A/N: Okay, Haku in this chap. *sigh* oy.
Disclaimer: no own
Chapter Finished: 5/10/03
Third Person POV
About a week after the Last Chapter
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Haku walked inside, headed towards Yubaba's office. She had called him after a friend of hers, an old sorcerer from the other side of the Spirit World, had come maybe an hour before. He wasn't her apprentice, but he was her assistant. He wasn't quite sure if he wanted to know what news this sorcerer had brought.
He entered her office, and immediately the doors slammed behind him. Yubaba stood with her sorcerer friend, and Haku bowed.
"You called?" he asked, directing the question at Yubaba, but his eyes stayed on the sorcerer. He was peering at him with a sort of calculating expression, as though sizing him up for a contest; Haku didn't like it.
"Don't stare," Yubaba snapped. "and Lord Haku of the Royal Advisors to Miai Hime is looking for a consort for the Princess."
Haku stared at her. "Good for him." He decided at last, realizing an answer was expected of him.
Yubaba sighed dramatically and the old sorcerer snorted.
"Not as bright as I've heard he is, Yubaba. Perhaps Lord Roku will see reason when they meet face to face."
"Perhaps," Yubaba said distractedly. She frowned at Haku. "Listen, Haku," she said. "I want you to travel with my friend here to the Kingdom, where the capital town of Kamikakushi is, and the apalce... and the princess."
"... Why?"
Yubaba furrowed her brow, unsure how to brake this to him without his flat- out refusal. She knew he would refuse.
"Did you know the Princess is getting married in Three Months? She will be a Queen, and there will be a King."
Again, Haku stared at her. "... That's nice," he said at last.
"YOU ARE THE KING OF ALL BAKAS I SWEAR!" Yubaba cried, throwing her arms in the air. "just go with him. And give this note to Lord Roku."
She handed him a piece of paper via magic, and Haku tucked it safely away inside of his shirt thing (or whatever it is).
"Go, now, and compliment this place beyond all reason!" Yubaba pointed firmly at the sorcerer, who gave Haku a crooked yellow-toothed smile.
Obediently, he followed the old man out to the bridge, where both transformed; the sorcerer was something like a cross between a dog and a bird. Haku-as-a-dragon followed him through the air. Neither of them made any sort of noise throughout the entire journey, which took all day and all night.
By the morning of the next day, Haku was lagging behind (but not noticeably, he told himself) and rather fatigued. The sorcerer didn't notice this until Haku was considerably *too* far behind, and he slowed their pace.
It helped a little, and they continued throughout that day and night, and it was at the afternoon of the fourth day of traveling, he caught sight of a larger island not too far off. It was the Capital City of Kamikakushi, and almost half of it was occupied by a massive castle. Somewhat heartened, he sped up, keeping slightly above the sorcerer's tail.
They landed in a huge courtyard that was connected to the inner gate, which was open to the city. Waiting for them must have been Roku himself. When Haku had transformed back, he handed him Yubaba's note, not really caring much about anything other than getting back and going to bed.
"This is Yubaba's," the sorcerer said. "the one you wanted. Will he do?"
Roku ignored him seemingly, reading and rereading the note. A cold smirk shot across his face and he tucked the note safely in his robe pocket. Robes - how proper, Haku thought slightly, more focused on note rocking back and forth or falling asleep. He went into neutral-mode and held his head high while Roku walked a few circles around him.
"Master Haku," he said smoothly, stopping in front of him. "are you as responsible as Yubaba says you are?"
Haku stared at him. Knowing Yubaba, she had probably denoted him to the point of stupidity.
"Smarter," he replied hotly.
"Hmm, then, I think you may just work. Seeing as you are working over time trying not to fall asleep, I'll lead you to your room." He turned, and over his shoulder he said to the sorcerer, "you may go. Tell Yubaba I have accepted."
"Yes Lord Roku," the old sorcerer said, transformed, then left.
Haku followed Roku into the castle, up and down stairs, through endless hallways until they stopped at a door.
"This is your room. Get some rest, I'll have a servant come and get you for dinner."
"Please, don't," Haku said. "I'm not hungry, thank you."
Roku frowned. "... In the morning for breakfast, then. There are clothes in the closet, and I hope you'll be wearing one of them." He pushed the door open, put Haku in, closed it and left. Haku said on a four-poster bed and sighed. He had a few things to think about:
What had Roku accepted of Yubaba? What had the note said? Not that he cared. Just curious. Why had Roku led him all over the castle when he could have simply just gone up a flight of stairs and down a hallway? Was he trying to confuse him? Why had he "secretly" locked Haku in with magic? Did he not want him to escape? Was he testing him? Haku had a feeling that Roku was testing him. Not really caring, he slipped under the covers and went to sleep, not even looking at his surroundings.
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Chihiro glared flatly at the woman who was supposed to be teaching her how to dance.
"I'm not doing it. You can't make me."
"Miai Hime, you must." The woman pointed at the old man who was sitting there - he had been one to court her, and turned down right off, of course. "you cannot learn to dance on your own now that you have the basic steps down! And you cannot learn with a woman! Get used to it. when you are wed and all else, you and your King will be dancing quite a bit."
Chihiro glared and stomped her foot. She called the woman a nasty name, then continued "NO, you can't make me! I won't get married and I won't have your stupid heirs and I won't be your queen and I FLAT OUT REFUSE TOI DANCE WITH THAT. SELFISH. PIG!"
"MIAI HIME!" the woman shrieked, appalled.
"I REFUSE TO DANCE PERIOD! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!"
"Oh, but we can," said a voice, and Chihiro whipped around, now glaring at Roku, who looked extremely pleased. He wasn't pleased about the fact that Chihiro was wearing only an under skirt and a long sleeved tunic for men, but Miyako had said to keep her happy unless she should lose her grasp on her sanity.
"Your soon-to-be King is here," he continued. "sleeping. His journey was a long one. He will be attending lessons as well, and you will accompany him."
"Oh no I won't!"
"Miai Hime," Roku warned. "You're pushing your luck. Should you kill yourself, everybody you care about will die slowly and agonizingly, and their last thoughts will be that it is your fault; we have already gone over this."
"And you killed my family!" Chihiro hissed through her teeth, clenching her jaw and bowing her head, hunching up her quaking shoulders. She closed her eyes tight as tears began to fall. "you killed my parents... what makes you think that I won't kill everybody else that's important to YOU right back?!"
