Chihiro finished off her plate and wiped her mouth with the napkin in front of her. "The bath house is as beautiful as ever. And I'm not sleepy," Chihiro lied, fighting back a yawn. The truth was, she was scared that all of this was a dream. She was afraid that if she went to sleep, that when she would wake up that all of this would have been a dream. Ever since she left five years ago, she had desperately wanted to come back here. However, the spirit gate just wouldn't open for her. Until today.

Chihiro looked out on the balcony. The sea reminded her of the time that Haku was being chased by the paper birds, and when he spat up blood, and she had to feed him the medicine. He was so aggressive then. She walked over to the balcony, and turned to Haku. "This is very nice, Haku. Thankyou." She sat down on the bed, and rubbed the silky smooth blankets that were heaped on top of it. "If you're not busy," she said, trying not to sound like a little girl, "could you stay until I fall asleep?" She blushed just at the statement. She felt like Haku's little sister when she asked that.

Chihiro waited for a while before Haku returned with a different pair of clothes. She took them, and walked into the bathroom, which was just as elegant as the room that she would be sleeping in. She closed the door behind her, and got out of her jeans, which had gotten a bit wet from when she was crossing the river. She took off her shirt, and slipped into the gown, and put the robe on over it. The gown felt wonderful. It was soft, and didn't get tangled up around her legs like she imagined it would when she looked at it.

Chihiro walked out of the bathroom with her old clothes in her hand, and placed them beside one of the beds. She layed down in the bed, and looked over at Haku.

"Believe me, Haku," Chihiro said, sighing. She sat up in the bed and faced Haku. She pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them. "I tried to come. I tried for almost every day for the past five years. The spirit gate just wouldn't let me through. And I couldn't call to you. They paved your river over and put apartments on it." Chihiro had spent a whole year protesting about paving over the Kohaku River. Her parents got angry at her, and the Japanese Government eventually arrested her. "I'm sorry." She pulled her hair out of its ponytail, and let it fall on her shoulders. Her hair had grown since she had last been here.

((Sorry! Crazy busy yesterday!))

   Haku watched Chihiro's hair fall with a hungry look on his face as he considered her words. "I see. Perhaps the Spirit World was waiting untill the right time, when you would be safe here. When I could truly protect you. My river is still there, by the way. Did you ever do any research into the complex, after it was built? I watched you, trying to protect it. I thank you for that, from the bottom of my heart." He reached forward and brushed her hair back over her ear, allowing his fingers to softly graze her cheek before removing his hand. "They did't truly pave over it. Instead, they bult a kind of artificial cavren around it, under the complex. Set it up as an amusement for the residents. All because of you." Haku gave her a bright smile.

((It's fine. i was just bumping so I could see it. :D))

"They did?" Chihiro picked her head up, her cheeks red from the physical contact. For years she had wanted this to happen. She had wanted to come back here to be with Haku. "I'm sorry. If I would've continued going to the river, I would've noticed it. But my parents wouldn't allow me to go back there. I would've driven myself there, but I'm only fifteen..." Chihiro pulled Boh off of her shoulder along with Yu-bird. She set them on her pillow, and layed down. "Haku," she said, pausing. "Thanks for being so hospitable. Thanks for remembering me."

((No face should come back and go on a rampage and eat some people. :D))

Chihiro couldn't breathe. I waited for you. Those were the only words that she heard. And that was all that she needed to hear. Chihiro let out a smile, and a tear of happiness ran down her cheek onto her pillow. Boh and Yu-bird curled up in her hair, and Chihiro slowly fell asleep.

((Sure. It shall be... The Spirit of Fire.))

Half way through the night, a loud bang sounded in the lobby of the bath house. One of the most evil spirits had arrived; The Spirit of Fire. The bath house girls and the frogs were all running in different directions, trying to avoid the flaming spirit.

"Where's the owner of the bath house?!" The spirit asked. It had already caught the lobby on fire, and the fire was quickly climbing up the walls. "I need to talk to him!" The spirit was nothing but the shape of a dragon in flames It had blue flames for eyes, and the rest of its body was an array of different shades of red fire. "I need to talk to him!" the spirit said, becoming impatient. He blew flames at the walls, catching everything on fire.

~~~

Chihiro jumped up out of her bed, alarmed at all of the screams that were sounding on the first floor. She grabbed Boh and Yu-bird, along with her old clothes, and began to run through the halls. Everyone was yelling for Haku, including Chihiro. She peered down the railing of the bridge above the bathing area that she was on. Everything was going up in flames, and a flaming dragonesque figure wiggled its way through the halls, trying to climb up the walls.

((Sight Bump.))

  Haku raced down the stairs at the first sign of smoke. Upon seeing the fire spirit, he called out, "Spirit of Fire! Come, converse with me in the sky!" Then he ran to the balcony that had been installed for him, assumed his dragon form and shot skyward. "Fire Spirit, what is it that you seek?"

  Inside, the ladies and frogs, every member of the household, even Kamaji, was running franticly, throwing buckets of water onto every burning surface. The Bath House was severly damaged cosmeticly, but thankfully not structuraly. Rin intercepted Chihiro on her way down the stairs. "Hold on there, little sister! Best stay back yet. Just untill we have everything under control."

Chihiro watched as Haku shot up into the sky along with the fire spirit. She was grabbed by Rin. She was frantic by now. "Haku- in the sky- fire dragon- He'll die!" She shook herself free of Rin's grasp.

The Fire Spirit shot up into the air along with Haku. He illuminated everything near it. His fiery blue eyes stared at Haku. "You killed Yubaba!" His flames got bigger and brighter. The Fire Spirit's voice was clearly angry.

  Haku hung motionless in the air, regarding the raging spirit impassively. He had no clue what the other dragon was talking about. Yubaba had all but commited suicide. In her last years, Haku and Rin, along with Zeniba, had been the only ones to care for the aged witch. She had given him the Bath House. He had never asked for it. Had never actually wanted it, but she trusted no one else. "I do not know what you speak of,Yubaba died of her own devices."

  "Hush, Chihiro!" Rin said sharply, pulling the girl back. "Trust him!"

"That girl came here, and Yubaba died. I'll kill the lot of you!" The fire dragon let out a demonic smile before blowing a huge amount of flames around himself, barely missing Haku. When the flames diminished, the spirit was gone. But he would be back.

Chihiro was shaking. When the dragon went up in flames, her eyes got wide. She wished she wasn't so... helpless. So... human.