AUTHOR'S NOTE-IMPORTANT

Hello again everyone! Sorry for the lack of updates these past few months, I've been going over previous chapters and proof reading them, adding some things here, taking some things out.

In this chapter we get to see a little bit of the more emotional side of Rin, which is a scene that I personally loved writing.

Also, please leave more reviews! If not, I might not get the inspiration to continue writing heh heh. I don't know which things are good in my writing and which things aren't, and need the guidance! Suggestions are always welcomed! Anyway, without further ado, here is Chapter 12: The Truth. Thanks again for having patience, and following!

Chihiro had to keep running. To where, she didn't know, but she had to keep going.

I'm in love with Haku, she kept repeating. God, how could I be so stupid? And he's even engaged?

This made her tears flow in a steady stream. No, she didn't think she and Haku would ever get married. She was a human, and he was a Spirit. Something like that could never be, and she was fully aware of that.

But, what hurt the most was that he hadn't even told her. She felt like a fool. Since the moment she had gotten there, he had been so kind and understanding of her situation. He had made her feel welcomed and loved from minute one. How could he have been so calm and collected while hiding such a big secret?

The mere thought made her sick to her stomach.

How long has this been going on? She wondered. Have I made things worse by coming back?

Chihiro had never wanted to be a nuisance to Haku, but it appears as though she already had.

I should never have looked back in that blasted dream. I…I shouldn't even be here. Haku loves someone else, and I've been replaced.

Chihiro finally noticed that her legs were no longer moving. The girl had no idea where she was, and looked up to try and identify her location.

She had managed to run all the way back to the women's quarters, and was sitting on the balcony, her legs hanging over the sides. The sun was bright, and made the ripples of the vast ocean in front of her glisten.

Normally, on the rare occasion that she did cry, Chihiro had always wanted a certain someone by her side to comfort her. Now, all she wanted was to be left alone to her thoughts.

She rested her head on the railing, letting the slow, methodical movements of the ocean's waves gently calm her down. Chihiro played the conversation with Akane over and over in her head, analyzing each word.

"—You're quite famous in the Spirit World."

"-Your biggest supporters were those in a popular sea-faring nation, Piscanem."

"-You're they're champion."

"Why, they had even wanted to you to be his future wife."

This last quote struck a chord with her.

Why do they think that I should marry Haku? Don't they know I'm a human? And Haku, he'd never even consider it. He only sees me as a friend.

She sighed at the thought of him. Her Haku, always projecting his cold appearance to the rest of the world. But, Chihiro could see just how kind and caring he was on the inside. Any woman he chose would be lucky to have such a faithful, understanding partner with such a beautiful soul.

I don't deserve him, I'm nothing special. She thought this, comparing herself to Akane.

In her own eyes, Chihiro was average at best. Mouse-brown hair, brown eyes, small lips and an ordinary body. But, Akane had everything a man could ever want. Long flowing blonde hair, striking eyes, and a come-hither attitude; not to mention, wealth. If Haku married Akane, he'd never be in need of anything, which is something she may not be able to provide.

She felt worthless as her eyes began to fill again. Putting her head in her hands, she let the remaining tears make their appearance before quickly brushing them away.

Her mind suddenly pictured a magnificent wedding.

Haku stood at the front of the procession in a white tuxedo with green detailing, with Akane to his right. She had a gorgeous, flowing white gown. They stood together, hand in hand. Happy.

Although the image greatly saddened her, if that was what Haku truly wanted, she would support him one hundred percent, no matter how much it shattered her heart. She would rather have his happiness than her own, any day.

Just as she had come to this conclusion, Rin burst into the women's quarters.

"Sen? Sen, where are you?" The fox spirit sounded frantic.

"Over here," Chihiro shouted from the balcony. She could tell immediately the reason she had come.

Rin's POV-

After Haku had told me about Chihiro running away, he said I should go find out what was wrong. He then said that he would have done it himself, but he needed to see Yubaba right away.

The urgent tone in his voice scared me half to death. I wasted no time, and began running all the way from the main baths, to Kamaji's boiler room, the gardens, and even the pigpens in hopes of finding that dweeb.

Where in the name of Kami is she? I thought frantically. Oh, I hope she hasn't gotten herself into too much trouble.

I nearly slapped myself on the forehead when I realized where she would most likely be.

Didn't I tell her to meet me at the girl's quarters?

Breaking into a sprint, I ran as fast as I could, nearly breaking down the door once I had gotten there.

"Sen?" I shouted, "Sen, where are you?"

I couldn't see her, but heard her respond from the general direction of the balcony. I slowly walked over, not sure in what state I would find her.

Much to my surprise, there she sat, legs dangling, overlooking the ocean. She appeared to be calm, but I couldn't tell for sure.

"Are… are you alright?" I asked as calmly as I could.

She turned around and gave me a tired smile. Her eyes were puffy and she had been crying, from the looks of it. Looking up at me, her voice was barely above a whisper.

"I'll be fine in a bit, I'm so sorry…" she said, her eyes becoming watery once more.

Hurriedly, I sat down beside her and put my arm around her shoulder. It hurt to see my sister in such bad shape.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"NO," She snapped. "I mean—I'd rather not right now."

