CHIHIRO

Standing at the split curtain to the kitchen she gripped the doorway. Chihiro held her breath as she listened to Haku. She and Michio had been on their way to commandeer the TV from the frogs. She heard Haku's voice before they'd made it into the kitchen. When she realized what Haku was saying his words stop her in her tracks. Standing there barring the way to the kitchen Chihiro listen to him tell what had happened when she was asleep. Her insides scrambled with familiar panic as she heard the dragon in his voice. It was terrifying and wonderful to hear that part of him again. But it disappeared all too quickly. He didn't say what happened to Lin or Kiri. Was he keeping secrets again or did he just not know? Chihiro didn't know either. Not knowing made her sick to her stomach with fear.

Chouchin bumped into her head companionably startling her from the dark thoughts as the light lifted to hover over her head emitting a rosy glow. Glancing back Chihiro found Cinna lazing in the middle of the hall taking up the whole passage so she could bask in a single thin shred of sunlight finally permeated the dawn snow fall outside. The tip of the cat's tail twitched idly as she stretched and sighed.

"So. He's the one who got us into this mess."

Chihiro jumped and her eyes flew back to Michio. Her friend was still staring at the curtain. The Goth's face was tight with difficult emotions. Chihiro blinked as she realized Michio had been listening as well. At once anger flared in her chest as a familiar flame kindled there. It was hard not to remember the angry exchange she'd had with Suzume earlier in the morning. Grabbing her friend by the sleeve she towed Michio back down the hall into the great room. Cinna scrambled out of the way, flattening against the wall as they passed. Timidly Chouchin followed, drifting up into the rafters. The lantern's eerie blue light was lost in the dawn pouring into the room through the garden sliders.

"Ow! Ow, you're hurting me, Chihiro!"

Michio yanked back her arm. Without skipping a beat Chihiro quietly laid into her.

"This isn't his fault, Michio! He didn't mean for any of this to happen!"

Staring her down, Michio put up her hands defensively.

"Chill out, Chihiro. I know he didn't mean for any of this to happen. Kenka told me he just about killed himself trying to save you. It was bad luck; bad timing; whatever you want to call it. But that doesn't change the fact that I'm mad at him."

Chihiro stomped her foot furiously.

"What reason could you possibly have for being mad at him?!"

Michio snorted, coldly counting off on her fingers.

"Besides making you forget almost everything after you fell in the river, the whole stalked you for 6-months bit, and made me start seeing crazy shit again, this is still not cool with me!"

Michio pointed at her eyes before looking her up and down.

"You're not doing any better. You look like something out of a sci-fi movie."

Heat flooded Chihiro's face as she unconsciously touched her hair.

"It goes away, you know. You just need to be places that aren't so… so..."

"Haunted?" Michio suggested wryly.

"Onsen's not haunted!"

As Michio laughed in her face Chihiro sputtered in indignation. Heat surged in her veins, igniting in her stomach like a spark. A curl of smoke lifted from her lips as she blew out her breath. Surprised, Chihiro slapped a hand over her mouth. Michio blinked and blinked some more before staring at her askance.

"A-are you breathing smoke!?"

Lips firmly pressed together, Chihiro shook her head and lied. Michio sighed in exasperation, shivering as she shifted from foot to foot.

"Look, you're not NATO, Chihi-chan. You can't just declare a political action, rush in, and demand that everyone like each other when something goes wrong. People fuck up and get mad. That's life. But they need time to work things out for themselves, got it?"

Chihiro blinked and blinked some more as that sank in. Michio was right. Chihiro was trying to declare a political action. She was trying to demand that everyone forgive and forget. It was a thoroughly childish request. Her heart went cold as she remembered the vicious look in Suzume's eyes. At that exact moment the phone at the welcome station rang. Overhead the lantern hissed and sputtered in surprise at the rasping clang. Chihiro and Michio shrank with a gasp form the rain of embers. Mutely they stared at the empty hall as it rang again. Distantly hurried footsteps slapped on the wood planks. Cinna fled into the great room, tucking up small against the doorway swiveling her velvet black ears as Natsumi darted through the hall.

