A/N: Well, looks like I'm on a role. With any luck, this story will be done within the next week. Possibly earlier if I keep up this pace! Hope you enjoy the latest installment.


Chapter 13: The Great Escape

"Come on, Haku!" she exclaimed, pulling his hand

The guards were still on the other side of the door leading back into the ward, while another stood behind the exit for visitors. That particular guard was the one to worry about at the moment.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the visitor door while squeezing Haku's hand. When the door opened, the guard turned slowly, asking if she was ready to leave. As the guard's eyes met the pair, they went wide.

"Hey!" he yelled, "What's going on here!"

Chihiro bit her lip. "Sorry, sir!"

She pushed the man back with all her might. He fell to the ground and slid back to the wall. Haku pulled Chihiro down the hall in a blur of speed. In the distance, she could hear the fallen guard reporting the incident on his walky-talky.

A right, then a left, followed by another left, they reached the main hall. The pair was too fast for the guards, nurses, and doctors. At least, they were at first. Once they approached the front doors, the guards stepped in front, blocking their path. Haku came to a screeching halt. His footies caused him to slip on the linoleum tiling, tripping him. Chihiro tried to keep him up, but she managed to fall, too.

Haku scooted back, half lying on Chihiro, protecting her. His back pressed into her chest forcing her to move back as he continued to push them both out of harm's way.

"And where do you two think you're going?" one of the guards asked in a barking voice that made Chihiro swallow hard.

"We have to go." The young woman said to them

Haku said nothing and simply continued to protect the woman behind him.

"He's not going anywhere, kid." The next guard told her, pointing at Haku, "The kid's nuts. And dangerous."

The third guard chuckled, "What was it you said, kid? Oh, I remember," his tone turned mocking, "You have to protect us all from the evil SpiritEater, oh no."

The three guards laughed together. Chihiro felt anger rising through her. How could they be so cruel?

"It's TRUE!" she screamed at them

They stopped laughing. Their looks turned something close to disgusted as they spoke in unison.

"Looks like we've got another nutcase, boys.

"You don't actually believe that, do you?"

"Yeah, right."

Chihiro wrapped her arms around Haku protectively as one of the men reached out for them. She closed her eyes tightly as her head pressed against the back of his head.

"Change." She whispered

Haku turned his face slightly as he calmly kicked the approaching man in the shin, causing the security guard to fall.

"Why you little–"

"I cannot change." Haku said back, "I tried before."

Chihiro squeezed him tightly. "You have to change, Haku! I know you can do it."

He half smiled at that trust in his abilities. Still, that did not change the fact that the medication had an adverse effect on his powers. Now would be a good time for them to wear off. The guards swarmed in on them. Chihiro whimpered behind him. He couldn't let them take her.

Two hands grabbed at Chihiro's shoulders, while four grabbed Haku's arms. The guards tried to separate them, but the girl hung on for dear life.

"No!" she screamed, "Leave us alone! Let us go!"

Haku kicked at the men as far as he could, which wasn't very far thanks to their positions. They needed a miracle to be freed.

"Change, Haku!" her voice screamed through his being, "Change! Change, please! We have to save everyone!"

For some reason, that rocked his core. His power swam up from inside, stretching through his extremities. It wrapped around his human body, pulling at it. And it pulled and pulled, making him longer. The white glow of his magic filled the room. It was somehow cool like a refreshing spring, but warm like a sunkissed shore.

The guards let go of him, falling back with fear. Chihiro, however, held on, wrapping herself around him more.

"Oh my God." One of the guards whispered in awe, "It's impossible . . . "

His magic stretched him as long as it could and coated him with shimmering scales. His mouth turned into a muzzle complete with a mouthful of vicious looking teeth. His hair shifted from black to a body length green mane. Horns protruded from his head.

Green dragon eyes turned on the guard who seemed frozen to the ground. Haku used his tail to sweep them back, but not hard enough for serious damage. In a way, they seemed happy to be as far away from the beast as possible.

Others joined them as the screams began. A few members of the staff fell to their knees with such shock. A dragon was in the hospital. A real-life dragon!

Chihiro took Haku's horns firmly in her hands. Her legs held tight on the sides of his body. There was a joy that wrapped her up as she held him like this. Warmth and safety like she'd never known. No . . . Like she'd never remembered.

The pair flew like the wind to the glass doors. Instinctively, Chihiro pressed her face into Haku for protection against shattering glass. She had nothing to worry about. Each shard heading in her direction suddenly wrapped in black bubbles, then dropped to the ground.

The air carried them to the sky. She looked back to see Nakamura growing smaller as they got higher. She gripped Haku tighter as the ground dropped away more and more, and so quickly. But soon, she realized what a wonderful feeling it all was. She'd never felt more free or alive.

"Haku! That way!" she pointed off to the right.

The massive dragon shifted directions, heading in the path Chihiro set for him.

It didn't take them long to reach the town she grew up in. Though, from the skies, it didn't look like the home. Debris was scattered all over the ground. Cars crashed into sides of buildings or light poles. Smoke rose from several spots. Bodies littered the landscape.

"Oh, no . . . " she cried at the destruction that the SpiritEater caused, "We have to find him, Haku . . . Find him and stop him."

He didn't have to speak to voice his agreement. Somehow, she felt it through her.

The path of destruction looked like it stretched endlessly in every direction. The air filled with the sounds of ambulances and police cars and people's screams of terror. Where could you run from a silent killer, though?

Haku continued to fly around the area in widening circles. It seemed like the SpiritEater was nowhere in site. It made her nervous and on edge, both of which Haku felt. He wished he could comfort her properly, but that wasn't possible in his current form. He considered landing just to take a brief break to check on her.

Just as he began to land, a dark laugh filled the sky. Haku tried to stop, but it was too late. There was a squatting sensation, knocking the dragon back. Chihiro screamed as she fell from Haku's top. The way her body wrapped around him, she stayed on enough that she slid from to his front.

Another gust of wind pushed at the pair, forcing them to the ground hard. Haku couldn't figure which way was up or down. His attacker did. In one final blow, Haku went screaming toward the earth.