It's weird, but being close to Haku again is . . . less calming than I remember, to be honest.
This may have something to do with the fact that we're flying about two feet above the earth's surface and I'm not used to anything faster than the bus in the mornings. Also, it's Haku, and he's after Ryo for whatever reason he won't tell me, and this is not how I intended our reunion to go, and, besides, we're less of close in the emotional-type way and more in the physical-type way and I'm not sure if I'm cool with that right now.
Okay, I totally am, but this is weird, and where are we going, anyway?
But I can't ask that. When you're flying maybe one point seven feet above the ground at maybe one thousand point seven miles per hour, you're really more worried about hanging onto your supernatural buddy than asking any rational questions.
"Hold on!" Haku says, whipping around the gates outside the entrance to the school.
Oh, yeah, sure, like there's another option at the moment.
I guess we're tracking Ryo down, which may or may not be futile depending on how good of a head start I gave him. I don't know what he did to get Haku on his tail, but I'm not sure I can be on his side anymore. This is Haku, after all, someone I trust more than I trust myself. If he's after Ryo, then I guess I'm after him, too.
"Do you have any idea where he could've gone?" Haku asks me as we're barreling down the road back into town.
I fight for the chance to say something instead of Uhhh, ummmm . . . and come out with, "Depends . . . on . . . what . . . he's running . . . for."
"He stole a sizeable amount of money from the Bath House," Haku explains, making my heart start or maybe settle at the sound of the name of a place I don't want to go back to but loved nonetheless. "That's why he's running from me."
"So you're . . . playing . . . bloodhound," I say.
"What?" Haku asks, completely confused.
"Never mind," I say. "I don't know . . . how on Earth he got past Yubaba, but I do know that he's trying to pass as human. So . . . there's one . . . of two options: either he's staying as far away from humans as possible, or he's somewhere in a really big crowd right now. . . . Does he know . . . much about you, and would you follow him . . . into a crowd of humans?"
"I suspect he knows a lot about me," Haku answers, hanging a left that makes me kind of feel like puking. "So you're saying he would do exactly what he thinks I would not do?"
"That's about right."
Haku stops abruptly, but the break in speed doesn't affect us. It's like he was moving the wind, instead of us, so when we stop, we are simply suspended in midair, hair and clothes thrown forward, floating safely back down to the ground. I watch in awe as I step onto the pavement, my hair windblown, myself undamaged.
"Then, Chihiro, I need you," Haku says, turning on me with those eyes. "I would not disrupt the human world; he knows that. But he doesn't know that I have you to get me through it. Will you help me?"
So Ryo went right into a large crowd of other people. Since he though Haku wouldn't follow him there. And of course I'll help Haku; it's like when he helped me in the spirit world all those years ago.
"One-way trip to the nearest large gathering," I say, finding it hard to smile and pushing through it anyway. "Civilization, here we come. No flying this time; we're walking."
"Of course," Haku agrees. Then, he gives me a look. "You're not a fan of the flying."
"I will be," I say. "I once was."
At least today is Kiganei Junior High's cultural festival.
Kiganei is the junior high that feeds into our school. I spent many long years at the place. It's down the road from the senior high and is occasionally the worst but generally a pretty okay school. Anyway, you can't miss the festival; there are too many bright signs outside, too many people yelling and laughing. If Ryo wanted a quick getaway, then this would be the place.
"This way," I say, looking back at Haku, who doesn't look happy about going into the crowd. He looks at me, and I can't get over how different he is, how much like the person I knew and yet not at all the same. I take his hand and say, "Trust me. Don't worry."
We walk into the fray. It's a little hard to get Haku to come on, but soon we're walking at a pretty fair pace through the festival. Little kids run around with their parents to stalls advertising all kinds of activities or food. I look over at Haku, who is just as seemingly see-through as Ryo was. Maybe if he ate something . . .
"I'm not sure that'll help," Haku says, and I jump back in surprise. Had he been reading my mind? Can he do that?! "You could eat the food in the Spirit World because you're both a body and a spirit. But I'm just a spirit without my river, so I don't think anything I do here will work."
"Right," I say. "Duh." It had been a good idea . . .
"Doesn't that guy smell weird? . . ."
My ears perk up. I look over at a lady talking to her friend, speaking in almost hushed tones, but loud enough that I can hear. At first, I think they're talking about Haku (who doesn't stink but doesn't smell normal in the least), but they aren't even facing us. How could they talk about him if they don't see us?
"Yeah, and he looks weird, too. Is that the high school uniform? What is he doing out here?"
So I was right! He is here!
"Those two women are talking about Ryo," I tell Haku, nonchalantly pointing. "He must be that way."
I start off toward them, but Haku pulls me back by my hand. I look back at him and frown. "What is it? Don't we need to hurry?"
"Before we go . . ." Haku hesitates. "Chihiro, it's been a while since you've been in our world--"
"Yeah. Really. Seven years."
"--and a lot has changed," Haku continues.
I shrug. "I've changed, too, Haku. I can handle it."
"No, Chihiro. That's not what I meant." Haku looks me level in the eyes like he always has, and he says, "You can't trust anything he says. It's not like before, Chihiro, it's different."
"I said it's okay," I tell him. "Why are you so off? It's me, Haku. It's okay. Now come on; we're gonna lose him."
"Nothing is going to be the way it was before," Haku warns.
I frown at him. "What do you mean?"
Haku doesn't say any more and pulls me along. "Come on; we have to hurry."
____
A/N:
Sorry.
I'm really, really sorry. I haven't been a good updater at all. It's been since, what, September? Earlier than that.
I'm trying to develop exactly where and how I want this story to go because I want it to mean something specific, and I'm not exactly sure how to get it to do that yet. Updates will probably be short and to the point and really drawn out just like this until I get there. If you're willing to put up with me until then, then I applaud you and hug you and throw you lots of cupcakes with rainbow sprinkles. If not, well, RE: Haters Back Off.
Anyway, thank ya for all the support! Hugs and kisses from Chihiro and friends!
--Vi;)