I have successfully moved into my new place over this past week after crashing on my best friend's floor for the previous week. Classes will begin this fall in just a few weeks and I'm looking forward to starting medical school in January.

I have 6 of the 20 votes required for a double chapter release. Please go vote in the poll on my profile. Even if you don't care for any of the options, just choose one randomly and vote so you get the double update.

In this chapter, I finally started to explain things that have been alluded to throughout the story and am looking forward to seeing what you guys have to say about it. Thanks in advance for your messages, reviews, critiques, support, patience and ongoing support. Next update will occur on August 17th.

Chapter 22:

Chihiro felt her heart sink as she saw Haku escape the room with Yui hot on his heels. He had not responded when she had performed. It was a nightmare come true. The world seemed to slow down and the noises of applause and talking blurred into a dull cacophony in the background. People were reaching out to compliment her, but her mind was elsewhere. Absently thanking them and trying to move, she felt like she was underwater. Nudging past people, Chihiro slipped out of the door and away from the party. Her brain finally focused in on the footsteps loudly moving away from her. Chihiro's feet seemed to take her forward without her command as she stumbled after them. Walking became running as she tried to catch them and the clips of their ongoing conversation. She needed to know why he hadn't come to her. Turning the corner in time to see a door down the hall shut, Chihiro approached slowly and pressed her ear against the wood.

"She's not good enough Watari-san. Her performance won't bring the power we are going to need."

"Her dance was perfect and even I could feel the vibrations of her movements without the relics. How could you leave her alone up there?"

"I will not respond to an inferior-"

"Don't you dare finish that statement Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi! I'm insulted that you would even consider saying that."
Unable to listen further as his words echoed painfully around her mind, Chihiro pushed away from the door and walked away from the arguing voices. Tears wordlessly ran down her cheeks and before long, she found herself running. Chihiro was tearing through the bathhouse unsure of where she was going, and soon footsteps pounded after her. Grabbing her, Lin hugged her tight as the sobs finally wracked through her body. Clutching onto the weasel spirit desperately, Chihiro finally released the pain from her heart.

The moon was blindingly bright when Chihiro awoke the following morning. Looking out from the nest of covers she considered whether or not she wanted to get out of bed today. After last night there was truly no point in continuing to practice, there was hardly any way that she could become the perfection that he was seeking. In more ways than one his rejection hurt. The cleansing ceremony and their resulting dance together was something she had been looking forward to. It was going to be an activity to bring them closer, but now it seemed like everything she had worked towards was not enough. Sighing quietly, she rolled over determined to remain in bed.

"You better not be thinking about staying there," Lin commented as she braided her hair and piled it into a knot at the base of her skull. After crying most of the night she had fallen asleep in Lin's bed as the weasel spirit held her close. Realizing that Lin was not going to leave her in peace to mope, Chihiro got up and caught a glance of herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red rimmed and swollen, despite the full night's sleep. It was going to be a long day.

"If you aren't going to go practice this morning then I'm going to put you on some tough chores, got it?" If she needed a new purpose to stay here contently, then Lin would give it to her. Secretly though the weasel spirit was hoping that the threat of hard work would get Chihiro to go practice. It felt like a substantial waste to give up after all that she had done to learn the dance and improve. Shaking her head yes in acceptance, Chihiro followed Lin up to the big tubs. Without saying a word she set to work on scrubbing the largest tub as Lin looked on with worried eyes. For Chihiro to willingly get into the big tub to scrub, there had to be some serious damage done. Keeping an eye on her, Lin started to work on the area surrounding the tub. She knew they would talk when she was ready to and so they worked in comfortable silence. They were halfway through with the cleaning when Yui stormed in with a bath token in hand. Shoving the token on the hooked string, she poured the cold bath water right onto Chihiro who hadn't looked up from her spot in the tub. Coughing loudly, she clambered out of the tub and rolled down the side to the floor.

"What the hell," she asked with a frown. Chihiro was soaked and frankly not in the mood to put up with any shenanigans right now. Today was hard enough without any additional challenges.

"Are you really going to lie down and give up?"

"He said I wasn't good enough."

"And you are going to let that stop you? After all you have put in," Yui asked as she stared at her. Chihiro couldn't meet her eyes as she felt the irony in her words. She didn't want to give up, it wasn't in her nature, but it was so hard not to feel discouraged.

"Get up and come with me."

"Where are you taking her," Lin intercepted as Yui moved aggressively towards the girl. Glaring at the protective weasel spirit, the crane fluffed her feathers irately.

"We are going back to the shrine and we are going to prove that dragon wrong if it's the last thing I do." Finally looking up at Yui, Chihiro saw the fire in her eyes. She didn't know what was said after she had left, but Haku had made a powerful opponent when he stood against her last night. Lin watched as the crane moved around her and put both wing tips on Chihiro's shoulders before staring down into her face. "I believe in you Chihiro. I know you can do this and I'm not going to let you give up on yourself. Now get up off your ass and come with me or I'll drag you there by force."

