I've decided that I'm not going to finish this entire story in just the one
FF. What I'm going to do is, depending on your reviews (HINT, HINT) is I'm
going to write a continuation. That means that I get to end this third book
in a cliffhanger, which makes me very happy. (does a little jig around the
library) Now, my alternate personality, the elf Isildri, will tell you all
there is to know. O_o
Hi! I'm Isildri, and I'm here to tell you all that I know!!!!!
(sweatdrop)
First off, the disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, we no own, so you no sue.
Disclaimer on the disclaimer: Not ours, stolen from a person who stole it from a person who stole it from another person, ect. ect. ect.
Next, the pairings. As you know, this is OBVIOUSLY going to be a Haku/Chihiro fic, and as you've already seen, a onesided Original Character/Chihiro fic. Now, as you DON'T know, there might, we repeat might, be a possible OC/OC pairing, but that all depends on how you review (HINT HINT).
Next, the explanation for the rating: Actually, we aren't sure why we rated it PG-13, we're ever so confused. See, we thought that there might be torture, as well as possible sexual innuendo, but none of that has shown up yet, so we really don't know. Maybe it all comes out in the continuation! O_O
Please, as this is my first posted FF, I can really use your reviews to tell me what I should change, and they would be very much appreciated.
So, without any further ado, the third book of Dead Souls.
For HIS glory ALWAYS; Time's mortal enemy/Isildri/Dante/Brian
~*~
Haku and Link stared up at the tower, rising above them, seeming to stretch out forever into the thick grey clouds. They stood in front of the entrance, just a small door, where they hesitated to go in.
"PLEASE. ENTER. I WOULD NOT HAVE GUESTS STAYING OUTSIDE AND IGNORING MY HOSPITALITY."
The door swung open on its own accord, and they cautiously entered, their eyes adjusting to the sudden darkness.
The door closed behind them with a click that foretold finality of every sort.
"FEEL FREE TO MAKE YOURSELVES AT HOME. I'M CURRENTLY OCCUPIED, SO IT'LL BE A WHILE BEFORE I CAN ATTEND TO YOU." The voice seemed to come from all around them, from everywhere and yet at the same time from nowhere at all.
"So, what should we do?" Link looked over at Haku, who shrugged.
"I don't know. Maybe they've got chairs or something where we can relax."
"YOU'LL FIND CHAIRS AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD NEED TO FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THE ROOM TO YOU RIGHT. THAT, OR YOU COULD JUST SAY WHAT YOU WANT AND IT WILL APPEAR."
The two boys looked at each other, then Link broke the silence.
"Ummm, I'd like an armchair." With a bang, an armchair appeared next to him. He lowered himself into it hesitantly, then got up his courage again.
"Could I maybe have something to drink?" With a much smaller pop, a glass of what appeared to be cider with a stick of cinnamon in it appeared along with a small table. "Hey, this is kind of cool!"
"Don't forget why you're here." Haku broke the silence, bringing Link back down to earth with an almost audible thud.
"I'm not. I just want to enjoy my last moments of freedom." Link sipped at his cider, then began to chew on the cinnamon stick (a/n- I just love doing that!).
"So, do you really think that she's going to listen to you?"
"I'm hoping." He was interrupted by the appearance of a young man, who walked slowly down the massive staircase.
"Who's that?"
"That must be Knoma. They say that he's Jumari's personal attendant, as well as lover.
"What does he want, I wonder?"
"He could be here to get rid of us. Maybe Jumari decided not to meet with us after all."
"Greetings. Welcome to the Dark Tower. I've come to tell you that Jumari will be with you momentarily. She is just wrapping up some business she had with a nearby village."
"Care to tell us about it?"
"I shouldn't, she would be rather upset if she found out."
"Well, you should at least tell us so that we have SOME idea what we're dealing with in terms of negotiation."
"Well, a nearby village hindered one of her messengers, and so she's listening to their pleas as to why she shouldn't just destroy them right off."
"Oh. Man, she must be something."
"NEVER talk about her that way when you're in my presence!"
"Sorry. I forgot that you and she are in love."
"Yes. There's no need to sound so sarcastic. She asked me, and as her servant it was my duty to agree."
"So, what you're saying is you had no choice in the matter?"
