Disclaimers Notice: I do not own any items such as characters, setting,
ect. of Spirited Away. These items belong to Hayoa Miyazaki and Gibli
films.
Authors Beginning Note: Hey. The last we left Chihiro we were wondering if she still exists or not. Well, now it's time to put an end to your insufferable pain and let you find out. I hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 5
In The Boiler Room
"Chihiro!"
"Kohaku!" We were in darkness this time. I don't know where he is, all I know is that he is in trouble and I have to find him!
"Kohaku! Don't worry, I'll save you!" I was trying to run but I kept falling and getting caught on thorns that I couldn't see.
"Kohaku.are you still there!" there wasn't any reply.
"Kohaku!" I started screaming. It felt like my body was being sucked into a whirlpool of darkness that I can't get out of no matter how hard I try and being ripped apart at the same time.
"Ooof." I said as I laded on my front side on a hard floor. Slowly getting up, I looked up and gasped! What am I doing in Yubaaba's room! I looked around. Nothing had changed. The fireplace was the same, with a fire glowing in it. The red upholstered chairs were there. Her desk still had papers scattered everywhere. In fact, even the carpet that had some of Haku's blood on it was still there, though it looked like someone had tried to clean the spot a million times and gave up when they realized it wouldn't come out. I walked over to Yubaaba's desk and looked at everything on it and stopped. I picked up a green box with fancy designs on it and sapphires embedded in it in a beautiful way. I tried to open it but it was locked.
"What are you doing with that!" came a male voice behind me, that seemed familiar, but not at the same time. Startled I set the box down, though not so gently and whirled around, my heart beating so hard it hurt.
"Kohaku! I exclaimed with joy!"
"Go away, before I decide to kill you."
"Kohaku????" This was all wrong. Is he under Yubaaba's spell again?
"Oh Kohaku."
"I said get out of here now!" He yelled at me. Looking in his eyes I became startled. His lively green eyes were dull. They held nothing in them! There was nothing. No love.or hate.or anger.no anything. All that was there was.nothing.
"What's wrong Kohaku! Did Yubaaba do this?" I said tears sliding down my cheeks. I hadn't moved a muscle.
"I said leave!" He stepped towards me, I stepped back just in time to miss his swinging arm. I ran for the door.
"I told you what would happen if you didn't leave." I looked back and saw him beginning to turn into a dragon, but he was different. Instead of Kohaku's usually smooth ivory white skin and green hair, he was completely black, and scared. I screamed and fell into darkness.
I sat up quickly, which was one of my first mistakes. My muscles seared with pain and my head began to throb again so I lay back down and closed my eyes. My breathing was heavy so I concentrated on steadying that first. Where am I? Was it just a dream, or maybe it really was real. I shook my head. I sat up slowly this time and looked around. I was in the boiler room. Like a lot that I had seen already, nothing had changed. I was lying in the exact same spot that Haku had laid in, when he had almost died. A tear slipped down my face and I brushed it away. I had been sleeping on a thin pallet and wrapped in b nkets. I looked around me, still sitting up. The three jars still stood where they always had, the first one and third one filled with something green, like herbs, and the middle one filled with a substance like peppermint flowers. The wheel was still as Kamajii slept. His golden Teapot was right behind him in its usual place. I looked over at the thousands of drawers lining the wall. There were a few new ones, I'm guessing the ones that had been dented too much to work right, and there were some that had rusted looking spots that looked like blood. Everything seemed to be the very same as when I had last left this place. I felt a stirring and looked towards Kamajii.
"Well, we almost thought you wouldn't make it to see tonight." Said Kamajii as he reached his teapot and took a long drink of water.
"What all happened?" I asked. Everything from last night seems blurry; I can't make out what happened after I got to the bridge even!
"Well you came stumbled in here and kept babbling about food. You put Rin in a scare. Well anyways we were going to thrown you back outside till you said that you were Sen. You were screaming and just wouldn't hold still. You were nearly completely gone. Rin was able to get something in your mouth though. You still kept babbling about something but we didn't know what. Then you fell and Rin caught you. Well she handed you to me while she fixed you up someplace to sleep. The whole day you were thrashing and yelling in your sleep. I think a minute later and you would have been a goner" I nodded, feeling nauseas.
