"Ok, so I have to go find Shinigami or Inochi and Jinsei?" Chihiro asked, making sure that she got it right.
"Yes, and they will be found in the Valley of Seishi." Zeniba confirmed.
"Ok, Lin told me that, and there would be a test."
"Yes, but we don't know what it is." Haku told her.
Chihiro nodded and processed the information. She had to find Death or the Twins of Life, in the Valley of Death and Life. She could only go so far with Haku, then she had to do it alone. To throw in a twist, The Valley of Seishi was impossible to find, since technically it didn't exist.
"Like Mount Olympus" Chihiro said stifling a groan.
It was true. The Valley of Seishi was a myth. Death and the Twins of Life were real, but no one ever saw them unless they wanted to be seen. To find this place that they were said to live...Chihiro wanted to cry thinking about it. These beings, they could give her Eternal Life. The one thing she had wanted since reality set in about her never seeing Haku or Lin, or the Spirit World ever again.
"Chihiro, it's such a pretty day, why don't you go outside?" Ten year old Chihiro looked out the window. The sun was shinning, the grass looked greener, and the sky was almost hard to look at, it was so blue. To Chihiro, it looked like another dull gray day. She hadn't wanted to do anything since coming back from her adventure. Her parents thought it was because she was still upset about having to change schools, but in reality Chihiro just thought that the human world was boring. No witches shouting orders, no baths to clean, no six armed men to talk to. No soot things to be entertained by, no giant babies to play with. Most of all, no dragons.
She missed it all. The sights, the smells, the spirits. Even the things to fear. She missed talking to Lin, and she missed Kamajii and the soot balls. She even missed Yubaba, who scared her to death. She missed Zeniba, Yubaba's twin sister. She especially missed Haku. I wonder what he's doing now that he has his name back? Chihiro had thought about it constantly. She had given him his name back, after Yubaba stole it.
"Chihiro did you hear me? Go outside for a while."
"Who am I going to play with?" She asked her mom, "I don't have friends." On this side of the Spirit Gate anyways.
Her mom made an impatient sound and Chihiro sighed and gave in. She went to her room to get the diary that she was writing furiously in for months now. Each day was labeled with a different name, depending on who she felt she needed to talk to that day.
October 23,
Dear Lin,
My mom is making me go outside, she says I need some fresh air, I think I got enough fresh air flying on Haku's back. It's still hard being here. I miss you guys so much. I hope Yubaba is going easy on you all. I know she had to be mad that I escaped and gave Haku back his name. I can't think of anything else to write anymore. Except that I miss you. School is boring. Today I got asked what I did over the summer. I said that I moved to this town and passed through the gate in the abandoned building at the bottom of the cliff and ended up in the Spirit World. They told me that I should be a writer since I have a good imagination. No one believes me. It's so hard being here Lin, I don't know why I was so excited to come back. I should have looked back before getting through the tunnel. Anyways, I better stop writing and run around for a little bit so my mom doesn't yell at me. Don't forget me 'kay?
Chihiro.
The weeks turned to months, which eventually turned to years and Chihiro was taking her tests to go to High School. She got into a really great school and was getting ready to start, she still thought about Spirit World a lot, and was happy when she found her old diary. She read back through the entries and all the emotions came flooding back to her. She thought back to those days and got out a pen.
July 1, 2005
Haku,
It's been a while since I wrote down my thoughts on paper. I probably should, since I think about you guys every day. It's been a long time since I've seen you all. I can't believe I'm entering High School now. Sometimes I think it's all a dream. I used to talk about my adventure a lot, but then people started looking at me like I was crazy, so I just stopped. It's hard being here, Haku. There's this guy. He likes me, even though I'm weird. His name is Nagiori. I want to date him, but I can't stop thinking about you. I still dream about going back, and you kissing me. I dream about being with you forever. It's silly though, I'm a human, and you're a spirit. I don't even feel that way about you. You're a good friend, but...well anyways, it's time for me to move on. I can't keep thinking about you.
Chihiro.
In truth, she never stopped thinking about him. All through her relationship, she never let Nagiori in. He knew her parents, he knew the type of candy she liked, he knew how she hated when he tried to take her purple hair tie away from her. He knew how she cried when it broke, and how she tied it so it was only good if she wore her hear half way up. He knew everything he could see about Chihiro, but he didn't know why she was so quiet all the time. He didn't know that the reason she never said, "I love you" back to him was not because she was just shy, as he thought, but because she loved someone else. Even if she didn't know that she loved someone else.
