Ryu's Trip to the Human World

Part 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away or any of its characters.

Author Note: Happy Reading!

-Na

Chapter 8: Return Home

Early Saturday morning Miki woke up and cooked a quick breakfast of rice and scrambled eggs. Then he thought about packing up some clothes, but he quickly remembered the 'revolting' human smell, and settled on waking Ryu up who was sleeping on the living room sofa.

"Hey Tea wake up," said Miki while gently shaking Ryu's shoulder.

Ryu rolled over with a moan and slowly opened her eyes, "What time is it?"

"6:00, now come on I made breakfast, and then we'll go home," said Miki turning and walking towards the kitchen.

Ryu sat up and rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. She threw the blanket off her and the sofa before standing up and stretching, "But you are home Miki."

Miki whirled around, he glared at Ryu with rage almost Dragon rage. He was ready to slap her, he wasn't home, the only home he got to ever know after the move was an orphanage, and what felt like a true home because of his parents was the Spirit World and Aburaya.

Miki looked at Ryu and realized that she probably didn't have a good night's sleep on the sofa, and didn't realize what she had said. Miki took a few breaths suppressing his anger and continued into the kitchen followed by Ryu.

They sat down at the table and ate breakfast in silence. Afterwards Ryu got dressed in the same clothes as she wore the day before. Miki thought about leaving without Ryu as he watched her take out her school stuff. Unlike Miki, Ryu packed a few things, her bathing suit, a hair brush with extra hair ties from Kaonashi, and good bye presents from friends and 'family' left unopened.

Miki was just about to bolt out the door with out the 'annoying little brat' Ryu, when she beat him to the door. Ryu just stood there in front of the door waiting for Miki. Miki sighed inwardly and followed Ryu outside and to the bus stop.

The bus ride to 'Ryu's' town only took ten minutes or so and they bus dropped them off rather close to the road that lead to the Spirit World. As soon as Miki and Ryu got off the bus Ryu grabbed Miki's hand in a firm grip. Miki looked at Ryu questionably.

"I need you to return, and since I figured you didn't realize you need me to help your parent. I also figured you might try and leave me behind, which wouldn't be nice," simply said Ryu. They walked in silence through the woods. Both had plausible reasons to hate the other, reasons they would have if given the chance use to fuel a life without a word to the other. But they also had a common goal, and as much as the each would love to leave the other behind. The simple truth of the matter is they need each other. 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend' right? Well unknowingly the enemy of Miki was the sorcerer, and the enemy of the sorcerer was Ryu (and vise-versa).

The red building loomed before Miki and Ryu, they both stopped walking, and Ryu like a child clung to Miki's arm. Miki had to admit it that the tunnel looked scarier then when he had seen it last. And defiantly scarier then when he was five.

The statue that when Miki first saw it was covered completely in moss so the face could not be seen. Now the moss was cleaned off to reveal the face, the once smiling face. The face before was smiling and it made it hard to tell if it was a warning or a welcome. Now the face was evil looking, and scary but strangely looking at it gave you the feeling to continue into the tunnel.

The red building that was usually old looking but always had a fresh coat of paint. Was now just old and rotten, the most likely cause being that, due to the force field the building couldn't be maintained.

So now as Miki and Ryu coward in front of the browned building, a smell of death reached their noses, with an over lay of rich food, food for the gods.

Miki knew the food and the smell of death, and knew that they came from the birth place of his fear of water. But there was no water now, he knew not to eat the food of the gods, and both his and Ryu's parents were on the other side. It was time to return home.

Miki started to walk into the tunnel quickly as he could with Ryu clinging to his arm. In no time they were facing the force field, Miki hesitated. Ryu spoke quietly, "Walk slowly because it might not have switched and you don't want to get knocked unconscious. And if I cann't enter, you can't, got it?"

"Ok," replied Miki taking a deep breath and slowly walking forward. The force field didn't react at all to Miki, but the red ripples formed around Ryu. After a minute of pulling and slow walking both Miki and Ryu reached the other side safely.

Ryu let go of Miki and turned to face him she was grinning ear to ear, "We're home!" Ryu said with a squeal as she jumped into Miki's arms.

Ryu quickly let go of Miki when she caught sight of a sleeping dragon just out of sight of the gate. Ryu quickly walked over to the dragon and bent down near its head, "Kawatarou!"

With a jerk the young blue tinted silvery white dragon with a blue mane, opened his blue eyes and in a matter of milliseconds changed into the blue eyed, brown/green haired eleven year old boy wearing the gray and navy blue Aburaya uniform that was identical to the one Kohaku always wore.

"I... uh... I'm sorry I know I'm not supposed to change to my dragon form. I... it is just I couldn't sleep and I, umm... I wont do it again, please don't tell my uncle and aunt, and Zeniiba, please," replied Kawatarou as he stood up, keeping his head to the ground in a respectful bow.

