They walked into the boiler room. A very odd image met their eyes; millions
of little black soot balls roamed the floor, carrying pieces of coal to a
burner. A man with six arms was sitting on a sort of work station, turning
a wheel, grinding herbs, and sending little wooden chips with symbols on
them back up a chute.
Sen gasped. Kamajii looked at her.
"You look familiar. I remember.Sen! You're Sen! Nice to see you again, lass!" Kamajii held his arms open and she ran to him and hugged him. Kamajii put his arms around her back and hugged her. The little soot balls started squeaking about seeing her again. They took a liking to her shoes last time, and now she had some more shoes that they were sure to like. Sen smiled and wandered over to them. She crouched down and took off her shoes and socks. She shoved her socks into her shoes, and set her shoes down in the middle of the soot balls. They squeaked excitedly and rushed to her shoes. She giggled a little and turned back to her friends.
"I'm so happy being back here. Thank you, Haku, for keeping your promise!" Sen ran over to him and hugged him too. He hugged her back and smiled inwardly. Sen broke away.
"Hey, can someone show me to the new Luna room? I need some work clothes." Sen said. "And thank you for those train tickets Kamajii!" Sen crouched down and crawled out of the little door.
"I'll meet you in the main room, Sen." Lin said, and turned to Haku. "Is there a reason you were staring at Sen the whole way here?" She said, smirking to herself.
Haku looked at her expressionlessly. "It is not really any of your business." He said dully. He felt confused about Sen. She had made it seem like they were just friends, but he wanted to know if she really liked him like he liked her. He sighed.
"I see.well, I'll talk to Sen for you." She left out the small door, and minutes later joined Sen in the main room in front of the foreman's desk.
"Ready to go?" Lin said, and Sen followed her to a room slightly bigger than the last Luna room.
"It's not much different, really. The only thing that changed is the dust is lighter than the last room, and I think this lamp is about an inch closer to the cabinet." Lin said, trying to lift the confused and sad look on Sen's face. "What's wrong?" she asked gently.
Sen sighed, and looked away. "It's.Haku. I like him a lot, and I don't know if he likes me the same way I like him. It's so confusing." She was on the verge of tears, but held them back.
Lin's expression grew softer and more understanding. "Sen, you will have to talk to him about this. In fact, he wanted to know how you felt about him. So why don't you two set up and meet somewhere to talk?" Lin suggested, and Sen was struck with a pleasant wave of deja'vu. ~~~flashback~~~
"Mom, Dad, I'll get you out of here just don't get any fatter or they'll eat you!" Sen shouted, and ran off to the garden. Haku followed her.
"Here are your clothes." Haku reached into his haori and handed her her clothes. She took them and hugged them to her chest.
"I thought they had been thrown away." She said.
Haku smiled down at her, and crouched down next to her. "You'll need them to get home." She reached into one fold, and pulled out a small card, and read, "I'll miss you Chihiro, your friend, Rumi".
"Chihiro.," Sen tried out the name slowly. "Chihiro, that's my name, isn't it." She said to Haku, and he nodded.
"That's how Yubaba controls you, by stealing your name. I've tried everything to remember mine." He said sadly.
"You can't remember your name?" Sen asked.
"No.but for some reason, I can remember yours. Here, you're probably hungry." Haku said, smiling at her. He offered her an assortment of rice balls.
"No.I'm not that hungry." She refused sadly.
"I've put a spell on them, they'll give you your strength back. Eat."
Sen took one, and took a bite. She began to cry, and Haku placed his arm gently around her shoulders. She cried more, and ate the rice balls.
"Thanks, Haku. You're a good friend." Sen said, and waved as she ran across the bridge, back to the bathhouse. ~~~end of flashback~~~
"Sure, I'll get dressed then go find Haku tomorrow morning." Sen smiled, and lay down in the palette that Lin had laid out for her. Sleep overcame her as soon as she laid her head down on the pillow.
