A/N: I don't own Spirited Away or its characters, but yes! The original characters and this plot line are mine.

Chapter 26

Raz was pacing the room, Chihiro was sleeping and Niruu was deep in discussion with Kimaji when Haku opened the door. Haku closed the door behind him before turning to Raz, "Why are you here!" He yelled, "You were suppose to stay there with Sen!"

Niruu turned to the dragon, "Their circumstances changed and they saw something they believed Niruu and Haku would be needing to learn." Haku blinked at this very 'Niruu' sounding statement coming from the body that he though still contained Chihiro, "Niruu and Sen had to switch back." The demon clarified.

Haku then looked from Niruu to Raz, "I was absent for maybe ten minutes... what exactly did I miss?"

Raz cleared his throat, "Niruu has the other eye of the black serpent... Ch-- Sen is slowly dying from... Well I'd call it magic poisoning, or maybe an over dose of magic... and Blink is off getting information about the bathhouse..." Raz cut himself off when he saw the look on Kuhaku's face.

The dragon spun on Niruu, the demon flinched. Before Haku could begin berrating her for doing something foolish like that Chihiro cut him off.

"Don't get mad Haku, we're alright." She mumbled, coming awake. She slowly sat up, "It isn't as bad as Raz makes it out to be."

He scoffed, "You're dying, and it's not as bad as it sounds?" He crouched down in front of her and gently stroked her cheek, Chihiro watched him. There was something in his eyes that she'd never seen before; it looked like regret. "A dark god is looking for you to try and get you to retrieve the other eye... and it isn't as bad as it sounds?"

She blinked, "What do you mean, it's a death god isn't it?"

Haku shook his head and explained what Yubaba had said to him.

It was a simple grove of trees in the real world, at least, according to the real world. The death spirit walked calmly, almost smiling through the trees; this was her land. Here was many an unmarked grave; the unclaimed dead. She walked deeper, there was still a small shrine somewhere in the depths of the trees for those whose remains were left to none but the insects, there she would regain her strength and return to the bath house. Then she would find the demon with the red eye, find the human girl and take her body and spirit for her master and find the second eye. It would have to be in that order. Her master said it would be so.

She walked into the shrine, it wasn't empty there were a few of the living at prayers for their misplaced ancestors, the spirit rolled her eyes and walked to the central marker. It had been made to represent all those lost bones in the grove of trees. The death spirit climbed on top of it and sighed, almost like she was at peace. Slowly the skin and sinew began reforming across her skeletal body.

The humans in the room began shivering and complaining of the sudden cold the longer the death spirit remained and rejuvenated. They took it as a bad omen and began to file out of the building; this was very much to the death spirit's liking. She inhaled deeply the still lingering smell of decay. No longer of the flesh, but of those spirits lost so long on this area; as long as they were lost she would have power.

There were very few death spirits that lived in a way she did, not off humans but from the lost spirits. Often other lost spirits of the dead would wander here, and never leave. The death spirit had come to think of the area as a kind of drain, where all the lost spirits were drawn. She wasn't aware if any had committed crimes, or if they were innocent, only that they were dead; beyond that, nothing mattered to this death spirit.

She had once known a death spirit who learned of all the souls that came into his domain, after some time he faded out of existance; for after having learned of the lives of the dead he could no longer find it in himself to ubsorb them for life, or for power. She felt no such guilt and no such desire to gain a reason to feel guilt.

The death spirit smiled, the skin slowly reforming across her skeletal face. That was why the god had chosen her, that was why she would be given the body; she would bring power, and glory to her god. "No human, or spirit will stop me." she whispered to herself. There was a tremble underneath her skin from the mark emblazoned on her collarbone.

Yes my dear, we will be unstoppable. The voice whispered and cooed to her. All the worlds will be ours soon enough. Once I am free we will have nothing to fear.

Grinning, the spirit watched in silence for a moment; then was inturrupted by a wisp forming in the door way. It spoke in its silent way to her; with each of its words her eyes slowly darkened further. "Uninvited guests eh?" She stood and swiped out into the air, pulling her scythe from no where. "Well them, time to get ready then." She grinned, "Time to go get my new body."