"Nice try."
"Say I kill your precious King on our wedding night!"
"You won't be able to," he walked forward, reached out, and pulling the neck of the white shirt down, tapped the orb. "You're held perfectly in place. all we need is a King and an Heir - male. Once you give us those, you'll be free to do with yourself as you wish."
Chihiro jerked out of his grasp, then stumbled to the side.
"I HATE YOU!!!" She cried at the top of her voice, burst into tears, and fled the room.
"NO, let her go," Roku's voice said. "let her calm down - give her the rest of the day off. Prepare to teach her more about eating for tonight at dinner."
She ran as far as she could, and made it out to the back courtyard, where she and Yuuko had escaped. A brown dragon was stretched out lazily on the top of the wall, blue-black eyes half closed, easily three times the size of Haku. It looked up at Chihiro as she stumbled into the garden and threw up and cried.
She was well aware that she was being "baby-sat" however didn't care. One of the Royal Advisors, no doubt.
After she had calmed down, Our Hero began to think. Was there a way to die without killing oneself? Well, Duh. But as the "Princess Miai" nobody would try to kill her. Poison? Could she... no, that would be considered suicide. But, even if she did die, and her friends and Haku were dead too, she would still be gone; Kamikakushi would fall into chaos.
However, she couldn't - wouldn't - be able to kill herself, no. not before Roku and Co. suffered first.
'until dinner tonight' Roku had said. When had Chihiro agreed to come to dinner? When had she come to lunch, or breakfast? She refused to eat. No such morsel of food had entered her stomach since the day Yuuko had died. Even if she did swallow anything, it would come back up again.
Then it hit her.
Looking up, she watched the last of the sun's rays disappear. Choice decided, she got up, wiping her mouth and eyes.
She walked briskly inside, then turned down and headed to where her room was. There she opened the door and closed it behind her, got a drink of water, and hid under her bed, and cried some more.
Of course, she ended up crying herself to sleep, and Miyako herself came in to find her.
"Wake up!" she said briskly, dragging Chihiro out and back on to her feet. "Come on, get ready!" Chihiro just stood there dumbly, and let Miyako and two servant girls dress her in those many dresses that she was supposed to wear. No corset.
What had happened to Miyako? She had seemed so kind at first.
Without saying anything, Chihiro let her entire body slump, her head fell to her chest. She let herself be pushed to the Big Table in the Dining Hall, to dine with her teachers and the Royal Advisors. She sat at the head of the table, like usual, and just sat there.
Everybody spoke and chatted and completely ignored her, and that was just fine; Chihiro completely ignored Roku, Miyako, and her eating teacher as well. She just sat there, slumped (for spite), and closed her eyes. Maybe she could shut them out?
No such luck.
She got through that night and ushered into her bedroom without saying or eating anything, or looking up, or straightening.
So this was what it had come to? All out war.
When she was certain that all were asleep and such, she got out of bed and lit a candle, sitting at the desk and pulling out the knife she had swiped and hidden. For a moment, she wondered. Then she took her pitcher of water, two glasses, and holding her arm carefully over the first, she drew a red line vertically from the bottom of her palm to the tip of her inside elbow.
It hurt.
But she was rewarded with some satisfaction as blood dripped down in a small yet steady river, into the glass. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she bit her lips to keep from crying out.
In her experience, she had known that - though Roku and Co. could heal - they could not make bruises disappear completely or get rid of scars. Scars and scabs. Those were her way out.
Soon the blood cup was half full, and tears made a constant river down her face. She could no longer see her wrist through the haze of the dying candle light, the blood, and her tears.
Shaking all over, she dropped the knife in the water pitcher, and waited for a while longer. Then, when she figured her wrist was done, she took the knife out and hid it back in the desk drawer, putting her wrist in the water instead. She used the second cup to wash up to her elbow, and could tell the water was red with blood. There wasn't a lot of the water, so she dumped the first cup in it, too.
It was a while before it actually stopped bleeding. She took the blood water and being careful in the flickering shadows, went into her closet and dumped it out on the more "extravagant" dressed and skirts. After that was done, she threw the pitcher away and ripped her sheets up, wrapping her elbow to wrist up tightly, then crept under the bed and cried silently until she finally fell asleep.
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the next morning, Haku woke feeling rather refreshed. A servant came and told him breakfast would be served soon, and to get dressed. Lord Roku would come by and get him.
Still somewhat half asleep, Haku opened the closet and froze.
Okay, he was *not* going to wear any of *those*.
His door was still locked (how had the servant gotten in?) so he sat down on his bed and brought his legs up into a lotus position. This was how Roku found him ten minutes later.
"Why aren't you dressed?"
"Mt body is covered; I'm dressed fine enough. Why did you lead me all over the castle when you could have just taken me here? I'd rather not take a tour." Haku decided to get straight to the chase. "and why did you lock my door? What was it of Yubaba's that you accepted? You have a sense of coldness and secrecy about you - come on, I'm not stupid; what is it you're planning for me?"
Roku watched him carefully for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed, clapping his hands together joyfully.
"Ah, my dear boy," he said through his mirth. "You are sharp as a tack! Sharper, I'd say; wonderful." He leveled his gaze with the younger boy, who was wondering whether he should get into a defensive position or not. "Sharper and smart, even through a fatigued stupor; that's what I want! You'd be a great ruler, a wonderful King."
After a few moment of thought, Haku decided that this was a compliment. "Fine. But you still haven't answered my questions."
"I'll answer them all with one, how is that?" Roku leaned against the doorway. "Madame Yubaba's gift to me that I accepted was... You. Welcome to your new home. We'll handle that later - tell me, Master Haku, how do you feel about Kamikakushi?"
"What has that got anything to do with me?"
"Oh, everything, I assure you; tell me, were you given the chance, would you rule this world?"
Haku stared at him, then made a belated decision to stand up and place his feet defensively, should he have to brace himself or run. "I don't know. It would depend on the circumstances."
"Say, perhaps, you married the Princess and became the King, then."
"Then I would have to rule, wouldn't I, as king." Duh. How slow was this guy?
"Under what circumstances would you marry the Princess?"
Under the circumstances that she was Chihiro in another ten years. "I don't know; I don't plan on marrying."
"Say you had no choice?"
