Summary: (Dekishi: Drowning) A little girl fell in his river, and before he knows it, Kohaku's river is being filled in and he's left with nothing. New to the spirit world and with no other option, he accepts an apprenticeship under Yubaba . . .
The day was like any other, and the river flowed just as it always had. The sun was warm and bright and the steam ships sailed up and down, horns almost unbearably loud in the afternoon breeze. Couples and families strolled along the banks enjoying the beautiful weather. All in all, it was a calm and peaceful day.
Until suddenly, there was a small plop among the slow, rolling waves bouncing off the steam ships. Then the short scream of a terrified child and a bigger splash interrupted the peace. Immediately after came warning shouts as more and more people became aware of the little girl who had fallen in.
Kohaku felt her presence in his river immediately. It was unusual for any human to be in the water for any reason. His currents were considered too dangerous for any human to attempt swimming, so the wise stayed in their boats or on the shore. Occasionally, the foolish or the exceptionally confident or brave would attempt to cross from one side to another, but they rarely succeeded. And Kohaku was not ashamed to admit that he sometimes had a little fun with those humans who attempted to swim his waters.
But this was quite different. A small girl had fallen in while chasing her little pink shoe. Kohaku would be damned if he let her drown. Usually, he would stay buried deep in the river's mud, invisible from the humans above. But a child's life was in danger and his concern with anyone sighting him was a little low at that moment.
His body coiled tightly like a spring, Kohaku launched himself out of the riverbed, dragging mud and silt behind him as he raced toward the struggling, thrashing child. She was sinking deeper and deeper into the water and her limbs were now barely moving in the murky water. The child would be lost if Kohaku did not save her now.
The river spirit did his best to calm the currents around her, but even he did not entirely control it. The river fought him at every turn. He often thought how ironic it was that the river was quick to follow his more mischievous requests but slow to respond to the ones that would prevent damage.
Kohaku's silver-white scales glinted in what sunlight managed to filter down through the silt as he circled the child, trying to figure out a way to push her to the surface without the crowd above spotting him. The river wasn't responding to him and he wouldn't be able to help her without the people catching a complete look at his body. As much as he wanted to help her, Kohaku would not be able to continue living in this river if the people found out his existence. He had experienced their fear and cruelty before and had no intention of doing so again.
As he coiled around her, some of the child's short memories filtered into his mind.
Chihiro. Her name entered his mind, shocking him like an eel might shock a human.
I cannot let her drown. Damn every single consequence that exists.
Without further ado, he shoved his horns into her hands, flinging a mental command into her subconscious to hold tightly. As soon as he was sure Chihiro would not be letting go, he dragged her to the surface. Her head broke the soft waves, lolling limply in the water. Her family and the other stander-by gasped from the shore. He wasn't sure if they could see him yet or not, but it didn't matter.
He continued to pull her body to the shore where the human emergency services were waiting. As soon as he was close enough, Kohaku released her and sank back beneath the water, watching. A young man reached Chihiro first, pulling her limp body out of the water and holding it tightly against his chest. He turned and began to slog his way back to the bank where her sobbing parents were waiting.
Relieved that Chihiro was safe at last, Kohaku again sank back down beneath the murk. As he burrowed beneath the mud once again, the object that had started it all floated down right in front of his nose. He narrowed his eyes, glaring at the little pink shoe.
Without really thinking about it, Kohaku pushed the shoe back up toward the bank. Oh, so now the river was willing to comply, was it? He snarled, bubbles floating up from the sides of his jaw. The river responded by mocking him, pushing the shoe even faster, back toward the bank and Chihiro's family.
There was nothing Kohaku could do to respond to that, so he just stayed silent. Buried beneath the cold river mud and the rushing currents, he once again lapsed into his usual doze. There wasn't much else for a river spirit like him to do these days besides sleep. But this time, Kohaku dreamed of little pink shoes and swirling brown hair. Glimpses of little Chihiro's memories swirled in his mind, lulling him deeper into sleep than he'd been in years.
Her limited experiences filled his dreams for years, accompanied by a certain little pink shoe.
o.O.0.O.o
When he finally awoke again, it was with a start. Not necessarily because anything had startled him, but because his mind had suddenly recognized something. A difference.
The day was darker and gloomier than when Chihiro had fallen in. It seemed strangely silent, too. There were no steamships anywhere on his waters, Kohaku realized. In the entirety of his one hundred and three miles, there was not a single ship. People still walked along the banks, but they too seemed quieter, more solemn.
Wearily and with an awakening sense of dread, Kohaku searched the river in his mind. What could be so awful? Had someone else fallen in while he'd been asleep? He found that hard to believe, but then, he had not dreamt that deeply in centuries. It was entirely possible someone else had fallen in and . . . died?
Please, no, he thought. Again, he searched. There were no bodies, no blood, none of those awful polluting machines they used to search the river when they thought someone might have sunken to the bottom.
So what could be the cause of this curious, frightening silence?
Hours of searching later, he finally found it. A few dozen people stood watching as the construction workers started up their machinery. Piled behind their machines, up against the buildings on either side of his river, were stacks and stacks of bricks, containers of mortar, and pipes of various sizes. And with terrible clarity, Kohaku realized what was happening.
The humans were filling in his river.
Numb, Kohaku sank back down to the riverbed again. They were going to fill in his river? Really? But . . . what would happen to him then? Obviously, he could not stay there. But, the river was his home. He had never lived anywhere else; he didn't even know anywhere else.
Within days, the work began. They started by building a dam. Little by little, day by day, his currents stopped flowing. Eventually, there was nothing left but him. And soon, even he ceased to exist.
o.O.0.O.o
When he came awake again, it was completely black. Even his eyes, so used to seeing in complete darkness, couldn't penetrate it. But there was music playing: lively and beautiful, yet also serene. He could hear cheerful chattering coming from all sides of wherever he was. Every sound was muffled, so Kohaku thought he must be in a room. He wanted to join these people who sounded so joyful and carefree.
He tried to move, only to be shocked that his body was not the same as it had been. With a hiss, he realized that instead of the long, sleek body of a dragon, he now held the form of a human. Was this what happened when one's spiritual attachment to the physical world was destroyed? The Kohaku River no longer existed, so now he was . . . wherever this dark place was, in a human body.
Again, he tried to move. It took several minutes of maneuvering to try and figure out how this odd new form worked, and when he did, he stood on shaky, unsteady legs. Now that he was standing, it was clear to him that he was on a boat. He could feel the slow rocking of the water beneath him, beneath the floor. The power of this body of water flowed into him, steadying his new legs.
Now that he was sure, he began to feel fumblingly around the dark room. His feet often tripped over one another, and once he even hit the floor when his hands couldn't find a wall to halt his fall. After he'd crawled about on his knees for a few minutes, he found the wall again. He climbed the wall with his hands while also forcing his knees to get him upright. A few more minutes of blindly searching the room led him to a part of the wall that was deeper set than the rest of it. His mind searched for the right word.
A . . . door? Kohaku was finding that his mind was filled with all sorts of new words and meanings that he'd had no idea about before. Was this part of having a human body? A human mind to go with it?
Doors . . . they have . . . handles. Right?
