Buffalo Nickel Girl: oh wow, I was not expecting that… But thanks soo much!
And for the rest of you who reviewed, thank you thank you thank you! I was beginning to wonder if this story was worth continuing… Don't worry; I've decided it is. And sorry about the delay… I got tons of inspiration tonight, and I have some parts of the story that have just cleared up in my mind, and lots of new scenes...
"Here, I'm sure you'll like these guys." Chihiro skipped over a few tracks on her MP3 player. She was very happy that she had left it in her pockets when she went on her run that one morning not too long ago. Mika was sitting on the end of Chihiro's bed, and it was about nine in the morning. Mika had decided that she was going to get Chihiro up around seven that morning, and still had a faint red splotch on her face where she had been violently smacked with a pillow multiple times. Chihiro had kindly offered to introduce Mika to some of her favorite singers, as Mika had only a faint idea of who was popular on the human side. Right now, the chords of "Beautiful" by Lighthouse were playing. It turned out that Mika and Chihiro had a lot of the same interests, in everything from music to shoes.
"Ooh, they're good too…" Mika grinned. "But." She pulled the earbuds out of her ears. "We need to talk. Well, I need to talk, you need to listen." Chihiro replied with a blank look. "I heard what Haku said, you two needing to talk."
Chihiro groaned. "Mika!"
"Hey, you know what, I'm looking out for you here. And I want to be able to blackmail you about this later."
"What!?"
"Never mind. But, I just want to prepare you a bit. I have a good idea of what he's going to say."
"Mika-"
"You two are perfect for each other. You, however," she bonked her hand against Chihiro's head, "just can't see it." Chihiro blushed. "Or maybe you can but you don't want to admit it. But there's one thing I'll need you to do for me, okay?"
"Mika…"
"I need you to get Kipten to like me." Chihiro grinned.
"You're kidding!"
"What's so funny?"
"Kipten could care less about dating anyone."
"That's where you come in! You need to convince him to go out with me!"
"Mika…"
"Please? Pretty please?" Mika tried her puppy-dog pout, but when she saw that it wasn't working she changed tactics. "You do it or I attack you with hoards of flies, or mosquitoes, or something!"
"Ohh, you scare me!" Chihiro pretended to cower behind a pillow.
"Oh, I should!" Mika grabbed the pillow and began attacking Chihiro with it.
"Oww!"
"Ha! Now say that you love Haku or I won't stop!"
"Never!"
"Say it!"
"I'm not going to say it!" Chihiro exclaimed, grabbing another pillow to defend herself.
"Yes you are! Say that you love Haku!"
"Only when you say you love Kipten!"
"You first!" The girls had been too busy laughing and avoiding being smacked with pillows to notice that the door to the bedroom had been opened, with Haku and Kipten occupying the space.
"Ahem." Kipten tried to get the girls' attention. It worked.
"Oh… Uh… What are you doing here?" Mika asked while Chihiro pushed the pillow off her face. Both of their faces were now slightly pink, and not because of the pillow fight.
Haku grinned. "Breakfast is ready. And if you why didn't you two just use your powers instead of pillows?"
"Hey! Just because we didn't think of that doesn't mean we're stupid!" Haku rolled his eyes as he and Kipten turned around to leave.
"And where do you think you're going?" Mika insisted, and threw a pillow at Kipten's head, hitting him dead-on. Chihiro grinned as she did the same to Haku. Both men turned around, rubbing the backs of their heads.
"Oww…" Kipten moaned.
"What did you do that for?" Haku asked.
"Just to show you that pillow fighting is way more fun than using magic. And even a nice, fluffy pillow can injure you two big strong men." Mika grinned, amused at the look on the men's faces.
"Just come and eat, alright?" Kipten glared at Chihiro, mainly because he didn't find it fitting to glare at a girl he'd only known for a day.
"Fine, fine." Chihiro grinned, throwing the pillow at Mika one last time just for good measure before standing up and following the men.
"Hey, wait for me!" Mika exclaimed, following closely. She grinned, remembering the spur-of-the-moment spell she felt Chihiro put on the pillows, making them about as hard as a shoe.
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"God, what were you two doing this morning?" Rita grumbled, finally emerging from her bedroom about an hour after everyone had started breakfast.
