The little lady stepped out of the shadows. A broad smile appeared on
Chihiro's face. The old lady looked identical to Yubaba. Apparently, her
attitude was fairly different. (I bet you know who she is ^_^) Chihiro
embraced the spirit and greeted in a warm tone. Getting quit a soft
response.
" It's been so long." She said, " How have you been, Zaniba?"
" I'm surprised you even recognized me." The lady replied, " How have you been dear? Why are you back here? And oh. who is this little spirit? A friend Haku?" Chihiro looked at Zaniba. She continued the conversation.
" I'm sorry," She questioned, " Did you address Hanako as a.. spirit? She's my friend, from my world. You must be mistaken." She went over and grabbed Haku's arm. " I'm sure Haku would have sensed it , that is if Hanako was a spirit." Haku blushed.
" Well," Zaniba said, " my senses never lie. I'm sure Hanako is a spirit. Even though I'm sure she's fairly nice. "
" Are you sure? Hanako came from my world and I know for a fact she's human."
" Now that's it's been mentioned, I am feeling a strong spiritual power coming from Hanako." Haku said. He folded his arms and pondered for a while.
" What could have made her a spirit? That is, if she is one." He continued, " Chihiro, did anything funny happen when you and Hanako arrived?"
" No. " Chihiro replied, " I don't remember anything that stands out. Except when Hanako was blocked by a barrier when we were trying to leave. But I thought that was just a misguided spell to spot bad spirits or something."
" That's not what that spell's for. That spell is to keep spirits from entering the human world. It only effects spirits, goblins and any holy things, that , of course, doesn't belong in the human world visually." Zaniba walked to a near by window. " I don't know how Hanako was turned into a spirit. Unless she ate something from one of the restaurants during the day, but I got rid of most of the restaurants with trickery food." " By the way?" Chihiro asked, " where is Yubaba?"
" My sister wasn't doing a good job of running the bathhouse, you know with the contracts and junk." Chihiro smiled weakly, " So I took over and Yubaba now runs a restaurant at the beach next to the 9th station, as a rest spot. Um.. I wonder how she's doing, she always had a bad temper. But back to the point. Hanako, did you eat anything from any of the restaurants?" Hanako thought and replied weakly.
" I don't know if it was from a restaurant," She said, " but I took a free sample from a little stand. I think it was called the black dragon. I don't know. It tasted so different then any of the foods Ii ever eaten. So I asked a strange voice how much for some. The voice explained for me to empty my pockets and said it would give me some for something I had." She finished and looked at her hands. " I'm not sure if I like being a spirit." She said, " It's nothing bad, but I want to become a human again. Is there anything I can do to achieve that Zaniba?" Zaniba looked at her pockets and asked Hanako to empty them. " I'm sure the thief wanted something from you." She said, " Let's see what it might have been." Hanako put her hand into her pockets and pulled out some money, a piece of string, a marble, some candy, and a smooth stone the colour of snow. A faint glow came from it that only Chihiro could see.
" It's beautiful." Chihiro said, " where did you get it shines so nicely under the light. How come it's glowing?" Hanako stared at her.
" It's not glowing." She replied, " I got I from my godmother who died last year. She said it would help my someday so I keep it with me as a good luck charm." Zaniba sorted out the stuff and picked up the stone. Just then, a round plant covered in spikes was thrown into the window. Smoke burst everywhere.
" My Stone!" Hanako cried. She grabbed for it and touched a scaly hand. She froze. A thump was heard and Hanako suspected that to be her stone. She coughed and searched on the floor until she grabbed it. A hard hand tore through the smoke, grabbed Hanako, and threw her across the room. Zaniba soon had wiped up a spell, being able to clear the smoke. Everyone was all right. As Hanako's eyes began to come into focus, she noticed that all her possessions had been knocked on he floor and that the left window, in which Zaniba stood was broken.
" Well now." Zaniba said, " We now know for sure the thief was after something which belonged to Hanako. It's couldn't have been the stone, I believe. For that seems quit like a regular stone." Chihiro stood up and stared at the stone, it continued to glow. ' That's no regular stone' she thought as she went over to help everyone clean up the disaster.
