I know it's been a very long time since I last updated. I've been trying to come up with a slightly different plot for this story, enter some authentic Japanese legends, and fix some names of future OC characters. I'm very sorry.
Thank you to those who helpfully made some suggestions about Haku's appearance. I took all of them into consideration, and tried to come up with something that would satisfy all of your requests . . .
Lastly, a big thank you to my reviewers! I love all of my readers whether they review or not, but reviews help me improve the story and make sure the story is on the right track! Thank you, AznLee, yukishakura, SharinganLover, and Selena Estella!
Disclaimer: If I did indeed own Spirited Away, I would be world-famous. Since I am not even remotely famous, I think it's safe to assume that I do not own Spirited Away. However, Ryuu and Ichiro are MINE!
I leant my head back slightly, letting the light breeze run through my hair. The soft fragrance of cherry blossoms, poppies, tulips, irises, and wisterias tickled my nose as I took a deep breath.
Ichiro and I were trudging back to the bathhouse, both of us too emotionally exhausted from our stroll to speak. Nevertheless, I was glad he had taken me to the garden. I knew I would never have been able to muster the courage to visit it on my own. Besides, Ichiro's treads seemed lighter now that his secret wasn't resting solely on his shoulders anymore.
Maybe you should try it sometime, advised a voice in my head I thought I had silenced a while ago. Nope, still here, it cackled. I dismissed its advice and turned my attention back to pleasant matters instead.
A smile spread across my face as I gazed at the sky and picked out all of the colors I could name from the paradisiacal blend of colors illuminated by the retiring sun. I'd always known the sky was most exquisite at sunset.
"It's beautiful," Ichiro commented as we crossed the bridge. I answered with a nod.
Sunset was one of the occasional times when I actually felt normal. Something about it turned back the clock and transformed me back to the untroubled ten-year-old girl I once was. Back in the Human World, I used to climb onto the roof of my house at sunset whenever the homesickness and the longing became intolerable and stay up there until the sky was pitch-black, lighted only by the twinkling stars and the glimmering moon. I would think about my friends in the Spirit World, and when my eyes began growing moist, I would tell myself to hold on and persevere just a bit longer. Haku was honorable, righteous, and, most of all, he cared about me. He would come.
Though neither of us said any more, the silence that filled the air wasn't the stifling silence that often permeated my house in the Human World. It made me feel curiously content, filled only by the sounds of our feet tapping on the wooden bridge.
We entered the bathhouse through the back gates just as the bathhouse began to come alive. As the lights were switched on, the noise of workers waking up and greeting each other floated down to us, and I heard the drone of dozens of elevators transporting workers to the baths.
Because we were on the hidden elevator meant specifically for private guests of the occupants of the top floor, there was no need to switch elevators, and the two of us got to the suite without a hassle. When we reached Haku's door, Ichiro rested his hand on the handle and murmured a quiet incantation. The doors swung open.
As he ushered me through, Ichiro said, "Though I am sure Master Haku would not mind if you stayed in his guestroom, there are other rooms that are ready to accommodate you, Lady Chihiro, that you might prefer."
"That would be nice, thank you," I nodded after a second of hesitation. I had to admit that it had been nice staying in Haku's room because it insured a meeting with him the moment he returned, but I didn't want to impose. "Maybe I could use one of the rooms near Haku's?"
Ichiro led me three doors down from Haku's room and opened it. I entered, my jaws dropping in awe of the grand room. Like all of the other rooms in the suite, this room was enveloped in green. A delicate pattern of leaves weaved through the forest green walls, and the canopy of the oversized bed was a shade of light green that relaxed my eyes by just looking at it. Everything else in the room—the furniture, the carpeting, and the decorations—were also a unique shade of green.
When I heard Ichiro clear his throat behind me, I followed him to a paper door in the corner. Ichiro slid it open with a slight rattle, and my jaw dropped again at the sight of the adjoining bathroom.
It was as big as the bedroom—but it wasn't green. A bathtub large enough to swim laps in covered half of the bathroom, while a vanity, a stool, a curtained-off changing area, a sink, and a tall drawer took up the other half. In the far corner was a small room just for the toilet. These were all made of what looked like obsidian or onyx. When I heard a noise akin to the sound of the water of the Niagara Falls pounding against the bedrock, I tore my eyes away from the elaborately embellished vanity to locate the source of the curious noise.