"Eating." Mika calmly stated. She knew her sister hated mornings in general, with one of her main philosophies being that no one should even consider being awake before noon.
"No… There was giggling and stuff about someone loving someone…" Rita quickly inhaled the scent of waffles and eggs. "Ohh! Food!" She quickly grabbed a plate and shoveled the last of the food on her plate, sitting down next to her sister. Mika just rolled her eyes.
"Now, Chihiro. I heard about your plan." Zeniba took a sip of her tea. "I think it's a good idea, in general, but we don't know how long you'll be able to survive on the other side."
"I don't care. I still need to go"
"And you don't care. That is your problem."
Chihiro sighed. "I care, but I also know that if I don't go back countless people could be sucked in here and forced to work for Yubaba!"
"I know that. And that is why I will allow you to go."
"Really!?" Chihiro practically jumped out of her spot.
"But you all are going."
"WHAT?!" Everyone exclaimed at once, even though Rita's was more like a grunt.
"Yes. I cannot allow you to go alone."
"Hey, it's my world, and I think I can survive there on my own!"
"It's mine too, you know!" Kipten exclaimed, not liking being left out of arguments.
"I was there first." Chihiro simply stated, and it was true. She was a whopping two months older than Kipten. "What do you mean all of us are going?"
"I think she means you, Kipten, Mika, Rita, and me." Haku stated simply.
"I wasn't talking to you! And I know what all means." She glared at him.
"It would be safer. There are some, however few, people in your world who can see you for who you really are, a goddess. And they won't like you. You will be safer."
"But-"
"No buts. You will leave right after lunch, and be back before sunset in your world."
"Zeniba-"
"Now what?"
"Do you want me to bring you back anything?" Chihiro smirked.
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"Okay, Rita, really, you have to just do what I say and follow me at all costs, no matter how pretty the clothes in the stores are." They were all standing by the barrier, and were pretty unlikely to be found as most of the spirits were resting during the day. Zeniba had transported them there using her magic, but she claimed that it was so well camouflaged that Yubaba had no chance of ever finding out the truth.
"But, what if it's really really pretty and would look great on me?"
"Well do some shopping later. But for right now, just smile and nod, got it?" She glanced over the group. "That goes for all of you." She glared at Kipten. "Especially you."
"Hey, I know how to live over there! Don't forget that-"
"I was there first, and I've been back. I know what it's like. Whatever you do, don't tell anyone the truth.
Chihiro chuckled. "Wait until you hit the streets. Then it's not so calm." Quickly both Haku and Mika were over on the other side.
"So this is where you live?" Haku asked, taking in the beauty of the abandoned "theme park."
They will think you're crazy. Please, Kip." He nodded.
"Can we go already?" Haku asked.
"Fine. But stay close, okay? Even if there's a shiny object somewhere." Chihiro mumbled before walking over to the other side. She found herself back on her side of the barrier, where she had been less than five days ago. It's only been a few days, but it feels like I've been gone for months. She sighed softly, wondering how she'd ever explain this to her parents.
"Wow… It's soo nice over here…" Rita sighed as she passed over.
"It's the exact same as it is on the other side, you know." Kipten replied as he set foot on the lush grass once again.
"No, here, it's different. I don't know how, but it is. It's so calm…"
"Wait until you hit the streets. Then nothing's calm." Kipten noted.
"So, are we going or what?" Mika and Haku had both emerged from the other side.
"Yeah, we should probably go and get the parents over with… Kip, wanna go first?" Chihiro looked over at Kipten.
"No way in hell are you getting me to confront my parents first."
"Fine. Make me deal with the moody pregnant one first. Great friend you are." Chihiro noted, words laced with mock anger.
"Aw, but you love me and you know it!" Kipten grinned as he walked up and threw his arm around Chihiro.
"Whatever." She shrugged his shoulder off but flashed him a smile. "This way." Chihiro led the way away from the river, everyone following obediently.
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Chihiro cautiously stepped on the driveway of her house. The lights were off, but the curtains were open, suggesting that her mother was home. Everything still looked the same. Of course it's going to look the same, I've only been gone for a little while. But it really feels like a lot longer… She turned back to the gang, all of which were staring up at her house. Kipten was looking more at Chihiro's bedroom window, and noticing that the walls had been painted a lively purple.
