Chapter 12: Forecast

My name is Q. I am a fortune teller. I know almost everything that people don't. I can see the future. Sometimes the past. All of it, except my own.

I don't know who I really am and where I came from. My parents said I'm adopted. They said I fell from the sky when I was a baby. A letter 'Q' was tattooed on the back of my neck. So that's how they called me, Q.

"Don't worry, he's a good fortune teller. He often helps me with the financial forecast and bathhouse's future possibilities," Yubaba said.

Q walked towards Chihiro. "May I see your hand, My Lady?" he asked her.

Haku didn't like this. He stared him coldly. Q smirked.

"Uhh, just Chihiro, please. My name is Chihiro," Chihiro said. She shoved her hands to him.

"Okay, Chihiro, let me see your hand," and Q took her right hand.

Haku folded his arms and took a deep breath.

Q closed his eyes. His finger started to grope on her palm. He traced every line of her hand. Then he turned the back of her palm and held it with both of his hands. He was then bowed his head.

"Excuse me, does it have to be holding her hand that way?" Haku asked uncomfortable.

"Shh, shut it!" Q said while he shook his head. "You're ruining my concentration, Dragon," he said again calmly.

Then Chihiro felt something strange that came from Haku. She turned to him and she couldn't believe

what she saw. He looked screwed, and his face was like he's about to pounce on the fortune teller.

"My goodness, Haku. Are you... jealous?" she asked him confused.

The dragon winced his eyes. "You think so?"

Chihiro shook her head innocently.

Haku snorted. "Hell, yes. I am." and then he looked away.

Now Chihiro was surprised. That's the first time she ever heard him, well mentally heard him saying a harsh word. She gulped and bit her lip feeling guilty. Meanwhile Yubaba chuckled to see how cute they were and how funy teenage romance was.

"I'm sorry, Chihiro," Q said suddenly.

Chihiro turned back to him. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Like what I've said before, you have no idea how your life would really change," he said again.

"What do you see, Q?" Yubaba asked.

Q opened his eyes and then he stared into Chihiro's eyes. "I saw your past, your childhood, your ruth; I'm sorry about your parents,"

Chihiro made a thin smile. "That's okay, thanks. Anything else?"

"I saw your mistakes. And the greatest is that you decided to come back here, to the spirit world,"

At that moment, Haku turned his head back to them.

Chihiro's expression was changed. She opened her mouth, about to let out her disagreement.

"Uh-oh, wait. I know you disagree, but I haven't finished yet," Q said again while he held up his hand to her.

Chihiro closed her mouth and sighed. "Okay, fine. Now explain the rest," she said.

Q cleared his throat. "So, why did I say that it's a great mistake for you to come back here, it's because you're breaking the law of the nature. You've ever did it once, which it was accidentally, but this time you did it again intentionally,"

Chihiro thought for a second. "But, I tried for thousand times to get back here before I finally made it. I mean, I wasn't entirely breaking the law of the nature, right? When I was at my worst, this world let me in, again. I'll say it is fate,"

A weak smile crept upon the dragon's face.

"You're a smart girl, Chihiro. I guess it will be easy for you to understand what I'm going to explain next," and Q held her hand inside his hands again. "You're right, it is fate. You must know that life gives us fate that could be nice, but also could be bad. Indeed, with hardship will be ease. Like what have happened to you. You must be dead, without his soul," Q looked at Haku.

"What do you mean, Q?" Yubaba asked. "She must be dead, without Haku's soul?"

Q nodded. "Yes, Mam. Don't you realize that Chihiro is no longer a human?"

Yubaba looked surprised. "Is it true?"

"It is true. I put my soul into her," Haku answered.

Yubaba was now confused. "You mean, she's now a spirit?"

"I am, Granny. At least for now," Chihiro answered.

Yubaba winced her eyes. She hummed, her elbows rested on her desk and her locked hands propped her chin. "Well, Q, continue to explain what you've seen about her. I believe there's still something you haven't tell us," she said.

Q turned back to Chihiro. "Now, a human wasn't supposed to live in spirit world, so this world consumed your soul and that's why you were dying. Your dragon saved you, or in other words you lost from the punishment of the nature,"

"So, everything will be okay?" Chihiro asked impatient.

Q shook his head. "Never that easy. You know, the nature got plenty of ways to punish the offender of its law, right?"

Haku sighed and then he walked towards them. "Yeah, I clearly understand that. Now get to the point, Fortune Teller. I can't stand to watch you holding her hand any longer," he said firmly.

Q was holding his laughter back and he locked his eyes to the dragon's.

"As you wish, Dragon," he smirked. "The point is, Chihiro, the nature is still not agreeing with you staying here. They might want you to assure them that you deserve to live here. Thus, it comes to these forecasts: I saw a war. Destruction. Pain and fear. Lost. A girl with the grey eyes. A piece of the past..."

Haku's mind was racing about the forecasts, he imagined everything Q had said. Chihiro was connected to him, she knew what he's thinking, and she knew he's afraid.

Q took a deep breath. "... and... Death," he continued.

At that moment Chihiro skipped a heartbeat. She froze. At Q's last word, Haku snatched Chihiro's hand from Q's hands.

