Oh, so frustrated... this story is like... it is becoming so difficult to write... :/ Like, having to build a house without any power tools, it is very possible, but it taking a longer time than it has to, and is lessened in quality by a large margin... What would be my hypothetical power tool? Well, I'd say that is my inspiration or zany personality, but, I don't quite know.
So here it is, another puny chapter. It is nothing more than a pitiful extension of a failing dream of mine... I will get it done though. I want to say that, if I can struggle my way through this, I COULD end it by Sunday.
Wish me luck, but either way, enjoy what there is to enjoy.
"Have you seen a girl with red hair?"
"Have you seen a pretty girl around here?"
"Have you seen a girl with really curly hair recently?"
No luck.
Sosuke sighed, for the greater part of an hour he had searched hall after hall in this palace, and had found no trace of Ponyo whatsoever.
I'm running out of time… I've got maybe 50 hours left, and I still don't know where Ponyo is, or that portal thing.
Sosuke noticed two larger fish heading his way; they looked menacing, though the other fish didn't seem to notice this. He meandered about, trying to forget about them, pretending to hide his growing fear of them, and positioned himself to ask another friendly fish about Ponyo.
"Hey bubs." The one on the left grunted at him.
"M-me?" Sosuke shuddered as he turned around.
"Yeah you. We heard yous was makin' a scene." The other one stated with a low, deep voice.
"I wouldn't ever-"
"We know you're not supposed to be here, and we know you know you're not supposed to be here. So leave, and we won't have to force you out, got it kid?" He glared at the little fish.
"Yes sir." Sosuke tweeted and fluttered away.
The two bouncer-fish slowly drifted back to whence they came, and Sosuke left the front doors. A pit opened in his stomach, I'll never be able to see Ponyo again… She'll hate me for eternity…
A flash of images swept through his mind, and his thoughts straightened. Ponyo is up there somewhere, and I must see her. Maybe if I enter through a window… after all, I did see a flash of red hair in a window in the upper chambers.
Leaving the regal floors behind, Sosuke swam upwards to the floors above, swimming past windows and windows until finally he came across the window he thought he saw Ponyo in.
The room was empty, but it was recently inhabited by something. Sosuke scanned the room with a cursory glance, decided that this was a great place to start, and then proceeded to look around the room in a more thorough fashion.
It didn't take him long to see something out of the ordinary. In the middle of the room, cast away like an unneeded dishrag, was Ponyo's swimsuit. Sosuke wiggled his way to it, and tried to pick it up, failing due to his lack of actual hands.
"Ponyo…" He whispered softly to the water around him, still mournful of what he had brought about. As if you contradict his thought process, laughter began to emanate from the halls on the other side of the wall.
Sosuke turned to see the door open. An elegant fish with the longest, most beautiful hair he'd ever seen drifted into the room.
"Who are you? And why are you in my room?" The smile on the lovely fish vanished as Sosuke struggled for words.
"P-Ponyo?"
"And how do you know my name?" Ponyo floated backwards, away from Sosuke.
Sosuke's mind flooded with words, emotions and gestures that he wanted to do at that given moment, but he jammed up, and just froze in place. Ponyo, I'm sorry! I want to hug you! I never meant to make you upset! My name is Sosuke! You are my best friend!
"I don't like Komiko." Sosuke said, as if that answered all of Ponyo's questions.
"Who is Komi… ko…" Ponyo started long and hard at the fish in front of her, "Sosu…" Enlightenment rushed across her face, then faded into frustration, anger, and sadness. "What. Are. You. Doing. Here?"
"I wanted to say I'm sorry Ponyo." Sosuke said slowly, worried about her reaction so far.
"Get out of here. You did enough damage." Her voice was cold and almost bitter.
"I am sorry Ponyo! I wanted to apologize because I feel so horrible about this-"
"Shut up!" Ponyo screamed, hitting Sosuke on the face with her fin. "I died because of you!"
"I-" Sosuke stammered.
"I don't…" Ponyo's eyes began to water slightly, the tears dripping into the water in front of her, "I don't ever want to see you again." She announced shakily.
Sosuke paled. His face whitened with horror. He had come all this way to get chewed out by his best friend. There was nothing he could do.
"Leave." She growled, her tears and the salt water were a perfect blend around her face.
Sosuke nodded, tears flowing from his eyes as much as Ponyo's. "I guess… this is goodbye. I L-" Sosuke's throat clogged up. "I will miss you… Ponyo…" Swimming up quickly, he gave Ponyo a quick kiss on the cheek before he darted out of the room, face still stinging from Ponyo's slap.
The sun began to set, and he saw the large, ominous shadow of a predator fish above what he imagined the horizon of this ocean world. With sorrow, he realized that he only had about a dozen more hours before he had to leave this realm. Her mustered up what inner strength he had left, and began to swim in the direction he felt was the right way.
