Chapter 8

Chihiro knew that climbing a mountain wasn't going to be easy. Those hiking trips her parents forced on Sei and her wouldn't exactly help her now. So she was more than happy to have Yubaba and Zeniba fly her up to it. Though to save time they were both carrying her at once.

"This had better be Haku and not some hermit," fumed Yubaba. "If they are, they'll be one sorry hermit."

"Oh, be quiet," snapped Zeniba. "Chihiro, the scales are still reacting, right?"

"Yeah," said Chihiro, staring at the small bottle glowing in her hands. "He must in that mountain, like that man says."

"Well then it's a good thing we came prepared," said Yubaba.

"Huh?" But Chihiro got her answer just moments later. The closer they drew to the mountain the colder the air got. Suddenly they were hit by an icy gust of wind and snow flew into her face. "Augh! Set me down, let me put on my sweater!"

"You'll have plenty of time to put it on when we land," said Yubaba. "We're going to try to find an opening and land there."

Chihiro bit her bottom lip and rubbed her arms, but her teeth still chattered against the unexpected cold. First she was hot and sticky and now she was freezing…not a good combination.

Yubaba and Zeniba circled around the mountain range for a few minutes, trying to find a cave. But for Chihiro it seemed to last an eternity; she could feel her fingers and toes start to go numb.

"Hey!" yelled Zeniba. "I see something!"

"Thank God!" yelled Chihiro. "Please set us down!"

"This isn't exactly pleasant for us either," said Yubaba, but they still swooped down in the direction Zeniba directed them to. And despite the elements they managed a safe landing.

Chihiro immediately threw on her sweater, but she found that a summer sweater was almost no improvement. Yubaba and Zeniba transformed back, though they still wore their cloaks wrapped tightly around themselves.

"Here," said Zeniba, reaching into an inner pocket and producing a pair of pink knit mittens. "These should help…marginally."

"Thanks." Chihiro slipped on the mittens and her hands warmed up instantly. "So what now?"

"We go inside, obviously," said Yubaba, shaking the snow off her shoulders. "And we see where Haku is. This might take awhile."

They headed inside and got away from the mouth of the cave to escape the snow. Even though the chill wasn't any lower in the cave, Chihiro couldn't help but admire her surroundings. It didn't look like the stereotypical dark shapeless interior of a normal cave. It was like the walls, the ceiling, and the floor was made out of blue crystal. Chihiro touched the wall and found that it was neither hot nor cold. "This is amazing."

Zeniba produced a lantern from her cloak and with the snap her fingers created a flame. "Perhaps, but these crystals won't help us find Haku."

Yubaba produced a lantern of her own. "I can't wait to see the troublemaker. I have a few choice words I'd like to say to him."

"I thought we agreed that it would be Chihiro that would talk to him, given that we have no idea what kind of state he's in."

Yubaba waved a dismissive hand. "Believe me, my words will have no real impact on him."

They started walking through the cave, making twists and turns as they ventured deeper into the mountain. Chihiro kept a close eye on the scales while Yubaba and Zeniba observed their surroundings. Though everything was beautiful, after a while it got monotonous. And Chihiro didn't see any other path other than the one they were on. It went on for hours and she was incredibly weary from everything that happened that day. But she sucked it up and kept going.

Please be all right, Haku, she thought, knotting her fingers around the jar. Please, please, please be all right!

"Amazing," said Yubaba.

"What is?" asked Chihiro.

"We've been walking through this damn cave for nearly three hours and I haven't heard a complaint out of you."

"I'll rest when we find Haku."

"Well, be sure to eat," said Zeniba, shoving a piece of bread at her. "Or you'll collapse again."

"Thanks." She ventured on ahead of the sisters, eating the bread sparingly. Though she ended up ten feet in front of them she caught fragments of their conversation.

"I guess she's grown up."

"I think the fact that she's putting herself through all this a second time to save those she cares about shows she's grown up."

"Well, you didn't meet her the same time I did. She was just a whiny little girl—"

"Trying to save her parents."

"She was still whiny. And I imagine her brother's the exact same way."

You have no idea, thought Chihiro fondly, though she felt close to tears. Though she was confident that everything would work out she was still worried. Sei was annoying, but she wanted him alive and annoying.

And Haku…how were they going to put him back together? What kind of state would they find him in?

…On that note, when were they going to find him? Chihiro knew Minori wouldn't leave him out in the open, but this was starting to get ridiculous. Just how deep in the mountain was he imprisoned?

