Princess Mononoke Fan Fiction / Spirited Away Fan Fiction ❯ A Thousand Fathoms ❯ Spied Upon ( Chapter 4 )

Author's Notes: Hello, hello! Thanx for the wonderful reviews and hopefully you'll have fun reading this chappy. ^_^ I fixed chapter two faster then I thought I would, so chapter four is here sooner then I thought, as well.

Disclaimer: I don't own Spirited Away.

Rating: PG-13 (Ratings may change)

Summary: Seven years, one month, two weeks, four days, and two hours, but hey who's counting? Never a dream. I would never let myself believe it was a dream. "Oh God, I'm actually going through with this!" I took a step.

~*~*~*~ A Thousand Fathoms ~*~*~*~

Chapter 4: Spied Upon

"So, everything has a spirit?"

"Everything in nature has a spirit," Haku corrected me; his eyes full of amusement--at my own expense, might I add. He pointed to the rock I was sitting on. "A rock has a spirit, a toaster doesn't."

I nodded. "So, this stick has a spirit?" I said as I picked up a stick from the lusciously green field. I shook it at Haku as he tried to bat it away.

"Chi…St…Argh!" I laughed at him. Trying to stay somewhat serious, he continued to bat my stick away as he thought about my question; his lips held in a tight line to keep from bursting out in laughter or irritation. A bird called over head, catching my attention. That was all Haku needed to grab the stick, and to hold it out of my reach. I lunged for it making random treats. I wanted my stick back! All my weight pressed against him as I pushed him down against the grass to grab the stick.

"Give me back my stick!" I yelped as I ripped it from his hands. Proud that I had my stick back, I held it up laughing. "Ha!"

Haku was still on his back staring at me, smiling. He was happy, content with everything at the moment. I was happy because he was happy, but hitting people with sticks was what made me really happy at the moment. So, I listened to my urge to hit him. He 'umph'ed as I smacked him in the stomach with the stick.

"Answer my question,"

"No, sticks don't have spirits," He sat up as I slumped over in defeat. "They fall from trees, trees have spirits. A single stick doesn't."

"Okay, then…this blade of grass has a spirit!" I said as I grabbed a blade of grass.

"No,"

I gave up, and threw my hands in the air. "I give up!"

"Don't give up."

"But I'm confused!" I whined.

"I know you are. Bear with me! Saying that a blade of grass has a spirit is like saying a single drop of water has a spirit. A drop of water doesn't have a spirit, but the lake, river, stream, or ocean it came from does. Do you get it?"

I bit my lip as I thought about it. Sighing, I spoke. "So…this whole field has a spirit…?"

Haku nodded, smiling. I smiled too. Finally I had figured it out. It had taken me two hours to get it but I understood it now. I pointed to a flower. "This flower has a spirit?"

"Yes."

"A telephone doesn't."

"Right!"

I smiled again. Haku grabbed my hand and pulled me down to the ground next to him. The grass was nice and cool to the touch, a complete opposite of the warmth emanating from Haku. He wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. Breathing deeply, I moved closer to him--as always he smelt of spices. Intoxicating.

"Chihiro," Haku whispered, I looked up at him. "I think you should come back to the Spirit World."

I pulled away from him, just enough to search his face. Was he serious!?

"Just for the summer," Haku continued. "You're graduating in a few months and, well, I thought you could come for a vacation, a visit. Of course, you'd have to work for Yubaba…"

"Sure, that sounds like a good idea." What the Hell was I saying? I wanted to badly, but my parents controlled my life. They would never let me spend the summer with anyone, let alone a 3,246 year-old river spirit who looked nineteen. No-way-no-how, and yet I threw all that to the wind. I cocked my head to the side, letting my hair fall over my shoulders. "When?"

"I was thinking the day after you graduate."

"That could work," I paused. "But…how will this work? I know if I tell my parents they'll lock down the house, but, then, if I don't…everyone will think I ran away. I don't want to dishonor my family." The grass became suddenly interesting.

"I've been working hard figuring this out," He spoke so softly, so full of purpose I had to look at him. "If you come, you'd spend our summer, the Spirit World summer, here then go back. Every month you spend here will be one day in your world. And when you do go back, no one should even remember that you were gone."

My eyes fell to the ground again. It sounded fairly solid. Though, as my nature I was skeptical, whether it came from Haku or not. "Every month I spend there is one day in my world, and when I go back no one will remember I was gone?"

I could feel Haku nod. I smiled. This just might work. I tried to give him my evilest smirk I could muster as I jabbed him with my stick. With a shriek I stood up and ran around the field with Haku a few feet behind me.

"Sen…" a voice strong and clear burst through the dream world, shattering the image. "Damnit, Sen! Must I do this every morning? I can't see how you got up early enough for school! SEN!"