Ichiro was kneeling next to a black rope, watching the water flow into the bathtub. I did a double take at the remarkable speed of the rise of the steaming water and looked around for the source of the water.
Five dragons of different sizes and shapes were perched in different positions on the huge rock that one could use as a diving board to jump into the bathtub. The bathtub itself had strange engravings of letters I couldn't read. As I attempted to decipher the engravings, Ichiro turned off the water with a single pull of the rope. I took a moment to adjust to the sudden quiet and turned to ask Ichiro to leave when I realized he had moved over to the tall drawer.
Ichiro kneeled down next to the drawer, pulling out various bottles. He poured out little measurements of the potions he had picked out into a black bowl. Turning around, Ichiro lamented, "It seems I have forgotten to supply this guest room with the new shipments of gold-enriched potions that arrived this morning. I'm afraid lavender, jasmine, freesia, rose, cherry blossoms, honey, white tea, cinnamon, peach, cucumber, forest, river, Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter, and Relaxation are the only options available. I apologize for the lack of variety."
I gaped at him, my mouth hanging open. Gold-enriched potions? And how was two dozen choices "lack of variety"? Forcing my mouth shut, I muttered, "Um, I'll just have Relaxation. Thank you, Ichiro."
Ichiro nodded, turning back towards the stash of beauty products. He dug through the mountain of short and stout bottles in a hidden compartment until he found a white bottle, which he poured into the black bowl. Uncorking a silver bottle as he stood up, Ichiro poured in only five drops and left the rest on the floor. After expertly mixing the contents of the bowl with a strange spoon, he poured everything in the bowl into the colossal tub.
Returning once again to the drawer, Ichiro opened another compartment and pulled out a silk bathrobe and a towel. From a smaller compartment, he found a hair tie and a headband. He stacked them down next to the silver bottle at the rim of the tub before finally turning to face me as a unique scent began to fill the room.
"If you feel the scent is beginning to fade out, you simply need to add a drop of the silver potion to the water. I will leave a set of clothes you can change into after your bath on the bed. Please enjoy your bath," Ichiro bowed and turned to leave, but paused right before he reached the sliding doors. Reaching inside the pocket on the front of his uniform, Ichiro pulled out a very familiar hair band and handed it to me. Seeing the smile on my face as I clutched the little object to my chest, Ichiro explained, "I found it next to Master Haku's bed shortly after you were carried to his room."
"Thank you so much, Ichiro! This hair band means a lot to me. Thank you!" Without thinking, I threw my arms around his rock-hard neck, ignoring the stiffening of his shoulders. I was relieved when he relaxed slightly after the shock of being embraced so unexpectedly passed, although he didn't relax enough to hug me back.
When I let go, Ichiro cleared his throat and mumbled something before leaving hastily. I noticed that his green skin was slightly redder than normal as he slid the door shut with a bit more force than necessary, but shrugged it off and ran my fingers through my hair to get some of the troublesome knots out. I tied my brown tresses in a bun and pulled the stray hairs out of my face with the headband Ichiro had found for me. Shivering slightly, I stripped down and stepped into the steaming water, sighing contentedly. I sat down on the warm stone bench under the surface of the water and let my hands wade around, making tiny ripples on the surface.
As the minutes passed by, I realized that the water wasn't getting any colder. Smiling in approval, I dipped my head in the water for a few seconds before surfacing.
Perhaps it was the "Relaxation" potion in the water, or maybe I was just exhausted. No matter what the reason, I was unable to keep my eyes open for long. I dozed off, perched on the warm stone bench.
I woke up to the sound of male voices. I instinctively covered myself with my arms before realizing that the men were conversing on the other side of my paper door—I could see their silhouettes through the thin paper. The voices were slightly raised in anger and frustration.
A moment later, I caught the first articulate sentence.
"Ichiro, did I not instruct you to escort her to her world as soon as possible?"
It was not a voice I recognized, but it sounded familiar, which surprised me since I didn't know anyone who spoke in such a forbidding, unfeeling tone. The next voice was easier to identify.
Ichiro did not lose his cool despite the other man's obvious anger and disapproval. "My deepest apologies, Master, but Lady Chihiro has been very upset ever since she regained consciousness, and I did not wish to stress her any further. Also, she voiced her wish to speak to you several times, and so I intended to ask if you would speak with her before asking her to return her world."