"Kamajii, have you seen Kohaku?"
"Well now, that's another thing entirely. I haven't seen the boy since you left. You might want to try Rin though, she might know." I nodded.
"So now, how did you end up here? Aren't you supposed to be in the human world?"
"Well I am but I had to come here." I started and told him of my nightmares I had been having a little while after I came back to the real world and home Koanashi had mysteriously come into my room and all the way up until my dream last night.
"Well now, that seems like quite an adventure. So, a black dragon you say?"
"Yes."
"Well, there haven't been any dragons around here that I know of, other than the Water Spirit that gave you that medicine ball, and Haku." I nodded. I stood up to stretch a little. All the muscles in my body seemed to be pulled but I ignored that.
"Here stand still so that I can get a good look at ya." Said Kamajii. I walked over and stood right in front of him.
"My, you have grown into quite a lady since the last time you were here." I blushed and turned around as I heard little squeaking behind me. It was all of the little Susuwatari. I smiled as they jumped up and down.
(A/N Susuwatari are the tiny soot balls)la
"They seem excited to see you." Said Kamajii. "Well it's about time I started working." Kamajii turned around and grabbed is little wooden mallet and pounded it like a judge. "Time to get to work" he yelled to the little Susuwatari. They began to go into their little holes and started to bring out coal. I watched them and smiled. Then one stopped and looked at me. I looked at it. I gasped as it dropped the heavy lump of coal on it's self. Putting my hands on my hips, while smiling I said:
"I'm not falling for that one again." The little susuwatari stopped struggling and lifted the piece of coal off of it's self and brought it to the now fully burning furnace. I tuned around and saw three- bath tokens fall down and watched as Kamajii mixed a bunch of different things into the black bowl and crushed it with a smaller wheel than the one he was spinning with one of his other eight legs. After he was done with the first one, six more fell, and I watched in amazement. He got done with four this time before five more fell.
"Kamajii, you hardly ever got this many bath tokens when I was here, the most you got at one time was three! Why is it so busy?" I asked. Three more fell now coming to a total of six left and still another came.
"The Sano Saishe Festival is coming."
"The what?" I had never heard of such a festival, even in the real world.
"It celebrates the success of the bath house. It comes every twenty years."
"And when is it?"
"In six days."
"How long has it been like this?" Eight bath tokens dropped. How is Kamajii able to keep up with this all day long?
"For about a month."
"A month! But I thought it was only at the end of this week that the Festival was going to be celebrated!"
"It is, but the early bird gets the worm. In this case, the earlier the spirits come, the better rooms they get." I nodded and watched dozens of bath tokens fall down. Poor Kamajii, but he doesn't seem to mind so much at being so busy. I took to watching the susuwatari work, as I sat down on the pallet that was made for me earlier. For the first time, I actually feel like I am home. In the real world, everything seems so plain and ordinary. Nothing interesting ever happens there, and I feel so lonely there. I have no friends there. What can I do? Koanashi, you said Kohaku was in trouble, but what can I do that no one here can?
"Chow time!" said Rin. Startled I looked towards her as she came through the little door; maneuvering her feet so that she wouldn't have to set down the things she carried just to close the sliding wooden door. I smiled up at her.
"Sen, your all right. You really had me scared there kid. Here eat this." She said handing me a bowl. I looked down and saw that it was Sueg. She also handed me a rice cake. I smiled.
"Thanks Rin." I said happily and ate it all. She went and gave Kamajii his food. He handed her his bowl and dinner plates from yesterday, all the while watching me.
"Breakfast time!" yelled Kamajii as he used his little mallet again. The susuwatari stopped and set down their little pieces of coal.
"Don't eat so fast Sen. You'll choke and then we'll have spent that whole night trying to help you all for nothing." I smiled and tried to slow down.
"Here. It's some clothes for today. You'll need them if you're going to be working here again." She said tossing me a pink outfit. I knew that it was the same kind of out fit as the one she was wearing.
"I wasn't sure what size you were so if they don't fit right, I'll get you something else later." She said and now starting to feed the little susuwatari little colorful star shaped things.
