It had been several weeks since Haku began working on his river. Chihiro had started school, and although the work load had increased substantially compared to her last school, she took comfort in her "dragon boyfriend" as Zaneba had put it. Chihiro also made one or two acquaintainces. They weren't quite friends, but it was getting there.
Chihiro stood in knee-deep water and scattered cherry blossom seeds onto the bank of the Kohaku River. Haku was swimming through the crystal clear water in his dragon form, enjoying his newfound freedom. As he swam under the water, he had a little idea. He smiled evilly, and snaked around Chihiro's legs. He rose up in front of her and spat a huge ploom of water into her face. "YOU EVIL LIZARD!" Chihiro screamed with a mouthful of water as Haku resumed his human form.
Haku laughed until his side hurt. "I couldn't resist." He said, tears coming out of his eyes. While she spat out water, Chihiro was happy within herself that Haku seemed so much more…lively…since he got his river back. Or was it something else? Chihiro was feeling strange impulses within her soul. Suddenly, a part of her snapped.
She turned around to face Haku, hormones raging. Haku was still laughing a bit, but looked up just in time to feel Chihiro grab him and kiss him…on the lips…passionately. Haku felt a release he had never felt before. All of his emotions came to a head and found their way out of him in the kiss he melted into. Chihiro didn't know what had overcome her. Was this natural? She was only 10 after all, soon to be 11. But she didn't care. She never wanted this to end. Finally they broke apart, and Haku smiled at a blushing Chihiro.
"I'm sorry Haku, I just had to. I don't know why." Chihiro said as she trembled from the cold water. Haku wrapped himself around her.
"I wasn't sure if you loved me like I loved you, but now I feel it. Now I know." Haku purred as he surrounded her.
"Well that's love for you." A voice said from behind the two of them. Haku and Chihiro jumped and both whirled around to see Zaneba standing before them.
"GRANNY!" Chihiro squealed, and embraced Zaneba tightly. "Oh Chihiro, I knew you'd do just fine dear. It seems that my hair band kept your memories." Zaneba said, feeling the hairband.
"I could never forget you Granny." Chihiro said happily as she let go of Zaneba.
Haku was blushing in the background, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and anger at Zaneba for interrupting heaven on earth. Zaneba sensed it.
"Oh come now Haku, you'll have plenty of other opportunities." Zaneba said, making Haku and Chihiro blush even deeper shades of red. "I left No-Face back at the cottage while I came by to see how the two of you were doing. I am also going to visit my river god friend Tokugawa, the one who gave Haku this river."
Chihiro looked up at Zaneba. "Thank you so much Granny. You don't know how much we appreciate it."
Zaneba raised her eyebrows. She never heard Chihiro refer to her and Haku as "we." Chihiro had changed. Zaneba noticed that she was much more confident than before. And maybe it was a trick of the afternoon sunlight, but was Chihiro developing…breasts? "No no that's not possible. She's 10…unless…" Zaneba racked her mind for theories as to why Chihiro appeared to be ageing.
Chihiro and Haku noticed that Zaneba was thinking about something that was clearly of concern to her. "Is everything OK Zaneba?" Haku asked. Zaneba opened her eyes. "Yes. I was just thinking about how you could come with me to visit Tokugawa. I'm sure he'd love to meet Chihiro." She said.
Chihiro glanced down at her watch. "Yea I've got a few hours. Let's go." She said excitedly.
Zaneba raised her hands in front of her, her golden seal tucked under her left thumb. Reality warped, and Chihiro felt herself moving faster than she had ever thought possible. All was darkness for a few minutes. Chihiro was scared. She felt a big thump, and landed on a firm embankment.
"Zaneba-san, it seems as if our little human girl has never used your means of travel before." Tokugawa said, sitting on a large rock next to Zaneba. Haku quickly ran over to the spot where Chihiro re-appeared and picked her up.
Chihiro and Haku gazed around them. They were at a beautiful river, the Tokugawa River. The sun still shone high in the sky, and flowers were blooming around the banks. Chihiro was dazed but OK. "Wow, I've never done that before Granny." She said, her voice faltering as she gained her bearings. Zaneba threw her head back and laughed. "Well, I figured it would get us here faster. Next time I'll let Haku take you." She said, looking over Chihiro.
"Haku and Chihiro, this is Tokugawa." Zaneba said, presenting her old friend to the two of them. Both Haku and Chihiro held hands and bowed. Tokugawa chuckled to himself.
"I hear you two are quite the couple." Tokugawa said, winking at Zaneba, who blushed.
"I don't know if it's quite there yet, but who knows what the future brings?" Zaneba chimed in, trying to regain her composure. She hadn't seen a man wink at her in years.
Haku pulled Chihiro over to a tree stump and sat down with her. Tokugawa's large wooden staff was resting against it. Tokugawa noticed that the little human girl seemed to be more…advanced…then a human of her age should be. Before he could say anything to Zaneba, Chihiro stood up.
