Hi guys! I am sooooo sorry I didn't updated fast! I'm restricted from the computer now because my math grade is slipping (I hate geometry…) and I spend too much time on the computer anyways. So updates are going to be slower. Just bare with me, k?

Thank you sooooooooooooooo much to everyone who has been reading and reviewing this story! Please continue! If you do, I'll work harder to get these chapters up quicker!

I found out where people were getting Chihiro's last name: It's in the cine-manga! I also found the name of the bathhouse, butI forgot it...there was also everyone else's Japanese names, too! Oh well.../sighs/ If anyone remembers, tell me!

I have a question for all of you: Do you think the idea of Akane and Sakana going with Chihiro was a bad idea? I mean,I can see where they might be a problem, butI needed someone Chihiro could talk to when she was older so she wouldn't be alone and stuff. They'd also fit very well into what I have planned.

Disclaimer: I don't own Miyazaki's work!

P.S.: Has anyone watched Howl's Moving Castle? IT'S SOOOOOOOO AWESOME! Hauru is soooooo cool /squeals! (I couldn't stopped doing that throughout the whole movie…). And btw, I like to call Howl "Hauru," his Japanese name. I like that better than "Howl" for some strange reason.

Chapter 6

"It's…it's not here…" She cried. All that was left of the old-looking red building was a small pile of rubble.

"Chihiro, they tore this old thing down months ago," Akane explained.

Chihiro continued staring at her only hope. Last time she had stumbled upon Spirit World with her parents, they had gone through the old red building and crossed the sea of grass that turned to water once you were on the other side. Now what was she supposed to do? She didn't know of any other way to get through.

"How are we supposed to get through, then?" Sakana asked.

Chihiro looked over to Haku. He seemed lost in thought, trying to find a way over this obstacle. Then, a sudden thought hit her.

"Haku, how did you get here?" she asked.

"I created a portal using some magic," he said.

"Then why didn't you tell us that sooner! You could have saved us a bunch of trouble, you know," Sakana said.

"You need to be somehow connected to our world to be able to pass through, that's why I didn't tell you," he said.

"What do you mean, 'somehow connected'?" Chihiro asked.

"You need to have been born there or lived there for a certain amount of time, or even have something that came from that world," he said. Well, the first two didn't apply. Didn't she have something from their world? Anything?

"Wait, I do have something!" Chihiro exclaimed suddenly, causing he friends to jump slightly.

"What?" Akane asked.

Instead of responding, Chihiro took the ponytail from her wrist and held it up for everyone to see. The glitter shimmered in a purple light from the morning sun.

"A ponytail?" Akane cocked an eyebrow.

"Zeniba, Kaonashi, and some other friends made this for me when I visited her," she explained, grinning from ear to ear. She was definitely on a roll today with solutions.

"That's great, Chihiro!" Haku smiled. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply, as if meditating. He waved his hand through the air, as if writing something on it, and soon a void of swirling colors appeared with a pop.

"Wow," the girls awed at his magic powers. Of course, Chihiro shouldn't have been so surprised since shewas familiar withsome of his powers, but she couldn't help herself after five long years.

"Ok, you all need to hold on tightly to a part of her ponytail. If you let go, you'll be stuck in the portal and won't be able to come out," he warned. Slightly apprehensive, Chihiro's stomach churned, but she fought it back down and nodded. She and her friends wrapped two fingers around the violet thread, ready for what was to come. "Ok, everyone ready? Follow me."

Haku hopped into the swirling void and disappeared in a flash of light. The girls hesitated for a moment, unsure whether they would make it through. What would they do? They didn't want to be stuck between the worlds, forced to sit for an eternity in a limbo.

The void grew smaller, bringing the girls out of their daze.

"We'd better hurry, or we won't be able to go at all," Chihiro urged. Gripping the thread tighter, they all took a deep breath and jumped in the void.

