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

Chapter 12: Chihiro's Long Walk

Kohaku landed inside Yu-Baaba's room about seven in the morning. Kohaku searched all of the rooms Yu-Baaba had gone out flying like normal, and Bou was asleep. Kohaku put a sleeping spell on the Kashira, and Bou so none of them would wake up. Kohaku quickly walked to Yu-Baaba's desk, he knew that the seal would be locked up in the second drawer. Kohaku placed his left hand on the top of the desk, palm up, and his right index finger on the key hole, "Key" said Kohaku, a key fell from the air into his hand. It was a simple calling spell that Yu-Baaba had set up, and she didn't know that Kohaku knew.

Kohaku placed the key in the lock, the drawer lock came alive, "What do you think your doing?"

"The same I do every time you ask, opening the drawer," replied Kohaku.

"Who said you could open my drawer?" asked the lock

"Yu-Baaba," replied Kohaku.

"How do I know your telling the truth?" said the lock eyeing Kohaku.

"Well since you're only are alive when someone puts the key in the lock, you'll never really know. But since Yu-Baaba has a spell on the key, it would very hard for me to obtain this key without Yu-Baaba. And do you really want to be the one explaining to Yu-Baaba why you wouldn't let me open the drawer?" calmly answered Kohaku.

"Ok your right, you know I'm just to scare thieves, I don't want to be less then that," said the lock going to sleep. Kohaku knew he would be allowed access to the drawer, sometimes Yu-Baaba would give him the key, to retrieve something when she was to busy. And every time he had the same conversation with the lock. Kohaku turned the key and opened the drawer, the seal was nicely laying on top of a pile of inventory forms. Kohaku grabbed the seal and an inventory form, then he closed the drawer and ran down to Kamajii.

Kohaku walked into the boiler room Chihiro was asleep on the floor. Kohaku almost forgot he couldn't get close to Chihiro and had to do his mime act around her force field to get to Kamajii. Although Kohaku was miming, it woke Kamajii up, "Haku what are you doing?"

"I stole Bou's father, Bunta's magick seal and there was a curse on the seal I can't get with in twenty feet of Bunta's house to return the seal and not with in three feet of Sen. I have the seal I just need someone to return it for me, and I have an inventory form I need you to fill out so I have an alibi for why I went into Yu-Baaba's drawer," replied Kohaku.

"Well I guess I could fill the form out today, but why did you steal the seal in the first place?" asked Kamajii taking the form from Kohaku.

Kohaku didn't know if Yu-Baaba's threat was still applicable so he cautiously said, "My most precious thing was threatened."

"Oh I see, looks like she would have died either way, she has been sick for two days and will die in five more. We need someone to go and return this seal," said Kamajii.

"I'll go," said Chihiro sitting up.

"You can't go, your sick," said Kohaku turning around and looking at Chihiro.

"I'm the only one who can," replied Chihiro standing up, and walking towards Kohaku who was being pushed back more.

"No, Rin can, anyone else but you," said Kohaku.

"She is right," said Kamajii.

Kohaku and Chihiro both starred at Kamajii, "What?"

"Since she is the subject of the curse she is the best person to convince Bunta otherwise," said Kamajii taking the seal from Kohaku and handing it to Chihiro. Then he riffled through his draw taking out two train tickets, "Now you must take the train to the end of the line, then you must take the red train to the end of its line and then you must walk east for a half of a day or until your given the chance to go north then you must walk North for a day and a half or until you reach the eighth chance to go west, turn down that eighth west road and about a minute later you'll be at Bunta's house. It should be about three days travel." Kamajii wrote the directions down on a piece of paper and handed it to Chihiro.

Kohaku placed a gold piece on the ground and slid it to Chihiro, "Buy some food and water at the train station," Chihiro picked up the piece of gold and put it in her pocket, "Sen..."

"I'll be fine Haku, I'm coming back, I promise," said Chihiro she slowly walked out of the door of the boiler room.

