Hey! Sorry its been so long, have had a BUTT-LOAD of homework; Junior year of high school SUCKS!

But anyhoo, hope you all enjoy this chapter! It's really short...sorry...

Nothing really exciting happens, but we DO get to see how her parents react to their disappearance (reviewers have been asking about it, so I decided to add it in).

I've been pretty down lately (not so nice reviews on my naruto stories, man do flames make me angry!) so I'd really appreciate it if you guys could review!

PLEASE REVIEW!

Chapter 7

Amaya gritted her teeth as she steadied herself against the side of the large tub, and attacked the large sludge with a vengeance, ignoring the flecks of mud that flew into her hair and onto the exposed skin of her forehead as she scrubbed with the heavy brush – she wore a cloth mouth covering so she wouldn't breathe in the disgusting vapors that were steaming from the filthy tub. Her hair was tied back loosely, but her hair so short that the ribbon was practically useless, and hung loosely around her face. Her feet were submerged in the muck, nearly up to her calves, and she grimaced at the squishy sounds that sounded when she tried to lift her feet.

"Gross…" Amaya grumbled, and blew a strand of hair out of her eyes before heaving herself out of the tub. Her hands slipped on the smooth ceramic surface, and she almost fell backwards into the sludge, only just managing to cling to the slightly raised edge with her fingertips. She let out a sigh of exhaustion as she pulled herself out, and tried to stand up. The mud was slick, however, and Amaya found herself slipping backwards.

Her yell was cut off as she fell into the sludge, the thick viscous matter sucking her up as easily as water does a stray pebble falling into its depths. It was cool and strangely soft against her skin, but then she remembered how awful it smelled and immediately began to push herself up. Who knows what the stuff was made of…or how long it had been sitting idly in the filthy tub.

Amaya broke the surface with a gasp, and looked up at the brightly lit ceiling, angrily wiping mud away from her face as she did so, her eyes pricking with frustrated tears.

It was hard to imagine that she had been here for two months already. Two long months.

Every day that passed by was a blur, filled with the energy permeated by all of the spirits, filled with thoughts of wonder at how her mother had managed the work at such a young age. Sure, Amaya was older than her mother had been, but even for Amaya the work was a strain. The days were filled with trying to avoid the wrath of Lin – the woman had been cool towards Amaya since her first day working in the baths, after Amaya had somehow set off the fire alarm and drenched everyone in the main hall with ice cold water – and sneaking moments to steal down to Kamaji's boiler room in order to chat with the old and kindly spirit with whom she had established a comfortable kinship. He never said much, just listened patiently as she chattered about her life back home, sometimes interjecting with a comment or question.

Kailani was also an unexpected friend in the spirit world, spending, at the most, four days of each week at the bathhouse before returning to tend Haku's river. Amaya soon lost her initial sense of awe at the age and power of the water nymph, and the two spent many hours chatting and giggling in Haku's office – when Amaya was organizing financial files or doing other mindless busy work – as they exchanged stories and secrets. Kailani's stories usually involved some scandal that included a male – either human or spirit – that wandered too close to the river, and by the end of them Amaya was blushing madly, but grinning nonetheless. She had never had an older sister, and Kailani was beginning to feel like one to Amaya, the unconscious barrier that separated them as nymph and human rapidly evaporating.

But…

The real world plagued Amaya's thoughts, and small things would bring the memories back in a rush. Like the sight of a brown haired worker hanging clothes on a line to dry…it reminded Amaya of her mother in the summer, washing and singing to herself. The smell of cooking fish brought back memories of her father's wonderful cooking, the good-natured tilt to his voice as he poked her playfully in the ribs, the comforting assurance he held in his hands and in his eyes.

And what Amaya hated most was that she hadn't noticed the time passing by. She was growing comfortable here; in this crazy world of dragons and cranky spirits…it was a place of comfort.

Amaya was scared of the feeling. She wanted to go home, she wanted to be somewhere where everything made sense, not in this weird state of limbo where she half belonged, half didn't belong.

