Chihiro stared wildly at the oak door that separated Yubaaba's office from the others. The dark and misty atmosphere sent a shiver up her spine. If she had the option to go somewhere else, she'd be bolting there without hesitation.
"This is where I leave you," came her mother's voice from beside her, "Just go and knock on the door, Yubaaba with will be right with you." Chihiro nodded quickly, "And Chihiro..." she added, "Don't forget your manners please."
Chihiro grinned, "Don't worry, Mum. I won't."
"Good," Yuuko smiled, stepping into the elevator, "Oh, and just in case I don't get to see you after... Chihiro, honey, I want you to know that I love you and I always will, ok?"
"I know, Mum. I love you too," Chihiro replied, "You will see me again, I promise you." But the elevator door had already closed. Chihiro took a deep breath, gathered up all her courage and walked towards the oak door. She grasped the golden knocker and banged it against the door several times.
"I see you remembered your manners this time." Chihiro jumped. Of course! There was the golden replica of Yubaaba on the door knocker that five years ago had scolded Chihiro for having no manners. "Well, come in." The double doors opened to reveal a long corridor, with many other corridors leading from it. The walls were decorated with all sorts of gold and jewels, which sparkled into Chihiro's eyes. She clenched her fists and walked, trying to remember exactly which corridor it was that lead to Yubaaba's office.
"You're too slow, you stupid girl," came Yubaaba's cackling voice. Chihiro felt a force grab her by the front of her shirt. She gasped as it pulled her along... sixth, seventh, eighth corridor to the right... TURN-
"Ah-" Chihiro gasped as she fell to the floor. Regaining her composure, she stood up slowly and faced-
"Yubaaba," she said fiercely.
"You immoral girl! I knew you'd be back! You and your stubborn love for Haku!" Yubaaba laughed.
"What did you do to my Haku? You evil witch!" Chihiro yelled stubbornly.
"There's no need for you to know. After all, when you become a pig you'll forget everything anyway." Chihiro was taken aback. "Ha... That fear is showing on your face again- the same one you showed me five years ago." Yubaaba inhaled smoke from her cigar luxuriously, then turned back to Chihiro, "Well, human, I'm not going to let you get away this time. This time, I'm not even going to hesitate to turn you into a pig. You deserve it, you stupid girl! You came at age ten and you turned my bathhouse into a living pigsty! And do you even stay to help clean it up? No! I let you get off easy... Well, it won't happen this time!" Chihiro braced herself for the attack. How stupid could she be? 'It was all a mistake to come here in the first place. I'll wake up and I'll be in my bed, same as usual.' But the nightmare didn't stop-
"Sen! Sen!" Chihiro looked up at the familiarity of the voice.
"Bou?" she asked curiously.
"Yes, Sen! It's me! You're back, Sen! Now we can go on some more adventures!" The gigantic child ran towards Chihiro, picked her up and hugged her tightly, as if she was a teddy bear that the child had lost but just found. But Chihiro knew this child perhaps more than his mother. He was Bou- the giant son of Yubaaba, whom Zeniiba (her twin sister) had turned into a fat mouse whilst Chihiro had tried to save Haku five years ago.
"Bou!" Chihiro exclaimed, "My, you've grown!" Although Bou had been bigger than her at age one, she couldn't say she had recognized him immediately. Now six years of age, Bou had grown dark, black hair, cut in a mushroom style. Little tufts of it hung out at the top of his head.
"So Sen... Where are we off to now? Can we go to Zeniiba's house again?" Bou asked excitedly, grinning widely as he spoke.
"BOU! Get out of the way! Now is NOT playtime!" Yubaaba yelled furiously at him.
"What are you doing, Mama?" Bou gasped. He had seen that look on his mother's face before. She always had it when she was just about to... "MAMA! NO!" he yelled desperately, "You can't do that to Sen! That's horrible!"
"Nonsense, my boy. Now get out of the way, otherwise you'll face the consequences!"
"No Mama. If you hurt Sen, I won't love you any more," Bou said sternly. Yubaaba's face dropped. If it was one thing she couldn't bear to lose, it was her son's love.
"Fine," she muttered, "You got lucky this time, human. You won't be the next time we come to face." Yubaaba clicked her fingers, and vanished.
Bou let out a huge sigh, "If it's one thing my Mum doesn't have control over, it's her temper." Chihiro giggled silently. "So where are you going to go now Sen? If you're not going anywhere, you can sleep in my room tonight."
"No, thanks Bou. There's someone I really need to see." Chihiro replied.
"Really? Who? Take me with you!" Bou exclaimed.
"No Bou. You'll have to stay here. It's far too dangerous for you to be going out."
"Aww... but Sen! Please! I promise I'll be good! I mean, you were the one who told me that being cooped up inside all the time makes me sick!"
"Bou, I know how much you want to go, but it's for the best if you stay here, ok? Don't worry, I'll come back soon and we can play together," Chihiro smiled. Bou returned the smile- he liked that idea
"Ok. You promise?" he asked.
