The Path of Water
By Arlia'Devi
Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away in any respect; all rights go to Hayao Miyazaki and associates. I make no money from this.
The Path of Water
IV: Aftermath
"The world is a giant puzzle that hasnt been put together yet, and were trying to find the other piece of this puzzle that goes with us."
~ E. E. Cummings
There was an exciting buzz floating around the Imperial Palace. For one, their Lord had disappeared somewhere last night, only to have returned in a great mood looking refreshed. He had gotten all the day's work done by the mid-afternoon. That was worthy in its own right, since a happy Lord meant a happy empire, and all the workers inside the Imperial Palace sighed a breath of relief. They didn't like it when their Lord was stressed.
Secondly, Haku had just informed Ayne to get what needed to be organised for Chihiro's arrival and to such things be organised at once. That sent the Palace into a talkative frenzy – they'd never had a Lord who possessed a partner like he, no less a human for a partner. For once, Haku was happy to be working with such a like-minded spirit as she. He merely told Ayne of his plans and the woman nodded and seemed earnestly happy in his decision.
"I've heard so much about her," Ayne commented as smoothed over the fabric on the chaise lounge before sitting down. The Lord was reclining on the throne, a knee brought up to his chest. He'd just finished the appointments scheduled in for the day.
Haku nodded and smiled, "You'd like her."
Ayne smiled and picked at a loose strand of fabric. She wanted to say something, but did not know how – she didn't know the Lord very well, and she didn't wish to offend him –
"Say what's on your mind," he interrupted her thoughts suddenly. She looked up at him in shock.
Haku chuckled and explained, "Chihiro does the same thing – looks away and finds the most mediocre things interesting. You have something to say; I'm not going to bite your head off."
Ayne offered her lord a smile. "I did not want to say something out of place, but I worry for her… the palace has never accommodated a human woman. Some people may be put out. I think it may be dangerous for her."
Haku sucked in a shallow breath and nodded. "It's fine – I worry about the same thing." He raised his hand to the bridge of his nose, massaging it with his thumb and forefingers. "I cannot be there for her all the time. When I'm not, I ask you to be. Chihiro is an independent person, somewhat of a free spirit sometimes, but my mind would be put at ease if there was someone at least watching her."
Ayne understood and said as much.
Haku chuckled and slumped into the throne.
"It makes me feel bad to speak of her like a small child," he sighed. "I'm approaching the situation as best as I can. By the end of the month, she'll be here. I hope everyone will accept the fact by then."
Ayne shifted uncomfortably. Her eyes darted around the room, to the halls and then the balconies above that lead off to many different rooms and hallways. They were alone.
"You know who you should watch out for," she said lowly. "Don't you, my lord?"
"Few have hearing better than I," replied Haku seriously, his own emerald eyes scanning the balconies above them. He looked up to the rafters then down to the floorboards again.
Ayne frowned and looked away, a small scowl pursing her lips.
"They are pigs," she muttered bitterly.
Haku sighed and stood up, dusting off his robe. "This thing is so heavy, and it's getting warmer."
Ayne laughed and adjusted the cape around his shoulders, reaching up to her tiptoes. Her fingers brushed the ends of his hair. There were buckles to his heavy golden cape at the top of his emerald tunic, and she loosened them gently, unclipping the cape and folding it in her hands.
"You are free for the rest of the afternoon, my lord," she smiled, "What will you do?"
Haku smiled and unbuckled the top three frog clasps of his tunic and loosened the garment, revealing a light cotton undershirt. Haku smoothed over his hair and smiled.
"I don't know, really," he hummed. "Sit in the gardens and read a book. I haven't had much alone time since Chihiro left, so maybe I'll do that. I may have a nap."
Ayne laughed and gave her lord a deep bow. "Well, whatever you do, enjoy it."
Haku offered the woman an acknowledging nod. "As to you."
"Oh, I still have a lot of work to do, my lord," she shook her head as she went to leave. "A lot of work to do."
The large doors closed with a hiss as the young woman left. Haku yawned, stretched and then left the throne room as well.
Yuuko gave a wary look to her daughter across the dinner table. Aiko was equally as worried, but was eating his food. Yuuko's plate remained untouched. Gently, the older woman put down her chopsticks and folded her hands at the end of the table and sighed.
"Chihiro," she said levelly.
Chihiro looked up from her plate and swallowed the piece of meat in her mouth heavily.
"You've avoided my questioning all day," she muttered.
"I haven't avoided it," Chihiro corrected lamely, taking a drink of water.
"You disappeared all evening yesterday without so much as a goodnight note," Yuuko sighed. "We love you, Chihiro, and we don't want you to get hurt. I know we don't understand, but just please tell us what's going on."
Chihiro sighed and put down her chopsticks.
"It's hard to explain…"
"Chihiro," her mother said in a tone that made her feel much like a small child again.
"Fine," she gushed. "Haku came to me in a dream the other night. He told me to meet him buy the old train station at sunset yesterday. So I did. I wasn't thinking to leave a note or anything - my mind was frazzled. I went and saw him; he's doing well. We talked, he told me about the Palace and why he hasn't come to see me in a while. He asked for another month, and I gave it to him."
Yuuko did not seem convinced. Chihiro didn't blame her.
"And if he doesn't come?"
Chihiro shrugged. "I know it's hard, Mum, but all I have is Haku's word. If not, when the portal next opens I'm going to stalk over there and slap him in the face myself."
Aiko swallowed his dinner and wiped his mouth on the back of his hand.
"What I can't understand is why you were gone all night, Chihiro," he said sternly. Yuuko shook her head.
"I really don't want to spell it out for you, dad," Chihiro muttered nervously.
"Aiko," Yuuko said disapprovingly.
