Dead Souls
This story takes place a few years after the movie is over. Chihiro returned home, and spent the next few years making new friends and dreaming of Haku. The friend that this story is concerned about is named Link (a/n- no relation to the Zelda game). Link is a young 14 year old who has fallen desperately in love with the 16 year old Chihiro. After years of waiting, Chi has decided to return to the spirit world to once again visit her beloved. Unbeknownst to her, Link has followed her. The story opens just after Chi has met all of her old friends, and has been left alone with Haku for the first time that day.
*~*
I don't know why I followed her. I mean, she'd probably be very upset if she knew, but I had to know who this boy is that she dreams after. I hope that that's where she's going. We went quite some distance before arriving at one of those old run down amusement parks. Kind of a weird place to be meeting the love of your life. Oh, I HOPE she isn't upset when she finds out I followed her. It would drive me absolutely mad not to have her speaking to me.
She's entered, and since there's no going back now, I follow. Just as I reach the entrance, I notice that the wind seems to be entering the long tunnel that leads to the park. How strange. I hesitate, for a reason that even I do not understand, then follow. At first it's dark, but then it opens up on this lush and rolling countryside.
There. On a bridge running over a small river. There, I can see Chihiro and another boy embracing, almost as if they had not seen each other in such a long time. The sight is too much for my heart, and I run. Where? I have absolutely no idea.
"So, why didn't you ever come to see me like you promised?" Chihiro was lying out on a couch in one of the high rooms of the old bathhouse, and Haku was leaning against one of the walls opposite her.
"I wanted too. I really did. It's just... there was no way for me to get there. If I tried, I wouldn't have any form, because my river is gone. Still, I've been searching for a way past that."
"It's so good to be back. I mean, I've missed all of the others so much! And I missed you most of all. Those years apart from you, they've only served to teach me one thing, and that's how much I love you."
"You know that we can never be together, don't you? I mean, not unless you know something we don't."
"I know, but just let me savor this moment. It's been such a long time."
Haku came over to the couch and sat next to Chi. Putting his arm around her; he lowered his head to hers and whispered in her ear.
"I love you too."
And that was all that mattered to Chihiro. That was the reason that she had come back.
No words had ever meant so much to her in her entire life.
They fell asleep that way, her head resting on his shoulder, his arms around her, holding her close.
*~*
"Yubaba!"
"What is it now?"
"There's a human in the spirit world!"
"I know that, you idiot! It's Sen, so just shut up."
"No! There's another one!"
"Another?"
"Yes. Amana saw him running away toward the railroad tracks. He could be miles away by now!"
"Send out a search party! We must find him before the fabric unravels!"
"Yes, Mistress!"
My heart is shattered. That's all there is too say. I guess there's nothing left for me now. I should just run away somewhere where I can be alone with my grief.
I've been walking these railroad tracks for days now, and I haven't seen a single village around, much less any people. The train that runs them has passed me several times, but I don't pay attention. I just keep my head down and keep on walking.
One foot in front of the other, step by step, not knowing where they are going to take me.
*~*
Finally, a village.
Wait, why are the people here almost transparent? That can't be right. No, now I'm just seeing things. I guess that's just another step in losing the one that you've loved and trusted all of your life.
As I walk, I think about my life. My family life is just about nil. My father and brother are abusive: physically, mentally, and sexually. I've learned to deal with it.
Then, then I met Chihiro. Her soul seemed so bright, so vibrant when compared to my dead one. She reached out to me. I was the kid that no one associated with, the kid who was off limits in any conversation except harmful gossip.
We became fast friends, and gradually, I felt myself falling in love with her. Everything about her was so perfect. She was beautiful, or at least she was in my eyes. She was popular, all the boys wanted to go out with her and all of the girls wanted to be her friends. She had a great family life, while mine was, well, you know. Oh, I could almost fall in love just with her memory.
Best that I never see her again. If she's happy with this other kid, then it would be best if I never see her again.
Suddenly, my mind returns to the world around me. These things, these spirits, or whatever they are have been having conversations all around me. Most of it seems to be about the same thing. A human girl and the spirit boy she loves, and how they can never be together. Then, I hear names. My heart almost stops.
That's right. That girl, the one who got her true name back. What was it again? It was something like, Chihira?
Chihiro. It could only be. Then another bit of conversation stops me.
Well, they could be together, but only if someone would be brave enough to go and ask Jumari on their behalf, and heaven help whoever did.
I jump into the conversation. "Excuse me, but where can I find Jumari?" I try to make it sound like I've been on my way there the entire time.
"A human!"
"Get rid of it!"
"Oh, it stinks!"
"Don't answer it and maybe it will go away."
"Why do you want to know?"
I look at the last spirit to have spoken. "I'm going there on behalf of Chihiro and her true love."
"Do you know what you're getting yourself into, human?"
"Maybe."
"Then let me elaborate. She'll accept, but it will mean an eternity of torture in exchange. That Jumari, she's evil. About as evil as they get."
"I can deal with torture."
"Not this kind. Still, it's your decision. But there's still no guarantee that she'll even follow through. She goes back on her deals all the time."
"So be it. I have to at least try."
"Very well. Look for her in the black tower in the Northern Mountains. I can't tell you exactly where it's located, but as you get closer, more and more of us will have heard of it."
"I thank you." I turn back along the tracks and continue, ignoring the stares that I'm now receiving.
"Actually, I happen to have an extra train ticket that you can use."
I turn. "I beg your pardon?"
"Well, it's going to get you there much quicker than you would by walking. You just have to go to the last stop, get off, and head toward the mountains. You should be able to see them by then."
"Thanks." I take the ticket, and then head for the platform.
It doesn't take me long to get there, and soon after I'm on the train, heading north.