He searched the inset panel, pausing when his hand encountered a piece of metal secured deep into the wood. This isn't a handle, it's a knob. He gripped it and turned, somewhat unsettled by the motion. Every new experience in this body would be odd and frightening, it seemed.
The door opened and Kohaku stepped out into the artificial light. He had been right; he was on a ship. And this one seemed to be a pleasure cruiser. Beautiful lights strung the banisters, and the music that he'd heard from inside the cabin was louder now. It seemed more ominous now than before, but still, it was pretty.
Beyond the lights, it was dark. There was no moon in the sky, only thousands upon thousands of stars that reflected upon the water and doubled them. Was it an ocean that the ship traveled on? It had to be, for the water stretched so far into the distance that there was no distinguishing it and the sky.
The music changed suddenly to something tribal with a drum beat. Kohaku turned in the direction the ship was sailing and squinted into the distance. There was land! As if on cue, the doors to the other cabins opened in almost perfect synchronization. Out of each room stepped two or three people- no, spirits! Kohaku almost sighed in relief. At last, among his own kind.
He stepped forward to greet one of them, then stopped. His mouth opened, but no sound came out. Frustrated, he cupped his throat and stared back at the spirit he'd approached. The spirit's eyebrow rose, but there was kindness in his eyes.
"New to this world, aren't you?"
Kohaku nodded.
"I thought so. I remember when I'd been given my own new body. Nothing worked the way I wanted it to. In fact, I'm impressed you're even standing!"
Kohaku made a gesture toward his throat and mouth, trying to input his question into his actions. Evidently, he wasn't successful, because the other spirit simply tilted his head in confusion. Kohaku frowned, wanting to say so many words but unable to get them out.
"If you have something to say, try pushing your thoughts at me. That was how I did it until I could learn to speak."
Kohaku frowned in concentration. How long?
The spirit's wrinkled face brightened. "Excellent! You're a fast learner! To answer your question, with that kind of learning curve, I suspect it won't take long at all!"
For the first time, Kohaku smiled. He didn't even know why. It seemed instinctual. The corners of his lips turned up when he was happy. He had seen humans do that before. How odd to actually experience it.
The old man nodded into the darkness. "We're just coming to the shore now. I'm sure learning everything you need to know will be no difficulty once we're there."
Where are we going?
"Ah, yes! The bathhouse of the spirits! I've met quite a few like you. Your object of attachment in the human world was destroyed, and as result, your soul was sent here. I think we all wake up on this ship, or others like it."
Kohaku approached the rail and peered over it, taking in the bright lights that lit up the sky around the bathhouse. He could hear the loud crash of water against water and stone; the creak of a water wheel; the hiss of cold and hot water meeting. He supposed that if he were closer to it, it would be unpleasant. As it was, he quite liked the sounds.
A bell began to ding somewhere on the ship.
"Final approach!" a voice called. The ship's motion slowed and nearly stopped. When it finally came to a complete halt, Kohaku was one of the first off the gangway. His bare feet met cool grass for the first time, and he stared down in astonishment, curling his toes in the cool green blades.
The human body was strange, and so were all the senses that came with it. But Kohaku couldn't believe that he'd been missing this the entire time. These experiences were . . . incomparable to anything he'd ever felt as a river spirit.
He closed his eyes, feeling a breeze lift the hair around his face, and stood still. He could hear the old spirit chuckling behind him, giving out short explanations in response to the soft grumbles of the spirits stuck behind him. But Kohaku ignored them all, focusing on all of the new sensations. How truly strange. But, not altogether unpleasant.
Finally, minutes later, he opened his eyes, conscious that the other passengers had probably grown tired of waiting for him. He moved completely out of the way, shocked when his feet encountered yet another sensation: cold, wet stone. He stared down at his feet again, faintly puzzled at the change.
The other spirits no longer seemed grouchy or irritated; in fact, nearly all of them welcomed him to the spirit world with a cheerful smile as they passed him. As he couldn't respond verbally yet, Kohaku just kept smiling at them. Sometimes, after an especially kind comment, he would push out a thought of thanks at them, all the while absorbing all of the new sensations.
He'd been wrong. Not all new experiences would be odd and unpleasant. Right then, feeling the breeze and the light sprinkles of rain from the trees' shaking leaves on his face, he was completely calm and content.
Finally, the last passenger had exited the ship. The gangway was pulled back on board and the lights began to dim, shutting off for the rest of the night, it seemed. Kohaku, suddenly pulled from his daze when he was left in complete darkness, realized that he'd lost his new friend. Feeling the new emotion he would soon recognize as fear, he hurried after the trail of spirits. He was lucky the group was so large and that the trail was so long. They walked in single file lines of two, so they weren't too hard to catch up to.
Kohaku slowed in awe just behind the last two spirits as they approached the bathhouse. It was humongous and beautiful, even a little terrifying. There were lights along both sides of the bridge leading to it, so he needn't worry about getting lost. And then there were the greeters. Person-sized toads held lamps at the beginning of the bridge, cheerfully welcoming all newcomers. It was the same at the other end, although there was a regular-sized frog there as well, hopping up and down and enthusiastically greeting every new spirit.
When Kohaku crossed, he was greeted by this little frog. It had raced forward on its short, bowed legs, crouched, and sprang up to look him in the eyes.
"Welcome!"
When Kohaku stumbled back a few steps, probably looking a good combination of confused and scared, the frog backed off a little, webbed hands raised in apology.
"Sorry, newcomer! Sometimes I get a little excited. What's your name?"
Kohaku once again raised a hand to his throat, unsure how to answer. He didn't know if the little frog would think he was being rude or understood his problem, or even if he would welcome having a stranger's thoughts projected into its mind.
Fortunately, the good little frog did seem to understand the situation.
"Oh, you're new here! Well, that explains it! Don't worry about a thing, alright? Madam Yubaba helps out all the new arrivals to this world to get them on their feet. For now, though, just relax! That's what this place is for!"
The frog skipped and hopped away, continuing to greet spirits as he went. Kohaku watched him go with an odd sense of fondness. Then he followed the line of spirits into the imposing bathhouse, wondering if he would manage to find his friend from earlier.
Pretty girls stood gathered around the bathhouse entrance, giggling and flirting with every spirit who passed through. When the first saw him, she let loose with a high squeal and actually raced forward to appraise him. She seemed to be able to tell at a glance that he was new and simply smiled and ambled on with words that wouldn't need responses. Kohaku wouldn't remember anything she'd said in five minutes, even if he tried.
When he finally managed to shake his new companion loose, Kohaku stepped inside the busy, almost crowded building.
Steam filled the air, making sight almost impossible. There was loud chatter on all sides of him. He doubted he'd be able to get away from it if he tried. But the press of warm bodies and unbearably loud sounds were overloading his senses. The clogged bathhouse seemed to be closing in around him and it was getting terribly hard to breathe in the thick air. Kohaku struggled through the crowd with an impounding sense of panic inside him.
Eventually, though he didn't know how, he ended up back outside in a beautiful flower garden. The air was cleaner and calmer; the clamour of the inside was muffled now. Kohaku stumbled underneath one of the hedges and put his head between his knees, trying to calm the panic that had risen up. His breathing eventually evened out, and when it no longer felt like his heart was trying to jump out of his chest, Kohaku looked up to really take in his surroundings.
