Hey guys! Thanks sooo much for reviewing! Thanks to you, this story is now on my first priority list with my Pretear and YYH stories! Thank you soo much for the reviews! I feel all fluffy inside!

Review Reponses:

Sara: Thanks so much! I'm glad you find this thingy funny! Thanks so much for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I no own Spirited Away! I R a regular…human…being…

Hey, you guys don't mind if I don't put a disclaimer up anymore from now on, do you? I think everyone probably knows I don't Spirited Away, or I wouldn't be here writing fanfics.

And BTW, the FCAT Writes were really easy…surprisingly. I got this really annoying prompt where you had to pick something in nature and explain why you like it. I chose flowers because it was easy to write about and I finished in 40 minutes. But they say not to go off topic, but that topic was so broad…you could have chosen your mom and still be talking about nature…

Chapter 5

"So, basically what you're saying is that five years ago your parents turned into pigs?" Akane asked.

"And you had to work at a bathhouse for spirits to try and turn them back to normal?" Sakana added. Chihiro nodded. Sakana still stared, mouth open at her while Akane seemed to be trying to comprehend the whole situation. The story probably sounded just as ridiculous as her parents thought it was. I mean, next thing you know, pigs might fly and a cow might really jump over the moon.

"I still don't get it," Sakana said and Chihiro cried out in frustration. She had been trying to explain the whole thing to them for the past hour, and she still couldn't get it through that thick skull of hers. Typical Sakana.

"Why do you have to go back now?" Akane asked finally, getting up and pacing around Chihiro's room.

"You heard what Haku said, didn't you?" Chihiro pointed out.

"But, are you sure you should do this? I mean," Akane paused for a moment, as if afraid to say what was on her mind, "you don't even know if everyone there will remember you. You might have to start over, and something might happen to you."

Chihiro relaxed slightly. She was so lucky to have such good friends, even if one of them was still as clueless as ever sometimes.

"You don't have to worry about that, Chihiro. You are all anyone talks about," Haku reassured her. She looked up at him. He still had the same sincere look in his eyes, a kind of pleading one at the moment, though. She smiled at him.

"What am I going to tell my parents, though?" Chihiro asked. What was she supposed to say to them? If she knew spirits (which she did), then she knew her little journey would take a while and she wouldn't see the light of day from her house for probably several weeks, and she didn't want them to worry about her too much.

Everyone was silent for a moment as they pondered the idea. It wasn't for several minutes before Akane spoke up. Typical Akane, always the one to think of a solution to their problems.

"We could always say that we were invited on this educational trip thingy where we get to go to one of those top boarding schools or something."

"Hold it," Chihiro held up a hand to stop her from saying anymore, "what's with this "we" stuff? I'm the only one who's going. It's too dangerous for you guys."

"Forget it, Chihiro. We aren't going to let you leave and have such a cool adventure on your own!" Sakana grinned. Akane nodded in agreement.

"We'll help make sure nothing happens to you."

"And make sure you don't do anything you wouldn't regret later," Sakana hinted to her and winked an eye. It took awhile for Chihiro to realize what she was talking about and she slapped the back of her head. "Ow! What was that for!"

"As if, Sakana. You are thinking way too much into that." Chihiro folded her arms over her chest; however, she had always wanted some peaceful alone time with him, and she hoped she might get it. But of course, Sakana and Akane won't ever figure that out.

"It might be a problem if you two come, though," Haku interrupted. "You girls will leave your smell all over, and the Chimimouryou will catch onto you in no time." Chihiro frowned. She had forgotten about that.

"Then how come Chihiro can go?" Sakana countered.

"Because she has been to the bathhouse before," Haku said simply.

"Wait, I've got it!" Chihiro suddenly spurted out. Everyone stared at her strangely.

"Got what?" Akane asked.

"I've got a plan to get you guys in without being noticed!" Chihiro grinned from ear to ear at her wonderful accomplishment and quick thinking.

"What do you mean?" Haku asked and Chihiro prepared to tell them her plan.

-----

Sakana and Akane ended up spending the night in her room. All of their parents approved, since they thought they were going to the "boarding school" by a special bus that was to pick them up early in the morning. Haku ended up sleeping in a tree just outside Chihiro's bedroom, for obvious reasons. She had given him a fluffy pillow and cotton blanket to help him keep warm and be as comfortable as possible.

Sakana and Akane were both snoring softly on the floor of her room. Chihiro just couldn't sleep. She was too preoccupied with what would happen once the arrived back at the bathhouse. Would everyone remember her? What would happen with her friends? And what was with the Chimimouryou?

She gazed outside at the sakura tree Haku was currently occupying. From her position, he looked to be sleeping, but with him, you couldn't be certain. She had so many questions to ask him about the Spirit World, but she supposed they would have to wait until morning.

