DISCLAIMER:
GreenMamushi: Ah… I can't believe I'm trying to write a long story… Too much plot work…
2ManyShoez: HA! It's 'cause you're a simpleton… though I do prefer writing one-shots too…
FlippinWonka: Well, you can't beat my Tamaki powers! My story, Amai Masquerade Love, has more reviews than your stories COMBINED! xD
TheSpunky(Short)Alchemist: LOL, stupid mamushi. I was born with the ability to write a lot.
GreenMamushi: Sigh… I don't own this. Though this fanfic will be wicked long… I WON'T GIVE UP! BELIEVE IT! EVEN THOUGH I ONLY HAVE ONE KNOWN READER BECAUSE THAT ONE PERSON REVIEWED, THUS GIVING EVIDENCE OF EVER READING THE STO-
TheSpunky(Short)Alchemist: Shut up, Viper. Basically, audience, read and review, or we'll never know you were here!
Chihiro and Hoshiko
Chapter 3: To The Sixth Stop!
Normal POV
Chihiro woke with a start and the digital clock in front of her unblurred as she slowly became more alert. Her cute Hello Kitty clock read 4:40 A.M.
Close call, she thought as she quietly sat up, grabbed her little blue shoulder bag, and quickly scribbled out a note to her parents. Leaving the paper on her bedside, Chihiro paced to the doorway and listened intently.
The radiator was clonking with a rusty, metal resonating effect, and she noted the soft snores coming from down the hall.
Cautiously creeping out her room, and then tiptoeing down the stairwell, Chihiro unlocked the door with a click. Looking back at her peaceful home one more time, Chihiro slipped out from the safety of the familiar to the dangers of the unknown.
o0o0o0o
An elderly man who got up early every morning sighed as his old joints ached. He settled down into his favorite armchair and took out his pills.
"I think these pills count the number of days until I wither away into nothing," he whispered to himself as he took them.
After taking his daily medication, the geezer opened the curtains to his window and looked down on the courtyard. He was surprised to see a teenage girl out there sitting on the yard fountain.
How peculiar, he thought. I wonder why that little lady is out there alone so early in the morning.
o0o0o0o
Hoshiko sighed and glanced impatiently at her watch.
"Where is that human? It's 5:10 already."
Suddenly, a small figure wearing a green t-shirt and denim shorts came running from the direction of a nearby bus stop.
"Sorry I'm late!" Chihiro called as she approached the fountain.
"Shut up! Do you want the whole world to know what we're up to?" Hoshiko scolded.
"S-sorry," Chihiro whispered.
"Here, put this on."
Hoshiko tossed some kind of breathing device to the still dazed and sleepy Chihiro.
Chihiro inspected the gadget. It was a small, stretchy, water-proof bag that supposedly is to be worn over one's head. It was attached to a motor with an arm strap by a long, thin, heavy-duty, and hollow tube.
"Put it on. This machine gathers oxygen and brings it to your lungs when underwater."
"We're going underwater?" Chihiro asked as she fumbled with the elastic cover.
"There are many entrances to the spirit world. Usually, they are found within powerful spirits who protect a certain location. For example, the Kohaku river spirit. He guards this river, and if you recalled, Kizu, the kappa, jumped into the fountain and disappeared. He entered the spirit world through the Kohaku River entrance. As will we."
Hoshiko looked up at the delicate girl in front of her, and felt pity for the great burden she was bearing of her own free will. Most of this was my fault, too, Hoshiko thought to herself. I'm Princess Kurai, Princess Dark, after all.
With a softened tone, Hoshiko murmured, "Follow me."
Without hesitation, Hoshiko dived headfirst into the fountain and passed right through the dark, concrete bottom.
Chihiro closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, and adjusted the stretchy mask.
"Goodbye, light."
-FWOSHHH-
"Hey, Chihiro, down here!"
Chihiro's eyes flickered open and she saw a dark-haired girl gesturing to her a few feet below. Breathing with the oxygen device, Chihiro paddled downwards and followed Hoshiko though a dark, narrow tunnel.
Where are we? Chihiro thought to herself, too amazed and overwhelmed to ask out loud.
"We're on the bridge between the living world and the spirit world," Hoshiko said, as if reading Chihiro's mind.
They swam in silence for a few minutes, and Chihiro was glad for the mask she was given; swimming through all this tunnel would be too much for normal human lungs. As they went deeper and deeper in, the water became colder and murkier. Chihiro had to hold Hoshiko;s hand and squish beside her, or she would have gotten lost.
"Almost there," Hoshiko whispered, "just through this final bend."
After a moment, the two teens surfaced, though Chihiro didn't feel the water become any lighter as they swam upwards.
"We made it to the spirit world. In your time, it's almost noon. Let's run to the station; we could catch the 12:30 ride to Swamp Bottom."
Without a minute of rest, Chihiro was dragged by the hand toward railway tracks. Together, they ran northward toward the nearest train station.
"Huff, puff, huff, puff…" Chihiro was out of breath. Hoshiko wasn't even red in the face.
"You sit down and eat. I need to buy us some tickets." In a flash, Hoshiko was gone.
