A/N: woah. People want me to continue this? But of COURSE the lot of ya do!
BUAHAHAHAHAA, no I don't plan on getting Chihiro you-know-what, of COURSE
Haku is going to show up and save the day, and I AM INSANE!!!!! You know,
just to warn you, in case something weird freaks you out... *coughs* by the
way, does anybody know Haku's full Japanese name? I guessed in here from a
secondary source. Tell me if I got it wrong, KK?
Chapter Started: 5/3/03
Chapter Finished: 5/3/03
Like, the day after the last chap, ya? At the Bathhouse
Third Person POV
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"Alright everybody! We've got an important guest coming, so I want this place spick and span!" Yubaba screamed at the top of her voice. "HURRY UP! HE'LL BE HERE ANY MINUTE!!! Haku, WHERE IS HAKU??!?"
"I think I saw him in the garden, Madame," a frog worker said through the hustle and bustle of everybody trying to get everything perfect.
"Oh, Hell," Yubaba swore. "that boy. Fine. I'll go get him MYSELF." She began to walk out, but then stopped and whipped around. "WHY ISN'T THIS PLACE PERFECT YET??!?!?!? IT HAD BETTER BE BY THE TIME I GET BACK!!!!"
THEN she left.
Meanwhile, Haku WAS in the garden, but he wasn't prancing around and singing to the world about how much he loved and missed Chihiro like one might expect (everybody knew about the "mutual affection" between Haku and Chihiro). He was, instead, just wandering around.
If one didn't know better, they might think him lost.
He wasn't.
This was how Yubaba found him.
"There you are!" she huffed. "listen up, we have an important guest coming any minute, now. And with out lack of workers and all, he is willing to discuss terms with which to obtain more employees for the Aburaya."
After Chihiro had left, and Haku had become Yubaba's assistant and not apprentice, a lot of workers had quit and left. They wanted to BE served, not serve themselves. But a lot had stayed. It was their home.
Haku still had all of his before duties, as he was Yubaba's assistant, but he also had some free time. He usually spent this brooding over how to get to Chihiro without rumors becoming unbearable.
"Who is it?" he said currently, standing up from where he had been crouched.
"Didn't I just tell you that?" Yubaba stated flatly. He was taunting her...
"I mean his name."
"It's LORD Hitokageta to YOU." she replied scathingly. "now come on! This'll be a meeting in my office, and YOU as my assistant are supposed to take him there, then stand off to the side and be silent. Like a good assistant. Understand?"
"Yes."
"Good. Now, you wait at the entrance, and I'll be in my office, and when he comes introduce yourself formally and lead him the cleanest shortest nicest route you can! Got that?"
"Got it."
"Good." She turned. "Hurry up, then!"
Haku followed.
And, like ordered, he waited silently at the door outside, by the bridge. He could hear Yubaba screaming something about dirty feet and staying out of the way before there was some silence.
A cool wind blew, and he looked up, watching a black speck in the sky from a distance grow larger. He knew that it was most likely "Lord" Hitokageta.
It was a large black dragon, black with some red markings and a gray mane. He was easily twice as long as Haku was transformed, and he landed in the middle of the bridge and turned into a black figure cloaked in a dark cloak. Next to him was a girl, of maybe eight or nine, with light blond hair. She was barefoot, and there was a metal clasp around her left ankle. 'a slave,' Haku thought with a small shiver.
"I am Lord Hitokageta," the tall shadow man said. "and this is my assistant- apprentice Aikomi."
'funny' Haku thought. 'she looks miserable.' He wondered if Hitokageta had forced her to become his assistant-apprentice.
"I am Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi, Yubaba's assistant. Call me Haku," he added. "I'm supposed to accompany you to Yubaba's office," he said after a second of silence, eyes lingering on Aikomi's bruised and blistered ankles. He lifted his head again and bowed. "follow me."
"So the sorceress doesn't trust me alone, eh?" Hitokageta chuckled, literally dragging Aikomi. She bit back a whimper - and Haku seeing this, slowed his pace a little bit. "can't say I blame her."
Haku didn't say anything in reply, and Hitokageta didn't say anything to start a conversation. Aikomi had so far avoided opening her mouth at all.
By the time they finally reached Yubaba's office, everybody had gotten out of the way, and a few curious faces appeared.
Haku went and stood to the left and behind Yubaba's desk, bowing his head obediently.
"Ah, Lord Hitokageta," Yubaba said sweetly, folding her hands. "please, take a seat."
"I thank you, Mistress Yubaba." He sat down in a chair that had appeared out of nowhere, and Aikomi stood motionless behind him. "this is Aikomi, my assistant-apprentice." He said, noticing who/what his hostess was looking at.
