You have always been there, I just didn't know (final part)
No…Not her…
Anything but her…Haku's head dropped, his eyes wide with fear. It seemed as if darkness had settled over him. He was suddenly deaf to the sounds surrounding him and his eyes blurred. He didn't know what to do. He was feeling so many things. He wanted to get into a rage, transform and charge at Yu-Baba with all he had, but he knew he mustn't, because that was foolish. This wasn't his game, yet he was so involved to it, because it was about to swallow the most important person in his life.
"AAAAAHHHH!"
A scream brought him back to his senses. He lifted his head and saw what he had most feared to see. Yu-Baba had taken control of Chihiro and was lifting her in the center. Chihiro's tear-stained face was pale. She looked back and reached out to Haku. "Haku!" she called out.
Haku clenched his fists, staring at Chihiro and refusing to believe that everything was real. She was in danger and calling out to him…but he couldn't do anything!
"Stop it…" he whispered, weakly. His voice sounded harsh and far away. Somewhere inside of him, he felt something brewing, like an animal struggling to be released. Chihiro stopped screaming and then he knew what it was: anguish…a torture too much to bear.
"Stop it…" he repeated, getting weaker by the minute.
"Well, now that we've got our 'fish'…" Haku heard Yu-Baba say. "Let's begin. Shall we, Zeniba?"
"Yes…" Haku glanced at Zeniba. She was frowning deeply.
"Take this, then. I don't want any of your powers protecting her."
Something fell near Haku's foot. He bent down to pick it up. It was Chihiro's hair band. He looked up at her again and his heart was pierced even more. She wasn't screaming anymore, nor was she crying. She was just looking silently at him, with a strange sadness in her eyes that he couldn't bear to see. Her hands were limp at her side. She wasn't reaching out to him anymore. Haku felt like he had betrayed her when she had needed him most.
"Let's begin!" Yu-Baba cried out and she held up her hand towards Chihiro.
Haku watched as slowly, the light in Chihiro's eyes began to fade and her eyelids began to droop. Her skin was fast becoming clammy and paler. Her hair, flowing freely behind her, dropped back, limp like her hands. Her soul was being sucked out.
Haku took a step forward, unable to control himself. "Stop it…"
For some reason, that was all he could say, all he could think about.
Chihiro slowly faded out of life as Haku watched helplessly. But then, before he was even aware of it, the dragon charm inside her shirt began to glow. He saw her give one last effort to open her eyes and she gave him a small smile.
I love you…
The words flowed through Haku's mind, more meaningful than ever. Then, Chihiro's eyes closed and her head slumped onto her shoulder. She was gone.
Haku stepped back, stricken. He couldn't believe it! It couldn't be real! There she was, in front of him, so pale and lifeless. She was the most important person in his life! And she was gone!
Unable to hold out much longer, Haku's body crouched in his anguish, his forehead resting on his upheld fists. He felt something coming up his body and a hot stinging behind his eyes. She's gone…she's gone…she's…
Haku's fists tightened as tears chased each other down his cheeks.
"CHIHIRO!"
Zeniba closed her eyes as Haku screamed out Chihiro's name and fell on his knees, broken. Her brows knitted together and she faced Yu-Baba. I won't fail, she promised herself. Hold on, Chihiro.
"Enough with the drama," Yu-Baba said, smiling at Haku's broken form. "Let's start then."
A large sand glass magically appeared behind the cauldron.
"One hour," Yu-Baba said. "I'll let you go first, dear sister."
Zeniba nodded with a determined face. She held up her hand towards the cauldron and looked into it. It was confusing. The souls all looked alike. She wasn't sure which one was Chihiro's. But she has to pick one…and quick. Time was precious. Each second draws nearer to Chihiro's death. She must find the right one. She spied a soul in the corner and raised it up. She placed it inside Chihiro's body, hoping. But her hopes quickly faded. As soon as she let go of the spirit, it dissolved into white mist and disappeared. She got the wrong one.
"My turn," Yu-Baba said.
Luckily, the soul she picked was also wrong. Some of Zeniba's hope returned. Right, she thought. I won't give up…no matter what.
Haku kept his eyes to the ground. He couldn't bear to look. I shouldn't have brought her here, he thought. But then, if he hadn't, they would've been in greater trouble. The two of them would've been dead by now. He shook his head violently and drove his fist on the earth. But that would've been better than this! I can't watch her die!
He covered his face with his hand, close to tears again. All of this…it's my fault…if I had just used the old path, Yu-Baba wouldn't have known and Chihiro would've been asleep in her bed by now, safe and sound. All of this is my fault…
His eyes squeezed shut as he tried to prevent the tears, to no avail. Chihiro… he thought, longing to see her smiling face again.
