Finally at the part I've been meaning to write. I have to say that there was a lot of activity in this chapter so it took me awhile to get this chapter done. Plus I did a whole lot of editing before posting so I hop it's all good

Don't own Yugioh or spirited away folks!

Ryou and Kura as he recalled was called hid behind a few bushes in the garden of the bathhouse. Everyone in the bathhouse meanwhile were running everywhere looking for Kura. They must hold high respect for him if they all call him "Kura-sama". Just who is he anyway? He's been a big help to me despite bringing me back here but whatever he has planned for me I have to trust him. Ryou thought.

"They know you're here." Kura said looking over the bushes just enough to see what's going on but not enough to expose us.

"I'm sorry I couldn't hold it in much longer, it's all my fault…" Ryou said looking down at the ground sadly. He felt a slight tug on his shoulders and looked up to see Kura looking at the smaller boy comfortingly.

"No, Ryou. You did good." Kura said moving his face closer to Ryou's. The boy blushed wanting to pull away but couldn't. He could be the one person that can help me save my family from whatever is going. Before Ryou knew it Kura was talking again.

"Listen carefully, Ryou. You can't stay here, unless you want to be found and then you won't be able to rescue your family. I'll distract them long enough for you to escape-"

"No! Don't leave me, please! I don't want to be alone." Ryou begged grabbing onto his shirt in a desperate attempt to have him not to be abandoned. Kura took hold of both his hands hands and looked him in the eye.

"There isn't much choice if you want to save your family, Ryou. The is what you have to do." Kura explained. Ryou looked up at him sadly, feeling the need to cry.

"My mother and sister did turn into pigs, this really is happening isn't it?" He asked quietly. Kura nodded and lightly touched his forehead with his hand.

"When things quiet down, go out through the back gate" That was Kura's voice wasn't it? And what are these images he's sending me? The boy wondered. Even though Kura has these powers he apparently can't read the boy's mind right now and continues with the instruction.

"Go all the way down stairs until you reach the boiler room. There you'll find Sugoroku the boiler man." Kura explained removing his hand from my forehead.

"Sugoroku?" Ryou asked. Kura nodded.

"Tell him you want to work here, even if he turns you away you must insist. If you don't get a job Kaiba will turn you into an animal." Kura warned.

"Kaiba? Who is he…?" He asked.

"He's the man that owns the bathhouse with an iron fist. Sugoroku may try to turn you away or even trick you into leaving but just keep asking for a job. It'll be hard work but you'll be able to stay here. Then even Kaiba won't be able to hurt you." Kura said finishing his instructions. Ryou merely nodded not having much choice. All he said went against his instincts but even Ryou had to listen to him if he wanted to save his family. Both of them were snapped back to reality when more people shouted out Kura's name trying to find him.

"I have to go. But don't forget, Ryou, I'm your friend." Kura said giving both of Ryou's hands a slight squeeze before standing up. A thought occurred to Ryou just now. How does he know my name? Ryou grabbed onto both of his hands wanting to know the answer.

"Wait, how do you know my name?" He asked looking up into his mahogany eyes. He looked back into Ryou's own eyes with a look that read "I know but I don't know how to explain it".

"I've known you since you were a little boy, Ryou. Be careful and whatever you do, don't make a sound." Kura said finally letting go of his hands and coming up to the slider door where everyone has been shouting his name.

"Calm down, I'm coming." Kura said approaching the door.

"Kura-sama! Kaiba wants to see you." One of the spirits said spotting him.

"I know. It's about my mission, isn't it?" Kura asked taking off his shoes and stepping inside. One of the spirits took his shoes for him and brought it into the room.

Ryou stayed there for awhile watching Kura leave with the other spirits. He shrunk back into the bushes once it finally sunk in that he was alone and will be doing the rest of the mission by myself. But all he had to do is go to Sugoroku for work so it shouldn't be too hard.

