Disclaimers Notice: The only thing I own is the way in which I chose to use the characters and setting (oh, and a few of my own creations...)

Authors Beginning Note: la

Shout it outs!

White-Angel1215-Glad you think so.

Shitza-I started reading your story, which I find very compelling, but haven't gotten past Chapter 2 (hangs head in shame), I promise though that I'll have it read, and the last chapter reviewed here within the next 2 weeks.

Aharah Musici-Foozler is cute, good, cute, protective, cute, and did I mention cute?

Velf-LOL! Strange how that happens. Just goes to show that sometimes great minds don't think alike.

Pearldrop-I'm Delighted that you like it!

Meyojojo-Yah, You would think I do it on purpose (grins evily)

Chapter 22

The Creppler

Chihiro's P.O.V.-

"Why are we going to the deepest, darkest place here?"

"Stop complaining. It's not that bad. Besides, it's safer."

"Safer, safer?" I asked incredulously. It is in my experience, that the middle of the forest holds the deadliest creatures.

"Yes. Safer." I think it's dark out now. I'm not sure. Who can tell the difference?

"Bwee." Foozler whimpered.

"Yah, yah. Chihiro, take out your bauble, the Foozler is scared of the dark."

"I don't have a bauble." Toshi stopped and looked back at me. I couldn't see her face.

"Very well. Stay here. I'll go see what I can find."

"What? You're leaving..." She was gone. I sighed and sat on a gnarled root as thick as my waist, leaning up against the tree.

"Bwee." It shivered and crawled into my tired arms.

"Well. We can't sleep just yet. Who knows what might creep up on us." I looked down. He was already asleep.

I guess now's as good a time as any to try...not like I'm going any where soon...this time...no distractions...no sleep...

I closed my eyes and reached into the far reaches of my mind. Searching for it, for that one thing that might help me. I searched, and finally, like it had never been gone, I found it. The very thing that would help. My link to Vai.

I 'touched' the ball with my right hand and felt it's flame and ice rush through and almost jumped back.

No...I won't back down...I will do this...

'Vai?' I felt something like a voice echo through my head, and disappear. Nothing else happened.

'Vai! Are you there? Can you here me?' I yelled. This time my voice was loud, and made my head pound. Still no response.

Maybe...if I use both hands...

This time it was my other hand that felt both hot and cold, but I was prepared for it.

'Vai! Can you hear me!' I screamed almost desperately. Still no response.

Maybe...I'm too far away....maybe humans just can't do it...maybe it's just me...

'Far...' Came a sluggish whisper.

'Vai, Vai? Is that you?!'

'You....far...'

'I'm in the middle of a forest.'

'...you....safe...' what is wrong...I can't hear everything he's saying...it's soft...and sluggish...

'I'm fine. I'm with Toshi, the forest changeling. What about you? And Rin? And Enuresis? Are you all fine? Are you okay?'

'you...danger...'

'What? I'm in danger? Of what?' Nothing.

'Vai! I'm in danger of what? Come on Vai!'

'...danger...'

"What are you doing?" I jumped and dumped Foozler in the process. There, in front of me, was Toshi, hands on hips, with what looked to be small necklaces with glowing pearls attached that lit up the area around you.

"What are those?"

"Where you talking to a Spirit?" Something...isn't right.

"The only Spirit here was Foozler, and I haven't said a word." She looked like she was about to comment on something, but held her tongue. Instead she thrust the two necklaces to me.

"Here. These should help. They're nut lights."

"Nut lights?"

"They're made of nuts and vine from certain trees." I took and gave the other to Foozler who was fascinated with the shining ball around its neck. His eyes wide as he turned the thing over, smelled it, and licked it with his long pink tongue that wrapped around it until there was nothing to see left of it. I giggled and Toshi smiled.

"Let's go." We walked on for maybe a good hour. My mind previously more on my walking through the thick and rough foliage began to wander towards when this would end.

"Do you know where we're going?"

"Yes."

"Where?"

"Out of here."

"Which would be?"

"Do you always ask so many silly questions?"