*~* Haku walked to Yubaba's office. Something big had been going on for the last couple of days, and he had only just noticed. That might have been because he had been spending so much time making out with Chihiro.
"Yubaba, I need to talk to you."
The doors flew open and he entered, walking briskly, not expecting anything more than to see Yubaba busy at her desk with more work than she knew what to do with. The sight that met his eyes left him speechless.
The office was an absolute mess. There were papers everywhere, the desk had been moved, and everything seemed out of place. It literally looked as if a hurricane had come through.
And Yubaba...
She looked terrible. She was no spring chicken usually, but now there were bags under her eyes and her hair was going literally all over the place. In fact, she looked almost as bad as the room. She was slumped down in an armchair behind her desk, mumbling to herself.
"Yubaba! What on earth happened to you!?"
"Oh, it's only you, Haku. I was afraid it was one of those damn workers coming back with more bad news."
Haku was shocked. He had never known Yubaba to swear in her office, for she constantly ran the risk that he might have heard her.
"What's wrong?"
"Some human infiltrated this world. No, I know what you're thinking; it's not Sen. Some other damn human. Whoever he was, he didn't waste any time around here. He just hopped on the first train and headed north. Where he got a ticket is what I can't wait to find out."
"What can I do?"
"Well, you're a dragon, so perhaps... you could change and catch up with him. All we know is that he somehow got on the train and headed north. I must say, you've got your work cut out for you."
"When should I leave?" Haku felt terrible. Here Chihiro had just gotten back and now he was going to have to go off on a mission that could take any amount of time. There was no telling when he might get back. What if Chihiro had to leave before then?
"As soon as possible. You can have some time with Sen if you want, but it's imperative that we get him back and out of here before he tears apart this entire world."
*~*
Well, I'm at the last stop. I suppose that there's nothing for me to do except get off. Once I'm off the train, it groans and then starts forward and disappears around a curve. I feel almost what could be considered a sense of loss. I've been on that train for a couple of days now, and it's become sort of a friend to me. Oh well. I guess nothing was meant to last forever.
Off in the distance, I can vaguely make out the dim shapes of what appear to be huge mountains. High in the black sky above them, flashes of lightning can be seen. It's a rather ominous picture. Well, that's where I'm heading. There's no telling how far off they might be, and the sooner I get there the better.
I walk away from the tracks, for here is where they turn and head back south. There's not really any kind of a path, I'm just going to have to go off of instinct and hope that I run across a few villages.
My stomach growls and I realize for the first time in almost a week that I haven't eaten or drunk anything for days now. I find that rather strange. It's almost as if I've ceased to need food and water.
As I walk, I begin to consider just what I'm going to say to Jumari when I get to the mountains. I haven't really considered it, which makes me feel rather stupid, since I'm going to need all the eloquence I can find just to convince her to listen to my request.
What if she asks me my interest in Chihiro and the guy? What would I tell her then? I can't very well tell her that I'm in love with Chi too. If I did that, she'd probably try to capitalize on it.
I could tell her that I'm just a friend who wants to see them stay together.
No, that won't work. If she does accept, I'll probably be forced to stay locked up in one of her dungeons for ever, which means I'd never be able to see Chi and this other guy. That's really a shame.
What to do. What to do.
As I walk, I sense a presence above me, even as a howl of wind stops me in my tracks. *~*
Haku had been searching each stop he passed diligently, but with no sign of the mysterious human. Now he had arrived at the last stop, which meant that if the human wasn't here, he would have failed in his mission. As he flew along, he kept a close eye on the ground below him, searching desperately for any sign of life.
There.
Over by that outcropping of rocks was the form of a human.
That must be him. Now, I've just got to convince him to come back with me.
Haku began the descent, plummeting down towards the ground before pulling up and landing in front of the human. Once he was safely on the ground, he transformed back into his human-like form.
The human gasped.
"It's you!"
Haku looked slightly bewildered. Where could this human have possibly seen him before? The human wore a guarded expression on his face.
"What do you want?"
"You need to come back with me. As long as you stay here in this world, the world itself will be in danger of collapse."
"What do you mean? I didn't see you kicking Chihiro out the moment she arrived."
"Huh? Oh, well, she's got special license to be here. Even so, she too must leave eventually."
The human turned around, his expression unreadable. "Not if I have anything to do about it."
"I don't understand."
"I'm on a mission. If I succeed, then she'll be able to stay here with you forever.
"Why would you do that for us?"
"Because... I love her."
"WHAT!"
"Yeah, but don't worry. Despite all I did for her, she never really loved me back. We were just good friends, nothing more. I wish we had been more, but she was always thinking of you, so it never came around. I figure that if I can't make her truly happy, then I've got to do whatever it takes so that you two can be happy together. That's why I'm on my way to Jumari even as we speak."
Something inside of Haku seemed to click.
"J-Jumari!!??"
"Yeah. You don't have to bother telling me how evil she is. I've already found that out from a most helpful spirit. I don't care. There's no point in my being happy if Chi can't be happy either."
"You really did love her, didn't you?"
"Yeah."
The two figures stood there for a minute, silent, unmoving. Then Haku broke the silence.
"So, you're absolutely determined to go through with this, no matter what the consequences?"
"Yes." The reply was firm and unmoving.
"Well then, we'd better be going. We're going to have to move along."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that I'm going to go with you."
"You can't. I go alone."
"No. I'm going to help you get there, for Chihiro's sake."
"Fine. Just so long as you keep up."
"I can carry you to those mountains on my back."
"No. I don't need your help. Like I said, I go on my own power."
"Fine. By the way, my name's Kohaku, but you can call me Haku."
"I'm Link."
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise."
