Author's notes: I was doing research for once, yay me~! XD

Well, not so sure if I'll continue with using Japanese terms but it's good to study Japanese mythology, especially because Bakal studies that subject so I'll probably have to know my stuff/shot

Yurei: ghosts, the souls of the dead that are not purified. Often in the Edo period, most ghosts are vengeful women who suffered a lot in their lifetime

Oni: a Japanese demon that is often depicted with horns and wearing tiger skins. The color of the oni depends on what type they are

Great Lord Enma: ruler of Hell

On another note, whenever I think of what Chihiro and Haku will say, I imagine it with their voice from the movie, sadly, I've only watched the dub so far, so it leaves much to be desired, but it does help me keep check on their characters, haha, and also to reassure me that they're not too out of character/slapped

I made this chapter a bit longer, just because things were going a bit too slow and yeah *shrugs*

Enjoy~!

Chihiro let out a deep sigh as she leaned against her shoe locker, her mind somewhere else as Emi kept chattering away about the karaoke bar that they were going to to celebrate her success. She kept thinking back to lunch with Haku; he was there, but he didn't really talk much. He just sat there and watched them talk about the school festival, but even though he wasn't really included in the conversation, he looked...happy. Even in class, Chihiro would sometimes feel his eyes on her and when she thought he wasn't looking, she would sneak a glance and see a small smile play at his lips, covered by his hand so only she can see it as he stared at the board.

He was all mean at first but now he's acting a little nice. Unlike last time, he was nice and then- wait, last time? Chihiro stopped in her train of thought, startled by what she had said, or thought. I've never even met him before! How could there be a last time? But a voice in the back of her head kept whispering that she knows Haku, that there was a time when they were friends, even if only for a brief time. She needed to find out her relation with Haku, and fast. Chihiro thought she could ask Bakal; after all, Emi did say they were related somehow. Emi! She nearly forgot she's about to go out with Emi, so talking with Bakal would have to wait.

Chihiro grumbled under her breath and Emi finally noticed her friend's annoyance. "Are you getting impatient? I'm sorry, I just can't seem to find my purse. I'm sure I have it somewhere…" The girl kept rummaging through her small locker and then through her school bag but couldn't find the purse anywhere.

"You sure you didn't leave it at home or in class?" Chihiro asked while scratching her head. "You normally don't lose things easily since you're so neat."

"No, I'm pretty sure I brought it with me today." Emi visibly became more and more stressed out as she looked through her bag again.

"Emi-chan! Chi-chan!" The two girls looked up to find Demetri running to them with a small pink purse in his hands, seeming out of breath. "Kohaku-kun heard that you were looking for your purse and he saw that someone had it!"

Chihiro raised both of her brows as Haku came up behind them, holding a boy by the back of his collar. "I was just passing by. I saw this guy take it from your bag before you left with Chihiro." He roughly pushed the boy to the floor, forcing him to bow his head.

"Ow! Quit it, man!"

"Apologize, thief," Haku growled menacingly, his emerald eyes looking extremely cold.

"Geez, alright already! Sorry I took your purse, now let go already!" the boy spat, and Haku glanced at Chihiro instead of Emi as if saying, Was that good enough?

Demetri handed the purse to Emi and she hugged it close to her chest while Chihiro and Haku dealt with the could-have-been thief. "That wasn't very nice, you know. You're lucky that I'm normally a forgiving person," Chihiro said with a hard look. She crossed her arms over her chest and tapped her foot repeatedly. "But when it comes to my friends, I won't allow you to get away with it so easily. You'll have to help Emi-chan with all her daily tasks for a whole week if you don't want me to report this to the teacher."

"That's not enough for a thief, Chihiro," Haku said sternly. "Justice has to come to criminals like these."

The boy started to protest but Emi cut him off with a smile. "It's okay, Chihiro-chan, Haku-kun. It's only a purse, I didn't have any money in it or anything. It's just that," Emi made a quick glance at Demetri and her face blushed a little, "this purse is a present so I didn't want to lose it…You can go now, I forgive you," she told the boy and, reluctantly, Haku released his tight grip on the boy's collar.

"I'll be watching you," he said quietly so only the boy and Chihiro would hear him and the boy scrambled away with his tail between his legs.

Demetri scratched his head and sighed. "Thanks, Kohaku-kun. You didn't have to help but you did. I think I'm starting to like you a little," he said with a dimpled smile and Haku only nodded before starting to walk away.

"Strange guy, that Haku," Chihiro murmured as she watched his back.

"Oh, I should have invited him to karaoke!" Emi realized as they left the school building, smacking her forehead. "He went out of his way to help me and I didn't even thank him properly!"

"Too late now, he's gone," Demetri said as he scanned the crowd of students leaving the campus.

