Note: I'm very sorry this chapter took so long to get up. I'm currently typing chapter 5 which I'm having a major brain fart. I'm also thinking about changing the rating to R for what's going to come in chapter 5. Stay tuned!

Chapter 4

Broken Curse

"Follow me. I usually don't let anyone come with me but since you WERE a friend of his, I guess it'll be okay," Cassie said as they rode the elevator up. Unfortunately for Cassie, Chihiro heard the emphases on the word, were, and quickly made a comeback.

"What do you mean by were? We're still friends! Just because you can control him, doesn't mean you guys are friends."

"Oh you'll see. You'll see."

"Tell me about Cassie," Maylo ordered after Chihiro and Cassie left to visit Haku, "All I know is that she's your sister Lin."

"She's actually my step-sister. You see, after my mother died my father quickly remarried. My step-mother was very cruel to me and she had one daughter which my father came to love even more than me. She was somehow able to put my father under a spell in which he agreed to send me away. Before they could, I ran away and came under Yubaba's watchful eye. I've been here ever since."

"So what ever happened to your father and step-mother? Why is Cassie here and not with them?"

"Twenty years after I left my step-mother was accused as a witch. My father tried to per sway the village with the little amount of magic she had given him but the only thing that got him was being accused as a wizard or a warlock. My step-mother hid Cassie and told her to look for me before she was taken away. Cassie finally found me four years ago; right after Sen left. Somehow she persuaded Baby to let her work here and she came under Kamaji care. Baby won't say why he let her work here. But he does say that it wasn't because he was in love with me. Why do you ask Maylo?"

"Because I have a bad feeling about her. I sense the power of evil."

"What do you mean evil?" asked Kamaji.

"I'll tell you a little about myself. I'm the priestess for my grandfather's shrine. I have just enough sixth sense to see ghosts and I can tell if a person has an evil aurora."

"And you think..."

"I think that Cassie isn't normal girl like we all think she is."

"How do you know that?"

"One, because her mother was indeed a witch, two, because she has an evil aurora, and three, because no one knows how she got Baby to let her work here."

"Yeah, but still... you can't be sure Cassie's evil."

"Yeah, but she IS witch, and she DOES have an evil aurora."

By the time Cassie and Chihiro had reached the special room, it was five minutes till midnight. Cassie checked in with guard and helped Chihiro get admitted.

"Alright, listen here. When we go in, I don't want you to say anything. If Haku goes into his dragon form, I'll save you," Cassie instructed as she pulled a bow and some arrows off a shelf.

"Save me from what?"

"Haku could go crazy and attack you!"

"And you plan to shoot him?"

"How else do you stop a demon?"

"You're the crazy one! And Haku isn't a demon! He's a river spirit!"

"Look, we've got one minute until Haku will change. Do you want to see him or not?"

"Of course!"

"Then shut up!" Cassie spit in Chihiro's face as she opened the door. The room was large, white, and circular. In the middle was a single white bed. Sitting on that bed, was Haku. Chihiro gasped as she looked him up and down. His green hair was darker and looked almost black. She could see, even though she was far away, his once sparkling green eyes were now dull and seemed like he didn't have any reasons for living any longer. His face was a ghostly pale against his yellow gi that clung loosely to his shoulders, showing a thin bare chest. Suddenly, the clock struck midnight. Chihiro counted the twelve strokes as she watched Cassie walk over to Haku and put her hand on his shoulder.

"How are you Haku?"

"Oh hello darling. I'm doing just fine," he replied, his voice cold and hard. Cassie smiled, then looked at Chihiro.

"Haku, Lin has sent someone to see you. Do you remember her?"

"This girl? She looks like... like..."

"You can tell me hunny. Who does she look like?" Chihiro frowned. She did not like this darling and hunny talk. Who did Cassie think she was? And how could Haku call this ugly brat darling?

'Because he's under her spell. She's the one who's doing this. Lin said she loves him. She wanted him to love her, so she cast a spell on him,' said a voice in Chihiro's head. The words kept repeating themselves in her head. Suddenly, awful images appeared in Chihiro's head. All of her dreams with Haku replayed except it wasn't her in his bed with him. It was Cassie. Then the images changed and she saw herself killing Cassie in many different ways. Chihiro put a hand to her forehead.

"S...stop," she muttered. Only when she heard Haku cry out did the images fade.

"LEAVE ME ALONE! SEN! LEAVE ME ALONE! LEAVE! I NEVER WANT TO SEE YOU'RE FACE AGAIN!" Haku cried as he grabbed his head and started slamming it on his bed.

Cassie glared at Chihiro, "See what you have done Sen? Now he's going crazy! Go! Leave us!"