"Not really. But it is not up to me to choose, anyways, so the point is rather null."
They just stood there, looking at each other for a few moments. Finally, Knoma broke the silence.
"I can now take you up to her."
Link stood, and then he and Haku followed Knoma up the stairs. They continued up past floor after floor, until they reached an elevator.
"This elevator will take us up to the top floor, which is where she currently waits."
They stepped in, then made the ride upward in silence. Soon, they would know whether or not Chihiro and Haku could ever be together.
*Ding*
They stepped out of the open door, then Knoma pointed at a large pair of doors that stood right before them.
"She's right through there. You can go right in."
Link nodded, finding himself unable to speak. He and Haku entered through them, their eyes taking a moment to adjust to the relative darkness.
The room was massive, the high vaulted ceiling above them dominating and intimidating all at the same time. On either wall along the path there were thrones with statues of what seemed to be different figures, some beautiful, and some hideous. At the far end of the room was a large throne, and upon it sat a shadowy figure.
"So. I see that you finally made it." The voice was cruel, sarcastic, and unfeeling all at the same time. It gave Haku shivers just to hear it.
"I have come on behalf of the human girl Chihiro and the Spirit Haku." Haku looked at Link, surprised at the steadiness of his voice.
"And would Haku be this spirit's real name?" Link shrugged.
"No m' lady. My real name is Kohaku. Haku was just a name that was given to me by the witch Yubaba."
"Ah, Yubaba. Yes, she's an old acquaintance. Now, please state your case. I don't have all day. I have many other matters on my mind which are far more important than this silly little game that you assume I want to be playing."
"M' lady. I have come here on behalf of Chihiro and Kohaku, as I've said, on account of the fact that they are in love." Jumari leaned forward in her throne, seeming to find this very interesting. "I am also in love with Chihiro, and that is the very reason that I have come here. I want her to be happy, even if I can't. I want you to make an allowance for Chihiro to live here in the Spirit world."
"This is highly unprecedented, you know. I don't think that it's ever been done before, and I'm not inclined to start now. I think that unless you have something satisfactory to offer in return for my services, the answer will have to be no."
"I am willing to offer myself in exchange for this service."
"Yourself? Do you know what that means? I would have free reign to do to you whatever I want to, no matter how terrible. Once you enter into such a deal, there can be no backing out."
"I understand this, and I am willing to accept it only on the condition that you allow Chihiro and Haku to be together. If you ever go back on the deal, I want to either be released or you to die. These are the only terms of my request."
"I don't know. This will take some thinking. I suppose that if you must, you can stay here until I have decided. Once you leave, have Knoma direct you to separate apartments. You may have free run of the tower, as long as you don't go above the 30th floor. Above that floor are my apartments, as well as some storerooms for certain magical items. If at any time you venture above that floor, my answer immediately becomes no and I will see to it that neither of you leave here alive. Do you understand?"
The two boys nodded in assent, then turned and proceeded to leave the throne room.
"Well, how did it go?" Knoma was waiting at the doors for them.
"Why should you care?" Link had a look of disgust on his face.
"Well. I. I just want to know! That's all. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"
"No." Haku started toward the elevator. "She told us to tell you to find us rooms where we can stay until she has made up her mind."
"Well, at least she didn't just say no right off the bat. She has a tendency to do that, you know. She doesn't usually like to get visitors to the tower, and she'll usually turn down their requests before their even finished. Most of the time it would be best to establish a psychic link in order to ask her for what you want. She must have been rather intrigued and interested with your request."
Hearing this, both Haku and Link remembered the expression on her face when she had leaned forward. It had been hard to see in the shadows that covered the throne, but interest had definitely been one of the expressions on her face.
'She must have been interested at the prospect of a human and a spirit in love. She must have wondered what the outcome of such a relationship would be.' Link was thinking rapidly, wondering how he could capitalize on her interest in their predicament. If she really was as evil as everyone said, then they didn't have much standing room to work with, and could use all of the leverage that they could get.
Lost in thought, he did not notice where they were until Knoma was telling him that this was where they would be spending their time here.
"There are two beds in this apartment, and also a kitchen of sorts, as well as a well stocked pantry. If you need anything at any time, feel free to call me, and I'll see what I can do. The bathroom is across the hall, and there's a bath in there, as well as a sink and all toiletries that you could need."
