Well, I'm glad you guys reviewed. Keep em coming, I love to read them!

Jgal- Yeah, that seasickness thing popped into my mind because my dog's tummy seems to not like car rides and such. He threw up on me in the car once, so I know firsthand that dogs get motion sickness.

Sexy Youkai (Anonymous)- I'm glad you like this story and are optimistic about it. And updates should be frequent. I type a thousand words a day for this one.

Devlinn Reiko-sama- Thanks for the compliment on his character. I did my best on it!

Baka Psycho- Yeah, I thought it was a good idea too. It's really fun to do this. It means I can watch Spirited Away as much as I want for reference. Heh... Thanx for the compliment.

Oh, and Sesshoumaru may be a little OOC in this chapter. He hasn't adjusted to being human. Further "adjusting" will be sprinkled throughout the story. And also, Rin's name is pronounced "Lin." You know, the lady who helps out Chihiro. This is one of those Japanese things with the R and L.

Ch.3

It wasn't long before Sesshoumaru's now human scent reached the noses of the employees. This created a ruckus in which he was forced to flee from the bathhouse…

And he promptly ran into Haku.

"You! You are that Inu-Youkai from before, are you not!" Haku said. "But now…" he sighed knowingly as Sesshoumaru collapsed to the ground. "Yubaba did this."

Haku picked up the former taiyoukai and carried him to a secluded place outside the bathhouse. The same place he had taken Chihiro, he mused. He slid his fingers across Sesshoumaru's bare forehead and the golden orbs flew open.

"Are you alright?" Haku asked.

Sesshoumaru replied by turning to his side and becoming very violently sick. Haku's eyes shimmered with pity.

When Sesshoumaru finally came to peace, he had become very transparent.

"What is this sorcery?" he asked weakly as his body began to fade.

"We have to be quick. Eat this!"

Haku held out a rice ball to Sesshoumaru who ate it quickly. Before it could settle into his body however, he threw it back up and his body faded even more.

"Ah…Ahh!"

He began to panic as his hands faded to nothing.

"It's her doing this. Hold on a moment.

Haku placed his slender fingers over Sesshoumaru's abdomen.

"By the power of the wind and water within thee, dispel the curse upon this man," he commanded.

Sesshoumaru gasped as he felt his nausea go away.

"Now eat the rice ball. It should help you. Eating food from here will solidify you once more…"

Voraciously, Sesshoumaru downed the rice ball as Haku fed it to him, for his hands had become far too ethereal to hold anything. However, after he swallowed the rice ball, he felt himself become less and less ethereal and more whole.

"Okay. Now follow me."

Sesshoumaru nodded nervously, tailing Haku. However, he soon collapsed back down, this time into a flood of tears.

"What is the matter?" Haku asked him sharply.

"I…I…didn't do anything…why…?" he sobbed. "I hate these…feelings…so powerful…and I'm…sc-scared…"
Haku's eyes softened. He rubbed the former demon's back softly.

"It'll be all right. I'm going to help you get your powers back."

"Y-you?"

"Yes. Yubaba has put a spell on you, but with the right amount of pushing in the opposite direction, the spell can be reversed. All you need to do is get a job here. Go to the boiler man Kamajii and ask him to get you a job. That's all I can tell you for now. And do not fear me. I am your friend."

Haku gave Sesshoumaru an encouraging pat on the back.

"Now go. I'll create a diversion."

"Um," Sesshoumaru nodded. "Through here?"
"Hai. Just follow the stairs and go into the boiler room."

"O-okay…"

Sesshoumaru bolted through the tiny space, crawling like a soldier. His broad shoulders got jammed in the space once and caused him to cry out in pain and panic, but he freed himself and got to the stairs.

They looked rickety, as if they wouldn't support his weight.

Gulping slightly, he put his trembling foot on the first step. Then he went down the second and third. The fourth was no longer there, so he skipped to the fifth. It creaked horribly, causing him to jump to the seventh. It gave way.

"AAAAGGHHH!"

Sesshoumaru screamed as he was sent rocketing down the steps, but it was muffled as he ran into a wall when he reached the bottom.

"…ow…"

Normally, something so trivial wouldn't have hurt Sesshoumaru, but now he could feel his entire face throb in unison with his pounding heart and he had to overcome the urge to faint.

I am not used to being a human, nor do I want to be, he told himself.

He opened the door before him and warm air washed over him. It gave him a bit more courage and he walked forward to the main room. Nervously, he peered into the room.

Hundreds of little black soot balls fluttered across the room, carrying coal to the furnace. It was entrancing. But the strangest of all was a man who sat grinding herbs. His arms seemed to stretch unrealistically as he reached for the herbs in the row of cabinets to the right of Sesshoumaru. Two of his six arms were occupied with the grinding as yet another arm pulled on a red object connected to a sort of chain. It flew up as he let it go.
"Are you Kamajii?" Sesshoumaru asked, his voice unnaturally high.

"Eh?"

"Um…Haku sent me down here. I am supposed to get work…"

Kamajii stared at Sesshoumaru as if he was a human….well, he sort of was now…

"…Ah….you were a demon, weren't ya?" Kamajii asked.

"Yes. I was. Someone named Yubaba cursed me."

"That's a shame, because she's the one you'll have to see about work."

"Hey Kamajii! Get your bowl out!"

Sesshoumaru and Kamajii turned to see Rin, who was holding a platter of food and a bucket of what looked to be sprinkles. She nearly dropped the bucket when she saw Sesshoumaru.

"You! What are you doing down here!" she gasped. "And…and…you smell like a human!"

"I am human now. The food you gave me was ensorcelled."

"Oh. Well…I didn't do it, I swear…" Rin managed to say.

"I believe you. I hear tell that it was Yubaba who caused this. And I need a job."
"Well…I suppose I can help you…you know, get a job…"

"I can not guarantee that you will be compensated, Rin. You must do this for my sake, and only that."
Rin groaned.

"Not another freebie. Well, come on. Let's get going…"

Sesshoumaru took his shoes off and placed them on the ground. The little balls of soot took the shoes and hid them away when he turned his back.

"Hey, you should thank Kamajii! Ugh, you're gonna be just like Sen, I know it!"

Sesshoumaru turned to Kamajii, banging his head on the low rise in the process.

THUNK!

"Argh!" he groaned. "Um…Arigato, boiler man."
He then turned back to the small space and followed Rin. She led him to an elevator in which they rose to the higher parts of the bathhouse.

"So why did Yubaba do this to you? What's her reason?"

"An old grudge with a third cousin once removed of mine, I expect," Sesshoumaru said, voice quivering. He stroked his former tail nervously and then brushed his fingers against his aching heart. All these feelings…it was far too much…

"What's wrong with you? You're so fidgety!" Rin snapped.

"Nothing. Only…you remind me of my young ward is one…and I am very frightened to meet his witch."

"Fear is a powerful human emotion," Rin said thoughtfully. "I'd almost forgotten…I mean…this is your stop!"

Rin stopped the elevator and let Sesshoumaru out. He stepped into an ornate hall.

"Rin…thank you…I…"

"Look, don't pour any mush on here! I'm only helping you 'cause you remind me of an old friend I have…Sen…"

Sesshoumaru felt his heart twinge more painfully as Rin left him.

Now it was straight into the frying pan as he strode ever closer to Yubaba's office…

R and R please and thank you!

Insanely yours,

Me!

P.S: If you have any problems with Japanese words, tell me in a review and I'll define them. I'll define them all if you want. Just make sure to tell me.