The Path of Water

By Arlia'Devi

Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.

The Path of Water

XXXVIII: A One Hundred Thousand Year Promise

When Chihiro woke up, she knew she was not really awake.

In fact, she was sure it was some sort of absurd dream. The room was white and bare and long, like a never ending hallway and it was just her, sitting against the wall, dressed in a pair of slacks and a lime-green shirt, and her stomach - Chihiro felt it. It was flat and hard, and hadn't she been pregnant once before, maybe… what was this?

She managed to stand, looking around the barren wasteland. Where was she?

"Hello?" Chihiro called. Her voice echoed out into the space. "Um… Mama? Dad? Is anyone here?"

She stepped forward when no one answered and looked around. Where was she?

"It's me, Chihiro! Can anyone hear me? I think I'm dreaming? Can I please wake up now?" she shivered. "Where am I?"

Chihiro looked around. There was nowhere to go, no specific concept of forward, so she just walked. There was nothing to do but walk and Chihiro felt like she'd walked forever. There was no wind, or no weather, and it seemed like there was no idea of temperature or time or space or anything. It was a bizarre dream outside the laws of everything she thought she'd come to know.

Suddenly, in the distance, she noticed a small figure in the distance. She approached it slowly, and noticed it was an old man, resting in his robes with a long white beard. His arms were crossed and his chin was resting on those hands. His robes, lovely reds and greens and gold in a fashion Chihiro noticed as very regal, were pooled around him and though the robes made him look bulky, Chihiro could tell he was quite a lean, lithe man.

Slowly, she crowched down towards him.

"Um, excuse me?" she whispered to the man. "Excuse me?"

The man didn't budge from his slumber.

"Um. Hello? Sir? Mister?"

She poked his shoulder.

"Hello? Mister!" she called.

The man woke up with a startle, snorting and blinking his little beady eyes.

"Hey!" he shouted, aggravated. "Don't you know you should wake up a sleeping old man!"

"Oh!" Chihiro said. "I'm sorry! I just, it's just that you're the first person I've seen here, and well… where is he?"

The man sighed and unravelled his arms.

"You don't know where you are? Where the hell are you from?"

Chihiro paused. "I don't really know."

"You don't know?"

Chihiro frowned and thought for a moment. "I don't really remember much. Here and there I guess. I have a Mum and a Dad. My name is Chihiro."

"Chihiro-," hummed the man. "Take a seat then, Chihiro."

Taking a seat was literally sitting her butt the other two inches it was from the white floor in front of the man.

"Um… what is your name?"

"I have had many names," replied the man.

Chihiro grinned. "Well, what was your favourite name then."

"My favourite name was Piran, but everyone knew me by the name Sar'onga, when I was alive," revealed the mysterious man.

"Oh!" Chihiro gasped. "I have heard of you."

"I had hoped you might, I was the last Lord before your mate took up my position," Sar'onga sighed. "He is a genuine man. Those kinds of people are hard to find."

Chihiro paused for a moment. Sar'onga sighed and leant back.

"You see, dear, we are dead."

"… Dead?" Chihiro blanched, shocked. "What, no - that can't be, I'm only like eighteen. How did I die?"

"It's all right not to rememeber…," Sar'onga sighed. "As a human, you can take a little bit more time."

Chihiro shook her head. What was happening?

"Do you know more about me?" Chihiro asked.

"Almost everything about you, dear," replied Sar'onga. "Oh you don't remember who you are?"

"My name. Chihiro. But that's it."

"Oh, well, all is not lost then," he smiled gently. "Memories aren't really forgotten, sometimes it takes a while to remember them again."

Chihiro considered these wise words for a minute. They sounded so familiar, had she heard them before, somewhere? She couldn't be sure. Still, she sat in front of the old man and then huffed, looking around the sparse space.

"So, where are we?"

