Will everyone hate me if I'm mean to Haku? Oh well, doesn't matter, because I won't actually be mean to him. Ah, just read it and see what happens, ok?? =p

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"Chihiro. . . "

Everything, was it just a lie?

"Chihiro, come on, are you ok?"

Were they just using her?

"Chihiro."

Chihiro blinked hard and forced herself to look at Zeniba's face. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked, feeling tears threatening to fall. "Am I just here to amuse you guys?"

"Dear, why would you think that?" sighed Zeniba, "Listen, please. When you come here from other places, after awhile, your twin will simply appear, Haku told you that right?"

She simply nodded.

"Ok, another thing is, that the twins are also a reflection of your inside, to a degree. Usually, they take one of your traits you keep hidden, and bring them out to the fullest. Why do you think I'm so nice? Yubaba has repressed her niceness with greed for so long. Kaonashi over here, he is shy. Haku is always standing up for himself and others, but he, too, must have moments of vulnerability. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I do," Chihiro said slowly, "But does it have anything to do with me?"

"Oh, dear, I'm afraid it has everything to do with you," Zeniba said sadly.

"I didn't ask for this!" Chihiro yelled immediately. "I didn't ask my dad to take a shortcut, I didn't ask my dad to come here in the first place!"

"Calm down, Chihiro," Zeniba replied. "We don't want you to be upset. We know you asked for none of this, but, in that, it makes it even more so."

"Please, please, explain it to me," Chihiro said, wishing her mood wouldn't swing so fast. Now she felt like she was going to cry again.

"Kaonashi, please come here," Zeniba said instead. Kaonashi came over, and looked at Zeniba questionly. "I want you to explain to her, alright?"

"Alright," Kaonashi said softly. It was the first time Chihiro had ever heard the spirit speak, and his voice was captivating. Soft, yet with a slight commanding presence behind it, listening to Kaonashi talk was like listening to water running down a stream.

"Oh!" Chihiro said softly, "That makes sense. Kaonashi is the twin of a river spirit." She turned to him, "I'm sorry for interrupting, please continue!"

"Don't worry about it," Kaonashi replied, smiling tentatively. "There is nothing more to explain about the twins except that . . . once they meet for the first time, they become enemies and will - must - fight. . ."

"Fight?" Chihiro asked, her eyes round, "Like . . . death?"

"Not quite," Kaonashi replied quietly. "Yubaba and Zeniba have been fighting for years, and nothings happened yet. Haku and I. . . we fought and he won . . . when he won, he turned me into the shapeless thing that I was until I met you."

"What did meeting me have to do with anything?" Chihiro asked, eyes widening even more.

"I can't say exactly," Kaonashi said, "But right after you left, Zeniba realized she could give me back my normal body. It's easier for me to not be in it when you're not around, but when you're around, it's no problem! So . . . Zeniba and I think there must be something about you that . . ."

"That what? Kaonashi, do you mean it drains all of Zeniba's energy to keep you like that?" Chihiro asked worriedly.

"No, no, dear," Zeniba said, smiling. "Only when you're not around. When you're not in Spirit World."

"But what does that mean?"

"That is what we're trying to figure out," Zeniba said. "And as for you, Sen will not want to be near you for some reason, Haku is torn between the two of you, and Kaonashi here will do his best to help you. Pick your allies carefully."

"Pick my allies? Why? Granny, what's going to happen to me?"

"I don't know," Zeniba said, as truthfully as ever. "We're going to have you go over to Yubaba's place, and you'll have to find Ren."

"Find Ren? Why?"

"Ren has been here for many years. She was not born here, so by all means she should have a twin, but she doesn't. Chihiro, when you go, you'll have to be careful," Zeniba said sadly. "Spirit World is changing all the time, and now there are many evil spirits lurking about, even in the bathhouse. You'll have to watch out for Sen, so I'll send Kaonashi with you."

Kaonashi stepped forward and smiled. "Chihiro, will you go to the Bathhouse?"

"I don't have a choice, do I?" Chihiro said softly, looking away.

"You can choose whatever you want," Zeniba said sharply. Chihiro looked up quickly; she had never heard Zeniba be so sharp. "But by coming back to Spirit World, the least you can do is take responsibility for your actions."

"Yes'm!" Chihiro said, out of reflex. Zeniba relaxed and smiled.

"Go on then, Chihiro. Here are some train tickets." Zeniba handed them to Chihiro and Kaonashi, and then shooed the two of them out, wishing them luck.

"But what is Ren going to let us know?" Chihiro called as she walked.

"You'll have to wait to find out," Zeniba called back, smiling.

Chihiro turned to Kaonashi and sighed. "I don't know about you, but I'm confused."

"I've been confused for a long time too," replied Kaonashi.

For a long time, there was silence again, and then Chihiro spoke up, "All I wanted to do was see everyone again. . . I just . . . didn't mean to cause any trouble."

"You didn't."

"But you did anyway," Came another voice, and Chihiro looked up to see Sen. Chihiro groaned and stepped onto the train platform.

"Sen." Kaonashi said slowly. "Go away."

"I'm hear to tell you he's mine," Sen said to Chihiro, ignoring Kaonashi.

"I don't care," Chihiro said.

"You will be sorry," Sen replied easily. "Haku and Yubaba will work together and get you. You can't escape."

"Why would they want to?" Chihiro said angrily. "I'm not doing anything to them."

Sen started laughing. "So then you don't know? Wow! I would have thought Zeniba told you everything! I guess Zeniba doesn't know everything either!"

Chihiro narrowed her eyes.

"But I won't waste my time with a pathetic fool like you for now. Haku, let's go." Sen said, walking off into the darkness. A few minutes later, a dragon flew up, with Sen on its back.

"Haku . . ." Chihiro said softly, and was surprised to feel a tear on her face. "Why am I crying over you?"

Kaonashi said nothing, but stood next to Chihiro and held her hand quietly.

"Thank you," Chihiro said, and the tears continued to flow down her face. The train pulled up and they got on. Chihiro looked out the window, "Everything here, Kaonashi, why can they all live in peace?"

"No one can live in peace," Kaonashi said, "Not humans, not spirits. We just do the best we can, and right now . . . it's not good."

"You know something, don't you?" Chihiro said instantly.

"All I know is what Zeniba told you. And one other thing I don't want to say . . . but . . . many spirits do not like Yubaba. They plan on attacking her sometime. Killing her."

"Yeah?" Chihiro didn't like the thought of anyone dying, but it was Yubaba.. ."

"When the first of the twins dies, the second dies as well, and . . . I don't want Zeniba to die."

"You mean if Haku died, you die too? And if I died, Sen would too?"

"Yeah. Something like that."