"Thank you. By the way, how does someone as nice as you become slave to someone as cruel as Jumari?"
"I don't know. I guess however it happened, once she got my promise to work for her, she removed all of my previous memories. Oh, Haku, don't transform into your dragonshape while you're here in the tower. Believe you me, you don't want to attract any unnecessary attention to yourselves. There are certain things around here that would tear you to shreds if they knew you were here." Knoma turned and headed away down the hall, leaving them to cautiously open up the door to their apartment.
"Wow. This is really nice." It was, too. They instantly entered into what seemed to be a living room of sorts, beyond which they could see a bedroom with a walkout balcony. Link turned and went across the hallway, where he quickly checked the bathroom and found that it was just as lavish as was their apartment.
"Well, I guess we just make ourselves supper. Do you know how to cook?" Haku looked hopefully at Link, given that in all of his time as Yubaba's apprentice he had never once taken the opportunity to learn to cook anything more than the one small meal that he had made Chihiro the first time that she had been to the spirit world. Link nodded.
"It all depends on what kind of things they've got in our pantry, but back at home dad ALWAYS made me cook, because he was too damn lazy to do anything on his own, he couldn't even ABUSE me on his own, he had to have my brother HELP him."
"Listen, if you don't want to."
"No, I'm just being stupid. Here, I'll teach you how to cook. It isn't that hard."
The two of them spent the next several hours making a feast fit for kings, Link carefully showing Haku the ins and outs of cooking, teaching him all of his little personal secrets, all of his tricks and secret recipes.
*~*
"So, tell me, have they settled in yet?" Jumari looked at Knoma, who had just entered the throne room.
"Yes, m' lady. They're making supper even as we speak."
"Good. In the meantime, why don't you make me a little something, and then we can go and enjoy it on the roof while watching the stars."
"Whatever my lady wishes."
"Really. You don't have to call me that if you don't want to."
"I consider it an honor." Knoma walked over to the throne and sat down on the arm, burying his face in Jumari's hair.
"I love it when you do that. Maybe we should just skip supper and go right up onto the roof and just lay up there."
"Whatever m' lady wishes. I am here at your service. My only reason for existing is to serve you."
"To serve me. Yes, in that case, tell me again why I should listen to that upstart human."
"Well, I just think that he seems like he's had a hard life. Any spirit worth beans can read that in his face."
"Yes, he has been through much torture, but that's no reason for me to do something nice for someone else. You more than anyone should know that."
"Yes, but I also think that it would not be good to make enemies with Yubaba and Zenniba. By themselves, they might not be anywhere strong enough to challenge you, but if they put their power together, they could pose a very serious threat. I would hate to see anything happen to you."
"Why, thank you. I'll keep that in mind. Come, let's go and get something from the kitchens."
Knoma picked up Jumari and carried her out of the throne room, off in search of some food.
*~*
Chihiro had been practicing her magic for some time. Since she had needed something to focus her power, she had suggested using the hair tie that had been made for her on her very first visit to the spirit world, and Zenniba had declared that it was a capital idea.
"The bond of love that created that tie will serve to strengthen your magic very nicely." She had said. Not surprisingly, Nami had agreed with her. Ever since Nami had joined them in the house, she had noticed that he always seemed to agree with Zenniba, and could also often be seen playing with No Face. For a spirit that was thousands of years old, he often acted like a hyper little kid. To her, he was like an older brother. Lin had stopped in on more than one occasion, seeing as Yubaba had decided that their friendship was too beautiful a thing for her to soil. She would stay for hours and just watch as Chihiro worked at her magic, strengthening it and refining it, testing it out on various objects in the house.
Staying here also meant that she met many of Zenniba's friends. Often, a bird would alight on the window sill to sing to them, in repayment for something that Grandma had done for it or its family. Spirits would come with their problems, and Zenniba never turned any of them away. She handled them all with compassion, using her magic seal to heal their aches and pains, or simply listening to them if that was what they needed most. Chihiro, for the most part, tried to keep out of her way when there were visitors, but sometimes Zenniba would call her over saying that they had some news from the north, often it was trivial, but sometimes there was news that interested her.
