Chapter Four

Aika frowned for the third time tonight. It had been two hours since she had woken up now, and she was just as confused as she had been first entering the bathhouse.

She had opened her eyes only to find herself in a strange room- a place she now knew to be Yubaba's study, surrounded by strange, green heads, a fairly attractive woman with a firmly closed mouth and a weird, old lady with a ginormous bun that seemed to defy gravity- Yubaba.

Yubaba had told her that she was now some sort of servant. Of course, that made no sense. Ha. Ha. Ha. Oh dear. It couldn't, could it? This wasn't the Victorian era after all, and there was no way in hell Aika was going to serve and follow the every whim of a woman who had not only insulted her, called her clumsy and an idiot, but stolen her name.

Though she didn't know how it was possible, it seemed to be a pretty big deal here in the Spirit World and she was sure that it was just as bad in the Human World, even if she couldn't recall it ever happening there.

To top that, Yubaba had told her that she was a witch. Now. That was something Aika could easily believe. Only a witch could be so irritating and grouchy. She had seen Yubaba talking to her other 'workers' and it appeared she was as bossy as she was old. For now though, the witch seemed rather pleased with Aika. Even if it was a rather creepy kind of pleased, she preferred it to what she referred to as 'Yubaba's grumpy face'.

"So. You're trying to tell me I'm some sort of super human..?" Aika stared at her new 'mistress' in disbelief.

Yubaba huffed. "No. I said I don't know exactly what you are, but you will definitely have some sort of ability, or you may be able to transform into something else, like a small frog spirit. You won't be anything big unfortunately."

"So basically I'm a super human."

"No, I said-"

"You're trying to tell me I'm like Superwoman? What if I'm like the Incredible Hulk? I don't really fancy the green look, I mean your freaky head things are rocking it, but.. Like I said, not my kinda thing."

A head bobbed over to her appreciatively. "Yob, yob!" It jumped up and down.

"No-!"

"Oh well, the hulk is pretty strong!"

"Aika." Yubaba glowered at her. "How are you feeling?"

"Fine."

"Well if you wish to continue feeling that way I suggest you shut up."

Aika fell silent. Ever since she had entered the spirit world she had felt nervous and worried, and whenever she was nervous she talked. A lot. Nerves seemed to give her verbal diarrhoea; making her fan side come out. She secretly loved comics and movies, despite denying owning any Marvel and DC comics to her parents. Comics were another pet hate of her mother. 'It's not ladylike to slump about whilst reading that trash!" Urrrgghhh. Her mother knew nothing. Marvel, in particular was her life. Though she did adore anime as well.

"You now live in the bathhouse with me. The bathhouse is a place for spirits of all sorts." Yubaba carried on, seeing that Aika was listening. "You are not allowed to leave-"

Aika opened her mouth angrily at that until Yubaba made a zipping motion across her lips.

"And I expect you to eat frequently and wash frequently to get rid of that horrible human stench of yours. Thankfully as you are part spirit now, it is easily manageable."

Aika glared daggers at her and tried to speak again.

"Now. As I was trying to say when you first woke, you are now my Henchwoman. You work for me and only me. I have full control over you." She snapped her fingers, making an invisible force stand Aika up.

"Oww!" She turned to Yubaba. "What did I ever do to you?"

Yubaba smirked. "I simply just made a point. Anyway. Your first mission from me is.." She looked around until her crusty lips twisted into a wide grin. "Babysitting."

"Babysitting? Seriously? I'm not going to do that! I'm a free woman! You can't force me."

"Actually. I can. You're not a free woman any more Aika." Yubaba pushed her over to a door. "Have fun. You're going to be playing with him until we figure out what you are."

"With who?! You're not for real are you?!"

Yubaba turned her round, tottering almost too gleefully towards a pile of cushions. "Sweetie baby, mama's got a friend for you to play with!"

A large foot kicked out from under the mountain, narrowly missing Yubaba's head.

"I don't wanna play."

Aika gawped. "What the-?"

"Now, now darling, you know mummy has been very busy recently-" A pillow slammed into Yubaba's face, cutting her sentence short.

"Go away. I want to sleep." Another pillow flew through the air.

"Sweetie-pie!" Yubaba snapped her bony fingers, using magic to hold him in place.

A petulant whine came from the direction of the chubby toes. "Let go of me mama!" This time a wooden train was hurled.

Yubaba removed her hands from the giant baby's leg hurriedly, then turned to Aika, seeing that he was clearly in an un-co-operative mood. She gestured tiredly towards the messy stack. "Get your lazy butt in there!"

"What? Me!"

"No, the Radish spirit. Yes of course you. Like I said, this is going to be your job until we figure out what on earth you are. Once we find out, you may have a different one, based on how useful your abilities turn out to be."

"I'm not going near that.. That.. Thing. It's huge!"

Yubaba pushed her face up close Aika's. "Let's get one thing straight here. You. Do. Not. Insult. My. Baby!" Aika flinched as Yubaba trailed a sharp fingernail across her cheek. "His name is Bo, he is mine and he is certainly NOT a thing. Now like I said: in you get! And don't you upset him!"

Aika paled, tip-toeing precociously towards a bright blue beanbag and quietly stepping over an alarmingly sized rattle. She held her breath as she lifted a teddy bear plushy from the pile. From the corner of her eye she could see Yubaba bustling out of the room eagerly, sealing the door as she did so with a quick spell. She gulped. He couldn't really be.. That.. Bad.. Could he? Her trouser leg snagged on something. Oops.

"Way to go dummy." She muttered to herself as she tugged a little at her jeans. "You're stuck now." She tugged a little harder. Nope. Still stuck. Aika began to get annoyed, crouching down and kicking her foot away from whatever object had trapped her. "Damn it, come on!"

Suddenly it freed her, letting her foot carry her forwards. She tumbled into the pit of cushions, submerging herself entirely.

"Brilliant." A loud huff escaped her.

"What's so brilliant?" A pair of gigantic inquisitive eyes peered at her. "And what are you doing in here? This is my room."

Aika froze.

"Umm. Umm. Uhh." She cleared her throat. "Yubaba sent me in here. I'm supposed to be.. Babysitting?"

"Oh. Hey, you're human!" The baby shifted. "Part human at least. You smell funny. Like Sen did when she first came here, but weirder."

Discreetly, she sniffed the air. "I don't smell anything. Yubaba says she turned me into some sort of super human."

"Mama said that? That doesn't sound much like her."

"Well.. She didn't say exactly that, but more or less the same thing. What is your name?"

"Bo."

"Huh." Aika made herself comfortable. "Did she take your real name as well?"

Bo shook his head rapidly. "No. Mama would never do that to me."

"Well, maybe you can give me some answers as Yubaba refused to listen to any of my questions." Aika sat up and pushed away at the toys so that she could breathe safely. "But first, can we get out of this pile?"

Bo shrugged. "If you really want to."

"I do, I really do." She winced as a heavy football slammed into her chest when she attempted to clamber forwards.

Bo looked over at her, concerned.

"Do you want help?"

"No, I'm fine." Bo grabbed her arm, lifting her anyway. "No! No, really I'm fine! I'm fine." Her legs touched ground. "Oh. Thanks Bo."

He shrugged again. "Doesn't matter. What did you want to know?"

Aika brushed herself down, then settled on the floor. "As much as you can tell me about the Spirit World."

"Well that'll take a while.."

"Trust me. From the sound of things, I have a lot more than a while.."