A note from the author: (as said on 10/07/08)
I just wanna let you all know- don't expect too much from this fic. I was going to make it a full fledged fic, but I decided to cut it short and make it simpler. But, to make it up to all who had high hopes, I will make the chappies extra long. But if anything, I'll update on Music of the Soul. Anyhoo.
Chapter One: Moving House, Moving Home
I glared out the car window as we passed by foreign sights. This city we were passing through, Osaka, was a lot more urbanized unlike the world I had lived in for around seventeen years. Modernized cars of all colors zoomed past our silver Suzuki, some slowing slightly for the colored lights that allowed the vehicles to stop, turn, or continue on. And the sound was absolutely terrifying. I much preferred the occasional car on a poorly paved road out and away from this place I now called hell. All of this hustle and bustle upset me greatly. For that reason, and several others, I was grateful for the mp3 player my foster parents supplied me for my sixteenth birthday. Turning up the volume on my much appreciated gift, I remembered the life I had left behind. Or, what little was left.
I couldn't remember anything before I turned nine. Nobody would tell me why it was like that, but I finally realized that maybe they did not know the cause of this memory lapse. And soon, I learned to cope with that after my foster parents had taken me in and called me their own. I was very happy there and learned the rules of this world quite easily. But night after night this dream, no, my first memory came to me, plaguing my thoughts whenever I slept.
Falling. I was falling down a slope, a precariously steep slope. Skidding through leaves and dirt along with roots, I remembered scraping up my skin in several different places. Blood spilled out from gashes I received. And then, freefall. A splash, and I was carried along in the swift waters of an old river.
I was terrified, finding that I couldn't breathe. Or maybe it was because I wouldn't. Maybe it was because of something entirely unrelated to the water. When I screamed, a sudden presence filled my mind. A kind, loving presence. Immediately, I was comforted as the water roared around me, bringing me along its insane course. Somehow, I was moved around to avoid any rocks or debris in my way.
That was when I realized something, something my childish mind conjured up. This river was alive. And I had fallen in love with it. I saw beauty and majesty coupled with pride and a never ending kindness. All of that I could feel in its touch.
Suddenly, I felt something take hold of my foot, removing me from the water. I cried out, my heart breaking. I didn't want to leave the hold of the water. The water too, seemed to cry out. Immediately, the pace of the river quickened as it began to roar in pain and fury at the one who had removed me from its grasp.
And every time I'd have this dream, I would wake up, sobbing. Feelings of hurt and loneliness left fresh in my mind. I shuddered and prayed that the dream would be different tonight. I longed for something happy again.
Despite the painful ending to this ever repeated dream, that memory continued on to a somewhat more pleasant route. I finally found that I could remove it from my mind. Or, maybe not remove, but I could at least shove it deep down into my subconciousness. My foster father, Akio, was the one who had taken me from the river. From then on, I lived with him and his wife Yuuko.
I was so immersed in my thoughts and blasting J-pop that I did not realize that I was being called.
"Chihiro!" called my foster mother.
"H-hai?" I answered, tugging out my lime green headphones.
"We are about to make a quick restroom stop at an American restaurant. If you want to eat something, just let me know?" the young woman smiled, her almond shaped eyes squinting shut.
"H-hai, Okaa-san." I smiled tentatively back at her before she turned back around again. I put up my mp3 player, hiding it in the violin case sitting beside my sleeping brother. Then, I pulled on a pair of high-top converse shoes over the foot of my green and black stripped stocking on either leg. I was careful not to disturb the sleeping form next to me, but right after I had tugged on my shoes, his head lolled and he fell to my lap. I smiled fondly at him as I stroked the black hair from his face. When I carefully placed my foot back down, I almost cried out. I had come extremely close to flattening the blood red roses my good friend Shiraishi had given to me before I left. Picking them up again, I held them on the side farthest away from the boy in my arms.