The sleeping arrangements were the same as they had been before. Zenniba slept in her bed, while No Face just vanished for the night. Chihiro slept in the makeshift bed by the fire, and Nami slept at the foot of it. At first, this arrangement had made Chihiro uncomfortable, but she had gotten used to it, now it was just normal, and she couldn't imagine him sleeping anywhere else. Nami stayed in his fox form most of the time, in fact, it had been a while since Chihiro had seen him out of it. He claimed that it was more comfortable than in the ungainly human shaped form, but as usual, there was a twinkle in his eyes when he said this, so no one really knew it he was being serious or not.
And then it became time. It was at long last time for Chihiro to head out to confront Jumari. It had been almost a month since Haku had left to go after Link, and there had been no news of them for quite some time. Chihiro assumed that they had made it to the tower safely, but she had no way of knowing what had become of them since. Nami had surprised them all that morning by declaring that he was going to go with her, to protect her on the journey north. Zenniba had agreed that someone should go with her, but was more inclined toward having No Face go, but after several hours of Nami not talking to any of them, except to make threats never to talk to any of them again, she gave in and declared that he could go. He was thrilled, and when Chihiro asked him if there was anything that he needed to have packed in order to go, he said that all he needed was the fur on his back, and a spare tunic for his accursed human form (twinkle).
So they were off, how they would get there, they had no idea. That is, of course, how they would get there after they had gotten off the train. Zenniba had given them two tickets for the train, so that was where they were now, on their way north, higher up and further in. (Disclaimer- that comes from C.S. Lewis, not me)
*~*
It had been a while since Haku and Link had seen Jumari. Knoma was always coming around, asking how they were and checking up on the stores in their pantry. He spent many pleasant mornings with Link exchanging recipes, while Haku pestered him to try to get out information on how much longer they would have to be there. After Link coldly informed him that he didn't have to be there at all, he stopped bothering them.
Finally, the summons came. They were both given freshly pressed tunics and boots, and were told that they could wait at the top of the elevator until Jumari was ready to see them. They had a small breakfast, since their stomachs were too queasy to be trusted with much, and then took the long ride up the elevator. Once they were out on the top floor, they only had to wait a little while before being summoned. As they were waiting, they noticed all manner of foul looking creatures assembling in the throne room. It appeared that there might end up being an audience for the morning's spectacle.
COME IN.
There was nothing else for it, really. They entered with apprehension as they heard the clamoring of the creatures gathered inside. There were hags, were-wolves, vampires, large bats, large wolves, trolls, goblins, witches, and many others. In one corner, Haku noticed Yubaba standing. It seemed that since she had a personal interest in the matter, she too had been invited.
Knoma stood beside the empty throne, carrying a large golden scroll. As they came nearer, he motioned for them to wait. The door behind the throne opened, and in came the most stunning sight they had ever seen.
It was Jumari. There could be no doubt about that. What was incredible was the way she appeared. She wore a black form-fitting gown with an intentionally tattered cape that billowed out all around her, and even above her. On her head, she wore what appeared to be a crown made out of iron, a black crown.
She took her place in front of the throne, then reached out for the scroll in Knoma's hands. He motioned for silence.
"I HAVE REACHED A DECISION."
TO BE CONTINUED!!!!!!!
I HAD SO MUCH FUN WRITING THIS CHAPTER!!!!! I wanted to make Knoma have a slightly more rounded role, as well as a bigger one. PLEASE REVIEW. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. That will help me decide where I want to go with this story. Your reviews will tell me whether or not I want her to accept Link's offer.
IF I DO NOT GET REVIEWS, I WILL NOT FINISH THIS STORY! I don't ever leave a story in the dark, BUT I WILL IF I DO NOT GET THE REVIEWS THAT I NEED.
Now, as I said, the pairings will be seen much more strongly in the continuation, but IT WON'T BE WRITTEN IF I DO NOT GET REVIEWS.
For HIS glory ALWAYS.
TME/Dante/Isildri/Brian
In the immortal words of David from NEWSIES
NO ONE CAN BREAK US; NO ONE CAN MAKE US GIVE OUR RIGHTS AWAY. ARISE AND SEIZE THE DAY!
