Spirited Away Sequel - The New Beginning

Chapter 15. Is it a Joke?

Haku - in the form of his dragon - is flying towards the west forest that Yamato mentioned to him before. Haku didn't know which part of the west forest his best friend told him. He just went around when he found a forest that he believed to be called the west forest. But the problem is, that he doesn't know the forest spirit or tree spirit that Yamato said at that time. Yamato only said that the tree spirit was old and the only thing he remembered was his very deep voice. While the forest spirit, according to Yamato, looks younger. And Yamato said that the forest spirit has a green vertical line tattoo on the back of his neck.

The dragon flew towards the trees. After he sees the land, Haku changes his form to a human. He's looking around. He sighed heavily. He just stood still in his current place. The instructions that he got from Yamato were very few and very ambiguous. How did he find this bad person without clear instructions?

"What are you doing here? Hmm... A river spirit?"

Haku jumped in surprise. He looked around him quickly to see who was talking. He furrowed his eyebrows. He didn't see anyone around him. Is that voice just his imagination?

"Oh, sorry, I forgot you can't see me. Wait, I will change my form first."

That voice talked to Haku again. Haku suddenly felt a strong wind until he had to close his eyes. When he opened his eyes again, he saw a man who was staring at him with his yellow eyes. Haku thinks that the man is almost the same age as Lin. His dark green hair is long until it touches his back and he has brown skin. He wore a black long-sleeved kimono suit.

That man asked when Haku just stood and stared at him, "What are you doing here? I ask you twice though?"

"Who are you? How do you know I'm a river spirit?" Haku asked.

"It smells very clear, sir. But I don't know what kind of river you are." The man then walked over to a large rock behind him. Then he sat there. "My name is Ru. I'm a forest spirit, and this is my territory."

Haku walked over to the man. "Is this west forest?" His voice sounded doubtful when he asked that. At first glance, he thought that the man was the forest spirit that Yamato meant. But how does he prove whether the person in front of him has a vertical line tattoo behind his neck like Yamato said? He can't ask this person directly, right?

"Yes, it's true, this is a western forest and this is my territory," Ru confirmed. He folded his arms across his chest then he looked deeply at Haku. "You have not answered my question, sir?"

"I'm looking for tree spirits that are old and forest spirits which are ... younger than the spirit tree," Haku answered briefly. "I want to ask them something."

"I'm the one you looking for then." Ru walks slowly to Haku. Haku stood still and prepared for something worst. It's unclear whether he is an ally or an enemy though. Ru continues, "The old one you looking for already died, probably."

"Are you kidding?" Haku asks him, strangely.

"Why do you think I am?"

"Because you just said it easily."

Ru sighed heavily, "Yes, I said it easily. Because I told that old man you are looking for before, don't mess with that crazy old woman. I told him and he remained stubborn, and now he received the consequences."

"What did you mean? I don't get it."

"That crazy old woman passed here days ago, and we didn't feel her presence at all. I knew it after some minutes after she passed and that old man was so curious so he followed her. I told him not to, for nth times!"

"And?" Haku still doesn't understand what he said.

"And then that old man never come back." Ru answered him then he stared at Haku, "Can you guess what happened to him except that he probably died?"

"Maybe he was captured?"

"No. Because I saw that crazy woman used his ability. Our ability can be used by ourselves only right? Then how did she use that ability if he wasn't dead then?"

"The ability..?"

"To change someone's or something's presence into anything."