Author's Note: Yay! I finally got the chance to update this story again. Actually, I've been back from vacation for quite a while now, it's just taken me a long time to get around to writing. My migraines are partially to blame (I've been getting really bad ones lately and it's been hard to write), but so is the fact that overall, I'm just really busy. Anyway, please don't kill me for not updating sooner. Thanks to everyone who's been reviewing, you're all awesome! More notes at the bottom.
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Chihiro was not a morning person, especially not after spending a rather uncomfortable night sleeping in a pile of weeds in the great outdoors. She opened her eyes regretfully, letting the intense morning sun awaken her senses, and groaned miserably. Her back was stiff and cracked painfully with each movement, no matter how subtle, and her hair was tangled aggravatingly with sticks, leaves, and other bits of the immediate environment. She moaned once more and took in her temporary surroundings with half-opened eyes, hooded under heavy eyelids and thick lashes. She noticed, with mild annoyance, that Haku was already up, and looking as well kempt and put together as always. She muttered to herself and stretched her throbbing legs, flicking dirt off of them as she did.
Haku turned to her, finally noticing that she was awake, and smiled. "Ah, good morning," he greeted her happily. She grunted irritably and sent him a contemptuous look in reply. He laughed lightly and shook his head, his green eyes shining. He was glad to finally have someone to talk to again, even if that someone wasn't in the best of moods. He gave her a coy smile. "Come on, Chihiro, the others have been up for hours. Zeniba's taken Lin and No-Face with her to find us something to eat, and they should have breakfast for us at any moment."
At this, Chihiro perked up. Perhaps the only thing that sounded more appealing than a few extra moments of sleep was a good meal. Her stomach grumbled softly, as if in consensus. "Great," she remarked, standing up finally and looking around their modest campsite to see if there was anything she could do to help.
She ambled over to Haku, who was throwing logs on the slowly dying fire. Hesitantly, Chihiro picked up a stick and prodded the dimming embers, pushing them under the new logs in an effort help the new wood ignite more quickly. They sparked and crackled as she guided them, flames slowly beginning to lick at the fresh wood. When she was satisfied, she tilted her head and rested it on her right hand and looked over at Haku. The soft light of the fire played gently across his features.
He set one final log on the fire and wiped his hands together slowly. With a contented sigh, he arched his back and stretched in a manner that Chihiro found highly reminiscent of the way he moved in his dragon form. Graceful, steady, and strong. She grinned to herself, thinking that perhaps he wasn't as changed as he believed. She could sense that the magic wasn't entirely gone from him; she could feel his power and strength just from watching his impressive form. He turned his eyes to her. She blushed and looked away quickly, embarrassed at being caught staring. Chihiro shifted uncomfortably and stared at the ground while he continued stretching.
"I'm coming with you, Haku," she blurted out quickly after a moment's silence. He stopped mid-stretch, dropping his arms to his side, forgotten in his surprise at her words. He raised his eyes to meet hers with a confused expression and opened his mouth to speak. She cut him off before he had the chance. "To the Dream World, I mean. I'm coming with you. I want to help. I just feel like this is at least partially my fault. After all, that, that connection we had because of the Dream World, I benefited from it too, so you shouldn't be the only one, you know, to take all this on. I want to help you save the Dream World, if we can. It's my responsibility too."
He smiled at her sadly, and put a hand to his chin, cupping it between his thumb and index finger. "I thought you might feel that way…and a part of me wants you to come along, yet I also fear for your safety. I don't want anything to happen to you." He reached over the fire and took her hand in his own. "You must know that this is going to be dangerous. It's a long trip, and since I've lost my ability to transform, I'm afraid it will be all the more difficult," he finished miserably. He surveyed her, scrutinizing and watching her body language and facial expressions for any trace of doubt or apprehension. She showed none. Her eyes flashed with a blaze of defiance that rivaled their campfire and her jaw was set firmly.
She waved a hand in the air and tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Yes, I figured it would be hard, but we've been in some sticky situations before. We can handle it," she smiled nonchalantly.
"When did you become such an optimist?" Haku asked, grinning over at her.