Chihiro…forgive me…Chihiro…
He thought about her, laughing, smiling, so happy with everything…with him. And then he goes and fails her, leaving her at the mercy of two witches, one seeking for her to die, the other, for her to live. And he, the one who had promised to protect her, to stick by her…what was he doing? Nothing!
Chihiro…
Just then, he felt some warmth in his chest. He grabbed at it and out came his Dragon Charm necklace. It was glowing. His brows joined in confusion. How could it glow, when Chihiro was—
Wait a minute. If it's glowing, that means…
Haku was suddenly alive with energy. He stood up and searched about the place. He remembered that Chihiro was wearing her necklace when her soul was sucked-out and she had used it at the last minute. That means that some of the charm's powers had gone with her soul and that's what my charm is detecting!
He stopped and looked at the two witches still 'fishing' for Chihiro's soul. Haku narrowed his eyes and spied the cauldron. Chihiro's soul should be marked with a blue glow. He searched the floating mass of souls, but he was having a hard time in finding it. Where is it? Where?
Then, he realized something. If Chihiro's soul had a blue glow, it would've been easy to find, because it would stand out. He looked at Yu-Baba with suspicion in his eyes. There's something strange about all this…
His eyes widened as he saw something that confirmed his guess. He rubbed his eyes to see if what he was seeing was true. He looked again, harder this time and then he knew it.
A blue glow was faintly showing itself under Yu-Baba's cloak. Haku's fists clenched again, this time in anger. How could she? The cheater!
"STOP!" he shouted and both witches looked at him in surprise.
"Haku, don't interfere now. I must hurry if I want to save Chihiro," Zeniba protested.
Haku walked in front of Zeniba, his back to her. He pointed a finger towards Yu-Baba. "You cheater!" he shouted.
Yu-Baba pasted an innocent look on her face. "What did I do?" she asked.
"Chihiro's soul is not in this cauldron! You have it!"
"What?" Zeniba exclaimed in disbelief. "Yu-Baba, is this true?"
Yu-Baba stepped back, shocked. "Wha—h-how did you know?" she cried out.
"Quick, Zeniba, it's there, where the blue glow is!" Haku said.
Zeniba quickly took action and before Yu-Baba could react, Zeniba took out the object behind her cloak.
It was a glass phial with a white stuff inside emitting a blue glow. Zeniba took it in her hands and smiled at its wonder. "What is it?" she asked. "That blue glow?"
Haku showed her his dragon charm, which was still glowing. "I gave one just like this to her," he said. "It's a bond between us."
Zeniba gave Haku a tender pat on the shoulder. "You know," she said. "When a person's soul is sucked-out, the soul forgets every memory that person had. But, see here, even in death, she remembers you."
Zeniba opened the phial and freed Chihiro's soul. She held it up and placed it on Chihiro's body.
At once, a color came to the pale face and the chest slowly rose, as the first breath of new life entered Chihiro's body. Haku ran to her as she opened her eyes.
Chihiro smiled as she caught sight of him. "Haku," she whispered. "I knew you'd find me…I knew you'd bring me back…"
A sudden rush of emotion engulfed Haku's heart and he hugged Chihiro tight, glad that she was with him again. Chihiro savored the warm embrace of Haku. "You know," she whispered. "I felt so lost there. But the thought of seeing your face again and feeling your warm embrace helped me hold on. And then I realized…you're the most important person in my life."
Zeniba watched the tender moment calmly, but then, she sensed a different aura. She looked towards its direction but she was too late. Yu-Baba had place a body-binding spell on her again.
"Watch out!" Zeniba shouted. "She's going to attack!"
It happened all too fast. Haku quickly shielded Chihiro as Yu-Baba charged at them, fire erupting from her mouth and her hair loose all around her.
Haku transformed into a dragon and soared to meet her.
Chihiro figured out what he was going to do and she sat up, dread coursing through her whole body.
Haku and Yu-Baba met.
"NOOOOO!" she screamed before everything went black.
In Chihiro's dark, quiet bedroom, a light suddenly appeared above the bed. Slowly, it subsided and left a figure lying on it.
Chihiro.
She opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling, her face gaunt and serious. Scenes started to play in her mind, like a movie, with only one difference: they were all real.
Yu-Baba had been injured badly and she flew away to heal herself. She left Haku lying limp on the ground. He couldn't transform into human form. His powers were too drained. Chihiro had knelt beside him for hours, sometimes crying, sometimes calling out his name to keep him conscious while Zeniba tried her best to cure him. But a change had come over his features and his eyes had closed. He wouldn't wake up though they tried.
"He's not dead," Chihiro had insisted, while Zeniba frowned.
"You'd better go home, Chihiro. I'll take you there," Zeniba had offered. But Chihiro was stubborn. She wouldn't go home.
At the last argument, Zeniba had put her under a spell and sent her away.