In the dim light of the afternoon, Haku sat next to her cold body. Her spirit had left, travelling up to find peace somewhere far above and now he was just left with her beauty, cold and frozen in an enteral sleeping place. He shook and shuddered in the cold, silent room.

Everything he'd had was gone, things that had only ever mattered to him. Riches and power and greatness, they could all rot in hell for all he cared, he had never wanted such things, never liked to flaunt those attributes. He'd give every cent he had away, live a modest life, happily give up all the power he had, if only…

If only…

He'd lost his mate, and his firstborn son. The little thing he'd watched grow and develop, spoke to during the night, interacted with while in the womb nights when Chihiro was sleeping calmly and the baby was still active.

Haku rubbed the tears from his eyes. They were heavy and swollen and his hands trembled.

In the silence, he heard the door to his bedroom opening slowly. He turned to see Chase slipping into the bedroom, her face ragged and worn with sadness.

"I'm so sorry," she said hoarsely.

Haku nodded gently.

There was a moment of silence and Haku couldn't bring himself to talk, and had no words to say to her.

"Um… Chihiro's parents are here…," Chase said. "I haven't told them - I supposed it was your place but they know something is up."

Haku's mind ran blank for a moment. He'd forgotten about her parents - dear lord her parents. How was he supposed to explain he'd let that happen to her? He was supposed to have been her husband, to protect her and keep her safe and well, and now they would have to bury her together and -

"I can't see them yet," Haku replied gently. "Please, can you… just stall them, please, I-I can't."

Chase nodded.

"Sure, Haku, come out when you're ready…" and then the bakeneko woman went to leave.

"How is Hotaru?"

"He's going to be fine," Chase nodded. "And Rin is fine… Raijin not so much, but he'll pull through." Then she closed the door with a quiet click and Haku was left to his own thoughts.

He thought about Chihiro's parents and choked back a sob. Suddenly, he felt a pressure in his throat, dashed into the connected bathroom and emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet bowl. He shuddered over the porcelain and spat into the bowl.

There was a hand on his back then, soothing his shoulder.

"Sweetie…," Chase cooed as Haku turned rigid and straightened up. He took the towel and wiped his mouth. Chase ran her hand over his forehead, pushing back his hair. Without saying a word, because there was little need for words, Chase sunk to her knees and embraced her old friend, wrapping her arms around him and letting Haku cry into her shoulder. She wanted to say it would be all right, that everything would work out, but his mate was dead and his baby hadn't made it and she'd lost a best friend, and the could be no consolidations.

Chihiro sighed and looked into the white abyss. She was lying on her back, her hands running over her stomach in boredom.

"So what are we supposed to do here?" she asked.

Sar'onga shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. Only the great ones know that."

Chihiro looked to the old man. "Who are the great ones?"

"The big gods. They watch over us all. Great spirit deities."

"But I'm a human," Chihiro replied.

"Yes, it is curious indeed."

She rolled over then and got to a sitting position.

"How did you die, sir?"

"Myself?"

"Yes," Chihiro nodded. "I mean, if it isn't such a personal question."

Sar'onga sighed. "By the same hand that you died," he said softly. "Betrayed by someone close to me."

"Sucks," Chihiro huffed.

Sar'onga seemed to give her a strange look before he laughed gently.

"I wondered what my dear Kohaku ever saw in you, and when I met you you were quite reserved and intimidated but well… this, is probably what he saw, yes?"

"Who's Kohaku?" Chihiro asked. "Did I know him?"

"Quite well," nodded Sar'onga.

Chihiro sighed and looked around. It was very boring and she hoped she wouldn't have to wait very long for… whatever this is?

"What are we waiting for…?" Chihiro muttered.

Sar'onga shrugged. "I'm supposed we're supposed to figure it out. When we know, we'll be given peace finally."

"How long have you been here?"

"I can't say. Time drags on. I feel like I've been here for centuries, but then I see you as fresh faced as you've ever been and I realise that time drags on here, maybe what I think is a few years are only a few seconds - limbo, the seemingly never ending nothingness."