"Oh well, there's always next time. Chihiro-chan, the karaoke bar is on the way to your neighborhood, so is it okay if I hang there afterwards?" Emi asked as Chihiro walked beside them silently.

"Huh? Okay, sure," she said and they headed for the karaoke bar.

The trio walked down the streets from the karaoke bar, laughing and pushing each other around. "Who knew Demetri had such a fine pair of lungs?" Chihiro snorted as the Irish boy blushed madly. "I'm sure the girls would love it if you would serenade them sometimes."

"Stop it, my singing is not that bad," he muttered, digging his hands in his pockets.

"We're not saying it's bad, Demetri-kun, it's just that you were amazingly good!" Emi tried to explain but it just made him even redder. "What's wrong with a guy who can reach those high F's?"

"Well, the fact that I'm a guy with a high-pitched voice is a good candidate for why it's wrong," he said, shoving Emi's shoulder as Chihiro snickered, causing Demetri to push her from behind and make her trip.

"Such a bashful Irish boy, I thought you loved showing off your good qualities!" She shouted as she skipped ahead, out of the range of his embarrassed attacks.

Chihiro turned around and found Haku ahead of her, sitting on the low, yellow-brick wall that guarded the front of Bakal's house. He had a faraway look in his eyes and he appeared to be talking to no one. But she squinted and barely made out a hazy figure that stood a little above his head. "Haku..?"

"Huh? What was that, Chihiro-chan?" Emi asked as the two caught up to her pace. "You see Haku-kun? Where?"

"Oh, over there, on the wall," Demetri said and pointed at Haku who finally noticed them looking at him, a surprised look written on his face.

"I still don't see anything," Emi began to pout and crossed her arms. "Are you two messing with me because it isn't funny at all."

"We're not! I swear, there's Haku sitting on the wall right," Chihiro glanced back at the wall and it was bare; no Haku in sight. "...there. Huh? He disappeared!"

Demetri scratched the back of his neck. "He was just there. Where did that guy go?"

"...," Chihiro stared at the wall, as if staring would bring Haku back. "Am I seeing things again? But no, Demetri also saw so…"

"Chihiro-chan? Are you okay?" Emi asked, peeking up at her face with a worried expression. "You want us to go home now and let you rest? You're probably really tired."

"Ah, no, it's okay. It's just that…" Her gaze returned to Bakal's house and Emi followed her eyes.

"Oh! You want to go to Harada-san's? Sure, let's all go together! I've always wanted to meet him!" Emi grinned excitedly.

"I'm not sure if we should intrude unannounced…" Chihiro said reluctantly, deep in thought.

"Oh, come one! It's just a quick visit and we'll be on our way home! Please, Chihiro-chan, pleeeaaaaseeee?" Emi gave her the puppy eyes and she sighed in defeat.

"Alright, only ten minutes, otherwise, I'm sending you two home."

"Yay~! Let's go, Demetri-kun!"

Emi started dragging Demetri ahead and Chihiro shook her head a bit with a small smile of amusement. "Those guys, ha."

A surprised Bakal opened the door to find two eager faces and one apologetic one, but nevertheless, he invited them in without hesitation. "So you're Chihiro's friends. I'm Bakal Harada, nice to meet you," he said hospitably as he served the high school students some tea and cookies.

"Hi, Harada-san! I'm Emi, and this is Demetri!" Emi introduced with a big smile as Demetri quietly ate a cookie. "I heard you're related to the new transfer student in school,Nigihayami Kohaku."

"Ah, Haku, yes, he's a distant cousin of mine," Bakal laughed a bit nervously.

"How come you didn't tell me your cousin was coming, Harada-san?" Chihiro asked with pursed lips. "It would have been a good heads up to know about your very strange, mood-shifting cousin, you know?"

"Strange? How so?" Don't tell me Haku already did something not human-like? Bakal thought worriedly.

"Well, he's all cold one moment and nice the next."

"Oh, he tends to do that." Yes! Haku isn't as stupid as I expected!

"Watch what you're thinking," Haku muttered under his breath so only Bakal could hear as he entered the small living room. Bakal cringed and scratched his head. I didn't know you could read minds.

"I don't read minds, your face reveals a lot more than you think, Bakal," Haku replied, nonchalantly sitting beside Chihiro who gave him a strange look. "What? If you have a problem with me sitting here, then say something, Chihiro," he said, not really expecting a reply. She probably couldn't see him with his spiritual cloak on anyway, much less hear him.

"Not that there's a problem, but you just sat there so casually, Haku," she replied as he took a sip of his tea before spitting it out comically. "Whoa! Did I say anything wrong?" she asked as he choked on the tea and Demetri tried to stop himself from laughing while Emi looked around with a confused look.

"Haku? Are you guys messing with me again?" Emi asked as Chihiro awkwardly patted Haku's back to help him with the coughing. "Chihiro-chan, stop messing with me," she whined and Demetri gave her a baffled look.

