Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. Well, maybe for one. I repeat once again I do not own the original characters of this tale and oh, I copyright my own made-up character. (Kyoko©)

Chapter 1: A New Hope

Haku stood unmoving into the middle of the bridge. His deep green eyes shone wondrously as he stared into the riverbed. It has been three months since Chihiro's return to the human world. Even though he was free from Yubaba's control, he was still under the contract he signed the day he came to Yubaba to become her apprentice.

[Haku's Memory

"What! You want to leave? Oh, that should not be a problem since you still have another six years before your contract expires. In that duration, you still have to be my... apprentice no matter what," said Yubaba as she stormed off to see her baby, Bou. "And I mean no matter what."

Haku bowed his head in respect. His heart was on fire and he tried hard to control his range. His eyes glowed meaningfully.

[Present Time

Haku walked away from the bridge, heading towards Aburaya. The smell of steam and food filled his senses with both happiness and dread.

"How long do I still have to be here before I return to my river, my home and…Chihiro," he thought to himself. His twinkling eyes began to fade as he entered the elevator. As the elevator's door closed, he placed his forehead onto the cool wall.

"What is this feeling I feel now," he thought as he placed his hand over his chest. "I just don't know. Kamaji said... No, it cannot be..."

The elevator door re-opened to reveal a quite landing, dark and full of solitude. Haku headed for his own room. His mind was in a conflict as he entered his white, bare room. He headed towards the room's balcony over looking a dry riverbed. He placed his hands on the railing gripping it tight as if the balcony would crumble under his weight.

"Only one person can help me with this."

Haku stood deathly still as he watched Yubaba transform. Yubaba's eyes flashed angrily at Haku as if never to forgive him. Haku bowed his head impassively even as the green heads stacked themselves on top of one another.

"I will be back by sunset as usual. You do not how much money I have lost because of that insolent girl," muttered Yubaba, as she took off alone, from the balcony. Haku raised his head watching Yubaba fly out of sight. His heart burned with sudden anger at Yubaba's remark of Chihiro. He closed the windows silently before looking back at the stacked green heads. He remembered what he wanted to do this morning.

"Zeniba..." he thought as he transformed into a white dragon. He flew out from Aburaya from a ventilation shaft. He shivered slightly as the blast of the cold morning air greeted him. He did not have much time – he was tired from staying awake all night as always – he quickly flew away towards Zeniba's cottage.

Zeniba's cottage was a homely yet dark place. The swamp was no fit place for anyone to live except perhaps witches. He turned as he landed and his feet touched the ground softy, alerting Zeniba inside. No-Face opened the door revealing Haku in his human form. His face was vacant yet it betrayed a sort of eagerness in its taut lines. Haku might as well been walking to the gallows from the way he looked.

"Oh, Haku. I do hope you came here only to visit," said Zeniba cheerfully.

Haku smiled weakly at the reminder of what he had done.

"Yes, I have come to visit," he continued. "And I want to talk about something else too,"

"Yes, yes. Come, sit down and we can talk," Zeniba gestured towards a winged armchair near her. "No-Face, could you please make us some tea."

No-Face turned towards the kitchen. He took out a teabag from one of Zeniba's wooden containers, turning now and then to hear what they were talking about.

"I want to leave Aburaya. I wish to return to my world," Haku stopped and looked at Zeniba straight in the eye. "I wish to be who I once was and…"

"Yes," said Zeniba with a smile.

"Well, Chihiro."

No-Face poured out endless streams of teabags before Zeniba could stop him. Haku smiled, slightly bemused with the by-play.

"That should not be a problem," said Zeniba as she briskly poured the teabags back into the container No-Face magically produced in his hands. "Unless, you're willing to help me in doing so."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I can only grant one of your wishes. The others are still up to my sister," said Zeniba as No-Face handed her a cup of steaming hot tea. He handed a cup of tea to Haku before retiring to a dark corner of the living room

"Oh,"

"I can bring Chihiro back here," Haku's eyes brightened at once. "She can move freely back and forth from this world to hers on one condition."

"Anything..." said Haku breathlessly.

"I need an apprentice. A human, apprentice."

"A human can't just wander into the Spirit World without anyone noticing," said Haku as his face fell. He sank back into the armchair. "I don't know how are you going to do that."

"That's where you come in," said Zeniba as she stirred her tea.

"What?"

"Bring her to me in the morning as Yubaba leaves. Better still; bring her straight to me once she passed between the gates."

"Wait, did you say, 'her'?"

"Yes, I did. I can sense a human child who longs to go through that tunnel and find what at the end of it. Keep close watch over the tunnel. She will burst through it one of these days."

"Then?"

"Stop her from turning into a pig before she comes here," sighed Zeniba heavily.

"I will do it," said Haku with a determined note in her voice.

"Just don't let Yubaba catch her. She would be happy to have another 'Sen' in the household."

Haku stood up immediately. He nodded at Zeniba as a sign of respect and understanding. He wrenched open the wooden door and soared off into the sky, returning to Aburaya.

"Be careful! Yubaba would know if a human had entered the Spirit World," called Zeniba after Haku.

A young girl aged around ten years old, stood in front of a dark building holding a basketful of herbs. Her left hand rested upon a grinning boulder directly in front of the dark building. Her shoulder length, silvery hair eerily matches her bright green left eye and turquoise coloured right eye. Her legs began to tremble as they tried to take her into the dark building.

"Kyoko, come back here! How many times do I have to tell you not to go over there! It's dangerous," came the harsh voice of a woman directly behind Kyoko. The woman wore a priestess like dress and held a basketful of odd assortments of things including a few sticks with her.

"Yes, Aunt Yu. I know," replied Kyoko softly. She tore her eyes away from the building with much difficulty and walked fast in her aunt's wake.

"I will be back," she thought to herself.