AN: Thanks for the wonderful reviews so far! You know reviews are an author's lifeblood. We need them to live. LIVE, I SAY! ... Ahem. Yes. Anyway, on with the story already!
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"So, my mother-"
"Worked in this bathhouse, yes. Everyone here knows the story of Sen... the old Sen. Chihiro. Her parents had been turned in to pigs, and she begged Yubaba for a job, so she could stay and try to help them. She helped many people, and grew up during that time. None of us were sure we'd ever hear from her again. And poor Haku-" Rin stopped talking, then shook her head. "No, it's not my place to talk about that. Anyway, obviously, Chihiro saved her parents, and returned with them to the human world."
The elevator ground to a halt, and I stepped off, following Rin to the next one. I got lost in my own thoughts again.
So you were here, mom. Why didn't you tell me about all this? And why were you so afraid that I'd wander in here myself? Is there something you don't want me to know?
Rin started speaking again once we were on the next elevator. "Recently, there's been a rash of misplacements here. There's a train, that takes spirits to the places where they're supposed to go, for eternity for a lot of them. But ghosts have begun popping up all over the place. Why, just yesterday, three spirits destined for hell just suddenly appeared in the bathhouse, and two raddish spirits got sent to Zeniba's place. At first it wasn't too bad, we could get things sorted out, but it's gotten steadily worse. We don't know what's going on, and Yubaba's about run herself ragged looking for the cause. Also, people have been dying before they're supposed to."
I looked over at her, the shock apparant on my face. "Before they're supposed to? Then that means... Maybe my parents weren't supposed to die after all!"
Rin gasped. "Dead? Chihiro's dead? Oh, Haku's not gonna be happy about this... When did it happen?"
"Just a few weeks ago... They died in a car wreck..." I could feel the tears well up in my eyes. I had promised myself before that I wouldn't cry anymore, but... it was so hard. I missed them both, so very much. I sniffled, trying to hold back a sob, and looked up when Rin put an arm around my shoulders.
"Hey there kid. It'll be okay."
The elevator stopped again, and Rin got off, gesturing for me to follow her. I rubbed my eyes, then hopped off the elevator before it could take me back down with it. My shoes made a soft clicking sound on the floor, and I registered the sound. I stopped, cursing softly to myself, and bent down to take off my shoes. I'd completely forgotten. Sending a quick apology to mom, my shoes clutched firmly in my right hand, and ignoring the amused look on Rin's face, I walked forward again.
We stopped in front of a pair of large doors. I looked up at the doors, then at Rin.
"This is as far as I go. I'll hold your shoes and wait out here. You'll have to go in by yourself."
I nodded, handing her my shoes, then walking up the few steps to the doors. I raised a hand, hesitated, then knocked. To my amazement, the doors flew open. I took a few steps inside, then felt something lift at me, tugging me forward. I was dragged, against my will, down through a series of rooms. I reached out, trying to grab on to something, but could never find any handholds. Even the doors were no help, too far away for me to reach.
I turned a corner, and was thrown in to a large room. Whatever it was that was pulling me along stopped, and I staggered forward, nearly falling. I caught myself though, a hand down on the carpet steadying me. I straightened up, slowly, brushing at the short black skirt and wishing my school uniform was a bit more practical.
"So, you're finally here. It's not nice to keep your elders waiting."
The new voice startled me, and I looked up. There was a large desk. Haku was standing next to it, looking at me with what seemed to be amusement, my satchel in his hands. What was behind the desk, though, drew my attention. It was a woman, but... the strangest woman I'd ever seen, even stranger than the spirits downstairs. At least they didn't make any pretentions of being human. But this woman here... I realized I was staring and quickly bowed, my hair falling in my face.
"I'm terribly sorry, Yubaba-san." I lifted my head, shaking it slightly to get my hair back in to place. "Rin was explaining some things to me on the way up here. But I must confess, I'm still a little confused. Why would I have anything to do with the spirit misplacements?"
Yubaba's eyes drifted to Haku before snapping back to me. "Your parents died recently, did they not?"
Haku's eyes widdened at this, then narrowed. I cleared my throat, tearing my gaze from him. "Yes, they did. But I still don't-"
"You have a strong tie with this world, Sen, as your mother did. I think you were sent here to help us." Yubaba stood, walking to the window and looking out. "Try as I might, I can't find the cause of all this. Even... Zeniba... hasn't been able to find anything."
Rin had told me that both Yubaba and her sister, Zeniba, were powerful witches. I clasped my hands in front of me, twisting them together. "I don't understand. How am I supposed to help? I'm nothing special..." I'd always felt helpless, my whole life, dependent on others. How could I possibly do anything?
"Don't argue with me, girl. That may be the very reason why you can help us. You're an ordinary human, but even ordinary human's are special. Especially you. Because your mother was here, spent time here, I think that's why you have a tie to this place."
Yubaba turned around, looking at me, then at Haku. "Haku, take care of Sen. Maybe if you figure this out, you can get your wish."
Wish? What was this? But when I looked at the dark haired boy, his expression was unreadable. He bowed to Yubaba, then turned and walked over to me. It was clear we'd been dismissed, and I bowed hurridly before Haku got ahold of my wrist and dragged me out.
