HAKU
Satako snuffled loudly in his ears as she flung her arms around his neck. Her tears burned like points of fire against his shoulder. Haku had endured both agony and madness beyond human comprehension. But, oh, the touch of these tears against his skin; they nearly broke him!
Haku forgot the other humans.
He forgot Bozu and Chouchin.
Blindly he fled the room carrying Satako with him.
The boards barely touched his feet as in a blast of wind he found himself in the kitchen. But it was not strange that he would instinctively choose to retreat here. This was the heart of the House. Onsen flooded into the rafters, lighting the hearth with the warmth of her presence. Kneeling at the nook Haku sat the human child down on the edge of the bench. She refused to sit just as she refused release him. Her tiny arms locked around his neck like a vice be could not resist. Towing him down, angrily she spoke halting through her sobs.
"Onsen told me you're leaving! You can't go! I just got you back! I didn't even get to see you at all! Now you're going away and probably for a long, long time! Just like last time but longer! I'll be old and ugly by the time you come back!"
Astonished by her knowledge, Haku held her close unsure of what else to do.
Smoothing his hand over the fuzz of her hair he murmured inanities.
"You will never be ugly, dear Satako."
She stamped her foot and continued to cry unabated.
"Yes I will! I'll be wrinkly and warty and you won't even recognize me!"
Gracelessly Haku sat back onto the tiles as she climbed into his lap.
Burying his face in the front of his yukata she revealed the truth of her dismay.
"Mom and dad are getting a divorce…"
Haku was startled by that revelation.
He had never met the child's father.
Minako-san did not speak of him; neither did Satako.
In this moment it became apparent why.
"Mom says we're going to move to Kyoto to live with my aunt. I don't want to go to Kyoto! Her house smells funny and is full of bugs."
Satako continued in a rush, no longer crying.
"Kai wants me to stay too. He says that if I move here I can go to school with him. He says they play taiko after school and they get to eat takoyaki all the time and that his teachers let him paint and draw whenever he wants. He says that there's a pirate festival in the summer and that when he grows up he'll take me out on a ride in his dad's boat. Please let me stay! Please! Onsen wants me to stay! She said so!"
Unconsciously his arms tightened around the human girl.
His heart thrilled into his throat at the thought of keeping her.
How wonderful it would be to keep this lovely cuckoo's child.
But this bird was not his to keep.
Staring blankly at the orange cushions Haku found his mouth perfectly dry.
His voice cracked, turning brittle as he spoke in the barest whisper.
"What of your mother?"
She blinked rapidly.
He could feel the flutter of her eyelashes.
"I'm sure mom'll get used to it here."
Haku cringed at the false confidence in her reply.
Oh, clever sweet child.
It was a terrible lie and Haku knew it.
Satako must have realized he was wise to her deception because all at once she went quiet. Then she hiccupped loudly. A frail smile pulled his lips in spite of the sorrow twisting a cold bitter blade in his heart. Picking her up Haku carried her to the sink and deposited her on the counter edge. She kicked her feet and watched him in brooding silence as he took a glass from the cabinet. This he filled with water before offering it to her. She accepted the glass, sipping it as she continued to hiccup. Onsen snapped and popped in the corner hearth as Haku frowned mildly at her snotty nose. He dampened a towel to clean her face as daylight continued to brighten the window behind her back. All the while Satako studied him with large melancholy brown eyes that reminded him far too much of the girl he had saved from drowning in a river years ago. She hiccupped again then sighed gustily, wilting as she sat down her glass.
"I can't stay here can I?"
Haku did not trust himself to speak as the pain in his heart pinched his throat.
He shook his head in a silent no.
Tears gleamed in the corners of her eyes again as she seized his hand.
Hope made them perfectly round.
"What about when I'm older? Can I come stay here when I'm grown up?"
Here he was able to nod yes, flashing her that same brittle smile.
This much he could offer her.
Haku prayed that fate would not make him a liar
Because she lit up like a firecracker in the dark.
