A/N: I have stumbled across Spirited Away DVD in my room while cleaning out my closet, so I've decided to watch it again. It was excellent as the first time I watched the film. It never fails to tell its story and moral perfectly. But the ending always left me in a wary- such a devious cliffhanger that makes anyone think of a sequel maybe. This is my first time writing and publishing in FanFiction, haha!
Disclaimer: I do not own 'Spirited Away'.
Italic: Past or events from the movie.
"Will we meet again someday?"
"Of course we will"
"Promise?"
"Promise."
The shutter clicked with a flash, four friends posing with a big grin across their faces and a victory sign. The summer breeze was serene, as the laughter flown out from the group- a couple walked over to their mini-van, getting few drinks and snacks.
She sat down on the grass, her eyes staring at the subdued river as the sun light reflected off the water in blue and greenish glare. The breeze picks up slowly, brushing her brown hair back as the ends tickled her elbows.
"Chihiro…" spoke a man's voice.
She looked up and smiled. He sat down next to her, handing her a drink as the other two couple wavered back and forth with loud laughter like of a child.
"Hayato-kun…" she said his name with a tiny smile.
He sat down next to her, nothing much to say as he gulped down the liquid- swallowing his nervousness.
"I forgot the name of the river…" she said almost inaudible for anyone to hear.
"Eh? Did you say something?" Hayato asked in wariness. She giggled.
"Did you know… I felt into this river once?" she said, tilting her head slightly.
"Into a River? When?"
"It was when I was young, I felt in the river because I've lost my shoe that was being carried off into the river… but I was saved, but I can't remember who or what saved me… I can't even remember the name of the river..." she said, almost as if she was in a trance.
"Maybe the river god saved you," he said meagerly trying to amuse her.
"Yeah… maybe"
"Chihiro-! Hayato! Let's go!" yelled another female friend; that waved over behind the mini van as her boyfriend honked the car with a smile.
The drive was long and exhausting. Her best friend Eri leaned her head against Chihiro's shoulders, Hayato already asleep as his head kept bouncing off the window at the front seat, and Eri's boyfriend, Tanaka yawning here and there. Chihiro was wide awake; she stared out the window from the backseat- enjoying the view.
"It's been a long trip, huh?" Tanaka said, smiling at Chihiro through the rear mirror. Chihiro smiled back.
"Let's take a shortcut! Since it seems like we're not that far from your house!"
"Eh? But it might be dangerous you know! What if Eri breaks up with you? It took you four years- Tanaka!" Chihiro teased, as Tanaka chuckled.
"It's been twelve years since you've moved to our town huh? We've been pretty much with each other since then- I'm into Marketing, Hayato into engineering, Eri into Styling and you're into Photography… but we still have time for each other, huh?"
Chihiro smiled at his remark. "Of course we are idiot!" Eri yelled out, waking up from her sleep as she smacked her boyfriend's head slightly. "W-what's going on?" Hayato asked still half-asleep. By the sudden bump on the road, he hits his head against window as the trio laugh at their pained friend.
The light of the car beamed their path, as Chihiro stared out the window more and more. This strange eccentric feeling wouldn't leave her, as her heart pounded against her chest. The tired screeches as the four flung forward by the sudden stop.
"Tanaka, what the heck are you doing?" Eri screeched, as Chihiro slowly got up and out of the car. It was a stone statue, staring deeply at Chihiro almost in a creepy way. Tanaka stepped out of the car to examine the statue in confusion.
"What the- must have taken a wrong turn…" he muttered as Hayato gave a loud whine.
As the two men went over the map to find another way out of the mysterious forest- Chihiro went on taking pictures of her surrounding. Eri came behind her with a smile. "Hey… Chihiro…"
"…? What is it Eri-chan?"
"…What do you think about Hayato?" Eri asked, wincing back at Hayato who was dumbly laughing at whatever Tanaka was drawing up.
"Eri, you're not thinking of getting together with Hayato?! You have Ta-" Eri quickly covered Chihiro's mouth at an impulse.
"You idiot! Do I look like someone who would dump a guy like Tanaka for him? I'm talking about you!" as Eri yelled in whisper. Chihiro stared dumbfounded.
"That guy really like you, you know? Since elementary school, when you moved here" Eri muttered, soon she walked over towards the two men. She looked back at Chihiro as she mouthed: 'Do something about it~!'