The creature's wood smoke hair was a mess and her pale purple kimono uncharacteristically disarranged. She wore no coat or slippers against the cold. The yuna moved with uncanny swiftness in spite of her shuffling steps. As she passed the open doors to the great room she skidded to a halt, stumbling as she wheeled around to face them. Her eerily large almond shaped eyes stared incredulously as she began to shake. Natsumi sat down hard, clutching hands to her mouth. All the while the phone continued to ring and ring and ring.

Frozen in place, Chihiro could only stare back. None of the bath-house kami knew they'd come home. Chihiro hadn't wanted to wake them up. Not yet; not with what she had to tell them. Although she was surprised that someone hadn't come to investigate. There had been a lot of yelling this morning. Apparently the kami had gotten used to hearing humans shouting.

"Lady Sen!"

Chihiro blinked, looking up only to realize Natsumi was reaching for her. Her dark eyes were luminous with tears in the dawn . Extricating herself from Michio's grip Chihiro came forward feeling the warmth of the sunlight on her back. As she went a strange calm washed through her. She took the kami's tiny frozen hands in hers and knelt beside her. Natsumi choked on a question, appealing to her with a desperate expression as fat tears rolled down her cheeks. Taking the kami into her arms she held her close, wordlessly rocking her side to side as Natsumi fell perfectly still.

"Are they dead?" The yuna finally choked in a miserable hush.

"No," Chihiro returned quietly knowing with certainty that was true.

The tiny God-woman wilted in relief, letting Chihiro hold her for a long moment. Then Natsumi nodded tremulously before drawing back. As she wiped her face with her kimono sleeve she hardened with sensibleness that reminded Chihiro too much of Lin. Instantly a knot of pain tightened in her throat sending an uncomfortable burn chasing at the edges of her eyes. She swallowed it, putting forward a strong front as she resolutely meet the yuna's weary gaze. Obviously afraid, Natsumi kept hold of her hands as if afraid to let go, whispering the next beneath her breath.

"How long are you home this time?"

Here Chihiro's composure faltered. After she finally found her way home, now she was forced to leave again.

"I… I don't know."

"At least stay until tomorrow?" Natsumi pleaded quietly, tightening her hands, "Tonight is New Years. We've been asked to perform at the shrine like we did at the summer festival. Please say you'll come at least for a little while? I know it will mean so much to the others. Help us begin in the next year on a happy note?"

Chihiro blinked.

It was New Years!?

"Okay," she nodded with a smile that felt like a lie, "We'll stay till tomorrow."

The old yuna's face lit up like the moon as she smiled. Chihiro jolted at the God-woman planted a kiss on her cheek.

"Thank you, Lady Sen!" Natsumi cried joyously, "The others will be so pleased."

As Chihiro opened her mouth to ask about them the phone started ringing again. Before she could waved it into silence the ringing stopped. For some reason she paused, looking toward the kitchen. Kenka pushed through the split of the curtains. He blinked, coming up short as he saw her.

"C-Chihiro?" He began uncertainly, "Your mom's on the phone."

Stupidly she stared at him. She couldn't remember the last time she'd talked to her mom. They had been on the outs with each other since she'd left for Tokyo. An eerie premonition tightened in her chest as the bell rang deep in the back of her head. Blinking and blinking some more, she stood awkwardly and made her way into the kitchen as Kenka retreated through the curtain. Ducking through the split in the fabric, she marveled at the warmth held in by the curtain. Here Chihiro came up short on the top step as Haku's friends turned to stare at her. They wore the same wide-eye expression of shock Natsumi turned on her not too long ago. Abruptly they looked away, busying themselves with making breakfast. It smelled like a French restaurant; bread, eggs, and herbs; no rice or fish. Instantly her mouth was watering.

