He stood there looking at me for a minute before he gripped my hand.
"You need to get home. You're not supposed to be here." Haku said as he pulled me quickly through the streets, the sleeves of his tunic whipping in the wind.
"Haku, listen." But my pleas fell on deaf ears as the dragon spirit pulled me toward the red building that was getting closer and closer by the second. We got to the end of the stairs and he stopped.
"Good, we got here in time." He looked at the sun, still shining high in the sky. I puffed a little, hands on my knees.
"Haku, will you listen to me?"
"Chihiro, you can't be here." He shoved me forward. "Go."
"Haku I- ow!" I hit an invisible barrier, my head making a hallow smack. I looked up at him through one eye as I rubbed my head. He looked down at me, his eyes full of confusion.
"Now will you listen to me?" I folded my arms across my chest. He nodded. "Good. Now, I don't know exactly what happened. One minute I was driving, and the next I was crawling out of a ditch." Haku sat down, hands digging into his hair.
"So what you're telling me is that you're-"
"Dead. Yeah, I'm… dead."
"But how did you get here?"
"What do you mean? This is the spirit world, right?"
"Yes, but not for human spirits. This place is for those who are guarding something, or who's spirits are tied to something in the human world. Me, I am the guardian of the Kohaku River. My spirit rests here as long as I'm the guardian."
"So, this place isn't for "normal" spirts?"
"Yes." I chewed on my bottom lip for a while as he sat there staring out to the red building in the distance.

Finally he stood.
"We need to go to the bathhouse."
"I- I don't want to see Yubaba."
"Don't worry, you won't have to." He stood up and gripped my hand again. We rushed through the streets, the deep crimson of the bathhouse taking form. Within seconds we were crossing the bridge, and making our way into the bathhouse, blowing whatever we passed into a mess. We finally made it to the elevators, and when the door closed Haku let go of my hand. He closed his eyes and slowly we made our way to the top floor.

We got to the door, the small heads in the form of Yubaba were gone. Instead were just little knockers in the shape of birds. Haku pushed the door open and quickly made his way to the room in the back. I ran after him to catch up and tried to match his pace, but he was taller than me now, and his legs were a lot longer.

We finally made it to the room, and I froze outside the door.
"You stay here, I'm going to go in first." I nodded, and tried to swallow the lump in my throat. Haku disappeared behind the door. I heard muffled speech where I was standing. First it was Haku in his serious tone, then a more sarcastic one. A pause, and then Haku again.
"CHIHIRO'S HERE?" Feet fell quickly on the floor in little patters and the doors were thrown open. Large arms wrapped around me and I found myself being smothered.
"Oh Chihiro, it's so nice to see you again." She pulled back and my once apprehensive mood did a three-sixty. I was expecting to see the cold hazel eyes of the angry witch, but I was greeted with the warm, glimmering hazel eyes of Zeniba. I wrapped my arms around Zeniba's neck and buried my face in her shirt. Haku coughed from the room and Zeniba turned on him.
"What have I told you about interrupting?" Haku crossed his arms in front of his chest. Zeniba huffed and turned to me.
"We'll catch up later. Someone is being a fussy dragon." I sniggered behind my hand and earned a glare from Haku. I looked down at the floor and watched my feet. I settled into a chair on the other side of Zeniba's desk, Haku sitting on the other side of me.
"Haku tells me that you're a spirit now?"
"Yes, I'm dead."
"So you're aware."
"Zeniba, we just need to know why she's here. Her spirit's not guarding anything in the human world." Zeniba smiled, and shook her head.
"There are a couple things that brought Chihiro here. I'm only going to tell you two of them. The others, you have to find out on your own. First things first. The simplest reason is what she's wearing." My hands instantly flew to the band in my hair. Zeniba nodded and pursed her lips. "The second thing is a little more difficult to explain. Chihiro had already been introduced to this world for a prolonged period of time. While you're the guardian of the Kohaku River, your river had been paved over by the humans. But you are still able to be here. Your spirit was already introduced before the river was gone. When Chihiro was here the first time, what were you, ten? Anyway, when she was here before, you told me she almost disappeared. Her physical form left, leaving her spirit behind in this world. Her spirit was introduced to the realm we're in. It was already carrying a part of this world with it, and when she passed, her spirit was drawn back here." Zeniba looked at Haku. "Now, I've told you the two things I said I would. You get to figure the rest of them out. You're my prodigy, and I've taught you well, and so did my sister. Use your skills. Leave us please, I must talk to Chihiro alone." Zeniba was suddenly serious. Haku gave her a nod, and gave me a long look before he left the room. Zeniba turned to me and laced her fingers together on her desk.
"I know this has to be hard for you. Me, I was never human. I was always this, always here. Yubaba and I are two sides of the same coin. We are here to protect the magic in the world. Yubaba is the dark, and I'm the light. Some might say we're two halves of the same person, but inside me is dark, and inside of Yubaba is light. We're not pure. But Chihiro, you. You're special. I can feel it. I felt it the first time I met you. Your spirit is pure, untainted. You've lived your life, what little life you've had, to the best of your abilities. Never questioning your gut decisions. Chihiro, do you know why you died?" I looked down at my fidgeting fingers and chewed the inside of my cheek.
"Not really…"
"Do you want to?" My head snapped up at her question. 'Do I want to? What kind of question is that? Of course I do, don't I?'
 "Yes." Zeniba nodded and stepped slowly around from her desk. She closed her eyes and gently touched my temples with the tips of her index fingers.

My eyes closed and I felt a warm tingling sensation run between each temple. I let out an airy sigh and images floated behind my closed lids.

I was driving. It was sunny, and perfect. I had just gotten done with my routine of checking on the spirit houses on the side of the road. I had fixed most of them. Repainted them, reconstructed them, and made them look brand new. I had just installed a prayer station, a small bubbling fountain with water purified from the church. A token box sat beside it, and beside that a hand washing station. I was on my way into town to meet with my parents. I was turning a corner, coming into the more populated area. And then it was as if my life were playing in slow motion.

I rounded the corner, going fifty. A ball bounced into the road, and a little girl with blonde pigtails ran out to get it. She looked up at me, her green eyes wide and terrified. I barely heard myself scream, I didn't feel my body react. But I saw my hand cranking the wheel into the unoccupied lane. I felt my car it the curb. I felt the pressure of the seat belt on my chest as I rose out of my seat. I felt my fingertips brush the ceiling as my car flipped, and skittered across the rough concrete. The car slid into the ditch, and I moved closer to the door. The impact of the driver side of my car played a symphony for the audience of trees, clapping as they were torn through, and one terrified, and scared little girl, who was too young to understand what exactly was happening right outside her door.

The tingling stopped and I blinked a few times before I was met with a bone crushing hug from Zeniba.
"Chihiro, I'm so, so sorry."

I'm so sorry for the delay. But I've been super busy still. But it's getting a lot easier. I have eight school days left! Woot Woot! Leave me a review! Thanks so much!
~TheLostWeasleyDaughter