Disclaimer: I own the story line of this fic, nothing else...
A/N: sorry about the long delay in updates, I've been having tests and exams, sometimes I juz wish I wasn't a 13 yr old. =P, anyway, heres the next chapter, hope everyone likes it!!!
Exiting the water world in the magical sphere, Chihiro let off a sigh of relief as she looked up at the sky.
"What is it, Chi?"
"I was wondering... if the sea world is so beautiful, how about the sky? Is there a city up there?"
"Among the clouds? Yes, there is a city, the Avian city of Avalon."
"What is it like?" Chihiro asked as she made herself comfortable on Haku's dragon back.
"I've never been there, hopefully... I'll bring you there after all this is over."
"That's a promise?"
"Yeah..." Haku replied as they sped off towards the Sapphire Mountains.
"Haku... You will go there, eventually..." Nimokushi said as he looked out towards the ocean from his palace.
Haku moved forward quickly, eager to find the next stone, or the clue to it. In an hour, the towering Sapphire Mountains loomed ahead of them, their peaks wrapped in clothes of cloud and tuffs of snow which glowed with a blue aura. Landing swiftly, Haku let Chihiro slide off his back carefully. Letting his body return to its original shape, Haku shook Chihiro awake gently.
Yawning loudly, Chihiro stretched and rubbed her eyes roughly, trying to make out the surroundings in the gloom. Once realizing where they were, she shivered unintentionally.
"Chi?"
"This place is spooky, there's an ominous... aura or atmosphere here. Haku... am I overeacting?" Chihiro said anxiously as she looked up into his eyes.
"I don't know... I don't sense any aura around here, except the one which is the magic produced by the gate to the human world." Haku replied reassuringly, yet his mind was in turmoil.
Its impossible... stop thinking about this possibility, she's human, humans cant feel magic...
"Lets go inside and take a look, I think there's a clue to where the next stone is."
Nodding slowly, Chihiro held his hand tightly and stepped into the darkness of the cavern where the gate to the human world was held. What Haku failed to notice as he glanced around carefully were the eyes that sparkled menacingly in the darkness around them.
"One is down... "Zeniiba whispered.
"Uh?" (What?) No-face said as he carefully laid spoons and forks on the table for dinner.
"No-face... I hope that they do not learn the truth about Chihiro now, it is too early for them to know it... "
Kneeling down, Haku examined the inscriptions that were written in the tablets at the bottom of the shrine. Reading them over and over again as he struggled to recall his ancient language classes when he was younger. Standing beside him, Chihiro moved around uneasily as she waited for Haku.
As Chihiro turned her head to look at Haku, she felt a chill as she saw a pair of red angry eyes looking at her, from within the Shrine. Suppressing her screams, she tried not to look at it. Shaking, she tried to get the eyes out of her vision, but she saw a mouth open and grin at her.
"AHHHHHHHH!!!!" She shrieked.
Jumping, Haku flipped around and stared at her, eyes open with surprise.
"What the world happened!?" Haku shouted as he wiped sweat off his brow.
"Sorry... but I saw... I saw a red face that was grinning at me through the shrine, it was so scary." Chihiro said as she struggled to hold back the tears.
"Sorry... for shouting at you like that, I guess I'm agitated about this whole business..." Haku murmured an apology as he scratched his head.
"It's ok..." Chihiro replied as she grinned shakily at him. However, that grin turned to horror as a specter leapt out from the shrine and knocked Haku to the ground.
"Haku!!!!" Chihiro screamed as she saw him drop to the ground. As she glared at the creature, she felt hate and anger stir from within her heart. Looking around, she picked up a stone and flung it hard at the creature. Chihiro's eyes opened wide with shock as the stone went right through the specter and it leapt at her. Jumping away, she fell heavily on the ground.
"Urgh..." Chihiro groaned as she sat up slowly, blood from her right leg flowing freely. Wincing as she touched the wound, she saw the spirit leap at her. Without thinking, she raised her hand in self defense and closed her eyes.
"What?!?" Chihiro murmured when she saw the creature suspended in mid-air and in what seemed like a bowing position and muttering," the last key...the last key... the last key..."
"What are you..." Chihiro whispered softly, her lip barely moving.
"Iz amz... angerz." The specter growled as it looked straight into her eyes.
Understanding flashed through Chihiro's mind as she recalled Kamaji's and Zeniiba's words.
"The 4 weaknesses and sins..."
"Anger, Greed, Lust and lie."
"Why... did you stop?" Chihiro said shakily as she stared at the specter.
"Becausez... you arez... you arez..."
"Never mind... Do you have a riddle which I can solve to seal this gate?" Chihiro said loudly, gaining confidence.
"Riddlez... Yesssss..." It hissed.
"What is it?"
"Angerz is temperoryz... what healz itz andz lastz foreverz? Thiz is thez riddlez..."
"Gulping a glob of saliva, Chihiro said loudly," Kindness and forgiveness. These 2 counter anger, they heal scars on the heart and on the soul!"
"Thanksss Yousss!!!" The specter hissed loudly as it vanished into a ball of white light.
Shutting her eyes from the light, Chihiro opened her eyes when the light died down. Staring blankly ahead, the specter had disappeared. All that was left was a stone filled with a pinkish and white aura with 2 runewords inscribed onto the sides.
"Chi... what happened?" Haku said groggily as he sat up rubbing his head. Stopping short when he saw the stone, he looked at Chihiro with a look of absolute shock.
Smiling weakly at him, Chihiro collapsed as she felt her right leg give off a sharp shock of pain. The world spun and vanished as she closed her eyes.
"The human is smarter than I thought... excellent.... She is indeed worthy of 'that'position..." Nimokushi smiled to himself.
Hows it? RNR, thanks, I'll do my best to update the next chapter by this week... it's the hols =D