Chapter XXXVI

〜The Sacrifice〜

Back at the cottage Zeniba happily hummed a song as she gathered a glass vase to pour water in. Plopping the flower inside, she twirled around and placed it as the centerpiece on her table. "Ahh—nice isn't it?"

The couple stared down at the flower while the witch wandered away into the next room; she made a racket rummaging around. Not sure what was going on, Umi looked around in turmoil. They had come back so suddenly, and out of breath to boot. Chihiro was in her undergarments and seeing Haku in such bad shape only perturbed her more.

"It was just a decoration?" Chihiro said her thoughts aloud, still dumbfounded.

"What is it?" The witch stared at the trio from in the doorway next to the stove. Following their stare, she smiled merrily, "The flower? Beautiful isn't it? I hope it wasn't too hard to find."

The witch stepped forward with each hand holding something precious she'd had for so many years now. She didn't think an opportunity would come that it would ever be put to use. Opening her palms to expose the vials, the liquid inside was sealed with a cork. They were incredibly small in size, not even the length of Zeniba's palm.

"Just as promised, here it is."

Chihiro stepped forward and picked one up to examine it. "It's pretty," she commented on the unnatural reddish pink color that sloshed inside each vial. Delicate with her fingers, she was afraid it would disintegrate from her touch.

"I can't think you enough, Zeniba." Before Chihiro could bow, the witch made an unsatisfied grunt.

"Zeniba sounds so formal, please—I want you to call me granny!" The excitement in her nasally voice made the girl smile. "I was surprised to hear your father knew I was working on this Kohaku, though it was many years ago. It would have been nice to meet that man." Haku nodded from the sorceress's condolences. She held the other vial out to him, "Come and see. Then sit down and get some rest."

Umi followed as well, curious of the potion they didn't know yet how to use.

"Am I supposed to drink them?" Chihiro asked, having looked enough and now full of questions.

"What—no! We'll talk about that after a quick meal, I'm sure you're famished."

After filling their bellies, Chihiro sat on the bench next to Haku practicing his recovered magic. She studied the potions resting on the tabletop, meanwhile Haku helped clean up using only a flick of his finger. As she reached out for one of the vials anxious to get some answers, the empty dishes rattled until floating midair! Taken aback, Chihiro watched as they flew over to the sink where Umi argued with Zeniba about cleaning.

"What does this number mean?" Raising the bottle to look at the bottom, it was slightly turned upside down. The fluorescent raspberry colored liquid sloshed from inside the corked hexagon shaped vial.

Looking over her shoulder, Zeniba was almost finished washing the dishes with the help of another.

"What is it? Oh—sometimes I forget what's what, I had to start labelling everything."

The witch's hearty laugh was swallowed up by the sounds of clinking porcelain. Joining the couple at the table, Zeniba looked them sternly in the eyes but still gentle and grandmotherly.

"So, do you want to know how this pair works to change a human's lifespan?"

"Yes, please."

Umi joined them, feeling the apprehension rise in her stomach from what the witch had told her earlier.

It was silent as the apprentice sat down. Zeniba looked down at the potion and then rolled her huge eyes back up to Chihiro. The young girl met her stare, and watched Granny Zeniba's massively wrinkled lips curl into a mischievous smile. "I'm sure you know that all things come at a price. As much as I would like to help you scot-free, there are some things even I can't control."

Now Chihiro was feeling the same apprehension in her stomach. It made the bread she ate earlier unsettle.

"On the bottom of each one, there's a different number. The first one goes to you Chihiro, while the other one—goes to someone else." Seeing on their faces that it wasn't connecting, Zeniba went into further detail. "To keep it simple, you must find someone to drink the potion with you." The witch addressed Chihiro specifically. "Next, you make a connection to transfer their life energy to you."

Everything went quiet, the seconds dragged on as Chihiro comprehended what that meant. Zeniba was waiting for something, a reaction out of anyone. The spirits remained quiet, Haku's face stoic and Umi's distant. As for Chihiro, the impossibility of being able to take someone's life was dawning on her. Her eyes blurred with tears that wouldn't be enough to shed. She would never be selfish enough to take someone's life!

