A NEW STORY! I HOPE YOU ALL LIKE IT, IM HOPING FOR AT LEAST THREE-FOUR REVEIWS.

I'VE CHANGED A FEW PARTS HERE, BUT THEY ARE ABSOULOUTLY NESSESARY TO THE STORY. ALSO IT'S A LITTLE MUSHY; I WAS IN A GOOD MOOD.

PLEASE ENJOY AND REVEIW

I DONT OWN SPIRITED AWAY

This part is set during the part when Chihiro is riding on Haku's back and she remembers his name

Chapter one

Chihiro clung tightly to Haku's back as they soared through the wind. She pressed her face into his scaly neck, trying as hard as she could to get closer to him, to the boy who had saved her so many times. It may seem impossible, but during her time in the bath house, she suspected that her little crush on him might have developed into love. His kindness, his strength…from the moment she had first seen him on that bridge she had felt connected to him. That connection grew into love.

Chihiro had always felt drawn to Haku, but she never understood why. She always wanted to see him, always worried about him. Even when people told her he was evil, she just couldn't bring herself to believe it. To think that Haku would betray her had almost made her cry at the beginning, but now she knew that could never happen. She trusted Haku with a trust like she had known him for her whole life. When her thoughts weren't occupied with her parents they were filled with him. But she did not know why.

But then after seeing him like that, covered in injuries and bleeding, with those paper birds continuously hurting him, her heart had frozen. That moment, everything went from her mind, her parents, her bondage, her job, her life. All that mattered was Haku, she didn't think of anything else but getting him to safety and then getting to him. She wanted to be by his side so badly it hurt.

That was when she had known what her feelings were, love. Even Kamaji and Granny Zeniba had confirmed it, she loved Haku.

She hugged herself to him, and suddenly, flashes of something went through her mind. Images of herself riding on something in the water, waves, her shoe, water everywhere, she heard the sound of a running river, saw herself falling into water, about to drown until suddenly she felt warm body beneath her as the waves suddenly caressed her instead of hurting her. She felt safe.

If Haku were in his human form he would have sighed, how good it felt to have his mind back. For some reason after waking up in Kamaji's boiler room, he'd felt so free, his soul was his own again. He still belonged to Yubaba, but only, he didn't feel the same pull on his soul he usually got. That could only mean one thing; the black slug that Yubaba had put in his body was gone. He didn't know how or what had happened to make it that way, but he was thankful.

But now his love for Chihiro was even stronger, it was going to break his heart to let her go. He felt her press her face into his dragon's neck, she was so close, he wanted to hold her. The smart, brave, beautiful human girl. He had remembered her when he couldn't even remember his own name. It was her, who had drawn out his long forgotten emotions. It had been her all along. In his life before the bath house he must have been in love with her, because these feeling had triggered at first sight, long ago when he saw her on the bridge. He was too practical to believe in love at first sight. Kamaji said it was those feelings that had allowed his to sense Chihiro's true name.

And he said it was Chihiro's returned feelings that had allowed her to call him back from the brink of death.

He did not regret his feelings, even if they were hopeless, but he would have regretted not falling in love with her. Haku would rather feel heartbreak than to have never felt love at all. He would never want to forget this feeling, it had been the feeling to penetrate Yubaba's curse, to make him normal, it led him to her. Without this feeling, Chihiro would be either dead or would have been turned into a pig and eaten for a crime she didn't commit.

He growled, there was no way he would let Yubaba do that to Chihiro. Yubaba had his name, his identity, his freedom; the old witch wasn't going to take anything else precious to him away.

But the only problem was that she would definitely try, in order to control him. Yubaba would do anything to gain control of him again, including harming his human love. And that was why she had to go back to her world, she would be safe there. His feelings could be put on hold, but there would be no point if she were gone.

He loved, her, which was why he was going to have to let her go.

She hugged onto him and suddenly she shivered, he tensed, what was wrong? He wanted to turn and see her but he needed to keep his head forward to see where he was going. She suddenly whispered.

Chihiro remembered! She remembered, her heart filled with a building joy, but she kept her voice level, should she be wrong she didn't want to get Haku's hope's up. "Haku listen" she said leaning forward "I just remembered something from long time ago; I think it may help you"

She hoped so hard it would help him, "Once when I was little, I dropped my shoe into a river. And when I tried to get it back I fell in. I thought I'd drown, but the water carried me to shore. It finally came back to me, the river's name was, the Kohaku River. I think that was you! And you real name is, Kohaku River!"

She gasped as suddenly as his scales began to fall away into the wind. His dragon form disappeared till she was sitting on the back of the boy. They began to fall, but for some reason, she wasn't scared. In mid-air she grabbed his hand and tried to reach for the other one, she missed the first time but Haku caught it.

