A/N: Hurray! Finally, I've finished what you asked for, Winsome dreamer. Sorry to keep you waiting for so long but I have to listen to that song again and again to get each idea. Anyway, now, here it is, the story you asked me to write!

This is a song fic, inspired by the soundtrack of Totoro called A haunted house. It's quite short so you might have to play it repeatedly while reading this oneshot.

Thanks to Winsome dreamer who asked me to do this cuz I've never written a song fic before.

Please, let me know what you think. Every comment is really meaningful to me.

And for those who may wonder, this story is based on the movie verse.

Now, just ENJOY!

They meet at the loop entrance during their daily walk. Some of them look up to the sky to make sure there's no peregrine falcon flying above their head. All of them know they shouldn't do this. It could cause the Bird a heart attack if she found out. But they need it, at least, most of them.

'Tell me again why we have to risk our life sneaking out from our loop,' the oldest boy with a grim face asks. He's holding the little girl's hand, the youngest one in the group.

'We want to see our house, Enoch, remember?' The voice coming from the floating clothes answers. The invisible boy looks around to make sure their ymbryne isn't here.

'Yes, Enoch, I want to see how it is now,' the girl wearing brown jacket and trousers adds. Her sandy hair is braided down her back.

'It isn't our house! Our house is here, in the loop!'

'Yes, but it was our house. We used to live there, right?' Another little girl in her white dress with curly brown hair tells him before entering the cave. The twins squawk as if they agree with her and then, follow.

'Come on, Enoch, it won't take long,' the boy in his black suit taps his shoulder.

'Yes, we're gonna come back before she knows it,' the girl wearing lead shoes gives him a smile.

'It's okay, Enoch, if you don't want to go, I'll be here with you,' says the girl wearing black leather gloves. She's waiting for him to answer, but the boy can see in her eyes that the fire girl also wants to go, so he just signs and steps into the cave.

They walk hand in hand through the dark cave. When they first came through here they were too nervous and too tired to explore anything. They just followed their ymbryne into the loop. But now, they take their time, watching around , touching the damp wall, and listening to water drops. So no one notices that the weather is getting colder until all of them step out of the cave.

When the first gust of wind hits their face, they all realize that it's winter out of the loop. Everything is covered with thick snow and everywhere is white. Despite their summer clothes, the children laugh and run around, beginning to throw snowballs at one another. The teenage ones join the little ones in this game and soon, they are all giggling.

They walks up the hill, panting like they've just run a Marathon, helping each other crunching through the freezing powder, smiles are upon their face. But when they get through the bushes that hid their house from the outside world, their bright smile are gone at once.

Of course, the children have already prepared themselves for what they are about to find. That bomb was dropped exactly above their roof. What can they expect from that? Their beautiful house in its perfection? But this is still hard for them. Everything they have pictured is nothing compared with what they are looking at now. Some of them even wonder whether this was their house.

Before them stands what is left of their perfect home. The marvelous roof is gone beyond repair and they can even see Abe's attic bedroom, looking from here. Almost all of the windows are broken including the glass roof of their conservatory. It now looks like a broken cage filled with dead plants and dirt.

The children are all petrified. Their heart ache although they know this is not their house anymore. But it used to be, and they can't help seeing these two identical houses as the different ones rather than the same one. This house means so much to them. It kept their good and bad memories, every moment they shared their laughter and cry together under that roof.

'Do you still want to go there?' The oldest boy in the group asks the youngest one when he sees her face turns gloomy.

The girl in pink dress frowns a bit. She hesitates. But then, she just nods so the boy picks her up and steps forward to their old house which, to be honest, looks like a haunted house in the ghost story.

In the little room on the second floor of the house, the lady in her dark blue dress is standing quietly in the middle of the room like she's a statue. Her face is so pale like she is a ghost, not a human, but she is. A peculiar human to be more specific. It's really cold here but she cannot be number than what she feels now. This house or what is left of it freezes her heart. Yes, she has already preserved it in her loop, everything of it, every room, every window, every brick, but she can't help feeling sad standing here.

It's Little Claire's bedroom. The lady can't imagine how sad her little girl would be seeing what she sees now. Thick dust and ashes cover the whole room like every furniture, floor, and wallpaper are in black color. No one will know that actually almost everything in this room was pink. It's her girl's favorite color.

She has saved them right on time, of course. Now they are safe and sound and she has nothing to worry. But somehow she just can't rest her mind. A strange series of emotions has gripped her. These debris disturb her. That's why she has to come back here, to face it.

Her sharp green eyes move when she heard the sound from the first floor. Someone has entered the house, her house. But who is it? She walks silently to the corridor and takes a look, careful not to be seen by a new visitor, no, visitors. Although she doesn't live here anymore, it's still her own house anyway.

'Be careful, boys.'

She gasps when she heard that sweet voice. It's one of her girls, Olive. The twins squawk back. What happens? Why are they here?

'You go first, Millard.' Now, it's one of her boys, Enoch. She moves a bit to gain a better view. Are they all here?

Yes, they are. The lady can clearly see all of her charges now. Emma is holding Bronwyn's hand while Olive, the twins. Claire is on Enoch's back and the others just follow one another.

She takes a very deep breath, lets the cold air burn her lungs. How could they disobey what I said? Or actually, the question should be how stupid I am for it was so obvious they were on something when I sent them for their daily walk? How could I overlook that?

She's about to step out and rebuke them for their disobedience but the look on their face stops her midway. She doesn't need the peculiarity of being able to read their mind at all. She knows exactly how they're feeling. Strange, of course. Hollow, yes. And then, numb. They are all looking around their used-to-be dining room, their eyes long for something that has gone for good. Some of them even brush some ashes off their chair.

'Shall we go to our bedroom?' Bronwyn asks. She doesn't wait for the answer, though. The girl just marches to the hallway.