Holding her head high, Chihiro looked back at her evenly. She had come this far and she wasn't ready to give up. Yui's affirmation helped light her spark of determination again and the change reflected in her eyes.

"Let's do this."

"Oh I got to see this," Lin remarked excitedly as Chihiro stood up and faced Yui. Abandoning their task, the girls set off towards the shrine. Together they were going to find a way to make the dragon bend.

"Now I want you to focus on calling to Haku as you perform the dance," Yui said as she pulled a bucket of water out of her well. Looking at the crane with a cocked head, Chihiro questioned her.

"What about the relics?"

"No need for them. We are going to prove him wrong without relying on the relics." Chihiro opened her mouth to question her logic, but closed it upon seeing the glint in her eye. Something about it reminded her of the twinkle in Okita's eyes when he was determined to accomplish something. She was not someone to trifle with. Lin stood at the back of the room leaning against the wall, watching intently as Yui lifted the bucket into her arms and approached Chihiro. "Don't be alarmed by what I'm about to do."

Before Chihiro could answer, Yui dumped the bucket of water against her and felt a pressure in her mind as she had the other day. Images of seeing herself from the floor flashed before her eyes as the water collected itself into a puddle around her feet.

"How did you get to Haku's river," Chihiro asked both alarmed and surprised as she felt the instant connection. He had made it seem like it was a big secret where water spirits kept their essence, yet here Yui was, handling some of his with ease. Pouring another bucket at her feet, Yui stood back to look at her.

"All water is connected. When I made my home here, my essence took refuge in the well water that bubbles up from a spring tied to Haku's river. I simply asked his river if it would like to see you again and it was happy to comply with my demands to not tell its master." The water bubbled happily as it laid at her feet. Standing back as well, Yui gave a short nod for her to begin.

"Are you sure-"

"Trust me Chihiro. Focus in on Haku and do the dance." Nodding her head in understanding, Chihiro took a deep breath to focus her mind as she assumed the opening stance. It felt different already, the water present in her mind listening in to the process. Taking the first step, she felt the air charge with magic and the water at her feet move with her. Calling out to Haku, Chihiro continued forward with the dance. The room around her was silent in such a manner that she felt like she was in a private sound bubble. Even the sounds of Lin and Yui's breathing were absent. Within a few movements, she saw the water at her feet moving into the air in tendrils. As her hands continued their flow, Haku's water responded beneath her fingertips, rippling in complex patterns within the air. She was so focused on the dance and the water's response that she didn't even notice the matching looks of confusion and horror on Yui and Lin's faces.

The pressure in her mind had only a moment to warn her before Haku burst into the room. Reaching out a hand, he yanked his water back from her, leaving Chihiro stricken. All of the magic in the room had been pulled into his grasp as he dispelled his water back into the ground towards its main source. The air felt as if it had been torn from her lungs as the magic left her and she found herself pounding her chest trying to force breath into unopen lungs. Panic squeezed her as she found Haku's sad distracted eyes staring harshly at the retreating water rather than at her emergent state.

"Stop Haku! She can't breathe," Yui shouted as she rushed forward towards Chihiro. As he snapped his hold on the withering remnants of magic, Chihiro fell to her knees gasping air in grateful gasps. Yui wrapped her wings around her shaking shoulders and glared back at him. "What the hell was that?!"

Haku didn't meet their eyes as he stared down at the floor, chest slightly heaving from running to get there. The thud of Chihiro's body hitting the floor didn't surprise him. Feeling a pulse in her throat, Yui was reassured that her charge was not going to die at that instant. Snatching Chihiro up into his arms, Haku fled. Racing after him, Lin and Yui saw him take off towards the top of the bathhouse. Grabbing Lin, Yui took flight after him. Landing moments later, they found him tucking Chihiro into her bed as if she were a fragile doll. Lin and Yui stared at Haku as his eyes darted about trying to figure out an excuse. "Care to explain all of that?"

"Not really," Haku admitted honestly. Sitting in a defensive stance between the girls and Chihiro, Haku absentmindedly ran his fingers over the covers making sure she was secure in the bed.

"She shouldn't have been able to manipulate your water like that," Lin spoke softly as her mind tried to figure out the puzzle of what had just happened. Even the most spiritual of humans couldn't manipulate an element, which meant that Chihiro couldn't be completely human. However her body reeked of human and she had showed no outside qualities of anything extraordinary.

"You son a bitch," Yui swore at him, "You bound to her didn't you?"

"If they were bound we would be able to smell him in her," Lin commented.

"Not if the binding is incomplete. What did you do, Haku," Yui asked with a voice full of horror.

"We aren't discussing this. Chihiro will be fine after a little nap and everything will be back to normal. I will do the ceremony with her next week for the festival and no one will be none the wiser."