"This sucks," Chihiro sufficed, rolling back onto her shoulders and swinging her head back. "Damn."

"I do not understand that term," Sar'onga muttered, shaking his head once again.

"So… what was I like when I was alive?" Chihiro hummed. "I'm not that cool with being dead, but if I was a kick-ass girl, I guess that's okay."

"From all accounts, you were a stunning woman," Sar'onga replied. "But I never knew you personally, I just had heard of you through the whisperings of the palace and the gossip people seem to be privy to. When I passed on, you were engaged to a very strong spirit who owned a bathhouse…"

"A bathhouse?" Chihiro frowned. "Like a feudal bathhouse, I think… I think I read about something like that once, maybe I visited it on a trip…"

"By all accounts, you both fell madly in love, but then one of my closest advisors betrayed me, and the kingdom that I ran would fall to pieces, after all the work I had done to make peace within the two kingdoms it would be threatened to be undone." Sar'onga sighed. "The man you fell in love with was to be the man who would take my position as the Lord of the lands we owned, and I knew he would suffer for it."

Chihiro sighed gently and picked at her nails.

"Was he handsome?"

"Whom?"

"The guy you were talking about, that we were madly in love- was he handsome?" she made a show by shaking her hands and laughing.

"He thought so."

Chihiro laughed.

"He was happy with you, though you were a human, you would die much younger than he would, but I thought you would have lived to have seen one hundred."

"How old was he?" Chihiro asked.

"Probably close to two thousand now."

"As in years?" Chihiro gaped. "Wow, apparently I like older guys!" she shrugged. "Who knew!"

"You're an interesting creature," Sar'onga commented. "Now I see what he liked about you."

The Palace was a mess. Aiko shook his head as he waited in a small tea room. Yuuko sat beside him, her hands folded neatly in his lap. Her husband's foot, however, was tapping against the flooboard's loudly.

"Stop it, dear," she snapped a little.

He glared at her.

"I don't like this," he replied. "They're hiding something from us."

"I'm sure they're just busy."

"And where did Haku go?" Aiko muttered.

"It's okay, Aiko."

The man shook his head. "Something is off, I can feel it. This place looks like a bomb has hit it."

"They're redecorating, you heard the girl," Yuuko patted her husband's hand. "Just try to calm down."

"Then why do we have to wait here?" he huffed. "I want to see my little girl - we haven't seen her in months and-"

Aiko was cut off when Ayne entered the room, dressed in long light green robes and golden slippers. Her hair was straight and pulled back but her face was dull and wearied.

"The Lord has just had to go and see Chihiro," said Ayne. "They shouldn't be too much longer. I'm sorry, but would you like some tea?"

"Why is the place so messed up?"

Ayne looked around at the destruction. By now, the skies had reduced themselves to a small patter of rain.

"There was a large storm this morning," explained the woman. "Some things aren't just what they used to be around here. Come, we'll have some tea."

Ayne lead Chihiro's parents through the hallway and into the kitchen, which was moving slowly and the kitchen staff were talking amongst themselves about the storm. For a long time, Ayne felt numb and emotionless, and she could only respond to Chihiro's parents questions with small, short answers. How did one tell them their only daughter had died? So young… so beautiful, how did someone break that news? It wasn't her place, so she'd have to keep this façade through tea until Haku, injured and broken and wearied, relieved her of her duties…

Oh dearest Haku… such a gentle soul broken. How did his face light up when they spoke and bickered gently and laughed? And she had been radiantly beautiful and there was no doubt in her mind how she'd caught his eye and then his heart.

Across the palace halls, Haku was lying in Chase's arms, collapsed on the bathroom floor.

"What am I supposed to do without her?"

Chase smiled gently and ran her hand over Haku's head. "Be strong. It's what she would have wanted."

"It should have been me," Haku rasped. "I wish it had been me."

