Don't Look Back – Chapter 1

New Beginnings

"Promise." I told her firmly. I held my hand out, "Now, don't look back." I whispered to her. She smiled sadly, and began to descend down the stone steps. I felt her small hand slip from mine. The warmth from her hand was taken away, and so was my heart. I starred at my empty hand with growing sorrow. She's not even gone from my sight, and I already miss her. She was now talking with her parents on the human side of the river. They disappeared into the tunnel, but she didn't follow them. I saw her slowly turning her head to look back… dread filled my body. "No! Don't look back!" I cried. It seemed like she heard me, for her head turned back away from me. Then, her head spun around to face me. Time seemed to stop. We locked gazes for a few seconds, before she doubled over in pain.

"CHIHIRO!" I screamed.

When a human looks back, the magic from the spirit world clashes with the normality of the human world. The human standing on the border of the two worlds feels the pull of both places, and their soul is unsure where it belongs. So, the human dies from the strain, their soul being unable to decide where to go before their body can't take it anymore. Many spirits think that humans can't live here because their bodies can't adapt to all of the magic floating around.

All spirits were told horrible and frightening stories about spirits who crossed the river. A spirit walking towards the border would begin to feel weak, possibly even diebecause they were walking away from the magic that supported their very existence. I didn't think… I didn't care. I didn't think about my actions, and I didn't care what they brought upon myself. I took off at a run towards Chihiro.

With every step I took, I understood why spirits never crossed the river. Every breath I took caused me pain; every move I made seemed to put my body on fire. It felt I was dying a slow and painful death, which I kind of was. I ignored the pain, and gathered Chihiro into my arms. I took a step back toward the spirit world, and I felt refreshed. With newfound vigor, I stumbled back to the bathhouse. With every step I took, my strength returned. When I reached the top of the stone steps, I was running at full speed.

Then I realized crossing the river didn't actually kill spirits, staying across the river did. Staying on the human side of the river makes spirits weak, and if they get weak enough, they simply don't have the energy to get back…that's how they die.

I thanked every god that I knew for my safe crossing, and prayed even harder for the tiny human that I carried in my arms.

"Kamajii!" I cried, opening the door to the boiler room.

"Eh?" The old spirit replied, looking towards the door I just came through. Then he spotted Chihiro, and got off of his pedestal. "Sen! Wh-what happened to her?"

"She looked back." I said softly.

"Oh no… bring her over here." Kamajii whispered, pulling out a sleeping mat.

"She's still breathing… how I don't know." I said, lying her down gently.

"Perhaps her body is adapting to the magic here?"

"You think… you think that she could actually live here? But she's a human-"

Kamajii interrupted me. "Human die when they look back because they can't take the magic here, they're not connected to this world enough. But, she's still alive, that's a good sign, and a good indicator that she can live here. Something… or someone must be very important to her back here, that prevented her soul from leaving her."

I listened to his speech; hope beginning to flow through my veins. "I hope what you say is true Kamajii… but what of her parents?"

"I… I don't know. That you will have to ask Zeniba or Yubaba."

I nodded in understanding, and then reached inside of myself. I healed Chihiro, making her pain fade away. When I was done, the room spun slightly, but I refused to faint. "There. She's just asleep right now, and I know that she'll be starving once she wakes up. When she gets something to eat, we need to move her to a proper room…" I said.

Kamajii nodded, and grabbed another sleeping matt. "Understood. I may not know a lot about healing, but I do know that you need some sleep. No arguments… now, lie down Haku."

I smiled faintly, and lied down on the sleeping matt next to the sleeping Chihiro. "Thank you Kamajii."

"Don't mention it." He said, and went back to work.

The sounds of the boiler room soon put me to sleep.

I awoke to silence. Kamajii sleeping, and the fires were stilled. All I could hear was breathing of three or four people. Wait, four? Only Kamajii, Chihiro, and I were in here…

"It's only me Haku." Rin said, sitting up from her sleeping matt. "Sen's okay too, I checked five minutes ago."

I nodded my head, saying nothing.

"Kamajii told me what happened." Rin went on, "I'll tell you that what you did was extremely stupid, and that I thank you for it."

I let a small smile emerge. "Thank you Rin. Does anyone know what's going to happen to her?"

"Nope. No human has ever survived when they looked back… we're going to have to wait and see, when she wakes up that is. Until then, you better go visit your river."

"Huh? Rin, my river is dead."

But she just shook her head. "No. Haku, a river never really dies, according to Zeniba and Yubaba anyway. Your river isn't dead, and they found it. They told me that if you didn't go attend to it soon, it will be."

"Even if that's true, it will take me years to fully restore it!"

"Then you better get started. I'll tell Sen where you are when she wakes up. Don't worry, I'll watch her like she's my sister."

