A/N: Hey everyone! Okay, I've been bad and not updated for a month. SORRY!!! To be honest I've had a little block and didn't want to put this up until it was right. Thankyou everyone for the reviews! You're all fab! Please read and review this chapter cos I'm still not too sure if I like it.
Silver Sanity
Chapter 6 - Deja Vu and Voices
"You don't trust me, do you?"
Haku had tossed and turned all day and had arrived in Yubaba's office that evening tired and bedraggled. Zeniba was eyeing him with concern
"To be honest, no, I don't right now."
"Well, you should. I'm going to do what is best for both you and Chihiro."
Haku felt the weight of anxiety upon his body lessen, slightly. Worry over Zeniba's decision had been to blame for his lack of sleep.
"So you will send her home tomorrow morning?" Haku asked, voicing what he thought was the best option.
Zeniba laughed, incredulously.
"Were you not listening? I said what is best for you both!"
'Clearly, asking for your help instead of dealing with her myself wasn't the best thing for myself,' Haku thought, regretfully.
"You weren't ...you weren't actually thinking of keeping her here, were you?" he asked, fearfully.
"Not forever, but for a while. It would do you both a world of good," Zeniba obviously hadn't noticed Haku's disbelieving expression as she prattled on. "I'm not sure how she has forgotten her previous visit, but it does not do well to lose a whole piece of your life."
"What about Yubaba?" Haku demanded.
"Ah, well, my sister sent word to you this morning that she has been delayed. She will not return for a week."
Haku cursed Yubaba under his breath.
"You cannot keep her here!" Haku yelled, furiously. "If she does not go home tomorrow than I shall leave!"
"You can't leave," Zeniba replied, calmly.
"Oh yeah? You think so? Just watch me. I don't make idle threats, Zeniba, you know that."
The old witch smiled. "Yes, I know. You don't disobey orders either."
Her smile turned from superior to triumphant. She was right and it only made Haku's anger more acute.
"I believe you have been left in charge of the Aburaya, hmm? And who will manage it if you decide to go running away from your problems? I assure you Haku, it shall not be me."
"You're more like Yubaba than you believe," Haku snarled, feeling an immature sulk brewing within him.
Zeniba's smile vanished.
"That's not true. Yubaba cares only for herself," Zeniba disagreed, struggling to remain patient with the immature River Spirit. "I do this because I believe it will benefit you, not because I take pleasure in torturing you."
There was a knock at the door, silencing any comment Haku might have fired back. With a crook of Zeniba's index finger, the door creaked open revealing Chihiro standing in the doorway with wide eyes.
"Good evening my dear. Did you sleep well?"
Chihiro nodded.
"Did I come at a bad time?" she asked, sheepishly, glancing at Haku who looked away, gritting his teeth.
"No, not at all. Do come in."
The girl stepped forward, her eyes darting looks at Haku who seemed intent upon not looking at her. Zeniba nodded at a chair that edged forward, stopping behind Chihiro. She stared disbelievingly at the moving furniture before perching on the edge of the chair.
"I suspect you are here to ask questions. You must be a little confused."
"Yes, a little. I was wondering how I might get home. My parents will be really worried."
Chihiro's thoughts were diverted once again to home and the people that loved her. Cain, her parents...what would they be thinking right now? Would Cain know that she had gone through the tunnel? Did Cain even know what lied beyond the tunnel? She would have a lot f questions for him when she returned home.
Zeniba nodded, understandingly, preparing herself to break the news.
"I'm sure they are, but I'm afraid you might be here a little longer than we first expected."
"How long?"
"Well, you see, the train that might take you home does not pass by here for a week."
All colour drained from Chihiro's cheeks. Haku raised an eyebrow. This was Zeniba's plan for keeping her here? The Chihiro he had once known was too determined and resourceful to let the train stop her from getting home.
"But I walked here, surely I could walk back home? All I need are directions so I don't lose my way," she stammered, her eyebrows knitted in confusion.
Haku, who was still in a foul mood, laughed at her words.
"You think you can walk through that?" he challenged, pointing out the window, his eyes flashing, cruelly.
She got to her feet and ran to the window.
The sea that stretched beyond the village seemed endless, a stretch of black that reached beyond the horizon. Chihiro felt like a hand was clamping itself around her throat, choking her, slowly and painfully. Haku saw the fright and pain in her face and wished he hadn't spoken.