"But Rin, I don't want to work here. I don't want Yubaaba to find out I'm here, she'll turn me into a pig if she sees me. After I guessed right and she had to rip up my contract, I'll be lucky if that's all that will happen to me." Rin stopped and looked at me. She hadn't seemed to age a bit. She still wore her hair with some bangs in front and then some longer pieces to graze her shoulder. The rest of her hair was tied into a ponytail near the bottom. She was wearing the usual women's workers clothes; a loose pink shirt, the sleeves tied back with a long white piece of cloth, a blue apron that tied in the back, and pink pants that stopped right above her knees. Her and I are probably almost the same height, with me only being a few inches shorter at 5' 6".
"But if Yubaaba finds out that you didn't ask to work for her, than she's going to do that anyways, along with me!" said Rin. I could see that she was worried.
"Rin, You know, I think Chihiro here has a point." Said Kamajii. Rin turned and looked at him.
"What do you mean she has a point! This isn't a game, this isn't like last time. I'm not going to risk my head for something that could easily be prevented!" she yelled.
"But what if Yubaaba doesn't find out and we let her work anyways? Hmm?"
"But everyone is going to find out sooner or later! I mean, think of the trouble it's going to cause once every one finds out Sen is back! She's practically a legend,Yubaaba would be bound to find out" yelled Rin again.
"Then don't let anyone find out that Sen is back." I said. They both looked at me.
"And how are we supposed to manage that?" Rin had her hands on her hips. You barely recognized me, why should they. Besides who said I had to be Sen?"
"Did you hit your head on something really hard or something? Don't be such a dope."
"Don't you get it Rin, no one will recognize me, and if I use another name, than who's to say that I am Sen or Chihiro?" I said smiling. She began smiling too.
"But what do we call you then?"
"Well, we'll just have to call her Jin." Said Kamajii.
(A/N Sen-meaning "Thousand"-is half of the name "Chihiro". Chihiro is called Sen when her real name is stolen by Yubaaba in the movie Spirited Away. Jin-meaning "inquire" or "thoughtful" it is the other part that makes up the name"Chihiro". Chihiro means "Great Depth")
I smiled. It fit well. How ironic it is. It's so obviouse, that no one will ever expect it. Rin smiled. I could see that she was still worried.
"How about I give you a roasted Newt if you do it." Kamajii said to Rin.
"A what? Do you know how rare Roasted Newt is, I thought you said that you didn't have anymore!"
"You'd be amazed at what I am able to uncover." Said Kamajii winking at me.
"Oh all right, but this is the last time old man." Rin said. Kamajii tossed her a Roasted Newt that he pulled out of nowhere. I laughed, even though it hurt.
"Oh, Se.I mean Jin, you can go ahead and change right out the door, don't worry about anyone seeing you, no will be coming down." I nodded.
"What do I do with the clothes I have on?"
"Just hand them to me and I'll give them to the susuwatari like you did last time. I already gave them your socks and shoes." I looked down at my feet. They were bare! I smiled. I hadn't even noticed till now.
"When you're done, just slide the door open and set your clothes right there, then wait outside and I'll be there in a minute." I nodded. I set my empty bowl down and stood up with my clothes in hand and went over to Kamajii.
"Thank You Kamajii." I said and stood on my tip toes and kissed him on the cheek.
"Anytime Chihiro."
"Bye Everybody!" I said to the susuwatari. They began jumping up and down, all the while squeaking. I smiled and crawled through the small wooden door, making sure I didn't hit my head.
When I was done changing, I set my clothes right inside of the door. Rin was almost completely finished piling my pallet and blanket in a corner and the susuwatari and Kamajii were back at work again.
"Ok Rin, I'm done changing."
"Ok Jin, just leave your clothes there and I'll bring them to the susuwatari." I nodded and left my clothes there and waited for Rin to come through the tiny door, so that I could start my first day in six years of work in Kamikakushi in the bath house.
Authors Ending Note: Well, Chihiro still exists. So that's a good thing right! So now whats going to happen? Will anyone recognize Chihiro even with the name Jin, workers clothes back on her, and six years of aging? Well, you'll just have to wait to find out. You could make your own conclusions to the rest of the story if you want, but then you'd be missing out, now wouldn't you! So I highly suggest that you read my next chapter which I'll be posting either next week or the week after, no later if I can help it-I promise! So I guess I'll leave you on your own now to draw your own conclusions. Later!
