Hey everyone! Last night, I posted 2 chapters with a challenge for you guys to get to 300 views by morning. And guess what? I woke up this morning with 368 views! You guys are fantastic! So, as a little thank you, I'm posting an extra chapter this week. Please be sure to read this one, Haku's backstory is in this chapter, and I don't think you guys will be disappointed ;) this chapter was actually a little emotional for me to write, you guys may discover why as you continue to read on. Anyway, I'll be posting several more chapters in a week or so. As always, follow the story, leave a review and favorite! Thanks everyone!

Now in the girls' quarters, only the two women were present. On their way, Rin had grabbed their dinner from the kitchens, deciding to take her break early.

Rin immediately objected after finding out that Chihiro would be taking Haku's old position of apprentice.

"Sen, you don't have to do this! You'll get yourself killed!" Rin said with serious worry for her friend. Just like Haku, Rin also felt it was her job to protect her. She didn't like Chihiro being where she knew she couldn't help her.

This display only made Chihiro smile. "Don't worry about me so much, Rin. Yubaba says that if there are any jobs that require me to leave the bathhouse, Haku would be coming with me. I'll be fine," she said with a smile.

The thought of dragon boy going with Chihiro made Rin get a mischievous smile on her face.

All that time alone, huh? Rin thought with a chuckle. But, jokes aside, she truly was glad that Chihiro was back again; not just for her sake, but Haku's. Every day since she had left, Haku would spend his days alone, scrubbing tubs, barely talking, avoiding contact with everyone unless absolutely necessary.

Rin decided to change the subject.

"Ok, girl-talk time. Tell me everything about your world. What are your friends like? OH, and the boys, what are the boys like?!" Rin said excitedly.

Chihiro didn't know what to say. The truth is, she didn't have any friends at all, let alone a boyfriend. She answered truthfully.

"Nah, I don't really like anyone in my world," she said straightforwardly. This got Rin excited.

"Oh, so you've still got the hots for that dragon, right?" Rin said before bursting into laughter.

"Absolutely not! We're just friends, seriously." Chihiro said, her cheeks revealing her embarrassment.

But, embarrassing as it was, it was the truth.

She remembered the day that Kamaji said that it was 'true love' that saved Haku's life. Chihiro was confused the first time she heard this, but with time, she began to understand what those words truly meant. She loved Haku; that was for sure. In which way she loved him was what she still didn't know.

Chihiro was brought out of her thoughts by Rin laughing with her dinner in her mouth. "HA! As if I believe that. Ever since you left," she took another bite of her meat bun, "that boy has been sulking every day, scaring us all to death. That hug outside Yubaba's office was the first sign I've seen in the past 6 years that he even has a heart."

She must be messing with me, she thought. Haku didn't miss me that badly.

They ate in silence for a few more minutes; legs hanging off the balcony, overlooking the ocean. The picturesque moon shone down upon the sea, every ripple glistening. Chihiro had never realized just how beautiful it was.

She was so distracted by the scene before her that she nearly jumped when Rin spoke.

"Alright, its lights off for you, Sen, you've got a big day tomorrow." Rin said, trying to hide how nervous she was for the girl. "Try and get some rest."

A bell rang throughout the bathhouse, signifying the end of everyone's shift. Several moments later, workers began to pile into the women's quarters. They were all getting ready for bed.

Everyone else had fallen asleep, but Chihiro was having a difficult time calming down.

I wonder what my parents must think, she thought to herself. She'd been missing now for hours.

They must have called the police by now. I wonder how long they'll search for me before they give up.

An image of her mother crying and her father worried suddenly popped into her head. She didn't know how it was possible, but that moment had changed her mood from absolute bliss to soul-crushing guilt.

But, being there in the Spirit World was everything she had ever wanted, so why couldn't she just let them go?

Stop thinking about it, she chided. The more you think, the worse it gets.

Try as she might, it was as if her mind were permanently glued to the topic. She thought of all the times she had moved to new cities, how both of her parents worked overtime just to put her into the best schools they could manage. All they wanted was for her to be happy. Chihiro was happy now, but she couldn't stop feeling as though she had betrayed her family in the process.