*~* Chihiro wandered aimlessly around the upper floors of the bathhouse, occasionally greeting a worker running past her with a serious look on their face. She was headed up toward Yubaba's office, in search of Haku.
Once she reached the door, she reached up and took the knocker in her hand, only to be told (by the knocker) that Yubaba was already expecting her arrival.
The doors opened, and Chihiro found herself being jerked through them into the inner office.
"Hello, dear. I was wondering when you'd want to know what's going on."
"Where's Haku?"
"He went to find another human who found his way into this realm right behind you."
"What's his name?"
"Haku has informed me via telepathy that his name is Link."
"L-Link????"
"Yes, do you know him?"
"Know him? Of course! He's one of my good friends! I don't know why on earth he'd want to follow me."
"Haku says that he's in love with you." The statement was not an accusation, but rather a neutral one.
"Well, yeah. I mean, that's to say that I did know that. He's always been in love with me. I just have never been able to return his affections because of my love for Haku."
"He's so in love with you that he's willing to suffer eternal torture so that you can be with Haku."
"ETERNAL WHAT!!???"
"Torture. If Jumari accepts his offer, there'll be no way out."
"We can't let him!"
"Are you willing to give up Haku to save him?"
"I-I don't know. I just don't know."
"Anyway, it doesn't matter. His mind is made up, and he and Haku are on their way to Jumari even as we speak."
Chihiro felt as if her heart would break.
*~*
Far off in a huge dark tower in the northern mountains, a uniquely gothic looking girl sat upon a throne made out of the skulls of various humans, spirits, and animals.
"My lady."
"Yes, what is it Knoma?"
"There are two boys headed this way. One of them is a spirit, and the other is a human. The spirit is Yubaba's apprentice, Haku."
"Haku... Hmmm. This could be fun. I hear that he's involved with a human girl. Do you suppose that this human is coming on their behalf?"
"It is not my place to say, m'lady."
"Well, just give me your best guess."
"I would have to say that that is probably a good bet as to why their coming."
"Yes. I thought as much. Very well. See to it that they arrive safely, but make sure that you use all precautions. We wouldn't want this golden opportunity to slip away from us."
"Very good, m'lady. Is there anything else?"
"No, that will be all. Thank you."
Haku found himself constantly staring at this young human boy walking beside him with his eyes cast down. He wondered what on earth could have possibly happened to the kid to make him give up on life the way that he had.
"So, tell me a little about yourself."
Link looked up at him, curiosity filling his eyes.
"Why do you want to know?"
"Well, if you're one of Chihiro's friends, then I'd like to get to know you better, even if we don't have time to start a true friendship."
"Well, what's there to say about my life? I mean, I haven't got much of a life at home, and absolutely no life at school, except for Chi. She always was kind to me. Maybe that's why I fell for her."
"Tell me about your family."
Link's eyes once again met the ground as he avoided looking at Haku.
"I don't know why I should tell you. I mean, not even Chi knows."
"Please?"
"Fine. Well, my father and brother rape me pretty much every night, and when they don't, they're drunk and beat me. So, see, I don't have a life. That's why I can live in an eternity of torture. I've been doing it ever since mother died."
Haku was silent. He truly didn't know what to say, except that this kid sure knew how to get to the point. He didn't mince his words or try to cushion them.
"Why didn't you ever tell Chihiro?"
"Because. I was afraid of what she'd think. What if she found out and didn't want to be my friend anymore?"
"Chihiro would never just turn away from you."
"You don't know that."
"Yes, I do. She's wonderful, and the most loyal friend that I've ever known. I believe that she would stay by your side no matter what happened in your life."
"Perhaps. But if she didn't... on the off chance that she didn't... I don't know if I'd be able to take it."
The two of them walked on in silence for a couple more minutes, then Link spoke up.
"How did you meet Chi, anyway?"
"Well, she had just come into Aburaya with her parents, and they, that is to say her parents, had eaten some food and thus were turned into pigs. She was frightened and was running away when I saw her. I tried to get her out of there before the river opened, but failed, so I sent her to get a job. Things just kind of progressed from there."
"And the two of you fell in love."
"She helped me to discover my true name when it had been lost from me. When she managed that, Yubaba tested her to see if she could go back home, and she passed. I promised her that I'd see her again, but I couldn't keep that promise until now. And yes, I do love her."
"Well then, in that case I know that the two of you are going to be very happy together."
"Well, we won't know that until we find out if Jumari will accept your deal. If she doesn't, then we'll have to be separated for all time.
"I have a good feeling that she will."
"I hope so."
They continued on, noting how much closer the mountains looked.
Haku looked over at Link once again.
"We'll be there before too long. Are you absolutely sure that you want to go through with this. I mean, there's always time to still turn back."
"No. I intend to do this. I won't give in to my fears now. I've come much too far to back down now." Link looked toward the mountains, and Haku swore that he could see him trembling. "This is what I was meant to do. I've never had any purpose for being here, so maybe now I do. Maybe this is why Chihiro met me to begin with."
*~*
Chihiro, in her agony, had made up her mind to go and see Zenniba, in order to ask her if there was any way around what she knew had to be inevitable. She received a train ticket from Yubaba, and soon was on her way to Swamp Bottom. She arrived there as night was just falling, and she proceeded to follow the lantern over to Zenniba's house. She was looking forward to seeing her again, and also couldn't wait to see No Face.
"Come in. We've been expecting you."
Chihiro entered, and then flung herself at the old lady who was standing over a bubbling pot.
"Grandma! I'm so glad to see you!" She began to sob, both out of happiness and desperation.
"There, there. You've had a rough few days. Here, have some of this tea." Zenniba took the tea kettle off the stove and poured some into a cup which she then gave to Chihiro. No Face also drifted over to where she was sitting and presented her with a handful of hair ties.