"Geez, you didn't have to yell in my ear Rebi." I snapped half asleep. It was dream, all a dream. A repeat of one of the few dream-conversations Haku and I had when I was in my world. Though, since we were both in the same world now we couldn't communicate through our dreams. That was the one downside, the one thing that really made me tick. I sighed, I was wallowing in my self-pity; pinning over a guy that I wasn't even sure liked me.

"You weren't getting up--"

"I'm up now!" I snapped before she could finish her rant. "I'm up!"

"What's your problem?" Naru, a yuna, asked defensively as she helped put away the tatami mats.

"Don't worry about her, Naru. She's just grumpy because her Dragon Boy's gone, that's all." Another yuna, Hiro, piped in.

"She misses him! It's so sweet!" Mei chirped.

I can't remember where in this conversation I started to blush, but I could feel it now, all over my face, even my ears were hot.

"She's blushing! She's blushing!" Another yuna in my unit squealed as I pulled my blanket over my head. I wasn't going to hear the end of it today, not like it was the first time since Haku left. They had been teasing me ever since they found out I had a thing for Haku. Everyone in my unit knew, and even though they teased me unmercifully about it I knew that no one else knew. If there were people outside my unit that knew I have no idea what I'd do.

Rebi hadn't told them, I was positive, for I would never be given a peaceful minute here. Unknowingly, at the time, it was I that told them. I have a slight tendency to talk in my sleep, something I had developed when I was a child. Recently, I've been doing it a lot more. The topic was no longer chickens, but Haku. I knew this for a fact because, one--Rebi told me and I trust her completely, and two--I've heard myself. Sometimes when I'm standing precariously on the edge of sleep and the waking world I can hear myself say things. I never remember what was said but I can hear my voice echoing through the room.

Rebi told me that one night the whole unit stayed awake and waited for me to be in a deep sleep. Once I started talking they had asked me questions about things, about Haku, about the chickens. Apparently, I came up with a fist full of interesting answers to a fist full of stupid questions.

"You can't deny it Sen, we know!"

"I know you know," I replied blandly as I rolled off the tatami mat. As soon as I was off Rebi scooped it up. "I've never denied it, yet I've never affirmed it either. So you should stop making assumptions."

I grunted as I pulled my orange akome* on. I could feel my hair frizz out. Lazily I pulled it back into a high ponytail and ran my hand through it. The yunas were still talking. I had almost zoned out completely, but then I heard a yuna bring up the one subject I hated.

"How long has he been gone?"

"I'd say a week or two." Naru responded. "I think Sen knows for sure."

All eyes were on me. Twenty pairs of eyes one me, waiting, curious, thirsting for information. I didn't say anything; in fact I stood up and left the room all together, every single one of them watching me. It hurt, my heart wrenched every time they brought it up, and they had brought it up everyday since they found out he left.

I did know the answer. I knew it exactly to the hour. Eleven days and eighteen hours ago he left me. Eleven days and eighteen hours! Though it may be hard for others to believe, these eleven days made me hurt more then those seven years we were apart.

I heaved a sigh as I made my way to the check-in station. Today, like every other day, was gong to be long and tiring.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"He's still staring at you." Rebi whispered as we cleaned our bath.

"I know," I replied, whispering as she did.

"This is, what, the fifth day in a row? I swear he never blinks!" Rebi hissed.

"It's the sixth day in a row." I corrected as we both furtively glanced up to where Koto was standing. For the past six days he had been staring at me, from when work started to when work ended. It was really creeping me out. It was as if he woke up one morning and was like 'I think I'll stare at Sen for the next six or more days.' He had to be planning his revenge. He had to be! Though, I didn't let that thought haunt me at night. Sleep was too precious. Every night I prayed Haku would come back before Koto decided to exact his revenge.

"You've told him to stop, right?" Rebi asked.

"Yes, once, yesterday…" I chucked my towel at the wall of the tub. Need I say I was fed up? "I'm going to go get breakfast, maybe he'll go away," I said trying to offer myself comfort as well as Rebi.

She nodded, "Be safe, Sen."

I walked out of the bath area trying to ignore Koto's increasing glare. As soon as I turned the corner I looked behind me. Thank God, Koto wasn't following. I sighed and turned around, only to run into something or someone. Slowly I looked up fearing the worst.

"Watch where you're going, Sen!" Naru snapped.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry!" I bowed many many times. "It's just that Koto--"

Naru interrupted me, "I know, Rebi told me. It's creeping all of us out."

"I swear he never blinks!" I hissed. "How can his eyes handle it?"

"I dunno…" She grabbed my shoulder and looked me straight in the eye, "Sen, could you do me a big favor?"

