-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: Holy crap, how long has it been since I updated this? I’m so sorry to the readers of this story, if there’s any left who are patient enough to still be around! As to what the heck happened to me for the past months? Well, first it was Oban Star Racers. Now it’s Avatar the Last Airbender. And college, too. Right now I am on break from Avatar for the time being…I just inadvertently found a spoiler that kind of threw a wrench in my fangirling. It’s driving me insane, and not in the good happy way. I suppose you could say I’m turning to Spirited Away and Oban Star Racers in order to drown my sorrows.

As for this story, I never intended to end it as unfinished, it just got shoved to the back burner. Once my Oban story really kicked off and I picked up some more fans, I kind of focused my part-time Fanfiction author brain to that. I still don’t intend to discontinue it, I love this little arc too much, even though it’s been a while and I’m a little rusty with plot details and such.

But this is the last whole chapter I’ve got from back when I was totally immersed in this story…I’ve had it for a while, Shame unto me for keeping it to myself for so long!! –crawls to corner of angst- It’s a short chapter, too…

Thank you to all the reviewers and anyone patient enough to keep up with me anymore! It means a lot that people like my work, it really does!

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Miyazaki’s wonderful work, I hope he doesn’t mind my borrowing!

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Chapter 5- Graduation

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Outside her window, birds were singing their tunes to the world, carrying on, joyfully. It was a gorgeous looking day in this early summer, and they were apparently singing their praises. The sound fluttered in her open window, letting the sheer curtain flutter in the breeze that carried them.

It was sad to Chihiro Ogino. Such a beautiful part of their nature, a good spirit that was tied to them, was gone, and they were singing of happy, joyful things.

With a groan, Chihiro turned under her blankets and onto her back, peering at her poster adorned ceiling. She groaned again, finding dragons and their emerald eyes staring back at her. She never foresaw being surrounded by her favorite eyes would be a bad thing, but here she was, wanting to escape them. She closed her eyes from them, finding that her own eyes were burning with the desire to sleep. She had had a terrible night, full of tossing, turning, trying to get comfortable.

She could not get comfortable, all night long.

After finally returning home, and to a slight barrage of questions, she so wanted this whole mess to be some sort of terrible dream. Kohaku was gone, along with his luggage that had still been in the car at the time, and she knew he’d probably gone home. She hoped he had gone home. Rumi had been concerned, asking her immediately if Kohaku was alright. To which, Chihiro’s only answer was,

“I don’t know…” She murmured those words to no one at all, finding they still held true. She couldn’t say anything on Kohaku’s real feelings, except that he was depressed, and angry at the world, and himself. Well, it was safe to say that he wasn’t alright, that much she did know. But would he ever get over this?

“I don’t know either, Chi.” A soft voice came from beside her on the floor, though not to as much surprise to Chihiro as it usually would be. Chihiro gave a sideways glance to her current room mate, Rumi.

She too was lying on her back, hugging a pillow close to her chest, looking drained, as if she’d been up all night just as Chihiro had been. Brown eyes turned to look at her best friend, near listless. A tinge of darkness below those eyes signaled that she had at least lost some sleep during the night.

Chihiro turned her gaze back up to her ceiling and sighed.

“I don’t know how to handle this, Rumi…” Chihiro whispered. “How are we going to make this right?”

Rumi shifted, and sat with her back now leaning against the bed frame of Chihiro’s bed.

“Chihiro, remember when Taro got killed?” She asked her brunette friend. Chihiro nodded. “Remember how Haku was, how he stuck by you? It made you feel better, didn’t it?”

Chihiro nodded again, recalling the river spirit’s healing effects on her.

“Yeah,”

“Well, maybe you should do the same, you know? Stay by his side, give him a shoulder to cry on, things like that.” Rumi suggested quietly, fiddling with a lock of her shoulder length hair.

“Yeah, but you said it yourself, Rumi. He doesn’t like to worry me and all that. He’s too full of pride to want to cry or show any vulnerability in front of me.” Chihiro scowled, wanting again for her dragon not to be so stubborn.

“But he needs you, Chi.” Rumi reasoned, turning her head upside down to look at her friend, who was now rising from emerald covers to hug her knees.

“If he needs me like I needed him back then, why’d he walk away without a word?” Chihiro grumbled, her chin settled between her knees, hazel eyes burning to shed tears.

“Because he was most likely really pissed, and didn’t want to take it out on you, you dummy.” Rumi retorted, shifting to her knees so she could actually look at her friend. “He had just found out, it was still fresh, and you were the only one there to vent to, or on, depending how it went, and the dragon didn’t want to lose control. He’s had some time to cool off since last night, so it should be safe today when we see him.”

