A/N: I'm officially done with my first year in college and, damn, was summer class a pain in the ass. So in celebration of passing my exams, I thought I would continue this fic since the feels won't let me be.

Thanks for the reviews, favorites and alerts! You guys really helped me in deciding to continue this or not. :)

Disclaimer: Spirited Away is owned by the great Miyazaki-san.

Lin wiped the dripping sweat from her forehead. It was another day of her endless contract of work in the bath house. After giving a sigh, she continued on scrubbing one of the grand baths around with the right force she had been using for as long as she could remember. She would always use that kind of force for her young muscles would never tire and her bones would never wither. Because she would never age and grow any older just like those who inhabit the world she lived in. Just like the young dragon boy.

She remembered him lightly sneaking up to her in their quarters last night, just like any other night after the little girl had crossed the bridge of their world, saying goodbye to all of them with her cheeky grin. She would sit by him in silence, letting themselves be bathed by the glow of the moon. He would say nothing, he would not show any visible emotion. He would just sit there, gaze at the dark horizon with eyes filled with longing to go to the other side. And with that, she would gaze too. Because they both missed her.

But last night was different. Neither did they sit down to watch the moon nor did they silently wait for dawn to break. They stood there, facing each other with the boy letting out the first fresh drops of tears and with her holding onto his small shoulders, trying to comfort him in the starless night. The once stoic dragon boy had his façade down and became vulnerable.

Last night, he told her that she came back. This brought a small hope within Lin: she would finally see an old friend again. However the boy told her the tragedy of her return, for spirits in their afterlife are fated to move on without something so fickle such as memories. And no magic can ever change that.

They stood there filled with so much remorse. As the boy cried a river, she bit her lip to hold back her own tears. She looked down at the boy, for he will never grow any taller although he had a spirit of a man wise enough not to meddle with the rules that governed their world. Lin cursed Fate, for it had been cruel. Fate strangled its strings around his pained heart, always reminding him that the little girl will be forever far from his reach.

As she washed off the last dirt from the massive bath, Lin let out a sigh of relief, mentally patting herself for a job well done. She had been told that she would assist another spirit brought back by Death from the other side. The witch ruling the bath house had once told the staff about this kind of spirits.

Occasionally these spirits would stumble upon their grand bath house and seek serenity.

Lost spirits, as the witch had put it, but they were told to bring something valuable as payment, which made her welcome them aside from the usual eccentric but rich spirits they had for customers. During her long stay in the bath house, Lin had assisted quite a handful of these spirits and served them just as they are the bath house's patrons.

She went towards the gates to meet her client and forced herself a smile despite the lingering sadness she still had from last night. After asking one of her co-workers which one was her client, she was stunned to see a familiar face, waiting on one corner with a confused look. She couldn't believe her eyes for it was the little girl, who was long ago put under her care, who now became a woman any god would take for a wife. Her little Sen came back, she thought as she slowly stepped towards the woman. She wanted to embrace her tightly and tell her how much she missed her. However, all thoughts were dismissed as she remembered the dragon boy's words and how everything else was futile.

These spirits didn't speak much for usually confusion and loneliness overwhelmed them.

Lin looked up at the woman's eyes, for the little girl had grown and matured unlike her. She saw the hollowness of those orbs, all vitality taken away by Death. She fought back her tears, just as she did last night. The woman smiled at her politely with no hint of recognition. And she bowed in return and led her to her ready-made bath with her head lowered, not wanting anyone to detect any sorrow from her.

But once they sink in the warm bath and let themselves be covered with the steam, they would open their mouth to say strings of phrases and words they don't even understand themselves.

The water splashed on the woman's bare shoulder as Lin quietly stood behind her with the empty wooden bucket on her rough callous hands. She looked at her client, who was fixing her long brown hair with her soft fingers. Her Sen had indeed grown into a fine woman, someone Lin would never be. And someone the dragon boy would never have, she thought as she saw a gold metal band around her finger.

"A young boy came up to me last night and called me Chihiro."

The woman finally spoke, with her pleasant honey-coated voice. Chihiro. That was Sen's real name. Lin knew because the boy told her one night. But Lin kept silent, for she knew that she must let her client not be disturbed. So the woman continued. And she listened.

"His voice seemed familiar. And his touch was like that of a lifetime ago. His eyes told me we knew each other. But I don't know him."

Lin's heart clenched. But still, she listened.

They don't understand for their memories are lost, just as the steam escaping from the bath they plunged into.

"I don't know anything anymore. I can't even remember who I am. All I remember is that I'm waiting for something. Something important. But I don't know what it is."

But Lin knew. She knew and it pained her heart to see her two friends broken, her little Sen −who was once strong-willed and determined− now a confused spirit lost in the hollow depths of her being, and the young dragon boy who was now full of self-doubt and helplessness as he failed to reach out to his love. She could feel the burning sorrow inside of her. Hot tears were beginning to fall down.

"He's such a nice boy."

She looked up to see the woman fully dressed with a small smile on her face. Her rough hands were covered by smooth ones as she felt a cold metal on her palm. She was given the gold ring as her payment.

After giving their payment, they would leave the bath house in a subtle way and they would continue to wander this world in search for something they don't know.

Lin watched her crossed the bridge. But Sen left without a cheeky grin. Instead it was a sad smile that made Lin quietly sob as she realized she had lost her little girl.

A/N: I just really loved the thought of having someone notice the inevitable sorrow caused by the distance of Haku and Chiriho. So I thought Lin was perfect for that role.