20I WANT 20 REVIEWS OR ELSE! If I don't end up with 20 reviews after this chapter, then it stops and I start an all new TWILIGHT fanfic. I only updated this super short chapter because I already wrote it a long time ago.
NO MORE DISCLAIMERS!
Fowl Comtemplations
Chihiro gaped.
"A bird?," She asked, her voice going flat.
"Yes, a bird," The witch said calmly.
Personally, Chihiro thought this was the pinnacle of pigheaded behavior. She would be able to do quite a lot as a bird. Flying was always a good thing. She would also be a spirit (sort of)-this time she would be bound to the Spirit World because of who she was, and not a job contract. Food would never be a problem either. When all she might live off of be berries and miniature rodents, nobody's life would be in danger, except for the occasional rat of course. Then again, things might turn out to be different if she got turned into a chicken. "Maybe that's the point! Maybe she'll turn you into a really retarded bird like a turkey, and then eat you!," Chihiro started hyperventilating.
"I'm vegetarian," The witch said offhandedly, smirking.
Chihiro blinked back to reality, "When do I get to be human?"
"When the Sun is a full circle above the horizon," Myarandia replied.
"Why a bird?," Chihiro shot at her.
"I'm glad you asked," Myarandia replied, "Because most birds are prey rather than predator. Even a rare, powerful bird, might be caught for odd purposes by a stronger spirit. Of course, being a girl, you don't have much to worry about. It's usually the male birds that get captured and used for show purposes. But the common worry is that the bird will start taking over you."
"The bird will start taking over me?," Chihiro gasped, "What on earth do you mean by that?".
"I mean that the moment I turn into a bird, the bird's spirit will be within you, sort of like two lives within a single body, fighting for control-or maybe a multiple personality disorder. They're both fighting for dominance, and only one will win. That's usually the bird. That bird in you will start fighting for control the moment I turn you into one. While you are one, all rational thoughts will vanish, unless if you turn into an exceptionally clever bird, but that's not likely."
"What rational thoughts?," Chihiro asked, ignoring the jibe.
"Well, human thoughts. You mind will be consumed by the usual bird-brained thoughts that most birds have. You know, like eat, drink, sleep, and survive? Yes, those are exactly the types of thoughts average birds might have."
Chihiro-praying to be a brainy bird-asked, "When will it start taking control, and exactly what will happen to me?".
"It all depends on the power of the bird. When it starts to truly fight you, it will take all your willpower to change back. You know that the bird has consumed you when you can't change back anymore. Please don't ask me anymore questions; I'm not supposed to tell you all this anyway. If I tell you more, he'll get me," The witch replied, her voice rising with fear.
Chihiro was momentarily disarmed," Who's him?"
"I'd rather you didn't know. I hope that you never meet him," Myarandia spoke, her voice wise, though the undertone of fear was obvious.
Chihiro nodded, not really thinking about "him". If Haku had been here, he would have given her a berry, and she wouldn't be in this mess. Two hours into the Spirit World, and she was going to get turned into a-most likely- pea-brained bird. This was nothing near the ideas of eternal happiness that she had day-dreamed of with her Spirited friends. Personally, she hoped that one of them could get rid of this leechy bird spirit, but she dared not voice this out loud, just in case Myarandia might decide to use some unknown magic that none of them knew about.
"Has anyone ever survived?," Chihiro asked, fearing the answer.
"Just me," Myarandia smiled wryly.
Chihiro gasped, "How?".
"I just said no more questions," The witch said calmly.
Silence overwhelmed them for a few moments. Chihiro didn't think of anything but the masses of people-with families- who were nothing more that feathery fowls. Most of them were probably nothing more than featherballs now. Myarandia's voice broke through her train of thought a few moments later.
"I'm really sorry for this you know," Myarandia said, her apology seeming sincere.
Chihiro nodded, "Just get over it."
Myarandia raised her hands and muttered some mumbo-jumbo. It sounded really beautiful, it was a pity Chihiro had no idea what the witch was going on about. Then, Chihiro felt her words take effect. She started feeling warm all over, and it felt rather nice. And then she plunged into hell. She felt as if she was being squashed, as if her back was splitting in half, and like each of her bones were breaking apart and growing all over again in strange shapes. She felt like she had been dipped in scorching wax, and her skull had been punched inside and pulled back out simultaneously. It all took about 8 seconds.
When the torture vanished, Chihiro took a deep breath in. Eight seconds without air was not very excellent at all.
"Will this happen everytime I change?," Chihiro questioned, looking down at her scarlet plumage.
She thought she had coherently formed a question. What really occurred was a melodious cheeping sound. "Oh yeah, of course I can't talk normally now. I'm a bird. A pretty big one too; I don't think I shrunk. I guess I'm a spirit breed then," Chihiro thought looking down at the ground. She was still 5'6, maybe even taller that. Chihiro was pulled out of her thoughts when she suddenly recognized the tension in the air. She glanced up to see Myarandia's eyes wide with alarm. She was shaking her head back and forth in such a speed that Chihiro felt dizzy.
"Get out of here, NOW!," Myarandia rasped, her voice breaking
"But-," Chihiro began, but Myarandia interrupted her.
"No! Get out before I'm forced to open my eyes! If he sees what you are, it will surely be your end," Myarandia screeched with great ferocity.
Her voice frightened Chihiro so much, her bird-like instincts won over and she took off. She crashed through the ancient walls and flew high above the clouds. She felt strangely safe there, even with the thousand feet drop. She flew gracefully, aiming nowhere in particular. Finally, after aimlessly flying for a couple of hours, she noticed a couple of trees rising above the clouds. She must be flying over a forest. She swooped down and landed on a tree branch that was concealed by clouds.
"Huh, I must have a pretty high IQ. I remember everything. No fowl instincts yet. Now, how do I get rid- Ah caterpillar!," Chihiro viciously pecked at a passing caterpillar. After the innocent bug was no longer recognizable, Chihiro lost interest. "That was good, that was good. Now, where was I? That's right, I must get rid of this spell. Haku, Zeniba, Kamaji, Yubaba…no, maybe not Yubaba, she'll just lock me up as one her treasures," Chihiro thought, preening her glossy feathers. "I'm not sure where Haku is though. Do dragons eat birds? I suppose I'll just…" Chihiro let the thought trail off, and-ignoring a very appetizing squirrel-like creature- lifted off, this time in the direction of Swamp Bottom.
She remembered that to be where Zeniba's home was. She was quite sure that granny was the only one she could go to without causing much attention. She fervently hoped that she was right.
Author's Note: The bold message above is important.