"Wow," she went weak kneed with hunger, "That smells insanely good!"

"It'll be ready in a bit," the really pretty woman commented shortly.

What was her name? Megumi? But then Chihiro noticed someone missing. She turned in a circle, finishing by looking up at the rafters.

"W-where's Haku?"

Jae cast an unnerved glance at the back door as he cracked eggs into a bowl.

"He, uh… He went through there to that shrine in town."

"Oh."

She furrowed her brow in confusion. Why'd he go into the village? Here Kenka held out the heavy black receiver. Blinking rapidly, she forgot about everything else as she accepted it with shaking hands. A pinch of apprehension was already tightening he chest. Talking to her mom was never easy.

"Mom?"

"Oh, my God, Chihiro!" Yuka all but shrieked from the other end.

Chihiro cringed, holding the phone at arm's length her mom continued to scream. All the blood rushed to her face as everyone looked over at her. You probably could've heard Yuka all the way in Kumomi.

"I know Asakusa's no where near Aoyama! I tried calling the house but no one picked up. I tried your cell phone but the call wouldn't go!"

Chihiro fell perfectly still as she listened to her mother's voice. Her mom was upset; like really, really upset. She wasn't even close to this upset after the car accident.

"Oh, Gods! The pictures and the video they keep showing on the news are terrible! Everything's flooded and on fire! I though you were still in Tokyo! I was so very worried about you! I'm so glad you're alright, sweet pea!"

Her mom hadn't called her that in years. The pet name triggered all kinds of difficult emotions. Stunned, Chihiro sank to a seat on the edge of the stool Kenka brought her. The tall guy hovered at her elbow, face pinched in silent concern. But her mom wasn't done yet.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry been so hard on you! I'm sorry I gave you all that terrible advice about Karou and that I wasn't supportive after your friend died in the car accident! I've never known what to do with you! You were always such a strange little girl. I never felt like you were mine. I used to joke with your father that they sent us home with the wrong baby. But you are my girl. I was just too scared to admit it. I was afraid I was going to do everything wrong just like my mother did with me."

Chihiro couldn't believe it, but her mom was crying! She could barely understand her she was sobbing so loudly. She couldn't imagine her mother crying; mascara running; pink lipstick all smeared. It shook her to the core, making her sick with panic. At once she was stammering inane comforting things in a rush.

"It's okay, mom! Really, it's okay!"

"Come home, Chihiro! Please come home!"

Yuka pretty much begged.

"I don't know if you can, but say you'll try? After everything that's happened this year I want a new start for us. Your father has a few days off around New Years. We can have fried chicken and cake for diner and go to the shrine in town together. You'd like that, right? We can buy good luck arrows together."

Chihiro blinked, completely stunned by all this. Yuka wasn't religious in the slightest. The only Gods she prayed to were Louis Vuitton and Lancome of Paris. As her world turned upside down all she could do was say yes.

"O-okay! I'll be there as soon as I can tomorrow."

"Really?" Yuka's voice cracked as finally she stopped sobbing.

"I'll call you first thing in the morning when we get on the road, okay mom?"

"Thank you, sweet-pea! Your father's going to be so excited! I'll have your room all ready. If Michio's with you be sure to bring her too. Call me later and let me know, I have so much to do. I have to go to the store now. Bye-bye! Bye-bye!"

Yuka hung up before she could respond.

"B-bye, mom," Chihiro whispered.

As she returned the receiver to the cradle Michio cut into the silence.

"Did I just hear you tell Yuka you're coming home tomorrow?"

Chihiro jolted on the stool. Turning back to the room she found Michio was perched on the edge of the bottom step. The Goth was glaring at her like she was a complete idiot. Chihiro blinked, looking after Kenka as the guy left her side to hastily join Jae and Megumi at the stove. Hurriedly he looked for something to do only to come up short. Chihiro frowned at the worried look Megumi flashed Jae as she continued to fry pancakes. Pulling in two directions, Chihiro turned back to Michio.

