Chapter 2

VI

Chihiro groaned as she placed a hand to her head, pain shooting through it as she did so. A small gasp went through the room and her eyes shot open, squinting at the crowd around her in confusion. Her mouth dropped open at the familiar faces around her, and she quickly looked around for her familiar, panic shooting through her when she couldn't feel him. Anywhere.

How am I back here? What happened? Where is Minareru? The last thing I remember was that girl...and then pain.

"'Ru? Minareru! Where are you!?" she pinched herself harshly, biting her lip as she realised this wasn't a dream.

"Oh dear...lords almighty, what is going on?" she whimpered as Rin came towards her, not aged a day and a concerned look on her face.

"S-Sen? Are you Sen? Haku said you were but...you don't look anything like her..." the spirit woman said brashly, hands on her hips as she stared down at her.

"Lin...a cat spirit...black...have you seen him?" Chihiro asked quietly, biting her lip in worry for her friend, unsure what happened to her let alone her familiar.

"Death showed up with you at the bridge...said Haku probably wanted you back...why do you look so different? And why don't you smell like a human?" Rin asked, frowning in confusion.

"Death? Death? I swear, if she put one hand on Minareru-"

"What is this Bakeneko to you Chihiro?" a smooth voice inquired, tone slightly bitter.

Chihiro turned towards the voice slowly. Oh, that voice. She dreamt of it night after night, but...was all of this real? Could it be? As her eyes fell on the one she had loved since she was a child, she felt her heart clench. This was turning into a nightmare. Before her stood the love she had been pining after for 17 years...unchanged. The sight of the ten year old male before her was enough to render her speechless.

"Chihiro? Are you alright?" he was within an inch of her face in a heartbeat.

"I...you...please, where is Minareru Haku? Was he hurt?" she whispered, hugging her knees to her chest as she began to feel overwhelmed.

"I see. You are merely worried for a friend! Common spirits are not often invited here, however, Rin has already sent a summons for him," Haku smiled brightly, and Chihiro didn't quite have the heart to break it to him right then.

How was she even supposed to break that to him? Hi Haku, I love you, but I'm sleeping with my familiar, also I'm not sure how we'll make this work with you being ten...I'm not a pedo. She shook her head before looking around the room with a smile at her friends.

"I've missed you all," she said quietly, biting her lip gently.

"We've missed you as well. None more than I. I love you Chihiro," Haku declared proudly, making her blink.

"I...I love you too Haku but-"

"I hate to brake up this little about-to-be-a-lovers-quarrel, but shouldn't we address the fact that Sen is...oh, I don't know...dead?" Kamaji spoke up quietly, making both freeze.

"Let's give them some privacy," Rin urged, frowning at the boiler man, who shrugged sheepishly as she began to herd everyone from the room, only to have someone burst in, sending the door flying against the opposite wall entirely.

"Chihiro Onigo, you have to be the most difficult woman to keep track of I have ever had the displeasure of meeting!" Minareru snarled out as he stalked toward her.

"Oh, and you're just a basket of kittens yourself 'Ru!" Chihiro snapped back, scowling until he scooped her into his arms, nearly crushing her to his chest as he hugged her.

"You-you just died! She reached out and-and tapped your forehead and you died!" he growled out, ears laid flat as he gripped her tighter.

"Yes, I think I've gathered that by now 'Ru," she responded gently, rubbing his back as she blushed from all the attention that was once again on her.

"I would kindly request that you step away from my intended."

Chihiro shivered at the venom that dripped from Haku's voice. Well, Minareru had always warned her that dragons were territorial...it was time to see exactly what she had gotten herself into all of those years ago.

VI