It truly was beautiful there. Insects used their various gifts to sing out into the cool night air while a light breeze lifted his hair and the flowers around him, filling the air with the sweet scent of hydrangeas. Kohaku breathed it in, feeling his tense new body relax further because of this calm environment.
Opening his eyes again to look around him, he noticed that the loud, incessant chattering of the other spirits could still be heard inside the bathhouse. He instinctually cringed away from the sound, backing into a wall made of brick. Startled, Kohaku turned to look at it. He was surprised to find a small wooden door set against the ground.
Glancing behind, as if he was afraid someone would come upon him, he knelt and tried to open the little door. There was only a little resistance, but it gave way easily, giving Kohaku a look at the world outside the gate. Wind rushed past his ears and violently whipped his hair in his face, but he didn't shut the door. He stared, almost in shock, at the view the open gate provided, the wide spirit world spread out before him.
It was beautiful.
Finally, his wonderment faded and his attention was pulled to the wooden staircase that clung to the brick wall of the bathhouse. Kohaku couldn't see where it lead, but another glance back to the place he'd come from convinced him to follow it. Carefully, he stepped out onto the platform, where the full force of the wind suddenly hit him. He swayed in place, and, suddenly frightened that the wind might push him off, flatted himself against the wall, which was fenced on this side.
Regaining his breath took another moment, and then he was cautiously sliding his way down the steps. He hugged the wall the entire time, too worried about the possibility of being blown off into the valley below to enjoy or even really analyze his surroundings. All Kohaku could see in his tunneled vision was the next step to take.
So when his foot suddenly found no other step to take, having reached the pure concrete landing, he stumbled in surprise. Looking back up the staircase, he was shocked to see that he had made it all the way down. Kohaku took a deep breath, sliding down against the stone wall with relief. Hidden in this little corner, the wind could not reach him and he knew he was safe. At least for the moment. He didn't want to stay in this one place for long. He had to find out where this staircase was leading him.
With a heavy sigh, Kohaku forced himself to his feet, dragging his hand along the wall as he turned the corner and continued down the few stone stairs that remained. When he reached the bottom, he found a single door and no other way off the platform. And now he debated with himself. He had left the bathhouse for a reason, and he definitely did not want to go back inside. But there was nowhere else to go from there, and besides, Kohaku couldn't hear the loud chatter of the spirits from where he stood. All he could hear behind the door was the hiss of steam, clanking metal, strange little chirps, and occasionally a single male voice, yelling commands.
These sounds didn't frighten him like the ones above had; in fact, they even sounded somewhat inviting. Obviously, this was the basement of the bathhouse where the water for the baths was heated.
Finally, Kohaku made his decision. Cautiously, he twisted the handle and stepped inside. Immediately, he was assailed by the dry heat of a steady fire. Kohaku could not decide whether he hated or loved the feeling. As he advanced further along the warm passage, the odd chirping sounds got louder, as well as the clanking of metal. Every few minutes, the man's voice would punctuate the clanging, either with a curse or an order for whom Kohaku could only assume were his workers.
When he reached the end of the long hall, and Kohaku could look inside, he was very confused by what he saw. The first things he processed were the little moving balls of soot. Back and forth they scurried on their tiny stick legs, carrying large lumps of what Kohaku thought could only be coal over to the furnace, the source of all this wonderful/awful dry heat. When they reached the end of their little platform, the sprites would toss the coal in and run back toward their holes for more.
The second thing that he noticed was the man on the opposite side of the room, sitting on a built up pedestal. He seemed to be scraping at something on a slate, but that was only with two of his hands. The others were moving across the room, one hand darting from drawer to drawer high up on the wall, while another reached over to smack one of the sprites, which had sat down, leaned against its piece of coal, and fallen asleep. The little thing bounced to its feet, twittering angrily and shaking its hands at the many-handed man, who only ignored it. The sprite, once it had figured out its complaints were being ignored, simply bent over, picked up its coal, and continued with the job. The others who had stopped to watch the "fight" went back to work as well, and the room was once more filled with the clanging and scraping of metal.
Kohaku stepped further out of his hiding place, fascinated by the work that was happening. This was his undoing. One of the sprites, on its way back to the holes, spotted him leaning out from the hallway. Kohaku stared at it in surprise, unsure what to do now that he had been seen. But the little thing immediately sounded what seemed to be an alarm, and every single one of the other sprites set down their coal and rushed back toward the holes. The old man didn't seem to notice for a few seconds, focused as he was on his work. But when he did, he wheeled in his seat, one of his extra hands finding a pipe and smacking it loudly against the wheel attached to his pedestal.
"Get back to work, you little runts!" But he paused as his shielded eyes found Kohaku, still frozen halfway out of the hall.
"What are you doing here, kid? This ain't no place for you."
Kohaku, forgetting for a moment that he still couldn't speak, opened his mouth to respond before he could stop himself before slamming it shut almost immediately, something like shame burning on his cheeks. The old man peered at him pensively, seeming to grasp the situation.
"New here, are you?"
Kohaku nodded, stepping further out of the hallway but stopping when the little sprites twittered in something like fear. He stared down at their hidey holes, confusion and apologies in his eyes.
"I'll ask again. What's a new fella like you doin' down here in the boiler room? If you were up there -" the old man pointed upward with all of his hands "- they'd be celebrating your arrival with a proper party."
Kohaku shuddered at the idea, shaking his head emphatically.
"Ah. Not a big fan of the rowdiness up there, are ya?"
Kohaku nodded.
"That's alright, but you can't stay down here forever. The monotony of heating the baths for those demanding fools upstairs gets old and boring real fast."
I wouldn't mind.
The old man's eyebrows rose. "Impressive that you've learned that trick already. And you wouldn't, huh? You wouldn't mind working, eating, sleeping, shitting in this hellhole for the rest of your life? That's exactly what I said when I took this job. Believe me, kid, you won't be saying that in a year."
Kohaku frowned, but the old man interrupted him. "Don't bother trying to make your case, kid. You're better off either working up there or leaving the bathhouse altogether."
Why didn't you suggest joining the rest of the spirits who visit here?
The old man grinned. "Well, 'cause you're not like them, are you? You think, and you feel. Your first thought upon entering the bathhouse was to get away, and your first thought when you came down here was to work with me. None of those ungrateful louts up there would ever do either of those things. So. You're best off getting a job up there or leaving, 'cause I won't -"
"Chow time!" A wooden door behind the old man's pedestal that Kohaku hadn't noticed before slid open, revealing a young woman with long brown hair and an insolent smirk upon her lips.
"Aah!" the old man hummed, licking his lips while one of his hands reached for something Kohaku couldn't see.
"Kamaji, seriously! Just leave your bowl out! It would be so much more simple that way, and faster too!"
"But why would I want this to go faster when I could be enjoying your pleasant companionship, Rin? Hey!" Kamaji hastily grabbed his meal tray from Rin as she turned and stomped away in a huff, crouching beside the pit where the sprites had gathered. They hopped up and down, chittering excitedly among themselves as Rin reached into her basket and threw out colorful little candies to them. Kohaku chuckled as he watched the little creatures bounce increasingly higher as the sugar hit their tiny systems. Rin's head whipped up to stare at him, startled.
"Who -"
"New arrival -" Kamaji slurped a noodle "- didn't like the noise of upstairs, found his way down here."