"Chihiro, this place is not like the one you came from," Zeniba explained, shooting Haku an annoyed look. "There are dangers that you have never encountered. The train is the only way to ensure you a safe trip home."
"This can't, this isn't possible," Chihiro stammered, staring at the sea in disbelief. "I walked, I walked through a meadow..."
"Chihiro, surely you have noticed by now that this place is like nowhere you have ever been."
Haku's heart writhed. She had been here before. Oh, why couldn't she remember? Why must he be denied the one thought that had kept that little flame of hope burning within him? Now, even when he was freed in a year, he had nothing to go to. She had forgotten him. He was nothing to her. He closed his eyes tight to keep the tears away, masculine shame washing over him.
"A place of dreams," she whispered, still staring out of the window.
"I'm sorry, but it's the best I can do."
The ledge was so high up that it made Chihiro's head spin when she looked down. Taking a deep breath, she edged her way across, her hand shaking as she reached out and grabbed the rail of Haku's balcony. Below her, the bathhouse was alive with flurries of activity. There was a hum of work and a drone of relaxation drifting up into the air and assuring Chihiro that no one would see her stumbling along the narrow ledge across the sixth floor. The steam erupting from a leaky pipe nearby made her lose her balance for a split second, reminding her that one inch could ensure her death.
Why did she ever walk through the tunnel? What sort of idiot just ran away because some so called force urged them to? She was angry with herself and as her foot slipped slightly, she tried to gain her composure, desperately. She was going to find her way home, she was going to escape and everything would be okay. She just needed to stay calm and not do anything foolish.
The ladder stretched down two floors of the bathhouse, rusty metal rungs protruding from the wall that led down onto another ledge. As Chihiro descended, slowly and carefully, she got a strange feeling of déjà vu. The hairs on her neck prickled and she had a sudden flash of panic. Someone was hurt, someone very dear to her. She needed to find them before it was too late. She was going the wrong way! She needed to go up the ladder, go up into the office to save them.
Chihiro shook her head, trying to toss the thought from her mind. She cared for no one in this strange place.
Her foot found the ledge, and her hands reluctantly released the final rung. She was still high up, but she had moved further away from the noise. No one could possibly see her now. Somehow, though, the quiet was even more daunting than the prospect of being caught. It whirled around her, endless silence like the endless sea, black and cold, leaving her with only horrible thoughts to concentrate upon.
What if she never made it home? What were her parents thinking? Or Cain? Worse even, what if she fell to her death? She would never see any of them again. It was this thought that weighed heaviest upon her mind.
The ledge led to another, smaller building, and she crept across the sooty, sloping roof with all the stealth her awkward teenage body would allow. As she stopped to catch her breath, she was unaware of a small white shape, drifting towards her. The shape drew closer, dodging out of her line of vision and nestling itself inside the hood of her cloak. Chihiro noticed nothing and continued to crawl, advancing slowly.
The prospect that met her as she reached the end of the roof was bleak. No ladder, no ledge. There was a wooden walkway below that wound through the gardens and to the bridge, but reaching it would mean summoning her courage. She would have to jump.
Her eerie white passenger seemed to heave a shudder as she prepared herself. The night wind blew hard and harsh against her face, almost pleading her to go back. It only made her more determined; she would prove that the force was all a figment of her hyperactive imagination. She squared her shoulders, defiantly, before leaping from the roof.
She managed to tumble into a roll as she hit the wood, but sliced open the skin on her ankle in the process. The blood flowed quickly, but the pain was mediocre. She stood up without wincing and began to amble through the gardens.
Her ego pumped pride into her mind. She had done it, she had escaped. If she could make it across the bridge she would be home in no time. These thoughts kept her unaware of the increasing density of the darkness, distracted from the black smoke hiding her own feet from her as she walked on, believing she was safe.
It took a few moments for the shiver to sprint down her spine. The wind had dropped, but the cold was winding into her cloak, chilling her skin. She whirled around, trying to quash the sensation that she was being watched but saw nothing. Nothing but darkness, wrapping itself around her, tighter and tighter, binding her body until she couldn't move. She tried to scream, to beg for help, but no words would come from her mouth and she screamed inside her head.