"What was I supposed to say? No?"

Michio threw up her hands in exasperation, "Yes, Chihiro! Absolutely, no!"

"Why?!" She threw back hotly, "She's my mom!"

"You really think that's a good idea right now?" The Goth hissed back as by way of further explanation she waved wildly in every direction.

"It'll just be for a little bit. Just long enough to calm her down. She's totally freaked out right now because of everything that's going on in Tokyo!"

They all jumped as something clattered on the floor. It was a metal mixing bowl. With his back to her Kenka bent over the kitchen counter. He didn't bend to pick it up. He was gripping the edge of the counter like his life depended on it. Chihiro's insides scrambled with dismay as he shook visibly. Before Megumi or Jae could do anything he threw down his kitchen towel. Without a word he fled up the back stairs into the second story. In wordless dismay Jae and Megumi looked after him. Michio leapt to her feet as a yokai darted out of the pantry to pick up the towel and metal bowl Kenka dropped, holding these out to the grim faced woman at the stove as he pointed after Kenka.

"Tall human is sad."

As Bozu stated the obvious Jae loosed an angry growl. He scrubbed his face with his hands before throwing one the way Kenka had fled.

"I'm tryin' my best not t'listen in on your personal shit, but could you be a little more sensitive t'the fact that some of us can't go home right now? So, d'you mind takin' your fucking vacation plans somewhere else!?"

Chihiro cringed as she realized what an insensitive jerk she'd just been.

"Fuck you, asshole!" Michio snapped back nastily.

"Any time, sweetheart!"

Jae threw one of the eggshells he had just cracked. Michio uttered an incredulous noise as it bounced off of her shin. Snagging one of the sitting cushions from the nook she hurled it at him. Shrinking under his hat Bozu fled back into the pantry with a squeal. Jae ducked and it flew right over his head. The cushion narrowly missed Megumi. Onsen guttered in the hearth as it hit the back window. The wall jolted, sending cooking utensils clattering into the sink.

"Goddamnit!" Megumi thundered as she straightened shaking her fists, "If you're going to act like children will you get out of the kitchen and let me work!?"

Chihiro did exactly that. Leaving them behind, she followed Kenka up the back stairs. Cold folded around her as she padded down the empty hall. Her breath plumed white at her lips. But even up here the quiet couldn't entirely muffle the angry shouts from below. As she passed the back window she came up short. The Bath House kami were standing on the veranda outside the God wing. Natsumi was among them looking like she was explaining something. Her heart swelled at the sight of them. But the sweet moment turned sour. From their expressions she could tell they were listening in on the kitchen warfare. From their expressions the Gods looked afraid to enter their own house. Mortified, Chihiro passed the window by before they could see her. Before she could round the corner Chihiro paused again. Voices filtered from further down the hall, not the kitchen. She recognized Suzume's voice immediately.

"What is it, child? Does your heart pain you?"

Chihiro blinked, taken aback by the gentleness in the fox's tone.

"No," Kenka muttered as he snuffled loudly, "It's not that. You fixed that."

In a flash Chihiro remembered how Suzume had help Kenka during his attack. Jae said he had heart problems that needed medication. Suzume pressed on with stubborn concern.

"But you clutch your chest as if it pains you."

"Oh… I… I'm just really sad," Kenka explained in a quiet rush, "No offense, but everything's kinda gone to hell in my life. I… I'm worried about someone I love. I'm scared I'll never see him again."

"I see," Suzume returned quietly.

Chihiro's heart sank as she listened. There was so much more to it than that. Here Kenka's voice went soft and small with awe.

"Thanks. I never did get to tell you thank you. For everything, I mean."

"It is my duty, child." Suzume responded woodenly

"A-are you okay?" Kenka began hesitantly, "You kinda look the way I feel."

Chihiro held her breath in worried anticipation of the fox's harsh bark. But it never came.