"Because it's way better down here than it is up there," Rin muttered, going back to feeding the sprites.
But it is. There's not as many people, and the noise is different down here. More pleasant. To my ears, at any rate.
Rin looked at him with narrowed eyes. "Well, that's just too bad. You're not actually allowed to be here without Yubaba having hired you."
Then how do I get her to hire me?
"Well, for starters, you actually have to leave this dirty hole."
"Hey, I keep this place as clean as I -"
"Shut it! And for two, you have to do an interview with her. Even if you didn't want a job, you'd still have to go find her, just because you're new."
Is there anything else?
"Well, actually knowing how to talk might be useful." Rin glared at him. "And if you think I'm going to teach you, you're dead wrong."
I thought no such thing.
"Sure you didn't," she muttered, flushing. "Well, until you can talk, there won't be much use trying to get a job. So learn." Rin dumped the rest of the sprites' food into the pit, grabbed Kamaji's old bowl, and left the boiler room, slamming the little wooden door behind her. A moment later, it opened back up a little, revealing Rin's face, which was even redder than before.
"And just because I'm feeling nice today, I won't tell anybody that you're down here. But they'll find out soon, so learn quick." The door slammed shut again, and a moment later, Kohaku heard machinery start up, probably taking Rin back upstairs.
"I'd give it a few days before anybody upstairs notices," Kamaji said. "So we have at least that long to teach you."
You're going to help me?
"No one else is, so I might as well. But we'll only have time in the early morning, before we have to light the boiler, and late at night, when we've let it die."
We?
"That's right. You're helping me until you've learned to speak. Call it your payment."
o.O.0.O.o
Three days later, Kohaku had learned to speak articulate sentences without stuttering or his voice fading, and he was loving it. He was finally growing accustomed to his new body and the strange world around him. He had mostly been working with Kamaji the past few days, but they had both gotten up very early each morning and stayed up very late each night to teach Kohaku to speak properly. He had been learning to use muscles that he hadn't even known he'd had, and it wasn't just for speaking.
Working in the boiler room had proven to be quite physically challenging, which was something Kohaku was thankful for. Before, his body had felt shaky and unsure, but now that he had built up some strength he felt, quite literally, stronger than ever. Kohaku felt like he could do anything, such as meet Yubaba and get that job he wanted. Hopefully down here in the boiler room.
When Rin brought their dinner for that day, her characteristic smirk was gone. "They've noticed something's up."
Kohaku blinked, surprised. "Why? You didn't say anything, did you?"
She glared at him and Kohaku gulped. "No! I said I wasn't gonna give you up, and I'm not. The cooks have noticed that I'm bringing extra food down and they wanna know why."
"Could you tell them that you're taking the extra stuff down for yourself?"
"No, that wouldn't work," Kamaji said. "The servants get a single dinner break, and it's in the early afternoon. All other times of the day, they have to find time in between helping customers."
"Ah." Kohaku looked into his bowl, frowning at the chicken and noodles in thought. "Well, I think I'm ready to meet Yubaba, so it shouldn't be an issue for much longer. Maybe even tomorrow."
Rin sagged in relief. "Thank goodness."
"So when you come down tomorrow, I'll just go back up with you."
Rin tensed immediately, turning from the pit where the sprites were devouring their own dinner to glare at him once again. "You idiot. You're not supposed to be down here, remember? If you come up with me, they'll know that Kamaji and I were helping you, then we'll both get in trouble, and you'll probably be kicked out with a lifelong ban. If you're lucky!"
Kohaku nodded in understanding. "So, then, I need to go out and up the steps during the day, escape through the gates, then come back and pretend that I just got here?"
"Basically. And it would be best if you did it tomorrow. There's another ship coming in at seven, so it'll look like you came in off of it."
"Good. Then I'll just have to get a meeting with Yubaba."
"Good luck with that," Rin snorted. "You might have to wait awhile. There'll be tons of other spirits who've known her for years chatting her up."
"Speaking of which," Kamaji said slowly, staring at Kohaku. "How are you going to deal with the massive amount of spirits inside the bathhouse? Because the last time you tried, you panicked and found your way down here."
Kohaku sighed. "I don't know quite how I'm going to deal with it yet, but I'll find a way. I'll have to become acclimated to them at some point. After all, I'm going to be working here."
"Bold of you to assume you'll get the job," Rin muttered.
"Maybe I'm just confident."
"How is that any different?"
"If I were bold, I would think I'll get the job just because I think I should. But I'm confident, which means I have faith in my abilities. If I turn out to be wrong, that's fine too." Kohaku continued eating his dinner, unaware of Rin's doubtful stare. She opened her mouth to speak her mind again, but Kamaji nudged her, urging her to shut up and let the naive boy think what he might.
That night, Kohaku could barely sleep for excitement. Of course, he dreaded having to be near that many people at once, but knew he would have to get over it eventually. And the next day, he could barely focus on the tasks Kamaji had set him for his last day in the boiler room. The soot sprites kept gathering around his ankles and clinging to him, leaving little black smudges on his skin and pants when Kamaji ordered them back to work.
Kohaku had decided he would leave around five, just so that he knew for sure he would have time to get around the gate and escape detection. The dark was by then setting in, so that would help shield him as well. When the clock finally struck the hour, Kohaku gathered his few belongings - gifts from Kamaji, Rin, and the sprites - said goodbye to Kamaji, then finally left the room by the same way he'd come in.
The sun was setting over the valley, and it was quite possibly one of the most beautiful things he'd ever seen, aside from the sun setting over his own river. The last rays of light made the climb seem much less terrifying, though it certainly helped that the wind had died down.
As he climbed, he thought about everything that had happened to him since the humans had filled in his river. While he was definitely still sad that his home of so many years had been destroyed, he was also glad he was here now, with friends he was sure he could count on. Smiling a little, he widened his stride, skipping over some steps in order to reach the top faster.
When he did, he knelt by the little wooden gate and opened it, cautiously looking around the garden for anybody. It would not be good if he were caught here. No one seemed to be there, so Kohaku crept through silently, continuing on his hands and knees to the other side of the garden. Rin had told him that the way he'd gone out to the garden was not the only one; there was another just opposite the gate to the steps that led straight out to the bridge he'd crossed when he'd first arrived in this queer place. All Kohaku had to do was make sure he wasn't seen.
When he arrived at the bridge, there wasn't anyone there. But still, he continued to make sure. Kohaku could not afford to be caught, especially without some sort of excuse prepared. He didn't know when the train arrived, so that was a definite no. He wasn't actually sure one could travel around this country on foot, so that was also a no. And the boat, of course, wasn't coming in until that night. Kohaku had no excuse to be there, so it was really just best if no one knew he was there.
But if anyone did see him, it was best to just pretend he belonged there. So, he walked bravely across the bridge, his shoulders straight and his gait leisurely. If someone saw him out a window, hopefully, they would just think he was a customer out for a stroll. (Not that any of the customers of the bathhouse ever went for strolls, so that excuse was actually just as bad as any of the first three.)