Authors Beginning Note: Hey. The last we left Chihiro we were wondering if she still exists or not. Well, now it's time to put an end to your insufferable pain and let you find out. I hope you all enjoy!
Chapter 5
In The Boiler Room
"Chihiro!"
"Kohaku!" We were in darkness this time. I don't know where he is, all I know is that he is in trouble and I have to find him!
"Kohaku! Don't worry, I'll save you!" I was trying to run but I kept falling and getting caught on thorns that I couldn't see.
"Kohaku.are you still there!" there wasn't any reply.
"Kohaku!" I started screaming. It felt like my body was being sucked into a whirlpool of darkness that I can't get out of no matter how hard I try and being ripped apart at the same time.
"Ooof." I said as I laded on my front side on a hard floor. Slowly getting up, I looked up and gasped! What am I doing in Yubaaba's room! I looked around. Nothing had changed. The fireplace was the same, with a fire glowing in it. The red upholstered chairs were there. Her desk still had papers scattered everywhere. In fact, even the carpet that had some of Haku's blood on it was still there, though it looked like someone had tried to clean the spot a million times and gave up when they realized it wouldn't come out. I walked over to Yubaaba's desk and looked at everything on it and stopped. I picked up a green box with fancy designs on it and sapphires embedded in it in a beautiful way. I tried to open it but it was locked.
"What are you doing with that!" came a male voice behind me, that seemed familiar, but not at the same time. Startled I set the box down, though not so gently and whirled around, my heart beating so hard it hurt.
"Kohaku! I exclaimed with joy!"
"Go away, before I decide to kill you."
"Kohaku????" This was all wrong. Is he under Yubaaba's spell again?
"Oh Kohaku."
"I said get out of here now!" He yelled at me. Looking in his eyes I became startled. His lively green eyes were dull. They held nothing in them! There was nothing. No love.or hate.or anger.no anything. All that was there was.nothing.
"What's wrong Kohaku! Did Yubaaba do this?" I said tears sliding down my cheeks. I hadn't moved a muscle.
"I said leave!" He stepped towards me, I stepped back just in time to miss his swinging arm. I ran for the door.
"I told you what would happen if you didn't leave." I looked back and saw him beginning to turn into a dragon, but he was different. Instead of Kohaku's usually smooth ivory white skin and green hair, he was completely black, and scared. I screamed and fell into darkness.
I sat up quickly, which was one of my first mistakes. My muscles seared with pain and my head began to throb again so I lay back down and closed my eyes. My breathing was heavy so I concentrated on steadying that first. Where am I? Was it just a dream, or maybe it really was real. I shook my head. I sat up slowly this time and looked around. I was in the boiler room. Like a lot that I had seen already, nothing had changed. I was lying in the exact same spot that Haku had laid in, when he had almost died. A tear slipped down my face and I brushed it away. I had been sleeping on a thin pallet and wrapped in b nkets. I looked around me, still sitting up. The three jars still stood where they always had, the first one and third one filled with something green, like herbs, and the middle one filled with a substance like peppermint flowers. The wheel was still as Kamajii slept. His golden Teapot was right behind him in its usual place. I looked over at the thousands of drawers lining the wall. There were a few new ones, I'm guessing the ones that had been dented too much to work right, and there were some that had rusted looking spots that looked like blood. Everything seemed to be the very same as when I had last left this place. I felt a stirring and looked towards Kamajii.
"Well, we almost thought you wouldn't make it to see tonight." Said Kamajii as he reached his teapot and took a long drink of water.
"What all happened?" I asked. Everything from last night seems blurry; I can't make out what happened after I got to the bridge even!
"Well you came stumbled in here and kept babbling about food. You put Rin in a scare. Well anyways we were going to thrown you back outside till you said that you were Sen. You were screaming and just wouldn't hold still. You were nearly completely gone. Rin was able to get something in your mouth though. You still kept babbling about something but we didn't know what. Then you fell and Rin caught you. Well she handed you to me while she fixed you up someplace to sleep. The whole day you were thrashing and yelling in your sleep. I think a minute later and you would have been a goner" I nodded, feeling nauseas.
"Kamajii, have you seen Kohaku?"