I could feel my breathing speeding up as if I had just awoken from one of my nightmares. My heart started beating quickly, and I clutched my chest in fear of it bursting out. I could guess who Ichiro was talking to.
"I do not wish to speak to her. I don't have the time or the energy." My breathing grew ragged and my excitement died like a candle blown away by a gust of wind when I grasped that he didn't want me to stick around. "Besides, Kono-Hana's family is waiting downstairs." The man sighed, and I envisioned him running a tired hand over his face. "It is essential that you instruct her to return to her own world once she comes out of her bath. Make sure she remains unseen."
A second of silence followed the string of orders. "Yes, Master. And what do you wish to become of the human boy?"
"Ah, yes, I almost forgot about the boy. He is in," the man paused, "the boiler room with Rin and Kamaji. Find him, bring him upstairs, do whatever you must to insure that the humans are undetected, and lead them out of this world."
"Yes, Ma—"
Ichiro stopped speaking as I loudly stood up at the rim of the tub and hastily put on the silk robe. I felt kind of dizzy, but I blamed it on the steaming water and standing up too quickly as I wrenched the paper door open, not caring about the holes I ripped in it. A startled Ichiro stared at me as I turned to Haku's retreating back, a hand holding the front of my robe closed.
"Haku!" I called out desperately.
Haku froze, but did not turn around. I approached cautiously, as if he was a wild animal that would run away at any action that caught him off guard. My hand trembled as I reached out, grabbing his broad shoulder gently. A tingling sensation ran up my arm, making me shiver as I spun him around. He obediently turned to face me.
He was much handsomer than I imagined.
In the rare occasions when I would allow myself to indulge in my dear memories of Haku, he was still the twelve-year-old boy I had met. Sometimes, I would let my imagination go wild and come up with different versions of an older Haku, but they never satisfied me, so I would just go back to contentedly remembering the pale, green-eyed boy who always watched over me with his warm, caring eyes.
The tall person in front of me was no twelve-year-old. His curiously green and black hair was slightly longer than before, and it was tied back in a short, stubby ponytail at the middle of his head. His bangs were choppy, straight, and uneven, and it suited him even better than his clean, neat cut. His skin was a shade of ivory that defined his elegant features. Gone was all of his baby fat, and his face was more angular than before. The rest of his facial features—his nose, his lips, his ears, his brows—were like those of a statue of a God, which made sense since he was one.
When I finished etching every feature of his face into my memory, I finally lifted my eyes to meet his jade orbs.
And instantly lost myself in them.
Memories—precious memories that I bottled up in my heart in fear of losing them—flooded me, washing me away with their warmness. The first time we met in his river. The second time we met, seven years later. The time he frightened me by acting as if he hadn't just saved my life, making me wonder if I had just dreamed it up. The time he woke me up to take me to see my parents at the pig pen even though Yubaba would have punished him if she caught him. The time he held me close while I cried out of fear and loneliness. The time I first saw him in his dragon form, flying across the sky. The time I recklessly ran across a rusty pipe in my desperation to make sure he was safe. The time I fell into a dark, bottomless hole because I refused to let go of him. The time I set out to Zeniba's place to clear Haku's name and beg the witch to forgive him een though I was aware that the train wouldn't take me back to the bathhouse. The time I opened Zeniba's door and saw Haku outside, fully healed, waiting to take me back. The time I remembered Haku's true identity. The time we ran across the grassy field, his hand warming my heart despite the dread I felt at having to leave. And, finally, the time my hand slipped out of his, making me feel cold and disconnected.
The old bottled up memories overpowered me—and I couldn't take all of them at once. My head spun, different memories demanding to claim my attention, and I suddenly felt weak and dizzy. As the ground slowly rose up to meet my face, I heard a sharp cry and felt a pair of strong, warm hands wrap around my waist.
"Chihiro! Chihiro, wake up!" Haku yelled, his voice betraying his panic.
I smiled for him, trying to catch his emerald green eyes, as the edges of my vision wavered and blackened.
The moment I locked eyes with his, I fell limp in his arms.
Something was scratching my nose.
I swatted it away, thinking it was probably just a stupid fly. My eyes snapped open when my hand slapped away something much bigger, warmer, and furrier than a mere fly.
