BattleAngelKurumi: Thanks for your review. Yeah. They'll meet.

Author's Notes: Sorry for the long wait. This chapter ate my brain. The first scene is sappy and clichéd beyond all reason. It'll probably be the most sappy scene in this entire fic. So please bear with me for a while. After this chapter comes all the action. :D

Disclaimer: Storyline and Izumi are freezingsapphire's. Shinji's mine. Other characters are from the creators of Spirited Away.

Chapter 3

Haku really didn't want to leave.

Haku really, really didn't want to leave.

Unfortunately, he had to. A small group of people had gathered outside his house to see him off. Most of them consisted of his old friends from the bathhouse, though there were a few fellow sorcerers he sometimes hung out with. Each of them said their goodbyes, and some of them handed him little farewell gifts.

Finally, the only two left were Shinji and Chihiro. Shinji stepped up to Haku.

"Well," Shinji said lightly, "don't die."

Haku rolled his eyes, "Stay out of trouble kiddo."

"Yeah, yeah. Whenever have I done otherwise?"

"All the time," Haku deadpanned.

"Fine. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."

"That leaves me with a whole lot of options now doesn't it?"

"Precisely."

They grinned at each other, and hugged briefly. Haku would miss Shinji, despite how annoying the teenager could be.

"I've got to get back to work. Or that old cow will have my head," Shinji said and added with a smirk, "I'll leave you two to it then."

With that, he set off in the direction of the bathhouse, whistling, and left Haku and Chihiro alone.

Haku had told Chihiro about his "mission" the night before. She had protested and shed tears over the news, but Haku had managed to console her, and they had agreed that he should leave as soon as possible, so he could get back sooner. They had spent the night curled up on their couch together, just holding each other in silence. They both knew there was a chance that they would never see each other again.

Haku kissed Chihiro fiercely, but she pulled away, and offered him a weak smile, "Hold on. I have something for you."

She ran into the house, Haku trailing after her. Haku waited in the living room, and heard Chihiro rummaging around their bedroom for something. He breathed in the slight sandalwood scent of the cottage. It always soothed his nerves, as the scent meant that he was home. Who knew when he would come back, or, if he would ever come back in the first place?

Chihiro came out of the bedroom, looking triumphant, probably at having found whatever she was looking for. She held a box in her hands. She smiled at Haku, and flipped open the lid of the box. Inside the box lay two silver rings of different designs. The larger one had an intricate and detailed dragon carved onto it, and the smaller one just had a small diamond.

"I know our wedding ceremony wasn't a western one, but in the human world lots of people exchange rings during weddings. I meant to give this to you later, but…" Chihiro trailed off.

There may never be another chance. The words lay unspoken between them.

"They're beautiful," Haku smiled back at Chihiro, kissed her on the cheek, and took the smaller ring out of the box, "Uh. Am I supposed to put it on for you?"

Chihiro nodded and held out her hand, letting Haku slip the ring on her finger. They repeated the process, this time Chihiro being the one to slip the ring onto Haku's finger. Haku flexed his fingers a little, and pulled the ring off. Chihiro looked hurt for a second.

"I'm not used to wearing it," he explained, he held out his other hand, palm facing the ceiling, lights appeared at his fingertips and the streams of light gathered in the center of his palm, finally forming a silver chain. He slipped the chain through the ring, making the ring look like a pendant, and put the necklace on, "I feel more comfortable this way."

Chihiro stood on tiptoe and gave him a quick peck on the forehead, "I don't mind, as long as you carry it with you."

They stayed in awkward silence for a moment. These silences were very rare between them, and normally only happened right after they resolved a quarrel.

"Well then," Haku said, "I guess I'd better get going."

Tears gathered in Chihiro's eyes, and she nodded, "Sayo—"

Haku silenced her with a finger on her lips before she could complete the word. He removed his finger kissed her chastely and gently.

"There are no need for goodbyes," he whispered, "after all, we'll see each other again, ne?"

Chihiro nodded again as Haku brushed away a tear that rolled down her cheek. They went outside, and held on to each other for what seemed like hours.

"Aishiteru, Chi," Haku whispered hoarsely, using the nickname he had picked for her when they had first become lovers, "Zuuto, aishiteru."

"I love you too," Chihiro murmured, and tightened her grip on Haku, "forever and always."