"Can I wear a uniform like the other kami? Do I have to scrub Onsen's floors like Chihiro did in the movie? Do they really wash floors like that? What about the roof? Can I go up on the roof? Do I get my own room or do I have to share? Do we have to eat fish all the time or can we have okonomiyaki? What about takoyaki? Do you like takoyaki?"
At once she was leaning forward flooding him with a torrent of eager questions. Drowning in her exuberance Haku found himself holding a breath against a laugh.
The sunlight of her smile banished the cold pain haunting his heart.
He was not expecting the back door to open.
Haku was so startled that he loosed a gasp.
Onsen guttered in the wind of his surprise.
He found himself perched atop the stairs at the split curtain holding Satako tightly. The urge to run vibrating in his every bone as Michio lurched through the frame.
The female's synthetic hair was a mess, matted on one side where it had made a rude thin pillow where she had come to sleep. The green color matched the ill hue of her clammy skin and dark circles smudged beneath her eyes. All the way across the kitchen Haku could smell the stink of drink upon her. Kicking off her zori on the threshold the female shuffled along barefoot and cringing as if the act of moving made her sick. Her kimono, however, was badly bundled under her arm. The tie bound her obi dragged on the ground behind her. She was wearing a man's shirt and pants. Both were far too large. Where they had come from Haku did not know.
"Wow… You look really sick, Michio-san."
Satako leaned back in his arms to frown at the ailing female.
Haku recoiled as Michio glowered at them murderously.
"Move…"
He obeyed her muttered command, catching air as he vaulted off the banister, sailing over the nook to land lightly in her wake.
"Do that again! Do that again!"
At once Satako was yanking on the front of his yukata with a squeal of glee.
"Oi!" Michio called back irritably as she cringed from the sound, "Not so loud!
She sulked between the billowing curtains jabbing a thumb at the back door.
"Keiichi wants to talk to you."
Haku blinked only to turn toward the door. On the opposite side the young priest stood pale faced and taken aback as Haku's breeze flowed through the door in lazy gusts. He was dressed in the finest regalia kept by the shrine. The sumptuous silks of his blue, green, and white robes glittered in Onsen's pale firelight. The lacquered tail of the young priest's hat quivered comically as he trembled visibly. Quaking from head to toe the male bowed to him offering up a sasaki branch festooned with carefully folded paper.
"Akemashite o-medetō, O-kami-sama."
Keiichi managed to pronounce the words without stuttering.
Setting Satako down Haku reverently repeat the words and returned his bow.
"Happiness on the opening of a new year, Keiichi-san."
Frowning as if confused by their exchange, Satako bobbed a short bow to the priest, glancing at Haku again and again as she tried to mimic his motions. Shyly she hid behind his knees as the young priest bowed to her with a faint smile before he crossed the threshold and offered the branch again. This Haku accepted graciously, bowing only to have Keiichi hastily bow in return. Haku was obligated to bow in return. After he and Keiichi exchanged yet another bout of bows Satako giggled. Finally the young priest pushed his glasses back up his nose and addressed Haku directly.
"My grandfather has had hatsuyume, O-kami-sama. It is his will that I should bring you tidings of his vision."
Haku found himself frowning.
The first dream of the New Year was a powerful omen.
That the elder priest should choose to share it with him was not to be taken lightly.
"What is it that Goshiro-san has seen, young priest?"
Sweat had begun to bead on Keiichi's upper lip.
As he bowed again his glasses slipped right back down his nose.
"Grandfather has seen a mountain gorge full of enormous granite boulders. One is shaped like folding screen. Another is shaped like a pair of scissors. Others balance and pile as if placed by demons. Above it is a reservoir. There are mountains in the distance capped by snow. Do you know this place, O-kami-sama? Grandfather said you would know it."
Strangely, Haku was more than familiar with this place.
Humans built the reservoir right next to Yubaba's Spirit World crossing.
It flooded through at night when the boundaries between the worlds became thin.
The piles of stone in the gorge belonged to the Oni who guarded the original crossing, a cavern tunnel that wound deep into the hills. Yubaba hired the oni to clear and widen that tunnel so unsightly coal could enter by train unseen by the Gods. It was through this tunnel the Forgotten escaped past the river that once held it back.
