Hello. This is my very own Spirited Away oneshot. I haven't written anything for a long time and certainly never a oneshot, so I was surprised when the inspiration hit me. If you're familiar with my stories, then I'm glad you're reading this one. If you've never read my stories before, then I suggest you go read my other ones, too. So here is my first writing endeavor in quite a while. Let me know what you think about it.

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The Promise

"Haku. . ." Chihiro mumbled as she sat at her window, looking out at the night sky.

It had been eight years since they'd said goodbye. Eight long years. And not a single day passed when she didn't remember. His gentle eyes, his warm hand, his soothing voice: The very thought of him was enough to make her heart beat faster, harder.

'Will we meet again sometime?'

'Sure we will.'

'Promise?'

'Promise. Now go and don't look back. . .' Those words kept repeating themselves in Chihiro's head. That was the last thing Haku had said to her before she let go of his hand, before she walked out of his life.

"You made me a promise Haku. When will you keep it?"

She looked down at the purple ponytail holder she held gently in her hands. Even after all of these years, it still sparkled like new. It comforted her, protected her, and in her heart it connected her to that amazing world she'd left behind so long ago. She still remembered it so clearly. She yearned for it, she yearned for him. She yearned for Haku.

After she'd returned to her world, there was moving in the new house and going to school and growing up. There were new friends and even boyfriends. But somewhere in the back of her mind, she was still hoping for Haku. None of her relationships lasted because none of them were the right guy. None of them were Haku. She could still hear him softly speaking her name, whispering it to her on the wind that drifted into her room through the open window.

When would she see him again? Would she ever see him again? Those emerald eyes, those verdant tresses, that wonderful smile. She was haunted by the memories of that beautiful boy and that fantastical adventure. Yet all she could do was live the life she had, hoping for a chance to experience something more once again.

"Chihiro," her mother said as she stood in her doorway. "Are you daydreaming again, honey?"

Chihiro sighed and shot her mother a sad glance. "Mom, have you ever had the feeling that you were meant for something more? No, meant for something different?"

Her mother smiled and crossed the room. "Of course I have. We all have dear," she said as she took the ponytail holder out of her daughter's hands and used it to pull her hair up.

"Really? When?"

"When I met your father. I knew that I was meant to be with him. He was different from the other guys I had dated, but I just knew that it was right. And here I am, many years later. The thing is Chihiro, if it is meant to be then it will be. Your father and I were meant to be."

"If it's. . .meant to be?" Chihiro said softly. She looked up at her mother's smiling face and found the strength to smile back.

Her mother pushed her bangs aside and gently kissed her forehead. "You should get some sleep honey. It's getting late."

Her mother walked back to the door. "Wait, mom."

"Yes?" her mother asked as she stopped and looked back at her.

"Thank you. Goodnight."

"Goodnight."

Her mother closed the door behind herself. Chihiro looked out of the window once more and pondered her mother's words.

"If it's meant to be?" she whispered. "Tell me, Haku. Are we. . .meant to be?"

She left the window open and turned off her lamp before climbing into her bed. Haku was the last thing she thought of before she drifted off to sleep. It was an uneasy sleep. She just knew, for some reason, that something was going to happen. Was this feeling just a wish? Or was it something more?

"Chihiro," she could hear a faint voice whisper to her heart. "I promised. . ."

With a gasp, Chihiro sat straight up in her bed.

"Haku?!" she said as she ran to her window and looked out of it. She could make out the figure of a man standing beneath her window, looking up at her. She saw his emerald eyes in the moonlight. Her heart began beating wildly, erratically. Her feet were glued to that spot as she stared down at the man, the one who still had her heart after all of these years and had never given it back.

He held out his hand to her from where he stood on the ground. Without a moment's hesitation, she hurried to her door and rushed out, leaving it open in her wake, She hurried down the stairs two at a time and made it to the front door. She paused as her hand hovered over the doorknob.

'When I open this door, will he still be there? Or has all of this been a lovely dream?'

She took in a deep breath before grasping the doorknob and turning it, pulling the door open. Her heart sank as she walked outside and closed the door behind herself. Chihiro didn't see Haku. Did he leave? Or was he never really there at all? She watched as her tears hit the ground, as her heart broke all over again. As she lost Haku.

"Chihiro," she heard the familiar voice say. She looked up through her damp fringe of eyelashes and saw Haku standing in front of her. "Don't cry," he said as he cradled her face with his hand, ran his thumb down her cheek as he wiped away her tears.

"H-Haku. . ." she choked as she looked into those amazing eyes of the man that wonderful boy had become. He'd become so devastatingly handsome. His hair seemed to have grown longer and he had it pulled back. She yearned to touch it. But she resisted as she looked up into those familiar eyes and smiled weakly, but sincerely.

He held out his hand to her once more and she took it. And then they began to run. They ran together through the town. There were cars and lights and colors and people and it was all a blur to Chihiro. The only thing she could truly see was Haku running in front of her, holding tightly to her hand. She'd never ran so fast and so far in her life, and yet she wasn't the least bit tired. She was too excited for that. She didn't know where Haku was taking her, but she didn't care as long as she was with him.

