Chapter Thirty-Five: The Final Decision
Chihiro opened her eyes and looked about her. Five days had passed since the Great Opal had been found, and in the time since she had traveled back to the palace of the Dragon King alongside her friends. She could hear voices in the hallway just outside her room.
"I'm so sorry Haku for what I did," she could heard Yoshiro say.
"It's okay Yoshiro," Haku replied kindly, "you redeemed yourself by prying the Great Opal out the Evil One's hand, and giving it to Chihiro before He could do anything with it." The door to her room opened and the two brothers walked into her room.
"I'm sorry Chihiro for the trouble I caused," Yoshiro said as he approached her.
Chihiro smiled warmly, "it's okay Yoshiro, I forgive you. Besides was it not you who took the Great Opal from the Evil One and handed it to me?"
"That still doesn't exempt me from the consequences of my foolish actions, but knowing that you are not bitter because of them makes me feel a bit better."
Chihiro sat up and peered into Yoshiro's saddened emerald eyes, "try not to be too hard on yourself Yoshiro. You just made a mistake, that's all, we all make mistakes. It's a part of life and living." Yoshiro nodded, stood up, and walked out of the room. Haku and Chihiro watched him leave.
"He feels really bad about letting the Evil One out of the Cage doesn't he?" Chihiro asked Haku.
Haku nodded, "he even apologized to Sakura and the phoenixes before they left today… oh and the Dragon King wants to talk to you about… your future." He explained further when Chihiro gazed at him quizzically, "he wants to talk to you about if you want to become a full spirit or not. He understands if you can't decide immediately so he gave you an hour or so for you to decide if you should want to."
He left when Chihiro didn't reply knowing that she was a bit sensitive about the subject. Chihiro quickly dressed herself in the school uniform she had worn when she had first arrived in the Spirit World. She hastened to the dinning hall and sat between Keiko and Hikari. "How are you feeling today Chihiro," Hikari asked her a bit concerned.
"Fine," Chihiro replied curtly, "though I guess I'm kind of nervous about making a decision about whether or not I should become a full spirit."
"My parents won't force you to be a full spirit Chihiro, they may try to persuade you to become one, but you aren't going to be forced into choosing to become a full spirit if you don't wish to."
"I know that, but making a choice that will affect me for the rest of my life seems kind of daunting. I mean I want to be with Haku and spend the rest of my life with him, but I also want to go to college and experience what others my age experience, and being able to visit my parents for only a few weeks or so isn't exactly helping to."
"I'm sure they gave you time to consider…"
"…they did," Chihiro interrupted agitatedly, "but I fear that I still will be unable to choose even after an hour or so."
"Don't fret so much about it Chihiro," Keiko calmed her tense friend, "just spend some time in a quiet place with few people and think over it. I'm sure you'll be able to decide upon what you want to do then." Chihiro didn't reply and left hastily for her room after she finished her meal.
She came upon Rin walking in the hallway on her way to her room. Rin didn't say anything as Chihiro walked passed, knowing that she was still undecided about whether to become a full spirit or not. Sakura shouldn't have left, she thought to herself, she could have helped Chihiro calm herself and allow her to choose whether or not she should become a full spirit in peace without constantly badgering her.
Sora saw Chihiro slam the door shut after walking into her room. She's really troubled by having to decide whether or not she should become a full spirit. She thought to herself. I should try to talk to her or something in order to calm her; she won't be able to make a decision otherwise. She silently opened the door into Chihiro's room and slipped inside.
She was surprised to see Chihiro leaning against the wall weeping when she was inside. Sora walked towards her and comforted Chihiro. "It's just that it's so hard to choose between my family and my friends," Chihiro relayed to her, "when I left the Spirit World knowing that Haku would visit me sometime during the future, I never knew that I would be faced with a dilemma such as this if I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him."
"I know Chihiro," Sora to her kindly, "and I don't think they should have forced you to decide so soon. In a year or so after you had returned to your world and given a chance to experience that which you would never get to experience again perhaps, but not in a single hour."
"So do you think I shouldn't become a full spirit then?"
