*Exams have really put a damper on my story writing. Fortunately, Christmas Vacation is coming, meaning massive amounts of work to be accomplished on this fanfic! Thanks to StrawberriSkies, ChaosWing, and chiisuta for the additional reviews.*
Chapter 6- Atsuji's Explanations
As Kaonashi stood watching Senko float away, things were starting to click in his mind. This was a spirit world, and he had come here as punishment for murdering a man. He would have to purify himself to get out... something that didn't sound very appetizing. What had he to purify, anyway? Everybody had told him he was perfect during his lifetime. Everyone except that blasted Karochi. What made her such a powerful empress, anyway? However, his thoughts were cut short as a black spirit with a simple, yet smooth mask came floating over to him. Kaonashi didn't know exactly how, but he knew the spirit was Atsuji. He tried to keep his pride, but was ashamed at his new appearance, so he was not able to make a snide comment to the one he had murdered. Atsuji smiled with his mask, and extended a shadowy mass similar to an arm, and motioned for Kaonashi to take his hand. When Kaonashi did not respond to this gesture, he slowly withdrew his hand.
"Come on," Atsuji said, without his accent, Kaonashi noticed, "I'll show you to your place." With that, Atsuji led Kaonashi into the colorless house, and into his new life. Kaonashi had not expected the interior of the house to be so vastly awe-inspiring, especially judging from the dreary exterior. The room was the size of two entire courtyards, filled with people laughing, talking, and working. Some of them were hand sewing dolls and clothing, others were working at spinning wheels. Some were preparing food, and even carving statues out of stone. All of them were dark spirits. While Kaonashi was marveling the extent of the work the spirits were doing, Atsuji explained,
"This is the work room. Don't worry, it's not as bad as it looks. You only have to spend Monday and Tuesday here, the same work days as me. You will be working at the wheel."
"One problem, I don't know how to sew. That's the work of peasants!"
"Well, you're a peasant now, aren't you? Learning how to sew won't kill you... hah! You're already dead!"
"I cannot believe this is happening to me..."
"Well, you better start believing!" Atsuji chuckled a bit. "Now, you will have to work the wheel for forty-eight hours a week, starting Monday at twelve midnight and ending at twelve on Tuesday. That means all of Monday and all of Tuesday. Got it?"
"Yes..." Kaonashi said, rather disgusted at the amount of work he was facing.
"Good! Now, Wednesday is spent giving all of what you made away..."
"For cash?"
"No, of course not! What would spirits do with money, anyway? We give them out to those mortals who are poor in physical life. The giving of our time and efforts is to help us in the way of purifying."
"So, you're saying that if I work these 48 hours, and give all of the fruits of my labor away to those grimy po..." He had started the statement out angrily, but something inside of his spirit body contorted and contracted at his insult of the poor. He could feel something slimy and revolting growing from his statement, so he stopped mid sentence, and felt as though he had to gasp for breath. "...the p... poor... I'll become purer?"
"Yes, exactly. You're catching on quick!" Atsuji knew very well what Kaonashi was experiencing, for if it weren't for it, he would've insulted Kaonashi just then. "What you felt before were your impurities, growing with each acid, ignorant, and greedy thought and word you think and speak." He explained. "You're going to have to do this work to rid it from you."
"Whatever you say..." Kaonashi said acidly. Things seemed to be getting worse and worse by the moment for Kaonashi. The ball and chain that Karochi seemingly made for him seemed to be growing tighter and tighter...
"We enjoy Thursday off, which is also the only day the no-faced spirits actually have human bodies. Then Friday, Saturday, and Sunday it will be your job to read."
"Read?"
"You remember that library you spent your last minutes on Earth in?"
"Yes, I do."
"Well, you're going to have to read every single book within that library by the time you're through here."
"All those books? You must be joking..."
"Sorry. It's not my place to kid here. Not as though you don't have enough time to read them all!" Again, he gave a slight chuckle. "Actually, speaking of which, today is Friday! Reading will also help you towards your disappearance. Now come on, I'll take you to the library..." Atsuji started floating towards the golden building. "Oh, but there is one more thing I must tell you. The eight-armed sorcerer Kamaji gave us a rather short visit today, with a warning. Have you ever heard in legend about the bath house of Zeniiba and Yubaba?"
"Cannot say that I have. Why, is it real?"
"In the Spirit World, of course. Zeniiba and Yubaba are the twin daughters of Nagen. They built a bath house many years ago, and they would clean and feed rich spirits for a price over there. Yubaba kept the money safe and the evil spirits out, while Zeniiba would tend to all of them. It's been that way for ages. However, as Kamaji tells it, too many spirits were coming in, but instead of Yubaba helping her sister, she just sat back and made her do all the work! So Zeniiba and Yubaba got into a massive fight, and now Zeniiba lives in the forest regions of the outer Spirit World."
"...what does this have to do with anything?"
"I'm getting there!" Atsuji said impatiently. "So anyway, Yubaba has been tricking unclean spirits into signing their freedom away to work as slaves in her bath house! She promises them physical bodies, riches, and all sorts of things! But she lies! Kamaji came to warn us that she'd be coming for a visit soon, and to not believe a word she says."
"Whatever you say." They had finally reached the library. There were about seven other spirits there, all reading various tomes. Kaonashi grabbed a random book with a worn black cover and sat down with it. "Is there any way I can get out of this?"
"Well, on Sunday, none of us will have to work, because Master Kohaku River will be coming. It will be a celebration!"
"A celebration...?" said Kaonashi, skeptically.
"You can either come, or catch up on your reading. Your choice!" With that, Atsuji gave Kaonashi a wink with his mask, and picked up a book of his own to read. Then, after trying all of the doors and windows to find out for himself whether or not he could escape, Kaonashi decided to read his book, to keep himself from going mad, and too keep his mind off things.