*~*
All right, everybody who reads this fic, I just wanted to make sure that you knew about this. This is completed, and is continued in Pools of Torment, which is completed and is another TBC. So head on down to that fic, and have fun reading it.
Hi! I'm Isildri, and I'm here to tell you all that I know!!!!!
(sweatdrop)
First off, the disclaimer: Roses are red, violets are blue, we no own, so you no sue.
Disclaimer on the disclaimer: Not ours, stolen from a person who stole it from a person who stole it from another person, ect. ect. ect.
Next, the pairings. As you know, this is OBVIOUSLY going to be a Haku/Chihiro fic, and as you've already seen, a onesided Original Character/Chihiro fic. Now, as you DON'T know, there might, we repeat might, be a possible OC/OC pairing, but that all depends on how you review (HINT HINT).
Next, the explanation for the rating: Actually, we aren't sure why we rated it PG-13, we're ever so confused. See, we thought that there might be torture, as well as possible sexual innuendo, but none of that has shown up yet, so we really don't know. Maybe it all comes out in the continuation! O_O
Please, as this is my first posted FF, I can really use your reviews to tell me what I should change, and they would be very much appreciated.
So, without any further ado, the third book of Dead Souls.
For HIS glory ALWAYS; Time's mortal enemy/Isildri/Dante/Brian
~*~
Haku and Link stared up at the tower, rising above them, seeming to stretch out forever into the thick grey clouds. They stood in front of the entrance, just a small door, where they hesitated to go in.
"PLEASE. ENTER. I WOULD NOT HAVE GUESTS STAYING OUTSIDE AND IGNORING MY HOSPITALITY."
The door swung open on its own accord, and they cautiously entered, their eyes adjusting to the sudden darkness.
The door closed behind them with a click that foretold finality of every sort.
"FEEL FREE TO MAKE YOURSELVES AT HOME. I'M CURRENTLY OCCUPIED, SO IT'LL BE A WHILE BEFORE I CAN ATTEND TO YOU." The voice seemed to come from all around them, from everywhere and yet at the same time from nowhere at all.
"So, what should we do?" Link looked over at Haku, who shrugged.
"I don't know. Maybe they've got chairs or something where we can relax."
"YOU'LL FIND CHAIRS AND ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD NEED TO FEEL COMFORTABLE IN THE ROOM TO YOU RIGHT. THAT, OR YOU COULD JUST SAY WHAT YOU WANT AND IT WILL APPEAR."
The two boys looked at each other, then Link broke the silence.
"Ummm, I'd like an armchair." With a bang, an armchair appeared next to him. He lowered himself into it hesitantly, then got up his courage again.
"Could I maybe have something to drink?" With a much smaller pop, a glass of what appeared to be cider with a stick of cinnamon in it appeared along with a small table. "Hey, this is kind of cool!"
"Don't forget why you're here." Haku broke the silence, bringing Link back down to earth with an almost audible thud.
"I'm not. I just want to enjoy my last moments of freedom." Link sipped at his cider, then began to chew on the cinnamon stick (a/n- I just love doing that!).
"So, do you really think that she's going to listen to you?"
"I'm hoping." He was interrupted by the appearance of a young man, who walked slowly down the massive staircase.
"Who's that?"
"That must be Knoma. They say that he's Jumari's personal attendant, as well as lover.
"What does he want, I wonder?"
"He could be here to get rid of us. Maybe Jumari decided not to meet with us after all."
"Greetings. Welcome to the Dark Tower. I've come to tell you that Jumari will be with you momentarily. She is just wrapping up some business she had with a nearby village."
"Care to tell us about it?"
"I shouldn't, she would be rather upset if she found out."
"Well, you should at least tell us so that we have SOME idea what we're dealing with in terms of negotiation."
"Well, a nearby village hindered one of her messengers, and so she's listening to their pleas as to why she shouldn't just destroy them right off."
"Oh. Man, she must be something."
"NEVER talk about her that way when you're in my presence!"
"Sorry. I forgot that you and she are in love."
"Yes. There's no need to sound so sarcastic. She asked me, and as her servant it was my duty to agree."
"So, what you're saying is you had no choice in the matter?"
"Not really. But it is not up to me to choose, anyways, so the point is rather null."
They just stood there, looking at each other for a few moments. Finally, Knoma broke the silence.