“I’m just worried about him, ok? He’s angry at himself for this whole mess, I’m more worried about how he feels towards himself.” Chihiro told her friend tersely. “I know what it’s like, to find yourself in the middle of something, seeing yourself as the cause of a death of a loved one…I remember that feeling.”

Rumi’s breath caught, as if she were going to say something, but came up with nothing, as she heard her friend say it. Her dark eyes wandered wistfully, and the room was silent for a few seconds. Chihiro’s own hazel eyes wandered as well, stopping on a gleaming fragment on the wall, the part of Taro’s old mask that he’d given to her.

“When Taro was killed, instead of me,” Chihiro’s voice suddenly came as very soft, reflecting on the tragedy that occurred three years before. “It left such a worthless, regretful feeling in me, like, if it hadn’t been for me, he’d still be here. I felt horrible, like it was totally my fault. Haku feels that now, too, I’m sure of it. I just have no idea how to approach him with it, though.”

Rumi gave one last pensive look, before hopping to her feet.

“Well, then that’s all the more reason for you to at least try, Chi. You know where he’s been, so just take a stab at it!” She coached Chihiro, who was simply staring at her through mussed brown tendrils. “And quit being so damn modest, of course you mean that much and more to Haku, how could you not? He gave up his immortality just to be with you!” With that she yanked the bed sheets off of her friend’s knees, revealing her to the world. “If that ain’t a sure sign of love, I don’t know what is!”

“R…Rumi…” Chihiro stared wide eyed at her friend, stuck for words.

“Now come on, quite pouting and get out of bed, remember, we have a huge day!” Rumi suddenly grinned with the announcement, and strode over to Chihiro’s wardrobe, swinging the doors open.

“Oh…Yeah, I nearly forgot!” Chihiro swung her legs off of her bed now, and hurried over to the wardrobe next to her friend. Rumi grinned, and dug out what she was looking for, a pair of hangers with an article on each. Handing one to Chihiro, she held her own up to herself, measuring the sleeves in comparison to her arms.

“I dunno, you think mine is too big for me?” Rumi asked bemusedly, finding the sleeves as being made of too much fabric. Chihiro simply laughed. “Hey, I’m serious, Chi! I am not going to trip over my robe when I get that diploma. Not in front of the whole school!”

Chihiro took her graduation robe off of the hanger and slung it over an arm, then rummaged for something suitable to wear under it.

“No, Rumi, that’s my job, as the class klutz, remember? Don’t you dare steal it from me!” Chihiro laughed with her friend lightly, hoping that if only there with Rumi, this would be a happy day.

So, with the girls each claiming their corners of the room, they got dressed into their formal wear, before pulling their black dress robes on over their heads. Chihiro stared at the mirror above her dresser, finding she hadn’t had any sort of plan in mind for her hair. Surely her mother would object to a plain ponytail, and at least would want her hair up and away from her face, for effect in however many pictures there would be. But there was one more thing that was a must for the outfit, she just needed to find the perfect way to utilize it.

‘I wouldn’t let you guys miss this for the world,’ she inwardly told her favorite hair tie, peering at it as it gleamed in response from her wrist. Chihiro smiled at the gleam, then turned her gaze back towards her sleep-mussed hair in the mirror. Well, the first thing was first, she’d have to comb it.

Rumi, seeming to notice her friend’s plight about the whole hair issue, came up behind Chihiro.

“Here, let me French braid it for ya.” Rumi said as she stole the brush straight from her friend’s hand.

“What? French…?” Chihiro looked at Rumi’s reflection, puzzled. She, not being the stylish type to do up her hair in any fancy fashion, had never even heard of such a thing as French braiding.

“Yeah, Chi, French braid. Your hair is long enough to do it. It’ll definitely look good on you.” With that, the blonde behind her took a gathering of Chihiro’s hair, combed it out, then started weaving it into style, plaiting it down the back of her head.

“See, you look awesome! Haku’s jaw will drop when he sees you! Now give me Granny’s hair tie,” Chihiro obeyed with a smile towards her tie, and handed the thing over her shoulder. She felt it being wrapped around her hair at the nape of her neck, and felt a tail of hair lying down her back, long enough to reach her mid-back. “There! Done! See for yourself.” Rumi said triumphantly, before reaching for Chihiro’s hand held mirror. Using the smaller mirror, Chihiro could see that her usually plain hair had been crafted into a complex but beautiful looking braid. Her hair tie winked back at her, and she smiled.

“Thanks, Rumi,” She told her friend gratefully. Rumi smiled from her station in front of the mirror, now putting some dressy barrettes into her own hair.

