Chapter Nineteen – Sidling Manner

-

Dedicated too; RyousRayne, eminem4evr and x-baka-x - For reviewing.

-

-A/n: As I look back I've never actually said what the characters actually wear, I think I might have mentioned Natsu' s somewhere, but still here it is!

Haku, can pretty much wear whatever he wants, but its nothing to gold even though he's top, he can't be bothered, Lol! Greenish hair which lends to his shoulders.

Chihiro, pretty much the same as Haku, she likes to wear the winter clothes Haku gave her, which are purple, her normal clothes are her pink work clothes, even though she doesn't work. Brown hair which is tied up by her purple hair tie, lends to her middle back

Rin, same Pink uni. Hair's the same length as it was in the movie. I don't know why I put Rin in but I did, shut up.

Natsu wears fully black dress which just lends above her knees. Greenish hair almost like Haku's just very long, it goes to her waist.

Hope this did something, ANYWAYS, on with this story!!-

-

-

Last time I didn't know how long Haku would be I didn't know how long she'd be, so against all odds she could come first. I just hope he gets here first. I went inside the house closing the door half way then running all the way across the house, believe me this house isn't small. Turning into another hall I skidded to a halt seeing someone.

That someone was Haku.

-

-

Haku stared at her as she skidded to a halt, she stared at him she then blinked and then shivered

'…Natsu?'

She blinked in amazement

'Kami!! You remember!!'

'Ano…'

'Oh, right, ano… This way, quickly I don't know how long it is before she'll come back…'

'She?' Haku asked before Natsu turned around

'Mother.'

'Oh.'

'Yes, oh!' Natsu said then she started to run every now and then she checked whether Haku was keeping up with all the left turns and the right turns, she feared he would wind up lost. She soon came to the hall way where she skidded to a halt to fast again and her hair came over her shoulders again. She was growling at it when Haku came beside her

'She's in there.' Natsu said while flicking her hair 'Last time I checked she was asleep but for all I know mother…' Natsu cut herself off and opened the door. She and Haku walked in and Chihiro was still asleep. Natsu lent on the door while Haku whispered

'I thought I'd lost her.'

'Hmm. Better take care of her then, huh, Nii-san?' Natsu said she saw a smile creep onto his face but it was gone a second later. He walked over to the bed shook her gently

'Chihiro?'

Ohh, so that's her name? Finally someone tells me! No more of this Little Miss crap, but, I'll properly keep saying it, I just stop thinking now. Natsu thought. Natsu heard a groan but she wasn't the only one who heard it

'Chihiro?' he said again

'Uh…?'

Natsu felt like laughing but kept her insanity. She saw Chihiro's eyes flicker open and look at Haku as if she was dreaming she then screamed and hugged him

'Okay.' Natsu said and hid her eyes but her hand didn't hide her smile

'Natsu.'

'Hmm?' She said uncovering her eyes

'Arigatou.' Chihiro said

'Me-e-e-e-h…' Natsu said weakly

Haku smiled at her and Natsu poked out her tongue at him and Chihiro got out of the bed

'Okay we better go before mo- she comes back.'

They both nodded.

-

-

-

'Well, well, what have we got here?' A cold voice came from the left of them. The all froze

'Natsu… tut, tut. Here's someone I haven't seen in awhile. And of course, you girl, all at once.'

Chihiro didn't have a clue into what went on but heard a piercing scream-

'NII-SAAAN!'

Her mind came back to the present still didn't have a clue into what was going on but anger flared in her arm when she lifted it at the Mistress of the Skies and white magic came out of it

'But late for that now isn't it?' Her voice said as she faded Chihiro's breath came in short shaking breaths and she turned her head to see Natsu and Haku she went over to them, Haku was unconscious and Natsu weeping out

'All… my… fault…'

'No it's not Natsu.'

'It is to!'

'Okay, it is, but you wanna help him?'

Natsu nodded her head slowly

'Well we gotta get him to the bathhouse.'

'The, what… house…?'

'Never mind, we gotta go, ano… which way is the gate?'

'Gate?'

'The gate between the Human world and the Spirit World,'

'Oh! That gate, its north from here.'

'How far north?'

'Ano... It'll take a day or two to get there on foot…'

'What else can we use besides feet?' Chihiro said sarcastically. Natsu smiled then turned into a Dragon

'Whoa.'

She looked identical to Haku only smaller and didn't have horns. Chihiro got on with Haku and they took off for the direction of the Bathhouse.

-

-

Within a hour they were their. Natsu who didn't know what to did went to the ground waited for Chihiro and Haku to get off before transforming back and asking

'What now?'

'We go inside.'

'INSIDE?'

Chihiro nodded, and Natsu blinked

'You gotta be kidding me.'

'Iiya.'

'Hmm. Then what?'

'Kamajii will hopefully know what to do.'

'Hopefully?'

'Yeah…'

'Okay, sure! Where's this Kamajii guy?'

'Follow me.'

They entered the boiler room while Natsu lent her brother against the wall. Chihiro went over to Kamajii ignoring the Soot Balls

'Kamajii?'

'Sen! … Where's Haku?'

'Sen?' Natsu asked quietly. I thought her name was Chihiro? Natsu now was confused.

'He was kind of attacked can you help?'

'I think I will be able to, where is he?'

'Natsu, come out.'

Natsu came out from the shadows and Kamajii silently cursed under his breath. And Natsu smiled secretively. Chihiro pulled out a mat then gestured to it

'Put him here.'