"Now Haku, your going to help me with this inventory right?" asked Kamajii.

"Of course," said Kohaku walking over and opening up a drawer to read how much way left, "one fourth a basket of Basil."

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Chihiro walked quietly down to the water that was only knee high. Chihiro trudged through the water and up on to the platform.

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"Dak! Where is she going?" asked Li who saw Chihiro on the platform.

"How am I supposed to know?" replied Dak.

"We have to follow her," replied Li.

"How?"

Li sighed, "You have four train tickets you go on the train with her and I'll sneak on the back."

"Wont she recognize us?"

"The best place to hide is where they least suspect it.... Right next to her," smiled Li.

"Ok," said Dak walking out of the woods and up to the train platform, "Hello."

"Hello," replied Chihiro to the shadowy figure of Dak. The train pulled up and Chihiro and Dak handed the ticket man their train tickets, and got on the train. Chihiro sat by the window Dak next to her.

"My name is Dak, and you are?" asked Dak extending his hand to Chihiro.

Chihiro shook his hand, "Sen."

"Nice to meet you Sen, so where are you going?" asked Dak.

"The end of the red line, and you?" replied Chihiro straining to keep her eyes open.

"What a coincident, me too! We can travel together," replied Dak her looked at Chihiro who was asleep. Dak got up and walked to the back of the train 'to get fresh air'

Li was peacefully laying on the small place on the back of the caboose, "Li, she is going to the end of the red line," said Dak.

"What are you doing here? Chihiro will get suspicious," asked Li.

"She is asleep," replied Dak.

"Well go back and wake her up when we have to change trains," said Li.

"Why?" asked Dak.

"So we know what she is doing, I don't want her lost or dead... yet."

"Li, why are you in charge?" asked Dak a little angry.

"I know I'm younger... Ok a lot younger. But your quarrel is with Dominika, mine is with her and HER grandfather. If Chihiro died wouldn't you prefer it to be in our hands?" answered Li.

"Yes good point, but form now on we decide things together. Now why HER grandfather?" asked Dak.

"She was always his favorite, I was invisible. Yes we'll decide things together," growled Li.

(a/n: *Cough...cough* ... and Li is....)

"Could I hear a sad story?" asked Dak.

"Sit down while I spin a tale of a girl in a family without love or recognition and her revenge on her sister! "growled Li while Dak scratched her ear, "I was born a beautiful baby girl, more commonly known as Ami. With the same story as Dominika I was not born in my true form. My grandfather knew but he just figured I changed into another human form, and he was too busy 'training' Dominika. I stayed longer in the form I was born in then Dominika ever did. See I slept in my parents room until I was two and we moved to a bigger apartment, one with two bedrooms, and Dominika was returned to us. I shared a room with my sister and never changed forms not even in the night. When I was five we moved into a house and I had my own room. One night I got up to go to the bathroom and saw myself in the mirror, it was a wolf that looked back at me. I jumped I remember that, and when the wolf jumped as well I knew what I was. My grandfather wouldn't hear of it I was just 'jealous of Dominika'. So while Dominika practiced feline and reptile shape shifting, I worked my mental powers. When Dominika talks to someone in their head all her attention is on that. When I do it I can also pay attention to the world around me, school and what not. One night I played a trick on Dominika she had turned into a wolf and was out running around. In some guys head I convinced him to chase after her. When he had Dominika cornered, stick in hand, Dominika changed to a girl. I watched from the corner of the building, as a wolf. The guy apologized for scaring Dominika, and explained her was chasing a wolf and that he would take her home. I didn't back away quick enough because the man saw me and stood defending Dominika. I backed away into an ally, not wanting to hurt anyone. The man through the stick at me, the stick hit my front leg and then hit some wooden boxes in the ally. A box fell on me spraining my front leg. The man and Dominika left. What surprised me the most is Dominika didn't figure out that I was the wolf when the next morning I mysteriously woke up with a sprained arm. When Chihiro started school I could smell spirit on her, and read it in her mind how she longed to go back to Kohaku, back here. I picked at her brain every day and night for two weeks, making it seem she was waiting a hundred years for Kohaku to return. I remember how fast that Doppelganger of hers ran to the tunnel where I trapped it. I made them link minds, I beat her, and told her Kohaku didn't exist. I made her a better student the Dominika, to piss Dominika off. Dominika had friends, Chihiro had everything else. When Kohaku came Dominika wanted him to piss of Youzaburou, but Kohaku loved Chihiro. I remember how Dominika was mumbling to her friend about wanting Chihiro dead, when we were walking me home from the roller rink. Her friend thought it was a joke, I read Dominika's thoughts and knew she would do it. That's when I asked you to come and kill Chihiro, to take Dominika's victory. Dominika is ruthless and blood thirsty, I am smart and plan things properly, death hasn't been thought of until now, and I've always gotten my revenge."