A huge mouse stared back at me, its eyes big, innocent, and annoyed.
"Bou," I groaned, falling back into my pillow as Bou scrambled back up to my face. I opened one eye and laughed at the creature before me, pouting with his tiny arms crossed over his chest.
Scooping him off my neck, I left Bou pouting on my pillow as I sat up, feeling a slight headache. As I stretched, I noticed that someone had dressed me in a soft bathhouse uniform. I blushed when I realized about who must have dressed me.
Bou noticed my cheeks growing warm and prodded me with his tiny paws. When I shook my head, he scowled and scurried to one of the bedposts, sliding down the metal pole. By the time I got out of bed, Bou was in his half-human form, leaning against a bedpost, arms crossed, a smirk on his face.
"It must be true that humans grow frailer as they age. I mean, look at you. You've already fainted twice this week!"
I scowled, walking over to the bathroom to wash my face. "For your information, these past few days have been kind of crazy for me. It's not my fault," I huffed as I wiped my face off with a towel that rivaled Haku's mane in softness.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. Well, I must get going. The bathhouse is open, and Mother will be asking for me soon."
"What? The bathhouse is open already?"
Bou turned around, amusement shining in his eyes. "It's midnight, Sen. You've been unconscious for several hours. I'll send Ichiro to get something to eat for you, so just stay in your room and try to rest. I'll see you later!" With a wave, Bou disappeared, shutting the door behind him.
I only had a moment to myself before a knock came at the door. "Come in," I called out.
Balancing four silver trays, Ichiro strode in and set the food down on the table at the corner of the room. When he finished setting the table, he pulled the rich curtains back, unveiling a breathtaking view of the bathhouse's surroundings.
"It's gorgeous." Ignoring a headache that was starting to bother me, I walked to the table without taking my eyes off the clock tower I had spotted, shining like a crown in the far distance. On the opposite side of that clock tower was a world where I was supposed to belong, but never truly did. A world where my parents and Ryuu's parents were probably worrying themselves to death about their missing children, never having returned from their date.
That thought jolted me. How had I forgotten about how our parents must be feeling? What if they thought we had run away? What if they were accusing each other's child for harming the other? I turned to Ichiro, gripping his arm. "Is there any way to send a message to people in the Human World—without notifying Haku?" If Haku found out I was trying to communicate our parents, he would probably use it to convince me to return to the Human World and never let me return. He had certainly made it obvious that he didn't want me here.
However, I absolutely had to let our parents know that we had not run away, and certainly not in danger. Though it had been difficult to be a normal daughter for my parents for the past several years and I did not know Ryuu's parents on a personal level, none of them deserved this. I knew how anxious and hopeless they must be feeling, losing someone they loved, not knowing if they would ever see said loved one ever again. Hoping every day that the loved one would appear and apologize for the worry they caused them, and being utterly disappointed with every day that passed without such an event occurring. I knew that feeling all too well. And I would not stand for anyone else having to experience it.
"There is a way, but it drains much power from the person performing the spell, and only a handful of spirits are capable of it. If you did not want Master Haku performing the spell, the only ones you could ask for help that reside at or near the bathhouse would be Lord Ohoyamatsumi, Mistress Yubaba, or Lady Zeniba."
I couldn't ask Yubaba because she would probably refuse, so I would have to visit Zeniba in the near future. But who was . . . "Lord Ohoyamatsumi?"
"He is a powerful god who rules mountain, sea, and war. He will become Master Haku's father-in-law in the near future."
Father-in-law. Master Haku's father-in-law. Then . . . Haku was . . . he was . . .
"Haku's getting married?" I asked in a low voice, my mouth suddenly dry and refusing to produce any sound louder than a whisper.
"Married?" Ichiro repeated, as if the word was foreign to him. "Ah, you must be referring to the human tradition of bonding two people. Yes, mating is somewhat like a marriage. However, the bond that is formed during a mating ceremony is stronger than any other, even than the bond between mother and offspring," Ichiro explained, watching me warily as my breathing began to get heavy.
Suddenly feeling my knees give out, I collapsed into a chair and gripped the table with all my might. "And when is Haku's mating cermony?" I whispered, barely maintaining a calm voice.
"It will take place in the summer solstice of next year, when Princess Konohanasakyua reaches adulthood. Are you alright, Lady Chihiro?"
