Chiharu had left the bedroom. She was bored.
"It'll do no harm if I walk around for a while." Chiharu told herself as she walked out. "Anyway, I'll be back before Haku notices."
So she left the bathhouse, and found her way to the gardens. Once there she sat down and saw the beautiful sun set, as the moon and the stars rose slowly.
"It's incredible how everything here is so much like my mother's fairy tale." Chiharu told herself. "Like if this world was created from her story."
'And what if her story was created from this world?' a voice in her mind asked.
"It's impossible." Chiharu murmured.
'No it isn't.' her inner voice replied. 'And you know it.'
"It's just coincidental." She insisted.
'Even you know that's not true.' Her inner voice insisted.
"Then how could my mother know it?" she asked.
'Because she is Princess Sen!'
"Yeah sure…"
'Don't you see it? Many people here confused you with her, didn't they?'
"Yes, and?"
'And in the human world they have always told you you're identical to your mother.'
"Where is all this going?"
'You're identical to your mother, and to Princess Sen, because both of them are the same.'
"That's madness."
'No it isn't'
"Yes it is. You know how crazy you're sounding?"
'No more than you, believing in fairy tales. Anyway, I'm just your conscience.'
Chiharu's mind, or other half of it was about to continue the argument when she felt someone was near.
"Talking with yourself little one?" a voice asked.
"Yes Madam Yubaba." Chiharu said bowing.
"Hasn't your mother come get you yet?" Yubaba asked.
"No, she hasn't." Chiharu answered. "But I'm sure it won't take her long."
"I heard you were talking about a fairy tale." Yubaba said.
"Yeah, old stories my mother tells me before bed." Chiharu explained.
"That sounds so…human-thing." Yubaba said.
Chiharu shook her head.
"You know, you have such a weak presence to be a spirit." Yubaba murmured.
'Damn it!' Chiharu mentally cursed. 'She found out.'
"In fact you don't look like a spirit at all." Yubaba continued.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Chiharu lied.
Yubaba moved her hand quickly, Chiharu looked around, without understanding what was going on.
"You're human." Yubaba assured.
"I have no idea what you are…" Chiharu insisted.
"Drop the act now, I've discovered you." Yubaba said with an evil grin. "Spirits don't bleed."
Just then Chiharu felt a faint pain in her left arm, she had a small cut.
So that was what Yubaba had done when she moved her hand.
"Humans aren't allowed here." Yubaba said, getting angry. "You'll pay for invading this world."
Chiharu didn't think it twice, not even once, she ran away as fast as she could.
.---.
Some hours later, the moon was already full in the sky. Chiharu got up from her hiding place in the bushes. It was lucky she had a presence faintly similar to the one of a spirit, that way Yubaba couldn't track her.
She turned her head every way, making sure there was no one nearby. All the clients were already in the bathhouse, so the bridge was empty. It was her opportunity to run to the bathhouse, and get in by Kamaji's door.
She got up and ran as fast as she could.
"Got you!" Yubaba's voice yelled from behind her.
Chiharu tripped and fell to the floor, at the middle of the bridge.
"I'm going to kill you human!" Yubaba yelled.
.---.
Haku ran as fast as he could, up the stairs and then through the small yard. He was about to get in the Bathhouse when he got another feeling.
'She isn't in there.' He thought. 'So where is she?'
And he could feel it. Her weak spiritual presence, like the one of a little and panicked spirit, in the middle of the bridge. And right next to her…Yubaba!
"Damn it! Yubaba found her!" he cursed and ran as fast as he could.
.---.
Chihiro ran as fast as her feet permitted her. Through the red tunnel, the old train station, the clearing. And then she got to the river. She put her right hand over her left wrist, where she had an old purple band.
"Granny…" Chihiro murmured. "You told me this would protect me, with the magic of the ones who love me. Please let it help me get to the one I love, my dear daughter."
The band glowed.
Chihiro closed her eyes and stepped on the river, she stood afloat. Noticing this she ran over the river to the other side.
"Please." She prayed. "Let me be there in time. Keep her safe. Chiharu…"
.---.
"I'm going to kill you human!" Yubaba yelled.
Chiharu turned around, trying to get away from the evil witch, but she was too afraid to thing clearly of a way to escape.
Yubaba raised a nailed finger and was about to yell a spell when…
Haku had just gotten out from the little door next to the main entrance. He knew there was nothing he could do from that distance. His best chance was to yell something at Yubaba, but someone got ahead of him.
"Stop it!" a female voice yelled from the other side.
"What?" All three people were confused with the newcomer.
"Don't you dare lay one single finger on that girl!" the newcomer yelled at her.
"Who dares talk to me in that tone!" Yubaba yelled in rage.
"I do!" the woman said firmly stepping out of the shadows.
"Chihiro…" Haku murmured under her breath.
"Mom?" Chiharu gasped, confused.
Chihiro ran to her daughter's side.
"Don't you dare lay one single finger on my daughter." Chihiro said.
"You're talking to me like if you were higher than me." Yubaba laughed at her. "You're a mere human."
"If I am a mere human why were you so eager to kick me away from here eleven years ago?" Chihiro asked.
"No human is going to talk to me in that tone." Yubaba said, she raised her hand. "Die!"
"No!" Haku yelled.
But Chihiro hit Yubaba's hand with her own, and sent her stumbling, backwards.
"I'm not a ten-year-old girl anymore Yubaba!" Chihiro yelled. "Nor an unsure teenager either. I'm a woman, I may be human but…I'm not afraid of you anymore!"
"You have no right to be here." Yubaba told Chihiro. "You left and you were supposed to never come back."
"Believe me, this wasn't by my choice." Chihiro said. "My daughter got lost and I had to find her."
"Anyway, she didn't have the right to come back here either." Yubaba insisted.
'Back?' Chiharu asked herself.
"If I didn't know you I would say you're afraid of a mere child." Chihiro mocked her.
"I'm not afraid of a human-child!" Yubaba yelled.
"You already said it Yubaba, a human child, but you know that in front of you there is someone that is more than that." Chihiro said calmly.
Chiharu looked at her mother, puzzled.
'She seems to know the witch Yubaba well enough.' She thought. 'Could it be…'
"Wasn't it enough for you to bother me twice?" Yubaba asked. "I may remind you of your contract Sen…"
"Sen!" Chiharu yelled finally putting the pieces together. "So that means…"
'I told you.' Her inner voice told her.
Yubaba summoned a piece of paper, the contract.
"Yes." Chihiro said. "That contract said I would leave and never come back, if you left me and my family alone, and never try to harm us. And you were about to kill my daughter!"
Yubaba was about to say something, but Chihiro went on.
"Besides." She said. "That contract was signed under the name of Sen, and my real name is Chihiro!"
In the moment she said, better yelled, that, the contract turned into ashes.
"There is no more contract." Chihiro said as she pulled off her bronze chain. "No more secrets."
"If there is no contract, there's no need to keep you alive." Yubaba said evilly.
She raised her hand and quickly chanted an old spell against Chihiro and her daughter.
"Die!" she yelled as she released her magic.
"No! Chihiro! Chiharu!" Haku yelled.
He had been standing there all along, without knowing what to do. And without understanding at all what was going on. But now he was afraid. He didn't want to loose his beloved, not again.
"Mom!" Chiharu yelled as she pushed her mother.
"No! Chiharu!" Chihiro yelled.
The truth s out! Yeah! About damn time too.
Well, as you can see, this will be a short fanfic, just a few more chapters to go, about two or three more or less. I hope you'll stay with me till then.
Don't forget to review! If your reviews arrive as fast as this time you'll have another new chapter next week. So, what are you waiting for?