"Haku, darling," Chase replied. "There wasn't anything we could have done. We tried our hardest."

"I just want her back…," he sniffed.

"I know, darling, I know. It's not fair. Nothing is fair. But we love you," Chase looked at her friend seriously. "We all still love you and we'll help you get through this. Do you want me to be there when you tell her parents, just for support?"

Haku took out a shaky breath. "Yes, I think I need it. I should go and see them."

"Take your time," Chase soothed. "Ayne's taken them to get a cup of tea. Don't do it until you're ready."

Haku nodded. Chase took a warm rag from the basin and ran it over his face.

"How is your shoulder?" she asked, looking at the slowly weeping wound.

"It will heal."

"Let me look at it now. I'll wash and dress it."

Haku nodded and sighed, taking off his shirt. "Fine."

Chase gathered a few supplies from the cupboard underneath the basin and washed out the towel. She pressed the towel against the wound, cleaning the blood that had caked around his shoulder blade.

"Does it hurt?" she asked meekly.

"No," Haku shook his head. Nothing hurt. He was numb.

"Y-you mean he fell in love with me?" Chihiro frowned.

Sar'onga nodded sagely. "Very much so. It was amiss to as why he would have, but we all put it down to how much time he spent among the human population when he was younger - thus how he met you, dear. It's all quite strange, but Haku never had the easiest time when he was younger, so, for the moment, we were happy with the joy you brought to him. When he wanted you to stay, that was a different matter…," Sar'onga rolled his eyes. "My brother was engaged to that crow-witch Zeniba, millenniums ago. True, when she was younger, her and her sister were a spectacular sight -,"

"Who is Zeniba?"

"Yubaba's twin sister."

Chihiro shook her head. "The name sounds familiar," she sighed. "But I can't make out a face."

"Yubaba was the sourest of them all. She fell in love with a man who left her for another woman, when she was with his child. It broke her heart and she stitched it back together with black thread. Her sister was equally as unlucky in love. My brother died soon after they were engaged, and I promised Zeniba I would do anything to make her happy -."

"What does that have to do with me?" Chihiro frowned.

"She came to me when Haku asked to keep you in the spirit world, told me this was a way to make it up to her for sending my brother to his death - I did it. I let you stay, and now here you are, for I knew the spirit world was a dangerous place not fit for humans. You can't survive there, not for very long, my dearest."

"And so this Haku… I left him behind?" Chihiro muttered.

"Yes," Sar'onga replied.

"Maybe he'll love someone more than me?" replied Chihiro.

"But you were mated," Sar'onga replied. "A spirit may only mate with one during their entire lifetime."

"A marriage. Forever?" Chihiro frowned. "I accepted that?"

"I find it so peculiar you do not understand," laughed Sar'onga gently.

Chihiro sighed and tried to wrap her head around all this new information. So, she'd loved someone and now she was here, and this man - this man she may have known from somewhere, who seemed to know her- was telling her all this information about a past she couldn't recall…it was all so bizarre.

"So why are we here?" Chihiro asked Sar'onga then. "Why have I specifically found you, and you have found me here?"

Sar'onga frowned. "You question it?"

"No. I mean, it's not chance. There's something else going on here, bigger than us."

Sar'onga nodded. "I accepted that fact." He sighed. "I've been waiting in limbo for something, something I just couldn't figure out… tell me dear?" Chihiro looked up to Sar'onga. "Do you know how long turtle spirits live for?"

"One hundred thousand years?" she replied almost instantly and then clamped her hand over her mouth.

"How did I know that?" she gasped. "That's so bizarre. I can feel the memories around there all locked up and blocked away, like I can't reach them."

"Turtle spirits live for around one hundred thousand years, some have been known to live for longer. But the old gods are millions of years old, existing on a completely different plain to the one we know…" Sar'onga said gently, making a strange symbol and hand movement Chihiro assumed was some sort of prayer recognition. "And I still have time… lots of time, just wasting away here and I knew, as soon as you told me your name, you are the purpose, you are why I am still here."