I smiled outright at this, "Rin, she might as well go ahead and be your sister."

Rin smiled back, "That sounds like a good idea. Maybe the gods will let her become my sister… who knows. You better go."

I slowly got up, and then frowned. "But how am I supposed to find it?"

"You know your name now, so you should be able to, right?"

I nodded, "Makes sense." I put on my sandals, and then kneeled down beside Chihiro. "Wake up soon, okay? We're all waiting to see how you are… I'll be back when I can, so stay around until then, all right?" I whispered to her, and leaned down to kiss her forehead. With that, I left… but I had one place to stop by before I left.

"You want me to what?" Yubaba hissed, "What makes you think that you have the power to make me do such a thing?"

"I do. I have my river back, you know that."

Yubaba paled. I knew that she didn't like the fact that I managed to break my contract, not one bit. "She'll get her old job back-"

"No. She'll serve you where I said she would, and she'll do it without a contract. Am I understood?"

Yubaba eyed me coolly, pausing. "Fine!" she spat at me after a few minutes. "She messes up once, and I'm free to do anything to her that I see fit."

"My river… oh my poor river..." I whispered. The devastation wracked upon my river was indescribable. Now I know that this will take me more than five years to correct. I slipped into what remained of my river, and sighed. Even though it may weak, the majestic river that it once was is still hidden in these waters, and I'm going to bring it back out for the world to see once again. I'll even force the humans out of their apartments if I have to. This river is mine, and mine alone.

((Chihiro's POV))

I woke up, and groaned. I felt like a train just hit me. Suddenly, I remembered what had happened. I had looked back. I promised Haku that I wouldn't… and I go ahead and do it. What kind of friend am I?

… I don't know why I looked back. It's was as if someone was trying to turn my head. Then, the wind blew, and it seemed to whisper something to me.

"Haku… Haku won't live long after you leave. He has enemies… and they want him dead. Save him… don't let him die…"

I was scared. Scared because I thought I was hearing things that weren't there… scared for Haku. I turned my head… and that's all I remember.

"Sen! You're awake!"

I turned my head to where the voice came from. "Rin?" I croaked, and was surprised how weak my voice sounded.

"Hush Sen, I'm right here." She said softly. "Since you gave Haku his name back, it somehow brought back his river. Yubaba and Zeniba found it, and he's there restoring it."

"How… long?"

"How long will it take? Your guess is as good as mine. I do know that it'll take a few years. He told me to look after you, as if I wouldn't do it anyway."

I smiled. This was Rin all right. "So he's free of Yubaba's control."

"He is, and the entire bathhouse is celebrating. When they learned Yubaba was controlling him, everyone is eager to see the real him… but they're not going to get anything different."

I laughed, "Who knows?"

"Not me. Here, we need to get you some food, and they head over to Zeniba's?"

"Huh? Why?"

"We need to see what looking back did to you because we really don't know. No human has ever done that and lived."

"Oh." I said in a small voice. Rin left, got me some food, which I devoured in seconds. Then, I was taken up to Yubaba's office, and she transported me to her sister's house.

"Chihiro! Oh, I was so worried when I heart about you! Are you all right little one?" Zeniba cried, rushing out of her house to embrace me.

"Granny!" I said happily, hugging her back. "I'm fine, really."

"And this is your friend, Rin, right?" Zeniba asked, looking over my shoulder.

"Yes this is."

Rin bowed low. "Lady Zeniba, it's an honor."

"Oh dear… my sister has put those kind of manners into you… please, it's just Zeniba, Rin. Being called 'Lady' makes me feel so old…"

We all laughed, and Rin helped me into the house.

"Rin… you haven't looked at Chihiro'a aura, have you?" Zeniba asked suddenly as she sipped her tea.

"No… no, I haven't. Why?"

"Check. You may be surprised at what you find."

Rin looked at me hard, and gasped. "Whoa! Her aura… it's glowing!"

"I know."

"Huh?" I asked, looking at the both of them, "What does that mean?"

"That's not all that's off Rin. Look at her soul." Zeniba went on. Rin did so, and a stupid grin covered her face.

"NO WAY! I could see it when she worked at the bathhouse, but it seems… clearer now than it did then."

"I believe that she might be more connected to this world than we she worked for my sister. Her body must have accepted and welcomed the magic of the spirit world. Chihiro might just be-"

"What's going on?" I asked, growing frustrated.

The both of them just looked at me. Zeniba broke the silence.

"Little one, you may have just become a spirit."

A/N: OH YEAH! A new fic out there for you people! If you haven't seen Spirited Away, you need to do so. Not only so you understand what's going on, but it'sa REALLY good movie.

Read and review!

-Vincent's Angel of Chaos-