She scoffed and rolled her eyes at him, managing to playfully throw a handful of leaves in his direction as she did so. "What can I say, I'm just a big ball of sunshine," she laughed. Her features became serious once more and she gave the young man a thoughtful look. "Haku, I'm coming with you, that's all there is to it. Besides, I'm sure Zeniba and the others will come along to help us. We'll be fine."
"Unfortunately, that might not be possible." It was Zeniba. Her voice, which was usually so comforting and soothing, was now edged with a trace of regret, and perhaps even fear. She, Lin and No-Face emerged from the forest carrying some fruit and the carcasses of several odd animals Chihiro had never seen before. They looked like toads, only with fur, and had six legs rather than the standard four. Chihiro made a face briefly. Breakfast. She tore her eyes away from the soon-to-be meal and met Zeniba's gaze.
"What do you mean?" she asked quietly.
"I mean, I may not be able to accompany you on your journey all the way – no, just wait child, let me explain," she added hastily at Chihiro's cry of protest, "I can come with you, but only for a while. I'm apprehensive about straying too far from my sister's domain; I must watch her closely at all times. I worry about what Yubaba may do if she realizes I'm gone. It may very well be that she has already heard word of my current situation from one of her guards, and has struck already. I have to return quickly, I feel that it is my duty."
No-Face made several anxious noises, gesturing from Zeniba to Chihiro and Haku. The old woman nodded and smiled sadly at him. "Yes," she began again, " No-Face would like to accompany you all the way as well, but the poor thing hates to leave my side. We've grown quite fond of each other, he's a wonderful helper, and something of a son to me, I suppose. It's a difficult choice for him."
"Well, I'm going," announced Lin loudly, staring at Haku and Chihiro imperiously with her hands placed firmly on her hips, as if daring them to deny her. "After all, someone has to keep you two in line. It's a wonder you survived as long as you did without us. Besides," she added, her voice suddenly tinged ever so slightly with a hint of sadness and longing, "I don't think I'd be welcome back at the bathhouse. When Yubaba figures out I've missed work, and to help her prisoners escape, no less…" she trailed off, turning to stare into the distance. Chihiro's heart went out to her. As much as Lin complained of her duties washing, scrubbing and completing whatever other chores needed to be done, the bathhouse was still her home. And now she couldn't go back.
Chihiro's thoughts drifted to her own home once more, but she pushed them aside hurriedly, not wanting to confront the pang of homesickness that had been playing at her heart since she had made that phone call to her mother…
She snapped out of it quickly. Haku was speaking. He suggested that they leave soon, so that they could cover a good deal of ground that day. The others nodded in agreement. Each lost in their own thoughts, the companions sat down silently to eat a hasty breakfast before setting off.
~~~
"WHAT?!" Yubaba bellowed at the cowering guards that stood before her. "Paper birds?! You let a bunch of Zeniba's paper birds chase you away?! You IDIOTS!" she finished, grabbing one of the guards by the neck, then just as quickly tossing him back to the ground, discarding him as she would have a piece of trash. One of the many sentinels standing before her meekly held out a scarred arm, the wounds still fresh and seeping blood from the attack, as if to show her the power of Zeniba's flock. She scoffed momentarily, but beyond that, showed no signs of even seeing him.
The old witch stood up slowly, and placed her hands down on her desk. Her head was bent forward so that not even her eyes were visible from where the guards were assembled. "Out," she commanded, her voice barely above a whisper, yet it escaped her lips with such a great intensity and force that it seemed she had shouted it with all her might. She raised her head to stare venomously at her underlings. Her face was lined with fury and her eyes flickered with the threat of punishment. Seeing her expression, the guards turned on heel and scrambled out of the room with such haste that many of them ended up face down on the floor at least once before escaping the office. The last guard turned and looked back at her fearfully, running headfirst into the door as he did so. Yubaba watched him with a grimace. Suddenly, a thought occurred to her. "Wait," she cried, holding up her bejeweled hand. The young man noticeably tensed at the command and turned slowly, his mouth open wide in a silent cry of terror. "Find Shen for me, and tell him I need to speak with him," Yubaba drawled.