"Ah, ahh."
"Yes. No Face has been working on those ever since he heard that you were back."
"Thank you so much." Chihiro wiped the tears out of her eyes and smiled.
"Now, what is it that makes you so unhappy?"
"Well, I have a human friend who followed me back here, and now he's on his way to his eternal doom."
"Oh. You must mean Link."
"Yes. How do you..."
"My sister has already taken the liberty to inform me of the current situation. I'm very sorry."
"Is there anything that you could do?"
"If his mind is made up, then I'm afraid that I have no choice but to let him go through with his mission. I know that this must be hard for you, but there's nothing that I can do."
"Are you sure?" Chihiro's eyes once again began to fill with tears.
"Yes. I really am most sorry. You're welcome to stay here until Haku gets back."
"I suppose I can. There's nothing else for me to do."
"Good. I've been missing you, and it would be a delight for me to have you back under my roof once again.
Chihiro spent the rest of the night talking with Zenniba and just simply enjoying the company that she was in. For a very short time, she even forgot about her problems, and for the first time that day was able to laugh. Still, deep inside her, part of her would not stop crying for the friend she had lost and would never see again.
*~* Haku and Link continued on their way, hoping that they were at least going in the right direction. They had just recently passed through another village, where the inhabiting spirits had been nothing if not reluctant to point out the way to the dark tower. They had only been given the most general directions, and were hoping that they would run across another village before too long. Haku had not spoken to Link for a while, leaving him to confront his many demons within him.
"This is stupid." Link looked up at Haku in surprise.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, there's got to be some other way for Chihiro and me to be together. Surely this can't all depend on your being tortured for the rest of all time."
"We've been over this already. This is the way it has to be. Please, don't make me second guess myself. If I do, I might not be able to go through with it after all."
"Good! Then Chihiro wouldn't have to be so sad anymore. Do you really think that I want to live around her when she's always moping around?"
"If you love her you do." Haku shut his mouth, knowing that Link was right. No matter how he might try to deny it, especially in front of Link, he would stay by Chihiro's side no matter how she acted. He truly did love her.
"Look, up ahead. You think that might be a town?"
"I hope so. That last town wasn't very helpful."
"Yeah. Tell me about it."
"Let's hurry."
The two boys broke into a run, since both of them were in rather good shape, they made it to the town in no time at all.
"Is anyone here?" The town looked deserted.
"I don't see anyone."
"They've got to be around here somewhere." They looked into the open doors, and finally found a few spirits in what seemed to be the city center.
"Excuse me, but do any of you know where we could find the Dark Tower?"
The spirits turned and stared at the two boys, and then one of them broke away from the group and glided over to them.
"Come outside with me."
They followed it outside, bewildered as to why it had to go outside in order to tell them how to get there.
"You must be new to these regions."
Haku looked at the spirit intently. "Yes, we are. This is our first time around here."
"Then that means that you don't know that Jumari rules these lands." They looked at it in surprise. "It would be a good idea for you not to just walk amongst us talking about her. She has spies everywhere."
"We're sorry. Can you tell us how to get there?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Link here wants to make a request of her."
"Do you know the consequences of asking her for favors?"
Link spoke up. "Yes."
"Well then, see those three peaks close together? They form a sort of triangle, and in the center of it is a raised plateau. In the center of that plateau is the Dark Tower. Just go there and you'll be sure to find her."
"Thank you. By the way, what's your name?"
"My friends call me Knoma."
*~* Once they had left the town, they began to head toward the three mountains that the mysterious spirit had directed them to.
"Wait a minute. Do you see that?"
"Yeah. It's just a forest." Haku didn't look to sure.
"No. I think I've heard of this place before. It's called the Dead Forest. It goes on for miles and miles, and there are all sorts of evil spirits that lurk in the mists that cover the forest from morning until night."
"Do we have to go through it?"
"Yeah. Like I said, it goes for miles and miles. It would take months to go around it."
"So we go through it. Just how dangerous is it?"
"Dangerous enough that I'm scared of it, and I've got plenty of magic to back me up. I don't know if we'll even make it though. Heaven knows that it's going to be hard."
"Well, let's keep on going. I'm not about to turn back now."
The two of them continued on until they were at the very edge of the forest, where they stopped for a moment to gather themselves.
"I've got some food. You want some?" Haku looked over to where Link was standing with awe in his eyes as he stared, not at the trees, but at the mountains that towered over them, even though they were still easily a couple of days away."
"They're huge!"
"Yeah. The North Mountains are noted in all of the stories for their immense size. It's said that they have no equal."
"It's absolutely breathtaking."
"Yeah, well I hope the torture chamber has a window that looks out on them. Might make the ages go by quicker, huh?"
"Shut up. I'm not going back now. Chihiro must know by now, and if I went back I'd be seen as a coward."
"You know that she wouldn't blame you for not wanting to suffer for all eternity."
"I told you, I'm not worried about the torture."
"I can't figure you out, you know that? Here, have some bread."
"No thanks."
"You haven't eaten a bite in over a week now! You haven't even drunk anything! You've got to at least be getting thirsty by now."
"I'm not. For some reason, hunger and thirst have stopped affecting me. I don't understand it anymore than you do, but I'm not going to question it."
"You mean to tell me that you haven't eaten anything since you got here?"
"Nope."
"But then you'd have disappeared! How is it that you're still here?"
"Like I said, I don't know, and I'm not going to question my good fortune."
They entered the forest in silence, noticing how the moment they entered, all sounds, all movement of the air seemed to cease instantly, as if it had never been there at all. The air became heavy and oppressing, pushing in on them from all sides.
"I don't like this at all."
