CHAPTER 3: SECRETS

The man froze as she spoke her name, eyes wide. With the same unnerving speed as earlier, he was back at her side, holding her face in her hands. His crystal blue eyes bore into hers, causing a flush to creep up her cheeks. She jerked back, unsure of what else to do as her heart pounded in her chest. He was still staring at her with that awed look on his face.

"You're Sen," he murmured, reaching a hand towards her. "From the stories." Sen shook her head vigorously.

"No, her real name was Chihiro," she explained in a shaky voice. "She's my mother. She must have named me after the name Yubaba gave her."

"You know of Yubaba?!" the man cried, his eyes widening more. His unwavering gaze made her squirm uncomfortably.
"I know all about this place," she continued quietly, staring up at the sky. "The bath house, the spirits, Yubaba, Haku..." she trailed off at the name of her mother's childhood crush. When she returned her eyes to the man, he was more composed, but his face was expressionless.

"I think you'd better come with me," he said evenly, taking her by the hand. His hands were soft and smooth, obviously more suited to paperwork than hard labor. He led her down an ancient set of wooden stairs that hugged the outside wall, down below the main quarters. Sen knew exactly where he was taking her but not why. Her heart chilled when they passed a broken step; she wondered if she'd ever get used to discovering bits from the stories. Shivering, both in fear and because it was getting cold, she huddled close to the man's back, taking in his scent. She couldn't even begin to describe it...if sunlight could have a smell, it would smell like this man.

"What's your name?" Sen asked, breaking the silence. Her question seemed to throw him off as he stole a startled gaze back at her before continuing down the steps.

"You can call me Li," he finally said as they reached a rusty iron door.

"That's a rather unusual name," Sen commented, staring warily at the door. Li pulled it open effortlessly, revealing a wall of steam.

"I'm a rather unusual guy," he shot back. "Come on."

Sen reluctantly followed him into the cloudy hallway. The feeling of knowing what to expect without actually having been there before unnerved her. She squeezed her eyes shut, not actually wanting to see the many-armed man who ran the boiler for the baths. Abruptly, she was pulled off to the right. She opened her eyes to find there was a corridor hidden in the steam. They faced a small elevator, tucked into barely noticeable nook that blended in with the wall. Without a word, Li pulled her in and pulled a lever. The door slide shut soundless right before they shot upwards.

"So, um..." Sen began as she fidgeted, not really sure what to say. She'd never been alone with a guy before, let alone in such a small space. "Where exactly are we going?"

It took Li a moment to answer. When she looked at him, he looked lost in thought. "We're going to see Boh, the master of the bathhouse. Normally, you'd need a contract to stay here, but...given the circumstances, he may make an exception."

Sen shuddered at the thought. She knew what he meant by contract, and she had no intention of giving up her name. There was no river god to save her. She'd probably never see her home again if that happened. Though then again, hadn't losing her home been why she'd set out in the first place? Sighing, she sagged and leaned against the wall, a headache forming behind her brow. A soft pressure settled on her shoulder and she looked over.

"Don't worry, you'll be fine," Li said with a small smile, giving her a light squeeze. "He's not as scary as Yubaba was. He'll be able to help." Sen doubted that very much, but she didn't really have a choice in the matter.

After what seemed like hours, the elevator finally slowed to a stop. A ding jerked a dozing Sen awake. Li quickly left the elevator, leaving her scrambling to follow. She barely noticed the lavish hall, lined with fancy columns and tapestries. She was focused on the ceiling-high double doors encompassing the wall she faced. It was hard telling the amount of strength it would take to open them, but there was no one around to do so. Sen jumped when, with a flick of Li's wrist, they swung open easily, revealing a dimly lit area.

"Li!" a masculine voice boomed. "I've been wondering where you ran off to!"

Li bowed and stepped aside to allow Sen in the room. This time, the surroundings caught her complete attention. They seemed so...normal. There were personal effects that marked this as an obviously lived in room, and it seemed well cared for. The light came from a flickering fire off to the side in a stone hearth. An office desk sat a little farther in, jumbled with coins, papers, pens, and other things you might expect from business owner. The least normal thing in the room was the man who sat behind the desk. He was a mountain of a man, dressed in red robes. Sen was immediately reminded of a young Santa Claus, with his goatee and rosy cheeks. His eyes, fixed on Li, sparkled with mirth. All in all, he seemed like a well fed, jolly man. Sen relaxed.

"I am sorry, Boh." Li spoke formally, straightening from his bow. "I faced an unusual circumstance while making my normal rounds."

"Yes, I see that," Boh laughed, turning to Sen. "Come in, child, come in! I must say, I'm never expected to see another human in my life time!" Sen cringed a little at the loudness of his voice, but she tentatively stepped forward and gave a small bow.

