The Tunnel of Evil Dragon

The dragon blew on Chihiro and Haku, both unconscious from the force that the dragon used to redirect them. As the fierce and piercing smell of dragon breath settled in their noses, they abruptly woke up, startled.

"What is going on?" shouted Chihiro.

"I…I'm…I'm not sure." said Haku.

"But the important thing is that I know my little pretties." retorted the dragon.

"Where are you taking us?" demanded Haku.

"Yes, and why? We have done nothing wrong! If you wanted us dead, you could have left us for the vines! Please, let us be!"

After Chihiro finished this remark, she stood up and ran across the dragon's broad back. When she got to the edge, she made her legs continue moving, despite the fact that they knew what she was doing. As she fell into the abyss that was the dragon's tunnel, she realized what a foolish thing she'd just done. She fell slowly, a few inches at a time, and suddenly felt a tugging sensation on her back. Before she could blink, Haku secured his grip on her shirt, and brought her level with him once more.

"What were you thinking Chihiro! You could have died!" he yelled.

"I…I…I," she paused. "I don't know, I just wanted to get away from…from everything!" she cried.

She put her head to rest on Haku's shoulder, and he stroked her silken hair to comfort her. Unfortunately, this calming moment didn't last long, as the dragon did not like Chihiro's actions. He stopped flying, planted his feet on the ground, and stared back at the two of them, eyes glaring deep into their souls.

"You fools! You will pay for your delinquency! You will suffer the consequences!" he blared on and on.

The dragon lifted Chihiro with his foot, ripping her from Haku's arms. He took her quivering hands, spread them out, and placed them away from her frail body. He then opened his mouth, and breathed slowly, creating a hot invisible flame. He neared his jaws to her hands, slowly melting away the layers of skin one by one. Chihiro was in so much pain she didn't even think about moving, but Haku couldn't bear to watch.

He raced from his sitting position and morphed into his beastly form. His white fangs sunk into the dragon, and maroon liquid gushed out of the wound. The hurt dragon roared as loud as thunder which is directly above you, and lashed back with a whip-tail attack. Haku retreated, but quickly took back his ground with a huge bound, and snapped of his jaws at the opponent, mocking him. The already angry and bleeding dragon rushed at Haku with all his might, too strong for Haku to even imagine, so he simply flew up and maneuvered himself to avoid the attack. The dragon, who was now lodged deep inside the opposite rock wall, gave a deep moan, and then silenced his vocal cords.

Haku's body slowly shifted back to his human form, and slumped to the ground, exhausted. He was so tired from fending off the dragon that he completely forgot about Chihiro. She was over on the opposite side of the cave, also on the ground, silently sobbing. She was shaking violently, and her hand was a black like that of the night sky. It hurt her so much, and she knew she had to treat it, but she had nothing that she could think off.

Wait! she thought. What if I eat the mushroom? She knew it was risky, but she was desperate for help, and her hands would only get worse. She bent over, taking extra vigilance not to move her hands, and took the mushroom from her pocket with her teeth. She bit and bit, taking piece after piece, and slowly chewing and swallowing. She felt instantly better, but she knew her hands wouldn't be completely healed. As she ate all of her remaining mushroom, she could feel her body becoming stronger, and the pain was subsiding. She gazed down at her hands, and just like she predicted, they were the same color and texture. However, the pain was next to gone, and she could manipulate her fingers again. As she recovered from this horrific experience she prayed to the mushroom spirit, willing it to understand why she had done what did. She then quickly got up and rushed over to Haku, who was still unconscious. She shook him until a sound ruptured from his throat, and he slowly came back to life.

"Haku! Get up! We need to leave! Please, Haku, please!"

"Chi…hi…Ch…hir…o…. What…what happened to me? I remember fighting him, but why did I blackout?"

"Because you were so tired! You rammed into him and bit him! I…you…I love you Haku!"

Chihiro then ran in the direction they came from, and Haku slowly managed to catch up with her.

"Why are you running from me?"

Chihiro wouldn't respond, and continued to jog along the passage. This continued for an hour, until Chihiro was so exhausted, that she collapsed on the rock floor. She instantly fell into a deep sleep, and didn't wake for eleven hours. When she woke up, she stared into Haku's concerned eyes, and looked away. Then, five minutes later, Haku picked Chihiro up, and kissed her. Chihiro's spirits lifted, her adrenaline rushed through her body, and then she kissed him back. It was one of the best things Chihiro had ever felt. Her veins coursed with love, and her body felt as if it were in space; floating in a different world. When their lips unlocked, they stared deeply at each other for many minutes. They then grasped each other in a hug impenetrable by shame or doubt. They held onto the other's warmth until the light began to fade, and the night was kicking in. They then walked towards the exit, figuring they could get out by morning. As they walked, they held each other's hands, and continued at an even pace side by side. As the night was coming to a close, they came to a fork in the tunnel, and decided to go left. Chihiro was doubtful, but Haku reassured her that he could sense the way out with his magic. Chihiro, being the loving soul she is, believed him, and they continued until the light blazed bright from the fiery sun.

"Hello!" rasped a voice all too familiar to the two; it was the dragon.