THE ACCIDENT
Author's Note: This and the next chapter feature Haku and Nausicaä more than Haru and Baron. I should've said in the beginning that this fic will involve the Cat very little, being more of a Haru/Machida love story than anything else. Why? Well, I don't want to disturb him while he's making wedding preparations. After around half a century of waiting he might suddenly lose his cool and kill me if I delayed him :)
I know some--heck, all--of you must be wondering how every major Ghibli character aside from Haru and Co. got to know each other. It's that blasted Christmas Party Baron always keeps referring to: see my fic "A Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind Christmas." That's also under revision as well, so if there are any errors... well, there be errors, and I hope you'll be kind enough to point them out to me.
When I got that hook I couldn't let go of it. It's led me to this, and it contains so much potential. I was forced to drop many interesting character interactions in 'The Cat Requests A Favour,' in the interests of keeping it short: Yu-baaba arguing with San, who was angry at her greediness, which she sees also in Eboshi-gozen and Tatara-ba; a still-rebellious Rikako Muto being sheperded by Taeko Okajima; Selm and Asbel butting heads (in a genteel sort of way) over Nausicaä; Asbel beginning to forgive Kushana for being responsible for his sister Rastel's death; so many possibilities. I hope it doesn't all go entirely over your heads, as Ellenlome warned me.
Ah, by the way, when Nausicaä said she met Haku and Chihiro before, that's another multi-Ghibli fic of mine, the main of which is not here on ff . nutty. In it she dies because she saves Tokyo from a nuclear bomb, is brought to Aburaya by Angel, and meets a Chihiro Ogino who is all grown-up and getting married--I won't say to whom, as that's still open to revision. This is why in the next chapter she engages in a little heart-to-heart with Haku.
High in the dark metropolitan sky galloped the Nekobus, carrying five beings in its passenger compartment. Its passage went unnoticed by any eyes, except perhaps those of the odd child—grown-up or not—who really should have been fast asleep at the time.
"Hey," Haru said, nudging one of her seatmates. She was glad she had put on warm clothes to fight off the November chill: a gaily-colored patchwork leather jacket her Mom had made for her on her graduation, a long-sleeved silken blouse, gray slacks and red pumps. Her short dark hair was mooshed up in a bristly ball at the back of her head. "I said I was sorry."
"It's okay," said the hooded, cloak-wearing figure sitting next to her. It had a bit of gauze plastered to its right hand. "I guess I shouldn't have been tickling your nose like that." It touched the bandage experimentally and winced a little. "You've got one heck of a bite. I'm glad Sophie doesn't react the way you do when I tease her awake."
"I'm sorry!" reiterated Haru. "I was half-asleep and I thought—"
"I know. Don't worry about it, I can fix this later."
"Sure?"
"Yup."
Satisfied that Michael wasn't really fuming at her, Haru turned her attention to the person on her other side. He was asleep, his head bowed onto his chest, lolling slightly in the motion produced by the Nekobus. Only the grasp of the furry bench seat he sat on held him upright.
Which was a bit too bad, Haru decided as she reached up and affectionately brushed his shock of black hair away from his face. She wouldn't have minded at all if he had leaned against her. Not even if he had decided to lie down on her lap, right in front of Michael and Cameron and Mrs. Kusakabe.
She had woken up to find Howl's apprentice Michael and Cameron the cat magician from Lune's Kingdom in her room. It turned out that Michael was in an impish mood, and had decided to wake her up by tickling her nose. She had reacted by grabbing him and kissing him (she was still deep in her dreams and thought she was necking with Kei), but when she saw his dwarf-like disguise she panicked. Her brain still clouded and her vision still unfocused thanks to drink and sleep, she did the only thing she could think of—and promptly bit his hand.
After applying first aid to the boy—Cameron huffily refused to treat his minor injury with his magic, saying that Michael deserved it for sneaking into a lady's room in the first place—Haru heard the doorbell ring. When she went downstairs and had a look, Kei-chan was outside, waiting expectantly for her.
"What're you doing here?" she scolded him as she opened the door. "Do you know what time it is?"
"Course I do. Mind if I come in? It's a bit chilly out here."
"Oops. Sure."