"I wont tell Granny if you fly us over this field and directly to my parent's room," replied Ryu with a smile.

"Tea?!" replied Kawatarou looking up at Ryu and hugging her.

Ryu hugged him back, "I missed you too Squirt. Now how is work going?"

Kawatarou let go of Ryu and sat in the grass, Ryu and Miki both sat in the grass by Kawatarou to hear the news of the Spirit World.

"Work? Ok, I just can't stand having to stay in my human form, you know. But Granny says that I have to because workers with the exception of Uncle Haku can't change forms," replied Kawatarou.

"How are my parents?" asked Miki.

"Still pigs," replied Kawatarou, but after seeing the look of sadness in Miki's eyes, "But there are a lot of humans that were turned to pigs, there is even this eleven year old girl with black hair and gray eyes, who's real name is Hana but we have to call her Ani, she works at Aburaya. She came with her brother and foster parents, her parents were turned to pigs and her brother a piece of coal. I can't stand her she is lazy and doesn't do her work, and she follows me around."

"Yeah Hana, Tanaka and her were at the same orphanage as me... and Tea. Her brother Tanaka always did the work for her. But why can't we call her Hana?" replied Miki recognizing Ani.

"Because if she is like you say she is then the Spirit World would be in trouble if she was free before she could return to the human world with her family. It sounds to me Kawatarou that she likes you. And coal you say?" answered Ryu.

Kawatarou looked sad. He was not the people person his brother was. Kawatarou preferred to be a dragon and alone. But out of the twins Kawatarou was the cuter of the two. Morio with his brown/green hair and eyes was talkative and out going, developing an attitude like his mothers. His soft features another from his mother didn't contrast to the dark hair and eyes. Kawatarou on the other hand with his soft kind river blue eyes, and shy, yet sunny disposition, made him look simply adorable compared to his twin brother.

"But why me?... and yeah coal. After a month of the force field change, people who walked across the bridge unaccompanied by a spirit just turn into coal. Tanaka you said? Was the first. But not long after we had a pile of non-burnable coal along with a whole stall full of uneatable pigs. And now we have to face another week that human's can come here. Well it's not to bad that you two came, but still," said Kawatarou.

"Why you brat! I'm just as much dragon as you are!" replied Ryu hitting her younger cousin.

"Oh is that so, then why do I need to fly you two over?" countered Kawatarou.

Ryu swung an arm around Kawatarou, "Because my boy you don't want Granny to know where and what you were sleeping as, and I don't want to walk."

Kawatarou sighed and removed Ryu's arm from his shoulder, "I better not get in trouble for this, I'm only doing it because you two haven't returned home in seven years." Kawatarou turned into his beautiful shinning dragon form.

Ryu carefully climbed onto her cousins back and then motioned to Miki, "Come on Miki you can trust Dragon Kawatarou, just as much as my dad Dragon Kohaku." Miki just nodded and climbed onto Dragon Kawatarou's back behind Ryu. Kawatarou sarcastically rolled his eyes and cringed under the weight before taking to the skies with incredible speed. Ryu had missed this feeling of flying for seven years, while Miki had tried to forget it.

It wasn't long till they landed on the balcony that lead into Kohaku and Chihiro's room. Kawatarou quickly changed to human form, said good-bye and jumped down to a balcony one floor below, to return to his own sleeping quarters.

Ryu silently slipped through the already open door that lead to her parents room, followed closely by Miki. Ryu was surprised to find both her parents sleeping, though Kohaku was only in a light sleep.

Ryu motioned to Miki to join her by the bedside. Then Ryu turning to a demeanor of a younger Ryu said rather loud, "Mommy, Daddy wake up I want to go swimming!"

Both Kohaku and Chihiro opened their eyes to see Ryu smiling at them. In a matter of seconds them two overjoyed parents were out of bed and hugging their daughter.

Miki stood to the side jealous, Ryu was in her parents arms, while he still wasn't. She had waited seven years, he nine, Miki saw no fairness in this at all. Once again a dragon rage bubbled in Miki.

Miki's dragon like rage boiled for the remainder of the day, as Ryu was reunited one by one with 'family' and friends. Not a soul gave recognition to the tag-a-long Miki.

The last person they visited was Ryu's great-grandfather Kamajii. Apparently he was also Miki's great-grandfather, because he greeted Miki the same as Ryu. Kamajii had made it easier for Miki to suppress his anger. But pent up anger eventually will explode.

Miki was staying in Ryu's room. But the extra mat that Miki had once slept on was being used. So Ryu offered Miki her bed and she would sleep on the floor. Ryu was so happy and it looked like to Miki that she didn't care that he was depressed.

"Aren't you glad to be back?" asked Ryu with a smile laying out an extra blanket that according to Zeniiba she was lucky to have. With the Spirit World problems Aburaya had an abundant amount of workers.