"And how exactly are you planning on doing that?"

"I am going to complete the dance using my magic and rebounding it off of the relics. I can't do the ceremony with her straight out like you asked last night or I'll risk opening the charm I used to bind the mating bond magic."

"For kami's sake Haku, you have to tell her! She can't just go walking around as your fiancé and not even know it," Lin shouted in outrage.

"And what am I supposed to tell her, huh? Hi Chihiro, nice of you to wake up. I kind of gave you part of my soul a while back and started the marriage process without your permission.-" The sound of a loud knock on the door interrupted him. Opening it, the foreman took a quick glance at the tense occupants glaring back at him.

"Hana-sama of Deer Run River has arrived." Simultaneously, all three spirits groaned in irritation. If there was one thing everyone at the bathhouse could agree on, it would be their general dislike of the spirit in question. Lin in particular had a short fuse when it came to the beautiful koi spirit. "She is requesting your presence immediately, Master Haku. It seems her caravan was attacked on its journey here and she is in quite the state."

"I will be right there, foreman. See to it that she is attended to in the meantime." Bowing his acknowledgement, the frog closed the door and hurried away. Silence filled the air as the crane and weasel stared at Haku, and he deftly tried to hide his discomfort under their gaze. It felt unnatural to expose so much after hiding everything for so long, and he wasn't about to give way now.

"Is there a way to fix this? Have you tried pulling your essence out of her," Lin asked as she sat down on the bench in front of the vanity. Her mind was racing trying to put together the whole situation. The risks were piling up and she was just beginning to see how bad this could be. The master of the Eastern Bathhouse had part of his essence walking around in a fragile human that could be easily killed at any moment. She was a weakness to him and an easy target for any of the Tainted to go after no matter which world she was in. Chihiro's death would incapacitate Haku for kami knows how long and leave the bathhouse near defenseless to attack. In the worst case scenario, her death could cause him to slip into the darkness that they had all been fighting and make him a powerful adversary. There was so many things that could go wrong…

"If her heart had still been beating when I put in my essence then I might have had a better shot at removing it, but since I used it to spark her life force again..." Haku looked uneasily back at Chihiro as if recalling a terrible memory. Something had happened between them years ago that bound the red string of fate around them, but he wasn't ready to share it. Running his hand through her hair to reassure himself of the present and keep himself from getting swept away into the past, he continued speaking. "I tried to remove it before her first departure from the Spirit World, but was unsuccessful. It seems that the part I gave her has bound itself to her heart and lungs. Chihiro is lucky that I cast the blocking charm before it corrupted anything else. She is still essentially human in this state."

"Why the lungs? I mean the heart makes sense since that's where your essence would bind for the mating process, but-"

"The point of entry," Yui interrupted already picturing it all. If it were a rash decision at a life or death moment, he would have forced his essence into her the fastest way possible. "Rather than trying to push it through the muscle, bone, and sinew protecting the heart, it is faster to send it into her lungs and latch onto the heart from there." Haku nodded his head in silent admission. When he had forcefully sent his water back underground earlier, the command had not been well directed in its haste. The part of him that was partially bound within her had unexpectedly responded from the surge of magic between them, causing her body to seize against the charm and throw her into unconsciousness. Luckily, the guard was still holding and their flirting limbo with the boundaries could continue.

"Seems like a simple solution to me. Beg her to forgive you for hiding all of this, get on your knees, and ask her to marry you. Complete the mating ceremony and then if the Capital hasn't killed all of us for breaking the rules by that point, we can worry about getting enough power together to convert her into a spirit," Lin stated as if it were the most apparent thing in the world. Even Yui had to admit that it seemed a solid plan, but there was a strong likelihood that both Chihiro and Haku would be executed by the Capital. Technically both of their lives were forfeit the moment that Haku began the mating bond with her, but with the charm in place no one should be able to figure it out unless something distinctly nonhuman happens again or he openly admits it. It should be easy to continue concealing it if they play their cards right.

"We will do nothing for now," Yui interrupted Lin as she gave a hard look at Haku. She understood now why he had acted the way that he had. It is no wonder he didn't want his other half near the dangerous patients of the infirmary and here she had been encouraging her to go visit the most dangerous ward of all. Mentally she shivered at the severity and risk of her mistake. If something had gone wrong…shaking her head to rid herself of the thought, Yui continued. "I agree with your decision to hide this from her for now. There is a strong likelihood that some members of the Elite will come from the Capital to visit for the festival and now is not the time to be playing with fire. We can discuss the situation and come up with a plan after the festival."

Lin opened her mouth to protest, but was cut off by the sound of shrieking from several floors below. Simultaneously, all three spirits cursed the name of the spirit who would be one of the many staying with them until after the festival. Giving them a curt bow, Haku swept out of the room towards the elevator. The flower of Deep Run River had arrived.