The lady's hawk-like eyes widen. She doesn't know why but she doesn't want to be seen now, so she quickly steps back and silently turns into a bird, a peregrine falcon, before hiding in the shadow high above her wards.

The tough girl steps on something. Their photograph. The one with everyone of them including the Bird herself holding a pipe. The wooden frame is broken beyond repair but the picture remains undamaged, just a bit dusty. The girl picks it up, scrutinizing it for a good minute like she has never seen it before. The lady can't read that little face but she thinks she can see an edge of sadness there. At that moment, she wants to transform back into human and hold her little girl tight, telling her everything is still fine, but she herself can't even get over it. It's not fine at all.

Enoch and Claire follow. The youngest girl places her hand on Bronwyn's shoulder. Her bright blue eyes well up with tears. The boy can see that in a moment, tears might flood the whole damaged house so he speaks up before the little girls begin to cry.

'Well, since all of us are here, why don't we play some games? Umm...let's see, hide-and-seek, perhaps.'

It works. Not only can it get the little ones' attention, but the older ones as well. They all run to the hallway and chirps in agreement. The Bird can see that her biggest boy almost rolls his eyes, but he forces himself to smile and turns to face the wall.

'I will be it and I'll count to one hundred, okay? One, two, three...'

'Don't cheat, Enoch. We are not ready!' It's Millard. He's about to take off his clothes.

'And don't cheat Millard. Don't take off your clothes!' Enoch fires back.

'Alright, alright.' The invisible boy turns around, trying to find some place to hide.

Certainly, in the Bird's eyes, this is not the right place to play any games, but she can't help falling in love with every smile on her children's face. So perhaps, since she's here, allowing them to have fun for a few minutes might not be that catastrophic.

'Twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two...'

They all run around the house, seeking for some proper places. Fiona grows some vines and creates the shelter for her and Hugh. The Bird thinks that's a very brilliant idea since now vines have already taken over many rooms. She then turns to see Horace and Millard fighting over a cabinet. Millard wins and poor Horace has to find a new place to hide. Olive helps the twins hide behind the curtain and she herself hide behind the shelf not far from them. Bronwyn moves couches to build her own hiding place. It seems quite obvious but it might not be fair to Enoch if the Bird warns the tough girl and also, they will know their headmistress is here, so she just watches silently in the shadow.

'The second floor,' Emma whispers and brings the little girl up the stairs. They choose Millard's bedroom and hide behind the broken door.

'Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, and one hundred!' Enoch turns around and skims the entire hallway. The Bird has to stay very still when his eyes move pass the place where she's hiding. Somehow, she feels like she's in this game, too, but she better win this for no one can know she's here.

'Where are you?' Enoch just plays along, she knows it. He sees Bronwyn but pretends he doesn't. The Bird is quite sure he heard the twins' squawking but he just walks pass them. He then stops in front of Olive's hiding place and says,

'Got you!'

Olive smiles and comes out. The girl always smiles when she is close to Enoch, and seems to be happier than usual. She has a big heart and never says no to anyone in the house, which is extremely different from the gloomy boy. Sometimes, the Bird really doesn't understand how her fire girl can get along with her mischievous boy.

They walk around and the Bird can see that Olive tries to warn others that Enoch is coming with her footsteps. But the boy doesn't care. He enters the kitchen and catches both Millard and Horace.

Not long after that Enoch found Fiona and Hugh, and then he comes back to couches and catches the tough girl. Bronwyn seems to be amazed that Enoch has found her. The tough girl steps out and looks at her hiding place for quite some time.

Enoch pretends to walk around the twins for a good minute before catching them. They speak something in their language and laughs.

'Just Emma and Claire left.' The boy is looking around again. The Bird can read his face that he is quite certain he's searched every place on the first floor already, so there's only one possibility left, the second floor. He's going up stairs!

She doesn't know why she has to panic like this but she tries so hard not to give a screech. She moves silently to another corner. Enoch's eyes are as sharp as hers, so the Bird has to be watchful not to get caught.

His eyes move around the room and even above his head. For a second, the Bird thinks he's looking at her but she might worry too much, since the boy turns to focus on the bedroom in front of him instead.

He sees them, obviously, but he walks into the room like he doesn't. When Enoch turns his back, Emma gives Little Claire a nod, and the floating girl tiptoes out of her hiding place to find another safer place to hide.

'Got you!' Enoch whips around and catches Emma.

Little Claire comes out and shouts happily,

'Hurray, I won. I won!'

Enoch holds her up and spins her around. He himself even chuckles,

'Oh, look, who won this game!'

They all know it's not quite fair but if it can bring a smile back on their little sister's face, it's worthwhile, because seeing her bright smile can make them smile, too. At that moment, it's clear to all of them that they can always build new memories no matter where they are or what they lost because in the end, they still have each other, and that's the most important thing. Memories are not kept in their house but in their heart. Losing this house doesn't make them forget what happened. Everything is still clear and vivid.

Above them, the Bird smiles as well, or at least, she thinks she's smiling. Yes, she has lost this house forever but she has never lost her home because it is here, in front of her, laughing and dancing around happily. Her home is wherever her children are. Her home is where she can be there for them, watch over them, share their laughter and tears.

'Alright! I'm afraid it's time to go home.' Olive reminds everyone. The last thing she wants is her headmistress finding out where they went during the daily walk.

'Yes, if you don't want to be pecked.' Emma chirps.

'Be careful,' Enoch cuts in. 'You might be pecked now.'

'What do you mean?' Emma asks immediately.

'Nothing,' Enoch answers and grins. 'Nothing at all.'

And the last thing the boy does before leaving is giving the Bird a very naughty look.

Please let me know what you feel. I can't wait to talk to you all.