I guess she could tell I was skeptical, because she started explaining right away. "You know Yan left, right?" I nodded. "I have to do all of her work including mine, I have absolutely no time, could you please give Kamaji and the Susuwatari their breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I can't do it with all this work that Yan left me."

Feed Kamaji and the Susuwatari? I'd finally get a chance to see them. I nodded. "Sure. For how long?"

"Until I'm given a replacement."

"No problem."

"Good!" Naru turned to leave.

"Wait!"

"What?" She asked turning back around.

"What do I do? Where do I go?" Naru told me to go to the kitchen an hour before each meal, then to take the service elevator all the way down to the basement. She told me to be quick about it, because I had to give Kamaji and the Susuwatari enough time to eat before they had to start work again.

"Listen, I've got to go. I'm far behind as it is. Good luck with the Koto thing, our hearts are with ya, Sen." Naru disappeared around the corner and left me standing there like an idiot.

I guess I need to feed Kamaji now…It was a break from Koto's unwelcoming glare and I took it with pride.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"It's about time, Naru!" Kamaji said blandly as I slid open the door. I laughed.

"You know it's not good to bite the hand that feeds you." I stated warmly as I crawled through the door. Kamaji turned to look at me, his face confused.

"You're not Naru." I nodded. When did he start stating the obvious?

"Nope, I'm you're new food bringer. You can call me Sen," I handed him his bowl and waited for him to reply. High-pitched noises erupted from the ground. I glanced over to the floor to find the Susuwatari jumping up and down. I wasn't sure if they were excited because they were getting food or because they recognized me.

"Sen…" Kamaji whispered. "Sen!" I looked at him and smiled. "Is it really you? My, my you haven't grown an inch, but you still look beautiful."

I bowed, "Thank you, um…could take the bowl, it's hurting my hand…"

"Oh! Sorry!" Kamaji grabbed the bowl from me and handed me his empty bowls from last night's dinner. "You know, Haku told me you were back, he brought your things down here. They're over there if you're wondering." I walked over the to the Susuwatari and glanced to where the spider-spirit had pointed. I nodded, though I had already known where my stuff was. I was searching through it to get my book the day Haku left. "How come you haven't visited sooner?"

"I'm sorry Kamaji," I said, throwing the Susuwatari's food. "I've been busy, Rebi won't let me take my breaks, and Koto is scaring me half to death. It's scary enough coming down that elevator alone, it's much worse knowing that Koto is trying to kill me."

Kamaji chuckled. "Ah, yes, Naru told me. Five days now?"

"Six days," I corrected.

He chuckled again. I dumped the rest of the food on the little soot-balls and laughed at their cuteness as they buzzed around the room.

"How's Haku?"

I looked at Kamaji surprised; didn't he know Haku was gone? "He left eleven days ago for something." I sighed.

"I knew that, I was just wondering if he has sent you anything yet. Mail, notes, something."

I shook my head, "Nope." They have mail in the spirit world? I sighed again. I needed to get back to Rebi before she started to organize a searching party. I wanted to talk to Kamaji, maybe juice some advice out of him but I needed to go. However, before I could voice my thought, Kamaji spoke.

"Just give it time, Sen, he'll come back. Have hope, have faith. He can't stay away from you for a long time now that you're both in the same world. It'll eat away at him."

I grinned; Kamaji was the one of the very few people that could make me feel better. "Thanks, I need to get back. I'll be here to give you lunch then we can talk."

He chuckled again, "That would be nice."

I bowed and the left the room, while the Susuwatari whined in protest.

It was about ten minutes later when I was walking down one of the deserted halls trying to find the elevator that took me to the baths. I had a horrible sense of direction, and most likely with my luck, the next door I opened would be a twenty-foot drop to the ocean. I turned the corner only to run into something or someone for the second time today.

I didn't think twice about it until I looked up. The one person I didn't want to run into today was standing right in front of me, glaring at me with his malice. I gulped. Just my luck…"Hello, Koto-Sama…" I stopped speaking when he grabbed my arm and shoved me into the wall.

Author's Notes: Okay thanx for reading. I hope you liked this chappy. I liked writing it, yes-sir-ee! ^_^ I think Kamaji's a little OOC. I'm not a Kamaji expert, so yeah… I need to do some research. It's a little rushed, n'eh, I might fix it but I doubt it. My creative juices have been evaporating; the sun is getting to me. ^_^ Hopefully, my block won't last long.

I might not get the next chapter up until late July; but then again I might surprise myself.

*Akome, I believe is the top part of the uniform. I'm not completely positive. If you know for a fact that I'm wrong PLEASE let me know. ^_^

Thanks to Susuwatari for telling me about the website and what the uniforms are called. ^_^