Thanks to all the lovely reviews. They really encourage me to continue this story. So if you want faster chapters then you have to give me lots of reviews. For all the people who are confused about why I used Rin instead of Lin, there is a very simple reason. In Japanese R is L, if you read the subtitles it's actually written Rin and not Lin. I'm glad I could explain that.

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away. I did not create Chihiro or Haku or even Yubaba for that matter.

Chapter Five

Mated

I finished chewing my raisin and swallowed. I looked at Rin and her gaze was fixated on a petrified Haku. I sighed and massaged my temple as I thought things through. What did she mean by mated, and what the hell was mating anyway? It sounded animalistic, deprived of emotions, and lacking any sense of love. It, also, sounded like it was a big deal. It was as though Kohaku had done something horrible and unforgivable. Rin had said that mating was rare even for spirits. Did that mean that it was impossible between humans or even between humans and spirits?

"Well what it mating." I asked Rin. She looked at me with wide eyes.

"You don't know what mating is?" She said to me disbelievingly. I groaned; clearly if I asked the question it was because I did not know the answer.

"Oh yeah, that's exactly why I asked you what it was." I said sarcastically.

Haku came out of his trance and turned his attention to me. "You could compare it to a marriage in the human world…only it's more powerful and it lasts an eternity."

"So is it like what Yubaba had with her husband?" I asked and they both shook their heads.

"No they were simply married… it's much more complicated than that." Haku muttered.

"Then if it's complicated, should we not go see Yubaba and ask for her advice, as well as granny's." I told him as I took another piece of bread and chewed on it calmly. I was not really preoccupied by this mating conundrum. I figured that Kohaku would probably piece everything together. I looked down at myself and then I got up from bed and took my backpack from off the floor. I walked back to the bed and set the backpack down on it. I opened my backpack and took out a pair of short jeans shorts and a pink camisole. I took out my beige strapless bra and turned around. "Is there a bathroom I can use?"

They blinked. Clearly, they were completely flabbergasted by my lack of interests in the matter. Haku nodded and pointed towards the large dresser. Next to it, almost completely hidden, was a door. I marched towards it and past by Haku. I saw him take a deep breath as I passed by. He was probably trying to see if what Rin had said was true.

I opened the door and walked in to the bathroom. I shouldn't have been surprised by the size of it. Of course everything on Yubaba's floor was oversized and covered in gold. I closed the door behind me. I could still hear them talking and muttering together. I took off my nightgown and walked towards the mirror that was standing over the golden vanity. I looked at my quasi naked body and leaned over the sink.

I started by looking at the roots of my hair. Somehow they appeared shinier. I touched a strand of my hair, it was soft. I examined my skin, it was flawless and creamy… there was not even one trace of imperfection on it. I gazed into my own eyes, and even they seemed to be more vibrant. I touched my thin rosy lips and they felt plumper. I trailed my hand from my jaw line down to my left breast—they felt bigger and perkier than before. I caressed my stomach and noticed that it was thinner. I grab my thighs; they we meatier and felt much more robust.

"Wow." I said to myself as I was mesmerized by the girl in front of me. I turned around to glance at my behind; my butt felt rounder and fleshier then before.

I put on my bra, shorts and top. I looked at myself once more… I wondered what had happened to my hair. It was perfectly curled and my bangs were now immaculately framing my face. I didn't need to brush them, and when I passed my hands through them they bounced back into place. I couldn't feel one knot. What was even stranger, than my sudden acknowledgment of my own beauty, was that I didn't feel the need to go to the bathroom. I would normally rush to toilet in the morning, but there was nothing!

I walked out of the bathroom and Rin handed me my ballerina shoes. I slipped them on. Haku was livelier than before. He smiled and took my hand.

"We are going to see Yubaba." He said as he led me to the door. He opened it for me for and together we walked down a long, dark and narrow hall. He opened another wide golden door and we walked into Yubaba's office. She was sitting in her arm chair, Boh was on the floor playing and Zeniba was talking to her sister on the other side of the desk. I saw Boh lift his head and sniff the air. He turned around and gave me a puzzled look. He stared at his mother expecting answers, but got none. Both sisters turned and looked at us. Their faces were void of any astonishment.

I looked outside; the fields were already engorged with water. There went my chances of going to tell my parents that I was okay. Daddy had probably already started freaking out by now. Oh! Mom probably called in a search party! They were never going to find me! Oh Mommy… Oh Daddy… I felt guilt wash over me and fill me up with sadness. I wondered if I would ever be able to see them again, especially now that I "mated" with a spirit, whatever that meant. Boh crawled towards Haku and I and he smelled us with narrowed eyes.

He tilted his head slightly to the side. He reminded me of a confused little puppy. I shrugged. To be honest, I was expecting Granny to explain everything to me.

"So, when did you cast the spell?" Zeniba asked Haku in a very sarcastic tone.

I felt Kohaku stiffen next to me. I tightened my grip around his hand.

"There was no spell." I answered, "We just slept, and then Rin said my sent changed."

I didn't want to tell them that my appearance had also improved.

"We are aware of that already." Yubaba said cutting me off.

