Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away or any of it's characters.

Chapter 17: A Normal Day

Chihiro woke up four hours later with everyone else. Just like normal she rolled up the sleeping stuff, and put it away. They cleaned the floor quickly, Chihiro had no trouble this time.

Chihiyaku announced, "Rin has left Aburaya," no one really had noticed that she was gone. Chihiyaku continued, "Sen, Shu you two have the big tub today...."

Sen stopped listening, "Oh great, Thanks Yu-Baaba I save your ass and what do you do?" Shu looked at Sen, "Come on, you dump this water, don't let anyone in the bath house. While I go get breakfast, ok?"

Shu said, "Ok," as he picked up the bucket and walked to the door. Chihiro walked to the kitchen she was smiling, she would have never thought that someone older then her would listen to her like Shu had done. Chihiro just told herself, It's only because he is new here. Chihiro picked up two bowls of rice and walked back to get Shu, and bring him to the big tub.

They ate their breakfast, and then Chihiro, and Shu swept the floor. Chihiro looked in the tub it was very sludgy, she said, "Oh great it hasn't been used since the last time I was here, Shu can you go get an Herbal soak token from the foreman, and I'll try to scrub this stuff off," Shu turned to leave and Chihiro stopped him, "Hey wait Mishu-Kapi! I'll get the token he might not give it to you..." Chihiro covered her mouth, she had said Shu's real name. Chihiro relaxed after a second when she remembered it was a better thing that he knew his name.

Chihiro quickly left the room and went to ask Aniyaku for a Herbal Soak token. "I need an herbal soak token please," asked Chihiro.

Aniyaku looked up from his papers at Chihiro, he said nothing and gave her the token. Chihiro walked back to the big tub, when she got there Shu was already scrubbing the tub.

"So is the sludge coming off?" asked Chihiro.

"Yeah actually it is," said Shu. Chihiro put down the soak token, picked up a scrub brush, and climbed into the tub. When she got in Shu said, "thank you, for my name back."

"Oh, no problem. I thought you didn't realize it was your name," replied Chihiro

"Yeah, I heard. You don't have to be sorry that I got a job here, I wanted to work here. You might have always thought that this was awful work, but you did talk of it often. So one day I came here and requested to be under Rin's care, she was so nice. Then I said that I personally wanted to thank Yu-Baaba, for keeping such a wonderful Bath House. Rin took me up the stairs to Yu-Baaba's room and left. I was just about to knock when I heard her yelling I could only make out a few words and one was 'Haku', I remembered one time you had said, 'Everyone calls him Haku, but I call him by his real name Kohaku, even in my stories. He is only Haku when there are others around who don't know that he is Kohaku.' When I knocked on the door and went in I saw Haku all yellow. I asked Yu-Baaba some questions about the bath house. When I left I decided that even if it was grunt work I'd want to work here when I died."

Chihiro looked at him slightly surprised who would really want have this job, scrubbing sludge from tubs. A foul smell floated in to the room, Chihiro quickly looked over the edge of the tub. Chihiyaku ran by there is a Stink spirit at the door, get his bath ready.

"What are the chances this is a real stink spirit this time?" asked Chihiro. Mishu-Kapi looked confused, "Go to the foreman and ask for a Herbal Soak Token for the stink spirit, hurry!"

Mishu-Kapi ran out of the stall. Chihiro grabbed the soak token she had retrieved earlier and hooked it up to the pull. She climbed up on the tub and pulled the spout down the tub quickly filled with water. Mishu-Kapi came running back in seconds before the Stink spirit did.

"Your bath is all ready sir, would you like something to eat?" Chihiro said politely restraining from holding her nose. The Stink spirit shook his head no, as he slithered towards the tub. Chihiro noticed that Mishu-Kapi was holding his nose, Chihiro shook her head and mouthed, "It's rude." Mishu- Kapi put his hands down right when the spirit got in the tub.

Just like last time the tub overflowed but not as bad as the first time, and the remaining water had turned a yucky brown. "Oh will get you some more water sir, one minute please," said Chihiro to the Stink spirit, she turned to Mishu-Kapi, "hook up the token to the string, then pull it down and let go." Mishu-Kapi did what he was told and he didn't drop the token or hook it up incorrectly. Chihiro climbed up on the tub and pulled down the spout when the tub was filled, she stopped the water. The Stink spirit laid happily in the tub for a half an hour before he got up and left.

That night as Chihiro watched the train go by, she thoughtIf that was a normal day, I would prefer an abnormal day....and how does that train get back to the beginning? It was getting early (late) so Chihiro pushed such thoughts of Stink spirits, normality, and trains out of her head, because if you think about nothing here was normal there for making everyday normal. Chihiro fell asleep.