Disclaimer: Can I not type this?

Velf- thanks for your reviews, you'll find out what Chihiro is in a few chapters

Kurenoharu- thanks for the encouragement

A/N: this chapter was not supposed to exist, but it just came up out of the blue, heh... enjoy!

Here's Chapter 10 of saving the spirit world: Lonely Search

Opening her eyes slowly, Chihiro rubbed her head as she attempted to stand. Collapsing back onto the bed, she felt the world spin in front of her as her eyes closed yet again.

Sighing a loud sigh of relief, No-face gently wiped her sweaty forehead with a damp towel, before covering her with a healing blanket. Retreating to a corner of the room, he sat down and watched over her as Haku sat in the living room with Zeniiba.

"So Haku... What happened?" Zeniiba asked as she sipped her tea, staring grimly at him over her rimmed spectacles.

" I... I don't know, I don't understand at all, what is wrong with her? Zeniiba-san." Haku asked agitatedly as he leaned across the table.

"Calm down, I know how much you care for her... but there are rules in this world that cannot be broken."

"I do not know of any rules that prohibit humans from living here." Haku replied slowly.

"However, there is one, and I am afraid that... that it is a strong spell cast on this world since the creation of this world."

"What is happening to her?"

"It is a time zone effect, caused by the core of this world, the lamba core."

"The Lamba Core?"

"Yes. It creates a time lag for the humans who stay here for too long a time.This will have disastrous effects on the human's body, resulting in death." Zeniiba said grimly.

"But..."

"Yes. I know, Chihiro was here only for a few days previously. However, now she has been here for..."

"2 weeks..." Haku whispered, horrified that he had cause Chihiro harm.

"I must send her back now!" Haku cried as he got up from the table.

"How? You have just sealed 2 of the gates, you have no knowledge of the other 1 and the final one is too open."

Dejected, Haku slumped down on the chair. Turning to Zeniiba, he said calmly, " Help me this one time Zeniiba-san, please."

"Even if you did not ask, I would help you, for Chihiro."

"What must I do?"

"Travel to Lamba core and rewrite the magic rule." Zeniiba said.

"Its impossible to enter the heart of this world."

"It is difficult, not impossible. Find the ancient spirit of knowledge, he is the sole knower of the location of the opening to the lamba core, and the only person who can open it for you. But there are 2 difficulties, 1 is that he has a strange temper and you must convince him to let you in, however he is not convinced easily. Secondly, you must locate him, the last time you saw him was in Yu-baba's bath house, he was the so called 'stink-god'. The last place he was seen going to was the grasslands of peace."

"Thank you Zeniiba- san." Haku said as he got up and moved silently towards the door. "Please look after Chihiro for me."

"Of course."

"Turning into his dragon form, Haku felt adrenaline surge into his body. This was one thing he would... could not fail in...

"Zeniiba-san, why did he leave?" Chihiro's voice came weakly from the door.

"He had something very important to do, for you."

"Is it dangerous? I don't want him to get hurt for me!"

"It may be, but if he doesn't, you will get hurt alot more."

Flying over the train track, Haku looked for the signs at the stations for the grasslands of peace. Exhaustion burdened Haku's body as he sped forward relentlessly, yet love and fear for Chihiro kept him moving forward at a constant pace. Landing at last at the grasslands of peace, Haku lay on the floor, panting heavily as he tried to catch his breath.

Sitting up, Haku walked across the endless fields, looking for any sign of life. Running around in circles, Haku collapsed on the smooth grass from exhaustion, panting loudly. Struggling to stand up, he shouted, "God of knowledge!!!! If you are here! Answer me! Let me into the Lamba Core!! To save her... To help Chihiro!"

As his body shut down from over exertion, Haku saw a towering figure stand in front of him, blocking the sun from his eyes. Before blacking out, he murmured, "I love her..."

"You have slept well... Kohaku." A deep resounding voice echoed off the walls of a cave into Haku's ears.

"God of knowledge?" Haku said subconsciously.

" Yes, my name is... it is better that you do not know. "

Struggling to sit up, Haku asked boldly, "Can you allow me to enter the Lamba Core."

Smiling in the darkness, he replied," Why?"

"To save someone I love, a human... the rules of this world are hurting her, she will die in a few days if I do not do anything."

"Then why did you even bring her here in the fist place?"

"Because... because..." Haku was at a loss of words. Then it struck him, Nimokushi, he was the one who told him to bring her to this world.

"It doesn't matter why, just let me into the Lamba core to rewrite the rule!" Haku stormed.

"Give me reasons."

"She has helped you once."

"Is that so?" the god's face was amused. "How so?"

"6 years ago, she helped to clean you in the bath house."

"Ah... I remember, so it is that girl... there is something special about her, something which you are not ready to know."

"Please... would you help me?"

"Yes... she is one who cannot be allowed to die, not in this world at least."

Emerging from the shadow, the god of knowledge beckoned for Haku to move. Raising his hand, he muttered an incarnation and the cave glowed a brilliant blue with runewords and markings all over.

"This is the gate to the Lamba Core, when you are done, return in the same way."

"Thank you..."

Standing up, Haku moved into the portal of glowing energy. Seconds later, he was in an immense cavern with a sunlike pillar in the center. Lifting himself upwards into the air, Haku reached out with his mind and tapped into the power of the pillar, searching for the magic that held the rule.

Finding it, Haku opened his eyes and grinned at his success. Concentrating again, he thought of Chihiro and manipulated the magics within to remove the rule, instead channeling the magic to other parts of the spirit world.

Finishing his job, Haku stepped down onto the ground and moved into the beam of the teleporter. In moments, he was standing back in the cave, the runewords slowly dimming.

"Thank you again..."

"Thank me in action, not in word, if I need your help, I will ask."

"And I will help you in whatever way I can."

Leaving the cave, Haku turned around and blurted," I don't know if this will be too much, but... can you tell me where the next gate to the human world is?"

"It is in the air..." Came the voice in the cave.

Turning, Haku ran as he transformed back into his dragon form, eager to see if Chihiro was alright.