He crawled away from the bushes and went to the back gate where Kura told him to go. He opened the gate and saw that the stairs were attached to the building itself and went down for miles! Just how far do I have to go just to go to the boiler room? He slowly crossed the stairs. Cautiously he put one foot on one stair at a time. He wasn't sure how old the stairs were so He made sure to be extra careful when going down. Unfortunately that wasn't so easy. One of the steps broke down under his feet making him fall down most of the stairs. I'm pretty grateful that I didn't fall under the stairs. But it was a great shock of course. He fell down a few steps and once he gained his footing ran. He ran down the stairs like my life depended on it, which in a way it kind of did. He kept himself from screaming remembering Kura's warning about keeping quiet though the need to panic did rise within him causing an adrenaline rush making Ryou run faster than before. The boy was practically gliding down the stairs until he barely glimpsed the wall ahead of him and ran face first into it. OUCH!

Pulling away to catch his breath Ryou panted quietly until he heard a window creak open. Looking up he saw one of the spirits smoking a cigarette. Slowly he moved away from the wall and continued his way down the stairs much more quietly this time. It took much longer this time but since Ryou made 90km dash down the stairs he got to the boiler room a lot more quickly at the same time. Once he made it all the way down the stairs Ryou came across a door with pipes next to it. I'm assuming it's safe to say that this is the door to the boiler room. Opening the door answered his question as there was a man working next to a furnace. He was a slightly elderly man with grey spiked hair, similar to the boy that came up to Kura at the bridge. The thing that horrified his was that he has four arms! No man has that many arms! Except this isn't the human world, this is the spirit world. He looked down to the floor saw that all of the coal in the room was moving to the furnace. But wait… the coal isn't moving. Something is moving the coal. Looking closely Ryou saw that little spirits were moving the coal across the room to the furnace throwing in the coal and scurrying away to the mouse holes on the other side of the room and then coming back with more coal. Sugoroku just seemed to be grinding herbs and scraping it into the furnace. What an interesting business he has going on here.

Ryou considered going to talk to Sugoroku if it weren't for the fact that he doesn't deal well with the heat in the room and that seeing him with so many arms and these little spider things moving the coal around made his slightly terrified. (Yes, in case you're wondering he is afraid of spiders.) After packing up his stuff Ryou discovering that there was a spiders nest under his bed, and it made poor Ryou highly arachnophobic. He hid away from the man not wanting his phobia to overcome him. If I just hid away from all the spider looking creatures and took a few deep breaths I think I can come up to him and ask for a job. That shouldn't be too hard. He thought

Inhale.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Gasp!

One of the steam pipes hissed and a puff of evaporated water floated towards Ryou's face. Phew! For a second I thought someone spotted me. Taking one last deep breath to calm his nerves he stepped out of his hiding spot and slowly walk up to Sugoroku.

"H-hello? Sir…? Are you Sugoroku?" Ryou knew stuttering is a sign of weakness but he didn't care. He was desperate!

"Hmm?" Sugoroku hummed stopping from his work and peering at the boy. Ryou stepped back not liking the way he was being looked at. He didn't mind that he didn't answer his question though. There was no one else in the room and Kura said that only Sugoroku worked here so it was an educated guess that this elderly man was Sugoroku.

"Uh, Kura told me to come here for a job. Can I please work here, sir?" Ryou asked almost pleadingly. He jumped slightly when he heard a dinging sound and four wooden token like objects fell through the hole in the sealing. Sugoroku looked away from the boy and straight at the wooden tokens peering at them almost in the same way he did to Ryou. Is he blind…?

"Four bath tokens at the same time? I'm getting too old for this..." Sugoroku complained. He picked up a small hammer and hit it against a turning wheel. "Come on, get a moving, you little dirt balls!" He called out. Ryou turned his head around to the mouse holes to see more of the sprites coming out. He didn't even realize that they were all hiding to begin with when he arrived to the boiler room. Maybe they disappeared when Ryou turned his back on them.

"Yes, I'm Sugoroku. I work in the boiler that heats the bath water up stairs- Move it, you runts!" He said calling out to the soot sprites again. The soot sprites made their slow approach to the furnace and Ryou looked back at Sugoroku desperately.