This story takes place a few years after the movie is over. Chihiro returned home, and spent the next few years making new friends and dreaming of Haku. The friend that this story is concerned about is named Link (a/n- no relation to the Zelda game). Link is a young 14 year old who has fallen desperately in love with the 16 year old Chihiro. After years of waiting, Chi has decided to return to the spirit world to once again visit her beloved. Unbeknownst to her, Link has followed her. The story opens just after Chi has met all of her old friends, and has been left alone with Haku for the first time that day.
*~*
I don't know why I followed her. I mean, she'd probably be very upset if she knew, but I had to know who this boy is that she dreams after. I hope that that's where she's going. We went quite some distance before arriving at one of those old run down amusement parks. Kind of a weird place to be meeting the love of your life. Oh, I HOPE she isn't upset when she finds out I followed her. It would drive me absolutely mad not to have her speaking to me.
She's entered, and since there's no going back now, I follow. Just as I reach the entrance, I notice that the wind seems to be entering the long tunnel that leads to the park. How strange. I hesitate, for a reason that even I do not understand, then follow. At first it's dark, but then it opens up on this lush and rolling countryside.
There. On a bridge running over a small river. There, I can see Chihiro and another boy embracing, almost as if they had not seen each other in such a long time. The sight is too much for my heart, and I run. Where? I have absolutely no idea.
"So, why didn't you ever come to see me like you promised?" Chihiro was lying out on a couch in one of the high rooms of the old bathhouse, and Haku was leaning against one of the walls opposite her.
"I wanted too. I really did. It's just... there was no way for me to get there. If I tried, I wouldn't have any form, because my river is gone. Still, I've been searching for a way past that."
"It's so good to be back. I mean, I've missed all of the others so much! And I missed you most of all. Those years apart from you, they've only served to teach me one thing, and that's how much I love you."
"You know that we can never be together, don't you? I mean, not unless you know something we don't."
"I know, but just let me savor this moment. It's been such a long time."
Haku came over to the couch and sat next to Chi. Putting his arm around her; he lowered his head to hers and whispered in her ear.
"I love you too."
And that was all that mattered to Chihiro. That was the reason that she had come back.
No words had ever meant so much to her in her entire life.
They fell asleep that way, her head resting on his shoulder, his arms around her, holding her close.
*~*
"Yubaba!"
"What is it now?"
"There's a human in the spirit world!"
"I know that, you idiot! It's Sen, so just shut up."
"No! There's another one!"
"Another?"
"Yes. Amana saw him running away toward the railroad tracks. He could be miles away by now!"
"Send out a search party! We must find him before the fabric unravels!"
"Yes, Mistress!"
My heart is shattered. That's all there is too say. I guess there's nothing left for me now. I should just run away somewhere where I can be alone with my grief.
I've been walking these railroad tracks for days now, and I haven't seen a single village around, much less any people. The train that runs them has passed me several times, but I don't pay attention. I just keep my head down and keep on walking.
One foot in front of the other, step by step, not knowing where they are going to take me.
*~*
Finally, a village.
Wait, why are the people here almost transparent? That can't be right. No, now I'm just seeing things. I guess that's just another step in losing the one that you've loved and trusted all of your life.
As I walk, I think about my life. My family life is just about nil. My father and brother are abusive: physically, mentally, and sexually. I've learned to deal with it.
Then, then I met Chihiro. Her soul seemed so bright, so vibrant when compared to my dead one. She reached out to me. I was the kid that no one associated with, the kid who was off limits in any conversation except harmful gossip.
We became fast friends, and gradually, I felt myself falling in love with her. Everything about her was so perfect. She was beautiful, or at least she was in my eyes. She was popular, all the boys wanted to go out with her and all of the girls wanted to be her friends. She had a great family life, while mine was, well, you know. Oh, I could almost fall in love just with her memory.
Best that I never see her again. If she's happy with this other kid, then it would be best if I never see her again.
Suddenly, my mind returns to the world around me. These things, these spirits, or whatever they are have been having conversations all around me. Most of it seems to be about the same thing. A human girl and the spirit boy she loves, and how they can never be together. Then, I hear names. My heart almost stops.
That's right. That girl, the one who got her true name back. What was it again? It was something like, Chihira?
Chihiro. It could only be. Then another bit of conversation stops me.
Well, they could be together, but only if someone would be brave enough to go and ask Jumari on their behalf, and heaven help whoever did.
I jump into the conversation. "Excuse me, but where can I find Jumari?" I try to make it sound like I've been on my way there the entire time.
"A human!"
"Get rid of it!"
"Oh, it stinks!"
"Don't answer it and maybe it will go away."
"Why do you want to know?"
I look at the last spirit to have spoken. "I'm going there on behalf of Chihiro and her true love."
"Do you know what you're getting yourself into, human?"
"Maybe."
"Then let me elaborate. She'll accept, but it will mean an eternity of torture in exchange. That Jumari, she's evil. About as evil as they get."
"I can deal with torture."
"Not this kind. Still, it's your decision. But there's still no guarantee that she'll even follow through. She goes back on her deals all the time."
"So be it. I have to at least try."
"Very well. Look for her in the black tower in the Northern Mountains. I can't tell you exactly where it's located, but as you get closer, more and more of us will have heard of it."
"I thank you." I turn back along the tracks and continue, ignoring the stares that I'm now receiving.
"Actually, I happen to have an extra train ticket that you can use."
I turn. "I beg your pardon?"
"Well, it's going to get you there much quicker than you would by walking. You just have to go to the last stop, get off, and head toward the mountains. You should be able to see them by then."
"Thanks." I take the ticket, and then head for the platform.
It doesn't take me long to get there, and soon after I'm on the train, heading north.