Chihiro frowned. Just thinking about that day she let Haku go made her heart hurt. She was with him now, and that was what mattered, but, what if he didn't want her with him forever. The thought crashed onto her. If she became a spirit and he didn't want to be with her, she would be crushed. She just couldn't bring herself to ask him.
"So Haku, how do you feel about having Chihiro here become a spirit?" Zeniba asked suddenly, as if she knew what Chihiro was thinking about.
"Huh? Uh..." Haku was too busy watching Chihiro to pay attention, he cleared his throat, "Um, it's what she wants, and it's her decision."
Zeniba made a face at him, "Well she's obviously doing it for you! If you don't want her here then she has no point to do it!"
Chihiro gasped, "GRANNY!"
Zeniba gave Chihiro a pointed look, "Well what other reason do you have? Not to be with Lin or the rest of us. I'm flattered that we're part of the reason, but everyone knows that the only reason for a human to be a Spirit is because they are in love with a spirit. Likewise, the only reason for a spirit to aid a human in this dangerous task is because the spirit is in love with the human."
Chihiro and Haku's eyes both grew wide and they blushed and looked away from each other.
"It's not like that Granny, Haku is my best friend. I just don't feel at home in the human world, I haven't in years. Actually just when things started feeling normal for me, I got pulled back here. So I see that s fate telling me that I'm meant to be here." Chihiro said with determination.
Zeniba just nodded, "Haku can I speak to Chihiro alone?"
Haku nodded and walked outside. Once he was out of earshot Zeniba turned to Chihiro.
"I know I'm right, so when are you going to tell him?"
"Yah, you're right about me. I do love him, but he doesn't feel the same. How could he? He's a powerful spirit and I'm just a human." Chihiro sighed.
"Maybe you're not giving him enough credit."
Chihiro just shook her head, "He can have anyone he wants."
Zeniba sighed and sent No-Face to get Haku so they could plan some more.
"Besides, he could have Soren, or someone as beautiful as her. I've seen a lot of these spirits Granny. I'm not very pretty." Chihiro said in a sad voice.
Haku was walking in when he heard her say she wasn't pretty. Anger clouded his face, "Never say that again." he told her and moved swiftly to stand in front of her and put his hands on her shoulders, "Never say you aren't pretty Chihiro, you're the most beautiful girl...woman in the Spirit World, or any world for that matter."
"You're just saying that to make me feel better." She told him in a small voice.
Haku felt that urge again, to lower his lips to hers, and tell her how he felt about her. He fought the urge, this place wasn't special enough. He didn't care if she may not feel the same about him. He was going to kiss her. Just not here. He wanted it to be after she became a Spirit. So he could tell her how he felt, and hopefully she'll say the same to him, then he'll ask her to be with him forever.
"You're warm again." Chihiro's voice broke through his thoughts, he didn't realize that he hand pulled her close to him and was holding her tightly
"Aren't I always warm?" he asked her.
"Not to me. You usually feel cool. Like a river in the middle of the summer. Not freezing, but refreshing." She told him.
Haku blinked, so now his temperature was giving away his emotions. Great. He cleared his throat and released her. He noticed a look pass between Zeniba and Chihiro, but ignored it. "Tell me what we have to do."
An hour later they were flying off equipped with food and fresh water, they had No-Face with them, he had swallowed a bird so he could fly.
"No-Face, I hope you're going to spit that bird out when we're done." Chihiro told her friend.
"Ah, Ah." No-Face nodded.
"Good."
Haku kept thinking back to what Zeniba told them.
"There will be a series of tests that you all must pass, to prove that you are worthy of entering. The first set will test will tempt you to do something that will deem you impure to enter the sacred Valley. I don't know what each test will be, but that's something that is between you individually. The second set will test you to see if you are determined enough to find the Valley. These will play on your fears, you must overcome these fears, only then will you pass. The third set will be to see if you're bonds of friendship are strong. You will become separated from each other and replacements will be put in. You won't know when. Each of you must be distinguish the imposters. If you can't make it, you will be sent back here, or to the bathhouse and those who do make it will continue. The final test is for you alone Chihiro. Once you are granted the knowledge of the entrance The Valley of Life and Death, you will have to do Shinigami, or Inochi and Jinsei's test to become a Spirit. Just know, no one has ever passed all the tests."