"Then I obviously wouldn't have a choice." Then Haku understood what he was getting at. He bit back a scathing frown, and decided to continue playing dumb and innocent while still giving not-too-subtle hints to his feelings. "What makes you think I would be a good ruler?"
"Oh, many things, Master Haku, many, many things. Besides, you would have the Royal Advisors, and they are basically their own title." He smirked. Haku really did frown this time.
"There's always a choice," he said smoothly, bracing his muscles mentally and starting to walk out. "And under those circumstances, I would make the choice NOT to marry."
Amazingly, Roku let him walk out, and followed him down the hall.
Then Haku realized why Roku had disoriented him the other day. He could get downstairs to the doors, but not outside. He scowled and looked around for a window. He found one, marched over, and began contemplating on how to break it.
"A bit rash, aren't we?" asked Roku.
"What do you want?" Haku asked irritably.
"I'll be blunt," Roku said bluntly, making Haku stare at him in semi-shock. It was sarcasm. Amusing, thought Roku. "You need to marry Miai Hime and become Eishuro Kokuou. King Eishuro, married to Queen Miai, and the two of you would have to produce an heir; a male heir, I'll have to add, since there are far too many females here. Once the Royal Advisors have the heir, you may exile yourself, if you so wish; I already know the Princess will outright kill herself, she is not very happy. You could do the same, or go back to the Bathhouse, or stay and rule Kamikakushi. You have many choices, as you can see; and all I need is an heir."
"No." now Roku stared in semi-shock at the bluntness to Haku's answer, hadn't even waited for Roku to close his mouth!
"You must." Pause. "You will."
"No." Haku repeated firmly. "If you are torturing the Princess so that you know she would end her own life, then what makes you think I'm going to end mine by simply becoming king? Anyway, I'd rather not devirginize anybody, I don't want to marry - and certainly don't want to do either of those things with some snotty brat Princess who is suicidal - besides, I have no noble blood, my home on Earth was destroyed and I did not save it, and even being King - for a short while - is still an amazingly large responsibility. Also, I've heard enough about your half-human Princess; and my answer is NO."
"It's a shame, then," Roku sighed. "I'd rather not force you."
"You can't force me to do anything," he snapped right back. So his employer had just "given" him to some perverted child molester who expected him to marry a twelve-year-old girl and have a male kid when he knew very well the first was always a girl, judging by the looks of the magic around this place, then went on to tell him after tat was done he could kill himself if he wanted to?
That did it.
You can't trust an employer.
He wondered what it would be like to ring Yubaba's neck.
Satisfactory, that was for sure.
"You may change your mind, Master Haku," Roku said in that cold little I'm- so-smart-and-sexy voice. "why not come to breakfast now and meet her?"
"No. you've already set up a spell on the food."
Damn, Roku thought. It was okay to have a smart soon-to-be King, but not one that was smarted than the Royal Advisors. Thinking quickly, Roku said, "just try our food; it is the best in the Kingdom, and the Princess is a beautiful sight to behold."
"No."
"Yes." Roku said, and Haku felt his body go numb and heard his voice say "Yes."
A Puppet Spell.
Haku was impressed.
But Roku was no full fledged sorcerer, so it wouldn't last too long. If he struggled, it would only favor in Roku's powers, so he relaxed and watched as his body and actions were completely taken over. He was marched back to his room, and changed, then sent to the kitchen.
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Chihiro woke up to a servant girl's screaming. As the girl ran out (still screaming) she groggily craawled out from under the bed and tried to figure out why she had been screaming. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the closet door open.
A satisfied smirk crossed her face. Good.
But it would have been better had Chihiro been in there when the servant found her. She wondered what kind of screaming *that* would ellict.
Stiffly, she unwrapped the torn up sheets from around her arm and inspected it. she winced - the damage was worse than what she had originally thought. She hadn't intended for something like that. Thinking semi-quickly, she changed into a long sleeved "boy's shirt" and a pair of leggings, since that was the only type of pants that they had here, apparently. She left everything else the same - messed up hair, blotched and dirty face, thin and hungry. No matter what she did, the hunger was always there.
Miyako came in with two other servants (different from the first, Chihiro noticed) and scurried to the closet. Twin screams, and the two servant girls ripped out. Miyako marched out and turned a cold stare upon Chihiro.
"Did you do that?" she demanded, pointing to the closet.
Chihiro didn't answer.
"Come, now; you'll be meeting your King - your Prince Charming, I should say - at breakfast this morning. Did you really have to go ruin all of those nice dresses?"
No answer.
"Where did the blood come from?"
"......... I bit my tongue and it mixed with the water."
"Ah," Miyako paused. "well, then, come now; let's dress you up! I've seen him, while he was sleeping, and he is a doll, so innocent looking yet you can tell he has an inner strength with that to match Roku's. he is very handsome."
No reply. No reaction. Like Chihiro cared?
"And you've developed enough, now, to wear the longer dresses, and show a little cleavage. Coke, now, don't you want to look enticing?"
Nothing in return. Chihiro didn't even look up from where she found her bare feet interesting. There was a spot of dried blood on one from the night before.
Miyako sighed, then commenced doing everything herself. She chose a dress and a pair of booties (Chihiro hated them), then led Chihiro to her little bathroom and bathed her herself.
She dressed her, and curled her hair, putting the parts on the sides up with flowered clips. She painted - literally painted, or so Chihiro figured - her lips a pinkish-red, and put some color around her eyes and face. Then she set a small crown on her head - it was little, then she paused at her ears and tsk tsked.
Chihiro screamed as she pierced them.
And was silent, slumped, the works, as she hung deep red rubies on them.
Then Miyako held up a mirror and cried, "Ta-daa! We have a Princess!"
She gazed at the girl in her reflection. Not her. That couldn't be her.
Her eyes, which seemed more sparkly, fit better onto her face, were a deep, dark brown. They were empty. Empty, they had seen too man things, too many things that nobody should see, not even a twelve-year-old. her face was pale, and thing. Her ears weren't really noticeable, but the earrings were. Those ears had heard things that no seventy-year-old should have heard. Her lips were... how could she describe them? She didn't want to. They had said to many things. Too many things that nobody, period, should have said. She was wearing a dark blue gown that had nothing over her shoulders and went steeply down her back. A diamond was cut out in the center, showing the outlines of things that really shouldn't be shown. The sleeves were long and came down her palms to a ring on her middle fingers, and it came to just past her ankles, barely touching the floor. The orb at her neck glistened. It was obvious the girl hadn't been eating, and there was a feeling of rejection and loss about her. She hated life. She wanted to die.