*~* Haku walked to Yubaba's office. Something big had been going on for the last couple of days, and he had only just noticed. That might have been because he had been spending so much time making out with Chihiro.
"Yubaba, I need to talk to you."
The doors flew open and he entered, walking briskly, not expecting anything more than to see Yubaba busy at her desk with more work than she knew what to do with. The sight that met his eyes left him speechless.
The office was an absolute mess. There were papers everywhere, the desk had been moved, and everything seemed out of place. It literally looked as if a hurricane had come through.
And Yubaba...
She looked terrible. She was no spring chicken usually, but now there were bags under her eyes and her hair was going literally all over the place. In fact, she looked almost as bad as the room. She was slumped down in an armchair behind her desk, mumbling to herself.
"Yubaba! What on earth happened to you!?"
"Oh, it's only you, Haku. I was afraid it was one of those damn workers coming back with more bad news."
Haku was shocked. He had never known Yubaba to swear in her office, for she constantly ran the risk that he might have heard her.
"What's wrong?"
"Some human infiltrated this world. No, I know what you're thinking; it's not Sen. Some other damn human. Whoever he was, he didn't waste any time around here. He just hopped on the first train and headed north. Where he got a ticket is what I can't wait to find out."
"What can I do?"
"Well, you're a dragon, so perhaps... you could change and catch up with him. All we know is that he somehow got on the train and headed north. I must say, you've got your work cut out for you."
"When should I leave?" Haku felt terrible. Here Chihiro had just gotten back and now he was going to have to go off on a mission that could take any amount of time. There was no telling when he might get back. What if Chihiro had to leave before then?
"As soon as possible. You can have some time with Sen if you want, but it's imperative that we get him back and out of here before he tears apart this entire world."
*~*
Well, I'm at the last stop. I suppose that there's nothing for me to do except get off. Once I'm off the train, it groans and then starts forward and disappears around a curve. I feel almost what could be considered a sense of loss. I've been on that train for a couple of days now, and it's become sort of a friend to me. Oh well. I guess nothing was meant to last forever.
Off in the distance, I can vaguely make out the dim shapes of what appear to be huge mountains. High in the black sky above them, flashes of lightning can be seen. It's a rather ominous picture. Well, that's where I'm heading. There's no telling how far off they might be, and the sooner I get there the better.
I walk away from the tracks, for here is where they turn and head back south. There's not really any kind of a path, I'm just going to have to go off of instinct and hope that I run across a few villages.
My stomach growls and I realize for the first time in almost a week that I haven't eaten or drunk anything for days now. I find that rather strange. It's almost as if I've ceased to need food and water.
As I walk, I begin to consider just what I'm going to say to Jumari when I get to the mountains. I haven't really considered it, which makes me feel rather stupid, since I'm going to need all the eloquence I can find just to convince her to listen to my request.
What if she asks me my interest in Chihiro and the guy? What would I tell her then? I can't very well tell her that I'm in love with Chi too. If I did that, she'd probably try to capitalize on it.
I could tell her that I'm just a friend who wants to see them stay together.
No, that won't work. If she does accept, I'll probably be forced to stay locked up in one of her dungeons for ever, which means I'd never be able to see Chi and this other guy. That's really a shame.
What to do. What to do.
As I walk, I sense a presence above me, even as a howl of wind stops me in my tracks. *~*
Haku had been searching each stop he passed diligently, but with no sign of the mysterious human. Now he had arrived at the last stop, which meant that if the human wasn't here, he would have failed in his mission. As he flew along, he kept a close eye on the ground below him, searching desperately for any sign of life.
There.
Over by that outcropping of rocks was the form of a human.
That must be him. Now, I've just got to convince him to come back with me.
Haku began the descent, plummeting down towards the ground before pulling up and landing in front of the human. Once he was safely on the ground, he transformed back into his human-like form.
The human gasped.
"It's you!"
Haku looked slightly bewildered. Where could this human have possibly seen him before? The human wore a guarded expression on his face.
"What do you want?"
"You need to come back with me. As long as you stay here in this world, the world itself will be in danger of collapse."
"What do you mean? I didn't see you kicking Chihiro out the moment she arrived."
"Huh? Oh, well, she's got special license to be here. Even so, she too must leave eventually."
The human turned around, his expression unreadable. "Not if I have anything to do about it."
"I don't understand."
"I'm on a mission. If I succeed, then she'll be able to stay here with you forever.
"Why would you do that for us?"
"Because... I love her."
"WHAT!"
"Yeah, but don't worry. Despite all I did for her, she never really loved me back. We were just good friends, nothing more. I wish we had been more, but she was always thinking of you, so it never came around. I figure that if I can't make her truly happy, then I've got to do whatever it takes so that you two can be happy together. That's why I'm on my way to Jumari even as we speak."
Something inside of Haku seemed to click.
"J-Jumari!!??"
"Yeah. You don't have to bother telling me how evil she is. I've already found that out from a most helpful spirit. I don't care. There's no point in my being happy if Chi can't be happy either."
"You really did love her, didn't you?"
"Yeah."
The two figures stood there for a minute, silent, unmoving. Then Haku broke the silence.
"So, you're absolutely determined to go through with this, no matter what the consequences?"
"Yes." The reply was firm and unmoving.
"Well then, we'd better be going. We're going to have to move along."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean that I'm going to go with you."
"You can't. I go alone."
"No. I'm going to help you get there, for Chihiro's sake."
"Fine. Just so long as you keep up."
"I can carry you to those mountains on my back."
"No. I don't need your help. Like I said, I go on my own power."
"Fine. By the way, my name's Kohaku, but you can call me Haku."
"I'm Link."
"It's a pleasure to meet you."
"Likewise."