"I am familiar with the Oni Rocks of Mizunami City."
Keiichi bowed again as if out of nervous habit.
It took every ounce of Haku's self control not to bow back.
"Grandfather cautions you to walk the Nakasendo with care when you seek the counsel of the oracle there, O-kami-sama. He says the stones are tired of being trodden by ungrateful feet. They have grown angry and may turn against travelers."
Haku went perfectly still as again that road rose to haunt him.
His thoughts flew back through time.
Back at the foot of the hill where Chihiro's parents home still stood.
Beneath the branches of the old hinoki whose stones houses held no Gods.
Along the ancient cobbles that led to a gate that still bridged the worlds.
Strange that this journey should begin where it had once before.
CHIHIRO
Chihiro crouched at the corner of the slider of the women's changing room.
Bozu had left the sliding door to the men's side open.
That meant she could clearly eavesdrop on everything that was going on inside.
Megumi was leaning against the wall beside her listening just as intently.
Obviously uncomfortable, she fidgeted with the belt of her yukata.
"Do you do this a lot?"
Chihiro glanced at her before going back to listening at a crack in the door.
"Gods don't talk much. You gotta find other ways to figure out what's going on."
Megumi blinked rapidly as Haku's voice filtered from afar.
At once She was pulling on Chihiro's sleeve, fixing her with a demanding stare.
"You saw Kazue-sensei?"
Scowling now, Chihiro pulled the fabric out of her grip. All this was way too complicated to explain, especially how much that woman had managed to pissed Chihiro off. All the same, listening to Jae shout angrily in the opposite room, Chihiro watched Megumi's face tightened with anger and dismay. Gritting her teeth, she forced herself to reveal the other half of that truth, if only for their sake.
"It's not as simple as Jae makes it out to be," Chihiro offered grudgingly, "Kazue didn't abandon you."
Megumi's attention jerked back to her at that.
Already Chihiro could see the questions brewing in the woman's pale eyes.
Chihiro offered the answer because Meg could ask it.
"I don't know how much she knew. She did know what Haku is the moment she saw him. She strategically placed you in Haku's path because she knew he'd take care of you when all this went down."
Megumi looked back at her with a stare so intense it could've cut steel.
"How did she know!"
Chihiro shrugged in exasperation.
"Kazue's like me. Apparently she's wrapped up in all this God stuff."
Chihiro fell silent as Kenka started yelling.
She blinked and blinked because he didn't seem like the yelling type.
It was what Haku had to say in response that knocked Chihiro back onto her heels.
All at once she was forced face to face with the time she and her parents lost back in the summer of 2001. Three days she'd spent in Yubaba's Bath house. But those three days in the Spirit World panned out into weeks and week of human time. She'd lost her entire summer vacation. But even more terrifying had been the six months Haku spent wandering after being freed from his bargain with Yubaba. That had become almost ten years of her human lifetime. There was no way to know how long they would be forced to spend in the Spirit World once they crossed. Like Haku said, it could be months or even years of human time before they returned.
Stunned, Chihiro was forced face to face with the consequences.
To everyone in her mortal life if would seem like she just disappeared.
Her parents, Lydia, everyone who didn't know about the second life she'd chosen.
She would just disappear.
Yanked back to the present Chihiro flinched as Jae shouted distantly. Megumi gave a violent start as Jae talked about her in not so nice terms. Megumi's face went completely blank as she sank to a seat on the floor beside Chihiro. Scrambling to make room for her Chihiro gritted her teeth as she watched stunned tears of outrage gather in the woman's eyes. And it was only because of what Kenka told her that Chihiro understood why Megumi was so upset. Anyone else probably would've thought that the two of them hated each other's guts. They probably did hate each other's guts. But as usual, that was only half the story.