"Ah," Yubaba said. There was a moment of silence, and Haku was resisting the _uncanny_ urge to look up and peer closely at Hitokageta. He could feel the shadow-man's eyes burning through him, and he tensed slightly.
"I believe you have met my assistant, Haku, then?"
"Yes, I did." Hitokageta said. "what I find interesting about him is that he and his brother look almost exactly the same."
"His brother?" Yubaba said for Haku, who tensed visibly this time. As far as Haku was concerned, he was certain he did NOT have a brother.
"Yes. Calls himself Kawago."
"Ah." Yubaba was all-for dropping the subject, but Haku wasn't. he looked up quickly (just noticing that Hitokageta was still wearing his black boots - didn't this guy have any common sense?) and broke in, "I don't have a brother, not one that I know of."
Yubaba turned back and gave him The Look. (you know, like from Home Improvement?)
"Yes. I understand your confusion, of course - see, a river can never really dry up. A suppose a small stream survived underground, shifted around, and became a different water source all together. It was destroyed also, though. That's how I found Kawago. I'll be bringing him with me when we come - which, Mistress Yubaba, brings us to the reason I am here in the first place, of course."
"Of course," Yubaba said.
"I'll be blunt," Hitokageta continued. "you want slaves, I've got 'em. I'll bring those that are... of use to you and no use to me, the day after tomorrow, afternoon, if you like."
"I would like that."
"Good, then. I shall see you then."
"Have a good day."
Hitokageta laughed as he stood and grabbed Aikomi with him. "oh, I will," he said. "I will."
Haku led him out, and watched the black dragon disappear. He then turned and bolted through the now-slowly-emerging employees and up to Yubaba's office.
"Slaves?!?" he demanded, slamming inside.
"They'll like their new home here," Yubaba replied. "now get. Make sure what workers we have are doing their work."
Haku set his jaw, bowed, and did as asked. he didn't like Hitokageta one bit. He felt sorry for those slaves - slaves! - that Yubaba would not be buying, and for Aikomi.
But most of all, he was more interested in brooding over the possibility of his having a brother. Kawago. Haku frowned. No, he didn't like this one little bit.
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A/N: was that good? Haku meets Kawago and Chihiro next chapter! Or, maybe not. Probably the chapter after next chapter. I dunno yet. I won't know until I start typing typing typing! Also, I've changed a few things; first of all, instead of two days, I'm making it three days. Understand? Good! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D okay. My jaws hurt now. I'll have to stop smiling - lunch break! Been typing this all morning!
Chapter Started: 5/3/03
Chapter Finished: 5/3/03
Like, the day after the last chap, ya? At the Bathhouse
Third Person POV
.
.
.
"Alright everybody! We've got an important guest coming, so I want this place spick and span!" Yubaba screamed at the top of her voice. "HURRY UP! HE'LL BE HERE ANY MINUTE!!! Haku, WHERE IS HAKU??!?"
"I think I saw him in the garden, Madame," a frog worker said through the hustle and bustle of everybody trying to get everything perfect.
"Oh, Hell," Yubaba swore. "that boy. Fine. I'll go get him MYSELF." She began to walk out, but then stopped and whipped around. "WHY ISN'T THIS PLACE PERFECT YET??!?!?!? IT HAD BETTER BE BY THE TIME I GET BACK!!!!"
THEN she left.
Meanwhile, Haku WAS in the garden, but he wasn't prancing around and singing to the world about how much he loved and missed Chihiro like one might expect (everybody knew about the "mutual affection" between Haku and Chihiro). He was, instead, just wandering around.
If one didn't know better, they might think him lost.
He wasn't.
This was how Yubaba found him.
"There you are!" she huffed. "listen up, we have an important guest coming any minute, now. And with out lack of workers and all, he is willing to discuss terms with which to obtain more employees for the Aburaya."
After Chihiro had left, and Haku had become Yubaba's assistant and not apprentice, a lot of workers had quit and left. They wanted to BE served, not serve themselves. But a lot had stayed. It was their home.
Haku still had all of his before duties, as he was Yubaba's assistant, but he also had some free time. He usually spent this brooding over how to get to Chihiro without rumors becoming unbearable.
"Who is it?" he said currently, standing up from where he had been crouched.
"Didn't I just tell you that?" Yubaba stated flatly. He was taunting her...
"I mean his name."
"It's LORD Hitokageta to YOU." she replied scathingly. "now come on! This'll be a meeting in my office, and YOU as my assistant are supposed to take him there, then stand off to the side and be silent. Like a good assistant. Understand?"
"Yes."