"Don't worry, you'll be alright Chihiro. There's plenty of time!" The witch claimed, and she was right. They would have time to think about it together, but Umi could tell just by looking at Chihiro's face. It was looking rather improbable.

Placing a hand on her thigh from under the table, Haku's smile eased her inner turmoil. Chihiro smiled back, calming herself with his words. "Let's go back home for now."

She nodded her head, and longed for a pillow. "Okay," she mumbled. Chihiro's gaze settled on the vials, she needed somewhere to put them that would be more secure than inside the fold of her robe. Gathering them together, she tucked them inside the thicker sash around her waist keeping the thin robe against her body. The bottles were pressed against her side in a way she'd always feel them.

The three gathered their bearings and prepared to leave.

"Thank you for everything," Chihiro bowed halfway to the ground. Zeniba held her shoulder and urged the girl to rise into her open arms. They hugged in a way that reminded Chihiro of her own late grandmother. She didn't want to let go so soon.

As they parted, Zeniba held onto her hands reassuringly. "Good luck dear; please do come visit again, and bring everyone along with you."

"We will," Chihiro assured.

Before they let go completely, Zeniba told her to wait just a second. The sorceress dug in her pocket and revealed a shiny purple band in the palm of her hand. "Use this to tie back your hair. It will protect you, it's made from the thread your friend and I wove together."

"Thank you, it's—beautiful."

Chihiro immediately used it to tie up her hair. Meanwhile Zeniba looked to the spirits behind the girl. "Take care of her Kohaku; I hope to see you all back soon."

They bowed simultaneously. "Take care," Umi smiled in farewell.

Waving goodbye, the trio braced the night air together. They glanced at one another, eyes weary and ready to go home. There was a long flight ahead of them so Haku wasted no time to transform into a dragon.

The girls looked back at the cottage, the lamp swung and waved goodbye just as Granny Zeniba did at her doorstep. Together they waved back one last time.

. . .

The cold wind was harsh, even more so at night. Chihiro clung to the fur beneath her chest, using it to keep warm. Her hands held onto the same two horns she'd always grab onto during flight. It was silent, everyone watched the distance tranquilly. Not that Haku would be able to talk anyhow.

Staring down at the swampland, it was truly desolate. Zeniba's cottage couldn't be more secluded in Swamp Bottom. The granny was truly nothing like Yubaba, but they had their similarities. Her thoughts roamed to Mable, the old woman lost in the forest. Just thinking about what could have happened to her, was it all her fault?

Chihiro had to close her eyes for a few minutes to clear her thoughts. The darkened marshland below revealed a large trail that eventually led out of the swamp. Thinking her eyes were playing tricks on her once reopened, there was a flash of color that she needed to get a closer look at. Leaning her head over the girth of Haku's body, she felt him grumble in discontent.

"Wha—Haku," almost yelling right into his swiveled ear, Chihiro was pointing down to the ground. "Look, its Mable!"

He saw her as well; the old woman was using her cane to walk along the trail. She still had a ways to go and was also alone. Curling up his body, he aimed for the ground where there was enough room to land.

"Who is this?" Umi touched Chihiro's shoulder, clear uncertainty in her eyes.

"We met along the way, I thought she was gone for good when we couldn't find her." It was a miracle she made it this far.

The old woman shielded her face from the eddied air coming from the dragon. In awe she watched the God transform back into a human. "Rather impressive—dragon boy," she smirked delightedly.

"You're okay?!" Chihiro both asked and exclaimed at once. She ran to the old woman without hesitation, checking her for any injuries.

"Of course I'm alright, but my dignities on the line if I don't find a nice bush around here. Would you be so kind as to help an old woman? I've been out here so long I can't seem to feel my aching limbs."

"Of course, Umi can you help me?"

Looking back at her friends, Umi was bombarding Haku for information. He couldn't share every detail, but she knew enough to trust the stranger delaying their departure. It was almost as if Chihiro forgot she held something very rare and precious on her body.

Chihiro kept watch while Umi assisted the elderly behind a tree and enclosed in shrubs. Looking down the trail, she couldn't really see Haku from so far away. It was still eerie as ever outside, almost too dark to see anything in the distance. As soon as Mable was finished they'd be on their way. Finding her son wouldn't be a problem with Haku back to normal.

