Haku stopped in one of the rooms. I almost ran in to him again, but this time I was paying attention. He turned around to face me, and the way that he looked... It made me so sad, although I didn't know why.
"So, she's dead. How? When?"
I was about to tell him it was none of his business, but instead I found myself telling him what he wanted to know, basically the same thing I'd told Rin earlier.
"She's gone... I can't believe it. I never even... got to keep my promise... I thought that I still had time..." He sighed, then shook his head. "No matter. I can't change it." He looked down at his other hand, then held it out. He was still holding my satchel. I took it, my fingers brushing against his for a brief second. As soon as I had it, Haku started walking again, practically dragging me behind him. I couldn't help but wonder why he was so upset at it, although if what mom had told me before...
"I love your father, Sen, never doubt that, but I want to tell you something... About a boy I once knew. Haku. I loved him... He was my first love. For years after I met him, I kept my childish wish that we would one day be together, forever. But, as they always do, wishes and dreams faded away. He never came... Then I met your father my first day at the university, and it was love at first sight. I'll never forget that day..."
So mom, you loved Haku... And he loved you back. But what happened? Why did he never come get you? Was he stuck here for some reason? It's all so confusing... I wish you were here. I know you could help.
We reached Rin, the big double doors slamming shut behind us. I jumped, startled at the noise, and Haku let go of my wrist, stalking towards the elevator. Rin just looked at me, shrugged, handed me my shoes, and followed him. I let out a heavy sigh, then hurried after them both.
"Rin," Haku started, stepping in to the elevator, Rin and myself behind him, "get back to work. I'll take care of Sen."
The girl gave him a strange look, but nodded. When the elevator stopped on a floor I hadn't seen before, Haku got off, then gestured for me to do the same. I looked back at Rin, giving her a half-hearted smile, then got off. The elevator continued on its journey down. I stepped back, then looked around. I was in a hallway, dimly lit. Haku was already halfway down it, and I jogged to catch up, my bare feet hardly making a sound on the marble floor. He turned the corner, stopping in front of a door.
"You can stay here for the night. My room's right down the hall," pointing down to the other end of the hall, "so if you need anything, come to me first. Get some rest, we'll leave tomorrow morning."
I was about to ask where exactly we'd be going, but he brushed past me before I could get the words out. I turned to watch him leave, and he stopped in front of the elevator before descending on it. I couldn't tell if he had looked back at me or not. I figured that he hadn't.
I looked at the doors in front of me, then placed a trembling hand on one of the knobs. Turning it, I pushed, suprised at the heaviness. I managed to get the door open, though, and went inside. The room was brightly lit, and just as ornate and richly decorated as the rest of the bathhouse. There was a door on my left, probably leading to the bathroom. A fireplace lined the opposite wall, a fire roaring dimly in the hearth.
I closed the door behind me, walking forward, slowly. A rich carpet cradled my feet, a deep burgandy color with swirls of gold and green. But my eyes were fixated on what was in front of me. A towering four poster bed, big enough to fit five people comfortably.
I dropped my satchel and shoes down on the stool in front of the bed, then walked around to the side of it. I pressed down on the mattress and found it to be suprisingly soft. Mustering up my courage, I turned, then hopped up on the bed, sinking in and falling back at the same time. It was like... heaven. And for some reason, for the first time since my parents' death, I felt completely at home. My eyelids felt heavy all of a sudden, and I barely crawled under the covers before I drifted off to sleep.
*****
"So, she's the one who's going to fix things. I don't know, Zeniba. You know how much trouble her mother was..."
Yubaba turned from the window to look at the apparition of her sister. Zeniba just rolled her eyes.
"Yubaba, her mother was very special, moreso than anyone realized at the time. Even Haku didn't know... And she left Sen the hairtie, and you know what that means."
Yubaba sighed, nodding her head. "I know. I just... don't know. Do you really have that much faith in Sen? If she messes up, even a little-"
"Yes, yes. I'm sure it won't come to that. And I do have faith in Sen. She's just like her mother. When she comes to realize her potential, there will be nothing that can stand in her way."
"I don't know if she can, though. Especially without Haku's support. You saw the way he reacted to her." Yubaba patted her hair, moving around the desk. "Haku's had it hard since Chihiro left, and finding out that she's dead couldn't have helped matters any. But he'll have to put that all aside if this is going to work. Sen can not fail."
Zeniba nodded. "I agree, sister. I must go now. I have things to attend to before they arrive here. You'll take care of things over there, right?"
"When have you known me to slack off in anything? Go, go, things here will be fine. You just make sure you do your part." Yubaba smiled as her sister faded away, then sighed and shook her head. This was going to be harder than she thought. She never expected Haku to react like that... It was going to make things very hard.
Patting her hair again, she moved back to the window, looking out. The train was running, far below. Tomorrow, they would be on that train, on their way to help save two worlds. And neither had a clue how big this really was.
