Chapter 2

She was back in her room. She tried to sleep, but every time she closed her eyes, those green eyes were there. So she took to pacing.

Lunch was brought by the same frog, and she tried to apologize. The creature didn't even recognize that it had heard her.

She was desperate to find something to do, anything. It was by sheer will alone that she didn't go wandering about. Instead, she spent hours staring out the window, watching the streets begin to fill as the sun started to set.

Shops became colorful windows lining the sidewalks. She never seemed to notice anyone carrying a great deal of bags though.

Sighing, she laid her head down on her crossed arms, trying to identify creatures as they moved past.

"If you sleep there, you will fall. I don't fancy having to put you back together after I have only just saved you." A breathy voice tickled her ear.

With a startled yelp, she spun, finding her face mere inches from Master Kōsen's. She gulped.

His eyes weren't any less striking, but the small smile softened his face a great deal.

After staring her in the eyes for what felt like an eternity, he leaned back, settling into a chair that had not been there moments before.

"You're looking better." He sighed. She stood abruptly, and bowed at the waist.

"Thank you for saving me, Master Kōsen. And thank you for your hospitality." She stayed bowing until a warm hand on her shoulder pulled her upright.

"I am not as benevolent as I seem child. I have selfish reasons for what I do." He replied with a smile, gesturing for her to sit. She perched herself on the windowsill.

"I'm sure you have questions, but something more important must be handled first. You need a job-" And just like that, she was sucked into a memory,

"I want to work here!" The big headed woman in a blue dress was telling her to be quiet, to leave. There was a baby crying. And then a paper and pen were floating toward her.

She blinked.

Master Kōsen was staring at her, obviously realizing she was not paying him any attention.

"What did you remember?" He asked calmly.

She had to pause, and think about her next words.

"Are you going to take my name?" She demanded with a frown. She could not even remember her name!

A sly smile spread across his face.

"I would need to know it to take it. I purpose, since I assume you can not remember it..." He waited for her to answer, and when she didn't, he continued. "We shall have to give you a new name, until you remember your own, of course." The sly smile never slipped from his mouth.

She pursed her lips, trying to remember why she did not want him to have her name. She stared off out the window, trying to force herself to remember. All it succeeded in doing was giving her a headache.

"The truth of the matter is, to remain corporeal, you must have a purpose. If you continue to slip in and out of the planes of existence, you will continue to lose yourself bit by bit." He paused, leaning back into his chair, rubbing a hand over his face.

"I am obligated to offer a job to those who ask, an oath I still resent taking, although I did not have much choice. I can not force a job on you, you must ask for one." He sighed when she did not respond, crossing his legs.

"I can afford to give you a few days to make your decision, but no more than that. And that headache may only increase in that time." His gaze was lazy as she turned to stare him down. How had he known her head hurt?

She still had so many questions. Nothing had been answered, no explanation. Why had he been down that alley? Why had she been there? Who had see been waiting for?

Closing her eyes, those emerald eye burned the back of her eyelids. She felt like she was being swallowed whole, that she was being consumed by a dangerous creature, a predator.

She opened her eyes again, nearly unable to tear herself from the fierce gaze.

"I will leave you for now. I will call for you in three days time. I must have your decision by then." He rose gracefully, a jacket settling over his shoulders. She had to wonder if it had always been there, or if it had suddenly appeared.

"Do try and get some sleep." With these words, he was gone. She blinked, staring at the spot he had been mere moments prior.

Had she imagined him?

A hard knock at the door signified dinner was there.


Sleep was pulling at her mind, demanding she succumb, but those eyes, they continued to burn in her head.

When at last she fell into sleep, it was fitful and dream filled.

She gazed about the room. One half of the spacious area was bathed in sunlight that poured in from the open shoji screens. The other half was dim and noticeably cooler. Three people occupied the room, but seemed to not notice her.

