Hello everyone~! Sorry for the late upload! I kept writing and re-writing this chapter only because, for whatever reason, the words just weren't flowing properly when I reread it. Anyways, thank you all for your kind reviews and unending support, it's really been incredible! I also wanted to mention that if any of you want to add me on facebook, my name is Emma Rose Taub. Please feel free to message me on there and let me know what you think of the story, because I guarantee I check that more often than I do this!

You know the drill. Here comes the part where I beg you for reviews! XD I really, really do love them. I guarantee I read every single one of them and take the words you say into great consideration, so if you do have any suggestions or comments on the story and how it's going, please do let me know! Also, please favorite and follow if you enjoy the story!

Also, at the end of this chapter I have a brief explanation of Haku and Jiro's relationship. As you know, they're cousins (but growing up they were more like brothers), but I went into a bit more explanation at the bottom. Well, I think that's about all I have to let you know... so without further ado, here's Chapter 21, A Long Awaited Reunion! (Yeah I know it's a lame chapter title, I'm awful at those) Bye for now!

I'm sorry, Chihiro, but you're no longer mortal.

The words played on a constant loop in her head, and with each repetition she became more and more confused. The minute the words had escaped Jiro's lips, he grabbed her hand and hurriedly led her out of the room at a brisk pace. Chihiro couldn't begin to ask any of the more important questions in her mind, so she settled for the easiest thing she could think of.

"W-where are we going?"

Jiro looked at her almost sympathetically. Even he knew what utter turmoil she must be experiencing. "My office," He responded. "Don't worry. We're going to get this sorted."

Chihiro felt that she could trust Jiro, and was comforted slightly by his words. But, even so, there was a lot on her mind.

I'm going to live forever? How did this happen?

Searching her mind for possibilities, she found none. But, there was one pestering thought that refused to be ignored. Although she tried as much as she could to avoid such a childish topic, she couldn't help but think of the one reason why she was certain she and Haku could never be together... her mortality. With that very issue wiped away... could they maybe...

No! I can't. We can't. I'm a human. Surely, this is all just some big mistake, right?

Shaking her head clean of any ideas concerning the topic, she focused on following Jiro down the long halls of the Nigahayami household. It felt just like a castle from her story books growing up. All of the halls were decorated ornately with marble flooring that must have cost a fortune, centuries-old stone walls and high ceilings with intricate glass chandeliers. Not to mention the giant glass windows that went from the floor to the ceiling and overlooked a giant lake surrounded by a small forest.

They passed dozens of of rooms along the way, intriguing Chihiro's curious personality. She made a mental note to return here later. They also passed different workers of the household, including the servant who had brought Chihiro's tea to her when she woke up. Every worker stopped what they were doing and bowed deeply when Jiro passed, and then returned to their work.

Making several turns down different corridors, Jiro stopped in front of a massive pair of double doors, which must have been his office. As they approached, the doors opened themselves as if welcoming their master.

Jiro immediately made a beeline to the massive bookshelves that lined every wall of the some-50-foot-high room, searching for any book that might offer an answer to their dilemma.

Chihiro took several steps inside and was awestruck by her surroundings. This was obviously no ordinary office. The room itself was about 5 times the size of the bedroom she was in beforehand, and contained everything from a sitting nook by the wall-wide window, to a bed in the corner of the room. She guessed that this room also functioned as his personal quarters. She turned a full 360 degrees, getting a full view, and stopped when she finally caught sight of what lie above her head.

The ceiling was covered by a mural that depicted a starry sky on a clear, cloudless evening. Hues of blue and purple swirled to create a glorious interpretation of the natural scene. Where there would have been stars, there were instead different colored mosaic glass pieces of all shapes and sizes, and with every step she took, another one would shine in a different colored light. It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever seen.

And then there was the moon. It was a gigantic circle, a little larger than a basketball, filled with brilliant topaz and diamond gems. She found a chair near Jiro's desk and sat down, never taking her eyes from the picture above.

Jiro allowed himself to look up from the book in his hand, and he couldn't help but gaze at the girl. The awestruck expression in her eyes depicting curiosity and wonderment made him smile warmly.