Chihiro rolled back over and shut her eyes in another attempt to catch those oh-so-elusive z's, but a certain dragon wouldn't leave her mind. Then that's when she felt it. The familiar feeling of being watched overwhelmed her and she sat up abruptly in bed. Gazing around the dark room, all she could make out were the dim outlines of her furniture and the sounds of slumber from her friends. A rustle of leaves, and she turned to look outside once again at the dragon boy. He had shifted positions and now faced her, lying on his side. His thin, beautiful pale black bangs hung over his eyes, and Chihiro resisted the urge to do a Rapunzel and join him in the tree, if only to fix his hair. She stared at him for several moments, just watching the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest. His eyes fluttered open and she gasped. Had he been awake this whole time? That would certainly explain the feeling of being watched.

Haku gazed at her, causing those urges to rise up in Chihiro once again. This time, however, she had control over them and they just gazed deeply into each other's eyes. His gaze softened upon seeing her, and Chihiro almost broke down. Such a simple gesture could cause this much? She clenched her fists tightly to fight back the pooling tears. Without glancing back at him, Chihiro laid back down and tried to forget everything for now, at least until she had to go. And for some reason, she succeeded this time.

-----

"Hey…hey, Akane, Sakana, wake up! It's time to go!" Chihiro whispered softly into her friends' ears. Both groaned and rolled over away from her and she growled. She didn't want to take desperate measures, but for her plan to work, she had to do it.

"Good morning, Chihiro," Haku yawned and jumped in from the tree.

"Hey, Haku," Chihiro greeted with a smile. "Sleep alright?" He nodded.

Chihiro turned back to her friends and attempted to shake them awake, but they slept like a rock. Then a sudden thought struck her and she grinned evilly at her ingenious plan. She was on a roll so far.

"Haku, wanna help me with these two?" she asked. He got the same evil look on his face, only making her own widen. They kneeled next to the two girls. With one last glance at each other, they nodded and held their hands over them. Then, they met their targets.

"Ah ahahaha!" Sakana and Akane's laughter broke through the nightly silence. After several minutes of torture, Chihiro and Haku let them catch their breath and sit up.

"W-what did you do that for?" Akane asked, trying to catch her breath.

"How else am I supposed to get you guys up?" Chihiro laughed and Akane scowled.

"What time is it?" Sakana yawned. Chihiro pointed to the window. The red-orange glow of the sun was just about peeking over the horizon, and already they could feel its soothing warmth. "So…early…" Sakana's eyes fluttered shut once again and she collapsed onto the floor, snoring. Chihiro blinked and sighed.

"Let's just drag her for now. She's a rock when it comes to sleeping,"
Chihiro said as she brushed her hair. She grabbed her glittery purple ponytail and placed it on her wrist.

"Where's the bag with all our stuff?" Akane asked.

"I put it by the door," Haku answered.

"Ok, so is everyone ready to go?" Chihiro asked. Everyone nodded. "Ok, someone help me drag this girl." Chihiro grabbed Sakana's arms and Haku her legs and together with Akane they began their trek outside.

"Where do we go?" Akane asked. Chihiro looked to Haku. He seemed more tense than usual.

"Do you remember how you came last time, Chihiro?" he asked. His gaze was so intense and serious, Chihiro shivered slightly under it.

"Yeah, it's just down that hill," Chihiro pointed to the familiar hill. Last time she had gone through there, she and her parents had come across what they thought was an abandoned amusement park. In actuality, it was the gateway to the Spirit World. She wondered what had happened to it since then.

With a bit of difficulty, courtesy of the still sleeping Sakana, they managed to climb over the steep, grassy hill and weave their way through the neighboring forest.

"Look," Chihiro pointed with glee at the ground. Little concrete houses were decorated around a tree's root system, just as she remembered them from five years ago. They still looked untouched by the passage of time and nature.

"Did you pass by these before?" Haku asked and she nodded in response.

"What are they?" Akane asked.

"They are little houses for the spirits that the humans here have built. Small spirits actually do make use of them for when it rains, though, so I guess it's a good thing," Haku explained.

They continued through the forest and finally came to the familiar spirit statue that Chihiro's father had almost crashed their car into. Her spirits heightened. They were finally here!

She and Haku set Sakana down gently and looked up. Chihiro gaped at the sight and almost broke down crying.

A/N: Yay! I'm proud of myself for updating quickly! Lol. Anyways, for those of you who asked, there will be much fluff of ChihiroHaku later on! But they have to get to the bathhouse first! So, don't worry!

Now please review! I got over 2000 hits…but not as many reviews…(I shouldn't be complaining though…just a thought, though) And sorry this chapter was kinda short, but I wanted to get this up for you guys!