Megumi wasn't the only one upset either. Chihiro jolted as Satako was shouting in dismay. She jerked away from the door as it rattled loudly. Wind surged around the frame as abruptly the girl's voice tapered off. Again Chihiro scrambled out of the way as Megumi threw herself to her feet and hauled open the slider. It violently slammed against the adjacent wall, jumping and screeching in its tracks, making the entire bath wing shake. Across the way through the open door to the men's changing room Chihiro watched as Kenka and Jae jumped and skittered just like the sliding door.
Heat flooded her face as she realized they were only wearing towels.
"Oh, shit!" Jae muttered beneath his breath as he watched Megumi stalked by.
Clutching his towel around his waist he ran after her.
"Meg! Megumi, wait!"
"Fuck you, peasant!" Megumi shouted furiously.
Chouchin darted out into the hall curiously following the sounds of their voices.
Sitting there completely exposed Chihiro blinked as Bozu waved at her.
Red in the face and feeling like an idiot, she waved back.
Kenka was smirking at her as he placed his hands on his hips.
All at once she was studying his feet as her face burned.
He was way too cut and she was staring.
"Are you spying again, Chihiro?"
She cringed guiltily.
"Sorry."
Kenka chuckled, coming over to offer his hand, helping her upright.
"Thanks," Chihiro muttered.
Tucking her hair behind her ears she went back to staring at his toes until Chouchin came tearing back down the hall crackling incandescent red. Kenka yanked her out of the way as Jae came sprinting back down the hall. Chihiro squealed and slapped her hands over her eyes as she realized he was butt naked!
"Ah!" Bozu screeched indignantly, "Why is foul-mouthed human naked!"
"Dude!" Kenka exclaimed as if not sure if he should be pissed or laugh.
Chihiro peeked only to find him still nude and rummaging in the cabinet.
Dancing from foot to foot uncomfortably she closed her eyes for good measure.
Why was her house full of naked, naked men!
Jae chortled breathlessly.
"Man! She took my towel to make me go away! Can you believe it! I didn't think she'd have the balls! But she didn't even blush or nothing!"
Kenka sighed in exasperation.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Jae crowed nastily, "Look what the cat dragged in."
Jerking back her hands Chihiro watched as Michio sulked down the hall. Wait… She was wearing guy's clothes! Suddenly she had a terrible vision of some poor fellow waking up naked only to find his clothes stolen. Tossing her bundled kimono onto the floor in the woman's bath wing, Michio gingerly planted herself on the edge of the bench in the woman's changing room before finally glowering across the hall at Jae like she wanted to bite his head off.
"Fuck you, asshole."
Jae laughed, completely nonplussed by her crass greeting.
At least he was dressed now, wearing one of Onsen's indigo yukata.
"Like I said, sweetheart; happy to oblige anytime."
"Really?" Michio threw back archly, "Because if you hadn't gotten such a hard on for that magic bullshit last night you could've gotten lucky instead of that skinny guy serving drinks downstairs at the bar."
That shut Jae up. He blinked rapidly opening and closing his mouth only to go stock still in surprise as Michio pulled her shirt over her head so she could read the name tag still pinned on the shirt pocket. She wasn't wearing anything underneath.
"Hey, Chihiro? D'you know anybody named Matsuyama?"
With every inch of her face on fire Chihiro scrambled forward and hauled the sliding door to the woman's changing room closed behind her. But before Chihiro could bitch her out Michio dropped the shirt and lurched to her feet, staggering to the door leading to the toilet. Dumping onto the green tiles inside the tiny room she tore up the seat and puked her guts out into the bowl. As she continued to hurl and wretch Chihiro went and got a glass of water from the sink. This she placed on the ground within reaching distance as Michio hung from the edge of the toilet gasping for air and making all kinds of unhappy sounds.
"You okay?" Chihiro murmured gently.
Michio shuddered violently, turning her face away.
"Fuck off."
Chihiro snorted mildly.
"Happy New Year to you too."
"Just go away, Chihiro," Michio slurred morosely, "I'm still drunk and pissed and I don't want to do anything else I regret."
Ah. So that explained the shirt incident. Sitting back on her heels Chihiro looked on feeling more than sorry for her friend. Gods, she was such a mess. At least she wasn't wearing a shirt. But at least whatever hadn't ended up in the toilet bowl would at least wash off. Scooting into the stall Chihiro tried to extricate her friend from the floor.
