Chapter fourteen
Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away.
At nightfall, the trio has set up a little campfire and are sitting around it to gather some warmth. That evening was a little chilly. Chihiro trembled noticeably and Mitsu, in his fox form, huddles next to Chihiro hoping to keep her warm while Haku places one arm over her shoulders with her head laying on his.
'It's been a couple of days since we left the bathhouse, hasn't it?' Chihiro asks quietly.
Haku nodded. 'Why, do you miss them?'
'I do, but I know that there's something even more important to do,' Chihiro replied with a smile.
'Then I guess even the stupid woman can have sense sometimes,' Mitsu added which resulted in a death glare from Haku and a little smack on the head from Chihiro.
'I always have sense thank you very much.' Chihiro replied, sticking her chin up.
Mitsu and Haku both giggled at Chihiro's reaction.
The three of them continue talking for a while longer when they started yawning hinting they was tired after the long day so they all went to bed soon later.
By early next morning, the three have all of their stuff packed and are on the go towards the second trial. They can't stop wondering what it will be.
'I'm really excited for this second trial, I wonder what it is,' Chihiro started.
'Do you think all of them aim for your life?' Mitsu asked out of curiosity.
'I suppose the spirits just want to be on the safe side, they wouldn't want somebody unfit for the title to protect the spirit world to get to the temple.'
'Yeah,' Haku added.
'But for some reason, I have this hunch, that something bad it going to happen soon,' Chihiro stated.
'Is that what you call a woman's instinct?' Haku questioned.
'It might be.'
They continued walking and walking until all of a sudden the land jumps from being green and foresty to being a land of rocks. Whether it is the land they're walking on, the landscape around them or everything else in front of them, it is all, just rocks.
'We've come to a stone land!' Chihiro said, somewhat excitedly.
'There's nothing out ahead of us but rocks, are you sure we're going the right way?' Mitsu asked, one eye brow went up.
'Okay then, I'll fly up to see where this leads,' Haku suggested.
Chihiro and Mitsu both nod.
Haku changes into his dragon form and darts 90 degrees upwards. A couple of minutes later, he is sent straight back down and crashes just in front of Chihiro.
After covering her eyes up from the dust using her arms, she runs straight over to the dragon. 'Haku!'
Haku changes back into his human form and lays there taking deep breaths.
'Are you okay Haku?' Chihiro got really concerned.
He groaned, 'Yeah, I'm fine. That landing was a bit hard though.'
'What happened?'
'I think… I think we're in a giant force field.'
'Why do you say that?' Mitsu asked.
'Because, I got to around half as high as I would normally fly, and then a huge force just pushed me back onto the ground, I had no way to stop it.'
'Are you alright though? Chihiro's eyebrows furrowed.
'Yeah, I'm alright now,' He relied, standing up.
'So if there's a force field, it must mean that we're close.' Mitsu stated, seriously.
Chihiro nodded.
'Well then, let's go,'
It wasn't long before they saw a pedestal out in the open.
The little slot glowed a faint yellow colour, just like the hot sun above them. After a bit a searching, she found the small yellow pebble and put it in the slot.
Just like last time, almost just as the stone touches the pedestal, a spirit appears. This time, it was a muscular, strong male wearing armour with metal plates and heavy boots and holding a spear.
'Greetings,' He spoke in a coarse, deep voice.
'Hello,' Chihiro greeted.
'It has been a long time since I have seen someone around here, you guys are probably the first in a thousand years,'
'We wish to be trialled.' Haku said.
'You wish to be trialled, do you have what it takes, boy?'
Haku and Mitsu both looked at Chihiro at the same time thinking that the real person on the journey is her. The spirit catches the two looking at her, and realizes her importance.
'Well then, let the trial begin!'
The spirit disappeared. The three waited and waited for something to come, but it hasn't. It's different to last time.
Suddenly, a hand grabs Chihiro from behind and goes around her mouth to stop her from screaming. She still made a noise with got the two guys' attention.
'Chihiro! Where are you taking her?' Mitsu asked.
'To this gas chamber over here.'
'Why? What are you going to do with her?' Haku asked furiously.
'Well, what happens to her is going to be down to you two boys.'
They both look confused. 'What do you mean?'
The spirit put Chihiro in a transparent glass chamber which appeared out of nowhere along with a giant rock on top of something several feet away.
'What I mean is, when the clock starts, you two will have 10 minutes to save this girl's life. Whet the clock starts to tick, toxic gas will be released from the corners of this chamber. Unless you can get that giant stone off of the button, she will die.'
They both go wide eyed.
'Understood?' He doesn't even give them a chance to reply. 'Well then, let's begin.'
And they start to hear a ticking of a clock.
They don't waste a moment. They both run over to the rock as fast as they could and then tries to lift it from all directions. But it's no use, the rock is too heavy.
To make it worse, the two guys are disagreeing about what to do and they do not work well together. Without Chihiro to act as the glue, they are just two pieces of rough metal rubbing against each other.
Although originally banging her fists against the glass, Chihiro has already begun to sag and lose consciousness in that chamber. They need to be quick, they need to race against time.
Eventually, after many, many tries, they both can't think of anything to do. But there's one thing they will not do; Give up on Chihiro.
The ticking increased.
Then, an idea pops into Haku mind. 'Why don't we try to break the rock instead?'
Mitsu looks at him, thinks about it for a moment, and then concludes with, 'I think that might work. So how's this going to work?'
'You can make a crack in the middle of the rock and then I'll send a blast of energy at it.'
'Sure thing.' Mitsu called out his sword from his hands again and aims it to strike straight at the middle. Within a second, Mitsu is already charging at the rock with his sword raised, ready to strike.
Their teamwork suddenly got a lot better. Mitsu manages to cut a deep gash in the middle of the rock, waiting for Haku to strike. Haku sends one of his energy balls from his hands and aims it dead on where Mitsu made a crack.
It worked.
The whole rock shattered into a million pieces and the weight is lifted off the toxic gas button.
The gas stops coming out of the corners and the door opens. Seconds before the timer ran out.
They both run inside to get out the unconscious girl. They carried her outside into the open and started shaking her lightly on the shoulders to wake her.
She doesn't wake.
They were both pretty sure that it did not exceed 10 minutes, so Chihiro can't be dead. But they felt for her breath.
None.
They feel for her heartbeat.
Barely. Just barely. They feel a very light flutter of a heartbeat. Of her body's attempt at keeping alive.
'Did she breathe in too much toxic fumes?' Haku asked.
Mitsu thought for a moment, and then said, 'I know how to save her. But this might require you to look away, or you might feel very uncomfortable.'
'I don't care what it is as long as it can safe her.' Haku declared.
'Okay. You are the one who said that.'
Mitsu lifts her chin up and kisses her.
Haku gasped.
'What are you..' Haku was cut short by Haku's glare as he came up for a breath.
Mitsu repeats the process a couple of times until he sees the light twitch in her fingers.
Mitsu sits up, waiting for her eyes to open. He unknowingly stares at Chihiro's lips, and even though he was saving her, he couldn't get the feel of her lips against his out of his head.
A couple of seconds later, Chihiro wakes up and smiles.
The two male spirits instantly let out a sigh of great relieve.