"Well now, that's another thing entirely. I haven't seen the boy since you left. You might want to try Rin though, she might know." I nodded.
"So now, how did you end up here? Aren't you supposed to be in the human world?"
"Well I am but I had to come here." I started and told him of my nightmares I had been having a little while after I came back to the real world and home Koanashi had mysteriously come into my room and all the way up until my dream last night.
"Well now, that seems like quite an adventure. So, a black dragon you say?"
"Yes."
"Well, there haven't been any dragons around here that I know of, other than the Water Spirit that gave you that medicine ball, and Haku." I nodded. I stood up to stretch a little. All the muscles in my body seemed to be pulled but I ignored that.
"Here stand still so that I can get a good look at ya." Said Kamajii. I walked over and stood right in front of him.
"My, you have grown into quite a lady since the last time you were here." I blushed and turned around as I heard little squeaking behind me. It was all of the little Susuwatari. I smiled as they jumped up and down.
(A/N Susuwatari are the tiny soot balls)la
"They seem excited to see you." Said Kamajii. "Well it's about time I started working." Kamajii turned around and grabbed is little wooden mallet and pounded it like a judge. "Time to get to work" he yelled to the little Susuwatari. They began to go into their little holes and started to bring out coal. I watched them and smiled. Then one stopped and looked at me. I looked at it. I gasped as it dropped the heavy lump of coal on it's self. Putting my hands on my hips, while smiling I said:
"I'm not falling for that one again." The little susuwatari stopped struggling and lifted the piece of coal off of it's self and brought it to the now fully burning furnace. I tuned around and saw three- bath tokens fall down and watched as Kamajii mixed a bunch of different things into the black bowl and crushed it with a smaller wheel than the one he was spinning with one of his other eight legs. After he was done with the first one, six more fell, and I watched in amazement. He got done with four this time before five more fell.
"Kamajii, you hardly ever got this many bath tokens when I was here, the most you got at one time was three! Why is it so busy?" I asked. Three more fell now coming to a total of six left and still another came.
"The Sano Saishe Festival is coming."
"The what?" I had never heard of such a festival, even in the real world.
"It celebrates the success of the bath house. It comes every twenty years."
"And when is it?"
"In six days."
"How long has it been like this?" Eight bath tokens dropped. How is Kamajii able to keep up with this all day long?
"For about a month."
"A month! But I thought it was only at the end of this week that the Festival was going to be celebrated!"
"It is, but the early bird gets the worm. In this case, the earlier the spirits come, the better rooms they get." I nodded and watched dozens of bath tokens fall down. Poor Kamajii, but he doesn't seem to mind so much at being so busy. I took to watching the susuwatari work, as I sat down on the pallet that was made for me earlier. For the first time, I actually feel like I am home. In the real world, everything seems so plain and ordinary. Nothing interesting ever happens there, and I feel so lonely there. I have no friends there. What can I do? Koanashi, you said Kohaku was in trouble, but what can I do that no one here can?
"Chow time!" said Rin. Startled I looked towards her as she came through the little door; maneuvering her feet so that she wouldn't have to set down the things she carried just to close the sliding wooden door. I smiled up at her.
"Sen, your all right. You really had me scared there kid. Here eat this." She said handing me a bowl. I looked down and saw that it was Sueg. She also handed me a rice cake. I smiled.
"Thanks Rin." I said happily and ate it all. She went and gave Kamajii his food. He handed her his bowl and dinner plates from yesterday, all the while watching me.
"Breakfast time!" yelled Kamajii as he used his little mallet again. The susuwatari stopped and set down their little pieces of coal.
"Don't eat so fast Sen. You'll choke and then we'll have spent that whole night trying to help you all for nothing." I smiled and tried to slow down.
"Here. It's some clothes for today. You'll need them if you're going to be working here again." She said tossing me a pink outfit. I knew that it was the same kind of out fit as the one she was wearing.
"I wasn't sure what size you were so if they don't fit right, I'll get you something else later." She said and now starting to feed the little susuwatari little colorful star shaped things.