"I can now take you up to her."
Link stood, and then he and Haku followed Knoma up the stairs. They continued up past floor after floor, until they reached an elevator.
"This elevator will take us up to the top floor, which is where she currently waits."
They stepped in, then made the ride upward in silence. Soon, they would know whether or not Chihiro and Haku could ever be together.
*Ding*
They stepped out of the open door, then Knoma pointed at a large pair of doors that stood right before them.
"She's right through there. You can go right in."
Link nodded, finding himself unable to speak. He and Haku entered through them, their eyes taking a moment to adjust to the relative darkness.
The room was massive, the high vaulted ceiling above them dominating and intimidating all at the same time. On either wall along the path there were thrones with statues of what seemed to be different figures, some beautiful, and some hideous. At the far end of the room was a large throne, and upon it sat a shadowy figure.
"So. I see that you finally made it." The voice was cruel, sarcastic, and unfeeling all at the same time. It gave Haku shivers just to hear it.
"I have come on behalf of the human girl Chihiro and the Spirit Haku." Haku looked at Link, surprised at the steadiness of his voice.
"And would Haku be this spirit's real name?" Link shrugged.
"No m' lady. My real name is Kohaku. Haku was just a name that was given to me by the witch Yubaba."
"Ah, Yubaba. Yes, she's an old acquaintance. Now, please state your case. I don't have all day. I have many other matters on my mind which are far more important than this silly little game that you assume I want to be playing."
"M' lady. I have come here on behalf of Chihiro and Kohaku, as I've said, on account of the fact that they are in love." Jumari leaned forward in her throne, seeming to find this very interesting. "I am also in love with Chihiro, and that is the very reason that I have come here. I want her to be happy, even if I can't. I want you to make an allowance for Chihiro to live here in the Spirit world."
"This is highly unprecedented, you know. I don't think that it's ever been done before, and I'm not inclined to start now. I think that unless you have something satisfactory to offer in return for my services, the answer will have to be no."
"I am willing to offer myself in exchange for this service."
"Yourself? Do you know what that means? I would have free reign to do to you whatever I want to, no matter how terrible. Once you enter into such a deal, there can be no backing out."
"I understand this, and I am willing to accept it only on the condition that you allow Chihiro and Haku to be together. If you ever go back on the deal, I want to either be released or you to die. These are the only terms of my request."
"I don't know. This will take some thinking. I suppose that if you must, you can stay here until I have decided. Once you leave, have Knoma direct you to separate apartments. You may have free run of the tower, as long as you don't go above the 30th floor. Above that floor are my apartments, as well as some storerooms for certain magical items. If at any time you venture above that floor, my answer immediately becomes no and I will see to it that neither of you leave here alive. Do you understand?"
The two boys nodded in assent, then turned and proceeded to leave the throne room.
"Well, how did it go?" Knoma was waiting at the doors for them.
"Why should you care?" Link had a look of disgust on his face.
"Well. I. I just want to know! That's all. There's nothing wrong with that, is there?"
"No." Haku started toward the elevator. "She told us to tell you to find us rooms where we can stay until she has made up her mind."
"Well, at least she didn't just say no right off the bat. She has a tendency to do that, you know. She doesn't usually like to get visitors to the tower, and she'll usually turn down their requests before their even finished. Most of the time it would be best to establish a psychic link in order to ask her for what you want. She must have been rather intrigued and interested with your request."
Hearing this, both Haku and Link remembered the expression on her face when she had leaned forward. It had been hard to see in the shadows that covered the throne, but interest had definitely been one of the expressions on her face.
'She must have been interested at the prospect of a human and a spirit in love. She must have wondered what the outcome of such a relationship would be.' Link was thinking rapidly, wondering how he could capitalize on her interest in their predicament. If she really was as evil as everyone said, then they didn't have much standing room to work with, and could use all of the leverage that they could get.
Lost in thought, he did not notice where they were until Knoma was telling him that this was where they would be spending their time here.
"There are two beds in this apartment, and also a kitchen of sorts, as well as a well stocked pantry. If you need anything at any time, feel free to call me, and I'll see what I can do. The bathroom is across the hall, and there's a bath in there, as well as a sink and all toiletries that you could need."
