All the thoughts of Mizutohi were preoccupied by the spirit within her. They had been conversing with each other, inside one another's head, for hours now. Sitting in Yubaba's office the two had a silent conversation, while Yubaba took care of her precious child. Boh squirmed inside his playroom getting anxious because he wanted to know where Sen was. Crashes came from the playroom, but Mizutohi easily blocked them out as her silent, yet interesting, conversation continued.
'So this girl was once a spirit, then human, then is now a spirit again? The Gods must surely think high of this young girl if they wish to preserve her this long. Any other spirit they would've let die and rot, but they managed to keep her alive. Although a young female spirit able to control all the elements is worth keeping alive. So at the moment she is safe and awaiting the return of her memories I suppose?'
The Winds of Memories words flowed through Mizutohi's mind with a graceful ease. No hesitation came with the words she spoke, slowly learning information she didn't know.
'Yes the girl is at the witch's house, or known as Zeniba. She has been there for a few days now slowly awaiting for me to come back. In order to move on into what we need to do, we need to get back to Zeniba's house as fast as possible.'
Mizutohi stared out the window of Yubaba's office as the moon reflected off the calm water. She slowly drifted away from herself as she just adored the beauty of the nature surrounding the bathhouse.
The dead bodies Yubaba had discovered the day before still lay within the outskirts of the baths. Most of the workers had fled from the bathhouse, but soon some started returning. Mizutohi could make out a couple of lone Yuna's making their way back into the entrance of the bathhouse only to meet an array of dead bodies.
As Yubaba's thoughts started to get more complicated she was kicked in the face by a large wrinkled foot. Her head cradled back due to the impact, and her eyes narrowed with arrogance. She was slowly starting to loose patience with her gigantic child. She could only stand so much, but she tried to keep her cool; however, her hands started trembling along with the rest of her body due to the stress that was building.
"I want Sen! Sen! Sen! I want Sen!" Boh picked up a various pile of pillows and chucked them at his mother. "I want to see Sen!"
"Honey. Oh my little baby, you will see Sen soon. Sen is fine at the moment. Please just quiet down and go to sleep."
The over sized baby shook his head furiously and started a loud wail. He raised a flailed once more and this time he sent his mother flying out of the playroom into her office. The baby over the last 5 years refused to grow up and liked being treated as a young child. Yubaba crashed into her desk, sending papers flying up in a swirl and ink splattering everywhere, which also caused some candles to fall off the desk and light up the carpet on fire.
Mizutohi sensed something was wrong and snapped out of her mental conversation. Turning around she found a wild mess within the office, a screaming baby from inside the playroom, and an office that was going to burn down from fallen candles. Mizutohi quickly concentrated and water filtered into her hands as it started to encircle her arm. She swiftly aimed her arms directly at the ashy carpet and water spiraled off her hands quickly sending smoke into the air. It billowed, rising to the ceiling in a uneven manner.
Yubaba sat up with pieces of her hair falling out of her neatly placed bun. Her nose flared, but he breathed in and out a few times trying to keep herself from exploding at her child. No matter how mean she was to her workers her baby always came first. Boh was the last remaining thing in her life, and she would treat him with the best care she could. The screaming suddenly ceased as Boh smelled the smoke drifted around within the office, and loud stomps came from the playroom. The over sized baby made his way out of the room staring at Yubaba and Mizutohi confused. Tear streaks stained his face as dripping paint would drip down a unfinished canvas as he stepped out of the play room.
"Mommy..." he sniffed while wiping his nose with his chubby arm. "What happened?"
Yubaba stared at Boh and swiftly placed herself upright as Mizutohi deceased the water in her hands. Mizutohi looked over at Yubaba then Boh.
"Honey nothing happened. Everything is alright. Mommy just knocked over some candles."
Boh stared at Yubaba then slowly nodded.
"Okay mommy...I'm sorry...I just want to see Sen." Boh then slightly yawned and a sense of relief washed over Yubaba. "I'm going to take a nap mommy" said Boh as he trudged off to his room.
"Is everything alright now ma'am?" Mizutohi stood clearly awaiting an answer as Yubaba whipped her fingers around various motions putting objects back in their places. The broken items and dented desk were fixed within moments as ink removed itself from the carpet flowing back into its glass container. Yubaba glanced at Mizutohi and gave her a slight nod.
"Would you mind going now? I have to clean this up and clear the dead bodies out of this bathhouse. This bathhouse is a mess and the loss of workers is ridiculous. How am I supposed to fix all of this? I can't replace workers within a few days! Spirits will be expecting baths and we are out of service!" She looked at Mizutohi and glared as a sudden anger rose in her. "This is your fault, all of your faults. If that girl hadn't come back none of this would've happened. Those pesky blind demons would've never come in here. My bathhouse would've been perfectly fine and none of my worker would be dead and-"
"Ma'am I'm sorry to say but this is none of my concern. I am merely on a mission to bring the Winds of Memories back to Chihiro. Your bathhouse has nothing to do with this girl, and don't go blaming problems on others. If you excuse me I am leaving now." Mizutohi turned towards the windows and with the sudden movement of a hand they rushed open with a gush of wind. Yubaba glared at Mizutohi with wide eyes.
