This is Normal.
All characters belong to Miyazaki-san.
Numerous times she had walked to that opening and stared through the tunnel to the world she had gotten lost in: that world where she had first met him, where she had first found love, and where she had grown exponentially into the woman that she is.
Chihiro was now sixteen, in High school and, yet again, dazing in front of the tunnel. She turned to her left and stared at the squat stone statue of the spiritual guardian that her father almost ran over six years ago. She smiled and placed her hand gently on the guardian's head, practically laughing when she thought back to how frightened she had been of his appearance.
"It's been a long time hasn't it Hogosha-san?" She had spent so much time sitting at this opening, that she had named the small statue. She continued staring into the opening, yet again finding no light on the other side of the tunnel, "I wish we will meet again. I wish to truly see you again, Haku."
"There you are!" Chihiro practically jumped when she heard her mother's voice ring out from behind her. "How did I know you were here, again?" Ogino Yuko walked out from the small pathway that led directly to her blue house sitting above them on the hill. "Chihiro. You know you're not supposed to be down here."
"Sorry mom." Ogino Chihiro stood up and gathered her things, including the numerous sketchbooks and loose pages of her drawings.
"When are you going to stop living in that fantasy world of yours? You need to start making real life choices, like where to go to college and what you want to do for a living." Yuko bent forward and placed her hand on her back, "I need to drive down here next time. How can you continue climbing this insanely steep hill?"
Chihiro chuckled slightly at the change of topic and looped her arm through her mother's, "I'm a young, energetic child, remember, mom? Besides, I'm not going to stop drawing, I've told you that. I love it too much. I'll start focusing a little more on my studies, though. Okay?"
"Good." The older woman stood back up and began to walk back up the hill with her daughter's assistance. She turned ever so slightly to glance back at the opening that her daughter was staring at, attempting, yet again, to recollect what really occurred there six years ago. She felt like she had lost about a four days' worth of memories. They went in for a nice lunch at one of the many theme park restaurants, but she couldn't fully comprehend what had happened after that.
Both of the women arrived at the cute blue house at the end of the row, Chihiro practically carrying her mother's limp, exhausted body. "You okay, mom?" She took note to Yuko's extremely red face and shortness of breath.
"I'm f-fine." She put all of her weight on her body and placed her hands on her knees to support herself. " Let's go inside." Both of the women did as Yuko had stated, finding that going inside was probably a poor choice considering Chihiro's father was already on a rampage about his daughter not being where she should be.
"It's about time! Chihiro, you should stop wandering off to places on your own! Who knows what weirdoes could be out there to get you." Ogino Akio was often one to blurt out whatever he could say without the original concept of thought preceding it. "I don't want my only child to get hurt or kidnapped."
"Dad…" Chihiro walked into the kitchen, carefully avoiding the scalding hot fluid swishing out of the pot that Chihiro's father was waving around haphazardly. She retrieved a full glass of water for her practically asphyxiated mother, "I'll be fine. I can handle myself."
"Hmm. You're only sixteen Chihiro. Take into consideration how many girls even older than you are taken advantage of in some dark alleyways." He seemed to have calmed down when his daughter walked about the house. She could always manage to make the world seem so innocent.
"Dad, honestly? We don't live in any of those bad neighborhoods," She kissed her father on the cheek in an adorable manner, adding the extra enthusiasm in the mwah! "Now, I have some studying to do. I'll see you both later, okay?" Before either of her parents could retort, Chihiro had already snatched her sketchbook and was running up the stairs, humming a cute, sweetly tune.
With the door closed behind her, the young girl crept over to her desk, slid open a drawer and retrieved a very plain looking box. She paused for a moment to ensure neither of her parents were in any proximity of her room and, when she knew they were still preoccupied downstairs, she opened it. Within an instant, memories came flooding back like the train tracks in the Spirit Realm after it rained.
Mountains of sketches were piled up inside the gray box, all of which pertaining to Chihiro's adventures in the Spirit World. She stuck her hands in and pulled them all out, glancing at some of the older ones and giggling at how childish and unrefined her artistic skills were six years ago. There was a clear progression of her skills as she flipped through the pile, and she could clearly define who each person was. She placed all of her sketches back in the box, grabbed her sketchbook and opened to the page she was working on, today.
