Kamaji and Bee-la were winding down for the night. Kamaji was overjoyed to see her. She had not seen him since her return, and felt incredibly guilty at the warm reception she received. He questioned her closely about her escape from the human world and was fascinated by her story. Chihiro did not tell him that Haku had kissed her at the hot springs, or that Scott had told her that he loved her. But the old spirit did not seem to notice the omissions.

"Well it's good to have you back!" he said patting her hand. "Have you prepared for the bonding ceremony?" he asked. Chihiro shook her head.

"I've avoided thinking about it." 

"Well that is no good! You have to know what to say to them!" Kamaji pushed his glasses up his nose. "You have to present an argument to justify your existence here, so I guess we start with why you want to stay and then move on to what you can offer this world." Bee-la grabbed a pen and wrote down their ideas. Later they were joined by Rin and Linca, who had been looking for her since dawn. Rin grabbed them some breakfast and the four spirits continued to help Chihiro with her preparation. To her surprise, Haku walked into the boiler room an hour after the two spirit women. Chihiro glared at him. He sat opposite her and gave her a rakish wink, and made a great show of rubbing his back as if it still hurt. She could not help but smile at him.

"Why oh why can I not stay angry at him? Goodness knows I have a reason to be." She decided to forget about yesterday, she needed all the help she could get right now.

As the morning progressed the atmosphere in the boiler room turned more sombre and Chihiro started fidgeting. Her speech was taking form and she was encouraged by the support from her friends but she was beginning to feel a little scared

"That's it," Haku announced at lunchtime. "I think that's all we can do." He rubbed his forehead, he looked tired. "We are starting to go in circles; I think it's time to stop." His fey green eyes turned to Chihiro, for a moment she had a flashback to her dream, but managed not to show it. "You should eat and have a rest. The ferry departs at nightfall, just after it's brought the first spirits over." He looked at the rest of them. "I expect you all to be there." Linca rolled her eyes.

"Of course we are going to be there dragon! No need to threaten."

"What about the boiler?" Asked Kamaji, "Bee-la and I can't both be there." Haku waved his hand at Kamaji dismissively.

"That's not an issue." He said coolly. Chihiro frowned at him.

"Don't be so high handed! Kamaji wants to know what's happening to his boiler. The least you can do is tell him what you're planning." Chihiro said, slightly annoyed. Haku blinked and stared at her as if not sure what to do. Then he laughed.

"It seems I've been saddled with a new conscience." He turned to Kamaji. "Sorry old friend I did not mean to insult your professionalism. I will summon a demon who will operate the boiler in your absence." Nearly everybody winced at these words, apart from Bee-la who couldn't and Chihiro who did not understand. She guessed this was one of those great magical feats that he performed so easily.

Chihiro sighed, stood and stretched.

"Well, I think I will take a nap, if I can. I did not sleep well last night."

"Oh really?" Said Haku. "That's funny, neither did I," He rubbed his chin. "Strange coincidence." Chihiro could not help her cheeks colouring but did not rise to his gentle teasing.

"Yes that is strange, I wonder why that is? Maybe we should be less active before we go to bed." She said lightly. Linca did not miss the blush or the deliberately bland comments, full of hidden meaning. She smiled to herself.

"Well, well, our sister is keeping secrets again. Once she is bonded I'll find out what this is all about." She thought. Rin was oblivious.

"Well I slept very well, maybe you two aren't working hard enough." Chihiro and Haku shared a smile at the spirit woman's expense.

"Well I'm going," Chihiro announced. "Thank you so much, all of you." After everyone murmured their goodbyes Chihiro went to her room and fell into a deep sleep almost immediately. To her relief, she did not dream.

Meeka shook Chihiro awake an hour before nightfall. Chihiro got dressed in a simple but elegant grey silk Kimono, and Meeka styled her hair in a high bun with her rose hair sticks holding it in place. Chihiro made sure to tuck her Tac'Tal under her kimono, smiling to herself as she did so. Despite the fact she was aware of what it now meant, she still thought it was beautiful and he had made it just for her. She chuckled to herself, her father would have a fit if he knew she was effectively a dragon's property, especially one who looked and kissed like he did. A blush touched her cheeks again.

"Stop it!" She told herself, "Forget about it! It was not as if you were a willing participant, it could not have been that good!"

She tried to focus on the task ahead of her and remember everything she had to say. Also her mothers face kept sliding into her thoughts.

"Will I ever see her again?" She wondered. She thought of her world and despite the trials she had endured there, she knew that leaving it behind would be one of the hardest things she had ever done. Haku was right, it would be a month or two before the full implications of her choice made an impression on her. Right now she had a sense of finality. There would be no more existing in limbo, she would be a member of this world or die. She shook her head.

"That is not one of the conditions; they will just send me back!" She thought. Then she realised that her first notion had been correct. If she went back she would die. She was a part of a magical world now, without magic in her life she would perish, not immediately, but eventually, she would pine away for this place and its people. She sighed deeply.

"Penny for them...?" Said a soft voice, Chihiro turned to see Linca standing in her doorway. "Are you having second thoughts?" the spirit asked.

"Not serious ones," smiled Chihiro.

"Meeka tells me you did not eat your dinner." Linca's white eyes fixed on Chihiro's face.

