Shitza: I am terrible sorry for the slow updates, and for my lack of reading and reviewing at the moment. Truth to be told I am overworked here, so all updates will now more become monthly then weekly. I have to shorten my writing time to the minimum. For some days I have been so close of going to the bottom, crashing into the wall. I don't know the exact words for it, but I hope you all understand what I mean. I just want to fully make sure I will be able to keep up my old pace, but till then I need more time of resting.

Chapter 21 Regaining Life

The Miroku Valley was one of the most mysterious valleys in the whole Kamikakushi. One thing, no one had ever stepped out there alive or unhurt. If you didn't disappear you surely would come out blabbing about demons and impossible things as moving trees and walking rocks. It was one perfect place for a phoenix to hide, since no one would possibly, as she thought, find her.

Xing led the way, followed by Chihiro, Kohaku, Lin and lastly Deko. The road they followed was completely blocked by growing branches and over the road there grew a mass of roots. Chihiro was sure there had to be more then roots that met the eye.

They rode over two days until they finally reached the shores of the lake. During those two days they had seen more things then they thought was possible. For example, Xing had been snatched by at least two roots, three branches and attacked by a dead fallen trunk. Even dead things seemed to be alive here. Chihiro had seen normal rocks walk on small legs, even dancing. Lin had almost been pulled of her Dinkes by a herd of mushrooms, which all had jumped up on her. Kohaku so far had only seen a root, which seemed to be quite fond of following him. Deko hadn't seen anything, but life in this valley didn't seem to have anything against Fire Spirits at all.

Lin sighed as they came to the lake. "Now what" she said. "There's nothing here, not even an island. Why did that phoenix send us here if there's nothing?"

Everyone stared out onto the open lake, but as Lin had said there was nothing to see, only water.

Chihiro was to tired to do anything more then sigh, the same for Kohaku. Xing on the other hand started to beat his fist into a tree, which was a very stupid thing to do as everything in the valley lived.

Deko sighed, made some gestures in the open and then helped Xing out of his embarrassing situation. Lin sat down on the sand, drawing things in it with one finger.

"Let's take a break," Chihiro suggested looking longingly over the lake. "We are all dead tired and it's getting late. We can decide tomorrow what to do."

Everyone, even Xing thought that was a good idea and they all settled down for the night. Chihiro made a small fire and also cooked dinner, which was mostly bread and tea. They didn't have more at the moment, and next village or town they would reach, they thought of getting more.

Lin and Xing went away, to get some time of their own. Deko went to take care of the Dinkes. That mysterious Spirit was yet a mystery to solve.

Chihiro sat down besides Kohaku. The two of them sat only inches from each other, but she felt unusually cold. She didn't know why, but ever since she had returned to Kamikakushi she had started to change. Not just only as a person, but also physically. Every day she felt something was happening to her, and every day as their journey continued she felt like her time was nearing. She wondered… was this something to do with their love, or was it only that humans as herself were forbidden to go into Kamikakushi?

"Chihiro! What's wrong?" Kohaku asked her softly. Chihiro smiled in reply. She didn't want to worry anyone, there laid more worries around, more then needed. She leaned closer to him, yet the cold remained.

Kohaku kissed her gently, she responded in her way. She felt so living with him, like a dead soul that had been reawakened.

As time went, the two of them didn't notice the fog, the mist that surrounded them from everything else and took them to the place every Spirit who went there searched for, but it was only the most confused that came there. And with confused it meant, if you went into the forest, but where unable to find your way back that didn't count. But if you your whole life had been living in a dark fog of a lie, you would reach there.

So the two of them soon came to the Phoenix they searched for. A phoenix who seldom showed herself for others. The reason was because she was too valuable to die. If she would die, so would much more on the earth above. As the protector of life ad death she wasn't allowed to die, at least not yet.

00000000000

(Flash (future)

The phoenix fell, life ended. Starvation came, killed everything. Only one remained as the sun slowly died. Yes, destiny knew this would come, to be the last one standing. The sun and the worlds crashed. All life, even his, died out.

(End Flash)

00000000000

Everything was quiet, the two lovebirds hadn't even noticed that they had arrived at the sixth phoenix realm. The phoenix of life blushed, seeing the two of them. She wondered, even if she already knew having heard it from Love, why the two of them had to be connected. She just wished they could spare the romance, until after their visit.

To Reviewers: Like I said I'm awfully sorry for not having updated nor reviewed for such a long time. Anyway, on to the responses.

Winter –iel –o burzum: We have a new modem now so hopefully there will be nothing more, weird going on. Yet next update can take up to a month. I don't know, I didn't want to go into the wall like this (or whatever it is called)

LadyRainStarDragon: My modem is up, a new one so that is finished. Yet I'm terrible sorry for not having reviewed your story for such a long time. I haven't given up on it, I just want to take things easy before I continue reading again.

big book worm: That idea of Lin just came to me, but I thought it was really good and it gave a lot of background facts. And my modem is up again, we bought a new one, the other crashed. Hope you liked this chapter too, thanks for reviewing.

Dagorwen of Ithilien: I'm sorry this isn't as soon as possible, but I did want to update sooner. But as I have said in other review responses, and also above, I'm slightly a nit too tired for updating so often as I used to. New winds blow, but don't worry. Not in a million years that I'm abandoning this fic'.

Velf: Thanks, and sorry for not having reviewed your story, I guess you wondered where I went, but as I said, I had some reasons. I'll try to get back reviewing, but that may take a while.

Strom-Maker: Thanks for all those reviews, and please understand my weird language, but it's hard having two languages. (I'm from Sweden, and Swedish and English have their differences) I'm currently trying to improve, but as you saw back there, I'm not number one in English. Anyway, hope you liked this chapter, and hopefully I'll improve soon.

End Notes: I'm hoping on a new chapter within two weeks, but we'll see how much I'll be able to write. Until then, enjoy!

Shitza