Ordinary World
Chapter 9: Too Easy

The Merquise Palace was more outside than inside, which is to say, the inners of it were much smaller than the outers. The basic square footage of rooms inside in no way compared to the outdoor courtyards and gardens and labyrinth-like expanses without any ceiling but the sky itself. This, was in their favor, Haku had reasoned before they left. Plenty of foliage to cover them until they absolutely needed to use the similar—but altered—spell he had used all those years ago on Chihiro to get her across the bridge. It was only him and Lin going to fetch her—one to actually fetch and the other more or less to protect—and then a slew of others quiet and powerful in nature to close all openings during their covert entrance and exit.

Planned and to the best of his ability, perfected, they had set out and now he and Lin crouched flat against one of the stone walls that with any luck, led to some kind of under-used way in—a window, a door, a cellar, a really generous crack in the wall...they'd take just about anything they could find as fast as they could locate it.

"You ready," Lin checked in with the green-eyed spirit and he nodded, alert and alive like she hadn't seen him since his separation from Chihiro. "You're so whipped," she lightly noted and Haku actually let a small smile slip and he shrugged.

"When you are, you are," was all he would say but Lin was laughing very loudly at him in her mind, and she was sure he could tell.

Footsteps were heard and both flattened themselves even more if it was possible as some ten or twenty guardsmen came through leisurely—making nightly rounds probably. A couple were quite clearly intoxicated, stumbling when they should have been straight and so on, but a couple minutes had them clear of the area and Lin let out a mental sigh. No use in this at all if they were caught so early in the game plan.

"This way," Haku motioned and he and Lin disappeared through a side window into the palace itself, making their way toward the girl of a thousand fathoms.

------------------------------------------------

"Chihiro, open your eyes," Kesuke shook his head at the girl. Not only did she have her eyes closed—he was certain—but her hands covered her eyes quite effectively. Moments ago he had given her the briefest but most certain notion that he had no clue who he was, who he really was. A pause had ensued, deep with staring and hands wringing the corners of cloth that would be irrevocably wrinkled thereafter, and then the stubborn brunette had simply begun to sob. This was not quiet cries or whimpers. This was far worse. This was the heartache of a girl who didn't understand hardly anything around her—least of all him—the brokenness of a child in this sixteen year-old, still bereft of what she left behind all those years ago in this world.

And it broke his heart.

For minutes now he had been standing dumbly in front of her, trying to coax her into some semblance of calm, but to no avail. So, awkwardly (very awkwardly) he knelt at her side, encircling her partially with his arms, rubbing his hands up and down her shoulders softly, comfortingly.

"Chihiro, please, I know you're hurt. I didn't mean to upset you, please," he was practically pleading and the blue in his eyes was flecked with gold. A part of him wanted to use magic to ease her disquiet, but he refrained. Somehow he knew that would be more of a hurt than a help to her right now. This time it was she who shook her head at him, a half-smile seeping through the mess of tears and sorely rubbed skin.

"No, no. It's not you, I just...I can't even help myself and I know you have your own problems and I know I can't hate you for what is happening...but all these things I can't do..."her words dissolved into very soft incoherent sobs, the kind that shake a fragile frame such as hers to a point of disturbing anyone else around and Kesuke's eyes widened a little at the violence of her ongoing reaction.

"Chihiro, please," it was becoming his most common phrase, it seemed. "Please, try and take a breath, you'll hurt yourself. I mean, I don't know how, but you might and, oh Chihiro," he frowned somewhat emptily. Had he been so awful? He had tried, been trying to cheer her, ease things for her, and for what? For this strange twisting pain in his own chest, maybe, but her pushed the thought away...

"I'm sorry," she sighed the rest of her feeling away into the night and exhausted, just collapsed further into Kesuke and on impulse, he caught her completely, cradling her and settled her against the frame of the bed. They were still on the floor, not entirely a comfortable place to be and as he adjusted her to be more comfortable, he noticed a couple stray tears trail down her cheek. Her eyes opened slowly and she just stared at him. Gently he brought his hand to her face, wiping the tears away and then, caught in a moment or something, something he would try soon thereafter to explain and justify, he bent in and captured her lips with his. Confused, Chihiro's eyes widened in surprise as Kesuke's mouth engaged with her own—confused not only because she knew this to be wrong but confused at the warmth she sensed there, the longing and...the love? Snapping back to her reality from her reverie though, she placed the flats of her hands on his chest and softly but forcefully pushed him backward from her, gasping slightly short of breath.

"Kesuke?" it was only his name in question form, but it was so much more.