"Oh my little cub, I'm so sorry. Dominika has destroyed so many lives, its time someone destroys hers! And that someone is us!" said Dak cuddling the wolf.

The loud speaker of the train announced, "This is the end of the line, please everyone get off the train, unless you want to continue on the blue line. Thank you, I hope you had a nice trip."

Dak got up and ran to wake Chihiro up, "Wake up Sen, we need to switch trains."

Chihiro opened her eyes, "Oh... oh Thank You Dak." They walked off the train, they were in a field much like the one by Aburaya, when it wasn't a lake. Dak led the way to the red train, that sadly wasn't red but green like the other one Chihiro was used to. The only sign that it was in fact the red train was that, in the windshield was a small changeable strip of paper that was completely red. Chihiro and Dak handed their tickets to the man and sat down, Chihiro immediately fell asleep.

Dak just sat there watching the landscape go by in the night. Dak drifted off to sleep, and he didn't wake up until he heard, "This is the end of the train line! EVERYONE PLEASE GET OFF, Thank you we hoped you enjoyed your trip."

Dak rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and shook Chihiro awake, "Sen we are at the end of the red line, wake up!"

Chihiro sat up, "Thank you." Chihiro started to drift back to sleep.

"Sen! Are you alright?" asked Dak.

Chihiro woke up and stood up, "I'm fine Dak, Good-Bye." Chihiro walked off of the train and looked at a piece of paper. Then Chihiro walked into a small Kiosk.

Chihiro looked around, and then asked the lady, "What can this piece of gold get me?"

The lady sighed, "Three sandwiches, six dumplings, and four bottles of water, or..."

"No that sounds fine, I'll take that deal," replied Chihiro handing the lady the gold. The lady looked confused, but handed Chihiro the food.

Chihiro put the food in her apron pocket and ate one of the sandwiches, it was a cheese sandwich. Chihiro walked east towards the sun, she reread the instructions. Chihiro was so tired she wondered if the day and a half walk included sleep.

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"Haku!!" yelled Yu-Baaba after she looked in her second drawer.

Kohaku walked in, "Yes Yu-Baaba?"

Yu-Baaba charged at him on fire, "Where is the seal you stole for me?!"

"I haven't seen it since I gave it to you," replied Kohaku toneless.

"The lock said you were in the drawer, that I put the seal in!"

Kohaku held up the inventory form, "Kamajii requested an inventory form, I didn't see the seal when I opened the drawer. Maybe you put it somewhere else."

Yu-Baaba snatched the form from Kohaku and read it, "Well... you are going to search this place until it is found!!" Yu-Baaba stormed out of the room to check Kohaku's story with Kamajii.

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"Li she is really sick," said Dak meeting Li in the woods on the east side of the train station.

"Who?" asked Li.

"Chihiro, I think she is dying," said Dak.

"What?! We've got to help her!" yelled Li.

"What? First you want her dead and now...."

