Don't Look Back – Chapter 14

Emergence of Kentoku

((Haku's POV))

The wind tossed and tugged at my robes and hair. I opened my eyes to look around at the ruins that used to be the numerous shops around the bathhouse. The bathhouse itself wasn't fairing much better.

"Haku?"

I turned slightly to see Amaya in the doorway to the balcony. "Yes?"

"Perun's ready when you are."

"Thank you." I sighed.

She left with a curt nod, and I looked back out over the black expanse of buildings. I spotted a few Druids running in between the buildings. My eyes narrowed; it had been going on at a stalemate for hours now. It's time to put the pieces into play. I left my vantage point and went down the numerous stairs where Yubaba, Perun, and Amaya waited.

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The four of us stood on the bridge a few feet in front of the Druid leaders Kallisto, Maeve, and Phobos.

"Give us our members back, and we shall withdraw!" Kallisto cried.

I snorted, "You and I both know that you speak lies. What is it that you truly want?"

"I want my members back, and to see your pretty face smashed into the ground!" Kallisto replied.

Maeve spoke next, "Give us Perun and Amaya."

But I shook my head in response, "We did not force them to join us, they came of their own free will."

"Then they need to remember where their loyalties lie!" Kallisto laughed, and snapped her fingers. Perun and Amaya fell to the ground, clutching their throats. Amaya lowered her hands first, revealing a thick, black collar around her neck.

She looked at Perun, whom I noticed supported a black collar as well. "Once a Druid…" she whispered.

"Always a Druid." He spat, and let out a string of curses. He began to cast a spell, but Amaya slapped him, thus breaking his concentration.

"You'll die if you try to break it, you know that!" She cried, fear in her eyes.

The young spirit grimaced, "I know."

"Only the one of the prophecy can break my bonds! And only that one spirit can bind me!" Kallisto screeched.

My heart sunk. I had no idea what prophecy she spoke of, yet I knew this time she spoke the truth. My hope began to descend into a big black abyss.

"Chihiro…" I breathed, regretting how little time I spent with her.

((Chihiro's POV))

I was sitting on the bathhouse roof, having just landed a few minutes before. I watched the scene play out, and I could hear pretty well from my position. I heard her last statement, and a level of anger I didn't know I could feel rose inside me. No one could break the bonds she set? Well, let's just see about that! I flew down, and landed gracefully in front of Haku. I turned around to face him and looked into his shocked eyes.

His beautiful emerald eyes were wide. "Chihiro!"

"I'm not a woman that stays at home and watches the people she cares about risk their lives." I said coolly, stepping closer to him. It didn't matter that I had to tilt my head back to look at him in the eye; I had made my presence here clear. My anger was practically rolling off of my in waves. "I'm a woman who fights for what she believes in and those whom she loves. Nothing anyone else says or does will ever change that, not even you."

Haku looked down into my angry eyes and smiled sadly. "I know," he whispered, "I would hate to see you hurt, but I know that you do what you want to do. There really isn't anything I could do."

Most of my anger faded away with his words, but I still didn't address him. I turned to Amaya and laid two fingers on the black collar that encircled her neck, channeling my energy into it.

"Chihrio, you can't-" Amaya began, but stopped when she felt the collar fall away as ash.

"Can't break it?" I asked, a smile on my face. I did the same to Perun, and he helped the stunned Amaya up. The five of us looked across the bridge at Kallsito.

"HOW DARE YOU?" She screamed, her hair seeming to be on fire, "Phobos, kill her!"

And he leapt, drawing his sword. I saw a collar around his neck as well, and shot a tongue of fire at it. It met the black collar around his neck, and it fell away into nothing. Phobos flipped, and landed on his feet in front of me… except it wasn't Phobos.

The man stood up, reaching a towering 6' 1". His long silver hair was hanging down loose to his waist. His eyes were a light blue with dashes of violet. His face was unreadable and hard as stone. He spun to face Kallisto, who looked absolutely terrified at his appearance.

"Ah, did you not think that this would happen Kallisto?" The man said with a rich and deep bass voice. "You knew this would happen. Which brings up a very valid question. What was the purpose of enslaving me anyway?"

