Studio Ghibli Oneshots

In The Past Or Now? [Spirited Away]

A Spirited Away OneShot with a bit of Chihiro x Haku/Kohaku ^-^

Some years have passed since she last walked this path. Now this little path was barely visible and grass together with bushes grew about everywhere. It wasn't easy, but she made it there anyway. Sometimes, she'd forget about the times when she was twelve, thinking it was all a dream. Thinking that spirits, are they really for real? Does magic exist? Always when she remembered the memory, it clearly flashed in infront of her eyes. The path, the bathhouse, her parents and a certain friend. She could never forget about that friend, the friend who helped her through it all. The one that always stood by her side, even when he wasn't supposed to. 

And that friend was no other than the spirit of Kohaku river, or more likely Haku. 

Actually, it was because of him that she decided to visit this old path and her old home town. For quite some while ago, she and her parents moved away from this town, not having the will to live here anymore. She remembered all those times she tried to go back in to the spiritworld, but everytime it was to no avail. The giant tunnel that led her and her parents to the spiritworl, somehow ended at the middle with no signs of the huge field outside and bathhouse. It ended at an closed trainstation, with dust and spiderwebs everywhere. 

Maybe, just maybe, after all these years after they moved away... would the tunnel be open? She secretly hoped that with all her might, because she missed it. People would ask why, if they'd even believe her story. She would always smile and shake her head, saying that it's a peice of her past. It's a peice of her past, just as those old friends that she haven't seen. She miss them all, but she can't met them. She tried and tried and tried, but the spiritworld just won't unravel. 

The path came to an end and the sight of the huge house came in to the view. "Still standing there, must be a good sign." she mumbled to herself, voicing out her thoughts. She stumbled over to it with a slow pace. Please, please, please let it work. 

She passed the stones with faces and gave them a short glance, seems like she've grown quite a bit since the stones barely went to her stomach now. The faces could barely be seen either, now the nature hid them underneath a layer of plants and grass. 

Now she stood in front of the tunnel. The last time and the time before that, no wind came to blew her in. When she first came to the spiritworld with her parents, there was a slight wind blowing in over her. Today, however, there was a wind. It wasn't a windy day, but it was windy now. A smile graced her face and she didn't wait another secound to enter the tunnel. She ran inside it and after some while, she faced the old dust and huge room. She closed her eyes tightly, it was now or never. If there won't be a opening in front of her, she'll never be able to go back to the spiritworld. She didn't stop walking and glimpsed through her narrowed eyes, seeing a faint light ahead of her. 

"H-Huh?!" She made a run for it and for the first time since all those years, she was standing on the giant field. She could see the little town and bathhouse in the horizon. She grinned and started jumping of happiness. "Finally! It worked! It only took ten years!" She shouted with a loud voice and started walking with light steps through the field. Her brown hair fixed up into a ponytail blew wildly in the wind. Finally! After all this time she can meet her old friends! Lin! Kamaji! Boh! Zeniba! Maybe even those Susuwatari! Some one she wasn't so sure on was Jubaba, but who knows, maybe that old woman did except her after all now? 

Maybe even Haku? What if he didn't remember her? What if he didn't care of her anymore? What if he forgot about her and their friendship? She shivered and breathed in deeply. No, that can't be. That can't be true. 

Though, as she came closer to the town, she remembered how carefull she needs to be around the spirits. And that she needed food to not fade away. She dismissed that for a secound, only for her to focus on finding her old friends first. As she came closer and closer to the bathhouse and passing those familiar streets, bubbles started to build in her stomach. Not of worries, even if there were many, but only of excitement.

When she was at the middle of the bridge, she stopped and stared out at the landscape for a moment. It was already beginning to darken!

In a moment, water started to form underneath the bridge and hid the huge field. She glanced back and saw spirits coming her way. What was it now again? Right! She quickly took a deep breath and held it in, not making any sound as she walked ahead to the end of the bridge. 

Something surprised her at the end of the bridge, something very familiar. Or more likely someone. She exhaled and stared. She couldn't believe it. "Haku?!"

There was nothing to wait for, besides the shocked expression on said boy, so she made a run for it. She ran and practically jumped into him for a hug. He almost lost his balance but stumbled back. He stared down at the her, with shocked huge eyes. "Chihiro?" 

"Is it really you?" She asked and stared up at him. He nodded slowly. She nodded back and went back to hug him closely. "I've missed you." she said. 

Haku didn't got time to answer, because in a moment a wind and a old lady with a huge nose interrupted their moment. The old woman chuckled. "Oh but what do we have here? Couldn't it be my dear Sen? Did you come here to be lovey-dovey with Haku?" 

Haku let go of her and both she and he blushed crimson. "L-Lovey-dovey? Jubaba, we're only friends!" She offered and Haku silently agreed, blushing madly. The old woman, also named Jubaba, eyed the two. "Is that really true?" 

This time, someone new interrupted them. 

"SEEEEEEN!!!"

The two person hugging didn't get time to recover from the blush before more heat was visible on their faces, because another friend just needed to throw herself onto them in a hug too. This time Haku couldn't keep his balance, and he fell down to the ground as he dragged the other two in the hug with him. "Lin..." Haku mumbled as he saw the new person laying on top of "Sen" and him in a hug. The female spirit hugged them both tightly. "I've missed you, Sen! What are you doing here?" 

The girl with the heated face, just awkwardly tried to get out of the hug, so she could answer. "I-I've missed you to Lin, but please can you go of? I'm squashed right now!" She tries to say and Lin obeys with a sheepish smile. "Sorry Sen." She then tilts her head. "Wait Sen... is that a blush I see?" 

"Blush?" Seems like someone new wanted to interrupt the little meeting. This time it was both Zeniba and Boh and they tilted their heads. Wait, Boh actually had clothes on now? Wow, she didn't expect that... some years have passed, huh? Zeniba smiled warmly at her. "Oh, hi dear, how come you decided to visit us? Could it maybe have something with the person you're hugging right now?" the older woman said and grinned a little. 

The two blushing had a feeling that it was the time to let go because of the teasing. But somehow, neither wanted to stop hugging. 

Boh tilted his head obliviously. "Why are you two so red in the face? What does blush mean? Yeah, why did you actually visit?" 

"Well, I wanted to met you all!" She said and smiled a wide smile. Everybody smiled at her, but many also gave her a smirk. "Are you sure there isn't another reason too?" 

Haku turned to her now. "Is there another reason?" 

Everyones attention, exactly everyone in the bathhouse right now, had their eyes on her. She didn't give in from the eyes and stared him straight in the eyes. She smiled and tilted her head. "Well of course, but shall I say the reason from the past or the one from now?" 

Haku smiled. "How about both?" 

Chihiro grinned and hugged him tightly. She tiptoed, since he have grown pretty tall now, to his cheek and kissed him. "Then I'd like to work here again, if I may."