"This isn't that girls fault she-"
But before Yubaba got to finish her sense a flow of blue feather fell to the floor only leaving a lone witch in a doomed bathhouse.
Kaze just shook his head as he paced back and forth across the room. The statement the girl said was still ringing in his head continuously.
"Everything changes for a reason Kaze. Maybe this was one thing the Gods thought humans were worthy of having."
Humans, he thought. Humans! How could they be worthy of a free will and purity that was only given to the weakest of creatures, he asked himself. For thousands of years humans have been separated from spirits by an invisible boundary that only very few humans crossed. The ones that crossed were either part spirit, wanted dead, by pure coincidence, or in this girls case, a preserved spirit who died. This girl was a living legend from a past life. Her future vague to her, but known by many and friends lost along the way she would never truly regain again. Her powers we awaiting inside her confused body waiitng to be set free and Kaze wished to unlock them for his own will. He just couldn't grasp them though. They were so close yet so far. If he couldn't get the internal fire he needed there was one more option for him.
"What are you planning exactly Kaze? Your pacing back and forth tells me you're under some sort of stress. Am I not correct?" Chihiro laid on the bed staring at the ceiling. Kaze had ignored her after her last comment. All he did was pace back and forth mumbling to himself.
"Nothing that concerns you."
"Then why am I still here exactly?" Kaze stiffened and turned towards Chihiro.
"I advise that your mouth remains shut before I shut it for you. You little feisty thing are annoying me to the brim of my existence. Everything you say sticks in my head and contradicts what I try to do. I need something and I can get it. I promise you Chihiro I will combine both worlds for my wanting. I will rule the human world and the spirit world by my strong hand. I will live forever, as no spirit or human has ever lived. That free will all filthy humans have will be mine!" Kaze glared at the girl. Chihiro slightly smirked and sighed.
"Kaze full of dreams, but no ambition to set them forth."
"Why you!"
"Why you, what? Are you going to do something to me?" She intimidated Kaze. Kaze breathed heavily out of his nose and his blond hair started to darken.
"Oh don't worry your time will come. I'm leaving you here, alone and lonely. I'm going to get what I need; the Winds of the Lost. Your power is strong, but the power of all of them is stronger. Chihiro my dream will come true in time. I promise you and mark my words, The day will come when you will be at my knees begging for mercy as I crush your soul and steal your powers. You will beg for me to stop killing the worthless breed you once came from. The humans will die and I will rule. Chihiro I will become the most powerful spirit ever. But for now you shall rot here as I set off for what I need to look for. Enjoy your stay in a dream land of my own, or a type of hell. No one will come for you."
Kaze turned and walked towards a wall disappearing into it laughing his head off. Chihiro remained in a dark lite room, but the candles slowly went out one by one. Leaving her in the dark in reach of whatever creatures lurked within those four walls; or was it more then just those four walls?
Haku pushed through the dull space trying to follow the others as they traveled through a void unknown to them. Very few spirits had been in here, but Okami was a guardian and space he was to guard. The dull space was just an endless tunnel, that didn't have a light at the end of it. All that Haku could do was sense the substance beneath him as his foot lifted to take another step. The substance beneath him was just like a black continuous cloth that you could feel beneath you, but it wasn't truly there. Haku kept his facial expressions to a bare minimum; however, inside he was furious with Kaze and was busy worrying if Chihiro was okay at the same time. His hands were clenched in fists, causing his fingers to dig deeply into his coarse palms. The blood had trouble traveling through his hands as anger took overwhelmed him as they got farther and farther into this mysterious region. Haku's hair was drafted in front of his face cloaking the ravaged dragon that wished to gain retribution on Kaze.
The others followed Haku as they blindly made their way through. Each of them held a silent state as they walked. This type of place was new to them; intriguing, yet somewhat disheartening at the same time. How or why would a place like this exist is what each kept asking themselves. Even though it was so dull, it contained a vast amount of emotion that slowly started to take a toll on each soul; although, each of them were basically a soul, but they did contain a purer soul then the one they already were.
Chirashi and Kokatsuna walked side by side looking straight ahead. Each of them stole glances at one another as they walked admiring the features of each. They were friends, or so they thought. Would friends look at each other so much? Would friends admire the face of one another and clearly remember every moment with each other? These two spirits had known each other for so long, yet they still refused to admit to anything anyone else spoke. But now as they walk through a blackened way they drew closer to one another, just slightly for protection , or was it?