Was this girl that she saw in the mirror really her?
Her dress was very form fitting, and the look of her - how thin she was, and her feelings, made her ugly. She was disgusting, because that girl was meant to be ordinary in jeans and a T-shirt and ponytail, laughing with friends without a care in the world.
Not depressed, starved, hurt and broken in more than one way. Not with hair curled and thick, with a golden crown set atop. Not like that. Not like this.
Chihiro pressed her palm to her reflection, to the girl's face, and cried for her. She hoped she would have the glorious relief of death soon.
When she was calm, Miyako redid her face, and she was pushed off to breakfast.
She wanted to throw up.
In the ding hall, at the dining table, this had apparently been planned far ahead of time. Apart from the Royal Advisors were a few sorcerers and a couple of sorceresses. Roku was sitting at the head of one end of the table, and another sat at the other end. Niou or something like that was his name.
There were two places free for Chihiro and Miyako. Chihiro was pushed into a seat between Roku and a boy that she didn't bother looking at, didn't bother looking up at all from where she was still silently marveling at how she had gotten taller and her chest had somehow just sort of ballooned out. Gross.
Totally gross.
Under the table, Chihiro put her thumb and forefingers together, then pulled them apart.
She felt a little more clean.
Miyako sat across from her, and everybody chattered and ate and talked, ignoring Chihiro as usual. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Roku struggling. No, straining. She looked up completely more to stare at him. No. he was straining - what was up?
"Constipated?" she asked sweetly. "It helps if you have an injection of a mule's E-coli."
He forced a cold smile at her, and she saw he was sweating.
Good, Chihiro thought. She hoped he was in pain. Her thoughts shifted back to Yuuko and Akio, as they had so many times before, and her eyes burned. They would be ashamed of her right now. She would need to get back to her room soon.
As much as she hated to admit it, she knew it was wrong, bad, but she was already starving herself, wasn't she? And the pain and tears had been different. The tears had been from the physical pain of her wrist, not from the emotional trials she continued to endure. Her escape.
Her refuge.
Eventually she would bleed herself to death, if she didn't starve to death first.
If she was lucky, before the wedding.
She didn't care if Rumi and the others, her friends at the Aburaya and Earth alike, all suffered and hated her before they died. She did if Haku did, but he would understand, wouldn't he?
Then an idea struck Chihiro. Haku! Of course, he could save her! He probably didn't know she was there to start out in the first place, but if she some how got word to him, maybe?
"Lord Roku?" she asked softly, ignoring the boy next to her, who had just eaten (was Roku controlling him? Most likely) and then choked as Roku let go of the spell satisfied, and he was rooted to his seat, teeth momentarily glued together. Now he wouldn't be able to leave without killing himself first.
"Lord Roku?" she repeated, voice a little louder. Almost a whisper. Not bad, for a first try. If she wasn't screaming and cursing, she was crying. This was a nice change, Roku figured, using the sorcerers around him to regain his strength.
"Yes, Miai Hime?"
"Can..." she thought quickly, and even granted Roku the privilege of looking up and not sneering at the same time.
"Can I visit someplace on Kamikakushi before I get married?" her voice was soft.
"Where is it, oh Majesty one?" he asked. she hated him.
She hated him more than anything in the universe.
"It's the place that you kidna - that you brought me her - brought me home," she was making an honest effort, honest! "I think. The tunnel." Her voice was so soft that Roku was leaning towards her, and she him, so that it was more of a secret. Nobody, not even the boy next to her, would/could hear. "The bathhouse. I've heard from talk that it is a wonderful place to go and relax..." she prayed her lies would work. She had just called this god forsaken planet home.
It had better work.
You may go wherever you wish after we have the Heir." Roku replied, raising his voice to the appropriate level and leaning back into his seat. "Look at your husband, Miai Hime. He won't look at you otherwise."
"Good." Chihiro snapped, louder then she had intended, turning her face sourly away. "and he's not my husband." Her voice was back to its breathy mumble.
The boy next to her shifted slightly.
Haku knew that voice! He had heard it before! And without his own will, he looked at her. It was a glance, and one glance told her they had never met before. He felt sorry for her. Sadness and pain - and Hate, a massive amount of hate - radiated from her thin body, and he could tell she hadn't been eating.
Had Roku and the others done this to her? Haku felt even more sorry for her.
Perhaps, when he found a way to break the spell and get the heck out of there, he would take her with him and take her back to Earth, where her true family surely waited in worry and woe.
This was only in a glance.
After breakfast, Miyako herded Chihiro into her room and began to demand answer to questions.
Questions like what are those on your lower arm, why didn't you even glance at your handsome prince charming, when would she make an attitude adjustment.
Chihiro ignored her as she pulled on a skirt and the long sleeved turtle neck that only boys wore.
Then she informed Miyako again of her likelihood to those female dogs in heat and suddenly wondered why she was being pushed down the hall to an isolated room where she would be locked in with her soon-to-be King until they decided to get along.
Chihiro already hated him, just like she hated Roku and Co. She hated them all.
He was already there, being held down by Roku and two others.
So he didn't want to be there? Interesting.
The room was pretty small, carpeted, had a small bathroom and a large comfortable looking bed. That was it. not even a window.
Chihiro did not look up as they were locked in together. Finally after a while, she sluggishly moved in to the bathroom, turned on the tap, and killed the girl in her reflection. She washed off the face paint (or make- up, whatever.) and yanked the curls out of her hair. She flung the crown down and ripped off her booties, then pushed her hair up into a ponytail (her hair-band from Zeniiba and No-face and Baby had long since been taken away) and felt a little better as she was looking at Chihiro.
But not Chihiro, too. Chihiro and Miai, that was who she was looking at. Chihiro, Miai, and Sen. Sen had long since disappeared, but she was still there, showing up in a chore or when working at school. Chihiro was Chihiro. Miai was a twelve-year-old that had started puberty at the age of two (or so it looked like) and was taller. Sen was long since dead. Chihiro was trying to kill Miai, too, now. She was starving her, hurting her, and bleeding her.
She hated her. She hated them all.
She collapsed in a heap and cried.
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A/N: okay... so, Chihiro and Haku actually look at each other in the next chapter! ^_^0 this is so cliché. You knew it was coming.
