Hope you enjoyed the first chapter.

Disclaimer: Spirited away does not belong to me.

Chapter Two

Kohaku

"What do you mean he grew up into a fine little bugger?" I asked as I got up from the mattress. I noticed that I wasn't wearing my clothes anymore, but a beautiful white silk nightgown. I looked at Rin, she smiled at me and I figured she was probably the one who changed me.

"Well, after you left, he started to change—both physically and psychologically. We all figured it was because he was no longer being smothered by Yubaba, especially since she stopped treating him like a baby. He still is a little—big—but he's starting to look more and more like his—" Kamajii stopped talking and everyone lowered their heads. I blinked, but I didn't ask any more questions. In fact I was dying to see Kohaku, but from what I could see no one was even mentioning him. Yubaba had been the only one.

"Rin can I have my backpack back please?" I asked her sweetly. She nodded and handed me the purple backpack. I unzipped it and took out a pair of jean, a simple white blouse, and my white ballerina shoes. I had stopped wearing sneakers a while ago. Rin looked at them curiously and touched the texture of the shoes. She was taken aback by the sensation of plastic under her fingers. I thought for a second that maybe I should have given them to her and just put on my red high heeled shoes, but she her expression turned from curious to disgusted.

"Do I have to change in front of everyone?" I asked. I had no problem with that, mostly because when I was a cheerleader we had to all change in the same room, but everyone seemed panicky because of what I had asked. The men left the room, Kamajii included and most of the female workers left also. There were only a few women who remained. I guess they were curious also about my strange clothing. Well, strange for them. I put on my pants. I noticed that I was wearing underwear, which I wasn't before. I had forgotten to take out a bra from my backpack. I took out my white lacy one… actually I had only brought three, white, black and beige.

I took off my nightgown and Rin turned her head away so she didn't have to look at my naked torso. I put on my bra and then buttoned my blouse. I slipped on my little ballerina shoes on and looked at Rin. "How do I look?" I asked her smiling. She walked in front of me and then made a full circle as she examined me.

"Well I don't understand why you put on those 'shoes' as you call them, wouldn't you rather walk barefoot?" She said to me puzzled.

I shook my head, "nope, I rather wear shoes." I looked over her shoulder to see the stairs going up towards the tubs, and then maybe Kohaku was just above those in Yubaba office. Rin looked behind her and she understood what I was thinking. She rolled her eyes and put her hand on her waist, she looked at me with a mocking expression on her face. Maybe she knew something about Kohaku… it had been ten years, and sometimes I would dream of being with him, but he had not kept his promise to me. I was a little mad at him because of that. I had never had a real relationship with a man because I was always comparing them to him. He had probably moved on anyway. Clearly he must have found another dragon girl and they've been together ever since I set him free.

I got angry when the idea of Kohaku being with another woman popped into my head. Rin let out an exasperated sigh and snapped her fingers as she pointed towards the door. "Will you just go already or are you going to stand here like a little nitwit?"

I shook my head as I came out of my reverie. "Yeah I'm going." I whispered as I minded myself to go and confront this boy who had almost ruined my entire love life. I was twenty and I only had been kissed a handful of time. I was beautiful and somehow I couldn't understand why guys seemed to shy away from me. I took one deep breath and move my left foot forwards.

"Good luck Sen." Rin cried behind me as I started marching up the stairs.

I made it to the floor with the tubs and the reception area. I could see many spirits taking their bath, and I recognized the Radish Spirit in one of the larger tubs. He waved his white hand at me. I waved back surprised that he remembered me. When I passed by the foreman he gaped at me and his mouth was wide opened. I beamed as I noticed that he kept looking at me even as I continued my way to the elevator, which would led me to Yubaba's office. When I reached the elevator I looked behind and saw that all the clients were observing me. I giggled uncomfortably and I looked for the lever that would bring me to next floor. When I found it I pulled on the golden lever and waited for it to come down. I quickly steeped into my vessel when it arrived.

It took for ever to get to my destination, but when I reached my desired floor, I couldn't help but reminisce. Every corner was decorated lavishly; it was gaudy and extravagant to my taste. I walked to Yubaba doors and at the sight of me even the door knob was speechless. I could hear murmurs coming from inside the room. I lowered myself so I could be able to see through the keyhole. I saw Yubaba speaking to two other people, but I couldn't see them. "You know it's rude to spy on people." The door knob said to me in its high pitched voice.

I brought my index to my lips as a sign for it to stay quiet.

"Well fine, but you could just walk in." It said annoyed. "They were waiting for you anyway."

"Oh," I replied stupidly as I opened the door. When I was in the room three pairs of eyes turned to me, one pair looked at me knowingly, the other pair admired me happily, and the last pair of green eyes stared at me angrily. I closed my brown eyes for a second to erase the last pair from my mind. I heard someone stomping towards me and then I felt a pair of strong arms lift me from the floor. I opened one eye and saw a bald head, and a big childlike looking boy, with chubby cheek he was wearing a long red tunic. "Boh?" I choked out.