" It's been so long." She said, " How have you been, Zaniba?"
" I'm surprised you even recognized me." The lady replied, " How have you been dear? Why are you back here? And oh. who is this little spirit? A friend Haku?" Chihiro looked at Zaniba. She continued the conversation.
" I'm sorry," She questioned, " Did you address Hanako as a.. spirit? She's my friend, from my world. You must be mistaken." She went over and grabbed Haku's arm. " I'm sure Haku would have sensed it , that is if Hanako was a spirit." Haku blushed.
" Well," Zaniba said, " my senses never lie. I'm sure Hanako is a spirit. Even though I'm sure she's fairly nice. "
" Are you sure? Hanako came from my world and I know for a fact she's human."
" Now that's it's been mentioned, I am feeling a strong spiritual power coming from Hanako." Haku said. He folded his arms and pondered for a while.
" What could have made her a spirit? That is, if she is one." He continued, " Chihiro, did anything funny happen when you and Hanako arrived?"
" No. " Chihiro replied, " I don't remember anything that stands out. Except when Hanako was blocked by a barrier when we were trying to leave. But I thought that was just a misguided spell to spot bad spirits or something."
" That's not what that spell's for. That spell is to keep spirits from entering the human world. It only effects spirits, goblins and any holy things, that , of course, doesn't belong in the human world visually." Zaniba walked to a near by window. " I don't know how Hanako was turned into a spirit. Unless she ate something from one of the restaurants during the day, but I got rid of most of the restaurants with trickery food." " By the way?" Chihiro asked, " where is Yubaba?"
" My sister wasn't doing a good job of running the bathhouse, you know with the contracts and junk." Chihiro smiled weakly, " So I took over and Yubaba now runs a restaurant at the beach next to the 9th station, as a rest spot. Um.. I wonder how she's doing, she always had a bad temper. But back to the point. Hanako, did you eat anything from any of the restaurants?" Hanako thought and replied weakly.
" I don't know if it was from a restaurant," She said, " but I took a free sample from a little stand. I think it was called the black dragon. I don't know. It tasted so different then any of the foods Ii ever eaten. So I asked a strange voice how much for some. The voice explained for me to empty my pockets and said it would give me some for something I had." She finished and looked at her hands. " I'm not sure if I like being a spirit." She said, " It's nothing bad, but I want to become a human again. Is there anything I can do to achieve that Zaniba?" Zaniba looked at her pockets and asked Hanako to empty them. " I'm sure the thief wanted something from you." She said, " Let's see what it might have been." Hanako put her hand into her pockets and pulled out some money, a piece of string, a marble, some candy, and a smooth stone the colour of snow. A faint glow came from it that only Chihiro could see.
" It's beautiful." Chihiro said, " where did you get it shines so nicely under the light. How come it's glowing?" Hanako stared at her.
" It's not glowing." She replied, " I got I from my godmother who died last year. She said it would help my someday so I keep it with me as a good luck charm." Zaniba sorted out the stuff and picked up the stone. Just then, a round plant covered in spikes was thrown into the window. Smoke burst everywhere.
" My Stone!" Hanako cried. She grabbed for it and touched a scaly hand. She froze. A thump was heard and Hanako suspected that to be her stone. She coughed and searched on the floor until she grabbed it. A hard hand tore through the smoke, grabbed Hanako, and threw her across the room. Zaniba soon had wiped up a spell, being able to clear the smoke. Everyone was all right. As Hanako's eyes began to come into focus, she noticed that all her possessions had been knocked on he floor and that the left window, in which Zaniba stood was broken.
" Well now." Zaniba said, " We now know for sure the thief was after something which belonged to Hanako. It's couldn't have been the stone, I believe. For that seems quit like a regular stone." Chihiro stood up and stared at the stone, it continued to glow. ' That's no regular stone' she thought as she went over to help everyone clean up the disaster.