Haku stumbled backwards, startled by the force of the Dark Fear. The shadow like dragon floated above the water, growling with an unfamiliar amused tone. He clenched his teeth, irritated by its taunting. "Master Haku!" the frog protested. It hopped towards him, prepared to assist him. Raising his hand, the spirit halted him. "Stay back!" he ordered. Facing back to the Dark Fear, he frowned. What is it about this spirit? he wondered. I've fought it a couple of times before, but… Out of the water appeared small koi. "Go ahead with Setsu. Warn Yubaba that the Dark Fear is nearby." The koi nodded, diving back into the water and swimming towards the anxious spirit. Turning back around, he felt a dark shadow cast over him. Alarmed, he immediately jumped back, barely dodging the Dark Fear's claw.
Every time he tried to land on the water, the dark dragon would find a way to distract him and attack. Irritated, Haku summoned a wave of water down on the dragon. Slowly, as if the Dark Fear had not even tried, opened its mouth at the whirlpool of water heading straight at it. A dark orb surrounded with spirals of fire appeared, blasting at the waterfall. A flash of light appeared as soon as the two objects hit each other. Haku dove into the water, dodging the debris that flew down. However, the dark spirit formed by his side, grabbing him with its tail. Its grip tightened around him, causing him to cough. He tried to squirm out of its strong grip, but could only watch himself sink in the water like Chihiro had.
Meanwhile, the human girl floated in the darkness, her hair freely rippling in the dark. She slowly opened her eyes, curious as to where she was. Oh, that's right, she realized. I just… She reminisced of the moments that occurred before she gave in to the Dark Fear. As she tried to move her arms and legs, she felt as if something had tied her with large cobwebs. Relax, human, the same voice echoed through her head. Everything is fine. Rest- "Who do you think you are?" she suddenly demanded, resisting the cobweb like invisible chains. "Who are you?" The voice softly chuckled. You do not know who you are dealing with, human. "Try me," Chihiro hissed. Interesting, the voice replied. Through all of my bodies I have controlled, you are a particularly interesting one. "The others?" Chihiro frowned.
Her fists tightened, trying to hide her nervousness from the mysterious voice. Hearing another echoing chuckle, she pulled as hard as she could. "Let me go, Dark Fear! You don't know who you're dealing with-" Oh, do I? the voice interjected. Chihiro Ogino, you are the first human to have entered the Spirit World and return back to the human world. However, you had to sacrifice one thing. The girl frowned. "What?" she demanded. Your love for the river spirit. Chihiro froze. Love? She could only recall the last moments with the lively spirit. "I promise, we'll meet again," she whispered to herself. Feeling hands lightly touch her shoulder, it whispered in her ear, I can help you see him again. I can make you immortal. Immortal for you to live with him forever.
The taunting and persuading words scrambled into her mind. I… I can become immortal? she thought. When the Dark Fear had pointed out her love towards Haku, she felt afraid. Glancing down at her hands, they trembled in the darkness. Human girl, listen to me. I can give you immortality. But right now, you must give me control of your body- Chihiro stepped away from the figure, ripping the invisible off of her. "I don't need immortality!" she snapped. "I've only come here to save my brother! Now tell me, where is he?" The figure hidden in the darkness turned away. We could have been a team, Chihiro, the spirit sighed.
As Chihiro fought against the Dark Fear, Haku felt the grip of the spirit's tail loosen. Summoning a whirlpool of water, he shot himself out of the water. His kimono cloak floated up from a couple of feet away from him. Looking up, the dragon had followed him to the surface. Strangely, the dragon seemed to act unusually. It clawed at the surface of the water, snarling and roaring at the air. "What… What is happening?" he frowned. Ignoring his questions, he searched for something to finally defeat or at least chase the creature away. Looking around, he found something shining on the surface of the sea.
Running towards it, he picked it up right before it sunk into the abyss. Examining it, he realized it was heavier than it had seemed. As he gazed at his reflection on the blade, he looked up at the Dark Fear with a dark look. The dragon spirit slowly walked to it, dragging the katana behind him. "Dark Fear," he growled. "I must end this before the war occurs. For the fate of the Spirit World." Haku swiftly dashed towards the mysterious dragon, carrying the shining katana that he did not know was Chihiro's.