Dreamgate - A Spirited Away Story
by DragonSquallZ

Dream
As long as you know
It's not impossible
To make it all reality
Your dreams
Are always there for you
And always there for me
To reach as long as you and I believe
Alysha - Dreams


Authors Comment
This fic is set 10-15yrs after the movie. There's a LOT of loopholes in the plot at the moment (these'll be filled when our couple reunite later). It's still a long way from there but feel free to R&R.

Chapter 1 - One Summer's Day

In a plush high-rise office above the drones of the metropolis, a woman held her hand against the glass of her high-rise office window. The view in front of her felt like a giant moving picture, with the few clouds drifting gradually across the ocean blue skies and the metropolis ahead of her teeming with life.

Looking a further away, many blocks ahead of her, she could see construction workers and machines labouring hard to clear a path of derelict buildings. Every few days she would see building after building vanishing in clouds of dust. And every time the dust had cleared, she would see the workers already moving onto their next building. The path of destruction lead out towards the sea, many miles away. This was all her handiwork, and she couldn't help but smile at the progress they were all making.

She lowered herself down onto the dark leather chair behind her. Swivelling around, she picked up her mug of coffee on the desk and took a long sip. She glanced at the photo of an old river nested between the pens and papers. I wonder if I'll ever see that place again...

A red light blinked to life on her telephone. "Miss Ogino, your friend Miyako is here to see you."

Looking at her phone she could see the leaves of her plant leaning over it. Chihiro put down her mug and then touched the wilting plant, feeling the frailty of it's leaves. Sighing deeply, she pressed the button on the phone. "Alright, let her in please Azusa. And could you get some water for the plants in my office?"

"I'll let her in right away, Miss Ogino. And I'll get someone to bring the water in shortly." came the swift reply from the machine.

One side of the large double doors creaked open, allowing a youthful lady to make her way across the large room. Chihiro could see a thick bundle of folders bunched tightly in her arms. She rolled her eyes back, sensing 'the talk' about to happen again.

"Chihiro, I got some more bad news." Miyako said as she laid out the folders on Chihiro's desk. "Another worker has quit the job and gone public."

Chihiro adjusted her reading glasses, browsing through the numerous headlines. "I can't believe the papers are eating up all these ghost stories."

"From what the head of construction is telling me, the workers are scared out of their wits." added Miyako. "There's rumours of a curse around the place ever since it was covered over with buildings. Some of them have seen 'unexplained' things."

Chihiro gave a curious look at her friend. "You think curses and ghosts are real, don't you Miyako?" she asked, pushing away the folders spread out before her.

"After all these years, and you still think I'll believe it?" Miyako replied. "They're nothing but kids horror stories to make them behave good." Miyako began to collect up the folders.

Chihiro sighed as she fell into a reflective mood. "When I was a little girl, I never believed in them. At least until I met him..." she trailed off.

Miyako leaned upright, with the folders now in her arms. "Oh come on Chihiro!" she laughed. "You're not going to talk about that old fairy tale again!"

"If you say so." Chihiro smiled. "Heh, I guess you've gotten tired of me trying to convince you." she chuckled.

"Ever since you told me that bogus story soooo many years ago, I've never been a believer of the supernatural." added Miyako. "If this world were real, I would have seen something from it by now."

Chihiro nodded in agreement before pressing the button on her phone. "Azusa, can you cancel all the afternoon arrangements for me and my friend? I'm going to check progress down at the construction site with Miyako."

"Should I tell the Head of Construction that you're on your way, Miss Ogino?" asked her secretary.

"That's alright Azusa." Chihiro answered. "I'll take care of it."

"Wha-What are you doing?" Miyako stammered in surprise. "I've still got some progress reports to complete around here."

"You've got the day off. Boss's orders." she replied. Chihiro rose off her seat and came around her desk, putting her arm around a bemused Miyako. "Besides, it's been a while since we've had a day out. Now let's get out of here."

A short time after the pair had left the office, Azusa came into the office wielding a jug of water. She sighed at the sight of the wilted plants before slowing pouring the water into the pot. The water swirled and flowed along the cracks in the soil briefly before the dirt began absorbing it.

After giving the plants their much needed refreshment Azusa stood in front of the large window, admiring the view ahead. She could see the reconstruction of the Kohaku River was getting ever closer to completion.

------------------------------------------

Elsewhere, a boy was bubbling with excitement. His uncle was visiting him again. "Now be careful!" a concerned young mother shouted from the door of her house. "I don't want you annoying those cows again!"

The young boy laughed cheerfully as he passed through the back gate. "Alright mum, be back in a few!" He scampered across the large paddock, the sounds of grass rustling softly in the gentle breeze were lost under the noise of the boys hurried footsteps. The cloudy skies ahead foretold of bad news, not that it concerned the boy whose current interest was on the visiting relative.

The boy could see him, standing outside the gate near the road. He was dressed in a dull white robe, as he usually was. But there was something different about this uncle from the one he had seen so many times before.

As he came closer, a realisation something was wrong washed over him. He was leaning heavily on the fence for support, his face was etched with pain. "Uncle Haku, are you alright?" the boy called out.

Haku's head lifted, the sight of pain draining out of him as he saw the child approaching him. "I'm fine Paikon. Really." He hid his lies behind the most calmest facade he could muster. "It's just a bit of a headache. That's all." he replied.

Paikon unlocked the gate, allowing for Haku to enter. "Are you sure uncle?"

"Absolutely." he reassured, closing the gate behind him. "I'm so good that I'll give you a race! Last one to the house is a stink spirit!" The pair exchanged friendly glances and began running at speed. As they sped through the ankle-high grass, he dropped his pace back.

Haku knew he could easily beat the young child, but always allowed for him to get ahead. He could see the house up ahead, getting larger in his sights. Deep within himself he sensed a sickening feeling welling up inside of him again. He cursed as he slid to the ground, a sharp jolt of pain hitting his senses...

Paikon ran up the path up to the front door. He spun around, ready to begin his victory gloat. "I told you that I'm the...best?" The boy was surprised not to see his uncle behind him. "Where'd you go uncle?"

The answer came in the form of a painful scream. He recognised it instantly. "Mum! Haku's hurt!"

Lin rushed outside to see. "This isn't some prank is it?" the reply came in the form of a more heart-wrenching scream. Lin ran down to the end of the pathway. Just ahead of her she could see him, his body curled up with his arms clenched to his head.

"Haku!" she hurried over to his side, quickly sizing up the situation. "Don't worry Haku, we'll take care of you!" she assured him. Lin turned around to her son. "Paikon, get some water and some healing herbs!" The boy hurried inside to retrieve the items.

"It's getting worse..." Haku uttered. "And I don't know...what to do..." his body went limp, with his mind drifting out of consciouness.

She put one of Haku's arms around her shoulder. "We'll figure this out. For now, let's get you inside." Slowly, Lin half-dragged, half-carried Haku along the footpath and into the house. Haku was uttering something quietly under his breath, but there were no words coming out.

Once inside the house, Lin lowered him onto the guest bed. She slid the blanket up over this body to his chest. Coming into the room, Paikon held a bowl of water and a cloth. He set it down on the drawer next his mother, who began to soak it and wipe it gently across Haku's face. "I wonder what happened to you.." she asked softly to no-one in particular.

Haku's brow deepened as the pain increased. As he yelped agonisingly, Lin's eyes focused on his tightly clenched fists. His hands were fading away.