I swore, by the end of this whole thing, my wrist wouldn't be there anymore.
"So, my mother-"
"Worked in this bathhouse, yes. Everyone here knows the story of Sen... the old Sen. Chihiro. Her parents had been turned in to pigs, and she begged Yubaba for a job, so she could stay and try to help them. She helped many people, and grew up during that time. None of us were sure we'd ever hear from her again. And poor Haku-" Rin stopped talking, then shook her head. "No, it's not my place to talk about that. Anyway, obviously, Chihiro saved her parents, and returned with them to the human world."
The elevator ground to a halt, and I stepped off, following Rin to the next one. I got lost in my own thoughts again.
So you were here, mom. Why didn't you tell me about all this? And why were you so afraid that I'd wander in here myself? Is there something you don't want me to know?
Rin started speaking again once we were on the next elevator. "Recently, there's been a rash of misplacements here. There's a train, that takes spirits to the places where they're supposed to go, for eternity for a lot of them. But ghosts have begun popping up all over the place. Why, just yesterday, three spirits destined for hell just suddenly appeared in the bathhouse, and two raddish spirits got sent to Zeniba's place. At first it wasn't too bad, we could get things sorted out, but it's gotten steadily worse. We don't know what's going on, and Yubaba's about run herself ragged looking for the cause. Also, people have been dying before they're supposed to."
I looked over at her, the shock apparant on my face. "Before they're supposed to? Then that means... Maybe my parents weren't supposed to die after all!"
Rin gasped. "Dead? Chihiro's dead? Oh, Haku's not gonna be happy about this... When did it happen?"
"Just a few weeks ago... They died in a car wreck..." I could feel the tears well up in my eyes. I had promised myself before that I wouldn't cry anymore, but... it was so hard. I missed them both, so very much. I sniffled, trying to hold back a sob, and looked up when Rin put an arm around my shoulders.
"Hey there kid. It'll be okay."
The elevator stopped again, and Rin got off, gesturing for me to follow her. I rubbed my eyes, then hopped off the elevator before it could take me back down with it. My shoes made a soft clicking sound on the floor, and I registered the sound. I stopped, cursing softly to myself, and bent down to take off my shoes. I'd completely forgotten. Sending a quick apology to mom, my shoes clutched firmly in my right hand, and ignoring the amused look on Rin's face, I walked forward again.
We stopped in front of a pair of large doors. I looked up at the doors, then at Rin.
"This is as far as I go. I'll hold your shoes and wait out here. You'll have to go in by yourself."
I nodded, handing her my shoes, then walking up the few steps to the doors. I raised a hand, hesitated, then knocked. To my amazement, the doors flew open. I took a few steps inside, then felt something lift at me, tugging me forward. I was dragged, against my will, down through a series of rooms. I reached out, trying to grab on to something, but could never find any handholds. Even the doors were no help, too far away for me to reach.
I turned a corner, and was thrown in to a large room. Whatever it was that was pulling me along stopped, and I staggered forward, nearly falling. I caught myself though, a hand down on the carpet steadying me. I straightened up, slowly, brushing at the short black skirt and wishing my school uniform was a bit more practical.
"So, you're finally here. It's not nice to keep your elders waiting."
The new voice startled me, and I looked up. There was a large desk. Haku was standing next to it, looking at me with what seemed to be amusement, my satchel in his hands. What was behind the desk, though, drew my attention. It was a woman, but... the strangest woman I'd ever seen, even stranger than the spirits downstairs. At least they didn't make any pretentions of being human. But this woman here... I realized I was staring and quickly bowed, my hair falling in my face.
"I'm terribly sorry, Yubaba-san." I lifted my head, shaking it slightly to get my hair back in to place. "Rin was explaining some things to me on the way up here. But I must confess, I'm still a little confused. Why would I have anything to do with the spirit misplacements?"
Yubaba's eyes drifted to Haku before snapping back to me. "Your parents died recently, did they not?"
Haku's eyes widdened at this, then narrowed. I cleared my throat, tearing my gaze from him. "Yes, they did. But I still don't-"
"You have a strong tie with this world, Sen, as your mother did. I think you were sent here to help us." Yubaba stood, walking to the window and looking out. "Try as I might, I can't find the cause of all this. Even... Zeniba... hasn't been able to find anything."
Rin had told me that both Yubaba and her sister, Zeniba, were powerful witches. I clasped my hands in front of me, twisting them together. "I don't understand. How am I supposed to help? I'm nothing special..." I'd always felt helpless, my whole life, dependent on others. How could I possibly do anything?
"Don't argue with me, girl. That may be the very reason why you can help us. You're an ordinary human, but even ordinary human's are special. Especially you. Because your mother was here, spent time here, I think that's why you have a tie to this place."
Yubaba turned around, looking at me, then at Haku. "Haku, take care of Sen. Maybe if you figure this out, you can get your wish."
Wish? What was this? But when I looked at the dark haired boy, his expression was unreadable. He bowed to Yubaba, then turned and walked over to me. It was clear we'd been dismissed, and I bowed hurridly before Haku got ahold of my wrist and dragged me out.
I swore, by the end of this whole thing, my wrist wouldn't be there anymore.