She dreamt that she was walking in a garden with Haku. The garden was beautiful, and the roses that formed it seemed to have light making the silky light pink petals shine. Haku stopped and picked a particularly glowing rose, and handed it to her with a smile.
When Haku spoke, his voice seemed to echo. "A rose, for a girl as beautiful as one."
She took the rose and smelled it, taking in it's unearthly scent. She looked up to smile at him, but he was gone. She frantically looked around, but only to see miles of roses in every direction. She began to run one way and kept running until she reached a familiar pen. It had an uncountable number of pigs in it. She looked around, and recognized two as her parents, as they stood brighter than the rest. She began to cry, and called for Haku.
Sen woke up, panting with sweat running down her face. She reached up and gingerly put her hand on her cheek. There were tears there, mingled with the sweat. She looked around, and it was dark, but she could make out several shapes of the Luna sleeping. She heard the sliding wooden door open.
"Haku?" She whispered.
"Sen, get dressed, meet me at the bridge." Haku whispered back. He shut the door.
I thought I was going to ask him.Oh well, at least someone did. Sen thought. She got up and weaved her way through the sleeping women. She got dressed against the wall of the room, carefully tucking her human clothes under her pillow before leaving. She went out into the hall and shut the door.
She walked her old route to the bridge through Kamajii's room. She slipped on her shoes, and ran towards the door. She climbed the stairs, and when she reached the top, she was greeted by Haku. He nodded and led her through a tunnel of flowers and then to a garden wall. This is the place where Sen's flashback took place. She sat down and a look of remembrance on her face. Haku sat next to her, and handed her a rose. She took it, and realized that the rose looked as if it were glowing, and the light pink petals blended perfectly with the color of the uniform she was wearing.
Haku spoke softly, and said, "A rose, for a girl as beautiful as one." And smiled.
Sen just looked at him in shock and said, "Haku, how did you-" Haku silenced her by placing a finger on her lips. Her cheeks turned from light pink to dark maroon red.
The look Haku had was as if he knew exactly what she was going to say about how he knew about her dream. Sen closed her eyes and turned her head. She was going to cry, but tried as hard as possible to conceal her tears.
"Is anything wrong, Chihiro?" Haku asked gently. He heard her whimper, and hesitantly placed his arm around the young girl.
"Oh, Haku!" She flung herself at him and hugged him. He placed his arms around her back and stroked her soft hair gently. He soothed her as she cried into his haori. Haku couldn't tell whether she was crying because she was happy or sad.
"Haku, I'm just so confused!" She sobbed, and gripped his shirt tighter.
He secured her on his lap and gently calmed her and continued to stroke her hair and back. She calmed down, and snuggled closer to him, as if trying to get warm.
"Now what are you confused about?" Haku whispered.
Sen looked up at him with her tearstained face. "Haku, I'm confused about.our feelings." She took a deep breath, then continued. "I don't know how you feel. How do you feel about me?" Her saddened eyes told him instantly as he looked into them how she felt. He could see it. The love in her eyes.
"Sen, I love you. I've been wondering how you felt about me, and I can see it in your eyes. Do you love me?" Haku asked. Sen smiled slightly and nodded, and laid her head on his chest as he leaned back against the garden wall. Sen fell asleep, and Haku was calmed so much by her steady breathing that he fell asleep also, with his arms still wrapped around her. Together they sat there, until Lin had to come looking for them.
"Awww.I knew they made a cute couple." Lin smiled as she looked at their sleeping forms. She gently shook them awake. "Guys, wake up, work starts soon." She left.
"We fell asleep?" Sen asked to no one in particular while rubbing her eyes. Haku nodded.
"I guess I was really tired." Haku stretched, stood up, and helped Sen up.
They walked back to the bathhouse, hand in hand.
"When work is done today, meet me again here." Haku said, and ushered Sen down the stairs. She nodded, and took off, eager to begin working.