Rin had told him that after he crossed the bridge, there would be a gate to another garden just to the right, and that in order to stay out of sight, he should follow that path. It led through the freezer and the pighouse, so it was possible there would be servants or frogs there, but she doubted it. They only went to get the fish or pork to cook in the earlier morning so that everything was ready for the guests for breakfast and lunch, and again at around three to start preparing dinner. At any rate, Kohaku needed to stay out of such a wide visual range, so he needed cover. The freezer and the pighouse happened to be that cover.
Kohaku maintained his leisurely pace for most of his walk through the gardens and freezer, but he had to hide when he went into the pighouse, for there were two frogs inside, grumbling about having to kill another pig.
"Why do these guys eat our food so much?" one complained. "There's an entire town of restaurants for them to choose from! Why not one of those?!"
"Because they're here to relax," said the other in a mocking tone, "and relaxing means no walking anywhere, aside from going between bathtubs and beds!"
The first frog looped a rope around a pig's neck, leading it gently out of its pen while the second closed the gate behind it. "I swear, if this keeps up, I'm gonna quit and find somewhere else."
"Where else is there?" the second moaned. "There's not another workplace around for miles, and nobody has train tickets anymore. We'd have ta walk!"
"Ugh," the first groaned, leading the pig out of the pighouse with the second frog following behind.
Kohaku waited until he was sure they were gone before he emerged from behind a particularly large sow, who had only given him a strange look when he first came in then continued eating.
"Thank you," he whispered to her, patting her on the side. He turned and found the path he was supposed to have taken and followed it, opening the door to find a simple alley. He was glad, for this is what he had been looking for. Rin had given him more instructions to follow in order to make it to the sea in time for the arrival of the ship, so he followed those as well.
The part of town he walked through to get there seemed mostly deserted, which Kohaku thought was odd. He could smell the food from the town of restaurants, just over the hill, but all of these buildings were abandoned. Walking among them, however, he easily found his way to the sea's edge.
It was now almost completely dark. Rin had told him that the instant the sun set, the ship would appear, as it always did. He looked out over the water for the ship anyway, but could not see it. He glanced back, looking at the hill and the path to the bathhouse with an uneasy feeling, deciding that he did not like how open the landscape was. Kohaku retreated into the abandoned buildings, staring out at the sea and waiting for the sun to set.
Just as the last ray of light sank over the horizon, the familiar lights of the cruise ship appeared. Kohaku stood, still hidden in the shadow of the buildings, waiting for the ship to land and for the passengers to disembark.
Soon enough, the odd-looking passengers came up the path. Kohaku waited until the very last one had passed before getting in line behind him, walking quietly and just a little slower than the others.
As the line approached the bridge, and the greeters cheerfully began their duties, it suddenly occurred to Kohaku the one glaring detail he had missed.
The frog.
He could hear its voice even then, as far away from the doors as he was. The frog would remember him, wouldn't it? It had offered the assistance of its mistress, hadn't it? There was no way the frog wouldn't remember. In addition to Kohaku's sudden disappearance, he was now suddenly reappearing, claiming to have come in on the last ship.
This could be very bad for Kohaku.
But, it wasn't. When Kohaku finally reached the doors, terrified that the frog would recognize him and already feeling the stifling pressure of the bathhouse, the frog bounced over to meet him like last time.
"Hello! Welcome to the bathhouse! Huh?" The frog seemed to scrutinize his face. "Have we met before?"
"I- I don't think so," Kohaku answered him, trying to appear only confused and surprised, and not like a liar.
"Hmm. Alright!" Kohaku blinked. Was it really going to be that easy? "I have kind of a bad memory, especially when it comes to you human-looking types. I might just have confused you with someone else. Sorry about that!"
"No harm done," Kohaku replied, somewhat dazed. By then, he was being pushed and shoved around in the entranceway of the bathhouse. Just like before, he could feel the stifling body heat and humidity closing in around him, the jostling of many bodies dizzying and disorienting him. Panic was sending out a red alert in his mind, and all he wanted to do, like last time, was find the closest way out.
Suddenly, a hand closed around his wrist and tugged him harshly out of the crowd and into an empty room. Breathing hard, Kohaku slid down against the wall and buried his face in his knees. A gentle hand rubbed his back between the shoulder blades, soothing him. When he looked up again, he was shocked to see Rin staring down at him sympathetically.
"I didn't think you were ready for this," she murmured.
"I didn't have a choice, remember? You would have gotten in trouble if you kept hiding me. Besides, I can't spend the rest of my life only being in rooms with two or three people in them. Life doesn't work that way."
"True enough."
They sat quietly for another few minutes, until finally Kohaku sighed and heaved himself to his feet, followed by Rin. "Where can I find Yubaba? It's probably best if I find her sooner rather than later."
"She isn't downstairs greeting her friends like usual," Rin replied, opening the door with a gesture to follow her, "so I think she's probably in her apartment, above the bathhouse. I'll take you up there."
Rin led him to an elevator which took them up five floors, all of which were platforms that looks out into the humid air of the bathhouse. All of the baths were separated by decorative partitions, steam rising up from every one. Frogs led groups of spirits around on each level, showing them around. When the elevator stopped, Rin grabbed his wrist and pulled him across the catwalks, which went directly over the baths and provided Kohaku with some truly wonderful views of a few spirits' private areas.
When they reached the other side of the room, Rin suddenly shoved him into the open elevator and turned to face a frog that had apparently been following them.
"Why are you following me?"
"Maybe I'm following that suspicious character you're leading around," the frog answered, leaning around her to get a look at Kohaku. "Never seen 'im around before."
"He's new," Rin said bluntly. "I'm taking him to see Yubaba."
"That's not really your job, though, it's generally Aogaeru's job."
"Yeah, well, he asked me to do it for him. Said he had something else to do. We done? This kid can't even talk and you're holding us up because he's suspicious."
The frog leaned around Rin again, appraising Kohaku in a new way. He lifted his hand shyly in greeting, acting as if he couldn't speak. The frog nodded back with a sigh before turning away. "Yeah, whatever."
Rin stepped backwards into the elevator and pulled the lever, then sagged against the wall in sudden exhaustion. "That . . . was close."
Kohaku nodded in agreement, lifting his hand to his heart to find it pounding away inside his chest. "Indeed."
Rin sighed. "This is the last elevator to get to Yubaba's. I can't go any further because I'm just a servant, so you'll have to go in on your own."
"I understand."
The elevator dinged, and the doors slid open to reveal a large chamber with humongous, elaborately gilded doors. Kohaku stepped out, only slightly intimidated by the obvious show of power and wealth these doors alone provided. He turned to wave goodbye to Rin, who waved back once before the doors shut and the elevator went back down.
Kohaku turned again to approach the doors to Yubaba's apartment, treading up the steps carefully. They really were huge. He lifted a hand, about to knock, when the little golden lock in the shape of a face spoke in a woman's voice.
"What a polite boy, knocking before entering. Come on in!"
The grand doors slid open to reveal . . . more grand doors. A hall of doors? Kohaku almost shook his head. How much time and money had been spent to build all of this, for the simple purpose of intimidating all those who entered? It seemed such a waste, and a little tacky, as well. But he wasn't going to say that, not to his potential employer.
Kohaku hesitated at the entrance, unsure.
"Well?" a husky voice asked. "I said come in."
An invisible hand seemed to drag him through the air almost all the way down the hall before he was suddenly tugged to the right and soon enough deposited face down on a very nice, very expensive-looking rug.
