✔️Spirited Away by The Light

Chapter 30- Our End

The furnace was beginning to choke on itself, the metal vibrating with lack of power to stay going. It would explode-

And then we would never get our friends back.

"Haku!" I roared above him tearing his sibling to pieces, pushed her against the wall, her body brutalised and slumping. He stares at me, blood dripping from his jaws. "The furnace." His head snapped towards the throne, Akujo missing.
"Where is she!?" He rushes towards me, checking over for any wounds that were of serious injury. I shake my head, pulling him towards that furnace.
"Don't worry about her. We need to open this before it blows." He nods his head, whiskers floating behind him. His white fur was drenched in red and black blood, yet as he returned to normal the blood stuck to his skin and clothes. His uniform, shredded and bruises and cuts striped down his body. Haku reaches into his pocket, pulling out the Aita.
"Help me reach it." I lean down, helping him onto my back. He stands, reaching to the glowing blue light, the Aita slides into place and clicks. The light flickers but the furnace doesn't stop malfunctioning. "We need to feed it. We have to blow it up." He shakes his head in disbelief, looking down at me. Without a second thought I put him back on his feet, turning back into a human.
"I'll do it." His eyes widen in shock as he grasps my arms and pulls me back from it.
"As selfish as it sounds, I'd rather lose them to you. Not a chance are you sacrificing yourself again. No chance." Tears began to well in his eyes as he pulls me to him, holding me in a tight embrace as if to say never let go. "Don't say that again, Y/N..." He whispers taking cautionary steps backwards.
"I'll do it." Lin speaks up, appearing from behind Haku. The pair of us turn our gazes to her, she's standing tall, strong and brave.
"Lin- no, not you." I stutter, reaching for her to stay.
"With all due respect Y/N, I'm sick of watching. I want to do something for you now." She smiles, pulling me into her embrace and holding me tightly. "I love you, you are the most amazing friend I have ever had." She presses a kiss to my forehead, stepping around my body and before the furnace. She watches the flames, then she turns her back and looks at us one last time.

"Thank you, for everything. Both of you." Her smile is honest and true, heartbroken.

"Thank you Lin. You will forever be in our hearts." Haku nods, holding me underneath his arm. I'm sobbing uncontrollably, not Lin. She was the only welcoming spirit when I first came to the Aburaya. The first one to show true affection and compassion towards me. Genuine kindness.

"I'll miss you-" I choked out, not knowing what else to say. She only nods, closing her eyes. She lifts her arms, falling back into the flames, the furnace jaw shuts closed after her. Eating her body and absorbing her spirit.

We stood still, tears falling from my cheeks as we waited for the furnace to stop.

But it didn't.

It kept burning, even more violently than before. Haku pushed me behind him, rushing to the Rokku on a phantom breeze as he turned it left and right. "Why isn't it working?!" He was frantic, I could hear Aku groaning in the corner.
"It feeds from spirits-" She coughs, her large fangs glistening in the orange hue of the fires flames. "You must feed it something it doesn't know." She pulls herself up, her front leg bent in a limp. "Save yourselves before that thing blows." Without another word, her hulking mass disappears out the wrought iron door, and into the various halls and corridors through the mountain.
Haku floats back down to me, his mouth agape in shock."She just helped us?"
"Yes."
"To save herself?"
"And kill us faster."
I wipe away the tears, I need to get Lin back. And if it meant believing Aku then I'll do it. "What will break it?" I shout above the furnace, Haku turns to look down at me.
"Something not of this world." He starts looking around the room, but everything in here came from the spirit realm. I pause, trying to think.

Chihiro.

I didn't explain where I was going, but I only rushed out the door and tried to listen for any sort of squealing or noise. Haku speeds through the door after me, "You can't run off like that Y/N-"
"Shush. There-" Down the corridor to the left, a high pitched 'Help!' was being called. My legs were moving on their own accord, sprinting down these stone bricks towards that treacherous rat. Haku was close on my heels, following behind. I wasn't entirely sure if I was ready to see her again, but I need to do this for my family and friends. Even more so, it would be a sweet revenge.
Our cuts and wounds were beginning to throb, slowing us down. Adrenaline was beginning to fade, and yet we still pushed our bodies over their limit.
Skidding to a halt at a wooden door, iron bars for a window allowed us to see in. There she was, her brown hair bobbed and close to her chin. She spots us, but of course she sees Haku first.
"Haku! You came to save me!" She rushes to the door holding the bars. "I knew you would! Our love is stronger than anything-" I took a step back, pushing Haku behind me. With a deep breath, I raised my foot and kicked the door open, the lock snapping and it's hinges collapsing. Chihiro began to rush towards Haku, yet he held out a hand and stopped her.
"Don't act a fool." He says as he grabs her hands behind her back.
"Don't be silly Haku! I know she's corrupt you- We've always loved each other. Even Daddy said so!" You could feel a headache beginning to form, thankfully this would be the end of hearing her pitchy voice.

"That fat bitch doesn't love you Haku- you know that!" Chihiro tries to turn and kiss him, but Haku pulls his grip tighter causing her to whimper.
"Don't you dare, insult her like that."
I pushed open the large iron door to the furnace, ashes were billowing from its door and bolts were white with heat. I turned to Haku, still holding Chihiro in his hands.
"It's going to hurt, a lot" I take her from Haku, dragging her to the furnace kicking and screaming.

Holding her down, I lean in and whisper.
"He fell in love with a woman, not a little girl, Whore."
Without a second word, I lift her by the collar and toss her into the furnace. Her squeal is putrid as she disappears into the the flames.
I rush back, Haku holding me close. "Is she..?" I shake my head, I'd realised something important. This furnace wasn't burning them, but keeping the spirits since it had nothing to feed into.
"I'm not sure."
Haku presses a kiss to my forehead before pulling me to the vent.

Holding me close to him, he flew us out of the cave in that familiar gale. As we emerged from beneath the cedar tree, the explosion boomed from behind us. The mountain shuddered, and we kept going up.

As we flew, Haku's body shifted so I could hold on to him. His fur soaked in dried blood, wounds torn and one of his horns chipped- yet he still flew from the massive explosion. Looking behind, the flames bloomed into the sky.

A/N
Thank you all!

cookies and cream,

-AA