Don't Look Back – Chapter 2

My Elements

I've been at Zeniba's for a year now. Since I've been here for a year, Zeniba is adamant that I have an element. What I mean is that she thinks I have control of one of the elements; fire, water, wind, or earth. Granny is sure it's not earth. "You can't keep a plant alive to save yourself Chihiro." She tells me.

"Granny… can you explain to me again why you think I have an element?" I asked one morning at breakfast.

Zeniba sighed, "I believe you have one, I really do, because in your aura, you have flashes of color. Now, I can't see what the color is, but I do know that you have something. It's just a matter of time before it shows itself."

"Granny… do you know how long it's gonna take?"

"I don't Chihiro, I'm sorry. But, I wish that it would show itself soon, because I'm tired of waiting!"

I smiled and went back to my breakfast.

After breakfast, I sat down in an armchair to receive my lesson of the spirit world. Seeing as I am a spirit, and I'm here for good, I needed to learn how things work here, and this place's history. I must say it's utterly fascinating. Yubaba and Zeniba have been studying me, and together they have confirmed that I am indeed a spirit. I was thrilled, but I worried about my parents.

"We don't know what's going on in the human world, but we do know this. You looking back and becoming a spirit hasn't affected them. We're… not even sure if they remember they had a daughter. If they do, they probably think she's dead." Yubaba said to me one night she came to visit her sister.

"Don't worry Chihiro. I'm sure that you'll see them again someday." Zeniba assured me.

"How do you know?"

"When humans die, they become a spirit. Remember those black spirits on the train? They were once humans. Once a human dies, a spirit takes it's place. Now, not important spirits like Haku, but minor spirits that don't work in the bathhouse."

"So I could be taken to live again?"

"No my dear, I don't believe so. Any spirit with an element is stuck in the spirit world for good, until they die themselves."

"Spirits die?" I asked, completely shocked.

Yubaba nodded. "Rarely, but they do. When a spirit is old enough, or simply doesn't have a reason for living anymore, they die. Once a great spirit dies, they become a human, therefore unable to be what they once were. Once you die as a human, you will never have an element. That's the way it's been since the beginning of time."

Whoa, talk about a lot of information to take in at once. But now that Granny and Yubaba have established that I'm a spirit, they're determined to find my element. I'm not even sure if I have an element… that means I can die. That scares me… I don't want to. Your age as a spirit has nothing to do with when a human dies, and you're called upon to go back to live as a human. Nothing determines that, you're just picked. I wanted to get my element, and fast.

I got my wish.

"Chihiro, would you please put the kettle on?" Zeniba asked.

"Of course Granny." I replied, and went to do as she asked. I was nearing my second year in the spirit world, and we still had no sign of my element. Zeniba and Yubaba were starting to get worried that I didn't have one. When I turned the stove on, then turned to grab the kettle, a flame jumped higher than the rest. With a cry, I flung a hand up to defend myself. To my disbelief, the flame wrapped itself harmlessly around my arm.

"Granny…" I called, and she spun around.

"Chihiro, what is it?" she asked nervously, coming to stand beside me. I showed her my arm with the flame, and her eyes widened. Then she began to smile. "Oh Chihiro! Your element! You found it!"

My eyes widened bigger than hers. "FIRE? I'm a fire spirit?" I couldn't belive it. I'm petrified of fire.

Zeniba beamed. "I believe so! That's quite interesting, there hasn't been a fire spirit for a while… then again there hasn't been a water and air spirit for even longer…"

"Water and air? Who has those?" I asked, coaxing the flame to return to the stove.

"Why, Haku of course!" Zeniba said, looking at me. "Not many spirits have two elements."

"Air? How does he have air?"

Zeniba laughed, "How else is he supposed to fly Chihiro?"

I blushed at my own stupidity. "Oh." I said quietly.

"It's all right dear. Come, let's have dinner. We'll start playing with your new element in the morning."

It's been four years now, and I'm happy to say that I'm in complete control of my element, and no longer afraid of it.Tomy surprise, I never really was... weird.Ever since Zeniba learned that I possessed fire, she became worried for the safety of her house. I kept a tight rein on my anger and power, thus the house never burned down.

I was out in the garden with No-Face when I heard a little voice whispering in my ear. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but it was enough to scare me.

"Granny!" I called, dashing into the house.

"Honestly Chihiro, you're going to go back and work for Yubaba in less than a year! Act like you're 14!" Zeniba scolded me gently, looking up from her book.

"But Granny, I could have sworn there were voices whispering in my ear!"

She snapped her book shut, and went outside. "Voices? Where?"

"I was working in the garden with No-Face, and they just seemed to whisper in my ear…"

Zeniba starred at me a moment, then broke out in a grin. "Hearing voices on the wind are we Chihiro?"

I opened my mouth to defend myself, then her words hit me. "You… you think I have two elements? What other element would I have?"

Zeiba actually laughed at this. "Wind child, wind! If you're hearing things on the wind, it's a sure sign that you're a wind spirit!"

"I have two elements now… do you think I can fly like Haku? I might have wind after all…"

Zeniba furrowed her brow. "I don't know. That's something we'll have to ask Haku when he returns. Until then, I'm going to have fun with you and your new element…"

I groaned, and Zeniba just laughed.

A/N: Yes! Another chapter! I have only one review, but I wanted to get more up here. I'm writing 3 stories right now, so I had to get this up and get it rolling before I loose the motivation to write it. So, here you go!

Dark-Shadow-Rider - Yes, good plot... yay! I'm sorry that it didn't work out for you, I really am. But hey, at least you get to read something along those lines without even writing it yourself. Bonus! I might end up confusing myself in the long run... but hey, where's the fun in writing if it's all easy?

Read and Review!

-Vincent's Angel of Chaos-

Disclaimer: Please say that you know that I don't own any of this? So, if you don't know, none of this is mine, end of story.