"I, I'm sorry...I just—" the door slammed open, Lin and Haku behind it. The river spirit's eyes glowered at the Queen's apprentice and Lin simply seemed to be ignoring him.

"Get away from her," Lin ordered and with an intense lost and sad feeling about him that only Chihiro seemed to notice, Kesuke not only stepped back, but he dissolved into the shadows of the wall behind him. Chihiro instinctively reached out to him.

"Wait! Where are you going? Kesuke?" she cried, unaware of the strange look she was getting from Lin and the hurt and perplexed one she was receiving from Haku himself. "Kesuke..." his name was a blank whisper that echoed off her lips like loneliness.

Now, Haku wanted very much to ask her when she had gotten so chummy with the enemy, why she seemed hurt at his disappearance rather than relieved, but they had no time and he knew it. Putting his own jealousies aside—and he was to learn he had many where his childhood love was concerned—he knelt down in front of the sullen Chihiro.

"Chihiro, love, come with me," he offered her hand and she took it and the warmth of hers fitting perfectly in his was something she had nearly forgotten. So taken aback by the sensation, by the fulfilling effect, she paused which caused him to look at her worriedly and she threw her arms around him, clutching him to her like she might never see him again. That didn't seem impossible in this world.

"Haku," her tears had returned and he eased her softly.

"Shhh, it's fine Chihiro, we're going now, and everything will be fine. You'll see," he promised her as they stepped outside onto the balcony. Wiping the back of her right hand across her eyes to dry her tears, she sniffled a little.

"Are we going to fly?" she asked curiously.

"I do not think I have enough power to transport both of us even though Lin can take care of herself," Haku admitted dully, not telling her that the reason why was because he had spent much of it on getting deep enough into the palace to find its center where everything could be located.

"I can do it myself," Chihiro said without thinking.

"Fly? Where did you learn to do that?" Haku asked, careful not to sound as though he did not believe in her, but curious all the same.

"Here. Kesuke showed me," she explained and Haku only went "Hm" to that before taking her hand and walking into the night sky, sending mental magic to the others below to let them know they could escape now. Just in case, Lin went back to cue them all and so it was just the two, soaring as fast as it could be safely allowed.

"Chihiro," Haku began, his gaze resting on her meditatively, a dark knot twisting inside him concerning her reaction to Kesuke's disappearance. But when she turned to him, face almost wan but more than that, broken, he could not ask.

"What is it?" she asked, not unkindly and he shook his head, just holding her hand tighter. Later. He would ask her later.

Chihiro meanwhile was worrying on another level. That had seemed disturbingly easy, the get away and everything...the Queen might have been insufferable but that was not in the least the same thing as stupid. She must've known Chihiro had fled...how could she not? Her brown eyes clouding with worry for anyone else tangled up in this, and weighed down by the subtle sullenness of the river spirit to her right, breaking her heart a little more. What had she done? Had he seen the kiss? She would have to explain...but how could she explain to him when she could scarcely explain to herself what was going on? Suppressing a sigh she returned the feeling to Haku of his silent comfort, squeezing his hand softly with hers.

Everything would be okay...wouldn't it? But the night had no answers for her, even as they neared their destination.

------------------------------------------------

Landing, Haku led more than guided Chihiro within the encampment, into the halls near his room and then finally to his rooms, of which there was his sleeping chamber, the sitting area and a small corridor. Her feet she tried to keep as quiet as possible as everything else around them seemed soundless too and her eyes glued themselves to the floor out of old habit, her one hand in Haku's and the other clenching the corner of her shirt in a death grip.

"Sit," he offered to her with a strange formality that threw her and Chihiro could do nothing but obey, taking seat in the offered chair. He took the one across from her. And suddenly, she felt like she was in a meeting.

"Chihiro, I—"

"Haku—"

They both paused and laughed a little emptily. Quiet ensued again...

"What did they do to you?" he asked quietly.

"Nothing really," she answered lamely. "I mean, aside from taking you from me...they didn't do anything else after that," she corrected and because she could not bring herself to bring her gaze from the floorboards, she missed the flash of relief in his eyes as they softened towards her. Not only did Haku feel his pulse steady a little out of relief that she was virtually unharmed but also his soul lifted a little at her mention of their separation, though it was more how she mentioned it that helped. She sounded like she had missed him, he thought in relief. So caught up in said relief he didn't quite register her suddenly somewhat irritated stare.

"What?" he asked without thinking.

"Of course I missed you, you idiot dragon! It broke my heart," she exclaimed, tears rushing out again and she hated them so much even now. If only she could stop them, but she couldn't and even as she looked down as she rubbed her eyes with her hands, two other hands encircled her wrists, holding them from her, but not roughly, just holding.