The second Machida had stepped over the threshold he shed his jacket and gave Haru a peck on the cheek, which surprised her.
"My, you're in a good mood for someone who's awake at two in the morning," she remarked as she took his jacket from him.
"Things went well at the factory, and oyaji let me out early–"
"Real early, I should say," Haru quipped.
"–and I decided that since you were all alone I'd keep you company."
Having placed her boyfriend's jacket on a peg in the front-door hallway, Haru laced her arms round him. "And if I was asleep, dear boy, what would you have done?"
"Slept in the car," Machida replied, hugging her back. As he was about to kiss her, he spied movement on top of the stairs.
"Who's that?" he asked, startled.
"Hmm? Oh, Cameron and a friend are here to take me to the Cat Kingdom."
"Again? Why?"
"Shizuku-sensei."
"Oh." Machida paused. "Since I'm here, I might as well go with you. And Cameron," he called, "you can come out now. I know you're there."
The little cat emerged with Michael in tow. After brief introductions between Michael and Kei they waited for around a quarter of an hour for the Nekobus—Cameron said that he was leery of using his magic to create a portal from the real world to the Cat Kingdom, since, as Haru had discovered to her dismay some three months earlier, the powerful spell Howl, Yu-baaba and the others were casting was interfering with any magic in its vicinity.
They had settled down in the living room to wait. While doing so, Machida pointedly asked why Haru had the faint smell of liquor on her person, and she sheepishly admitted to being at a party at the Cat Bureau.
"They made me an honorary member," she said with a hint of pride in her voice, shifting on the couch beside him.
"Really? That must be quite an honor."
"Yeah."
"I guess they must think highly of you, especially Baron..."
Haru noticed the catch in his voice. "I hope they do. And by the way, I also met the Baroness and we talked about him. They're getting married soon."
"Oh, really? Good luck to them."
"Kei..."
"What?"
"Tell me what you're thinking."
"Nothing." Machida gave her a rueful grin. "Just jealous for a moment."
"Oh." Haru took hold of his arm and snuggled up against him. "Please don't be."
Before Machida could say anything Cameron cleared his throat loudly. "Say, Michael, why don't we go outside and have a look at the stars? I haven't been keeping up with my astrology lately, and you know how fickle stars' fortunes are."
Howl's youthful protégé had looked blankly at him, so the cat magician grabbed his hand and yanked him out into the front yard.
"We'll call you when the Nekobus gets here," he called before shutting the door.
The second the strange pair had disappeared from sight, Machida and Haru had smiled at each other.
"Thank you, Cameron," Haru giggle-whispered, just before the tall, lanky boy with the gleaming dark eyes smothered her lips with his own.
When the Nekobus had arrived bearing Mrs. Kusakabe, they were comfortably deep into the cushions, in each other's arms and quietly talking. Without any further ado they shouldered their small packs, locked up and boarded the 'bus, whose signboard changed to read 'Cat Kingdom'. A few minutes after the creature-vehicle had left Machida had fallen asleep, no doubt tired from his stint at the factory.
"It's pretty, isn't it?" Haru asked Mrs. Kusakabe, who was looking out the window at the twinkling lights of Tokyo sweeping by underneath them.
"Yes, it is. It's so big now," answered the mother of Mei and Satsuki. "So prosperous..."
"What do you think of the future now that you've seen it, Kusakabe-sama?" asked the cat magician.
"I'm amazed, of course. Personally I never dreamed it would become like this," she said. "But I can't help but feel that something's missing..."
"What?"
"I'm not sure. I can't quite put my finger on it." Mrs. Kusakabe shook her head. "Ah, but you know what I'm always wondering? I wonder if my grown-up children are somewhere down there. They must be in their forties or fifties now."
"Just like Kiki," commented Cameron.
"Oh, no! Kiki must be what, sixty or more?"
"Really? She seems younger than that."
"Must be those potions of hers. The cat magicians say she's the best potion-brewer ever."
"Did she ever marry, Kusakabe-sama?"
"She did. But her husband lived a mortal life, and died long ago."
Cameron sighed. "It's sad how time passes and changes everyone, tampers with their history, isn't it?"