"It is as you say, child," Suzume murmured, "Everything has gone to hell."

Silence fell between them at that. Quickly Kenka changed the subject.

"T-Thanks," he repeated, "For letting us stay here."

"I have little say in that matter, child," the fox replied evasively, obviously embarrassed by Kenka's gratitude, "This house is cared for by Chihiro. It is by her grace that those who dwell here may call this place home. "

It took her a moment to absorb that. He made it sound like she could kick them out at any moment.

"Is it alive? This h-house, I mean."

Suzume snorted as if amused.

"And what gives you that idea?"

Chihiro blinked. Wait… Was Suzume teasing Kenka? At once Kenka explained hurriedly as if afraid someone might overhear him.

"S-sometimes I feel something watching me up in the rafters. Doors open and close and stuff flies around. I thought that might just be the k-… the others who live there. Then I thought it might be ghosts or stuff I can't see?"

"It is indeed the house," Suzume returned cryptically.

Kenka paused as if absorbing that.

"Does it have a name?"

"What would it matter if she does?"

He was still teasing, but Chihiro found herself wondering if Onsen actually had a name. Suzume was letting on as if she did have a name. If she did have a name Chihiro wanted to know too. Hunkering down she listened in intently.

"Oh… It's a she? Okay."

Kenka seemed a bit overwhelmed by that.

"If she can hear me I'd like to talk to her. I get the feeling she's trying to be nice to me. I s'pose I just wanted to thank her for putting up with us."

Something clattered loudly in the kitchen below. Jae and Megumi's voices spiked loudly. Here Kenka sighed gustily. She could hear Suzume smiling as he spoke next.

"Do not worry, child. She knows you are grateful."

Chihiro jumped, uttering a tiny squeak as the house creaked and snapped.

"Hmmm," Suzume muttered archly, "It appears we have mice."

"Huh?" Kenka returned in confusion.

"Nothing."

Finally, Chihiro couldn't take it anymore. Peering around the corner she found Kenka on the top step of the empty hall. Suzume was nowhere to be seen. Kenka startled as if just noticing this himself. He jumped again as she came around the corner pink cheeked with embarrassment. His face fell as he saw her. Dropping his head, he absently smoothed the short-cropped hair at his nape as she came over to sit beside him.

"Sorry," he muttered, "Didn't mean to storm off like that."

"I'm the one who should be sorry. I was being an insensitive jerk."

Here the silence stretched to the point of becoming uncomfortable. In a panic Chihiro started babbling.

"Do you have a lot of family?"

"Nope," he fiddled absently with his rainbow colored necklace, "Just Shouta."

Here his face fell even more. His dark eyes turned hollow as they stared down the stairs. Feeling even more like a complete jerk Chihiro started wringing her hands.

"I… I'm sorry. I shouldn't've asked."

"Seriously, its okay, Chihiro."

Kenka flashed a smile so brittle it nearly broke. Again she was babbling; desperate to say something to make him feel better.

"You can stay here as long as you like."

"Thanks. I might take you up on that," Kenka frowned somberly, "Dunno about Jae and Meg, though."

Chihiro blinked, suddenly worried.

"Are they thinking about leaving?"

Kenka glanced at her sideways with an uncertain frown.

"Don't take this the wrong way, Chihiro, but Meg doesn't need a place to stay. She's loaded; like crazy rich. She chose to work at Le Pichet just like she chose to work at the dance studio. The only reason she's sticking around is because of Jae."

Chihiro frowned.

"Oh. Are they, um… together or something?"

Kenka laughed explosively. He covered his mouth before leaning close as if this was a secret.

"Ask them and they'll describe themselves as emphatically, completely, and absolutely not together. But you've seen them. They hate each other so much it's obvious to everyone but them."

Here Kenka's grin fell as he became completely serious.

"I really think that's why they're at each other so much. I think that's why Megumi's so mean to Kana. Kana's got a major thing for Jae."