"What's wrong?"

The pleas could be heard from afar, Chihiro came running as soon as she heard Umi's voice. From beside a tree and enclosed in the nearby shrubbery, the old woman hunched over one hand holding up her dress and the other holding onto Umi for support.

"She says—"

"The Chimi is coming," the granny interjected. Her cold gaze settled on Chihiro as she steadily rose.

"What are you talking about?!" Almost hissing, the angst in Umi's voice was palpable. A chill traveled down Chihiro's spine as trepidation rose the hairs on her neck.

Scanning their surroundings, the heart in Chihiro's chest was pounding out of control. That thing she saw on the way to get the flower, it was back? The yellow eyes sure to glow in the night was nowhere in sight. Then her eyes spotted Haku through the boles of some trees and over a few small shrubs. Instantly her turmoil relieved and she called out to him, "Haku!"

Not a second later and a rock twice in size plummeted to her stomach.

Something whizzed past in her peripheral vision just as Haku turned to face the direction of her voice. Instinctively her eyes drifted away and his silhouette blurred completely. Her eyes followed the fleeting haze only to find herself face-to-face with ungodly yellow eyes and jagged teeth! A single putrefied breath blew her hair back and she felt bile in her stomach wanting to rise.

The air was filled with a terrorized scream and a call of her name.

Swiveling away she nearly fell seeing nothing but empty space in front of her.

"Umi?!" Chihiro called.

They were both gone.

Doing a 180° turn, the monster was gone too. Completely alone, her surroundings couldn't be more foreign. Before the darkness and anxiety clawed at her sanity, she ran. Blindingly running along the trail, her eyes adjusted enough to see the trees accumulating in the distance. The heart in her chest was pounding as fast as she was running, her stamina couldn't keep up and she was forced to stop and breathe.

A rustling in the distant shrubbery startled her blind. Her vision clouded as she tried focusing on the shadowed marshland obscured from the lack of moonlight. "I-is someone there?"

The rustling stopped, and it was quiet for half a second before it started up again. Bracing to run, a voice called out that vanquished her consternation. "Chihiro?"

Umi appeared out of the shrubbery violently swatting at the thin branches catching on her kimono.

"Umi," Chihiro was happy enough to cry. "What happened? What's going on?!" she shouted hysterically.

"Do not panic, we are just lost because of the Chimi. It should not attack us while we are together. They prefer to isolate their prey." Gathering her bearings, Umi took Chihiro by the arm and guided her onward.

"What about Haku and Mable?"

They briefly glanced at one another until Umi looked off to her left where the trail angled into the caliginosity. "Nushi-sama can handle himself, but as for the Obaachan, let us hope she is with him."

Trepidation tickled her nerves, leaving Chihiro panicked and uneasy.

Together they walked down the path for what felt an hour. How many minutes have already passed and yet nothing? No sign of anyone or thing. There was no break in the trees or sign that they were getting near the end of the forest.

"How are we supposed to find them?"

Chihiro was beginning to dread getting out of this anytime soon. The swamp was probably crawling with creatures she'd never heard of, just waiting for them to fall into their trap. Umi wasn't trying to wander further so they idled to catch their breath. Crouching down, Chihiro wanted to rest, her legs were burning and limbs shaking from the cold.

"I thought Nushi-sama would be nearby, but it seems we are on a different trail."

"What?!" Chihiro deplored.

"The most I can do is form a ball of light, but it may attract more than just Nushi-sama to our location."

What were they supposed to do? Separated from Haku and it was impossible to find anyone in the dark. With how long they aimlessly wandered down the trail, they were hopelessly lost from the only way out.

"Do it," Chihiro told Umi.

The apprentice looked at her grimly. "I have nothing but minor spells to use in defense. If I fail to protect you—"

"Can we start a fire?"

It fell silent. "A fire," Umi repeated. "Yes!" she shouted and attacked a nearby shrub. Breaking off twigs one after the other, Chihiro stared in disarray.