When Kohaku had picked himself up, he looked around and immediately found who he could assume to be Yubaba. She was a very large woman, with a large nose and large eyes and a large hairdo. Everything about her was large, and it was perhaps more intimidating than the decor.
Yubaba was busy at work, signing papers and placing little bags of something into a little chest. Kohaku waited in silence for her to speak. But she surprised him.
"Why don't you say something, young man? And don't try pulling that "I'm new" crap with me. I know you've been here for a few days now. That's more than enough time for a fast learner like you to learn to speak."
Kohaku stared at her in shock, mouth dropping open. When she heard nothing, Yubaba looked up at him, something like slyness almost oozing from her every pore. "What? Did expect that I would know what little Rin was up to? Aogaeru had already told me there was a newcomer, but when you disappeared and Rin started bringing extra food down to Kamaji, I figured you had ended up down there somehow."
"Wh- why didn't you stop her?"
"Tch. Why not let her keep at it? New spirits in the realm are often overwhelmed by different things, and I figured you were no different. And I was busy at the time. Too busy to school you, so I figured why not let Kamaji keep an eye on you."
"So do you know why I'm here, then?"
Yubaba's smile grew, now intrigued. "No, that part I haven't figured out. Why are you here, young one?"
"To ask you for a job."
Her smile didn't disappear, though it wavered. "What."
"I want a job."
Yubaba's easy smile had turned into a glare. "Shut up."
"Why?"
"I don't have room for more lazy louses like you, so get out."
"I'm not lazy. I'll work hard. I just want a job."
"Shut up!" she snapped, raising a jeweled hand and waving it. Kohaku suddenly felt as if his mouth was glued shut, but he wasn't scared. He continued to stare her down.
Shutting my mouth won't stop me. I still want that job.
Yubaba froze, even her glare melting off her face in her surprise. "Why."
I don't have anywhere else to go, or a way to get there even if I did. I won't be one of your lazy guests, either. So give me a job.
Yubaba seemed to think this over, chewing on her enormous lip. "Fine. I'll even do you one better, young one, if you tell me how quickly you learned to speak through the mind."
Kohaku blinked, surprised, but he answered her. When I awoke on the ship, the first person I met was a kindly older spirit, who told me that he had pushed his thoughts at others until he learned to speak.
"But how long did it take you to pick it up?" she asked impatiently.
A minute? Maybe two. Not more than five.
Yubaba smiled. "Excellent. Then, I won't just give you a job, young one, but I'll make you my apprentice."
What does that mean?
"It means I'm going to teach you everything I know so you'll be prepared to make your own way in the Spirit World."
Kohaku thought this over for a moment, the nodded. Alright.
Yubaba nodded as well, opening a drawer in her desk and rifling through it. She pulled out a single sheet of paper, then released it into the air. It floated over to Kohaku, followed suite by a single pen. He them both from the air and looked at the paper.
"Terms and conditions, and so forth," she told him. "Basically your job parameters."
Kohaku barely heard her as he knelt on the carpet, placing the paper on the stone fireplace to read it. Once read, and finding it agreeable, Kohaku put his pen to the paper and signed his name. That done, the paper tugged itself out of his hand and floated over to Yubaba, who took it and looked over it.
Ma'am?
"Yes, what is it?"
May I have my voice back?
"What?" She looked startled for a moment. "Oh. Yes." Yubaba waved her hand and Kohaku's mouth unstuck itself.
"Thank you, ma'am."
A slow smile was spreading across her face. "So, your name is Kohaku, is it? A river spirit?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"What a good name." Her eyes rolled up to look at him, and Kohaku immediately feared the gleam that had entered it. How had he not seen it before? Her hand hovered above the page, a sticky-sweet sly smile upon her lips.
"And it belongs to me, now." Kohaku watched in horror as a few of the characters unstuck from the page and drifted into her palm. "Your name is Haku, now, understand? Answer me, Haku!"
Only now did he understand what a mistake this had been. He should have just left and never come back. He wanted to run away and think of nothing but pink shoes and steamships and calm days on the river, but all he could do at that moment was stand up straighter, his spine stiff and unyielding to his own wishes.
"Yes, ma'am," Haku answered, only barely keeping his voice from quavering.
"Good. Now, you will have an apartment up here in the penthouse where you will stay, but during the day, you will follow my orders. Understand?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Wonderful. I'll lead you to your room and you will rest for the night. But tomorrow, we begin your training."
Haku could only nod. She took him to his room, and when she had shut the door behind him, Haku was certain he heard the door lock. That was fine. It wasn't like he would be able to leave anytime soon.
He sank into his bed, thinking how odd it was that Yubaba should just happen to have a spare bed for an apprentice she couldn't have known she would gain. He laid down, placing his head upon his pillow and staring over the lump the action had created.
What was this burning behind his eyes? Ah, it was tears. The warm liquid spilled out over his eyelids and ran down over his cheek and the bridge of his nose to land on the pillow. He breathed in shakily, clutching the pillow in his hands as the tears came more steadily. Haku sobbed into his pillow for the better part of the night, finally crying himself into exhaustion around three in the morning.
And when he awoke a few hours later, he could not for the life of him remember his true name.
o.O.0.O.o
Haku was determined not to cry again, not while he was training under Yubaba. He wasn't sure if, because she had taken his true name, she meant to keep him forever. But he had decided that he was just going to roll with it and learn as much as he could and maybe one day escape from her.
As it was, his training was both simple and rough at the same time. It was easy enough for Haku to understand the concepts Yubaba was teaching him, but actually doing the task was harder. The telekinesis, for example, was easy to comprehend, but hard to really do. Yubaba would train him hard for days at a time, often without sleep, claiming that those who used magic needed to be able to withstand extreme stress and pressure. The more tired Haku was, the more easily he gave in to his frustration, which was when his magic simply ceased to work for him.
Yubaba was obviously a skilled teacher, but her methods were not working for Haku. She wanted to teach him to use his power to oppress and control other people, when that was not what he wanted to do at all. Haku wanted to help and encourage them, the way Kamaji and Rin and the old spirit back on the boat had helped him. Yubaba could think that her evil ways were influencing him all she wanted, but whenever she gave a command for him to use a certain power a certain way, he used his own ideas to complete the task, and Yubaba was never the wiser.
And when she was done with him and allowed him to rest and replete his magic energy, Haku laid in his bed and dreamed of nothing but Chihiro and little pink shoes. They were his only safe haven now. He had not seen Rin and Kamaji in a long time and did not even know if Yubaba had punished them for helping him. It seemed like the sort of thing she would do.
Time was hard to keep track of in the Spirit World, especially if one was cooped up in a witch's house training endlessly, but one day, after what Haku estimated to be a year, Yubaba decided to let him go downstairs.
"After all," she said, amused, "we need to get rid of those panic attacks at some point, don't we?"
But there was something she wasn't telling him. After a year of training with her, Haku liked to think that he'd gotten to know her quite well. He knew when she was lying. There was a sly tilt to her lips that he surely would have noticed the night he'd asked her for a job if he'd known her better. Haku asked Yubaba what they would be doing downstairs, but she merely smirked at him and told him to wait and see, like an American parent might say to their impatient child on Christmas Eve.