"I love it too," He remarked with a light laugh, causing Chihiro to snap her head in his direction. She had almost forgotten he was there. "I find it very difficult to sleep, so I had this put up long ago to give me something to think about." He walked to where she sat, staring at the moon. "I would follow the paths of the stars and eventually fall asleep before I reached the moon," He finished.

They stood there a moment longer, soaking up the picture in front of them before Chihiro asked the question pressing in her mind.

"Jiro, have you found anything about my aura yet?"

Jiro nodded and walked to his desk while speaking, picking up his book as he went. "Come and see. I just found this section on Toitsu's-" He stopped at seeing her confused expression.

"The necklace around your neck, Chihiro..." He added softly. "Did Haku really not tell you what it was?" Chihiro shook her head, and Jiro gave a long sigh.

"That damned cousin. Well. Have a seat, there's some explaining I must do before we continue," He gestured to the seat in front of his desk. She sat so that he was directly facing her.

"Haku gave you that necklace, and probably said something along the lines of, 'With this, I'll be able to make sure you're safe', right?" Chihiro nodded. "Well, that wasn't entirely wrong, but the premise of Toitsu's are much stronger than that. Toitsu's are an ancient tradition started centuries ago, as a way for stronger spirits to protect lesser spirits. It was the equivalent of promising one's resources, time and energy into the wellbeing of the other spirit," He paused before continuing. "Forever."

Something clicked inside Chihiro's head as he said that final word. Forever.

"Since toitsu's are always exchanged between spirits, the eternal connotation has never been an issue since we're immortal anyway. He must have been unaware that it would cause this effect." She subconsciously reached for the necklace at her neck, wrapping her fingers firmly around the stone. Jiro stared into her eyes with a sad nod.

Chihiro began to panic. "C-can't I just take it off?!" He shook his head sadly.

"I'm so sorry, Chihiro."

She sat there for a moment, realizing the exact meaning of the rock around her neck. Forever. Now, this unattainable dream that she had wanted ever since she left the Spirit World was her reality, yet there was an unspeakable sadness that came over her when she thought about it now.

She knew in coming to the Spirit World that she would most likely never see her family or friends ever again in this life, and maybe she hadn't thought about it at the time, but she held tightly to the belief that when she had died, they would all be together someday. She had always believed this, but now... it seemed that even that could never be.

"...Chihiro?" Jiro called her name softly. She looked at him with eyes brimming with tears. He felt his heart constrict just looking at her. Such pain. Such loneliness. It was a reality that all spirits were faced with, but it was something else entirely for a human.

He sympathised with her deeply. Standing up, he walked to her chair and helped her up before giving her a hug. She felt so small in his arms; so frail. He felt her chest began to heave as a few light sobs came over her. "Everything's going to be ok..." He whispered to her as she cried. "I promise."

Chihiro wiped the remaining tears from her eyes and sat down in her chair, Jiro in his. Neither of them knew what could be said that would be appropriate for the situation, so they sat there in silence until Jiro began to grumble.

"Damn that Haku. Look what a mess he's caused! Just wait until I get my hands on him..." Chihiro's eyes widened in panic as she cut Jiro off.

"PLEASE, don't tell Haku about this. Like you said, he surely must not have known about it at the time... I just know that if he found out he would never forgive himself." She looked at her hands in her lap. "Don't tell him unless we know there's nothing that can be done."

Jiro nodded knowingly. This was a lot for her to process, and if not telling Haku would somehow help her with coping, he wouldn't say a word. He sighed before continuing. "Well, onto lighter matters. Along with this new, erm..." He paused, "development, you've been given certain powers. In the time that you're staying here, I feel that it's important that we learn just what type of powers they are, and teach you how to use them."

Another thought popped into Chihiro's mind. "I'm staying here? For how long? Also, what happened at the bathhouse?"

Jiro slapped himself in the forehead. "I KNEW I had forgotten to tell you something!"

Jiro proceeded to fill Chihiro in on Haku's summons, his request to take her away from the bathhouse in case an attack were to take place, and how she had been poisoned. She sat there, without questions, soaking in all of this new information.

Rin, Kamaji and Yasu stood in a half circle around Haku in complete awe of what had just transpired. Just as Kamaji sat down to get to work on saving Haku's life, his wound started glowing with a white light, and when it had died down, all signs of poisoning and injury had left him. He had just undergone weeks of healing and recovery in under a minute. The spider spirit had never seen anything quite like it before.