"Are you guys coming?" Chihiro asked, willing her voice to stay the same.
"Oh, yeah, of course! I've just never seen a house like this one before…" Mika noted as she followed Chihiro up the steps to the front door. Cautiously, she turned the knob, finding it to be unlocked.
"Are you allowed to do that?" Rita whispered.
"Of course she can, she lives here!" Kipten exclaimed.
"Correction, lived." Chihiro mumbled as she took a few steps forward. She found herself in the familiar living room/entry way, with it's gray carpeting and beige walls. The couch was still next to the door, TV about a yard in front of it. Everything looked exactly the same.
"I'm glad that you could make it home for lunch-" Chihiro's mom came out of the archway to the kitchen, hands covered in potholders. "Chihiro?" Her voice was low, and soft now. "You're alive?"
"Yeah, I'm alive. Doing great, really." Chihiro avoided her mom's eyes.
"But… Why did you leave? And who are those people?" Her mother looked over at the group standing behind her daughter. "I know Kipten, but…"
"Mom, this is Haku," she gestured back at Haku, who held up one hand in greeting. "The one you claimed I made up. And that's Mika and Rita. They're sisters. The daughters of Yubaba, who you also said I made up." Chihiro was glad to see her mother again, but she was still upset that her mom hadn't believed her stories.
"Oh! Well, pleasure to meet you all. Chihiro, could I talk to you alone in the kitchen for a moment?" Chihiro's mom looked over at Chihiro with a cold glare.
"I guess." She turned to the gang. "Don't you dare break anything while I'm gone! And don't even think of listening in. I will take great pleasure in tormenting you until you wish you would just go crazy instead." Only Kipten could grin at that: he knew her threats and that she would probably keep her word. They all nodded, and Chihiro followed her mom into the kitchen.
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"Where have you been?" Chihiro's mom angrily demanded, once they were in the kitchen.
"Where do you think?"
"That place never was real!"
"Yes, mom, it was. I don't care if you think that your daughter is mental or just plain crazy or something, but that place is real! It's my home! I accidentally got there, all right? I wasn't planning on leaving you and dad to take care of the precious twins because I just know you wouldn't survive without my sacrificing my tiny social life to take care of two wonderful girls!" Chihiro had planned on staying levelheaded, but now, when her mom still wouldn't believe her, she snapped. "I don't care what you think, because the fact is, they are my family! They are my friends! I love them! But no, no, you could never see, you thought I was crazy, you thought I was lying, you sent me to shrinks! Lots of them, too! I just wanted to be alone, and go on normally, but no! You had to make sure I was sane so that I didn't screw up the perfect lives of two unborn kids! I was never good enough, and I get that. I do. I got D's. I know that. You know why? Because I didn't care about school. It's not like I ever had any friends there. Everyone thought I was crazy! I could have just passed it off as a really good story – all kids at that age make up stories like that. But, no, you sent me to doctors, and freaked out when I even came close to mentioning it!"
"Because no one ever falls in love at the age of ten!"
"Just because you didn't, doesn't mean that I didn't. The Spirit World is so different… Different culture, different believes, different ideas in general. You never even tried to understand…" Chihiro looked away.
"You're not going back." Her mom's voice was cold, but Chihiro still defied her by looking right into her eyes.
"You can't keep me away from my home. No matter how hard you try, that is my world. Don't come looking for me. You'll just get yourself killed." Chihiro was about to turn around and leave when her mother's surprisingly clammy hand grabbed her arm.
"No. This is your home. You're staying here."
"No, mother, I'm not. There, I can be myself. You can't keep me here. You can't keep me from being happy."
"Oh, really? I can't?"
"No, you can't." Chihiro was to tired of this to cry. Instead, she was just calm, and her reaction scared her mother. "They're my family. Messed up as they are, I love them. All of them. And we're going to stick together. No matter what. I need to go and pack now. I guess this is goodbye."
"No. No." Her mother was trying to not cry.
"Yes. I'm sorry, but I have to go now. Bye, mom." Chihiro turned away, willing herself to not cry. Not yet. I will not break down in front of them… I can't. It's not like I haven't done this before…
Review please! It makes me happy… And when I'm happy, good things happen and they cause me to write. So that means review! Please?