"But Rin, I don't want to work here. I don't want Yubaaba to find out I'm here, she'll turn me into a pig if she sees me. After I guessed right and she had to rip up my contract, I'll be lucky if that's all that will happen to me." Rin stopped and looked at me. She hadn't seemed to age a bit. She still wore her hair with some bangs in front and then some longer pieces to graze her shoulder. The rest of her hair was tied into a ponytail near the bottom. She was wearing the usual women's workers clothes; a loose pink shirt, the sleeves tied back with a long white piece of cloth, a blue apron that tied in the back, and pink pants that stopped right above her knees. Her and I are probably almost the same height, with me only being a few inches shorter at 5' 6".
"But if Yubaaba finds out that you didn't ask to work for her, than she's going to do that anyways, along with me!" said Rin. I could see that she was worried.
"Rin, You know, I think Chihiro here has a point." Said Kamajii. Rin turned and looked at him.
"What do you mean she has a point! This isn't a game, this isn't like last time. I'm not going to risk my head for something that could easily be prevented!" she yelled.
"But what if Yubaaba doesn't find out and we let her work anyways? Hmm?"
"But everyone is going to find out sooner or later! I mean, think of the trouble it's going to cause once every one finds out Sen is back! She's practically a legend,Yubaaba would be bound to find out" yelled Rin again.
"Then don't let anyone find out that Sen is back." I said. They both looked at me.
"And how are we supposed to manage that?" Rin had her hands on her hips. You barely recognized me, why should they. Besides who said I had to be Sen?"
"Did you hit your head on something really hard or something? Don't be such a dope."
"Don't you get it Rin, no one will recognize me, and if I use another name, than who's to say that I am Sen or Chihiro?" I said smiling. She began smiling too.
"But what do we call you then?"
"Well, we'll just have to call her Jin." Said Kamajii.
(A/N Sen-meaning "Thousand"-is half of the name "Chihiro". Chihiro is called Sen when her real name is stolen by Yubaaba in the movie Spirited Away. Jin-meaning "inquire" or "thoughtful" it is the other part that makes up the name"Chihiro". Chihiro means "Great Depth")
I smiled. It fit well. How ironic it is. It's so obviouse, that no one will ever expect it. Rin smiled. I could see that she was still worried.
"How about I give you a roasted Newt if you do it." Kamajii said to Rin.
"A what? Do you know how rare Roasted Newt is, I thought you said that you didn't have anymore!"
"You'd be amazed at what I am able to uncover." Said Kamajii winking at me.
"Oh all right, but this is the last time old man." Rin said. Kamajii tossed her a Roasted Newt that he pulled out of nowhere. I laughed, even though it hurt.
"Oh, Se.I mean Jin, you can go ahead and change right out the door, don't worry about anyone seeing you, no will be coming down." I nodded.
"What do I do with the clothes I have on?"
"Just hand them to me and I'll give them to the susuwatari like you did last time. I already gave them your socks and shoes." I looked down at my feet. They were bare! I smiled. I hadn't even noticed till now.
"When you're done, just slide the door open and set your clothes right there, then wait outside and I'll be there in a minute." I nodded. I set my empty bowl down and stood up with my clothes in hand and went over to Kamajii.
"Thank You Kamajii." I said and stood on my tip toes and kissed him on the cheek.
"Anytime Chihiro."
"Bye Everybody!" I said to the susuwatari. They began jumping up and down, all the while squeaking. I smiled and crawled through the small wooden door, making sure I didn't hit my head.
When I was done changing, I set my clothes right inside of the door. Rin was almost completely finished piling my pallet and blanket in a corner and the susuwatari and Kamajii were back at work again.
"Ok Rin, I'm done changing."
"Ok Jin, just leave your clothes there and I'll bring them to the susuwatari." I nodded and left my clothes there and waited for Rin to come through the tiny door, so that I could start my first day in six years of work in Kamikakushi in the bath house.
Authors Ending Note: Well, Chihiro still exists. So that's a good thing right! So now whats going to happen? Will anyone recognize Chihiro even with the name Jin, workers clothes back on her, and six years of aging? Well, you'll just have to wait to find out. You could make your own conclusions to the rest of the story if you want, but then you'd be missing out, now wouldn't you! So I highly suggest that you read my next chapter which I'll be posting either next week or the week after, no later if I can help it-I promise! So I guess I'll leave you on your own now to draw your own conclusions. Later!