Author's Note: I'm back again with another chapter for you. Well, I don't have much else to say, so here's the story!
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He slowly sheathed his blade. The bloodied weapon hissed as it slid back into its scabbard, almost like it were protesting its ended use. Haku took in the sight before him. Most of the enemy had retreated, and those that hadn't lay motionless in the fields, fallen at his hands.
The other members of the rebel force stood quietly behind Haku, watching him with wide-eyes, but not daring to disturb him in his silent trance. None of them had seen him like this before. He'd been…brutal, vicious, far more than he'd ever been in battle. They waited for him to speak, to move, anything.
The wind howled through the trees of the forest with a deafening roar and a peal of thunder cracked overhead. Haku didn't seem to notice, though, as he remained trapped inside his thoughts. One of his comrades stretched out a hand and made to move towards him, but just as quickly decided better of it, and stopped. It was several painfully long moments before Haku addressed his companions. His back was still turned to them, even as he spoke, yet his voice was strong, and rose clearly above the din of the storm that drew steadily closer, threatening to surround them.
"Bring the villagers back to their homes. We will return to base quickly, before the night is done." Although Haku had no authority nor title over them, there was something in his voice that made his fellow insurgents obey his commands without protest or delay. As his comrades set about their tasks of rounding up the scattered civilians hidden in the forests, Haku remained alone, overlooking the battlefield where he had lost himself entirely to his rage. This fight had been no victory for him. He'd lost far more than he had gained.
"Chihiro," he spoke quietly to himself in an undertone, "if you still live, then I will find you. I promise." The words rose from his lips, carried on the wind and lost somewhere in the distance.
~~~
Chihiro walked closely next to Lin down the hall, half-admiring the lavish decorations, and half-worrying over her meeting with this "empress." She'd never met anyone of such a high or important station before, or at least, she couldn't remember ever doing so. It was rather intimidating. That, coupled with her frustration and fear at not being able to recall anything of her identity or her life, had resulted in the creation of a rather firm knot in her stomach. She gulped.
"Right, here we are," Lin announced cheerfully, gesturing to another door. This one was far more modest than the previous one; there were no carvings and pictures, no guards, nothing. It was entirely ordinary.
"This is it?" Chihiro asked skeptically.
"Of course," Lin replied curtly, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. She knocked once on the door. It flew open as if of its own accord to reveal a dimly lit, but inviting room. It was circular, and large enough to comfortably fit five or six people. Several chairs stood against the wall and candles were placed on the shelves that surrounded them, flickering pleasantly and giving off a faint, but lovely scent. Something in Chihiro stirred, as if the scent was somehow familiar, though she could not think of why.
She turned her attention to the desk that sat in the center of the room instead. An old woman sat behind it, her head and features far larger than that of a normal person, and her hair a shade of warm gray, like the sky before a snowfall. She wore no crown, no jewels, nothing to indicate that she was a figure of authority and power, and Chihiro wondered fleetingly whether this actually was the Empress. Then the woman spoke.
"Hello, child, Lin has told me of you," her voice was calming and kind. "You have had a trying day, it seems, and no doubt you are anxious for food and sleep." The old woman paused as if waiting for a reply, and finally, Chihiro nodded shyly in agreement. The woman's smile broadened, and she waved a hand across her desk. The second her hand passed over it, a vast array of food appeared. Chihiro gasped, and the Empress laughed jovially. "Well, as far as your hunger is concerned, I can be of assistance, but your want for sleep will have to go unsatisfied for the moment. Eat now, if you like." Chihiro didn't need to be told twice, she dove into the food and began eating vigorously. She hadn't even realized she was desperately hungry until that moment. Lin let out a disgusted groan as Chihiro gorged herself, but the woman behind the desk merely smiled.
"Well, I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Zeniba, the Empress of these lands. And you, well no one seems to know who you are," the weathered woman coughed uneasily, and Chihiro would have detected a flicker of nervousness in the Empress' eye, had she not been wholly absorbed in the task of eating. Zeniba mentally reminded herself that in desperate situations, sometimes deceit was necessary, and continued, "You see, Lin found you outside our walls, collapsed on the ground, so she brought you inside. She placed you in one of our private rooms so that you could recover, and well, you know the rest from there." Zeniba flinched at her own dishonest words, regretting every one of them, but realizing that there was nothing else she could do.
Chihiro stopped devouring a piece of fruit long enough to speak. "Do you have any idea how I came to be lying outside your gates? Perhaps…is there a village nearby, somewhere that I may have come from, somewhere that could be my home? Maybe I can find someone who knows me, who can tell me-" she ran out of breath in her excitement. However, she was quickly disheartened by the expression on the Empress' face, and her hopes were dashed by what the sagely woman said next.
"No there's nothing for miles all around us, it would be impossible to say which of the many villages beyond us that you have come from. I'm sorry. There's very little chance at all that you will find what you seek out there. Perhaps it is best if you remain here for the time being, until you've sorted yourself out a little better."
Chihiro bit her lip and cast her eyes down, saddened that even someone as powerful as an Empress could not tell her who she really was. Zeniba began speaking again, but this time Chihiro paid only half-attention, preoccupied with her disappointment and her pain.
~~~
"Well, that wasn't so bad, was it? You even did pretty well for the most part, I mean, other than that disgusting little spectacle you made of eating. Really, it was like you'd been starved for a week or something, the way you stuffed yourself," Lin chattered away, laughing to herself. Chihiro trudged along next to her, too tired and too saddened to even bother defending herself or her eating habits. Finally, they stopped in front of a door in the middle of a short hallway. "Here we are, this is where you'll be staying from now on. It's much better than that sorry excuse for a room we had you in earlier. I think you'll like it." Lin opened the door.