"How did you know I was worried?" he asked calmly.

"I don't know, I just, didn't you say something?" she asked, abruptly quite confused. He shook his head, wisps falling into his eyes slightly in a way Chihiro's heart warmed at without warning...she really had missed him.

"I did not. What else did..." and Haku's eyes narrowed. Now it was Chihiro's turn for brevity.

"What?" she asked and he released one of her wrists to tilt her chin up slightly, examining—it seemed—intently, her lips.

"Who did this?" he tried to smother the very primal growl at the back of his throat but could not quite and his voice came out rather strangled. Chihiro touched her free hand to her lips absently...this was not how she had hoped to tell him...

"Haku, I—" she began but her voice failed her at the pain in his eyes and, to her fear, the definite upset and...anger?

"You what?" he prompted maybe too harshly and she looked down away from him again. He cursed himself. What he wouldn't give for something to be simple for them...what he wouldn't give, indeed. With new tenderness, he turned her back to him again and asked more kindly, "what happened, Chihiro?" She took in a deep breath.

"WellIwasreallyupsetandyouknowhewasreallynicetomethewholetimebutiguesssomethinghappenedandalloftehsuddenhewaskissingmeandthat'sallimeanipushedhimawaybut..." she took in another breath and exhaled deeply, sincerely hoping she had covered all major points.

"Did you kiss him?" Haku asked with such an even tone, it chilled her.

"I don't think so," she said. That was the most honest answer she had for him. Nodding, as if to himself, he released her completely and stepped back but before he could take another Chihiro shook her head violently and grabbed his arms with her hands. "No you don't Kohaku River, no! You are not running from me. I love you!" And she held herself to him for she didn't know how long, but she did so until slowly, cautiously even, her counterpart's arms embraced her too. "I don't think so and that's the best I have," she repeated into his chest and he sighed the deepest of sighs.

"I should trust you more," he admitted and she mumbled something into his chest again, something like 'yeah, you should,' but he let it pass, content just to hold her close to him again, inner and outer turmoil aside for now...

------------------------------------------------

Somewhere outside the Palace in the labyrinth Lin and the others were having a harder time, battling it out with about every decent demon in the Queen's service. Lin's shoulder had a deep gash on it and one of her eyes was hurt and while some others were in better shape, more of them were in worse and she was getting worried. She had tried to send word to Haku through every means available to her but there was some invisible shield activated now, some invisible force that served like interference and it was disabling all communication.

"Stop fighting, just run!" her command rang loudly and the support began to haphazardly but surely burl past her as she tried to take up the back, protectively. Unfortunately something grabbed her by the arm connected to the bad shoulder and she cried out, wincing. Eyes cast over her shoulder, well, her one good eye, she glowered.

"You again," Lin scowled and Nori just smiled.

"Hard to get rid of, harder than you thought anyway," said witch chirped and was about to make something of an unbearable and villainy statement when she seemed to lose her breath and then toppled over practically on top of Lin.

"Wha—?" Lin started but Kesuke materialized from the nearest shadow and she was stuck for words. "You..." she trailed off as he shoved the body of Nori off of her and helped her up. "...why?" she finally came back with and Kesuke's noticeably scarred face smiled sadly. Blood was dripping from the scar that slanted across his left cheek, marring the otherwise flawless, if now dirtied flesh. Lin cringed inwardly. His attire was torn in many places and he as bleeding from many other wounds as well. He must've been fighting his way through them.

"Because she helped me," he answered and then pushed her away, "Go, go before you can't leave again. You're the last here of yours, I promise." Lin kept on turning back to him as she retreated and just as she was climbing into an emergency wormhole designed to take her much, much closer to where she needed to be in one bound, she saw the things that were attacking her and all the others turn on him completely with no one else to divert their attentions to.

And before she could even consider going back to help, the hole had closed and she was floating back closer to here they were supposed to be.

Yes I know, it's been FOREVER. I'm working on it, I promise. Sorry this is not very long or anything...sigh. Hope someone still sort of likes this. Aiya.

Now to work on Angelic High and Extended Visit Only for You...and then I'll be back here again. On another note, I JUST SAW HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE...if I didn't have so many other fics to finish...:rubs hands together gleefully: oh the mayhem that could ensue!

Ah well. Someday. For now, let me know what you think and for those of you who still remember this and have stuck with it so far, thank you so much. It means a lot to a writer who until recently, was disenchanted with her art form.

All thanks and apologies,

-Kaji