"C'mon, Michi. Let's get you cleaned up."
Lurching sideways she sprawled, pined herself between the wall and the toilet.
"Are you stupid or somethin'! I told you t'go away!"
Exasperated, Chihiro was pulling on her arm again.
"I'm just trying to help! Gods, you're such a mess!"
Michio resisted, snarling as she ripped herself free.
Reeling back her fist she punched Chihiro in the mouth.
It knocked her backwards onto the carpet so hard she saw stars.
She could taste blood in her mouth as she flopped onto her side.
"I don't want your fucking help! I don't need you! I don't want any of this shit!"
Chihiro could barely hear Michio over the ringing in her ears.
Heaving herself upright Chihiro lurched away.
Hauling the sliding door open she stumbled into the hall.
Bright light flooded through the sliders, blinding her momentarily.
She tripped on the ledge leading into the welcome station.
She would've fallen if Suzume hadn't caught her.
Chihiro ran right into the fox. Stunned and numb, Chihiro stared up at him as the fox gently lifted her chin with his frozen hand. His uneven hair fell around his face in a white curtain to match his simple colorless robes. Only his feral gold eyes held color. They burned with silent fury as he stared at the blood on her mouth. Panic surged in her chest as he turned toward the bath wing.
"She didn't mean it!"
Chihiro hissed through her teeth even though it hurt like hell! But even as she caught his arm and pulled with all her might her bare feet squeaked against the boards, burning with hot friction as he dragged her down the hall. Suzume growled beneath his breath. The sound made her insides scramble up into her throat on a surge of terror as her knees all but dissolved.
Because he didn't have to obey to her anymore.
All the same she pleaded with him to listen.
"Please, Suzume!"
Abruptly the fox came to a halt as her voice went shrill.
Suzume barked low and sharp, making her jump.
He chewed the words as if trying to tear them to pieces.
"She drew blood, child!"
Even though it was no use Chihiro pulled him in the opposite direction.
All the same, she pulled insistently finding strange a calm in that moment.
Whatever it was made her words more than compelling.
It turned out to be truth.
"Whatever it is you plan to do or say nothing will come close to how bad she's going to feel when she sobers up. Just leave it, okay?"
For some reason he flinched as if what she'd said had struck him.
Glancing up she found his pale face stricken with distant memory.
Without another word the fox turned.
Threading his arm around her waist Suzume briskly marshaled her up the front stairs and into Mrs. Nikkou's room. She stumbled along as directed because she really didn't have much of a choice. As the door closed behind them, folding the room in an obscuring darkness, the fox eased her to a seat on the foot of the old woman's bed. The cat was curled into a tight knot on one of the corners. She woke with a violent start, bristling out as she shied from with wide eyed surprise.
Ignoring Cinna, Suzume sat seiza at Chihiro's feet. Leaning close, he took hold of her chin with his frozen hand. Even after all this time it still smelled faintly of burned charcoal. Camphor and sweet, musty, spicy things almost like incense; she loved the way Suzume smelled. Chihiro obeyed as he tipped it back, trying not to cringe as carefully he drew a finger across the split in her lip. It stung like a bitch, making her squirm and grit her teeth! But he held onto her chin as she resisted, making her jaw ache. Chihiro stared at his face, fixating to endure the pain.
The fox's features tightened with concentration.
She'd forgotten how handsome he was.
His eerie golden eyes flashed as an electric shock jumped between them.
Sitting back Suzume released her chin and the breath he had been holding.
Frowning mildly, he wiped at her mouth with the corner of his sleeve.
Chihiro blinked rapidly as the pain in her mouth was gone.
Her lip tingled eerily, making the burn on her thigh give a sympathetic tickle.
She wiggled her jaw experimentally and found it didn't hurt
Unfortunately there wasn't anything the fox could do for the ache in her chest.
