Spirited Away II: Return to the Spirit Realm

Chapter 10

Yubaba flew as fast as she could. She wanted to get away from that Imperial Palace as soon as possible. Ugh! The very thought of it made the old witch's heart beat twice as fast inside her chest. "I can't believe I got out of this alive," she muttered sourly under her breath, looking to the right and left of her frantically.

"Not so fast there, witch," an eerie voice spoke. Yubaba just flapped her wings but didn't go anywhere as she slowly turned around to face it.

"So you went to the Lady's, hmm?" murmured the Dark Spirit calmly. Too calmly for Yubaba's taste. What was that idiom again? Oh, right. The calm before the storm. The mere thought of the upcoming "storm" made Yubaba tremble with fear.

"It were orders," the witch croaked out meekly, not daring to make eye contact with the Dark Spirit.

"Orders," the Dark Spirit repeated, a ring of sarcasm ringing in its voice. "I believe I made it quite clear to you that you are to obey nobody's orders but mine."

"I couldn't ignore this!" Yubaba wailed hopelessly, wracking her brains for a plausible explanation that would satisfy the creature. "It was an invitation to the Imperial Palace! It didn't say the reason!"

"No excuses from you," the Dark Spirit snapped. "You went there, you'll pay for it. Follow me, if you want your baby unharmed."

Yubaba gulped and nodded hastily, though her pride burned with insult. She never cowered in front of anybody in her entire life before. The thought that Zeniba (her sister which she simply hated) would never bend down to somebody as evil as this creature hurt Yubaba's pride even more. Yet, she was simply too afraid for her baby. Deep, deep inside, Yubaba knew that this whole mess was her fault and entirely her fault.

But she would never admit that.

Yubaba followed the Dark Spirit inside a dark, dripping cave. Once landed, both of the spirits turned into their natural forms. "Now tell me more about the Lady and her plans. Valuable news, mind you."

"W-war," came the reply.

"War?!"

"Yes," Yubaba nodded. "War. She is preparing for a war."

The Dark Spirit regarded the witch with its red, beady eyes as if trying to burn a hole in her head. "When?"

"I don't know ... honestly," Yubaba whispered.

"Anything else you can tell me?" it demanded.

Yubaba shook her head dryly. If there was one thing she couldn't afford, it was for the Dark Spirit to find out that the Lady's son was alive. There was never a worst punishment for a mother than to see her child being hurt; and the Dark Spirit knew it just too well. And surely, Yubaba would get that "worst punishment" not just for disobeying such an important order but also for keeping it a secret for a thousand years.

"Go back to your bathhouse," the Dark Spirit ordered, waving a hand carelessly.

Yubaba bowed her head slightly, backing off cautiously. "A-all right," she stammered. The idea that the great Yubaba would ever bend down to anyone'swill was absurd; but here she was, not the fearsome, horrid witch that everybody knew her by. She looked more like a frightened, helpless child in the Dark Spirit's presence. Yubaba dashed out of the cave all too eagerly, disappearing in the dark sky that was breaking with the first signs of dawn.

"That stupid, weak woman! Does she really think she can defeat me?" the Dark Spirit stuttered. A wicked smile came to its face, and it roared with laughter as desire for battle swelled inside of him. "If a war is what she wants ... a war is exactly what she'll get."