Now, she was lying on her bed, alone and scared. Tears ran down her cheeks but she hardly noticed them. She had cried so many times already that the tears seemed normal. But what hurt her was a dull pain in her heart that wouldn't go away.
Finally, she buried her face in her pillow.
"Haku…"
"The dance was a bit weird, though. I woke up and found everybody was asleep, too. It was like a huge slumber party."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. But, even so, it was a great night."
"Absolutely! Don't you agree, Chihiro? Chihiro?"
Chihiro looked up. She was walking to school with her friends but her mind wasn't on what they were talking about. She tried to smile. "Yeah, I do," she answered.
Sakura frowned at her. "Is something wrong? You're so quiet today," she said.
"No, really, I'm fine. I was just—" Chihiro's voice trailed off. She was thinking of Haku.
Momoka leaned closer. "You were just—what?" she asked.
Chihiro snapped back to reality. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "I'm sorry if I'm acting weird. I had a fever last night." She didn't want to lie to her friends, but then, she didn't want to tell the truth, either. Her friends bought the excuse, anyway.
"That's too bad. But, why are you still going to school? Shouldn't you be resting?" Nikken asked with a worried expression.
"No. I'm okay now…really. Besides, I didn't want to miss school," Chihiro answered.
"Okay. But, if you feel dizzy later, don't hesitate to go home. Please?"
Chihiro nodded and her friends were satisfied. They started talking again and didn't bother Chihiro anymore even though she was quiet.
During lunch-time, Chihiro sat with her friends in their usual place near the game court, where a game of soccer was taking place. They were all sharing their lunch, but she wasn't eating. She sighed, looking at the players with a frown. She was used to seeing Haku playing there. But now, he wasn't.
"Yoshikawa didn't come to school today, huh?" Momoka asked.
Chihiro turned quickly with a smile, lest her friends see her frowning again. "Yes," she replied. "He had something to take care of at home with his grandparents."
Of course, it wasn't the truth. Yoshikawa was absent because Haku was still in the Spirit World with Zeniba. Of course, she was curing him. She has to be! Haku's not dead!
Chihiro's head dropped. She wasn't so sure. He wouldn't answer to her calls last night, though she was already screaming. It was fast becoming unbearable. She suddenly stood up, made an excuse that she was going to the comfort room and ran away before her friends see the tears in her eyes.
She stopped in front of the fountain that was out of sight behind a building. There, she had her cry. But she didn't feel good about it. She couldn't go to class looking like trash, with her eyes swollen and red!
While she cried though, an amazing thing happened. Her Dragon Charm started to rise, glowing like mad. Chihiro stopped crying and opened her eyes. She stared at it, gladness taking her over. She stood up and the charm led her towards the fountain. She reached out her hand and before she could even touch the fountain, her hand disappeared. She wiped the remaining tears and then, she took a few more steps. In minute, she disappeared.
Chihiro opened her eyes and saw that she was standing on the spot where she and Haku last saw each other six years ago, when he had told her not to look back at him. Her heart started to thump wildly and she started to run.
She stopped when she saw that everything was empty. There was no food laden for the Gods. The wind rustled beneath her feet and papers went through her parted legs. Chihiro's eyes narrowed. It felt like déjà vu. She knew she'd been in the same situation before, she just couldn't remember when.
Setting aside her thoughts, she began to run again. She didn't know where to, she just let her feet lead her. She looked around as she ran. It really was weird…nobody was in sight. What was she going to find there?
She stopped again when she saw where her feet had taken her. She was at the bottom of the stairs leading to the bridge.
She took a deep breath as her heart pounded more excitedly. Then, she started to ascend. Halfway there, she suddenly realized why it had all seemed familiar.
This was her dream before! And in that dream…
In her excitement, Chihiro ran. When she reached the bridge, she saw finally, a living person.
He wasn't facing her. His back was turned, but she recognized that familiar back.
Chihiro's eyes welled up with tears in her gladness. "Haku," she called.
Slowly, he turned to her, a look of disbelief in his eyes.
They stared at each other for a while, each of them afraid to say anything for fear it was all a dream and they would suddenly wake up.
Then, as if they had been thinking the same thing, both of them took a step forward.
Chihiro then knew that it wasn't a dream. Her lips began to form a smile and ran to him, jumping into his arms in her joy. "I never thought I'd see you again! I thought I lost you!" she said, crying freely.
Haku savored the moment of having Chihiro in his arms. "The same goes for me," he said. "Chihiro…"
Haku put her down and looked her in the eye. "I'm sorry for everything," he said. "You don't know how happy I am right now, being with you."
Chihiro moved closer and rested her head on his chest. "Yes, I do," she whispered. "Because that's also how I feel."
Haku closed his eyes, holding Chihiro gently.
Chihiro looked up at him. "We're always going to be together from now on, right?" she asked.
Haku nodded and leaned down to her, sealing the promise with a kiss.