"Okay, I've had enough!" fumed Yubaba. "We've been on this track for three and a half hours and have found no signs of that brat!" she turned to one of the walls. "We're taking a shortcut."

"Shortcut?" asked Chihiro. "But I don't—"

Yubaba walked right up to the wall and put her hand through it. "As I thought."

Chihiro gaped at her. "How did you—what magic—"

"No magic," said Zeniba. "I think I know what this cave looks as majestic as it does. It's a distraction."

"Distraction?"

"There are different passages and cubby holes all over the place. But you can't see it in passing because everything looks the same. That's probably why Minori chose this mountain to imprison Haku; so that if anyone tried to find him they wouldn't. She's greatly downplayed our intelligence, though."

"I see now," said Chihiro. "This cavern is like an optical illusion."

"In a way. Now let's go."

They went down the shortcut, which looked exactly the same as the path they'd just been on. To Chihiro's dismay, the glow in the scales was dying down. "Hang on—"

"I have a hunch," interrupted Yubaba. "Keep going."

"But the scales—"

"Don't doubt me, Sen. I know what I'm doing."

Chihiro stopped in her tracks and glared at Yubaba's back. "It took you nearly four hours to figure out this cave was an optical illusion! Now listen to me! The scales aren't reacting strongly anymore, which means we're wandering further away from Haku!"

Yubaba glared over her shoulder. "Be quiet and listen. I told you I have a hunch. We're following it and we're staying on this path."

"You—the scales—" Chihiro turned to Zeniba. "Can't you help me with this, Granny?"

"As much as I hate to admit it," said Zeniba. "My sister is pretty good with hunches. I suggest we stick on this path for the time being."

"Fine," grumbled Chihiro, stomping after them. "And when we hit a dead end I'm gonna laugh hysterically."

As Chihiro feared the further they went down the path the softer the glow became. She didn't voice anymore protest since Yubaba had opted to ignore her completely. Ten minutes later they did in fact reach a dead end and by then the scales had stopped glowing entirely.

"I told you!" snapped Chihiro, jabbing a finger at Yubaba. "This was only a giant waste of time! How can we—"

"Chihiro, calm down," said Zeniba. "Look around us closely."

"What? All I see is crystal!"

"Remember, this cave is a distraction. This isn't really a dead end."

"Fine!" Chihiro squinted at the walls as closely as she could. She saw an uneven surface amist the blue crystal. She glanced at the scales, but they weren't glowing. "Okay fine, there's a path! But Haku isn't anywhere near by!"

"Let's go," said Yubaba, starting down this new path.

"Why do I even bother?" said Chihiro helplessly, feeling tears build up in her eyes. Zeniba patted her on the shoulder comfortingly, but both followed Yubaba.

"We're almost there," said Yubaba just moments later.

"We're almost where?" demanded Chihiro, but then something caught her eye. She looked down at the scales and squinted her eyes shut at how bright they were glowing. "But—how—"

"I told you I had a hunch," said Yubaba. "And I forgive you."

"I'm not apologizing yet!" But Chihiro picked up the pace, nearly running after the sisters in her eagerness. The scales were glowing brighter…it was only a matter of time now…

Yubaba rounded a corner and stopped dead in her tracks. Her jawed and her eyes widened in horror. "I don't believe it…"

"What is it?" demanded Zeniba. She came up behind Yubaba, only to mirror Yubaba's expression of horror. "Oh no…"

"What?" screamed Chihiro, sprinting up to the corner. She pushed past the sisters and slapped her hands over her mouth, muffling a scream.

They had found Haku. And as they feared he was not in the best shape. He was in his dragon form, but he was encased in a thick slab of ice, in suspended animation. The room itself was gigantic, but the ice encasing expanded the whole room. They could only move into the room a few inches.

"Haku!" screamed Chihiro, pressing her hands to the ice. But even with her enchanted mittens her hands immediately went numb.

"Get off it!" screamed Yubaba, yanking her back. "That's that normal ice! If you touch it too long it'll absorb you!"

"You have to help him!" The tears that had been at her eyes were now spilling out. "Please help him!"

"We're on it, Chihiro," said Zeniba, cupping her hands. A fireball formed. "Step back!"

Chihiro got out the way as the sisters conjured up balls of fire and threw them at the ice barrier. The twin balls hit the barrier hard and stayed still on it for a few moments before they disappeared, the barrier completely unscathed.

"Dammit," fumed Yubaba. "We can't melt it!"

"Then we…can't get him out?" wailed Chihiro.

