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

Chapter 23: Flight

They took a round booth in the back of the downtown dinner, and waited to have their order taken. "Sen are you really pregnant?" asked Raki.

"Yes I am, why?" replied Chihiro.

"Can I name the baby?" asked Raki, Chihiro laughed. Raki started to frown.

Kohaku quickly added, "Of course you can name the baby whatever you want while its in Sen's belly."

Raki smiled, "Tea. (pronounced: Tae-a)"

"Their mind readers! I have always loved that name, even if she didn't say it I would have suggested it for a girls name!" exclaimed Chihiro.

"So I'm having a girl? Sounds great and the name Tea is really pretty, thanks Raki," said Kohaku. Raki beamed, Yoshi laughed. Raki shot an angry look at him, there was 'thunder' in her eyes. "Raki," Kohaku cautioned.

"Only a drizzle?" she asked.

"No!" said Chihiro and Kohaku together.

The waitress came over and asked, "What would you like?"

Asuko answered, "A pitcher of coke and six glasses, is that alright with everyone?"

"Coke?" asked Saki, Kohaku, Raki, and Chihiro all together.

Yoshi laughed, "Coke will be good, trust me." The waitress nodded and left. Yoshi looked over at the door just as a bunch of guys walked in, "Oh, hey it's the guys I'll be right back ok Asuko?"

Asuko nodded and kissed Yoshi. Yoshi got up to talk to his friends. Asuko looked at Raki, "So what do you have for homework?"

"Math, adding I think they called it," replied Raki. The waitress came back and set the pitcher down and six cups. Asuko poured the glasses of soda, while Raki pulled out her math workbook. "I learned how to do this in class I don't think I need help, plus I knew how to do this before."

Saki took a big gulp of his coke, his eyes lit up as he took another big gulp. Asuko laughed until she noticed that Raki, Chihiro, and Kohaku also made the same reaction.

Yoshi came back over and picked up his glass, "Five more minutes I promise." Yoshi turned and left.

"A.k.a 30 minutes," laughed Asuko, Asuko looked up at Raki and Saki they were both asleep on the bench. "Well at least Raki finished her homework before she fell asleep. They're spirits aren't they? Not really related to you at all?"

"Your almost as good at this mind reading thing as they are," replied Kohaku.

"Rain... Raki is a rain spirit," continued Asuko.

"Your not going to tell anyone, right?" asked Chihiro. Asuko shook her head, "Can I ask you a question Asuko? Do you have any friends at school?"

"I was waiting for that question. No not anymore that are in our class. See I had friends but never good ones, I wanted to be your friend Sen, but my friends told me 'no'. When I started dating Yoshi my friends also disagreed, but this time I didn't listen. See Yoshi and I have been neighbors for forever and friends for the same amount of time we were three when people said we were going to get married. I love Yoshi and he loves me so when he asked me out I said yes. Our parents actually want us to get married when school ends. See my friends never approved, so I stopped talking to them. Now all my friends are Yoshi's from his class or people who graduated last year, and their girlfriends/boyfriends. Today at lunch I wanted to talk to you so that's why I sat at the empty table," said Asuko, Chihiro nodded.

"I know that this world takes a lot out of you, but I'm not tired at all. I could go flying tonight," Kohaku said quietly.

"Kohaku you agreed no powers, flying is a power. You can't say no powers to Saki and Raki, and go flying it is not fair," replied Chihiro bluntly.

Raki stirred she sat up, "If he wants to fly, fly. Don't worry about us we're adults to us you're the babies. He feels like he is losing his grip on his birth right, so go flying." Raki rolled over and went back to sleep.

"She is right, you know. We have to stop treating them the way they look," said Kohaku.

"Yeah, so is this my skiing trip you owe me?" asked Chihiro. Kohaku kissed Chihiro, after a couple minute she pulled away, "Good, it's better then skiing." Asuko looked confused, flying, six year olds older the an eighteen year old, powers. Spirits was one thing but to Asuko this was getting much more confusing.

Yoshi came back over to the table, "So the little ones are asleep? What are we talking about? And we also got to get our homework done."