Hana drifted behind Haku, glancing at the way he walked. She could see something was wrong the way he clenched his fists so much. This made a ugly feeling rise in her, but she tried pushing it away. That feeling was a nasty one and it reminded her of her old self. That feeling of jealously slowly sneaked it's way into her heart. The way the dragon cared for that girl angered her. She wished to have someone care for her like that. Hana longer for affection that no one wanted to give her and Chihiro had taken the one place she was going to stand in, at Haku's side. How could she win over Haku's heart? Was it even possible since he seemed to care for that girl with so much inner passion? Hana's train of thought was soon broken when Okami's voice trailed to her ears.
"I think I sense a disturbance a little farther up ahead. Just follow my lead and when I disappear come right after me. Got it?"
All the others nodded as they proceeded behind Okami's trail. Okami walked a few more paces and then faded into the dark outlining of the perimeter. Chirashi and Kokatsuna looked at each other then followed along with Hana close behind them, but she stopped when Haku wasn't following.
"You coming?" She asked questioningly. Haku mumbled something then looked at her from the corner of his eye.
"Just go ahead." He mumbled. He was scared what he was going to find on the other side of what they were going to pass through.
"Haku let's just go. If your worrying about her so much then lets go see if she's okay."
"You don't understand," He replied and Hana sighed.
"I do understand and-"
"You don't know what it means to worry about someone and they are totally out of your grasp. You don't know what it is to worry your heart out. You don't know what it's like to lo-"
"I do know what it's like to love Haku. You are the one who can't see past what people truly feel," and with that she faded in front of Haku's eyes. He stood there confused at what Hana had said, but forced himself to step forward into what might crush him to pieces.
As the last body part appeared on the other side of the region all of them looked straight ahead of them to see a slightly lit cavern. Haku took a step forward, urgent to find Chihiro as soon as possible. The other stood back observing the area around them.
Okami's hands faded back to their normal pale skin as he stepped forward beside Haku.
"Haku she's somewhere around here. This looks like the place Kaze would try to keep her."
Haku slightly nodded as a sudden blur of green scales lifted into the air. A green and white furred dragon of high stature stood in front of Okami with stern black eyes. A wave of uneasiness washed over Okami as the dragon placed it's claws on the ground, digging them in with a surging anger. Okami knew Haku started to feel something wrong, and whatever was happening he was going to cease it. The dragon gave a low growl and into a blur shot off down the cavern towards his senses. Okami looked at the others and ushered them to follow. Instead of transforming each ran in their humans forms after Haku.
Haku's fur rippled as he swept through twists and turns of this unknown place, but he knew where he was going because of Chihro's scent. He could feel danger in her scent, and it caused him a slight internal pain. His eyes guided him and soon he swirled into a turn and the cavern opened up into what looked like a large room. He quickly stopped flying and gracefully landed himself on the ground. Noises contracted with his ears and he turned to look at another corner of the room.
There in the corner stood a red furred dragon with golden horns trying to fend off demons. Red specks glistened off the fur coat of the dragon as it whipped it's tail sending a petite demon flying. Another sunk it's teeth into the dragons let causing it to let out a low growl, as it barely stood in it's place. It snarled at the crowd of demons around it as blood leaked out of its snout in between the sharp razor teeth attached to the firm jaw. The dragon swung its head back and forth trying to keep the demons away, but one screeched as they all suddenly topped and looked at the single demon. It screeched for a second more then all the demons viciously attacked the dragon as it let out a blood curling roar of pain. Seconds later it sunk to the ground, with patches of fur ending up on the floor and a pool of blood forming in front of Haku's eyes.
The scene in front of him reminded him of himself five years ago when Chihiro had saved him from Zeniba's spell casted paper figures. The same thrashing dragon and same forming blood. The blindness of his surroundings as he tried to endure the pain from within him.
Haku stared in horror and at the roar he sent himself flying at the demons, trying to save the one thing he loved the most.
Happy Anniversary to this story, or a few hours early :P It has been exactly a year since I started writing this, on 3/17/11. I am so happy with the people that have stuck with me on this long writing adventure. I remember first finding this site and writing this fanfic. It was my very first fanfic and I never thought I would get this far. I thank every person who has reviewed, alerted, or favorited this story! I want to thank everyone in the future who continues to read this. I am very sorry for updating so late, but I'm done making excuses on why I can't update on time and all. I'm officially going to be updating this story every Sunday from now on. No matter how long or the short the chapter is going to be I'll have it poste; however, I won't make the chapter under 1,800 words, so expect a worthy length. At this point reviews are your choice. I'm just so happy that if you want to review, review. It would be nice ;) Thank for the 16,000 hits as well! I love that I'm getting so many people to read this story. No matter what this journey has been great, and I have kept it going. It won't be stopping soon. I love to write for my readers, but I also write for the experience and joy of writing. Thank you all again and I hope you truly enjoy this weekend as much as I'm planning too.
-Savvyzzzz