So when Yubaba and Haku came down the stairs, they were greeted with silence and shocked stares. Haku searched immediately for the one face he wanted to see and elated to find Rin, who stared up at him as if he were a ghost. It clicked inside his head that it hadn't only been a year for him, but for his friends as well.
Yubaba halted at the top of the second landing up, where every worker in the bathhouse could see her. Haku stopped just behind her.
"I know you all have been curious about who I've accepted as my apprentice for a long time. The rumors have been circulating for a while, and I've decided to reveal him to you all. After all, I know there are one or two of you down there who know my young friend and have been concerned for him."
Rin and Kamaji, Haku thought wistfully.
"So, after three years -" Yubaba slid a sly smirk his way, no doubt enjoying the shocked look on his face "- let me introduce my new apprentice, Haku!"
She shoved him forward against the railing to stare down at the bathhouse workers. They applauded him politely, but it was obvious they didn't think much of him. Only Rin clapped wildly, even whistling. The frogs and other servants all stared at her, obviously thinking to themselves that she must be one of the friends Yubaba had mentioned.
Haku smiled wanly down at her, too exhausted and much to shy for more. Somehow, being among these people no longer bothered him much. Perhaps it was a result of his intense training, or perhaps his mind could no longer find it in him to panic.
Three years.
"Go on down and mingle," Yubaba told him. "You'll need to build relationships with them in order to work with them."
Haku nodded and began making his way down the stairs as Yubaba dismissed the workers to their regular jobs. Rin, happy and excited, met him at the bottom of the stairs. In fact, she threw herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck and swinging. Haku stumbled in surprise, but his training had left him stronger than he had been three years ago, so he did not collapse under her weight.
"Where've you been, you big dope? I've been so worried!"
Haku blinked at her tiredly. "She's pretty much kept me locked up there since I signed that contract."
Rin pursed her lips. "Oh, well, couldn't you sneak down?"
Haku laughed mirthlessly. "She locks the door to my room behind me, and there are no windows. And when she's training me, she never takes her eyes off me."
Rin now looked worried. "Are you okay, Haku? You look exhausted."
"I rarely get a break." All he wanted to do was ask her if she had known that Yubaba would take his name, if she had done the same to Rin and all the others too. But before they had come down, Yubaba had forbidden him from speaking of the matter to anyone. And if Haku had forgotten his true name, the others might have forgotten that Yubaba even held their names. So it wouldn't do any good to bring it up anyway.
"Well, Kamaji has been worried sick about you too, so you're going down to see him before Yubaba forces you to go back up there with her."
That made Haku smile. "Alright."
Rin led him to an elevator which took them all the way down to the basement, where the boiler room waited. Haku relaxed the instant they were away from all the prying eyes of the other servants. They might not think much of him, but they were wary of him all the same. Haku, theoretically, had a lot of power over them and could burn them alive if he so wished.
When Rin slid the door to the boiler room open, Haku was greeted by the sound of scraping and clanging metal. He hadn't realized how much he missed it until that moment. He climbed through the small doorway, looking up to meet Kamaji's curious gaze. Kamaji let out an elated sound and climbed down from his pedestal and hugged Haku tightly.
"It's good to see you again, my boy! I didn't know what the witch had done to you, and I was almost scared to find out!"
She's made me her apprentice/slave for the foreseeable future and I don't know how I'm going to get out of it.
"She's made me her new apprentice, and she's kept me pretty busy."
"For three years?" Kamaji asked skeptically.
"I thought it had only been a year," Haku said honestly. "I didn't know I'd been away so long. Time is hard to keep track of up there."
"True enough," Kamaji said, sighing. "I only know how many days have passed because of Rin here. I count the number of times she's brought me dinner, and when I've counted anywhere from twenty eight to thirty one days, I know a month has passed."
"I don't get such a reliable calendar," Haku said with an affectionate smile at Rin, who only playfully glared at him. "I'm just training most days."
"Well, I'm glad you're busy. That is what you wanted, after all."
Yeah, busy. Not her slave.
There was a knock at the door, and it slid open a second later to reveal one of the workers who seemed to be a mix between a frog and humanoid. He was odd, and for some reason his voice made Haku think of porcelain pigs and the humans' large cargo trucks. His eyes moved from Kamaji to Rin to Haku.
"Madam wants you to report back upstairs to continue your training."
Haku nodded. "I'll be up in a moment."
The worker's eyes narrowed. "She wanted you to come with me directly."
"Oh." Haku blinked. "Of course."
He climbed to his feet, offering a small smile to his friends. "I'll try and see you both soon, alright?"
"You better come back, you big dope," Rin said, giving him a tight hug.
"I'll do my best," he whispered. Then he followed the worker out of the boiler room and into the elevators. Haku was soon enough conveyed to Yubaba's penthouse. As he stepped inside, the doors closed behind him and the witch's voice echoed through the halls.
"Come into my office, Haku."
Haku slowly made his way there, then stood erect before her, arms behind his back as he waited for her to speak.
"I've decided I'm going to punish those two who helped you after all."
Haku gaped, his posture sagging. "What?!"
"Even if their actions did end up bringing me you, they still broke the rules, Haku, and for that, they need to be punished. And I'm going to have you do the punishing." All the time Yubaba spoke, her head was down over her work, as if her words were nothing, like they were discussing the financial needs of the bathhouse.
"B-but -"
"No buts from you! I own you, remember?" Her icy eyes finally met his. This was the first time she had outright mentioned her enslavement of his will, and it had shaken him. "This is an order, Haku. You will punish your friends in the way I see fit."
Haku gasped, the deadly weight of her order hitting him like a punch in the gut. He fell to his knees, breathing heavily. His fingers twisted through the long threads of Yubaba's expensive carpet and clenched tightly.
"No." He was breathing raggedly. It was amazing the amount of power Yubaba had over his will, but she didn't control all of him. "I . . . won't . . . punish them."
Yubaba observed him over her reading glasses, as if unimpressed by his efforts. "Yes, I think you will."
"NO!"
Yubaba was silent for a moment. Then, "Hm."
Haku looked up at her, waiting. "Go to your room until tomorrow morning, Haku. We'll talk then."
Haku was shocked. She was sending him to his room, like a parent might punish and rebuke a child? Beneath his indignance, he felt genuine concern. What did this mean for Rin and Kamaji? For him?
But Haku dragged himself to his feet and off his bedroom, utterly exhausted from his fight against Yubaba's order. But it had been worth it. Haku was determined that he would never hurt his friends.
He slept soundly that night, the only dreams meeting him in Neverland being of a little pink shoe.
o.O.0.O.o
When Haku awoke the next morning, it was with a strengthening sense of dread. He didn't know what Yubaba was going to do, and it frightened him beyond all belief. But he got up and dressed and went out to meet Yubaba in her study. His door was always unlocked in the morning and they always had breakfast in her study.
As usual, there was a tray sitting on a stool near the chair facing Yubaba's desk, and as usual, Yubaba sat behind the desk, a cup of tea sitting near her right hand, waiting to be used.
"Good morning, Haku! Come in, have some breakfast. The tea is different today, a kind I've never tried before. It's delicious."
Haku approached her cautiously, sitting in his chair with a suspicious look at the tea.
"Oh good grief, boy, you don't think I've poisoned it, do you?"
