The spirit world was much larger than Chihiro had predicted. She figured that since it took days to get to Granny's house, it wouldn't be long before the mountains came into view. Mountains eventually did, but they weren't their destination, hardly large enough to really call mountains. Other passengers cycled in and out of the car as the sun and moon wet through their cycles.
Chihiro thought she might lose count of the days. One. Two. Three. Four. Finally, some excitement! The train came to a stop in front of a town that looked similar to the festival grounds she was used to. For a moment she panicked, thinking they had entirely missed their stop.
A gravely and deep voice echoed from the overhead speaking announcing the train would be stopped until night. Dawn had passed what felt like only a few hours ago, so plenty of time for Chihiro to get some fresh air and prove her doubts wrong. Lin and Aogaeru followed Chihiro out of the train. The human woman immediately let out a large sigh of relief when she saw the town fully.
There was no sign of a large bathhouse, nor was there the smells a festival ground would have. There was also more activity, which seemed to surprise Lin and Aogaeru as well. There weren't any shadowy figures, instead, all the spirits had solid forms. Some were animals and bugs, some were colourful smile-looking things, and some Chihiro couldn't describe no matter how hard she tried. Some of the spirits watched the human woman out of curiosity before going about their… lives? Lives.
Chihiro for the most part ignored the other spirits, enjoying walking around in the fresh air and seeing the sights of a normal village. Other than the spirits themselves, it was like something out of the human world. She felt her chest ache a little as she thought about how much she missed it; how much she missed her father.
Lin and Aogaeru had left Chihiro to go ask the locals how many more stops until the great snowy mountains. Most of the spirits just shrugged and said they didn't know, others said it was only days away, and a minority said it would still be weeks. It was frustrating, but there wasn't much they could do except continue on their journey.
Chihiro knew she was deteriorating, but not as fast as before. She had gotten used to the pain in her side, Granny had done her best to prepare painkillers and make them easy to take. It seemed the emeralds were most of the reason why she was still able to move so freely. One had dulled and cracked the night before, so there were only four left. Chihiro couldn't help but worry about what would happen if the last one lost its power. Would that render Haku too weak and rescuing him would be much too late? Or is the power of the emeralds returning to him? So maybe it was a good thing for them to be used up?
Haku hadn't exactly explained what they did or why they were important other than the obvious. She wanted more answers, but since the last dream, she hadn't been able to hear from him again. She was sure that he was just conserving his energy to wait, but maybe it was much direr.
The worry never ceased, but the sense of slight normalcy in the town calmed her thoughts and she was able to push them away, even if just for a short time. When the sun started lowering into the distance Chihiro headed back to the train. Lin and Aogaeru had already been waiting for her. They didn't need to speak to know what the other day was like. The three had hardly talked at all during the trip. It was unlikely to change, not until everything had gone back to normal and everyone was safe.
Chihiro couldn't help but internally laugh at the thought of 'normal' as she sat back down in her seat and the voice came over the speakers to announce they would be departing soon. Chihiro wasn't sure what normal meant anymore. Was the spirit world normal now? Was it just as normal as her home in the spirit world? Maybe, maybe if she kept her memories this time. Maybe if she was given the option to come and go as she pleased.
Part of the reason why the trip was so quiet was because of how much Chihiro had been thinking over her returned memories. She knew they were real, but it was more surreal. So much had happened in that short time.
The part she struggled with the most was when she was forced to go on a similar journey, although only to Granny's house; she hadn't gone this far out before. She could still smell Haku's blood when he crashed into the bathhouse. How could a ten-year-old kid be so much braver than this adult woman? That kid hadn't even hesitated to go on a trip she might not have come back from. She didn't fear No-Face or the river spirit, all she could think about was moving forward.
When her mother died, she had lost part of that courage and faith. Even before that, as she left the spirit world the first time, she knew something was wrong and missing. That feeling was why she started painting and writing short stories. She felt it was a little ironic how desperately she wanted the spirit world to be real when she was younger. Even though she couldn't remember, she always had that longing for a large white and green dragon to come flying into her room and spiriting her away to a heavenly place. The fantasies got worse after her mother's passing.
Eventually, she had grown up. She had realized that there were no dragons. Her dragon, her precious dragon, would never come to find her. Now… Now she knew those feelings of a kid were real. Even if her brain didn't remember, her heart had. Even a god couldn't erase a heart's feelings, it seemed. Perhaps the reason why she was still in denial was because the reunion hadn't gone how she hoped-for.
The situation wasn't exactly a romantic fantasy of a kid. Not only that but how empty would be her heart when she returned and her memory was erased again? Would it be forever a hole that could never be healed?
Five. Six. Seven.
A week had now passed. Only three emeralds remained. The air had become colder; Lin and Chihiro shared one of the blankets they had brought, Chihiro eventually wrapping herself in a jacket under the blanket. The mountains were now in view, close enough to see that they were covered in snow. Only one or two more days before the last part of the journey.
As the sun drifted below the horizon on the seventh day Chihiro found herself drifting into sleep with it. While on the train, dreams and nightmares had continued to evade Chihiro, but she wouldn't be so lucky this night.
Chihiro woke with a start. The train felt like it was coated in ice, Chihiro would have been able to see her breath if it hadn't been pitch black. The woman slowly sat up and moved her hands towards where Lin had been sitting. No Lin. Fuck.
A dream, more likely a nightmare. What was going to happen this time? Chihiro didn't have to wait long for an answer. The train lurched to a stop and began shaking violently as if being attacked by a large creature. Chihiro instinctively dropped to the ground, letting the large blanket fall over her.
The train stilled. A moment that felt like hours passed in complete silence and stillness. Chihiro held her breath and remained as still as her surroundings, bracing herself.