Chihiro subconsciously reached her hand into her pocket, locating the lock of hair she had put there earlier that morning. She had hoped it would reassure her that what she was doing was the right thing, but it wasn't working.

At this rate, she would never be able to sleep if she didn't think this through. What she needed right now was to be alone and sort through her thoughts. Eventually, she decided to go out to the garden. As quietly as she could, Chihiro stood up from her futon and exited the room, trying her best not to wake any of the workers.

She knew every step to the garden. Remembering how Haku had led her there after seeing her parents in the pig pen, that garden held a special place in her heart.

Chihiro saw the exact spot where Haku had given her rice cakes, and let her cry over how scared she was. She had felt so comforted when he put his hand on her shoulder; it made her feel as if she weren't alone anymore. The thought never occurred to her, but it truly was the first time she had ever let her wall down, and let somebody in.

Caught in her reverie, she hadn't noticed that someone was already standing there.

"Couldn't sleep?" Haku said calmly. He was sitting by the hedges of hydrangeas with his legs crossed. He seemed to have been there for a while before she had shown up.

Her heart began to pound. Oh no, did I interrupt something? How long has he been here?

"I'm so sorry, Haku! I didn't see you out here; I hope I didn't interrupt anything. I'll go find somewhere else." She stammered, beginning to turn back towards the bathhouse.

His eyes widened in shock as he realized what she was thinking."No, no, don't go! This is where I go to think, too." He said, motioning for her to sit down.

She walked over to where he sat. Once on the ground, she thought it would be best to make small talk. "It's so funny. I remember sitting in this exact place 6 years ago with you. It somehow doesn't feel real, that I'm actually back." She said, almost in a dreamlike state.

He agreed with her. "I know. Ever since the day I took you here, I would come back to this garden every time I had a lot on my mind." He paused, looking at her. "Which reminds me, why exactly are you back?"

She hadn't been expecting such a question. Taking a deep breath, she realized that now was the time that she needed to come clean; painful as it was.

Chihiro explained to him how she had dreamt of her leaving the Spirit World every day for years, and how the dreams haunted her. She spoke of how after waking up hundreds of times with tears running down her face, she had to get away. She skipped the part where she changed the ending of her dream; she felt that might be awkward for Haku to hear.

Haku sat there and listened, finally getting answers to so many of his questions. She was in pain not being in the Spirit World, just as he was in pain not having her there.

Stop it, Haku reprimanded himself. Don't dwell on the past. She's here now, and that's all that matters.

Eventually, Chihiro's voice began to shake as she brought up leaving her parents, the note she had written, and finally saying goodbye. This was the very topic she wanted to avoid, but she was so invested in her recount of the last few years that all bets were off.

After Chihiro told most of her story, she paused; her face suddenly clouded with sadness. As she spoke, her voice changed from solemn to downright heartbroken.

"I miss them." She said, voice quivering, staring at the floor. Her eyes were locked on a rock in front of them, but anyone could see that she was in another world.

Haku secretly wanted nothing more than to wrap his arms around her and tell her that everything would be alright, that she was here now, and that he'd protect her from ever feeling like this , he dared not overstep his boundaries.

That didn't stop you the last time we were here, he recollected. He quieted that voice when he noticed that Chihiro had paused.

Chihiro looked up quickly and saw just who she was talking to. She had almost forgotten that Haku was there, listening to every word as she bore her soul to him.

"I'm sorry," She said quickly, "I didn't mean to say so much…" She said, suddenly embarrassed.

This made Haku smile. He liked that she was so open with him. So much had happened in the past 6 years that he wasn't even aware of, and he was elated to know that she still trusted him enough to tell him everything.

"Don't be sorry, you've been through more than anyone should ever go through. I understand how you feel about your parents; I went through a similar situation with my parents as well." Haku figured that if there was one person he could trust with his own story, it would be her. He took a deep breath, not sure where to start.

"I was born in a sea-faring nation, named Piscanem. My father was a very powerful dragon spirit who worked as a Magistrate; my mother, a beautiful singer at the time. My parents and I lived in a palace as a very wealthy and powerful family," he said, looking at Chihiro, who was now listening to every word. Her intense expression filled his stomach with butterflies.