Disclaimer: no own
Chapter Finished: 5/10/03
Third Person POV
About a week after the Last Chapter
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Haku walked inside, headed towards Yubaba's office. She had called him after a friend of hers, an old sorcerer from the other side of the Spirit World, had come maybe an hour before. He wasn't her apprentice, but he was her assistant. He wasn't quite sure if he wanted to know what news this sorcerer had brought.
He entered her office, and immediately the doors slammed behind him. Yubaba stood with her sorcerer friend, and Haku bowed.
"You called?" he asked, directing the question at Yubaba, but his eyes stayed on the sorcerer. He was peering at him with a sort of calculating expression, as though sizing him up for a contest; Haku didn't like it.
"Don't stare," Yubaba snapped. "and Lord Haku of the Royal Advisors to Miai Hime is looking for a consort for the Princess."
Haku stared at her. "Good for him." He decided at last, realizing an answer was expected of him.
Yubaba sighed dramatically and the old sorcerer snorted.
"Not as bright as I've heard he is, Yubaba. Perhaps Lord Roku will see reason when they meet face to face."
"Perhaps," Yubaba said distractedly. She frowned at Haku. "Listen, Haku," she said. "I want you to travel with my friend here to the Kingdom, where the capital town of Kamikakushi is, and the apalce... and the princess."
"... Why?"
Yubaba furrowed her brow, unsure how to brake this to him without his flat- out refusal. She knew he would refuse.
"Did you know the Princess is getting married in Three Months? She will be a Queen, and there will be a King."
Again, Haku stared at her. "... That's nice," he said at last.
"YOU ARE THE KING OF ALL BAKAS I SWEAR!" Yubaba cried, throwing her arms in the air. "just go with him. And give this note to Lord Roku."
She handed him a piece of paper via magic, and Haku tucked it safely away inside of his shirt thing (or whatever it is).
"Go, now, and compliment this place beyond all reason!" Yubaba pointed firmly at the sorcerer, who gave Haku a crooked yellow-toothed smile.
Obediently, he followed the old man out to the bridge, where both transformed; the sorcerer was something like a cross between a dog and a bird. Haku-as-a-dragon followed him through the air. Neither of them made any sort of noise throughout the entire journey, which took all day and all night.
By the morning of the next day, Haku was lagging behind (but not noticeably, he told himself) and rather fatigued. The sorcerer didn't notice this until Haku was considerably *too* far behind, and he slowed their pace.
It helped a little, and they continued throughout that day and night, and it was at the afternoon of the fourth day of traveling, he caught sight of a larger island not too far off. It was the Capital City of Kamikakushi, and almost half of it was occupied by a massive castle. Somewhat heartened, he sped up, keeping slightly above the sorcerer's tail.
They landed in a huge courtyard that was connected to the inner gate, which was open to the city. Waiting for them must have been Roku himself. When Haku had transformed back, he handed him Yubaba's note, not really caring much about anything other than getting back and going to bed.
"This is Yubaba's," the sorcerer said. "the one you wanted. Will he do?"
Roku ignored him seemingly, reading and rereading the note. A cold smirk shot across his face and he tucked the note safely in his robe pocket. Robes - how proper, Haku thought slightly, more focused on note rocking back and forth or falling asleep. He went into neutral-mode and held his head high while Roku walked a few circles around him.
"Master Haku," he said smoothly, stopping in front of him. "are you as responsible as Yubaba says you are?"
Haku stared at him. Knowing Yubaba, she had probably denoted him to the point of stupidity.
"Smarter," he replied hotly.
"Hmm, then, I think you may just work. Seeing as you are working over time trying not to fall asleep, I'll lead you to your room." He turned, and over his shoulder he said to the sorcerer, "you may go. Tell Yubaba I have accepted."
"Yes Lord Roku," the old sorcerer said, transformed, then left.
Haku followed Roku into the castle, up and down stairs, through endless hallways until they stopped at a door.
"This is your room. Get some rest, I'll have a servant come and get you for dinner."
"Please, don't," Haku said. "I'm not hungry, thank you."
Roku frowned. "... In the morning for breakfast, then. There are clothes in the closet, and I hope you'll be wearing one of them." He pushed the door open, put Haku in, closed it and left. Haku said on a four-poster bed and sighed. He had a few things to think about:
What had Roku accepted of Yubaba? What had the note said? Not that he cared. Just curious. Why had Roku led him all over the castle when he could have simply just gone up a flight of stairs and down a hallway? Was he trying to confuse him? Why had he "secretly" locked Haku in with magic? Did he not want him to escape? Was he testing him? Haku had a feeling that Roku was testing him. Not really caring, he slipped under the covers and went to sleep, not even looking at his surroundings.
.
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.
Chihiro glared flatly at the woman who was supposed to be teaching her how to dance.
"I'm not doing it. You can't make me."
"Miai Hime, you must." The woman pointed at the old man who was sitting there - he had been one to court her, and turned down right off, of course. "you cannot learn to dance on your own now that you have the basic steps down! And you cannot learn with a woman! Get used to it. when you are wed and all else, you and your King will be dancing quite a bit."
Chihiro glared and stomped her foot. She called the woman a nasty name, then continued "NO, you can't make me! I won't get married and I won't have your stupid heirs and I won't be your queen and I FLAT OUT REFUSE TOI DANCE WITH THAT. SELFISH. PIG!"
"MIAI HIME!" the woman shrieked, appalled.
"I REFUSE TO DANCE PERIOD! YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!"
"Oh, but we can," said a voice, and Chihiro whipped around, now glaring at Roku, who looked extremely pleased. He wasn't pleased about the fact that Chihiro was wearing only an under skirt and a long sleeved tunic for men, but Miyako had said to keep her happy unless she should lose her grasp on her sanity.
"Your soon-to-be King is here," he continued. "sleeping. His journey was a long one. He will be attending lessons as well, and you will accompany him."
"Oh no I won't!"
"Miai Hime," Roku warned. "You're pushing your luck. Should you kill yourself, everybody you care about will die slowly and agonizingly, and their last thoughts will be that it is your fault; we have already gone over this."
"And you killed my family!" Chihiro hissed through her teeth, clenching her jaw and bowing her head, hunching up her quaking shoulders. She closed her eyes tight as tears began to fall. "you killed my parents... what makes you think that I won't kill everybody else that's important to YOU right back?!"
"Nice try."