The unconscious dragon spirit's eyes flashed open as if seeing a ghost, and he gave a loud shout as if attempting to call back a vision he had seen. "Chihiro!" He tried to stand back on his feet, but Kamaji quickly pushed him back down to his lying down position. "Lay down! We don't know whether there are still injuries we need to tend to!"

Haku fought out of the spider spirit's grasp. "I'm FINE! I need to see Chihiro, NOW." And with that, he ran out of the doors of the ballroom; Rin and Yasu following suit. "What in the hell do you think you're doing, dragon? You were dying 2 minutes ago!"

"I don't know, myself... I'll explain on the way to the bridge. I need to go to Piscanem, immediately."

Chihiro had been filled in on all that had been transpired in the past few days. She felt like something was off the second she had been gifted her toitsu... and now everything suddenly made sense. Every nuance in Haku's speech, every pause, every extra second he spent watching over her, she finally understood. He was protecting her, even when she didn't know it. But hadn't it always been that way? Even when she was there as a young girl, he always had been the one to watch out for her.

What did I ever do to deserve him? More importantly... how can I ever repay him?

Recalling how Jiro had said that her necklace connected directly to Haku's, she reached up and grabbed her pendant. She knew it wouldn't be much, but she felt it necessary. Focusing all of her energy into her words, she tried her best to make a connection to Haku.

"Haku. I don't know if you can hear me. I'm not even sure if I'm doing this right... she trailed off in her mind. But I'm here at the Nigahayami estate with Jiro and Yukino. Everything's fine, the poison has already left my body... Anyway. I just wanted to say thank you. For everything." She focused all of her positive emotions and energy into the rock in her hands.

"It's kinda funny, thinking about it now. It's always been this way, hasn't it? I'm always the damsel in distress, with you've always been the one saving me. I really don't understand why you'd choose me of all people to watch over... but I'm thankful for it."

She paused a moment before allowing her mind to wander slightly.

"It's so much easier to talk to you this way. I normally get so nervous around you, but somehow, this toitsu has pretty much solved that issue."

Crap. She hadn't meant to think about that, but got so carried away in her own mind that she ended up saying something she never thought she could say to his face. Pausing a moment, she continued.

"Anyways, knowing you, you're probably on your way over and should be here in a couple days. Please stay safe. Talk to you soon."

She opened her eyes, realizing that Jiro was no longer speaking. He was instead staring at the rock in her hands, which had now begun to glow with a green light. Startled, she let go of the necklace, the light fading.

"It seems like you've already gotten a hang of the toitsu," Jiro said with a smile. "Speaking of which. We still don't know what your powers are. So, I thought it'd be best if we appointed an instructor to help you."

Chihiro searched her mind, pondering who this instructor might be. She didn't know many people in the Spirit World, so this person would probably be someone she hadn't met before.

"I've just written a letter requesting that they come here immediately, seeing as how urgent this is," He explained, gesturing to the paper in front of him. "Your new instructor should be here by tomorrow morning."

Having finished their conversation, they both stood, Jiro making his way to the door. "Please, feel free to explore the estate; it's quite extensive and you shouldn't find yourself bored. And also, if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Chihiro nodded, glancing one more time that the mosaic mural on the ceiling. The moon shone brilliantly. Before closing the door fully, she turned back, saying, "Thank you so much, Jiro. I'm sorry for imposing on you like this."

His face took on a shocked expression. "Not at all! You're not imposing in the slightest..." he paused, glancing at the floor briefly before continuing. "In fact, I'm glad you're here."

Nodding her thanks, she turned and left the office and began to meander around the mansion she would now temporarily be residing in. Chihiro made notes of the more memorable rooms, paying close attention to the occasional locked door she came across. Sometimes, she would come across workers of the Nigahayami estate, who all greeted her with immense respect. They seemed taken off guard when she would strike up a conversation with them, as if they were unfamiliar with receiving such kindness from guests to the estate.

Chihiro would continue to make her way around the mansion before finding her way back to her guest room, fatigue coming over her. As she stepped in, she paid attention to the new items on her freshly-made bed.

