Spirited Away Fan Fiction ❯ Kohaku's Quest ❯ Chapter one ( Chapter 1 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]

By: Sassa

Chapter one: Dragons can create their own fait.

Standing on the stairs, Kohaku let his eyes sweep over the constantly changing view before him. Grass into water then deep green grass again. Shifting because of the insecurity. It was no longer for sure where he belonged. What was for sure was that he could not go any further, so he had to let Chihiro run off alone. Alone at least in body, yet not in spirit. Kohakus heart and soul were linked to Chihiro. Even if his body weren't allowed to leave this world, his heart ad mind was. The young girl, so unknowing and trustful, took a part of Kohaku with her back to her world without even knowing it.

But dragons are not known for their generosity. What is given, they want back or somehow repaid. And much had been exchanged between Kohaku and his young chosen.

Kohaku stood as still as a statue, inhaling and exhaling firmly and calm. His eyes showed the swift as his mind struggled with a million thoughts.

<I can remember who I was and what I am. That makes me stronger, but the memories of my loss several years ago and the pain of the loss I just suffered weaken me. To watch Chihiro disappear into the tunnel following her parents were painful yet relieving... a revolting feeling. I know now she is safe- at least from the dangers and threats in this world. But I also know about the danger in her world. I mean- hadn't it been my stream she fell in as a child, she'd probably be dead by now.

Chihiro dead? Awful thought! Away, thought!

Oh, I could give my right arm just to be able to follow her and be with her and guard her for the rest of my life! To be with her during all the confusing experiences she will have to go through. But there are no time for dreaming and desires for the moment. In order to survive and break free I have to make up plans. Even though I felt like crying more than ever...>

___Dragons don't cry!___

<It's not an easy task to make peace with a mighty sorceress, not even if you happen to be a demi-god. We stung Yubaba with a poisoned needle were it made the most damage; in her pride. And at the cost of her income and fortune. I know I will be held responsible for everything, since I stood on Chihiros side. Chihiro is free, but I am still captured.>

___Must not think of that now___

Kohaku stopped his thinking and let his mind be cleared. For a long while, he concentrated on his breathing only, taking control over at least that part of his life. When sunrise fell and the water, which had been there all along showed up, Kohaku finally turned back to the Aburaya. A chill breeze made his hair blow around his face. The breeze could be a warning, some alarmed gesture from fait. But Kohaku didn't hesitate. He was ready to face Yubaba, the sorceress who controlled the Spirit Realm through her Aburaya. And yet, it was Zeniba who was called a terrible witch. That, of something, showed that good and evil couldn't be clearly defined. Because even if Yubaba was seemingly cruel, she only did what was best for the Aburaya and the customers. There were certain rules and she followed them, and she rewarded a well done work. To say she was evil was wrong. And it was Zeniba, not Yubaba, who lay the deadly spell over Kohaku. Not nice, certainly not good, but it did not make her evil. Therefor Kohaku needed not to feel any severe fright. The mighty woman he was to meet was not plain evil, and therefore not plain dangerous.

The path in the small town was still empty, but the tall, undefined ghost figures began slowly to move around in their shops and restaurants as the sunlight disappeared. While everything lightened up as the candles and lamps were turned on, a darkness of doubts and fears grew inside Kohaku.

As Kohaku crossed the bridge the doubt inside him made its voice heard. IF his plan would work out, which was very doubtful, he had to decide what to do next. Because IF Kohaku made it trough, he would successfully had made himself homeless- again. And the dragon within him simply couldn't stand that. The dragon roared, but Kohakus face was still.

Interruption:

About dragons you ought to know two things: they are very loyal and faithful, and they are incredible jealous. Therefore dragons are often- almost always- set to guard things who needed tender care. Water and the life in it needs much guardianship. Without a guardian, the life in the stream or ocean would soon be all gone because of human's selfish ways. Therefore, dragons often were choose to guard and master water masses. Or, as many stories can tell, magical rings and grails. It is even a dragon who guards the garden in which Atlas holds the world on his shoulders.

When a dragon becomes homeless or looses his master title (in Kohakus case the same thing), the whole meaning of his existence is lost. It means that he has failed in his mission. It means he's not good enough for the task. He's not good enough, not brilliant enough to be what he's destined to be.

/ Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi /

<I'm not good enough. I failed. But I managed to find another place to be, even if it had been as the apprentice of one selfish, partly evil, greedy sorceress. And I had lost my name, forgotten my place and made a lot of things I now regretted more than I could say, but still I had a mission. I had a role. Now that was all over, or almost over, maybe over, and I felt free, but yet scared.

Soon I wouldn't have any place to be. No task. No duty. Nothing.>

Entering the Aburaya Kohaku noticed that the Aogaeru and the Yunas all kept some distance to him. They could feel that something was about to happen and they certainly not wanted to be involved in it. A fight with Yubaba was plain suicide for them, he presumed. With his intense hearing capacity, Kohaku could hear a lot of whispers around the building as he passed. The ones who led gods of all kinds around just ogled at Kohaku, but many enough had the time and space to let out their thoughts.

"Yubaba will roast him for this!"

"I heard she's already tried to kill him once, but she couldn't."

"What do you think he's about to do? Yubaba's been waiting all day!"

Kohaku ignored the whispers, aware of the fact that his reputation and his lifestory would be rewritten after this meeting, regardless of the outcome of it. If everything went smoothly, the meeting would affect Yubabas position as the despot she now is too. Maybe, just maybe, all these frightened, hard-working souls would thank Kohaku then. That hope made a flaming fire burn in Kohakus chest for a short while.

As he walked to the correct elevator and entered it Kohaku heard a final whisper, louder than the others and a lot more painful.

"Last time Haku-sama met Yubaba, he had to be saved by Sen. I guess that's why he were away for so long now, he needed a whole day to gather courage enough to face Yubaba without her being there to rescue him!"

Kohaku pulled the lever. The door closed and the elevator began to move. It was one of the Yunas whispering that remark to an Aogaeru. <So, they had heard so much.> Kohaku frowned. <Good news travels fast, I guess.> It wasn't quite correct, but still there was enough truth to make Kohakus heart sting. <Only a day and I am already missing Chihiro with a madman's intense obsession. That is scary, especially since I know it will pass quite a time before we meet again, if ever.> But Kohaku wasn't afraid of facing Yubaba. The doubtful darkness inside him was there, but he chained and tied it with every cheerful thought he had.

The elevator stopped softly with a dumbth. Kohaku stepped out and turned towards the huge doors that led to Yubabas office. He reach them and knocked hard on them, rough and not polite. The sculpted image of Yubaba turned her narrowed eyes at him, but the doors opened without her saying a word. One by one the gates behind followed until the path was free. Slowly, as he had all the time in the world- which he actually had if I should be frank- Kohaku sauntered down the isle. Half way down, passing trough the tenth gate or so, Yubaba suddenly yelled.

"BRING YOUR SKINNY, UNTHANKFUL, UGLY, NASTY, LYING LITTLE EXCUSE FOR A BODY IN HERE, YOU LOUSY DRAGON!"

<Oooh, smooth talk.>

"I'm on my way, Yubaba. But it might be unwise of you to believe that you can give orders to a god, knowing that yourself is barely more powerful than a human spirit."

And thus our rhetorical fight began.

Shifting to Kohakuview.

"A god, you say? A GOD? YOU?"

Yubabas voice was at the top of her lungs, and when I tuned the last corner I faced this big-small woman and saw that her eyes had turned into the dark of coal and that the pencil she held in her hands was about to break any time due to the pressure. One sentence and Yubaba already flicked, just as I planned. Now I had to keep myself calm.

/ Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi /

"I know my name. I've found it, or rather I've got it back. Someone kept it for me without even knowing. You do no longer have any power over me and you can no longer act as if I was worth less than you. As a god I do not need to obey the same rules as the others. Therefore, I now first polite ask you to please give me my contract back."

My tone was calm, luckily, but I was in fact nervous. I had pronounced every word clearly, as was I speaking to a child. Yubaba couldn't ignore that terrible insult. I lightly fisted my hands, ready and prepared for anything. Yubaba now had to choose between taking the fight about the insult or about my contract. My next move depended on her choice, so I could just wait. Yubaba hesitated while she thought through, then she pointed at her desk with the pencil and caught the paper that suddenly flew to her hand. From Bu's chamber the Kashira came jumping, "grunting" and "oying" more than ever. They bounced towards Yubaba and me, obviously curious what was happening.