"Please, sir! I need to get a job here!" He yelled. Ryou didn't mean to raise his voice, it's just so loud as it is in the room and Ryou really needed to get a job or else this Kaiba person will turn him into an animal and he won't save his family.

"You don't want to work here, kid. Plus I don't need any help. This place is so full of so much soot that all I have to do is cast a spell on them and their all the workers I need." Sugoroku said. All the soot sprites now have begun to move around Ryou's feet. He stepped aside for them so they could get through to the furnace but then more soot sprites came up to his feet making screeching sounds. Ryou took that as a sign that they wanted him out of the way.

"Oh, sorry. Let me just move over… here…" Ryou murmured moving his foot over the increasing pile of coal and soot sprites. He just barely moved over the pile and walked over to stand next to a mouse hole so that way he wouldn't be in the way. Sugoroku moved his hand over to the boy and made a waving gesture.

"Move, boy." He said. Ryou stepped away from the wall where it turns out to be a bunch of drawers filled with more herbs. He pulls out a handful and proceeds to grind them while Ryou just sat there staring at the ground. What can I do if he won't let me work for him? Ryou thought to himself.

He focused his eyes on the moving soot sprites, and saw one of them crawling out holding a piece of coal over its head until the coal crushed him. Ryou blinked in surprise. Did he just die? Wanting to know his answer he lifted the coal off the crushed soot sprite. There was a black spot where the soot sprite died but it wasn't dead, because it regenerated back into its original form and scurried back into the mouse hole. Still holding the surprisingly heavy coal Ryou turned to Sugoroku.

"Sugoroku-san, what do I do with this?" Ryou asked trying to hold up the heavy object. When I get back home I'm going to exercise more. Ryou promised himself.

"Finish what you started, human." Sugoroku said barely turning his head around to look at him. What, you mean I finally get to do something here and not have to worry about being turned into a pig by Kaiba? Yes! A smile formed on the boy's face as he made his way to the furnace. The soot sprites moved away from him making a small opened path for the boy.

Making his way to the furnace Ryou almost took a step back. The heat from the furnace was incredible! Fire danced out of the open mouth making Ryou want to close his eyes and look away not wanting to get burned. But he had to get the coal in there as well. He knew it wasn't going to be easy but he had to get the job done. Making a few quick steps to the furnace and throwing the coal into the fire Ryou made a quick escape to hide behind Sugoroku's "working table". The heat was so bad he felt his own sweat pouring from his forehead down his cheeks. That was scary but I bet it beats being caught by Kaiba. He thought to himself panting heavily from having to exert his body and being so close to the hot flames.

Squish!

Looking down and he saw that another soot sprite got crushed by coal. And one by one all of them dropped coal onto their heads and huddled up to Ryou with the coal as if asking him to do the work for them. Is this for real? I just barely survived being burned to death and they want me to do their work? Ryou thought incredulously.

Thunk, thunk, thunk!

Ryou looked up and to see Sugoroku hammering the small wooden mallet against his work table. "Hey, you runts! You wanna turn back into soot?" He yelled at the sprites, and aimed his mallet towards Ryou, "And you, stay out of this. You can't just take someone else's job. If they don't work, the spell wears off and they turn back into soot. There's no work for you here, okay? Try somewhere else." He ranted. B-but I need this job. It's my only way to stay away from Kaiba… The soot sprites stood back, glaring at Sugoroku and crawling towards Ryou with the coal closer to him making the pile seem bigger.

"You dirt balls got a problem? Get back to work!" Sugoroku shouted.

"Chow time! What going on? Are the twerps fighting again?" A man said coming out through another door in the boiler room. How many doors are there in this one room? Ryou watched carefully as the white haired, dark skinned older male came up to Sugoroku.

"Where's your other bowl from yesterday, old man? Man, I keep telling you to leave it out, the least you can do is do me this one favor while I give you your damn food." He asked putting down his basket and holding out his hand. Sugoroku handed him his empty food bowl and held out his hands for his food smiling that he finally got a dinner break.