"Promise. Now go back to your room and get plenty of sleep. And you must listen to your mother, ok?"
"Ok, I will. Bye Sen!"
"Bye..." Chihiro muttered, but Bou was already gone.
Chihiro tried her hardest ignore the oncoming stares that were following her as she travelled. The bathhouse workers covered their noses desperately as she walked past, occasionally gasping and whispering to each other. Chihiro kept walking, down a level, down another... until she reached the basement where the food was stored. She opened the door that led to the outside and-
"Thank God," she muttered, "The old wooden raft thing is still here." Chihiro climbed down the steps carefully and helped herself into the raft. She gathered up all her strength and rowed with all her might. The old creaking of the oar couldn't stop her from enjoying the night sky- with all its little stars hanging and twinkling down at her. She smiled to herself. She hadn't seen such a beautiful sky in a long time. But then, the last time, Haku was with her, in his dragon form... They were both soaring through the air, Chihiro's arms around him... Such thoughts brought tears to Chihiro's eyes. 'How could he forget? How?' As far as Chihiro was concerned, they shared a special relationship that had seemed unbreakable. But now that it had been broken, Chihiro did not know what to do. For all she knew, Haku was the only true friend she had known ever since she had moved houses.
Finally, the raft hit something hard.
"The track!" Chihiro exclaimed. Setting the oar down, she jumped out of the raft and onto the train track. She felt the coldness of the water swift around her feet, and realized that she had forgotten to take her shoes back from the Susuwatari. Chihiro shivered; she hadn't noticed that the night air was extremely cool. Wrapping her arms around herself, she ran lightly towards the station.
"What now?" she asked herself, "I don't have a train ticket." Chihiro sighed, and allowed her legs to collapse under her. She turned her head to the side- it WOULD take her while to walk to Zeniiba's house, but... If it could help Haku remember, she would do it. Chihiro smiled, a new determination set on her face.
"Hey Chihiro," came a voice in her ear. Chihiro jumped and stood up, alarmed.
"H-H-Haku!" she exclaimed sharply.
"Going somewhere?" he smiled, absent-mindedly throwing a rock into vast blue sea. Chihiro then snapped out of her semi-consciousness.
"As a matter of fact, I was. I'll be seeing you then," she smirked.
"Chihiro, wait!" Haku yelled after her, "Do you need a ride?" Chihiro froze for a mere second, thinking furiously. 'Hmm... Sure I could do with a ride... Save me a heck of a lot of time too.' But wait, "NO! I don't need any help from a jerked face idiot like him!" Chihiro stuck her nose in the air and continued walking. Haku chased after her. "Look Chihiro, I know you're angry with me because of the way I treated you before... And look, I'm sorry, ok? I guess I was just overreacting at the way... you were overreacting." Chihiro paused and stared into his emerald-green eyes... If only, if only... I could be something else in those eyes of his... "But anyway, let's start over, ok? I'm Haku," he smiled, extending his hand to Chihiro's. She hesitated at first, but thinking of the better...
"Chihiro," she said, taking his hand. Haku smiled.
"I was wondering if I could be of any service to you, Miss? I mean, I would like to show you my appreciation in accepting my offer of friendship." 'Friendship only, eh?' Chihiro thought. "Perhaps I could give you a ride to your destination?"
"Ok," said Chihiro, no tone in her voice.
"Where to, Miss?" Haku asked.
"Swamp Bottom," Chihiro replied.
"Swamp Bottom it is." Haku held onto her hand, and the next thing she knew, she was riding a white dragon among the clouds.
No words were exchanged between them as they flew. Chihiro had her arms wrapped around the dragon's neck for security. The adrenalin rushing inside her body had stopped after the first few minutes of the flight, and now she was calm- enjoying the scenery around her. It made everything feel perfect- although it was not. Chihiro rested her head on the warmth of Haku's mane. How much she wished that it could be Haku in his normal boy form, how much she wished that it could be like last time- holding hands, flying through the eternity of the sky, like nothing else mattered... A sharp jerk told Chihiro that they were slowly descending. Soon, the ground seemed much closer and the clouds were becoming smaller and smaller...
'Thump' went Haku's feet as they landed gracefully on the lawn.
"Thanks," said Chihiro impatiently, "You can go now." Haku bowed to Chihiro, bent his legs and took off once again. Chihiro stared at him as he flew. She just couldn't tell whether she was happy or angry- or was it possible that she could feel these two emotions at once?
The door to Zeniiba's house creaked open slowly.
"Chihiro?" Chihiro turned around.
"Granny!" she exclaimed, running towards her. She hugged her, and words just couldn't explain how relieved she had felt at that moment. Finally, they let go, and Zeniiba looked up at the sky.
"My, is Haku not joining us today?" she asked.
"Let's not talk about that right now," Chihiro smiled nervously, urging Zeniiba into the house.
"Ok... dear..." she stuttered. "Oh, No Face, would you mind putting the kettle on?" Chihiro turned to look, "No Face! Oh wow, No Face, you're still here! I've missed you!" She stared at the ghastly black figure before her. It wore a mask to cover the fact that he had not a face. No Face nodded, smiling his almost-permanent smile, and then went to make some tea.