"Oh!" Aiko muttered and shook his head. There was a light dusting of pink across his nose and cheeks. "Sorry, I didn't even think…"
Yuuko sighed and put her head into her hands.
"Alright," she said. "You're an adult; I suppose you can make your own decisions. It wouldn't hurt to have a back-up plan. I just don't want you putting all your eggs onto the back of a relationship that might not work."
"I have a plan," Chihiro defended. "I can always just go back to University and finish my degree."
"Yes," Yuuko replied dully, gathering the plates and carrying them over to the sink. "I suppose you can."
Aiko looked at his wearied wife and then back at his young daughter and pursed his lips.
"I suppose what your mother is saying, Chihiro," he said gently. "Is that we don't want you falling to pieces if this doesn't work out. We like that man, and we know we don't understand a lot of what goes on with you two and that worries us." He chuckled awkwardly. "Sometimes we wished you were actually in Italy and picked up a nice local boy."
Chihiro gave her father a look that made him clear his throat a little guiltily.
"We like Haku, Chihiro," Yuuko said, leaning on the kitchen bench. "We do. He's a lovely man. But this is a first love, and firsts loves are wonderful and thrilling and scary all at the same time. You're engaged to be married; we understand that, but sometimes Chihiro you have to wonder if it's what's right and what is the best for you. Not both of you, but you." Yuuko shook her head. "I know this must be hard to hear, and it's hard to say. We… we just don't want to see you get hurt, Chihiro."
Chihiro swallowed thickly and looked at her parents. "I know things aren't going as we had planned," she said softly. "But I love him. I can't imagine ever being without him."
"But darling-,"
"Just listen a moment," she interrupted her mother. Her throat felt tight and her mouth was dry. It was painful to speak, like she was on the verge of tears but she wouldn't let them spill. "When I saw Haku for the first time, there was something about him. Haku's always been honest, even when everyone tried to convince me of the opposite. He's never deceived me. He helped me and he helped you, so please, if not for me, but out of respect of everything Haku has done for us, can you please trust him on this?"
Yuuko sighed and eventually nodded, looking toward her husband. "I trust you to make the right decision, Chihiro."
"We just want you to be safe," Aiko added.
Yuuko rolled her shoulders then and rubbed her eye. Yawning, she said, "It's been a long night; I'm going to have a bath then I'm going to bed."
While everything else was happening, in another part of the Eastern Lands, was a large bathhouse, in the care of a sable spirit named Rin. The bathhouse had become increasingly popular in the months since the young dragon had become the new Lord of the Eastern Lands, and Rin hated every moment of it. They'd gone from welcoming around two million spirits a month, to twice that in less than six weeks. It was busier than ever, and there never seemed to be enough staff, or enough stock to last them.
Rin was about to tear her hair out at a couple of know-it-all spirits from the city, when a heavy hand was placed on her shoulder.
"I'll handle it," said Chase with a tight smile.
"Thank you," Rin sighed, wiping the sweat off her brow. Behind her, Hotaru was already explaining the lack of accommodation they already had, and to seek a room elsewhere – there were many other bathhouses around, but like a lot of other spirits, they'd wanted to see the previous life of their now-famous Lord for themselves.
It was said he stole this bathhouse away from a terrible witch who was terrorising the employees… he's a hero!
Wow, if you concentrate really hard, you can still smell human around here. That stench never leaves.
Rin disappeared into the escalators before anyone else could harass her and pester her about what needed to be done. It was already very late and she had a whole list of what needed to be done tomorrow. For tonight, there was a flask of sake in her quarters calling out her name.
Rin stumbled into her room and lit the lamps before rolling out the futon on the ground. Her room was still very traditional, and quite small. True, Haku had loved extravagant items and westernised décor, but she was a traditional woman in many respects. Three beautiful samurai swords were perched upon the wall as she grabbed the sake and some glasses from the chest and sat down.
She pulled off her clothes and poured herself a drink. The spring evening breeze felt good against her skin and she pulled her hair from its bun, letting it fall across her back. Gently, she combed it through with a small ornamented ivory comb. Every now and then she'd take a sip of sake, letting it run down her throat and numb her body.
Rin pulled on a loose fitting robe, tying it at the waist and sat down on her futon. In the darkness, a train whizzed past on the tracks, ringing it's bell hauntingly as it did so. That ring echoed through Rin's mind and she watched it with hard eyes, remembering the time, fifteen years ago, when she'd promised herself that one day she'd be on it.
Thanks to the people who reviewed the last chapter – we've already passed fifty reviews and that is seriously amazing!
Thank you to:
SavvyofWacko, Knockoutbarbie, Sokka2Me, mailman28, DiamondInMyHeart, Randomsam123, TrixyJax, DemonChild94, Mindlessx, ulquihime7980, Pastache, LaurenvBelladonna, WhisperToTheWolves, WhiteTiger246, LeeshyLoo, roseskyangel, michelle88222, 18moptop, Superblueowl and KaMaNd114.
I'd like to remind everyone of the cut off date for the cover competition – Wednesday 9th of January 3:00pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (one week!). Please check your times in accordance with my time zone to make sure you get your entries in time!
In regards to the cover competition, I have had expressions of interest from many great readers and I'm super excited to see all the beautiful work. Depending on the number of submissions I will hold a poll on my author's page for readers to check out work and vote for their favourite. I think this makes it fairer. Obviously, if I only receive one entry that one will be the winner!
I also have found an editor.
MissMileyRaion will be helping me edit the chapters from chapter 5 onwards. She has generously given up some of her free time to go through my pre-written chapters, so thank you very much!
I hope you all have a healthy and happy new year – expect big things from The Path of Water for 2013!
Please review.
~ Arlia'Devi