Fade Away – By Snowcloud
Chapter 9 – Second Life?
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Review please (: If you review I'll update faster! 3
Me: Yay! Yippeez0rz! I has another chapters cuz I is supa pro!
Chihiro: God, learn some grammar.
Haku: I can't believe our story is getting written by this idiot. -.-
Kiki: Are all humans like that?
Chihiro: Nah, only the REALLY weird ones.
Me: T-T
Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away. Miyazaki does.
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"Chihiro, are you okay?" Haku gasped.
I rubbed my arm where I bruised it.
"I'm fine." I replied.
"Hold on, I'll go down there and bring you back up." He said.
He ran towards to trap, but was stopped by an invisible wall. He tried again. No success. Haku took out a sword, desperate to save me.
"Stop Haku, it's no use!" Kiki suddenly murmured.
"Why?" He growled back.
"There's a magic barrier. Nothing magic can go through." She mewed.
Now that she mentioned it, I saw a faint blue glow around the edges of the hole.
"I have to help her somehow!" Haku persisted.
"No, Kiki's right." I said quickly. "Just stay up there."
He looked down at the hole, and I saw his perfect face creased in worry.
"Please," I begged. "Don't try."
I could see he was torn with two things; one was respecting my decisions, and the other was his loyalty for me. Before I would have been surprised at the strength of his emotions, but after seeing through his mind it was all clear.
"Try climbing out." Kiki suggested.
"I don't have claws like you," I reminded her.
I saw a thin vine to the right of me.
"It won't support your weight," Haku said, noticing my gaze.
"I have an idea," Kiki mewed. "Catch."
She tossed me a small bottle with a thick black liquid in it.
"What's this?" I asked.
"It's a potion. I had a feeling we were going to need this." She replied.
"Kiki, I'm not so sure that that's a good idea." Haku interrupted.
My friend turned to him. Her eyes fazed from brown to silver as she stared at him. How is that possible? The usually perky were-cat seemed much older, and her voice was confident with knowledge.
"Haku, I know what I'm doing." She said seriously.
Haku's eyes narrowed suspiciously. He was just as confused as me. And with no further objections, Kiki carried on with her plan.
"Drink it." She instructed.
I gulped down the strange mixture, and shivered as it slid down my throat. Kiki looked like she was concentrating very hard. I yelped in surprise. Ears grew at the top of my head and a bushy tail sprang up behind me. I scraped the ground with my claws.
"I've transformed you into a cat for a little bit. Climb out. You aren't too heavy now." Kiki explained.
I felt much more graceful than regular as I uneasily hooked a finger on the leafy green plant. It still sagged, though. I started climbing slowly, but then I realized it was unraveling. My eyes widened in panic.
"Chihiro, go faster! It'll drop if you don't!" Haku yelled.
I sprang up, clawing frantically.
Almost there!
The vine started slipping.
Only a few more feet!
The plant fell. I shut my eyes and leapt into the air, hoping that I'd make it. I knew that the chances were slim, and expected myself to fall into oblivion. I gasped as I felt myself land on the top. I made it!
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I limped over to the barrier and crossed it. Haku immediately scooped me up. I looked into his tear-stained eyes.
"I thought I would lose you forever," He murmured, stroking my ears.
I purred in response.
"Set Chihiro down, I need to change her back." Kiki said.
Haku gently put me back on the dirt. My friend removed the spell, and I felt my agility and balance weaken. I blinked at her.
"Thanks Kiki." I said.
Her silver eyes changed back to their normal brown.
"What just happened?" She titled her head in confusion.
I stared at her in shock. There was something about Kiki that was strange. That odd wisdom and those silver eyes. What did they mean?
"I just fell in a trap." I said.
"I don't remember that," Kiki replied, and thought again. "I kind of remember a little bit."
"Never mind, let's just keep going." Haku said huskily.
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After a few minutes of walking, Kiki was her own curious self again.
"Can we get some more water?" She asked.
Haku sighed.
"You just had some a few hours ago." He replied.
"Please?" She whined.
"Fine," He said.
He raised his hands and the dirt shook. It parted to a small circle, with fresh clean water in it. I scooped some in my plastic bottle, to save for the trip. Kiki did the same.
Haku lowered his hands and the water disappeared. All that was left was a hole in the ground. We continued to walk the grassland. It was very flat and beautiful. I enjoyed it.
"Are there cats in the human world?" Kiki asked.
"There are, but they can't turn into humans." I replied. "They can't talk either."
"That's terrible!" Kiki blurted out. "Being trapped in that one body must be so bad. And no talking either!"
"You wouldn't be able to survive without it," Haku teased.
Kiki giggled.
"I'm not too talkative, you're just not social." She mewed.
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Haku called a halt next to a river a few hours later.
"This is a good place to stop," He declared.
"Yes, let's stop!" Kiki agreed. "My feet are about to drop off."
I rolled my eyes.
"Stop being melodramatic," I said.
She ignored me as Haku disappeared to catch some fish. Suddenly, her eyes dropped.
"I really hope we make it back. I promised Jason and Felicity that I would." She said sadly.
"I'm sure we will," I soothed her.
Despite all the troubles and worries, I felt content. When I came to the spirit world, I started to live again. I had friends who would die for me. I had a home. I had a purpose. I will never let them be taken away from me. I will return. Nothing will stop me.
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"They got away?" She hissed in fury.
"I'm-I'm sorr-sorry master." He trembled underneath her frosty gaze.
"I thought I told you to put a barrier on the trap!" She roared.
"I-I did!" He protested.
"You didn't do well enough. Now look what you've did! They're gone! We have no idea where they are!" She growled.
He bowed his head.
"Do you know how close I am to killing you?" She snarled.
He paled.
"They had someone with them." He told her.
"I know that, insolent fool!" She spat. "She's the one who destroyed me!"
"I'm sorry about what G-"
"I told you never to say her name again!" Her face hardened.
"I'm sorry, master."
"Now, let me make this clear. Next time you will succeed. I shall get my revenge."
