A/N: Well well… What's this? No reviews:( That's kind of upsetting really. I guess this story isn't that good… Well I'm going to keep going with it anyway, because I'm enjoying writing it so really that's all that matters. :p Ha ha. It's a bit awkward but oh well… To anyone that might read this, I hope you enjoy it!
DISCLAIMER: Spirited way is not mine, however any characters which you do not recognise ARE mine.
CHAPTER 2 : Haku
(A/N: This chapter is from Haku's POV)
"Haku! Get down to the bridge right now."
It was Yubaba's voice ringing in my head. Without botheringto reply, I merely strode down a few steps and out the glass door at the side of the bathhouse. She was always bothering me for no reason, Yubaba that is, these days. So I didn't even think twice that this time it might actually be something worth being summoned for.
"What now, Yubaba…" but my sentence was left hanging. On the ground on the spirit side of the bridge was a girl. She couldn't have been more than 11 or 12 years old. Her black hair lay around her, tangled and matted as if it'd never seen a brush before.
"What do you make of this, Haku?" said Yubaba, "First there was that Chihiro girl, and now there's this useless lump. In all my life there hasn't been so many humans blundering into my bathhouse. And now, in the space of just 10 years, there has been 2 – not including those pigs for parents the last one had."
I stayed silent, moving closer to the girl on the ground. She was unconscious, but she didn't seem peaceful. Her skin was perfectly pale and wan looking against the gaudy colours of the bathhouse, only marred by a scar down her right cheek and a purple bruise that spread across her eye and lip. It looked like an old bruise – how had she got it?
Yubaba was speaking again.
"Come on then, bring her up to my study. I want to know how all these humans are getting here, so before I turn her into a pig, I'm going to question her."
I hesitantly picked up the girl's small body, hoisting her gently over my shoulder so I didn't wake her. Her legs, I noted, were also bruised, and her knees were bleeding where it appeared she been dragged somewhere. The scrapes were fresh, but once again the bruising was older. It appeared she'd been beaten, or something to that effect. I couldn't help but feel sorry for the child – she'd obviously had a rough time of it.
"After you," I said to Yubaba, rolling my eyes behind her as she began to strut through the crowd of people that were gawking at the girl.
We made our way through the busy halls of the bathhouse. There was always something important happening, so the bathhouse had to be consistently clean and neat for the various guests that made their way here. There were a few upturned noses along the way – no doubt they could smell the human smell wafting off the girl long before they could see her.
"Do some work, you lazy slugs!" Yubaba barked at a group of gossiping Yuna that we passed, and they sprang into a frenzied rush to obey her comands. One of them was Lin, probably the last person I'd want to see while I had the girl slung over my shoulder.
"Haku, I got some of those kompeitou you wanted..."
She stared in disbelief for a moment, as she realised that the girl over my shoulder was human.
"Is that... another human?"
"Lin I dont have time to chat. I'm taking her to Yubaba's study."
"Oh Haku! Please, don't let Yubaba turn her into a pig. It'd be like betraying Sen..."
Sen. No, Chihiro. A name I'd hoped I could forget, but one that always stuck in my mind. Over the ten years since she'd returned to the human world, I'd kept myself busy in an attempt to keep her from my thoughts. I'd not had much luck.
"I'll do my best, Lin. But I can't make any promises," I replied, but Lin knew she'd struck a chord. By just mentioning Chihiro, she'd made sure I wouldn't let anything happen to this most recent visitor.
"Come and tell me what happens later, Haku," She yelled after me.
On my shoulder, the girl mumbled something in her sleep.
"You're safe with me, little one," I whispered to her, but I knew she couldn't hear.
NEXT TIME... The reason that Naihira has come.
