Goddamn battle scenes… One thing I totally suck at, battle scenes. I had to read endless hours of Zelda fanfic (eheh… maybe that's why I vanished…) to even get a good idea. Bleh. Plus, life's taken a hectic turn. Again. Eh. Well… It looks like there's one chapter, and then the eppie left. Whoa. Come so far… OH!! (shameless advertising inserted here) Check out my poll! It's at the top of my profile page, so it's not like you have to read my whole bio or anything. So far we've got two votes… And just so you know, I have plotlines figured out for most of the choices, and this isn't me saying the highest vote will be the one chosen, it's me asking what you guys would like to see next. On with the story!

Chihiro sipped her cocoa as she listened to the rain fall. They were all sitting around the ever-growing table, Kyoji on her head, waiting for Zeniba to stop fussing over the newcomers. It had been a cold and very wet journey back to Zeniba's hut, with the never-ending sheet of rain submerging them the whole way. All of them were cold, wet, and tired, but Zeniba wouldn't allow them to sleep because they had visitors.

"And what is your name?" Zeniba asked the soaked girl who wasn't even shivering.

"Tala." Tala, as it was, didn't even look up, instead focusing on her ring like it would tell her all the secrets of the world.

"I'm Luke." The male companion seemed much more social and friendly, smiling at everyone at the table.

"It's wonderful to have you here. May I ask why you're here, though?" Zeniba questioned, probably more for the non-know-everything-possible people around her.

"Revenge." Tala grumbled, twisting her ring.

"We want to fight in the war. We know it's coming… There's no denying it. We can feel it." Luke explained.

"And why should we let you?" Chihiro grumbled, cranky from her lack of sleep.

"Chihiro!" Zeniba reprimanded. "Don't listen to her. We're glad to have you on our side."

"This isn't good…" Tala's eyes grew wide as she turned her ring again.

"What is the deal with that ring of yours?" Mika asked.

"It reveals the near future, when conditions are right." Tala twisted it again. "Conditions seem to be perfect… And it's telling me they're attacking day after tomorrow."

S…p…i…r…i…t…e…d……A…w…a…y

"You know… Did you really have to tell her that they're attacking tomorrow?" Chihiro grumbled between breaths. Since Tala's prediction, they had been working as hard and as long as possible. They were a group of eight, and it would seem that they didn't stand a chance. They had been working on everything, from combinations of magic to making potions to battling and killing with only their hands.

"Would you have preferred me to wait until a minute before they attacked? We'd stand no chance." Tala shot back, narrowly missing Chihiro with her sword.

"Okay… No… But couldn't you have maybe come a bit earlier?"

"Oh, I'm sorry I ruined your perfect little nails or hair or whatever by me not being able to come. I came from a place far away, farther than you could imagine. It's fifteen nights on the road, before we even reached the farthest edges of the swamp." Tala dodged an attack. "You want to try that, and then have to practice like this? I'll trade you."

"Never mind then. I'm perfectly fine." Chihiro attacked again, missing.

"But you should know… Live this day to its fullest. Tell him you love him. Otherwise, you may never have a chance." The tip of Tala's sword pointed at Chihiro's neck, pinning her down somewhat.

"And how would you know anything about that?" Chihiro venomously shot back, moving away from Tala's sword.

"I lost my pack when I was about 13. I never told them that I loved them… Never got to say goodbye. It's going to happen again… There's no doubt about it. But you never know who you will lose."

"He doesn't care about me. I don't think he cares about anyone." Chihiro replied, lowering her weapon.

"You never really know with some of them. But I can see it in his eyes… He does." Tala lowered hers, too.

"How?"

"I'm a wolf – I'm probably more in tune to some feelings than the people who are feeling them are." She sighed. "There's a lot of pain and sorrow lurking there too… Which may be why he's so hesitant. Either way, all I know is that it's time for some food. C'mon." Tala said as she threw her sword on the ground and walked inside the hut.

S…p…i…r…i…t…e…d……A…w…a…y

They didn't stand a chance.

They'd worked like hell to try and prepare, but they still had no chance.

The one detail Tala had left out was the fact that it would be 8-to-700. 700 strong, trained, spirits and gods.

"We're screwed." Kipten mumbled as he surveyed the mass before them.

"No, we're not. We take down the weak first – that way they won't get in our way. They're right in front. We make our way to the back… To the gods that are protecting Yubaba and Layna. Well, I'm going in. Goodbye. And whatever you do, please don't attack me." Tala said as she shifted to her wolf form and charged, taking out one spirit immediately.

"I guess this is it." Kipten turned to Chihiro. "I love you like a sister, and if you don't make it out, I swear you will not have peace and quiet in heaven or wherever you'll go." He turned to Mika. "I like you. A lot." She blushed and didn't say anything. "Haku, take care of yourself… Or you know what I'll do to you. See you guys at the finish line." Kipten charged with his sword, successfully falling a few spirits.

"Uh… Goodbye, I guess…" Rita said as she too took her sword and started her attack.

"Yeah, see you on the other side." Mika grinned before following her sister with her magic.

"I'll see you when we win." Haku said as he switched to dragon form and rushed off, leaving Chihiro alone.

