Standard disclaimers apply.

Chapter 1

Chihiro had what most would call a normal life that is until her time spent in the spirit world. When her family and herself immerged from the spirit world three years had gone by. Everything had changed, except for them. The family went through a battery of tests to see what had affected them. Her parents were ignorant as to what had happened and Chihiro played dumb. She knew what had, occurred but made sure that no one would know, not even her parents.

For the next few years Chihiro and her parents were looked at, and then poked and prodded to see what had happened during those three years of absence. During those years, actually a few months after they emerged from the spirit world Chihiro's mother, Yuuko, had a baby. She was a fine sight, being cradled by her mother while doctors continued to run tests, to see where their longevity came from.

It wasn't until the little baby now called Kioko, was 5 that they were finally able to return to their normal lives. Chihiro returned to school, she was now 15 and had spent five years with a private tutor; she was now in high school and found that her popularity was not a good thing. Everyone that had once known her, she no longer recognised. Little Kioko didn't understand so she was happily ignorant to what was troubling the family so. Chihiro's father happily forgetting the problems threw himself into work and providing for his family. Yuuko became the happy but disillusioned housewife, while Chihiro became the picture of a perfect daughter. Chihiro joined a kendo class as well as a traditional dance class. She began working at both places when she turned 16 to help take some of the stress off of her father. It was on one of the few days in the week that Chihiro had to stay late that things had gone from normally all right, to down right dreadful.

"Yuuko?" questioned Akio as he dressed to exit the house, "Yuuko do you need me to pick up anything when I get Chihiro?"

Yuuko peaked out from the kitchen as she thought about the question and finding an answer nodded 'no'. "It's alright dear, just pick up Chihiro and come home safe. Hunny why didn't you call to tell her that you are going to pick her up?"

"Oh I want to surprise her. It's raining cats and dogs out there and you know Chihiro, she would never call for a ride. Plus if I call then she would try to persuade me not to come. You know her." Akio smiled brightly. He loved Chihiro with all his heart, such a small girl and so young to have to deal with the tests that the doctors put them through. But through everything she had been calm and adult about it. And afterward she had gone right out and joined clubs where she might be able to learn and teach at the same time. All of her instructors both at school and in her after school activities praised her in her ability to deal with a large workload and her unchallengeable patience.

"Daddy!" squealed Kioko as she took a running leap into her father's arms.

"What can I do for you my little bird?" he questioned, propping her small body against his hip.

"Can I come with daddy to get big sister?" she looked at him with big pleading eyes. Akio sighed. Chihiro would be exhausted when he picked her up and she would most likely sleep during the drive home, but if Kioko were in the car she would force herself to entertain the little firecracker.

"No I'm sorry pumpkin, Daddy's going to pick up Chihiro alone. You stay here and make sure there is a good dinner waiting for her." He smiled brightly trying to find something to occupy the little monster. Setting her down and patting her bottom in the direction of the kitchen, he received a glare from his wife.

"Thank you dear, now she'll bug me until you get home."

Akio merely smiled and left the house, a hop in his step. His family was whole and they were content, if not happy. It was a twenty-minute drive to the kendo dojo and an hour's walk. He knew that Chihiro, the ever-ready child that she was, had taken an umbrella but there was really no excuse for her to walk when he was fully capable to go and pick her up, and save them all from dealing with a cold that she would bring home, but never actually have. It was after twenty minutes of dealing with terrible traffic that things fell apart. Akio never saw the trunk that couldn't stop. He never saw the screaming people on the corner, but he did hear the screeching of tires on pavement, and then things went black.

&&&

"Thank you Sansei, I appreciate the offer but I couldn't ask you to go so far out of your way for me. Good night!" Chihiro kindly brushed off her sensei's offer to a drive home, but she enjoyed walking in the rain. It reminded her of him, the moss green haired boy that she had fallen in love with.

She walked for almost half an hour when she came upon an accident. She didn't stop to see what was going on, she knew it was wrong to be curious about such things; there was no excuse to look in on others misfortunes. She heard though, in passing that the driver had died on impact. It looked like a man out on a date; he had a dozen roses in the passenger seat. Chihiro sighed, 'that poor woman' she thought. What would she think if her date didn't show up because he had died in a car accident? But soon her thoughts went to her family, her mother diligently at work at home, trying to make a comfortable life for them especially after the ordeal that they faced when they came back from the spirit world. Her father who acted like nothing had happened, a smile always ready on his lips. And little Kioko, she was so much like Chihiro had been, that Chihiro had taken it upon herself to teach Kioko good manners, even if it killed her. Chihiro had to chuckle though; Kioko had taken to 'fanner skool' as she called it, quite well. It wasn't as bad for her as it had been for Chihiro.

By the time Chihiro reached home the police were waiting for her. Their car sat in the drive while they sat inside talking quietly with Yuuko. "I'm home," said Chihiro already feeling the heavy atmosphere. From the kitchen Kioko came running into her big sisters arms. Yuuko soon followed, her eyes red from tears. Chihiro looked from one to the other not yet understanding what was going on.

"Mom…where's dad?" Chihiro whispered, her voice failing. Kioko began to cry even more while Yuuko tried desperately to keep herself strong. "Chihiro, Hunny…daddy got into an accident. He's…he's…dead…" she finished in barely a whisper.

Chihiro looked blankly at her mother then at Kioko's bowed head. She didn't know what to do but her body was acting on it's own and big tears began to cascade down her cheeks; she then collapsed to the floor.

Yuuko rushed to her daughter's side. She had been the closest to Akio and she knew that his death would crush the child. Yuuko held the two sisters close, trying vainly to comfort them.

'That was dad,' Chihiro thought, 'it was dad that was in that accident. Those flowers were for me…he remembered what I had said that day when we bought flowers for mom, I told him my favourite were roses. Oh god…oh god…'