"I loved my father very much. He was strong and well respected but many, always seeking justice and defending those who couldn't defend themselves. I spent most of my life in training to become his successor. Every night I would look at the moon and hope that one day; I could be just like him."

Chihiro smiled at the thought of a little Haku running around beside his father. Her smile made him warm inside. With a sigh, he continued.

"One day, my father was helping me train in combat," He continued. "I had finally gotten very skilled at my sword, and my father congratulated me," he said, smiling at the memory. He was so invested into the story; he had almost forgotten Chihiro was there.

"He told me how proud he was of me, and said that someday I would be a better swordsman than he was." His face took on a new expression, one completely devoid of his normally stern stare.

"The next day, a criminal broke into our house, drunk and furious. He had murdered a girl in town who refused to marry him, and my father had ordered several weeks previously that he should be locked up for the rest of his life." Chihiro could see his eyes darken in the moonlight as he continued.

"We were training late that night inside the gym. The drunken criminal burst into the room, his blade in hand, his eyes set on my father, whose back was turned against him. He saw nothing, yet I saw everything." He said, flinching. "I saw the blade go straight through his chest, yet I was too weak to move a muscle in defense. I could have saved him." Haku paused, angry at himself.

"I unsheathed my sword and killed the man who killed my father, but by then, it was too late. Days, weeks, years later; I blamed myself for my father's death. My mother, too overcome with grief from the loss of her husband, killed herself."

Haku was obviously getting upset. Chihiro, seeing her best friend suffering, unknowingly put her hand on his shoulder. Her touch made his tension dissipate. Haku took a deep breath before continuing.

"I had thought, back then, that I was to blame for it all. I was a monster. I didn't want to be the reason for so much pain anymore, and so I ran from my home as fast as I could, until I found the bathhouse. Yubaba took me in, gave me a contract, and I began my new life. Although I had escaped my problem, I continued to feel guilty until one day; I awoke from a dream where my father told me that it was alright. He told me he was proud of me, that he loved me, and that he never blamed me. He told me it was time to move on."

He turned to Chihiro, looking her straight in the eyes. "None of this is your fault, Chihiro. I know the pain you're feeling all too well, but don't make the same mistake I did." Chihiro's eyes began to water as he finished. "Don't spend your life focusing on the 'what ifs". The past is in the past, and you don't need to burden yourself with it anymore."

This was too much for Chihiro. Her eyes filled with water to the brim, until one by one, tears began to fall. Then came the sobbing. Haku, knowing her pain, put his arm around her, letting her lean her head on his chest.

He wished he could have been there in the human world to help her deal with all of her sorrow. In a way, he blamed himself. If only he had known 6 years ago what pain she would be feeling today… he wouldn't have let her leave so easily.

For a long while, both of them sat there, staring at the moon, until Chihiro spoke up.

"Haku," she said softly, her eyes wide and sparkling, "Thank you for telling me. I can only imagine how painful that was to relive, I'm sorry for making you do that." He looked at her in shock, for felt at peace more than anything, now that he had finally been able to tell someone.

"Don't be sorry, Chihiro. It all happened 50 years ago. Time has healed my wounds, but yours are still fresh. I said what I said because you needed to hear it," he said seriously. Haku waited a moment.

"I haven't told anyone that story. Everyone assumes I just showed up mysteriously, and I'm honestly glad that someone knows now. I'm even happier knowing that that someone is you." He said, both of them smiling at each other.

Chihiro's eyelids began to feel heavy. Tonight was an emotional night, and it had taken its toll on her. Seeing her begin to nod off, Haku walked her back to her quarters.

"Thank you for everything, Haku." Chihiro said outside her door with a yawn.

"Thanks for everything, too," He responded with sincerity. "Tomorrow's your first day, try to get some rest. Meet me right here tomorrow, we have our first assignment in the morning."

Chihiro was too tired to do anything else but nod. Shutting the door, she walked to her futon carefully. Having relieved her heart of so many things troubling her, she fell into a dreamless sleep almost in an instant.