"Why?" asked Mrs. Kusakabe, turning to smile at the boy-turned-feline. "Do you want to live forever, Master Cat?"
Cameron shrugged in reply, and a thought suddenly struck Haru. Was Mrs. Kusakabe's present-day alter-ego still alive? If not, when did she pass away? It must be a poignant feeling, she decided, looking out at a world you knew you would probably never get to see, and knowing your children—and your children's children—were out there somewhere, living in it.
The temptation to go and see them must be great, Haru thought, but she never saw Mrs. Kusakabe inclined to do so. Curiosity aroused, Haru opened her mouth to ask her about it, but then changed her mind and kept her trap shut. She didn't want to be the one to broach such a sensitive topic. Haru had an inkling that perhaps Mrs. Kusakabe was indifferent to the future because she was someone for whom the present held fascination enough.
------oOo------
It came out of the high clouds, a glowing spot of light that Haku espied from afar.
Nausicaä, he sent, his whiskers bristling at the power he felt. We've got company. Get ready.
Days had passed since their arrival in this placeless creation. Or was it weeks? Nausicaä could no longer be sure. The sun rose and set, stars came out and the moon did as well, but who could be sure of anything in a place like this? All she could be sure of was that her body ached something fierce from riding Haku for so long. To combat it she had alternated between riding on his back and being carried by him, but it had helped only a little.
It had all been water; no land, not even the suggestion of a seamount lurking underneath the blue glass of the waves. But now it seemed that the journey was over, and the confrontation begun. For who else could that be, but Shizuku?
"I'm ready now, Haku," she said. The dragon twisted and climbed.
------oOo------
"Seiji-sensei!" Haru stage-whispered as she walked up to the violin-maker and bowed. "Genki?"
"I'm fine," he answered as he returned her gesture. "Under the circumstances, that is. I'm glad to see you well. You too, Machida-kun."
"Thanks."
Seiji-sensei was looking wan and forlorn, but at least he was holding up, Haru mused. She knew that he had already returned home and told his folks about what had happened—just like Baron had done so before him. She didn't want to tell the bereaved man of Shizuku's 'image of my husband' remark. She knew that if he heard it, it would most likely devastate him.
"Now would you mind telling me what you two are doing here?"
"Huh?" Haru raised her brows. "Michael told me Howl wanted me to come over."
"Really? Wonder why."
"How long has this been going on?" asked Machida as he and Haru took in the scene—figures lying in beds, and figures seated and standing, all somber and silent and varying shades of crimson except for the beds and people and the cat magicians at the periphery with their chants. It looked like some tableau adapted from a Hieronimus Bosch work.
"Three days now, non-stop." They moved aside to let Pazu pass. He gave them a nod in greeting. Haru smiled in return, noticing in his look and general demeanor a certain something that revealed the pugnacious spirit within him.
"I'm surprised they have the stamina."
"They take quick breaks, but that's all."
"When will we know?" asked Haru imploringly. "When will something happen?"
"I don't know. No one really knows."
Haru looked longingly at Shizuku's body, almost as white as the sheet which covered it. "Could I... go closer?"
Seiji looked at her, an indecipherable emotion in his eyes. "Sure. But whatever you do, don't touch her. Understand? You'll ruin the spell."
Haru nodded and walked noiselessly up to Shizuku. Machida didn't follow. He knew she wanted to be alone.
Sensei, she thought as she stared down at the woman on the bed, I just... I hope you're alright... but no, if you're like that you're definitely not alright... ooh, I'm sorry my thoughts are so disorganized. I'd thank you for saving Baron, but I won't, because you ended up like this. I want to say I'd like you to come back here, but I know that'd be selfish. Just... just choose whatever makes you happy, sensei. Haru closed her eyes. You told me a great secret, one that I can't share to anyone else. Not to my mother, not to my friends... It makes me feel so lonely knowing it...
So deep was she in thought that she had no idea someone was approaching her from behind.
"Ah, Lady Yoshioka." The voice was deep but quiet, endeavoring to be friendly. Haru jumped out of her skin and turned to face a pair of gleaming yellow eyes and a body with spiky long fur of a purple shade. A jeweled circlet sat on the being's head.