*~* Chihiro wandered aimlessly around the upper floors of the bathhouse, occasionally greeting a worker running past her with a serious look on their face. She was headed up toward Yubaba's office, in search of Haku.
Once she reached the door, she reached up and took the knocker in her hand, only to be told (by the knocker) that Yubaba was already expecting her arrival.
The doors opened, and Chihiro found herself being jerked through them into the inner office.
"Hello, dear. I was wondering when you'd want to know what's going on."
"Where's Haku?"
"He went to find another human who found his way into this realm right behind you."
"What's his name?"
"Haku has informed me via telepathy that his name is Link."
"L-Link????"
"Yes, do you know him?"
"Know him? Of course! He's one of my good friends! I don't know why on earth he'd want to follow me."
"Haku says that he's in love with you." The statement was not an accusation, but rather a neutral one.
"Well, yeah. I mean, that's to say that I did know that. He's always been in love with me. I just have never been able to return his affections because of my love for Haku."
"He's so in love with you that he's willing to suffer eternal torture so that you can be with Haku."
"ETERNAL WHAT!!???"
"Torture. If Jumari accepts his offer, there'll be no way out."
"We can't let him!"
"Are you willing to give up Haku to save him?"
"I-I don't know. I just don't know."
"Anyway, it doesn't matter. His mind is made up, and he and Haku are on their way to Jumari even as we speak."
Chihiro felt as if her heart would break.
*~*
Far off in a huge dark tower in the northern mountains, a uniquely gothic looking girl sat upon a throne made out of the skulls of various humans, spirits, and animals.
"My lady."
"Yes, what is it Knoma?"
"There are two boys headed this way. One of them is a spirit, and the other is a human. The spirit is Yubaba's apprentice, Haku."
"Haku... Hmmm. This could be fun. I hear that he's involved with a human girl. Do you suppose that this human is coming on their behalf?"
"It is not my place to say, m'lady."
"Well, just give me your best guess."
"I would have to say that that is probably a good bet as to why their coming."
"Yes. I thought as much. Very well. See to it that they arrive safely, but make sure that you use all precautions. We wouldn't want this golden opportunity to slip away from us."
"Very good, m'lady. Is there anything else?"
"No, that will be all. Thank you."
Haku found himself constantly staring at this young human boy walking beside him with his eyes cast down. He wondered what on earth could have possibly happened to the kid to make him give up on life the way that he had.
"So, tell me a little about yourself."
Link looked up at him, curiosity filling his eyes.
"Why do you want to know?"
"Well, if you're one of Chihiro's friends, then I'd like to get to know you better, even if we don't have time to start a true friendship."
"Well, what's there to say about my life? I mean, I haven't got much of a life at home, and absolutely no life at school, except for Chi. She always was kind to me. Maybe that's why I fell for her."
"Tell me about your family."
Link's eyes once again met the ground as he avoided looking at Haku.
"I don't know why I should tell you. I mean, not even Chi knows."
"Please?"
"Fine. Well, my father and brother rape me pretty much every night, and when they don't, they're drunk and beat me. So, see, I don't have a life. That's why I can live in an eternity of torture. I've been doing it ever since mother died."
Haku was silent. He truly didn't know what to say, except that this kid sure knew how to get to the point. He didn't mince his words or try to cushion them.
"Why didn't you ever tell Chihiro?"
"Because. I was afraid of what she'd think. What if she found out and didn't want to be my friend anymore?"
"Chihiro would never just turn away from you."
"You don't know that."
"Yes, I do. She's wonderful, and the most loyal friend that I've ever known. I believe that she would stay by your side no matter what happened in your life."
"Perhaps. But if she didn't... on the off chance that she didn't... I don't know if I'd be able to take it."
The two of them walked on in silence for a couple more minutes, then Link spoke up.
"How did you meet Chi, anyway?"
"Well, she had just come into Aburaya with her parents, and they, that is to say her parents, had eaten some food and thus were turned into pigs. She was frightened and was running away when I saw her. I tried to get her out of there before the river opened, but failed, so I sent her to get a job. Things just kind of progressed from there."
"And the two of you fell in love."
"She helped me to discover my true name when it had been lost from me. When she managed that, Yubaba tested her to see if she could go back home, and she passed. I promised her that I'd see her again, but I couldn't keep that promise until now. And yes, I do love her."
"Well then, in that case I know that the two of you are going to be very happy together."
"Well, we won't know that until we find out if Jumari will accept your deal. If she doesn't, then we'll have to be separated for all time.
"I have a good feeling that she will."
"I hope so."
They continued on, noting how much closer the mountains looked.
Haku looked over at Link once again.
"We'll be there before too long. Are you absolutely sure that you want to go through with this. I mean, there's always time to still turn back."
"No. I intend to do this. I won't give in to my fears now. I've come much too far to back down now." Link looked toward the mountains, and Haku swore that he could see him trembling. "This is what I was meant to do. I've never had any purpose for being here, so maybe now I do. Maybe this is why Chihiro met me to begin with."
*~*
Chihiro, in her agony, had made up her mind to go and see Zenniba, in order to ask her if there was any way around what she knew had to be inevitable. She received a train ticket from Yubaba, and soon was on her way to Swamp Bottom. She arrived there as night was just falling, and she proceeded to follow the lantern over to Zenniba's house. She was looking forward to seeing her again, and also couldn't wait to see No Face.
"Come in. We've been expecting you."
Chihiro entered, and then flung herself at the old lady who was standing over a bubbling pot.
"Grandma! I'm so glad to see you!" She began to sob, both out of happiness and desperation.
"There, there. You've had a rough few days. Here, have some of this tea." Zenniba took the tea kettle off the stove and poured some into a cup which she then gave to Chihiro. No Face also drifted over to where she was sitting and presented her with a handful of hair ties.
