Chapter 3
VI
"Okay people, show's over!" Rin growled out as she physically shoved the employees through the door, slamming it shut behind her.
Minareru released the woman gently before turning to look Haku up and down, a scowl on his face.
"Her intended? So you're the dragon Kohaku. I must say I'm a little unimpressed," he smirked, sending Chihiro an amused glance.
Oh lords above, he's going to be the death of me, she thought, hand against her face as she gave him an unamused look. The cat smiled down at her innocently.
"Coming from a glory-seeking cat, you're opinion doesn't exactly mean much to me," Haku spat, giving the male a withering glare.
"What do you think you're supposed to do for her Haku- I can call you Haku, right? I've heard so much about you- you're body isn't exactly in the right age-group for her, ya know?" Minareru gave the dragon a taunting grin.
Chihiro remained silent, though she winced when Haku looked at her in realization. She hadn't wanted to be the one to point it out to him.
"You've grown. Fast I mean...You're an adult already," he said, as though just realizing it.
"Hai. It's been seventeen years Haku. Humans grow fast. I'm already twenty-seven," she admitted quietly, eyes falling to the floor as she shuffled uncomfortably.
"You won't be aging anymore," Minareru pointed out, nudging her gently.
"What do you mean?" Chihiro asked, frowning in confusion.
"Well...for one, you're dead," the cat pointed out softly.
"For another, you're spirit...Chihiro, you're spirit is that of a dragon's," Haku said brightly, smiling in a pleased manner, though he kept giving Minareru annoyed looks.
"Yes 'Ru, I've heard that I'm dead, quiet enough now, thank you. And what do you mean, dragon. I am...was...human," the woman looked at Haku, frowning slightly.
"When someone dies, their spirit takes on their...well...true form, I suppose you could say, though some gain multiple forms. I guess you're spirit was that of a dragon, because I can smell it all over you. Rin is a weasel spirit, for example, while Yubaba and Zeniba are crows," Haku explained as he began moving about the room, cleaning the mess that had been made in the commotion and fixing the door that had been forced into the doorway in Rin's haste.
"So...they were all humans at one point?" Chihiro asked Minareru, since the other male appeared to be busy.
"Most people have been a bit of everything before they revert to their spirit form. Think of it as a kind of reincarnation cycle, and when you've worked out all of your bad karma, you can spend the afterlife as you want to...as the spirit you are. If you incur more bad karma as a spirit, then when you are 'killed' in this plain, you are cycled back into the reincarnation circle," the cat explained as he sat in a nearby chair, watching intently as she absorbed the information.
"I...I see," Chihiro whispered, frowning down at her hands.
"I'd wager that you're a warm blooded dragon, not a cold blood like the bishonen dragon over there," Minareru jabbed his thumb towards Haku, giving her a grin.
"I will age myself appropriately, thank you," the green eyed boy glowered at the cat.
"Un, and how long will that take?" the Bakeneko shot back, sneering.
"...I'm not sure. Not longer than a week, if I really push it," Haku said thoughtfully, rubbing his chin.
"Well, in that time, I suppose Chihiro will just have to be happy with me warming her bed," Minareru purred, giving the boy a wicked smile when Haku snarled at him in response.
"You will do no such thing you mange-ridden fleabag!" the dragon growled out, putting himself between the cat and his chosen future-mate.
"Haku..." Chihiro murmured, biting her lip.
"Ah-Ah-Ah, don't be selfish now boy. You left her alone for seventeen years. You didn't honestly expect her to just sit back and wallow in loneliness, now did you? I've kept her from depression for twelve years, and I won't let her fall back into it because her dragon is too damned young to lavish her with attention!" Minareru sneered down at the 'younger' male, who blinked, scowling.
"This is true?" he snapped at Chihiro, who quickly angered.
"Yes. I gave in and allowed myself happiness when I realized you weren't coming. I put my life on hold for you, and I had to die to get your attention finally? What the hell Haku?" she growled out body shivering, and both males looked at her warily.
"I...that is...I...I've no excuse..." the boy admitted quietly, eyes falling to the ground.
"Wrong answer," Minareru yelped as he dove to the side, narrowly avoiding the ball of fire that shot at the water dragon.
Where Chihiro had once stood, a long, tan-furred dragon stood in her place, dark brown mane shaking from side to side as she got her bearings before she opened her long muzzle to breath another ball of fire at Haku, who dodged it once more. Large, furry paws struck the floor as she charged the boy, though she did yelp and dart to the side when he transformed into his own dragon form. Minareru wasn't surprised to see that she was actually larger than the white dragon that darted around her, considering that her body was older than his, though he was surprised to see that once chocolate brown eyes were a blood red.
"Chihiro, rein in you're temper or your magic will take control!" he called to the female dragon, who shot him an annoyed glance, before diving out the window after the slippery river dragon.
"She was bad enough as a human with access to my magic," he grumbled as he transformed into his nekomatta form and jumped from the window in pursuit of the dragons.