Ignoring his question, I asked one of my own. "Princess Konohanasakuya is the bride-to-be?"
"Yes."
I tried to control my expression as my brain struggled to process the new information. "How lovely. I would love to meet her."
"Unfortunately, Lady Chihiro, Princess Konohanasakuya and her family are currently having lunch with Master Haku, and they will be departing immediately afterwards."
"That's fine." I got up, taking a long drink of water. Gently setting the glass down, I turned to Ichiro with a determined glint in my eye. "Please lead me to her right now."
"My apologies, my Lady, but Master Haku specifically orders all bathhouse workers to stay clear when he is meeting with Princess Konohanasakuya's family."
I grabbed my purple hair band from my bed stand. Running my fingers through my hair, I assured, "If Haku gets angry, I'll take the blame. I'll tell him that I forced you to take me to him because that's exactly what I'm going to do." I pulled my hair into a high ponytail as I walked over to the door and turned to see what was keeping Ichiro. When I saw him eying the food on the table, I added, "Don't worry, I'll finish that when I get back. Come on," I urged, walking over to Ichiro's side and tugging on his arm.
We made it out of the suite and onto an elevator in record time. The elevator stopped at a beautifully decorated, silent floor. It didn't seem like anyone was here. But as Ichiro led me down the hall, I picked up several voices.
"Oh, my Nigihayami," a sickly sweet voice giggled, immediately catching my attention, "if you don't want us to know how you broke free of that old hag, just say so. You don't need to invent such a story."
"I do not lie," Haku replied curtly to the voice I realized must belong to his fiancée with a sinking feeling.
"But . . . a human could not possibly have freed you from that witch!"
"She's right, Kohaku. You cannot expect us to believe that inane story of yours," a deep voice grumbled with a chuckle.
"I assure you, Oho-Yama, I am telling the truth," Haku said in a light tone. "If you don't believe me, you can ask the human herself. Come in, Chihiro."
Pausing for a second, I gathered my wits and nodded at Ichiro, who opened the sliding paper doors for me. Haku met my eyes immediately, but the other two richly dressed spirits in the room gawked at me for a while before they composed themselves.
Rolling my eyes at the shocked spirits, I addressed Haku as if they weren't even in the room. "Haku, I need to talk to you."
"As you can see, I am having lunch with some very important guests," Haku reminded me in a cold voice.
I glanced at the gorgeous blue-eyed lady at Haku's side, whose hands, folded demurely in her lap, were twitching most likely with the urge to slap me. "How dare you eavesdrop on our conversation, human? Do you know who my father is? Who I am?" the black-haired lady from the paintings, whom I guessed was Konohanasakuya, demanded with a glare that would have had anyone else cowering away.
But her glare only amused me. I had no reason to feel intimidated by this woman. I had faced spirit gods, monsters, and all sorts of supernatural beings without batting an eye at the age of ten. This woman was nothing compared to all that. "I couldn't care less who all of you are." With a smirk, I addressed Haku once again, "Haku, I have to talk to you, and I'm not going to leave until you do. You know better than anyone how stubborn I can be."
The lady, whose cherry red lips were jutting out in a pout, tugged on Haku's arm until she had his attention. "Nigihayami, that insolent human girl refuses to listen to me. Dismiss her."
To everyone's surprise, Haku barely hesitated before extricating his arm from the lady's and getting up. "Please excuse me for just a moment. I will return shortly." With his head lowered in a bow, Haku signaled Ichiro to close the door with a look. The three of us walked down the hall, Haku in the lead, in absolute silence until we reached the elevators.
"Ichiro, Bou told me earlier that he wishes to have a quick word with you about the management of the restaurants. You will find him in the floor just below this one," Haku ordered without turning around. Ichiro stepped onto an elevator and left with a respectful bow.
Now that Haku and I were alone, I realized I didn't know what I wanted to say first, especially since Haku refused to even look at me. Haku broke the silence first, to my relief, but the words that came out of his mouth were not so pleasing.
"What have you and Ichiro been doing?" he accused, still with his back to me.
"Nothing," I answered honestly.
"Then why do I smell him all over you?"
I could feel blood pooling into my cheeks at those words, and I saw Haku's back stiffen. "Why should you care? I am free to do whatever I want, Haku. You don't control me."
