Haku groaned. The throbbing pain in his mouth told him he was awake and not trapped in one of the many nightmares he had been having recently. He shifted his legs, stretching the stiffness from them. His body was mostly healed from his vain escape attempt, but his teeth were still growing back and his mouth throbbed constantly. He rolled over and clenched his jaw, using the pain to wake himself fully. He had resigned himself to his imprisonment during his convalescence. He told himself that this did not mean he had given up; not at all! He simply knew there was little point in resisting his captors. He drank what he was offered; he ate everything he was given, even though it hurt his mouth. He exercised his stiff limbs. He had grown fond of performing handstands when he got so bored he thought his mind might atrophy. He would count in his head, timing how long he could stay upside-down. His record was two hours thirty-one minutes and nine seconds. That had been a particularly boring day.

He sometimes used a little of his water rations to wet the sand in his cell so he could form shapes out of it. His artistic skills seemed to extend as far as making a reasonably detailed cat. He tried to be optimistic; at least he was getting an education in how it must feel to be human. How inconvenient things were without magic! He guessed he now knew why humans were obsessed with moulding and controlling their environment. With no true understanding of how the forces of nature worked, Haku supposed the world appeared cruel and callous. Indeed, it was at times, as Haku knew well. However, this fundamental misunderstanding of the environment had lead to catastrophic consequences.

Humans had begun to view the natural world as a foe they had to battle against; something to conquer and bend to their will. As they were only pitiful humans, no spirit with which they had once shared the world had bothered to change their view or was inclined to ease their existence. They had been arrogant and seen themselves as above the weak and short-lived creatures that had suddenly begun to grow in numbers, but they had made a grave error in judgement. Humans were not weak; their tenacious will to survive was so strong it was almost intimidating. They had only a few years and seemed determined to make use of every breath of them. Generation quickly learnt from generation and the human race progressed at frightening speed, with virtually no guidance from those who were older and supposedly wiser. By the time it was realised that humans could be a threat it was too late. The rift between the races was unbridgeable. Not that Haku had cared about any of those things when they were happening. It was not until a little girl had dropped her shoe into him that he even bothered to notice things had changed.

Haku had to hold his breath for a moment. Even thinking of his mate brought on heartache so strong it was now akin to physical agony. He understood Chihiro a little more now; he realised the burden she carried in being with him. In loving him she had all her human frailties shown up in sharp and cruel contrast on a daily basis. She had no power that he had not granted her. She would age, she would someday die, she tired quickly and her body was firmly tied to the laws of gravity. She needed to eat and drink frequently to survive if she was hurt it took time for her to heal without help... Yet she endured all this and blessed him with warm smiles and gentle kisses. It had been all those harsh differences that had made her reluctant to accept her own feelings and his love. He had thought such ideas endearing, now he knew a little of what she must have felt like.

In loving him there was also an element of guilt. He knew she felt ashamed of the animosity between their races. He had tried to assure her that that burden should not be hers. She was not responsible for the actions of others. But she had felt shame, none the less, at the folly of her own kind; ignorance was only a partial excuse.

In spite of all this, she loved him, and the depth of emotion he saw shining in her eyes at times had humbled him. She worried about him and wanted to please him even though he thought these should be his concerns alone. He loved her desperately, and she was possibly about to be snatched from him.

Kenshin was going to neutralise her by wiping her memory and removing both quest and purpose from her mind. Haku forced down the rage that suddenly heated his blood. The emotion would not help him and could cause him to panic again. Instead, he ploughed his aggression into another activity. He sat cross-legged and straightened his back then exhaled and cleared his mind. He concentrated on the barrier he could feel between himself and the source of his power. It was a bit like trying to dig through mortar with a spoon. It was slow and tiring work. His weak attacks against the fibres of the barrier had almost no effect. Almost; he could feel it fraying slightly with each weak pluck at it. Even a small hole would give him enough power to remove the barrier entirely. But he had to make the hole first.

The door rattled open. Haku kept his eyes closed; he knew who his visitor would be without looking. Only one person ever came to see him between meals. Haku had no idea why his captor visited him. Perhaps he liked to gloat, though he never had indulged in it in Haku's presence; on the contrary, Kenshin was very apologetic about his imprisonment. Maybe it was fear. Haku certainly would be unmerciful if he got free, and Kenshin was weakening by the day. Haku liked to think that the visits were out of shame. The spirit knew he was going to cause great suffering in the pursuit of his ideal world. He saw the casualties as a regrettable necessity. He had been a warrior for a long time, and he still thought like one. The innocent always died in war; it was sad but inevitable. But that did not mean the spirit did not feel guilty.