"Again…the eye's aren't right." She ripped the page out, adding it to the mountainous pile of drawings. Most of the images were of a silver, wolf-faced dragon, and a young boy with black shoulder length hair and stunningly green eyes. It was becoming more and more difficult for her to fit all of the pictures in the box, but she had figured that once it got to that point she would have to go find another box and hide it elsewhere in her room. The only problem was that she could really find anywhere else to hide things. Her mom knew about the drawings, but if she knew that Chihiro had been adding so many more that she needed to buy and entire new box, she'd panic and forbid Chihiro from drawing.
Chihiro stood up and stared at herself in her elongated mirror. It had been awhile since she actually looked at herself like this, but she could see how much she had grown since her travels on the other side of the tunnel.
Her hair was a little longer, still brown with the bangs in the front. She had definitely grown "up". She was already about 5'5" and she was happy with that height. Any taller and her classmates would think she were a freak of nature or something. She was wearing a cute summer dress with a green checker pattern and a pink ribbon tied around the waist. The trim of the dress was also the same pink as the ribbon tied around her waist.
She reached up and removed the hair tie that was restraining her hair. Her long flowing hair fell and framed her face, making her look even older than she actually was. Chihiro looked down at the former hair restraint. It glittered in her hand as she moved it to see it change colors.
It was the only proof she had that the whole experience was real; the only proof that Lin, Yubaba, Zeniba, The Boiler room Man… and Haku, existed.
"Haku…" Chihiro jumped as a large boom of thunder shook her tatami mat floor and reverberated up her legs. She felt like her heart had just been electrocuted with how terrifying the feeling was. She looked out her window to the field beyond her house, watching the raindrops begin to freckle the ground with moisture.
The teenage girl quickly ran down the stairs and towards the front door to slide her shoes on, finding herself getting caught by her mother before she could step out the front door, "Chihiro, where are you going in this weather?"
"I…I left something down at the tunnel, I've got to go get it before it gets ruined!" She was quick at thinking, and she was out the door before her mother could retort.
Chihiro had always enjoyed going out in the warm rains, especially when it poured. It made her feel like she was as close to Haku as she was so long ago. She remembered that he was the river spirit that saved his life, so any form of water made her feel like she was that much closer to him.
Within five minutes, she was completely drenched, dancing like an idiot in the field. Another lightening strike hit closer to the treeline to the field, forcing the young girl to lay on her back, knowing that she wasn't even safe in a situation such as this. She stared up at the sky, watching the raindrops falling down on her. She had to blink a few times when a raindrop would fall near her eye, but she lay there contemplating so many things.
Will I ever see any of them again? I was only nine, but I-I feel like I really was in love. I haven't been able to feel that with any of the other boys I've been around. Haku…Will I ever get to see you again?
Just as she thought of Haku, another strike of lightening hit a nearby tree. She listened to her surroundings; every raindrop was making a melodious ringing and rhythm around her. Chihiro stood up and sighed, "I guess I should get home before mom and dad start to freak out even more that I'm not home, yet."
The girl's dress was obviously moist. It clung to her body, showing off the slight curves that she had developed after growing. Chihiro pulled the skirt of her dress down and walked back to her home, careful to not slip or to get too close to any objects that would attract lightening.
"Geez. Did you actually have to make such a commotion when you finally got here?" The woman stepped out of the tunnel and crossed her arms when looking at her company. Her forehead was unnaturally large, and her lips were a dark pink, making them look like she stained her lips to be that color.
Her partner was quiet, soft and unchanging, "It had to be done." His voice was somewhat solemn and dark, almost angry in a manner of speaking. He looked up at the sky and felt the raindrops hit his face, "I had to release some of my spiritual energy to cross over into this realm."
The woman's eyebrow twitched ever so slightly as she bit her tongue to prevent herself from saying anything more. She hated it when he had the cold exterior. He had recently been pretty good about warming up ever since he got rid of that spell he had on him, but there were moments like these when he was completely unfeeling.
"Come, we must find a place to stay." He walked forward and didn't even check to see if she was following behind him. I don't see why I need to be here. He's here for her, and I'm just his guardian.
"Eh…wait! Don't walk off without me!" She frantically followed the young man, making sure she was careful not to slip on the muddy path they were trekking.
Hi all. I know it's been FOREVER since I last put a story up, and yes I AM working on the ItaSaku, however, I had this one started and felt I may go for something other than Naruto for once. GASP. I know…but hey there's no harm in dilly dallying in other things…right?
I'll try to get the ItaSaku updated…-cringe- if I didn't have 2 costumes to make with weapons within 2 weeks….*faints* wish me luck!