“Don’t mention it. You need to look your best for Haku anyway. Get his mind on other things,” Rumi winked mischievously at her companion, who in turn, blushed. Rumi suddenly turned to her friend, looking her over. “There’s something missing, though…”

Chihiro stared at her friend, her blush fading, to be replaced with a sort of nervous look. She never really did like being ‘made over.’ Then came one of the words that Chihiro tended to hate;

“Makeup!” Rumi sang, diving for her bag before Chihiro could stop her. “Come on, Chi, just a little! Maybe just some mascara and eye shadow, it’ll make your eyes stand out more!” She called as Chihiro tried, in her dress shoes, to bolt for her door.

“No make up! You know I hate it!!” Chihiro cried, running down the hall, thankful that the rest of her family was already up and down stairs, for all the noise she was making. Rumi followed her, waving a tube of black mascara, if only to tease her friend.

“Chihiro, good morning!” Her mother told her from the bottom of the stairs as Chihiro pelted down them as fast as her shoes would allow.

“Don’t let her do it, don’t let her put that junk on me!” Chihiro laughed as she hid playfully behind her mother. Rumi stopped on the open landing, and leaned over the banister to look at her friend.

“Aw, fine, you’re no fun, I guess there’s just more for me then!” Rumi said, before whipping out the brush and doing her own eyelashes up. Chihiro simply stuck her tongue out at her friend above as her mother left the scene.

“Your hair looks nice, by the way, Chihiro,” Yuuko said before disappearing into the kitchen.

“Chihiro!” a cheerful voice called, before its owner ran into the room. “Chihiro, look at my dress! Mom just bought it for me yesterday!” Lin gave a slight twirl before her sister, showing off a fancy little number of blue above a set of new black dress slippers. Chihiro lifted her sister into a hug.

“It looks great, Lin-chan! You’re gonna be the prettiest little sister in the whole place!” Chihiro beamed as her sister sat on her arm. Lin immediately lit up at the compliment.

“You really mean it? I wasn’t so sure that blue was my color…” She tugged a little at the hem of her skirt.

“Don’t worry, it’s your color.” Chihiro laughed at her sister’s talk.

“So, you girls ready?” Akio said, coming into the entry room with a camera in hand, and a formal suit on.

Rumi came up behind Chihiro, and both nodded. It didn’t take long for Akio to start taking surprise pictures of the two, nor did it take long for Yuuko to start beaming and nearly crying at the same time about her two girls growing up. And when Rumi’s parents came over, it only doubled to the spontaneous picture-taking and happy weeping of mothers. Lin, Rumi and Chihiro were simply caught in the middle of all the chaos, and sometimes barrages of hugs and kisses. Chihiro suddenly wished, now more than ever, that she could just get to the graduation ceremonies to see Haku.

Not only that, but there were guests that she was missing, that couldn’t possibly attend; though some were tied to her by the hair tie. She wished her friends could see her on this day, she even wished they could see Haku on this day. Graduation was a big deal, at least in the human word.

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Chihiro couldn’t believe it, as she peered around the gymnasium of her school. There were many people, possibly over a hundred of them. Both the sea of chairs on the floor and the bleachers on the sides were filling up, students and parents marched in. It was a little monotonous, though, all the students were dressed alike, for the black robes. She filed in with her classmates to the applause of the parents in the bleachers, in the alphabetical line they’d been ordered into just outside.

Looking to her side, Chihiro was lucky enough to spot her parents and ecstatic seven year old sister, waving and calling to her. Next to them, Rumi’s parents did the same, waving and cheering both the girls on. Both of their fathers were snapping photos like there was no tomorrow. She caught sight of Rumi, just one person in front of her, giving her parents a wave from the line, and decided to do the same for her own family.

Still, with all the faces she saw, the endless sea of them that had come to wish her and her class good luck in the world after high school, with all the decoration and celebratory music, Chihiro felt disappointed. She felt strangely empty, and even worried, even more so than she had been that morning. There was one face that had yet to make an appearance.

“Kohaku, where are you?” She murmured to herself, trying to focus her attention on keeping her shoes and robes from meeting in such a way that would end up with her face on the floor. Her mind didn’t cease wandering back to that one face, that one clearing, that one day when everything had stopped for Kohaku.

“You say something, Ogino?” The boy in front of her asked over his shoulder as their line turned into a new row of seats, the ones they were going to undoubtedly be sitting in for a while to come.

“No, it was nothing. Sorry, Nobara-kun.” Chihiro waved it away awkwardly. The boy named Nobara simply shrugged and sat into his seat, leaving one empty between himself and Rumi.

That empty seat, Chihiro was regretful to notice, was Kohaku’s rightful seat. She sat down heavily, and glanced back down the line of students still pouring in, hoping for a sign of him. If he didn’t get there before the chairs were filled, he would be forced to forgo the ceremony.