That's chapter 5 for all of you who have tolerated me enough to reach it! Hehe, more coming very shortly! =^-^=
Sen gasped. Kamajii looked at her.
"You look familiar. I remember.Sen! You're Sen! Nice to see you again, lass!" Kamajii held his arms open and she ran to him and hugged him. Kamajii put his arms around her back and hugged her. The little soot balls started squeaking about seeing her again. They took a liking to her shoes last time, and now she had some more shoes that they were sure to like. Sen smiled and wandered over to them. She crouched down and took off her shoes and socks. She shoved her socks into her shoes, and set her shoes down in the middle of the soot balls. They squeaked excitedly and rushed to her shoes. She giggled a little and turned back to her friends.
"I'm so happy being back here. Thank you, Haku, for keeping your promise!" Sen ran over to him and hugged him too. He hugged her back and smiled inwardly. Sen broke away.
"Hey, can someone show me to the new Luna room? I need some work clothes." Sen said. "And thank you for those train tickets Kamajii!" Sen crouched down and crawled out of the little door.
"I'll meet you in the main room, Sen." Lin said, and turned to Haku. "Is there a reason you were staring at Sen the whole way here?" She said, smirking to herself.
Haku looked at her expressionlessly. "It is not really any of your business." He said dully. He felt confused about Sen. She had made it seem like they were just friends, but he wanted to know if she really liked him like he liked her. He sighed.
"I see.well, I'll talk to Sen for you." She left out the small door, and minutes later joined Sen in the main room in front of the foreman's desk.
"Ready to go?" Lin said, and Sen followed her to a room slightly bigger than the last Luna room.
"It's not much different, really. The only thing that changed is the dust is lighter than the last room, and I think this lamp is about an inch closer to the cabinet." Lin said, trying to lift the confused and sad look on Sen's face. "What's wrong?" she asked gently.
Sen sighed, and looked away. "It's.Haku. I like him a lot, and I don't know if he likes me the same way I like him. It's so confusing." She was on the verge of tears, but held them back.
Lin's expression grew softer and more understanding. "Sen, you will have to talk to him about this. In fact, he wanted to know how you felt about him. So why don't you two set up and meet somewhere to talk?" Lin suggested, and Sen was struck with a pleasant wave of deja'vu. ~~~flashback~~~
"Mom, Dad, I'll get you out of here just don't get any fatter or they'll eat you!" Sen shouted, and ran off to the garden. Haku followed her.
"Here are your clothes." Haku reached into his haori and handed her her clothes. She took them and hugged them to her chest.
"I thought they had been thrown away." She said.
Haku smiled down at her, and crouched down next to her. "You'll need them to get home." She reached into one fold, and pulled out a small card, and read, "I'll miss you Chihiro, your friend, Rumi".
"Chihiro.," Sen tried out the name slowly. "Chihiro, that's my name, isn't it." She said to Haku, and he nodded.
"That's how Yubaba controls you, by stealing your name. I've tried everything to remember mine." He said sadly.
"You can't remember your name?" Sen asked.
"No.but for some reason, I can remember yours. Here, you're probably hungry." Haku said, smiling at her. He offered her an assortment of rice balls.
"No.I'm not that hungry." She refused sadly.
"I've put a spell on them, they'll give you your strength back. Eat."
Sen took one, and took a bite. She began to cry, and Haku placed his arm gently around her shoulders. She cried more, and ate the rice balls.
"Thanks, Haku. You're a good friend." Sen said, and waved as she ran across the bridge, back to the bathhouse. ~~~end of flashback~~~
"Sure, I'll get dressed then go find Haku tomorrow morning." Sen smiled, and lay down in the palette that Lin had laid out for her. Sleep overcame her as soon as she laid her head down on the pillow.
She dreamt that she was walking in a garden with Haku. The garden was beautiful, and the roses that formed it seemed to have light making the silky light pink petals shine. Haku stopped and picked a particularly glowing rose, and handed it to her with a smile.
