Well...I've been quite busy lately, really. The end of the year is coming up, and I've got so many finals coming up and lots of projects I've got to do, it's not even funny! But, school ends in June, so I'll be able to write more. This story is nearly a year old, did you know that? I'm sorry it's been so slow! I'd really like to thank the people who have been really patient with me and my very slow self. Anyways, enough babbling, let's get on with the chapter...

Drake

Chapter 6

Drake, the tall, black haired man, steely blue eyes, looked everyone in the eye, as if looking for something.

Mokona looked him up and down. "I've never seen you before. And you look like a powerful spirit, you know." Mokona said, crossing her arms.

Chihiro stared at him, and then went over to Nina, whose face was as red as the setting sun.

"You don't need to know anything about me." Drake answered.

Mokona raised an eyebrow, then replied, "Ok then, we can go now. Thanks for helping us, really, but we need to get going." She then grabbed Chihiro's and Nina's arms, then walked away.

"You're going the wrong way. That's the Shoto's territory." Drake said, running in front of them and blocking them.

"We're looking for somebody, we HAVE to go that way!" Mokona answered, pushing him out of the way.

"Do you know how dangerous it is in there?!" Drake yelled, grabbing Mokona's arm.

"Yes, I DO know! Now let go of me!" Mokona yelled back, jerking her arm. Drakes grip was tight, and was glaring at Mokona.

"Hey, you guys, quit fighting!" Chihiro said.

"Yeah! You guys barely know each other, so you shouldn't fight like that!" Nina added. "Drake, why don't you stay with us a while? Mokona's always so grumpy with new people."

"Nina, you know me too much." Mokona replied, grinning. She turned away from Drake, and started looking for a place to spend the night with Chihiro.

Drake watched the two girls leave, and was left alone with Nina, who was looking at the sky.

"The Shoto...their territory is getting bigger, isn't it?" Nina asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. I have yet to figure out why. That's what I'm here for, a 'spy' you can refer to me as."

Nina sighed and sat at the base of a black tree. "What would happen if the Shoto took all the land?"

"I really don't know, and that's what scares me. It could have more opening to the human world, or it could kill off all the spirits, which would affect the human world. But don't take my word for it."

"NIIIIIINNNNAAAA!!!!" Mokona called from a big hill. "COOOMMMEEE HEEEERRE!"

"They must have found a good spot. Let's go." Nina said, getting up.

They were located near the edge of a forest, with a river running into it from a mountain. The mountain, Mt. Chindou, stood glamorously. It was tall, and packed with snow at the top. There was thin cloud going through it, not quite big enough to cover the top.

Chihiro munched on her sandwich Nina had made, and gazed at the mountain in front of the setting sun. It began to get chilly, so she grabbed a sweater from her bag. The air was much fresh here, and with the warmth of the fire Chihiro's eyes began to get heavy. Nina and Mokona talked, like best friends, while Drake slinked away. Chihiro saw him sneaking away, and was going to ask him where he was going but she was too tired, and quickly falling asleep...

Chihiro was walking through the purple mist again, with the familiar smell of the city; car exhaust, factory smoke, basically: pollution. She covered her nose, and walked through the barren land. She came upon a dark spot, she could barely see. She heard some voices far away, then a piercing scream.

Chihiro suddenly saw it all. Haku, bloody and bruised, gasping for air, crying from the enormous pain. Chihiro felt tears come to her eyes.

"I...I'm sorry Chihiro, I'm sorry I couldn't keep the promise..."

"But you did, Haku, you did! I'm seeing you again."

Haku smiled weakly. He extended his hand toward her, but before he could grasp her hand he was taken by the demons. "Hakuuuuu!" Chihiro yelled, tears streaming down her face.

"Chihiro, I...I love you..."

"Haku...Haku!!!!!!" Chihiro watched as the demons picked him up and kissed him, injecting their putrid air into his body, and watching as he slowly died.

Chihiro woke up, sobbing, in warm arms. She was being rocked back and forth, hearing the words from a soothing voice, "It's ok, he'll be all right, it's ok..."

Chihiro sobbed until she fell asleep, in Drake's arms.

Morning came, and Chihiro woke up by herself, everyone was out of sight, except Nina, who looked like she was waiting for Chihiro to wake up.

"Good morning, Chihiro."

"Morning." Chihiro answered, rubbing her eyes. They were swelled and a bit hard from the crying last night. She took the breakfast that Nina gave her, and began to eat.

"Were you dreaming about Haku last night?" Nina asked quietly. Chihiro nodded her head, and she felt the tears come as she remembered the dream.

"Who is Haku? You've never told." Nina said.

"Well...He's someone I met when I was a child and wandered into this world, and he made a promise that when I left that we would see each other again. Since last fall, I've been having weird dreams about him being hurt and last night he...died... in front of me." Chihiro replied, a few tears sliding down her cheek. She wiped her face, and got up.

"Where's Mokona?"

"Oh, she went to the river to clean herself. She should be back soon."

"And where's Drake?"

"He...well, I don't know. He just left early this morning, didn't say a word. But that's so like him." Nina answered with a sigh.

"So...Like him? Nina, do you know him?"

Nina laughed. "Yeah. It took me a while to realize it, but he's a childhood friend. He was my neighbor for quite a while; that was in the real world. When we grew up, he left to someplace, and I started a restaurant, and I was soooo clumsy then. I left a fire unattended, and it just burned down the whole building. Drake happened to be visiting the town and tried to save me, but we both died in the fire. We both came to the spirit world, and I guess he was put somewhere else because this is the first time I've ever seen him here."

"When we were kids, he always played with me and everything, but at the same time he ignored me." Nina added. "He never truly talked with me, and we never had a really good conversation. Can you believe I was a tomboy? He got me into so many boy things; I was like one of the guys when we were young. Then when we started really growing up, he practically shut me out. I was becoming a lot girlier, so we didn't hang out much. But it's nice to know that he's cared for me all this time."

"Wow. Well, that's nice to know he cares, even if he doesn't show it." Then Chihiro started smirking. "Was there any lovey-dovey stuff happening?"

Nina blushed a bit. "Well, I started getting a crush on him when I was around 13, but that's about it. I acted way girlier, and that's about the time when he shut me out. But the feeling went away."

Chihiro laughed. "I don't blame you. He's so cute!"

Nina chuckled. "When you've known him for years, you just can't see it that way anymore, Chihiro!"

"Hey girlies! We better get outta here, I think something's coming our way." Drake came rushing towards them, panting from running.

"Get your stuff quickly, and where's Mokona?!" Drake added.

"She's by the river." Chihiro answered, gathering everything.

Drake rushed away, not knowing what would happen next...

Well, that's the chapter! I wrote this one in 2 days! Yeah! I hope it turned out well, I know where I'm going with the story; I just don't know how to get there!!! I know, it's bad. --; But that's just how I am. Anyways, I just wanted to mention that whole thing about Nina and Drake's childhood...well, that's nearly exactly like mine. Except the guy is way more of a jerk than Drake!!! I don't think he'd give a fig if I died or not...Anyways, sorry about my rambling...This was just a bit an information chapter to get to know the characters better. (Well, mainly Drake, at least.) Augh! I'm rambling again!

Please Review!!! Thank you!