They came to a stop in the middle of the woods. It was dark and quiet and secluded. But she wasn't scared, was she? No, after all, she was with Haku. The moonlight cutting through the trees revealed the familiar tunnel. A familiar boy, a familiar forest, and a familiar passage way into a familiar world. Had she ever felt this happy in her entire life? Haku still held onto her hand and she held onto his. Together, they made their way into the dark tunnel.

Slowy they walked side by side, savoring their time together. There was no rush. It'd been eight years after all. They wanted to get this right, to savor these precious moments. As they came out of the tunnel, the beautiful meadow greeted them with the rush of a cool breeze. The moon illuminated everything in a beautiful glow. Chihiro felt so peaceful, so at ease.

"Come," Haku whispered in her ear suddenly. She felt a pleasant chill run down her spine. She was finally back, she was finally with him.

In the end, all she could do to repond to him was nod. Chihiro watched as Haku transformed into a dragon right in front of her eyes. Had she ever seen something so wonderful occur? He looked at her with those same striking eyes, telling her to climb on. Again, she nodded and climbed onto the amazing dragon, wrapping her arms around him tightly, never wanting to let go.

And then they lifted off. They soared through the air together, Chihiro and Haku. It was like a wonderful dream that Chihiro never wanted to wakeup from. 'Is this. . .Is this real?' she asked herself for what felt like the hundreth time since she'd spotted Haku through her window.

As if he were reading her thoughts, Haku nodded as they continued to fly, blissful and completely content. Chihiro wasn't afraid at all as she looked down at the ground so far below. Haku would keep her safe, she knew it. She ran her hand down him, along his scales. They were smooth and beautiful, shining and shimmering. Haku was amazing. And he was hers, wasn't he? Yes, he was hers.

The stars sparkled for them, the moon smiled at them, the wind followed them, and the night welcomed them. Chihiro could see the train moving along beneath them. It was the same train that she'd been on so long ago. She remembered everybody she'd seen during her ride. She remembered the strange shadows without faces she'd encountered on that train, the wonder of such a world different from her own.

She remembered a little girl standing near the train. Even though there were no eyes visible, she could feel them looking into her own. She could remember that. Chihiro noticed a river, such a beautiful and clear river. It reminded her of Haku, of the beauty of him, so beautiful like water. And she noticed houses with lights on inside that somebody called their home.

Chihiro felt so warm, still caressing Haku as she sighed happily. He was so warm, so wonderful, so free. She wanted to be like that. And maybe with Haku, she could be. They finally came to a lovely meadow by a river and landed. Chihiro reluctantly leapt off Haku's back and watched as he changed back to his normal form.

'Yes,' she thought. 'He really is very handsome.'

As he walked over to her, she felt her heart beat faster and faster. She didn't care what happened from here. Haku could do anything he wanted and she wouldn't have any complaints. He offered her his hand yet again and she took it without a second thought. He led her to a lovely spot by the river and sat down, bringing her down with him. He pulled her close and held her tightly. Chihiro laid her head against his chest and smiled.

This is what she'd been waiting for. She'd been waiting to hear the steady beating of Haku's heart beneath her ear, to know that he was real and that he was there. She finally reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. It was so soft, like heaven under her finger's embrace. She looked up at the night sky and wondered how this moment could possibly get any better.

Her thoughts were answered as Haku gently placed his hand under her chin and brought her head up, meeting her halfway with the sweetest, most wonderful kiss she could ever have. They stayed like that for what seemed like forever, a wonderful eternity together. There was no question about it. Chihiro would never leave Haku again. Not after she'd waited this long.

"You see," he said softly to her. "I kept my promise."

She smiled up at him gently. "Yes Haku, you did. You really did."

Chihiro's mother closed her bedroom door behind her and started down the hallway on her way to the bathroom. That was when she noticed her daughter's bedroom door was open.

"Chihiro?" she said as she entered the room. Her daughter wasn't there. She was nowhere to be seen. Walking over to the open window, she closed it and smiled. "If it is meant to be then it will be. Isn't that right, my Chihiro?"

She closed the door quietly behind her and continued down the hallway. She wasn't sure where her daughter was at the moment, but she wasn't worried. That was because she knew that wherever Chihiro was, she was finally happy. And that was the best thing of all.

Chihiro wasn't sure how Haku had made his way to her world or how she could return to his, but that didn't matter to her. What mattered was that she was here with him right now, at this moment. And that was enough for her.

"Haku?" Chihiro whispered against his chest, against his heart.

"Yes, Chihiro?"

"Will you stay with me forever?"

He smiled as he looked out at the river. "Of course I will."

"Do you promise?" she asked suddenly.

He laughed softly. "I promise."

"This. . .is meant to be. . ." she mumbled.

She slowly let her eyes drift closed, able to sleep peacefully for the first time in eight years. She would no longer be haunted by Haku's memory because he was here now. He was with her. Haku promised to stay with her. And he had yet to break a promise. The purple ponytail holder caught the moonlight and sparkled sweetly. Haku tightened his hold and rested his chin on top of her head.

"We are meant to be, Chihiro," he whispered into the night. "Forever."

Chihiro didn't hear him because she was fast asleep. But her heart heard him. . .And she smiled.

The End.