Chihiro and her friends fell through the space at a phenomenal rate. Just when they thought they would fall forever into darkness, their bodies halted, suspended in the limbo. Chihiro's body began to ache, and soon that grew into a searing pain shooting up her spine. Just as she thought she wouldn't be able to bear it anymore, the pain numbed just as quickly as it had come. All her senses had been shut off as her body was wrapped in a thin membrane. Chihiro resisted the urge to scream, afraid that she would suck in whatever was covering her.

It seemed like an eternity had passed until their bodies were released and the girls fell on the other side of the portal. For a moment Chihiro remained on the ground, trying to regain her senses before she stood up. They had landed in the middle of the restaurant shopping place for the spirits that came by. Everything still looked the same as it had been five years ago: old-looking shops; the smell of food so intoxicating. Chihiro even recognized the familiar shop where her mother and father had been turned into pigs.

Chihiro still clutched the purple ponytail. Panicked, she scanned the area for her friends. She found them laid sprawled on the ground near one of the shops. She sighed in relief. At least she hadn't lost them.

Yet, Chihiro's mind finished, and she wished it hadn't. Old fear rose inside her once again, and she began to second-guess her decision.

Sakana stirred and sat up. Looking around, she blinked and rubbed her eyes awake. "Where are we?" she asked. Just as Chihiro was about to answer, Sakana was sniffing the air like a dog. She followed her nose to the counter above her and her eyes lit up. She had come face to face with a buffet of food, and her stomach growled. She picked up a boiled crab and was about to take a bite out of it, but Chihiro got to her first.

"Hey!" she cried as Chihiro snatched the food from her and set it back down. "I was going to eat that!"

"Exactly. You can't eat this food," Chihiro explained.

"And why not?"

"Because this food is for the spirits, and you'll turn into a pig if you eat any of it," Chihiro warned.

Sakana glanced back at the warm food. She definitely did not want to turn into a pig, no matter how tasty the food looked. She gulped and backed away slowly from the meals, tripping over Akane in the process. Akane jolted awake and yelped in pain.

"Ow! Kami, that hurt!" She cried, rubbing her sore side.

Chihiro laughed half-heartedly, but otherwise paid no attention to her friends. Where was Haku?

"Hey, where do you think Haku went?" Sakana asked.

Chihiro had no answer to her question, but for some reason had the compelling urge to go to the entrance to the bathhouse. Without saying a word, she started up the street towards the direction of the bridge.

"Hey, wait up, Chihiro! Where are you going?" Akane and Sakana called and raced after her.

Chihiro stopped so suddenly at the bridge that her friends ran into her, falling ungracefully onto their bottoms.

"That's the second time today I've been knocked down," Akane muttered. "Chihiro, why'd you stop like that? Chihiro?"

Chihiro was in too much of a daze to listen. The bathhouse definitely did not look that same like all the other shops did. Instead of an old Japanese looking style, it was now decorated in cool, dark colors. The edges of the building seemed as sharp as ever, and the water no longer ran down the side. Instead, smoke and steam billowed out of the hole. All of the dark coloring gave a sense of impending doom, and the shadows it cast looked so threatening, Chihiro was afraid to venture any closer.

"This is the bathhouse?" Akane said.

"No," Chihiro answered.

"What?" Sakana asked.

"This isn't the same bathhouse I knew five years ago. It's the only thing about this place that's changed. It seems those demon spirits really have taken over," Chihiro said. She had been hoping throughout their trip that what Haku had told he wasn't true, but here she had proof of his words right in front of her.

"You guys made it," Haku's voice rang out. He was walking towards them, relief written all over his features. "They haven't noticed you have come yet, so you are safe for a while."

"And why didn't you warn us about that portal? I thought I was gonna die!" Akane scorned him.

"Oh, sorry. I'm so used to traveling through there, I don't even notice the changing sensations," he laughed sheepishly. Akane pouted.

"Hey, wasn't it sunrise just a while ago?" Sakana asked and pointed west. The sun was indeed setting, the sky above aglow with warm colors, but Chihiro didn't miss the billowing shadowy mists flying above them.

"Time is on a different schedule here," Haku explained.

