Don't Dream

A/N: I don't know how to thank you all for the reviews! They mean so much to me, and I appreciate them so very much. In other words, THANK YOU! The next chapter will be the big revealing, and I hope it's hasn't been done yet on a Spirited Away fic. * crosses fingers * Anyway, enjoy!

~ The car came to a screeching, grinding halt, sending Chihiro tumbling off her seat in the back. The car paused inches from a large round stone, identical to the one she had spotted earlier down the road. She pulled herself up off the floor to peer over the seat at the stone blocking the entrance to a large building. "Let's go take a look," her father said with childish eagerness, climbing from his car. Her mother leaned out of the window, "Honey, get back in the car, we're going to be late!" Chihiro gently rested her bouquet on the seat while clambering to join her father at the entrance. She clutched her father's arm while peering into the darkness, the wind pushing from behind, urging them to go in. From the car, her mother still yelled at them, unheard, "Oh for goodness sake! Chihiro!" ~

"Chihiro. Chihiro!" Yukio's voice dragged Chihiro from the dream into the present, which was quickly turning out to be a nightmare. The boy was steadying the bike, looking at her with anxious eyes, "You can get off now." She frowned and glanced down at her hands, which to her surprise, were no longer held against the handlebars by some unseen force. She rubbed her fingers together, bothered by the tingling sensation, wondering over any possible explanation for this whole ordeal. None came to mind.

She slid off her bike, moving to take a closer look at the building as Yukio dumped her bike off to the side, hidden in the foliage. Chihiro paused by a round stone, realizing it was identical to the statue she had seen on the journey here. She bent down to inspect it when Yukio took a hold of her arm in his tight grip.

"Let go of me, Yukio," she snarled, jerking her arm free. His eyes flashed momentarily, locked on her with gritted teeth, "If my master hadn't ordered you be brought before him alive, Sen-"

"Don't call me Sen! My name is Chihiro."

The boy rolled his eyes, "Whatever. Let's go, I'm sick of being in this world." He dragged her to the entrance of the red building, ignoring her protests. Chihiro studied the building momentarily, squinting into the darkness Yukio drug her towards. A breeze whipped around them, as if it were also dragging her towards the entrance. She locked her legs, suddenly terrified.

~ "The wind's pulling us in," she whispered, holding her father's arm in a desperate grasp. Her parents didn't listen, they started to go in. She begged them not to go, refusing to go herself with a stamp of her show, "I'm not going! It gives me the creeps!" ~

Yukio's hand tightened around her wrist, his weight against hers. "I'm not going, Yuki!" Chihiro declared as she pulled back. A twinge crossed the boy's face, "Don't call me that, Sen."

"Then don't call me Sen, Yuki." She retorted darkly, finding courage through desperation. He snorted, "Very well." He turned impatiently towards the dark entrance and released Chihiro, walking undaunted into the swallowing black. Chihiro stood there, shifting from foot to foot, ignoring the feelings of déjà vu, and calling for Yukio to return. The wind howled past her ears, her auburn hair straying across her face, a reminder that Yukio still had possession of her hair thing.

"Yukio, give me back my hair band!" She yelled down the tunnel with a few hesitant steps towards it. The boy had vanished from sight, but his receding footsteps echoed back to her, along with his sneering reply, "Come get it yourself!"

With an audible growl, Chihiro plunged into the darkness and kept going until no trace of light remained behind or before her. She paused, one hand guided along the plastic walls as her feet shuffled along the floor, listening for any sign of Yukio. She detected none and continued on with her blind stumble through the dark until she preserved a speck of darkness, growing as she rushed towards it. She staggered into brightness, a room illuminated by rows of windows along the perimeter, spotted with benches. It reminded her of a bus or train depot.

"I knew you'd come," Yukio chuckled, stepping behind Chihiro, blocking her way back. She whirled around with a glare, "Where are we Yukio? I have to go home, or I'm going to be in big trouble." The other one burst out with a laugh, "Honestly, Chihiro, getting in trouble at home should be the least of your worries. Follow me." He brushed by her towards the other end of the room where there was a large opening leading to a grassy hillside. They emerged from the building to the grassy area, the warm sun beating down on them as a stiff breeze lazed around.

"The . . . sun? But, it's dark, it's night time!" Chihiro whispered in shocked awe, staring up at a large fluffy cloud. Yukio shrugged, impatiently reaching back and pulling her forward, "Time works differently here. It's still day in the Spirit world, but night in the human."

"Spirit world?" She repeated slowly.

Yukio nodded, "Yeah. Welcome once more to the Spirit world." Chihiro was about ready to ask what he meant by 'once more' but he jerked her forward through the grass. She remained quite, observing the surroundings. They walked in silence up a grassy hill, past more statues covered in moss, and down the other side of the hill, down to a shallow creek filled with large stones. "Take my hand, the stones are slippery," Yukio ordered coolly, jumping on the closest rock.

Chihiro had no choice but to follow, gripping the damp edges of the rock for balance. She suddenly felt like the clumsy kid she once was as she stumbled along, barely aided by the ever pushing Yukio. At last they made it to the other bank where the girl insisted upon catching her breath and inspecting a handful of scrapes she received. He rolled his eyes and pulled her up the steep bank, up to the edge of an elaborate town.

Chihiro gasped in shock, at the cluster of buildings, all closed at the moment. They all resembled the building she had journey through to get here. In the distance loomed a large building, bigger than the previous one, a steady stream of black smoke billowing from it. The first word that registered in her mind was:

Bath house.