AN: You guys are great. Keep the reviews coming. Reviews always gives me motivation to write. Also, I was thinking of making a sequel to this, and with the way I plan to end this one, it could very well happen. Tell me what you think! Would you like to see a sequel or not? Do you have any ideas for the sequel? As of yet, I only have a rough sketch of what I'd want to happen, so I'm still open to ideas for the sequel if I make one. Review and have your say!
*****
I ran over to the girl, my shoes clacking loudly on the train. I didn't notice, nor did I care. All I could see was Yoshiko, or the spirit of her, anyway. It hadn't even been a day since I'd last seen her. What could have possibly happened between now and then?
She was sitting in the back, alone. I practically flew past Haku, and he looked up, startled, but I just kept running, until I ran in to the seat in the back. I backed up a few steps, then sat down, heavily, next to my now-dead best friend.
"Yoshiko! YOSHIKO! You can't be dead! Why are you here? What happened?! Please, tell me!" I reached for her shoulders, but my hands went right through them. I hadn't realized it, but I was crying by now, the tears splashing coldly on my legs.
The shade of Yoshiko looked up at me, ever so slowly, then back down, as if she hadn't recognized me at all. I felt a hand on my arm, pulling me up and away, and I struggled.
"No! Leave me alone! I have to help Yoshiko!"
It was no use, the person was too strong. I turned around, coming face to face with Haku. Suprisingly, he didn't have his usual cold mask on. Instead, his eyes betrayed his pain, although I didn't know where it came from. I finally broke down, flinging my arms around him and pressing my head to his shoulder. I cried and cried, not even noticing when Haku put his arms around me.
"Hey Sen, it'll be okay. You can stay with us, alright? It'll be fun. We can be like sisters, maybe for real!"
"I don't know, Yoshiko... Are you sure your parents are okay with this?"
"They're fine with it. Sen, I'm your best friend. I'm not just going to abandon you! Silly girl."
Yoshiko... You were always there for me... and now you're dead. Why? What happened? What's going on?
I finally looked up, my crying abated. Haku just gave me a small, sad smile, taking one of my hands and leading me over to an empty space on a bench far from Yoshiko. Even when we sat down, he didn't let go of me. I didn't question it, just took comfort from it, while I could. I figured this side of Haku wouldn't be out for long, and then it'd be back to just business. How I wish it wasn't so.
The thought of it made me sad, and I couldn't explain why.
*****
I couldn't remember falling asleep, but apparantly I'd exhausted myself by crying, because the next thing I knew Haku was shaking my shoulders, gently.
"Come on Sen, we're here."
I looked around, blearily, rubbing my eyes. They were red rimmed and sore. I desperately wished for some cold water to splash on my face, but doubted I'd be getting any soon.
Picking up my satchel, I left the train with Haku. When I hopped down from the steps, I took a look around the platform. There was a line of spirits, heading down in to some sort of opening. Nothing else, just water all around us. The train took off, startling me. I turned to look at it, then turned back to look at Haku, my gaze questioning.
"It's the line to the sorting office," he said, grimly. It sounded as if he'd been here before. "We have to wait in line. As soon as we get in, we need to sneak past the desks and get in to the... main office. We have to seek out someone." I started to ask who, but Haku just shook his head.
"I can't tell you that. Come on. We don't have much time before we're discovered."
We moved to the back of the line. Slowly, we made our way inside, going down, down, down, in to the dark. My grip on Haku's hand tightened. He suprised me yet again by squeezing my hand, as if to reassure me that it would all be okay.
We finally got to the sorting office. There were hundreds of desks scattered around, all manned by shades similar to the spirits that were waiting to be sorted. I looked around and spotted Yoshiko, but Haku pulled me forward and I lost sight of her again. I hoped she'd be okay.
Yoshiko, please, wait for me. I promise, I'll get you out of here.
We weaved our way through the place, heading towards what I assumed to be the back of the huge office. Haku must have been using some sort of strong magic to get us through undetected. Either that, or the spirits just didn't care. In any case, we made it to the back. In front of us was a plain looking door. It had "Underworld" painted on the frosted glass. My heart rate increased, but Haku's presence kept me from bolting right then. I had to be brave. I had to do this. I couldn't back out, not if there was a chance to bring my parents back, and Yoshiko.
He looked around, then opened the door. We snuck through, and I closed it quietly behind us. When I turned around, what I saw made me gasp. It looked as if we were in some sort of large cavern, and there were spirits everywhere. We started moving forward again, pressing our way through the crowd. Haku seemed to know where he was going, and I trusted him. It was strange. I'd only known him not even a day, and I trusted him.
I don't know how long we walked, or how many spirits we past, but Haku just suddenly stopped, right in front of me. I ran in to him for the second time. At least I hadn't broken my nose yet.