"You did it Chihiro" he cried "I remember I was the spirit of the Kohaku River!" she smiled so widely "A river spirit?"

"My name is Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi"

"Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi?" she asked "What a wonderful name, it sounds like a god!"

Her heart sang. His forest green eyes sparkled with excitement and happiness, and she had made that happen. She never wanted this happiness to end. But then something else came to mind "They filled in that river, it's almost all apartments now" she watched him for any sign of sadness, but instead there was simply realisation.

"That must be why I can't find my way home Chihiro, I remember you falling into my river, and I remember your little pink shoe"

"So you're the one who carried me to shallow waters, you saved me." She pressed her forehead to his and whispered "I knew you were good" she loved him so much.

Haku couldn't believe it, his name, his name! He had his name back; he repeated it in his head, the Kohaku River, Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi.

He was a river spirit, he had saved his beloved before, he had met her and now after all this time she had come back into his life and this time, she saved him, in more ways than one. Suddenly more memories began filling in his mind. The very day she fell into his river, what had lead him to save her. and suddenly everything made sense, why he had loved from the moment he saw her on the bridge, why he had felt so compelled to protect her. Why he knew her name! It all made sense.

She pressed her forehead to his and whispered "I knew you were good"

'Chihiro' his heart seemed to sing, he loved her too much, how was he going to let her go? Her lips were so close, he took this one chance. He was probably never going to see her again, not for a long time. He didn't think about the consequences, whether or not she loved him back, but his heart moved his body and went against his mind.

He leaned forward and touched his lips to hers. She stiffened for a moment, and in that time he came to his senses and pulled away. His heart dropped slightly at her tensing, but then she whispered something that changed everything. "Haku…I think I love you"

He froze this time, had she just said she loved him. He looked at her, the shock showing clearly on his face.

He tried to answer but then noticed that they were nearing the sea at the bottom of the drop. There were some smaller islands there to so Haku...no Kohaku, slowed down the falling with his magic till their feet touched ground. But he barely noticed, he was too busy looking into her shimmering grey eyes. His heart was pounding. "You love me?"

She nodded "I think so…no, I know so. I've loved you for a very long time, almost since the first time I met you, but it took a long time to realize it. At first, I thought it was because you had saved me. You help me when I was so scared, without you I would be dead by now. You were my first ally." She sniffed a little and rubbed her eyes "But when I thought you had died, I was so scared, I didn't know what to do. I had never felt like that before, like if you died, there was no point anymore." She smiled radiantly "But you're alive! I'm so happy! I can't lie to myself anymore, I love you Haku." She looked at his shocked expression and frowned slightly "I'm sorry if that troubles you, but I can't do anything about the way I feel about you" she cried out.

Kohaku didn't know what to say, she loved him! He couldn't remember the last time someone had said that to him. She loved him.

How to reply? He didn't know what to day, so he decided to show her.

He took her hand gently "Chihiro listen" and he pressed it to the place on his chest where his heart was "You feel that?" he asked softly, now it was her turn to look surprised. But she could feel it, he was sure of that, the thudding of his heart on her fingertips. "When Yubaba stole my name I didn't remember anything about my past, and everything I did was for her benefit. I was her slave. All my feelings were locked away deeply inside of me...all except for one."

He took both of her hands "When I first saw you I remembered you, my feelings for you from then were the first emotion to escape Yubaba's spell. Despite everything I remembered you; my feelings for you had not changed." Looked deeply into her eyes, "Chihiro, your feelings aren't troubling, I've loved you since the very beginning"

She was crying again, he let go of her hands to wipe them away but didn't get the chance as she flung herself into his arms. Boh and the Yu-bird had turned away out of respect, but Kohaku couldn't care less, she was in his arms.

She held her to him tightly, so tight, she was pressed up to his chest, like if he let her go for even one second, she might disappear.

But she would disappear; he would have to let her go. He pulled away though everything was at screaming to him not to. She let him, only to press her lips to his in a kiss. Whatever he was planning to do was lost as her lips came down on his; he was lost in the sheer emotions that burst though. So much emotion in one day, his mind wasn't used to it. So it did what some minds would do, it acted on them as he wrapped his arms around her and kissed back.

They pulled away and he held her again, her face nestled in the crook of his neck and his chin on top of her head.

"What's wrong? She asked, confused

He shook his head "We can't do this." It was unavoidable; he knew she had to leave; it was the only way to protect her. Therefore, this wasn't right, but he couldn't bring himself to let go. Especially now that he remembered exactly what she was to him.

"I don't' understand?" she answered to his words

"Because you have to go back, with your parents"

"No!" she cried holding on tight to him.