The first creature she laid eyes (for how could anyone miss a woman of that size!) was an older looking woman clad in a navy blue dress, frills and all. A huge wart took center place of the woman's forehead, and the nose reminded her of a bird's beak.

No one was speaking, the woman had her eyes closed and was leaning back into a low crouching chair. The next person to grab her attention was a willowy female wearing a bright colored kimono. The woman was kneeling quietly on a pillow gazing steadily out the shoji screens. Her dark hair was pinned up with a strikingly ornate pin that glittered a blue as bright as the sky. This woman shifted her weight, but otherwise did not move.

She did not see the final occupant until he spoke.

"What is it Yubaba, I am busy." He growled.

She nearly jumped in her skin, searching from where the voice came. His form was hunched over a dark wood desk, reading over stacks of paper. His seemingly dark hair shrouded his face, keeping it from view. His skin was impossibly pale, and his clothes immaculate.

The large woman answered him.

"My sister says she is here again, her spirit is on this plane again." And just like magic words, his whole posture changed. His back went stiff and his hands clenched tightly.

At last, she could see his face. She didn't know why she needed to so badly, why every cell in her body demanded she need only see him.

His face was sharp; strong cheek bones and nose. His hair settled on either side of his face, framing those eyes. The ones that peered at her whenever she closed her own. She made to step forward, reaching out to touch him, to see if he was real. To put a face, a person, to those fierce eyes; but her feet could not move. They were glued to the floor, her arms glued to her sides.

"I do not have time for your games witch." He seethed, apparently unhappy with what the woman had said.

The large woman slowly opened her eyes, but would not meet the man's glare.

"I suppose Zeniba could be wrong; unlikely, but possible." She commented with a shrug. "After all, my sister can never pinpoint where her spirit is despite that charm. I just thought you may want to lend some power to the search, you certainly have plenty to spare." This time, the large woman did meet his face and the two squared off.

It was a tense few minutes before the man seemed to deflate against his chair with a sigh. With a casual wave of his thin boned fingers, the room seemed to grow a tad brighter, and then just like that, the difference was gone.

"Zeniba will have to guide it, I do not kid when I say I am busy. If there is nothing else, please leave." The man sighed again, gazing down at his fingers on the desk.

The large woman almost looked as if she had more to say, but thought better of it.

"Very well, I will see you in a few days to go over finances." With no effort at all, she floated out of the chair and onto her feet, gave him a brief nod that he returned, then marched out of the room.

It was silent.

No breathing, no speaking, no moving.

Nothing happened save some stray wind fluttering the papers on the desk, but they did not go far.

The young woman kneeling glanced at the man who had yet to move from his downcast position.

It was a moment longer before the woman found her words.

"Who is it you are looking for?" Her quiet words sounded like thunder in the room, startling the man. He looked her over, then picked up his seal, stamping an envelop.

"Just a lost girl." He did not elaborate and the woman seemed to understand she would get no more information. A cross look decorated her pretty features at she continued to study the man while he worked. Her lips pursed, and a crease appeared between her brow.

Without so much as a cursory glance, the man gently said to her "Jealously is not becoming, Nise."

The words may have had no malice behind them, but the woman reacted like she had been slapped. The look of shock was quickly replaced by a mask of indifference. She turned to continue staring out the shoji screens.

"Master Ame should have been back by now." She commented lightly, folding her hands neatly in her lap.

This time, it was the man who seemed cross, a scowl touching his features before that too was swept away to indifference.

"He will return when convenient to him." The man replied.

The room was silent once again.

This was all very confusing. Who were these people? Why did she have such a strong inclination to speak with the man and why did his eyes reflect in her head?

The room slowly faded into darkness, and she let it, hoping her mind would receive a reprieve from all the questions that threatened to overwhelm her.

At last, a restful sleep overcame her.


When at last her eyes opened, the sun shone brilliantly in the room. She had nearly forgotten where she was, but the previous day came slinking back into memory. Nothing of her past came with it unfortunately.

