Haku strode into the council chambers, ready to get it over with. As he approached, he noticed that Zeniba was there. 'Not surprising,' he thought. 'If they send me somewhere else, they will probably want her to babysit me again.'
As he sent a disparaging glance at her, she winked mischievously. Haku wondered for a second, then decided he just did not care.
"Kohaku," the Master Councilman began, "We are glad to see that you have finally come."
"It is not as if I had much choice. Sir."
"Well, that may be, but it is irrelevant. Your disrespect will be forgiven due to the current circumstances."
Haku sighed. "And what circumstances might those be?"
The Master Councilman turned to Zeniba.
"The balance was not restored," she said evenly.
Haku began to protest, thinking they were accusing him of not returning Chihiro's spirit.
Zeniba held up her hand. "No, Haku, I know very well that you gave back what was not yours. That is not the issue."
"Then what is?" he asked.
The Master Councilman faltered slightly. "We are not entirely sure."
"For some reason, the human world and the spirit world are still being drawn together. You and Chihiro are at the center of this pull," explained Zeniba.
Haku paused. "What exactly do you expect me to do?"
"We expect you to fix it!" cried out one of the council members.
"Quiet down" said the Master Councilman. "Kohaku knows full well the consequences of failure in this, and I am sure that he will look into the matter immediately." He looked at Haku. "As compensation for your effort, we are prepared to grant you your freedom from Yubaba. Your contract will be destroyed, and your life will be your own."
Haku's eyes lit up, then dimmed again. Why would he want his freedom now, now that Chihiro was out of his life? 'So much for my 'air-tight' contract' he thought condescendingly.
"How exactly do you propose I fix this?"
"Well, I suggest that you go observe the girl. See if you can figure out what is creating this force. Then act on what you find. We really do not care about the specifics, only that this problem be solved."
Haku's eyes narrowed dangerously. "You should know that I will bring no harm to her, even at the cost of failure."
The Council scoffed. "Then I suggest you find a solution that we can all live with, and quickly," concluded the Master Councilman. "Zeniba will accompany you, both to provide assistance and an accurate report of your actions. Go now, and let this finally be resolved."
Haku, not bothering to bow, turned and left.