Haku was not going to be happy.
"So, she's dead. How? When?"
I was about to tell him it was none of his business, but instead I found myself telling him what he wanted to know, basically the same thing I'd told Rin earlier.
"She's gone... I can't believe it. I never even... got to keep my promise... I thought that I still had time..." He sighed, then shook his head. "No matter. I can't change it." He looked down at his other hand, then held it out. He was still holding my satchel. I took it, my fingers brushing against his for a brief second. As soon as I had it, Haku started walking again, practically dragging me behind him. I couldn't help but wonder why he was so upset at it, although if what mom had told me before...
"I love your father, Sen, never doubt that, but I want to tell you something... About a boy I once knew. Haku. I loved him... He was my first love. For years after I met him, I kept my childish wish that we would one day be together, forever. But, as they always do, wishes and dreams faded away. He never came... Then I met your father my first day at the university, and it was love at first sight. I'll never forget that day..."
So mom, you loved Haku... And he loved you back. But what happened? Why did he never come get you? Was he stuck here for some reason? It's all so confusing... I wish you were here. I know you could help.
We reached Rin, the big double doors slamming shut behind us. I jumped, startled at the noise, and Haku let go of my wrist, stalking towards the elevator. Rin just looked at me, shrugged, handed me my shoes, and followed him. I let out a heavy sigh, then hurried after them both.
"Rin," Haku started, stepping in to the elevator, Rin and myself behind him, "get back to work. I'll take care of Sen."
The girl gave him a strange look, but nodded. When the elevator stopped on a floor I hadn't seen before, Haku got off, then gestured for me to do the same. I looked back at Rin, giving her a half-hearted smile, then got off. The elevator continued on its journey down. I stepped back, then looked around. I was in a hallway, dimly lit. Haku was already halfway down it, and I jogged to catch up, my bare feet hardly making a sound on the marble floor. He turned the corner, stopping in front of a door.
"You can stay here for the night. My room's right down the hall," pointing down to the other end of the hall, "so if you need anything, come to me first. Get some rest, we'll leave tomorrow morning."
I was about to ask where exactly we'd be going, but he brushed past me before I could get the words out. I turned to watch him leave, and he stopped in front of the elevator before descending on it. I couldn't tell if he had looked back at me or not. I figured that he hadn't.
I looked at the doors in front of me, then placed a trembling hand on one of the knobs. Turning it, I pushed, suprised at the heaviness. I managed to get the door open, though, and went inside. The room was brightly lit, and just as ornate and richly decorated as the rest of the bathhouse. There was a door on my left, probably leading to the bathroom. A fireplace lined the opposite wall, a fire roaring dimly in the hearth.
I closed the door behind me, walking forward, slowly. A rich carpet cradled my feet, a deep burgandy color with swirls of gold and green. But my eyes were fixated on what was in front of me. A towering four poster bed, big enough to fit five people comfortably.
I dropped my satchel and shoes down on the stool in front of the bed, then walked around to the side of it. I pressed down on the mattress and found it to be suprisingly soft. Mustering up my courage, I turned, then hopped up on the bed, sinking in and falling back at the same time. It was like... heaven. And for some reason, for the first time since my parents' death, I felt completely at home. My eyelids felt heavy all of a sudden, and I barely crawled under the covers before I drifted off to sleep.
"So, she's the one who's going to fix things. I don't know, Zeniba. You know how much trouble her mother was..."
Yubaba turned from the window to look at the apparition of her sister. Zeniba just rolled her eyes.
"Yubaba, her mother was very special, moreso than anyone realized at the time. Even Haku didn't know... And she left Sen the hairtie, and you know what that means."
Yubaba sighed, nodding her head. "I know. I just... don't know. Do you really have that much faith in Sen? If she messes up, even a little-"
"Yes, yes. I'm sure it won't come to that. And I do have faith in Sen. She's just like her mother. When she comes to realize her potential, there will be nothing that can stand in her way."
"I don't know if she can, though. Especially without Haku's support. You saw the way he reacted to her." Yubaba patted her hair, moving around the desk. "Haku's had it hard since Chihiro left, and finding out that she's dead couldn't have helped matters any. But he'll have to put that all aside if this is going to work. Sen can not fail."
Zeniba nodded. "I agree, sister. I must go now. I have things to attend to before they arrive here. You'll take care of things over there, right?"
"When have you known me to slack off in anything? Go, go, things here will be fine. You just make sure you do your part." Yubaba smiled as her sister faded away, then sighed and shook her head. This was going to be harder than she thought. She never expected Haku to react like that... It was going to make things very hard.
Patting her hair again, she moved back to the window, looking out. The train was running, far below. Tomorrow, they would be on that train, on their way to help save two worlds. And neither had a clue how big this really was.
Haku was not going to be happy.