The Other World

Chapter 19 - Dreams

Chapter 19 - Dreams

Haku stood on a clifftop, his back to her, looking out over the sea. The sea breeze tugged at his hair and clothes, making the wave in the wind. He looked beautifully, wonderfully unscathed.

"Haku!" Chihiro called, running toward him. "I thought you were... Thank goodness you're okay..." She paused, confused. Her heart briefly stopped. Haku was taller and older, and there was a woman with him. They were holding hands. The woman turned around to look at Chihiro. She looked familiar.

"Lin?" Chihiro said.

The woman smirked. "That's right, klutz. I see you thinking of Haku as 'your dragon.' Put those thoughts away now, he's mine. Did you really think that Haku was going to wait for you all these years? He's the king of the spirits now, and you're just a little human girl. You're not worth his time. You never will be."

"All these years? But I thought.... Haku, what's going on?" Chihiro asked.

Haku didn't turn around, and he didn't answer.

"Isn't it obvious?" Lin said. "He belongs in the spirit world, and you do not. Now run along." She made a shooing motion with her hand, and turned away. She placed her head on Haku's shoulder, whispering in his ear.

"You must understand-" Chihiro whirled around to find Shika behind her, speaking in his dry voice. "The prince's bride must be someone who's willing to give him all of herself. Would you be able to do that? You have your family at home, your friends, college to go to; you have a whole life in front of you. It's for your own good, you know. It's better to give up your fantasies now, before you get hurt."

"But what happened? Where am I?" Chihiro asked. "Why won't Haku talk to me?"

"Because he doesn't want to hurt you, dearest," Shika said, shrugging. "As for where you are, you are looking into the future. You've glanced into Haku's and Fujisan's pasts before in your dreams, without realizing it, and now you're looking forward. You really have quite the talent for this. You can do so much with your life, accomplish so much, if you have the ambition to."

Risuni suddenly appeared next to her. "Chihiro, they used you. They wanted to make Haku king, and they used you as leverage. They made him agree to take the throne in exchange for your life, and now they're never going to let you see him again. He agreed, though, to keep you alive. He might have felt something for you back then. Now he's drunk with power. He won't give that up to be with you. He'd rather be king. There's nothing in the Spirit World for you now, Chihiro. Come home and you can have your life back again. Come home and live your life where it's safe, before it's too late."

"Let me show you something, Chihiro," Fujisan said. He pulled Chihiro into a vision. She saw the Kohaku River as it had been, before it had been filled in, before the village had even become a town. The familiar white dragon rose out of the water as the river flooded its banks, knocking down the wooden huts of the village and dragging debris along. The dragon attacked those who couldn't run from the water fast enough, drinking in their last breaths greedily one after another. "Look at my brother, Chihiro. Do you really want this force in the Human World? Would you unleash this on your people? Do you really want to stay with this? You understand so much already, surely you understand..."

"You're not good enough for him." "Would you give your life away?" "Forget him. You would never be happy with him." "He's a danger to your people." They had surrounded her. Their voices swirled around her until she couldn't tell one from another. Chihiro shielded her head with her arms, as if she could keep the voices at bay that way. One thing stuck out to her.