Author's Notes: It's alive! I'm sorry, but this'll come out pretty slowly. I'm still a student, and very busy with schoolwork and everything. I'll try my best to keep this going, even though my updates may be irregular.
Disclaimer: One potato two potato three potato four…
Chapter 5
Shinji got off the train, shuddering. Even though he had lived in the Spirit World for as long as he could remember (which, technically, wasn't very long) the idea of semi-transparent people gave him the creeps.
The first five minutes of his walk to the cottage passed rather uneventfully, before he felt like he had been on the head by a truck.
: SHINJI! DON'T! Desperate cries. Shrieking. A crimson pool. The light of a full moon. Blood. Blood… on his hands? DonthurtmepleasedonthurtmepleasepleaseNO. No. Nonononono. Imsorryididntmeantoitwasntmeanttobethiswayimsorryimsorryimsorry. Fearangerregretdespair… :
Shinji's eyes flew open, and he sat up, gasping. Somehow or another, he'd wound up lying on the dirt path. He frowned. This was unusual. Hell, it was downright freaky. He usually got those flashbacks about once a fortnight, and now two in the same day? Worst of all, this was the most vivid out of all the flashbacks.
Shinji shivered, and it wasn't because it was somewhat chilly outside. Bloody blue hell. He stood up and picked up the basket that was lying a few meters away from where he fell, and walked on.
Izumi took a good look at the interior of the cottage. It seemed a lot smaller from the inside. Nevertheless, it had a rather cozy, homey feeling to it.
"Normally I'd suggest you take a seat," Chihiro eyed Izumi's mud-covered clothes, "but you'd dirty the couch, and I'd have to clean it." She grinned to show Izumi she was kidding.
Zenibaa whapped Chihiro lightly on the back of the head, and conjured up rags which the magicked onto the couch. "I'm not called a sorceress for nothing. We can just throw the rags away later." She offered Izumi a friendly smile.
Izumi just stared.
"You can sit now Izumi." Chihiro said, looking rather amused.
Gingerly, Izumi took a seat on the sofa, remembering her manners after a few seconds and muttering her thanks.
"I'll get you some clean clothes." Chihiro bustled off into her room.
"Tea?" Zenibaa offered.
"Er. That'd be nice." Izumi smiled gratefully.
Zenibaa went to the kitchen to get the tea, and this was where Shinji walked in.
"Yo, Chihiro-san," he began, before stopping short, eyes widening "What on earth happened to you?"
Izumi simply stared at him.
"No Haku to keep you grounded and you end up like this? Good Lord." Shinji said, before squinting. "Wait. You look different, somehow." He tilted his head to the side, still examining Izumi.
"Uhm. Hi? " Izumi offered, really at a loss at what to say to this.
"You talk?" Shinji asked incredulously. He was just wondering why 'Chihiro' had been so silent. "Er. I meant. You talk. Of course, you talk. Shit. That memory thing's really screwing with my head."
Izumi blinked, not sure what she was supposed to say to that.
"So, Chihiro-san." Shinji said, "Why are you… er." Shinji gestured with his hand. "And you smell like… Er. Really bad."
"Who are you?" Izumi asked.
"Aw man, I'm wounded." Shinji put a hand over his heart rather over-dramatically, "You don't have to be this way just because I said you stink."
Izumi began to get annoyed. "Well, I'm sorry if I stink. Have you ever heard of something called tact? And I'm not—"
"I found some clothes that will fit you," Chihiro walked into the living room, carrying a pile of clothes that were meant for Izumi. "Oh, hello, Shinji-kun."
Shinji stared blankly at both of them for a few seconds, before walking towards a wall and thumping his forehead on it.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Izumi looked at him as if he were on crack.
"Is he always like this?" She whispered to Chihiro.
"Pretty much, yeah." Chihiro said calmly, and glanced at Shinji. "But this is a little extreme, even for him."
"Ah."
Chihiro walked to where Shinji was, and put a hand between his forehead and the wall. "I think that's enough," she said firmly, "why are you banging your head against the wall?"
"Nice to know someone's concerned."
"Yes. That wall happens to be very fragile. You didn't answer my question."
Shinji gave Chihiro a look that bordered on dirty. "It's held up by magic. To answer your question, my head's messed up. I see two of you."
Chihiro looked amused, and removed her hand, since Shinji seemed to have decided to stop damaging the wall. "Well, I see how that would be disturbing. That's my cousin, Izumi. She looks younger. And her hair color is slightly different."
Shinji looked at Izumi, before letting his forehead fall against the wall again.
Thump.
"My head's messed up." Shinji repeated.
"It's always been messed up." Chihiro said dryly.
"I meant more messed up than usual."
"How so?"
"My memory's coming back and fucking with my mind."
Chihiro coughed at Shinji's delicate way of phrasing this, and turned to Izumi. "Why don't you go take a shower first?"
Izumi nodded, looking a little dazed, and walked towards the direction of the bathroom that Chihiro had pointed out.
Chihiro rubbed her temples. She felt a migraine coming on. "Now, about your head… Care to give me something more specific than "my memories are coming back and fucking with my mind?"
"They're coming back," Shinji said, "More often than usual."
"How long has this been going on for?"
"Not that long," Shinji replied, "They usually come once a fortnight or so. Once a week could be considered often. But one just knocked me out, and I mean literally, while I was coming here. The one before came back when I was going to the bitch's office."
Chihiro cleared her throat, "I assume you mean Yubaba?"
"No shit."