I hauled my small suitcase and ¾ size violin out of the tidy, yet small house and just barely stepped onto the broken wooden step before remembering that a whole now resided in that same spot. I rolled my eyes at my forgetfulness and continued forwards, Yuuko and Akio directly behind me. A kind hand grasped my suitcase handle and I turned to see the quite Akio smiling at me. I let go of the suitcase with a small thanks. He and Yuuko paced ahead of me towards the small car. I followed so that I could carefully place my violin on the seat behind the suitcase. Even thought all of our luggage had been taken with the movers to out new home, I refused to let them take this specific suitcase. It held memories of my life here. Because I had practically lost nine years of my life, memories were extremely precious to me.
My seven-year-old brother skipped happily out of the house, a PSP in his hands blasting music from his favorite video game. He grinne3d as he dashed past me and into the car.
"Jeez, Daisuke! Just run me over, why don't ya?" I called, laughing at his excitement.
"Glad to have your permission, onee-chan," he replied, giggling giddily. I shook my head at him and leaned down to get into the small car when I heard my name being called. When I glanced up, I noticed a small form running and slowly becoming larger.
"Chihiro-chan! Chihiro-chan! Please, wait up!"
I couldn't believe my ears. "Shiraishi-kun?" I blushed madly when my childhood friend crashed into me, hugging my small form. I squeaked.
"Chihiro," he said after he had caught his breath, "I have something for you." Then, Shiraishi held out the two items he had hid from my view when I had been hugged. I gave a asp when I saw what he offered. A large, bouquet of blood red roses and a fair sized box. "A moving-away gift for you to remember me by."
"Shiraishi!" Tears pricked my eyes and I wrapped my arms around his neck. "I can't begin to tell you how much this means to me!" I reached up and gave him a quick peck on the cheek before taking the gifts. Shiraishi flushed and looked down at his feet.
"Open the box in the car, alright?"
"'Kay." I hugged him again and he awkwardly did so also while the tears began to course down my face. "I'll miss you."
"Me too. Promise you'll write me?"
"Yes. As long as you reply."
The box. I had completely forgotten the pink box. Reaching over Daisuke and taking care that he was still fast asleep, I grabbed the pink box from the top of my violin case. I untied the white ribbon and let it fall into my lap, surprised at how well it had been tied. Maybe his mom did it, I thought with a smile.
The items on the interior made my throat close up. Scrapbook pages with pictures of Shiraishi and I, and friends filled the inside. He had also put his own comments and added a little flare of his own taste to it. But on top of these pages was a large bag of dark chocolate M&Ms. My favorite. Shiraishi must have known that I would start bawling at the sight of these things. He probably didn't want to see my reaction when I actually read the contents. I then decided that I would save that part for when I reached my new home. When I picked up the M&Ms to skim through the pages to see if anything lurked beneath, a silver card fell onto the pile. Picking it up, I read what it had said:
Chihiro-chan:
I bought the M&Ms specifically for you to eat when you
read the notes on the pages I made for you.
No cheating. You have to save them all for then.
I know you were just dying to go for it and
chow down right when you noticed it.
But I'm watching you, so be smart!
I love you.
Shiraishi
I dropped it and cry escaped from my mouth. Yuuko peeked back at me to see if everything was alright when she noticed what lay in my lap beside Daisuke's head. She glanced at my shaking form and immediately formed a plan.
"Akio, please. I need you to pull aside somewhere right now." He nodded and we turned into a gas station. Immediately, Yuuko came out, opened my door, eased the things off of my lap and carefully laid Daisuke down. She then pulled me into the restroom outdoors and shut the door. "Okay, Chihiro. Cry it all out. I'm right here to help."
So, to put it simply, I sobbed into her shirt as she wrapped me in her ever comforting arms.
dOt DoT dOt
We drove further for several more hours until we reached the outskirts of a city. It was actually a rather pleasant drive. There were trees, lots of trees, and then we passed by another city. It was urbanized, but smaller by far than Osaka. For that, I was glad. Akio pointed out my school, an art school, and Daisuke's school. Yuuko stared out the window, a little disappointed that she'd have to go to the next town to go shopping. But thankfully, the drive was less than an hour. And suddenly, we could see our house. It was on top of a hilled area, just barely in view. Trees surrounded the back and sides of the quaint blue house, but I actually found myself to be excited to see the insides.
Maybe moving really would be an adventure.