Closing her eyes once more, she studied the emerald eyes that stared back, They did not blink, they did not move.

Her intent was to lie in bed awhile longer, to enjoy the sanctuary of her current shelter, and to decide if she wanted to work for Master Kōsen.

She had no reason not to. He had been everything a savior should be; pleasant, gracious, unassuming, and honest.

Nearly to a fault; she distinctly remembered him saying that his offer of aid was not entirely unselfish. What could he want with her? If she asked, would he answer, truthfully? What would be her job?

These new questions are what spurred her to pull the covers over her face once more, and to bury her hands in the pillows.

But there seemed to be a renewed energy about her, as if the very air surrounding her being was charged. Every muscle twitched, itching to be used; her blood pumping strongly through her body. Without really thinking about it, she threw the covers to the floor and jumped up.

Immediately, she began pacing, ignoring the tray of food that was sitting on the dresser cold.

Did it really matter what time she rose? She couldn't leave this room anyway.

She couldn't quite remember what she had dreamed of; just like her memories, when she tried to recall, the details slipped away from her like water.

But the eyes that burned in the back of her mind, she had seen them in a face. That was the most she could recall.

She flopped down on the bed and pulled the covers over herself again.

Everything else felt wafty, like she was sure of a detail one moment, then doubting herself the next. Were there two women with him, or was it three? Where there shoji screens or glass windows?

Her memories liked to skip around, narrowly avoiding her grasp.

Pulling the blanket back down, she sprung up quickly, shoving her hands harshly against the window frame until it burst open.

Taking in as large of a breath as her lungs could manage, she reveled in the warmth of the sun against her skin.

The faint trace of sandalwood and salt lingered in her nostrils. She sniffed about, trying to pin point it's location, but all she could smell was the waste of the burning lamps from the night previous.

Sighing, she slouched in the windowsill.


She sat there for an undetermined amount of time, enjoying the sun, enjoying the simplicity.

"You're unlikely to tan, there is no point in laying like a cat..." His voiced startled her, but she merely turned to study him. His popping in and out, she might be getting familiar with it.

He seemed to be regarding her curiously.

"You aren't a cat... are you?" His voice was almost overly painful now, shrill and chirp like.

She certainly didn't feel like a cat, nor did she look like one. She wasn't a cat was she?

"No, no. That's silly. I would have smelled you. Only thing worse than Humans are Cats." He sighed, leaning back into the chair that shimmered into existence.

An ugly, searing, pang echoed in her stomach. She keeled over, grasping the wall to hold her to her feet.

This time, the memory slammed hard between her eyes.

"A human!?" A green frog floating in a black bubble. A thin hand holding tightly to her own. The rush of wind past her ears.

"Three days of eating our food and her smell will wear off." A crowd of...people..? Polished hard floors, and pink uniforms. A sweet smelling wax, and a very 'fish' smelling steam, blended together to confuse the senses.

She was sucked back into her body violently. She was grasping the wall for purchase, and gasping for air.

Master Kōsen had not moved a muscle, his eyes closed and his face passive. He said nothing as she calmed her breathing and slid to a sitting position.

"Those headaches must be near unbearable." He murmured quietly. She pressed the side of her face into the smooth wood of the wall in an attempt to ground herself. Oddly enough, she didn't have a headache. In fact, she hadn't had one since she woke up.

But she said nothing.

She had so many questions, wanted so many answers.

She wanted answers to questions she didn't have.

But she said nothing.

The silence stretched on.

He waited for her to ask the questions, and she waited for him to supply answers. But neither were willing to budge in their weird stalemate.

"To give you a name will take quite a bit of effort; and can only be undone if you remember your true name. You will be required to work within my household unless I willfully, verbally, give you away. Those will be the binding conditions under the spell." He said in a business like tone. His hard gaze, and firm words drove her to finally open her mouth.