Spinning around unexpectedly, Haku strode over to tower over me. "Ichiro is my servant. I will not allow him to interact with my guests in such indecent ways."
Refusing to back down, I stared into Haku's eyes defiantly. "I understand that Ichiro has made mistakes in his life—he told me everything. But I don't think he had ever done anything to you to earn your distrust. And for your information, Ichiro was simply assisting me, nothing more." When I saw that he was still skeptical, I gave up trying to convince him and changed the subject, brushing aside the way his eyes hardened my action. "Also, I will not let you decide if I stay in this world or not, Haku. If you want me to leave the bathhouse, then I will find somewhere else to stay. Or I'll work. I'm much stronger than I was before."
Haku crossed his arms over his wide chest, raising an eyebrow skeptically. "Then why is your body trembling? I can tell that you are still ill, Chihiro. Return to your room. I will not force you to leave in your condition. The same goes for the boy that accompanied you."
"I'm not leaving. I'm not stupid, Haku—I know you will avoid me if I let you go right now."
That stumped him. I arched a brow smugly as Haku struggled over his words. "I—I give my word that we will talk later. I have matters to settle with my—my future family."
A cold, bitter laugh echoed through the halls at those words. Haku seemed surprised to hear such a cruel sound from me. I understood his shock because I was surprised, too. And I had been aware that I was no longer the innocent, gullible girl who let go of his hand in the grassy field seven years ago. Nonetheless, I refused to back down. "Oh, you give your word? Like you gave your word that you would return for me? I'm not the trusting girl you knew seven years ago, Haku."
That seemed to hit a nerve. Though he tried to conceal it, I saw him wince slightly before he vowed, "I swear upon my mother's life that I will arrange a meeting with you later." I was about to laugh at his words once more, but the sincerity in his gaze stopped me. "Now go and get some rest." These last words were spoken with a tender undertone that caught me off guard, and I allowed him to give me a slight push to the elevator that Ichiro had taken. "Here he comes." Turning on his heels, Haku strode back to the end of the hall, where his soon-to-be father-in-law and his fiancée were waiting.
The moment the paper doors closed behind Haku, the elevator arrived and opened. Ichiro immediately stepped out, and I went to stand next to him. Once we got back on the elevator, I leaned on his erect figure, the remaining rays of strength dissipating. I had gotten to Haku in this manner, too exhausted to keep my body up on my own, which was probably why Haku smelled Ichiro "all over me." I blushed at the indecent mental pictures that must have plagued Haku while I kept defending Ichiro.
When we returned to my room, Ichiro helped me get ready for bed. He brushed my hair, prepared a fragrant basin of water to wash my face with, and found me a small night light. It was only after I refused to let him undress me with a wild blush on my face that he left, bidding me a pleasant night.
After stripping down to the skin-tight, short, navy blue jumpsuit worn under the baggy outer tunic and pants of the bathhouse uniform, I climbed and nestled in the layers of thick sheets. I only had time to note that the eerie flickering green light from the night light resembled Haku's eyes before my eyes shut on their own accord, carrying me off to a different world.
A loud, obnoxious pounding at the door jostled me awake. Sitting up in bed, I frowned at the offending door, glaring at whoever it was that had the gall to interrupt my first dreamless sleep in years.
"Chihiro, open up!" It was Ryuu's voice.
"It's open!" I yelled back. But as I saw the doorknob twist open, I realized that I was in nothing but a bra, underwear, and a very revealing jumpsuit. "No, wait!" I screamed as I frantically grabbed around for the thick sheets. It was too late.
Ryuu smirked as I finally pulled some green sheets over my chest, the blood rushing to my face. But I had seen his wide eyes rake over my form, his open mouth pulling up in a mischievous smirk, before I was able to cover myself up.
I tried to mask my embarrassment and maintain as much dignity I still had in this situation, sending an impressive glare at Ryuu that would have had any of my classmates in the Human World scurrying out of the room. But my glare only seemed to roll off him. He grabbed a chair from the corner of the room to pull it up to my bed and sit down, his elbows resting on the back of the chair, his face in his hands. I fidgeted, trying to ignore his amused stare.
"Stop staring," I hissed when my patience ran out.
But Ryuu only chuckled. "I've never seen you this disheveled before." His warm brown eyes were dancing; he was genuinely entertained by seeing me panicked and caught off-guard.
