Chapter Sixteen

The Final Battle

As Lin lead Chihiro silently down a dark hallway, Chihiro tried to make out her surroundings. She'd never seen a place like this in the bathhouse. The walls were hard stone, with uneven cracks and damp surfaces. The sound of trickling water could be heard occasionally. Afraid to ask, Chihiro could only guess that they were somewhere under the bathhouse's foundation.

They didn't stop for a few unnerving minutes, stopping occasionally to listen hard for coming footsteps. It wasn't until Meiou's deep voice blared out in a paniced yell that both Lin and Chihiro had to seek the protection of a crack in a wall to hide in the shadows. The yelling continued but wasn't moving toward or away from them, "I don't care if it's difficult, I want him found! How difficult is it to find a spirit?"

The timid voice of the Foreman was awkwardly familiar to Chihiro, but the shaking tone was not, "We-We're sorry sir, it's just taking us a long time to find him, we have no idea where to start."

Meiou didn't seem to like that reply, "I don't want to hear it! Keep a close watch on Sen's cell; I don't want her escaping and trying to make an escape with Haku."

The Foreman's voice was shaking still, "Y-yes sir."

With that, the sudden sound of running footsteps made Chihiro and Lin hold their breath as the Foreman came running down the hallway past them.

When his footsteps faded, Chihiro mouthed to Lin, "Do you think it's safe?"

Lin shrugged, taking a change by poking her head out of the man-hole to look around. Pulling it back in, she nodded, quickly heading down the hallway again. Chihiro followed close behind, trying to make as little noise as possible, while looking around to make sure no one was coming.

Finally, they came to a split in the hallway. Lin turned sharply to the left, hurrying down the passage. Coming to a patrol, Lin ducked inside a crack again, tugging Chihiro in behind her just in time. After the patrol passed, Lin whispered so softly it was barely audible, "No Face, do you know where he would be?"

Shaking her head, Chihiro's confused face made Lin continue, "Meiou locked him up in a truck many years ago when Zeniba created Meiou. No Face was able to break a controlling spell Meiou had on her, so he separated them. Now that he's out and about, Meiou's going to have a bit of a problem if Zeniba remembers everything and lets Haku go."

Chihiro smiled in return of Lin's familiar mischievous grin, "Where's Haku?"

Lin nodded her head behind them, "Just a few more feet down, there will be lots of guards, so we'll have to be quick."

With a monogamous nod, Lin and Chihiro bolted out of the crack, speeding in the direction of Haku's cell. The anger face of Meiou stood between them and Haku's door. The two stopped instantly at the horrifying sight of Meiou's flaming eyes. Lin cursed, "Damn…"

Meiou glared at Chihiro, completely ignoring Lin, "How did I know you would be coming for him?"

Chihiro glared right back, "Because love doesn't leave someone behind…"

Lin took the lack of attention to her advantage, jumping at Meiou and tackling him to the ground. As she struggled with him, she yelled, "Go Chihiro! Go!"

Sprinting toward the door, Chihiro threw up the latch just as Meiou threw Lin across the hall. Standing, he darted toward her, just as she opened the door and ran in to an empty cell. Standing dumbfounded in the center of the room, she looked around in confusion. Turning back toward the door, she watched as Meiou entered after her, seeming just as confused at the empty room as she was.

The growling from above drew both their attention to the ceiling, where a white dragon clung to the bars of the window above. Dropping to the ground between Chihiro and Meiou, Haku glared at Meiou with hateful eyes. Meiou's face formed into a sinister smile, "Come now, Haku… shall we play this game again…?"

As he spoke, Meiou's face stretched into a long snout, tinting a fiery red and stretching his body into a long, curvy dragon. His dark fangs bared in a growl at Haku, who exchanged one back.

Chihiro stared in terror at the two dragons, ready to fight for blood. Petrified, she didn't move or make a noise; she just stared wide eyed at the two.

The movement was too swift for even Haku to react. It was almost as if Meiou disappeared, reappearing behind Chihiro. With a violent growl, Meiou sunk his ebony fangs into Chihiro's shoulder, holding tightly as he erupted through the window over head, followed closely by Haku.

"Haku!"