"So nice to see you again, my dear." It was King Lune's father. He moved towards her, intending to take her hand so as to kiss it.
Haru, feeling threatened by his proximity and remembering her abduction and his attempt to marry her when Lune had refused her in favor of Yuki, took a precipitate step backwards—and her calf brushed Shizuku's bedcover.
The humming silence was broken by several yells as she fell to the red-tiled floor, a sack of unconscious flesh, a marionette whose strings had suddenly been cut.
------oOo------
The spot of light grew until it had resolved itself into a huge bird of flame, a phoenix whose only corporeal parts seemed to be its wickedly hooked beak and long, scaly legs and long-taloned feet. It lit up the underside of the clouds in its brilliant white light as it descended towards Nausicaä and Haku.
After some minutes, she watched it fly past as Haku stopped in mid-air and turned to follow it.
"Ho!" she called loudly. "Are you Shizuku Tsukishima? We wish to speak with you!"
The phoenix turned and stopped, the beating of its wings sending waves of hot air at the wind-rider despite the fifty or so feet which separated it from them.
"Intruders you are, in my realm," it intoned in an eerily echoing high-pitched voice. "You have no right to speak to me." It made as if to fly off, its long tail feathers describing a fiery, graceful arc as it turned and climbed away.
"Wait! Haku, let's go after her."
Already on it. The dragon sped off.
The wind whipped Nausicaä's hair as Haku gave chase to the mysterious being. She crouched low on his back, remembering fondly how he could accelerate like nothing in her world could the last time she rode him. But even with the tremendous speed he was capable of, it became apparent after a minute or two that the bird was receding, shrinking in size.
"Can't you go any faster?" she asked, partly in jest, partly in irony. "She's getting away!"
I'm going as fast as I can, Haku replied curtly, sounding more than a little irritated. Remember, this is her creation. She is master here.
Nausicaä watched in despair as the phoenix suddenly rose majestically into the sky on open wings, heading for the high clouds. Its light was very beautiful, in a hellish sort of way.
"Shizuku!" she shouted, knowing that she wouldn't be heard at such a distance. "Please stop! We were sent here by Zeniiba to talk to you!"
The phoenix suddenly leveled out, upside-down and heading on a reciprocal course, but at a much higher altitude. Heading towards them.
"Say not that name!" came the screech, that seemed to reverberate across the heavens. "With those words you have earned yourselves death."
With fear building in her heart the Princess of the Valley of Wind watched as the bird of flame righted itself, stooped upon them and dove, its feet open, its talons extended and waiting—wanting—to rend flesh.
------oOo------
"Send for the Royal Physician!" bellowed the Cat Duke at Natori. The spectacled Siamese was, as usual, hovering near him.
"At once, sire!" With a plastron-armored guard, the Cat Secretary waddled off in search of the doctor.
The room was in bedlam. People were clustered around Haru, who was in Machida's arms. He had disregarded Seiji's warning shouts and pulled her away from the deadly touch of Shizuku's bed, heedless of his own safety.
"Haru?" he said, slapping her cheeks, trying to ascertain what had happened. "Haru-chan, it's me, loverboy. What happened, Seiji-sensei?" His free left hand moved to her wrist. "Why won't she..."
The question died away as his fingers felt again, then moved to the side of her neck. And then covered the lower part of her face.
"She... she isn't breathing! And there's no pulse! She hasn't got a pulse!" He looked wildly up at Seiji.
"No!" he keened. "This isn't happening!" Frantically he laid her on the floor, opening her jacket as the people around them began to buzz with whispered comments.
Seiji, Oroku and Mrs. Kusakabe also examined Haru, with the same conclusions, after which Machida felt he could no longer wait for the Royal Physician.
"Give me some room!" he ordered the people around him. He felt her neck again for a pulse, found none, and placed his hands on her chest and began CPR. He was well into his desperate efforts when something—someone—tickled his mind, signaling for his attention.
Don't, it said. She lives. Pull her back now, and you will cause more harm than good. She is alive.
The calm in the voice made him think, and he slowed, then stopped his attempts at resuscitation. Breathing hard, he looked up, in the direction of one of the beds. From the look on everyone's face, he wagered that they'd heard it too.