Chihiro frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I died, but you can live."

"Really?"

"I'll give you my remaining time on the physical plain. You won't be completely human anymore, but you will live longer."

"Will I still be able to visit my family?" she frowned. "How much longer will I live?"

"Enough to have many children and see them all grown," Sar'onga replied. "Five thousand years, maybe closer to seven. I can't tell. This is my gift to Haku, tell him this when you see him once again."

Suddenly Sar'onga began to shine a great light. A smile developed over his face as he slowly began to fade away.

"Oh, I am leaving," he laughed gently. "Goodbye, Chihiro!"

"Wait!" she called. "What… what if I don't remember anything! What if I don't remember who this Haku is when I wake up?"

Sar'onga smiled gently. "It's not easy falling in love for a second time, but the memories will return to you slowly my child. Be well, and love your husband and your children. You have fought more battles than you should have ever been asked."

Sar'onga completely disappeared then and Chihiro was left alone.

The room was white and empty and silent. Chihiro looked around for an exit, but still there were none.

"What am I doing here?" she cried into the emptiness. "Please, have mercy!"

Suddenly she noticed the space become smaller. It was closing in around her and she couldn't move for the feeling. Twisting and contorting, Chihiro struggled until suddenly she was falling and her stomach was in her throat and she was falling and falling and there wasn't a way to stop -

Falling

Falling

Falling.

Chihiro woke up with a gasp stuck in her throat. Her chest was tight and heavy and she wreched and coughed in bed as her lungs began to work again, pumping oxygen into her blood stream. Her heart was racing form the jump start and then she was lethargic as the adrenaline was dissolved and she fell back into the bed.

What was this place? This white ceiling and these soft beautiful covers. What was this room with the shutter doors looking out to a rainy courtyard and whose body was this, sore and swollen with pregnancy.

"H… Help!" she cried. Was that her voice? She couldn't remember?

"Help me! Someone help me please!" she cried frantically. Where was she? "Someone, please!"

There was a murmur from outside and suddenly a woman entered, worry stricken over her petite face. She had straight shoulder-length blonde hair and soft blue eyes. She ran over to Chihiro's side as the woman began to flinch back.

"W… where am I?" she gasped.

"You're alive?" Chase gaped.

"W… who are you?" Chihiro frowned. "W-where am I? Tell me now!"

Chase tried to calm her down with a hand gesture. "Calm down, Chihiro, it's me."

"How do you know my name?" Chihiro hissed. "Who are you?"

"I'm your friend, Chihiro, it is okay, don't be scared of me."

Chihiro shook her head as the woman came closer.

"S-stay back!"

"Just calm down, okay," Chase said gently. "No one is going to hurt you here. Do you not remember me? Is that it? You've been through a very traumatic experience, so that's okay, we'll just take things slow. Your name is Chihiro, and you remember that… what else do you remember?"

Chihiro frowned and thought. She remembered the old man. She remembered bits of the story he'd told her. His name was Sar'onga.

"I have my parents…," Chihiro frowned. "My name is Chihiro. I was… I was born in Osaka. My parents left the city when I was born." She shook her head. "I don't remember much."

"That's okay," Chase smiled gently. "Are you scared?"

"A little, yeah…," she murmured.

"Your parents are here."

Chihiro's eyes lit up. "They are?"

"Yes. I can go get them for you," Chase smiled gently. "Do you remember anything else, any other names?"

"Yes…," Chihiro frowned. There was one name that was nagging at her. She remembered it, she knew she did, but what was the name. "… I've known the name forever…," she frowned and shook her head. "Should I remember yours?"

"Maybe, but it's okay if you don't."

"What's your name?"

"Chase."

Chihiro frowned and shook her head. That wasn't the name.

"… Haku."