Chihiro frowned. This wasn't really her area of expertise. People would usually run to Haku for these kind of problems. "Well, I'm not really sure what to do, but I think you should just wait a little longer before coming to any conclusions. Perhaps ask Zenibaa-san about it."
Shinji nodded. "I'm just afraid others will think I'm being paranoid."
"You know you can always come and talk to me if there's anything else bothering you," Chihiro said, " I know Haku tells you on a regular basis that you're an annoying little prick…"
"Gee. That makes me feel so loved," Shinji muttered sarcastically.
"But he really cares about you a lot." Chihiro ignored him, "So do I, and Zenibaa-san."
Shinji scuffed his foot on the floor. "I don't see anything worth caring for."
Before Chihiro could say something about Shinji's inferiority complex, Izumi came out of the bathroom, dressed in a set of Chihiro's older clothes, and carrying her own dirty ones in one arm.
"Where do I put these?"
Chihiro took Izumi's clothes from her and dumped them unceremoniously in a basket lying in the corner of the living room.
Shinji wrinkled his nose. "You still stink."
Izumi glared at him. "I just took a damned shower. I don't stink."
"You so do."
"What the hell is your problem?"
"The terrible smell."
"Both of you stop it." Chihiro snapped, "Izumi's a human. I stank as bad as she did when I first came here."
"Ha! So she does stink." Shinji said smugly.
"That's so not the point." Izumi snapped.
"It so is," Shinji said indignantly.
"Is not."
"Is too."
"This is just so mature," Chihiro sniped, "I'm serious. Stop it."
"Why are you here?" Izumi asked.
Shinji blinked. "Excuse me?"
"I was talking to my cousin," Izumi said shortly.
"Fine." Shinji muttered.
"What do you mean by 'why am I here'?" Chihiro asked.
"Why are you here? In this… place… Why didn't you come home?"
"It's quite a long story."
"I have time." Izumi said.
"How did you come here in the first place?" Chihiro challenged.
Izumi rummaged for something in her backpack, and pulled out Chihiro's diary. Chihiro stared at it in shock for a moment. "Where did you get that." Her voice was low, and dangerous. It wasn't a question. It was a statement.
"It was on one of the bookshelves in my house." Izumi replied.
Chihiro snatched it out of her hand, her eyes narrowing. "Tell me how much of it you read."
"Everything." Izumi snapped. "I didn't do anything wrong. Gods, we thought you were dead.
"Where's the painting."
Izumi pulled it out of her bag and chucked it at Chihiro. "Go home, Izumi," Chihiro said wearily. "I'm sorry, I miss my family. I really do, there are people I love here too. My life is here. I know you're going to ask me to go back with you, but I won't."
"Then I'll stay here too." Izumi stuck her chin out stubbornly. "I'm not leaving without you."
"Izumi, I'm not joking. Leave."
"I still don't get why you're staying here. Is it because of that Haku?" She spat the name out venomously, "What was he doing during those six years you were still with us? Did he ditch you or something?"
"Don't talk about things you know nothing about," Chihiro hissed.
"What, so I'm right then?"
"No," she held up her hand with the ring on it, "You're wrong."
Izumi glared at the ring. "So where is he?"
"He's…" Chihiro trailed off.
"Well?" Izumi demanded.
"Izumi…" Chihiro began, before shaking her head.
"Answer my question."
"No."
"I'll just… go off to… somewhere now." Shinji muttered, oh-so-tactfully backing out of the conversation. He made a hasty retreat out of the cottage.
Chihiro and Izumi stood glaring at each other.
"I'm not leaving until you do." Izumi said firmly, sticking her chin out in a stubborn-bastard pose, and crossing her arms in front of her chest.
Chihiro glared at her. She decided to give in, and let Izumi stay for a few days. She would get tired of her little game eventually and go home. "Fine. You can put your things in my room for now."
Zenibaa watched Chihiro and Izumi enter the former's room from the kitchen. She was carrying a tray of tea in her arms. "This is going to be interesting," she mused.
"God of Knowledge," Nimokushi drawled, and bowed mockingly. "What a… pleasant surprise."
The God of Knowledge arched an eyebrow delicately. "I know you hate me for letting Kohaku throw you in prison, and robbing you off your status. You could just say "what the fuck are you doing in front of me now" like any normal person would. I don't mind."
"Certainly," Nimokushi said dryly, "May I ask why you've decided to grace me with your honorable presence?"
"There's really no need to be so polite," the God of Knowledge looked amused, and looked around the cave he and Nimokushi were in, "Nice place you have by the way."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome," the God of Knowledge said, "Anyway. I'm here to give you updates on the current situation, and tell you what I'd like you to do."
"And what would that be, pray tell?"
The God of Knowledge smirked, "There is a boy headed here right now. I believe you've met him before. Does the name "Shinji" ring a bell?"
Nimokushi frowned. "Well, it does sound familiar…"
"I thought so," the God of Knowledge said, "Anyway. I'd like you to capture him."
"And… what do I do after that?"
If possible, the God of Knowledge's smirk grew even wider. He whispered something into Nimokushi's ear.
"I think that should be simple enough for you," he said, reverting to speaking normally, "I've got places to go, things to see, lives to screw up. So I'll see you around some other time."
With that, he walked out of the cave, and vanished.
Nimokushi sat in the cave, thinking. After what seemed like hours, he exited the cave, and went off to follow the God of Knowledge's orders.
I was going to make Shinji and Izumi call each other nasty names. Then I decided against it. This chapter is slightly longer than the rest. I hope it'll make up for my recent lack of updates.
