Resilience of the Soul {Fanfiction-sequel Book 3}

The Ceremony

A/N- This is a long one folks, you have been warned. Check out the great art at the end!

Linca woke Chihiro at dawn.

"Come on sleepyhead!" she crowed. "The sun is up, there is 2 foot of snow on the ground and your body is mine for the next three hours. All males have left the premises and will not return. By the time they see you again at the temple, you will be looking immaculate."

Chihiro suffered Linca's ministrations with good humour. She was bathed and rubbed with scented oils from head to toe. Then Linca styled her hair. The sprite piled up the human's hair on her head, pinning it with diamond-studded pins. Then she started to braid loose ends into complex loops. She even worked in a small hair ornament, a snowflake made from pure crystal filigree. It flashed and sparkled against Chihiro's dark hair.

"Wonderful," sighed Linca when she had finished her creation. Chihiro had to admit, she had never seen her hair look so good.

"Now don't go fiddling with it or I shall have to use magic to keep it in place. Now, where is Rin? I'm doing her rat's nest next."

"Wha... Oh no you're not. I'm just braiding my hair back!" snapped Rin who had started to edge towards the door Linca stepped towards her and she bolted. Linca chased after her, brandishing a bristle brush and carrying hairpins clamped between her determined blue lips.

Zeniba poured the human a cup of tea and moved to a cupboard in the corner. She removed a garment on a hanger, hidden by a black cloth. Chihiro eyed it suspiciously.

"Wait till you have your undergarments on and your make up, then you can see it," said Zeniba kindly.

Chihiro removed her bathrobe and slipped on a sheer black silk vest and a pair of ridiculous looking bloomer-like knickers that Zeniba handed her. It was traditional for the family of the female to provide her garment. She was not allowed to even see it until the day of the ceremony. Chihiro had no idea what kind of garment would require her to wear undergarments that made her hips look much bigger than they already were. Zeniba sat her down and started to apply her cosmetics. She painted Chihiro's lips dark, cherry red and shaded her eyes with earthy tones, spreading the colour right up to her eyebrows. Zeniba then applied powder to her face, making the human look paler, and just a hint of blush to the cheeks. Chihiro had never liked make-up that much but at least the effect was reasonably subtle. If Linca had done her face, Chihiro was quite sure the spirit would have applied face paints with a garden trowel and she would have ended up looking like a cross between a geisha and Cleopatra.

Zeniba then opened an ornate pewter jar that hissed when opened. Chihiro recognised the contents; dragon scales.

"They are actually Haku's. I took the liberty of borrowing a few, last time he was here; they are good for potions. I probably should have asked but they were just lying on my path."

She removed one of the thumb-sized pearlescent scales. Chihiro examined it closely; it was almost translucent; she could see the shadow of her finger through it. It had a slight iridescent sheen on the surface that caught the light, sending pinks and purples dancing across its surface. She always thought he was stunning in his dragon form and that scale oil Rin had given him had come in very handy. She smiled to herself; the last time she had demanded to check him over he had wrapped his sinuous body around her and held her there like a python with its prey. He had held her there until she apologised and then released her. He had told her that all she had to do was ask nicely and next time she could inspect his scales at her leisure. He did so enjoy her clambering all over him. She chuckled to herself at the memory. He really was tolerant of her and she had not been frightened when the scale-covered body had looped around her, in fact... it had been... well... quite... sensual.