"This contract is unbreakable", Yubaba said, smirking. "You have no right, nor possibility to get free from this. You have signed it and obeyed it for many years and nothing- nothing can change that fact. Your name only brought you your memories. You still don't have any powers!"

Yubaba began to laugh out loud, that terrible sound that a person who's sure of winning at the cost of her opponent makes of pure, egoistic joy. I tried to ignore the feeling of the growing doubts, but the chill, icy feeling demanded my attention. Could it be true? Yubaba sounded so convinced that I began to doubt my plan. What if she was right? I could now remember, my river had been dammed and buried and the stream could no longer float joyfully. I wasn't strong enough to save it then, and I wasn't stronger now. If I couldn't even save the river I was the master of, why would I be able to break this contract, over which Yubaba ruled?

___But if I couldn't break free, it would mean I lied to Chihiro…___

"I demand to look at the contract!"

My voice, no longer calm but harsh in that sudden call made the Kashira jump back and surprised "grunt". Yubaba narrowed here eyes, valuing me as if she doubted my right to ask for that. Once again I felt insecure, but I shook it off and looked her straight in the eyes. Yubaba lowered her head, allowing her to gaze at me with a cat's eye. A big cat.

Slowly, almost as if she struggled with herself, she handed me the contract. When I grasped it, I felt Yubabas eager to pull it away from me, but she didn't. It occurred to me that this must be some other oath; that she had to show the contracts to any worker who demanded it. Another rule, existing but hidden. I shifted perspective from the witch to the paper. A quick look established all my expectations.

With a flood of new courage in my breast I said to Yubaba:

"I haven't signed this."

Interruption:

Chihiro has returned to the human world and Kohaku decided to break free from Yubabas slavery. He's now standing in front of Yubaba in her office. The room is welcoming, but the mutual despise the dragon and the sorceress feel makes the atmosphere cold and icy. A flood of rage lies latent in the air. After Kohaku's last remark, the rage appears clearly.

/ Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi /

Yubaba's eyes went wide open and she made an awful face when she ripped the paper out of my grip.

"Haven't signed??" she yelled. Fiercely, Yubaba checked the signature space and focused again on me.

"Are you blind? The sign's right here!"

In triumph Yubaba pointed out the signs for 'Haku' on my contract. Her relief and unhidden joy was easily noticed. I let her bask in her own illusive glory for a minute before I said:

"But my name isn't Haku. I'm sure that you don't have my true name signed on anyone of those papers. I am no longer Haku. If Haku demanded to go, you would be right. But it is Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi who is demanding, and therefore, you're wrong."

For a second you could hear a needles fall in the stillness that lie over the room. Then Yubabas chin fell down, showing her few yellow teeth in her gap. An increased whine, accompanied by Kashiras "grunt" began to fill the room.

"iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYEEEE EEE!!"

"Grunt…grunt, grunt…oi…grunt."

The Kashira jumped frenzied around the room, Yubaba's hair loosened and flew straight up while she let her rage free. The open fire flamed up with a woosh, the curtains flapped and suddenly inc, pencils and piles of jewels were thrown at me by an unseen hand. I held up my right hand and a dark shield appeared, protecting me from the objects. The noise was so loud I had to scream to be heard over it.

"In the name of wind and water, I demand that this false contract is to be terminated! End this false storm, for this war you cannot win!"

Yubaba screamed when the contract turned to smoke and ash in her hand as Chihiro's contract had, just a few hours ago. All the small items who was freely floating in the air fell down on the ground at the same time as the rage that controlled them faded. The Kashiras had to roll and jump away under several unsatisfied "grunts" not to get hit by them. Pleased I gazed intense at Yubaba, trying to make a mental picture of her face expression so I could describe it to Chihiro one day. Silent after her short scream, Yubaba looked at her empty hand, suddenly seeming tired, as if she hadn't slept for many a week. Chihiro would have felt sorry for Yubaba, I knew for sure.

___Always Chihiro___

Chapter two to follow.