When Haku spoke, his voice seemed to echo. "A rose, for a girl as beautiful as one."
She took the rose and smelled it, taking in it's unearthly scent. She looked up to smile at him, but he was gone. She frantically looked around, but only to see miles of roses in every direction. She began to run one way and kept running until she reached a familiar pen. It had an uncountable number of pigs in it. She looked around, and recognized two as her parents, as they stood brighter than the rest. She began to cry, and called for Haku.
Sen woke up, panting with sweat running down her face. She reached up and gingerly put her hand on her cheek. There were tears there, mingled with the sweat. She looked around, and it was dark, but she could make out several shapes of the Luna sleeping. She heard the sliding wooden door open.
"Haku?" She whispered.
"Sen, get dressed, meet me at the bridge." Haku whispered back. He shut the door.
I thought I was going to ask him.Oh well, at least someone did. Sen thought. She got up and weaved her way through the sleeping women. She got dressed against the wall of the room, carefully tucking her human clothes under her pillow before leaving. She went out into the hall and shut the door.
She walked her old route to the bridge through Kamajii's room. She slipped on her shoes, and ran towards the door. She climbed the stairs, and when she reached the top, she was greeted by Haku. He nodded and led her through a tunnel of flowers and then to a garden wall. This is the place where Sen's flashback took place. She sat down and a look of remembrance on her face. Haku sat next to her, and handed her a rose. She took it, and realized that the rose looked as if it were glowing, and the light pink petals blended perfectly with the color of the uniform she was wearing.
Haku spoke softly, and said, "A rose, for a girl as beautiful as one." And smiled.
Sen just looked at him in shock and said, "Haku, how did you-" Haku silenced her by placing a finger on her lips. Her cheeks turned from light pink to dark maroon red.
The look Haku had was as if he knew exactly what she was going to say about how he knew about her dream. Sen closed her eyes and turned her head. She was going to cry, but tried as hard as possible to conceal her tears.
"Is anything wrong, Chihiro?" Haku asked gently. He heard her whimper, and hesitantly placed his arm around the young girl.
"Oh, Haku!" She flung herself at him and hugged him. He placed his arms around her back and stroked her soft hair gently. He soothed her as she cried into his haori. Haku couldn't tell whether she was crying because she was happy or sad.
"Haku, I'm just so confused!" She sobbed, and gripped his shirt tighter.
He secured her on his lap and gently calmed her and continued to stroke her hair and back. She calmed down, and snuggled closer to him, as if trying to get warm.
"Now what are you confused about?" Haku whispered.
Sen looked up at him with her tearstained face. "Haku, I'm confused about.our feelings." She took a deep breath, then continued. "I don't know how you feel. How do you feel about me?" Her saddened eyes told him instantly as he looked into them how she felt. He could see it. The love in her eyes.
"Sen, I love you. I've been wondering how you felt about me, and I can see it in your eyes. Do you love me?" Haku asked. Sen smiled slightly and nodded, and laid her head on his chest as he leaned back against the garden wall. Sen fell asleep, and Haku was calmed so much by her steady breathing that he fell asleep also, with his arms still wrapped around her. Together they sat there, until Lin had to come looking for them.
"Awww.I knew they made a cute couple." Lin smiled as she looked at their sleeping forms. She gently shook them awake. "Guys, wake up, work starts soon." She left.
"We fell asleep?" Sen asked to no one in particular while rubbing her eyes. Haku nodded.
"I guess I was really tired." Haku stretched, stood up, and helped Sen up.
They walked back to the bathhouse, hand in hand.
"When work is done today, meet me again here." Haku said, and ushered Sen down the stairs. She nodded, and took off, eager to begin working.
That's chapter 5 for all of you who have tolerated me enough to reach it! Hehe, more coming very shortly! =^-^=