Chihiro held her breath against questions, not wanting to be rude again.

"Megumi's been studying all her life to be a principal dancer."

As she stared at him blankly his grin returned, growing wider and wider.

"That's ballet-speak for the most important dancer in a company."

Here he launched back into his story about Megumi. Intrigued by where this was going Chihiro leaned against the wall and listened.

"She and her brother were shipped off for private lessons in France and Russia as soon as they could walk. Unfortunately rich people aren't very good at mixing it up. Meg trained exclusively with her brother pretty much her whole life. "

Here Kenka grew speculative again.

"From what I've heard about Sora he's a serious bitch with a massive power complex. I think her brother isolated Meg from other dancers on purpose because she was better than he was. At least she used to be."

Chihiro blinked and spoke up in spite of herself.

"What d'you mean, use to be?"

A touch of awe touched him as he looked overhead.

"Meg burns it up in solo performance. She's absolutely amazing. I hope you get to see her dance. She could be the next Yoko Morishita (1). But here's the kicker: the moment you ask her to perform a pas de deux (2) with anyone other than her brother she's toast! The same for dancing with a chorus; she just can't do it. That's a crippling deficiency for any dancer, not just a principle. She never got past it. Her brother's career took off but she never went anywhere but his practice studio. At least until she met Jae."

Kenka's face lit up again as if excited by their prospects. It was obvious from his animated gestures how much he loved dance.

"Meg's brother's apparently some hotshot for the New National Theater in Tokyo. He has the dance master use Meg in auditions to see how the male dancers handle working with an ill-match partner."

With the last Kenka drew derisive quotation marks in the air with his fingers.

"Boy, they sure got a surprise when they set up Jae and Megumi. Imagine how shocked they were? Here's Jae: this rough-edged foul-mouthed punk who you'd expect to beat you up, steal your wallet, and use the money to go boozing. There's Meg: ice princess with a pedigree and serious legs but no chops what-so-ever when it comes to partnering. Dude, I seriously wish I had been there to see it."

Here Kenka chortled triumphantly, crossing his arms and sitting back.

"Jae made the cut. The director was so impressed they both made the cut."

Here Kenka's face fell as he lapsed into silence. Before she could explode he picked up where she left off.

"After the announcement one of the other applicants gave Jae a hard time about being half-Korean. Jae responded exactly as you'd expect him to. Pow!"

Wearily Kenka pantomimed an upper-cut punch before frowning grimly.

"They kicked him out and barred him from all the major ballet auditions. It took Jae almost six months to pay back that asshole's medical bills. He would've stopped dancing, but Kazuo-sensei wouldn't let him."

Kenka spread his hands helplessly before going back to picking at his necklace.

"She came after him, you know? It took her a while, but Meg tracked Jae down. I'd never seen her before so I didn't think anything of it when she started working in the kitchen as our pâtissière (3). I mean, she was practically raised in France. Apparently she took up French cooking in her free time. Jae didn't say anything about it either. They treated each other like strangers. I only started to catch on when she showed up in the studio. They had some serious history. You can see it when you watch them dance together."

Here he grew wistful, pillowing his chin in the cup of his palm.

"I've only seen them a couple of times. They only practice when they think no one is around. You know when two people just click? When Jae and Meg dance they more than click. It's like they've got some kinda Vulcan mind-meld going on. But Meg's got a serious attitude problem. We have her brother to thank for that one. She's been dancing angry her whole life. It's not easy to turn that around. Jae's been working on that. Meg's been working on it too. Unfortunately it's slow work for the both of them and the fall out seriously pisses off the rest of us."

Mystified, Chihiro frowned at Kenka.

"How do you know all this?"

He shrugged diffidently.

"I listen. People like to talk to people who listen. Meg doesn't have any friends. She's actually pretty cool when you can get her by herself in a safe place."

Here Kenka fixed her with a knowing sideways glance.