"Good. Now, you wait at the entrance, and I'll be in my office, and when he comes introduce yourself formally and lead him the cleanest shortest nicest route you can! Got that?"
"Got it."
"Good." She turned. "Hurry up, then!"
Haku followed.
And, like ordered, he waited silently at the door outside, by the bridge. He could hear Yubaba screaming something about dirty feet and staying out of the way before there was some silence.
A cool wind blew, and he looked up, watching a black speck in the sky from a distance grow larger. He knew that it was most likely "Lord" Hitokageta.
It was a large black dragon, black with some red markings and a gray mane. He was easily twice as long as Haku was transformed, and he landed in the middle of the bridge and turned into a black figure cloaked in a dark cloak. Next to him was a girl, of maybe eight or nine, with light blond hair. She was barefoot, and there was a metal clasp around her left ankle. 'a slave,' Haku thought with a small shiver.
"I am Lord Hitokageta," the tall shadow man said. "and this is my assistant- apprentice Aikomi."
'funny' Haku thought. 'she looks miserable.' He wondered if Hitokageta had forced her to become his assistant-apprentice.
"I am Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi, Yubaba's assistant. Call me Haku," he added. "I'm supposed to accompany you to Yubaba's office," he said after a second of silence, eyes lingering on Aikomi's bruised and blistered ankles. He lifted his head again and bowed. "follow me."
"So the sorceress doesn't trust me alone, eh?" Hitokageta chuckled, literally dragging Aikomi. She bit back a whimper - and Haku seeing this, slowed his pace a little bit. "can't say I blame her."
Haku didn't say anything in reply, and Hitokageta didn't say anything to start a conversation. Aikomi had so far avoided opening her mouth at all.
By the time they finally reached Yubaba's office, everybody had gotten out of the way, and a few curious faces appeared.
Haku went and stood to the left and behind Yubaba's desk, bowing his head obediently.
"Ah, Lord Hitokageta," Yubaba said sweetly, folding her hands. "please, take a seat."
"I thank you, Mistress Yubaba." He sat down in a chair that had appeared out of nowhere, and Aikomi stood motionless behind him. "this is Aikomi, my assistant-apprentice." He said, noticing who/what his hostess was looking at.
"Ah," Yubaba said. There was a moment of silence, and Haku was resisting the _uncanny_ urge to look up and peer closely at Hitokageta. He could feel the shadow-man's eyes burning through him, and he tensed slightly.
"I believe you have met my assistant, Haku, then?"
"Yes, I did." Hitokageta said. "what I find interesting about him is that he and his brother look almost exactly the same."
"His brother?" Yubaba said for Haku, who tensed visibly this time. As far as Haku was concerned, he was certain he did NOT have a brother.
"Yes. Calls himself Kawago."
"Ah." Yubaba was all-for dropping the subject, but Haku wasn't. he looked up quickly (just noticing that Hitokageta was still wearing his black boots - didn't this guy have any common sense?) and broke in, "I don't have a brother, not one that I know of."
Yubaba turned back and gave him The Look. (you know, like from Home Improvement?)
"Yes. I understand your confusion, of course - see, a river can never really dry up. A suppose a small stream survived underground, shifted around, and became a different water source all together. It was destroyed also, though. That's how I found Kawago. I'll be bringing him with me when we come - which, Mistress Yubaba, brings us to the reason I am here in the first place, of course."
"Of course," Yubaba said.
"I'll be blunt," Hitokageta continued. "you want slaves, I've got 'em. I'll bring those that are... of use to you and no use to me, the day after tomorrow, afternoon, if you like."
"I would like that."
"Good, then. I shall see you then."
"Have a good day."
Hitokageta laughed as he stood and grabbed Aikomi with him. "oh, I will," he said. "I will."
Haku led him out, and watched the black dragon disappear. He then turned and bolted through the now-slowly-emerging employees and up to Yubaba's office.
"Slaves?!?" he demanded, slamming inside.
"They'll like their new home here," Yubaba replied. "now get. Make sure what workers we have are doing their work."
Haku set his jaw, bowed, and did as asked. he didn't like Hitokageta one bit. He felt sorry for those slaves - slaves! - that Yubaba would not be buying, and for Aikomi.
But most of all, he was more interested in brooding over the possibility of his having a brother. Kawago. Haku frowned. No, he didn't like this one little bit.
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A/N: was that good? Haku meets Kawago and Chihiro next chapter! Or, maybe not. Probably the chapter after next chapter. I dunno yet. I won't know until I start typing typing typing! Also, I've changed a few things; first of all, instead of two days, I'm making it three days. Understand? Good! :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D :D okay. My jaws hurt now. I'll have to stop smiling - lunch break! Been typing this all morning!