"We're not, Emi-chan, Kohaku-kun is right there," he said, using his jade eyes to point at Haku.

"No he's not!"

Bakal lifted his hands and put them back down, flustered, as if wanting to do something but not knowing what. "Uh…Emi-chan, would you please help me in the kitchen? I didn't make enough snacks!"

"Huh? Uhm, okay, but-" Bakal had her dragged out of the living room before she could protest.

Haku finally recovered from his coughing fit, and sat up to try and shrug off his earlier embarrassing moment. "Ahem, forgive me for that," he managed to say with slightly pink cheeks before putting on his usual passive look. "So...you two can see me?"

"Why...yes, we can see you, we're not blind, Kohaku-kun," Demetri retorted, blowing a puff of hair that made his light hair bounce up on his forehead. "What's strange is how you just come in like you own the place."

"I would have been more polite if I had known you two can see me so clearly," Haku murmured a reply. He scrunched his brows up together as he leaned on his knees with a pensive look. "So even the foreigner can see spirits…this is strange. Something is at work here…"

"Earth to Haku, earth to Haku, what are you talking about?" Chihiro asked. He's speaking as strangely as Bakal had the other day, and it was starting to nerve her. All this talk about spirits is driving her insane, but for some reason, a small part of her completely fine about it.

"You two...can see spirits," he said bluntly.

"No! That's crazy! I can't see spirits!" she shouted defiantly, jumping to her feet.

"Spirits?" Demetri repeated with a confused look.

"Chihiro, you have to believe me when I say this, spirits are real," Haku said sternly but she shook her head. "Why should you doubt when even Bakal said so? When your friend over there can see me as well, but the girl couldn't?"

"No! Go away! This is just another hallucination!" Chihiro screamed, running out of the house while holding her head with both hands. It was starting to throb, and has been ever since Bakal first mentioned seeing spirits yesterday. She felt like her head was going to explode from all the stress from the dreams, the 'hallucinations', Haku, Bakal, and just about anything spirit-related. She ran blindly down the streets, and her foot slipped as she tried to go down the steps to the park nearby. "Kyaaaaaa!" she shrieked out of the top of her lungs as she tumbled down the stone steps and crashed face first into a stone wall at the bottom of the stairs. "Ughhh," she groaned, her face planted in the wall. She took a step back and rubbed her face, thinking she just broke her nose. "Somehow this feels like déjà vu," she mumbled as she sunk to the ground, leaning against the wall while keeping her eyes closed.

Chihiro held her head in her hands and buried her face in her knees, trembling. "Why? What's happening to me?" I feel just as confused as that night eight years ago…Her eyes flew open at the thought, and she nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw a handful of ghostly figures hover several yards away, giving her dark looks. Chihiro curled into a smaller ball, willing herself to disappear as a dark-green demon with horrible horns rose out of the ground in front of her, a heavy club slung behind its grotesque head. "I'm dreaming! I'm dreaming! Come on, wake up!" Chihiro sobbed, feeling like a ten-year old again as she rocked herself back and forth, repeating the words. "Wake up, wake up, wake up! Go away! Disappear!"

"Haha, look, the human is scared," an ugly voice came from the horned demon and a ripple of laughter swept among the ghosts. The demon licked its fangs for teeth and eyed her hungrily. "Smells bad, but has a powerful aura. You'll do good to be my dinner, human."

Chihiro's throat constricted, and she couldn't make a sound or move an inch as the demon slowly walked up to her, cornered with nowhere to run if she could just get her legs to move. I can't move my legs! The feeling of immobile-ness felt very familiar to her, but she could honestly care less about it, not with a horrible demon wanting her for a meal! Tears began pooling at her brown eyes as the demon started reaching out for her with gnarled, clawed hands. She squeezed her eyes shut and screamed in her mind. Someone save me! Help! HAKU!

Suddenly, a great rush of wind knocked her over and she could hear the demon grunting as if he was flung away. Chihiro opened her eyes as Haku stood over her protectively, a fierce, murderous look in those green eyes of his. "What's an oni of Enma doing here? So far from the fiery depths of Hell, I dare say this cannot be a simple stroll through the park," Haku spat, his body leaned and ready to jump the demon at any time. "You can't be here to punish this mortal, she also have done nothing wicked enough for your attention."

The oni guffawed, its ugly teeth glinting in the light of the setting sun. "What's more wicked than going to the spirit world where no human belongs, Nigihayami Kohaku nushi? The Great Lord Enma has sent me to right its wrongs."

IT?! I'm obviously a girl! Chihiro tried to say but her body was completely frozen, so the silent protest went unheard. Haku narrowed his eyes, looking at the demon levelly. "It's been eight years, why would Enma wait that long to punish this 'wicked' human?"