The sun dipped below the horizon, and the lamps began to light. Chihiro noticed again the influence of the Chimimouryou. Instead of the welcoming fires, the lamps lit with a cold, burning purple, a similar miasma seeping through the opening at the top. The exhaust from the boiler seemed darker, more evil, as well.

"This place gives me the creeps," Akane said.

"We have to hide. The guards will be coming out soon," Haku warned. "Chihiro, you remember where Kamaji's boiler room is?" Chihiro nodded. "Ok. I'll go ahead and make sure no one will see you guys. Go there and wait until I come."

"Hold it, Haku, what if—" Chihiro began to protest, but Haku had already flew off. "Damn."

"If we are going to hide, we'd better do it quick!" Akane said, pointing down the road. Dark, billowing mists floated towards them.

"Come on!" Chihiro grabbed Sakana's hand, who in turn grabbed Akane's and Chihiro led them to the side of the bathhouse. She gazed down to the back door of the boiler. The long, zigzagging stairway still looked intact. Chihiro pushed hard on the first step as an added precaution. It didn't give in to her weight, and she sighed in relief.

"Ok, let's go," Chihiro said.

Akane stared at her incredulously. "You want us to go down that thing?"

"Yeah…there's no other way to get to the boiler room without being seen," Chihiro answered. Akane still look uneasy. "Listen, I'll lead the way, so if anything happens, you guys can go back up, ok?"

Akane nodded.

"Come on! It'll be fun!" Sakana grinned and took her friend's hand, and the three girls descended down the stairs.

With each step they took, the boards creaked. Chihiro continuously glanced up for any shadows or open windows. So far they had gone unnoticed, and she breathed deeply. Though she tried not to show it for her friend's sake, she was afraid of what her friends in the bathhouse would be like. Would they still remember her? Were they possessed or being tricked? Would they be blackmailed into turning Chihiro, her friends, and Haku in?

A million and one questions buzzed through her head, all of which she couldn't get a definite answer for. That made her uncertain.

She reached the first landing and waited for her friends to join her. As they did, a window above them creaked open. Chihiro noticed a scream was building up in Akane's throat, and quickly silenced her with her hand. She pushed them against a wall, the shadows hiding them. A bony, wrinkled hand stuck out, a pitch black raven perched on its arm. Chihiro's heart raced and she pushed closer against the wall, trying to meld with it. The bird's three blood red eyes looked straight at her, but it made no sign that it had noticed them. The girls stood stock still for what seemed like hours before the bird finally flew from its perch and into the ominous sky and the hand retreated back inside.

Chihiro waited still for several moments in case the person decided to take another peek outside. When she was certain they wouldn't, she removed her hand from Akane's mouth and silently motioned for them to follow her down the rest of the staircase.

The lastlanding and Chihiro eagerly jumped down. Akane and Sakana straggled behind several steps.

Chihiro stood in front of the rusted metal door, staring. Now that she had made it here, she didn't know what to do. Last time she had come here, she had been afraid that she wouldn't be able to find work and thus not rescue her parents. Now she had to hide, maybe even from the friends she once trusted. She felt that more was at stake here, especially since her friends were here. If they died here, it would be her fault, and she wouldn't be able to forgive herself.

"Chihiro, are we going to stand out here all day?" Sakana asked.

"Yeah, it's getting really cold out here," Akane added.

Chihiro broke out of her daze and glanced at her friends. They didn't seem frightened; in fact, they seemed more uncomfortable in the cold than actually afraid of the waiting danger inside. Of course, they didn't know what they would be up against, like Chihiro knew.

Slowly, Chihiro turned the handle on the door, the cold metal stinging her hands. A static shock shot up her fingers. She winced slightly but ignored it. Damn cold weather.

The door opened to a dimly lit hall that led to the familiar boiler room. She led her friends inside. Sakana silently closed the door against the cold, and Chihiro walked towards the flickering light of what she hoped was the boiler Kamaji was lighting.

The fire of the boiler defrosted their numb fingers, and hope surged through Chihiro. Kamaji was still here! She eagerly rushed up to meet with him.