They settled down in the middle of the trail, completely exposed. "Mountain kami hate fire," Umi said gathering the twigs in one spot until she assembled a small mound. Readjusting her legs beneath her bottom, Umi let her sleeves drop down to her elbows. She rubbed her hands together and pursed her lips in concentration.

"UWAH!" she high-fived the air with such force the air crackled and white sparks flickered dangerously close to Chihiro's retreating face.

Flying away, Chihiro had never moved so fast. "Umi!" she rasped. "What was that?"

"Oh blast!" the said woman cursed. "I can never get this right, no matter how many times I try."

"Why don't we just light it the old fashioned way?"

That sounded like a much better idea than frying their eyebrows off.

"No, no—I can do this."

Umi reassured and rubbed her hands together in anticipation. Wiggling her fingers she aimed at the pile of twigs and another explosion later Chihiro started the fire herself.

. . .

Hugging her knees, Chihiro watched through the flames as Umi practiced her magic. She was doing really well, controlling the flames and smoke and calling the wind. The spells never lasted long; she couldn't maintain them for more than a brief moment of time. Inhaling a long breath, Umi straightened up and braced herself. Forming a ball with her hands, she held the air and took a few more steady breaths.

"What are you doing?"

A little nervous, Chihiro perked up from across the fire to watch.

"I am trying to form a ball of energy."

That sounded friendly enough.

"Are you sure that's a good ide—"

Chihiro cut herself off when a distant chatter caught their attention. They looked at one another thinking the same thing. "You think it's Haku?" Chihiro whispered though there was no use hiding next to a fire.

"I do not know." Although she didn't want to admit it, Umi had a bad feeling in her stomach. "Let me go see who it is."

The apprentice stood up and walked out of the fire's light. "Umi, be careful." Chihiro hugged her knees, focused on the disappearing form of her friend. The harder it became to see Umi's silhouette the more she started to panic. "Umi?" Chihiro called impatiently. Of course she didn't answer.

Standing on her feet, Chihiro scanned the swampland unable to see anything comprehensible. Where did she go? Why would she leave her alone? Chihiro wanted to call out again but heard voices coming from behind her. Or was it the other way? She couldn't even tell if it was a female or male.

About to scream for her friend, Chihiro exhaled a relieved breath when a long black haired figure coalesced out from the caliginosity. "I did not see anyone." Umi faced Chihiro before looking over her shoulder, still searching the darkness.

A rustling from behind caught Chihiro's attention, she swiveled around but saw no one. "Umi, I think someone's out there." Fear bubbled in her stomach; she had nothing to defend herself. They could only rely on each other. Turning back to Umi, Chihiro deadpanned as a man crept out of the darkness bracing to club Umi with his hilt.

"Look out!" she screamed and lurched forward with all her might.

After just taking a single step, a war cry had erupted from behind as a force collided into Chihiro's back! There wasn't time to look behind her; every muscle in her body froze. The breath in her lungs was lost and the organ not responding from the impact against her back. What felt like a punch was much worse when the pain came searing through her stomach and abdomen. Her hands flew up to her belly button and touched a blade protruding from the skin just above.

Suddenly all thoughts wandered, not even pain was comprehendible. Chihiro stared down into her open palms covered in blood as her thin white colored robe became stained with red.

"Check for any valuables, take that one's kimono!"

Taking back his sword, the blade slid through her flesh causing a shrill scream to absorb the atmosphere. There was an even louder trill, coming from somewhere nearby, a voice she'd never heard so loud and ear-piercing before. It sent chills through her spine combined with pain that twisted her face in agony.

Without looking, Chihiro collapsed from her buckled knees. Digging her nails into the dirt, she clutched her stomach with all her might. Someone groped her shoulder, throwing her aside to pat down her figure. The vials were tucked inside her sash; she remembered them as soon as they were found.

"No!" Chihiro screamed with everything she could muster.

Umi continued shrieking, whatever was happening already done and over with. The man was knocked back from a stick to the face! Colliding right into the fire, he bellowed out and flailed his limbs wildly, embers flew into the nearby underbrush. The ground was spinning, it was making her dizzy. Chihiro lied on her side until falling on her back. Looking over, Umi was chasing a limping man, enraged but not about to leave her friend behind.

