A/N Hey! Second Chapter is up. Review. Criticize.. Whatever!! I like
hearing your responses!!!

Never Look Back

The goodbyes were said. His belongings collected. This was the point of no return. He had been on this very same rooftop so many times before. But it was different this time. He was free.

Haku closed his eyes and took in the fresh air. He opened his arms wide. And fell. He fell into the afternoon sky. He fell into the wind. He fell into freedom.

Haku started soaring through the clouds. He had a long and hard journey in front of him. He first had to make it to the Hirontu Mountains. He had heard stories from the spirits about the Hirontu Mountains. The spirits that went there never came back. The Hirontu Mountains was the place spirits went to die. Or went when they died. Either way, it was a place where death lurked around every corner, and happiness was a childish fantasy.

In the Spirit World a spirit never REALLY dies. They just no longer exist. They turn into vapor and roam around the Hirontu Mountains. At this stage, they are no longer referred to as spirits, but as Nocturas. The only way a spirit can come back is if the Nocturas latches onto a live spirit. Thus, using their life source to bring them back to life.

Haku was in grave danger.

But that's what Haku's life was all about. Risking his life.

The journey was long. But Haku had to make it past the mountains before nightfall. He just had to.

In what seemed forever, the Hirontu Mountains finally came into view. Was he ready for this? Of course, he was always ready for the worst.

Haku headed toward the mountains.

From afar, the mountains looked green and inviting. They stretched into the clouds. It would be impossible to fly over them, so he had to go through them. As Haku got closer, the jade grass became brown and repulsive. It was no longer inviting but unpalatable.

Haku sighed and took a deep breathe. In and out.In and out. no stopping. no looking back. for her.. Haku kept telling himself over. And over. And over.

The stench of death possessed Haku immediately when he started his journey through the mountains. It was a poignant place, decorated in dead flowers, dirt, and miserable looking stumps that slightly resembled trees.

Haku made it halfway through the mountains, without one confrontation. It was to good to be true. Something was definitely wrong. And something indeed was wrong. Haku had been to distracted to detect the shape-shifting nocturas that was lurking behind him, tapping into his most inner-thoughts.

Finally, the light at the end of the tunnel. Haku had almost made it. It was too easy. As Haku flew faster into the sunset, he was closed off by an all to familiar face.

His father.

Haku hadn't seen his father since their river was destroyed. He was here. In the mountains. This is where fate had sent him.

"My son. my son. you have come to set me free. I've always knew you would not desert me."

Haku was speechless. This was not good. Not good at all. Haku could not just leave his father there. In the Spirit World, family was the essence to their existence. The family bond was so tight that it was an appalling, vindictive, sin to betray your family. The father was the head, the mother the neck, the children the body; doing whatever the head tells them too. Haku had no choice.

"Haku give me your hand.set me free."

Wait a minute. Haku thought. He just called me Haku. that was the name Yubaa Ba gave me.He wouldn't call me that.

"No." Haku said sternly. Smiled. And took a step back.

"No? You dare to deceive your father?"

"You're not my father.shape shifter."

The shape shifting father smiled at him, and said "You're still mine."

The shape shifter then took his normal form. A blue vapor. Then, the once brown earth started to turn a metallic blue form.

Nocturas.

Haku was surrounded. He had just hit rock bottom. So the only was to go was. up. And that is exactly what he did. Haku shot up towards the sky, but the blue vapors were still right behind him. Haku had to outrun them. He was so close. So very close. He couldn't die now. not now.it was only the beginning.

Haku twisted and dove and tried everything to shake the nocturas off. He was almost there, he was almost out. Haku desperately flew towards the exit. Almost. almost.

Haku was halfway through out the exit when something grabbed his foot. A nocturas.

"Nooooooooo!" Haku cried desperately. All the strength left his body. The nocturas let go of his foot.

And Haku started falling. falling. and falling. To only God knows where.

A/N This isn't the end. don't worry.. can't kill him in the Second Chapter!