Spirited Away: Memories of the Past

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Chapter 4: Of Whispers and Names

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All rights reserved to Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli.

I do not own Spirited Away. If I did, there'd be a sequel by now... T_T

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A densely packed Bathhouse is what Haku was met with when the doors to the elevator doors opened. He was almost tempted to close the door, say he was on the wrong floor, and go back to the sanctuary of his office. However, work was work, no matter how vigorously loud and rambunctious it was. Haku took a deep breath and walked out of the elevator and watched the doors shut behind him, his last hope of escape making its way down to another floor where it was needed.

The only thing motivating him to push through the long night ahead was the conversation he had the night before with his long lost friend Chihiro. With no way of contact with the Human World for so long all he could do was make brief visits to her in her dreams. Once she made that shrine and made a stable connection for him in the Human World, he was able to stay in her dreams and keep a link between them for longer periods of time. Last night was like a dream to him. There was a bond between them that would never fade no matter how much time past or what happened. It excited him to know that she remembered him, though barely and he needed to coax the flame a little, but all that mattered was that she remembered.

However it upset him to know that Chihiro was losing purpose in the Human World and longing nothing more than to leave her world to be here in the Spirit World. No matter how much he wanted to be with her himself, he knew the dangers of a human being in the Spirit World and didn't want her to lose her life in this world or because of this world. Let alone the lengths of difficulties to get a human into this parallel universe. Besides, she could make a life in the Human World she wouldn't be able to in this world. Haku sighed at the thought. He would check on her again tonight after work when she was asleep, when it was easier to keep a connection.

Haku went about business, checking stocks and making sure guests were being well treated and were satisfied with their stay. Since Chihiro left and he earned his named back, he'd taken over the Bathhouse, putting Yubaba back into her place back at the bottom floor where she could exit out the door. Boh was left with her sister, Zeniba, until she felt Yubaba could take care of her son properly again, since Yubaba didn't seem to be stably capable to watch over her son not long after Chihiro left and she lost control of the employees of the Bathhouse. Haku took over the Bathhouse after she released the contracts and gave everyone their names back. At least the ones that weren't too far gone and still retrievable. Some, or majority, of the employees' names and memories with too far gone and they weren't able to retrieve them no matter how hard they tried. For those that did regain their memories, they had the option of leaving or staying as employees. Some stayed, some left and made new lives outside the Bathhouse or returned to ones that they'd left behind.

Haku finally made it to the base floor and asked the foyer how the stock was going on his end and how the guests list was doing. It was early into the evening and they were rather crowded and busy, meaning it would result in a long night. The dragon nodded to the foyer and to a passing guest before disappearing to the next elevator going to the basement. He rubbed the back of his neck and straightened out his deep blue tunic. Suddenly, something started to bother him. He didn't know what it was, but the feeling didn't seem right. Something was wrong and the more he thought about it, the worse it got.

He exited the elevator and walked down the hall and into the small passageway that led to the boiler room where the spider spirit, Kamaji worked. "Good evening, Kama-" Haku suddenly keeled over and clutched at his heart, gasping for air. Something had gone completely wrong and he dug deep into his conscious.

Kamaji stopped his work and turned to the dragon spirit collapsed on the floor in a futile position, clutching at his chest. He didn't hesitate to leave his post and report to Haku's side and figure out what could have possibly caused the young man to breakdown in such a way.

"Master Haku? Master Haku?" Kamaji shook at his shoulder, as tokens fell from the ceiling behind him.

"It… It's Chihiro…" Haku breathed. "Something's wrong…"

The young man went into a meditated state where he could make the connection with the human girl that filled his thoughts. He sought the power he'd need from deep within and channeled it to make the connection. Soon he made the link and found Chihiro at the bathhouse she worked at in the Human World, in one of the spa room tubs. But what was unseen to the human eye, was seen by the dragon spirit. He could see a hand buried within the young woman's chest, grasping at the heart that was dealing him the same pain at that moment. He couldn't see the owner of the hand but he could see Chihiro's terrified face.

"Somebody?" The words left her lips in trembles.

