Chapter 3.

The light from outside creeped up closer as Chihiro slowly walked forward, not knowing what to expect. 'Better not get my hopes up' she thought. 'I've come here way too many times to expect anything different to happen.' But it did just that. She got to the doorway and looked outward to see beautiful grassy fields, followed what looked to be an unfinished river. The river was full of large rocks, big enough to climb on. Even farther, Chihiro looked and saw what seemed to be rows of old restaurants. This was it. She was home.

Chihiro finally realized what was happening and she started running as fast as she could towards the riverbed, skipping and smiling so big that her cheeks could burst."IS THIS IT? AM I REALLY BACK? AM I DREAMING?" she asked herself. Chihiro had never felt this much joy in her entire life. She pinched her own cheeks to reassure herself that she in fact, was not dreaming. It was all real. She wasn't sure how she got back, but right now it didn't matter. She needed to get back to the Bath House and find Haku. She waited too long for this moment. Too many times had she came back to that same tunnel, expecting a warm welcome back to the Spirit World, only to find a cold wall in her way of freedom.

She slowed down and started walking nervously as she approached the strip of food shacks. The food smelled so good and she was starving, since she woke up late she was forced to skip breakfast. Suddenly, she snapped out of her pig-like thinking and kept walking forward towards the statue that stood just to the left of the grand red bridge leading to the Bath House. She started walking up the stairs and then a thought came to her mind, 'What if nobody remembers me? It was 6 years ago. Maybe they all moved on.. Humans probably wander here all the time.' Then she remembered what had happened to her parents. "That's where all of the pigs come from!" she said out loud. She covered her mouth in shock, looking around to see if anybody had heard her. Nobody was outside, how foolish of her to think that anyone would have been listening. The spirits didn't come out until the lanterns were lit at night. Chihiro then giggled to herself.

Chihiro was almost at the statue up the stairs, when she heard a familiar voice call out from behind her. She knew this voice from somewhere; she heard it in her dreams very often.

"I knew you'd find a way back eventually."

Chihiro gasped and turned around as fast as she could, she froze. It was Haku. The boy she had been thinking, writing and dreaming about for the past 6 years was standing maybe 10 feet away from her. All she wanted to do was to run into his arms, and stay there forever. But she didn't know if he felt the same, so instead, Chihiro approached with caution.

"H-H-Haku?, is that you?" she timidly asked.

"Yes Chihiro, it's me." He replied with a chuckle, "You've grown up a lot. You're beautiful."

Chihiro tried to hide her face from Haku so he couldn't see her blushing, but he noticed anyways. "T-thank you, you're quite handsome, too, Haku."

He smiled and started walking towards her slowly, unsure of how she would react. It had been a while since they'd last seen each other. Anything could have happened and he would have had no idea.

"Chihiro?" Haku called. "Please forgive me. I would have come to see you sooner, but I walked to that tunnel countless times only to find a wall in my way. Tell me, how did you manage to get through this time?" he wondered, gazing at her.

"W-Well.. I was walking to school actually, and I felt it. I felt the gate to your world being opened. It's like it called my name almost and told me to go inside. The wall wasn't there this time. I'd tried coming back many times, too. Believe me. I've come to the tunnel hoping for some sort of sign from you, or any of the spirits here that you even exist. I was really starting to doubt my sanity!" she giggled to herself, Haku joined her.

"Because I had no proof other than the hair band that Granny gave me, I really had no idea if I just made everything about this world up. It was beginning to scare me; this past week has been especially hard." She looked up into his eyes; they were the same emerald green as she remembered. "But I'm here now" she continued, "and you have no idea how happy I am to see you." She gave him a smile that somehow said 'I've always loved you." Could he see it? If only Haku could read her mind.

'She's so beautiful. I missed her so much' Haku thought to himself. 'I wish I could tell her exactly how I've always felt about her..'

"And it's strange, I felt so empty back at home" she adds, "I didn't really feel as if I fit in with the people at my school, work, or even in my family. But when I'm here, it's different. I feel like I am truly at home here, and I wish to stay." She told Haku.

Haku felt his heart drop. "You wish to STAY? HERE?" he asked quite bluntly. "Forever?"

Chihiro looked at him with an upset sort of gaze, "Am I not allowed?"

Haku straightened himself up, cleared his throat and replied, "Well, I'm sure everyone here would be along with it, but what about schooling? What about your family and your friends? They would miss you terribly. They'd probably throw fits if they didn't know where you are."

Chihiro put her head down in shame, "I don't think they would miss me that much."

"Don't say that, I bet they would. Anyone would. You're amazing, Chihiro. Don't ever forget that." He told her, as he grabbed her hand.

She looked into his eyes and he smiled the most perfect smile that anyone could ever imagine.

"Now let's go, we've got some catching up to do and I have to tell everyone that you've come back! Lin will be very happy to hear the news."