But she didn't reply. The strange man snorted, and pulled out a five foot long staff with a three foot long blade at the top. My eyes widened. How he could hold it, let alone fight with it was beyond me. The man moved, and was a few feet from the Druid leader in a matter of seconds. Maeve stepped forward to guard her mistress, but the strange man immediately cut trough her. She crawled away, dragging her bleeding leg behind her. The man charged Kallisto, and her thunderbolt. He slashed, and she lost an arm. She screamed, and then vanished. The man pulled out a rag and cleaned the blade, turning back to us.

Haku was starring at the man as if he were a dream. "There is no possible way… you died in the first war…"

The man smiled, "On the contrary, Kallisto bound me, just as she did Perun and Amaya. Her bonds change our appearances, thus allowing everyone the belief that I died."

Yubaba shook her head with a smile, "I should never have underestimated you… Kentoku."

The man identified as Kentoku smiled, "And I you. What is your name little one?" he asked, turning his blue and purple eyes to me.

"Chihiro." I said, unsuccessful in hiding the nervousness in my voice.

"I thank you, Chihiro. I know that Kallisto wanted you, but now I know exactly why. You're the only one that can break her bonds."

"Do you know what prophecy she was talking about?"

He shook his head, his silver hair catching the afternoon sun. "Sadly, I do not. But rest assured, she will not give up until she has you in her grasp."

Yubaba nodded, "Come everyone, we better get inside."

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Yubaba had taken the mysterious warrior Kentoku up to her office, while the rest of us remained in the lobby. We eventually went back to my rooms, and we were all lounged about and talked about the new arrival.

I looked at Perun hard, then my eyes widened. He caught my gaze, "What?" he asked.

"You haven't noticed, have you?" I asked, pointing to a mirror. He looked at me oddly, but went over to the mirror anyway. What he saw made him stop in his tracks. Of course, I all ready knew what it was.

His seemingly black hair was now a true navy blue that almost matched his eyes. He was now exactly Haku's height, and more muscular. He was still pale, but not paper white like he used to be.

"Kentoku said that the bonds changed appearances. It looks like that you're not an exception."

"But… but what about Amaya?" he whispered, looking back at me. I looked over to the newly transformed Amaya, and my breath caught. I had been watching her for the past few minutes, and every time I looked I could have sworn her hair was becoming lighter. I wasn't wrong either.

Her hair was no a platinum blonde, and her eyes seemed to be more red than maroon. She had a more petite frame, rather than the blocky build that she previously had. She smiled. "Do I dare look?"

Perun came to stand in front of her, and offered her a hand up. She took it, only to realize that she was now about three inches shorter than him instead of being eye level. "What the…" she began, but Perun silenced her with a finger on her lips. He mutely pointed to the mirror, and she walked over. She squeaked at her reflection.

I met Haku's gaze. He smiled, and I smiled back. Then, my brow furrowed. I looked at him, and then peered at Perun. My eyes widened, and I shook my head. "Oh I'm seeing things…"

"No, you are not little one." Kentoku said, coming into the room. "You are seeing things quite clearly. Perun, Kohaku, please stand side by side and look into the mirror."

The two men were baffled, but did the older spirit's bidding. When they saw themselves standing next together, they blanched. They looked exactly alike for height and build. Their faces differed slightly, but that didn't take away how closely the resembled each other. They were the same person, only one with dark green hair, and one with navy blue.

"You see... you do not know my entire story." Kentoku began as the two turned back to face the group.

"You know what's going on, don't you?" Haku asked.

He nodded. "I do." And with that, he came to stand behind the two men. I looked startled at Amaya, and we both starred hard at the three men.

Kentoku didn't share much resemblance to them, but just enough to make it obvious. They were about five inches shorter than him, but it didn't matter. The shape of their eyes was exactly the same. All three of them radiated an unmatched confidence.

"Oh now way…" Amaya breathed.

Kentoku inclined his head, "Let us begin at the beginning, shall we?"

A/N: I am SO sorry it took me this long to get a new chapter up here! Well, Kentoku belongs to angelofblades543 and not me... oh well... Anyway! Thank you so much for sticking with me! I PROMISE the wait won't be so long again!

steffy potter
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Thank you so much guys! Sorry about the lack of fluff!

-Vincent's Angel of Chaos-