Author's Note: Sorry about the delay--this one is a bit longer than the other chapters, but only by a little. Wanna know why? Read on!
For a while we just stood there, until I felt warmer, then I moved my head so I could speak.
"Why did you say all those things, Kohaku?" I asked. "You didn't really want me to leave, did you?"
"I didn't want you to go," Kohaku said. "But I wasn't lying about where you were meant to be—you really do belong here. And you needed to forget us in order to be happy here."
"But I'm happy now," I said, hugging him tighter.
"You would have been happy anyway if you hadn't started remembering us."
I didn't like where this was going.
"You're not going to make me forget again, are you?"
Kohaku slowly pulled away and looked at me. His eyes were warm again, but still serious.
"Not if you keep your promise this time."
"How do I do that?"
"Just don't look back," he said. "Don't live for what is past when you've got a whole other world out there that could use your strength and your heart just as much as we did here, once. Don't turn your back on the mortal world to live in a dream."
I looked down. "You don't need me anymore?"
Kohaku lifted my chin with a curled finger so I would look at him again.
"I've always needed you, Chihiro," he said. "Ever since I saw you by my river, and ever since you helped me remember my name. You saved me, Chihiro."
I grabbed his hand and held it.
"If I keep my promise," I said slowly. "Will you keep yours? Will I see you again someday?"
This time, Kohaku actually smiled.
"I promise if you do," he said. "We will meet again."
"Pinky swear!" I told him, holding out my little finger. He smiled and linked it with his. We shook.
"Satisfied?" he asked.
I nodded, but my heart didn't agree.
"Then I think it's safe to leave you with this."
He pulled out of my grasp and turned my hand over so he could drop something in it. When he moved his hand, I saw my hair tie in my grasp.
"You took it?" I looked up at him.
"I thought if I did, you'd forget about it," he admitted. "But in the end it just got you into more trouble."
"Trouble you could have prevented if you'd just shown up earlier and--!"
Kohaku leaned over and kissed my cheek. I was stunned into silence.
"What's done is done," he said after he'd pulled away. His face was so close to mine I could feel his breath. It smelled like rain. "You have your memories. Keep them safe, but don't live in them. You have your own life ahead of you, Chihiro, and if you want it badly enough, it will be as great an adventure as the one you had here."
I still couldn't speak, so I nodded. I wondered if he could see my blush in the moonlight, but I hoped not.
"Now, let's get you home," he said. "They're probably out looking for you by now."
The dragon boy flew me over the forest and over the houses to the road I had run down just outside of Nakashi's house. We spotted Nakashi and Tome huddled under an umbrella just below us as we circled the subdivision.
Kohaku landed between a hedge so that no one would spot him in the dark. I hopped off his back, then threw my arms around his dragon head. He pushed back as if to nuzzle me.
"Goodbye for now, my friend," I said, and kissed his forehead.
We both pulled away and, giving me one last departing look, took off into the sky like a great silver ribbon.
"Don't forget your promise!" I called after him. I was sure he wouldn't.
"Chihiro?" I heard Tome call, soon echoed by Nakashi's voice.
"Over here!" I called back, stepping out into the open.
"Chihiro!" they shouted with relief, running over to me. "Where did you go? We've been looking everywhere!"
"I'm okay," I told them. "I just had to get away for a little bit."
They both sighed as though they had expected an answer like that. They both took my arms and sandwiched me between them protectively.
"You had us really worried, Chihiro!" Tome said.
"Yeah," Nakashi added. "We thought you'd run into that drifter!"
I laughed and they both looked at me with startled expressions.
"I don't think anyone will hear about him for a while," I told them.
For the rest of my stay at Nakashi's house, we had a lot more fun. We didn't complete the dress, but we had a lot of fun arguing over what style we wanted to make it. In the end, we decided our time would be better spent watching a movie, and that we could try to make a dress some other time.
When I got home the next day, I discovered that Nakashi's parents had told my parents about what had happened. They yelled and then Mom cried and hugged me and I was restricted to the house for the day. That night, when I went to sleep, I took the hair tie from my pocket and held it once more to the light of my lamp.
I watched the different colored sparkles as they danced over my wall and bed. The different colors seemed to show me the smiling faces of all of my friends back in the Spirit World. I gave them a big smile back, then closed my fist and the sparkles disappeared.
I went to my dresser, took out my jewelry box, folded the top over and tucked the tie back inside where I had found it.
"Goodbye for now," I told it, then closed the lid and put the box away.
When I woke up the next morning, I didn't look back.
AN: And that's it! It's over! Fin! Did you like it? Please, please leave constructive criticism! I'd really like that.
Also, if I get enough reviews, I think I'd like to write a sequal. Anything you'd want to see for Chihiro and Kohaku in the future? Simply put it in your comment or send me an email! I'd love to hear from you guys!
Tata for now! 3