Chikuku gives you his word on this.
It is too late, came another disembodied thought. Howl's. Chikuku is right, Machida-san. Place her beside Shizuku. There is no other way now than to let her ride it out along with Nausicaä and Haku.
"B-but she hasn't experienced death like Nausicaä, nor is she a spirit like Haku," objected a worried Oroku, who had just come into the room bearing coffee for herself and the Cat Duke when the accident had occurred. "Will she be able to withstand it?"
I'd be lying if I said I knew the answer to that, Howl answered. I will try to help, if I can.
Standing behind Howl's chair, unmarked by anyone, Sophie frowned. Arms clasped together as if hugging herself, her nails dug into her forearms as she prayed for her beloved wizard's safety.
------oOo------
Nausicaä almost fell off as Haku suddenly turned and fled. The shrieking phoenix dove past them, and a hot wind assaulted her exposed face.
"What're you doing, Haku? You know you can't outrun her!"
Yes, but I can't fight her either, not with you on my back. Keep talking while I try to dodge her, okay?
There was one advantage to being serpentine: you could confuse your enemy as to you center of mass, have her try to strike at where she thought your bulk was. Then when she was about to hit, you just pulled yourself out of the way.
That was what Haku did, as Shizuku made pass after infernal pass at him, sometimes descending upon him from the heights, sometimes coming from below, sometimes coming in from oblique angles that made it hard for him to judge her rate of closure. On about a third of these attempts she was able to rake him with her claws, sending his scales flying. Each time she managed to wound him he felt like a hot iron was being laid into his skin, but for Nausicaä's sake he doggedly shook the pain off and continued to evade.
The Princess, meanwhile, was not idle. She took it upon herself to track Shizuku and tell Haku which way to break to dodge her. Again and again she also implored the angry spirit to stop and listen, but to no avail.
"We come in peace!" she tried.
"How can a dragon like that come in peace?" Shizuku fired back. "And you were sent by that awful hag. I can never believe someone such as you, son-killer."
"Son-killer? What are you talking about? I never—no..."
"Yes. You killed him, who trusted you." The phoenix ascended and easily flew formation on the dragon, flying off to Nausicaä's starboard. "I believe his name was Ohma. Don't you remember?"
"How... how do you know that?"
"This is my world. Here, I know everything."
"I didn't kill him," Nausicaä said, more to herself than Shizuku. "That's not true..."
"Think how he must've felt when he learned you were wishing him death all along," Shizuku said. "What better way to murder a person to betray them? And yet you called him your son. Oh, yes, don't look so surprised. I'm sure he was able to figure that out before he died. He was much smarter and nobler than you gave him credit for being. That is why I trust neither of you. Water spirit who is the lackey of the woman who drove me here, and daughter of Jhil who sacrificed others for her goal."
Don't listen to her, Nausicaä, Haku said fiercely. She's twisting everything.
Why won't you listen? taunted Shizuku in return. Because you're afraid that I might be speaking the truth?
I'm no lackey of Zeniiba's, I follow her as I wish to, Haku shot back. And Nausicaä didn't sacrifice others. They died willingly for her. And each time they did, a part of her died with them, you know-it-all. Anger caused a snarl to escape his mouth. If this is who you really are, Shizuku, I don't know why we're even bothering trying to help you.
I can't remember who I am, Shizuku said, as if it explained everything. In fact, I know more about you two than I know myself. And since you don't belong here, I will remove you before you taint my world too much. Say your farewells, dragon, Princess. The phoenix climbed for another attack.
I'll keep avoiding her for as long as I can, sent Haku, twisting around to look at her. See if you can contact any of our friends and tell them... Nausicaä?
The brown-haired young woman was staring straight ahead. Tears were tracking down her cheeks.
"Yes, she's right. I did wish Ohma death. I was afraid of him. Oh, I'm so dirty. I have so much blood on my hands... Haku, listen to me. You said you couldn't fight her because I was with you. Well, I'll relieve you of the burden. Fight her. Save yourself."
Before the river spirit could react, the Princess threw herself off him. A claw reached out and almost caught her, but she, graceful as a plunging shearwater, pushed it away and plummeted to her doom.