"Chihiro! Oh gods," she repeated those words like a mantra, unable to mutter anything else. Her hands trembled above the bloodied body of her companion; there was so much blood you couldn't tell where it was coming from. Even Chihiro's hand was completely covered. "There is so much—," Umi was losing it, she needed to pull herself together or Chihiro was going to die!

Mustering all her strength into the center of her hands, Umi muttered an incantation. A pure white light soft enough to look at yet still bright as a beacon formed from nihility in her palms. Throwing it into the air she kept chanting, asking the wind to send it further into the sky.

The bright ball of light shined like a fallen star in a sea of caliginosity. It traveled faster and faster until becoming just a pinpoint in the night sky filling with a trail of smoke. Once the wind receded it gently floated down with gravity, light as a feather. It would be a matter of time before Haku saw the light and knew where to find them. Everything would be okay, Chihiro told herself just as Umi had repeated many times coaxingly. Her eyes were drawn to the light until it became to blurry to perceive.

"It will be okay Chihiro, I promise."

Even her eyesight was fogging; her vision was starting to spot as the nerves in her face tingled incessantly. Chihiro slanted her eyes then squeezed them shut as Umi dug underneath her sash. The pain was deep, insistently throbbing and coming in different waves of intensity. Every breath felt like it was triggering a dull pounding inside her wound.

The wild flames starting up beside them emitted enough light to see Umi untying her sash. Pressing it over the wound, it wasn't enough to stop the bleeding. This injury was too much for a mortal, just looking at the twisted features on Chihiro's face; Umi knew this wasn't going to be enough. "I—I cannot…," she trailed off.

There was a soft cry that played like a melody on her ears; Chihiro opened her eyes to see Umi's disheveled clothes and hair come into focus. Her face was wrinkled with dismay and disconsolation, the tears brimming in her eyes flooded over and dripped on Chihiro's hand. Fluttering her eyelids with every drop splashing on her skin, Chihiro narrowed her eyes and smiled.

"What are you crying for?"

Umi pouted her lips, unable to control their quivering. "I—I," she sputtered and sniffed her nose. Her black eyes looked to each side of her, the panic starting to take over. The look on her face was desperate; she couldn't bear seeing all the blood coming out of one of her dearest friends. No matter where she looked, there wasn't a living creature nearby with a fire spreading out of control. "I am so sorry," she bemoaned. "I cannot help you any other way." The strain on her voice was a palpable cry filled with desolation, it made Chihiro want to cry as well.

"It's okay," she told Umi with a rasp. The metallic taste coating her tongue was followed by dread; she would have to eat her own words. Was she going to die just like this? At this rate, it was possible. Unless help came, she wouldn't be able to move. There was a fire spreading to the top of a tree that would be dangerous if anything fell on them from above. But the smoke would help Haku find them. Chihiro couldn't bear to see Umi like this any longer. She could only hope he was okay too, god knows she couldn't be without him. That's why she needed to stay alive.

"Umi, what are you holding?"

Trying to focus on the small blurry object encased in pale slender appendages, Chihiro eyed a fluorescent berry colored vial. "Did it break?" she asked worriedly. Everything they had worked for, if she had broken them that easily, there would be no recovering from such a shock.

"No."

Umi was quiet, her eyes flittering up and down from Chihiro to her lap. Her fingers slid up the hexagon shaped glass to the cork sticking out of the top. From that Chihiro could see the numeric symbols painted on the bottom, it filled her with a scream that never came to be.

Without a second more to waste, Umi uncorked the vial and threw it to the side. Raising the glass to her lips she cranked her head back and swigged it in two gulps!

"Umi"- Chihiro howled-"No…," her voice croaked until lost. The warmth spreading to her eyes heated the tears sliding down her cheeks. Unable to cry out, the throbbing pain on top of the choking sobs was overbearing. Now it was her turn.

Why would Umi go so far, Haku was bound to show any minute? She may be mortal but Chihiro wasn't going to lose her life that easily. "I can't," she tried telling Umi who was uncorking the other vial. "Please, I—I can't." Umi wasn't listening; she stared down at the open hole, at the liquid that would take her life away. There was truly no way Chihiro would let anyone die for her. It would have been their greatest conflict as a couple to overcome.

