DISCLAIMER: I do not not not not not not not not not own this = I don't own this.
Author: GreenMamushi
Editors: Everyone else
Original Characters:
Mrs. Tsuki- Chihiro's homeroom and science teacher. She is enthusiastic about her job and throws the burden of the new student onto Chihiro. Only a minor character.
Amane Hoshiko- name means "dark red star"; she is a mysterious girl who just transferred to Chihiro's school. Chihiro is in charge of guiding her through school, but there's something about her that makes Chihiro feel nervous.
Kizu- a black kappa; yes, a kappa. For those who don't know: a kappa is a Japanese mythical creature said to be a mix between a monkey and turtle. He is apparently after Hoshiko.
Chihiro and Hoshiko
Chapter 1: The Kappa
"BRRRINNGGGG!"
"Good morning class! Today we are going to…" Mrs. Tsuki, the teacher of class 2-B and also Chihiro's science teacher, droned on about her usual speech: attendance, the agenda for this week…
Chihiro was already in her own little world. Staring out the window with her head in the clouds, she drifted off on the back of a green and white river dragon… Haku…
"Chihiro! Ogino Chihiro!"
"Huh?" Chihiro snapped back into reality and faced the front of the room. There stood her teacher and an unfamiliar girl.
"Yes Mrs. Tsuki?" Chihiro answered cautiously and stared at the mysterious child.
"Please pay attention. I guess you also missed the introduction of our new student, Amane Hoshiko. I want you to be Hoshiko's guide. Please help her to her classes and anything else she needs until she is accustomed to her new school."
"I don't see any way out of this," thought Chihiro, "but maybe we could be friends." Getting up from her desk in the back of the room, Chihiro walked over to the front cabinets and retrieved new workbooks for Hoshiko.
"Hello, my name is Ogino Chihiro. Here are workbooks for all of your classes, and you can sit next to me." Chihiro led the awkward girl back to her seat.
When they were settled, Chihiro took a closer look at Hoshiko. She was a rather skinny girl of medium height with both long legs and arms. She had jet-black hair that reached down to her lower back. Chihiro noted that Hoshiko was actually pretty in a strange sort of way. What stuck out most were Hoshiko's eyes. They were a dark, dark violet and Chihiro felt like she was gazing into a deep well. They brought chills down her spine.
Like the other students, Hoshiko was reverently listening to Mrs. Tsuki's speech on atoms and quarks. There was a certain aura radiating from the peculiar girl and it made Chihiro nervous. The new student felt very oddly familiar…
"Finally, it's lunchtime!" Chihiro was relieved. She could rest from the hardships of paying attention and instead enjoy the bento her mother so lovingly prepared. Her lunch wasn't what she was looking forward to though.
"C'mon, Hoshiko! Hurry, we don't have a lot of time!" Chihiro half-ran half-dragged the dark-haired girl across the school cafeteria. They snuck through the double doors and ran down the black asphalt until Chihiro and Hoshiko reached a grassy hill.
"W-Where are you taking me, Chihiro? We aren't allowed to leave school grounds during lunch!" Hoshiko harshly whispered.
"I want to sit by the Kohaku apartments to eat lunch," answered Chihiro calmly. "I have no friends to eat with and I've never gotten caught. If we just sneak back before the bell rings, then there will be nothing to worry about."
Hoshiko unwillingly followed Chihiro to the fountain in front of the buildings and they both sat down to enjoy lunch.
"Now that we have time, can I learn a little more about you?" Without waiting for Hoshiko's approval, Chihiro continued on. "Where did you go to school before you moved here?"
Hoshiko hesitated, but had no choice but to answer. "Well, um… I lived very far from here and uh… Well, I was… homeschooled? Yea, I was homeschooled." Hoshiko blurted.
Chihiro was sure Hoshiko was hiding something, but had no proof that the girl was actually lying. Chihiro finished her lunch bento and gazed upon the fairly new apartment buildings. When Chihiro was a little girl, her family went to this region for a day and Chihiro had gone to wade in a river. When she tripped in a deep ditch on the river bed, the water almost swept her away. Haku, or rather, the Kohaku River spirit, saved her from drowning. Now that they filled in the river and built apartments on the area, Chihiro was sure she could never see Haku again. But this didn't stop her from trying.
Chihiro just happened to moved into the Fukuoka region and attended Kohaku Junior High School, which is just across the field from where the Kohaku River once flowed. Everyday during the lunch period, Chihiro ran to sit on the edge of a fountain near the apartments.
