Memories

As Chihiro continued flying, she found herself going through a familiar gateway. It was none other than the archway her parents and her had taken into the "amusement park" when she was ten. Then, as she continued through the forest, she found Haku's request to stop at the strangest of places. This was the very clearing that Inferno had abducted her in. Letting him off, she transformed back.

"I'm sorry Chihiro," whispered Haku, "I was late because I drank a little too much and had to get a ride from another River Spirit. Why was I such a fool? If I had known what would happen, I should have found some other way out from Zeniba before you left. Then…you wouldn't have died and we would have been happy together at least for a little while. They say immortality is a blessing, but for me it has become my chains. The only reason I haven't taken my own life is because I need to watch over you."

'But they all called the girl Sen. So why does she suddenly have the same name as me?' Chihiro asked. Cautiously, she walked over to the grave Haku had bent down at. There was an inscription on the headstone that read, "Here lies Chihiro Ogino; friend to the Spirits. A life cut tragically short while on a walk in the woods. I, Haku, vow that until the end of my days, I will keep watch over the grave of my beloved. Though she was human, she meant more to me than any Spirit girl I'd come across in my life."

At that instant, Chihiro found herself feeling faint again. She knelt down on the ground and put her hand to her forehead. This was a grave to her! But she knew no Spirits, she'd never met this boy before. This feeling of familiarity and strange memories was beginning to make her physically ill.

Then she saw what he held in his hand. It was the very hairpiece she'd been wearing when she took the fateful walk in the woods. Haku clutched carefully like he was handling an idol; this last physical token was all he had left to hold onto. She felt strange; she wanted to know what was going on with her.

At that instant, the hairpiece pulsated. Clearly shocked, Haku took a better look at the girl who had brought him to this grave. 'She looks just like Chihiro! Well, as Chihiro would have looked as an eighteen year old girl. Just as I imagined her to be; beautiful. And the way the hairpiece is shaking in my hands…it must mean that this really is Chihiro! She wasn't killed after all! That rapscallion Inferno must have gotten tired of his Spirit brides being stolen back by their own people and taken a human girl next.'

He knew what he had to do. Her latent memory must be awakened or she'd be suffering for the rest of her now immortal life. Luckily for him, Haku still remembered how to cast the spell; that small part of him that still held onto the hope of seeing her again had preserved it. Smiling, he walked up to her.

"Spirits of Life," chanted the youth, "Guide this lost one back where she belongs. Bring her the peace of mind that comes from knowledge. And let her be returned to where she once was! Powers of the universe…unlock the latent memories from within her brain!" With that, a flash of lightning fell down upon the clearing. Chihiro shrieked as the bolt struck her dead on; she was a Spirit of the River now after all. Suddenly, strange memories began rushing back to her. She saw herself wandering around the town around the bathhouse, her parents in the shape of pigs, her new friends who helped her through ever adversity that she'd found. But most of all, she remembered the one person she never wanted to leave.

"Haku! I can remember now!" shrieked Chihiro as she jumped into his arms. The first real smile in a thousand years crossed his mouth as he held her close and hugged her. Then, as if instinct had taken over both their bodies, their lips met. That first kiss; the one they'd waited a millennia to enjoy.

S...S

Back at the bathhouse, Hana was beginning to worry. She could hear Kira and Kaze arguing over whose fault it was that Chihiro had gone missing. Ayame had commented on how she had a long life ahead of her to explore things and didn't have to go running off. And Yume just sat on the sidelines and thought in her own little world. The Flower Spirit muttered, "Why do I deal with these four loonies?"

At that moment, a sound could be heard from the garden. The five ran towards the door only to see a pair of Dragons touching down. One was silver with an aqua mane, while the companion had golden scales and an aqua mane. It appeared as if the first was a male while the second was a female. Then, they began to glow with a brilliant light and transformed back into their human forms; Haku and Chihiro. Hana breathed a sigh of relief up on finding her; as long as she was with a fellow River Spirit…

Kira giggled. "Looks like somebody was a busy girl while she was gone. Trying to impress all the Spirit boys now Chihiro? Courting here is probably much different than what humans do. Then again, it could be good to have a fellow River Spirit on your side. We all have our own people to protect us too.

"Don't tease Kira," scolded Chihiro, "Listen, I've got an amazing story to tell you guys. Though I doubt anyone will believe it. Turns out, I have been to the Spirit World before as a child! I only don't remember it because the memories of my parents and I were wiped clean after we'd returned home…"

S...S

"So," Yume replied, "You and Haku were childhood sweethearts. And when Inferno kidnapped you, he was just a few hours behind to visit. No wonder he was depressed all this time. If I was in love and that had happened to me, I'd feel just the same. But that was sweet how you kept watch over her 'grave' all of those years. I always dream of a man who will actually be that devoted to me someday."

"If I had only did my research earlier, then I wouldn't be stuck in a rut. Yubaba probably made the training much harder so I'd give up midway through. If I knew the truth beforehand, I could have been in a better position; asked Zeniba if she or anyone she knew besides her sister could help me to realize this hidden power. Then, I could have most likely gotten to Chihiro before she was kidnapped. With her memory awakened, she would also have an awareness to spiritual forces and could have perhaps figured out the truth about Inferno before fighting him. Then she could have escaped," Haku bashed himself.

Chihiro squeezed his hand. Then she stated, "Well, it's all in the past now. Nothing else we can do. So let's just live our lives the way we originally wished. I'm not going to let Inferno or anybody else stand in my way. Perhaps this was for the best. Now, I'm just like you; we don't have to worry about my mortality getting in the way." She smiled at him, and he smiled back. At last, she was complete again.

Teefa's Last Words...

I wanted to have a real sweet way for him and her to realize the truth, and using the hair tie seemed just perfect. Yes, Sap and Fluff go hand in hand with my fics.