"Shadow Rising Rivers:
Chapter One;
Competition"
It had been six years since she came. The ten year old girl ran through the black haired boy's mind, rapidly, remembering how she helped him. Her name was Chihiro, and she was currently living in the town outside of the spirit world entrance. Kohaku, being his real name, but remembered being called Haku when he worked for Yubaba.
Now, six years since he quit, he was starting his own business, and getting ready for the grand opening; him, and his workers alike. "Be careful, with that! It's very fragile, and very important!" He warned a couple of the workers.
"Yes, Master Kohaku!" One said, as they carried the large box through the doorway.
He was standing outside of, what could be, a large japanese estate, standing on a stone path, surrounded by cherry blossoms; their branches holding purple strands.
Kohaku walked up to the six men placing the sign up, staring at them. It was painted light blue, the writing was purple, and the was a dragon swerving around the characters. In japanese, it read 'Tamashi Bishgo,' or in english 'Spirit Lift.'
Anyway, the sign was slanted to the right, at a great angle, and they were about to nail it in. "Hold it!" He ordered. They groaned. "I said to make it straight! You made it too slanted to the right." He said. The men stopped, and lifted the right side, as they lowered the left. "Little more!" He said. They tweeked the angle again. "Almost" He said. Once more. "Perfect! Hold it there, nail it in, and take a break!" He told them.
"Thank you, Master Kohaku!" The men yelled, before returning to work.
Kohaku went through the paper doors of the almost finished spa. It was magnificent. The wooden floors were freshly waxed, and the walls were painted to represent the running river waters. It was a rather tall building too, since it scaled almost as high as Yubaba's bath house.
He headed into a room that was being arranged with inscents, and candles. One of the posts a woman was putting up was starting to fall towards him. He used his wind abilities to stop the marble candle holder, and held it up with one hand. "Please, be more careful, we don't have any spares, and we need the aroma theropy room ready!" He told the woman.
"Sorry, Master Kohaku! I will try harder!" She said, with a bow.
Kohaku sighed as he left the room, and headed towards the back building, otherwise known as his home. It was a rather large mansion. It was almost like a gothic cathedral; pointed arches, tall towers, and hallways. The yard was welly planted with bushes, trees, and some ponds, and in the courtyard, a large fountain.
He entered the large, wooden doors, with stain glass windows. He entered the main foyer; dark blue tiles on the floor, walls that shined of a gold-green mixture, red carpeting going up the outside curved stairs, with black stained, wooden banister. In the round room stood four marble statues of four buddhist gods, and goddesses.
Suijin; goddess of the water, Fujin; god of the wind, Fukujokuru; the god of wisdom, and, to mostly everyone's surprise when they first enter, Beten; goddess of love. He may have looked sixteen, but Kohaku missed the love that was given to him by Chihiro, so he made that statue to remind himself of it.
He walked up the stairs, and turned left down the hallway; similar characteristics as the foyer. After passing almost thirteen doors in the long hallway, he turned to his left, and entered a different room.
It had purple tiles of a very dark extent. The walls were of the same color, and there was a fireplace made of the same marble material, colored a great, and calming, light green. There was a small table to kneel at, sheets of rice paper stored near it, and art supplies close by. Around the walls, canvases were hung and were painted magnificantly in styles no one could describe, and there were scrolls roled out, black ink writing upon them and drawings of grand detail, and beauty.
He knelt in front of the table, grabbed a sheet of rice paper, his brush, and some ink. He began to paint, slowly, and evegantly. Not slowing down, as he stroked the brush, making sure he didn't make a mistake. When he was finished, he placed the on a cardboard sheet, and brought it to a drying rack in the corner.
He didn't know how long it's been since he finished, but he finished his painting of his old friend he met six years before hand, and was about to write her name, but before he could, there was a knock at the door. "What is it?" He asked, calmly.
"Master Kohaku, it's nearly sundown." A male voice said. Kohaku's eyes widened, and he opened the window to see the sky was almost in complete blackness.
"I'll be right down, Magira!" He told him.
-- Yubaba's Bath House
Ever since Kohaku left, Yubaba has been pestering around, trying to find a new apprentice. But, to no avail, she continued her business, at her bath house, for the spirits. The boat of spirits arrived, and began heading off, about less than half heading to Yubaba's bath house, the rest heading to Spirit Lift.
"What's going on?!" She shrieked at the nearest person, which was Rin. "Why do we have less business, than usual?!" She yelled at her.
People were cowering at their angry boss. Rin gulped, and sighed. "You remember Kohaku, right?" Rin asked.
"Yes, I remember that little brat, once called Haku. Why?" She asked, more calmly, leaning towards Rin.
"It's been six years, he looks sixteen, and, according to what I heard, he started up his own business. The grand opening's tonight! Most of the spirits must have heard about it, and went to check it out. It's a spa called: Spirit Lift." Rin explained.
Yubaba growled so loudly, you'd think she was turning into a tiger. "This won't go unnoticed! I will not have that boy wrecking my business!" With that, Yubaba stomped off towards the new spa.