"Why did you stop?" I whispered. In answer, he simply raised his arm, pointing. I followed it, and gasped, my eyes wide as saucers.
Standing right in front of me was my mother.
And for the first time in my life, I fainted.
I ran over to the girl, my shoes clacking loudly on the train. I didn't notice, nor did I care. All I could see was Yoshiko, or the spirit of her, anyway. It hadn't even been a day since I'd last seen her. What could have possibly happened between now and then?
She was sitting in the back, alone. I practically flew past Haku, and he looked up, startled, but I just kept running, until I ran in to the seat in the back. I backed up a few steps, then sat down, heavily, next to my now-dead best friend.
"Yoshiko! YOSHIKO! You can't be dead! Why are you here? What happened?! Please, tell me!" I reached for her shoulders, but my hands went right through them. I hadn't realized it, but I was crying by now, the tears splashing coldly on my legs.
The shade of Yoshiko looked up at me, ever so slowly, then back down, as if she hadn't recognized me at all. I felt a hand on my arm, pulling me up and away, and I struggled.
"No! Leave me alone! I have to help Yoshiko!"
It was no use, the person was too strong. I turned around, coming face to face with Haku. Suprisingly, he didn't have his usual cold mask on. Instead, his eyes betrayed his pain, although I didn't know where it came from. I finally broke down, flinging my arms around him and pressing my head to his shoulder. I cried and cried, not even noticing when Haku put his arms around me.
"Hey Sen, it'll be okay. You can stay with us, alright? It'll be fun. We can be like sisters, maybe for real!"
"I don't know, Yoshiko... Are you sure your parents are okay with this?"
"They're fine with it. Sen, I'm your best friend. I'm not just going to abandon you! Silly girl."
Yoshiko... You were always there for me... and now you're dead. Why? What happened? What's going on?
I finally looked up, my crying abated. Haku just gave me a small, sad smile, taking one of my hands and leading me over to an empty space on a bench far from Yoshiko. Even when we sat down, he didn't let go of me. I didn't question it, just took comfort from it, while I could. I figured this side of Haku wouldn't be out for long, and then it'd be back to just business. How I wish it wasn't so.
The thought of it made me sad, and I couldn't explain why.
I couldn't remember falling asleep, but apparantly I'd exhausted myself by crying, because the next thing I knew Haku was shaking my shoulders, gently.
"Come on Sen, we're here."
I looked around, blearily, rubbing my eyes. They were red rimmed and sore. I desperately wished for some cold water to splash on my face, but doubted I'd be getting any soon.
Picking up my satchel, I left the train with Haku. When I hopped down from the steps, I took a look around the platform. There was a line of spirits, heading down in to some sort of opening. Nothing else, just water all around us. The train took off, startling me. I turned to look at it, then turned back to look at Haku, my gaze questioning.
"It's the line to the sorting office," he said, grimly. It sounded as if he'd been here before. "We have to wait in line. As soon as we get in, we need to sneak past the desks and get in to the... main office. We have to seek out someone." I started to ask who, but Haku just shook his head.
"I can't tell you that. Come on. We don't have much time before we're discovered."
We moved to the back of the line. Slowly, we made our way inside, going down, down, down, in to the dark. My grip on Haku's hand tightened. He suprised me yet again by squeezing my hand, as if to reassure me that it would all be okay.
We finally got to the sorting office. There were hundreds of desks scattered around, all manned by shades similar to the spirits that were waiting to be sorted. I looked around and spotted Yoshiko, but Haku pulled me forward and I lost sight of her again. I hoped she'd be okay.
Yoshiko, please, wait for me. I promise, I'll get you out of here.
We weaved our way through the place, heading towards what I assumed to be the back of the huge office. Haku must have been using some sort of strong magic to get us through undetected. Either that, or the spirits just didn't care. In any case, we made it to the back. In front of us was a plain looking door. It had "Underworld" painted on the frosted glass. My heart rate increased, but Haku's presence kept me from bolting right then. I had to be brave. I had to do this. I couldn't back out, not if there was a chance to bring my parents back, and Yoshiko.
He looked around, then opened the door. We snuck through, and I closed it quietly behind us. When I turned around, what I saw made me gasp. It looked as if we were in some sort of large cavern, and there were spirits everywhere. We started moving forward again, pressing our way through the crowd. Haku seemed to know where he was going, and I trusted him. It was strange. I'd only known him not even a day, and I trusted him.
I don't know how long we walked, or how many spirits we past, but Haku just suddenly stopped, right in front of me. I ran in to him for the second time. At least I hadn't broken my nose yet.
"Why did you stop?" I whispered. In answer, he simply raised his arm, pointing. I followed it, and gasped, my eyes wide as saucers.
Standing right in front of me was my mother.
And for the first time in my life, I fainted.