Disclaimer: Err… well you know the drill. The original characters don't belong to me bla bla bla… you know the rest. Thank you for those who have reviewed the last chapter, love you all…

Chapter 4: Questions…without answers

Airun staggered slightly as the sudden blast resounded outside Aburaya. The plates in her hands swayed dangerously. She moved left and right to avoid the plates from falling. Her face was splattered with a red sauce as a bowl tilted slightly towards her face.

"THAT was annoying," thought Airun as she stomped down the corridor towards the kitchen – her face artfully smeared.

The kitchen and the hot springs were in an uproar. Airun was shoved to and fro as she forced herself into the kitchen carrying the stack of plates. Just as she placed the stack inside the washing tub, Airun was carried away by the flow of the workers moving towards the doors of Aburaya.

Airun tried to hold on to something but in the end she gave up and let herself carried towards the open air. A tremendous squeal and a hard shove dropped Airun off the bridge.

"Stop them!" cried Yubaba's voice over the din.

A small splash, that was hardly audible over the chaos, sounded as Airun dived into the cold river under the bridge. Dripping wet and fairly miserable, she saw Kamaji shooting a string of web towards a small group of escapees.

"Kamaji! Kamaji!" cried Airun as she stood up – dripping wet.

Airun stood stock still as a ethereal voice invaded her senses.

"Kyoko…" came a woman's voice.

Airun turned at the sound of the voice. Her eyes lit with an odd flame of determination and mischief. The corners of her mouth lifted a little as she moved towards the railway.

"Kyoko…come," repeated the voice.

Airun ran towards the railways in liquid motion.

"Flight!" she cried.

A burst of silver light engulfed her. Her feet are now stepping on air as she began to levitate. Her pupils dilated, her nose grew longer and beak-like, her arms grew feathery, talons replaced her feet, she grew smaller and smaller until she finally turned into a silver falcon. The speed of her transformation was in an instant though it takes more and a few words to describe it. Airun took flight across the sky towards the swamp.

Chihiro sat on an armchair across Zeniba. She fiddled with her thumb while Zeniba continued with her knitting. Time and again she would look out the window into the night sky. Chihiro felt both nervous and puzzled. She didn't see the point why she had to stay here in this cottage. No Face kept disappearing and reappearing in odd places driving Chihiro to the bink of insanity.

"Hmm…" said Zeniba suddenly, her attention still on her knitting. "So, another uproar now…"

Zeniba stood up and walked towards the open window. Chihiro stood up, curious about what Zeniba was about to do. Zeniba placed a hand out of the window and blew a spell as the wind carried it towards the island-like outline in the distance.

"Kyoko, hear me," said Zeniba in a commanding tone. "Kyoko, come."

Chihiro waited for something exciting to happen. Instead, Zeniba turned away from the window and pointed towards a kettle that promptly filled itself with water and placed itself onto the stove. No Face reappeared in front of Chihiro.

"Stop it," said Chihiro, exasperated. "What happened? Why are you all silent? Why isn't anyone telling me what is happening?"

"So, the ice of Chihiro has finally melted," said Zeniba in a pleasant voice. "Now, that is the little girl that I remember six years ago."

Chihiro was shocked beyond words. She knew she had been rude but this…this woman knowing her six years ago was…impossible. No Face carried a tray of cakes and sweets towards the table. He began to set the table with four cups and saucers. He sidled towards the kettle watching as the steam began to come out of the spout.

"What…"

Chihiro's words were cut short by Zeniba's reproving glance.

"She will be here in a few moments. She's never late before."

Chihiro sank back into an armchair when a cursory knock on the front door, made her nearly jump out of her skin. No Face glide across the room towards the door.

"Chihiro, go and greet our friend… my apprentice," said Zeniba in her usual pleasant voice.

The doors swung open to reveal a tall figure in green robes with platinum blonde hair. Chihiro gasped as she recognized the figure exceedingly well. She marched towards the door almost immediately.

"Good Evening, Zeniba," she said. "Evening, No Face and…"

Her words were cut short as Chihiro dealt a ringing slap across her left cheek. Chihiro's hand rose to strike again. Airun caught her hand easily.

"Once is enough, thank you," she grimaced.

"You…your name is…is…"

"Airun, yes," her words cut cleanly across Chihiro's. "Yet, my real name is Kyoko. A name I was born with and still keep from Yubaba's discovery."

Airun/Kyoko's grip on Chihiro's hand was like vice. Chihiro tried to pry her hand from Kyoko's grip.

"Come, we have no time," said Kyoko.

"Not…until…you tell…me…what's happening," gasped Chihiro.

"Nigihayama Kohaku Nushi," quipped Kyoko.

"Wha…Pardon me! Let go!" cried Chihiro.

"Nigihayama Kohaku Nushi," repeated Kyoko, her grip began to loosen considerably.

"Ni..Nigihayama Kohaku N…Nushi," Chihiro stopped struggling as the name struck her like a blow to the chest. "Nigihayama Kohaku Nushi."

"Yes,"

"Haku…Haku… What happened to him? How do you know his name? Wh…wha…"

"You were the only human that remained human while you were here." Said Kyoko seriously. "You returned to the Human World with at least a distant memory. You know where you are. You know why you're here. So, help us."

"What about you? You're human right?"

"Heh, no. I was born here."

"Here?"

"I was carried off into the human world because my mother didn't want me to be a deity too."

"But…then you're here,"

"Yes, as Zeniba's apprentice. A witch. As my birthright, a deity."

Chihiro watched Kyoko with a puzzled expression. Kyoko smiled weakly before she crossed the room towards the table. Kyoko's eyes widen at the array of cakes and sweets on the table. She promptly sat down and began to fill her plate with cake.

"How is Yubaba these days, Kyoko?" asked Zeniba as she poured herself some tea. Zeniba had watched the scene between Chihiro and Kyoko pensively. She was right to raise Kyoko to be her apprentice. Even though she was raised with absolutely no clue of the existence of another world. A decade of her life was wasted as a priestess's heir.

"Yubaba? Oh, she's fine," – she placed a sweet in between her slice of cake – "As vindictive as ever. Bou's growing up very fine though."

Chihiro felt exasperated. She wanted to meet Haku again – now that she remembered him – and besides, Kyoko said there was no time. Her face grew red and she promptly pushed the sweet filled cake away from Kyoko's mouth.

"That was uncalled for," said Kyoko surprised.

"You said…you said we had no time to waste!" said Chihiro indignantly.

Kyoko looked at Chihiro's face and then towards Zeniba's face. Sighing, she left her cake on the plate. She took her cup of tea and drained it in one gulp.

"Fine by me. Lets go."

Kyoko took Chihiro's arm and whisked her outside. Kyoko hauled Chihiro into her arms and sped towards the railway.

"This will take hours but it's easier than flying with a passenger," explained Kyoko when Chihiro gasped in surprise.

"Where are we going?" yelled Chihiro as the speeding wind deafened her.

Kyoko smiled and turned away. She wasn't going to say anything. Her strong arms carried Chihiro over the lines towards Aburaya. Her hair, which was platinum blond after her transformation, slowly returned to normal.

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P/s: Okay, sue me. It took about a year to get ONE measly chapter up… Okay, really, really sorry but after one thing and another…Writing my fanfic came as a minor priority the past months (cause it was school days)… now, rejoice, I have time to write for tis the holidays… Well, I won't be able to upload another chapter until the week after 3rd November cause…I'll be celebrating Eid Mubarak…Anyway…R&R please