Her mouth said it before her brain thought of it but as soon as it tumbled off her lips, she knew it was right.

"Haku!"

"Okay," Chase said gently. "I'll go and get them. I'm also going to get another woman called Zeniba, okay."

"Zeniba. I know that name too."

"She's a good lady. You have to stay here, okay?"

Chihiro nodded.

"Do you promise?"

"Um…," Chihiro shrugged. "Fine."

"Okay," Chase huffed. "I'll be back in a moment," promised the bakeneko before disappearing from the room, leaving Chihiro in the rainy evening darkness. She looked out the window at the setting sun and sighed.

Chase ran down the hallways. Haku was already speaking with Chihiro's parents, oh what if she was too late, he'd said he didn't need her after an hour had passed and she had abided by his wishes to tend to her own husband and child, but - oh, what if she was too late.

Chase picked up her skirts and ran. By some miracle from the great gods above, Chihiro was alive and she had to get to Haku before he told her parents what had happened.

She came to the kitchen and burst into the private tea-room panting. Haku was sitting opposite Yuuko and Aiko looking sombre before looking up at Chase.

"Haku, you have to come with me, it's an emergency."

"Chase," he said flatly. "I am busy."

"You have to now. It's about Chihiro."

"Chihiro!" cried Yuuko. "Is she in some sort of trouble? Is she all right?"

"Haku!"

The man got up almost instantly.

"Hey!" Aiko yelled. "Tell us what's going on!"

"What is going on, Chase," Haku said seriously.

"I-I don't know," Chase huffed a small smile on her face. "She just woke up and asked for you."

"… she's… awake?"

Chase nodded. "By the grace of the ancient gods."

Haku broke out into a sprint and Chase quickly followed him, ushering for Chihiro's parents to follow closely behind. Haku unceremoniously burst through the door of his apartment, knocking books off a table as he walked through to his bedroom.

"Haku! Haku wait!" Chase called. "I have to tell you something first."

The man slowed and looked back at his old friend.

"What is it?"

Chase caught her breath. "She-she doesn't… she doesn't seem to remember… anything. Except. Except for some names."

"What do you mean?" he frowned. "She doesn't remember me?"

"Just… just your name, she said."

Haku felt his heart breaking all over again. So she was back again, back with him and in his arms, but she couldn't remember him, couldn't remember how she felt about him and their time together.

"I need to see her," Haku said.

"I don't think the baby made it either, but Zeniba…I'll find Zeniba to make sure."

Haku nodded. "See it is done."

"The baby didn't make it?" Yuuko choked from the back. "Is this what it is all about? Is our daughter in some sort of danger?"

Haku gave Chase a look to handle the situation and the woman nodded before turning to the door to his bedroom and opening the door quietly.

He stepped into the room. It smelt like death and rain and the rain outside pelted against the doors that lead to the garden. Haku's eyes strayed from them to the form that was sitting upright on their bed, watching the rain in silence.

"Chihiro," he said gently. His voice cut through the air in the room.

The response I got for the last chapter. was. insane. You guys really made me feel special, and I loved your comments about the chapter and everything. I have some things I want to do for this author note, but this one is going to be first.

I've received some fanart from the wonderful December Sapphire. It's a map of the spirit world I've created, and it's very detailed, featuring the bathhouse, Haku's house and river, Raijin's house, Zeniba's house and a few other places I haven't mentioned in the chapters yet. It's posted on deviantart and the link will be on my author's profile. Please check it out and leave some love on the page for the artist!

Also, I'd love to interact with my readers more, so for this chapter, feel free to ask me a question (any question at all*!) you may have for me and I'll answer through the PM system. If you don't have a fan fiction account, I'll answer in the author notes in the next chapter. I look forward to hearing from you guys. I really look forward to hearing what you think about this chapter.

Speak soon!

~Arlia'Devi

*except for address, credit card details, and my phone number, come on guys!