A spider-like creature stood at the working station. The man had long, gray hair and four arms, each covered with a worn out sleeve from his shirt. On the floor she noticed the familiar black balls of soot dancing around with dark lumps of coal on their heads. But something about them worried her. Their expressions seemed solemn and far-away. They didn't walk with the same bounce in their step or float along back to their mouse hole to gather more coal for the boiler.

"Wow," Akane whispered. Kamaji either didn't hear or ignored her statement.

"K-kamaji?" Chihiro stuttered barely above a whisper. She wondered why she felt so frightened of him.

An old, wrinkled head turned around, his four hands still at work preparing herbs for the baths. Long, paper-thin gray hair flapped around his head. His dark eyes screamed exhaustion, and Chihiro gasped.

"Sen…is that really you?" The old man called out, his voice hoarse. He squinted to gaze in front of him.

"Sen?" Sakana asked.

"Kamaji!" Chihiro cried and flung her arms tightly around her old friend. Kamaji easily caught her with two arms, the other two still working. They remained as they were for what seemed like hours until Akane cleared her throat.

Chihiro backed away from her friend and dried her tears, grateful he had not been overcome by the demons. She once had many questions to ask him, but they died in her throat, and she remained silent.

"Chihiro, why did he call you "Sen"?" Akane asked.

"When I was trapped here five years ago, Yubaba gave me work, but I had to give up my name in exchanged for one she gave me," Chihiro explained. "That's how she controlled you, and if you completely forgot it your name, you were hers to control forever."

"So is this Yubaba the evil guy we are supposed to defeat?" Sakana asked.

"No, and Yubaba is a woman." Chihiro giggled softly when she saw her friend's eyes widen in surprise.

"Sen," Kamaji's hoarse voice called out, his expression sorrowful, "why did you return? Evil demons are lurking around here, and you could—"

"I know, Kamaji," Chihiro reassured him. "Haku told me everything. He said there is a way I can help."

Kamaji's expression grew even more solemn, if possible. He gazed at Chihiro with a mixture of relief and sadness. Chihiro didn't want to see him like this. She hoped that he would be glad to see her. She was certainly ecstatic to see him, but not like this.

"Haku is the only one who has not been cursed," Kamaji stated.

"What?" Chihiro blinked. "What do you mean cursed? What did the Chimimouryou do?"

"Each of us is cursed, though the spell's effects are different for each person: I, for example, am cursed to work endlessly here, unmoving from this spot." Kamaji pointed to his still working arms. The bony hands were buzzing away at preparing the herbs for the baths. Chihiro gasped. A pungent smell assaulted her nose and she coughed.

"What's in that?" She asked, covering her nose with her hands. Sakana and Akane, curious to what she was repulsed by, stepped closer and sniffed. They began to cough, too, and covered their faces.

"All of our herbs were taken away and now a spell power is concentrated within them," the old hermit explained.

"Ok, you said that everyone except for Haku was cursed. So why isn't he?" Akane asked, her voice muffled by her hands.

"Those demons tried to curse him, curse him to steal his power for heir own and make him obedient to them," Kamaji began, "but for some reason, Haku was unaffected. I'm not sure how exactly, but he was able to escape their youkai magic. He was our only hope, so we helped him escape from here to see if he could find help. I didn't think he would bring you here, Sen."

Chihiro clenched her fists into tight balls. All her friends were cursed. She had to find some way to help them and save the bathhouse, and probably the entire spirit world, from the reign of the Chimimouryou. She just hoped that her friends would still remember her, at least.

"Alright," Chihiro said suddenly. "Kamaji, tell me were Lin is."

A/N: Ok, I tried to make this as long as I could for you guys! Actually, I could have kept going a little more, but then this wouldn't be out for ages…

Anyways, please review!

A little side note, I got an idea for a Howl's Moving Castle story along with a bunch of others (But I won't start it until I at least finish one of my current stories). Look on my profile for a list of them. And for the ones I gave summaries for, please don't take my ideas!