Chihiro just stood there, "Kohaku... do... do you really hate me?" she whispered as she crept closer. Haku froze.

"W... what did you call me?"

"Ko... Kohaku. That's, your real name."

"K... Kohaku? I... remember..." Haku looked up at Chihiro, "Sen, is it really you? Have you really come back?"

"Why wouldn't I?" she muttered, tears rolling down her eyes. Cassie was out raged.

"Sen! What have you done! He's even crazier then before! He thinks you left!"

"I did. I left four years ago." Cassie's mouth fell open. She turned to Haku and gasped. His face wasn't pale anymore. His eyes were sparkling and he looked better than she had ever seen him.

'Has Sen broken my charm?' Cassie thought in horror. Her eyes got wider as Chihiro slowly made her way across the room. When she reached Haku's bed, she slowly lifted a trembling hand and grazed his cheek. He smiled at her and put his hand over hers. She collapsed to her knees making sure her hand didn't leave his face. He put his hand under her chin and lifted it high. He then slowly bent down and his lips grazed hers. She groaned. He smiled and placed them once again until they merged with Chihiro's. Chihiro's eyes slipped closed as she opened herself up, letting Haku drink from her. She then forced him open and greedily ate away.

Cassie stared in horror. How could she? How could Sen break her curse? She had done everything right. What went wrong?

'Illousa will know. She can tell me why my curse was broken,' Cassie thought as she left the two. She quickly grabbed more arrows and headed to an elevator. When she got to the main floor, she quickly crossed the bridge and headed for the flower fields. She was about half-way across when she heard it.

"Illousa! Come out! I know you're here!" Cassie cried into the darkness. A tall dark figure stepped out from the flowers. Cassie could only see her outline and the large black raven on her shoulder.

"Yes, my child? What is wrong? Are those tears I see on your face?" the cold voice asked. Cassie put a hand to her cheek. She was right, Cassie's cheek was very moist and she was surprised that she hadn't noticed it.

Cassie took a deep, shaky breath, and then replied, "My love... my love curse w... was broken!"

"Could you find your mistake?"

"No! I know I did everything right! I used his old clothing for the personal belonging!"

"Did you boil it with a loved ones belonging?"

"Yes! I used that wrecheted girl Sen's old clothes!"

"Did you say Sen?"

"Yes. Why? Is it because I used her clothes and not someone else's?"

"No... He didn't love anyone else. What... what by chance did she call him when she saw him tonight? Did she call him Haku?"

"No... no she didn't. She... she called him Kohaku. But what does that have to do with my curse braking?"

"Everything. Kohaku is Haku's real name. Only I, Yubaba, and Sen knew it. Of course, Yubaba has gone crazy so she doesn't know it anymore. Child... the girl named Sen... she is his loved one correct?"

"Yes ma'am. He loved her but she had to go back to the human world. She has come back to visit."

"Ah... now I understand."

"Well I don't! How could she have broken my curse! She is no witch!"

"Yes, that's true. She is no witch or demon, but merely a human; however, she did break your curse. You see, the only way to brake that certain curse, is for the loved one to say the cursed ones name. It didn't work before because she called him Haku, the name Yubaba gave him. His real name, Kohaku, is what Sen called him tonight, which broke the curse. Now do you see your mistake my child?"

"Yes... is there any other spell I could use to trap him again?"

"There is an old saying: Once a spirit has been controlled by a witch, he is hers forever. But if the curse is broken, he is free for good. I'm sorry dear but I'm afraid you've lost him."

"No! I didn't! I... I won't believe it! He's still mine! I won't let Sen have him!" Cassie cried as she wheeled around and ran, crying, back up the hill and into the bath house. Illousa watched as her slim figure slipped away.

"Poor girl. She's a stressed witch who can't control her powers. Someone's going to get hurt. And I have a feeling this Sen person will be the one."

To be continued...

Sakura G: Another wonderful story by yours truly!

Illousa: Hey, since when did Maylo get so smart?

Maylo: I've always been smart! You're just too stupid to notice!

Illousa: Did you just call me stupid?

Cassie: Just be happy she's not calling you a bitch anymore.

Illousa: True, very true.

Maylo: Sakura, can I call Cassie a baka sometime?

Sakura G: *gasp* How did you find out what baka means?

Maylo: *looks at Sakura plainly* I looked in a Japanese dictionary.

Sakura G: Well... okay. I mean, she is the bad guy in this story so far.

Maylo: Ya! *cheers* Thanks Sakura! You're the best!

Sakura G: Ya, I know! ^_^

If you have any questions, comments, or flames (but none of you should give me any of those!), please feel free to email me at: sailor_ivy_girl@mail.com or post up a review. Tanks!