They finally pulled away, and Haku transformed into his dragon form. Growling affectionately, he rested his head on Chihiro's shoulder for a moment, the dragon-form of an embrace, and flew into the sky.

We'll see each other again. That's why we never said goodbye.

Their thoughts were identical as Chihiro watched Haku soar away from her. They would meet again. Haku would return, safe and sound, and they would live the rest of their life in peace.

Haku and Chihiro tried to believe.

They couldn't.


Author's random insert: Aww. Everyone give Chihiro and Haku a hug.
"Shinji! SHINJI!" Yubaba's screech was heard throughout the bathhouse.

Everyone, including and especially Shinji, winced. Nothing good ever happened when Yubaba shrieked like that.

"What did you do now?" Ayako, a friend of Shinji's whispered harshly. Shinji shrugged and finished scrubbing the tub he was cleaning. He threw the towel he was using on the ground and made his way up to Yubaba's 'lair'.

He reached the top floor, and walked out of the elevator. After a few steps, the world began to spin before his eyes and he stumbled and had to lean against the wall to prevent himself from falling flat on his face.

Damn it. It's one of those memory things again.

Shinji often suffered from dizzy spells and headaches whenever bits and patches of his memory returned. They were often fuzzy and too short for Shinji to make anything out of them. Sometimes, he just wished he could remember it all at once, and forget about it. Well, okay. Bad phrasing there.

:: Screams. A woman screaming. A bright, purple light. A dagger. Blood. Lots of blood…::

And it stopped.

Shinji stood up straight again and rubbed his temples. What the hell was that about?

"Fucking memory problem," he muttered to himself, and he resumed his path to Yubaba's office. He opened the door without knocking, the magical doorknob muttering something about youngsters these days having no manners.

Shinji all but breezed arrogantly into Yubaba's office. He put on a nonchalant attitude, just to annoy the old woman. "Yeah?"

"Watch your manners boy," Yubaba hissed, "the only reason I let you into the bathhouse was because of that Haku." She spat out his name as if it were some sort of disgusting swearword. "He is not here now, and won't be for a long time. So you'd better not have the nerve to speak to me in that insolent tone of yours."

"Whatever. You called me up for this?"

"No. I called you up because there have been complaints that you've been nicking food from the customers, of all people."

"I'm a growing teenager. And the food we ordinary folk get can't really be called food. More like fodder or chicken feed. Can't the bathhouse afford proper food? Because, no offense to your cooks, those things we currently consume just suck in so many ways."

Yubaba was rapidly turning a vivid shade of red. She looked like she was about to breathe fire. Literally. "You litt—"

"Look, I'll stop taking the customers' food, okay? So s'all good. Bye now." Shinji interrupted and gave a little wave as he turned and walked out of Yubaba's office. "Say 'hi' to the baby for me."

Yubaba seethed, but let him walk out anyway. She had mellowed so much after Haku had left. Truth be told, she missed her assistant. Even though she often acted like she detested him for leaving.

"Baba-chan," the huge baby lumbered out of his playroom.

"Hai? What is it?" Yubaba cooed.

"Baba-chan looks sad," the baby tilted his head curiously.

"Do I now?" Yubaba mused, more to herself than the baby, "That boy reminds me of Haku. They have the same attitude, even though he shows it more than Haku does. It's time for your nap. Baba-chan will tuck you in, ne?"


Izumi walked through the tunnel. It was completely dark. She shivered slightly, and it was not entirely because of the cold.

"Damn, I should never have come here," she muttered and stopped to tie a loose shoelace. But it's too late to turn back now, a little voice in her head reasoned. Sighing heavily, she stood up straight again, and noticed light coming from somewhere in front of her. It was the end of the tunnel.

Eager to get out, she started running towards the light. Izumi knew she was one-step closer to finding Chihiro. Izumi put her hand in front of her face to shield her eyes from the glaring light as she exited the tunnel. She blinked rapidly, her eyes adjusting to the new lighting.

A field. Just like in Cousin Chihiro's diary.

Izumi took a step forward, and hesitated. She was in a foreign world. What was she to do if she got into trouble?

"I'll deal with it when the time comes," she told herself firmly and walked bravely across the field.

Behind her, the God of Knowledge grinned. "These humans are just so entertaining," was his last thought. And he disappeared.