Perhaps Haku was inadvertently providing the condemnation Kenshin secretly thought he deserved. Haku sighed. He wished he could not see the spirit's point of view, but he could. If the worlds were one, his mate would have her parents near her. She would not feel inferior or ashamed of her humanity; they would all inhabit the same world. Humans would see the consequences of their ways and change their attitude or risk hurting themselves. Spirits would no longer be able to ignore humans and would be forced into co-existing with them. It sounded good, but at such a price? There would be heavy losses on both sides and how long would the new world need to recover from its bloody birth? How long before things approached normality again? Decades? Centuries? Millennia? It was not worth it, in Haku's opinion. Then again, killing only one human had sent him into self-imposed isolation for centuries. How many had Kenshin killed? Maybe life was not seen as something precious by him. Perhaps in Kenshin's case, life was something to be endured.

Kenshin cleared his throat. As always, Haku ignored him. Kenshin was more vocal if he was ignored, filling the unsettling silence with talk of inconsequential matters. Haku guessed that on some level the spirit may be lonely. Well, with only shadow spirits and Yubaba for company, Haku could not blame him. Even if the only alternative company would happily disembowel him, it had to be better than Yubaba.

"You appear to be almost fully healed," said Kenshin in a low tone. "I am sorry about the lack of fish in your meals recently, but I am sure you can appreciate I have little power to waste on trivialities."

Haku continued to fumble at the fabric of the barrier spell.

"You are being industrious again, I see," said Kenshin blandly. Haku could have sworn the air spirit found the situation amusing, though his voice held no mirth. How the deranged spirit could find the fact that he was still trying to break the barrier funny was beyond Haku.

"I suppose I can't dissuade you from your activities with horrific anecdotes of other spirits who used their life energy up in similar situations? Dying that way is agony."

"I'm nowhere near my limit yet," Haku thought at his captor. "And it would be pointless to exhaust myself. I want to be able to help Chihiro when I get free, not burden her."

"Of course," drawled Kenshin, "I have been in your situation a number of times. I admit that I would be doing exactly the same thing."

Silence greeted that admission.

Haku heard the spirit move closer and contemplated taking a snap at him. His remaining teeth were strong and sharp. He could rip a limb off easily. As distasteful as he found the idea, he knew he would do it in a heartbeat if it meant his freedom. But in reality, he knew well that Kenshin would never allow himself to be so much as scratched, despite Haku's weakness. Air spirits were notoriously fleet of foot. Also, even if by some cosmic fluke Haku managed to maim his enemy, it would not mean his freedom; and would worsen an already dire situation.

"I admire your tenacity," said Kenshin softly. "Then again, considering what you stand to lose it is understandable."

A warning growl forced its way from between Haku's painfully clenched teeth.

"I can see the attraction," Kenshin continued, undaunted. "I have been watching her when the witch has been spying on her. I have grown fond of her and even her companions. She represents all that is good in the human race."

Haku was listening in spite of himself, barrier momentarily forgotten; he kept his eyes closed hoping the spirit would not notice.

"She is courageous, kind-hearted and has a generous nature. She has a pure soul, still unstained despite the hardships she has endured."

Haku slowly opened his eyes and stared at the ancient spirit. Kenshin was leaning against the wall of the cell, not three paces from him. He had his arms folded, shoulder blades braced against the rough stone. He was looking at his feet. His matt black hair was slightly dishevelled and his dark tunic and trousers were rumpled as if he had slept in them.

Haku blinked, eyes adjusting to the fading light. He could see blue veins running under what looked like deathly pale skin in the spirit's hands and neck. Kenshin was beginning to show the strain his gargantuan spell was putting him under. Haku wondered if Kenshin would have been able to even survive his spell if he had not had Haku's power to draw on. What really gave Haku pause, however, was the warmth in the spirit's normally emotionless voice when he spoke of Chihiro. It was certainly not how any spirit in their right mind would describe an opponent.

As if sensing Haku's puzzlement, Kenshin looked up and treated Haku to a thin smile that did not touch his ancient eyes.