When we finally parked outside the house and Daisuke, who happened to wake up a couple of minutes before we stopped, begged me to hurry and get out so that he could explore. I laughed and made room for him after I stepped out. Yuuko and Akio were already speaking with the movers so that they could get the basic items in the right rooms. I went around the car to the other side and pulled out my violin first and then my suitcase of memories. The roses and the box of gifts would just have to wait for a second trip. When I entered the doorway, I immediately felt lost. The house looked a lot smaller on the outside, but in reality, it was a lot larger than I could ever imagine. My jaw dropped.
Yuuko, noticing my look of awe, laughed and then excused herself from talking with Akio. She headed over to me and took my suitcase.
"So, Chihiro. Would you like to see your room? Akio and I picked it out especially for you." I gaped again and Yuuko simply took a hold of my free hand and dragged me around the large house. We traveled through the living room, which now had a plasma screen TV hanging on the wall and a pair of leather couches, and then up the stairs behind a paper sliding door just outside the room. And when we finished climbing the steps, a large room opened up and I gasped. Three sides of the room were covered in one-way windows, allowing me to get a view of the trees surrounding the home. I could see a small pond, possibly a koi pond, out in the distance. Birds flew in the air, singing to their heart's content. The tall trees waved in the wind, and I could see sakura petals flying around. I looked to the left and there they were. A small grove of cherry blossom trees surrounding a small bench. The sky was a lovely shade of blue-gray now, warning of an approaching storm, and caused the green shades of the plants to stand out. They now appeared to be a yellow green. It was beautiful.
After placing down my violin, Yuuko showed me the bathroom connected to my room. The door for that were a couple feet away from the steps. The inside made me think of the public baths back at home, just a miniature version. I laughed when I set eyes on it. Yuuko, extremely pleased that I was happy, gave me a large hug and kissed my cheek.
"Satisfied?" she asked, her chocolate eyes twinkling.
"Are you kidding me? I could scream with happiness! What about the other rooms? I hope you didn't cheat yourselves to make me feel at home!" I did a little dance.
"No," Yuuko laughed, "I made sure that the other rooms are just as fine. Come, let me show you!"
As I received the tour, I began to wonder how much money my foster parents had spent on this house. I admit, I thought they must've robbed a bank. When I spoke my thoughts aloud, Yuuko laughed and told me that Akio had received a raise in position and pay. It must have been a big raise, I thought.
All of us spent a couple more hours towards unpacking our things. I was extremely displeased that I hadn't even gotten close to finishing. Daisuke was halfway through. So, for the rest of the night, before we called it a day, we ate takeout food in front of the TV in the living room, laughing our heads off at some of the most ridiculous shows on at the time. When the time came, I crawled up the steps, shutting the paper sliding door behind me, and headed up to my room. Because of the size of my room, Yuuko and Akio decided that a bed would suit me just fine instead of the futons I usually used. But, I hadn't had the opportunity to ask Akio for help building the bed, so I just slept on top of the mattresses and pulled a fleece blanket over my small body.
I fell asleep listening to the peaceful night sounds of nature.
dOt DoT dOt
I awoke quite early because the windows had absolutely no coverage over them, causing the bright light of the sun to stream through. Groaning, I crawled out from underneath my blankets and stretched, popping my back. Despite the fact that it was only six o'clock, I felt wide awake. So, I took advantage of the time I had to myself and began unpacking more. First, I went for the boxes of clothing, since I'd need something from there pretty soon. I picked up one of the boxes and hauled it over to the bathroom.
What was nice about the bathroom, besides it being similar to a public bath, was that in a way, it was also a closet. There was a tiled area for the section holding the bath and such, and then wooden floor covered up the rest of the floor for the toilet, and then the 'dressing room'. On either side of that were shelves for clothing, made out of the same cherry wood as the floor, such as pants. Also, hanging from the walls were metal poles to put hangers on for the clothing that needed to be stored vertically. One wall was completely covered in a mirror, and I was excited. It was like a shopping mall. This was going to be interesting…
About half an hour passed and I had finally rid myself of the boxes containing clothing. Sadly, those boxes had covered much of my new room, showing how vain I really was. I'm not vain, I decided, I just like clothing too much. Yes, that's it. By the time Daisuke came up to wake me up, we both found that everything had been unpacked and stored in its new place. I smiled and dusted my hands off. Now just for the bed to be built…
"Ohayo, onee-chan," said Daisuke as he rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "Otou-san says that breakfast is ready."