"Chihiro, I'm right here!" Haku called out to her, to no avail, knowing she couldn't hear me.

"Help!" Somebody! Anybody! Help me!

The young dragon spirit could feel the link fading. She was dying and he felt his helplessness of not being able to do anything gnawing at his very being. Knowing even if he knew her aggressor's position, there'd be no way he could get to wherever they were in time to save her. He could only watch as she died in front of him.

"Chihiro!" Haku cried out in desperation, hoping on some slim chance she'd hear him and look at him one last time.

That's when she turned her eyes and looked him straight in the eye. He suddenly wished she hadn't. Her eyes were rimmed red with fear and pleaded for him to do something before he felt the link snap. The scene went black. No. That couldn't have been it. Chihiro? No! There was so much he had to tell her. So much he had to do.

"Dammit!" Haku cried as he woke in reality, startling Rin and Kamaji who were chatting off to the side while Kamaji was supposedly on his break.

"Hey, Haku. What's up with you? Kamaji said you collapsed, said somethin' 'bout Sen, and passed out? You okay? And what 'bout Sen?" In her usual fashion, Rin relentlessly barraged Haku in her questions.

The river spirit sat up slowly and whipped the sweat that had produced on his forehead, raising his knee to support his elbow and lean his forehead into his palm. "I think I just saw Chihiro die…" He muttered lowly.

The weasel spirit snorted and seemed to either choose to vein ignorance or truly not notice the danger lingering in Haku's voice. "Sen? Nuh-uh. Not possible. Kid's- what- eighteen? There's no way she'd be stupid enough to go and get herself killed! I mean, she's a dope, but I mean really-?"

"Rin! Shut up!" Haku snarled, getting the implied spirit to do so. "Somebody, put it bluntly, killed her."

"Who would do that to Sen?" Kamaji asked, setting his ramen bowl to the side.

"I couldn't see their face, but whoever did it, is going to wish they never existed when I find them." His voice was dangerously low and the other two spirits in the room had to back away from the energy emitting off the head of the Bathhouse. They knew first hand that he was not a spirit you wanted to take lightly when his temper was tested and whoever did this, obviously didn't know the consequences of their actions.

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The weight of the world seemed to be lying on her chest and head as Chihiro started to stir awake. She was laying on something rather soft and grassy and was reluctant to open her eyes. But soon she felt drops of water hit her cheek. She lifted her hand to wipe it, only to have more hit her body continuously, causing her to sit up suddenly and look about her.

She was met with rain and a very gloomy atmosphere. She was dressed in a black dress, matching the attire of all the people around her. She looked around at the people around her. They were in a graveyard, and she recognized a lot of the people. Her best friends, her parents, and a hand full of other people. Who died?

"Hey guys? Who died?" No one responded to her and she huffed. "Rude."

She took the initiative to walk up to the stone and little shrine to see who it was. She stopped dead in her tracks when she saw the family name, Ogino, written on the stone. She dared to read further and she covered her mouth when she saw her name written on the stone.

"What? I'm dead? Wait- This can't be right. I'm here though." She ran over to her parents tried to shake them to see what was going on, like it was some sick joke. But to no avail her hands slipped right through them. "Oka-San? Oto-San? C'mon guys!" Tears began to brim her eyes. "What's going on?" She collapsed to her knees in front of her parents.

"Chihiro, dear, what is wrong?"

Said girl froze where she was. That voice. She turned to see the woman from the bathhouse. "What have you done to me?" She asked, hoarsely.

"Why, Chihiro, dear, you shouldn't talk to your new Master like that. It's rather impolite." The woman waved her hand and a collar appears around Chihiro's neck, a simple black band with a silver charm on it. "I'll have to take the initiative in teaching you manners."

"Why are you doing this to me?" Chihiro asked, tears spilling down her cheeks after her attempt of pulling off the collar failed.

"Like I said before, you took away what I needed, so to compensate, I will take what you need, to get back what I need. It's a rather simple cycle. To think in the Human World you would have been considered smart?" She retorted cruelly.