"I know Dak we have to agree, now let me tell you how I see it. This sickness is obviously not natural so that means there is another person who wants Chihiro dead. We don't have to kill her, you said it yourself you love children. I said it I always get revenge without having to kill. I think it would hurt Dominika more if we stopped her and anyone else from killing Chihiro."

"Yes, yes I see, and we can return Dominika to the Human world, separate her from her boyfriend. Dominika will go to jail and her grandfather would be so ashamed."

"She will want to return so badly that a doppelganger would be created and we could trap it and torture it, let her know who is more powerful!"

"Yes Li, I like that plan. But you have to help Chihiro on your own, she knows me." Li nodded and ran through the forest she stopped on the path not to far from Chihiro.

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Chihiro stopped and took a sip of water. Chihiro wanted to stop, she wanted to sleep, but she knew that she had to walk on. Chihiro took another sip of water and then closed the bottle up and put it back in her apron pocket. Chihiro went to start walking again but a wolf was circling her. Chihiro didn't move a muscle.

"Where are you going?" asked the wolf.

"Umm... to Bunta's house," replied Chihiro.

"Why?" said the wolf stopping in front of Chihiro cocking its head.

"I need to return his seal so he will remove the curse he put on a friend of mine," said Chihiro.

"Well come on I'll take you to him, my name is Li," said Li.

"Oh Thank you, my name is Sen," replied Chihiro. Chihiro followed Li a little suspiciously, but not to much further up the path there was a fork in the road. One fork continued east and the other went north. Li took the north path, Chihiro began to trust her more. Tomorrow at this time I'll be there, thought Chihiro, she took out two dumplings and ate one Chihiro offered the other to Li who took it thankfully.

"Sen are you ok?" asked Li after about five hours, it was beginning to get dark.

"I think I'm sick, and I can't see," replied Chihiro.

"Well we've only just now past the third west going road, we have to walk all night. Put your hand on my back and I'll lead you," said Li moving closer to Chihiro.

Chihiro took another sip of water before putting her hand on Li's back, Chihiro had already drank one and a half of her four bottles. She wondered how she would get back home to Aburaya.

Chihiro talked the whole night to keep herself awake. She talked about her first visit, and the last seven years, she even made the comparison of Dak and the guy who attacked her at the roller rink. It was sunrise when Chihiro said, "Li why did you trap me in the tunnel? Is that why you are so nice? 'cause you feel bad about torturing me?"

Li's eyes light up, how did she know!? Asked Li in her own head, then she said out loud, "We should take a break, eat something."

Chihiro took out a sandwich with some sort of meat on it, and handed Li two more dumplings, "It's ok you don't have to tell me now, now is what matters not the past. And you probably had a good reason that I could understand and forgive maybe. If I wasn't in the tunnel I would have never returned."

Li looked at Chihiro who was eating and speaking half asleep her eyes were closed and everything. Li hoped that it was just a waking dream, or fever illusions.

After they finished eating Chihiro started to walk down the north ward path, "Two more west going paths and we are there!" Li followed Chihiro a little ways back, she just wanted to make sure she got to Bunta's house and then she would leave and find Dak.

Neither Chihiro, or Li realized that Chihiro was really dying, and that it was day number five in two more day it would be Chihiro's funeral, unless Bunta spared her.

Chihiro ate her last sandwich and drank the last of her water, it was just a little passed noon the sun slightly to her left. Chihiro smiled because there was a path to her left as well, to the west path number eight! Chihiro forgot about Li, her brain was to foggy and felt as if someone was drilling through her forehead.

At the end of the path was a little cottage silhouetted in the sun. Chihiro walked up to the house with bloody feet and tired legs. Chihiro gathered he strength and knocked on the door.

The door opened and a three foot tall man stood in the door way, "Hello," he looked at Chihiro, "Oh my... you poor thing come in, sit down." The man helped Chihiro to the table and he handed her a cup of medical tea.

"Thank you, are you Bunta?" replied Chihiro, taking a sip of tea.

"Yes I am, how can I help you?" replied Bunta sitting across the table from Chihiro.

