Eige-Chan: Whoo! Chapter Eleven is up! (I don't own Spirited Away.)
Readers: Eige-Chan, you took more than a week to update, AGAIN! -points viciously-
Eige-Chan: -hides under bed covers- I'm... I'm sorry...! I guess I'm one of those writers who updates slower... How I wish I can update every once a day... -dreams- But that's sorta impossible since I have issues with writer's block.... -depression-
Chihiro: -grin- Just... try you best! -pats shoulder-
Eige-Chan: -wipes a tear away- -sniffle sniffle- -immediately returns to happy mode-
Kohaku: ...That was... a fast mood change...
Eige-Chan: -smile- Yes of course~! Now I give a great big THANK YOU to the awesome reviewers of the last chapter, FireGoddess101, Anonymous, and Pammy (P.S: Yea, I'll go pick it up tomorrow.)! You people (i.e.: reviewers) are the source of my motivation!! I really appreciate the reviews~ THANKS SO SO MUCH!!! -squeal and scream-
To the people who fav/alert, thank you very much too! But please review, it's better for me to improve my writing! -smile-
Annnnnd on with the story~!
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Chapter Eleven: Fate Vacates
Chihiro's eyes fluttered open as she heard the continuous noise of yelling and talking. She groaned as the bright lighting from a light bulb caught her eye.
"Chihiro? Chihiro, are you alright?"
She blinked slowly as she heard the nervous, worried female voice. The brunette turned her head over to the source of the sound. The first thing she saw was the face of her mother.
"Dear, Chihiro woke up!" her mother said, turning to her back as she yelled. Soon, quick footsteps that were ascending the stairs could be heard. Chihiro watched as her bulky father ran in, followed by an old-looking, white-coated person; who seemingly, was a doctor.
"Chihiro! How are you feeling?!" he asked, clearly concerned.
The brunette stared at her worried parents' faces, then at the smiling doctor. Her half-lidded eyes fully opened as she remained in her lying position. She looked around and recognized the surroundings as her own room. She turned her eyes to the closed window of the room. An orange-red color filled the sky; the sun was already setting… How long had she been sleeping?
"What's going on?" Chihiro asked, earning a couple of blinks from her parents, "Why are both of you in my room? And why is there a doctor?"
"Chihiro, honey… don't you remember anything?" Her mother asked. Chihiro replied with a simple shake of her head. Her father slowly walked over the two and sat down beside his wife on the bedside of his daughter. The two adults flashed each other a look at the reaction of their daughter as the mother started to explain.
"Yesterday, when I came back from grocery shopping…"
FLASHBACK; YESTERDAY
"How do you expect me to calm down in a time like this? My daughter is missing!" Chihiro's mother shouted to the cordless phone in her hands, "She's gone for hours straight!"
Just then, a knock at the door was heard. The furious and worried female stomped over to the front door as she continued to yell at the phone. "You're polices, aren't you? Go find my daugh-" Her voice trailed off as she opened the front door.
A girl with long black hair was what she saw first. The girl had a smile hung on her face and she pointed to her back. The mother followed her finger as her gaze landed on a boy with almond-shaped eyes. The continuous talking voice of the police stopped as she hung the phone up. She eyed the boy, or rather, the unconscious brunette that was carried on the boy's back. Her mature face twitched as she recognized the girl as her daughter.
"Ogino-san…" he black-haired girl said, "We are Chihiro-chan's friends, and we found her in the forest." The mother raised a brow at the suspicious saying. Who would be wandering in the forest to find a person? She would be highly suspecting that the children in front of her did something to her precious daughter, but decided against it after she looked at their innocent faces. They are children, after all. What could they possibly do?
The boy carefully lowered Chihiro from his shoulders and into his arms. Walking towards the male child, she held out her arms and received her unconscious daughter.
"Chihiro-chan would be alright, but I think there is still a need to call for a doctor," the black-haired girl grinned, trying reassuring her best-friend's mother.
"... Thank you, then," she said to the children who were about to leave. She watched as the two began to walk away. She couldn't say that she trusted them entirely, but they did bring back her child. The mother twisted her eyebrows at the look of their backs. Something told her that they weren't your typical children. The instinct of a mother? Maybe so.
Anyway, she lowered her gaze to her sleeping daughter in her hands. She smiled at the sleeping face of the girl. Her child is now safe and sound, and that'll be more important than anything, isn't so? She walked back into her blue-roofed house, clicking the cordless phone back into its station on the way to the stairs.
END FLASHBACK
"After then you've been sleeping for a day," her mother concluded, "Anyway, Chihiro, can't you really remember anything?" Chihiro shook her head. No.
"What were you doing in the forest?" her father asked soon afterwards.
"I… don't know."
A moment of silence fell over the room after Chihiro's reply.
"…strained and sprained muscles, lost of consciousness for a period of time, all caused by a strong hit in the abdominal area. Internal organs aren't damaged, and no bones were fractured." the doctor murmured, causing the family of three turned their attention on him.