"Time's not a matter to us in Hell," the oni gnashed its fangs and gripped its club. "I'm here for the girl, so hand her over."

"Never. I'll never let you touch Chihiro," Haku growled, and with a flash of bright light, he was no longer there and was replaced by a great white dragon, its green mane flowing in the sudden gust of wind from his transformation. The dragon surrounded Chihiro with its long, slender body, preventing any of the yurei, the ghosts, from approaching her. It let out a roar and reared on its claws. Chihiro watched with large, frightened eyes, as the dragon swiped at all of the yurei and they began to evaporate in black tendrils that left dark goo on the dragon's claws. The oni cursed under its breath as the dragon began advancing on it, emerald eyes alight with fury.

The oni lunged at the dragon, swinging its heavy club with horribly accurate aim for the head. The dragon barely dodged in time, ducking from the club's swift arc, and bared its fangs before headbutting the oni. The oni was sent flying across the small park, crashing heavily into the cement, while the dragon flew towards it, one claw raised for the kill. The oni muttered a few words under its breath and was engulfed in darkness, but not before the dragon raked its claws across the oni's face, four large gashes sprouting out. "I'll be back! And punishment will be delivered!" the oni roared as the darkness disappeared, leaving only a small pool of dark, murky blood.

Chihiro trembled at the sight, and began to panic when the dragon turned around and began approaching her. No, go away!N She thought, half scared to death. The dragon grunted with a slight shake of its head before another flash of brilliant light and Haku was there again, his hands covered in the dark slime that came from the yurei. "Chihiro, it's alright now."

"No!" Chihiro shook her head frantically, blinking away tears.

"Don't be afraid, I'm on your side. I'm here to help you," Haku said calmly, kneeling beside her and caressing her cheek, wiping the tears away.

"No, go away! This is just a dream!" She cried, trying to get out of his grip but he only hugged her head and patted her back soothingly.

"Don't you remember? It was the same eight years ago by the river," he murmured softly, as he embraced the trembling girl. "Like before, I'm here to help you. I won't hurt you, Chihiro."

"I don't want to remember," she hiccupped, her nose running. She felt like a useless child again, powerless, weak. "Ugh!" she groaned as a sharp pain came into her head.

"Chihiro? What is it? What's wrong?" Haku asked, observing her face, looking for any injuries.

"My head hurts." Chihiro squeezed her eyes shut as memories resurfaced. She was huddled beside a stone bridge on the riverbank. She remembers that she was scared to death, and then her body started disappearing, but then… "I've...met you before," she finally whispered, finally accepting the reality of the situation, or more like, the insanity of it all. "Eight years ago...you saved me from disappearing."

"Yes, and you saved me from bleeding to death, and you gave me back my name," Haku smiled warmly, touching his forehead to hers. "I've been trying to tell you all along, Chihiro."

"Haku…"

"Chi-chan!" Demetri called out as he appeared from the corner, his face frantic and he panted to regain his breath. "Are you okay, Chi-chan? Why did you run out like that?" he asked, his face creased with worry.

"Demetri," Chihiro said, remaining where she sat curled up in the ground as Haku stood up and wiped the slim off his hands.

"You, Kohaku-kun, have a lot of explaining to do, making Chihiro upset," Demetri said darkly, clenching his fists. Haku stared at him with a passive look, remaining silent. "What's that on your hands? Is that blood? And why is Chi-chan on the ground?"

"It's not safe to explain here," Haku finally said in a quiet voice. He glanced at Chihiro who hasn't moved at all since the oni's arrival. "Can you get up, Chihiro?"

She shook her head. "I can't move. What should I do?" Chihiro asked, a hint of panic in her voice, and Haku smiled at the situation. Just like back then, hopeless still, but she'll get stronger, he thought as he kneeled beside her again, running his hand over her legs while muttering a spell.

"There, all better," he said, holding her hand as she unsteadily stood on her feet.

"I'll help her," Demetri snapped, snatching Chihiro's hands from Haku's which made the spirit frown at his impudence. The Irish boy looked her up and down and nodded in relief when he saw that she was alright. "We're going back to Harada-san's. Emi-chan is waiting for us there."

"Okay," was all she said.

"And you, Kohaku-san, better tell us what's going on," the boy growled and Haku mentally rolled his eyes but kept a straight face.

"Of course, you deserve an explanation," he said as they started the walk back to Bakal's house.

Chihiro allowed herself to be led, her mind wandering to the depths of her memories, willing for more to turn up and reveal themselves to her. So many things happened that day, Haku coming to school, Emi's purse, the spirit talk, and the oni attack! She was left dazed and frightened by the events, but at the same time, she can finally accept them. After all, now she knows that she can trust Haku, just because of that one memory by the riverbank. Chihiro could feel it, that this is only the beginning of the changes. And by far, the most easiest of her challenges to come.