Sora hesitated before replying, "it's your choice whether you want to become a full spirit Chihiro, not mine, not Haku's, not the Dragon King's, or any others that are involved in this. Remember that, and if it makes you feel any better know that Haku will understand if you choose not to become a full spirit." She stood up and left the room, knowing that she had done her best in order to try to calm Chihiro.
Sora's words etched themselves into Chihiro's mind. Haku will understand if you choose not to become a full spirit. As she sat there, slumped against the wall, she began to think about the benefits and disadvantages of each.
Time passed as she sat there thinking, and slowly a decision was formed. Hopefully Keiko and my parents will understand, she thought to herself as she walked out of her room and towards the Royal Chamber where she was to announce her decision, besides I love Haku and my parents have always wished the best for me, and Keiko will back my decision, no matter how much it pains her to.
She passed Haku on her way to the Royal Chamber. He seemed nervous, and she knew that he was just as affected by the decision as she was. Sora's wrong, Haku wouldn't understand if I choose not to become a full spirit, she thought to herself. "Hey Haku," she said as she passed him, "I was wondering if you wanted to accompany me to the Royal Chamber."
"Sure Chihiro," Haku replied smiling. The two walked silently towards the Royal Chamber. Everyone else had since arrived and was waiting for the two.
"So Chihiro," the Dragon King told her cheerfully when she entered, "have you chosen or do you need more time to think?"
Chihiro looked at him and said, "I have chosen."
"Then do you wish to become a full spirit or not, choose wisely Chihiro for your decision will affect you for the rest of your life."
Don't I know it, Chihiro thought to herself wryly before saying, "I have chosen to become a full spirit." Keiko looked saddened by the news, as Chihiro knew she would, but the look slowly passed from her face. She could and would bear the loss of a friend, besides it wasn't her choice whether or not Chihiro was to become a full spirit.
The Dragon King handed the Great Opal to Chihiro and instructed, "hold the Great Opal in your hands and use your will to guide its power in order to fulfill your wish of becoming a full spirit." Chihiro did as she was told and as she thought of becoming a full spirit she could fell herself being bathed in the Opal's milky light, reliving all her fears, calming her, and assuring her that she had made the right choice.
Only once had she calmed did it set about its task of making her a full spirit. Once its task was complete the light slowly receded and the Opal stopped glowing. She handed the Opal back to the Dragon King who placed it in the cabinet that he used to hide it. "Now that that's settled," he announced, "we can now set about the task of ridding the Spirit Realm of the humans that have since traveled into its heart, and mind wiping them of what they have seen isn't a bad idea either. We will also have to summon back the spirits that have left our realm. I believe I shall allow the humans to remain in our lands for a few more hours until we have figured out a way to send them back through the barrier and mind wiping at the same time."
"What of Keiko then?" Hikari asked. "Is she not a human that has traveled across the weakened barrier, what of her fate?"
"That is why I have allotted a few more hours for the humans to remain in our lands, and as for the mind wipe, I think in Keiko's case we shall arrange for a replacement of her memories, perhaps we should do it for all of the humans that have wandered into our realm. It will allow for her to give a reason as to why she and Chihiro have been gone so long and why Chihiro isn't returning with her. Anyhow you can return to your rooms, or perhaps stay here if you so wish, and plan a memory that would be convincing enough for Chihiro's parents and any others affiliated with her."
Chihiro and her friends hastened out of the Royal Chamber and headed towards the garden where they could relax and think about recent events. "So what sort of memory should we implant into Keiko's mind," Hikari started, "I remember Chihiro saying something about a camping trip, so perhaps we should think of something along those terms."
"What about Chihiro getting killed by a wolf," Keiko advised sarcastically, "they might believe me if I tell them that."
"Then they would demand to see the remains of their daughter and ask why you escaped unscathed, anyhow it would make them ask too many questions."
"What about telling them that I was lost in the woods," Chihiro suggested, "they might believe that."
"Then they would send out search teams to look for you," Keiko retorted, "getting killed would make things much simpler."
"I think that getting lost in the woods is a good excuse," Hikari muttered. "Besides you could say that you were camping near a river or something, or you could just say that she drowned while swimming in the river."
