Spirited Anew

Chapter 5

"Thank you for walking me all of the way out here while you're so busy, Haku." Chihiro smiled nicely to her superior friend.

"Don't worry about it. We barely get any customers during the day. I'd rather walk you then work anytime." He returned her smile.

"Mhm. But I have one question." Her honest grin morphed into an irritated one.

"Anything." Haku replied.

"Why does that smelly horse have to come along with us?"

Uma snapped at her. "It's not like I wanted to come along with a brat like you! Compared to a human's scent a horse's is ten times more pleasant." He had been keeping a 5 foot distance from her, slightly disgusted at how close Haku and Chihiro were walking together.

"What was that!?"

Haku sighed as he began to extremely regret bringing Uma along with him to escort Chihiro back home. He was hoping they could get back on a good track with each other, but it was now completely clear how impossible that was. He should have known not to go against the force of fate. However, he was grateful that he was standing between them. Otherwise they'd probably kill each other. He outstretched his arms between the two before their childish wailing popped his ear drums. Their arguing was about to give him a year's worth of migraines.

"Stop fighting you two. While we're bringing Chihiro home, I want you to stay silent."

"As long as the pervert keeps his grabby hands at a distance." Chihiro stuck her tongue out at Uma.

"Oh don't worry. You don't have nearly enough sex appeal to even be noticeable to me." He stated in a low grunting voice. As if he was refraining from yelling.

"Wha-" Chihiro blushed immensely. Haku went to grab Uma by the shoulder and threaten him, but Chihiro ran in between them, grabbing Uma's shirt and pulling him to her face. "YOU JERK! I'm still developing I'll grow soon!" her tone of voice almost sounded embarrassed like crying out for help.

Uma blushed and his eyebrow twitched. He wasn't used to being this close to anyone. Speechless at how straightforward she was about this subject, he shoved her hands off of him with a swing of his arm, putting distance between them. "Oh yeah? A short skinny girl like you has no chance of becoming anything more than a stick!"

"Uma-!"

"L-Like someone like YOU would know! You're a wind spirit! I don't want an opinion from someone who isn't even human!"

"Chihiro-!"

"Don't worry about that!" Haku was cut off once again. "Even if you did somehow become sexy, it wouldn't be enough for those round cheeks! I feel sorry for whoever has to marry YOU-"

Haku didn't have time to think. A loud smack across Uma's face travelled through the air. Tears accompanied the powerful hit Chihiro put all of her might into. Uma looked down at Chihiro through his white bangs, his cheek growing redder and redder. It contrasted from his pale skin. He couldn't help but stare and question her crying eyes. Maybe he had hit a mark he shouldn't have stepped on.

"You don't have to tell me something I already know! I know I'm not beautiful-" She stopped as the hot tears fell down her cheeks, losing her words quickly. Uma now instantly regretted his own words. He was almost on the edge of apologizing to her, but he was too stubborn to say a word to her. And he honestly hated that part about himself.

Haku grabbed Chihiro's shoulders from behind and gently pulled her back to his chest before glaring at Uma. "You have gone too far, Uma. Leave."

That stung Uma like the wrath of a hornet. He let his head hang back down and began walking opposite of them through the open field of grass. "Yeah I was already going."

Haku slowly turned Chihiro around to face him and wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "Come on, let's go." He gave her a warm smile and wrapped his arm around her, walking a few steps to the hill they parted from. Nostalgia ran through the both of them as if they were inside the past; the future not even present.

Chihiro stood there mesmerized by the cold wind blowing towards them. It felt exactly like the moment she left. Looking ahead at the same scenery she saw several years ago, Chihiro subconsciously took a hold of Haku's hand; without turning to him. And without question, he held her hand back.

She compared the changes from time. His hand was much bigger than it used to be. It almost engulfed Chihiro's petite hand completely. Their fingers intertwined, and she couldn't help but smile.

"It's just like deja vu right?" She stared off in the distance. "Am I not allowed to look back again?"

"Do you want to be trapped here?" Haku chuckled lightly. Chihiro looked down at her feet.

"Sometimes I wish I was... But I know that's not right." She looked up at Haku, who returned her warm gaze. After sharing a few seconds of silence. She spoke, letting go of his hand. "I'm going now."

Haku softly cupped her cheek into his hand and bent over, giving her forehead a light peck. When he pulled back, he smiled as he pushed a lock of her hair behind her ears. "I'll see you soon."

Chihiro nodded with a blush. "Yep!" Staring into his eyes one more time, she turned around and looked ahead. beginning to walk away and down the grassy green mountain.

When suddenly, a chill went down her spine. Her feet stopped her, and somehow she sensed something was off. A loud whistling of wind blew fiercely to the side of her, and the sky began to grow dark. Slowly, she turned her head to see what it was.

A ground tornado twenty ft tall towered over Chihiro and was right next to her. Through wild eyes, she began stepping away slowly from it. As she stepped away, it moved closer to her, the noise of it's whisking getting louder and louder.

Haku's familiar voice called out to her, but she didn't look his way. her eyes were caught on the monstrosity in front of it. Chihiro then gasped. The wind began to form the face of an old woman, and it had long spider like hands reaching out to her. Chihiro screamed and ran the opposite direction, but it caught her. Wrapping it's arms around her waist, it began to pull her in. She kicked and screamed until it dropped her and grabbed a hold of her leg.

The arms and face morphed into a typhoon facing her way and pulling her in. She looked to her side to see Haku dashing after her. Chihiro's body was afloat from the wind demon pulling her in by the leg. She reached her arms out desperately as a bunch of hands began to form and slowly pull her into the hole of the typhoon.

Haku was almost there, the force of the wind pushing him back somehow. But someone got to her first.

"CHIHIRO!" A familiar voice which put a bitter taste in Chihiro's mouth called out to her and the body of a white haired spirit came flying at her. Chihiro's eyes shot open from surprise as to who it was.

'U... ma?'

And just before she was pulling completely into the choking typhoon, Uma grabbed a hold of Chihiro's wrist. He was violently pulled in along with her.

The wind rapidly disappeared along with the storm.

They were nowhere to be found.

(Original authors note)
SORRY THIS TOOK SO LONG YOU GUYS A LOT OF HEALTH CRAP HAPPENED TO ME AND I WAS HOSPITALIZED AND HAD TO GET VARIOUS TESTS DONE ON ME AND BLOOD DRAWN BUT IM BETTER NOW SO I'M BACK AGAIN I APOLOGIZE MY FELLOW BABES ; n ;