"Will I be mindless, like that frog?" Her teeth clacked shut and a light blush dusted her cheeks in embarrassment. She had not meant to be so pert, or to talk negatively about the worker.

But Master Kosen just laughed.

"No, no. You will have full control of your facilities. He is mindless, but it is because I have little patience for fools. Since you are no fool," He gave her a pointed look before continuing. "I should have little interest in controlling your mind." He waved his hand nonchalantly. "Besides, your brains are already pretty scrambled. No use mucking up what isn't working yet, you might never feel normal again." He flashed her a grin when she muttered 'what's normal?'.

He was lounged out in the chair, a blanket now draped over his body.

"As much as I enjoy these pleasantries, I do have things I need to attend to. Have you any pertinent questions?"

She couldn't hold his gaze for long. His burning, molten eyes threatened to sear her to where she sat. Instead, she turned to look out at the dimming sun.

"What will I be doing?" Her voice was still a breathy whisper, like her vocal chords forgot how to work.

He raised the blanket to momentarily cover his mouth, before letting it fall.

"I haven't decided yet. I don't know what you're good at. Any ideas?"

She frowned, shaking her head. Then words burst from her mouth before she could think.

"I'm terrible at scrubbing tubs."

She half expected him to ignore her like he had early; but on the contrary, his eyes jumped to hers, pinning her in place. His whole body moved, he leaned forward out of his chair, gripping the arm rests in straining fingers.

"Spent some time scrubbing tubs, did we now? Interesting, interesting. Recall anything about this 'friend' you were waiting for?" His words were calloused, and angry. She wanted to shy away, but her muscles were locked into place.

"I am curious, I know of only one 'Kohaku' on this plane; how is it a little lost spirit such as yourself came to know his name, hmmmm?" He was nearly leaning over her coward form, the room felt like thousand degrees hotter. His skin almost looked as if it was drying, cracking, ready to peel from his body.

Her eyes watered, and her heart thundered in her chest. His blazing eyes pinpointed the jumping pulse in her throat, and he casually leaned back into his chair.

The room dropped back to a few degrees short of stifling.

He ran a hand through his already mussed hair.

"I apologize." He crooned. "I some times get a bit too invested in... things... and find it difficult to rein myself in." She could merely nod, her weary gaze never leaving his form.

"I should go, you should rest." And with out another noise, him, his chair, and the blanket were gone from sight.

The only thing that attested to his being there was a scorch mark marring the perfect floor.


It felt as if it took the rest of the day for her heart to settle into a steady, slow rhythm. Every noise threatened to send her over the edge again.

It did not take a fool to understand the power that flowed off Master Kōsen was dangerous, that he was dangerous.

Did she want to work under this man? Did she have a choice? What would happen if she declined? He said something about disappearing.

She held her hand up to the fading light, watching as the last rays of sunshine were blocked out by her very solid form.

What did it feel like to disappear? Would she know it was happening? Would it hurt?

Master Kōsen had been kind to her up until that moment. He had brought her in off the street, had offered her a place to sleep and food; and now, he offered her work.

Could she turn him down? She had no idea who she was, or where she was, or how she even got here. It was all a fuzz in her mind, like a billion little birds chirping and flapping their wings at once. Everything shifted and folded over on itself, and blurred. If she tried to reach out, tried to touch anything, the darkness moved out of its way, only to fill in the spots she wasn't looking.

Would this be what she disappeared in to? Could she spend forever there?

No.

She desperately wanted to remember.

Who was she? Where did she belong? Was anyone looking for her?

She needed to know the answers to all of her questions, she needed them now!

But, she was unlikely to get them; maybe not ever.

So she had to decide, no more waiting.

She would take his offer; what choice did she have anyway?

Laying back on the bed, she ignored the door opening, ignored the food placed on the table. She had no interest in any of it right now.

She was going to sign her life away, but she needed to find a reason.

The reason came instantly.

She would find out who this 'Kohaku' was.

With a tense nod, she rolled over and buried her head in the pillows.