"Well Chihiro isn't exactly that good of a swimmer… I guess her parents would be convinced that she might have drowned, but then they would wonder why I didn't rush her into a hospital or something."
"Tell them that the river current was very swift that it carried her away downstream."
"Hmm, they might believe me if I tell them that… well I guess it's worth a try."
"Well then it's settled," Hikari said, "Chihiro drowned in the river and her body was swept downstream by the current. I'll tell dad that so that he can arrange for it to replace Keiko's memories of this place."
"What about the others then," Chihiro asked softly, "what sort of memory will replace theirs?"
"Probably getting lost in the woods or something," Hikari shrugged, "I'm sure dad's talking to his advisors or something about what would be the best possible excuse for the mass displacement of the people. I wouldn't worry about it if I were you; they probably already figured something out already."
"Yeah you're right." She sighed and closed her eyes. The flowers were still in full bloom and the scent of roses and other flowers still drifted in the air. Haku watched her from a distance. Yoshiro and Natsuko were chattering animatedly behind him. He spotted Keiko gazing sorrowfully at the couple, and he knew that it was not Chihiro that she would miss the most but rather his younger brother.
He smiled to himself. It was good to see Natsuko and Yoshiro together again. They had been separate from each other for so long he had almost forgotten how much they cared for each other. In a way their relationship reflected that of him and Chihiro. They too had been separate from each other for so long that he almost forgot about her. Natsuko's delighted squeal brought him snapped him out of his thoughts, they were hugging each other and everyone's attention had been adverted to the couple.
Hikari seemed amused when she saw the couple, "Yoshiro, is there something you want to tell us?"
Yoshiro turned a bright shade of red as Natsuko stopped hugging him and announced proudly, "Yoshiro and I are getting married." Keiko looked crestfallen, but none except for Haku noticed it.
"Congratulations, so when are you going to get married?"
"You'll find out soon enough."
A man then approached the group, "the Dragon King wishes to meet with you." The group then walked into the central chamber where he waited for them along with his wife.
"The time has come for the humans to return to their realm and the spirits to return to ours," he announced in a somber and grave tone, "Keiko, you shall return home by way of the Aburaya gate. Have you decided upon the memory that shall replace the one you have accumulated during your stay here?" Keiko nodded in reply. "Good, then tell Chihiro now, for she shall be the one to implant it when you leave."
Keiko did as she was told, although Chihiro was already aware of the memory that was decided upon.
Curious, Hikari asked her father, "you mentioned the Aburaya gate, are we to fly Keiko there or have you arranged for an alterative way of travel?"
"We are going to teleport there using the powers of the Great Opal," he told her kindly in reply. He motioned to his wife, who held the Great Opal, and she gave it to Chihiro. Chihiro held it within her hand and willed them all to be transported to the bridge of Aburaya. They were surrounded in the Opal's blinding light and soon they were there.
"Keiko," the Dragon King instructed her once they were there, "once you leave, do not look back else you shall face horrible consequences. Humans were not meant to be in the Spirit Realm as spirits were not meant to be in the Human Realm. If you must bid farewell to us do it now before you start your journey home."
Keiko smiled ruefully, "well bye guys. It's been a fun trip, but now I guess I have to go home." She then turned around and walked across the grassy plain towards the abandoned train station that was the gate. As she did, others joined her in their procession back home.
"Once Keiko reaches the gate," the Dragon King instructed her, "think of her and think of the memory that will replace hers, think of getting lost in a plain and in a forest, and think about a glowing barrier that separates the two realms in that order."
Chihiro did as she was told, and soon the pale translucent barrier was blazing with a newfound energy and strength. As she watched her friend leave her, she thought about her family and the future she would never have. Keiko and the humans that had wandered into the spirit realm were soon replaced by a mass of returning spirits. Her thoughts shifted to Hikari, Yoshiro, Natsuko, Sakura, and more importantly Haku as she thought about what now lay in ahead of her she smiled. She had made the right choice to remain here in the Spirit Realm with Haku as a full spirit, and of this she was glad.