"Say I kill your precious King on our wedding night!"
"You won't be able to," he walked forward, reached out, and pulling the neck of the white shirt down, tapped the orb. "You're held perfectly in place. all we need is a King and an Heir - male. Once you give us those, you'll be free to do with yourself as you wish."
Chihiro jerked out of his grasp, then stumbled to the side.
"I HATE YOU!!!" She cried at the top of her voice, burst into tears, and fled the room.
"NO, let her go," Roku's voice said. "let her calm down - give her the rest of the day off. Prepare to teach her more about eating for tonight at dinner."
She ran as far as she could, and made it out to the back courtyard, where she and Yuuko had escaped. A brown dragon was stretched out lazily on the top of the wall, blue-black eyes half closed, easily three times the size of Haku. It looked up at Chihiro as she stumbled into the garden and threw up and cried.
She was well aware that she was being "baby-sat" however didn't care. One of the Royal Advisors, no doubt.
After she had calmed down, Our Hero began to think. Was there a way to die without killing oneself? Well, Duh. But as the "Princess Miai" nobody would try to kill her. Poison? Could she... no, that would be considered suicide. But, even if she did die, and her friends and Haku were dead too, she would still be gone; Kamikakushi would fall into chaos.
However, she couldn't - wouldn't - be able to kill herself, no. not before Roku and Co. suffered first.
'until dinner tonight' Roku had said. When had Chihiro agreed to come to dinner? When had she come to lunch, or breakfast? She refused to eat. No such morsel of food had entered her stomach since the day Yuuko had died. Even if she did swallow anything, it would come back up again.
Then it hit her.
Looking up, she watched the last of the sun's rays disappear. Choice decided, she got up, wiping her mouth and eyes.
She walked briskly inside, then turned down and headed to where her room was. There she opened the door and closed it behind her, got a drink of water, and hid under her bed, and cried some more.
Of course, she ended up crying herself to sleep, and Miyako herself came in to find her.
"Wake up!" she said briskly, dragging Chihiro out and back on to her feet. "Come on, get ready!" Chihiro just stood there dumbly, and let Miyako and two servant girls dress her in those many dresses that she was supposed to wear. No corset.
What had happened to Miyako? She had seemed so kind at first.
Without saying anything, Chihiro let her entire body slump, her head fell to her chest. She let herself be pushed to the Big Table in the Dining Hall, to dine with her teachers and the Royal Advisors. She sat at the head of the table, like usual, and just sat there.
Everybody spoke and chatted and completely ignored her, and that was just fine; Chihiro completely ignored Roku, Miyako, and her eating teacher as well. She just sat there, slumped (for spite), and closed her eyes. Maybe she could shut them out?
No such luck.
She got through that night and ushered into her bedroom without saying or eating anything, or looking up, or straightening.
So this was what it had come to? All out war.
When she was certain that all were asleep and such, she got out of bed and lit a candle, sitting at the desk and pulling out the knife she had swiped and hidden. For a moment, she wondered. Then she took her pitcher of water, two glasses, and holding her arm carefully over the first, she drew a red line vertically from the bottom of her palm to the tip of her inside elbow.
It hurt.
But she was rewarded with some satisfaction as blood dripped down in a small yet steady river, into the glass. Tears sprang to her eyes, and she bit her lips to keep from crying out.
In her experience, she had known that - though Roku and Co. could heal - they could not make bruises disappear completely or get rid of scars. Scars and scabs. Those were her way out.
Soon the blood cup was half full, and tears made a constant river down her face. She could no longer see her wrist through the haze of the dying candle light, the blood, and her tears.
Shaking all over, she dropped the knife in the water pitcher, and waited for a while longer. Then, when she figured her wrist was done, she took the knife out and hid it back in the desk drawer, putting her wrist in the water instead. She used the second cup to wash up to her elbow, and could tell the water was red with blood. There wasn't a lot of the water, so she dumped the first cup in it, too.
It was a while before it actually stopped bleeding. She took the blood water and being careful in the flickering shadows, went into her closet and dumped it out on the more "extravagant" dressed and skirts. After that was done, she threw the pitcher away and ripped her sheets up, wrapping her elbow to wrist up tightly, then crept under the bed and cried silently until she finally fell asleep.
.
the next morning, Haku woke feeling rather refreshed. A servant came and told him breakfast would be served soon, and to get dressed. Lord Roku would come by and get him.
Still somewhat half asleep, Haku opened the closet and froze.
Okay, he was *not* going to wear any of *those*.
His door was still locked (how had the servant gotten in?) so he sat down on his bed and brought his legs up into a lotus position. This was how Roku found him ten minutes later.
"Why aren't you dressed?"
"Mt body is covered; I'm dressed fine enough. Why did you lead me all over the castle when you could have just taken me here? I'd rather not take a tour." Haku decided to get straight to the chase. "and why did you lock my door? What was it of Yubaba's that you accepted? You have a sense of coldness and secrecy about you - come on, I'm not stupid; what is it you're planning for me?"
Roku watched him carefully for a moment, then threw his head back and laughed, clapping his hands together joyfully.
"Ah, my dear boy," he said through his mirth. "You are sharp as a tack! Sharper, I'd say; wonderful." He leveled his gaze with the younger boy, who was wondering whether he should get into a defensive position or not. "Sharper and smart, even through a fatigued stupor; that's what I want! You'd be a great ruler, a wonderful King."
After a few moment of thought, Haku decided that this was a compliment. "Fine. But you still haven't answered my questions."
"I'll answer them all with one, how is that?" Roku leaned against the doorway. "Madame Yubaba's gift to me that I accepted was... You. Welcome to your new home. We'll handle that later - tell me, Master Haku, how do you feel about Kamikakushi?"
"What has that got anything to do with me?"
"Oh, everything, I assure you; tell me, were you given the chance, would you rule this world?"
Haku stared at him, then made a belated decision to stand up and place his feet defensively, should he have to brace himself or run. "I don't know. It would depend on the circumstances."
"Say, perhaps, you married the Princess and became the King, then."
"Then I would have to rule, wouldn't I, as king." Duh. How slow was this guy?
"Under what circumstances would you marry the Princess?"
Under the circumstances that she was Chihiro in another ten years. "I don't know; I don't plan on marrying."
"Say you had no choice?"