Those few seconds before he arrived seemed like days, days of shadow and misery, tearing all the happiness from her soul. Somewhere, in the distance, she heard a voice, angry and cold.
"Release her! Now!"
It was a pinprick, a dot, white and shimmering. It grew, opening like a springtime bud, ripping through the darkness and engulfing her in light and warmth. Something wrapped around her waist, pulling her, roughly, so that she collided with something and fell. Suddenly, the night garden swam back into view and she found herself lying on top of Haku.
He pushed her away and moved quickly to stand over her.
"Foolish child!" He hissed, angrily. "Did you not listen? Have you any idea how close you were to death?"
She shivered under the cold glare of his olive eyes.
"You could have been killed!" He paused, narrowing his eyes. "You would have been killed!"
"I'm sorry," she murmured, looking down at the ground."
He clamped his hand around her arm and dragged her to her feet.
"Sorry?" He repeated, incredulously.
Her next move caught him off guard. She snatched her arm from his hand, pointing a finger at him, angrily.
"I made a mistake! What was I supposed to do? Sit in my room all week, dwelling upon what my parents might be thinking?" She demanded, furiously. "They probably believe I am dead!"
He was shocked by her outburst, but regained his composure, quickly.
"So that is reason enough to risk your life? Zeniba warned you this place was dangerous, but you're stupid enough to believe one little mortal girl can fight her way through these dangers! There is no greater weakness than foolishness!" He spat.
"Well, if I'm so stupid, why didn't you just let me die?"
His hand moved to his chest, suddenly aware of how fast his heart was beating. He felt so alive, suddenly. When he had seen the darkness swallow her, such emotions had raced through him. Fear, anger ... love. And now he found himself, face to face with this girl, allowing his anger to spill from his lips. Such a glorious feeling to be able to speak, to argue, to fight.
He regained his grip upon her arm.
"Come on," he commanded, gruffly.
"No," she refused, defiantly. "I want answers. I want someone to tell me where I am and how I got here."
He summoned his power and lifted her into the air, enjoying her infuriated expression as she realised she was helpless. She floated before him as he walked, directing her with his index finger. His lips twitched, desperate to smile, as she folded her arms and pouted.
"Where are you taking me?" she asked, at last, as they descended down a flight of wooden steps.
"Somewhere you won't escape."
"Kamaji, this girl just nearly got herself killed. I need you to keep an eye on her for me."'
Chihiro was slowly becoming immune to the shocks of this place. Kamaji, the eight legged boiler man, was no more unusual than Zeniba or moving furniture. She now looked around with curiosity instead of fear. Her eyes lit up as she watched the soot sprites, which were so busy transporting the coal that they were still oblivious to her floating above them.
Kamaji, however, took off his goggles to stare at her in wonder.
"Sen?"
Haku nodded behind Chihiro's back, but spoke up, firmly.
"She stumbled across the bathhouse this morning. She doesn't know how this place works," Haku explained, glad Chihiro was too captivated by the sprites to listen to him.
"What are they?" she asked Haku, a smile lighting up her face.
"Soot sprites," he whispered, suddenly hit by a powerful emotion at witnessing her smile.
"They're my workers," Kamaji explained. "Balls o' soot, bewitched to carry the coal."
Haku moved her across the room, placing her down on the wooden floor more gently than he had intended.
"I'll come back for her later."
Kamaji nodded. "I'll be expecting an explanation then."
Haku raised an eyebrow. "I'm not sure how much explanation I can offer you."
As Haku left, Chihiro edged closer to where the Sprites were working. It was one that noticed her at first, dropping it's coal in surprise. She giggled, leaning forward and picking up it's piece of gleaming black coal and replacing it in the Sprites' hands. The Sprite dropped the coal again, squeaking excitedly to the others. Soon there was quite a commotion, the Sprites' gathered around Chihiro, their chunks of coal abandoned. She couldn't help smiling, delightedly.
"They're adorable," she cried.
Kamaji smiled, briefly, memories of a similar incident returning to him.
"And lazy," he replied. "Get back to work, sprites!"
The Sprites reluctantly returned to the coal, squeaking a lot more than usual. Chihiro crossed her legs, watching them with fascination, for a while. There was something comforting about this room. The warmth from the blasts of steam or the crackle of the furnace. It all seemed so familiar and safe.
