Standard disclaimers apply.

Chapter 4

Chihiro followed silently as the rows of rooms passed her by. She allowed Kioko to gawk around like she had when she first came here, the only difference this time was that she was expected and if any of the workers thought to mock or make fun of Kioko she would have them begging forgiveness in a matter of moments. She was no longer the frightened ten year old, she was twenty and had suffered worse punishment. Chihiro thought ideally of how they must look, Kioko dressed in her pj's covered in caked mud, and her, what a mess. She knew her face was already showing signs of swelling from the pan and every move that she made with her injured shoulder shot fire like spasms of pain throughout her body. They made a fine pair.

Finally they reached their destination, and leaving Kioko at her side Chihiro knocked. The knocker did not answer with a smart remark but instead the doors opened wordlessly. Chihiro breathed deeply while reaching out to Kioko. Chihiro heard a faint 'come in' and entered, the doors slamming shut behind them, the frog left behind. Chihiro remembered very little of the first time she was here but with help from the faint lights that guided the way she found her way back to Yu-Baaba's room. They waited outside the overly ornate doors for her to allow them entrance. The doors opened once again with no one touching them and the siblings entered.

Yu-Baaba sat at her desk her eyes focused on the papers in front of her. The three grey-green heads continued to bounce around the room, startling Kioko. She did as Chihiro had told her, she did not raise her head or speak while Chihiro stared at Yu-Baaba waiting for her. They were there on her good graces and Chihiro was not going to allow anything to get in the way of a safe place and a roof over Kioko's head.

Yu-Baaba was happy with how much Sen had grown. She was a beautiful woman now, though her eyes were dull even with the intensity that Chihiro looked at her with. Breathing in on her cigarette Yu-Baaba acknowledged the two still damp sisters. "What brings you back here Sen? Did things not turn out so well in the human world?"

Ignoring the poke at her humanity Chihiro said, "we have come for a job mistress Yu-Baaba. We are hard workers and will serve you loyally." Chihiro bowed formally and nudged Kioko to do the same.

Yu-Baaba looked at them as though they had grown two extra heads. The politeness that seeped from Chihiro and who Yu-Baaba could only assume was her sister surprised her. Her little Sen had taught herself edict, and formality. Sniffing she decided to see how far she could push her, "I don't have your old job any more Sen, I do have one job though." Chihiro glanced up momentarily then her eyes settled once more on the floor. "I need someone to clean out the pig pens. The last one didn't do a good enough job. Your sister on the other hand…I guess she could work as a kitchen hop."

Chihiro was happy to hear of a job even if it was cleaning out the pig pens, but there was no way that Kioko could handle herself in the kitchens. She was a quite girl who never raised her voice and was so kind that it came to a fault. Chihiro sighed standing straight from her bowed position, a smile plastered on her face. "I am sorry Mistress Yu-Baaba, but I can not agree to those terms. I will gladly work in the pigpens but I cannot allow my sister to work the kitchens. If you really do need someone there I will work both places."

Yu-Baaba looked as though she had swallowed her cigarette. This worthless child from ten days ago had become someone willing to work herself to death so that her sister would not have to suffer. It seemed that it would take more then merely work to break that calm façade that she had adopted. It was then that she took a closer look at the condition of the two. The little one not yet introduced hid behind Sen, what looked to be sleep ware on her shivering body, covered in patches with mud. Sen was dressed somewhat the same, also covered in mud. Yu-Baaba noticed that Sen cradled her right hand to her chest and she favoured her right foot. It was then she noticed the dried blood wrapping itself around her shirt. Rising from her seat quickly she pulled the cord that called her right hand man, and she quickly reached Chihiro's side.

"What on earth happened to you?" Yu-Baaba stared at Chihiro trying to break her into telling her what had happened. Chihiro replied with a strained smile, "nothing happened, I slipped on my way to the gate."

"You called me?" came a strong male voice; Chihiro did not waver but continued to stare ahead of her. She had hoped to hear Haku's voice but she knew that was a wish that would never come true. He had told her he was going to be rid of the bathhouse so he wouldn't still be here.

"Good, Haku you came quickly. You had said you wanted someone to work under you to do your errands. Well Sen here has returned and she brought her sister, of whom I have yet to get a name. They can work for you."

Chihiro frozen. That voice, it couldn't be Haku. Here in the spirit world a year went by in a day. The voice she heard was at least her age…what the hell was going on? Swallowing back her fear she turned to the man named Haku and her breath stopped. It was Haku, granted he was far older, at lest twenty-five. His moss green hair had grown and he had it pulled back in a lose ponytail. His eyes were still as penetrating as ever, but the freedom that she remembered was no longer there, he seemed cold by his own choice not by Yu-Baaba's doings. Chihiro bowed low once again remembering her edict and said, "I am please to meet you master Haku, my sister and I wish that we might have the honour of serving you."

Haku was stunned when he had entered the room. He had heard that two humans had blatantly entered the grounds and that they looked dirty and ragged but the older one had had eyes of steel and no one dared to go against her wishes. No one knew who they were but Yu-Baaba apparently did, and had made sure that they made it to her private rooms. Haku's first impressions of the two were how dare they enter such a scared place with suck filth, then when Yu-Baaba introduced the older one as Sen, he didn't know what to do. She had turned to him and acted so formally that he was momentarily shocked. She addressed him as master as her sister continued to hide behind her. She looked so much like Chihiro had when she first arrived in the spirit world, he felt kindred to the child.

Without waiting for introductions Haku went and kneeled at eye level with the girl, "Hello, my name is Kohaku, but everyone calls me Haku. What is your name?"

She looked from his eyes, which had softened considerably to Chihiro's. She had told her not to speak until spoken to but this man had asked. This man, who she believed to be the adult version of Chihiro's description of Haku, the young man that she had fallen in love with, seemed like a nice person so she answered, "my name is Kioko, I'm ten years old." She wished to step forward but Chihiro's shoulder stood in the way and she knocked into it.

Everyone in the room saw Chihiro stiffen and hear her sharp intake of breath. 'Damn it' she cursed, the wound was still fresh, it had clotted over but not enough for any amount of rough treatment.

Haku was by her side instantly, gingerly touching the wound. Kioko had moved from Chihiro's left to her right, she clung to her elbow; Chihiro was still cradling her possibly broken wrist.

"Haku the treatment of your new employees is your responsibility. Take them and leave, and send your little pet to clean up the mess that these two left."

Haku nodded wordlessly and taking Kioko's hand and placing the free one at the base of Chihiro's back led them out. Outside the room Haku spoke to the air, " Ki go clean the room then have dinner prepared for three in my rooms." They heard a faint 'yes master' before they were spirited away (A/N sorry for the pun didn't know what else to say).

They went down three flights of stairs before they reach plain paper doors. Chihiro stopped before entering, forcing everyone else to stop. She looked down at her bare feet, ashamed that she would be tracking in dirt from outside into Haku's clean home. Haku sighed. She was going to be a tough one.

"Kioko do you mind going in ahead of me and opening the last door on your right?"

Kioko shook her head and went in, Chihiro reached out to stop her but found that Haku was in the way. He took her hand and placed it over his shoulder, then swiftly picked her up. An arm under her knees and the other supporting her back and waked her in.

In Yu-Baaba's room she sighed, 'what on earth happened to that little brat? I would never have thought that she would allow that kind of treatment in the human world…unless she was protecting her sister. I should get Haku to get the information out of her, that smile was painful, even for me.'