Finding the line of students to be fruitless, Chihiro looked ahead, spying the pile of scrolls, that she knew were diplomas, lying on a table. What would happen if he weren’t there to claim his?

Rumi caught her friend’s eye from two seats down, and gave her a smile.

“Don’t worry, he’ll be here!” Rumi told her over the applause in the place. ‘I hope so, anyway…’ she added inwardly and apprehensively, her own dark eyes scanning the seemingly endless crowds with worry. Perhaps the whole thing with Aikihara had affected him more deeply than either of them first thought; Rumi was sure it wasn’t like Kohaku to miss an important event such as graduation.

Chihiro managed to fold her hands in her lap, but found it hard to keep them still. The closer it drew to the beginning of the ceremony, the more and more students that filed in, the more nervous she got. It wasn’t even about Kohaku missing it so much; now that she was here, graduation seemed like something more for the parents than the students. If it were for the students alone, it would just be one wild party. She didn’t so much care about him missing out, because if anything, this would likely be long and boring.

But his absence gave way to whole arsenal of worries. Where exactly was he, and what was he doing? Was he still angry at himself? It had to be a big deal. A human tradition though this was, Kohaku had always seemed to her like the type that wouldn’t miss such an important ceremony. This really meant the future of his human life, but he was nowhere to be seen.

Finally, the last student took their seat, and the applause started to die down at the signal of the principal. Soon they were launched into a series of speeches, both form teachers and hard-working students. For a second, she had a hope that perhaps Kohaku was one giving a speech; it would provide a relieving excuse for his absence in the crowd of students. He was one of the top in their class, after all. But time wore on, and so did the speeches, and it was clear to her that Kohaku was not there.

Rumi couldn’t help but cast worried glances at Chihiro for the whole ceremony, as they waited for their row to be called up. The poor girl was on edge, she looked as though she just wanted to be done with the whole ceremony, which Rumi could easily say was true. Her eyes drifted to the empty seat next to her, and suddenly became angry. Kohaku apparently had no clue about how much he was worrying Chihiro, for a guy who wanted to avoid that very thing.

At long last, it was time for the two girls and their row to stand and march up to the platform to accept their own diplomas.

“Namiko Rumi,” chimed the Principal’s voice over the speakers, while Rumi accepted her scroll with a distracted smile and a bow to match the teacher who handed the things out. Hers and Chihiro’s families could both be heard above the racket. The boy called Nobara stepped up now.

“Nigami Hakuno,” The Principal then said, obviously missed the fact that said boy was missing, letting a little pang go through Chihiro. It still gave her a little blind hope that perhaps from somewhere in the crowd, Kohaku would turn up.

“Uh, sir, he’s not here. I’m Nobara.” Nobara said mutedly to the Principal, who acted quickly to cover up his blunder, moving to the next name on the list.

‘Kohaku, if you’re out there, this would be the time!’ Chihiro worried to herself impatiently, getting tired of the reminders of her dragon’s absence.

“Ah, yes, I apologize, Nigami-san seems to be absent for the ceremony…No matter, onto the next,” He cleared his throat and announced Nobara properly. Chihiro stepped up next, just as Nobara stepped off the platform, down a small stairway in the front. “Ogino Chihiro,”

Chihiro could now hear her family’s loud cheering, and even discerned her sister’s voice. Her heart raced as she was set into the attention of the whole gymnasium, and accepted her own diploma with a bow. She paused just briefly at the top of the stairs, peering out at the crowd, searching for a face.

The one face she wanted so much to honor, the one person she really wanted to make proud. Her face faded slightly; that one face still just was not there.

-Catgirl-of-Bavaria-: Again, sorry for the shortness, and the angstiness…

And I really don’t know what makes up a Japanese graduation ceremony…So I designed it after my own. It was a very boring thing, indeed. –nods-

And I think this is the first place my little made-up name for Haku came in, right? Nigami Haku? Yeah, I just took Nigihayami and shortened it for Haku’s human alias….Uh, I’m not sure if it means anything though…If it does, it was totally unintentional.

I’ve already begun the next chapter, but I don’t know how long it will be til my next update. I’ll try to be better than this long wait, though!!

And also, I don’t know if I’ve posted this in my Spirited Away stories or not, but I do have a DeviantArt account, and there’s one pic I drew a while back that’s kind of a poster for Learning To Love Again. And I’ve also had the urge to do some Rumi art, since I’ve been neglecting my Spirited Away fandom lately. Anyway, My name on there is this: KyokoMari. If anyone wants to drop by and say hi to my artwork as well, that’d be great.

Love you all for being so patient, sorry for the wait and the short chapter!