"Meal time! Take a break." Sugoroku called out to the soot sprites. The sprites jump out from underneath the coal and went straight to the white haired male for their food. The older male kneeled over the sprites and tossed in a handful of sprinkles to feed the sprites. The other male glanced over at Ryou and shot a glare at him. Ryou flinched.

"You're the human everyone's looking for! You're in trouble, kid." He said, a sick grin forming on his face. Already Ryou knew that this man hated him. Are all humans treated this poorly by the spirits?

"He's my grandson." Sugoroku said with a mouthful of food in his mouth. Ryou and the other man looked over to Sugoroku both wondering what he was getting at.

"Grandson?" The male asked incredulously. It's like he finds it hard to believe that even this man who turned Ryou earlier form the job offer could even bother to help him.

"He says he wants to work here, but I got all the help I need. Will you take him to see Kaiba-sama? He may not look it but he's a tough little boy and will fit right in." Sugoroku said still munching on his dinner. The other man tossed in the sprinkles over the soot sprites angrily.

"Never! Are you telling me to risk my life for a pathetic human? Are you out of your mind?!" He asked lowering his gaze so that he's glaring at Sugoroku through his bangs. Ryou blinked having just noticed the scar under his right eye. What happened to him…?

"What if I give you this roasted sardine? Hmm? It's a good one." Sugoroku asked handing a skewered sardine over to the other male waving it in front of his face. Sugoroku turned to Ryou while waving the fish in the other man's face. "If you want a job, you have to make a deal with Kaiba. He's the boss here."

The white haired male looked at the fish for a moment as if thinking "Don't tell me I'm being baited into this for food", before swiping the fish out of Sugoroku's hand. "Fine! Give me that damn fish." He said stuffing the fish into the pocket of his kimono. "Come on, kid. Follow me." He said dumping the rest of the sprinkles over the soot sprites and turning for the door. Ryou pulled his feet out of the coal pile and ran towards the other male.

"Can't you even manage a 'yes, sir' or a 'thank you'?" He asked picking up the rest of the empty food dishes and putting them in the basket. Ryou blinked in surprise.

"Oh, sorry. Thank you, sir." Ryou said quickly. He rolled his eyes at the smaller boy and turned around muttering a "weakling" at him under his breath. Ryou bent over to untie his shoes to hear him yell out to the boy again.

"Hey! You don't need your filthy shoes or socks just leave them there." He said.

"Yes, sir." Ryou said putting his shoes back down on the floor. The soot sprites moved up to them and surround Ryou's shoes. He was about to ask what they were going to do with his shoes when the older male barked at Ryou to hurry up. He quickly ran over to the other door he just exited through before he blocked his way and leaned over the boy.

"Aren't you going to thank Sugoroku? He's really doing you a huge favor, you know." He said almost glaring at Ryou. His face flushed in embarrasement. Of course! How could I be so rude?! But then again isn't this man being rude as well? Nonetheless Ryou still owes the man his thanks for doing this. Ryou quickly turned around and bowed down thanking him.

"Good luck." Sugoroku said giving Ryou a thumbs up. Ryou turned around and finally exited the boiler room closing the door behind him and followed the apparently taller male to an elevator.

"We have to go all the way to the top floor. That's where Kaiba lives." He said. While they were crossing through he stopped to look around and gestured to the boy that the coast was clear. Ryou continued his way and stopped to see all the machines in the room they were in. It looked like they really were at the bottom floor as there wasn't much there other than a few elevators.

"Hey, catch up!" Ryou jumped in surprise and ran up to the older male and finally got into the elevator. The man pressed a button moving them up to the next floor. Ryou leaned against the elevator while the man kept his back to him. He didn't speak to Ryou. I wonder what his problem is. I know I'm a human but could he try to be a little nice to me? They stopped at a floor but unfortunately it wasn't the top floor. According to the man there are a number of elevators designed to go to certain floors. When asked why the elevators wouldn't go to all of the floors he just scoffed with a "What you think we have the money to have a few elevators going to every single floor in this building?" They both hurried out to another empty elevator not wanting to get caught and the man pressed the button to the elevator taking them both up to another floor.