"Anyways, I can tell you like to ask questions. I told you all this preemptively so you wouldn't ask Jae or Megumi. Don't let on what I told you. Just leave it alone. Let them work it out themselves."

Chihiro blinked as he called her out only to wilt in embarrassment.

"Sorry… I don't mean to be nosy."

Kenka bumped her shoulder companionably.

"S'okay, Chihiro. I know you're just concerned. In all honesty, I'm really glad to have someone looking out for all of us right now."

Here his face went dark with fear as he stared down the stairs. This silence was more than awkward. It was critically grim. Kenka crossed his arms over his chest, hunching as he did. Heat flooded her cold cheeks as he furtively glanced at her hair.

"How bad is it really? Tell me the truth, okay?" He murmured tremulously, "Is this something I can live with? Can I get another job, an apartment, and maybe a cat? Or is this really a game changer?"

Looking away abruptly, Chihiro followed his gaze down the stairs. She tried not to think about the scar on her leg. She tried not to hear what Haku had said in the kitchen below. But in the end she couldn't lie. Weird; wasn't that supposed to be a kami problem? Taking a deep breath she leaned into him, hooking her arm through his.

"I think you should stay here for a while."

Kenka blinked, looking at her sharply as if he had been expecting a different answer. As she refused to meet his gaze he nodded wordlessly. As he began to shake she put her arm around him. Wow, he really was all limbs. Skinny, skinny, bird; she could feel his heart hammering away in his chest. He leaned on her more and more until she turned to hug him. Like she was some kind of life preserver he held onto her so tightly it almost hurt. She didn't care. She was happy to let him squeeze her until she squeaked. After a long moment he let out the breath he was holding, sitting back. For some reason he wouldn't look at her, snuffling and dashing a hand at his eyes as if embarrassed.

"I heard you and Natsumi talking. Sorry for listening in. You're not just going to visit your Mom tomorrow. You're going after the ones who're still missing."

It wasn't a question.

"Ikiri, right? And Hayashimi?"

Chihiro cringed from the names as Kenka pressed her for info she didn't have.

"Where are you going? Can you tell me that much?"

She folded up her legs, hiding her face in her knees as she shivered violently. But the shudders rattling her teeth had nothing to with the cold. The terrible helplessness of not knowing returned, pouring over her like a bucket of ice water until she was shaking with worry. Kenka sidled closer, wrapping his arm around her, murmuring useless things.

"Its okay, Chihiro… It's going to be okay…"

"It's not okay, Kenka! I don't understand anything about what happened last night! I don't know who Shurui is! I don't know anything about that bell, or Shitamachi, or the Ueno-Kami, or the stupid cavern Kubi was going on about! I don't even know where to start looking for it!"

Fighting the urge to cry Chihiro gritted her teeth against despair.

"Don't cry, kami-human. Bozu and Chouchin can help."

They gasped in unison, jolting back against the stairs. Standing on the middle landing of the front stairs was the one-eyed yokai. Bobbing out from under the first floor rafters the lantern drifted over its head. The tiny creature blinked at them solemnly as he wrung the brim of an old bowler.

"We are Ueno-kami. We live in Ueno our whole lives."

Notes:

(1) Yoko Morishita (森下洋子 Morishita Yoko, born in Hiroshima December 7, 1948) is a Japanese ballerina for Matsuyama Ballet Company. She represented Japan as a prima ballerina. Won for the Gold Medal at the 1974 Varna International Ballet Competition, one of the highest honor any ballet dancer can achieve.

(2) In ballet, pas de deux (French, steps of two) is a type of duet. This is one of the danced performed by a principal dancer. A principal may be male or female. The position is similar to that of soloist; however, principals are hired by a company to regularly perform not only solos, but also pas de deux. It is a coveted position in the company and the most prominent position a dancer can receive.

(3) A pastry chef or station chef in a professional kitchen, skilled in the making of pastries, desserts, breads and other baked goods.