Spirited Away Fan Fiction ❯ Returning Home ❯ Chapter 1

[ A - All Readers ]

I don't own Spirited Away. They belong to the creative mind of Hayao
Miyazaki (I think is the top anima director).

This is a one shot fic. I might add more if I get enough reviews.

Edit: I've fixed a few typos and add just a bit and have decided to add a few chapters to it and changing the rating for later chapters.

Returning Home

By: JennyBlue

The young woman stood musing over her find. "How long has it been since I was at the bathhouse? To me it seems like it was yesterday. But in truth, it had been six years. I've grown since then. No longer the scared child. An ever since then I've felt like I don't belong to the human world, but I never belonged to the Spirit world either. I'm trapped between two worlds."

A young woman stood in front of a group of small broken stone houses. She bowed to them. For six years she looked for this place. For six years she hounded every library in the town. But none of them knew of this place. Then she turned to the temple and shrines. It wasn't till she found the very old shrine. There she had finely found her answers and a map. The old priest took one look at her and knew why she had wanted the old map. A map that would lead her to the rode. The rode that would take her to the ferryboat station at the top of the hill. That station leading to what she felt was her true home.

"It's odd how things can change. Both my mother and father don't remember it. Then again they were pigs at the time of their stay in the spirit world. But for me, I remember it all and I miss."

The young woman walked by an odd statue and bowed to it too, paying her respect to it. Her mother never understood why her daughter would bow to everything and give even the smallest of bugs a since of respect. She didn't know how her daughter could change so much in one day. To her it got to a point that her daughter needed help.

"My mother never understood me. It became more so after we left this place. In a way I think it frightened her. One moment I'm a scared, lazy girl. The next, I'm confident, hard working, ready to face anything girl. But I think the thing that got her the most was my new found spiritual views."

The girl reached the station. She looked at the great building and smiled. The tunnel still had a damp smell to it. The wind still blew like it was trying to push her through. As she walked down the dark and damp tunnel. On the other side was still the lush green meadow. More of those odd statues greeted her. Smiling, she raced up the hill as fast has her legs would carry her.

"It's still how I remember it. It's funny, I can't remember half the stuff I did as a kid, but I can remember this place as clear as day. I wonder if anyone will remember me? I know they might not recognize me. I know Yubaba will. That I know for sirten?

She ran along the path in the tall grass. Crossed the tiny stone stream. Walked through the food square and stopped at one of the stalls. Quietly walking up to it. Pulling a small pouch from inside her shirt. From this she pulled a small piece of gold and set it on the counter, took a roll from one of the plates. When she walked away and looked back, the gold was gone. She ate the roll and walked over the bridge to the bathhouse. Pausing long enough to look at the waterfall, before moving on.

It wasn't hard to find her way. Here she was, standing at the top of the stairs leading to the boiler room. The train roared by. Descending the staircase was a slow process. Taking each step at a time. Testing each before putting her wait on it. Not wanting a repeat of her last time she descended these stairs. It took her the rest of the afternoon to reach the boiler room. When she finely reached the door, a smile crept across her face and then faded. Taking a deep breath and pushed open the door.

When she came to the spider demon's room, he had just begun his work for the night. Yelling at the mites to wake up and get to work. He didn't notice the young human woman standing behind him. He stretched and started turning the wheels and gears of the furnace. He grabbed his mallet, clanging it against the metal wheel. Calling little soot mites, when they emerged from their little holes with chunks of coal out for the furnace.

"Are you Kamaji, the boiler man?" the girl asked.

He turned and looked at her. He was clearly surprised that he didn't smell her. "What's it to you?"

"I want a job." She said.

"There are no jobs here. I have all the help I need. Go away." He responded.

She smiled; he was the same old man she remembered. Then one of the mites come out with an over sized piece of coal that was too big for it to carry. The lump over powered it and the girl picked it up.

