Haku… Haku… Haku! Haku, wake up! The spirit slowly opened his eyes, finding himself in the bathhouse. Lin, Yubaba and the spirits crowded around him, anxiously waiting for him to awaken. "Look, he's alive!" Aogaeru cheered. He tried to lift his head up, only to feel himself painfully drifting back into unconsciousness. Kamajii gently pushed him back. "Take it easy, Haku," he warned.

Obedient, the teenager lowered his head back to the floor. "What happened?" he questioned. Hesitant faces glanced at each other uneasily. "W-We were hoping you would know," Aogaeru answered quietly. Rubbing his forehead, he pondered, What happened? Remembering him falling into the water, he had pushed Chihiro away before the blast could take its full damage.

Chihiro… Chihiro! "Where is Chihiro?" he demanded. Murmurs grew among the spirits, both fearful and anxious. Using her magic, Yubaba brought him back his strength. However, the painful wounds were still throbbing. "We'll talk in private," she snapped.

As soon as they arrived in her office, Haku found the girl lying beside the fireplace. She looked as if she were sleeping, but rustled around uncomfortably. Chains were wrapped tightly around her wrists, tied into the wall. "Chihiro…" he stuttered. Running to her, he anxiously held her closely. "What's with these chains?" Haku growled.

The witch patiently sat down, folding her hands on her desk. "I found you both at the sea," she began. "Chihiro was pulling you up from the water while controlling the Dark Fear's power in herself. She told me to bring you inside while she stayed back. I brought you down stairs and sealed her powers temporarily."

Haku frowned. "Temporarily?" he growled. The bathhouse owner nodded. "Why did this have to happen? She should've stayed in the human world! She's a human!" The woman looked up at him with shocked eyes. Standing up, her fists tightened until they turned white. "The moment she stepped into this world, she turned into a spirit. That experiment managed to turn her into a monster!"

The dragon spirit could not speak. She didn't have to eat any spirit food… She was walking on water… His grip tightened. Feeling Chihiro squirm in his grasp, he found her mouth slowly moving. Leaning in to listen to what she was saying, he heard her squeak, "Haku… You're hurting my arm." Realizing he was squeezing her arm tightly, he finally released.

"Oh, sorry," he apologized. Looking at the chains, his hope faded. Gently touching his cheek with her trembling hand, she tried to assure him. "Chihiro…" he murmured, his voice slightly cracking. The bathhouse owner sighed, walking towards the two. "If we must seal the curse, you must go to Daichi." Haku lifted his head.

"Daichi?" Yubaba explained, "Daichi is an ancient spirit who specializes in seals. He may be able to seal her curse. However, a price must be paid…" Haku was willing to do anything. "What is it?" he insisted. "Chihiro being a spirit is keeping her power from fully unleashing; If she were to return to a human, that power could destroy her."

"So she must stay a spirit?" he demanded. The witch nodded. "Unless he can prove otherwise." Glancing at the chains, they were slowly eaten away magically. "You have two days," she informed. "Go. It's the best way to save her." She released the chain from the wall, the end of the chain slowly disappearing into dust. Picking her up, Haku nodded to Yubaba.

"Be careful," the witch said as they flew away. Swiftly, Haku leapt into the night sky, jumping on the surface of the water. As ripples expanded from where he stepped, he continued to run to the direction of the illuminating star.

Earlier, Yubaba pointed out the star, causing his vision to make the star green to easily find it. "Follow that star, and it will lead you to Daichi," she explained. Feeling Chihiro's hands grip his sleeve again, he tried to run farther until nearly tripping over something. Railroad tracks? He thought, backing away cautiously. No, I would have noticed that earlier… Looking closely, a small speck of brown hair appeared from the water. Standing on the tracks was a little boy.

Although he had a few bandages on his arms and face, his eyes glittered with determination and strong will. "A…kira…" Chihiro mumbled. "What're you…" Without warning, Akira jumped forward, landing beside the two teens. However, the water would not support his weight, allowing him to fall into the deep water.

Haku managed to pick him up by the arm, using his power to have the ability to walk on water. The young boy stared at his feet in disbelief. "It's only temporary, kid," he noted. "Besides, what are you doing here? Go back to the bathhouse." Huffing and puffing, the stubborn boy shook his head. "I head what happened to sis from Ms. Lin. I want to help her."

The spirit was about to rehearse a spell until Chihiro gently touched his shoulder. "Just let him come along," she cringed in pain. You can send him back if he's too much." Akira nodded. "I promise!" Sighing, Haku felt Chihiro tighten her grip. "Hurry," Haku told Akira.

With the dragon's power, Akira caught up with the two, smiling and laughing. "This is so cool! Why can't humans do this?" The words humans caused the girl to squeeze her eyes shut and wrap her arms around Haku's neck.

"Don't worry, nothing bad is going to happen," he murmured in her ear. Remembering their moment when Dark Fear had arrived, she wanted to reply to him. Instead, her mouth was frozen. Burying her face into his neck, she could barely hold back the tears. Wondering what had happened, the dragon caressed her long hair.

"I told you I would protect, right?" he whispered in her ear. Blinking, the tears flew freely in the air, trailing behind them. Akira curiously glanced at them, noticing how they appeared to look like tiny sparkling stars falling into the water. "Mhm," Chihiro mumbled with a high pitched tone. I… I love…