Lying there was a tray of tea and rice cakes. Next to them, a note written in cursive, saying:

'There are soaps, lotions and towels in the bathroom. Also, additional clothing has been added to your armoire. I know you've had a rough day. Sadly, I can't promise that tomorrow will be any better, seeing as then will be your first lesson, but you should try to sleep nonetheless. Please, do let me know if you need anything else at any time. You know where to find me.'

At the bottom of the note, written neatly, was Jiro's signature. She would have been touched, had a wave of drowsiness not come over her at that exact moment. Chihiro debated whether showering now or the next day would be best, but an unavoidable yawn answered her question for her.

Knowing it would be better if she ate something before going to sleep, she had a portion of the meal before her before nodding off into a much needed sleep, rice cake still in hand.

Jiro couldn't help but worry about the girl. He had been lying in his bed for what seemed like hours, trying to get sleep, but to no avail. He had tried using his mural trick, but every time he tried, all he could see was Chihiro's look of wonderment as she gazed at that same mural, which now refused to work. Why had this girl affected him so?

All his life, the only women he had ever come into contact with were always the strong, commanding type of the highest caliber and social rank. Never had he become acquainted with someone so blindly innocent and naive, yet even so, he could tell that she had within her an immense amount of strength, endurance, and courage. In fact, if the stories about her were true, about how she had saved her parents AND his cousin, then she was definitely a force to be reckoned with.

Why, then, were his nerves so unrelenting? Sure, she had a room full of anything she'd ever need, and there were servants o'plenty in the Nigahayami household. It weren't as if she were in any immediate danger. But, even so, he couldn't help but worry on account that she was just a girl.

Just a girl.

That's all she was, wasn't she? A silly, human girl?

No, something about her was definitely special... The way his cousin doted on her was proof enough of that. But what was that one trait about her that made her so different from the rest?

As the head of his clan (who just so happened to be attractive and wealthy), Jiro had of course been approached by dozens of the finest women the Spirit World had to offer. They had all done everything properly; the batting of the eyelashes, every hair in place, smiles wide and inviting. Even now, Jiro couldn't help but compare Chihiro to them. Their differences were innumerable.

Yes, she was quite pretty. She was polite, and very courteous. But, she didn't have the practiced heirs of a lady in waiting... No, she was real. That is what distinguished her from the others. She was unrehearsed, and she was raw. Untainted by the cruel and manipulative ways of the world. All of her natural graces were just that; natural.

But look who's talking, he thought in self loathing.

It was no secret. Jiro Nigahayami, however much he hated the fakeness and insincerity of others, was pulling one of the biggest façades of them all. The ways of high rank had taught him that in order to be on top of things, he must appeal to the masses.

At a young age, he was learned in the arts of dancing, proper discussion topics, and the highly demanding skill of working a crowd. For every joke directed his way, there must be a lighthearted laugh that follows. For every compliment you receive, one of greater value must be returned. When a man asks you for a fish, you buy him an ocean, because you'll never know when you'll need something of his.

Jiro was also perfectly aware of his position, and how easily he could manipulate others to do his bidding. He was quite brilliant, in fact, in the art of manipulation... much to his ashamedness.

Over the years, he had projected his flamboyant mask for so long that he had almost forgotten who he truly was.

Almost.

And who was he, truly? As much as he hated to admit it, he despised the ways of elevated society. He found most lords and ladies truly unbearable with their droll talk of politics and gossip. The smile he had permanently plastered on his face gave no clue as to the true indifference he had buried deep inside, because in this world, indifference was cancerous to good business.

Oh, to be able to lay out in the sun somewhere, alone, and escape it all. He would give any sum of money to be given just one day to be real, uninfluenced by the sick world around him.

To be like her.

Yes... that was it. That's why he felt that immediate connection. She was what he would have been, had he not been required to be someone else. This was the cause of his nerves... those stupid, unrelenting nerves!

Sitting upright in his bed, his eyes flew open with a new plan in his mind. He'd go down to her room, just to make sure she was ok. He didn't expect to find anything out of the ordinary, of course... this was purely to calm himself down.

Shutting his door with a slightly disgruntled slam, he set out through the long corridors, receiving strange glances from the servants who weren't used to seeing their master so late in the evening. Avoiding eye contact with them all, he stopped when he reached her door.