Haku didn't think it was a good idea to answer that, but Yubaba just rolled her eyes and poured a little more into her tea cup before holding out the pot to Haku. Still suspicious, he took it and poured a little into his cup. It was inky black and seemed thicker than normal tea. He glanced back up at Yubaba, who was daintily sipping away at her tea, as if to prove she had done nothing to it.
Haku carefully took a sip as well, surprised at the bitter yet tasty flavor of it. When he glanced back up, Yubaba looked quite pleased, almost smug. Haku wasn't sure he wanted to know why.
"What's my punishment?" he finally asked.
"For what, Haku?"
"Defying you."
"Oh my dear, I'll not be punishing you for your actions. It's only natural that you should want to defend your friends. Of course, I didn't count on the strength of your will, either, which is why you so surprised me."
Haku didn't remember her looking at all surprised at his behavior the night before.
"So, what about my friends?"
"Oh, they'll still be punished," she replied conversationally, "don't you worry about that."
"I won't do it."
Yubaba stared at him, mocking sympathy in her eyes. "My dear, sweet, naive boy. Of course you will." Her eyes drifted down to his teacup, that horrifying satisfaction once again upon her face.
Haku looked down as well, dropping the teacup when he saw little black slugs poking their heads out of the tea. The tea spilled over the expensive carpet and inch-long black slugs raced at top speed toward Yubaba, who, when they got close enough, simply lifted her great feet and smashed them flat.
Haku choked on his own sick, falling to his knees and gagging.
"Oh dear, that black slug won't be coming out of you for quite a while, so you can just stop now."
As if by magic, Haku's convulsing stopped. He could still feel that urge to purge every ounce of that foul tea from his stomach, but Yubaba's command was preventing that.
"Stand up." Haku stood unsteadily and against his will, but no matter how much force he exerted, he could not fight her this time.
"Haku, dear, I want you to forget about this little incident."
Haku tilted his head at her, pure confusion in his eyes. "What incident, ma'am?"
Yubaba smiled. "Excellent."
She thought quietly for a few moments, gaze occasionally skimming across the boy in front of her, awaiting her orders. "Haku?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Forget that Rin and Kamaji are your friends. They are simply workers of the bathhouse to you, understand?"
"Yes, ma'am."
"Now," Yubaba said, standing. "We're going to go downstairs, and you're going to punish Rin and Kamaji, alright?"
"Yes, ma'am. But . . ."
Yubaba raised her eyebrows, surprised that he was questioning her even now. "Yes?"
"What did they do?"
"Why, Haku, I thought you knew! They broke the rules, of course, and those who break the rules deserve to be punished. Are you coming?"
". . . Yes, ma'am."
They took the elevator down, where Yubaba gave orders to the foreman to gather everyone, even Kamaji from the boiler room. The foreman was lightning quick, and soon enough all of the workers were gathered below. Haku stood beside her, his eyes steely and blank. Yubaba could see Rin and Kamaji staring up at him, concern in their eyes. She smirked at the thought that they would never again have their friend. Not really.
"My dear workers!" Yubaba began. "I'll keep this short and quick. There are some rule-breakers in our midst."
The outburst of whispering was satisfying, as was the look exchanged between Rin and Kamaji. Most faces turned their way, because they had already guessed who had kept Haku hidden in the bathhouse. Rin glared at all of them defensively, but Kamaji continued to stare up at Haku. There was no emotion in the boy's eyes, and it frightened him.
"And because rule-breakers must be punished, we are here to punish them. Foreman!"
"Yes, madam!"
"Bring forth Rin and Kamaji."
The frogs and servants parted for the foreman, who herded Rin and Kamaji forward like sheep. Rin cursed him the entire way, but Kamaji stayed silent. When they reached the foot of the steps, Yubaba went down to meet them, followed by the silent Haku.
"As part of his training, Haku will be the one to punish you both for your misdeeds."
"He would never hurt us," Rin snarled. Yubaba merely smiled her crafty smile.
"He can, and he will," Yubaba promised.
Haku stepped forward, eyes still bereft of any emotion and his hand raised, as if to strike his former friends. "Say the word, madam."
"Whenever you're ready, Haku."
"Haku, please!" Rin begged. "We're your friends! You remember us, don't you? We helped you! We're your friends!"
But he only tilted his head curiously, like he didn't know the meaning of the word. His eyes were cold and calculating and unforgiving. "I don't have any friends."
And his magic ripped loose, damaging the only people in this world that cared for him.
o.O.0.O.o
For years after that, Haku walked around like an emotionless shell, like one without a soul.
He seemed always to look for an opportunity to pick on Rin, and she soon grew to hate him for it. It was like she had forgotten about their former friendship as well. But Haku never went down to the boiler room, and therefore never saw Kamaji, and could not punish him as he did Rin, so Kamaji still loved him, as much good as it did.
Haku did whatever Yubaba told him, whether it was to punish one of the workers or babysit her child for an hour. No matter the order, he complied. Haku himself had no real thoughts of his own, as taken in by Yubaba's magic as he was. But occasionally, in the process of following Yubaba's orders, a shadow would cross his face and he would question everything. His life, his servitude, and Yubaba. But these little flashes of the true Haku were easy to suppress, so Yubaba did not really worry about that. The years went by, and Haku soon forgot everything from before his enslavement.
And during all of these years, when Haku slept, his dreams were haunted by a swirling pink shoe, and for the life of him, he could never figure out what it meant.
Then one day, he was walking out to the bridge to watch the lamps light the town. It was one of the few things that this version of Haku still enjoyed.
He had been staring at the ground and walking, thinking to himself about Rin's latest torture. Haku never enjoyed hurting her, whether it was with words or magic, and he couldn't figure out why he kept doing it. It was like some order that was ingrained deep within him.
And suddenly he heard the pounding of feet against the boards of the bridge. His head whipped up to see a little girl. She was bending over the side, staring at the train in the valley below. As it passed, she bounded to the other side and stood on one of the bars to get a better view. And, as if suddenly sensing his presence, she turned her head slowly to look at him.
Every spell Yubaba had ever cast on him suddenly shattered. All of his memories (except, conveniently, his true name) flooded into his mind: his broken friendship with Rin, the slug Yubaba had infected him with, his stolen name, his rebirth in the spirit world, the humans filling in his river, and the little pink shoe, swirling with the silt. And that girl, the one standing in front of him. It was the same girl, but grown up.
Chihiro had found him.
"Go! You must get out of here!"
A/N: Hello again! I'm back with another Spirited Away fic, and this time it's hopefully less cringy than the last few fics I've written for this fandom! Because I reread them recently, and just . . . Ew. Pretend they don't exist. I won't delete them, because I'm STILL getting positive comments and people say they like them (even if they don't necessarily make sense), but . . . ugh. I must have high or something when I wrote those fics. (I don't even know where to get drugs, so it's a toss up as to how I was high.)
Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this. Believe me, I had a lot of fun writing it, if fun is the right word. If any of you noticed that Kohaku/Haku followed the same path he would later set Chihiro, yes, I did do that on purpose. Because parallels are my aesthetic, and I thought it was fitting that Kohaku followed the same journey.
I also took a lot of liberties with this, such how and why spirits go from the human world to the spirit world, what it's like when they first arrive, and so on. I hope y'all won't mind it.
Thanks so much for reading!