With a groan, I ducked beneath the covers, making sure not even a single strand of hair was visible. "Get out!"
There was a moment of silence in the room. Then, Ryuu's loud guffaws filled the room as my cheeks grew even warmer with embarrassment and annoyance.
"What are you doing in Sen's room when she's still in bed?" I blinked at the unexpected new visitor, then breathed a sigh of relief when I realized Lin had just saved me from hours of teasing. "And why are you still in bed, Sen? The sun went down an hour ago!" the austere spirit reprimanded from the door.
I sat up immediately, keeping the sheets at chest-level. "I'll get up right now if . . ." I sent a meaningful look at my friend and raised my eyebrows, tilting my head infinitesimally towards the grinning fool staring at me. Always the sharp one, Lin understood.
"You over there, what are you doing, fooling around in an honored guest's private room when you should be hard at work downstairs? Follow me." After sending me a furtive wink, Lin pinned Ryuu down with a glare, who reluctantly got up from the chair and shuffled over to the door.
At the threshold, he turned and made his unhappiness known by sticking his tongue out at me. I muffled my giggles with the sheets, remembering how he always used to upset me with that gesture when they were younger. He only had time to hiss, "This is all your fault!" before Lin called out, "Quit dawdling!" With a roll of his eyes, he disappeared out the door.
As promised, I climbed out of bed once I was sure Ryuu was not going to return. After freshening up and getting dressed in a new uniform, I went to find a green marble ball to ask Ichiro about breakfast. I was saved the trouble when a knock came at the door.
"Good morning, Lady Chihiro." Ichiro was dressed in the same black kimono, the typical morose expression on his face.
"Good morning."
"I hope you slept well?"
"I did, thank you. The bed was very comfortable."
"Master will be pleased to hear that. Speaking of which, Master would like to know if you are ready to meet with him."
My breathing immediately quickened. "Haku—he's ready to see me?"
"Yes, he asked for you several hours ago, and he has been waiting for you to wake."
I gulped. "Yes—please tell him that I'm ready to see him. Thank you, Ichiro."
With a bow, Ichiro left the room, and I fell to my knees. Taking deep breaths, I tried to tell myself that there was no reason to panic. I had talked to him yesterday. Not for a very long time, but we had still spoken. Why was I so nervous then?
Because you know you'll finally get the answers to the questions that have been floating around in your pretty little head for the past seven years. And you're scare of what he will tell you. It was the stupid voice in her head again. Shut up, I snapped at it. But I knew it was right. There would be no interruptions this time. I was going to talk to Haku. And I was finally going to get my answers.
My hand was fisted, raised in the air and ready to knock. But my brain refused to send it the signal that would let my hand move. I had been standing in this position for the past two minutes.
I was about to give into my cowardice, return to my room, and spend the rest of the afternoon cursing at myself when the door suddenly flew open. Beyond it was a small sitting room with pale blue walls, wooden flooring, several teal couches, and two sliding doors, one on the wall opposite from me and another on the wall to my left.
Tentatively, I stepped inside the room, jumping when the door shut behind me with a loud bang. "Haku?"
I heard someone moving behind the door opposite from me. I began to take a step, but a familiar force took hold of me before my foot hit the ground, lifting me several inches off the ground and pulling me forward. The sliding doors opened on their own accord to let me through, and I allowed myself to be pulled into what seemed to be an office. This force was gentler than Yubaba's, and it slackened its grip on me gently and gradually, allowing me to pull away from it on my own and spin a somersault in the air before landing on my feet in a smooth motion.
Dusting myself off, I looked around. I had no trouble spotting Haku behind a huge mahogany desk. His eyes were unguarded and wide with surprise. I raised my eyebrows, and Haku broke our eye contact to put his pen down and organize his papers. When he met my eyes again, they were, once again, cold and distant.
"Take a seat, Chihiro," he offered, gesturing at the dark green chair on the opposite side of his mahogany desk.
I obliged and took a moment to look around his office. It wasn't anything special. Lots of green, blue, and white. There were several couches and a coffee table in one corner, the wall behind his chair was completely made of glass, giving me a nice view of the sea that came and went with the rain. Right now, it didn't look too deep.
Turning my attention back to Haku, I attempted to keep my eyes as empty as Haku's. "How have you been?"
"Fine."
"What have you been doing for these past seven years?" Unintentionally, the words "seven years" came out quite harshly, and Haku avoided my eyes.