"Enough! I don't believe you," Haku said murderously. He stared Q as cold as ice. His hand gripping his lover's hand tight. Meanwhile she moved to behind him.

Q folded his arms. He stepped forward and stared Haku eye to eye. "It's up to you, Dragon. But I never lie about my forecast," and suddenly the atmosphere seemed to be gripping.

Haku gritted his teeth, assuming he couldn't fight Q's words.

"Okay, boys, stop it. No fight in my office," Yubaba stanched them.

The boys immediately turned to the witch. "You believe this guy?" Haku asked Yubaba in lack of confidence.

"I trust him, Haku, just the way I still trust you," Yubaba answered. This caused the dragon remained in silence.

Yubaba turned to the grey-haired fortune teller. "Q, can't you get more specific?"

Q sighed. "It wasn't so clear, only a flash of visions... But maybe this could help; about the war. I saw it's happening here, at this bathhouse,"

The other three persons in the room gasped to hear what he's saying. Haku and Chihiro looked at each other. And then the witch stood up from her seat. "I never expect a war to be happened in my bathhouse," Yubaba said with a high tone. "I cannot let it happen. Who brought it?" she asked while she balled her fists.

Q shook his head, "I… didn't get a clear view. But the threat is on her," he pointed Chihiro.

"Of course," Yubaba said shortly.

"W-wait..." Chihiro spoke up. She stepped aside. "There will be a war, in this bathhouse, and that's because of me...?"

The witch and the dragon were only staring at her. Meanwhile Q slightly nodded his head.

"That means... I'm a threat to everybody in here!" she shouted a little.

Haku held her shoulders. "Chihiro, calm down,"

"No! I can't and I don't wanna be!" she started to shaking. "I've ever made a chaos here, but this... is different. I can't-"

"Chihiro, we'll find a way out," Yubaba said.

Chihiro felt her chest was tight and she's getting hard to breathe. She balled her hands. "Granny, whoever they are... all they want is me. I can't let everybody in this bathhouse, my family, to get involved and feel the consequences. I... I should leave,"

Haku grabbed her hand. "Chihiro..."

She didn't turn to him. Her eyes kept staring at the witch, and the witch too lock her eyes on her. Yubaba still remained in silence.

Chihiro gripped her dragon's hand. "Now, Granny... I'm asking your permission for me and Kohaku to leave this place," she said. Her eyes shed a tear.

Haku sighed. Chihiro had made her unanimous decision and he couldn't say no. It might be perilous, but as long as they're together, he would obey his mate.

"Uh, sorry to interrupt," Q said intruding. "I think it's not a good idea. According to my experience, something even worse would happen if we make a different path from the forecast. I think it will be better if you stay and find the other way to face it," he explained.

That wasn't what Chihiro wanted to hear. She shook her head to him and wiped her tears, then she turned back to Yubaba.

"Granny, please?" she asked once again.

"You heard him," Yubaba answered. "I agree with him, so, I say no," she said firmly.

Chihiro sighed. All she wanted to do now was crying and run away. Even she's now a spirit, but still, she was a crybaby.

"Haku," she said while she turned to her dragon.

Haku looked at her and found her face so whiny and her glassy eyes were about to shed a tear.

"No, no, please don't cry again," he said. Then she shut her eyes and rested her forehead on his shoulder.

"That's okay. I don't want to believe it too. But we will find a way out," he whispered to her while he stroke her hair.

"Q," Yubaba snapped the fortune teller from his thoughts.

"Mam?"

"Would you call her, please?"

Q raised his eyebrow. "Who?"

"You know who," Yubaba stared at him.

As her point got into his head, he nodded. "Oh, yeah, of course. I'll call her," and he dismissed himself heading to the door.

"Oh, and Q," Yubaba stopped him.

"Yes?" Q looked back to her.

"Keep on striving to find further about the forecast,"

"Sure, I will," Q answered. Yubaba nodded and he left the room.

Now Yubaba walked to the couple. Chihiro lifted her head up and Yubaba was now standing in front of her. The witch held her shoulders.

"Be strong," Yubaba said. "Even the threat is on you, it will be my responsible too. You're not alone. We will face this together,"

Chihiro slightly nodded her head. "Okay. Now, what do we have to do?"

Yubaba rested her hands on her hips while her eyes winced to look carefuly at the girl. She noticed some scars all over her body.

"You, will need a teacher. Even now you're a spirit, you're still a bit weak," she said and then she turned around back to her desk.

"Chihiro," Haku called her. Chihiro looked at him. "Yubaba is making a hard decision,"

Chihiro raised her eyebrow. "How could you tell?"

"I've known her for years," he answered confidently.

Then there's a knock on the door and Q emerged in followed by a woman in pink salmon clothes as what Chihiro wore.

"Well, Chihiro, this woman, she's not only your sister; soon she'll become your teacher," Yubaba explained.

Chihiro was surprised, she looked at the woman in disbelief.

"Lin!?"

HALO! KITA BERTEMU LAGI!

Finally, I'm back! Well, just for a moment. So, there's so much I've been through, and still, I have ONE and FINAL TEST so I could go to college in TWO WEEKS! oh my. Just need to do this to get the stress out of my head. Refresh!

Anyway, thank you for being patience to wait for me to update. And don't forget to review so I know if you like it or not. K, see you on next chap!