"You seem surprised. I've told you before; I bear your mate no ill will, dragon. I am actually in awe she has made it so far, despite my best efforts to turn her back. Then again, I suppose she would have to be an extraordinary human to claim a dragon's attention in the first place." The air spirit lifted his head higher and stood up straight. "You met her as a child, did you not? Did you decide she was yours then? Or was it not until she was mature that you thought to claim her?"

Haku was not taken in by the topic of the conversation. Kenshin wanted him to reminisce about his cherished mate in the hope he may reveal something that could be used against Chihiro. No doubt Yubaba had told Kenshin everything she knew. Now Kenshin was seeking new sources of information. Haku narrowed his eyes in anger and glared up at the detached grey eyes of the Night Wind. Kenshin raised a black eyebrow in response.

"Not that it matters," he said with a shrug. "I can ask her when she gets here." He smirked mirthlessly at Haku. "Well, I can until I use the water bull on her that is..."

Haku snarled, bearing his teeth. He managed to remain still, however; he needed all his energy for the barrier.

"I would have thought you would be pleased that I intend no harm to her. A memory wipe will remove all trace of her quest and thoughts of you that would drive her to act against me." Kenshin frowned down at him. "Are you not being selfish, dragon?" One would hope the safety of your enchanting little mate and your unborn offspring would be of paramount importance to you."

Haku sneered at Kenshin in response. A memory wipe with a water bull was so thorough it was permanent. If the spirit wanted to temporarily sabotage Chihiro's plans then there were other, gentler ways.

"Your own mating bond and protective spells prevent the use of less invasive incantations, Kohaku," said Kenshin quietly, apparently guessing what he was thinking.

Haku paled. The spirit was quite right; Chihiro was laden with protective magic. Many were held in her Tac'Tal, others he had cast on her directly, normally without her knowledge. Add to that the spells Rin, Linca, Zeniba and possibly even Meeka and the Nygel had cast... she would indeed be a difficult target for malignant spells. A water bull's magic was ancient and strong; it was not something any of them would have thought she would come into contact with. They could not possibly ward her against everything and the beasts were incredibly rare! It had never entered his head that she would need such protection.

"You need not fear for her, Haku," said Kenshin gently. "I will ensure she is well taken care of." He rested a hand on his chest in a gesture of sincerity that was not reflected in his eyes. "I will treat her with great care and respect. As if she was my own-"

Kenshin stopped mid-sentence, catching himself in the act of divulging personal information. Haku had hoped for this, but he had never imagined hearing something that would shock him so.

Kenshin wanted his mate?

That was impossible; she was bonded to him. Even with a wiped memory, she would still need him and only him. Surely Kenshin knew that?

Kenshin sighed and stood.

"I am weary and it is making my clumsy," he murmured, scratching the back of his head.

Haku continued to stare at him, at a loss for what to say. Kenshin smirked at him.

"Well played, Kohaku. You drew information from me when it was I attempting to get it from you. Commendable, but the knowledge you now have will merely unsettle you. Indeed, this was not something I planned at all." He shrugged as if unconcerned. "The regard I have for your mate is undeniable. My mother knows me well and chose her weapon well. I cannot kill her, thus I will treat her as a valued object and protect both you and her from the aftermath of the convergence of worlds. When things return to relative normalcy then I will let you get reacquainted... I wish to see her happy."

The ancient spirit turned and began to move towards the door. Haku's mind finally recovered and began to function once more. He was surprised to discover that he was quite calm.

"No matter how you treat her, she will never love you," he found himself whispering.

Kenshin halted and his shoulders slumped.

"I am aware of that, Kohaku; painfully aware," he sighed, then shook his head so his untidily braided hair swung from side to side. "Even so I will take whatever she has left to give. Keeping her happy and keeping her safe will suffice." The spirit's shoulders slumped further under Haku's incredulous gaze. "I envy you, Kohaku. To be loved so fiercely by such a human must be a blessing you thank the universe for every day."

"Yes," Haku said simply.

"It is a blessing I have never had," murmured the ancient spirit. He peered back over his shoulder. "Don't begrudge me borrowing her for a while," he said with a cold smile. "Very few things interest me; but she interests me. She is a diversion I cannot resist."

The spirit left.