I never said I loved him… But he'll make it, right? She thought to herself as she started setting spirits on fire. I hope…

S…p…i…r…i…t…e…d……A…w…a…y

It was horribly bloody, and it shocked Chihiro to realize that spirits could bleed. Apparently, they could. And when they did, they did a lot. Body parts were around everywhere, making her stomach queasy. It shocked her to think that she had killed so much, even though she knew Tala was at fault for over half of the bloody bodies. Mika, Rita, and Haku usually used magic, usually just making their enemies go 'poof'. Chihiro was really wishing she had enough control of her powers to not have to stab spirits through the heart.

A few hours (she could hardly believe it had been that long already) ago, some of Tala and Luke's friends from whatever school they had been at arrived, offering much welcomed help. Even now, though, Chihiro could easily spot many bodies that had been killed thanks to Yubaba and Layna. She shivered at the thought of all the people who had willingly risked their lives, and had their lives taken. Right as she spun around to attack another spirit with her sword, it vanished. Blinking, she looked around her. All the spirits they had been fighting were gone.

And, to her horror, so were Haku, Rita, Tala, and Kipten. All that remained were Mika, Luke, and herself.

"What just happened…?" Mika asked, looked anxiously around for her sister.

"I have no idea… Where is everyone?!" Chihiro exclaimed, getting worried. They have to be alive… Right?! Yubaba wouldn't have killed them, yet. No, she knows they're leverage… She'll keep them alive, even just to force me to watch their deaths. Oh god…

Suddenly the ground beneath them started rumbling, rising up into the air. Within seconds, they were on a small plateau over 1,000 feet in the air. Suddenly Layna appeared, licking blood off of her fingers. Mika gasped in horror, but Chihiro remained still.

"Wonderful that you survived this far. I'm afraid you're precious friend Tala is gone from this world… And my, did she taste sweet. I'm coming for you next, little sister." Layna chuckled, a horribly evil sound.

Suddenly Chihiro felt all her limbs freeze, and she could only breathe. By the looks of it, so could Luke. They were frozen, forced to watch a battle, where their friend would likely be the one dead in the end.

"Are you ready, little sister?" Layna grinned.

"Are you?" Mika replied, her eyes icy.

"Požar!" Layna exclaimed as a giant ball of fire shot out from her palms and sped toward her sister.

"Poškropiti!" Mika countered, water extinguishing the flames.

"Ah, you do know what you are doing. That will make this much more fun." Layna put her palms in front of her, facing her sister. "Zavedeti se mi, božji dar od temoten , omogučiti mi vaš sila zrušiti oni kdo upati si stati zoper mi!" Suddenly, the sky darkened and lightning began to strike deathly near to Mika. Layna cackled, malice filling her voice.

Witouth hesitation, Mika exclaimed, "Božji dar pogled na mi, dovoljenje mi vaš sila, spustiti vaš besnost naprej bitje zoper mi!" Suddenly the lighting stopped, and the sun banished the clouds. There was a strong gust of wind that attacked Layna, causing her to fall to the ground. Shakily, she stood up again.

"Little sister, little sister, that power is much to strong for you." Sure enough, Mika was panting, and her left arm was clutching onto her right arm, her casting arm. "You should have studied more. This isn't as fun as I thought it would be." Suddenly, she yelled, "Tomoe, boginja od tema, spoditi to svetloba! spodbuda to v največ požar kraljestvo od hudiča!"

At the exact moment, Mika countered with, "Farore, boginja od svetloba, spoditi to tema v kraljestvo kraj ono velblod s!"

There was a magnificent explosion, and as bright blue light came from Mika's hand, dark red came from Layna's. The channels of magic met halfway, each resisting the other while trying to push it away. It was clear that Layna had the advantage, with the red gradually pushing back the blue.

Chihiro, meanwhile, had been doing everything possible to break free. She hadn't made any progress, but had suddenly remembered something Zeniba had mentioned, and decided to give it a try. She focused all of her energy on Mika, thinking, "Remember Kipten… He didn't want me to tell you this… But he really likes you. Don't let him down when you're so close!" She felt herself get into Mika's head, and smiled inwardly (after all, her body was practically frozen). Chihiro felt Mika's power surge forward, literally knocking Layna off her feet and distracting her long enough for the blue to engulf her. There was a light, soft scream before Layna had vanished, breaking the spell on Luke and Chihiro. At the moment they were freed, they both ran forward to attempt to catch the now-fainting Mika.

"Chihiro…" Mika mumbled softly. "When you see… Kipten… tell him… I… think I… might've… loved him… okay…? I'll… be… waiting… for you… when its all… over… Don't… let us… down… not when… you're… so… close…" With those last words, Mika passed out, leaving Luke holding her as he kneeled.

Chihiro's eyes glinted with something that had never been revealed before, and she told Luke, "watch over her. I'll be back soon. Make sure she's not hurt any more." Suddenly, a flash of black light engulfed her, taking her to where Yubaba was waiting for her...

MWAHAHA! And there that chapter ends... One left! Review please... It makes me feel all happy and like I just want to write all day long...