"I couldn't, I thought that if I did I would vomit." Linca gave her a sympathetic look and then slipped her arms around her and hugged her briefly.

"It will be fine Chi, you'll see, they have to let you stay." Chihiro sighed and looked at the ethereal spirit woman. Linca was shimmering in the same snow-white gown she had worn at the midsummer's night ball. Her white hair gleamed almost as much as her dress, she really did look stunning. Chihiro felt a bit like a dowdy gosling standing next to a graceful swan, if a very small graceful swan. Chihiro shook her head.

"They don't have to let me stay at all Linca; they can do what they like with me."

"You're joking surely!" Linca almost laughed. "What is better for them do you think, you staying or green and handsome's anger? They may be Gods but he is very useful to them. How cooperative do you think he would be if they sent you back? The truth that everyone seems to have realised, except you, is that he needs you here." Linca placed her hands on her soon to be sister's shoulders. "What you have to decide is whether you need him. It is difficult for you, I know, you've stepped on your emotions for so long you've practically forgotten how to let them surface. Start looking at things with your heart and ignore your head for a while." She sighed and tightened her grip on Chihiro's shoulders. "Do you need him Chi?"

"I'm not sure," said Chihiro, her throat tightening. "He's arrogant and moody and has a fierce temper and a sly side to him that scares me. Sometimes I feel like I hardly know him... and he is very powerful."

Linca frowned.

"What happened to not worrying about river not in flood thingy?"

"He used his power on me," Mumbled Chihiro, embarrassed. Linca grinned.

"Oh! And you did not like being on the receiving end?" Chihiro pouted girlishly making Linca laugh. "Get used to it my friend; we all get magically manipulated at times. He was just playing with you I'd imagine. Did you do something to provoke him?"

"I threatened to beat his brains out and was very rude to him." Chihiro's face was burning now under Linca's amused gaze.

"Why?" Asked the sprite, Chihiro slipped the Tac'Tal out from under her Kimono. Linca paled making her complexion look a little more blue.

"When did he give you this?" She whispered. Chihiro gave her a brief explanation.

"... then I found out from Rin what it meant, he owns me." She concluded in a small voice.

"Well, that's a rather one-sided way of looking at it. Technically, and I mean at the most basic bare bones of the concept, you own a bit of him too."

"What are you talking about?" Asked Chihiro. Linca gave her the smallest of smiles, it was enough to make Chihiro's heartache.

"He has given you a part of his soul." Chihiro's eyes widened at these words, but Linca continued. "That's why it stopped being a form of enslavement; it made the giver too vulnerable and the recipient too powerful. Most of these bondages ended with the recipient using the Tac'Tal against the giver. Think about it, how can you defend yourself against someone in possession of a piece of your soul? It's not worth the risk, it was an effective method of control but there are better ways of gaining that without making yourself vulnerable. Brainwashing and compulsion tend to be the weapons of choice these days. That is why the Tac'Tal is now only a gift between life mates, the only person you should give your soul to is someone whom you trust utterly. I have heard that Rin had a bad experience with one and Haku was probably too embarrassed to tell you everything about it, especially after you threatened to hit him". Chihiro looked at the little mirror.

"This is a part of him?" Linca nodded.

"You must have his absolute trust for him to protect you in such a fashion, he could have chosen other ways but instead he gave you himself." Linca looked as if she was about to cry.

"What's the matter Linca?" Chihiro asked gently. Linca shook her head.

"Nothing, it's just nice to see."

Chihiro sighed. "This is... a...a big thing isn't it?" She stammered.

"Well, it's not exactly a marriage invitation, not in this context but..." Linca sniffed and then shook herself.

"It is up to you what you make of this, he has made no demands and seems willing for you to retain your freedom, you would know if he was trying to control you with it, but that's not what he wants. Where's the fun in pursuing a slave? It's hardly sporting or fair and you would not be you anymore." Chihiro took a deep breath.

"This is all so weird Linca; this is not what I expected at all."

"Maybe you need to raise your expectations. Besides the dragon is sex on legs! Half the female spirits on the plain would trade their immortality to be in your precious position." Linca tapped her playfully on the cheek. "Stop being so modest, open your eyes and take what he is offering."

"But he hasn't offered me anything!" Chihiro cried, exasperated.

"Silly!" Said Linca yanking on the Tac'Tal around her neck. "He may not have verbalised it but you have not been that receptive."

"Guess not." Chihiro mumbled. Linca decided not to push her luck. A maybe was better than flat denial.

"We should meet the ferry." Declared the sprite breezily. Chihiro nodded and Linca left.

The human woman looked around her cosy room. She turned to her windows and looked out at the plain, the water and grasses were blushed pink by the setting sun. It was beautiful in its own strange way and it was her home which she loved dearly.

"Well this is it, this could be the last time I see this place." She mumbled. "But not if I can help it." She smiled to herself, reached up to her hair feeling for a stick, she then extracted a blade from its wooden sheath. She turned to the windows and in the wood of the windowsill carved...

CHIHIRO OGINO'S HOME IS HERE. She nodded with satisfaction and left the room with a slightly lighter feeling in her breast. At least something of her would be left if she did not return.

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