Training

Haku smiled as he watched Chihiro and her parents walk through the gate back to the Human World. He had done all that he could for her; now she would have to take care of herself. But it wouldn't be long before they would again meet. With his name back, Haku was free to leave the bathhouse at any time he liked. All that he needed to do was have the dreaded confrontation with Yubaba, which was a thing that makes any spirit, no matter how powerful they are, cringe. But for him and Chihiro, he would go forward.

And so he returned to the rest of the spirits. They were still celebrating Sen's passing the test and being able to go to her true home. Though for her closest friends, that parting was bittersweet. The spirits all knew that a human's place was back in her own world. But while she had been there, Sen had earned the respect and friendship of those she had touched through her kindness, bravery, and strength.

'Who would have thought a human child could change that dramatically,' Haku thought, 'When she first came here, Chihiro was a scared little girl who never did anything on her own. However, after her stay, she had become a hard working woman who would do anything to help out those she cared for. She could have very well just asked me to help her return home; abandoning her parents. But she knew what she had to do and rose to the occasion. That's something about humans we spirits should emulate.'

S...S

When the celebration had winded down, Haku went upstairs to see Yubaba. She was sitting at her desk and looking quite miserable. Then again, she always looked quite miserable. Haku wondered how in the world she and Zeniba were related, he'd never have gotten off so lightly with only promising to protect a girl if he'd stolen one of Yubaba's trinkets. He sighed, best to get this over with for Chihiro.

"So what is it Haku? You know that I'm still quite mad at you for that little stunt you pulled with me last night. Since when do you backtalk me? And honestly, what do you see in that one human girl? If she were a spirit, then I'd be able to understand what you're going through. But a human?" she asked.

Haku stated, "Yubaba, Chihiro has done me a great service. When she was a child, she fell into a river and was saved by its guardian. That river has now been dredged over by humans; leaving the young dragon homeless and trapped. I was the guardian of that river; the Kohaku River! I know my name because of what she has remembered. Now, my contract is void and I can return to be with her."

He'd thought of about a million expected reactions that Yubaba might show; the least violent of them being the scene where she burned him with magical fire over and over again. But he'd never expect the old crone to suddenly begin laughing. "You foolish boy! Don't you know what happens when a human leaves the Spirit World? If humans knew about where we live, then there'd be a massive war and both worlds would be laid to waste. That is why no human can return home with their memory intact. Sen is going to return to her past existence, maybe having learned a little more about being grown up from this, without knowing who you are. So regardless of when you fulfill your little promise, it's futile."

"There has got to be a way!" exclaimed Haku, "Some way for certain humans to retain memory of the Spirit World. Certainly, there have been times when human warriors might need to know more about the supernatural in order to protect their own homes and families. If that's the case, I can help her to remember me. She still has the hairpiece Zeniba spun with the help of No-Face, Buu, and your Yu-bird! That's a memory of the Spirit World right there; containing the protection of her friends as if they were with her when she needed them. So why can't I use that in order to help her regain her memories; just her."

"My sister always said that you never truly forget what happened to you and the people you meet, you just have to wait for it to come back to you. Or something stupid like that. If she truly has an artifact from the Spirit World, then there is a way to draw out her memory from inside of it. But, the spell is quite difficult to learn; only the most advanced sorcerers and witches can teach you how to cast it," she said.

Haku knew where this conversation was going. The shrewd old woman knew just how to dig her claws into you and not let go. So he told her, "You want me to work for you in return for you teaching me how to cast the spell. Then, when I learn it, my contract will be up and I can go and search for Chihiro."

Yubaba looked the spirit boy right in the eye. "You've got it Haku. I'll warn you now that this is going to take years of touch training; you can quit at any time but remember that without your river or that girl remembering you, there's nothing for you out there. If you're up for this training, then I agree to let you go once it's over. But if you give up midway through, you will belong to me for the rest of eternity."

Haku nodded his head, anything to get Chihiro back. By the time he was finished, she'd probably be old enough to date in human terms; now that he thought about it, she probably would feel funny telling her parents that she had a boyfriend when she was only ten. This was his only chance at seeing her again and by every Great Spirit in the universe he would take it! Haku was never known as a quitter.

S...S

It took five long years for Haku to finish his brutal training; which he believed had been kicked up a notch so Yubaba could try to force him into quitting. But through it all, he was kept going by the very thought of one day being able to return to the Human World and see Chihiro. He imagined she had grown into a beautiful teenage girl by this time. Soon, Haku would be able to confirm what he believed.

"At last I've mastered the spell," Haku told Yubaba one day, "Now it's your turn to keep your end of the bargain. As you promised, I would only work for you as long as it took me to learn from you. Now that the training has ended, I will depart to visit Chihiro and help her to regain the memories she has lost."

"Fine! Then go! You'd better not come whining back to me when things go wrong! A human with a Spirit; unheard of!" Yubaba yelled after him. Haku just ignored her ranting and raving, not like she was used to not getting her way. But this was not just about him. He wanted Chihiro to live her life to the fullest. From what he'd heard, humans who lose their memory of the Spirit World tend to always know that something was missing in their lives. Now, he would help Chihiro to become a complete person.

Teefa's Last Words...

Well, this is an idea that just popped into our heads. It heats up, literally, soon. Basically, we're fans of romances that involve a lot of shit hitting the fan. I've lost count of the number of times the principle pairing in my fics have dealt with issues. Can't say never as severe cuz I did do one with amnesia once and a lot of trouble came out of it.