Smiling as he walked over to Chihiro, he gently reassured her parents, "Mr. and Mrs. Ogino, there is no need to worry. She probably forgot what happened because of the impact. For the next few days, it should be better for her to rest. Drink water, and I'll also get some medicine."
"Ah, thanks, Dr." Chihiro's father said, standing up from his daughter's bed frame as he accompanied the doctor out of the room, leaving the two females alone. A momentarily space of silence appeared again, but dissolved very soon after.
"Sweetie…" the mother said, holding Chihiro's hand as she spoke. "Is there anything wrong?" she asked, a worried expression forming on her face, "Did anything happen at school?"
"..No…" Chihiro said, hesitating in her answer. Anything wrong, huh… She wasn't sure if she wanted to let her mother know about her insecure feelings of familiarity and the often occurrence déjà vu. So for now, she would keep them to herself.
"...I see," her mother stood up and walked towards the door. She slowed down her footsteps as she reached the door frame. She turned to face her daughter, "If there is anything on your mind, you can always talk to your mother, okay?" Chihiro nodded. Her mother gave her a small smile as she closed the lighting in the room.
"Now rest, dear. It looks like tomorrow you'll have to be absent from school."
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"You're really going back?" Kazusa asked.
"Hn. There is something I need to make sure of." Kohaku replied.
The two were standing in front of the remains of an abandoned amusement park; the entrance to the spirit world. The sun was about to set, and a warm, orange color filled the sky. The air was humid and wet and the soil-filled ground was packed with moisture.
"What if Chihiro-chan got kidnapped again while you're away?" Kazusa frowned at the thought of having to deal with another of those situations again.
"...Don't worry, I'll be back as soon as I can," Kohaku gave the girl a small smile. He sighed mentally afterwards. What if Chihiro got kidnapped again while he's away... huh. He couldn't really do anything about it even if he was here anyway. Instead of sitting around doing nothing, it would be a better decision to take a small risk. Rather than wasting time in the power-less human body of his, it would be better to try and find a way.
"Besides, I'm pretty sure that who they want isn't Chihiro, but me." Kohaku continued, "They attacked me while I was in the spirit world, so that would make sense." Kazusa froze at the comment. Those words from the sentence triggered her memory as she remembered a conversation she had with the priest a few days ago.
FLASHBACK (please reference chapter 7)
"When I was changing his clothes for him, there was a large scar on his chest."
ENDFLASHBACK
'That was the cause of the scar...?' Kazusa thought as a frown appeared on her face.
"Well then, I'll be going." Kohaku said as walked past the mossy statue that was in the middle of the road; right in front of the entrance.
"Be careful!" Kazusa yelled behind his back, "If their target is you, you would probably be attacked again." She watched as the boy turned back to give her an attentive nod and a reassuring grin. Kazusa smiled at the reaction and watched as Kohaku disappeared into the dark tunnel. After staring at the hollow entrance for a couple of seconds, the girl turned away from the brick-red building to return home to the temple.
..................
Kohaku sighed as he reached the exist of the tunnel. He peered out at the waters and greens of the world that he had lived in as long as he could remember. The cooling night breeze blew across his face as he walked towards the small harbor that provides boats for crossing this sea. Shoving a few pieces of gold unto one of the boatman's hands, he stepped into the small, wooden boat and sat down at the only seat. The boat started to depart from its harbor as it waddled and shook on the surface of the ripply water.
"To the train station," he told the frog-faced boatman.
"Young lad, 're you human?" he asked as he rowed, "You came from the portal there but you smell nothin' like it."
"This is just a temporary body," Kohaku said absentmindedly. He eyed the large, luxurious ship that was sailing smoothly. As soon as it stopped at the stone steps of the nearest land, the numerous doors of it flung open as spirits and gods walked, no, floated out. 'That must be the guests to the bathhouse,' he thought.
"That big boat there," the boatman said as he caught Kohaku staring at it, "Carries those high-n-power spirits to Yubaba sorceress's bathhouse." He let out a little laugh as he saw the spirits on the boat floating off. "Little nobodys like you'nd me ain't got the riches or power to get'n that thing. Right, bud?"
"Hn." Kohaku replied. He tried ignored the fact that he had just been called a nobody and reminded himself that the boatman knew nothing about him being the spirit of the Kohaku river. "Hard to say."
The boatman began to laugh heartily at Kohaku's reply, "Hahaah...! Nice one, lad! ...eheha... You're an interesting boy, aren't ya?" He chuckled as he continued to row. "What's your name?"
"...Haku." Kohaku said softly. He couldn't trust strangers enough to give his real name to them. Although the boatman did seem like a harmless, greedless person. But just to be on the cautious side, since you could never know who a person really is by their appearance.
"Haku? Strange name you got there." the boatman joked, "I'm Hwon. Pleased to meet ya."
And for the rest of the ride, Kohaku listened to Hwon's continuous rambling on how great and luxurious the bathhouse was,and how he wished to visit there someday. Occasionally he would give a small 'Hn.' or 'Sure it is.' as the reply to the overly excited boatman's sentences. But most of the time he would drown himself in his own thoughts.