Chihiro stared down at her feet. Her index finger dabbing at the cold metal rim of her camera- what the heck is she supposed to do about that?
A loud wind wailed in an uproar, engulfing her whole body from the behind- she turned around to see a big dark tunnel with a small light all the way at the end. She could feel her body tense and trembling, but her body moved on its own as if it was familiar with the scene- quietly and slowly her whole body disappeared in the dim light under the tunnel.
"We can go this way" as Tanaka pointed out, Eri stood behind him with a smile as Hayato looked around.
"Hey… where is Chihiro?"
It was unnerving. Almost nauseating. It was a quiet, serene train stop at the end of the tunnel. Chihiro twirled around in her sundress at least once as her eyes wandered at every detail of the station. Her right eye shut, her left eye focused deeply into the camera as the lenses zoomed at the edge of the window up on the high ceiling. The sound of the camera snapping echoed.
The bright light entered the station at any opening, some grew dim as the cloud flown by. Chihiro walked outside, greeted by a field of green that seemed like an ocean as the wind glided along the grass forming waves. Awe at the scenery, she took pictures again and again. But each time the feeling of yearning grew bigger and bigger. Something was missing.
Ahead there was a large staircase that lead to an alleyway of a town that seemed like an abandoned theme park. A mysterious ubiquitous feeling of being here once before, as if the same step she took from a very long, long time ago.
"I wonder if I was here before it closed down..." Chihiro whispered to herself, as she moved on forward. The heels of her shoe clicked down the stoned pavement. The light breeze blowing against the peaceful town caught the young aspiring photographer's eyes. But was it truly abandoned? She saw food already prepared at stand after stands. She stepped closer, taking a snap of the prepared food at an angle.
The white ghastly smoke in the air caught her attention, she walked over the stairs, passing through unlit red lights. In front of her was a red bridge. And up ahead was a large door that lead directly to a large bath house. Chihiro gasped at its size, as she stood at the center of the bridge and took another snap of the bath house.
"Where is this place? Wow... It's so beautiful..." she muttered to herself-
She turned to her right as she saw a train underneath miles down running. It was fast, as its fumes roared loudly then ever. She ran to her left as she watched the fast moving train leave. A laughter escaped through her lips- taking a last snap of the departing train. And yet this deep longing inside her would not leave, as if she was vulnerable to anything that might just happen now. She felt a gust of wind against her back- leaving a familiar touch as Chihiro turned around.
She felt herself being indulged by silver-greenish light, the water that wrapped around her body but able to keep her breathing as the scales glistened underwater- Chihiro swallowed her breath. It was a beautiful being, a woman or a man? It didn't make no difference. His hair emitted in green underneath the slowly setting sun. His pale skin glowed, matching his piercing green eyes. He wore an long Hakama in white and pale blue, a somewhat familiar color to Chihiro.
"You shouldn't be here! Get out of here, now!"
Chihiro taken by his words took a step back. Her mind was vacillating, unable to stay control as she ran off- breaking her gaze from this beautiful green stranger. She ran and ran, through the stairs that lit red lanterns one by one as she passed by them- through the food stands that slowly gathered black shadows, the once abandoned town soon grew crowed. She ran and ran, until she stopped in front of the green field and up ahead there was the train station.
She swallowed her breath, her chest pounding hard as she felt a tugging from somewhere deep within. She took a step down the stairs.
"Don't look back"
Chihiro halted, unable to move as her eyes gazed at the field before her. Where have she seen this scenery before? Where does this yearning come from? This feeling of lost and confusing she had since she was ten- When she was ten- she had left without looking back, keeping her promise. But to what promise? When she was ten- she was able to grow and mature, leaving her childish self back. But why?
Chihiro bit her lips, clenching her fists- this time she wasn't going to go back.
The water glided out of many hidden statue's mouth, filling the green field like an river emitting in beautiful silver-greenish light. The sun slowly sets, engulfing the grass field in black as the moon reflected off the already filled river. Chihiro looked back- her promise during her childhood experience was now transcendent.
A/N: Done in one day! When Chihiro actually meets Haku after twelve years later! The cliffhanger always made me itch and want to make a sequel of my own-- I hope it will be good! This will probably be into short chapters, but I just wanted the itching feeling to go away! Hopefully if the story is good enough, I might continue with the next chapter...
p.s: Reviews and Criticisms are always welcomed.