"We're halfway there. Just stay close." He said not looking at Ryou. At least he's warning me about this kind of thing. That's a start. Ryou smiled finally getting a little bit of respect from the strange male. They finally stopped at the farthest floor and Ryou hid further behind him when a spirit stood at the elevator. He looked like a normal person clad in a white kimono. He had long brown hair and dark skin like Ryou's current acquaintance. Ryou felt the white haired male stiffen.

"Mahado the famous most powerful wizard in the land. To what do I owe this honor?" He said.

"I'm going to the tenth floor." Mahado said pointing upwards with his index finger.

"Sorry, sir. This is as far as the elevator goes. You're gonna have to try another one." He said stepping out of the elevator and into the hallway. Ryou quickly followed behind him and glanced over his shoulder to see Mahado following them.

"He's following us…" Ryou whispered, suddenly afraid of Mahado. He could tell the other workers about Ryou and everything would be ruined. Plus he's the most powerful wizard. He could kill them both right now.

"Just don't look at him and keep moving." The taller male ordered quickening his pace to the elevator. At the elevator he pressed the button next to the door. Mahado caught up to them and stood next them. The white haired male stood close to Ryou almost shielding him from Mahado. Mahado glanced at Ryou and he flinched instinctively and looked away. The elevator finally opened and more spirits stepped out.

"Step out to the right, gentlemen." A blond man said. Ryou flinched. Another worker. He could see me right now and go straight to Kaiba. The taller man stepped in front of him blocking his view from the spirit.

"Your rooms are right this way." The blond man said following the spirits out. Ryou and Mahado quickly stepped into the elevator and before the older male could step in the blond worker called out his name

"Hey, Touzoku?" He said stepping up to the elevator. So his name is Touzoku?

"What?" He said stepping in front of the elevator and at the same time Mahado stood in front of Ryou blocking his view from the other worker.

"What's that smell, Touzoku?" He asked. He sniffed the air a little and stood up straight in shock. "Wait a minute, you smell like a human." The blond said narrowing his eyes in suspicion at Touzoku.

"No that's just the new cologne I'm trying out. You got a problem with it?" Touzoku asked glaring back at the blonde.

"Nice try. I may not look it but I'm smarter than I look, scarface!" He barked.

"Oh, really? I find that hard to believe, Jounochi." Touzoku said crossed his arms and rolled his eyes at the blond.

"I'm serious, though. I smell a human here. Where's it coming from? Wait, is it that human everyone's talking about?" Jounochi asked. Moving closer to the elevator. Touzoku poked him in the chest and pushed him away from the elevator.

"Unlikely, Jounochi." He said pulling out the roasted sardine Sugoroku bribed him with and held it in front of Jounochi's face. "Is this what you smell?" He asked. The suspicious look on Jounochi's face changed to that of hunger and he immediately reached out for the fish.

"Give it to me!" He said trying to swipe the fish from Touzoku's hands.

"No way, mutt. I'm saving every last bite for myself." Touzoku said mockingly.

"Oh, come on! I don't want any more people calling me 'mutt'! I deal with that enough from Kaiba! Now give me that fish!" Jouochi said making another grab for the fish but Touzoku held it above his head, well out of reach.

"If you wanna go up, just pull on the lever on the left." Touzoku said over his shoulder. Mahado leaned over and pulled down on the said lever. The last thing Ryou saw before the door closed was Akefia stuffing the roasted sardine into his mouth.

Finally, finished writing this. I have to say that I had fun, but it was kind of tedious writing it at the same time. The story is a bit different to the movie but I hope that won't bother you people much. Like I said it was kinda fun writing Touzoku in this and it was fun writing "Grandpa" as kind of grouchy. I should have changed the soot balls into kuribohs though. Then THAT would have been fun to read, but oh well! Review please