After a period of time, he finally arrived at the train station. Stepping off the wooden boat and onto the cemented platform, he thanked Hwon for the ride.
"No need to thank me. You paid for it, didn't ya?" he said as he chuckled, "Besides, I don't really get a lot of customers anyway."
The frog-like man rowed away after that, laughing along the way about some joke that probably wasn't funny at all. Kohaku stared at the distant image of Hwon for a second, thinking about what he had just said.
Besides, I don't really get a lot of customers anyway.
He raised a brow. That's a strange thing to say when he is a boatman. As far as he knew, boatmen in the spirit world were usually very busy and packed with customers, since the land becomes ocean once the sun sets and boats were the only traveling tool.
The incoming sound of a train cut Kohaku's thoughts off. He stepped back slightly as it began to drive in, splashing seawater onto the platform in its tracks. The brownish orange vehicle stopped in front of Kohaku as he went forward to enter. The electrically powered door opened as a portly man in blue uniform stood in the entrance, this miniature shredder hanging from his neck to his stomach.
"One person, to Swamp Bottom," Kohaku said, holding out a single ticket. (A/N: Please don't ask me where he got that ticket... XD|||)
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Tick. Tick. Tick. Tick.
The clicking of the single clock that was hung in the room was the only thing that the priest could hear. The old man was sitting on one of the many mats that were laid down on the tatami-covered floors. His eyes were closed, and his concentration was intense. His wrinkly face stayed incredibly still, making no motion whatsoever.
This was his part of his never-changed routine; Daily Meditation. Meditation keeps the spiritual energy within stable and controlled. It keeps the logical and emotional decisions well-balanced. But most importantly, it keep temptations from the evil side away.
It was something essential for people like him. People like him. That category would also include Kazusa and Kohaku, although he wasn't sure if Kohaku meditates or or, since he barely knew him. Kazusa was still slightly immature, in terms of knowledge and presence, for meditation. But someday, she would also be required to perform this act.
Kazusa... Kazusa. She was a nameless infant that he found in a forest at mid-October, ten years ago. He adopted her at once back then, and raised her as his own child (grandchild?). He home-schooled her as a Miko; taught her ancient arts and ancient studies. He gave her a name, attached to the last name of his family; Kawazoe. Kawazoe Kazusa.
He had told her that she was was the child of a friend of his, and that her parents had died at her birth. That was a completely made-up lie, said to comfort the girl whenever she asks about her family. The priest had no idea who she was, where she was from, or anything about of that sort.
But at that split-moment when he carried her infant-self, he knew one thing about her.
She wasn't the typical person that you could find walking in the street. She wasn't just what she seemed to be. Even her existence was probably not a natural occurrence. But at the same time, she was also an absolutely normal human being. She wasn't like Kohaku, who he was pretty sure, not human.
Her unique presence, her mystical existence. Her unbelievable talent in ancient arts and her spiritual energy. All those elements foretold that she was in for a great adventure, a voyage to the inner world. And it seems like that adventure would be happening soon. Oh, he knew about these things. He could see through them. He is a priest after all; highly spiritual people.
The priest opened his eyes as he heard the distant sound of an opening sliding door.
'That must be Kazusa... She's home,' he thought, 'Well then...' The thin man began to stand up from his sitting position, ending his daily meditation.
'Dinner must be ready!' He thought. The man chuckled at his dependance on the ten-year old girl. The laundry, cleaning, cooking, and all other chores of the temple were done by Kazusa. Ever since she was capable of understanding things, she had took on the job of doing all those tiresome things. Although the priest had offered to help every time, the girl would always use his old age as an excuse for him to go rest, meditate, or take a walk.
'That girl really knows how to take care of an old man, eh.' The priest thought as he existed his room, slipping into his favorite wooden slippers. Smiling as he started to walk towards the dinning room, he began to muse about the possible foods that would be his dinner tonight...
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Kazusa: -smile- We have a new character in this chapter!! -cheers- The frog-faced boatman, Hwon!
Hwon: Please to meet ya, readers! -grin- -suddenly makes peace sign- PEACE TO YA'LL!
Kazusa: -blink- ...
Eige-Chan: -perks up- Ooh yea! Hwon is definitely going to be an offical 'character'~ He's gonna have more appearances in later chapters!!
Hwon: -nose flares- Ooooh! I'm goin' be famous! -runs around laughing-
Eige-Chan: -sweatdrop- AH~ He does seem to have a laughing issue though,... haha...Hn... -ahem- Well then~! Once again, I humbly ask you all to REVIEW, please! If you do review... I'll... I'll... grant you... THIS PICTURE! -holds out picture dramatically-
Kazusa: -looks at picture- -gasps and blushes- This... This is...!
Readers: -intrigued by Kazusa's reaction- What is it! What is it? -tries to look-
Eige-Chan: -snickers and puts away picture- You'll see in the next chapter~ Now REVIEW! (Pleassse~~~ Pretty Pleeease~?)