"I mastered magic under Zeniba, traveled for some time, and accepted Yubaba's offer of half the bathhouse when she found it impossible to manage it on her own," he answered warily.
I nodded. "Where'd you travel to?"
At this, Haku leaned back in his chair and regarded me with a look of impatience. "As I said earlier, I am a co-owner of the bathhouse, Chihiro. I am a busy man. Please stop asking these unnecessary questions."
Alright, I'll get to the point. "Why are you taking that lady as your mate?"
Haku's cold eyes became icy. "That is none of your business."
"As an old friend, I think I deserve to know."
"You were in the Spirit World for not even a week, Chihiro. That does not make us old friends."
"You saved my life twice, and I saved your life once as well. Doesn't that create some kind of bond between us?"
"During the course of my life, I have saved countless lives. It is my duty as a god. Do not delude yourself into thinking my kindness was caused my anything other than responsibility, Chihiro."
I tried to ignore the pain in my heart and continue to look unaffected, like Haku did, but I couldn't speak my next words above a hoarse whisper. "Is that why you didn't keep your promise?" I didn't miss the slight slump of Haku's shoulder at those words even though his eyes remained impersonal, detached.
"What promise?"
"Don't play dumb with me, Haku. You know which promise."
"You did not keep yours either, Chihiro."
A familiar sting forced me to break our eye contact to clear away the angry tears forming in my eyes. "I didn't look back until I got to the end of the tunnel. Besides, you were going to make me wait for the rest of my life," I accused in a shaky voice.
"I never specified when I would be keeping my promise, but you swore to never look back. I believe, in this situation, you are the one to blame."
"Just answer the question, Haku."
We stared at each other. His green eyes were frosty, aloof, and austere, regarding me as nothing but a normal bathhouse worker, and I suddenly felt out of place—like I didn't deserve to be in this room, in this suite, in Haku's presence as a special guest.
The silence of the room was broken by shrill, air-rending sound from an inky stone perched on a sort of platform on Haku's desk. He immediately broke our eye contact and ran a hand over the stone, a fierce glint in his eyes. A growl escaped his lips. "Xakiba."
"Who's Xakiba?" I asked, perplexed, standing up as Haku got up from his chair and stormed over to his door. At my question, he paused and turned his head to send me a firm look.
"No one you should worry about. However, please stay inside today, Chihiro."
I obstinately crossed my arms across my chest and tilted my chin up. "Tell me who Xakiba is."
For the first time, I saw Haku lose his patience. His eyes glowed slightly, and his hands fisted the material of his tunic, the muscles in his arms jumping. "Just please stay inside, Chihiro. It's for your own good."
"Not until you tell me who this Xakiba is!"
"No!" Haku roared, making me flinch. He took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down. "It is not safe for you to know who she is, Chihiro. Please just listen to me."
"No. Don't you trust me, Haku?"
"I do trust you. However, it is my duty to—" Haku was cut short by a disturbance outside.
"Master Noboru! What are you—"
"Master Haku!" The door slid open, and Bou screeched to a stop when he saw that Haku was standing on the other side of it.
"Where is she, Bou?"
"She's in the forest beyond the clock tower, and it looks like she finished brewing the elixir."
"How much stronger is she?"
"According to Yu-Bird, she no longer bears the scars from the last battle, and she is encircled by a small halo of dark power. She was creating a portal when it spotted her, but thankfully she was too engrossed in her work to notice."
"I doubt that. Xakiba knows that the Yu-Bird was watching, and she didn't care. It was a trap. After dealing with Xakiba, we must terminate every portal she created." Haku seemed to finally recall that I was still in the room. His eyes widened, and he cursed under his breath before heading out. As he passed by Ichiro, who was standing quietly off to the side in the sitting room, he barked, "Keep Chihiro inside until I order you otherwise."
"Yes, Master."
Bou exited more politely. He gave me a strained smile and a wave before following Haku out of the room.
"What in the world was that about?" I asked, sighing when Ichiro didn't answer.
"Why won't anybody answer my damn questions?" I screamed in frustration before leaving the room, shutting the heavy door with a loud thud behind me.
Questions? Concerns? Compliments? Criticism? I appreciate all of the above and anything else I missed! Please stop by and leave a review! Even a simple word or two helps :)
