Chihiro pushed open the door and inhaled when all the church turned to look at her.
"Chihiro?" Haku's voice pierced through the room.
She noted that he looked happy that she was there. She felt the tears well in her eyes, knowing that that happiness would be shattered.
"I object." she whispered.
She heard a murmur pass through the crowd.
"What was that?" the minister asked.
"I object." she said louder, not looking at anyone.
Her knees were shaking, she didn't dare look up until...
"Chihiro?" he sounded angry.
She glanced up and a sob ripped through her throat, he looked furious. The room was shaking. It started pitching and rolling and spinning. She couldn't control it. The floor made contact with her body and she wondered briefly why she was staring up at the ceiling. Blackness claimed her.
She was a child again, only ten, running between the booths looking for her parents. Where were they? She had seen pigs in her parents' clothing, but that wasn't possible. Right?
"Ugh." her head hurt.
She was flying on his back, peace overcame her. She knew what she had to do, she knew she could do it. She had her friends now.
Her body hurt.
His scales were shattering, they were falling slowly. She had just told him his name. He reached for her hand and pulled his face towards hers.
She could feel the fabric of a jacket against her cheek.
She remembered who he was. Thirteen now, she was in California for her birthday. She couldn't believe that he was there!
She knew that she was being carried.
He kissed her lightly. It was her first, on her birthday. It was perfect.
She felt a breath on her cheek. She heard a sigh and knew who it was.
"Haku?"
Silence.
"Haku I -"
"Don't talk to me." he snapped and she winced.
"I'm -"
"I said don't talk."
"But."
"Chihiro..."
Her heart constricted she never heard him that mad before.
"Sorry." she whispered.
"You're sorry?" his voice dripped with sarcasm, "That makes everything better."
She hated this, she hated the harshness of his words.
"Stop it." she told him.
"Stop what? Stop being mad at you for ruining my wedding?" he stopped but wouldn't look at her, "Mai ran out of the church crying."
"Put me down." she told him.
He set her down on her feet gently. She took two steps before the ground rushed up to meet her. He caught her before she it the ground.
"You are too shaky to walk."
"Why'd you pick me up then? Why not go after her."
No answer.
"Haku?"
"What do you want me to say Chihiro? Did you expect me to come running to you because you stopped my wedding?"
She didn't answer for a long time, "Take me home." she finally said.
When he got her home and put her down. She walked towards her room. She emerged a second later with her iPod Touch. She searched for a song.
"A song won't fix this." he told her.
She ignored him until she found it. She plugged her speakers in and just held him so he could hear it.
"I see nothing in your eyes, and the more I see the less I like.
Is it over yet, in my head?
I know nothing of your kind, and I won't reveal your evil mind.
Is it over yet? I can't win.
So sacrifice yourself, and let me have what's left.
I know that I can find the fire in your eyes.
I'm going all the way, get away, please.
You take the breath right out of me.
You left a hole where my heart should be.
You got to fight just to make it through,
'cause I will be the death of you.
This will be all over soon.
Pour salt into the open wound.
Is it over yet? Let me in.
So sacrifice yourself, and let me have what's left.
I know that I can find the fire in your eyes.
I'm going all the way, get away, please.
You take the breath right out of me.
You left a hole where my heart should be.
You got to fight just to make it through,
'cause I will be the death of you.
I'm waiting, I'm praying, realize, start hating.
You take the breath right out of me.
You left a hole where my heart should be.
You got to fight just to make it through,
'cause I will be the death of you."
"That's been your song since you got with her." she told him, her voice shaking. "I can't explain it better than that. You take my breath away, and you left me void of a heart. Your song used to be Thousand Years." she told him.
He looked at her, as if she had slapped him, "I-"
"No, it's my turn." she closed her eyes, "I've been in love with you since I was ten. Eight years of my life I spent loving you. Now I feel as if I wasted eight years on you. You were the center of my world, and you claimed that I was the center of yours. Soul mates remember? I guess you either lied, or you were confused."
"I didn't lie."
"Then you got confused, how else can you explain marrying someone else but me?" she knew she sounded spoiled and full of her self, "Do you love me?"
"Chihiro."
"Do you love me?"
"Chihiro I..." he trailed off.
"It's simple Haku, do you love me or not?"
He turned around and started to walk away.
"If you don't love me then you can just go back to the Spirit World right now."
He stopped, "Think of what you're saying."
"I am. You came here for me. You gave up your immortality for me. Not Mai. Me. So if you don't want to be with me, you can go back to the Spirit World."
"What about..."
"Mai? What about her Haku? I already ruined her wedding, I'm sure she hates me now. Why not do this too."
"You are selfish."
"It's about time I am." she pulled a picture out of a drawer. "Remember this."
He looked at it, "Yah, it's me and you in California laughing on the ground. Why?"
"Look at your expression."
"What about it."
"Look at how you were looking at me."
"Chihiro, I don't even remember what was going through my head that day. I barely remember what happened before that picture was taken."
"We were outside of the Tower of Terror, you said it reminded you of falling. At the bathhouse when you were hurt. I called you silly, and you chased me around and tickled me then-"
"You pushed me off of you but I fell and you fell on me."
"We laughed for a bit, then you just stopped. I looked at you, and you were looking at me like I was the only one there. Like no one was watching. Like I was the only person that mattered." her breath caught.
"What does that have to do with you sending me back?"
"Because." she was letting the tears flow, yet again, "Why stay here, if you don't want the person you came here for?" she asked him, "You, here, causes me pain. I used to be happy to have you around. Used to. Now I dread seeing you. I know that the hole in my chest is going to open up again, and I'm going to be in pain. I love you Haku, but loving you hurts, especially knowing that you don't feel the same."
"I never said-"
"You didn't have to...you hesitated long enough. Just go back Haku. I don't want you here anymore."