"I thought they were fairly reasonable."

"Well, they're not." What's got her in such a bad mood...I only asked a few questions...she's probably lost...she doesn't really know where we're going...we've probably been going in circles...

"Are you..."? Toshi seemed to snap as she whirled around and threw me up against a tree with her arm over my chest, keeping me pinned there.

"Will you shut up!"? She whispered harshly into my ear. The foozler was growling, with his teeth bared.

"Why?"

"We're being followed. I was hoping if we were quiet enough we wouldn't..." Her face paled as she looked behind me.

"Too late. Run!" She grabbed my arm and started dragging me in the opposite direction she had been looking. The foozler jumped gracefully from branch to branch overhead. I looked back to see what I could find, but found nothing.

"What are we running from!"? I yelled over the loud noise of us running over leaves and other such things lying on the floor. Then I tripped over a root. Toshi stopped, yanked me to my feet and began running again, with me in tow.

"The Creppling."

"What?"

"The Creppling. It's the most dangerous spirit you'll ever encounter in this forest."

"But I don't see anything."

"I wouldn't expect you to. The Creppling is near invisible."

"Than how..."

"These pointy ears aren't for nothing. Now run faster!" We ran and run. I still couldn't hear anything out of the ordinary, and my breath was coming in short gasps.

"Isn't there anything...you could change into?"

"Not that I know of. I've seen thousands of different Spirits killed by that thing, and it isn't pretty."

"And you're alive ...to tell about it?"

"You better believe it. Every time I've stumbled on that thing during feeding time, I've changed into something normal, like a vine, but now I have you with me and I can't change you."

"Does it...have...a weakness..."?

"Nope."

"How good...is..its...hearing...?" My breath was coming harder and I could feel my legs threatening to stiffen up and quit. Toshi noticed this too and looked sick.

"Crepplers have the best hearing I know of. They can hear things as far as eighty trees away. They're the most quiet things I know of, and impossible to see, unless you have superb eyesight. The perfect predator. "

"Do you...know...of anything...really...loud...or...high...pitched." I gasped. She looked over her shoulder at me as my legs gave out.

"Come one. You have to get up!" She looked frantic. I began to stand but barely even stood up before my legs gave out again.

"No go. I can't... move." She looked like she was about to go crazy, start running into trees with foam in her mouth.

"You have to!" I shook my head. My chest heaved in and out in short gasps. My throat burned with ferocity.

"Can you...change...into...something...that makes...high pitched...or...loud...noises?" I finally finished. She stopped; her eyes focused on me and shook her head.

"The forest is usually quiet."

"You can't...change into...a Creppler?"

"No."

"There ...isn't anything...you...can...do?" She shuffled her feet as she looked over in the direction behind us.

"Can a Spirit through mind link?" My eyes snapped up to look at her. A strange blade appeared replacing her hand, as she kept staring into the same direction.

"Maybe."

"If you can, try to contact me."

"Why?"

"So then I have access to your brain."

"What?!"

"Look. I don't know of anything that can help. You sound like you do, so the only way for me to know is to see it." She glanced at me, her eyes full of fear.

Something isn't right...She seemed edgy when I talked to Vai...He did say something about it have been the Creppler...How would he know...maybe he was talking about the forest... Creppler...I haven't...heard nor seen anything...if it's that dangerous...than why can't I detect it...maybe...I'm just being paranoid...Why can't Toshi change into another Creppler... something doesn't seem right...

"No." I said with conviction.

"What?"

"I said no."

"But the Creppler..."

"No."

"'No'? Do you know what you're saying? If you don't, than I can't change into anything that would save us, and it will come and eat us! Unless you can run."

"I said no. Let it come."

"But you..."

"Are you listening? I said 'NO'" She stared at me, then laughed. Her head fell back and she laughed. She stopped and looked back at me, her eyes gleaming a dark sinister look.

"Wrong answer, human." The blade was at my throat.

Authors Ending Note: Uh oh, now what will Chihiro do? And is Toshi really evil, or is she just acting out of desperation of fear?