Another violent shake and a loud noise that sounded like metal screeching and being crushed. Chihiro covered her ears at the piercing sound which was quickly replaced by a growl, a growl that belonged to a creature with a desire to kill."
Chihiro felt a wave of warm air on the blanket and steeled herself to jump away. A second later a loud snarl rang out as the blanket was picked up and turn to pieces before being tossed away. Chihiro took a quick glance at her attacker. Haku.
It looked like Haku, but it wasn't Haku. Not entirely. His eyes were glassy and distant, he wanted to kill her. The woman quickly pushed herself off the ground and sprinted to the next train. It wouldn't offer much protection, but tearing the metal would slow him down.
Roaring and more metal being crushed echoed behind her as she sprinted from car to car. She didn't have time to think about what to do once her path ran out, but now all she could do was focus on running.
The roaring sounded like it had been a couple of cars away when Chihiro finally allowed herself to slow and catch her breath. She continued moving, not wanting to entirely stop.
She entered the final passenger car and quickened her pace until she was in the engine car. She clambered as she looked for a good place to hide, ducking into a space next to where the coal was kept. Hopefully, the smell of coal would cover her smell long enough for her to think of a better plan, one to make her wake up from the current nightmare.
Chihiro had been so lost in trying to figure out a plan, she hadn't noticed the quiet, not for a while. When she finally did, every plan she considered vanished from her mind as she sat up, trying to see outside the small windows.
Then a true horror began. In the little moonlight that had begun to peak through the clouds, she saw a figure in the first car walking towards the engine car. Was it Haku? Her gut told her no. Something in her screamed that she was in danger, much louder than when Haku had attacked her.
A thought, a horrible thought. Chihiro began to panic and slowly moved to a door that led outside, trying to keep herself concealed so the figure didn't see her movement. She opened the engine door that led to the outside as slowly and quietly as she could manage, slipping out and ducking close to the ground.
Any sign of Haku being there was gone, so Chihiro decided to focus on the figure. The sound of another door opening told her the figure had entered the engine room. Chihiro ignored the cold burning as she crawled back towards the passenger cars, staying as close as she could while also staying far enough away in case the figure started the train.
Luckily, she had chosen the side of the train that the moon didn't cast its light on, so she was concealed by darkness as long as she stayed quiet and Haku remained away. Something still felt off. It had gone quiet again, and her instincts were screaming so loud she thought she might get a headache from it.
A moment later she found out why. The figure had silently but quickly approached Chihiro, grabbing her arm tightly enough that it would in no doubt result in a bruise. Chihiro screamed as the figure flipped her around so she could see who it was.
Hisashi.
Chihiro didn't have time to react further before the scene changed completely, causing her to stumble forward.
"Are you alright?!" Mrs. Nishihara had grabbed Chihiro right where Hisashi had grabbed her, causing the younger woman to flinch away. It was bright and warm, summer in the park she and Mrs. Nishihara often walked in.
"I'm alright." Chihiro tried to hide how shaky her voice was. What the hell happened?
Mrs. Nishihara looked concerned but nodded, "If you say so. You look pale all of a sudden." Chihiro opened her mouth to respond but the senior had already begun talking again, "Ah! Hisashi! You're late!"
What?! They were waiting for him?!
Hisashi grinned as he approached at a near sprint, "Sorry about that grandma, had some trouble at work." He wrapped an arm around Chihiro, which caused her to scream and push him away, naturally.
Mrs. Nishihara immediately jumped and grabbed Chihiro again, "What's wrong, dear?"
Something dangerous flashed in Hisashi's eyes, "She hasn't been sleeping well lately."
Chihiro sputtered a little, how dare he speak for her, "What the fuck is going on?"
Hisashi's glare became clearer and Mrs. Nishihara gasped as she spoke in a louder voice, "That's no way to speak to your future husband and in-law!"
Chihiro felt her entire being shudder, even the spirit itself as she backed away further, "No! This is wrong!"
Hisashi sprinted towards her and grabbed her hard again, "You're just tired and confused because of that."
Enough, there was no way she was going to accept this. Never. Following her gut, she brought her leg up to knee him in the unmentionables, bringing her elbow down on to his head when he crouched over and groaned.
He looked up at her, his eyes turning to a snake's eyes and his voice dripped with venom, "Why would you act this way to your fiancé?" Fuck this! Chihiro once again kneed him, this time in his chest, then kicked him hard in the side, causing him to fall to the ground.
"I would rather die than be your fiancé." The world blurred and then returned to the wintery land, Hiashi on the ground. In a split second, Hisashi had become a huge white snake, crushing the train entirely with his shift. Chihiro fell backward, but quickly stood up again, "Fuck off you overgrown pest!"
Hisashi lunged at Chihiro and Chihiro dodged to the side, quickly shifting to launch herself into Hisashi's neck, throwing him against the train. Hisashi groaned before vanishing into thin air, causing Chihiro to fall backward in the snow. What the fuck…?
Chihiro glanced up to see Haku flying in the air above her, his eyes showing that he was himself. Chihiro shot upwards, needing answers, but he quickly vanished too.
The woman hardly had any time to be confused over what happened before she once again woke with a jolt. The train was once again dark but moving and warmer, much warmer. Chihiro shifted and felt Lin sleeping peacefully beside her. Letting out a huge sigh, Chihiro relaxed against the train's chair. Haku definitely needed to explain why the hell she was suddenly able to beat Hisashi in a fight. Did this mean Haku's strength was returning, enough for him to grant her enough strength to defend herself?
The longer this journey went on, the more confused she got. She really, really wanted to go home now.
Merry Christmas~!