The Powerful Spirit

[Yu-Baaba]

Yu-Baaba left Chihiro and Haku and continued down the hall. She made a sharp right turn into a passage that might have been completely overlooked by an unobservant passerby.

Down the end of a long, high ceiling hall was a large, decorated door. Yu-Baaba slid it open and entered the corridor of private suites where only the few elite resided. These were the rooms of the rich and powerful spirits.

There were only about a dozen workers who were trusted enough to be servants in these corridors – to fetch the spirits food, escort them to their baths and attend to their every need and whim. Usually they all worked in shifts. The guests were checked regularly and knew their summons would be responded too almost instantaneously if they ever needed a trifle. But Yu-Baaba was planning to give one guest 24 hour attention . . .

She stopped in front of the largest, most elaborate door – The Emperor’s Suite – and knocked twice firmly.

… no answer …

She knocked again – still nothing. “Excuse me sir, It is I, Yu-Baaba, here to check on you personally” she said in her most sickeningly sweet customer service voice.
This was odd. Why wasn’t he answering?
Of all the personality characteristics one could attribute to Yu-Baaba, patience is not one of them – even when money was on the line. She hesitated only for a moment, then flung open the door. She gasped in horror!
“HAKU!!!!” She bellowed out loud, while simultaneously summoning him with her magic as she always did. “Come here at ONCE!!!!”

[Haku]

Haku appeared before Yu-Baaba as quickly because of her summoning magic. It obviously was not good considering how loud she was. He was sure every spirit in the bath house would be able to hear her. But, of course, he made no comment on this or she would probably skin him alive.
"You summoned me," he stated more than asked as he looked at her.
Of course she had summoned him. That was already known to everyone. Well, he knew that there was some sort of terrible problem that had gone on and he was going to hear about or be blamed for it. Probably whatever Yu-Baaba saw fit for the moment. Either way, he could tell that he was in trouble.

[Yu-Baaba]

There on the floor, in the center of the intricately designed and regally furnished guest room lay a large, grey, motionless lump.

Yu-Baaba could only assume that this was the same spirit that had been traipsing around the bath house for days, acting like he owned the place. He was a spirit of few words, but he needled little effort to express his wishes and get them fulfilled. He had no shape to speak of, or rather his shape was constantly changing. His whole body seemed to be made of a powerful liquid that was constantly in fluid motion. Power and strength seemed to literally radiate off him . . . now he looked about as majestic as a pile of discolored dough.

“Haku! What took you so long?” she asked as he appeared seconds after her summons. “Look at this!” She pointed at the remnants of her former best customer.
“What could have happened? When I find out who or what is responsible . . .” she glared at Haku. “Well don’t just stand there – DO SOMETHING!!!”

[Haku]

Haku leaned forward slightly as he followed Yu-Baaba's finger towards the pile of what used to be her customer. His jaw twitched slightly as he straightened himself out and tried to think of what he should do about this whole mess. It seemed like this spirit was pretty much lifeless at the moment. That wouldn't go down well with the other customers. And of course Yu-Baaba expected him to do something about it.
For a moment he thought about just telling her to get rid of him and say nothing more of it. But Hkau knew this was a rather wealthy client of her's and they couldn't simply 'throw him away.' If Haku even said anything close to that he would surely be punished.
"Maybe he's just.." Haku started, but wasn't sure what to say about this sort of thing. "Maybe I should go check on him.."
Haku wasn't really sure what to do in this situation. He thought about just asking Yu-Baaba if she had checked on him. From what information he had collected, she seemed to have stared at him.

[Yu-Baaba]

“Check on him. . .?” She stared at the grey lump. She didn’t envy the idea of getting anywhere near that thing. She consoled herself by thinking of all the money she would be losing if they didn’t save him. Not only would she lose this wealthy patron, but all the other customers would panic and perhaps even decide to leave. Oh and the lawsuits . . .

No. She firmly decided that guests losing their life-force on Bath House property was bad for business.

“After you.” she pushed Haku forward and marched resolutely behind him. She bent down near the lifeless form and peered very closely at it. She suddenly realized it wasn’t lifeless at all, that he was in fact – moving! Ever so slightly she could make out the irregular, strained breath. Yu-Baaba exclaimed in relief “Why he’s BREATHING!!!”