"Yay! Chihiro you're back!" He chanted happily as he put me down. I got to get a good look at him. He had indeed changed, even though he was abnormally large and bald, he seemed to be a ten year old boy instead of a giant toddler. He looked at his mother and then turned his attention back to me. "You're pretty Chihiro!" He said as he looked at me.

I looked at my feet slightly embarrassed. "Thanks Boh, you look very debonair yourself."

He beamed proudly. Yubaba approached us and I couldn't help but notice how small she was compared to her son. She replaced a strand of her grey hair as she examined me. "What do you think Kohaku?" She said as she turned to the young man that was standing near her the window. He stopped looking outside and walked nonchalantly towards us with a bored look on his face, which was a strange contrast with the look of sheer anger he had cast only seconds earlier. His black hair waved casually in the wind as he walked, but I there was no wind. 'Stupid magic.' I thought silently to myself.

He stopped a few feet away from me, he had grown and was now much more muscular than the last time I had seen him. He was still pale looking and many of his facial features had not changed with time. With crossed arms and he had a reprimanding look on his face, he examined me just like Yubaba had done before him. He let out a long tired sigh and turned to Yubaba. "I don't think it's a good thing." He said to her. She caressed her chin as she thought.

"Well, of course it is!" She said as she had her very own eureka moment. "She was the key to everything last time!"

"Can I please know what I am doing here?" I asked them without trying to sound too confused. "I would like to go home please; my mom and dad are probably worried sick by now."

Kohaku nodded, "she's right. She does not belong here."

I grimaced hurt by his comment, but Yubaba turned to me, "don't mind him, he just needs to get adjusted to the idea."

"What idea?" I asked.

"Well Chihiro, let me start from the beginning, but first, I must apologize because our last time together was not a very pleasant one—"

"That's okay." I said interjecting.

She smiled and shook her head, "no there was no excuse. You see about a century before your arrival, as well as Kohaku arrival, there was a great darkness that engulfed the spirit world. Zeniba, my husband and I fought this darkness and we managed to enclose it in the domain of the human spirits… it was a horrible choice and my husband, Boh's father, made the ultimate sacrifice to contain the darkness. Evidently it didn't spread, but I grew bitter afterwards. I had a little hope left in me when I found out that I was pregnant. I shielded Boh from any type of harm. Zeniba tried to help me, but I just pushed her away. I smothered Boh and because of me he was unable to grow up… I built this Bath House to help me cope with my loss.

I grew greedy and I couldn't see just how much my own soul had grown dark. I had become evil, to the point that I wanted to steal my sister's magic. Then you came, and you were so pure and filled with light. You were able to bring, in your short stay here, joy to every person you met. You've brought freedom, not only to Kohaku, but also to No Face, Boh and myself, but when you left something horrible happened. Darkness started to spread once more."

"Why?" I asked her hypnotized by her story.

"Because my dear girl, where there is light there will always be darkness. Your light was so bright that the darkness was called to it." She answered and I felt a sickening feeling take over my body. Because of me darkness had started to spread in the spirit world. "Oh! Don't look so down," Yubaba said laughing, "It was actually a good thing, more spirits have united to face this treat, and it was all thanks to you."

"Ah, but what is this darkness?" I asked puzzled by this unknown treat.

"Spirits of evil unrepentant humans." She answered. "But because you are so pure Chihiro, you must be the key! You are the only one that can bring light back into their hearts—"

"That's enough!" Kohaku snapped.

Yubaba rolled her eyes and took Boh's hand, "come now, let's put you to bed. You can play with Sen tomorrow morning."

Boh yawned and followed his mother to his room. He waved at me good night before going to bed. I turned to Kohaku and glared at him.

He was taken aback by my glare, 'if looks could kill, you'd be dead!' I thought to myself. He stepped backwards and his nose wrinkled. I guess I smelled too human to his taste. Bastard.

"What, it's not like I wanted to be here! How dare you look at me as though I'm garbage? After all I did for you!" I screamed at him. "Oh, of course let's not forget the goddamn promise you made! You know I actually believed your bullshit for years! I thought that maybe you were the one for me, but now I see you're just another asshole like all the other guys I've been with!"

His head snapped up at the mention of other men. He looked at me; his eyes were burning with rage. "There were others?"

I narrowed my eyes and my mouth fell open in shock, "Yes, there were others. I wasn't going to spend my entire life waiting for a stupid dragon! Especially when I started thinking that you were not even real." I barked at him. "It's not like you have kept your word." I saw his indignation when I said what I said, but I continued. "Either way, it's not like you wanted to see me, I can see that clearly in your face." I turned and walked away.

Fuck him, he didn't matter, where was he anyways when I needed him? I was a grown woman now. I didn't need to crawl at his feet and I didn't need to feel unwanted. I didn't see Yubaba walk out of Boh's room, nor did I hear her say to Kohaku to run after me.