"Then I obviously wouldn't have a choice." Then Haku understood what he was getting at. He bit back a scathing frown, and decided to continue playing dumb and innocent while still giving not-too-subtle hints to his feelings. "What makes you think I would be a good ruler?"
"Oh, many things, Master Haku, many, many things. Besides, you would have the Royal Advisors, and they are basically their own title." He smirked. Haku really did frown this time.
"There's always a choice," he said smoothly, bracing his muscles mentally and starting to walk out. "And under those circumstances, I would make the choice NOT to marry."
Amazingly, Roku let him walk out, and followed him down the hall.
Then Haku realized why Roku had disoriented him the other day. He could get downstairs to the doors, but not outside. He scowled and looked around for a window. He found one, marched over, and began contemplating on how to break it.
"A bit rash, aren't we?" asked Roku.
"What do you want?" Haku asked irritably.
"I'll be blunt," Roku said bluntly, making Haku stare at him in semi-shock. It was sarcasm. Amusing, thought Roku. "You need to marry Miai Hime and become Eishuro Kokuou. King Eishuro, married to Queen Miai, and the two of you would have to produce an heir; a male heir, I'll have to add, since there are far too many females here. Once the Royal Advisors have the heir, you may exile yourself, if you so wish; I already know the Princess will outright kill herself, she is not very happy. You could do the same, or go back to the Bathhouse, or stay and rule Kamikakushi. You have many choices, as you can see; and all I need is an heir."
"No." now Roku stared in semi-shock at the bluntness to Haku's answer, hadn't even waited for Roku to close his mouth!
"You must." Pause. "You will."
"No." Haku repeated firmly. "If you are torturing the Princess so that you know she would end her own life, then what makes you think I'm going to end mine by simply becoming king? Anyway, I'd rather not devirginize anybody, I don't want to marry - and certainly don't want to do either of those things with some snotty brat Princess who is suicidal - besides, I have no noble blood, my home on Earth was destroyed and I did not save it, and even being King - for a short while - is still an amazingly large responsibility. Also, I've heard enough about your half-human Princess; and my answer is NO."
"It's a shame, then," Roku sighed. "I'd rather not force you."
"You can't force me to do anything," he snapped right back. So his employer had just "given" him to some perverted child molester who expected him to marry a twelve-year-old girl and have a male kid when he knew very well the first was always a girl, judging by the looks of the magic around this place, then went on to tell him after tat was done he could kill himself if he wanted to?
That did it.
You can't trust an employer.
He wondered what it would be like to ring Yubaba's neck.
Satisfactory, that was for sure.
"You may change your mind, Master Haku," Roku said in that cold little I'm- so-smart-and-sexy voice. "why not come to breakfast now and meet her?"
"No. you've already set up a spell on the food."
Damn, Roku thought. It was okay to have a smart soon-to-be King, but not one that was smarted than the Royal Advisors. Thinking quickly, Roku said, "just try our food; it is the best in the Kingdom, and the Princess is a beautiful sight to behold."
"No."
"Yes." Roku said, and Haku felt his body go numb and heard his voice say "Yes."
A Puppet Spell.
Haku was impressed.
But Roku was no full fledged sorcerer, so it wouldn't last too long. If he struggled, it would only favor in Roku's powers, so he relaxed and watched as his body and actions were completely taken over. He was marched back to his room, and changed, then sent to the kitchen.
.
Chihiro woke up to a servant girl's screaming. As the girl ran out (still screaming) she groggily craawled out from under the bed and tried to figure out why she had been screaming. Out of the corner of her eye she saw the closet door open.
A satisfied smirk crossed her face. Good.
But it would have been better had Chihiro been in there when the servant found her. She wondered what kind of screaming *that* would ellict.
Stiffly, she unwrapped the torn up sheets from around her arm and inspected it. she winced - the damage was worse than what she had originally thought. She hadn't intended for something like that. Thinking semi-quickly, she changed into a long sleeved "boy's shirt" and a pair of leggings, since that was the only type of pants that they had here, apparently. She left everything else the same - messed up hair, blotched and dirty face, thin and hungry. No matter what she did, the hunger was always there.
Miyako came in with two other servants (different from the first, Chihiro noticed) and scurried to the closet. Twin screams, and the two servant girls ripped out. Miyako marched out and turned a cold stare upon Chihiro.
"Did you do that?" she demanded, pointing to the closet.
Chihiro didn't answer.
"Come, now; you'll be meeting your King - your Prince Charming, I should say - at breakfast this morning. Did you really have to go ruin all of those nice dresses?"
No answer.
"Where did the blood come from?"
"......... I bit my tongue and it mixed with the water."
"Ah," Miyako paused. "well, then, come now; let's dress you up! I've seen him, while he was sleeping, and he is a doll, so innocent looking yet you can tell he has an inner strength with that to match Roku's. he is very handsome."
No reply. No reaction. Like Chihiro cared?
"And you've developed enough, now, to wear the longer dresses, and show a little cleavage. Coke, now, don't you want to look enticing?"
Nothing in return. Chihiro didn't even look up from where she found her bare feet interesting. There was a spot of dried blood on one from the night before.
Miyako sighed, then commenced doing everything herself. She chose a dress and a pair of booties (Chihiro hated them), then led Chihiro to her little bathroom and bathed her herself.
She dressed her, and curled her hair, putting the parts on the sides up with flowered clips. She painted - literally painted, or so Chihiro figured - her lips a pinkish-red, and put some color around her eyes and face. Then she set a small crown on her head - it was little, then she paused at her ears and tsk tsked.
Chihiro screamed as she pierced them.
And was silent, slumped, the works, as she hung deep red rubies on them.
Then Miyako held up a mirror and cried, "Ta-daa! We have a Princess!"
She gazed at the girl in her reflection. Not her. That couldn't be her.
Her eyes, which seemed more sparkly, fit better onto her face, were a deep, dark brown. They were empty. Empty, they had seen too man things, too many things that nobody should see, not even a twelve-year-old. her face was pale, and thing. Her ears weren't really noticeable, but the earrings were. Those ears had heard things that no seventy-year-old should have heard. Her lips were... how could she describe them? She didn't want to. They had said to many things. Too many things that nobody, period, should have said. She was wearing a dark blue gown that had nothing over her shoulders and went steeply down her back. A diamond was cut out in the center, showing the outlines of things that really shouldn't be shown. The sleeves were long and came down her palms to a ring on her middle fingers, and it came to just past her ankles, barely touching the floor. The orb at her neck glistened. It was obvious the girl hadn't been eating, and there was a feeling of rejection and loss about her. She hated life. She wanted to die.