Chihiro's screams were drowned out by the wind speeding past her. Her arm was numbing, and her shoulder felt like it had been severed completely. Glaring through the speeding wind, Chihiro looked down at her body, now pressed completely against Meiou's scaly chest.

He's absorbing me!

As her body seemed to sink further and further into Meiou's body, Chihiro's mind continued to be filled with more and more disturbing images. Painful ones.

You're going to die here with me, Sen. If Haku kills me your soul will go with me. If Haku dies, you remain here, alone, without friends, family, Haku…

Chihiro's conscious fought back, weakening with each passing moment as she disappeared farther inside. No! Let me go!

You are going to die, Sen… Meiou's laughter echoed in Chihiro's mind. And there's nothing your knight in shining armor is going to do about it…

Looking back as much as her neck would, Chihiro could see Haku struggling to keep up with their speed. Around and around the bathhouse they flew, higher and higher, then diving toward the water and starting over. Minutes passed, and Chihiro's body was completely gone except for her chest up. Meiou had released her bleeding shoulder, knowing she wasn't going anywhere now.

Haku, please hurry!

Meiou's voice blared inside her again; He isn't going to catch us. And even if he does, what will he do to save you?

Crying, Chihiro racked her brain for answers. What do I do? Someone please, help me!

A voice, one familiar to Chihiro from an unknown memory, whispered over Meiou's evil laughter, drowning out all noise except for the soft, misty tone. Chihiro… It's time… Time to reveal the final piece to the puzzle… It's time to go home…

Opening her streaming eyes, Chihiro's attention caught Zeniba, standing on the balcony on the top level with No Face beside her, watching the two dragons playing a deadly game of tag. The voice went on; it's time, Chihiro… Time for you… and Haku… to return to the human world… together.

Chihiro looked back at Haku, tiring from the long sprint-like flight, but still keeping up. His eyes focused on Chihiro.

Chihiro took a deep breath as Meiou's cackle entered her brain again. Love… that's the final piece to the perfect spirit…Pure… Innocent… Love…

There was a sudden burst of energy. Red speckles of glitter fell from the sky, leaving Chihiro alone as she plummeted toward the sea. With the impact, Chihiro felt the cool water wash over her as she looked through the reflective surface up at a floating figure.

Haku was right behind her, sliding up underneath her and carrying her up to the floating figure.

The white flowing dress and pale skin gave away the identity. As Haku came to a drifting stop beside the floating figure, Chihiro exchanged a smile with Tia Silvermoon. As Tia shifted her attention to a bundle of cloth in her arms, Chihiro tilted her head at the adorable sight of a baby with black hair and forestry green eyes.

Tia smiled back up at Chihiro, handing the baby delicately to Chihiro's cradled arms, "You have, in your arms, the perfect spirit…Blessed by all the spirits of the Celestial Dragons." As the outline of Tia became fuzzy, slowly disappearing into the fading light, she finished, "Good Luck…"

As Chihiro and Haku returned to the balcony, where Zeniba, No-Face and Lin waited impatiently, Chihiro placed the bundle into Zeniba's arms. "The perfect spirit…" Chihiro smiled weakly, "Tia Silvermoon said he has been sanctified by the Celestial Dragons…"

Zeniba smiled up at Chihiro, "Aw… the Dragon of Time herself…?" Eyeing Haku behind Chihiro, his hand wrapped descreitly around Chihiro's thin waist, Zeniba addressed him, "I have no further favors of you, Haku…" Her smile was warmer, more life-like than before when Chihiro had tea with her, her first night. "You're free to go…"

With a final twist of her wrist, Zeniba revived Chihiro's torn up shoulder, restoring it to perfect condition. "Your parents are on the other side of the river, waiting for you."

A few sorrowful hugs to an envious Lin, a kind No-Face, and a heart warming Zeniba later, Chihiro mounted Haku's scaly back, and waved goodbye until the three unforgettable friends were nothing more then a speck on a canvas.

Standing before a dried up river, Chihiro and Haku hesitated a moment, holding hands as they stared across the river bed. "Will we ever be back?"

Haku smiled at her, "Of course… At the right Time."

With that, the two took their final steps in the spirit world crossing over to the human world; not looking back.