"Come here, sweetie," Zeniiba said, "I'm sure we have a lot to catch up on." She pulled up a chair and Chihiro gratefully sat down. Zeniiba then pulled up a chair for herself. "My, my, Chihiro. It has been a long time since I last saw you. You have grown so much!"
"Thanks, Granny. Although I must say, I reckon I've heard that enough times today to last me a lifetime!" Chihiro smiled.
Zeniiba laughed softly, "Yes. I must ask you, what brings you back to the Spirit World?" Chihiro's face fell. Again, she had to endure the pain, telling her story to Zeniiba. She was almost in tears by the time she had finished, but Zeniiba was understanding and comforted her as she talked.
"S-sorry, Granny," Chihiro sniffed, "I c-can't help it."
"That's ok, sweetie," Zeniiba said, handing her more tissues. No Face had returned with cups of tea for all of them, along with cake and biscuits. Chihiro took a sip of the tea, to try and calm her emotions. "Tell me something else, Chihiro." She looked up. "What is this coldness towards Haku about?" Chihiro put down her tea and sighed. She turned her head to the side and stared blankly at the darkness the window was showing, trying hard not to look directly at Zeniiba.
"To be honest with you, I really don't know," Chihiro began, "When I came back to the Spirit World, all I really wanted to do was see him... But then, I saw him with... another girl. When I asked him what the heck he was doing, he didn't know who I was. At first I thought he just couldn't recognize me, but even as I told him the story, he still couldn't recall anything. Then, I suspected Yubaaba. I went up to her office, but she wouldn't tell me what she did. All she wanted to do was turn me into a pig." Chihiro pulled her eyes away from the window and looked at Zeniiba. "Do you, do you reckon that you can tell me what she did to him?" There was an awkward silence, then Zeniiba stood up, her back facing her and No Face. She was engulfed in thought.
"You know what," she said finally, "I reckon she cast a memory charm on him."
"Memory charm?" Chihiro asked, "Is that why Haku doesn't remember me?"
"Yes, I suspect so," Zeniiba replied, "I suspect that Yubaaba erased Haku's memories of you, and the feelings that he had for you in his heart." Chihiro paused for a while.
"Is there a way to... remove the charm?" she asked.
"I'm afraid not. This charm is way too powerful. It just can't be broken, no matter how hard you try."
"But, Granny... You once told me that once you've met someone, you never really forget them," Chihiro said wistfully.
"Yes, and that's very true, Chihiro. You see, he hasn't completely forgotten you. But it'd take a miracle for him to regain his memories since he's under the spell," Zeniiba explained. Chihiro thought about it- of course! Haku had called out her name without her needing to tell him what her name was. But then... It was impossible for him to regain his all of his memories... And he'd never remember Chihiro...
"Wait!" Zeniiba exclaimed suddenly.
"What?"
"There... is a way," she said slowly.
"There is? Tell me!"
"But, it's difficult, very difficult. It involves making a very complicated potion..."
"Granny! Please! I'll help you make it!"
"Not just that, Chihiro. It also involves... a sacrifice."
"What?"
"The person who drinks this potion must sacrifice their own memories in order for the other to regain them." Chihiro looked down. Of course, she should've expected it. Things like this didn't come easy. "Chihiro, it's completely up to you. I can brew the potion for you in a few hours, but this is a life-long decision you'll have to make yourself." Chihiro became lost in thoughts. She would have to lose her memory for Haku, and all out of love. But what would happen then? What if it didn't work, and both of them had their memories lost? But on the brighter side, if it did, Haku would come looking for her... Yes, Haku would come looking for her and help her regain her memory. It was possible. She had nothing to lose.
"Yes, Granny. Please make me the potion," she said sternly. Zeniiba smiled slightly and placed her hand on Chihiro's head. She nodded in the direction of No Face, and they both left to the kitchen. Chihiro crept off her chair and curled up into a tight ball in the corner of the room...
"It's ready, Chihiro, dear," came Zeniiba's voice three hours later. Chihiro looked up, her eyes puffy and sore, and managed to let out a weak smile. She slowly stood up, and gently took the steaming red potion vial from Zeniiba.
"Thanks Granny," she smiled. Taking a deep breath, she held the vial to her lips and swallowed. It must've been the most disgusting thing she had tasted- even more so than the berries that Haku had given her. But her determination to get Haku back overtook her and she courageously gulped down the whole vial. Zeniiba and No Face looked at her worriedly, but she just smiled back. Zeniiba took the vial from her and returned to the kitchen, No Face following.
Within a few minutes, Chihiro was feeling sick. She felt like vomiting, and her head was feeling dizzy.
"I'm just going out for some fresh air!" she yelled. Clutching her stomach, she opened the door and headed out. She ventured as far as she dared, trying to ignore the pounding inside head and stomach... the dizziness of the trees, her surroundings... And before she knew it, the whole world spun in front of her as she was soon engulfed in darkness...