"Hang on," said Zeniba, examining the ice barrier as closely as she could without touching it. "I sense something familiar about this…I feel…traces…"

"Now that you mention it," said Yubaba. "I feel traces too."

"Traces of what?" demanded Chihiro.

Yubaba chuckled humorlessly. "I have to hand it to the bitch…she's certainly clever."

"What—"

"Minori combined our spells with this ice barrier," said Zeniba. "Normally enchanted ice barriers can be melted, but spliced with another spells make it much stronger. She used traces of spells we put on Haku to tie in this barrier."

"Traces of spells?" Chihiro thought hard back to when she'd last been in the Spirit World. "You mean the…slug and the gold seal?"

"Yes," said Yubaba grimly. "So in a sense we need to break those spells before we break the barrier."

Chihiro rubbed a hand through her hair. Okay…the slug put Haku under Yubaba's control, and the gold seal put a death curse on Haku. That would explain why he looks dead right now. How did he break the spells before? Wait…he was completely free of Yubaba when he remembered his name and the power of love broke Zeniba's curse!

"I know what to do!" cried Chihiro excitedly, scrubbing away her tears. "Someone who loves him has to recite his name while attacking the barrier!"

Both sisters looked at Chihiro for a long moment before tapping her shoulder. "Tag, you're it."

"Huh?"

"Well hon, neither of us loves Haku," said Zeniba sweetly. "And I never heard his real name."

"And I don't remember the stupid thing," said Yubaba. "So it's up to you."

Chihiro turned a little red as she stared at the barrier. "I…I mean, I care about Haku, but I—"

"Ah, but your love saved him," quipped Zeniba. "So it should work again."

Chihiro ducked her head, but approached the barrier. Now wasn't the time to argue. "Okay…Haku's name…"

To her horror she couldn't remember his full name. She knew he was the Kohaku River, but that was not his full name. His name came with a title…but she didn't remember it!

She touched the ice barrier hesitantly and gave it a slight push. "Kohaku River!"

Nothing happened.

Oh no, his full name is required! I'm awful! I remember so much of my journey when I was ten, why can't I remember his full name!

But she also knew she was just beating herself up. She had just been a child then and his full name had been very complicated. Even as they fell out of the sky she kept referring to him as the Kohaku River and he had to keep correcting her.

Think, Chihiro THINK! Sei and Haku need you help! You have to remember his name now!

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to remember that night when he remembered his name.

"Once, when I was little, I fell into a river—"

"What's she doing?" asked Yubaba.

"Shh!" hissed Zeniba.

"But I remember it's name was the Kohaku River—"

"This is a waste of time."

"I said shh! She's trying to remember his name!"

"Thank you, Chihiro—"

"It sounds like the name of a god—"

Dammit, what's his name!

"Wonderful, she doesn't know it."

Something clicked in Chihiro's head. Wait…god…kami…nushi…THAT'S IT!

She pushed on the barrier again. "Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi!"

The barrier cracked violently under her hands.

"That's it!" screamed Zeniba.

"Keep it up!" encouraged Yubaba.

Chihiro shoved at the barrier again. "Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi!"

The barrier cracked again and pieces of ice fell to the floor.

"Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi!" she shoved as hard as she could. "Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi!" she slapped her hands on it. "Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi!" she smashed her fist upon it.

Over and over again she screamed Haku's true name and the once indestructible barrier was crumbling like sand. She found her fists to be most effective and she threw violent punches at the barrier, screaming his name like a mantra. From behind her the sisters screamed their encouragement, having no other means to help her out.

Soon she was just two feet away from Haku. Her arms were sore, her throat raw, and the pink mittens were turning red from her bleeding knuckles, but she didn't waver.

"NIGIHAYAMI KOHAKU NUSHI!" she screamed, punching the ice one last time. It put a hole right above Haku. Chihiro ripped off a glove and reached into the hole. Her fingers grazed over Haku's back. "Wake up, Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi!"

The ice between them exploded. Chihiro surged forward and took his limp body into her arms. "Ha—"

Before she could say more the remains of the barrier exploded, including the heavy portion above their heads. She screamed and moved to cover Haku's head. But quick as lightning her head was thrust down towards the floor and a dark shadow fell over her. She heard the violent crashes of the ice falling apart, but she couldn't see anything. Then there was silence.

A hand drew down and cupped her face. She was pulled up into a sitting position and she found herself staring to familiar dark eyes.

"Chihiro…"

--

I'm sorry if this story feels rushed. But there's a lot to happen and I wanted to get right to the point without dragging things out.