Chihiro sighed and her stomach growled in unison. Sitting down on the platform and talking out a homemade rice ball, Chihiro began lunch; Random tears started streaming down her face as she took a small bite out of her meager lunch. The memory of Haku giving her enchanted rice balls to eat for strength was vivid in her mind; she had cried for unknown reasons then, too.
Returning from the ticketing counter, Hoshiko walked up toward Chihiro and saw her in tears.
"Hey, w-what's wrong?" Taking Chihiro by the shoulders and lifting her chin, Hoshiko looked affectionately into Chihiro's chestnut brown eyes.
"Are you homesick, Chihiro? Scared? But don't worry, everything will be okay," Hoshiko pulled Chihiro into a reassuring hug. She looked up and shrugged. Wiping off her tears and composing herself, Chihiro stuffed the rest of her rice ball into her mouth.
"Our train is here," Chihiro said, acting as if nothing happened.
Hoshiko gave a concerned looked, but then became serious again, overlooking Chihiro's predicament until later. The two girls locked hands and walked in to the one way train together, oblivious of their fates.
o0o0o0o
"NEXT STOP: SWAMP BOTTOM," the announcer called over the speakers.
Chihiro snapped awake, as she did countless times on the train ride. Hoshiko told her to get some shut-eye, but whenever Chihiro had settled into a nap, she would suddenly sit up, covered in cold sweat. The nightmare that kept reoccurring was of Hoshiko and her falling down a bottomless pit, while the Dark Lord took Haku, Lin, and Kamaji for soup in a huge cauldron.
What a cliche dream, she thought warily, as the train pulled up to the station.
Hoshiko gave Chihiro a look that said 'let's go', so they both stood up and left the vehicle. The train pulled away from the stop and Chihiro recalled important information: that the train was one-way.
How are we going to get back? Chihiro thought, but then quickly replied to herself, Whatever, we'll figure something out. I have to this one step at a time if I'm going to do this.
Chihiro and Hoshiko treaded through the marshy field, glad for each other's company in the darkest of dark times. They had arrived at the station at around midnight.
About 50ft ahead, there was a small warm light. In fact, so warm in this dark night, it was as if just an enchantment or mere mirage.
"Come on Chihiro! Let's go all out!" Even though exhausted from the disruptive transportation, they sprinted as fast as their wary legs could carry them to the warmth beyond.
I haven't been here for awhile, Chihiro thought as they reached the doorstep. I wonder how Zeniba is.
She gave a light knock on the door, and it was opened before she could knock a second time.
"Oh, come in children," Zeniba appeared, ushering them into the warmth of her cottage. "Please make yourself comfortable. I've been expecting you."
Wordlessly, the two wary girls made their way to the front of the fireplace and sat down.
"How did you know we were coming, Gramma?" Chihiro suppressed a yawn.
"Oh, dear Chihiro. One day, No Face was disappearing from the spirit world in a very unnatural way; he almost became Nothingness. Luckily, I had some herbal medicine that kept him from disintegrating, and I wanted to investigate his situation." Zeniba looked at Chihiro gravely. "I looked through my crystal ball and found out about the Dark Lord's conspiracy, and your part in all of this, too, Chihiro."
Chihiro nodded sadly, "Yes, it is quite a quest." Then she added confidently, "But Haku believes in me, and I will try my best to succeed this journey."
"Ahh…" A familiar voice came from the corner of the room. "Ahhh…"
"No Face!" Chihiro's face broke into a smile and she hugged him fondly. "You're still here, and very helpful to Gramma, I suppose?"
"Ahh…Ahh…Ahhh…"
"He said 'why aren't you afraid of me Chihiro? I'm a monster'." Zeniba translated.
Chihiro looked at No Face with a friendly expression, "You're my friend, No Face. Besides, in my world, some monsters are nice. Like Elmo."
No Face smiled, or at least attempted one. It was difficult to muster if you were slightly lacking a face.
"Ahhh…" No Face pushed a small loop toward Chihiro. It was a hand-made bracelet. A beautiful and intricate one at that. The one-finger-wide band was elaborately woven and embroidered with Chihiro's name, and the letters were colors of the rainbow. Around Chihiro's name was confetti, probably collected from her little soot friends, the Susuwatari. Then Chihiro noticed a little pink cloth from Lin's work uniform, a golden bead from No Face, and even the smell of herbal spices from Kamaji's boiler room. This was a true friendship bracelet.
"T-thank you so much No Face," Chihiro started, "and this time, I'll accept your beautiful gift!"
With a heartwarming feeling, Chihiro and Hoshiko were led to bed. "You need rest now," Zeniba whispered, "I'll tell you everything you need to know tomorrow."
Neither girl objected as they floated clumsily to the futons on the floor.
When Chihiro lay down to sleep, she slept soundly with no worries and no troubles.
I guess friends are important, she thought as she dozed off, 'cause you need them more than you credit them for.
- The "Otaku Corner"-
GreenMamushi: Okay, not action packed, but I promise to have action soon! Stick with me here!
2ManyShoez: Not a lot of action, but I like the friendship-ness. It's cute xD.
TheSpunky(Short)Alchemist: Keh, friends are weak. You could only trust yourself… in America.
FlippinWonka: I-I w-want a friend…
GreenMamushi: Maybe you forgot, you are our fiend…
FlippinWonka: You said 'fiend'
GreenMamushi: Yeah, I know…