Disappointment burned in her heart like an open wound. It hurt way more than any punch to the face. Numbly Chihiro reminded herself this was the way Michio coped with things she couldn't handle. Chihiro would never understand why Michio felt like she had to prove she didn't need anyone or anything when really the opposite was true. It was obvious that Michio was scared stupid of losing people she cared about. But the moment someone looked like they might actually stick around Michio would self-sabotage. Invariable she'd get drunk and gather up the things she cared about most so she could try to break them. Usually this took shape as epic screaming matches that involved throwing Tetris blocks. But no matter how loud she yelled, no matter what kind of messed up stuff Michio summoned to taunt her with, Chihiro could always see through her antagonism to the bitter fear motivating her friend.
But this was this was the first time Michio'd ever hit her.
This time Michio drew blood.
Chihiro's insides tightened with cold as premonition brewed over her head.
Something had changed between them; something irreversible.
Not knowing what it was scared Chihiro stupid.
Cinna padded over and rubbed her face against her back. Chihiro blinked in surprise realizing fat tears were rolling down her cheeks. The cat hugged her from behind, purring and purring until Chihiro was vibrating with her affection. Cinna rubbed her face back and forth against the top of her head with such exuberance Chihiro found herself wincing again. Hastily she wiped at her cheeks fighting a frail smile. It was hard to cry when a cat was mauling you with affection.
"Enough, Okesa." Suzume commanded gently.
Cinna released Chihiro only to curl up around her still purring, plucking and kneading the quilt with her claws. The fox stood, bowing at the altar before crossing the room. Glancing at the memorial Chihiro stared at Reika's photo. The old woman beamed out of the frame over the edge of her gold rimmed glasses, pulling Chihiro's heart into a tight knot of sadness. Then the fox emerged from the closet full of memories. Reverently he carried a medium-sized box. It wasn't quite a suitcase but it wasn't a trunk either. This he placed at her feet without further explanation.
"That is for you, child. I should have given it to you sooner."
Cinna went bolt still as she caught sight of the box, fur standing on end and eyes dilating until the red of her irises disappeared. At once she sprinted from the room with a violent hiss. The only evidence of her passing was a gust of air and the sound of the door snicking shut. Chihiro jittered sideways, looking back and forth between the door and the fox in open-mouthed surprise before gesturing after the cat.
"W-what was that about!"
Suzume sighed in aggravation, turning away to pace as he said nothing.
Baffled and intrigued, Chihiro pulled the box closer.
Her bell in her heart hummed sleepily as she found herself mesmerized by the fittings. The bronze was so old it'd turned completely green. The latch and the hinges were shaped like tiny oni, grimacing and glaring comically. Grabbing and turning the tongue of the oni that was the front lock, the mechanism clicked like a winding clock. Finally it snapped, darting inward so that the lip popped, lifting a fraction as the heady smell of camphor wood escaped the interior. Opening the top it the rest of the way open Chihiro gaped in surprise.
The mask inside flashed like a burst of liquid fire as it caught filters of sun. She hadn't seen the phoenix since summer matsuri. Mrs. Nikkou loaned it to her for the day. Looking at it now Chihiro realized it wasn't just any mask. It was made of magic, soaked through with the touch of the Spirit World. Lifting it out, she studied the gorgeous gold edges rounded by layers upon layers of cinnabar lacquer. Demurely the mask smiled secretively, the corners of the oculars and mouth curved up into curls to match the flowing feather motifs that gently shaped the brow into a comb outlined in solid gold leaf.
It was camphor wood.
She could smell the raw red scent emanating from its interior.
It almost felt hot beneath her fingers.
Unnerved, she sat it on the bed beside her only to find a wad of indigo rags neatly folded beneath. Thinking that it was just packing material Chihiro fished it out and was about to toss it aside. But then it fell open in her hands, revealing what she mistook for trash was actually a folded robe. Surprised, Chihiro shook it out only to find it was a narrow sleeved kimono patched together from hundreds of variegated strips of indigo cloth that had gone velvet to the touch with use. Some where delicately patterned, others were solid, some darker than black, other pale as forget-me-nots. Slowly her surprise turned to astonishment as she realized the patches were actually carefully pieced patterns. Her mouth fell open in awe as she realized the stitched motifs were actually foxfire! Twining blue flames coiled in licking tongues from every hem, collar, and cuff picked out in long lines of delicate white quilted stitching. More indigo fire danced in endless curls up the narrow sleeves and across the yoked shoulders.