Losing someone willing to die for her. That was the ultimate sacrifice.

"Umi!" Chihiro cried out once more. "We can ask for another one, I won't die so… please—wait." Choking on her tears, a ball formed in her throat that wouldn't go away no matter how many times she swallowed. Taking a deep breath she coughed and gasped, Chihiro felt hot liquid running down her cheek. A familiar taste was coating her mouth and tongue that she tried her best to ignore. For a moment she was absentminded, staring in a haze at her friend looming overhead. Every blink became heavier and clouded her vision, until snapping back into focus.

Cold fingers pressed into her cheeks, puckering her lips and easing her jaw open. The glass clanked against Chihiro's teeth and little by little the liquid dripped into her mouth. Seeing as Chihiro gaged and sputtered, Umi panicked that a single lost drop would nullify the potion. That was a chance she wasn't willing to take.

"Swallow it!" Umi commanded for the first time. The harsh trill froze Chihiro who wanted to resist the tart and bitter concoction sliding down her throat. Instead of coughing she mustered the will to swallow it, fearing how her punctured stomach would react. From the moment she used her muscles the pain was unbearable. Her eyes teared up as moans escaped her lips. Chihiro wanted to clutch her stomach, to claw at the pain and make it go away. It was only getting worse. The blood coated her fingertips from barely touching Umi's sash.

Appling more pressure to the wound, Umi covered her palms in blood. Gazing at the stained skin, her face paled even more. All that's left to do is connect the two potions together by a means of contact.

Their gazes met, the glow in her friend's eyes turning dull and hazy. With Umi's life, and a spirit's will to live, Chihiro's flesh would heal with the help of magic. At this rate, her candle was a mere flicker of light dwindling by the second.

"I have found happiness, and I bear little regrets in this life. So I will use it to save yours." Umi hovered over her face. Chihiro jolted from the tears that landed on her cheek and opened her mouth to rebuke. "Live a long life."

So much more wanted to be said, but not enough time. Before the mortal could sputter in retaliation, the apprentice lowered her head and held onto Chihiro's jaw to keep her still. The tender and gentle touch was light enough to be nonexistent. Hesitant at first, the pressure deepened as a roiling fire broiled in her stomach. A scream wanted to bellow out, loud and shrill but it was swallowed by the burning contact of Umi's mouth.

It was a feeling like no other. To be filled with life and another losing it, all felt through one connection.

Chihiro never looked away, blinking whenever her tears bleared the sight of her friend. One she may never see again. Every nerve in her body tingled to the point it was unbearable, almost torturous. Squeezing her eyes shut and wiggling her head, Chihiro clawed at the dirt. Then it stopped.

Satisfyingly, it faded into a tickle. Chihiro relaxed her eyelids and slid them open wearily. Her short frantic inhales became deep respires as the pain subsided in her abdomen. The woman in front of her whose contact she could feel upon her lips began to dematerialize.

The name wouldn't sound; her lips couldn't move to produce more than a mumble in her throat. Right before her eyes, the surrounding fire could be seen through Umi's flesh and bone! She was going to disappear! The colors and fragments of her being were gradually being carried away with every blow of the wind.

"Don't leave me…," Chihiro mumbled with her freed lips. Reaching up, she went to touch Umi's long black hair. Nothing but air met her fingers; the dust tickled her skin until it too vanished. Nothing was left but an elaborate kimono lying in a heap. Her eyes followed the direction of the weak wind feeding the flames but lost herself in the orb of light slowly lowering down to her body. It shone like a star you could hold in your hands, neither hot nor harmful. It was still above the trees, though descending more every second.

Every blink was harder to recover from, her eyelids had never felt so heavy. All emotion became void and senses amiss. She couldn't even feel her heartbeat or the enlargement of her lungs from breathing. The ball of light became hazy and cloudy while her hearing was nothing but the droning of silence. Once everything became shrouded in darkness, Chihiro wasn't sure if she'd ever see the light again.