The voice from before in the garden had returned as well as thet strange feeling of déjà vu. She closed her eyes and saw the boiler room, but it was quiet. There were no sprites and Kamaji was asleep. She needed her shoes, she had to find Haku. Where were they? Where had she put them?
A Sprite tentatively peered out from one of the small holes in the wall. Suddenly a torrent of them poured out of the walls, carrying a pair of yellow sneakers with Velcro straps. She took them gratefully and ran out onto the steps, fluttering her fingers in a goodbye to the sprites.
Chihiro opened her eyes. The déjà vu had passed, leaving her more confused than ever. Kamaji as peering at her, curiously.
"Déjà vu," she murmured.
"That's a pretty dress," Kamaji commented, with rare smile.
Chihiro blushed, remembering that she was still in her Halloween costume. It seemed like a million years had passed since the party even though it was only 24 hours ago. Her thoughts returned to Cain. Did he know what lay beyond that tunnel? Had he seen the gardens, the bridge, the boiler room?
"Kamaji, might I ask you something?"
"Yes."
"Do you know a boy named Cain? He's tall, has dark, rusty brown hair and dark eyes. Always got a sketchbook with him," she described, seeing the image of him clear as day.
"Don't think I do. Why do you ask?"
"Just wondered," she replied as a low wooden shutter quivered before sliding open.
"You're here!" Lin cried, scrambling over to Chihiro before hugging her.
Kamaji watched as Lin embraced Chihiro like a younger sister. She had obviously known that Sen had returned.
"Thanks for telling me," Kamaji growled.
"Oh, pipe down old man. I was gonna tell you. She got to you first."
Again Lin was talking as though Chihiro had been here before. It gave her the feeling everyone knew something about her that she didn't. Even the annoying force that had brought her here.
"What are you doing here, anyway?" Lin asked, passing Kamaji a plate of food.
"Haku brought her here, she stumbled into danger."
"Yeah? That what he said?"
"'Nearly got herself killed' were his words," Kamaji replied.
"Haku always exaggerates," Lin dismissed it, tossing a handful of brightly coloured treats to the Sprites.
"What is the deal with Haku? He's so strange," Chihiro said, looking at the two who were exchanging glances.
"He isn't so bad. He's just always got a lot to do, means he gets a little strained," Lin explained, sitting down.
Lin settled in, forgetting her work for the evening in favour of talking with Chihiro. Chihiro told her all about her life and Lin listened intently, hanging on every word. Kamaji watched them fondly as they giggled over a million different things. By the time Haku came back, they were firm friends.
"Lin, don't you have work to do?" Haku asked, glaring at her.
Lin rolled her eyes, but got to her feet, waving goodbye and disappearing through the cupboard-sized door.
As Chihiro stood, Haku noticed a flash of white upon her crimson cloak. He narrowed his eyes, marching over and peeling the paper off the cloak. Chihiro watched as he tore it down the middle, furiously.
"Zeniba?" She asked.
Haku looked at her, an unreadable expression upon his face, his eyes wide for a split second.
"She remembers."
"How do you know? Did she tell you?" Zeniba asked, sitting down behind the desk.
"No, but I feel it. The way she was looking at the soot sprites and how she knew the paper was yours. She's remembering things."
"It would seem that way, but Haku, I don't want you to get your hopes-"
Haku held up his hand, suddenly.
"Do you hear that?" he whispered.
The office fell silent, but not completely. Somewhere a voice could be heard. Distant, but clearly urgent.
"The skull," Haku hissed, creeping towards the table upon which the skull rested. Carefully, he lifted it and opened it's mouth. A young male voice filled the room.
"Yubaba?" The voice called, desperately. "This isn't good. I thought everything was working perfectly. But this morning, she was gone. Her parents said she didn't return home last night. I was the last person to see her. Yubaba, tell me she hasn't gone through the tunnel." He paused, breathing heavily with panic. "Why aren't you there?"
The voice was gone and Haku closed the mouth of the skull, placing it back down on the table.
"Haku?"
"Who was that?"
"I'm not sure."
"She's been watching her. She, she did it."
"Haku, you're not making sense. Try to calm down."
He whirled around, anger etched into his face.
"She made her forget!"