This is dedicated to my friend Peter, who actually helps me to heal my heart. Thanks Peter

Give it Time to Heal

Right after Chihiro crosses the tunnel without looking behind, she looked back. She thought about Rin, Kamanjii, Zeniba, and Haku. Of course of Haku. How could she ever forget about Haku? The person who saved her?

"Chihiro! Stop day dreaming!" Chihiro snapped back to reality. Her teacher in high school, Mrs. Otaki, is a tall and scrawny woman with a red long pony tail. Sometimes it surprises her that someone actually married her. Many people snickered at Chihiro and others just whispered at her.

Chihiro sighed and just spoke to the teacher, "I'm very sorry. I won't do that again. I'm just thinking about something very important." Of course, she was only making an excuse.

But all the teacher did is shake her head, "Since you said that it was important, why don't you answer this questions her." She slapped the black board with her meter stick. The sound makes everyone jump from their seats and looking at the board.

"Why me...? I've learned this last year and this teacher is so boring that she must have lectured the dinosaurs and that's why they extinct! I wish I went to some other school..." After she finished thinking in her mind, she stood up, "y5x+156/2596" Fortunately for Chihiro, she was right, but the teacher groaned because she really wants to send Chihiro to the office.

After the class of hell, it was time for lunch. While in line, she saw Haku's image, the in the back ground, she saw Haku's dragon form, blending in with the other. His human form looks so handsome, and his dragon form looks so strong and magnificent. Suddenly a voice came up, "Could you please move, or are you death that you can't hear?"

Chihiro frowned and walked up a few steps. She can't help it, without Haku around, she feels as if she is missing something in her hat and she can't think straight when time goes by.

During science, she drew Haku on her note book and in the background; she lightly drew his dragon form. She sighs to herself and thought about the time he saved her.

Flashback

"Oh no! My shoe!" at the age of 6, she lost her little pink shoe in a river. She reached out with her little arm and hand for the shoe, but she fell into the blue waters with a strong current. She is then drifted away from the shore to the open waters, where no one could see her. The more she drifted away, the more she goes deeper in the waters. Though you can't cry in the water, her tears seem to reveal in the waters. "Is this...the end for me...? I-I'm only 6..., why...now...?"

She thought that she was going to die, but a force then pulled her and when she tried to breathe for air, she could breathe in the water! She looked at what has caught her, and she found her self on top on a huge white dragon! He looked at her terrified face, "Don't worry, everything will be fine."

His voice calmed her nerves down, as they flow through the water. She grabs hold of his horns with both of her hands and looked around her surrounding. She saw many creatures, and as she looked up, she saw the bright sun, shining down to the river. As they take a "stroll" in the water, Chihiro saw something little and its pink...her shoe! She turned her face to see the dragon, "Um...could you get my shoe over there?"

As he turned his head to where she was pointing to, he saw her shoe. He swiftly moves his body toward to object like a snake and settled his body so that he could level up to the object for Chihiro to reach out and get it. She tried to put her shoe back on, but it was hard for her to put it in the water. The dragon chuckled and his body then illuminate. "Here," he said, "let me put that on for you."

His body changes to a young boy, about 9 years old, with turquoise hair and he was regular clothes. He took her shoe and he kinda kneels down to put her shoe on her foot. She could feel her face warming up, even though she is in cool water. When he looked up to her, she bows to him, "Thank you very much. I-I'm Chihiro."

He smiled, "I'm Haku, and it's a pleasure to meet you Chihiro-san." He took her hand, "Come on, let's go to shore." Chihiro felt light headed when he took her hand. When they reach to the sand side, she was relived that she had not died. Haku brushed Chihiro's bangs away so he could see her face. He put the same smile on his face, "Well, you look even cuter up in the surface."

After that, they talked a while, about how Haku lived in the river and Chihiro's life.

End of Flashback

They promised each other back then that they will meet each other again, but as Chihiro goes back to school, she forgot the promise and when they drained and paved the river where they met, Haku was then transferred to the Spirit World, where he has to work in a bath house. He later on forgot who he was, but that all changed when Chihiro accidentally went in the Spirit World and end up working for Yubaba to save her parents.

"So...who is this guy?" Chihiro nearly jumped up when she heard her friend Maki. She took the paper and began to examine it, "This guy looks handsome! Who is it, your boyfriend...?"

Chihiro reached out for the paper, but they began to have a wild goose chase around the class for a drawn paper. Since the teacher was gone, he left a kid in charged of the class and his name was Dexter. (Sorry, can't think of any name when I wrote that.) "Hey, you two, stop that right now!" But they did not hear him and they knocked down some science equipments down (they're plastic), and Maki knocked down Dexter and Chihiro stepped on his face a left a huge mark. "Mommy...?" After when he groan, he then fell unconscious.

When they saw the teacher came, they clean up everything, and I mean the whole class helped Chihiro and Maki clean up. When they looked down from what they were standing on, they wonder about what to do with Dexter...

After School

"Come on Chihiro! Please forgive me!" Pleaded Maki, but Chihiro just frowned back. Maki was really concern of her, so she asked her, "Hey..., you've been zooning out lately. Is something wrong?"

Chihiro sigh and told her everything. She told Maki about how she misses Haku and when he saved her. "Well, that's about it. I'm just wondering if I will be able to see him again..."

Maki frowned and step right in front of her, "You better not think about it too much! He doesn't want you to stay like this, right? So be happy and once you find him, you will be happy and he will be happy that you're happy!" Then she looked to her left to find a poster saying "Tanabata Festival!"

They both rush home and put on their best kimono and went to the festival. So many shops, so many people, and so many prizes! Maki was tugging Chihiro, but she refuse, "I'll be at the pond. You go ahead and have fun..." Maki knew that she needs to be alone for a while, so she did.

Chihiro sat near a tree with her back against it. She can't help it to think about Haku..., her heart aces, her mind began to lose control. Her tears then came out. Then, a sudden tap on her shoulder snapped her back to reality, "Why are you crying...Chihiro?" His voice...she knows that voice! It was Haku!

She leaps into his arms, crying for joy in meeting him again. His hair was now in a spiky form, and he was wearing a kimono too (But not a girl type). Haku stroked her soft brown hair, then she looked up to him, "I'm so glad to see you again!"

He smiled, "Same here... I know I've been gone for a long time, so give it time to heal."

I met Peter when I was about 5. We actually met each other at a school, then when I visit Yokohama, Japan, we went to a festival. So this is for Peter, for keeping he happy for 8 years.