"It can't be helped" he said sadly, pulling her away, he looked down at her as she shook her head "Do you want your parents to remain as pigs? If not then you have to go home" he was saying this to more convince himself than her.

"I don't want my mom and dad to stay pigs, I wanna go home. But I don't want to lose you Haku!" she cried pressing her face to his chest "I have this terrible feeling, I just know that we say goodbye now we'll never meet again!"

His heart broke at her tears as he pulled her close again, if those slugs and frogs could only see him now, they would never let him live it down. His sharp unemotional reputation, no one would believe he could ever be so gentle with anyone. Especially a little human girl, but Chihiro was different.

He held her tightly "I don't want to lose you either. If I could I wouldn't let you go ever again. But you have to get your parents and you have to go home" he thought about her leaving. If she left she would be able to have a normal life, she could grow up, get an education, fall in love, and marry.

He growled at the thought of her belonging to anyone else, she was his, he was the one who had protected her so many times, he loved her more than another male could ever even hope to try. He knew it was for the best, he had done so much to secure her freedom and steel his mind for her leaving. So no matter what his feelings were, this was what was meant to happen.

He felt her tears on his shirt and bent down close to her ear and whispered "Please know, if your parents weren't involved, I would free myself now, then do everything I could to have you stay with me safely" she stilled and clutched on tighter. "But you have to go home for now."

He tightened his hold "I promise to come find you again one day"

She looked up "Promise?"

"With a free mind, I will break away and build a place in this world for us. If you still want me, I promise that when that day comes we will never be apart again."

She still looked uncertain so he tilted her face till it was level with his "You said you loved me right?" she nodded "How much?"

"My feeling will never change, no now, not ever! I'm not stupid, I know hearts change, but I just know deep down that mine wont! Somehow, I know that I'll feel this way forever!" she answered right off the bat.

"Then we have nothing to worry about because" he smiled "I believe we'll definitely meet again"

She pressed her forehead into his chest. "But what about if you end up falling in love with someone else? Or if you forget about me?" she cried.

He shook his head and took her hands in his "I will never forget you Chihiro. And for as long as I live, I will only ever love you. You and you only. My heart will be yours and my spirit will always seek to find you"

She nodded.

"And I promise that I will never love anyone but you, and no matter what I will most definitely not be able to belong to anyone else."

Then something felt as strange, a wired burning warmth spreading throughout his body, it disappeared as soon as it had appeared. Haku put it down to being caught up in the moment. "Then we will have nothing to worry about. I will come for you someday. And if by then you'll still have me, I'll bring you back with me, no matter what I won't stop till you're by my side. You only have to wait."

She nodded "I will" they embraced again, but neither of the two lovers noticed the burning golden Kanji sign on the back of their hands. It burned bright, two separate kanji. On their own they were simple words, but together they were a promise.

Chihiro felt her feet touch down onto the wooden planks of the bathhouse bridge. Haku's hand in her own she felt happy, but she also knew this happiness wasn't to last. She looked forward, there was Yubaba, standing there in the centre of the bridge, her face as big as she remembered. It was almost funny how alike the two sisters Zeniba and Yubaba looked alike, only Yubaba lacked the kind warmness that was in Zeniba's eyes. She remembered how afraid she had been of the old witch the first time she saw her, she wasn't afraid now.

Boh and the Yu-bird left her shoulder in their mouse and little bird forms and flew over to Yubaba who was stationed there, looking livid. "I see you failed to bring my baby back" she said, but seconds after that accusation she looked up as Boh changed back and fell to the ground with a thud "Mama!" he cried.

"My Baby!" she cried rushing over to hug his wide waist "Are you traumatised, did they do terrible things to you?" she noticed that he was taller that her "You're standing up, all by yourself, when did that happen?"

"Don't forget your promise" Kohaku yelled out from beside her, gone was the face of Kohaku that she had seen yesterday when they had confessed their love for each other and now here was the cold, stern Haku who was the bathhouse's second in command. "You must return Chihiro and her parents back to the human world"

She knew it had to be done, so Chihiro steeled her heart and straitened herself ready to do what had to be done. But Yubaba wasn't having it "Not so fast Haku" she snapped "I get to give Sen one final test"

Instantly the frogs and slugs behind Yubaba on the roofs started booing and yelling, Chihiro barely noticed the people who had once hated her defending her, her mind was still on what Yubaba had said. One final test, Haku hadn't told her this.

"Shut up!" Yubaba yelled at them and they quietened. "Stop it Mama, leave her alone" Chihiro woke up from her daydream to see Boh contradicting his mother. Yubaba gasped "Sen and I had a really good time" he said cheerfully.