"I'm…I'm afraid Mistress, that, um, well, Shen isn't, that is to say, none of us have seen Shen in hours and we think he might have, you know, gone off after the, um, the river spirit and the girl," the guard sputtered, the words spilling from him so quickly that he was hardly coherent. He looked very near fainting.
Yubaba's mouth turned up in a sinister smile. "Well, then I suggest someone find him quickly, before I lose my composure," she said with a feigned sweetness that made her seem all the more poisonous and deadly. She fixed a lethal stare on the solitary guard. He let out a strangled cry and ran from the room, not even daring to glance back this time.
Yubaba returned to her seat and bent her head forward, supporting it between her hands. She looked up to the open door and with a flick of her wrist, cast a simple spell that caused it to immediately slam shut. Her mask of rage dissipated; now that she was alone, there was no longer any need for falsity. The mistress of the bathhouse let go of her restraint and gave into pure emotion. She began to cry.
~~~
Haku traveled at the front of the group, several paces ahead of the others. His heart was heavy with worry and he found himself too distracted to think properly. In the back of his mind, he registered the voices of Chihiro and Lin as they chattered happily amongst themselves, while Zeniba and No-Face strolled along next to them. He sighed, wondering secretly whether or not their hearts were really in this mission. They had been traveling steadily for three days now, traversing the Spirit World, but none of his companions seemed to feel the same aching sense of urgency that was plaguing him, preventing him from sleeping at night and forever occupying his thoughts. It was difficult to explain, but something in him, a sixth sense, of sorts, was urging him onward, telling him that it was imperative that he return to the land of dreams as quickly as possible.
Haku lengthened his stride, quickening his pace slightly in hopes that the others would increase their own speed to match his. Subconsciously, he had taken on the role of leader, though the responsibility of such a title weighed heavy on his heart. He thought perhaps the role would have been more befitting of Zeniba, whose powers far surpassed his.
The small band had gone a great distance, and Haku was sure they were nearing the boundaries of the Spirit World and would soon find themselves facing the challenges of new lands; ones none of them had ever seen before. The environment had begun to change, from the gentle, temperate climate of the Spirit World to a far harsher one. The heat was becoming more and more unbearable as they progressed, and the vegetation more sparse.
"Yes, we're getting closer now," Zeniba mumbled to herself, though loud enough for everyone to hear. Haku paused and halted his stride, turning to face the witch, who was squinting into the distance and nodding her head slowly. "Can you feel it, Haku? Can you sense what we are approaching?" She gave him a wry glance. "I'm sure Yubaba told you of it during your time under her tutelage,"she prodded, with a significant look.
Haku looked at her quizzically for a moment, then shifted his gaze to focus on the point that she had been staring fixedly at only moments before. It appeared that there was nothing ahead of them for miles, just more flat, barren expanses of land. And then it caught his eye, a glimmer of something, a flash, like pure gold being struck by the rays of the sun. It was far in the distance, and looked to be merely a stretch of desert at first glance, but he recognized it all the same. His eyes widened in surprise. "You don't mean to tell me…" he ended abruptly. Zeniba nodded, easily gauging what the young river spirit was about to say from the look on his face.
"Yes. You managed to pass over it unaffected in your dragon form last time you made the journey, so you didn't even notice it. But now, I'm afraid, you're going to get a very good view of it indeed."
"Excuse me, but what exactly are you talking about?!" Lin demanded. Her normally pretty face was contorted in frustration. Chihiro would have laughed at the young woman's expression, had she not been curious as to what Zeniba and Haku were discussing as well.
"The Great Void, the Sphere of Chaos, the Realm of Madness, take your pick, for this land goes by many names," Haku replied. A gust of wind swept his hair to the side, shrouding his face from sight for a moment, and giving him a slightly ominous look. When the gust died down, he began speaking again, his eyes squinted in intense concentration. "But regardless of what one chooses to call it, the place is trouble. It is one of the many worlds that surround the land of spirits, and perhaps one of the most dangerous. Yubaba spoke of it to me in my early years as her apprentice. She told me stories of spirits who had journeyed there, attempting to discover its secrets. They died, or were lost, or more likely driven to insanity. It's a place of terrible power, far greater than any found in the Spirit World. I have no wish to risk traveling through it. We must go around," he turned and looked to Zeniba for guidance.
