Sen Getsusa winked at Chihiro and mimed zipping her lips shut.
Yubaba, still fuming, turned away and urged Chihiro: 'Come, Chihiro. Which… of these pigs are your parents?'
Chihiro pondered Sen Getsusa's words.
Their meaning was obvious… The girl lifted her head and glanced at the now-embarrassed Yubaba.
Sure enough… just as Big Sister said?
Hands behind her back, Chihiro strolled toward Yubaba and stared at her nose—
'Look at the pigs! Why are you staring at me!'
Yet those words reignited the mad girl's laughter behind her—suppressed giggles skipped across the Bathhouse entrance in a constant patter… So… "If they were my parents, they'd be overjoyed to leave with me, right?" Chihiro whispered to herself. "Unless… they already belong here, and don't want to leave?"
Yubaba leaned her huge head toward Chihiro. "What are you saying?"
"Nothing," Chihiro answered, turning with resolute eyes. "Right?"
"What?"
Chihiro stared straight into Yubaba's eyes. "No. I said no. My parents aren't in there."
Yubaba's face drained of color. "What are you—"
Boom—
The rules never lie.
The contract scroll in Yubaba's hands exploded into smoke and vanished.
"OHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
"Congratulations, Chihiro—AHHHHHHH!!"
"Chihiro! Go back! You can go home! Go home!"
"Yubaba's huge failure!!"
"Hehehehehe, of course! Maybe she's Mr. Bai's partner~"
"Chihiro! Mr. Bai! You did it!!"
The herd of gray pigs before Chihiro blinked and became Bathhouse workers.
The others clinging to the walls produced bouquets from nowhere, dancing and scattering petals—celebrating because the only human here could finally go home!
Gongs and drums, banners unfurled; the whole Bathhouse felt like New Year's. Chihiro looked at the glowering Yubaba, the jubilant Kamaji and little Lin, and all the friends who had spoken and helped her: "Thank you! Thank you all!!"
She bowed deeply to the Bathhouse, spun around, and sprinted toward the bridge where White Dragon waited.
On the way she grabbed a long-haired lady leaning on the rail and still stuffing her face, pulling her along.
"Eh??"
Sen Getsusa found herself being towed by Chihiro.
She glanced sideways; morning sun struck the girl's profile, every downy hair glowing. The girl couldn't hide her smile—joy poured straight from her heart.
"Mr. Bai?"
"Let's go!"
Chihiro took their hands, one on each side, and dashed back the way they'd come.
Through the empty Spirit Avenue, down the giant stone steps and past the shrine, across the crossroads guarded by stone statues—Chihiro grinned while wind whistled past, holding the two of them.
Just as, when they'd arrived, they had held her.
Perhaps because the contract was broken, the wide lakes turned to open plains; occasional boulders were thick with moss.
Ancient, withered vines curled around the mouth of a distant passage.
This was the road home.
"I can't go any farther."
The three stopped at the edge of the plain.
White Dragon spoke first: "Follow the same path back, but whatever you do, don't look behind you—keep going until you leave the tunnel."
Chihiro stepped forward, then turned, worried. "What about you and Sister? What will you do?"
White Dragon said lightly, "I'll tell Yubaba I'm done being her apprentice. It's fine—I've found my true name again; I'll return to the original World too."
Sen Getsusa merely pointed skyward and said nothing.
Chihiro knew she didn't belong here—not just here, not even to this World.
At last the girl's sorrow surfaced: "Will we meet again?"
"Probably not." Sen Getsusa answered straight; clearly there was no point offering false hope.
She shielded her hair from the wind, voice tinged with its breath: "Chihiro, I'm so glad I met a friend like you in another World. I'll treasure this memory forever…"
"But you know I'm not of this World. So… be happy, both of you."
White Dragon nodded; together they thanked Sen Getsusa.
"Thank you, little Sen."
"Thank you, Sister Yuesha."
Chihiro rushed forward and hugged Sen Getsusa tight, rubbing her face against her neck, reluctant to let go, voice quavering: "Sister, I'll miss you. You must be happy! Live well—and watch the show I told you about!"