"Thank you. By the way, how does someone as nice as you become slave to someone as cruel as Jumari?"
"I don't know. I guess however it happened, once she got my promise to work for her, she removed all of my previous memories. Oh, Haku, don't transform into your dragonshape while you're here in the tower. Believe you me, you don't want to attract any unnecessary attention to yourselves. There are certain things around here that would tear you to shreds if they knew you were here." Knoma turned and headed away down the hall, leaving them to cautiously open up the door to their apartment.
"Wow. This is really nice." It was, too. They instantly entered into what seemed to be a living room of sorts, beyond which they could see a bedroom with a walkout balcony. Link turned and went across the hallway, where he quickly checked the bathroom and found that it was just as lavish as was their apartment.
"Well, I guess we just make ourselves supper. Do you know how to cook?" Haku looked hopefully at Link, given that in all of his time as Yubaba's apprentice he had never once taken the opportunity to learn to cook anything more than the one small meal that he had made Chihiro the first time that she had been to the spirit world. Link nodded.
"It all depends on what kind of things they've got in our pantry, but back at home dad ALWAYS made me cook, because he was too damn lazy to do anything on his own, he couldn't even ABUSE me on his own, he had to have my brother HELP him."
"Listen, if you don't want to."
"No, I'm just being stupid. Here, I'll teach you how to cook. It isn't that hard."
The two of them spent the next several hours making a feast fit for kings, Link carefully showing Haku the ins and outs of cooking, teaching him all of his little personal secrets, all of his tricks and secret recipes.
*~*
"So, tell me, have they settled in yet?" Jumari looked at Knoma, who had just entered the throne room.
"Yes, m' lady. They're making supper even as we speak."
"Good. In the meantime, why don't you make me a little something, and then we can go and enjoy it on the roof while watching the stars."
"Whatever my lady wishes."
"Really. You don't have to call me that if you don't want to."
"I consider it an honor." Knoma walked over to the throne and sat down on the arm, burying his face in Jumari's hair.
"I love it when you do that. Maybe we should just skip supper and go right up onto the roof and just lay up there."
"Whatever m' lady wishes. I am here at your service. My only reason for existing is to serve you."
"To serve me. Yes, in that case, tell me again why I should listen to that upstart human."
"Well, I just think that he seems like he's had a hard life. Any spirit worth beans can read that in his face."
"Yes, he has been through much torture, but that's no reason for me to do something nice for someone else. You more than anyone should know that."
"Yes, but I also think that it would not be good to make enemies with Yubaba and Zenniba. By themselves, they might not be anywhere strong enough to challenge you, but if they put their power together, they could pose a very serious threat. I would hate to see anything happen to you."
"Why, thank you. I'll keep that in mind. Come, let's go and get something from the kitchens."
Knoma picked up Jumari and carried her out of the throne room, off in search of some food.
*~*
Chihiro had been practicing her magic for some time. Since she had needed something to focus her power, she had suggested using the hair tie that had been made for her on her very first visit to the spirit world, and Zenniba had declared that it was a capital idea.
"The bond of love that created that tie will serve to strengthen your magic very nicely." She had said. Not surprisingly, Nami had agreed with her. Ever since Nami had joined them in the house, she had noticed that he always seemed to agree with Zenniba, and could also often be seen playing with No Face. For a spirit that was thousands of years old, he often acted like a hyper little kid. To her, he was like an older brother. Lin had stopped in on more than one occasion, seeing as Yubaba had decided that their friendship was too beautiful a thing for her to soil. She would stay for hours and just watch as Chihiro worked at her magic, strengthening it and refining it, testing it out on various objects in the house.
Staying here also meant that she met many of Zenniba's friends. Often, a bird would alight on the window sill to sing to them, in repayment for something that Grandma had done for it or its family. Spirits would come with their problems, and Zenniba never turned any of them away. She handled them all with compassion, using her magic seal to heal their aches and pains, or simply listening to them if that was what they needed most. Chihiro, for the most part, tried to keep out of her way when there were visitors, but sometimes Zenniba would call her over saying that they had some news from the north, often it was trivial, but sometimes there was news that interested her.
