D/N: ' I'd put the names of some of my reviewers here, but I forgot them. .. . This computer doesn't have internet! I'm sorry! Anyway; a little side-note; all of the mythical creatures that I mention are, most likely, real (a.k.a.; they are actual mythical creatures, not real creatures.) Kinnara are Thai, and a few others, The Phantom Cat is Japanese, and Fenrir is from Norse mythology (Fenris, etc.). The spirit realm is full of happy little surprises. And just because they've been killed or something doesn't mean the same thing has happened in the spirit realm. So, have fun. And help me if I mess up anything. I'm relying completely on Carol Rose's "Giants, Monsters and Dragons." Goddess bless her for writing that book!

Disclaimer: I'm going to put these every couple of chapters now just to say that I DO NOT own Spirited Away. I wish I did, but wishing is as close as I'll get.

Chihiro stared at the man, and whispered, "Haku."

The man's face split in two with a wide grin. "It's nice to finally be remembered. Chihiro, how have you been?"

"What happened to you?" She whispered, voice hoarse, "I wasn't gone for that long, was I?"

He shook his head, "Probably not. This is only a disguise. By tomorrow morning, since I'm so far away from the Children of Fenrir's stronghold, I'll probably be back to how you remember me." He threw another log onto the fire, "There's a lot you have missed, you know."

Chihiro nodded, staring into the orange flames of the fire contemplatively. She poked at the embers for a moment, and then asked her friend, brown eyes wide, "What happened to the ocean, Haku? What happened to the train that ran through?"

Haku's face hardened into a mask. Chihiro almost regretted asking that, seeing her friend's face transformed into something so ugly, but then the lines smoothed out. "The Children of Fenrir took the water for their own purpose. I have not a clue what they're doing with the water, though, and the train they destroyed; they didn't want anyone escaping from their clutches.

"Without the water, a forest sprang up where the water should be." Haku seemed to see the incredulous look on Chihiro's face, and put in, "The spirit trees shoot up like weeds. They mirror the spirit energy of the world."

Chihiro threw the stick into the center of the fire as flames licked too close to her hand on the wood, and brushed the dirt off of the palm of my hand. "The dreams," She blurted, "What were they about?"

Haku frowned, "What dreams?"

"The ones that called me here. It was like the dreams I had after coming here, but they wanted to push me away, as though there was something here that I shouldn't see."

"Someone is expecting you, then. All I know was that I was flying above this forest when I felt a human cross the boundary we had set up to keep the humans out, so that no one would get hurt. Only a few humans would want to cross the line, of course, and those were the ones that could help us." He frowned.

Chihiro contemplated asking him something else, and then decided not to, not wanting her friend to frown again like before; it was too horrible. Haku touched her arm as she looked down at her feet, "What's bothering you?"

She looked up into Haku's olive eyes, startled, and was surprised at how young he was now. Chihiro shook the thought from her head, and shrugged, "I was just thinking about the creatures we saw in the forest today. They weren't here before, were they?"

Haku leaned back against the wall, letting Chihiro's arm go, "Some of them. The rest came here from the souls of humans. The Children of Fenrir tried to control them, but they proved to be too powerful.

"They were all let loose in these forests, in hope that they might flush the 'rebel spirits' out of hiding. Most are kind spirits or intelligent enough to realize that they should leave us alone. Others we hunt down." Haku snapped his fingers, "That reminds me." He handed Chihiro a small dagger made of a blue-green metal, "That's a spirit blade. The metal is rare, you know, and will slice through the flesh of anything from this world easily. If you get separated from me or the person that's supposed to be watching you, then just keep that in your hand at all times and holler as loud as you can. Someone will find you." He sighed, and stirred some the embers, "Hopefully the right people."

Chihiro watched Haku, something strange stirring within her, and then she whispered, "Why me?"

One of his eyebrows lifted in a question, and then he smiled at her, "You broke Yubaba of her powerful hold; anyone who is able to do that can easily unseat the Children of Fenrir."
"But I'm not strong enough! If they try to attack me, I won't be able to fend them off, you know."

Haku's smile grew wider, "You know, that's why I think you'll be able to defeat them." He held up one hand as Chihiro tried to protest, "Let me finish. The Children of Fenrir think they are the best of the best, that humans would never bother them. In that respect, they never developed their senses to include humans. You are invisible in this world, as long as you retain your humanity. The only way you can lose it is to die here." He hesitated, and then asked, "You know how my people, the spirits, are nearly invisible in your world, save for the few that are gifted?"

Chihiro nodded; there were always reports of people talking with spirits, people that saw spirits in their homes. "But they are viewed normally as crazy."

He shrugged, "That's the way that we are viewed, the spirits who can see people. None of the Children have the special sight. That lack of sight will be their weakness."

All Chihiro could do in answer to his revelation was to stare at him, unbelieving. He leaned comfortably against the wall, "Get some sleep, Chihiro. You look tired."

She thought it was the perfect thing to do. Once her mind had been drawn to the topic of sleep, her limbs seemed to scream with cramps. Chihiro winced as one made a violent complaint as she moved into a more comfortable position, and simply went to sleep.

D/N: Euh, sorry about the short chapter. So you know more. Of course, there's more to learn, but Haku isn't talkative enough to give it ALL away. Not yet. And don't blame Haku for being out of character; he just hasn't had anyone to talk to for a really long time. I think he talked to himself. --imagines Haku walking through a forest, waving hands around wildly and having a rather violent conversation with himself. .. bursts out giggling--