Nothing she owned, not even the gorgeous kimono Onsen had loaned her, could compare to the coat's earthy texture and fascinating networks of stitchery. It had never occurred to her to do something like this. She'd never in her life even held a sewing needle. People just didn't save and reuse fabric like this anymore. They just threw away anything old, shabby, or unwanted. But the jacket had to be one of the most beautiful things she'd ever seen! She'd never seen anything like it!
Then Chihiro recognized one of the newest patches.
It was rougher than the other patches.
The color of the indigo dye was the brightest.
There was no mistaking Onsen's yukata fabric.
She wore it often enough to know it immediately.
Then all at once Chihiro understood. The jacket probably belonged to Mrs. Nikkou! Before her it probably belonged to Mrs. Nikkou's mom and her mom before it! Each woman must have made repairs and embellishments, adding a touch of their personal flair through the selection and placement of scraps from their used-up clothes, continuing the jacket's story as they stitched their mark into the jacket's fabric. The warp and weft buzzed with both age and magic. Chihiro gathered it close in her hands, breathing in the heady smell of camphor that clung to the fibers.
Tears of shame stung her eyes as she rubbed her nose in the cloth.
She held in her hands history itself.
And her first reaction was to call it trash.
Reverently laying the jacket aside she peered back into the box wondering what else was inside. Next she produced a pair of voluminous trousers ingeniously patched from dark and light fabric to form inverted chevron patterns across both legs. They were super cool and looked really comfy. Tucked into its folds was a pair of tabi and wide leg wrappings shed seen monks wear. Both were dyed in indigo so dark they were almost black. Binding these together was a narrow obi made of long thin strips of the palest blue quilted in close curling spirals of more dark indigo threads. Underneath these she found another set of robes made out of nubby cream-colored raw silk too soft and thin to be anything but underwear.
Here Chihiro paused as the bottom of the box seemed to grow further away. It became deeper and deeper until her whole arm disappeared inside. Slowly she drew out a long narrow envelope of lavishly brocaded fabric. Just touching it made her insides race and scramble with shudders of cold magic. Already she knew what was inside. Carefully she folded back the material with shaking fingers, holding her breath. Echoing with age, Mrs. Nikkou's bow and red fletched arrow gleamed in the dark. Slowly, as if afraid it might scold her for handling it improperly, Chihiro returned the bow and arrow it to their covering. With careful reverence she laid these on the bed beside her because there were still more things inside the endless fascinating box!
The next bundle let loose a muffled jingle that made Suzume shudder and shift. Inside Chihiro found an ancient red lacquered handle festooned at the hilt with five colored ribbons and embellished in tarnished metal fittings. Fed through the thick coiled wire were a score of greened bronze bells that just like the one's Kazue had used. Holding her breath Chihiro muffled it back up before carefully setting it down without making another sound. Next she found a long string of carnelian jewels shaped like commas. They looked just like the blue jewel Hidé gave her but bigger.
The last thing in the box was another drawstring bag. It was made of padded black silk as if to protect the globe shaped object inside. Whatever it was seemed hollow. It was extremely light. Untying the black ribbon she peered inside only to loose a violent shriek. Dropping it back into the box Chihiro jumped up, knocking right into Suzume.
It was a skull! A bleached human skull complete with jaw hinged in gold wire!
Pulling on Suzume's sleeves Chihiro pointed at thing in insistent horror.
"Enough, child!"
The fox batted at her hands, dislodging her panic as he growled irritably.
"Do not ask me what they do for I do not know! This is human magic, not kami. These belonged to Reika. Before her they belonged to her mother and her mother's mother. Now they, and the mysteries that accompany, belong to you."
Still in a panic she stared at the strange objects at a complete loss.