But since that was a month away, Amaya pushed that thought aside and focused on something more centered in the present.

She wanted her sister back.

Not the sister that was slowly growing away from her, not the sister that had a constant weariness to her eyes, as if her will was slowly being worn down and her soul being crushed. Not the sister whose eyes sometimes flashed at Amaya in cold irritation that was far too mature for someone her age.

Amaya wanted Ruki.

The girl looked up at the sound of a familiar giggle, and her face split in a joyous smile that was so wide it hurt her face.

Ruki was standing beside the tub; hand on her hip and a smirk on her lips as she tucked a stray hair behind her ear. Her eyes were clear and happy today, and Amaya grinned as she sat up.

"Ruki! Are you working with me today?"

Ruki nodded, and, after a second's hesitation, grinned. She backed up a few steps, and jumped into the tub to join Amaya. Mud splattered everywhere, and when the two surfaced they laughed and hugged each other.

"Yeah, Haku made Yubaba give me the day off. He told me where you were, and so I decided to spend it with you."

Amaya sighed, wiping the sludge from Ruki's face, studying her sister's visage carefully, frowning at the frail thinness to her frame and to her cheeks, once rosy, that were now ashen and tired looking.

"What is that witch doing to you, Ruki? Why are you always so tired?" Ruki bit her lip, shaking her head slightly, and Amaya growled in frustration. "And why can't you tell me anything?"

"She's not that bad, Amaya. She just…has a lot of work for me to do. She hasn't done anything to me; she hasn't been nasty at all. Its just…sometimes…I feel…"

Amaya knelt down to look at her sister at eye level. "What, Ruki? You can tell me anything, you know."

Ruki smiled sadly, her eyes strangely hooded as she nodded. "I know, Maya. I know."

Amaya smiled, and patted Ruki's head before helping the younger girl out of the tub, and then climbing out herself. The older girl laughed at the sludge that coated their bodies, and both cringed at the sound of a piercing and deafening yell that could strike fear even into the hearts of the most powerful spirits.

"What in the gods' names have you two been doing?"

Lin was standing in the entrance to the bathing area, and her brown eyes snapped and sparked at the two guilty sisters, who were currently staring at the floor to avoid her rage. The foreman – or would it be forewoman? – marched over, and took both girls by the ear and dragged them out of the area and into the adjoining one, where a salty bath was already prepared. The maids nearby saw Ruki and Amaya with gasps of horror, and they all laughed as Lin pushed the two forward so they landed face first into the deep bath.

The warm salt in the water made Amaya's skin tingle, and when she came sputtering up to the surface she found that it had washed all of the mud away, leaving her soaking wet but miraculously clean. Ruki was examining her skin with an awed expression, and Lin's lips curved into a small smirk at the sight of the little girl smiling in wonder.

Lin had become very attached to Ruki over the past few months, and after some consideration Amaya was able to understand why.

It was because whenever Lin looked at Ruki, her mind registered that familiar face with the face of a girl who had come into this world only once before, but had touched the hearts of so many along the way. Ruki reminded Lin of Amaya's mother, Chihiro, and Amaya didn't blame her; the two looked exactly alike.

Lin grabbed a wash cloth and began washing some invisible mud off of Ruki's face, ignoring her indignant squeaks and complaints as she gently rubbed the girl's face and neck with the soft cloth. Amaya's throat tightened at the tender expression on the spirit's face, and her mind immediately went back to the image of her mother.

Haku had kept his promise in sending the letter, but the ways of magic were still a mystery to Amaya, and as a result she was still slightly suspicious of it.

The girl's chest ached as she looked at her hands, the perfectly clean hands that were almost glowing.

Oh Mom, Dad...Sakura. I miss you guys so much. Please…don't give up on us!

Two Months Earlier

Chihiro Scott paced the floor of their new home, the empty room that was as lonely and shadowy as her heart as she wrung her hands frantically, her eyes flashing to her husband as he curtly spoke to the police on the cell phone – the electricity hadn't been turned on yet. Sakura was asleep, thank God. Chihiro didn't know how to begin telling the young girl that her two older sisters might be gone for good. Without a trace…without signs of a struggle.

