Spirited Again #11

Hi! Hope everyone is enjoying this so far! The responses to reviews will be at the end of this chapter. I WANT TO SEND A GENRAL THAN-YOU TO EVERYONE RIGHT NOW!!!!!!!! You guys are all AMAZING.

Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated.

Disclaimer: *sigh* do not own any characters in this story save: Nile, Atlantic, Pacific, Kimiko, Umiko, and the mysterious character.

By the way, when this story ends, there WILL be a sequel. I'll tell you about it in another chapter.

If the characters don't quite match up with the movie, you've got to remember they've aged and changed.

And now, without further ado, my story.

Spirited Again #11

Once her mistress had left her, Nile sat on the mat. Unbeknownst to anyone save herself, she began to cry. For the parents she once had, might have had...

Chihiro stood at the corner, looking up and down the hallway for Haku. She was worried, angry, and felt rather helpless. She looked down at her soft, callused hands. Had it only been her imagination, then, that had caused her to think she had had...no, it wasn't possible. It was just a figment of her imagination. She bit her lip. ~Or was it?~

She groaned as she touched a huge bruise on her side. ~Stupid step.~ she mentally grumbled. She had gotten a lot clumsier lately, which was odd. She was usually nothing like this. She had been a very observant child, and had grown up with sharp attuned senses. She half-smiled and flushed when she remembered the reason why she had become this. After her first adventure here, she had hunted wildly for a portal, any portal, here. It wasn't if she REMEMBERED anything, but it was like...something...she didn't know how to explain it. She remembered the taunts of her peers. "Dreamer, baby, faerie hunter!!!"

Chihiro clenched her fists, remembering how alone she was before Satsuki and Mei had approached her, asking for her friendship. ~Now one is causing no end of stress to one of our full time mistresses,~ a fleeting grin crossed Chihiro's face as she remembered the loud voices coming from a bath. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN GET DOWN AND DIRTY?!?!?!" "I MEAN GET TO WORK, MEI. JEEZ! CRABBY!!!!!" "LOOK WHO'S TALKING, FIRE CRACKER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

And Satsuki was trapped, fighting the shadow bonds that threatened to claim her...

And Kimiko...

A sudden vision came to Chihiro, suddenly and violently. A dishevelled twelve year old girl, silk kimono torn, her features unreadable because of the shadows falling across her face, ran barefoot through the forest. "Masako? Masako, WHERE ARE YOU!!!???!!!"

Suddenly a hand rested upon Chihiro's shoulder. She screamed in panic, and pulled away instinctively, trying to pry her mind from the daydream.

Haku stood there, his hand still outstretched, blinking, awestruck. (AN: HAHAHA! **blink** **blink blink**)

He looked so hilarious that Chihiro would have bust out laughing if the future matter wasn't so serious.

"You ready?" she said quietly.

A flash of pain shadowed his eyes, but he nodded, as if not trusting himself to speak. In horror, Chihiro noted the scratch marks on his face. ~One thing at a time~ she thought fiercely. She stumbled for words that she could use to improve the situation, but couldn't find any, only questions that would make it worse. She kept quiet, hearing her mother's voice in her head. "If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all."

Chihiro bit her lip. She had never considered how her parents were dealing with her disappearance. Would she ever see them again?

Chihiro turned the doorknob slowly, and entered, lifting her knee horizontal to her stomach to make sure she didn't trip.

"Nile? Nile, are you here?"

The girl emerged from the shadows of her darkened room. Curtains shut out the light of the day, and the lamps weren't lit. The girl looked as if she was dwelling on something. Her hair was lank and loose around her shoulders, and tears streaked her face.

"Miss. Sen?"

Chihiro suffered a moment's doubt, but as she and Haku caught sight of each other, her face transformed.

"YOU!!!!!!"

Haku's eyes narrowed, and rage twisted his face. "Nile."

"Haku."

Haku called up the safe dregs of his power to form dragon claws and teeth on his person.

Nile closed her eyes and reminded herself of an animal that felt...familiar...to her. She willed herself to take on her true form. Her skin rippled and turned a scaled green. Though she sill remained human shape, her eyes took on a yellow hue, and two sharp fangs grew, coming on the outside of her lip. The lips themselves turned green, and suddenly, heavy claws sprouted where there had once been fingernails. She smiled, without a trace of humour, at Haku.

"Never trust a crocodile's smile."

Haku brought up his claws, growling, waiting for Nile to make the first move. Nile suddenly turned serious, and launched herself at Haku. Haku blocked her swiftly, and said, his voice cold and emotionless. "Why?" Nile, tears streaming down her cheeks, slashed at her kin, one of her claws scored on Haku's chest, ripping a hole through cloth and skin. Haku let out a howl of pain, but wouldn't kill her when she left herself open. No matter what she had done, she was still kin. Family didn't, in his opinion, kill amongst themselves.

Nile, too, believed this, but she was seeing red, and had no control over her actions. "WHY DID YOU KILL THEM!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!" she screeched as she continued to fight.

Haku dropped his hands in confusion. "I didn't, you..."

But in his shock, he had left an opening.

Nile, seeing her chance, slashed at him, missing the throat in her rage, but digging her claws deep into his shoulder.

Three things happened at the same time.

Haku's eyes widened in pain, but it hurt so badly he couldn't make a sound..

Chihiro screamed "Haku!!!" and suddenly doubled over as pain struck her. She clutched her shoulder.

And the wind blew, carrying the scent of jasmine, and the whispers of laughter.

Nile staggered back, blood on the heavy claws. "What?" she whispered, her voice hoarse. "You, I... You killed them didn't...