Taking a deep breath Chihiro fought to find calm, forcing herself to stillness.
Because she'd seen much worse than a human skull.
She could handle a bit of bone after what'd happened in the spider caverns. As if summoned by the thought her insides crawled in frozen horror as the she remembered the brittle pop of spider casings beneath the grinding motorcycle wheels. She could feel the cold flecks of wet the glistening tires threw up in her face; taste the stale musty air and smell the terrible sweet stink of burning flesh. At once sick to her stomach as the blood froze inside her veins, Chihiro remember that she'd killed things! Her fingers tips tingled with the searing memory of fire she'd rained into a chorus of shrill ghastly screams. She almost clamped her hands over her ears to stop the sounds inside her head!
Haunted by death she stared at the skull.
It looked back at her with hollow eyes.
Its two front teeth were missing making it grin with grisly humor.
Tightening her hands into fists Chihiro glared back because there was nothing funny about any of this! In a blinding rush of white-hot sorrow that made it hard to breathe Chihiro found herself wishing Mrs. Nikkou was still here. She would've been happy to see her creepy little-kid ghost even though the brat had all but pushed her off a cliff. Mrs. Nikkou seemed to think she had nothing left to teach her. Boy was she wrong.
True, Chihiro had experienced way more than the average human when it came to kami.
All the same, an idiot that kept their mouth shut was still an idiot.
She was beginning to get a handle on her fire. She didn't need a lighter to get it started anymore. But that didn't mean it worked all the time. Remembering the way her fire had fizzled out when Aki came after her in the shrine grotto Chihiro's insides went bleak with cold. Likewise, just because she didn't freak out around kami didn't mean she understood them. Chihiro was still trying to wrap her brain around how to be a functional human. Kami etiquette included a baffling set of protocols and rituals she knew absolutely nothing about. Her strained exchange with Kazue was evidence of that. Even though he tried really, really hard to help her understand, Haku was an inherently cryptic person. Lin was way better than him at explaining kami related stuff.
But Lin was gone; so was Mrs. Nikkou.
Chihiro'd lost both of her teachers.
It was becoming painfully obvious she was going to have to figure this out herself.
Suzume sighed, leading her back to a seat at the foot of the futon so he could stretch out on quilt as if exhausted. As he did the fox rolled over and made a pillow out of her knee. Chihiro jumped in surprise nearly dislodging him because his cheek was burning cold! Again Suzume sighed in gusty irritation as he settled once more, placing one of her hand on his hair, wordlessly encouraging her to smooth the tangled mess. Hastily she began running a hand over his head absently worrying if this counted as petting. But he didn't relax, not even as she carefully picked out the snarls, fanning the uneven mess of his pale silky mane out across her leg. She could feel the tension radiating from his body as finally he spoke.
"Tell me now, child."
Suzume demanded beneath his breath.
"Tell me what you saw of Hayashimi."
It was more of a plea than a command.
Chihiro's insides went cold as she realized she never did tell him what she saw. Taking a deep breath against the sudden surge of terror that filled her throat with a tight pinch, she closed her eyes. Even as her heart thrilled in her chest, she struggled to sort through the foggy flashes Sengen's mirror had dumped into her head. She tiptoed through the shards of light as if they were broken pieces of glass afraid her hands might come away red if she touched them. Already a strange premonition was creeping across her skin. Cold sweat headed on her upper lip as the bell hummed a low tone. She jolted in surprise as it sounded again in the ear of her mind.
Because it wasn't a bell; it was the hollow breathy far off whistle.
As her eyes flew open Chihiro gasped.
Suzume jolted upright beside her, seizing her by the arms.
His hands hurt as they squeezed, but she didn't feel
The ghost of an image flashed in the back of her eyes just for a second.
But with it the uncertainty that pushed her to do stupid things died in her heart.
Chihiro reached unconsciously for what she'd seen.
Her hand stretched to the east, pointing without realizing it.
It was the direction where she'd heard the whistle blow.
"Aki was right!"
Chihiro breathed in amazement.
"They're on that train!"