She bit her tongue, and I could tell she was nearly at her breaking point.

I've never seen her this bad, I thought to myself. Oh, she's going to kill me for this later. Slowly, I grabbed her hand, and she didn't pull away.

Having this physical contact, I could now step fully inside her mind. Chihiro flung her head back and gasped, caught off guard at my sudden entry into her psyche.

From there, I could access all of her memories from the last few hours. I saw Akane grinning evilly at Chihiro, and had to concentrate to hear her words.

"—They had even wanted you to be his future wife." Akane said, her voice darkening.

Who were they talking about, what was happening? I couldn't process it, but I continued listening.

"Can I ask you something, from one girl from another?" Her face took on a sickeningly sweet smile, obviously not genuine. Chihiro gawked at her before nodding.

"Well," She began. "Haku and I have been engaged to be married since we were children, as arranged by our parents."

I couldn't believe it. I made a mental note to bring that up with that stupid dragon later.

"I need your help to make him fall in love with me."

I had to stop there, for I was getting so angry I could hardly control myself. I opened my eyes and saw Chihiro staring at me, she knew now that I had read her mind. She didn't look angry.

General POV-

"THAT LITTLE RAT, HOW DARE SHE SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT TO YOU?" Rin yelled, bolting from her previously sitting position.

She then realized what a mistake that was, seeing Chihiro begin to cry again.

"Chi…" Rin cooed. "I'm so sorry…"

Chihiro once again had her head in her hands.

"I—I love him…" she stammered, before letting the emotions take control of her. Her shoulders heaved from the waves of sobs coming over her whole body.

Rin once again put her arms around Chihiro, holding her close. She had always known just how the girl felt for Haku, even if she didn't discover it till now. The fox spirit could only imagine just how much pain she was feeling.

"I know you do, Chi," she said soothingly, patting her on the back.

Chihiro continued to sob in her shoulder for several more minutes before Rin spoke again.

"Chi, you know what I did when I held your hand, right?" She said, referring to the mind reading. The girl only nodded.

"I saw the things you thought of before I showed up. How you think that you shouldn't have even come here…" she slowed her words, "…and how you think you're worthless."

Chihiro looked up quickly and saw Rin with a pained expression on her face. She immediately regretted thinking such horrible things. Just as she was about to open her mouth to apologize, she was interrupted.

"—You don't need to apologize, Sen. You can't help the way you feel," The fox spirit added, as she looked at Chihiro with eyes full of sadness. She continued.

"I've worked with Haku now for 50 years," Rin began as she stared off at the horizon, and seemed taken back to a time she could remember vividly. "He just showed up one day, without any reason, and Yubaba took him in. At first, he would never look any of us in the eye when he spoke. He kept his head down, did his work and then escaped to his room until the next day. But, eventually, throughout the years, he began to open up. He'd look directly at us, and he wasn't as timid as he was before… but he was still obviously keeping to himself. He portrayed himself as a cold, unloving person."

At this, Rin took a breath. Chihiro knew exactly what she was talking about… he did have the tendency to mask his true feelings around others.

But he is so much more than he pretends to be, she thought. Rin seemed to know exactly what she was thinking, and continued.

"Then you came to us, Chihiro. I don't know what happened, but it was as if your presence unlocked something in him. When Haku came back to the bathhouse with you, to complete Yubaba's final test, it was the first time I had ever seen him smile in all the years I had known him. He was the normal, loving boy that most of us knew he truly was… all because of you, Chi."

Surely that can't be true, Chihiro thought. But, Rin wasn't finished.

"Believe it or not, Chihiro, you changed him," she said, sighing. "But, things changed again once you had left. He had somehow reverted back to how he was when we first met him; quiet, cold and withdrawn. He wasn't eating nearly enough, and walked around all day, aimlessly, without purpose… for 4 straight years."

Chihiro looked up again to see even Rin beginning to tear up.

"One night, he fell asleep by one of the baths due to sleep deprivation. I took his hand… and maybe it was wrong, I don't know… but, I looked inside his mind."

The younger girl gasped and looked at Rin, who only nodded guiltily.

"He cares about you so much, Chihiro… if only you knew. He is never the same when you aren't around. You give him life. And if he knew the way you felt about yourself… worthless and without meaning…. It would break his heart." Rin was getting visibly upset, her hands clenched at her sides, with tears beginning to spill. Chihiro showed the same signs.

"But how?" Chihiro begged. "He has a fiancé, who loves him—"

"BUT HE DOESN'T LOVE HER, CHIHIRO. SHE'S AN EVIL, EVIL WOMAN." Rin kept her face devoid of all emotion, but her tears still continued to fall.

"HE—he didn't even know of the engagement until this morning." She said with desperation. "Please, Chihiro, if you can't see your own worth for your own sake, see it for Haku's. He needs you. You're his best friend in this world and any other."

Before she could say anything else, Chihiro gave her the biggest hug she could muster, both girls crying.

All these years… I never new the pain I had caused in leaving.

She thought back to the conversation she had with Haku, the other night, about her guilty conscience in leaving her parents.

Mom, Dad, I'm sorry. I'll be back one day, I promise.