Yubaba tried to reason with him "But a deal is a deal sweetie, I have to give Sen one final test" Boh frowned "If you make Sen cry I won't like you anymore"

Chihiro almost laughed at the shocked expression on her face. Boh, everyone, Kohaku, they were all doing their best to help her get home. She wouldn't let them down. "B-but..." Yubaba gasped, but was interrupted by Chihiro's call "Hey granny"

"Granny?" Yubaba cried out in shock.

"You're right, a deal's a deal" she stepped forward and began walking towards Yubaba. "Ok, I'm ready I'll take your test". Yubaba looked down at her approvingly "You've got guts" she held up a rolled up piece of parchment "I've got your contract right here, come this way" to Boh she said in a sweeter voice "This'll only take a minuet" and then Chihiro looked to Boy's worried face and said kindly "Don't worry"

They stepped up to a group of pigs that were held back by a piece of rope, the squealed and grunted at her. "See if you can tell which one of these pigs is your mother and father"

Chihiro understood now, Yubaba didn't think she'd be able to tell. But Kohaku had once taken her to see her parents while they were still pigs "you get one try" Yubaba continued "If you get it right then you can all go home."

Chihiro looked for a while, but then noticed something strange. "There must be a mistake; none of these pigs are my Mom or Dad"

"None of them, is that really your answer?"

Chihiro thought for a moment and then nodded. Almost immediately the parchment in Yubaba's hand exploded and the pigs turned into Frogs and Yuna's in a puff of smoke who all cried out "YOU GOT IT!" simultaneously.

The whole bathhouse began cheering wildly. Chihiro smiled, they were all there, Lin, Kamaji, that weird frog who had scared her on the bridge that time. They were all here and cheering for her. "Thank you everyone!"

Yubaba scowled "All right, you win, get out of my sight" Chihiro looked to the old woman, for all she had done she really still couldn't hate her. After all, without her she would never have met Haku. She bowed "Thanks for everything granny" Yubaba snorted as Chihiro ran back. "Goodbye! Thank you!" She waved to them all, aware that she was leaving them for who knows how long, her heart hurt for it. But she told herself that she would come back one day by Haku's side.

She looked forward "Haku!" she cried as she took the hand he held out "Let's go". She took it and they ran. Through the streets of the restaurant town "Where are my Mom and Dad?" she asked confused. "When you passed the test, they woke up on the human side of the river. They're there now...looking for you" his voice faded slightly, sadly"

They reached the stone steps and Chihiro noticed something different "there's no water here, I can walk across now."

Kohaku looked down for a moment "But I can't go any further" Chihiro turned to look at him, he continued "Just go back the way you came, you'll be fine, but you have to promise not to look back not until you've crossed the tunnel" she frowned worriedly "What about you, what'll you do?"

Kohaku smiled "Don't worry, I'll go back and have a talk with Yubaba, I'll tell her I'm going to quit being her apprentice" he couldn't help taking her into his arms then, he held her close one last time "I'm fine, I got my name back"

"Will we meet again sometime soon?" She asked quietly

"I'm sure we will"

"Promise?" she whispered

"Promise" he replied and pulled away to leave a kiss on her lips.

"Don't make me wait too long Haku" she warned

He smiled "I promise I will come and find you as soon as possible. I love you" he whispered softly, "Now go" he pushed her away till he only held her hand "And don't look back."

She went, Kohaku felt her hand slip out of his. She ran for a moment and then stopped "Kohaku!" she cried, true to his warning she did not turn around, instead she cried out "If you forget to come back for me, I want forgive you easily, I love you" and with that she ran off. Kohaku watched her go.

He wouldn't forget, nothing on earth would make him forget for the second time. But it would probably be awhile before he could come for her. He didn't mention how difficult it would be to convince Yubaba.

And he didn't mention, that the reason that he told her not to look back was because it was forbidden. The only way for a human to leave the spirit world was for them to forget everything about their experiences in that world. If she looked back, Chihiro would have retained her memories, but at a price. She might never be allowed to leave, or she would leave but a part of her soul would have been left behind, causing her to slowly go insane. So as painful as it was to think of her forgetting their promise, and all that they had gone though, he knew he preferred it over the fate looking back would bring her.

It did not matter anyway. He would find her again and if she could not remember him, they he would simply make her love him again.

So as he watched his love leave him, he made another promise to someday definitely comeback for her, and to do it as quickly as possible. He didn't notice the kanji on his hand glowing slightly before disappearing.

The kanji for Eternal.

WOW! DONE!

I HOPE YOU LIKE IT, IT'S A LITTLE MUSHY BUT IT'S ESSESARY. THE WHOLE STORY IS BASED ON THIS PART. PLEASE DONT FLAME ME AND PLEASE REVEIW.