Face only tried to please you, deary. He became sick with the rotten feelings of Yubaba's workers. He's not exactly the same as The First is. He's just one section of the No-Face Spirits." She laughed, "I mean, look at how different Yubaba and I are and we're twins!"

Takamichi spoke up, "I've told you all I know. Can you protect my family from the Reaper?"

Yubaba sat back in her seat, "Yes, yes." her eyes turned to her sister, "Zeniba, speak."

"Haku, would you mind watching the Akiyama house hold?" Zeniba glared at her sister, "And I am not a dog."

"I can't." Haku answered, anger present in his voice. "I must watch my river while it is in such early stages of life."

"What if I watched over it for you?" Zeniba smiled.

"Did you forget Zeniba? You asked - no, commanded is more like it- me to watch over Chihiro." Haku's eyes narrowed.

Zeniba nodded, "I did. You gave her the dragon you made." My eyes widened. "If she comes under any harm, you'll be able to fly to her side immediately. Don't play games, Haku."

Haku's jaw clenched but he nodded, "I'll protect the Akiyama house."

Yubaba nodded, "Good. Now that we've reached an agreement, we must plan our next move. Haku, take them home for now."

Haku obeyed and I was once again pressed up tightly against his warm chest. I glanced at Takamichi and mouthed for him to close his eyes. He did and I followed. The gentle breeze caressed my body again and when I reopened my eyes, I stood in the Akiyama's back yard, night already covering the Human World. Haku's lips brushed against the shell of my ear, "I must return."

I nodded and gave him a tight hug, much to his surprise. I inhaled deeply, filling my nose with Haku's scent. I released him and looked at Takamichi, who was trying to look anywhere but at us. "Would you mind taking me home from now on?"

Takamichi rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, "Shall we go?"

:O Yup, I added a myth. BEWARE: it's not real! I just made it up to fit the story plot. I don't know anything about the history behin No-Face Spirits xD -Anii