Disclaimer: come on and sue me
Heres chapter 8, hope u enjoy it! RNR pls
Chihiro sat mutely on Haku's back as they soared above a thunderstorm. Holding the precious stone in her hands, Chihiro stared at the tumultuous storm of clouds below them, rolling and turning over each other. Shivering, she huddled under the magic cloak and glanced at the stone. It was the size of her clenched fist, with rough scratches from the centuries as it lay hidden. Runewords were carved randomly over it, with sharp lines forming a picture around the stone.
"Wha..." Chihiro muttered, she moved her face closer to the rock. Tucking her hair behind her ears to see better, she realized that the lines formed a very different place from where it was supposed to go. Leaning closer to Haku's back, she whispered, "Haku..."
"Crash!"
The sky illuminated itself with lightning and the clouds shook from the thunder. Chihiro shrieked and covered her ears. In a split moment, she realized that she had dropped the magical artifact. Surprised and aghast at what she had done, she shouted and jumper off Haku's back, flinging the cloak off her shoulders, "Haku!!! The stone!!!" As she fell forward towards the sea, she hoped that the stone floated on water... or all was lost.
"Haku!!! The stone!!" Turning his head, Haku barely had time to see Chihiro jumping off his back, dropping his head, he fell rapidly, only catching Chihiro at the surface of the water.
Furious and shocked, he shouted, "What were you doing?!?!?! This sea isn't like the one in the human world, the spirits in the ocean are unpredictable!"
Chihiro snapped back as she looked around fruitlessly in the pouring rain, "I dropped the stone!! We have to find it!!"
Not wasting time on anymore words, Haku changed back to his human form, hovering on the water. Summoning his magic, he conjured a magical barrier to surround Chihiro. Muttering the incarnation, Haku held Chihiro's hand and together they dived down into a world which Chihiro would never forget.
"Haku... It's beautiful..." Chihiro gasped as they descended into the water world of the spirits, one which Chihiro had never entered before.
"Beautiful yet deadly." Haku replied simply.
The ocean teemed with life, yet it was not the normal aquatic life in the human world. No fish or sharks swam in the waters, instead, the ocean seemed bottomless and tall spires rose from its pitch black depths. Water souls and spirits moved around effortlessly in the water as humans did in their cities. They moved above and below each other, as if invisible bridges had been drawn out for them. Chihiro gazed around with awe.
"Say nothing... Leave the talking to me." Haku whispered as he suddenly turned the bubble with Chihiro inside opaque to others, but allowed her a great view of the surroundings. Pulling the bubble, Haku stopped beside a lone spirit leaning on the stone shelf.
"Maki... How've you been?"
"Haku? Is it really you? I remember when you were wandering around the sea, lost and lonely, nearly dying because of the loss of your river."
"Yes...yes... I came today because I need to ask a favor of you."
"Speak, I'll try to help."
"I need you to locate something for me, its... um... something important that I've lost."
"What isit?"
"Something important that I dropped while flying." Haku replied softly.
"Then I suggest that you see the mage of forgotteness, she lives in the city of memoirs, Atlanta, every magical item that is lost, automatically is transported to her citadel. However, few items are returned when their owners seek it. She is weird and eccentric, so few people dare approach her. Are you sure you want to look for her?"
"Yes... Thank you my friend." Haku replied quickly and pulled Chihiro away towards the direction of Atlanta.
"Haku... theres something I need to tell you."
"Yes?"
" I don't think 'truth' is meant to seal the gate in the Sapphire mountains..." She said slowly and uncertainly.
"What do you mean?"
"Because... I don't know! I just have this feeling that its not meant to be so easy. I think we're supposed to go..."
Chihiro didn't finish her sentence, instead she just gasped as she saw the citadel before her. It was surrounded by tall pillars and the tower was in the middle. Haku sensed her silence and said, "Chi? Whats wrong?"
"I don't believe this..." Chihiro murmured as she stared at the ring of pillars with the citadel in the center.
"Whats wrong?" Haku said agitatedly, worried.
"Can you fly up? Haku? Just move up above the pillars?"
"Sure..." Haku said and he pulled her up with him above the pillars. At first, he just gazed blankly at the circle of pillars, not noticing anything special about them. It was only when he concentrated, did he feel the surge of energy and magic evaporating upwards from the circle, fizzing away like gas in a drink.
"I don't understand, Chi..." Haku said as he looked at the perfect pattern for an opening spell to the human world.
"Let's get the stone first."
"Right."
Entering the massive stone doors, Chihiro and Haku walked upwards, hand in hand. She was jittery, jumping at the shadows and clinging to Haku, however, Haku was calm and composed and he thought about how to get the artifact back.
Pushing open a massive door, the duo walked into an enormous spacious chamber, which was filled with many lockers and shelves. Next to the fire place which glowed with a mysterious blue flame, sat a young looking woman, yet her face reflected centuries of knowledge and experience.
"Greetings..." They said together.
"Welcome, Kohaku, to the grotto of lost items, in my citadel of Atlanta, and you are?" she said, addressing Chihiro.
"I am Chihiro, or you can call me Sen." Chihiro replied nervously. Shes really weird...
"A human?? You are breaking the rules of this world, Kohaku."
"Lets skip the introductions, im here to retrieve and object."
"The stone of truth? Im surprised that you posses it. But a thing of power and strength does not pass easily through my hands. Trade me something of equal value."
"it doesn't matter, this citadel is the gate to the human world, if the stone stays here, our job is done."
"Then I'll make you a deal. Since you're beginners to my home, I shall play with you the easiest of my games: riddling. Why is my citadel called the gate of lies to the few people who know."
"Because..." Chihiro said, smiling, "the greatest pressure in life is 'truth'..."
The smug smile on her face instantly became contorted with fury, "Noooo, solved by a mere human!" A bright light shone from one of the shelves as she raised a hand and brought it down into Chihiro's hand.
Bending down, Chihiro placed the stone into the niche that had just appeared at the bottom of her feet. The effect was amazing. Runewords on the floor were illuminated and the very foundations of the citadel shook. Closing his eyes, Haku felt the magic vanish, powering the other 3 gates.
"Lets go Chi..." Haku said softly as he took her hand and walked out.