"Chihiro," Hoshiko started, "um… Why do you risk getting in trouble by coming to this…apartment home? You could have eaten outside in the school yard instead."
Chihiro considered her question for a moment. Should she tell the truth or make something up?
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell her about the spirit world," Chihiro thought. "She reminds me of Haku for some strange reason."
Just when Chihiro was about to answer, a mythical creature: a mix between a monkey and turtle, jumped out of the fountain.
"I-It's a kappa?" Chihiro screamed.
"I'm here to escort you back, Princess Kurai," the black kappa said menacingly to Hoshiko.
"I don't want to go back!" Hoshiko retorted. "Kizu, how did you find me?"
"Evil exists everywhere, and where there is evil, the Dark Lord, your father, is in power," replied Kizu icily. "Hm… And since I only needed to retrieve you, I'll feast on this little girl as payment." Kizu spun around and faced Chihiro, who was petrified and helpless from the monster. The kappa winded back and-
"AAAIIIIIEEEEE! HAKU!"
FFWWWOOOOOSSSSHHHHHHH
The fountain water cast an alarming glow and two water spouts dispersing from its surface entwined together and formed a magnificent green and white dragon. The sudden morphing of water threw the kappa off balance from his pounce and Chihiro stumbled out of the way.
"River beast," the dragon's ominous voice echoed, "I have warned you to keep your dirty paws off the little girl who sits on the fountain every noonday." Angrily, the river spirit whipped a tunnel of water, hitting Kizu in the throat.
"Ouch, and s-sorry Master Kohaku-sama, but I was just following orders." He whined.
"Your order was to bring back Princess Kurai, was it not?" Kohaku sent another burst of water sent the kappa reeling a few meters back. "Leave now and do not touch either of these girls."
"B-But I need-"
"LEAVE."
Horrified, the kappa hightailed back into the fountain and swam down deep, past the concrete bottom as if it was never there.
Recovered from her shock, Chihiro steadily walked toward Koharu, tears glistening in her eyes. He stared coolly back at her, his eyes also brimming with kindness and affection.
"KOHARU!" Chihiro broke into a run and jump-hugged the grinning dragon. "I missed you so much Koharu! You saved my life again! How did you get here?"
"I've missed you too Chihiro," Koharu replied with emotion, "and you've grown so much."
Looking up mournfully at the bluish-gray sky, Haku answered, "How I got here? They filled in my river but my water still flows underneath these barbaric buildings. The water used in this fountain is of my spirit, my river, so I saw you everyday but could not speak to you. When I left Yubaba, she cast a spell on me. The spell forbid me to communicate with you unless you were ever in grave danger. Like just now."
"I'm so sorry," blurted Hoshiko, who was sobbing on the ground. "It was my fault Kizu put you in danger Chihiro! I'm so, so sorry!"
"A little good came out of it," said Chihiro optimistically, "because I got to see Haku again." Out of the corner of her eye, Chihiro saw that Haku was slowly disintegrating.
"H-Haku?"
"I could only stay visible for a little bit, Chihiro. The spell is too strong and my spirit, or what's left of it, is too weak. Not only does the spell weaken me, but the evils that have befallen all good spirits are also slowly killing me. Chihiro, I must go now but please, save me and the other spirits, or this world is doomed. I know you're the one to do it. This will not be our last meeting… Stay strong…"
Haku continued to disappear at a rapid rate. Chihiro was all tears. She had nothing to say. She knew what she had to do. One last time, Chihiro hugged the dragon's face and planted a kiss on his snout.
"I'll save you Haku. I'll save you and all the other spirits, I promise."
With a final flash, Haku completely vanished, leaving nothing in Chihiro's arms but thin air.
In the distance, a school bell rang. Lunch was over. Wiping her tears off with an arm, Chihiro turned to face Hoshiko.
"Tell me who you are, where you came from, and everything you know about this evil Haku was talking about." Chihiro said sternly. "Don't leave anything out."
Glumly, Hoshiko nodded her head and began her tale…
- The"Otaku Corner"-
GreenMamushi: -Sigh- I hope this chapter wasn't too bad. I guess I'll have fun writing this story even if no one reads it –pessimistic-
TheSpunky(Short)Alchemist: -monotone voice- Please support this story for the sake of GreenMamushi. -regular voice- But between you and me, I have no idea what the heck she's talking about. Making me edit this story and make disclaimers and otaku corners... -mumble mumble mumble-
2ManyShoez: I am currently working on a fanfic for Shugo Chara! Please be patient until it is uploaded!
FlippinWonka: How come nobody ever pays attention to my stories anymore! -bawls out in tears-