This is a new Spirited Away story...

Prologue

On the Winter Solstice, the longest day in the year; Ogino Akio and Yuuko, parents of Ogino Chihiro or as she was commonly known, Sen. Their deaths did not create much of an effect as one would have like, on their child and on their neighbors. However, the girl known as Chihiro was now an orphan with no living sane relatives. Her closest living relative was a Shinto priest regarded as crazy and insane by the villagers in Kyoto, Chihiro's old town/village. As the authorities of where Chihiro currently lived, did not want to be burdened with a thirteen year old teenager, she was driven back to Kyoto where she had first encountered the river spirit, Nigihayami Kohaky Nushi, when she was only four years old.

Contrary to popular opinion, Ogino Kenshin, grandfather of Chihiro, was neither crazy nor insane. He was one with nature, faithfully following the way of the Kami. As the Rulers of the Spirit World knew of the old Ogino's faithfulness to nature, they had blessed him and his descendents with the talent of seeing spirits when he was only thirty years old as a reward. Akio, purely against the old religion like teenagers nowadays, had disregarded the 'gift' and the spirits despite Kenshin's ideals and his regard for the Gods. So Kenshin, in turn, had refused to acknowledge his son. This all added up to the grandfather's musings as he puzzled over his grand daughter. Despite the treachery of Akio, Chihiro somehow still regained the talent to recognize the Kami.

Kenshin and Chihiro, over ability to see Kami, bonded very fairly quickly and smoothly. Where Chihiro could not trust her parents to not report her to the authorities for being insane, she could trust her grandfather as he had the same problem. Kenshin became not only her grandfather but also her mentor. He taught all the things he knew about the Kami, Gods, Spirits and the Spirit World. In turn, she taught her grandfather to be more defensive and taught him how to defend himself from the gangs. The Ancient Shinto Shrine that had belonged to the Oginos' for many centuries revived due to the laughter of the blessed family of the Ruler of Spirit World. Although it was never as popular as it was in the sixteenth century or even eighteenth century, it attracted the curiosity of many spirits. One such was a fox spirit named Judai, Chihiro's way back to the Spirit World. Judai and Chihiro bonded and traveled across the whole of Kyoto after Kenshin traveled to the Spirit World for the wedding of Amaterasu's son. It was a few more years before both Chihiro and Judai re-entered the Spirit World through a southern gateway, leading to the location of Zeniba's cottage at Swamp Bottom.

And this is where the story starts…

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