"Hai, Daisuke-chan. How did you sleep?" I asked while patting his curly head.
"I liked my futon better in my room at home."
"Well, kid, it doesn't look like we'll be returning anytime soon. Maybe I'll let you sleep in here with me tonight. How does that sound?"
"Okay."
We both headed downstairs, still in our sleep wear, but that didn't matter. It was just like old times, and I couldn't begin to say how at home I felt now.
Akio was a rather eccentric cook; he would make random things based on random cultures and such. Although cooking was not his profession, it was a hobby, and one he took seriously. Today, he created a western breakfast meal. Something called pancakes with strawberries, whipped cream, and chocolate syrup. That, and two slices of delicious bacon. I licked my lips in anticipation and after the family thanked the gods for the food, we dug in. I groaned when I took my first bite. When I had attracted the looks of everyone in the room, I flushed.
"It's...it's delicious, Otou-san!" I stuttered. Akio and Yuuko both glanced at each other and chuckled to themselves. "What?"
"We didn't expect such a response from you! Maybe Akio should make this more often..." Yuuko replied, a grin still stretched on her face. I rolled my eyes. When I glanced at Daisuke to see his reaction, I found him going for the plate in the center containing more pancakes. I smiled.
"Well," I said, "I have completed unpacking. Do you mind if I explore the woods for a place to play my violin?"
"Of course! Just be careful. We wouldn't want that beauty damaged now, would we?" said Yuuko, motioning absently towards the violin.
I shook my head. "Never! Arigato, Okaa-san." I leaped up from my perch on the floor and ran to my room, taking two steps at a time. I changed into a black skirt that reached just slightly above my knees and a red shirt with black designs on it. The art was something I loved most- a dragon. The collar was rather large and cut so that it would hang off of my left shoulder. So, I wore a white tank-top underneath. Next, I slipped on a pair of black boots that went up to rest a few inches under my knees. They were laced with red ribbons. I turned to take a look at myself in the large mirror.
I was greatly disappointed with what I saw. My height reached a total of five feet and one single inch. I was a third-year in senior-high, for pity's sake. Why couldn't I look like an adult? My face was thin, yes, but my eyes were large and childish, making me look far younger than I truly was. It was depressing. But the thing that made it even worse was the fact that I haven't been very healthy lately. Actually, that's how it's been ever since I could remember. My skin was pale and I appeared rather sickly and fragile, like a porcelain doll. The shoulder length, straight black hair resting on my head didn't help either; I almost looked like those pale Americans. Not to mention that my taste in clothing had the same effect.
Sighing, I left the bathroom and grabbed my violin from its corner in my room and exited the house from the back door. Immediately I was bathed in sunlight, or what little was left. The clouds from the day before still hadn't disappeared from the sky. I should be extra careful and keep a weary eye on those thunderheads, I thought. Skipping happily, I began to explore the area. Birds sang excitedly in the trees, the males searching for females to mate. They crowed nice and loud, many of them ruffling their feathers to create a larger appearance. I giggled to myself. Maybe I could capture a painting of the baby birds to come...
I was out for several hours. Noon had come and gone and I still could not find the perfect place to play the instrument in my hands. But suddenly, I debouched from the trees and found myself on a gravel road, grassy patches strung here and there. I followed the direction it took and stopped when I saw what lay before me.
A large, red building created from plaster laid in front of my two eyes. My jaw dropped. The shingles on the curved roof were brown in color, several of them missing, revealing a worn wooden structure on the inside. The building itself too seemed to be weathered down because of its age. A tunnel formed in the center of it. I couldn't resist, it seemed rather intriguing.
Walking forwards as if I were in a trance, I started when I crashed into something. Staring down at my feet, I screamed at what I saw.
A/N: Okay. The title is in Japanese, and it literally translates 'memories of chain' or chain of memories. I understand that it's the title of a KH game, but it seemed fitting. N-e-wayz, I hoped you all enjoyed the first chappie!