"Ah, ahh."
"Yes. No Face has been working on those ever since he heard that you were back."
"Thank you so much." Chihiro wiped the tears out of her eyes and smiled.
"Now, what is it that makes you so unhappy?"
"Well, I have a human friend who followed me back here, and now he's on his way to his eternal doom."
"Oh. You must mean Link."
"Yes. How do you..."
"My sister has already taken the liberty to inform me of the current situation. I'm very sorry."
"Is there anything that you could do?"
"If his mind is made up, then I'm afraid that I have no choice but to let him go through with his mission. I know that this must be hard for you, but there's nothing that I can do."
"Are you sure?" Chihiro's eyes once again began to fill with tears.
"Yes. I really am most sorry. You're welcome to stay here until Haku gets back."
"I suppose I can. There's nothing else for me to do."
"Good. I've been missing you, and it would be a delight for me to have you back under my roof once again.
Chihiro spent the rest of the night talking with Zenniba and just simply enjoying the company that she was in. For a very short time, she even forgot about her problems, and for the first time that day was able to laugh. Still, deep inside her, part of her would not stop crying for the friend she had lost and would never see again.
*~* Haku and Link continued on their way, hoping that they were at least going in the right direction. They had just recently passed through another village, where the inhabiting spirits had been nothing if not reluctant to point out the way to the dark tower. They had only been given the most general directions, and were hoping that they would run across another village before too long. Haku had not spoken to Link for a while, leaving him to confront his many demons within him.
"This is stupid." Link looked up at Haku in surprise.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, there's got to be some other way for Chihiro and me to be together. Surely this can't all depend on your being tortured for the rest of all time."
"We've been over this already. This is the way it has to be. Please, don't make me second guess myself. If I do, I might not be able to go through with it after all."
"Good! Then Chihiro wouldn't have to be so sad anymore. Do you really think that I want to live around her when she's always moping around?"
"If you love her you do." Haku shut his mouth, knowing that Link was right. No matter how he might try to deny it, especially in front of Link, he would stay by Chihiro's side no matter how she acted. He truly did love her.
"Look, up ahead. You think that might be a town?"
"I hope so. That last town wasn't very helpful."
"Yeah. Tell me about it."
"Let's hurry."
The two boys broke into a run, since both of them were in rather good shape, they made it to the town in no time at all.
"Is anyone here?" The town looked deserted.
"I don't see anyone."
"They've got to be around here somewhere." They looked into the open doors, and finally found a few spirits in what seemed to be the city center.
"Excuse me, but do any of you know where we could find the Dark Tower?"
The spirits turned and stared at the two boys, and then one of them broke away from the group and glided over to them.
"Come outside with me."
They followed it outside, bewildered as to why it had to go outside in order to tell them how to get there.
"You must be new to these regions."
Haku looked at the spirit intently. "Yes, we are. This is our first time around here."
"Then that means that you don't know that Jumari rules these lands." They looked at it in surprise. "It would be a good idea for you not to just walk amongst us talking about her. She has spies everywhere."
"We're sorry. Can you tell us how to get there?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"Link here wants to make a request of her."
"Do you know the consequences of asking her for favors?"
Link spoke up. "Yes."
"Well then, see those three peaks close together? They form a sort of triangle, and in the center of it is a raised plateau. In the center of that plateau is the Dark Tower. Just go there and you'll be sure to find her."
"Thank you. By the way, what's your name?"
"My friends call me Knoma."
*~* Once they had left the town, they began to head toward the three mountains that the mysterious spirit had directed them to.
"Wait a minute. Do you see that?"
"Yeah. It's just a forest." Haku didn't look to sure.
"No. I think I've heard of this place before. It's called the Dead Forest. It goes on for miles and miles, and there are all sorts of evil spirits that lurk in the mists that cover the forest from morning until night."
"Do we have to go through it?"
"Yeah. Like I said, it goes for miles and miles. It would take months to go around it."
"So we go through it. Just how dangerous is it?"
"Dangerous enough that I'm scared of it, and I've got plenty of magic to back me up. I don't know if we'll even make it though. Heaven knows that it's going to be hard."
"Well, let's keep on going. I'm not about to turn back now."
The two of them continued on until they were at the very edge of the forest, where they stopped for a moment to gather themselves.
"I've got some food. You want some?" Haku looked over to where Link was standing with awe in his eyes as he stared, not at the trees, but at the mountains that towered over them, even though they were still easily a couple of days away."
"They're huge!"
"Yeah. The North Mountains are noted in all of the stories for their immense size. It's said that they have no equal."
"It's absolutely breathtaking."
"Yeah, well I hope the torture chamber has a window that looks out on them. Might make the ages go by quicker, huh?"
"Shut up. I'm not going back now. Chihiro must know by now, and if I went back I'd be seen as a coward."
"You know that she wouldn't blame you for not wanting to suffer for all eternity."
"I told you, I'm not worried about the torture."
"I can't figure you out, you know that? Here, have some bread."
"No thanks."
"You haven't eaten a bite in over a week now! You haven't even drunk anything! You've got to at least be getting thirsty by now."
"I'm not. For some reason, hunger and thirst have stopped affecting me. I don't understand it anymore than you do, but I'm not going to question it."
"You mean to tell me that you haven't eaten anything since you got here?"
"Nope."
"But then you'd have disappeared! How is it that you're still here?"
"Like I said, I don't know, and I'm not going to question my good fortune."
They entered the forest in silence, noticing how the moment they entered, all sounds, all movement of the air seemed to cease instantly, as if it had never been there at all. The air became heavy and oppressing, pushing in on them from all sides.
"I don't like this at all."