Okay, another chapter! I do not own Spirited Away. However, I do own Issy and Mercedes. Everyone who reviews gets an evening with their favourite Ghibli character.
The two girls, holding hands, stood outside Yubaba's door. They had gone through, and met a few spirits. They had met Kamaji, the boiler man. He seemed to dislike humans as Haku had described, Issy thought. However, Mercedes wondered how he had reacted to the girl before them. They had been taken to the floor of Yubaba's office by a young brunette supposedly in her twenties who had come down to the boiler room at one point. She had seemed surprised and none too pleased to see humans, but she was OK.
Mercedes had been tempted to ask "Has this happened before?"
"Some girl stumbled in here about eight years ago." the brunette had said testily. "Not that I bothered with her. One of the other workers had to work with her. If you two get a job, you'll probably get handed over to her, as well." Issy had nudged Mercedes crossly and shaken her head, as if to tell her that she should stop asking "stupid" questions.
Now they stood outside the door. Mercedes was trembling, and Issy was pale. She reached for the door knocker, but drew her hand back when the door knocker spoke.
"Humans again? Well, you're a little older than the last one." The door opened, and they heard a gravelly woman's voice tell them to come in. The girls clung onto each other's hand tightly as they walked into the hallway revealed, wondering where to go. A second later, an invisible force pulled them into a large room where they at last faced the sorceress Yubaba.
Issy was the one to speak up. "Excuse me, but my friend and I would like to get jobs here. We're willing to work hard. We know that we are human, but could you please give us jobs?"
Yubaba glanced up, and answered "This is no place for humans. They always mess everything up. The last one I employed let a monster into the bathouse. So I'm hardly going to hire another two." She laughed, seeing Mercedes' scared face, and Issy's poorly disguised fear.
This time it was Mercedes who spoke. "We are simply dilligent individuals who have had experience. We can take any job you give us, and we won't complain. Please, give us jobs. We promise that we will do well on them."
Yubaba spoke again. "You shouldn't even be here. Both of you should be punished for being in this world. Maybe I should turn you both into coal."
Issy hung her head, feeling it would be useless, but Mercedes ploughed on "Please. We can't get out of this world. We would like nothing more than to get jobs here, and we are not leaving until you give us jobs."
Yubaba knew that she would have to in the end, having taken a vow to give a job to anyone who asks, and snapped "Fine!" Two pieces of paper with contracts flew up, along with two pens. Each flew into the girls' hand.
"Sign your name away, and you'll get your job." Yubaba told them, ringing a bell.
When she looked at the contracts, she smirked. Mercedes' was first. "So, which one of you is Mercedes?"
"Me." Mercedes said in a nervous whisper.
"A very unusual name." before her eyes, the word peeled off the paper into Yubaba's hand. "Your name now belongs to me. From now on, you are Maki. Got that, Maki?" Mercedes nodded, thinking of the paper she had her name on.
Next was Issy. "You..." Yubaba said "Your name from now on is Sheeta." Issy gave a nod.
"You called?" The girls turned to see Haku standing there, called from the bell Yubaba had rung.
"Set these two girls up with a job." Yubaba said in a bored voice.
Haku nodded, than asked the girls "What are your names?"
"Maki."
"Sheeta."
"Follow me, Maki and Sheeta."
As the girls and Haku travelled down in the elevator, they glanced at each other, wondering why Haku had suddenly changed personalities.
"Um," Sheeta began. Haku silenced her with a cold look.
"What is with him?" Sheeta whispered to Maki, who shrugged.
The girls found themselves in the middle of other employees. Haku spoke to them. "Yes, these two are human, but they signed contracts, so you'll have to put up with them if they work hard enough. Is Lin here? Since she worked with Sen, I think she should have the responsibility of these two as well."
Another brunette like the one that took the girls to Yubaba looked up. "What? I have enough to do! Aw, fine. Come on, you two." She walked out of the room, and the girls followed her.
In the hallway, she spoke to the girls. "How did you two get here?"
"We were just walking around before going out for the night." Sheeta said.
"Who's Sen?" Maki asked shyly.
Lin smiled a little. "She was another human who worked here for a couple of days. In fact, she was like my little sister. We all miss her here." She sighed. "And since she worked with me, Haku assumes that I should work with any humans who come here."
"We're sorry." Maki offered.
Lin then showed less coldness than the other brunette girl. "It's not your fault, I guess." she said to the girls. "Who knows? It might be fun, working with you two."
She led the duo down to a bedroom, and got them some clothes to wear for when they were working like hers-pink and white. Sheeta looked terrified of wearing that, since she lived for fashion if not fun. Maki was hoping she could have worn something more flattering, but she wasn't as concerned. While Sheeta had worn immaculate makeup and designer jeans with her only DKNY T-shirt for their night out, Maki had made do with a sparkly strappy top, denim shorts and shoes that looked like a mix of sandals and sneakers.
Lin also got out two futons for the girls. When they at last climbed under the sheets, Maki silently cried herself to sleep, wondering how long they'd have to stay there. She barely realized that she already thought of herself as Maki, and had forgotten her name was ever Mercedes.
A/N: Sorry this was so short, but I thought I should end it here! Why aren't there any reviews? I love getting them, and I will credit you in the next chapter, I promise! I chose Issy's new name from the female lead of Laputa: Castle In The Sky, which I do not own.