Author's Note: This is my very first fan fic and I'm kinda surprised how it turned out. I mean it's not the best thing out there, but it doesn't totally suck either. I've changed the rating from PG-13 to R for future sexual situations, and just a precaution so I don't get banned. Read on and I hope you like it. .

Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Spirited Away...

Chapter 1

Chihiro sat perched at the end of her bed as she stared out of her window absent mindedly. She had her earphones on listening to her favorite CD, but her mind was far off in another place. As she stared on to the lake below her bedroom window, her thoughts were filled by a silver dragon flying gracefully across the sky. She was knocked out of her daydream by her mother who grabbed her suddenly by the shoulder.

"Earth to Chihiro!"

Chihiro giggled and pulled off her headphones and pushed the stop button on her CD player, she hadn't realized that she had zoned out there for a moment.

"I'm right here Mom, geeze, you don't have to yell..."

"Well if you are through daydreaming, lover boy is on the phone for you downstairs."

Chihiro hopped of her bed and ran past her mother. She galloped down the stairs and into the kitchen, and picked up the phone that was resting on the counter. Before speaking, she cleared her throat self-consciously.

"Hello?"

"Hiya babe."

"Hey Jake, what's up?"

"Oh nothing, just laying here thinking about you...as usual."

Chihiro smiled, Jake is her very first boyfriend. After constant persuading by her friends, and Jake for that matter, she finally decided to take up dating. After all, sixteen was too old of an age for her to still be single. Then again, her thoughts kept going back to Haku. Her first and probably only love. I mean, Jake is nice and all, but it just wasn't the same.

"Well you need to get your thoughts off me, and into your school work. You need to pass your math test tomorrow to bring up your grade."

"Okay Mom," Jake chuckled ",I've already got everything down packed, so there's no need for you to worry your pretty head."

Chihiro's figure had changed dramatically since she had grown over the years. She still kept her tomboy-ish looks, but her curves signify that she was sprouting into a lovely woman. She had grown taller and held herself proudly. After daily nagging from her mother, she decided to wear her hair down instead of wearing it tied up into a ponytail. And if she felt like it, some days she would even style it, adding extra curls and bounce.

"Chi, you don't have any plans tomorrow after school do you?"

Chihiro hated that little nick-name he had given her, but decided to hold her tongue.

"Well, I have softball practice, but other than that I'm free."

"Wanna go to that new restaurant they opened up across the street from the school, Hayasaki?"

Chihiro began to twist the phone cord nervously around her fingers. Her very first date with Jake. Maybe she might be able to get finally forget completely about Haku and actually have the time of her life. After a few moments she answered hesitantly.

"Sure. lemmie just ask my dad if it's okay, I'm sure he wouldn't have any objections."

"Great! well, see you tomorrow in school. Don't forget about our date okay?"

Chihiro giggled ", I wont... see you tomorrow!"

Chihiro placed the phone into its holding and walked into the dining room where her father was hunched over his work. He was an accountant and he took his work very seriously.

"Dad?"

Her father put up one finger signaling to hold on for a moment. Chihiro stood waiting in the doorway until her father was ready to speak with her.

"What is it Chihiro?"

Her father was under high stress from his work, usually he was carefree and joyous, but lately he had been serious and somber. The thin black lines around his eyes showed he was in deed lacking sleep.

"After practice tomorrow, Jake asked me to go out with him. Is it okay with you if I go?"

Her father cringed at the thought of his little girl dating, but he tried to stay open-minded.

"I don't mind, as long as you are in at a decent hour. I don't want you carousing around at all hours of the night." Her father smirked, "Your mother used to do that, and that's how we wound up with you."

Chihiro giggled, she hadn't seen her father smile in some time now, and it was refreshing.

" 'kay. Ill even be extra nice and bring you home some take out."

Chihiro hugged her father and turned to go up to her room and get ready for bed. As she was going up the stairs she heard her father call after her.