Sen Getsusa: … "Right." She suddenly tapped her forehead—almost forgot something important in the moment.
She handed Chihiro a black-covered notebook.
"There's a secret inside." She winked. "I've put the whole future in there."
The girl accepted the notebook like a treasure, clutching it to her chest. White Dragon and Sen Getsusa watched her. At last, farewell.
"Well—goodbye!"
Chihiro backed away step by reluctant step, studying Sen Getsusa and White Dragon, as if to burn their faces into memory.
A cool gust swept past; she faced the wind and shouted, "Goodbye! White Dragon! Sen Getsusa!"
"My name is Chihiro! Yano Chihiro, remember me!!"
"These days are ones I will never forget for the rest of my life!!"
After shouting, the girl, tears streaming down her face, ran quickly toward the exit tunnel without looking back.
The figure moved across the green plains, gradually becoming a tiny white dot. The wind blowing across the wilderness pushed the green on the horizon, and the grass swayed as if bidding the girl farewell.
Until the figure gradually disappeared at the end of his vision, Haku continued to stare at that moss-covered tunnel with bluestone patterns, as if his gaze could pierce through the dark shadows and follow the girl's receding back through the passage.
Sen Getsusa gave him a mischievous poke with her elbow.
"Stop staring, won't you see each other again?"
Haku lowered his eyes and gave Sen Getsusa a blank stare. "Are you leaving too?"
She was noncommittal. "Soon. While there's still time, I'll go back and cook one last meal for Yubaba."
Haku seemed to be thinking about something. After a few seconds of silence, he pulled a rectangular jade tablet from his belt and handed it to Sen Getsusa.
"This is a thank-you gift, you—"
He hesitated. "Thank you for helping me and Chihiro. But I'm leaving too. This is everything I have. I'm giving it to you, along with my blessings. You will definitely find—"
"You'll find... you'll find someone better. Believe me, the person I bless will be happy for a lifetime."
Haku looked at Sen Getsusa firmly.
If words had colors, these words were filled with light green bubbles.
The more Sen Getsusa listened, the more something felt off. With a strange expression, she reached out to interrupt Haku. "Wait a minute! You... you don't like me, do you? Huh? Isn't it Chihiro?"
A huge crack seemed to appear on Haku's face... "Eh?! Isn't it that you like me?!"
Sen Getsusa:... Haku:... "What the—hahahaha, are all gods this narcissistic?" Sen Getsusa covered her mouth and snickered, pushing the jade back to Haku and hinting subtly, "Me... if possible, maybe I'll develop something with Chihiro..."
"Ah?" Haku suddenly realized, pointing at Chihiro in horror. "So you... you, you!!"
Sen Getsusa straightened up, a half-smile on her face, waiting for his next words.
"Never mind... so that's how it is." Haku sighed. He had been worried for so long like a fool.
"I thought you were helping..."
"It's fun. And it's for Chihiro too. Stop being so narcissistic, you flat-headed dragon."
Haku: What kind of meme is 'flat-headed dragon'... But in the end, he still pressed the jade into Sen Getsusa's palm.
"Take it. Although I can't let you learn magic, it'll be useless once I return to the Human World. I hope it helps you."
Sen Getsusa looked at the rectangular jade in her hand. Light seemed to flow within the translucent jade. "This is?"
Although she asked, the moment she held the jade, Sen Getsusa understood completely—it melted in her palm visibly, like a piece of melting cream ice cream.
At this moment, a colored card appeared in the void.
[land card—Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi's Wabi-Sabi Courtyard: The money and divine power accumulated while Kohaku River worked day and night for the god Yubaba were all used to build this courtyard.]
[Now, returning to the Human World, he has decided to gift this massive courtyard to you.]
[Once deployed, it provides a certain amount of Spell Power daily for the Planeswalker to use.]
[Note: Spell Power is a universal energy in the Multiverse. It can substitute for any energy system. Examples: mystery, mana, arcane, Dark Dimension energy, exotic energy, etc.]
At this moment, Sen Getsusa finally had her own generator!
The "Property and Land Owner" Sen-Hands-on-Hips-Grinning-Getsusa finally got a land card!
ξ(?＞??)~!
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