Which means they either had gone willingly or had been silenced too quickly for sound to reach Everett, who was waiting not two minutes away by the car.

The thought of someone laying a hand on her girls made Chihiro's blood boil, but fear overwhelmed her anger as she impatiently sat down on the floor, leaning against the wall. Were they safe, were they afraid?

Were they…dead?

No! Chihiro shook her head furiously. She wouldn't allow herself to think of it…she wouldn't let the thought stray into her head again. It was foolish to burn the flame of maternal panic even hotter, and the woman forced herself to take a deep breath.

Everett finally hung up the phone, and the man slowly came into the living room, his face pale and strained.

Chihiro didn't have to ask, for his face said it all. The police had found nothing. Just as the two parents had found nothing when they searched the woods, two days ago. Their girls were gone…and although the police would do everything in their power to find them, the hope was slim.

The mother's face crumpled as she let out a sob of anguish, and she felt Everett sit down beside her, locking an arm securely around her shoulders as he struggled to control his own raging fear and concern for his daughters.

"What are we going to do, Everett?" Chihiro sobbed, and Everett shook his head.

"I…I don't know…"

Chihiro was about to speak when there was a flash of green light in the small room, and Everett yelled as he flung himself over his wife in an attempt to protect her from this strange new entity. Chihiro waited for it all to fade, clutching to Everett desperately, cracking open an eye when all was quiet.

The room was as dark and empty as before, the only new thing being a small envelope that lay on the floor beside the parents' feet, a simple, cream colored envelope that made Chihiro move forward in disbelief. Everett was blinking rapidly, his golden hazel eyes confused as his wife hesitantly picked up the letter.

Chihiro recognized her eldest daughter's handwriting in the center of the envelope, and almost cut herself in her rush to open the letter. The paper ripped easily in her hands, and with shaking hands Chihiro read the letter silently, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Mom and Dad,

Don't worry; Ruki and I are safe and are being very well cared for here. I don't know where exactly here is, but I think it's most accurately referred to as "the spirit world". Mom…I know that you've been here before, Haku told me that you came here as a girl. Please tell me that you remember…the boiler room, the old greedy witch with the absolutely enormous head, the boy who you saved by helping him remember his name?

The portal to this world only opens once in each of the months of July, November, January, and April. Don't know why, but Kamaji said something about the Gods sealing it after you appeared in this world, something about necessary precautions. We entered in July, and so there's nothing we can do but wait here until the day the portal opens in November. I'm so sorry that I got Ruki and I into this; it was me who wanted to explore the tunnel, it's my fault we're in this mess.

I don't know the exact day in November that we can leave, but just know that we'll be coming home safe and sound when that day comes. Just wait for us, wait, and don't worry too much.

Love, from both of us,

Amaya and Ruki

The woman let the letter fall to the ground slowly, and Everett snatched it up, his eyes widening as he read the first few lines.

Chihiro was having trouble thinking clearly. The spirit world…how in the world had Amaya and Ruki followed in her footsteps? She had never imagined…she had never dreamed…

Everett's eyebrows were furrowing in confusion, and Chihiro felt the anxiety slipping away at the thought of Kamaji and Haku.

If they were truly in the spirit world…than Chihiro knew that they were safe. As long as Haku was around…her babies would be safe and sound. He wouldn't let anything happen to them, just as he hadn't let anything happen to her.

She trusted him, even after all this time.

Her husband's eyes were skeptical as the rose from the letter, and Chihiro smiled as she settled next to her husband, patting his arm comfortingly.

"It's alright, Everett. The girls are all right. I promise."

"What is this crap? Spirit world…Haku? What's going on?"

"Calm down, dear, and let me explain. It all began when I was ten years old, and my dad got lost on the trail that led up to my grandparents' house…"

Please review! Thanks, and I hoped you guys liked it!