Was this girl that she saw in the mirror really her?
Her dress was very form fitting, and the look of her - how thin she was, and her feelings, made her ugly. She was disgusting, because that girl was meant to be ordinary in jeans and a T-shirt and ponytail, laughing with friends without a care in the world.
Not depressed, starved, hurt and broken in more than one way. Not with hair curled and thick, with a golden crown set atop. Not like that. Not like this.
Chihiro pressed her palm to her reflection, to the girl's face, and cried for her. She hoped she would have the glorious relief of death soon.
When she was calm, Miyako redid her face, and she was pushed off to breakfast.
She wanted to throw up.
In the ding hall, at the dining table, this had apparently been planned far ahead of time. Apart from the Royal Advisors were a few sorcerers and a couple of sorceresses. Roku was sitting at the head of one end of the table, and another sat at the other end. Niou or something like that was his name.
There were two places free for Chihiro and Miyako. Chihiro was pushed into a seat between Roku and a boy that she didn't bother looking at, didn't bother looking up at all from where she was still silently marveling at how she had gotten taller and her chest had somehow just sort of ballooned out. Gross.
Totally gross.
Under the table, Chihiro put her thumb and forefingers together, then pulled them apart.
She felt a little more clean.
Miyako sat across from her, and everybody chattered and ate and talked, ignoring Chihiro as usual. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Roku struggling. No, straining. She looked up completely more to stare at him. No. he was straining - what was up?
"Constipated?" she asked sweetly. "It helps if you have an injection of a mule's E-coli."
He forced a cold smile at her, and she saw he was sweating.
Good, Chihiro thought. She hoped he was in pain. Her thoughts shifted back to Yuuko and Akio, as they had so many times before, and her eyes burned. They would be ashamed of her right now. She would need to get back to her room soon.
As much as she hated to admit it, she knew it was wrong, bad, but she was already starving herself, wasn't she? And the pain and tears had been different. The tears had been from the physical pain of her wrist, not from the emotional trials she continued to endure. Her escape.
Her refuge.
Eventually she would bleed herself to death, if she didn't starve to death first.
If she was lucky, before the wedding.
She didn't care if Rumi and the others, her friends at the Aburaya and Earth alike, all suffered and hated her before they died. She did if Haku did, but he would understand, wouldn't he?
Then an idea struck Chihiro. Haku! Of course, he could save her! He probably didn't know she was there to start out in the first place, but if she some how got word to him, maybe?
"Lord Roku?" she asked softly, ignoring the boy next to her, who had just eaten (was Roku controlling him? Most likely) and then choked as Roku let go of the spell satisfied, and he was rooted to his seat, teeth momentarily glued together. Now he wouldn't be able to leave without killing himself first.
"Lord Roku?" she repeated, voice a little louder. Almost a whisper. Not bad, for a first try. If she wasn't screaming and cursing, she was crying. This was a nice change, Roku figured, using the sorcerers around him to regain his strength.
"Yes, Miai Hime?"
"Can..." she thought quickly, and even granted Roku the privilege of looking up and not sneering at the same time.
"Can I visit someplace on Kamikakushi before I get married?" her voice was soft.
"Where is it, oh Majesty one?" he asked. she hated him.
She hated him more than anything in the universe.
"It's the place that you kidna - that you brought me her - brought me home," she was making an honest effort, honest! "I think. The tunnel." Her voice was so soft that Roku was leaning towards her, and she him, so that it was more of a secret. Nobody, not even the boy next to her, would/could hear. "The bathhouse. I've heard from talk that it is a wonderful place to go and relax..." she prayed her lies would work. She had just called this god forsaken planet home.
It had better work.
You may go wherever you wish after we have the Heir." Roku replied, raising his voice to the appropriate level and leaning back into his seat. "Look at your husband, Miai Hime. He won't look at you otherwise."
"Good." Chihiro snapped, louder then she had intended, turning her face sourly away. "and he's not my husband." Her voice was back to its breathy mumble.
The boy next to her shifted slightly.
Haku knew that voice! He had heard it before! And without his own will, he looked at her. It was a glance, and one glance told her they had never met before. He felt sorry for her. Sadness and pain - and Hate, a massive amount of hate - radiated from her thin body, and he could tell she hadn't been eating.
Had Roku and the others done this to her? Haku felt even more sorry for her.
Perhaps, when he found a way to break the spell and get the heck out of there, he would take her with him and take her back to Earth, where her true family surely waited in worry and woe.
This was only in a glance.
After breakfast, Miyako herded Chihiro into her room and began to demand answer to questions.
Questions like what are those on your lower arm, why didn't you even glance at your handsome prince charming, when would she make an attitude adjustment.
Chihiro ignored her as she pulled on a skirt and the long sleeved turtle neck that only boys wore.
Then she informed Miyako again of her likelihood to those female dogs in heat and suddenly wondered why she was being pushed down the hall to an isolated room where she would be locked in with her soon-to-be King until they decided to get along.
Chihiro already hated him, just like she hated Roku and Co. She hated them all.
He was already there, being held down by Roku and two others.
So he didn't want to be there? Interesting.
The room was pretty small, carpeted, had a small bathroom and a large comfortable looking bed. That was it. not even a window.
Chihiro did not look up as they were locked in together. Finally after a while, she sluggishly moved in to the bathroom, turned on the tap, and killed the girl in her reflection. She washed off the face paint (or make- up, whatever.) and yanked the curls out of her hair. She flung the crown down and ripped off her booties, then pushed her hair up into a ponytail (her hair-band from Zeniiba and No-face and Baby had long since been taken away) and felt a little better as she was looking at Chihiro.
But not Chihiro, too. Chihiro and Miai, that was who she was looking at. Chihiro, Miai, and Sen. Sen had long since disappeared, but she was still there, showing up in a chore or when working at school. Chihiro was Chihiro. Miai was a twelve-year-old that had started puberty at the age of two (or so it looked like) and was taller. Sen was long since dead. Chihiro was trying to kill Miai, too, now. She was starving her, hurting her, and bleeding her.
She hated her. She hated them all.
She collapsed in a heap and cried.
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A/N: okay... so, Chihiro and Haku actually look at each other in the next chapter! ^_^0 this is so cliché. You knew it was coming.