Haku stared at the locked door. Part of him was oddly complimented that a spirit such as the Night Wind had had his withered heart touched by Chihiro. It showed how charming and desirable she was. The more animalistic side of him wanted to rip out the cold grey eyes that had coveted what was his. He was mainly perplexed, however. What did the spirit intend to do with her? Kenshin's partiality for her had saved her from actual harm, but now the spirit was possibly playing a much more subtle game. Had the cunning demon let his intentions towards Chihiro slip deliberately? If so, for what purpose? Haku decided he had no chance of guessing the spirit's true plan and was better off focusing his energy on the barrier. Jealousy was not a luxury he could afford. He had to save his mate and child from Kenshin. Suddenly Hakuwondered why Kenshin had not strengthened the barrier before he left. He had known Haku was tampering with it. It was another puzzle he was not up to solving. Kenshin could say and do as he pleased. From that moment on, Hakulived for one purpose; to gain his power back.

Kenshin watched the slightly distorted image flicker in the crystal ball. The witch's gnarled hands passed again over the surface of the ball. Blood red painted nails glided over the ball almost lovingly.

"That's the best I can do," she murmured softly. Her large eyes were closed in concentration and her brow was even more furrowed than normal.

"The barrier is interfering," she sighed. Kenshin nodded. It would do. He really only needed to confirm that Chihiro was detained. The view in the ball was that of the window of the room she was held in. Yubaba had told him of Rinako's past life as an Oiran, so he had sent the witch to ensure that the former concubine returned home and to negotiate with the snake Lord Hikaru, who had once been her keeper. He had demanded Chihiro's safe passage, though Rinako could remain behind.

Kenshin planned on slowly removing Chihiro's companions so she would be alone when she faced him. It would not do for her to travel alone, however, so the land spirit, horse thing and the other human could remain with her a little longer. The lands she still had to travel through could be lethal to a lone human. She would need their protection. Kenshin reflected that there was an element of truth in what he had told the dragon. He wished the human no harm and did think her courageous. His ruse in the dragon's cell had had one aim; to break the dragon's resolve. Kenshin needed the power he drained from the dragon and he did not have the strength to spare to reinforce the barrier that prevented the dragon from using his own power. It was beneath him perhaps to play such games but it was the only weapon he had apart from violence and the dragon did not deserve to be beaten senseless.

Kenshin had been angry that Yubaba had let his plans for Chihiro slip to the dragon. It made talking to him difficult and had increased the dragon's determination to escape. So Kenshin decided that he had to play the pathetic mad spirit before the dragon now; envious of what was his and thinking of claiming the brave human as his own. It was not much and the act sickened him slightly, but the groundwork in this new strategy was important. When Haku actually saw his mate and she did not know him then the seeds Kenshin now sowed would sprout and drain the fight out of the dragon. At best Kenshin hoped he would gain time to complete his spell. If the dragon got loose before that then all would be for nought. The view in the ball moved and he finally caught sight of what he wanted to see. Chihiro was sat with her back supported against the wall, arms folded. She was asleep, eyes closed, head lolling to one side slightly. Kenshin found a smile creeping over his lips.

She was a brave little thing, but so fragile. He knew the moment he first saw her in Yubaba's ball that she was special, but it was not until he actually met her that he realised how extraordinary she was. Of course, when he sent the Rocs to cut the bridge he did not then know she was with child, he only learned that later through spying on the small group. It was at that point he decided he could not use the rough tactics he had planned to employ. He was not heartless. A mother-to-be needed gentle treatment. No, he would try to delay her as much as possible instead, and then he would make her forget why she fought to get to him in the first place. The same did not go for her companions though. It already appeared that the big human male was damaged and Rinako was not in the room.

Luckily the jezebel of a land spirit appeared to be hale and he knew the horse thing was waiting outside the citadel. The little human stirred in her sleep and sighed. Kenshin smiled again. Maybe the pathetically jealous act he performed for Kohaku was not all an act. Now that was an issue that needed exploring. Was he drawn to the human he could see in the depths of the crystal? He remembered their first meeting with fondness. Though terrified, she had starred challengingly into the blackness. She was completely blind in the inky dark but refused to back down to him. She intrigued him and the more he saw of her the more intrigued he became. Jealousy was the wrong term for what he felt; he was curious. She inspired protective instincts in him too, though he was not sure why.

"She seems in good health, considering," murmured Yubaba. Kenshin did not miss the slightly scolding tone in her voice. The witch was less than pleased by his plans.