Natsu nodded then looked at the Soot Balls and her face fell in horror

'Uh-h…'

'They won't hurt you.'

'They won't? You sure now?'

Chihiro nodded, Kamajii sat there completely transfixed on Natsu

Natsu crossed the Soot Balls while trying to not squish them

'Uh-h what-' Chihiro said and was cut of by Natsu grinning she then held out her hand towards Haku (who was on the other side of the Soot Balls) then he vanished then was on the mat. Natsu giggled into her right hand

'Okay!'

Natsu now wasn't sure of what to do.

'Uh… ano… L- Argg!'

'What's wrong?'

'I was gonna call you little Miss again.' Natsu said then shrugged and Chihiro grinned

'Why were you calling me that anyway?'

'A-no… ano…' Nast held her right hand to her mouth

'Okay… You don't have to tell me if you don't want to.' Chihiro said Natsu nodded once. Then the sliding door opened, and everyone turned to it to see Rin

'Oh kami.' She said while looking at Natsu

'What have- huh?'

Natsu fell into a fit of giggles while her right hand went to her mouth again

'Natsu?'

'Sorry.' Rin blinked and looked at Kamajii who shrugged. Haku groaned and Natsu turned around so fast within a second she was by his side again

'Nii-san!'

'Ohh!' Rin and Kamajii said at the same time. Chihiro went over to the siblings and Natsu looked to Kamajii

'Can you do anything for him?'

'What happened exactly?'

'Ano… He was hit by the wind.'

'Wind?' Rin said, Chihiro turned to Natsu

'Do you mean the Mistress of the Skies?'

Natsu nodded

'She never liked us, because we chose to be River Spirits.' She muttered

'So you're a River Spirit?'

'Was.'

'Hmm?'

'Just like Nii-san, mine was destroyed.'

'Ouch.'

'Hmm. My river, Nigihayami Natsu Nushi. Never heard of it?' Natsu asked and Chihiro shook her head, and Natsu shrugged absentmindedly then looked back to Haku and lent her head to one side, and then she blinked a couple of times

'Nii-san?'

He opened his eyes

'Nii-san!'

'Haku!'

He looked their way, and then he tried to get up. But Natsu stopped him

'Baka-san, nii-san, stay lying down,' She said with a hand on his shoulder forcing him back down

'I'm fine, shisuta-, let me up.'

'Iiya!' she said shaking her head. He sighed and she smiled at him and lifted her hand from his shoulder

'Okay! Explain!' Rin said. Natsu looked at her then got up and tilted her head

'Explain what?'

'Uh, good question. I wanted to make myself heard?'

Natsu smiled, then poked out her tongue

'Natsu…'

Natsu looked down then picked her head up and grinned sheepishly.

-

-

Chihiro and Natsu actually did get to sleep but they actually didn't mean to go considering they were next to each other and asleep on each others shoulders. Haku who got up looked over to them and raised an eye brow at them he slowly got up as he tried to work out how to get the two of them a bed without them both waking up… Chihiro would be easy… Natsu is a different story, she sleeps too lightly she'd properly wake up as soon as she felt Chihiro move. He sighed, he couldn't move them, so if they got sore backs it was their fault… Haku watched them and found if one moved the other moved too.

-

-

'Nii-san… what're you doing up?' Natsu's sleepy voice came. Haku looked around and saw Natsu's eyes open but she hadn't moved from her position, knowing if she moved Chihiro would wake.

Surprisingly enough, Chihiro didn't wake, even when Natsu and Haku placed her on her futon.

Natsu started picking at the floor as if something was bothering her

-A/n: Ever seen that? I have, it plainly reads; I-have-something-bothering-me-but-if-you-ask-me-I'll-say-I-don't-have-anything-bothering-me-but-when-you-turn-around-I'll-do-something. It's so annoying!!-

'Natsu?'

She looked up with a little 'Hmm?'

'You're picking at the floor.'

She blinked

'I am?'

Haku nodded

'What's up?'

'I-I don't… I don't understand.'

'Understand what?'

'Why you saved her.'

Haku frowned

'When we were River Spirits. Did you save her because she was a Half Spirit…?'

'I didn't even know she was a Half Spirit.'

'Then why…?'

'I don't know…'

'Oh…Why haven't you told her she is a Half Spirit?'

Haku looked to Natsu then to Chihiro who was asleep

'I tried, but every time I tried to tell her I'd always find a way to not say it.'

'I tried to tell her but I can't lie to her.'

'How does that effect?'

'I… don't… know…'

'Why did you keep averting to tell her?'

'I guess I am scared, scared she'd not like the idea of herself as one, not being able to go back to her own world if she wanted to…'

'How… long has she been here…?'

'Several years.'

'See! If she didn't like this world she would have left years ago!'

'I know, I know, I was just scared of her trying to leave because of it…'

'Hmm… I can kind of understand that…the only thing she'll be mad about is, you not telling her sooner but your reasons are good.'

'Am I supposed to be grateful?'

'Yes, haven't you been told never to get on a woman's bad side?'

Haku blinked and slowly shook his head. Natsu's face fell; she sighed then rolled her eyes.

Natsu went back to picking at the floor again;

'I gotta ask something.'

'Hmm?'

'Can I stay here!?'

'Well, Chihiro might kill me if I said no-'

'Thank you!' Natsu said then she lunched herself at her brother and hugged him.

-A/n: o-o-k-k-a-a-y! Chapter nineteen done. Don't hate me for the next chapter, please? But R&R for this one!! )