"Oh—" was all I thought of replying.

"There must be a mistake." Haku told them sourly. "This union is impossible."

"We cannot be sure of that Kohaku. How can something that has never occurred be impossible? No you see; it is remarkable, but not impossible." Zeniba replied.

"But what is this mating… I've been told it's like being married only for eternity." I interjected.

Zeniba smiled at me, "yes and no, it's the union—merger, if you will, of two souls together. Their magic, their abilities, their senses will all become one."

I turned to look at Kohaku. He was uncomfortable.

"And what is it going to do to me?" I asked.

"Well from the smell of it the bonding as started last night, but what triggered it—that is what we have to discover, but you have nothing to worry about dear. The mating process will not harm you." Yubaba answered.

"Then how do you undo it?" I said quickly, mostly without thinking.

"What is done cannot be undone, child. No, the bond will only grow stronger… and just like a marriage it cannot be complete without consummation." Zeniba told me laughing happily.

"Sex! We have to have sex!" I growled. I wasn't totally against the idea, but it had caught me by surprise.

"It's alright Chihiro; no one will force you to do anything." Haku said to me, but the hurt in his voice was clear as crystal. He probably thought that I didn't want to be his mate, but the truth was… I enjoyed being human. I didn't want to be the hybrid bride of a dragon… especially when I still had to finish college. Not that I didn't want to be with Haku. I did… it was just too much to take in.

"This is a good thing," Yubaba chanted laughing on her desk. She was talking mostly to herself. "If Chihiro and Haku had not mated than it would have been impossible for Chihiro to complete the spell to destroy the darkness. She had no magic, this way she will be able to use Haku's… this is a sign from fate!"

I shook my head, "I've never agreed to be turned to stone!"

My harsh tone had caught everyone by surprise, even me. I looked down ashamed by my sudden outburst. So what—I was destined to come back to the Spirit World marry a dragon, steal his magic, then turn myself to stone to imprison the evil souls of humans and use my body as a prison for the rest of eternity. Wow—that almost didn't sound weird. Yubaba looked at me and smiled.

"She already is starting to feel some of Haku's emotions." She told her sister with such a strange proud tone in her voice, it made me become confused.

I just said that I did not agree and yet she was happy. I groaned and covered my face with my hands, thus letting go of Haku's. Stupid goddamn magic. I thought of my classes at university. Geez—if I spent too much time here in the Spirit World I would probably flunk this semester, not to mention that I had two witches who wanted me to become a living prison. That is really something that could put me in a deep funk. I massaged my temple and looked at them with angry eyes. Then I crossed my arms and stared them down. Zeniba smiled and nodded at Yubaba silently.

Something strange happened; all the flames, burning on the candles, stopped burning instantly. Instinctively, I would have thought that it would have been one of the spirits in the room, but they all looked at me with sheepish faces. I turned to Haku, he was once again void of all emotions… typical. The more they looked at me the angrier I got. The angrier I got the more there were strange occurrences. Papers were flying in the air, and Yubaba's expensive lamps were hurling themselves out of the window. The fire in the fireplace was completely extinguished. The only reminisce of the fire was the smoldering hot ash in the right corner.

The lights flickered on and off. Boh moved closer to his mother out of fear, but both witches were smiling brightly and proudly.

"I will not Fucking be used." I snarled dangerously.

I felt a pair of arms grab my shoulders gently, and for some reason I calmed down.

"Your plan won't work, neither of us will ever agree to this." The voice behind me boomed.

Zeniba sighed, "Haku, you need to control your emotions. We all love Chihiro. No one is comfortable with this plan, but the darkness—"

"The Darkness will never leave!" Haku told her. He moved his body closer to mine and held me tightly next to him. "As long as humans will exist, and they always will, there will always be darkness. You both know that they were born free and can do whatever they wish. They can be pure or evil. That is their choice. We have sent thousands of spirits over the years to contain this plague… it keeps coming back! I will not let you use Chihiro as a sacrificial lamb!"

"Thousands…" I breathed silently as I thought of all the others. Then I realized just how present those spirits were… I remembered when I walked in the green fields—there were hundreds of statues all different. Some were crouching, some were broken, and some just stood there with water flowing out of their mouths. They were all Spirits who had sacrificed themselves for the Spirit World. Even that frog on the top of the stairs, probably was spirit too. Here I thought they were just props. I wanted to cry. I never imagined just how many had tried to protect their loved ones.

Here I was spitting on all their hard work… and on their sacrifice.

"I don't want to turn to stone, but I don't want to nobody to suffer anymore. Is there another way?"

Zeniba got up and walked towards me. She placed her hand under my chin and I looked at her. I could feel my eyes getting watery. She smiled and caressed my cheek.

"If Yubaba and I can find another way, and trust us we will. We will do our best so that nothing bad happens to you." She told me sweetly.

"Haku why don't you go take a walk with Chihiro. I think some fresh air will do her some good." Yubaba said as she waved her hand to clean her office. Boh looked at her hopefully, but she shook her head. "No young man. You have magic classes with your Aunty Zeniba."

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Leovanna