"What would you have me do, Yubaba?" he asked frankly, not taking his eyes from the image in the ball. "I am unable to kill her outright as she is on a holy quest. My own mother would be able to strike me down if I did that."

"You could imprison her somewhere," said the witch in a small voice, her eyes slowly opening. She was still very careful about criticising him openly. "I don't think it is a good thing, letting her come here."

The picture faded from the crystal.

"Prisoners create their own problems," said Kenshin, straightening up. "It's only a matter of time before our own prisoner frees himself." Yubaba winced at the mention of Haku's possible escape. She continued to press her point, however.

"She is just a human. Keeping her locked up will be easy compared to the dragon."

Kenshin threw his head back and laughed cynically at the witch's words.

"I am not wrong about this!" the witch half snapped. "She is the Old Ones' tool; she should not be permitted to get to this fortress. Using the water bull is needlessly complicated."

Kenshin stopped laughing but the smirk would not leave his lips.

"Do you fear her, Yubaba?" he asked, unable to resist taunting the witch.

"Of course not!" snorted the witch indignantly.

"Then you are concerned for her welfare?" he pushed.

"HA!" scoffed the witch. "I want to see the little wench dead and buried. I just worry that you are treating her too gently. You are allowing your enemy too close to you before dealing with her. Your mother chose her for a reason. You should keep your distance from her until the spell is complete."

Kenshin straightened and folded his arms, irritated the witch thought he was acting on instinct rather than on the product of deep and careful contemplation.

"Humans have a saying, Yubaba," Kenshin said, stifling a yawn. He was tired again even though he had only been awake a few hours. "Keep your friends close and your enemies closer."

"That is human nonsense," the witch protested.

"Besides," said Kenshin more sincerely. "Once I have finished with her she will see me as an ally, not an enemy. I will make the tool of the Old Ones my tool."

"Tool? For what purpose?" challenged the witch. Kenshin thought he really must be tired. He was not used to feeling anger, but the emotion flared up from his well-guarded heart momentarily. It must have shown in his eyes because the witch cowered away from him. The pathetic sight was all he needed to quench the flames. The emotion was pointless. He knew the witch was just frightened of the consequences of what she had started. He needed her as an ally while he was weak, so he answered her.

"She will keep the dragon in line and will be a thorn in the side of my mother," he said evenly. "Chihiro will be in my thrall and while she is, the dragon will behave."

Yubaba opened her mouth to argue.

"Peace, Yubaba," sighed Kenshin, rubbing his temples. "All will be well. I am not about to take foolish risks when I am so close to my goal. I feel for the girl but I am not going to let her remain my enemy. Nor am I going to lose my focus over a pretty face and a pair of bold eyes." He treated the witch to a penetrating glare. "Or did you feel that I was so dull-witted that I would try to bed her, despite the fact she is mate to another?"

"I... I thought no such thing!" spluttered the witch.

"I assure you, Yubaba," said Kenshin in a low tone. "I am not underestimating her." He gave the witch a chilling smile. "I learned a long time ago that a female can be much more deadly than a male. They are a much more subtle and careful opponent." He inclined his head to the witch. "My mother taught me that." He clamped his jaw shut, annoyed at himself again for letting his bitter feelings show, but he was unable to repress them. He bowed and muttered his thanks to the witch for aiding him once again. He walked wearily down the hall to his room. He needed rest.

Though he had let his emotions get the best of him; what he had said was true. He would not trust Chihiro even when she had her memory taken. He did not trust Yubaba either. As much as she denied it, he knew she did not want Chihiro to have her memory erased. She liked the human on some level. Kenshin thought Chihiro may have a gift for charming people; perhaps that was what his mother hoped for... that she would charm her misguided son into abandoning his quest.

"It is too late, mother," he murmured at the marble floor beneath him feet. "I will pursue this path to whatever end it leads me, even if that end is my own end." Suddenly he doubled over, nearly crying in pain as his spell drew more power from him. He held his breath and let the agony wash over him. When it passed he shuffled painfully up the corridor and sank to the floor of his bed-chamber, too weak to even move the last few steps to his bed. Blackness rushed towards him and he welcomed it. In that blackness, not even his mother could hurt him.

Oiran -The highest class of prostitute in Japan, very similar to western courtesans. Wiki it, or watch the fantastic film 'Sakuran' if you want to know more, (based on the manga of the same name.)