She looked at him with a pitying expression. "It stretches for miles in all directions. Going around it would be a trying experience, and waste precious time. Besides, you may find that the lands that surround the Void are even less inviting. It's up to you."
Haku stood before the companions, lost in thought. This was his journey, his mission, and as a result, the burden of choices such as these fell to him. He prayed that he was wise enough to make the decision.
~~~
Shen snarled, snapping his glistening fangs violently at the small rodent-like animal that he had designated his prey. He'd been chasing it for several moments now, and had finally managed to corner it. He lunged forward. His jaws clamped firmly shut, and he noted, with a macabre enthusiasm, the wonderful noise that resulted from the breaking of the creature's skull. He devoured his meal in several large mouthfuls as his menacing, icy blue eyes flickered contentedly.
He sat down, resting on his haunches and wagging his tail lazily from side to side. He admired himself briefly, his eyes sweeping across his powerful form. He decided, with more than a little pride, that he truly was a magnificent specimen. Even in the darkness, his thick coat shone beautifully, blacker even than the night sky. After a moment, he let out the equivalent of a canine sigh and clamped his piercing eyes shut. His mind drifted into unconsciousness temporarily, but his senses came hurtling back quickly as the pain rushed through his body, his transformation taking hold once more.
After several excruciating moments, Shen stood up slowly, adjusting once more to his human form. He held his hands out before him, groaning with disgust. He felt far weaker in this state, like he had lost some inexplicable, amazing thing, some treasure that was available to him only in his other state of being. He brushed it off, though, knowing that staying in his wolf form could be detrimental.
Perhaps the only thing that didn't change between his two forms were his eyes. They were as sharp and cold in his current state as they had been only moments before. He scanned the horizon, spotting the river spirit and his band easily. It was near dusk, and the sky was streaked with the promise of impending darkness of night. It hardly mattered. He could see them just fine, for his eyesight was keen, and like fools, they traveled openly across the flat lands, making no attempts to hide themselves and easily distinguishable from their surroundings. He smirked.
"The demon-wolf pursues you even now, river spirit, how long do you think you will you survive?" he mused, speaking to himself, but staring into the distance after the companions. "I imagine your time is nearly up, for we shall meet again soon enough. I wonder if you look forward to our next encounter as much as I do."
Shen laughed coldly. He reached an arm up, passing it over his mouth and wiping away the blood that had been smeared there from his hasty dinner.
"Before my hunt is through, river spirit, your blood will spill readily from your veins and you will beg for mercy and my feet. But you will find no compassion here."
~~~
Yubaba peered out her window, her hands folded behind her back in a pose that would have made her look almost serene had it not been for the tortured look on her face. She took a long drag on her cigarette and exhaled heavily.
Turning her back to the window, she walked towards her desk and opened one of its many drawers. This particular drawer was smaller than the rest, with a strange symbol engraved on its gently curved handle. Yubaba reached into it. She placed her hands cautiously on the solitary item residing in the compartment, and picked it up, holding it before her face. It was a small orb, just the right size to fit comfortably on her cupped palm. The orb shone with a subtle silver glow, casting sparkling waves of light amongst the shadows that danced against the walls. It was odd, seeing this thing of such great beauty next to her weathered, gnarled hand.
Yubaba brought it near her mouth, whispering an incantation under her breath. The globe rose leisurely from her palm, held suspended in the air. She stared at it for several long moments, watching in fascination as it spun slowly, as if revolving on an axis. She tapped it once with the tip of her long, painted nail. It shuddered in response, and began turning more rapidly.
"Go, seek out the spirit of the Kohaku River, my former apprentice. Locate him for me, and bring me tidings of his journey," Yubaba mumbled, speaking quietly to the orb. It flashed brightly for a moment, in recognition. Yubaba reached out and tapped the surface of the sphere again. "However, that is not all I require of you. You must search for my current apprentice, the wind spirit, bound to me by contract under the name of Shen, as well. Find them both, and then return to me and reveal all you have learned."
