From the moment she opened her eyes, Chihiro knew something was wrong.

It just isn't natural to be able to focus on a tree hundreds of yards away and suddenly be able to inspect every millimeter of it, like placing a microscope against it. The smells were overwhelming too! She was only breathing, but she could detect and classify hundreds of smells around her.

Rolling over, Chihiro looked at the ground and started to laugh, it was at least ten feet below her.

Kira had done it! She was a dragon!

Carefully, she stood up on four (yes, four) legs. It was very difficult at first, coordinating where each limb needed to go, but very easy once she was in the rhythm. She focused on getting over to the giant ocean, yearning for a look at her new form.

The waves obscured the water too much, so she was content to look at herself as best as she could. Her body was exactly like Kira's and Haku's from what she could see. However, her coloring was quite different. Rather than a plain white with a turquoise mane or a glossy black, Chihiro was a very bright peal color with a matching mane. Her scales shone brightly and had a pink sheen as the sun rose.

Oh boy, I forgot Kira! Wait, shouldn't I be dead? I remember trying to tell her something…..

"Rrrroar!" was all she could muster from her vocals. With a very bewildered expression, Chihiro cleared her throat for another attempt when something caught her eye at the edge of the rain forest. There sat one of the strangest looking creatures she'd ever seen. He was even larger than the lions she had seen at the zoo. The beast looked like the body of wolf on steroids, had the coloring and gloss of a raven, and a six inch horn on the end of his nose. Bright blue eyes watched her from where he sat.

"You cannot see Mistress Kira," he spoke without moving his lips, just like the girl.

Chihiro growled.

"Focus your thoughts at me, you'll find speaking very easy."

"Where is my sister?" she managed, hoping it reached the exotic wolf.

"She is no longer here. My name is Raider, I have been ordered to be your guardian."

"What do you mean? Kira won her battle, her arm was only injured…." she trailed off.

Raider padded towards the much larger creature. With a deep bow of his head, he then gazed up at the dragon.

"She moved on. Her powers are now yours, Mistress."

Chihiro dropped to the ground, craning her head towards her chest so she could cover her head with her paws. The black wolf-creature growled.

"What?" Chihiro asked between her half-whimpers, jerking her head up. "I just barely got to know her, now she is dead! On top of that, I won't ever see my brother again, and don't know how to find Haku!"

"Ask me."

One of the dragon's eye ridges raised. She craned her neck closer. "You're serious? Just like that?"

Raider sat back on his haunches, a deep sigh sounding from his chest. "Of course." She doubts my abilities? She isn't anything like Kira. "You need to rest first. You may be a dragon, but you just gained that form."

With a very large yawn, Chihiro confirmed the beast's suspicions. She stomped around the sand beneath her, circling a few times, and curled onto the soft beach sand. Did I just do what Bade's dog does?

"Will I be safe?"

The wolf cocked a grin. "Isn't that part of a guardian spirit's job? Besides, you don't have any deodorant for Yubaba to steal," he called behind him as he disappeared into the forest.

Chihiro snorted.