Haku was equally confused and saddened by grief and throbbing with pain, blood spilling over his now-human hand. "I...I never would have killed them..They...were like..." he gasped through his pain. "...family..." He tried to take a step forward, but collapsed on his knees. Chihiro ran over and knelt beside him. "Haku!!!"

Haku looked up, pain in his eyes. "I promise you Nile-chan, (chan means sweetie, used between close family, or friends (as girl to girl, or boy to girl)) I would NEVER have killed them."

Nile looked around. "Then who...did?" a tear slipping down her cheek.

"Me."

A voice, soft and beautiful, like a gently rolling wave, washed over them. They all turned to look.

A woman wearing a flame red kimono with a black cloak, large hood pulled over to hide her face, entered the room from the shadows.

"Ki...Kimiko."

The woman nodded her ascent, and took a step forward. Chihiro backed away, while Haku and Nile stood, ready to guard themselves.

There was a soft, low, melodious laugh. "Nonsense. I needn't fight all three. Why, I only came for one. Why stand against me? Why lose all three while you only lose one if you fight not at all?" Her voice was hypnotic. Suddenly the two in fighting stance let their guard drop, as their spirits sunk under restful waves.

She woman let out a half smile. "Yes, I only need one." Her claws moved up from under the large sleeve. The hood turned, till it was facing in Chihiro's direction.

"You."

She launched herself at her, raised her venomous claws and struck pearly scaled flesh.

A large, white, bleeding dragon, with bright green eyes, stood in front of Chihiro, guarding her. The claws slashed his cheek but he didn't flinch. Chihiro whispered. "Haku..."

Kimiko's features showed disbelief, and, could it be, a hint of sadness in her voice? Chihiro shook her head to clear it. "Why did you switch form?" the spirit asked, softly. "You know what it might cost you."

...Nile was drifting, hanging in fog; waves of peaceful sleep layered her...

Kimiko readied herself to try again.

"Sen! THERE you are! I haven't been able to find you anyw.." Mei trailed off as she caught sent of Kimiko. The former and the latter both stood in a trance, unable to move, eyes locked on each other's. Then they began to speak, their voices sounding like they were coming from ions away.

"I'm looking for a sister."

"As am I."

"Have you seen her?"

"I know not. What is her name?"

"Her name carries the same meaning as mine, but is different."

"A riddle."

"Indeed."

"I will solve the riddle, then look for your sister. Have you yet to have seen mine?"

"I cannot know if you tell me not her features."

"She has stubborn, long, raven black hair, and milk brown eyes."

"If I see someone with that description, what should I call them?"

"Masako."

Chihiro's head jolted up recognising the name. None of the other three people (well to be technical, it's one person, one dragon, and one human- crocodile...thingy) had moved since the odd exchange began. Her movement broke the trance. Mei looked utterly confused, whereas Kimiko looked...frightened? She swept out of the room.

The dragon that was Haku let out a shudder and turned. He wobbled, trying to stand, but collapsed. He looked extremely tired and sick, and the skin was red where Kimiko had scratched him. Nile and Chihiro exchanged worried glances, and nodding at each other, both put one of Haku's arms over their shoulders, and hoisted him up. "C'mon Haku. You have a LOT of explaining to do." Said Nile. Chihiro realized she didn't know about the venom, and it might be better that way. She turned her head so she would not see the worry in her eyes.

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Alright! FINALLY! What everyone has been waiting for! *drumroll* The responses to reviews!

Silent H: Glad you liked it!

RidingGirl: Why won't you UPDATE!!!!! Other than that, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS!!!!! You must have given me your cold. *Sniffle*

Porifra: WOW!! Amazing suggestion!!!! Did it turn out well?

Cooperheffer (you keep switching your names): You like it then? Glad you do. What does ugh, mean. Is it a good ug or a bad ugh?

rikasakuraduo-heerosyliaspike: I like putting a bit of humour into all of ma stories. Glad you thought it funny!

Tsume Yamagata: We have no idea what the proper way is because the proper way is in JAPANESE!!!!! Oh, the review I sent wasn't meant as a flame, sorry if you took it like that.

TBPeppy: You STILL are on writer's block? Use the dog whistle like I said. THAT would be FUNNY. Hope you catch up soon.

Arivana: Hmm, I've never heard of the second one, but I'll check it out anyway. It sounds interesting. I'm REALLY GLAD you enjoy my story.

Aharah Musici: LOL!!!!!! Sorry your review, no offence intended, made me laugh. Chihiro is under a lot of stress, that's it.

Kintora: It's the NICE Kikyo side that ends up in the realms of the dead. R else she would be completely ignoring Nausciaa. Hmm, Kiki...it's a possibility. I'll think about it.

Sango-Inu-Yasha-lover: Next time we meet, mon ami, I have a MAJOR bone to pick with you! What do you mean the chapters are still short?!?! YOU write maybe a page at most! I write NINE!!!!!!!!! And Chihiro's not like me. Oh, I styled Masako after you, by the way.

Ugly Chibbi: I'm not ending it for a while yet. And when I do there will be a sequel I'll tell you guys and gals about soon.

Miche: HEY!!!!!!!! Anyway, did you like it? Was it good?

G2skate4life: Hey, I know you don't understand it immensely well because you've never seen either of the movies, but you still like it, and that's a good thing right?

WHEW!!!!! That gets THOSE off my conscience. Oh, the sequel will be written after this is done and it will be called. 'Return of the Spirit' The main characters' name's I have yet to figure out. HELP NEEDED!! I need a Japanese name for Haku/Chihiro's daughter and a male name for a flame elemental spirit. THANKS!!!

THANK YOU FOR THE REVIEWS!!!!!!

~Jose~