Chihiro was shocked. The room was beautiful, absolutely picturesque, with three large windows overlooking the sea of trees below, a bed twice the size she needed, vases of flowers and potted plants adorning every spare table and a closet filled to the point of brimming with clothing. In addition, several long, elegant swords hung from the wall. Chihiro moved to touch one, feeling an almost aching need to do so, when Lin spoke again.
"So, how do you like it?"
"It's…beautiful, every inch of it," Chihiro replied, with an awed expression.
"Yes, well, the Empress does pride herself on her hospitality. Only the best for her guests, and her loyal soldiers!" Lin smiled. "If you need me, I'm the next door down on your right," she dropped her voice in a mock whisper, "and if you think this room is great, wait 'til you see mine!" She laughed, and, despite her mood, Chihiro was compelled to join in. It felt good to laugh again.
~~~
Despite the wonderful accommodations, Chihiro slept fitfully that night, and woke up frequently, thinking over all the things the Empress had spoken of. After their introductions, Chihiro had been told the story of how Zeniba's sister, Yubaba, had betrayed her and started a war that had now raged on for nearly seven years. Once, the two sisters had ruled side-by-side, working together for the benefit of their kingdom. But slowly, over time, Yubaba had become corrupted and filled with greed and malice, resentful of having to share her power with another. She had gathered an army and now challenged her sister in her desire to gain control of the kingdom.
Chihiro sighed. It was a terrible situation. She felt awful for Zeniba and wondered what it must feel like to have a family member, someone you loved so deeply, betray you. Chihiro had immediately felt a connection with the old woman, and pledged to do anything she could to help her. Zeniba had been gracious and was obviously touched by the girl's remarks. Chihiro recalled the conversation.
~~~
"That's awful what your sister did to you, Empress, I'm so sorry. If there's anything at all I can do to help…" Chihiro said eagerly.
"Oh, that's very kind of you child, but such worries were not meant for the likes of you. Don't concern yourself over the broken relationships of an old woman like myself. And don't be sorry for what I have lost, for you have lost much as well," Zeniba said sympathetically. She sighed. "But perhaps in losing your past, you may find a future here with us. You say you wish to help me? Well, all I can ask is your loyalty, should you be willing to give it. And if you will take up arms and fight for me with others such as Lin, it will be appreciated deeply. However, you are young, and if it is not in your heart to fight, then I am still satisfied to have your company."
"No, no, I want to fight, I want to help you! I feel like I should…repay you somehow, for everything you've done, for taking me in, for not just leaving me out there to die. Thank you. Yes, I'll fight, if I can."
Zeniba smiled widely down at the girl. "Then so be it. Tomorrow, Lin will train you, and we'll see just what you're made of."
~~~
After that, Lin had led Chihiro out of the office and brought her to her room. It had been an eventful day. The girl groaned and wrapped the silky covers tightly around her body and gave herself to sleep once more.
~~~
The elderly spider-spirit looked Haku hard in the eye. One of his many arms reached for his cup of tea, from which he took a long sip, and then swallowed with a thoughtful expression. He exhaled heavily through his nose, causing the long whiskers of his moustache to sway gently. "So what you are telling me, is that you plan on running around the countryside, searching for Chihiro, even though you haven't got even the slightest clue as to where she had been taken?" His voice reflected his exasperation and disbelief.
"Yes, I do plan to go find Chihiro and bring her back. I would think you, the man she regards as a father, of all people would want to bring her back too, but I suppose I was mistaken," Haku growled bitterly, bristling at the old man's words. "Besides, I have a clue as to where she's gone. She's been taken by the Shadow, that much I know. Once I find the Shadow, I have no doubt that I will find Chihiro as well, if life still flows through her veins."
"The Shadow? If Chihiro is with the Shadow, you'd have more luck finding a rose in the middle of a winter frost than you'd have finding her. But," Kamajii said as he raised a hand in the air before Haku's face, silencing him before he had the chance to begin ranting again, "If it is in your heart to make this journey, then I will not stop you. Our forces will suffer at the loss of your strength in battle, but we will manage. I cannot spare another to accompany you, though. You must do this alone."
"Thank you," Haku breathed, bowing his head in respect, relief and gratitude. "I am truly sorry to leave my comrades, but I feel that this is something I must do. Good-bye. If I survive this journey, you have my promise that I will return to fight for our cause once more." Haku donned a heavy cloak to protect himself from the elements and fight off the rain. With a flourish, he was gone, sweeping out of Kamajii's office and into the cold night.
Kamajii sat staring after the young man's form for several moments, until the blackness of night engulfed him and he was out of sight. The spider-spirit took another long sip of tea, this time completely draining the cup. He sat in a pensive silence, listening to the rustle of the wind in the trees and the pattering of the rain as it struck the earth. Finally, he looked out in the direction Haku had headed once more. The old man spoke quietly to himself.
"Love…a powerful thing indeed. Best of luck finding your rose amongst the frost, Haku, and please, bring her back to us safely."
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Author's Note: Eek, I hope that chapter wasn't all confusing for everyone. As always, if you were confused about something, just ask about it in a review or e-mail or whatever and I'll try my best to answer it in my author's note in the next chapter. Woo. Well, thanks for the reviews, folks! I'll have the next chapter ready as soon as I can.