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Kohaku was sick of 'looking' for the seal. He couldn't bare to think of Chihiro lying dead on the path to Bunta's house. Kohaku ran and jumped out of the window turning into a dragon and flying off towards Bunta. Kohaku didn't care about the curse, only Chihiro.

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Chihiro reached into her pocket and pulled out the seal she slid it across the table, "Haku is really sorry, can you please lift the curse from him?"

Bunta took the seal and inspected it, it was his seal unharmed, "I'm sorry but Haku needs to pay for what he did."

"Please, I think Yu-Baaba threatened my life to get Haku to steal your seal," replied Chihiro drowsily taking another sip of tea.

"Why your life?" asked Bunta.

"Because Kohaku loves me and would die for me, and I for him," answered Chihiro.

Bunta looked at Chihiro and realized it was indeed his curse that made Chihiro ill and dying, "See....."

"Sen."

"Ok, see Sen the curse on the seal makes the thief's most precious possession disappear or die in this case. Over a course of a week this thing will slowly demise and the thief can't return my seal until after the week, or go near this thing until it is no more there or dead. Every thief returns my seal after the week. But in this case Haku's most precious thing is..."

"Me. So I'm going to die?" finished Chihiro.

"In two days, but under the circumstances and since you did apologize and I don't want someone to die when they have came this whole way," replied Bunta, he waved his hand in front of Chihiro.

Chihiro instantly felt better, her feet were still bleeding, aching legs, and she was still tired. But no longer dying, "Thank You."

"Who am I to interfere with love, now come on you need some rest, and I'll bandage up those feet of yours," replied Bunta leading Chihiro to the spare bedroom. Chihiro followed Bunta in great pain. Chihiro laid down on the bed while Bunta got a bowl of hot water a cloth, some ointment, and some bandages.

Chihiro was asleep while Bunta cleaned her feet and wrapped them in the ointment soaked bandages.

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"She'll be alright Li," said Dak walking away from Bunta's window.

"Good, I think we are doing the right thing here Dak," replied Li.

"I agree, but you say that she knows who we are?" asked Dak.

Li nodded, "But she forgives us, sort of."

Dak scratched Li's head, "Good, I didn't want you to change your mind about not killing her."

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Bunta began to cook a large meal, he knew that Chihiro would be hungry when she woke up. Bunta had just finished setting the table for three when Chihiro walked out of the room.

"Is all this food for me?" asked Chihiro.

"Well for all of us. Sen could you please get the door the other guest is here?" asked Bunta.

Chihiro walked to the door, "This sounds oddly familiar, let me guess Haku will be standing on the other side of the door?" Chihiro laughed she was looking at Bunta waiting for a reply when she opened the door.

"Chihiro?..." said the voice from the door.

Chihiro slowly turned around, to see Kohaku standing there on the door mat, "Kohaku!" yelled Chihiro throwing her arms around Kohaku.

Kohaku picked Chihiro up and span her around, "Your alive! Your well! Oh I'm so, so sorry! I was so worried!" Kohaku put Chihiro down and went over to Bunta, "I'm really sorry Bunta, and Thank you for curing Chihiro. Bou really liked your present."

"Well that's good I figured he would like that toy. You know if you just told me that Yu-Baaba had threatened Sen's life I would have helped you. Now sit down you two, we'll eat some dinner and then you two can get back to Aburaya," smiled Bunta, sitting down. Chihiro and Kohaku, sat down at the table as Bunta served them dinner. They all ate a big meal it was about midnight when they waved good-bye to Bunta and flew off into the sky.

Author's Note: Yes well the same old, same old, I did create Bou's Father, Bunta, if you use him can I please have creation credit. Yes and isn't that very nice of Li not going to kill Chihiro? Well now the only people after Chihiro are the hit man, Yu-Baaba, and Sibliy (but not for another three years) Wow I wrote this chapter in about five hours, and its only 2:40pm!!!! Well Happy Reading and all!
~Na