Kamaji watched the girl from the corner of his eye. There was something about this girl that reminded him of someone he once knew. He studied her, trying to place where he had seen her before. She had her hair up in a very long braided ponytail that came to her knees. Some of the hair had escaped and hung just over her ears and her bangs were cut at uneven angles. A white and green striped shirt and shorts was all she had. He watched as she brought the coal to the farness and through it in. Then everything fell into place. He knew who she was.

"Kamaji, time for breakfast." A woman said, coming in trough a sliding door in the far wall. "Where is the bowl from last night?" she asked.

The woman took the old bowls and gave the old man a new one full of food. She then moved over to where the soot mites were walking back and forth, bringing a basket with her. "Break time" she called to the little mites. She through them brightly colored stars and they greedily eat them. As the woman fed them, she noticed something out of the corner of her eye. Turning her head, she saw the girl.

"A human!" she said, a little shocked.

"She's my granddaughter Lin. She wants a job here. She's a very hard worker and strong. Take her to Yubaba and I'll give you this Lin." Kamaji held up a dried lizard.

Lin's eyes were large. She looked at the girl again. Lin knew who this girl was and remembered her. All Lin could do was jester for the girl to follow. She didn't even take the lizard. Lin waited for the girl to take her shoes and socks off, placing down for the mites. Before she turned to leave. The girl ran over and hugged Kamaji, thanking him.

The two women rode the elevator in silence. Lin would glance at her then back to the doors. Wanting to ask this girl so many questions. When they reached Yubaba's floor, Lin let the girl out, before the doors closed. Lin called out “Good Luck”. Hearing the doors close behind her. The girl walked down the hall. Wondering down the halls. Remembering the last time she had done this. Reaching the end and coming to the doors that would finely bring her home. Opening before her to let her pass and then closing again when she passed through them, till she reached the last door and knocked.

"Come in." Yubaba said, looking up from the bathhouse ledgers. "What do you want?"

"I've come for a job." The girl said.

"Why should I give work to such a sniveling human?" said Yubaba, putting down her pen.

"Because you have to give one to anyone how asks." The girl answered with a smile.

"How did you know that?" Yubaba yelled, standing now.

"You're going to wake the baby." The girl responded.

Yubaba sat, closing her mouth. The girl walked up to the desk and sat in one of the chairs in front of it. The old witch studied her, this girl looked familiar. There was no magic in her; she was human, but didn't smell like one. So who was it that this girl knew how the rules worked.

"All right, I'll give you work." Yubaba smiled and a parchment and quill floated to the girl.

The girl took the parchment and looked it over. She smiled and reached into her shirt. Pulling out her pouch and then plopped it on the desk. "By the rules; anything I have is mine. Even money, like this pouch of gold and jewels." Opening it now and pouring its contents onto the desk. Watching Yubaba's eyes grow larger, her smile growing as well.

Yubaba eyed the gold and jewels, again she was fouled. How did a mere human know so much about the rules? "Yes, this is true." Almost drooling over the small riches before her.

"So, I'll make a deal with you. I'll sign the contract, saying I work for you. I'll give you my treasures, sixty percent of my tips.” She paused, before continuing. “In return I keep my real name. I will go by a different name. This way no one will know about our little deal." She smiled, putting everything back into the pouch. Then holding it up to Yubaba.

Yubaba grabbed the pouch and looked inside. Then pouring everything into her hand, she was satisfied. "Very well, but if you don't hold up to your end; I'll take your name and turn you into a pig to be eaten."

"Far enough." The girl said, signing the contract.

"Haku," Yubaba called, Haku walked in. He looked at Yubaba, then to the girl and was frozen in place. "Haku, take" Yubaba took the parchment from the girl. She looked at the name on the parchment, and then to the girl again in shock, "Take Sen and, and assign her work." Yubaba sat there, slack jawed as Sen stood and followed Haku out.

When the elevator doors closed, Sen wrapped her arms around Haku and he did the same. He had grown since he had last seen her. They stayed like this for a time. Reluctantly he drew back and started the elevator. When he looked at her again, tears were in her eyes.

"I'm home, I'm finely home." She thought to herself.

To be continued …….

There you go. I'll have the next chapter up soon.

Till then,

Those with wings,
Fly to your dreams