"Oh nothing Sweetie, but yeah homework we have Health, and Calculus. But tomorrow we have neither of those classes," said Asuko.

"Well do it anyways," replied Yoshi as he opened his Chemistry book. Asuko, Chihiro, and Kohaku took out there Calculus books and begun to do homework. An hour and 45 minutes later their homework was all done and the pitcher was empty. Kohaku woke up Raki and Saki who were both still very tired. They all bid farewell to Asuko and Yoshi who lived on the other side of town and walked home.

Chihiro opened the door and immediately someone grabbed her and hugged her. "Chihiro your really home!" said Akio.

"Dad!" said Chihiro, "Dad, this is my husband Haku, and these are our nephew and niece Saki and Raki." Akio seemed to happy to be mad that Chihiro had gotten married and he didn't even notice that she was pregnant.

"Let's forget this dark past Honey, lets spend what time we can together before you go back to work," Said Akio he let go of Chihiro and went to shake Kohaku's hand, "you better be taking good care of my little girl Haku."

"Oh don't worry sir, I love her and will always take care of her," replied Kohaku.

"Good, good." Akio said as he bent down, "And you two come to grandpa." Raki and Saki hesitated but hugged Akio.

Raki seemed taken back by Akio's happy mood, after seeing how Yuuko had acted when she saw Chihiro. Raki tried to spoil his happiness, "Sen is pregnant, with Tea."

"I'm going to be a real grandfather?! I can't wait! Tea you say, beautiful name!" replied Akio, "Well get in here it is time for dinner." Raki was discouraged, but she realized that nothing could get Akio down now that his long lost daughter was found, plus with a family and a job.

Like the previous night they ate dinner and Takashi requested to watch television. Raki and Saki stayed awake for the whole hour of television, which half surprised Kohaku and Chihiro. Raki and Saki were both very tired, but they did take a nap, and TV was still very new.

After the children were asleep in bed, Chihiro, Kohaku, Akio, and Yuuko talked about lots of things. What had happened in the last seven years and what was going to happen in the next six to nine months, when Raki and Saki would go home, etc. They talked until 11:30 pm, that is when Akio and Yuuko retired to bed.

Chihiro and Kohaku changed into their more comfortable uniforms that they also wore to bed. Kohaku opened the window and held out his hand to Chihiro, "Come on." Chihiro nodded and took Kohaku's hand. He jumped out of the window pulling Chihiro with him seconds before it seemed to Chihiro that they were going to hit the ground, Kohaku changed into a dragon and they soared off into the moonless sky. Chihiro had no clue to where they flew and she thought that Kohaku didn't know either. Kohaku found a lake and went as if to dive into the water.

"I can't breath underwater Kohaku!" Chihiro screamed as they plunged into the black water. They reemerged a few seconds later, Kohaku flipped so that he was laying on his back in the later and Chihiro was floating next to him.

"I know," said Kohaku as soon as he turned back into his human form, "I just wanted to go for a swim you don't mind do you?"

"No I don't mind, but Kohaku where are we? It's February and this water isn't cold."

"Oh, I don't know, but I do know the way home, just trust me. And watch this boring sky, no moon, no stars, just blackness like the water."

"Yeah there is something peaceful about this utter blackness, like your trapped, but not bad trapped." Said Chihiro, Kohaku nodded in agreement. They floated in that lake until a far off clock tower chimed 2 am.

When that clock chimed Kohaku dove under the water, Chihiro knew what he was going to do. A few seconds later Chihiro was clinging onto the back of a dragon who was headed way up to where the stars should have shined.

There was no source of light anywhere to be found, but the darkness wasn't as black and empty as it should have been. The shadows almost seemed to be in retreat, Chihiro could feel it, and so could Kohaku. A mysterious night, which was perfect for flying.

They returned at 4 am, and slept for two hours before they got up for school. This morning Raki and Saki woke them up, because Chihiro had forgotten the alarm clock. Strangely Kohaku and Chihiro both were not tired at all with only two hours of sleep. All four got ready for school.