The sleeping arrangements were the same as they had been before. Zenniba slept in her bed, while No Face just vanished for the night. Chihiro slept in the makeshift bed by the fire, and Nami slept at the foot of it. At first, this arrangement had made Chihiro uncomfortable, but she had gotten used to it, now it was just normal, and she couldn't imagine him sleeping anywhere else. Nami stayed in his fox form most of the time, in fact, it had been a while since Chihiro had seen him out of it. He claimed that it was more comfortable than in the ungainly human shaped form, but as usual, there was a twinkle in his eyes when he said this, so no one really knew it he was being serious or not.
And then it became time. It was at long last time for Chihiro to head out to confront Jumari. It had been almost a month since Haku had left to go after Link, and there had been no news of them for quite some time. Chihiro assumed that they had made it to the tower safely, but she had no way of knowing what had become of them since. Nami had surprised them all that morning by declaring that he was going to go with her, to protect her on the journey north. Zenniba had agreed that someone should go with her, but was more inclined toward having No Face go, but after several hours of Nami not talking to any of them, except to make threats never to talk to any of them again, she gave in and declared that he could go. He was thrilled, and when Chihiro asked him if there was anything that he needed to have packed in order to go, he said that all he needed was the fur on his back, and a spare tunic for his accursed human form (twinkle).
So they were off, how they would get there, they had no idea. That is, of course, how they would get there after they had gotten off the train. Zenniba had given them two tickets for the train, so that was where they were now, on their way north, higher up and further in. (Disclaimer- that comes from C.S. Lewis, not me)
*~*
It had been a while since Haku and Link had seen Jumari. Knoma was always coming around, asking how they were and checking up on the stores in their pantry. He spent many pleasant mornings with Link exchanging recipes, while Haku pestered him to try to get out information on how much longer they would have to be there. After Link coldly informed him that he didn't have to be there at all, he stopped bothering them.
Finally, the summons came. They were both given freshly pressed tunics and boots, and were told that they could wait at the top of the elevator until Jumari was ready to see them. They had a small breakfast, since their stomachs were too queasy to be trusted with much, and then took the long ride up the elevator. Once they were out on the top floor, they only had to wait a little while before being summoned. As they were waiting, they noticed all manner of foul looking creatures assembling in the throne room. It appeared that there might end up being an audience for the morning's spectacle.
COME IN.
There was nothing else for it, really. They entered with apprehension as they heard the clamoring of the creatures gathered inside. There were hags, were-wolves, vampires, large bats, large wolves, trolls, goblins, witches, and many others. In one corner, Haku noticed Yubaba standing. It seemed that since she had a personal interest in the matter, she too had been invited.
Knoma stood beside the empty throne, carrying a large golden scroll. As they came nearer, he motioned for them to wait. The door behind the throne opened, and in came the most stunning sight they had ever seen.
It was Jumari. There could be no doubt about that. What was incredible was the way she appeared. She wore a black form-fitting gown with an intentionally tattered cape that billowed out all around her, and even above her. On her head, she wore what appeared to be a crown made out of iron, a black crown.
She took her place in front of the throne, then reached out for the scroll in Knoma's hands. He motioned for silence.
"I HAVE REACHED A DECISION."
TO BE CONTINUED!!!!!!!
I HAD SO MUCH FUN WRITING THIS CHAPTER!!!!! I wanted to make Knoma have a slightly more rounded role, as well as a bigger one. PLEASE REVIEW. I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH. That will help me decide where I want to go with this story. Your reviews will tell me whether or not I want her to accept Link's offer.
IF I DO NOT GET REVIEWS, I WILL NOT FINISH THIS STORY! I don't ever leave a story in the dark, BUT I WILL IF I DO NOT GET THE REVIEWS THAT I NEED.
Now, as I said, the pairings will be seen much more strongly in the continuation, but IT WON'T BE WRITTEN IF I DO NOT GET REVIEWS.
For HIS glory ALWAYS.
TME/Dante/Isildri/Brian
In the immortal words of David from NEWSIES
NO ONE CAN BREAK US; NO ONE CAN MAKE US GIVE OUR RIGHTS AWAY. ARISE AND SEIZE THE DAY!
*~*
All right, everybody who reads this fic, I just wanted to make sure that you knew about this. This is completed, and is continued in Pools of Torment, which is completed and is another TBC. So head on down to that fic, and have fun reading it.