So I worked on making this longer… I hope you like! I felt the end was a good place to leave it it... And I'm letting Haku keep his dragon ability, and let's just say he morphed out of it because he wanted to be able to talk to Chihiro. Some say he's not able to be a dragon anymore, I say he just decided to morph back because he was so happy. If anyone knows where I got the name for the soot ball, tell me and I'll get you a cookie of any kind if it's correct! XD

"Yes, my dear?" Layne was standing in front of Yubaba. The little green heads looked strangely at Yubaba – she never called anyone who worked for her "dear."

"There's been a small miscalculation. That Chihiro girl messed everything up." Layne sighed, and a chair appeared out of nowhere. She sat down. "We need to change our plans."

S…p…i…r…i…t…e…d……A…w…a…y

After having a good cry, Chihiro felt somewhat better. The little sootballs somehow always made her feel a little better. They were still sitting all over her, big white eyes staring up at her. A few of them had fallen asleep. She smiled down at the fluffy black things.

"S...Chihiro." Kamajii was doing everything he could to call her by her real name now. It was a bit difficult for his old mind, but he was trying. She looked up at him, caramel brown eyes trying to see his eyeballs behind the dark glasses.

"Yes?"

"I want you to be careful. I've been thinking, and the best thing for you to do would be to go and see Zeniba. She won't have you use your powers against you." He quickly realized what he was saying. "She wouldn't have Haku use them against you, but she might. You'll be much safer at Zeniba's." It had been a while since the old man had remembered feeling so protective of someone. A horrible fire had killed all his family one day when he was out meeting with Yubaba. It had been hundreds of years ago. But the last time he had felt like this had been almost five years ago, when a quiet, scared, young girl had walked in and begged for a job. He guessed she might be what his grandkids would have looked liked, as his kids all had brown hair and brown eyes.

"Kama-"

"Please, Chihiro." One of his many hands went back to a drawer behind him. Opening it up, he pulled out another set of train tickets. He handed them to her.

"But, Kamajii, where did you get these?" Her eyes were wide. She remembered that the last tickets he had she had used.

"Oh, I have my ways. Things changed after you left. I managed to get my hands on some." He smiled. "Now, please, go see Zeniba. She will be a much better teacher, anyway. You will be safe."

Chihiro looked up at him. "Safe from what?"

"I don't know yet." He sighed. "But I've been around for a long time, and when I feel something bad is going to happen, something bad happens." He wanted to add, "I've felt this since that purple-haired girl arrived" but decided not to, knowing that would make Chihiro want to stay and take care of Haku, even if he was avoiding her.

"But then I should stay!" Chihiro protested.

"No, my dear, you shouldn't. You will be of no use unless you can properly handle your powers." Chihiro seemed to accept that as an answer.

"Okay. But if anything happens here, there will be no way to keep me away." Chihiro gently plucked all –or what she thought was all- of the soot balls off of her, stood up, and put her shoes back on. "Thanks." She smiled at Kamajii. Had he not been sitting at the moment she would have hugged him, but he was still up much higher than she could comfortably reach and hug. He smiled back, watching as she exited the room. He noticed one of the soot balls comfortable resting on her ponytail, and decided that it might be best if he tagged along, even if it was just to make her smile.

"Get back to work!" Kamajii yelled at the now-jealous remaining soot balls.

S…p…i…r…i…t…e…d……A…w…a…y

"Kamajii?" Haku cautiously took a step forward into the boiler room. Haku hadn't really stopped by to see him since Chihiro left so many years ago.

"What do you want?" Kamajii's gruff voice called out to him. He was still ticked at what Haku had done to Chihiro.

"Do you know where Chihiro is?"

"Yes."

Silence. "Would you tell me?"

"No."

"Why not?" Haku could feel his anger boiling up within him.

"Why would I?" Kamajii bit back, groaning as more orders flew down.

"Because I am supposed to give her her lesson." His voice took on the cool tone it had been with Layne.

"She left. Guess you won't be giving her that lesson."

"What do you mean she left? Where did she go?"

"She went where it's safe."

"Zeniba…" Haku growled under his breath.

"But if you weren't too concerned with Layne and were able to protect her, I wouldn't have told her to go." Kamajii called out as Haku swiftly exited the room. As soon as he was outside he morphed into the dragon form and flew off to Swamp Bottom.

S…p…i…r…i…t…e…d……A…w…a…y

The rain was coming down in sheets as Chihiro passed yet another station. She leaned her head against the cool window of the train. The soft lulling of the train and the melodic noise of the rain were attempting to put her to sleep. She tilted her head so she could see a bit of where the train was headed. She was torn between staying and learning from Zeniba – the more preferable choice – or helping out Haku – which she felt she should be doing after all he had done for her. Kamajii is probably right – Zeniba wouldn't have me use my powers for anything that I don't want to. But if Haku gets into any trouble, I should be there to help him. But then I risk possibly being forced to use my powers against him… Chihiro sighed. Wouldn't my creative writing teacher just love to hear my stories! She chuckled at the thought. Chihiro had tried to write a story about what had happened once for a fiction submission. Her teacher had laughed and said she had an overactive imagination. But she had "good form." I wonder if my parents miss me… Chihiro thought sulkily. Her mom was pregnant with twin girls, and that meant that Chihiro would be moved to the cramped attic room while the twins got a huge bedroom to themselves. It also meant that the rest of Chihiro's three years at home would be spent taking care of the two "precious" babies. Even though they weren't born yet, she knew she'd hate them. Her parents were starved for free time the way it was, with her father trying to be a big-shot lawyer, and her mother working at a bakery. Chihiro would probably be stuck raising the two girls almost on her own while studying, playing a few sports, and not going crazy. I bet no one at school will even know I'm gone. They never liked my anyway… Chihiro was just about to drift off to sleep when she felt a warm, soft, and furry thing crawl onto her nose. She opened both of her eyes only to find the little soot ball that had hung onto her ponytail staring at her.

"Thought I got you all off…" Chihiro said, but she was grinning. "Well, I guess you can't go back now, huh? What should I name you…?" Chihiro pondered the thought for a while. "Hmm… Kyoji?" He squealed, and Chihiro took it that he liked it. "Kyoji it is, then. Why did you decide to come with me?" Another squeal. "Okay, I'll stick to yes and no questions. Did you just want to see the world outside of the boiler room?" Squeal. "Well, I'll let you come along on one condition – you tell everyone back home what you saw/did so they can have an idea, okay?" Another very happy squeal. "Good. Well, I'd like to get a bit of sleep before I arrive at Zeniba's, because I have a strong feeling I'll have to tell her everything." He nodded. "Okay then. Just find someplace comfortable. Just don't go in my shirt or pants. I can promise that you'll be thrown out the window." She glared at him to make sure he understood. He quickly scurried off into her pocket. Smiling, Chihiro fell off into a very light sleep.

"Sixth station!" The intercom system boomed, waking Chihiro up from her dreamless sleep. Groggily, she stood up and made her way off of the train, now standing on the wet platform. At least it stopped raining. She started walking when she noticed the lamp hop up in front of her. Should've known she'd be expecting me.

"Still in there, Kyoji?" She mumbled to the ball of fluff in her pocket. In response he poked his eyes out of the pocket and blinked at her. "Guess you are." She smiled and continued following the lamp. A few minutes later she arrived at Zeniba's cozy cottage, and suddenly a large, robust woman in a blue dress rushed out at her.

"CHIHIRO!"

R&R please!