It was left open just a crack. He pushed it slightly more ajar, revealing the human girl, asleep on the bed, rice cake in hand.

Jiro smiled widely at the sight, relief flooding through his veins. This is what he had been so worried about?

The silly girl had fallen asleep with the tray of tea still at her side. She wasn't even properly on the bed, her legs dangled off the edge of the mattress, her feet touching the floor. Her slumber had obviously been thinking, Jiro reached down and placed her legs back on the bed, pulling the covers up and around her. She gave a sigh of contempt, earning a smile from Jiro.

Waving his hand over her, he cast a spell that assured that only pleasant dreams would come to her that night. She had found out some obviously life changing news, and tomorrow may be just as hectic, with her new magical training instructor.

And just wait until she sees who it is, he thought sneakily to himself. He had never told Chihiro who her new instructor would be, and he took hidden delight at the inevitable surprise that would come tomorrow.

Turning out the light, he got one more look at Chihiro's peacefully slumbering face before leaving her room, paying special attention to not close the door too loudly. Seeing his guest safe and secure was enough to remove all of his worry, and he surprised himself when a yawn escaped his lips. Heading back to his room, Jiro fell asleep almost immediately after his head touched the pillow.

"Wakey, wakey!" A kind but abrasive voice blared. Chihiro rolled over in bed, her back to her new visitor, pressing the pillow to her exposed ear as if to block out the voice of the intruder. The girl gave a disapproving grumble.

"Oh come on, Chihiro!" The owner of the voice gave a wrinkled smile, amused at the girl's protests. "And here I was, thinking you'd be happy to see your granny again…" The older woman remarked. "If that's the case, I'll just take my things and leave…"

At this, Chihiro sat stick straight in her bed, eyes widening at the sight of her dear Zeniba. "Granny!" She shouted in surprise as she ran out of bed, immediately landing in her adoptive granny's embrace. "What are you doing here, granny?"

The older woman separated herself from Chihiro, getting a good look at how much she had grown since the last time they had seen one another. "My, my, look how much you've grown! And didn't Jiro tell you that you'd be receiving a new magic instructor?"

Chihiro's eyes widened in realization, suddenly put the two puzzle pieces together. Zeniba was her new teacher!

As if on cue, Jiro entered the room, a proud expression on his face at his ability to hide such a secret. He added sarcastically, "I take it you two don't need an introduction?"

As he stood beside the two women, Chihiro gave a delighted laugh and playfully slapped Jiro on the shoulder. "How could you not tell me?!" He gave an equally delighted laugh before responding. "I thought, considering all that you went through yesterday, that this would be a pleasant surprise for when you woke up."

Chihiro looked at him, a new appreciation in her eyes. "Thank you so much, Jiro. Truly. This is wonderful!"

Her enthusiastic expression flooded him with warmth, and he smiled in response. Her shining, joyful eyes were a welcomed contrast to their sad glimmer yesterday afternoon.

Zeniba observed their interaction, and only she could pick up on the way Jiro's cheeks reddened slightly at Chihiro's words. Her eyebrow lifted slightly in knowing amusement. Oh, just wait until Haku gets here! "Well then," The jolly new instructor intervened. "Are we going to sit around all day? There's work to be done!

Hello everyone! I certainly could have continued on in this chapter, but it was getting so long and my eyes were starting to close from being so tired. Sorry for the late upload! I hope you enjoy the chapter... I'm trying to develope some personality in our dear little Jiro. Don't worry, Haku will be coming soon!

What do you guys think? Do you like the direction I took in Jiro's personality? He's very similar to Haku in terms of how they think... In my mind, Haku was always perceived as the colder one and Jiro the lighthearted head-of-the-family (When Haku's father died, of course). But, in reality, Jiro was just as like Haku in his disdain for others, only he was forced to set it aside when his new title as head of the clan fell to him. I'll probably explain more in a further chapter or something, but if you have any questions on the Nigahayami family, feel free to ask! I've got it all figured out, it's just hard to explain.

Anyway, ***PLEASE GIVE ME REVIEWS!*** They keep me going, you would not believe just how much I love them! I love criticism too, so feel free to let me know where I can improve. I should be uploading in the next week or two, we'll see. Thank you all again and I'll talk to you soon!