Chihiro was dumbfounded. What was she going to do? She was dead. She couldn't get to anyone. She couldn't tell them to save her. Could she get Haku to help her? How could she if he could? "Who are you?"

She smiled cynically in response. "I am Kiyohime, and I will be the end of you." Slowly, the woman before her started to morph into a huge serpent like beast. Chihiro gapped as the grotesque beast before her and scooted away from it, not noticing the pit that lay open behind her. By the time she realized there was nothing beneath her palm, she has fallen deep into a pit of utter darkness, all while screaming as she went.

It seemed to go on forever until she heard a voice call out to her. "Chihiro!" She knew that voice! It was Haku! He'd come for her!

"Haku-!"

"Chihro!"

"Oto-San?" She blinked as the voice arose.

"Chihiro!" Another voice cried, resembling her mother's.

"Chihiro!" The voices continued to call out her name, voices appearing and overlapping one after another, merging together into a horrid shrill of calls, causing Chihiro to cover her ears.

"Stop it!" She cried. "Stop it! This is all just a horrible nightmare! I'll wake up soon!" Somewhere in her rant of hysteria, she'd begun to laugh. Her sanity was being tested and she was starting to lose it.

Suddenly a new yet familiar voice merged into the storm. "Jin!" The voices started to slowly all begin to chant this newly arisen name.

"Jin!"

"Stop it!" Chihiro cried out.

"Jin!"

"Shut up! Just leave me alone!"

"Jin!"

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! Enough!" Chihiro finally hit the ground and instinctively curled into a ball out of self-defense as pain raked through every fiber in her body on impact. Her whole body shook and quivers as she lay helplessly on the cold ground in solid darkness. She'd never been in such a dark place in her life. Tears streaked her cheeks and made paths down to the ground.

Footsteps started to echo in the darkness, the now fragile girl flinched at each sound of bare feet gracefully stepping across the surface. Her whole body convulsed away from a hand touching her bare shoulder. "My, my, this just won't do." The voice was like venomous water. "My dear, we shan't have you fearing your Master in such a way. Hmmm?" Kiyohime traced her hand up Chihiro's pale arm and delicately enclosed her long fingers around the collar and forced her to sit up. The Ogino let out a light whimper and hung limply from the woman's grasp. "Now, my dear pet, maybe it's time we rename you, hmm? It's only right that I be free to call you whatever I please being your new Master, don't you think?"

Chihiro let out another whimper in protest, her weak attempts of struggle rendering useless.

"Albeit, you've already heard your name said, my dear, and Chihiro seems like such a dull name." Kiyohime's smile lay graciously upon her lips, showing her sadistic, cruel persona. She took her opposite hand and ran her nails down Chihiro's pale cheeks. "My sweet, sweet girl. My sweet, sweet Jin."

Almost instantly after the name had been said, Chihiro's world went dark and she fell into Kiyohime's outstretched arms.

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A/N: Another chapter finished. We got to see Haku in this chappy! And we'll get to see a lot more of his smexiness! X3 So now we have names for our mysterious snake friend and our dear Chihiro! Yes I gave her a new name, and no I didn't want to you Sen. Yes there is reason behind naming her Jin, no, I am going to tell you. Lol 'Jin' actually does derive off of Chihiro's name just like 'Sen'. However, 'Sen' derives off the first kanji in her name "千尋", meaning "a thousand". 'Jin' derives off of the second in her name, meaning "inquire, fathom, look for". This will later refer to her trying to look for her path. I truly can't say anymore, you'll just have to keep reading. :)

In my personal life, I just got back from a week long cruise with my family, meaning no electronics, I never realized how much I actually depended on my electronics till this week. Sorta sad. But it also meant I could type this! :( But I also went to my first concert last night! The Roadshow Concert, featuring bands like Skillet, Third Day, Andy Mineo, Royal Talier WeAsHuman, and other bands. It was awesome! XD I had a blast! And I can officially say I have a life! ... or not….. =_="

Well I think this is long enough. Sorry this chaps a little short. I think I'll try to update every Saturday, or at least weekend at best. Later guys for now. Thank you those who reviewed! Don't forget to review and follow!