"No," replied Miki in a sour tone.

Ryu looked confused, "Why?"

"Well let's see here, I spent the whole day standing around watching everyone gush over your return, my parent are still pigs, I haven't seen my parent so I don't even know if these spirits ate the or not, yeah that's enough to make me not want to be here," answered Miki laying down on Ryu's bed.

"What!? You can't be serious! You've been talking about returning for the past few days! And now since you didn't receive attention all day, you hate it?!" yelled Ryu, "and another thing Granny is personally making sure that your parents aren't eaten!"

"Are you sure about that? You just got back, and you couldn't even do it alone. You don't belong here! Or in the human world! Your nothing, your not Spirit, or Human, you're an it!" yelled Miki sitting up in the bed.

Ryu was now crying, she got up and tackled Miki between sobs and punches she managed to say, "You don't belong here at all, your just some lowly magick less Human , who is a coward that's afraid of water! A self centered brat who can't think that other people may have problems that are more pressing, or worse then your own!"
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Kohaku and Chihiro leaned against the wall that separated their room from Ryu's. "I think we should go stop them before they kill each other," said Chihiro a little worried.

"I think they will be too tired to fight in a minute or two well before either gets hurt, give them five minutes Chihiro," replied Kohaku.

"I saw it in his eye Kohaku, dragon rage, he could fight for years on dragon rage. But why does that human boy have dragon rage, is something I don't understand," said Chihiro still worried.

"I don't know, maybe he was a dragon in a past life, a dragon's soul, with a dragon piece of mind, is hard to change no matter what it has for a new body. But I don't know," said Kohaku starring off into space giving Chihiro's question deeper thought. There came a strange calm from Ryu's room.
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Miki stood back to Ryu's bed, he had given it up to Ryu. And after the mess they had created with clothes, papers, and of Ryu's now torn going away presents. They would have to share the bed. But Miki wasn't about to give in.

Ryu sighed she felt really bad Miki had a point she should have brought him to his parents. But now Ryu had to calm down Miki to reassure him that she cares and was sorry for her actions, which she was.

Ryu grabbed Miki's hand and pulled him towards the bed, "Miki I'm sorry, you were right I should have brought you to your parents, I should have included you more today, I shouldn't have assumed that you would know that Granny has been doing everything she can to help your parents. I know now if it were my parents I would be afraid I wouldn't be able to recognize them, or that some one would eat them. I'm sorry Miki, we'll do what you want tomorrow, but right now lets go to sleep."

Miki didn't reply he just turned of the light and slipped into the bed next to Ryu. He fell asleep well before Ryu his arm around her waist. Ryu didn't go to sleep right away and she hadn't once let go of Miki's hand. New question's burned in her mind, that stalled sleep for what seemed like hours till her tired muscles one and she fell asleep.
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"Kohaku don't go in there!" said Chihiro stopping Kohaku from going into Ryu's room.

"She is thirteen and is sleeping in some boys arms Chihiro!" replied Kohaku.

Chihiro gave Kohaku a look of understanding, "I know you're her father, and this is what fathers do, but this is Ryu, and the boy is Miki. You know you can trust both of them. Ryu only held his hand to calm him, and he is holding her to stop or slow at least, her fears from quelling. Besides Ryu doesn't know what love is."

"What do you mean, doesn't know what love is? She is our daughter, she lived with Yoshi and Asuko. She has been surrounded with people who love each other and her," replied Kohaku sitting on the bed.

"She never saw it, never took it to thought. With us she was too young and always off somewhere. With Yoshi and Asuko her mind was here, her thoughts, everything. You have to see it and be aware of it when someone loves you or you wont know it. To her love wasn't important, except love for her parents, she never learned or understood any other love then a mild love for family. Don't forget Miki's dragon rage, dragons aren't known to love very much, no offence. He doesn't love her, or know what love is. They are both alien to that feeling. So you mustn't worry."

Author Note: My definition or Dragon Rage: extreme anger, and rage. When you could have sworn that you saw fire in the persons eyes.

Just to tell you people if I ever use quotes from the move Spirited Away, they will never be direct quotes. Yes I own the movie but in Japanese and German. So I do my best to translate stuff from German to English(which isn't hard but for example in English: I'm cold German: Ich habe kalt (I have cold) see it's the same meaning but said with different words) so for example in the movie Kohaku in dragon form was called 'Drache Haku' or Dragon Haku in English, so basically I'm going to use that in referring to the form of characters such as Kohaku, Kawatarou, Morio, and Mishu-Kapi.

Isn't this a cliffy of a end, well not really but it makes you think like 'What's up with Miki?' or 'What is actually happening to make more people work at Aburaya?' and if you weren't thinking before, I bet you are now. Ok does anyone know why I can't use the sqiggly line and whay this line (-) goes away and I must redo it in the 'Quick Edit'? and how to fix it? Have fun!
-Na