by MangaMoon

Spirited Away - Haku and Chihiro

Remember… Chihiro riding on Haku’s dragon back as they fly through the night sky? The wind catches her hair while dark water and land pass beneath them. Chihiro is preparing to return home when a forgotten childhood memory suddenly comes back to her. She was little when one of her shoes fell into a river. Reaching for it, she slipped into the water and was swept away. She remembers reaching the bank safely. The river was later filled in, and houses were built where it once flowed. As they fly, Chihiro realizes why Haku felt familiar from the moment they met. The river was called the Kohaku—and Haku is its spirit. She tells the dragon his true name: “Your name is Nigihayami Kohakunushi.” At her words, white scales break away from Haku’s dragon body. Glimmering fragments scatter through the air, and the boy appears among them. Now he remembers too: Chihiro fell into his waters as a child, and he carried her safely to shore. They descend through the sky hand in hand. Haku is overjoyed—he remembers his name and can free himself from Yubaba’s power. Once, he showed Chihiro the way back home. Now she has helped him find his way back to himself.