[Haku]

Haku stummbled forward when Yu-Baaba pushed him into the room and then marched in after him. He made his way over to the spirit following Yu-Baaba's steps and then knelt down on the opposite side of Yu-Baaba as he stared down at it.
Yu-Baaba was right. This thing.. spirit.. was still alive after all. Well, if you could call laying on the floor of a Bath House barely moving alive. Haku just stared down at it for a few moments before looking back up at Yu-Baaba.
"What's wrong with him?" Haku managed to ask.
Haku felt a little tinge of childish behavior streak through him. He sure felt like one when he asked that. Like a little boy asking his mother what was wrong with his dead toad.. He felt stupid now, but didn't show any signs of it on his face. Then he would look even more like a stupid child.

[Yu-Baaba]

Yu-Baaba grinned to herself but chose to ignore Haku’s lack of articulation. She too was rather in awe at the sight of this creature. “Hm. I’m not sure.” She answered truthfully. “I’ve actually never seen anything like this before!” She then began to pace around the spirit and seemed to be deep in thought.

“Well. It’s obvious we have to revive him . . . but how?” She seemed to be posing the question to herself rather than Haku. “Well before we resort to using magic and spells, let’s try the simplest solution – we’ll give him a bath!
It could very well be that he is merely exhausted and needs to relax and rejuvenate. You know our bath salts can soothe and revitalize the unwell spirit!” She seemed quite satisfied with her conclusion and seemed fairly certain it would work.

“Only question is . . . how will we get him down to the bath . . . ?”
She then appeared to be attempting to poke the spirit, but then thought better of it. She was very wary of what moving him might do.

[Haku]

Haku finally stood up after Yu-Baaba had started pacing around the spirit. His green eyes following her as she thought up a plot to help her client. She of course had come up with the idea to give him a bath, but of course there was that little issue of getting the spirit into the bath.
Haku watched as she slightly poked at the spirit and then his eyes searched the room for some kind of idea to help get this thing into the bath. So far his mind was blank and he didn't have any ideas so far. He knew that however they moved him they would have to be carefull considering they couldn't be sure what would happen to him if he was moved.
Yu-Baaba always could have those stupid green heads of her's push him into the tub. They didn't seem to have trouble pushing him out of her office that one day a year ago. Then again, Haku wasn't as important as her customers. So they would have to be carefull with this or he might be the one with the punishment.
For the most part, Haku simply stood where he was quietly not quite sure what to do. His eyes stayed still on the lump in the floor that was known as the 'oh so' powerful spirit. Didn't seem to powerful now...

[Yu-Baaba]

Yu-Baaba contemplated her options. She tried to think of a tool she could conjure up to help move him, but she feared all her spells would be too rough on him in his weakened state. She was not exactly the delicate type.

She glanced at Haku. “I think . . .” she cringed, “We’ll have to carry him by hand . . .” She was preparing to summon the group of workers who usually took care of the high profile customers. They were almost the only ones who knew the way to these rooms. All of them were most likely occupied with the other rich clients, as most of them were out and about the Bath House at the moment - not up in their rooms. But this was a crisis and they needed all the help they could get.

Suddenly she heard out in the hallway a secret door in the wall sliding open – one she knew was a passage that led just outside the kitchen. She heard two voices. One was some lowly kitchen staff member – he was of little consequence. The other . . .

[~*~Chihiro~*~]

"I never knew there we're secret passage's,so these lead to the rich guest's room's".

Chihiro followed Gaku every step of the way,once the secret door was open she was only expecting to find the guest.Instead she saw not only Haku and Yu-baaba,but the rich guest she was suppose to deliver this cake to was on the floor.Was he dead or even alive,words for the momment kind of escaped her till she managed to squeeze something out.

"I didn't know you two we're going to be here,did something bad happen to that guest".

Clueless that's what she was,this was her first time delivering something to a rich important guest and she finds him on the floor not moving at all.What surprised her the most though,was the fact Haku and Yu-baaba we're here doing who know's what.

[Haku]

Haku's eyes quickly moved towards the direction Yu-Baaba's went and he was surprised to see not only a member of the kitchen staff, but also Chihiro. He only could guess that she was helping them tonight as well as everything else she had been doing earlier. She was probably simply delivering food to the rather.. dead looking guest.
He opened his mouth to answer her question, but quickly shut it and looked back to Yu-Baaba. He doubted that it was really his place to say anything while she was around. He probably wouldn't explain it right anyways, so why even attempt doing something like that?
When Haku looked back down at the guest he cringed at the thought of carrying him by hand. But if that's what Yu-Baaba wanted done then that's what was going to happen. There was no going against her orders. But she probably wouldn't personally do it. Knowing her she would simply get some workers up here to do it for her.

[Shi/Shigeru]

May I join?