1DISCLAIMER: I do not own Spirited Away. That honor belongs to Hayao Miyazaki.

In the Spirit World, a lonely dragon boy was in anguish. Haku had remained fixed at the edge of the field where he let Chihiro leave, staring down at his sandals. He didn't bother going back to Yubaba to inform her of his resignation. Her baby Boh had probably told her about how Chihiro released him from Yubaba's control by helping him remember his name. Why even bother going back? All he could think about was Chihiro.

FLASHBACK

"Will we meet again sometime?" Chihiro asked innocently, her brown hair swaying in the breeze. "Sure we will." Haku reassured her, holding her hand in his. "Promise?" She asked, a look of longing in her eyes. "Promise. Now go, and don't look back." Haku said, releasing her. His hand fell, and Chihiro was gone. She was gone.

END FLASHBACK

Haku had promised her they'd be reunited, but when and how? These two questions ran through his mind over and over. Haku never let himself feel it, but he was in love. He knew that letting Chihiro go with her family was the right, honorable thing to do. A girl that young needed to be with her parents to be nurtured. Haku paced back and forth over the grass. "So what now? Do I crawl up to Chihiro on hand and knee and beg her to come back? Do I tell her I love her? She's a 10-year old human; she probably doesn't even know what love is...at least not romantic love..." Haku said to himself. But Haku remembered that in ancient Japan, as well as many human cultures, marriages and such occurred at young ages. Who could he go to? Yubaba certainly wouldn't help him even if she could, which he doubted. Perhaps one of the more powerful spirits? Maybe. Haku racked his mind for options, and finally there was only one thing that might just stand a chance at working, only one who might have the answers. Haku stood up, and transformed into his dragon form. He flew to Swamp Bottom, the only place he could think to go.

No-Face continued to knit inside for Zaneba, while she swept the outside of her rustic cottage. No-Face was a wonderful little helper, but the poor thing had no family to go home to. "Good thing I took him in, the poor spirit..." Zaneba thought to herself as she swept. Someday the two of them would have to go on a journey and figure out his origins. As she swept, a small peace of purple felt got stuck in her broom. Zaneba recognized it as the material she used to make Chihiro's hair band. "Chihiro should be settling into her new home by now. I can't imagine how furious that sister of mine must be..." She thought to herself, chuckling at the thought of an angry Yubaba. "Ah! Ah! AHH!" No-Face said excitedly, exiting the cottage with his yarn and pointing to the sky. Zaneba smiled to herself. She knew well who was headed her way. "I'm surprised it took him this long to realize how much he needs Chihiro." Zaneba said to herself, seeing the white dragon in the distance. "No-Face, why don't you go make some tea for our visitor? I have a feeling he'll be needing it." She said, a look of concern coming over her aged face when she sense intense emotions in the dragon spirit.

Within minutes, Haku landed and assumed his human form. Zaneba stood outside, waiting to greet him. It was turning dark outside by now, but was just light enough to still see where you were going. "Haku, you're back so soon?" Zaneba said mildly, not wanting to set off too many emotions in what was clearly a disturbed dragon. "Madam, I must talk to you." Haku said, breathing heavily. It was a long flight after all. "My name is Zaneba. You can be informal with me. I've told you that I forgive you for stealing my seal. Upon reflecting further, I understand why you did it. I know why you're here Haku. The sooner we talk the better." Zaneba said sincerely, skipping the small talk, which was fine with Haku. This was serious after all.

"SHE REMEMBERS NOTHING?" Haku screamed, leaping up from the chair he was sitting in. Zaneba paused, and asked him to sit back down politely. Haku sat, but began to sink deeper into despair. First, Zaneba had told him that humans don't consciously remember the Spirit World after being in it. "Chihiro is human, so she won't consciously remember. But Haku, once you meet someone you never really forget them. It just takes a while for memories to return." Zaneba said smiling, remembering how she told Chihiro the same. "But it's still not the same!" Haku protested. "She may only remember bits and pieces, but never the whole experience. The only way she could is if a higher spirit somehow protected her memories. I wasn't old or powerful enough to do that..." Haku said, a tear forming in his eye. Not only was Chihiro gone, but she wouldn't even remember him. Zaneba smiled. "No, you aren't old or powerful enough...but I am..." She said mysteriously, her heart soaring. Haku looked up at her, his eyes glistening. Hope appeared in them. "Zaneba, did you..." Haku began to ask, but she held up her hand. "I can't say anymore than that Haku. Remember the rules. We must all adhere to them. At any rate, we need to focus on more practical issues." Zaneba said, sipping some tea slowly. Haku thought to himself. "YES! There's a chance she might remember!" Hope was beginning to resurface, but problems still remained. "You still have to think about getting to her, and if she's at the maturity level to even have such a relationship with you." Zaneba said, eyeing Haku. Haku stared back. He didn't tell Zaneba he was in love with Chihiro, only that he wanted to get back to her. "Oh honestly Haku! Did you think I didn't see it? Only PURE love, and not necessarily friendship-type, could break my protective spell on my seal. The love that broke that spell has to be so strong that it goes beyond space and time or physical attractions." Zaneba said, giving a spellbound Haku a chance to take it all in. "Is she really in love with me too? Could it ever be more than a close friendship?" He wondered. Zaneba sensed his thoughts. "I can't say for sure Haku. Little humans don't mature in THAT way until they reach about 14 or 15 human years of age. In the human world it'd still be another 4-5 years before most humans could understand or have the capacity to decide to enter such a relationship. And even then, some humans would wait until they were married." Zaneba rightly pointed out. There was the problem. Haku didn't know what to do, but he knew he would never ask Chihiro to do something that she wasn't ready to do. "Then I'll wait! I'll wait until she matures, and assuming she remembers, then I'll make my way to her. Besides, in that time I could start rebuilding what's left of my river, or perhaps find an unoccupied one." Haku resolved, his mind set. "Of course, I should point out that Chihiro's human maturity level skyrocketed during her time here. She was forced to grow up faster than most humans, so that's a good sign. I know that some human couples were together since childhood, and eventually married and started the kind of relationship that was on your mind, once both were mature that is." Zaneba said, thinking to herself, recalling Chihiro's story about her arrival in the Spirit World and her knowledge of humans. There was still the issue of getting to Chihiro, and waiting 4-5 years didn't seem fun either. But he knew then and there that he'd do whatever it took to be with Chihiro. Just to hold her in his arms and be with her forever would be all he'd ever want. Zaneba looked up at her clock. "I think it's time to sleep on this for a while. No-Face, prepare a bed for Haku. I doubt my sister will be welcoming him back..."