"Don't get anything spicy! You know spicy foods give me the runs!"

Chihiro laughed and closed her bedroom door behind her. As she was getting her night shirt on, a sparkly purple hair tie sitting on her dresser caught her eye. Suddenly she was filled with deep longing for Haku. She had decided that Haku, no matter what he promised, was never going to see her again. She felt a lump grow at the back of her throat as she thought about Haku, and everything they went through together. The back of her eyes began to sting. No, she had cried too many tears over Haku. She was determined to get over him. Who longs for someone for over six years? It was simply unhealthy. As she turned her light out and climbed into bed, she thought about his intoxicating green eyes, and how they comforted her at one time, long ago. Even though she wished against it, her dreams were filled with Haku and the spirit world.

-

Haku stared soberly at the ceiling as he rested against Yu-Babba's door.

"How long is she going to keep me waiting?"

Soon after that thought, he heard the sound of massive wings flapping meaning that his superior had returned. He quickly stood to his feet and opened the door. Yu-Babba stood next to a wide open window unwrapping herself from a giant ebony blanket.

"You wanted to see me Yu-Babba?"

The blanket in Yu-Babba's hands shrank until it could barely be seen before it disappeared completely.

"Yes, I have another task for you Haku..."

"What's new..." Haku thought, he would never speak these words aloud. Well not to Yu-Babba's face anyway.

"I would like you to go to the Human world and fetch me a human. But not just any human. I want Chihiro."

Haku stared at her in pure and utter shock, "B-But you said she could go back to the human world! Why after six years do you suddenly want her? After my constant pleading for my own freedo-"

"Silence!" Yu-Babba screamed so forcefully that she knocked over several vase's and papers scattered everywhere.

"I know she will come here if you ask her to, because of her love for you. You and I both know this." She began to clean the room by pointing her finger to various objects causing them to go back into place or piecing themselves back together.

Haku began to speak up, "But why her? Why do you need her?"

"Because, you foolish boy, I require her. She has seen the spirit world, and is the only human to do so and without being transformed as a punishment. I want her to go on a journey, a journey for an item only a person of her stature can achieve. An item so powerful, that even my power stands down to it. This power I must have for myself." After saying this, Yu-Babba walked over to her armchair near a fireplace and fell into it. She waved her finger toward the hearth, and suddenly flames flickered and danced about inside of it.

Haku was taken aback. He had remembered his promise he made to Chihiro, that he would see her again. He asked, no begged Yu- Babba many times to take him off contract. But many times over, she refused and sent him on back on mission after mission. How he wished that he could see her again. The memory of her hand enclosed in his as he told her to leave and never look back came rushing back to him. He had loved her, but he was so young. How can someone that age know what love really was? It was different from love in fairy tales. It was pure, and unconditional. Suddenly a disturbing thought came to him, "What if she doesn't remember me? After all it has been six long years..." He tried to shake the thought from his mind.

"How shall I get her then? I am not allowed to go past the river...will you finally let me free?"

"Your getting ahead of yourself boy, I will grant you the power to go between the human world and spirit world. With this power you shall be able to cross the river." Yu-Babba grinned, " And since you mention your freedom, how about we make a deal? If you bring Chihiro to me, and she brings me what I desire, I shall grant you your freedom."

Haku stopped breathing for a moment and took in what she was saying. After all these long years she would finally grant him his freedom? This was too good to be true. Suddenly Yu-Babba's voice stomped into his thoughts.

"...BUT! If she fails to get me what I wish for, you shall forever be bound to me."

"Deal." Haku said with out thinking. He knew Chihiro could do it, he believed she could do anything, that's how much he loved her. But how will she react to seeing him? Will she be happy? Will she even remember him? These thought filled his mind as he raced down the steep concrete stairs to prepare for his assignment.

-

Authors Note: Did you like it? I really hope you enjoyed it! Be sure to R&R!

: Did you like it? I hope you enjoyed it! Be sure to R&R!