"I-I apologize for intruding," she stammered in a trembling voice. His scrutiny was making her nervous again. "I was just walking in the woods when I found the clock building. I knew I probably shouldn't enter, but since I already recognized it, I figured—"

"Recognized it?" Boh shouted. "Why, the barrier has been in place since before you were born, child! How could you have possibly recognized it?" Li stepped forward, giving her a small nod when she hesitated.

"Well...my mother used to tell me stories..." She began slowly. "Stories about...a bath house for the spirits."

Boh's face belayed surprise for only a moment before smoothing out into a smile. "I see...so you are Chihiro's daughter?" Hearing her mother's name so suddenly sent Sen reeling backward. Li materialized behind her and kept her from tripping over her feet.

"So you are," he continued in a quieter voice. "Well, if she's told you everything, then you should know that Yubaba was my mother."

"You were the baby?" Sen blurted, eyes wide. Boh simply nodded.

"I am indeed. Chihiro was a dear friend of mine and I was very sad to see her leave. We all were, except maybe Mother."

"What about...what about Haku?" Sen asked softly. She knew from how her mother talked about him that she had loved him, but was never able to find out how he felt.

"Ah, Kohaku," Boh said wistfully. "Never seen someone use magic quite like him. Only someone with his power could make clip the connection between two entire worlds. Nearly drove the dragon out of his mind."

"Wait, Haku separated the worlds? Why? Didn't he promise my mother they'd see each other again?" The words rushed out of the young woman before she could stop them. Boh rubbed his temples and sighed.

"Yes, he did, and that's exactly why he separated us. He feared Chihiro's return more than he yearned for their reunion. He did not want her to end up in Yubaba's clutches once again, knowing Mother wouldn't be outsmarted twice." The large man sat back in his chair, absently spinning a gold coin between his fingers. "He left his apprentice position shortly after. He disappeared for years, only to reappear the day Mother passed away and I took over the bath house, Li in tow."

"I was very young," Li interjected softly. "I'd lost all memory of who I was and where I came from. Kohaku, knowing my pain, took me in and began to teach me everything he knew about magic. Once we arrived at the bath house, he taught me the duties he had once performed himself." Here he paused, frowning in anger. "He left after I had learned all he had to teach. Just up and disappeared. Like I didn't even matter." Li clenched his hands into fists, the knuckles turning white.

"Li here is very bright," Boh said fondly. "What others have taken years of apprenticing to learn, Li did by the time he was five. I imagine Kohaku felt he was no longer needed, and being in the bath house reminded him too much of what he had lost. I don't think he realized that Li had placed him as a father figure in his heart, not able to remember his real one"

Sen shyly squeezed Li's shoulder, surprising both him and herself. The look in his eyes tore at her heart.

"It's okay, Li," she said, wanting very much to comfort him. "I never knew who my real father was, either."

Boh suddenly began to laugh heartily, giving her a mysterious look. "Oh, but my dear, you do know. I saw it right away."

A frown formed on Sen's lips, her heart pounding. "W-what are you talking about? I never knew him because he died before I was born. My mother said so." Before she had even finished, Boh was shaking his head.

"My dear girl," he said brightly, "have you not yet notice you have not disappeared?"

Both Li and Sen stared at him in surprise. Actually, she did remember her mother mentioning how her body seemed to disappear the longer she stayed in the Spirit World, before Haku saved her. Why, then, hadn't she?

"I suppose it would be difficult for someone without my knowledge to figure it," Boh mused. He stood from his chair and moved with surprising grace to stand by the mantle. "Think about it, though. You managed to find something not able to be found by humans. You did not disappear, as humans usually do when they enter our world. You do not even smell like human. Why do you think no one noticed your presence?"

"L-li said the barrier must have failed. And he acted pretty quickly to hide me." She looked at Li for confirmation, but he seemed as confused as she.

"That is because the barrier was put up before Li came here. He doesn't know that gods and spirits can pass through it freely. It's quite rare for a spirit to venture out, but not so much for a god. They're as much connected to the human world as this one."

"So you're saying I'm, what...some kind of spirit?" Sen asked incredulously. "I'd have to be dead for that, right?" She was seriously panicking now.

"No, no, my dear," Boh continued cheerfully. "You are very much alive. And so is your father. I told you he disappeared for awhile, and I think he must have gone to the human world. To find something precious he'd lost."

"Hold on, Boh," Li interrupted, looking very pale. "You can't possibly be suggesting what I think you are. It's forbidden for a god to interact with humans in their own world."

Boh nodded, not looking at all bothered by Li's revelation.

"Would someone please explain to me what's going on?" Sen demanded, losing patience.

"Haven't you figured it out?" Li whispered. "He's saying Haku ventured out into the human world to find Chihiro. And it seems he found her." He said the last part with a pointed stare at her.

"Li is quite right!" Boh boomed happily. "You are the child of Haku and Chihiro. My dear, you are part god!