Chapter 6- Atsuji's Explanations
As Kaonashi stood watching Senko float away, things were starting to click in his mind. This was a spirit world, and he had come here as punishment for murdering a man. He would have to purify himself to get out... something that didn't sound very appetizing. What had he to purify, anyway? Everybody had told him he was perfect during his lifetime. Everyone except that blasted Karochi. What made her such a powerful empress, anyway? However, his thoughts were cut short as a black spirit with a simple, yet smooth mask came floating over to him. Kaonashi didn't know exactly how, but he knew the spirit was Atsuji. He tried to keep his pride, but was ashamed at his new appearance, so he was not able to make a snide comment to the one he had murdered. Atsuji smiled with his mask, and extended a shadowy mass similar to an arm, and motioned for Kaonashi to take his hand. When Kaonashi did not respond to this gesture, he slowly withdrew his hand.
"Come on," Atsuji said, without his accent, Kaonashi noticed, "I'll show you to your place." With that, Atsuji led Kaonashi into the colorless house, and into his new life. Kaonashi had not expected the interior of the house to be so vastly awe-inspiring, especially judging from the dreary exterior. The room was the size of two entire courtyards, filled with people laughing, talking, and working. Some of them were hand sewing dolls and clothing, others were working at spinning wheels. Some were preparing food, and even carving statues out of stone. All of them were dark spirits. While Kaonashi was marveling the extent of the work the spirits were doing, Atsuji explained,
"This is the work room. Don't worry, it's not as bad as it looks. You only have to spend Monday and Tuesday here, the same work days as me. You will be working at the wheel."
"One problem, I don't know how to sew. That's the work of peasants!"
"Well, you're a peasant now, aren't you? Learning how to sew won't kill you... hah! You're already dead!"
"I cannot believe this is happening to me..."
"Well, you better start believing!" Atsuji chuckled a bit. "Now, you will have to work the wheel for forty-eight hours a week, starting Monday at twelve midnight and ending at twelve on Tuesday. That means all of Monday and all of Tuesday. Got it?"
"Yes..." Kaonashi said, rather disgusted at the amount of work he was facing.
"Good! Now, Wednesday is spent giving all of what you made away..."
"For cash?"
"No, of course not! What would spirits do with money, anyway? We give them out to those mortals who are poor in physical life. The giving of our time and efforts is to help us in the way of purifying."
"So, you're saying that if I work these 48 hours, and give all of the fruits of my labor away to those grimy po..." He had started the statement out angrily, but something inside of his spirit body contorted and contracted at his insult of the poor. He could feel something slimy and revolting growing from his statement, so he stopped mid sentence, and felt as though he had to gasp for breath. "...the p... poor... I'll become purer?"
"Yes, exactly. You're catching on quick!" Atsuji knew very well what Kaonashi was experiencing, for if it weren't for it, he would've insulted Kaonashi just then. "What you felt before were your impurities, growing with each acid, ignorant, and greedy thought and word you think and speak." He explained. "You're going to have to do this work to rid it from you."
"Whatever you say..." Kaonashi said acidly. Things seemed to be getting worse and worse by the moment for Kaonashi. The ball and chain that Karochi seemingly made for him seemed to be growing tighter and tighter...
"We enjoy Thursday off, which is also the only day the no-faced spirits actually have human bodies. Then Friday, Saturday, and Sunday it will be your job to read."
"Read?"
"You remember that library you spent your last minutes on Earth in?"
"Yes, I do."
"Well, you're going to have to read every single book within that library by the time you're through here."
"All those books? You must be joking..."
"Sorry. It's not my place to kid here. Not as though you don't have enough time to read them all!" Again, he gave a slight chuckle. "Actually, speaking of which, today is Friday! Reading will also help you towards your disappearance. Now come on, I'll take you to the library..." Atsuji started floating towards the golden building. "Oh, but there is one more thing I must tell you. The eight-armed sorcerer Kamaji gave us a rather short visit today, with a warning. Have you ever heard in legend about the bath house of Zeniiba and Yubaba?"
"Cannot say that I have. Why, is it real?"
"In the Spirit World, of course. Zeniiba and Yubaba are the twin daughters of Nagen. They built a bath house many years ago, and they would clean and feed rich spirits for a price over there. Yubaba kept the money safe and the evil spirits out, while Zeniiba would tend to all of them. It's been that way for ages. However, as Kamaji tells it, too many spirits were coming in, but instead of Yubaba helping her sister, she just sat back and made her do all the work! So Zeniiba and Yubaba got into a massive fight, and now Zeniiba lives in the forest regions of the outer Spirit World."
"...what does this have to do with anything?"
"I'm getting there!" Atsuji said impatiently. "So anyway, Yubaba has been tricking unclean spirits into signing their freedom away to work as slaves in her bath house! She promises them physical bodies, riches, and all sorts of things! But she lies! Kamaji came to warn us that she'd be coming for a visit soon, and to not believe a word she says."
"Whatever you say." They had finally reached the library. There were about seven other spirits there, all reading various tomes. Kaonashi grabbed a random book with a worn black cover and sat down with it. "Is there any way I can get out of this?"
"Well, on Sunday, none of us will have to work, because Master Kohaku River will be coming. It will be a celebration!"
"A celebration...?" said Kaonashi, skeptically.
"You can either come, or catch up on your reading. Your choice!" With that, Atsuji gave Kaonashi a wink with his mask, and picked up a book of his own to read. Then, after trying all of the doors and windows to find out for himself whether or not he could escape, Kaonashi decided to read his book, to keep himself from going mad, and too keep his mind off things.