Eige-chan: Hihi~! Well, everyone, this is my... second fanfic! And, if you have read my first one, you would know that I had been "retired" for quite a while, and now I'm back again!!! Haku! You can do the disclaimer!

Haku: Yes... Umm... the author does not own spirited away or it's characters... but the plot and the original characters are all hers...

Eige-chan: Hmm... something wrong with you, Haku? -stares-

Haku: -fiddles and squirms- N-Nothing...

Kamajii: The boy gets shy appearing on spotlight eeh...?

Eige-chan: Ooh... unexpected of you, Haku! You seem so calm and rational in the movie. Anyways~ Here goes!!!


Chapter One: Fate Departs

"Will we meet again?"

"Of course we will."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

She was his first friend, his best friend; the person he cares about the most. He saved her life, and she did the same for him, but he couldn't guarantee that they would meet again without lying. It was sort of a half-truth, a compromise. He bit his lip slightly as he guided her to the stone steps.

"Go and don't look back..."

He smiled weakly as the girl walked away from him, back to her parents, her normal life where she's supposed to be. By not turning back, her memories of being here would be locked away, buried deep inside of her heart, and he hated that that would happen. But what is he to fight the long, ancient laws of the spirit world? Besides, even if the girl's memories weren't present in her mind when he finds her, he was partially confident that he would be able to bring them back. Regaining a slight bit of confidence, he watched her enter the tunnel, not paying attention to her parents that were with her. Eventually, time did her job, and the tiniest bit trace of the girl was gone. Taking one last glance at the darkness that engulfed the human girl, he turned away, walking down the path to the bathhouse.

"Farewell Chihiro, for now."


Chihiro stared at the brick red building she had just walked out of. Nothing seems to come to mind of what had happened. She couldn't remember. Chihiro looked at the darkness of the tunnel-like entrance. The deeper she looked at it, the emptier her mind was getting. She felt renewed. Chihiro no longer felt like whatever she was before. She felt a strange, vibe of newly-gained wisdom in her small, ten year old brain. If only she knew what was making her feel this way.

"Chihiro! Hurry up!" her mother shouted.

Snapping back to reality, Chihiro joined her parents in their small, dusty, blue four-wheeled vehicle, and gradually left the area.


"What did you say?" Yubaba was practically glaring at the young boy as he informed her of the 'good news'

"I would not be working for you as your apprentice anymore," Haku was firm with his language. His way of telling it had almost infuriated the old hag, but Yubaba decided to calm. For now, at least.

"Keep dreamin' boy," Yubaba laughed at Haku and continued with her paperwork. "You signed a contract with me, and it hasn't worn off yet."

Just as Haku predicted. He would tell her, she would take it as a joke and laugh her head off, and then he'll drop the bomb.

"I have my name," Haku said, not breaking eye contact with his boss. The moment those words shot out of his mouth, Yubaba rose up her oversized head and stared at the boy with her enormous eye-balls. She would have taken it as a joke again, but considering that fact that Haku's face was still and deadly serious, she knew it was the truth. But , just to make sure.

"And what is that? I may ask?" Yubaba was trying her best to lie to herself that this wasn't happening. Not to her most loyal dragon boy that she brought up with her own hands. Without him, stealing treasures and other 'valuable' objects would be pretty difficult. This would, of course, affect the business and income of the bathhouse.

Haku knew exactly what Yubaba was thinking. How could she let him go that easily? He was probably the main source of income in the bathhouse; all the herbs and food that they prepared for the guests were worth way much more that what the guests were paying them. But he wasn't afraid, Yubaba was sure a mean, greedy hag, but she wasn't anything close to evil. He was sure that she wouldn't cause him any threat, up to this point.

"Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi."

The gasp Yubaba made while she gaped at the young boy was heard, followed by a large popping noise of paper.


Moving wasn't Chihiro's idea of fun at all, it involves a lot of goodbyes with her friends, sorting out of objects that she didn't knew existed in her family property, and the worst, getting used to the new environment. Getting up this early in the morning felt terrible already, let alone having to go to school.

Chihiro groaned as she turned off her alarm clock. Standing up, she took her new uniform that was hanging on the hanger on the back of her door, and changed into it.

She felt extremely uncomfortable in it.

Chihiro's brows fixed themselves into a frown as she looked at the mirror; a black and white blouse with a plaid skirt of the same color. The skirt was about a couple of centimeters above her knee, and she was even required to wear white knee-length socks with black school shoes.

Definitely not her favorite outfit.

Her former school didn't even have a uniform. Well, the only thing that resembled one was probably the sports wear that they wore at, well, sports class.

But, there was no use whining anyway. She was here and she couldn't go back. Sighing, Chihiro took a glimmering purple hair band from her bedside table and tied her hair with it. She had no idea of where it came from, or why it was there, but she used it anyways, considering that it was one of the prettiest things she owned.

"Chihiro!" her mother called from the first floor, "You're going to be late for school and you haven't had breakfast yet!"

"Coming!" Chihiro yelled back. Grabbing her bag, she hurried down the stairs, praying that this first-day-of-school would go well.

………………

Chihiro didn't feel well. She never liked standing in front of a crowd and speaking. Especially when the crowd was full of people that she didn't know and had never met in her life. But then again, she was the 'new student' and introducing herself in front of the class was required. Chihiro winced slightly at the squeaky sound the teacher was making with the chalk and blackboard was she wrote her name on it.

Ogino Chihiro was written neat and tidy in kanji on the board.

"Ogino-san, would you please?" the teacher said, suggesting that Chihiro better start her introduction now.

"Umm…" Chihiro fiddled in her uniform as she spoke, "Hello… everyone, I'm Chihiro, and I've just moved here…" she looked at the class. No movement. "I hope that I can make new friends here…. Thank you...?"

Chihiro looked up to her teacher and the teacher looked at the students. They seem to get the message and gave Chihiro a small applause. Sighing in relief, Chihiro was more than joyous that it was over, now the teacher can just address her to some seat in the corner and she could just go there and be invisible.

"Ogino-san, you will sit…" the teacher looked across the room for spare seats. "Right there." she pointed at the seat far across in the right, closest to the overly-large sized windows of the classroom. Glad to get off the spotlight, Chihiro quickly scurried to her respective seat, hung her bag on the hook attached to the left side of her table, and sat down quietly.

"We have another new student this year" the teacher said, erasing Chihiro's name off the board and making a tick on her clipboard.

"You may come in now."


Eige-chan: Whoo!! End of chapter one! Hehe, not that bad, eeh?

Chihiro: -grins- I wonder who is the other new student?

Yubaba: Humph! Must be another one of those disgusting humans...

Eige-chan: Now, now, don't be so mean...Ooh, and speaking of the new student! If anyone can guess who it is, they shall be offered with a gigantic cookie the size of Yubaba's head!

Yubaba: ... Is that supposed to be an insult?

Eige-chan: -ignores Yubaba- Pleeeeeeeeeease read and review!!!!!