"Thank you for letting Haku use your river to make a replacement for his." Chihiro said, bowing, remembering how she was supposed to show deference to the various deities at the bath house. Even though she wasn't there, it couldn't hurt to still be courteous to them. Tokugawa smiled down upon her.
"My dear, it was no problem. Zaneba and I go way back, so it was a pleasure to do a favor for her." Tokugawa said with a raspy tone. His voice was getting hoarse, probably thanks to more human pollution.
Chihiro noticed that Zaneba didn't seem to react at all to Tokugawa's affirmation of their friendship. In fact, Zaneba didn't seem to be paying attention at all. Haku noticed it too, and was puzzled.
Deep within herself, Zaneba recalled the more unpleasant aspects of her life that being around Tokugawa sometimes reminded her of. She was young and naïve when she entered her first marriage. He was a handsome young volcano god, and…her thoughts were interrupted by Chihiro.
"Granny, are you OK?" She asked concernedly. Chihiro had never seen Zaneba as distressed as she was now. Her soft, kind eyes seemed to die, and Zaneba's wrinkled hands were becoming pale. Haku stood up.
"Zaneba?" He asked, looking into her eyes. Tokugawa turned to face Zaneba, knowing what was wrong.
"Zaneba-san, I think you should share what happened with Haku and Chihiro. You shouldn't suffer alone. I think they should hear it. They are both old enough." Tokugawa said as he grabbed Zaneba's hand. Her eyes began to well up.
"I'm so sorry everyone. Sometimes when I see Tokugawa I get like this. And when I was thinking of Chihiro and Haku together, it brought back some difficult memories." Zaneba said as Tokugawa wiped her eyes with his sleeve. Zaneba sat herself up, glanced at Tokugawa who nodded, and began.
"I was married once. I was so young, and so stupid. A volcano god took a liking to me. He was so passionate. He showered me in gifts, complimented me and he was even nice to my sister, if you can imagine that." She said, managing to crack a smile at the thought of her sister. Chihiro chuckled at the thought of someone actually managing to be nice to Yubaba.
"So I married him. It seemed right at the time. It was natural to get a husband. Yubaba was of course intensely jealous, but she found her own husband eventually, Boh's father. He was so sweet. He had gorgeous eyes, a strong body, but not the best spirit. It didn't take long for me to realize that I had married a monster." Zaneba's voice trailed off, but Tokugawa held her hand.
"The beatings began soon enough. It was over the smallest thing. I didn't make dinner hot enough, the tea wasn't strong enough, the house wasn't clean enough, etc. But I didn't want to leave. I promised to love him until death do us part. The people around me began to notice how much I had changed." Zaneba thought out loud as the memories rolled out of her mind. Haku was deeply grieved for her, and Chihiro had spilled several tears.
"Finally one day there was a large gathering at the bath house of all the gods, a "party" as humans might call it. My husband took me, and when Yubaba saw me even she felt sorry. Tokugawa was there though, and he took pity on me when he saw me."
Tokugawa was looking at Zaneba gravely, knowing how hard it was for her. She went on.
"So he pulled me aside and asked me why I was still with someone like that. It was the first time anyone bothered to ask me why I was allowing myself to be hurt so much. I told him everything. Tokugawa was a total stranger at this time, but I needed someone to talk to while my husband was flirting with some mountain goddess. Finally, Tokugawa told me not to worry and that he'd fix everything." Zaneba's expression began to lighten at the thought of what happened next.
"One night Tokugawa and several of his friends came over to our house and confronted my husband. He was furious that I had told someone else. He said I was his "property." At that point Tokugawa punched out my husband and his friends helped me pack up." Zaneba said, now grinning again. Tokugawa also recalled how good it felt to hit the abusive S.O.B., although his wrist still ached from time to time.
"I left my husband that night, and he was shunned by the rest of the gods when Tokugawa made known what had happened. He was forced to go to a distant volcano, since none in Japan would have him, and last I heard he found some new sea goddess, not that it matters." Zaneba sighed. Tokugawa now spoke up.
"One of my friends had an old cottage at Swamp Bottom that he wasn't using. He gave it to Zaneba, and she's lived there ever since. As for me, I stayed here at my river. I couldn't let the humans lay waste to it." He said gruffly. Zaneba spoke again.
"I told you two this because that's part of the reason I've helped you. I know you two can succeed where I failed, that is, in marriage. Of course, Chihiro will have to wait until she's much older."
Chihiro and Haku sat in silence, stunned at this admission of Zaneba's. They had never known, nor had anyone else it seemed. The only time Yubaba had ever referred to Zaneba in the bath house, or so Haku recalled, was when she was angry at something or exceptionally greedy.
Zaneba and Tokugawa looked at Chihiro and Haku as they held each other's hands. There was definitely love there. Chihiro missed the reference to marriage, but she didn't care. Haku put his arms around Chihiro and consoled her after having to hear such a difficult story.
"I talk about marriage because I think that should lead us into another reason that we're all here." Zaneba said, glancing at Tokugawa, who sighed as he began to understand why Chihiro was appearing to be so much older.
Tokugawa looked up at the sky. "This is going to be a long day."