The orb flickered once more, than flew from Yubaba's office.
~~~
Haku paced uneasily around the campfire, taking care to avoid treading on the sleeping forms of his companions. He ran a hand through his hair nervously. The group had decided to rest for the night, and had opted to deal with the question of whether or not to venture into the Realm of Madness when they awoke the next morning. Haku, however, found that the gravity of the decision would not allow him the comfort of sleep. He struggled with himself, trying to best judge what to do. He found himself feeling torn and trapped and was beginning to think that neither option- going through the lands of chaos, or taking the long journey around them- would yield an especially positive result.
He kicked at a clod of dirt near his foot, frustrated with his indecisiveness, and angry with himself for not being strong enough or wise enough to find an answer. And then it hit him. He was surprised the idea hadn't occurred to him before.
Silently, he gathered the few belongings he had brought with him. He stood still for a moment, staring towards his destination, stony-eyed and expressionless. Now was not the time for weakness. He couldn't afford to falter, to doubt himself or his strength. He turned to look back at his companions. In the faint glimmer of the dying firelight, they looked safe, calm, and completely free of pain or fear. He would make sure they remained that way.
His eyes fell on Chihiro lying curled up in a ball, her mouth open slightly as she took in deep breaths. He smiled. She was beautiful. He made his way over to her quietly, not even the leaves rustled under his feet. He bent down on one knee, inches from where she rested, and sighed. Long strands of hair fell across her face. He placed the tips of fingers against her forehead and swept them aside. After a moment's hesitation, he leaned forward and brushed his lips quickly against hers. At his touch, Chihiro stirred slightly and murmured something indistinct, but much to the young river spirit's relief, did not awaken. He stood up and blushed lightly with embarrassment for having stolen a kiss from her, though there was no one there to see it.
He took one final glance at the faces of the brave people who had journeyed this far with him, people who he admired and had come to care for deeply. He wondered how he ever could have doubted them. He gave one last fleeting smile. With that, he ran swiftly from the campsite, towards the border of the Spirit World and the entrance to the Great Void. He could not ask them to take this risk with him; it was a challenge he would face alone.
Although he dreaded the obstacles that lay before him, his heart felt lighter. No matter what befell him, the others would survive. She would survive.
~~~
Author's notes: All right, so here's the deal. Tomorrow, I'm leaving for vacation, again. I'm going to Seattle to visit my aunt, because she just had surgery. However, while I'm there, I'm going to try my best to keep writing so that I can update as soon as I get back (on the 17th), but I make no guarantees. Anyway, just keep checking back around that time and hopefully I have something new for you!
Thanks so much to everyone for continuing to read my story. I'm having a really great time writing it, and all of your great reviews make it that much more fun. Individual Thank-Yous:
Earth Borne: Don't worry, I have no intention of stopping writing any time soon. And you can be sure Shen and Haku will be battling it out sometime in the near future…
Irksome One: A happy munchkin, eh? Heh. Thanks for the review, it made me laugh.
Violet Emeralds: Yay! I'm so happy you like my story. It makes me all fuzzy inside when people put me on their favorites lists, it totally makes my day, so thanks!
Lynnie: Your review made me laugh too, it cracked me up. Thanks for the support. And sorry to leave you hanging by not updating sooner. Bad Kalyana, bad.
Assassin23: Thanks again for reviewing my story. I really like getting feedback and ideas from you, and the other people who review. And Shen is definitely going to get what's coming to him (though maybe not in any way you expect), so don't worry.
Crystal sister: Thanks for the enthusiastic reviews, it's nice to know that you're really getting into the story.
JerseyGirl03, Nari Dragon-Girl, Amber-chan and Shrimpy Shorts: Thanks to al of you for the reviews. You guys are great!
And to anyone else who I may have overlooked (sorry, if I did!), I LOVE YOU! Thanks for the reviews, they're a huge inspiration.